US09721658B1
A memory device can include a plurality of bit lines; plurality of memory elements coupled to the bit lines, each memory element including a memory layer formed between two electrodes, the memory layer being programmable between a plurality of different resistance states by creation and removal of conductive regions therein by application of electric fields; and at least one sense amplifier (SA) configured to compare a first value, corresponding to a resistance state of a first memory element, to a second value, corresponding to a resistance state of a second memory element.
US09721649B1
A circuit for implementing a write operation of a memory is described. The circuit comprises a data line buffer coupled to a data line and an inverted data line for writing data; a plurality of memory elements, each memory element having a first node coupled to the data line and a second node coupled to the inverted data line; and a write assist circuit having a first node coupled to data line and a second node coupled to the inverted data line, wherein the write assist circuit comprises a pair of pull-down transistors comprising first pull-down transistor coupled to the first node of an amplifier portion and a second pull-down transistor coupled to a second node of the amplifier portion, and a pair of pull-up transistors comprising a first pull-up transistor coupled to the first node of the amplifier portion and a second pull-up transistor coupled to the second node of the amplifier portion. A method of implementing a write operation of a memory of a memory is also described.
US09721637B2
A method for determining an optimized write pattern for low write error rate operation of a spin torque magnetic random access memory. The method provides a way to optimize the write error rate without affecting the memory speed. The method comprises one or more write pulses. The pulses may be independent in amplitude, duration and shape. Various exemplary embodiments adjust the write pattern based on the memory operating conditions, for example, operating temperature.
US09721636B1
A method and apparatus for controlled switching of a magnetoresistive random access memory device is disclosed herein. The method includes delivering a current to a magnetoresistive random access memory device, wherein the MRAM device is in a first state, measuring a voltage drop across the magnetoresistive random access memory device in real-time with a resistance detector, wherein a voltage drop beyond a threshold voltage equates to switching from a first state to a second state, the first state different from the second state, determining whether the MRAM device has switched from the first state to the second state, and stopping the current delivered to the magnetoresistive random access memory device.
US09721635B2
Provided are, among others, memory circuits or devices and their applications in electronic devices or systems and various implementations of an electronic device which includes two variable resistance elements in each storage cell, thereby increasing margin and speed of a read operation. One disclosed electronic device includes a semiconductor memory unit which, in one implementation, in addition to two variable resistance elements, further includes a bit line and a bit line bar formed at a metal level; a first word line formed at a transistor level lower than the metal level, and extended in a direction perpendicular to the bit line or the bit line bar; a first selecting element formed at the transistor level and coupled to the bit line and the first word line; a second selecting element formed at the transistor level and coupled to the bit line bar and the first word line.
US09721633B2
A semiconductor memory device includes: banks each including a memory cell array; word lines connected to rows in each of the banks; and an address latch circuit configured to latch a full address specifying one of the word lines, the full address including a first address and a second address. The address latch circuit receives a first command and a second command to latch the first address and the second address in accordance with the first command and the second command, respectively. Paths for the first address and the second address are configured to be separate from each other.
US09721631B2
A magnetic device that includes a perpendicular magnetized polarizing layer configured to provide a first spin-torque and an in-plane magnetized free layer having a magnetization vector having at least a first stable state and a second stable state. The magnetic device also includes a reference layer configured to provide a second spin-torque. The first spin-torque and the second spin-torque can combine. The in-plane magnetized free layer and the reference layer form a magnetic tunnel junction and the combined first spin-torque and second spin-torque influences the magnetic state of the in-plane magnetized free layer. An application of a voltage pulse, having either positive or negative polarity and a selected amplitude and duration, through the magnetic device causes the magnetization vector to oscillate between the first stable state and the second stable state for a portion of the duration regardless of an initial state of the magnetization vector.
US09721620B2
A hermetically-sealed hard disk drive (HDD) utilizes a laminated film seal to seal an HDD cover-to-base interface. The laminated film seal may be constructed of a heat sealant layer hermetically-coupled to and forming a seal with the base, a barrier layer which inhibits gas from escaping from inside the HDD, and a film surface protective layer which protects the heat sealant and barrier layers. Embodiments may include a heat sealant layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer such as polypropylene, a barrier layer comprising a metal such as aluminum, and a film surface protective layer comprising a thermoplastic polymer such as polyethylene terephthalate.
US09721618B2
A storage cartridge dock system and method are provided. The storage cartridge dock system in one example includes a case including a front panel, an upper cartridge slot formed in the front panel of the case and configured to receive an upper storage cartridge, with the upper cartridge slot including an upper interface connector, at least a lower cartridge slot formed in the front panel and configured to receive a lower storage cartridge, with the at least lower cartridge slot including a lower interface connector, and a first external connector and a second external connector coupled to the upper interface connector of the upper cartridge slot and coupled to the lower interface connector of the at least lower cartridge slot.
US09721617B2
A media content processing system includes a receiver configured to receive a media content signal, associated with a media content instance, from a plurality of sources including a first source and a second source. The media content processing system further includes a processing device programmed to generate a first recorded segment that includes a portion of the media content instance received from the first source, determine a signal strength of the media content signal received from the first source, compare the signal strength to a predetermined level, request the media content signal from the second source if the signal strength is below the predetermined level, generate a second recorded segment that includes a portion of the media content instance received from the second source, and concatenate the second recorded segment to the first recorded segment.
US09721611B2
Videos may be automatically generated using a set of video clip. Individual moments of interest may be identified within individual video clips of a set of video clips. A moment of interest may correspond to a point in time within a video clip. The point in time may be associated with one or more values of one or more attributes of the video clip. Individual moments of interest may be associated with individual portions of a video. The video may be generated using the set of video clips based on the associations.
US09721608B2
A motor includes a rotating portion including a rotor magnet, and arranged to rotate about a central axis extending in a vertical direction; a bearing mechanism arranged to support the rotating portion such that the rotating portion is rotatable about the central axis; a stator portion arranged opposite to the rotor magnet; a housing arranged to accommodate the rotating portion, the bearing mechanism, and the stator portion therein; and a sealing member. The housing includes a base portion substantially in a shape of a plate and arranged to extend radially below the rotating portion. The base portion includes a first lower surface arranged to face downward, and a through hole arranged to pass through the base portion in the vertical direction and arranged to have a portion of the bearing mechanism arranged therein. The sealing member is arranged to cover a lower side of the through hole, and includes at least a metal layer.
US09721600B2
Rotational latency is reduced in a standard conventional form factor HDD system by replacing, for example, the prior art rotary arm actuator of a conventional HDD, with one or more belts and pulleys and one or more read/write heads mounted on, or otherwise associated with the belts. Multiple scaled iterations facilitate energy savings and power optimized systems, without compromise to data access performance.
US09721596B2
A data reader may have an resonant tunnel structure disposed between first and second magnetic structures. The resonant tunnel structure can be configured with a spacer layer disposed between first and second barrier layers. The first barrier layer can have a first thickness that is smaller than a second thickness of the second barrier layers with the thicknesses each measured along a common plane to provide resonant tunneling for the data reader.
US09721593B2
Devices having air bearing surfaces (ABS), the devices include 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 the disc includes a disc material and the peg includes a peg material, wherein the disc material is different from the peg material and wherein the disc material has a first real part of the permittivity and a peg material has a second real part of the permittivity and the second real part of the permittivity is not greater than the first real part of the permittivity.
US09721591B1
A magnetic write apparatus has a media-facing surface (MFS) and includes an auxiliary pole, coil(s) and a main pole having a pole tip and a yoke. The pole tip occupies part of the MFS. The yoke has a yoke length measured from the MFS in a yoke direction perpendicular to the MFS. The yoke length is less than four microns. The main pole has a total length in the yoke direction and a width in a cross-track direction. The main pole is continuous along the total length. The aspect ratio of the main pole is the total length divided by the width and exceeds one. The main pole includes surface(s) having a nonzero acute flare angle from the MFS. The auxiliary pole is adjacent to the main pole and recessed from the MFS by not more than 1.05 micron. The coil(s) energizes the main pole and have not more than two turns.
US09721579B2
Despite many practical limitations imposed by mobile device platforms and application execution environments, vocal musical performances may be captured and continuously pitch-corrected for mixing and rendering with backing tracks in ways that create compelling user experiences. Based on the techniques described herein, even mere amateurs are encouraged to share with friends and family or to collaborate and contribute vocal performances as part of virtual “glee clubs.” In some implementations, these interactions are facilitated through social network- and/or eMail-mediated sharing of performances and invitations to join in a group performance. Using uploaded vocals captured at clients such as a mobile device, a content server (or service) can mediate such virtual glee clubs by manipulating and mixing the uploaded vocal performances of multiple contributing vocalists.
US09721565B2
In an interactive voice response system, a method is provided for selective enhancement of voice recognition capability during an interaction. The method includes the acts (a) taking a call and prompting for a voice response from the caller, (b) failing to recognize the response, (c) executing a routine to detect and isolate the captured word or phrase in the response, and (d) attempting to recognize the response a second time.
US09721562B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for generating representation of acoustic sequences. One of the methods includes: receiving an acoustic sequence, the acoustic sequence comprising a respective acoustic feature representation at each of a plurality of time steps; processing the acoustic feature representation at an initial time step using an acoustic modeling neural network; for each subsequent time step of the plurality of time steps: receiving an output generated by the acoustic modeling neural network for a preceding time step, generating a modified input from the output generated by the acoustic modeling neural network for the preceding time step and the acoustic representation for the time step, and processing the modified input using the acoustic modeling neural network to generate an output for the time step; and generating a phoneme representation for the utterance from the outputs for each of the time steps.
US09721558B2
A system and method are disclosed for generating customized text-to-speech voices for a particular application. The method comprises generating a custom text-to-speech voice by selecting a voice for generating a custom text-to-speech voice associated with a domain, collecting text data associated with the domain from a pre-existing text data source and using the collected text data, generating an in-domain inventory of synthesis speech units by selecting speech units appropriate to the domain via a search of a pre-existing inventory of synthesis speech units, or by recording the minimal inventory for a selected level of synthesis quality. The text-to-speech custom voice for the domain is generated utilizing the in-domain inventory of synthesis speech units. Active learning techniques may also be employed to identify problem phrases wherein only a few minutes of recorded data is necessary to deliver a high quality TTS custom voice.
US09721555B2
A material for audio equipment housing containing a polylactic acid resin composition containing a polylactic acid resin, a plasticizer, an organic crystal nucleating agent, and an inorganic material, wherein the content of the plasticizer is from 1 to 50 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the polylactic acid resin; and a vibration-damping material containing a polylactic acid resin composition containing a polylactic acid resin, a plasticizer, an organic crystal nucleating agent, and an inorganic material, wherein the content of the plasticizer is from 1 to 50 parts by mass based on 100 parts by mass of the polylactic acid resin. The material of the present invention can be suitably used as materials for audio equipment of, for example, speakers, television, radio cassette players, headphones, audio components, or microphones, and manufactured articles, such as electric appliances, transportation vehicles, construction buildings, and industrial equipment, or parts or housing thereof.
US09721546B2
A musical wind instrument, comprising a mouthpiece, key mechanism, body, and an alternative material bridge that is couple a first and second opposite facing tube. There is in an alternative embodiment at least one coupling mechanism affixed to at least one of the opposite facing tubes designed to releasably hold the wood based material bridge against the first and second tubes. Alternatively there is a musical wind instrument made of a predominantly first material, comprising a mouthpiece, key mechanism, and body; at least a first and second tube having a portion thereof being spatially opposite to each other respectively, and a bridge, having a first and second end that are coupled to the first and second tube respectively, wherein the bridge is made of an alternative material that is different from the predominantly first material of the instrument.
US09721535B2
Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and computer program product for managing power consumption of a display. An illumination area of the display may be adjusted to limit or increase a number of activated light emitting devices, and thus, adjust power consumption of the display. A device may receive an input to adjust the first illumination area to the second illumination area. In response, a device may, for example, disable a portion of the first illumination area not included in the second illumination area. In another example, a device may enable a portion of the second illumination area not included in the first illumination area. An amount of operation time and/or energy storage may be calculated, based at least in part on a resize of an illumination area of the display.
US09721529B2
A mobile computing device is disclosed for displaying backlight and diffuse reflecting information. The mobile computing device is configured to include a processor, a first LCD display unit connected to the processor, and a second diffuse reflecting display unit connected to the processor. The mobile computing device is further provided with a display panel interface, such as a mouse or a gravity detecting device like an accelerometer, configured to detect a property for activating a display type. The processor is configured to send information to be displayed to the first display unit or the second display unit or both depending on the display type property detected.
US09721516B2
A method of driving a display panel and display device including the same are disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises providing input image data, generating a gamma reference voltage, generating a data voltage based on the gamma reference voltage and input image data, providing the data voltage to the display panel, and determining whether the input image data represents a still image or a video image. The method further comprises substantially periodically and alternately generating first and second common voltages when the input image data represents the still image, and providing the first and second common voltages to the display panel.
US09721511B2
A display device includes: a display unit including a plurality of pixels and a plurality of division areas; a data driver configured to apply a data signal corresponding to image data to the display unit, and to control a slew rate of the data signal, based on a bias voltage; and a bias controller configured to control the data driver so that the slew rate of the data signal is changed for each division area, based on a luminance variation of the image data corresponding to each of the division areas.
US09721510B2
A gate driving unit includes an input circuit, a pull-up circuit, a reset circuit, and an output circuit. The pull-up driving signals received by the input circuit include the gate driving signals for pixel units of row n−2 and row n+4. The reset driving signals received by the reset circuit include the gate driving signals for pixel units of row n+2 and row n+8. The gate driving signals output from the output circuit include the gate driving signals for pixel units of row n and row n+6. Where, n is a positive integer and nε[3,∞). The gate driving unit can output gate driving signals of two rows of pixel units and thus has a high service efficiency. An area occupied by a gate driving circuit made of the gate driving units is reduced, and a driving efficiency of the gate driving circuit is increased.
US09721508B2
A pixel circuit, a driving method of a pixel circuit and an organic light-emitting display device are provided. The pixel circuit includes a first transistor having a gate electrode receiving a first light-emitting signal, a first terminal receiving a first reference voltage, and a second terminal connected to a first node; a second transistor having a gate electrode receiving a first scanning signal, a first terminal receiving a second reference voltage, and a second terminal connected to a second node; a third transistor having a gate electrode connected to the second node, a first terminal connected to a third node and a second terminal connected to a fourth node; a fourth transistor having a gate electrode receiving a second scanning signal, a first terminal receiving a data signal, and a second terminal connected to the third node; a fifth transistor having a gate electrode receiving the second scanning signal, a first terminal connected to the fourth node, and a second terminal connected to the second node; a sixth transistor having a gate electrode receiving a second light-emitting signal, a first terminal receiving a first power supply voltage, and a second terminal connected to the third node; a seventh transistor having a gate electrode receiving the second light-emitting signal, a first terminal receiving the first power supply voltage, and a second terminal connected to the first node; an eighth transistor having a gate electrode receiving the second light-emitting signal and a first terminal connected to the fourth node; a light-emitting element having a first terminal connected to the second terminal of the eighth transistor and a second terminal receiving a second power supply voltage; and a first capacitor having a first terminal connected to the first node and a second terminal connected to the second node.
US09721505B2
A system for driving a display that includes a plurality of pixel circuits arranged in an array, each of the pixel circuits including a light emitting device and a driving transistor for conveying a driving current through the light emitting device. Methods of measuring characteristics of circuit elements of pixels sharing a monitor line include the control of biasing to selectively turn off circuit elements or render their response known while measuring other circuit elements of interest.
US09721504B2
Discussed are a current sensing circuit capable of compensating for degradation of an organic light emitting diode by sensing a current of the organic light emitting diode, and an organic light emitting diode display having the same. The current sensing circuit according to an embodiment includes a plurality of sensing modules configured to sense a pixel current from a display panel having an organic light emitting diode on each of a plurality of pixels, and to output a sensing voltage according to a sensing result; and an analog-to-digital converter configured to convert the sensing voltage into an analog-to-digital voltage, and to output sensing data.
US09721503B2
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix on a substrate, each including a luminescent element and a drive transistor configured to supply current to the luminescent element for light emission, and a panel characteristics correction unit configured to correct for display a video signal supplied from outside, to be supplied to a respective one of the pixels, and the panel characteristics correction unit includes an EL characteristics correction unit configured to correct the video signal with inverse luminescent characteristics of the luminescent element, and a TFT characteristics correction unit configured to correct the video signal with inverse drive characteristics of the drive transistor.
US09721497B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels, each of the plurality of pixels including: a first sub-pixel configured to emit light of a first color; a second sub-pixel configured to emit light of a second color that is different from the first color; a third sub-pixel configured to emit light of a third color that is different from the first and second colors; and a transmission sub-pixel configured to selectively transmit external light in response to an electrical signal.
US09721492B2
An image display apparatus according to the present invention includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire a size of a flat region on the basis of an input image, this flat region, from among regions of the input image, being a region in which a change in gradation value in a spatial direction of the image is small; and an image processing unit configured to perform unevenness reduction processing on the input image, this unevenness reduction processing reducing at least one of brightness unevenness and color unevenness of a screen at a higher reduction degree as the flat region is larger in size.
US09721488B2
Disclosed is a mounting assembly adapted for retrofitting automobile window flags on surfaces other than automobile windows. The device includes a continuous bracket having two opposing ends that are interconnected by a flexible hinge positioned there between. The first opposing end of the continuous bracket is configured to receive and carry a slotted portion of the automobile window flag assembly and the second opposing end of the continuous bracket has a securing member formed thereon that is configured to secure the automobile window flag assembly to the device when the two opposing ends of the continuous bracket are fastened to one another.
US09721485B2
A method and apparatus to regulate the use and removal of freight. The apparatus includes a sensing element, a stoppage element, and at least one actuator. The sensing element is operable to determine the presence of freight. Stoppage element can alternate between a first condition configured to impede freight removal and a second condition configured to permit freight removal. The presence of freight maintains stoppage element in the first condition absent engagement of the at least one actuator and engagement of the at least one actuator switches stoppage element to the second condition when freight is present.
US09721471B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for determining lane information of a roadway segment from vehicle probe data. Probe data is received from radar sensors of vehicles at a road segment, where the probe data includes an identification of static objects and dynamic objects in proximity to the respective vehicles at the road segment, and geographic locations of the static objects and the dynamic objects. A reference point, such as a road boundary, at the road segment is determined from the identified static objects. Lateral distances between the identified dynamic objects and the reference point are calculated. A number of lanes at the road segment are ascertained from a distribution of the calculated distances of the identified dynamic objects from the reference point.
US09721451B1
A method and system for generating warning notifications using wireless indoor navigation technology is disclosed. The method comprises determining a location for an individual and a transportation device by receiving device identifiers (e.g., distinctive combination of numbers and/or characters uniquely identifying receiving devices associated with the individual and the transportation device) and location information, received from one or more beacons, from the receiving devices. The method comprises determining a location associated with the individual and the transportation device based on the location information and/or the device identifiers. The method also comprises receiving a destination location and determining an intended path for the transportation device. The method comprises warning the individual upon determining that the location associated with the individual is within a predetermined proximity to the transportation device or its intended path.
US09721448B2
Wireless communication system for underground pipeline inspection. The system includes a plurality of sensor nodes moved by robots within the pipeline and each sensor node includes a radio transceiver. A plurality of spaced apart, above ground relay nodes are deployed along the pipeline, each relay node including a radio transceiver for communication with the sensor nodes. A remote monitoring center is provided in communication with the relay nodes, whereby a leak detected by a sensor node is communicated to the remote monitoring center. Each sensor node may further include a microcontroller, an accelerometer and a timer.
US09721447B2
A method can include receiving power level information for a device that includes a rechargeable battery and a display; determining a power level differential based at least in part on the power level information and historical information of the device; and rendering a power level differential notice to the display.
US09721446B1
A method, system and computer program product for detecting allergens present in a product. A tag (e.g., passive RFID tag) receives a query from the user of a computing device containing a list of allergens to determine if an allergen is present in the product (e.g., product for ingestion). Product information associated with the product in stored in secure memory (e.g., write-only memory) on the tag. The tag determines if an allergen to the user is present in the product using the list of allergens in the query as well as the product information associated with the product. The tag then notifies the user of the computing device regarding whether an allergen to the user is present in the product based on the determination. In this manner, allergens are detected in a product and made known to the user.
US09721441B2
A system and method are provided for transmitting messages related to operations of electronic devices. A management apparatus is notified of an event that occurred in a specific one of a plurality of electronic devices. The management apparatus determines one or more target devices in response to notification of the event that occurred in the specific electronic device. An event message corresponding to the event that occurred in the specific electronic device is created. The management apparatus transmits the event message to the one or more target devices. The one or more target devices output the received event message.
US09721439B2
There is provided a transaction terminal device including: a housing; a frame panel that is attached to the housing; a plurality of electrodes that is provided on a board disposed within the housing; a switch member that is inserted into a penetrating hole formed in the housing, and includes a conductor which electrically connects the plurality of electrodes and an elastic deformer which maintains an electrically connected state in which the conductor is in contact with the electrodes by urging force due to elastic deformation in a state in which the frame panel is attached to the housing; and a tamper detector that detects tampering through the releasing of the electrically connected state of the plurality of electrodes due to the detachment of the frame panel from the housing. A waterproof portion that prevents water from infiltrating into the penetrating hole is provided at the switch member.
US09721432B2
Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems, apparatuses and methods for implementing a dice game having a re-roll feature on a gaming device. Accordingly, a gaming device can be configured to roll multiple virtual dice on a game display and determine if the result of the dice roll satisfies a predefined criterion. When the result of the initial dice roll satisfies the predefined criterion, one or more of the multiple virtual dice is re-rolled. The gaming device then evaluates a game result after the re-roll, where the combination of the displayed faces from any initially rolled dice that were not re-rolled and the displayed faces from the re-rolled dice are used in the evaluation.
US09721430B2
Systems and methods for poker gameplay funding are disclosed through the crediting gaming accounts and the debiting of a stored value account. The stored value account can be linked to a stored value payment vehicle issued to a player. Funds held by the stored value account can be used for tournament poker play and cash game buy-in in virtual poker rooms and brick-and-mortar poker rooms. At the conclusion of gameplay, the gaming account can be debited and the stored value account credit to reflect poker winnings.
US09721417B2
A paper sheet insertion apparatus (for example, depositing and dispensing unit 20) includes: an imaging unit (for example, camera 60) configured to take an image of a side edge portion, on a placement member 23a side, of paper sheets placed in a placement unit 22, or a side edge portion, on a side opposite to the placement member 23a side, of the paper sheets placed in the placement unit 22, to obtain image data; and a control unit (for example, depositing and dispensing unit control unit 72) configured to determine, based on the image data obtained by the imaging unit, whether or not a plurality of the paper sheets placed in the placement unit are bundled by a bundling member.
US09721411B2
An interaction spot is provided that may detect the presence of an electronic device such as a smartphone. A user may make a physical motion with the smartphone proximal to the interaction spot such as moving it upward. The interaction spot may communicate with a second device such as a light or a household appliance. A setting of the second device may be adjusted based on the motion of the electronic device.
US09721409B2
A wearable device may include a sensor system capable of obtaining physiological from a user's body. Some wearable devices may include a substance delivery system. A sensor system of a wearable device may include at least one “bio-assurance sensor” capable of obtaining biometric data that may be used to identify a user. For example, the bio-assurance sensor may be used to ensure that the wearable device is not removed from the user's body and/or placed on or in another user's body. In some examples, the wearable device may be used with a second device, such as a smart phone, that includes at least one “authentication sensor,” such as a fingerprint sensor, that also may be used to identify a user. However, in some implementations the wearable device may include at least one authentication sensor.
US09721406B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for door unlocking using a payment account. The system receives registration of a user at a business entity, such as a hotel and receives identification of a payment account associated with the user. Then the system establishes a policy such that the payment account is used as a key to unlock a door at the business entity, such as a hotel room. The system receives data associated with the payment account by receiving a card swipe at the hotel room door using a card associated with the payment account or via a wireless communication at the door. The door is unlocked based on validation of the data provided at the door.
US09721402B2
Apparatuses are provided for performing physical access control using various types of encoding technologies by removably incorporating modular encoder subassemblies. An access control apparatus includes access control electronics and at least one docking bay or slot for removably housing at least one modular encoder unit. The encoder unit can be removably house in the docking bay or slot of the access control apparatus and be removably linked, communicatively and/or physically, to the access control electronics when housed in the access control apparatus, and can interface with and write or read information to or from a credential. When removably housed in the docking bay or slot, the encoder unit can receive identity data from the access control electronics and bind the identity data to the credential.
US09721396B2
Action of a head around which an HMD main body is worn is related to manipulation of an object in an immersive three-dimensional virtual space. Information on a sight in a virtual space may be determined based on information on head inclination sensed with an inclination sensor; an image of the sight in the virtual space may be generated based on the sight information in order to display the sight image in the head mounted display; an object placed on a reference sight line in the virtual space may be identified, the reference sight line being determined in correspondence with a predetermined position in the sight image; and an object the identified object may be manipulated in response to the identification of the object in accordance with action of inclining in a predetermined direction the head around which the head mounted display is worn.
US09721379B2
A method includes registering a first coordinate system of a fluoroscopic imaging system and a second coordinate system of a magnetic position tracking system. A three-dimensional (3D) map of an organ of a patient is computed using the magnetic position tracking system. A field-of-view (FOV) of the fluoroscopic imaging system in the second coordinate system is calculated using the registered first and second coordinate systems. Based on the 3D map and the calculated FOV, a two-dimensional (2D) image that simulates a fluoroscopic image that would be generated by the fluoroscopic imaging system is created, and the 2D image that simulates the fluoroscopic image is displayed.
US09721374B2
Chart animation control may be provided. Upon receiving a change to a displayed visualization comprising a plurality of data elements, a determination may be made as to whether to animate an update of the visualization according to the change to the displayed visualization. In response to determining to animate the update of the visualization according to the change to the data value, an animation of the update may be constructed and rendered and the updated visualization may be displayed.
US09721372B2
A computer receives user preferences. The computer receives a document, wherein the document includes an image. The computer determines that the image contains embedded text. The computer determines that the embedded text does not satisfy the received user preferences. The computer modifies the embedded text to satisfy user preferences.
US09721368B2
A method for eliminating an artifact of a computed tomography image is provided. The method includes eliminating a machine artifact from a cross-sectional computed tomography scans of the brain; setting boundary points positioned on a horizontal axis and a vertical axis in the computed tomography image, from which the machine artifact has been eliminated; resetting a boundary point positioned at a boundary between the skull of the brain and the brain tissue based on the boundary points; detecting a position of a fracture of the brain in the computed tomography image, in which the boundary point has been reset, and overlaying a fracture region with a skull pixel; and eliminating an artifact from the computed tomography image, which has been overlaid with the skull pixel.
US09721365B2
This disclosure generally provides an input device that includes a by-pass path for improving latency between a touch controller and a display driver. In one embodiment, the by-pass path directly connects the touch controller and display driver, thereby by-passing a host processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU) or graphic processing unit (GPU)) in the input device. By doing so, the input device can detect user input and update a display to reflect the user input faster than if the display driver had to wait until updated display frames are sent from the host processor. For example, the host processor may transmit touch data received from the touch controller to an application that uses the touch data to change the display. In some input devices, this process can take hundreds of milliseconds, which may be enough time for the user to notice a delay.
US09721363B2
An indexed list of vertices is generated to represent a polygon. The indexed list is ordered so as to define one or more boundaries of a polygon, where each element in the indexed list of vertices specifies respective coordinates in an at least two-dimensional space. A description of several component shapes that make up the polygon is generated, where the description includes indices into the indexed list of vertices. The indexed list of vertices and the description of the component shapes are provided to a computing device for rendering the polygon.
US09721356B2
Methods and systems are provided for processing a graphical artifact. In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving, by a processor, a graphical artifact having at least one unknown graphical element; determining, by the processor, graphical features of the unknown graphical element; computing, by the processor, a plurality of similarity scores based on the features of the unknown graphical element and features of a plurality of known graphical elements; and storing data associated with the unknown graphical element with data associated with a known graphical element based on the plurality of similarity scores.
US09721349B2
A periphery band is around an excluded region. For automatically counting physical objects within the periphery band and the excluded region, an imaging sensor captures: a first image of the periphery band and the excluded region; and a second image of the periphery band and the excluded region. In response to the first image, a first number is counted of physical objects within the periphery band and the excluded region. Relevant motion is automatically detected within the periphery band, while ignoring motion within the excluded region. In response to the second image, a second number is counted of physical objects within the periphery band and the excluded region. In response to determining that a discrepancy exists between the detected relevant motion and the second number, the discrepancy is handled.
US09721340B2
An example method for analyzing quantitative information obtained from radiological images includes identifying a ROI or a VOI in a radiological image, segmenting the ROI or the VOI from the radiological image and extracting quantitative features that describe the ROI or the VOI. The method also includes creating a radiological image record including the quantitative features, imaging parameters of the radiological image and clinical parameters and storing the radiological image record in a data structure containing a plurality of radiological image records. In addition, the method includes receiving a request with the patient's radiological image or information related thereto, analyzing the data structure to determine a statistical relationship between the request and the radiological image records and generating a patient report with a diagnosis, a prognosis or a recommended treatment regimen for the patient's disease based on a result of analyzing the data structure.
US09721339B2
A microprocessor is operably coupled to a camera from which patient vital signs are determined and a digital infrared sensor. A temporal variation of images from the camera is generated and amplified from which the patient vital signs, such as heart rate or respiratory rate, can be determined and displayed or stored and temperature is determined from digital infrared sensor.
US09721335B2
The present disclosure includes a method and system for monitoring food product processing operations and facilities. The food products are examined and/or analyzed with respect to the quality and integrity of the processing thereof, any markings applied thereto, and compliance with commercial, regulatory, or customer requirements. The present disclosure provides a machine vision system that is used in connection with the food processing operations to examine and analyze the eggs being processed. In a preferred embodiment, the machine vision system includes at least one imaging sensor for capturing images of the processing thereof and is positioned above the path along which the food products are conveyed.
US09721332B2
A convolution circuit includes: a plurality of input oscillators, each configured to: receive a corresponding analog input signal of a plurality of analog input signals; and output a corresponding spiking signal of a plurality of spiking signals, the corresponding spiking signal having a spiking rate in accordance with a magnitude of the corresponding analog input signal; a plurality of 1-bit DACs, each of the 1-bit DACs being configured to: receive the corresponding spiking signal of the plurality of spiking signals from a corresponding one of the input oscillators; and receive a corresponding weight of a convolution kernel comprising a plurality of weights; output a corresponding weighted output of a plurality of weighted outputs in accordance with the corresponding spiking signal and the corresponding weight; and an output oscillator configured to generate an output spike signal in accordance with the plurality of weighted outputs from the plurality of 1-bit DACs.
US09721330B2
Determining of still/movement may be performed with reference to quantization noise of a first section to which a first pixel belongs, and for different results of determining of whether the first pixel is in a movement area or a still area, different frame difference thresholds applicable to the movement area and the still area are separately set, and different frame difference calculation manners are used, different blending coefficients applicable to the movement area and the still area are selected according to the different frame difference thresholds applicable to the movement area and the still area and the frame difference calculation manners, and a noise reduction blending manner is selected according to the different blending coefficients applicable to the movement area and the still area, the frame difference calculation manners, and a pixel value of the first pixel in a current frame.
US09721316B2
Disclosed is a change convergence risk mapping system. The change convergence risk mapping system typically includes a processor, a memory, and a risk aggregation module stored in the memory. The change convergence risk mapping system is typically configured for: determining an event risk score for each of a plurality of events; aggregating the event risk scores of the plurality of events and determining a first aggregated risk score associated with a first time period; determining if the first aggregated risk score exceeds a first predefined aggregated risk score threshold or if a first predefined number of events associated with the first time period have an event risk score exceeding a first predefined event risk score threshold; determining a risk level for the first time period; and graphically presenting a first indicator to a user computing system of the risk level associated with the first time period.
US09721313B2
A method and a device for identifying a feasibility of a transmission interface constraint in an online rolling dispatching are provided. The method comprises: S1, establishing an online rolling dispatching model including a transmission interface constraint; S2, establishing a Lagrangian relaxation dual problem of the online rolling dispatching model; and S3, identifying a feasibility of the transmission interface constraint by solving the Lagrangian relaxation dual problem.
US09721310B2
A network update interface is presented to a user on a network to display network updates from other users of a mutual social-networking site. The network updates shared by the other users are gathered in a stream and supplied to a facet-filtering system including a network update interface. The user controls the display of certain network update items according to facet-filter characteristics enabled in facet-filter selection panels in the network update interface. The facet-filter characteristics are used by a facet filter to select certain network updates for display to the user in the network update interface. Trending links to further articles with content corresponding to the facet-filter characteristics are displayed to the user according to greatest popularity among the other users. Links to the profiles of the users sharing the articles are also provided in the network update interface.
US09721309B2
A system for scoring a discussion thread having posts in a question-and-answer form is provided. The system receives a query and then identifies features of the discussion thread that may include one or more term features and one or more non-term features. A term feature may be a combined post feature that combines the terms of multiple posts to treat them as a single document. A term feature may be a question feature that contains the question of the discussion thread. A term feature may also be a question post feature that contains the terms of the post that relate to the question of the post. The system then generates a feature score for each feature and combines the feature scores into a relevance score indicating the relevance of the discussion thread to the query. The system may also use the relevance score when ranking discussion threads.
US09721307B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to a system for identifying entities (such as companies) that are associated with members of an online social network. During operation, the system obtains text strings from member records in the online social network, wherein each text string is an identifier for an entity that is associated with a member. The system also obtains connection information specifying connections among members of the online social network, and possibly location information for the members. Finally, the system uses the text strings, the connection information and the location information to identify entities that are associated with members of the online social network.
US09721299B2
Certain embodiments provide systems, apparatus, and methods to analyze incoming data messages and create market information constructs. An example method includes receiving a data message including an instruction to initiate a market event. The example method includes evaluating the instruction to determine whether it is associated with two or more causally linked market events. The example method also includes classifying the instruction based on the evaluating as part of a sequence of causally linked market events or as a single market event. The example method includes queuing the sequence of causally linked market events. The example method further includes detecting an end of the sequence of causally linked market events. The example method includes constructing a logically reduced market data message construct descriptive of the one or more market events represented by the queued sequence of causally linked events.
US09721295B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for generating an interface for communication of at least one supply chain associated with an order that comprises forecast completion times for components of the at least one supply chain. The interface includes nodes that are associated with components of the at least one supply chain. The nodes within the interface are linked, wherein each link connects two of the nodes and indicates a relationship between the corresponding components of the at least one supply chain. The nodes and the links are arranged into a rooted tree within the interface, wherein the rooted tree represents the organization of the components of the at least one supply chain.
US09721292B2
A system receives images of objects. The system identifies a category for each of the objects, and extracts features from the images. The features relate to a quality of the image. The features of the images are stored in a database according to the category of each object, such that each set of features is associated with its corresponding image. The system displays the images on a network-based publication system, and receives data relating to the displayed images. The data is analyzed, and the images are ranked as a function of the analysis. The system redisplays the images on the network-based publication system as a function of the ranking of the images.
US09721280B2
Systems and methods for managing a construction payment process wherein a higher degree of functionality is provided to primary users and only a limited subset of functionality is provided to sub-tier contractors. One construction of the system is configured to receive an electronically signed document and a request for payment from the sub-tier contractor. The request for payment is presented to a first primary user who is a contractual parent of the sub-tier contractor. When approval of the request for payment is received, a payment is initiated from a project payor to the sub-tier contractor. In some embodiments, the project payor is a contractual grandparent of the sub-tier contractor and a contractual parent of the first primary user.
US09721279B2
Determining a mobile operator for a mobile device. The mobile operator is determined using one or more of an international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) and a current operator name (CON) and service provider name (SPN) pair. Correlations between the IMSI and mobile operators, and between the CON/SPN pairs and mobile operators, are maintained. Correlations between unrecognized CON/SPN pairs and mobile operators are created based on a quantity of requests received from the mobile devices. In some embodiments, identifying the mobile operator enables financial transactions by the mobile device when visiting, for example, a mobile applications store.
US09721278B2
Techniques for dynamically pricing perishable goods. The objective is to sell all items before any remaining items become worthless. The method comprises: monitoring a time parameter T corresponding to period T0 to Tn; if T
US09721273B2
A method for providing content via a computer network and computing device, which may include: storing data associated with and indicative of a plurality of presentations; receiving a request to host an audio presentation; receiving and storing data associated with the requested audio presentation; initiating and recording one or more telephone calls; and, presenting at least a portion of the stored data for selection by the computing device; wherein, selection causes the stored data indicative of the selected audio/visual or audio presentation to be provided to the computing device for playback thereby via the computer network. The method may include storing data associated with and indicative of a first plurality of presentations; storing data associated with a plurality of second presentation feeds: automatically and periodically accessing each of the feeds; and aggregating each of the presentations for delivery via the computer network.
US09721264B2
A system and method for combining CAD, inspection, and building guideline data for analyzing repair decisions and selecting waste containers is described. One embodiment includes receiving digital building facet data for a first building facet of a set of one or more building facets; receiving digital inspection data for the first building facet; determining an amount of building material required to repair damage to an area of the first building facet, including determining a first amount of waste building material; determining a repair indicator for the first building facet, the determining a repair indicator based at least in part upon the digital facet data for the first building facet and the inspection data for the first building facet; determining an appropriate waste container based upon the first amount of waste material; and displaying an electronic image of the set of one or more building facets.
US09721261B2
Persistent, electronically anchored currency notes (PEAC notes) may be generated by a transaction provider and maintained in a datastore. Each PEAC note may be associated with a respective unique identifier and asset held by a custodian. The transaction provider may provide for assigning ownership of the PEAC notes to various entities and/or transferring ownership therebetween. Ownership transfers may be performed by the transaction provider while maintaining the PEAC notes in the datastore and/or maintaining the asset(s) associated therewith their respective custodian(s). A PEAC note may be tied to one or more usage conditions, which restrict transfers thereof. The usage conditions may be removed when release conditions are satisfied.
US09721247B2
A payment terminal, including: a display, an input device configured to generate input signals indicative of a user input, a payment instrument reader configured to receive payment instrument data from a financial payment instrument, a secure processor connected to the payment instrument reader, a main processor connected to the display, the main processor separate and distinct from the secure processor, a secure input processor connected to the input device and the secure processor, wherein the secure processor is operable between an unsecured mode, wherein the secure processor sends input coordinates based on the input signals received from the secure input processor to the main processor; and a secured mode, wherein the secure input processor ceases input coordinate forwarding to the main processor.
US09721245B2
Systems and methods may comprise RFID data acquisition technology which may be embedded in a fob or tag for use in completing financial transactions. This fob may a self-contained device which includes a transponder and which may be contained on any portable form factor. For instance, the tag may be housed in a wearable transaction instrument, such as an activity tracker. The tag is configured to be used in concert with an RFID reader device.
US09721232B2
A communication apparatus obtains image data, generates electronic mail data, and transmits the generated electronic mail data. A size upper limit of the electronic mail data is obtained, the size upper limit being designated by a user, and it is determined whether or not a data size of the generated electronic mail data exceeds a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the size upper limit. If it is determined that the data size of the generated electronic mail data exceeds the value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the size upper limit, a plurality of electronic mail data is generated by dividing the image data such that a data size of each of the plurality of electronic mail data does not exceed the value obtained by subtracting the predetermined value from the size upper limit, and the generated plurality of electronic mail data is transmitted.
US09721228B2
Systems and methods to host a social network locally on a user's computing device using social data at the user device. In one embodiment, a method includes maintaining, on a local computing device of a user, social data regarding social relationships of the user in order to support a social network of the user; and hosting, via the local computing device, the social network.
US09721227B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for the management of custodians within an electronic discovery system. Embodiments of the invention herein disclosed provide for methods of creating, maintaining, and utilizing a unified custodian directory for the purposes of carrying out electronic discovery within an enterprise environment. By employing a unified custodian directory to manage custodians apart from the electronic discovery cases to which they relate, the custodian management system of the present invention promotes efficiencies in the field of electronic discovery.
US09721224B2
A method, system and computer program product for managing transportation and storage of goods, including a personal computer device; and a package control device associated with a package. The personal computer device is configured to store transport and storage operations information regarding the package in the package control device. The package control device is configured for identifying an operator responsible for at least one of transport and storage of the package based on the transport and storage operations information. The package control device is configured to allow the operator to have access to the package for at least one of transport and storage of the package based on the transport and storage operations information.
US09721222B2
A system and method is disclosed for parallelizing order-by-order planning in a supply chain network. The system includes a database configured to store data describing a demand priority sequence, each demand priority sequence comprising at least one demand of an end-item and data describing the supply chain network comprising a plurality of network components, each network component configured to supply one or more items to satisfy demand. The system further includes a server coupled with the database, the server accesses the data describing the demand priority sequence and accesses the data describing the supply chain network. The server further creates mapping tables for each end-item, generates a dependency map for each end-item, generates a list of demand levels, and generates an order plan of end-items for planning in parallel comprising the orders planned for the demands at each demand level.
US09721221B2
In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for estimating an ability of a worker in a process for integrating work results of multiple workers for the same task includes acquiring, for each of one or more tasks, a work result of a preceding-stage worker and a work result of a succeeding-stage worker that works based on the work result of the preceding-stage worker. The method also includes estimating multiple parameters of a probability model in which an ability of the succeeding-stage worker conditioned by a quality of the work result of the preceding-stage worker is introduced as a conditioned ability parameter, based on the multiple work results obtained for each of the one or more tasks.
US09721217B2
Systems and method for making intelligent business development and licensing decisions are disclosed. The present invention generally relates to an analytical tool that combines multiple data and content sets based on user selected factors and presents the data in the form of manipulatable visualizations to facilitate decision making to address a specific business problem. More specifically, this invention relates to providing a single portal for access to a decision support system that enables the visualization of data from multiple content and data sets to facilitate decision making related to opportunities analysis, asset acquisition, and intellectual property licensing.
US09721212B2
Various aspects provide methods implemented by at least one processor executing on a mobile communication device to efficiently identify, classify, model, prevent, and/or correct the non-benign (e.g., performance degrading) conditions and/or behaviors that are related to an application operating on the device. Specifically, in various aspects, the mobile computing device may derive or extract application-specific features by performing a binary analysis of an application and may determine the application's category (e.g., a “games,” “entertainment,” or “news” category) based on the application-specific features. The mobile computing device may also obtain a classifier model associated with the application's category that includes various conditions, features, behaviors and corrective actions that may be used to quickly identify and correct non-benign behaviors (e.g., undesirable, malicious, and/or performance-degrading behaviors) occurring on the mobile computing device that are related to the application.
US09721207B2
The disclosure is directed to written content generation. A method for generating written content in an application in accordance with an embodiment includes: receiving a query from a user; importing data from at least one data source in response to the query; ranking the imported data based on a plurality of ranking factors to determine a relevance of the imported data; automatically generating written content using at least a portion of the imported data based on the determined relevance of the imported data; and automatically customizing the written content based on a file format of the application.
US09721205B2
Mechanisms for clarifying an input question are provided. A question is received for generation of an answer. A set of candidate answers is generated based on an analysis of a corpus of information. Each candidate answer has an evidence passage supporting the candidate answer. Based on the set of candidate answers, a determination is made as to whether clarification of the question is required. In response to a determination that clarification of the question is required, a request is sent for user input to clarify the question. User input is received from the computing device in response to the request and at least one candidate answer in the set of candidate answers is selected as an answer for the question based on the user input.
US09721203B1
Methods for receiving a request to process, on a hardware circuit, a neural network comprising a first convolutional neural network layer having a stride greater than one, and in response, generating instructions that cause the hardware circuit to, during processing of an input tensor, generate a layer output tensor equivalent to an output of the first convolutional neural network layer by processing the input tensor using a second convolutional neural network layer having a stride equal to one but that is otherwise equivalent to the first convolutional neural network layer to generate a first tensor, zeroing out elements of the first tensor that would not have been generated if the second convolutional neural network layer had the stride of the first convolutional neural network layer to generate a second tensor, and performing max pooling on the second tensor to generate the layer output tensor.
US09721200B2
In a smart card having an antenna structure and a metal layer, an insulator layer is formed between the antenna structure and the metal layer to compensate for the attenuation due to the metal layer. The thickness of the insulator layer affects the capacitive coupling between the antenna structure and the metal layer and is selected to have a value which optimizes the transmission/reception of signals between the card and a card reader.
US09721199B2
An electronic device is protected from unauthorized access by use of a security wrap having a security screen connected to an alarm circuit of the electronic device. The security screen has a pair of screen terminals interconnected by a conductor. The conductor is formed on a substrate. The substrate is arranged such that attempts to remove the security wrap will result in the substrate being torn and the conductor being damaged or broken whereby the resistance of the conductive path formed by the conductor changes to indicate an alarm condition.
US09721196B2
Systems and methods for performing print job cancellation in an ESU model printer are provided. An embodiment can involve receiving, at an ESU of a printing device, a print job, wherein the print job includes a first portion. The first portion can be transmitted from the ESU to a main unit. The main unit can receive a print job cancel command corresponding to the received print job, wherein the cancel command is received after the first portion is transmitted to the main unit, but before the full print job has been transmitted. The main unit can then transmit a notification of the received cancel command to the ESU. The ESU can receive the notification of the received cancel command, and responsive to receiving the notification, terminate the transmission of the print job from the ESU to the main unit.
US09721195B2
A printer includes a spectroscope that has a variable wavelength interference filter which incidents light from a measurement region, and a light receiving section which receives light from the variable wavelength interference filter and which outputs a detection signal according to an amount of received light, a carriage moving unit which relatively moves the spectroscope along one direction with respect to a measurement target of spectrometry and moves the measurement region with respect to the measurement target, and a timing detection circuit which has a differential circuit that differentiates the detection signal and outputs a differentiation signal, wherein in a case where the measurement target is a color patch, spectrometry in which the amount of received light is detected starts based on the differential signal.
US09721180B2
A video is received of a region of a subject where a signal corresponding to respiratory function can be registered by a video device. Pixels in the region in each of the image frames are processed to identify a respiratory pattern with peak/valley pairs. A peak/valley pair of interest is selected. An array of optical flow vectors is determined between a window of groups of pixel locations in a reference image frame corresponding to a peak of the pair/valley pair and a window in each of a number of image frames corresponding to the respiratory signal between the peak and ending at a valley point. Optical flow vectors have a direction and a magnitude. A ratio is determined between upwardly pointing optical flow vectors and downwardly pointing optical flow vectors. Based on the ratio, a determination is made whether the respiration phase for that peak/valley pair is inspiration or expiration.
US09721178B2
Exemplary methods of extracting closed caption (CC) image from a frame of an audio video (AV) stream are described. For all pixels of the frame, setting a color value of the pixels to a determined pixel value when the color value of the pixel is different from a background color value associated with CC image. A set edges is analyzed to identify one or more polygons. A polygon that contains text is determined from the one or more polygons. The frame is cropped along the polygon to obtain a CC image. Upon determination that the CC image is identical to another closed caption image a frame count associated with the other closed caption image is increased by 1; and upon determination that the CC image is not identical to the other CC image the closed caption image is stored along with a position and a time value as metadata information.
US09721176B2
A supplemental device for gathering information concerning the use of an injection device, the supplemental device having a first camera sensor portion for generating a first camera output indicative of a scene in the field of view of the first camera sensor portion, a second camera sensor portion for generating a second camera output indicative of a scene in the field of view of the second camera sensor portion, and at least one processor. The processor configured to use the first camera output to determine whether a rotational speed of an object in the field of view exceeds a threshold speed, if it is determined the rotational speed of the object does not exceed the threshold speed, to process the second camera output to identify a feature provided on the or another object, and if it is determined the rotational speed of the object does exceed the threshold speed, to refrain from attempting to identify the feature.
US09721173B2
A system and method for detecting electronic device use by a driver of a vehicle including acquiring an image including a vehicle from an associated image capture device positioned to view oncoming traffic, locating a windshield region of the vehicle in the captured image, processing pixels of the windshield region of the image for computing a feature vector describing the windshield region of the vehicle, applying the feature vector to a classifier for classifying the image into respective classes including at least classes for candidate electronic device use and candidate electronic device non-use, and outputting the classification.
US09721159B2
A system for identifying a periodicity-related attribute in a multi-frequency signal. The system is configured to produce phase and delay modulated signals from a complex input signal. The system is designed to combine these phase and delay modulated signals to identify a periodicity-related attribute associated with the multi-frequency signal. The system is configured to produce a physically perceptible output based on the identified periodicity-related attribute.
US09721156B2
Various embodiments describe systems and methods enable a computing device of a user to capture an image of a gift card, or other such monetary device containing a code, with a camera or otherwise receive an image of that gift card. The computing device can be configured to recognize codes, such as digit claim codes, of the gift card by using one or more image processing, computer vision, and/or machine learning algorithms. After a successful detection and verification of a claim code, money or funds deposited in, or otherwise available from, an account associated with the gift card can be utilized, such as applied to a purchase or deposited into the user's account. In many instances, a user interface (UI) can be provided on the computing device for the user to use to capture an image of a gift card and redeem the funds from the corresponding card.
US09721151B2
An apparatus for detecting an interfacing region in a depth image detects the interfacing region based on a depth of a first region and a depth of a second region which is an external region of the first region in a depth image.
US09721147B1
A digital identity, which may include a user interface that may be displayed on a mobile computing device, may be generated to include information extracted from a physical identification card (e.g., driver license or passport), as well as information regarding validation of the physical identification card and of the consumer's identity. The digital identity may be used in place of the physical identification card.
US09721137B2
An apparatus and method for obtaining a biometric image is disclosed, which may comprise: providing a biometric image sensor which may comprise one of a one dimensional swiped sensor array, a two dimensional swiped sensor array and a two dimensional placement sensor array, each of which may comprise a capacitive gap sensor measuring a change in a transmitted signal received as a received signal, based upon changes in the transmitted signal passing through a biometric, the biometric image sensor may be one of mounted on a host device or cooperating with the host device; providing a biometric placement positioning prompt on a display on the host device, which prompt may indicate whether a current positioning of the biometric is proper for initiating biometric imaging by the biometric image sensor, e.g., indicating a current positioning of the biometric and the desired positioning of the biometric.
US09721136B2
An image correction apparatus includes a correction amount calculating unit which calculates, in response to a position of a hand on an image, a correction amount for placing the hand to face an imaging unit included in an image acquiring unit for generating the image; and a correcting unit which corrects an estimated coordinate representing a position of a point in a real space corresponding to each pixel included in a region in which the hand is captured in the image in accordance with the correction amount, and projects each of the points after the correction on a corrected image to generate the corrected image.
US09721131B2
This patent specification describes a barcode-reading enhancement accessory for a mobile device having a barcode-reading capability. The accessory may include an outer case and an inner carriage. A mobile device is encased in the inner carriage, and the combination of the inner carriage and the mobile device is accommodated in the outer case. The inner carriage is configured to accommodate a mobile device of a particular size such that a mobile device of a different size may be accommodated in the outer case using a different inner carriage. The accessory may also include an optic system to fold an optical path of a field of illumination of a light source of the mobile device and/or a field of view of a camera of the mobile device.
US09721126B2
Disclosed are a magnetic bar code chip and a reading method thereof. The magnetic bar code chip comprises binary information bits formed by N rows and M columns of permanent magnet bars and/or null bits, and information identification bits that are peripheral to the binary information bits. The information identification bits are composed of permanent magnet bar identifiers and used for representing a position and a state of the magnetic bar code chip. The permanent magnet bars and the null bits represent 1 and 0 or 0 and 1 respectively. During reading, a strong magnetic field in a row direction of the binary information bits of the magnetic bar code chip is firstly used to set a magnetization direction of the permanent magnet bars, and then a magnetic bar code reader such as a multi-channel magnetic field gradient sensor, a magneto-optical microscope, a magnetic field monitor, a scanning magnetoresistivemicroscope and the like is used to convert magnetic field distribution information generated by the permanent magnet bars on the magnetic bar code chip into the binary information bits and information identification bits respectively, thus implementing reading on a reading result of the magnetic bar code chip. The present invention has characteristics of a small size and strong security.
US09721121B2
Certain embodiments employ an “out-of-band” mechanism to remove the physical controls for activating input peripherals from a portable device operating system and instead controlled by a separate peripheral control domain, isolated from the operating system domain by a machine virtualization/isolation technology. No additional hardware may be required. An adjunct I/O virtualization mechanism may also be included to abstract the guarded input peripheral interfaces, such that all attempts to turn them on from within the operating system are automatically redirected by the I/O virtualization mechanism to the peripheral control domain. The peripheral control domain may then conduct a policy-driven decision process to either allow, disallow, or request manual/explicit authorization of an access attempts. Physical access may be performed within the peripheral control domain. Because the access control and physical activation of input peripherals occur out-of-band from the operating system, these security-critical operations may be immune to vulnerabilities in the portable operating system.
US09721117B2
Techniques are disclosed for enabling tenant hierarchy information to be migrated directly between different multi-tenant system (e.g., from a shared IDM system to a Nimbula system, or vice versa). A corresponding new tenant is created in a Nimbula system based on a combination of the tenant information and the service information from the shared IDM system. The Nimbula system extracts the tenant name and the service name from a request and asks the shared IDM system to verify that the user actually is a member of the tenant identified by the extracted tenant name. Upon successful authentication of the user, the Nimbula system requests the IDM system for roles that are associated with both the user and the extracted service name. The Nimbula system enable access to the service upon determining whether the requested operation can be performed relative to the specified service based on the roles.
US09721116B2
Methods and systems are directed to controlling access to data in a production environment. Production data may be stored in a production database and test data may be stored in a test database. A production application may have access only to the data in the production database while a test application may have access to both the production database and the test database. The test application may have read-only access to the production database and read-write access to the test database. Data in the test database may be handled differently than data in the production database. A type of data may be associated with a range of valid values. The values assigned to the elements may differ depending on whether the elements are stored in the production database or the test database.
US09721109B2
A system for privacy screen-based security comprises an input interface and a processor. The input interface is configured to receive authentication information. The processor is configured to, in the event authentication is determined to be successful, provide a privacy access screen, wherein the privacy access screen provides access to a set of applications or data, and determine whether to automatically transition to a new privacy screen, wherein the transition to the new privacy screen is automatic under a specific set of circumstances.
US09721104B2
A measured boot process for an electronic device includes taking a measurement of the early system start up instructions of the electronic device upon a reboot or start-up of the device. A representation of the measurement is stored in a trusted platform module of the electronic device prior to initialization of the trusted platform module. Access is granted to the representation of the measurement stored in the trusted platform module prior to initialization of the trusted platform module thereby enabling the representation of the measurement to serve as the core root of trust for measurement.
US09721102B2
The present invention is notably directed to a user portable device (10), preferably a secure tamper-proof device, comprising: a connection interface (12) enabling connection (S2) with a computer (101); a persistent memory (14); and a bootloader (16) stored on said persistent memory (14), preferably on a secure memory (141) of the device, wherein the bootloader (16): is detectable (S3) by a firmware (122) of the computer (101) upon connection (S2) of the device (10) with said computer (101) via said connection interface; and comprises instructions for said firmware (122) to load (S4) the bootloader (16) into a memory (121) of the computer (101) for subsequent execution (S5); and to interact with the firmware, upon execution at the computer (101), to: determine, in a physical storage medium (120) of said computer (101) storing a first host operating system (111-1) and a second host operating system (111-2) respectively on a first portion (120-1) and a second portion (120-2) thereof, said second portion (120-2), from partition information (111-1p) of said physical storage medium, which partition information acknowledges the first host operating system but does not acknowledge the second host operating system; locate a part (BI) of the second host operating system (111-2) in the second portion (120-2); and execute said part (BI), whereby only the second one of the host operating systems can boot (S6-S8) from the user portable device (10). The present invention is further directed to related systems and methods.
US09721100B2
Technologies for monitoring protected functionality of an integrated circuit device include an integrated circuit device having a protected function module. The protected function module includes a modifiable security device. When the protected function module is activated or powered up, an attribute of the modifiable security device is irreversibly modified. The integrated circuit device may be a processor, and the protected function module may be a debug module of the processor. The modifiable circuit device may be an oscillator. The frequency of the oscillator may change when the oscillator is powered due to oscillator aging. The integrated circuit device may be included in a computing device. The integrated circuit device may expose data indicative of the attribute of the modifiable security device to firmware or software of the computing device. The data may be exposed through a cryptographically signed, firmware-readable memory space. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09721088B2
A method and computer for assessing whether a password can be generated by using characteristics of a physical arrangement of keys of an input device. A received password includes characters corresponding to respective select keys in a sequence of select keys of the input device. For each select key, a final detection frequency is calculated as a sum of an initial detection frequency and an additive correction. A password determination value is calculated as a ratio of a total number of select keys having a final detection frequency equal to a minimum detection frequency and the total number of select keys in the sequence of select keys. A determination of whether the calculated password determination value is, or is not, less than a predetermined threshold value indicates that the password cannot, or can, respectively, be generated by using the characteristics of the physical arrangement of keys of the input device.
US09721087B1
Disclosed herein are techniques for use in user authentication. In one embodiment, the technique comprises collecting information in connection with a plurality of authentication methods. The technique also comprises determining a score for each authentication method based on the collected information. The technique further comprises selecting an authentication method from the plurality of authentication methods based on the determined score.
US09721085B1
A device and system are described that include an authentication device having a battery, at least one battery contact, an antenna, at least one antenna contact, a ferrite material barrier, a diode electrically coupled to a battery contact and an antenna contact, and an authenticator coupled to the diode, a battery contact, and an antenna contact. A system includes the device with an authentication device, a transceiver electrically coupled to a near field communication contact, a switch electrically coupled to the transceiver and an antenna contact, and a communication system electrically coupled to the switch.
US09721084B2
An account management server, a communication device and a service device are provided for managing access to an account. The account management server, for example, includes, but is not limited to, a storage device configured to store identifying information for each of a plurality of service devices and configured to store an account associated with each of the plurality of service devices, and a processor communicatively coupled to the storage device, wherein the processor is configured to: receive identifying information from a communication device; identify at least one service device whose stored identifying information matches the received identifying information; and grant management access to the account associated with the identified at least one service device to the communication device.
US09721082B2
Computing devices having access control are disclosed. The computing device may include a display, one or more processors, a non-transitory storage media, a communication interface, and an operating system. The storage media may include instructions stored therein that are configured to be executed by the one or more processors. The stored instructions may include instructions for reading an identifier (ID) of a physical key via the communication interface. The stored instructions may additionally include instructions for determining whether the ID read from the physical key is included on a list of paired physical keys. The stored instructions may further include instructions to communicate to the operating system an authorization signal equivalent to input of a valid password when the ID read from the physical key is included on the list of paired physical keys.
US09721080B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing a computer-based test to be taken at a computer. A determination is made as to whether a geolocation of the computer is within an approved geolocation range. A determination is made as to whether a time at which the computer-based test is to be provided to the computer is within an approved time range. A hardware profile of the testing center is compared to an expected hardware profile of the testing center. Biometric data of a test center administrator is compared to expected biometric data of the test center administrator, and a confidence score is modified based on results of the comparison. If the confidence score meets or exceeds a threshold, the computer-based test is provided to the computer over a network. If the confidence score is less than the threshold, the computer-based test is prevented from being provided to the computer.
US09721073B2
The invention relates to a method for automatically licensing service features during the upgrade of a first communication system (11) into a second communication system (12), said method having the following steps: (a) extracting the service features to be licensed from a database, (b) transmitting the service features to be licensed to a License Server (CLS), (c) generating a license file (LF) in the License server (CLS), (d) transmitting the license file (LF) to the second communication system (12), and (e) installing the license file (LF) in the second communication system (12). This invention also relates to a corresponding computer program and corresponding licensing system.
US09721072B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for an Automatic Content Recognition (ACR) system that determines whether affiliates are adhering to criteria set by content providers. The ACR system, using control circuitry, receives a portion of a media asset, determines a content signature for the portion of the media asset based on audio or visual information presented in the media asset, cross-references the content signature with a database listing a plurality of reference signatures that adhere to a criterion set by a content provider, determines whether the portion adheres to the criterion, and automatically notifies the content provider in response to determining that the portion does not adhere to the criterion. The ACR system includes storage circuitry to store the database.
US09721065B2
Medical tests and examinations are performed with consumer computing devices. The medical tests and examinations are selected and customized in accordance with conditions present in the testing environment, as well as physical characteristics of a user taking the test. The tests can include visual acuity tests, colorblindness tests and other medical tests, such as hearing tests.
US09721063B2
Methods, devices, and kits are provided for determining a compatibility of one or more devices in an analyte monitoring system.
US09721062B2
The present invention relates to methods for evaluating and/or predicting the outcome of a clinical condition, such as cancer, metastasis, AIDS, autism, Alzheimer's, and/or Parkinson's disorder. The methods can also be used to monitor and track changes in a patient's DNA and/or RNA during and following a clinical treatment regime. The methods may also be used to evaluate protein and/or metabolite levels that correlate with such clinical conditions. The methods are also of use to ascertain the probability outcome for a patient's particular prognosis.
US09721054B2
One embodiment provides a method of building a wire resistance corner model for an interconnect metal level in a semiconductor device. The method comprises determining nominal on-wafer widths and wire thicknesses at minimum and maximum design widths of the interconnect metal level, and determining standard deviations for global variations in on-wafer width and wire thickness. The method further comprises determining maximum and minimum statistical corner values for interconnect wire resistance. A first corner solution that minimizes a maximum absolute difference between a model corner value and a statistical corner value of the maximum statistical corner values is computed. A second corner solution that minimizes a maximum absolute difference between a model corner value and a statistical corner value of the minimum statistical corner values is computed.
US09721053B2
A system for printed circuit board layout includes a processing unit and a memory unit. The memory unit stores physical node data and virtual node data. The processing unit is electrically coupled to the memory unit and configured to execute steps of a method for printed circuit board layout. In particular, the physical node data of a printed circuit board (PCB) is acquired. The physical node data include a plurality of data structure and coordinate points of the physical nodes. The virtual node data of the PCB is acquired. The virtual node data include a plurality of data structure of the virtual nodes. A corresponding relation of the physical nodes and the virtual nodes is determined according to the physical node data and the virtual node data. The virtual nodes are disposed at the physical node coordinate points according to the corresponding relation.
US09721049B2
A memory cell arrangement of SRAM cell groups may be provided in which in each of the groups multiple SRAM cells are connected to an input of a local read amplifier by at least one common local bit-line. Outputs of the amplifiers are connected to a shared global bit-line. The global bit-line is connected to a pre-charge circuit, and the pre-charge circuit is adapted for pre-charging the global bit-line with a programmable pre-charge voltage before reading data. The pre-charge circuit comprises a limiter circuit which comprises a pre-charge regulator circuit connected to the global bit-line to pre-charge the global bit-line with the programmable pre-charge voltage, and an evaluation and translation circuit connected to the pre-charge regulator circuit and the global bit-line to compensate leakage current of the global bit-line without changing its voltage level.
US09721048B1
In a system and method for emulating a circuit design, an emulation system receives input instructions from a host device executing the emulation. Channels of multiple buffers and associated processors provide implement read and write instructions received at the interface. Multiple access modes are provided to read and write to system memory and to store sequences of commands in the provided buffers and to execute those stored sequences using an associated processor. By writing a sequence of commands and/or data blocks to the channel buffers, the associated processors can execute programs of varying complexity that may have been written or modified in real time or preconfigured.
US09721046B2
Systems and methods for realizing a complex building system are disclosed. The systems and methods utilize computer-based techniques to rapidly explore large numbers of pattern matching scenarios on a scale which heretofore has not been attempted. In an embodiment, the computer-based technique performs large-scale pattern matching operations to find the best match between functional patterns and spatial patterns. For example, with reference to a particular building system, the technique involves operational modeling to identify the types and volumes of services to provide (functional patterns) and to characterize the physical relationships between the services (e.g., adjacency preferences), along with establishing libraries of three dimensional spaces (spatial patterns), in the form of room and department libraries and building massing configuration libraries. Large numbers of functional patterns and spatial patterns are then matched to each other using cost-based algorithms to find the best match or matches between the form and function.
US09721038B1
Information processing techniques for providing collaborative data visualization in a computing system. For example, a method comprises the following steps. A data visualization asset is obtained. The data visualization asset comprises a data component, an execution context component, and a visual asset component, wherein at least one visual asset of the visual asset component is generated from a data set of the data component by execution of at least one process of the execution context component. Collaborative modification of the data visualization asset by at least a portion of a plurality of users is enabled in accordance with a given policy. Information corresponding to the modification of the data visualization asset is tracked.
US09721035B2
Systems and methods for presentation of content, or a title or link to content or presentation to a user on webpages of a website are provided. In one embodiment, a recommended content platform optimizes the links displayed on web pages based on a portfolio of content sources which determine which links are displayed in a given page view. The algorithms may or may not utilize data relating to user interaction with webpages and may produce different sets of links depending on the content of a webpage and a position on a webpage where the links are to be displayed. A given webpage may present links from multiple content sources displayed using multiple user interface elements distributed throughout the webpage.
US09721033B2
A machine-controlled method may include receiving a file in a designated shared folder on a local device, automatically providing access to the file to a social networking website or service, and directing the social networking website or service to make the file available to users that are allowed to access a particular user account at the social networking website.
US09721032B2
A system and machine-implemented method for providing a suggestion for a uniform resource locator (URL) on an electronic device. One or more URLs are identified within content of at least one document accessed by the electronic device. Each of the identified one or more URLs are added to a list of suggested URLs. A request for a URL suggestion is received in association with an application running on the electronic device. In response to the received request, the URL suggestion is provided based on the list of suggested URLs.
US09721019B2
Computer-implemented systems and methods are provided for presenting content recommendations. In one implementation, a method is provided for providing content recommendations to a plurality of users. The method may include generating a first plurality of content recommendations for a first user using a first plurality of methods, each of the first plurality of methods having a weight associated therewith. The method may further include selecting a second plurality of content recommendations from the first plurality of content recommendations based on the weights associated with the first plurality of methods. The method may further include providing the second plurality of content recommendations to the first user. The method may further include updating the weights associated with the first plurality of methods based on engagement by the first user with the second plurality of content recommendations.
US09721016B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a system and method for searching and reporting on semistructured data that can include dynamic metadata. One embodiment can comprise providing a user interface to a user based on an object type definition for an object type that allows the user to specify search criteria associated with a set of metadata, mapping the user search criteria to a query that comprises at least one structured query constraint and at least one unstructured query constraint, processing the query to search a set of data objects containing semistructured data associated with the object type according to the query and returning a set of results to the user. The search results can be returned to a user based on user-specified reporting parameters. Additionally, the reporting definition can be saved as an object for future execution.
US09721010B2
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are provided for annotating content based upon user reaction data and/or for maintaining a searchable content repository. That is, a user may request and/or opt-in for user reaction data to be detected while a user is experiencing content (e.g., watching a movie, walking through a park, interacting with a website, participating on a phone conversation, etc.). Metadata associated with the content may be used to determine when and/or what sensors to use to detect the user reaction data (e.g., metadata specifying an emotional part of a movie). The content may be annotated with a reaction annotation corresponding to the user reaction data, which may be used to organize, search, and/or interact with the content. A search interface may allow users to search for content based upon annotation data and/or aggregated annotation data of one or more users who experienced the content.
US09721007B2
Techniques for high-performance parallel data sorting are provided. K, M, and N exceed 1. In a first phase, a plurality of unordered data elements to be sorted is divided into K unordered lists each preferably having approximately M elements. Each of these K unordered lists can be independently sorted in parallel using any algorithm, such as quicksort, to generate K ordered lists. In a second phase, N balanced workloads are determined from the K ordered lists by using an iterative converging process capped by a maximum number of iterations. Thus, any non-uniform or skewed data distribution can be load balanced with minimal processing time. Once the N balanced workloads are determined, they can be independently sorted in parallel, for example by using a merge sort, and then combined with a fast concatenation to provide the final sorted result. Thus, sorting operations are fully parallelized while avoiding expensive data scanning steps.
US09721001B2
Systems and methods may provide for separating a sentence into a plurality of clauses and applying a set of question detection rules to each of the plurality of clauses. Additionally, the sentence may be automatically designated as a question if the question detection rules indicate that at least one of the plurality of clauses is a question. In one example, at least one of the question detection rules defines an order of a plurality of parts of speech.
US09720995B1
Data accessible to a first process is replicated for use by a second process. Modifications to the data during the replication process may cause algorithms requiring the values of data both before and after replication to pause. Sending the values of the datum, before and after modification, to a process that will access the replicated data enables algorithms that use both values to initiate execution without waiting for the replication process to be completed.
US09720994B2
The various embodiments herein include at least one of systems, methods, and software that operate to replicate structural changes made to a master database to a replicate database. In some such embodiments, changes made to a master database are identified and a representation thereof is provided to a process that implements such changes in the replicate database. The structural changes are then replicated in the replicate database.
US09720990B2
A method and system for conducting an offline session simulating an online session between a client and server in a network environment. The client imports data and functional logic from the server prior to going offline. The imported functional logic is embedded into a format or document that is capable of being interpreted and performed by the local interface at the client that is used to interact with server during an online session. Whether offline or online, the user utilizes the same local interface at the client to transmit instructions to the functional logic in order to manipulate the data. In an offline session, such instructions cause the imported and embedded functional logic to execute, thereby manipulating the data that is imported at the client. Known synchronization methods may also be used in order to maintain consistency and coherency between the imported data at the client and the database at the server.
US09720982B2
A method for natural language search for variables is provided. The method may include searching an index using key words from a user's natural language question and the context of the user's question. The index may reference variables and/or web service calls in a domain model. The method may also include saving documents obtained in response to the search. The method may also include mapping each of the documents as a node into an object graph. Each node may be associated with a parent node, except when the node is a root node. The method may also include identifying the root node of each document. The method may also include identifying the path of each node from the node to the node's root node. The method may also include identifying matching paths. Each matching path may provide an answer to the user's question.
US09720979B2
In one exemplary aspect, a method includes the step of obtaining a content of a content block. The content is represented as a content vector. A query is received. The query is represented as a query vector. A hierarchical sliding similarity and dissimilarity is determined for matching the content vector and the query vector, this step can include the steps of: determining a similarity measure and a dissimilarity measure for each content vector element with respect to the query vector; identifying a strong match over a sliding window of sub-terms of each content vector element; computing a sub-similarity score and a sub-dissimilarity score for each level of the convent vector element; determining a final similarity score as a combination of the strong match of some sub-vectors at different levels; and determining a final dissimilarity score as a combination of the strong match of some sub-vectors at different levels.
US09720973B2
A method, system, and computer program product for initializing a stream computing application are disclosed. The method may include receiving a plurality of tuples to be processed by one or more processing elements operating on one or more computer processors. Each processing element may have one or more stream operators. The method may also include determining a first attribute to be processed at a first stream operator that is configured to transmit a tuple having the first attribute along an execution path including at least one intervening stream operator to a second stream operator. The method may include compressing the first attribute when the first attribute is to be next processed by the second stream operator.
US09720963B2
Managing confidence data in a question-answering environment is disclosed. Managing confidence data can include sorting, based on a set of answer categories for a subject matter, a first set of a plurality of answers into a first answer category. The first set can correspond to at least one of a third set of a plurality of confidence scores and the second set can correspond to at least one of a fourth set of the plurality of confidence scores. Managing confidence data can include classifying confidence scores of the third set into one of a plurality of confidence buckets using a first threshold and determining a fifth set of a plurality of thresholds using the plurality of confidence scores. Managing confidence data can include classifying unclassified confidence scores of the third set into one of the plurality of confidence buckets using the fifth set of the plurality of thresholds.
US09720959B2
A data output method, includes: extracting, by a computer, data satisfying a first condition on one data among a plurality of conditions, from a plurality of data, as a node; creating a first graph by coupling two nodes satisfying a second condition on a relationship between two data among the plurality of conditions with a link; creating a second graph by deleting a node that does not satisfy the second condition from the first graph; determining candidates of data combination in the second graph; and outputting a data combination satisfying the plurality of conditions from the candidates of data combination.
US09720957B2
According to an aspect of the invention, an aggregator node is conceived for use in a network, wherein said aggregator node is arranged to aggregate encrypted data, and wherein said aggregator node comprises a secure element which is arranged to perform the aggregation of the encrypted data in a secure manner.
US09720952B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for virtual block storage. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a request to initialize a virtual machine, the virtual machine having an associated virtual block device; accessing a file map comprising a plurality of file map entries; determining file map entries corresponding to blocks of data allocated to the virtual block device and one or more files in which the blocks of data allocated to the virtual block device are stored; determining that a particular one of the blocks allocated to the virtual block device has been written to a new position not associated with the particular block in the file map; and updating the position associated with the particular block to the new position.
US09720949B2
Client-side partition-aware batch insert operations are presented. For example, a server generates partition metadata, which is provided to a client. The client uses the partition metadata to determine the database nodes to which to send batch insert requests. For example, the client divides batch insert data, such as records for a partitioned table, among multiple database nodes having partitions of the table. The client issues batch insert requests to the respective database nodes for execution. When executed by the database nodes, batch insert operations can be performed in parallel.
US09720948B2
A method and apparatus for performing relatively fast record searching is provided. The design includes providing one alphanumeric key to any record of a plurality of records not including an alphanumeric key, providing one text description comprising at least one word to any record of the plurality of records not including a text description having at least one word, and establishing a multidimensional index, where for each record there is provided in the multidimensional index a pointer pointing from one alphanumeric key to one associated record, a text description pointer pointing from each text description to the one associated record, a first reverse word index pointer pointing from each word to one alphanumeric key, and a second reverse word index pointer pointing from each word to one text description. Records are searched using the multidimensional index.
US09720945B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method for processing tabular data. In various embodiments, an electronic document is received through a network, along with associated metadata. A plurality of table markers, or tabular data markers, are identified, in response to analyzing the received electronic document for said markers. References and citations associated with the plurality of tabular data markers are identified. A graphical representation of the relationship between identified tabular data markers and the identified references is generated. A uniqueness score is calculated, based on the generated graph and an ingestion plan is generated for the received electronic documents based on the calculated uniqueness score value.
US09720938B2
A feature amount calculation unit 61 calculates a feature amount corresponding to a pattern of a lesion by analyzing an inspection image. A probability calculation unit calculates a first existence probability which is a probability of the pattern of a lesion existing within the inspection image, using a calculation expression. The calculation expression is created in advance by a statistical method on the basis of a relationship between the feature amount and the presence or absence of the pattern of a lesion within an image for learning which is visually determined by a person. A similarity calculation unit calculates a similarity between the inspection image and a case image on the basis of the first existence probability and a second existence probability which is a probability of the pattern of a lesion existing within the case image which is calculated by the statistical method similarly to the first existence probability.
US09720920B2
The claimed subject matter relates to architectures for facilitating network-accessible or local backup or restore features in a manner that leverages event-oriented contextual information associated with one or more users of the data to be backed up or restored. In particular, a first restore-based architecture can interface with an associated second backup-based architecture that hosts or maintains a backup data store in order to retrieve a version of the data file that is desired by a user. Additionally, the first architecture can obtain a log of contextual event descriptions that can be aggregated by the second architecture or obtained independently from, e.g., a social networking service or a calendar application associated with the user. Thus, in addition to displaying time and date information associated with the desired version, the first architecture can provide the user with a social context of event from the social services feeds to aid the user in distinguishing between multiple versions of the data file.
US09720917B2
Multimedia content is presented to a user. Questions presented by the user are monitored. A core concept of the question can be identified. The multimedia content can be analyzed to determine whether the multimedia content contains a possible answer to the question. If the multimedia content contains a possible answer to the question, but the possible answer is covered in a plurality of segments of the multimedia content, a confidence score can be assigned to each of the plurality of segments that cover the possible answer. The confidence score can indicate a probability that the respective segment answers the question. Based on the confidence score assigned to each of the segments, a segment for which there is a high level of confidence that the segment answers the question can be selected. Based on the selected segment, an answer to the question can be automatically generated and presented to the user.
US09720914B2
Systems, methods, and computer storage media are provided for generating rich navigational study aids for electronic books. For a particular section of interest in a document, one or more related sections for providing additional context to the particular section are determined. The related sections are ranked based on a score indicating significance to the particular section. Based on a user's information processing preference, a set of ranked navigational links to each related section is presented to the user for additional context related to the particular section.
US09720910B2
An approach is provided to receive a term that is included in a Business Process Model (BPM) data store with the term being from one natural language. The approach identifies that first descriptive text of the term is not available in the same natural language. A translated version of the term is retrieved from a different natural language stored in the BPM data store with descriptive text of the term being present in the different language. The descriptive text is translated to the given natural language, resulting in translated descriptive text that is, in turn, provided as a meaning of the term in the given language.
US09720881B2
A new class of polyhedron is constructed by decorating each of the triangular facets of an icosahedron with the T vertices and connecting edges of a “Goldberg triangle.” A unique set of internal angles in each planar face of each new polyhedron is then obtained, for example by solving a system of n equations and n variables, where the equations set the dihedral angle discrepancy about different types of edge to zero, where the independent variables are a subset of the internal angles in 6 gons. Alternatively, an iterative method that solves for angles within each hexagonal ring may be solved for that nulls dihedral angle discrepancy throughout the polyhedron. The 6 gon faces in the resulting “Goldberg polyhedra” are equilateral and planar, but not equiangular, and nearly spherical.
US09720870B2
A semiconductor device capable of communicating with a host apparatus includes a symbol generation unit, a coding unit, and a transmission unit. The symbol generation unit includes a random number generation circuit and generates a symbol according to a random number generated by the random number generation circuit. The coding unit performs 8b/10b coding for the symbol. The transmission unit transmits the symbol coded by the 8b/10b coding unit to the host apparatus.
US09720869B1
Various embodiments herein each include at least one of devices, methods, and software for coupled device deployment location classification in an automated manner. One embodiment, in the form of a method, includes searching a device tree of a computing device to identify any devices of interest. This method, for each identified device of interest, may then identify a path within the computing device of the device of interest and classify, based on the identified path, a relative location of the device of interest. This method may then store the classification of the device of interest in a memory device of the computing device.
US09720868B2
Approaches for bridging communication between first and second buses are disclosed. Address translation information and associated security indicators are stored in a memory. Each access request from the first bus includes a first requester security indicator and a requested address. Each access request from the first bus and directed to the second bus is either rejected, or translated and communicated to the second bus, based on the requester security indicator and the security indicator associated with the address translation information for the requested address. Each access request from the second bus to the first bus includes the requested address, and the access request is translated and communicated to the first bus along with the security indicator that is associated with the address translation information for the requested address.
US09720864B2
A flexible server system includes an embedded processor, one or more processor boards, one or more storage boards, and a switch including a plurality of ports. The embedded processor, the one or more processor boards, and the one or more storage boards are connected to a corresponding one of the plurality of ports. The embedded processor, the one or more processor boards, the one or more storage boards, and the switch each include a peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface. The one or more processor boards and the one or more storage boards are connected to the switch through connectors where each of the corresponding connectors have a same size. The embedded processor controls the switch to route a packet from one of the plurality of ports to another one of the plurality of ports.
US09720862B1
Migrating interrupts from a source I/O adapter of a computing system to a destination I/O adapter of the computing system, includes: collecting, by a hypervisor of the computing system, interrupt mapping information, where the hypervisor supports operation of a logical partition executing and the logical partition is configured to receive interrupts from the source I/O adapter; configuring, by the hypervisor, the destination I/O adapter with the interrupt mapping information collected by the hypervisor; placing, by the hypervisor, the destination I/O adapter and the source I/O in an error state; deconfiguring the source I/O adapter from the logical partition; and enabling the logical partition and destination I/O adapter to recover from the error state.
US09720859B1
A system, method and computer program product are provided for conditionally eliminating a memory read request. In use, a memory read request is identified. Additionally, it is determined whether the memory read request is an unnecessary memory read request. Further, the memory read request is conditionally eliminated, based on the determination.
US09720846B2
A hypervisor detects a page fault associated with the request for a device assigned to a guest operating system to perform direct memory access (DMA) of a requested page of memory, invalidates a mapping in a central processing unit (CPU) page table of a guest physical address to a host physical address for a candidate page for being swapped out of host memory, checks a DMA access state of the candidate page to determine whether or not the candidate page can be swapped out from the host memory, and removes the candidate page from the host memory in response to determining that the DMA access state indicates that the candidate page can be swapped out.
US09720839B2
Systems and methods for supporting a plurality of load and store accesses of a cache are disclosed. Responsive to a request of a plurality of requests to access a block of a plurality of blocks of a load cache, the block of the load cache and a logically and physically paired block of a store coalescing cache are accessed in parallel. The data that is accessed from the block of the load cache is overwritten by the data that is accessed from the block of the store coalescing cache by merging on a per byte basis. Access is provided to the merged data.
US09720836B2
A grace period detection technique for a preemptible read-copy update (RCU) implementation that uses a combining tree for quiescent state tracking. When a leaf level bitmask indicating online/offline CPUs is fully cleared due to all of its assigned CPUs going offline as a result of hotplugging operations, the bitmask state is not immediately propagated to the root level of the combining tree as in prior art RCU implementations. Instead, propagation is deferred until all tasks are removed from an associated leaf level task list tracking tasks that were preempted inside an RCU read-side critical section. Deferring bitmask propagation obviates the need to migrate the task list to the combining tree root level in order to prevent premature grace period termination. The task list can remain at the leaf level. In this way, CPU hotplugging is accommodated while avoiding excessive degradation of real-time latency stemming from the now-eliminated task list migration.
US09720831B2
A method for maintaining the coherency of a store coalescing cache and a load cache is disclosed. As a part of the method, responsive to a write-back of an entry from a level one store coalescing cache to a level two cache, the entry is written into the level two cache and into the level one load cache. The writing of the entry into the level two cache and into the level one load cache is executed at the speed of access of the level two cache.
US09720829B2
Some implementations disclosed herein provide techniques for caching memory data and for managing cache retention. Different cache retention policies may be applied to different cached data streams such as those of a graphics processing unit. Actual performance of the cache with respect to the data streams may be observed, and the cache retention policies may be varied based on the observed actual performance.
US09720824B2
Garbage collection processing is facilitated. Based on execution of a load instruction and determining that an object pointer to be loaded indicates a location within a selected portion of memory undergoing garbage collection, processing control is obtained by a handler executing within a processor of the computing environment. The handler obtains an address of the object pointer from a pre-defined location, reads the object pointer, and determines whether the object pointer is to be modified. If the object pointer is to be modified, the handler modifies the object pointer. The handler then stores the modified object pointer in a selected location.
US09720823B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that detects anomalous events in a virtual machine. During operation, the system obtains time-series virtual machine (VM) data including garbage-collection (GC) data collected during execution of a virtual machine in a computer system. Next, the system computes, by a service processor, a time window for analyzing the time-series VM data based at least in part on a working time scale of high-activity patterns in the time-series GC data. The system then uses a trend-estimation technique to analyze the time-series VM data within the time window to determine an out-of-memory (OOM) risk in the virtual machine. Finally, the system stores an indication of the OOM risk for the virtual machine based at least in part on determining the OOM risk in the virtual machine.
US09720814B2
Template identification techniques for control of testing are described. In one or more implementations, a method is described to control testing of one or more services by one or more computing devices using inferred template identification. Templates are inferred, by the one or more computing devices, that are likely used for documents for respective services of a service provider that are available via corresponding universal resource locators (URLs) to form an inferred dataset. Overlaps are identified by the one or computing devices in the inferred dataset to cluster services together that have likely used corresponding templates. Testing is controlled by the one or more computing devices of the one or more services based at least in part on the clusters.
US09720810B2
An example system may include a first device connected over respective communications interfaces to a plurality of second devices. The first device may establish respective remote terminals between the first device and one or more second devices. Establishing the respective remote terminals may indicate that the devices are in an online state. The first device may periodically update respective heartbeat files on the second devices. A respective second device may detect that a pre-determined time period has elapsed since the heartbeat file was updated. The respective second device may determine that a respective remote terminal between the first device and the respective second device has been terminated. Determining that the remote terminal has been terminated may indicate that the device is in an offline state. The respective second device may reset itself so as to transition the respective second device from the offline state to the online state.
US09720804B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for a dynamic tracing framework for debugging in a virtualized environment. Embodiment of the present invention can include selecting a home node and a set of remote nodes to which apply a set of probes. Data collection is performed by a tracing agent of each node and the collection of data is shared across multiple software systems.
US09720803B2
Methods and apparatus for debugging of remote systems are disclosed. An example apparatus includes an activator to establish a connection between a first computer system and a second computer system, a data fetcher to transfer values of a first set of data elements from the second computer system to the first computer system via the connection, an executor to execute a first software code on the first computer system using the transferred values of the first set of data elements after the connection is closed, and a debugger to debug the first software code on the first computer system after the executor executes the first software code on the first computer system.
US09720785B1
A variable checkpoint mechanism in a streams manager checkpoints a streaming application based on periodic time periods for checkpoints. The variable checkpoint mechanism can take a checkpoint early before a periodic time period ends or late after the periodic time period ends based on predicted size of one or more tuple windows in the streaming application. The time for taking the checkpoint can be selected based on multiple checkpoint timing criteria, which include storage requirement for the checkpoint and predicted backpressure in the flow graph. In this manner the checkpoint timing of the variable checkpoint mechanism can be adjusted real-time to minimize the negative impact of checkpointing on the performance of the streaming application.
US09720749B2
Provided herein are methods and apparatuses for expanding a remote procedure call (RPC) shared service between devices to an application level, in which a controlled device transmits to a controller device a list of shared applications which are remotely executable from among applications installed in the controlled device, and parameter information which is related to the shared applications, and the controller device remotely executes at least one of the shared applications by using the parameter information.
US09720742B2
A system and method for accessing coherent data on a controller. The system and method include a first buffer and a second buffer that each may be read from or written to and an indicator that indicates which of the first or the second buffer is read from while the other of the first or second buffers is written to. The system and method also include a read synchronization protocol that allows the coherent data to be read from the buffer that the indicator indicates is the read buffer and a write synchronization protocol that allows the coherent data to be written to the buffer that the indicator indicates is the write buffer.
US09720739B2
Improving the performance of multitasking processors are provided. For example, a subset of M processors within a system with N processors is dedicated for a desired task. The M (where M>0) of the N processors are dedicate to a task, thus, leaving N−M (N minus M) processors for running normal operating system (OS). The processors dedicated to the task may have their interrupt mechanism disabled to avoid interrupt handler switching overhead. Therefore, these processors run in an independent context and can communicate with the normal OS and cooperation with the normal OS to achieve higher performance.
US09720738B2
A computer-implemented method including: (i) receiving a computational task to be processed by the datacenter environment; (ii) receiving a set of computational task parameters, The computational task parameters specifying characteristics of the computational task to be processed; (iii) receiving a set of computing entity parameters, The computing entity parameters specifying characteristics of the computing entities; (iv) transmitting the computational task parameters and the computing entity parameters to a scheduling entity; and (v) selecting one or more computing entities of The plurality of computing entities for processing the computational task by the scheduling entity, based on various factors.
US09720735B2
Communication devices capable of at least two communication modes (e.g. WLAN, WMAN and WWAN and/or wired modes) can be configured to optimize communications using a policy-based mechanism to configure connections and routes. A rules engine evaluates its policies on a state change (e.g. network availability, time of day, etc.) to configure a routing table and, together with communication APIs, provides an appropriate connection to an application for its respective communications. Policies may be responsive to various factors such as Radio Access Technology (high/low bandwidth), cost, presence, time of day, location, application type and quality of service (QoS) requirements among others to optimize communications.
US09720734B2
Systems and methods disclosed herein are used to efficiently configure a plurality of memory caches. In one aspect, a method includes a server receiving or accessing a storage policy including a first caching mode for a first set of one or more virtual machine elements and a second caching mode for a second set of one or more virtual machine elements. If a virtual machine element requires configuration, the server determines whether the virtual machine element is a virtual machine element of the first set or the second set. If the virtual machine element is a virtual machine element of the first set, the server applies the first caching mode to a section of a logical solid state drive. If the virtual machine element is a virtual machine element of the second set, the server applies the second caching mode to the section of the logical solid state drive.
US09720730B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a multicore processor with first and second groups of cores. The second group can be of a different instruction set architecture (ISA) than the first group or of the same ISA set but having different power and performance support level, and is transparent to an operating system (OS). The processor further includes a migration unit that handles migration requests for a number of different scenarios and causes a context switch to dynamically migrate a process from the second core to a first core of the first group. This dynamic hardware-based context switch can be transparent to the OS. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09720729B2
A runtime environment allows a scheduler in a process of a computer system to be finalized prior to the process completing. The runtime environment causes execution contexts that are inducted into the scheduler and execution contexts created by the scheduler to be tracked. The runtime environment finalizes the scheduler subsequent to each inducted execution context exiting the scheduler and each created execution context being retired by the scheduler.
US09720725B2
Transactional execution of a transaction beginning instruction initiates prefetching, by a CPU, of discontiguous storage locations specified by a list. The list includes entries specifying addresses and may also include corresponding metadata. The list may be specified by levels of indirection. Fetching of corresponding discontiguous cache lines is initiated while in TX mode. Additional instructions in the transaction may be executed and use the prefetched cache lines.
US09720723B2
A computer-implemented method includes receiving a definition of a source guest memory area for utilization by a virtual machine on a source system, wherein the source system includes a source trusted firmware and a source hypervisor. The method restricts write access to the source guest memory area of the virtual machine. The method receives repeatedly a source guest memory page location, content for each of a plurality of source guest memory pages, and an integrity value for each of a plurality of source guest memory page locations. The method receives a global integrity value for integrity values associated with the plurality of source guest memory page locations, wherein a latest integrity values for each of the plurality of source guest memory page locations is utilized. Subsequent to verifying the global integrity value, the method initializes the virtual machine on the source hypervisor.
US09720715B2
A graphical data type inference transparently transforms a legacy text-oriented command line interface (CLI) into a graphic-oriented or graphic-aware CLI (G-CLI). A user fuses graphical references with the legacy scripting language by identifying objects using syntax familiar to the user. The objects are presented to the user via a user interface and may be queried/selected by the user. The user issues commands on the selected objects by referencing the graphical selection in a command line within a shell. The graphical selection in short hand is translated into a form operable by a server or computer. The syntax of the legacy command language is extended with operators that operate entirely within the G-CLI. Consequently, the command line used in the shell has an existing operation set, as well as new graphic-based operations.
US09720707B1
A device may communicate with a first server to obtain first information regarding a plurality of groups of entities. The device may process the first information to generate a data model relating to attributes of the plurality of groups of entities. The device may communicate with a second server to obtain second information regarding a particular group of entities. The device may process the second information using the data model to identify a set of recommendations relating to the particular group of entities. The device may select a particular recommendation, of the set of recommendations, based on a corresponding score of the set of scores. The device may generate a user interface including the particular recommendation based on selecting the particular recommendation. The device may communicate with a plurality of client devices to cause the particular recommendation to be provided for display.
US09720705B2
A system for Demand Oriented User Interface Framework may include a display screen displaying a user interface, a memory, an input, and a processor to detect information of a data item displaying in a window for an application program in the user interface. The processor, in response to the input detecting the information of the data item, may control the display screen to display one or more additional windows. The one or more additional windows may provide one or more functions outside of functionality for the application program to process the data item. The one or more functions may be ranked and displayed in the user interface for user selection.
US09720702B2
The described technology is directed towards an object-oriented programming (OOP) system and library that maps conventional object-oriented concepts such as class hierarchies, interfaces, and static methods and properties onto a prototypal object system such as JavaScript®. Various functions of the OOP system are called to create a class-like structure that is instantiated into an object instance upon request. The OOP system allows for use of a wrapper pattern to wrap selected objects with added functionality such as validation and tracing, and to provide enhanced functionality with respect to properties, such as to call a function associated with a property when the property's value changes, and/or to lazily generate property values only when accessed.
US09720701B2
A method of providing support for power-management of a device. The method may include gathering contextual data from a sensor communicatively coupled to a sensor controller. The method may also include receiving power-management data including an operational state of a main processor of the device. The method may also include modifying the operation of the device based on the contextual data and the power management data.
US09720683B2
Software configuration management for a software system under development includes receiving a change to the software system under development from a first user, determining a merit score for the first user, wherein the merit score is calculated according to success of prior changes received from the first user, and comparing, using a processor, the merit score for the first user with a merit threshold for the software system under development. The change is accepted for inclusion in a build of the software system under development responsive to determining that the merit score for the first user complies with the merit threshold.
US09720682B2
An integrated software and hardware system is described that functions as a communications service broker in a telecommunications (telecom) network environment. The system can be used to perform mediation and orchestration of services in the telecom network. The integrated system provides the ability of fully automated configuration and provisioning of a compute blade module based on its physical location (in a chassis enclosure). In accordance with an embodiment, each blade in the chassis is assigned either a worker or bootstrap role. The worker blades perform the core processing of the service broker functionality and the bootstrap blades are used to provide the bootstrapping and administration of the worker blades.
US09720680B2
Some embodiments are directed to a processor based control system for enabling users to configure implementation of software updates to a vehicle system. The system can include a processor based controller that is configured to perform a first searching step that includes searching for software updates to the system, and a second downloading step that includes downloading software updates to the system that are discovered in the first searching step. The processor based controller can be configured so that each of the first searching step and the second downloading step can be implemented in either an automatic mode or a manual mode. The system can also include a user interface that is configured to enable each of the first searching step and the second downloading step to be manually set in either the automatic mode or the manual mode.
US09720674B1
A method and system for automating application of software patches to a server system having a virtualization layer. A plurality of software patches are downloaded to a computer system having a first operating system. The software patches to apply to a server console operating system are then determined. The software patches are automatically copied to the server system by executing a first script file. The copied software patches are automatically decompressed by executing a second script file. The decompressed software patches are installed in a specified order by executing the second script file. The console operating system is rebooted only after all software patches are installed.
US09720670B2
A central server in a network stores, or has access to, data relating to software stored on computers in subnets of the network. The central server is able to designate a computer in each subnet as a wake-up master for that subnet. The wake up master maintains an awoken state and is able to issue a wakeup signal to any computer designated by the central server in the subnet. A computer in a subnet requesting software from another computer in the subnet, but unable to find it because the other computer may not be awake, issues a request to the central server. The central server identifies a computer in the subnet likely to have the software and causes the wake-up master of the subnet to wake up the identified computer so the requesting computer can communicate with, and download, the requested software from the identified computer.
US09720669B2
Software is prepared for deployment across an enterprise system. The software initially included a base package and now includes an extended package. The extended package includes duplicate files and new files with respect to the base package. A method comprises using a computer to create indices of files for each of the base and extended packages, the indices identifying properties of the files; compare the properties of the files listed in the indices to identify the duplicate files and the new files in the extended package; and create a deployment package that includes only the new files.
US09720663B2
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to optimize sparse matrix execution. An example disclosed apparatus includes a context former to identify a matrix function call from a matrix function library, the matrix function call associated with a sparse matrix, a pattern matcher to identify an operational pattern associated with the matrix function call, and a code generator to associate a function data structure with the matrix function call exhibiting the operational pattern, the function data structure stored external to the matrix function library, and facilitate a runtime link between the function data structure and the matrix function call.
US09720659B2
A code reuse user interface executed by a processor allows a code developer to specify unused data variables of a coded object definition to be reused, from pre-existing code within a new application, as a partial object without instantiation of the unused data variables. An indication from the code developer that at least one data variable of the reused coded object definition is specified as unused in the new application is detected within the code reuse user interface. The specified at least one unused data variable of the reused coded object definition is externalized from the code reuse user interface to a runtime environment, where as part of execution of the new application in the runtime environment, the runtime environment instantiates the reused coded object definition as the partial object without instantiation of the specified at least one unused data variable.
US09720658B2
An application creation method, includes receiving, by the terminal, a property value of a component property configured by a user, generating a component model according to the property value of the component property, generating a component interface graphical element corresponding to the property value of the component property; mapping the component model as a function component model, graphically displaying the function component model as a function component graphical element according to the component interface graphical element, establishing an association relationship between different function component graphical elements in a to-be-created application according to an operation performed by the user on the function component graphical element, and generating a service function model according to the association relationship between the different function component graphical elements in the to-be-created application; and generating executable code of the to-be-created application according to the component model and the service function model.
US09720649B2
A game object is used as a moving object to provide a random outcome event by movement and final stoppage in an outcome indicating position or mode. Examples are die, dice, balls, roulette balls, roulette wheels and pointers on candy wheel. The object has: A) a game object body; B) the game object body containing an accelerometer microchip or a receiver in communication with a transmitter, power source and light-emitting elements within the game object body, light from the light-emitting body being visible outside the game object body; and C) the microchip closing an electronic circuit for a period of time less than 5 minutes after the game body is moved.
US09720645B2
Various systems and methods for providing audio obstruction effects in 3D parallax user interfaces are described herein. An apparatus comprises: a presentation module to present a 3D parallax user interface on an electronic device, the 3D parallax user interface including a foreground layer and a background layer, the foreground layer having a foreground user interface component and the background layer having a background user interface component, the foreground user interface component obstructing at least a portion of the background user interface component; a receiving module to receive a signal to generate an audio notification for the background user interface component; and an audio effect module to: determine an audio effect to apply to the audio notification, the audio effect based on the position of the background user interface component in relation to the foreground user interface component; and apply the audio effect to the audio notification.
US09720644B2
A system that acquires captured voice data corresponding to a spoken command; sequentially analyzes the captured voice data; causes a display to display a visual indication corresponding to the sequentially analyzed captured voice data; and performs a predetermined operation corresponding to the spoken command when it is determined that the sequential analysis of the captured voice data is complete.
US09720641B2
A music distribution server according to an embodiment provides a service in which users can easily enjoy digital contents. The server may include an information storage unit storing various tables and data bases, a playback transmission unit transmitting, in response to playback requests, music data to a terminal device in a streaming method, and a purchase transmission unit transmitting, in response to a purchase request, the music data to the terminal device in a downloading method, a ticket possession status update unit updating a possession status of virtual tickets used for playback of the music data possessed by users, a ticket providing unit providing the virtual tickets to users, a comment management unit managing users' comments on music pieces, a recommendation management unit managing recommendation of music pieces by one user to other users, and a ticket offer management unit offering the virtual tickets from one user to other users.
US09720638B2
Provided are a display system including a plurality of display apparatuses and a control method of the same. The display system including a plurality of display apparatuses comprises a first display apparatus configured to display an image to constitute a multi-screen, and receive power from a single power source; and a second display apparatus configured to display an image to constitute the multi-screen, and receive power from the single power source, wherein the second display apparatus starts operation after the first display apparatus enters a normal driving state.
US09720634B2
A print control device is configured to perform operations including: determining whether to execute a preflight processing for checking a print job based on a print setting information and a condition information specifying a condition for executing the preflight processing; upon determining to execute the preflight processing, executing the preflight processing and then generating a print output information for printing an image on a print sheet based on a print job information; and upon determining not to execute the preflight processing, generating the print output information based on the print job information without executing the preflight processing.
US09720629B2
High speed print output is enabled, while eliminating the burden of rearranging printed matter in page order placed on users. A plurality of pages of print job data are divided into groups of a predetermined number of pages, and the divided plurality of pages are assigned to the print job data to generate a plurality of pieces of divided print job data. The pieces of divided print job data are arranged in reverse order of page numbers, expansion processes are administered on the pieces of divided print job data in the order that they are arranged to generate page data for each page. The page data are output for each piece of divided print job data in reverse order of page numbers and in the order that the expansion processes are administered, to a printing section.
US09720628B2
An information processing system includes a generation unit and a reconstruction unit. The generation unit generates a data source including data to be referred to at a time of printing for a variable portion in which data to be referred to is variable for each record. The reconstruction unit acquires the data source and reconstructs print data that is variable for each record. The generation unit executes processing of determining a largest size based on a size of data to be referred to for the variable portion to generate stub data of the determined size, of generating the print data by using the stub data, and of generating the data source for each record. The reconstruction unit executes processing of reconstructing the print data by overwriting the stub data in the print data with the data in the acquired data source.
US09720618B1
A method and system for synthesizing backup snapshots is discussed. IO's may be streamed from multiple locations, and placed in journal files. These journal files may thereafter be used to synthesize the backup snapshot.
US09720617B2
In one embodiment, when a secondary application on an electronic device is selected for deactivation, the memory associated with the application can be gathered, compacted and compressed into a memory freezer file. The memory freezer file can be stored in non-volatile memory with a reduced storage footprint compared to a memory stored in a conventional swap file. When the selected application is to be reactivated, the compressed memory in the memory freezer file can be quickly restored to process memory.
US09720612B2
A controller of a non-volatile memory system may be configured to identify bits of data to be stored in memory elements of non-volatile memory that are identified as unreliable. The controller may be configured to bias at least some of these bits to a predetermined logic value at which the bits are likely to be read from the unreliable memory elements. The controller may do so using a biasing key that the controller generates based on identification of the bits. Subsequently, when the data is read, the controller may assign log likelihood ratio values for the bits to correspond to a percent likelihood of the bits being biased to the predetermined logic value. The bits may also be unbiased using the biasing key.
US09720607B2
The disclosed embodiments relate to the design of an append-only data storage system that stores sets of data blocks in extents that are located in storage devices in the system. During operation of the system, when an extent is in an open state, the system allows data blocks to be appended to the extent, and disallows operations to be performed on the extent that are incompatible with data being concurrently appended to the extent. When the extent becomes full, the system changes the extent from the open state to a closed state. Then, while the extent is in the closed state, the system disallows data blocks to be appended to the extent, and allows operations to be performed on the extent that are incompatible with data being concurrently appended to the extent.
US09720606B2
Methods and structure for online migration of data in a storage system comprising a plurality of storage devices. The method comprises redefining a volume of a storage system mapped according to a first mapping structure by defining a second mapping structure. The method further comprises quiescing processing of host I/O requests directed to the volume and transitioning control of the volume from a first to a second volume manager so as to utilize the benefits of the second mapping structure. The method further comprises commencing processing of host I/O requests directed to the volume wherein the volume is mapped according to the second mapping structure. The method further comprises migrating, via the second volume manager, volume data to any of a plurality of storage devices of the system, online, without interrupting processing of host I/O requests directed to the volume. This migrates volume data without significant downtime or wasted space.
US09720603B1
In an embodiment of the invention, a method which speeds up the transfer of data and increases the data throughput in an IO network comprised of Host Bus Adapters (HBAs)/IO bridges-switches, IO devices, and hosts is described. In the embodiment of the present invention, HBAs and IO bridges-switches utilize a multi-level cache composed of volatile memories (such as SRAM, SDRAM, etc.) and solid-state memories (such as flash, MRAM, etc.). These memories are used to cache the most recently accessed IO data by an active host or by another HBA/IO bridge-switch. Cache content can be from the local IO devices (the ones connected directly to the HBA/IO bridge-switch), from remote IO devices (the ones connected to different HBA/IO bridges/switches), or from both (a portion from local IO devices and another portion from remote IO devices). The combination of these caches from different HBAs/IO bridges-switches creates the cache for all IO devices in the entire network. Multiple copies of the same IO cache are possible depending on the transactions with the hosts.
US09720592B2
In gesture reporting and replay, touch events are captured from an operating system of a client device for touch actions on a touchscreen. The touch events are interpreted as gestures. Any application events are captured from an application in response to the gestures. A given gesture and any given application event in response to the given gesture are compared against an expected application event. When there is a match, the given gesture is identified as a responsive gesture. When there is no match, the given gesture is identified as a non-responsive gesture. The gesture information for the given gesture, any application event in response to the given gesture, and a screen layout displayed on the touchscreen at the time of the given gesture are sent to a service. For the information received, the service replays the given gesture and generates a report.
US09720591B2
A multitouch interface application provides a user with access to a multitouch chording language for controlling auxiliary components within a vehicle, where a particular command for a given auxiliary component is specified by a combination of a left-hand gesture and a right-hand gesture. The multitouch interface application receives left-hand gestures from a left-hand touch sensing surface, where a given left-hand gesture corresponds to a selection of mode associated within a given auxiliary component. The multitouch interface application also receives right-hand gestures from a right-hand touch sensing surface, where a given right-hand gesture, in conjunction with a left-hand gesture, corresponds to a command for the given auxiliary component. Upon receiving both a left-hand gesture and a right-hand gesture, the multitouch interface application issues the command to the auxiliary component associated with the selected mode.
US09720588B2
A mobile terminal and an application-controlling method thereof are provided. The application-controlling method for the mobile terminal according to the present disclosure comprises: detecting an action on a touch screen of the mobile terminal when an application is running; if the action is a static action, then acquiring a touch area between the static action and the touch screen; and comparing the touch area with a threshold area, and if the touch area is no less than the threshold area, then stopping running of the application. In this way, the mobile terminal and an application-controlling method thereof according to the present disclosure can make it more convenient for the user to operate the applications of the mobile terminal and are easy to operate and to be popularized.
US09720584B2
User interfaces for multiple display regions are described. One embodiment provides an array of non-overlapping windows that are created from a set of overlapping windows, and a user can select one of the non-overlapping windows to obtain an enlarged view of that selected window while keeping the other windows in their non-overlapping state. In one embodiment, the array of non-overlapping windows can include minimized windows or windows in other virtual desktops (e.g. windows in other “Spaces”) or both. In one embodiment, only windows of a selected application are shown in non-overlapping mode while opened windows of other applications are not shown.
US09720580B2
A smart device is provided with a main remote control application that may be configured using information obtained from a QR code. The main remote control application may present images of original remote controls corresponding to devices which are controllable by the configured main remote control application. In connection with a presented image of an original remote control, the display may present icons that are representative of a subset of the buttons of the original remote control. The user interface also allows a user to select amongst the images of the original remote controls to change which appliances are to be controlled via the user interface. A pop-up remote control widget may also be provided which may be invoked without switching to the main remote control application provisioned on the smart device.
US09720577B1
A webcast and virtual environment content recommendation engine and method provide webcast and/or virtual environment content recommendation using user history and affinity with other individuals to predict interesting current future webcasts and online virtual environments and content.
US09720571B2
Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for providing a light bar for a web browser in an immersive mode. A system is configured to display a web browser in a first browsing mode, wherein the browser in the first browsing mode comprises one or more tabs and receive, from a user, an indication to enter a second browsing mode for the web browser. In response to receiving the indication, the web browser may be displayed in the second browsing mode in which the one or more tabs are not shown. One or more light bars may also be displayed in a display area of the web browser at locations corresponding with the one or more tabs. Each of the one or more light bars is associated with one of the one or more tabs.
US09720564B1
Systems and methods for compiling personal preferences of a user are provided. A method comprises simultaneously displaying a plurality of icons in a clustered arrangement, each icon being assigned to a respective one of a plurality of values; receiving a first input in association with a first icon, the first input indicating a preference for the value assigned to the first icon; adjusting a size of the first icon in response to the first input; redistributing, within the clustered arrangement, the remaining icons to accommodate the size adjustment; receiving a second input in association with a second icon, the second input indicating a dislike for the value assigned to the second icon; deleting, from the clustered arrangement, the second icon in response to the second input; and redistributing, within the clustered arrangement, the remaining icons to fill a space emptied by the deletion.
US09720556B2
An image is placed, based on a predetermined designation input, on a predetermined placement position in relation to a display area, and displayed. The image is enlarged and reduced in accordance with an enlargement ratio of the image, and an area within which the placement position can be set is changed in relation to the display area in accordance with the enlargement ratio. Then, based on an obtained designation input, a position within the area, which position corresponds to the designation input, is calculated as a placement position, and the image having been enlarged and reduced is placed on the placement position. The image is then displayed on a display device.
US09720555B2
A system and method for managing location-based information associated with the oil and gas industry. The system, in one embodiment, comprises a computing device connected to a location-based service, wherein the location-based information comprises energy operations data which is associated with a specific geographic location, and wherein the computing device is associated with a graphical map interface. The graphical map interface is configured to display location based information. The graphical map interface can also be configured to display an indication of the frequency of an event. The location based information can be associated with a geofence.
US09720554B2
A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to manage and display mini Graphical User Interface (GUI) applications, or widgets. A widget controller can be associated with a plurality of widgets, upon which a user of the widget controller can then cycle among the associated widgets to display a selected widget. This conserves space on an output device since space for only one widget is needed. Widgets controllers can be embedded on web pages which are part of social networking sites. Particular widgets associated with a widget controller can be automatically determined and associated based on content of a web page containing the widget controller.
US09720552B2
A touch panel includes a substrate including a touch area and a non-touch area adjacent to the touch area, a conductive polymer layer disposed on the substrate, and a touch sensor unit disposed between the conductive polymer layer and the touch area of the substrate. The conductive polymer layer includes a polymer wiring pattern disposed in the non-touch area of the substrate and includes a conductive polymer connected to the touch sensor unit.
US09720548B2
A flat illuminator having substantially reduced or no diffractive artifacts may be realized by using a partially reflective, embedded layer of extraction features, such as partially reflective facets or partially reflective bumpy surface, buried with substantially matching refractive index on both sides of layer. Implementations may be used in creating infrared (IR) illumination, either as a frontlight unit (FLU) or backlight unit (BLU), as well as for supporting a floating image of IR illumination in a retroreflective, reconvergent imaging or a retroimaging application.
US09720543B2
An array substrate, a display panel and a display device. The array substrate includes: a substrate; a plurality of scan lines and a plurality of data lines disposed on the substrate; a plurality of sub-pixels arranged in an array, which are defined by the data lines and the scan lines insulatedly intersecting the data lines; a plurality of touch sensing electrodes disposed in an array, each of which corresponds to one pixel region comprising a plurality of first sub-pixels and at least one second sub-pixel; and a plurality of first signal lines extending along a first direction, wherein, an area of a second sub-pixel electrode in the second sub-pixel is smaller than that of a first sub-pixel electrode in the first sub-pixel, and the first inactive display region is provided in the second sub-pixel.
US09720533B2
A touch type input terminal that includes a base substrate, a piezoelectric sensor and an electrostatic sensor which are flat membrane-shaped, respectively. The electrostatic sensor includes a plurality of segment electrodes on a first main surface of a base film and a plurality of common electrodes on a second main surface. The piezoelectric sensor includes a piezoelectric film formed of PLLA drawn uniaxially. Displacement detecting electrodes are formed on a third main surface of the piezoelectric film so as to divide the third main surface into four portions. Displacement detecting electrodes are formed on a fourth main surface of the piezoelectric film so as to be opposed to the displacement detecting electrodes on the third main surface.
US09720519B2
This invention describes a special type of drone called “Flying User Interface” device comprised of a robotic projector-camera system, an onboard digital computer connected with Internet, sensors, and a hardware interface to stick to any surface such as wall, ceilings, etc. Computer further consists of other subsystems, devices, and sensors such as accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, flashlight, etc. Drone flies from one places to another, detects a surface, and sticks to it. After successful sticking mechanism, device stops all its rotators and projects or augments images, information, and user interfaces on the near by surfaces. User interface may contain applications, information about object being augmented and information from Internet. User can interact with user-interface using command and gestures such as hand, body, feet, voice, etc.
US09720518B2
Character input apparatus includes: touch screen; first keypad information database storing information on first keypad; second keypad information database storing information on second keypad; first keypad generation unit displaying the first keypad including character key on the touch screen during character input mode; first key touch recognition unit acquiring character code corresponding to first key from the first keypad information database and invoking second keypad generation unit, when the first key is sensed on the first keypad; the second keypad generation unit generating the second keypad including character keys related to the first key by invocation by the first key touch recognition unit, and displaying the second keypad on the touch screen; and second key touch recognition unit acquiring character corresponding to touch movement action from the second keypad information database and displaying the character on the touch screen, when the touch movement action is sensed on the second keypad.
US09720511B2
A hybrid system which detects and tracks objects in three-dimensional space using a light source disposed in spaced relation to a projection surface, defining a volume of space illuminated by said light source. A light sensor responsive to illumination falling on the projection surface measures illumination levels over a predefined image plane associated with the light sensor, producing a projected image signal. A structured light source projects a structured light within the volume of space and a structured light sensor records reflected structured light from objects occupying the volume of space producing a structured light signal. A correlation processor receptive of the projected image signal and said structured light signal and adapted to compute a hybrid signal indicative of the position of an object within said space and from which other information about the object may be extracted.
US09720502B2
A method for controlling vibration of an electronic device having a flexible screen and a vibration driving unit, which includes: acquiring a folding parameter of the flexible screen; and adjusting a vibration parameter of the vibration driving unit in the electronic device according to the folding parameter. With the method according to the disclosure, the vibration parameter of the vibration driving unit in the electronic device may be adjusted to different folding states, so that the vibration energy generated by the vibration driving unit could be sensed.
US09720500B2
A haptic touch panel assembly for a vehicle. The haptic touch panel assembly includes a haptic touch panel, a support substrate, and a suspension component to couple the haptic touch panel to the support substrate. More accurate and dynamic haptic feedback for various vehicle interior components may be provided through the use of a suspension component that allows for three or more degrees of freedom movement or two or more haptic actuators that facilitate movement in two or more different directions.
US09720486B2
A device and method of operating a synchronous frequency processing environment served by a common power source and common clock source. The method includes operating the processing environment to have a first power consumption. The method further includes determining a first synchronous frequency processing domain within the processing environment where it is desired to implement a first clock frequency alteration in a clock signal for the first synchronous frequency processing domain. The first clock frequency alteration generates an associated first alteration in a power consumption from the first synchronous frequency processing domain. The method further includes determining a second clock frequency alteration to a clock signal for a second synchronous frequency processing domain of the processing environment. The second clock frequency alteration is determined so as to reduce a change in the first power consumption caused by the first alteration in power consumption.
US09720475B2
An information processing system includes a receiving unit that receives user operation; a setting unit that holds association information in which pieces of necessity information each indicating necessity of a shutdown process indicating a process required for stopping power supply to a corresponding device are associated with a plurality of devices, respectively; a first instruction unit that instructs a target device for which the power supply is to be stopped to perform the shutdown process when the receiving unit receives operation to stop the power supply and the target device requires the shutdown process based on the association information; and a second instruction unit that instructs a power supply control device that controls execution or stop of the power supply to the target device to stop the power supply to the target device when the shutdown process of the target device is completed.
US09720474B2
An electronic control unit mounted in an object includes: a rewritable memory of control and reprogramming software; a not-always-on power supply system micro-computer operating in control and reprogramming modes and connected/disconnected with a power source; and an always-on power supply system micro-computer operating in the control and reprogramming modes and constantly connected with the power source. Each micro-computer includes: a first mode determination device determining whether to operate in an on-board mode when the power source starts to supply the electric power; and a second mode determination device determining whether to operate in the reprogramming mode. The always-on power supply system micro-computer includes a first transition device that detects a change in a power supply state of the not-always-on power supply system micro-computer. The first transition device switches a processing to a determination executed by the first mode determination device when the power supply state has changed.
US09720467B2
The various embodiments provide methods and systems for adjusting the thermal mitigation system of a mobile electronic device when an add-on outer casing is attached. The mobile electronic device determine whether an add-on outer case is attached to the mobile electronic device and change a thermal mitigation parameter of a thermal mitigation process implemented on the mobile electronic device in response. The determination may be via a sensor or a user input. A changed thermal mitigation parameter may be stored in memory, or input by a user or in a communication from the add-on case. The changed thermal mitigation parameter may be determined based on a particular make, model or properties of the add-on case, and/or may be obtained from a database stored in the device or accessed via a network. Removal of the case may be detected and the thermal mitigation parameter returned to an initial value.
US09720465B2
A heat dissipation apparatus and a portable device are provided. The heat dissipation apparatus includes at least two heat sinks, which are connected to each other by a heat conductive tube; and a fan fixed onto one of the at least two heat sinks; the fan has an inlet vent and at least two outlet vents, the respective outlet vents have different discharging directions, a detachable shield plate is disposed at each of the outlet vents, a respective one of the outlet vents discharges an airflow outside when a respective one of the shield plates is drawn out.
US09720444B2
A furniture system is for a computer system having an integral display. The furniture system includes a base section. A computer-peripheral section is configured to extend from the base section. The computer-peripheral section presents a built-in computer-peripheral having built-in computer-peripheral wiring configured to interface with the computer system. A computer-support section presents a fixedly-attached computer-mounting mechanism configured to couple with the computer system in such a way that the integral display faces the user of the computer system. The computer-support section is configured to move relative to the computer-peripheral section in such a way that the integral display of the computer system and the computer system are movably positionable at selected user-display positions.
US09720440B2
There is provided a communication apparatus. A communication unit transmits data to a communication module, which communicates with an external device, according to a clock signal, and receives data from the communication module in accordance with a timing corresponding to a timing signal generated by delaying the clock signal. An adjustment unit adjusts an amount of the delay. A control unit controls the communication unit to repeatedly perform first processing for transmitting a first command to the communication module, second processing for receiving a first response that is sent from the communication module, and third processing for transmitting a packet to the communication module according to the first response. In a predetermined mode, the control unit controls the communication unit to perform processing for transmitting data of the packet regardless of contents of the first response.
US09720436B2
In an operation input device, a supporting part supports an operation part to be displaceable with respect to the base part, and a reaction force generating part generates reaction force in an axial direction coaxial with the displacement direction in response to the displacement. The supporting part includes: a support member having: one end connected to the base part and another end protruded from the base part; and a plurality of plate springs respectively having a plate surface perpendicular to a center axis of the support member, arranged radially around the center axis, and a tip in a radial direction connected to the operation part. The reaction force generating part includes: an electromagnet generating magnetic force in an axial direction parallel to the center axis of the support member; and a magnetic member arranged opposite to the electromagnet to receive magnetic force to apply reaction force to the operation part.
US09720430B2
A power control device includes a power unit generating power to be supplied to a target device, from external power, an operating unit receiving operation of power on and power off by a user, a nonvolatile memory unit storing information, and a power control unit turning off, when the operating unit has received power-off operation, power supply to the target device in a predetermined sequence for the target device and records the fact that power has been turned off normally in the nonvolatile memory unit. When external power supply is started, the power control unit turns on the power supply to the target device when having determined that external power supply was stopped due to a certain cause, or does not turn on the power supply to the target device when having determined that external power supply was stopped due to a cause other than the certain cause.
US09720429B2
In an embodiment, a coupled-inductor structure includes first and second windings. The first winding is configured to conduct a phase current, has a first node configured for coupling to a phase node of a power supply, and has a second node configured for coupling to an output node of the power supply and to a first node of a sense impedance that is configured to generate a sense signal representative of the phase current. And the second winding is configured for magnetic coupling with the first winding, has a first node coupled to the first node of the first winding, and has a second node configured for coupling to a second node of the sense impedance. For example, the first winding may be a phase inductor of a switching power supply, and the impedance may be a capacitor that generates a sense voltage representative of the phase current.
US09720421B2
A subsea production system for producing fluids from a subsea well in a subsea field. The production system includes a production facility and a production umbilical connecting the subsea well with the production facility. The production system also includes a control system for controlling production from the subsea well. The control system includes a first redundant master control station system (redundant MCS) at a first location, the redundant MCS capable of controlling production from the subsea well. The control system also includes a second redundant MCS at a second location, the second redundant MCS capable of controlling production from the subsea well. The redundant MCSs are synchronized to keep the same electronic data at both locations and to prevent conflicts in control signals from the redundant MCSs.
US09720415B2
Various embodiments relate generally to autonomous vehicles and associated mechanical, electrical and electronic hardware, computer software and systems, and wired and wireless network communications to provide an autonomous vehicle fleet as a service. In particular, a method may include receiving an indication of a sensor anomaly, determining one or more sensor recovery strategies based on the sensor anomaly, and executing a course of action that ensures the autonomous vehicle system operates within accepted parameters. Alternative sensors may be relied upon to cover for the sensor anomaly, which may include a failed sensor while the autonomous vehicle is in operation.
US09720411B2
A computer in a vehicle is configured to operate the vehicle in at least one of an autonomous and a semi-autonomous mode. The computer is further configured to detect at least one condition of a roadway being traveled by the vehicle, the condition comprising at least one of a restricted lane, a restricted zone, a construction zone, and accident area, an incline, a hazardous road surface. The computer is further configured to determine at least one autonomous action based on the condition, the at least one autonomous action including at least one of altering a speed of the vehicle, controlling vehicle steering, controlling vehicle lighting, transitioning the vehicle to manual control, and controlling a distance of the vehicle from an object.
US09720410B2
Example systems and methods enable an autonomous vehicle to request assistance from a remote operator in certain predetermined situations. One example method includes determining a representation of an environment of an autonomous vehicle based on sensor data of the environment. Based on the representation, the method may also include identifying a situation from a predetermined set of situations for which the autonomous vehicle will request remote assistance. The method may further include sending a request for assistance to a remote assistor, the request including the representation of the environment and the identified situation. The method may additionally include receiving a response from the remote assistor indicating an autonomous operation. The method may also include causing the autonomous vehicle to perform the autonomous operation.
US09720397B2
When warm-up operation is started, a machine tool acquires an atmospheric temperature around the machine tool and selects a warm-up operation program on the basis of the acquired atmospheric temperature. A warm-up operation command suitable for the atmospheric temperature is given to the control unit according to the selected warm-up operation program. A movable unit of the machine tool can be thereby controlled, and optimum warm-up operation for the atmospheric temperature can be eventually performed.
US09720389B2
Context recognition methods and apparatus are provided for an application processor and a micro control unit. It is determined whether an operation switch condition for switching to a sleep mode is satisfied. A request for execution of a context recognition function is sent to a micro control unit, when the operation switch condition is satisfied. The application processor switches to the sleep mode, when the context recognition function is executed by the micro control unit. The micro control unit collects sensor data at previously stored time intervals, and previously stored state information is updated based on the sensor data.
US09720376B2
A band-type electronic device and a method for configuration of a flexible circuit board in a band-type electronic device are disclosed. The band-type electronic device includes a plurality of segments connected with each other in a band-like shape, a plurality of electronic components arranged in the plurality of segments, and a flexible circuit board connected to the plurality of electronic components arranged in the plurality of segments, wherein the flexible circuit board is partly deformed into a meandering shape in at least one of the plurality of segments.
US09720372B2
An image forming apparatus includes a cartridge supporting member configured to move with respect to a main body of the apparatus in a state in which a cartridge is mounted to take a mounting and demounting position where the cartridge supporting member is located at an exterior of the main body and allowing the cartridge to be mounted and demounted, and an image forming position where the cartridge supporting member is located within an interior of the main body to locate the cartridge at a position which allows formation of an image. A first unit of the cartridge includes a position-restricted portion, and the cartridge is located below a second unit in which the cartridge is mounted on the cartridge supporting member. The cartridge supporting member includes a position restricting portion configured to restrict movement of the cartridge with respect to the cartridge supporting member by engaging the position-restricted portion.
US09720370B2
A cable holder includes a plurality of cable holding portions and a stopper. The plurality of cable holding portions is arranged under an apparatus body of an apparatus that is connectable to another apparatus via a cable, the cable to fit in the plurality of cable holding portions. The stopper is disposed at the plurality of cable holding portions to hold the cable fitted in the plurality of cable holding portions. The plurality of cable holding portions includes outlets communicated with an outside of the cable holder and arranged at different positions from each other.
US09720368B2
An image-forming apparatus includes a first opened/closed signal generation unit for generating a first opened/closed signal indicating an opened/closed state of the open/close member by using polling detection; a second opened/closed signal generation unit for generating a second opened/closed signal in which a state indicating the opened state of the open/close member is latched when a second signal via the switch is cut off; and a power-supply failure detection unit for detecting a power-supply failure based on the first and/or second opened/closed signals. The second opened/closed signal indicates in an initial state the closed state of the open/close member, and is returned to the initial state by an initialization command, and the power-supply failure detection unit detects the power-supply failure based on the second opened/closed signal during an image forming period, and based on the first and second opened/closed signals during a period other than the image forming period.
US09720366B2
A drive element for a rotatable component of an electrophotographic image forming device according to one example embodiment includes a body having a center hole for receiving a drive shaft therein. The center hole defines a rotational axis of the body. A drive coupler is positioned on the body and centered around the rotational axis. A drive slot on the body extends radially relative to the rotational axis and is sized to receive a cross pin. The drive slot includes one or more snap features formed on the body that are positioned to retain the cross pin axially in the drive slot and that permit the cross pin to snap axially into and out of the drive slot.
US09720365B2
An image forming device includes: a main casing; a retaining unit; a feed tray; and a pickup roller. The retaining unit retains a plurality of photosensitive drums juxtaposedly arrayed and spaced away from each other in an array direction. The retaining unit is movable in the array direction between a mounted position in which the retaining unit is mounted in the main casing and a pulled-out position in which the retaining unit is pulled out of the main casing. The feed tray is configured to accommodate a first transferred medium. The pickup roller is configured to pick up the first transferred medium accommodated in the feed tray. The pickup roller is arranged to overlap with the retaining unit in the array direction.
US09720354B2
An intermediate transfer belt for use in electrophotography is provided. The intermediate transfer belt includes a thermoplastic resin having a vinylidene difluoride (VdF) structure. The intermediate transfer belt has a degree of crystallinity in the range of 17% to 39%.
US09720352B2
An image forming apparatus is designed to be capable of easily suppressing a variation of an inclination of a sensor relative to an endless belt and capable of high accuracy and stabilized sensing operation. The image forming apparatus includes a belt unit having an endless belt supported to be rotatable in a circumferential direction, an image forming unit for forming an image on the belt unit, and an optical sensor for detecting light projected onto the endless belt. The image forming apparatus further includes a sensor supporting member for supporting the sensor, and a positioning portion including, as a unit, a first positioning portion for positioning the belt unit by being contacted by the belt unit and a second positioning portion positioning the sensor supporting member by being contacted by the sensor supporting member.
US09720347B2
A developing cartridge includes a case having a first sidewall and a second sidewall opposite to the first sidewall, and a developing roller disposed between the first sidewall and second sidewall. The developing roller can include a developing roller shaft and a developing roller member configured to carry a developing agent thereon, the developing roller member disposed around the developing roller shaft. Also, the developing cartridge can include an electrode disposed on the first sidewall adjacent to the developing roller shaft, the electrode electrically connected to the developing roller member, and a driven coupling disposed on the second sidewall. The electrode can include, an extending portion extending in a direction away from the first sidewall. An outermost periphery of the driven coupling defines a projection plane projecting in a direction towards the electrode, wherein at least a part of the extending portion is disposed within the projection plane.
US09720344B1
An image forming apparatus includes a charger, a charge eliminator, and a controller. The charger charges a surface of an image carrier. The charge eliminator eliminates residual charge from the surface of the image carrier charged by the charger. The controller performs control to reduce a level of charge elimination performed by the charge eliminator during a third period compared to a level of charge elimination performed by the charge eliminator during a second period in which an image for determining an image-forming condition is formed. The third period is a period other than the second period within a first period that is a period, other than a period of normal image formation, during which the surface of the image carrier is charged by the charger.
US09720340B2
Provided is a toner that has satisfactory chargeability and hardly causes a reduction in image density, fogging, and density unevenness in various environments ranging from a low-temperature and low-humidity environment to a high-temperature and high-humidity environment. The toner includes toner particles obtained by fixing resin particles to toner base particles each containing resins, in which: the resins contain 50.0 mass % or more of a styrene-acrylic resin and 1.0 to 40.0 mass % of a polyester resin A; the polyester resin A contains 0.10 to 30.00 number % of an isosorbide unit; the fixing amount of the resin particles to the toner base particles is from 0.1 to 5.0 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the toner base particles; and the glass transition temperature of the resin particles is higher than the glass transition temperature of the toner base particles.
US09720338B2
A cylindrical support for an electrophotographic photoreceptor includes an aluminum alloy including Si: 0.4% by weight to 0.8% by weight, Fe: 0.7% by weight or less, Cu: 0.15% by weight to 0.4% by weight, Mn: 0.15% by weight or less, Mg: 0.8% by weight to 1.2% by weight, Cr: 0.04% by weight to 0.35% by weight, Zn: 0.25% by weight or less, Ti: 0.15% by weight or less, and a balance: aluminum and impurities, wherein an average area of crystal grains of the aluminum alloy is from 3.0 μm2 to 100 μm2.
US09720335B2
A synthetic controlled variable is obtained by obtaining a synthetic quantity using measurement results of a first and a second measuring instruments and corresponding gains (or transfer function) and synthesizing the synthetic quantity and one of the measurement results of the first and the second measuring instruments, respectively, via a high pass filter and a low pass filter. A feedback control system is structured that obtains a control input using a synthetic controlled variable and a desired value, and gives a plant the control input. This makes adding of a high pass filter for removing offset of installation position of the first and the second measuring instruments no longer necessary, and allows a driving system which controls robust driving in a high bandwidth of a plate stage regardless of bandwidth in which resonance appears to be designed.
US09720328B2
Projection exposure system for microlithography and method of monitoring a lateral imaging stability
A projection exposure system (10) for microlithography. The system includes projection optics (12) configured to image mask structures into a substrate plane (16), an input diffraction element (28) which is configured to convert irradiated measurement radiation (21) into at least two test waves (30) directed onto the projection optics (12) with differing propagation directions, a detection diffraction element (34; 28) which is disposed in the optical path of the test waves (30) after the latter have passed through the projection optics (12) and is configured to produce a detection beam (36) from the test waves (30) which has a mixture of radiation portions of both test waves (30), a photo detector (38) disposed in the optical path of the detection beam (36) which is configured to record the radiation intensity of the detection beam (36), time resolved, and an evaluation unit which is configured to determine the lateral imaging stability of the projection optics (12) from the radiation intensity recorded.
US09720327B2
The invention relates to an optical system of a microlithographic projection exposure apparatus, in particular for operation in the EUV, comprising a mirror arrangement composed of a plurality of mutually independently adjustable mirror elements, and at least one polarization-influencing arrangement arranged upstream of the mirror arrangement relative to the light propagation direction, wherein the polarization-influencing arrangement has a group of first reflection surfaces and a group of second reflection surfaces, wherein the first reflection surfaces are tiltable independently of one another, and wherein, during the operation of the optical system, light reflected at respectively one of the first reflection surfaces can be directed onto the mirror arrangement via respectively a different one of the second reflection surfaces depending on the tilting of the first reflection surface.
US09720325B2
A method includes rotating a wafer at a first speed for a first time duration. The wafer is rotated at a second speed that is lower than the first speed for a second time duration after the first time duration. The wafer is rotated at a third speed that is higher than the second speed for a third time duration after the second time duration. A photoresist is dispensed on the wafer during the first time duration and at least a portion of a time interval that includes the second time duration and the third time duration.
US09720322B2
A photoresist composition containing (A) a polymer having a structural unit (I) that includes an acid-labile group, and (I) a compound represented by the following formula (1). In the following formula (1), R1, R2, R3 and R represent a hydrogen atom or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms. X represents a single bond, an oxygen atom or —NRa—. Ra represents a hydrogen atom, a hydroxy group or a monovalent organic group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, and optionally taken together represents a ring structure by binding with R each other. A− represents —SO3− or —CO2−. M+ represents a monovalent onium cation.
US09720318B2
A masked etching process can prepare patterned nanocellulose for use in conformal electronics such as electrodermal structures might be adhered to human skin.
US09720313B2
An imaging plate for projection, the imaging plate comprising an impermeable plate and a projecting device disposed in said one surface of the plate in a certain distance, wherein the projecting device is capable of projecting light and image; the plate having a plurality of cylinder through holes disposed on both surface thereof; wherein the cylinder through holes are filled with transparent pillars, one end of said pillar defined an input end which receives the light and image from the projecting device and then guides them to an output end thereof; wherein an inner wall of the cylinder through holes comprises a light reflective surface; wherein the both input end and output end of transparent pillar are parallel to the rear and front surface of the plate.
US09720312B2
A projection screen includes a flexible substrate, a reflective layer and a transparent coating layer. The flexible substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The reflective layer is disposed on the first surface of the flexible substrate. The transparent coating layer is coated on the reflective layer, and the transparent coating layer has a pattern on a surface opposite to the reflective layer. Moreover, a manufacturing method of the projection screen is also provided.
US09720301B2
The purpose of the present invention is to make it possible to output stable light by optimizing the wavelength conversion efficiency in a wavelength conversion element without employing an optical detection device such as a photo diode in a laser light source device. A fundamental light wave emitted from a semiconductor laser (2) is wavelength converted by a wavelength conversion element (5) and is emitted therefrom. A lighting circuit (20) supplies electric power for the aforementioned semiconductor laser (2) to turn on the semiconductor laser (2). A control unit (21) controls the operation of the device while controlling the amount of power supplied to a heater means (7) such that the wavelength conversion element (5) reaches a temperature at which optimum wavelength conversion efficiency is acquired. The temperature detected by a temperature detection means (Th1) is input to the control unit (21), and the control unit (21) defines the temperature of the wavelength conversion element (5) at which the maximum amount of power is supplied to the heater means (7) as a set temperature at which the optimum wavelength conversion efficiency is acquired, and performs feedback control of the temperature of the wavelength conversion element (5) so that the temperature of the wavelength conversion element (5) reaches the aforementioned set temperature by controlling the amount of heat supplied from the heater means (7).
US09720295B2
Disclosed are an LCD device and a method of manufacturing the same, in which a passivation layer and a pixel electrode are simultaneously formed by a single mask process using a half tone mask, and thus, manufacturing efficiency increases, and a defective contact due to loss of the pixel electrode can be prevented in a pad area. The LCD device includes a pad part including a pad area and a contact area. The LCD device includes a pixel pad formed in the pad area, a pixel bar formed in the contact area, and a bridge layer contacting the pixel pad with the pixel bar. The bridge layer is formed as a single layer or multi layers, and formed of one or more of a transparent conductive material and an opaque conductive material.
US09720292B2
A liquid crystal display panel includes a thin film transistor substrate and an opposing substrate. The thin film transistor substrate includes a first base substrate, a common electrode formed on the first base substrate, a supporting structure formed on the first base substrate, and an electrical conduction structure formed on the supporting structure and electrically coupled to the common electrode. The opposing substrate includes a second base substrate and a blocking structure arranged on the second base substrate and made of electrical conducting material. The blocking structure is configured to be supported on and electrically coupled to the electrical conduction structure. A liquid crystal layer is formed between the thin film transistor substrate and the opposing substrate.
US09720286B2
A liquid crystal display device and a method for manufacturing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment of the present invention, a liquid crystal display device and a method of manufacturing the liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate that has a first electrode formed thereon, a second substrate that faces the first substrate, a liquid crystal layer that is formed between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a first alignment layer that is formed on the first substrate and is in contact with the liquid crystal layer. Here, the first alignment layer includes a first alignment base layer that is photoaligned, and a first alignment controlling layer that is extended from the inside of the first alignment base layer.
US09720284B2
A liquid crystal display and a method for fabricating the same, an electronic apparatus are provided. The liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate and a second substrate disposed opposite to the first substrate; and multiple pixel units disposed between the first and the substrates, where each of the pixel units includes multiple sub-pixels with different colors; where each of the sub-pixels includes a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first and second substrates, a first alignment film disposed between the first substrate and the liquid crystal layer and a second alignment film disposed between the second substrate and the liquid crystal layer; where at least two sub-pixels in a pixel unit have different alignment directions relative to the first alignment film; and an alignment direction of a sub-pixel relative to the first alignment film is parallel to an alignment direction of this sub-pixel relative to the second alignment film.
US09720271B2
A display apparatus includes a display panel which receives light to display an image, a backlight unit, which includes a light source providing the light to the display panel, and a support member supporting the display panel, at least one protrusion part disposed on a side surface of the display panel and protruding from the side surface of the display panel, and a coupling member disposed on the at least one protrusion part and coupled to the support member, where the display panel is fixed to the support member by the coupling member.
US09720266B2
An LCD with switchable viewing angle includes a first substrate, second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The first substrate is provided with a first electrode and a first alignment film. The second substrate is provided with a second electrode, a third electrode and a second alignment film. The liquid crystal molecules adjacent to the first alignment film are tilted at a first pretilt angle. The liquid crystal molecules adjacent to the second alignment film are tilted at a second pretilt angle. The first pretilt angle and the second pretilt angle have the same magnitude but are contrary in direction. When no bias voltage is applied to the first electrode, the LCD is displayed with a narrow viewing angle; and when a bias voltage is applied to the first electrode, the LCD is displayed with a wide viewing angle.
US09720259B2
The embodiments disclose an apparatus including an eyewear pupilometer for detecting, measuring and processing a wearer's pupil movement and size, for detecting and processing retinal images, for detecting and processing a wearer's field of view, for broadcasting alerts, for pre-diagnostic screening, for overriding vehicle operation and for measuring, recording and transmitting circadian responses, at least one eyewear pupilometer module including a lens fiber optic camera module, an image processor module, a retinal image infrared detector module, an outward camera module, at least one alert module, an alert light and message projector, a WI-FI module, an automated pullover module, an automated steering module, fiber optic & data cables, a contact lens pupilometer image, sensor and processor module, and at least one eyewear pupilometer module coupled to and/or embedded into eyewear frames and lenses, contact lenses, a vehicle wind shield and protective covers for hand held devices and laptop computers.
US09720257B2
An optical device detachably attached to a frame fixed to a user's head is provided. The optical device includes a body extending in one direction, a display extending in a direction intersecting the one direction, connected to the body, and disposed to be adjacent to the user's eye when fixed to the frame, so as to provide visual information, and a clip module protruding from the body and caught in one region of the frame.
US09720256B2
Goggles include a lens mounted on a frame having a gasket adapted for seating against a user's face. A strap is attached to the frame for securing the goggles around the user's head. The goggles include a retraction mechanism fixedly mounted on the frame or the strap, a squeegee for cleaning the lens of the goggles, and a cord having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end being attached to the squeegee, and the distal end being operably attached to the retraction mechanism.
US09720254B1
An eyeglass structure includes a glasses frame, a temple, and a rear-view mirror unit. The temple has a front end connected to a side edge of the glasses frame. The rear-view mirror unit includes a rear-view mirror and a holder. A first end of the holder is pivotally integrated with the temple or glasses frame for a rotational movement of the holder relative to the temple or the glasses frame. The rear-view mirror is pivotally fitted at a second end of the holder for a rotational movement of the rear-view mirror relative to the holder. A cyclist wearing a pair of eyeglasses with the eyeglass structure can watch traffic conditions at the back through the rear-view mirror for vigilant purposes such as avoiding collision risks proactively.
US09720241B2
A method, includes pre-setting a geo-spatial location where content will be displayed to a user of a see-through head-worn display, establishing a region proximate the geo-spatial location; and causing a marker recognition system of the head-worn see-through display to activate when data indicates that the see-through head-worn display is within the region, wherein the marker recognition system monitors a surrounding environment to identify a marker that will act as a virtual anchor for the presentation of the content.
US09720239B2
A half mirror layer has an angle dependency in which when an angle of incidence becomes larger than the angle of incidence range of image light, reflectance increases, such that it is possible to prevent unintended light, which is emitted to a light transmitting member from a light guiding member and is reflected inside a light transmitting member, from being returned to a light emission portion of the light guiding member after passing through the half mirror layer as a reflective film at a relatively large angle of incidence. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the image light passed through the light transmitting member from becoming ghost light while mitigating the demand for increasing processing accuracy of the light transmitting member, and bonding accuracy between the light guiding member and the light transmitting member, to provide a high quality virtual image displayed by a virtual image display device.
US09720236B2
An optical element includes a light guide is provided with a incidence section and a emission section, a semitransmissive reflective film is provided in the inside of the light guide, a first diffraction element is provided in the incidence section, and is provided with a plurality of gratings, a second diffraction element is provided in the emission section, and is provided with a plurality of gratings, and a reflective film is provided in the incidence section in a periphery of the first diffraction element, in which the pitch of the plurality of gratings of the first diffraction element is equivalent to the pitch of the plurality of gratings of the second diffraction element, and each extension direction of the plurality of gratings of the first diffraction element is the same direction as each extension direction of the plurality of gratings of the second diffraction element.
US09720231B2
Several embodiments of a personal display system are disclosed that comprises modular and extensible features to affect a range of user/wearer/viewer experiences. In one embodiment, the personal display system comprises a frame; a processor capable of sending image data signals and control signals; a display; an optic system, said optic system optically coupled to said at least one display; and a set of actuators, said actuators coupled to said frame and in communication with the optic system, such that said set of actuators are capable of moving the optic system, according to control signals sent from said processor. In another embodiment, a method for pre-warping input image data under processor control and according to ambient conditions, such as light and temperature, is disclosed.
US09720227B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to a compact optics module for a head mounted display including a DLP image source comprising a polarized light source providing illumination light, a flat reflective polarizer to reflect the illumination light toward the DLP image source and transmit image light, wherein the illumination light is provided at an angle to the DLP, a quarter wave retarder to change the polarization state of the illumination light as it is reflected by the DLP image source thereby providing image light, at least one light trap to absorb a portion of off-state image light, a lens element to provide a viewable field of view of on-state image light in an image displayed by the DLP image source, and a combiner to reflect the on-state image light toward a user's eye and provide a see-through view of a surrounding environment.
US09720224B2
The present invention provides a processing apparatus that processes an object by scanning light on the object, the apparatus comprising a scanning device including a mirror for reflecting the light and configured to scan the light by driving the mirror, and a controller configured to control the scanning device, wherein the controller is configured to obtain, based on a target scanning velocity, an angle of the mirror at which the scanning device is caused to start driving of the mirror, so that an angle of the mirror, at which scanning of the light is started, is a target angle.
US09720219B2
The invention relates to an LED illumination device 1. Device 1 comprises at least two collimating optics 10,20,30,40 adapted to collimate light parallel to an illumination axis 2 through one or more dichroic mirrors 50,60,70, and at least two frames 12,22,32,42 each supporting at least two LED light sources, each frame being adapted to present one LED light source onto the focal axis 13,23,33,43 of one of said collimating optics.
US09720211B2
A low-cost imaging lens which corrects aberrations properly with a small F-value, ensures high performance with a larger number of constituent lenses and has a more low-profile design than before. The constituent lenses are arranged in the following order from an object side to an image side: a positive (refractive power) first lens having a convex object-side surface near an optical axis; a positive second lens having convex object-side and image-side surfaces near the optical axis; a negative third lens having a concave image-side surface near the optical axis; a fourth lens having at least one aspheric surface; a meniscus fifth lens having a concave object-side surface near the optical axis; a sixth lens as a double-sided aspheric lens; and a negative seventh lens as a double-sided aspheric lens having a concave image-side surface near the optical axis. These constituent lenses are not joined to each other.
US09720206B2
A lens apparatus includes a magnification variator driven for zooming, a drive unit that drives the variator, a detector that detects the position of the variator, a deriving unit that derives a second drive signal to drive the drive unit based on: an information representing relationship between position of the variator and size of field of view; a position detected by the detector; and first drive signal, wherein field-of-view change rate obtained when the drive unit is driven based on the second drive signal is smaller than field-of-view change rate obtained when the drive unit is driven based on the first drive signal, and a corrector that outputs position data in which variation of speed of the variator is smaller than that of position data based on the second drive command, when the variator is driven based on the second drive command derived by the deriving unit.
US09720200B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses that facilitate installation of a communications cable, e.g., an optical fiber cable, are disclosed. The system may include a communications cable and an adhesive for securing the cable to a surface. The method may include the use of an adhesive to secure the communications cable to a surface. The apparatus may include a pathway to avoid over-bending of the communications cable, which may otherwise result in transmission loss and compromise the performance of the cable.
US09720197B2
A transition box for a fiber optic network for a multiple distribution unit (MDU) is disclosed. The transition box comprises an enclosure a fiber optic adapter removably mounted in the enclosure. The fiber optic adapter is configured to receive one or more optical fibers of a riser cable to provide optical communication service from a service provider to a subscriber premises. A payout reel removably mounted in the enclosure stores slack of the riser cable paid out to at least one of one or more distribution levels in the MDU.
US09720194B2
A fiber optic cable includes a jacket forming a cavity therein, the jacket having an indentation on the exterior thereof that forms a ridge extending into the cavity along the length of the jacket; and a stack of fiber optic ribbons located in the cavity, each ribbon having a plurality of optical fibers arranged side-by-side with one another and coupled to one another in a common matrix, wherein corners of the ribbon stack pass by the ridge at intermittent locations along the length of the jacket, and wherein interaction between the ridge and the ribbon stack facilitates coupling of the ribbon stack to the jacket.
US09720187B2
A direct attached pluggable module with a cable attachment and actuation sub-assembly is described. The cable attachment and actuation sub-assembly can have a boot, crimp sleeve, core housing, actuator inner-housing, pull-grip, and springs. The cable attachment actuation and sub-assembly can combines the functions of cable retention, bend radius control and actuation into a single sub-assembly.
US09720184B2
Aspects of the present invention include an optical fiber connector for connecting optical fibers. The optical fiber connector includes a ferrule coupled to one or more optical fiber ribbons. The optical fiber connector includes a connector housing coupled with a radius controlled ribbon bending housing. The connector housing surrounds the ferrule on at least four sides, and the one or more optical fiber ribbons coupled to the ferrule are within the connector housing. The optical fiber connector includes a strain relief clamp coupled with the radius controlled ribbon bending housing.
US09720172B1
An optical structure includes a Hyperuniform Disordered Solid (“HUDS”) structure, a waveguide, and a resonant cavity. The HUDS structure is formed by walled cells organized in a lattice. The waveguide is configured to guide an optical signal. The resonant cavity is formed along a boundary of the waveguide. The resonant cavity is configured to be resonant at a frequency band that is a subset of a bandwidth of the optical signal.
US09720171B2
In accordance with the present invention, an opto-electric hybrid board in which optical wiring is freely disposed without restriction by the arrangement of electrical elements and the like, and in which high-density mounting of electrical wiring and optical wiring is possible, and an electric device including this opto-electric hybrid board are provided. An opto-electrical hybrid board (1000) of the present invention has an optical waveguide (1), an optical connector disposed at an end section of the optical waveguide (1), and an opto-electric conversion section (4) disposed below the optical waveguide (1), and a motherboard (electrical wiring board) (5) disposed below the opto-electric conversion portion (4). Of these, the optical waveguide (1) includes a core layer (13) including a plurality of core sections (14) being configured to intersect with each other at one plane and side surface cladding sections, and a mirror (optical path conversion section) 17 converting the optical path of the core sections (14). Also, between the optical waveguide (1) and the motherboard (5) is connected via an electrical connector and preferably both the optical waveguide (1) and the motherboard (5) are detachable.
US09720169B2
An integrated photonic component (1) is provided with improved centering of an optical field image of a wavelength division multiplexing, WDM, optical output signal and a common output waveguide (8). In this way an efficient power coupling of the laser diodes of the integrated photonic component to the common output waveguide is achievable. Also provided is a photonic integrated circuit, PIC, for use in a WDM optical communication system, the PIC including the integrated photonic component. A method of improving centering of an optical field image of a WDM signal and a common output waveguide of at least one of the integrated photonic component and the PIC are also described.
US09720165B2
An illumination device having a first light source package including a first electrode lead and a second electrode lead, the first and second electrode leads projecting from a side of the first light source package; a second light source package including a first electrode lead and a second electrode lead, the first and second electrode leads projecting from a side of the second light source package; and a light guide member adjacent to the first and second light source packages, The light guide member includes a light guide panel, and a circuit pattern disposed on a surface of the light guide panel, the circuit pattern including first electrode pads connected to the first electrode leads and second electrode pads connected to the second electrode leads.
US09720158B2
A display in a portable information handling system may have a narrow or no border. A light guide for display light enhancement used to illuminate the display may be formed with concave indentations at a first face that receives light from a light source, such as a string of light emitting diodes. The concave indentations may improve the homogeneity of light transmitted by the light guide. The light guide may further have a light diffusive surface treatment at the first face.
US09720155B2
A coextruded multilayered thermoplastic article including: a first layer with a first surface texture, wherein the first layer comprises a first transparent thermoplastic polymer having a first stress optical coefficient (Cm1) measured at 20° C. above the glass transition temperature of the first polymer; a second layer located comprising a second transparent thermoplastic polymer having a second stress optical coefficient (Cm2) measured at 20° C. above the glass transition temperature of the second matrix; wherein a relation between the first stress optical coefficient and the second stress optical coefficient is Cm2>4(Cm1) (Formula A) wherein the thickness of the first layer measured from the highest peaks of the first surface texture to the second side of the first layer is greater than 1.5 times Rz of the first surface texture but less than or equal to 75% of the total thickness of the article.
US09720143B2
The present invention relates to an optical lens having a lens element produced of plastic, more particularly of plastic which is transparent in a visible spectral range, and having a coating comprising a plurality of layers, the plurality of layers comprising at least one high-refractive-index layer. Furthermore, a hardcoat layer is formed adjacent to the lens element, and a superhydrophobic layer concludes the coating in opposition to the lens element. The at least one high-refractive-index layer has a thickness of less than 40 nm, and the coating overall has a thickness of more than about 380 nm.
US09720141B1
Describe herein are electronic devices that include a display stack having a cover component atop a display component. In some instances, the cover component includes an anti-reflective stack having multiple layers tuned to reduce the amount of natural light reflected at a user of the device. In some cases, an anti-fingerprint coating may be applied over the anti-reflective stack to provide an exterior surface to the display stack.
US09720138B2
The invention is related to poly(2-oxazoline-co-ethyleneimine)-epichlorohydrin copolymers and chemically-modified derivatives thereof as well as their uses in formation of non-silicone hydrogel coatings on silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
US09720136B2
This invention relates to a photo-alignment copolymer which enables the formation of an optical anisotropic film that exhibits superior optical anisotropy, an optical anisotropic film using the photo-alignment copolymer and a method of manufacturing the optical anisotropic film. The photo-alignment copolymer includes both of a photo-alignment repeating unit having a photo-reactive functional group such as a cinnamate-based functional group, a chalcone-based functional group, an azo-based functional group or a coumarin-based functional group, and a repeating unit having a specific structure able to increase optical anisotropy.
US09720133B2
A polycrystalline chemical vapour deposited (CVD) diamond wafer comprising: a largest linear dimension equal to or greater than 70 mm; a thickness equal to or greater than 1.3 mm; and one or both of the following characteristics measured at room temperature (nominally 298 K) over at least a central area of the polycrystalline CVD diamond wafer, said central area being circular, centred on a central point of the polycrystalline CVD diamond wafer, and having a diameter of at least 70% of the largest linear dimension of the polycrystalline CVD diamond wafer: an absorption coefficient ≦0.2 cm−1 at 10.6 μm; and a dielectric loss coefficient at 145 GHz, of tan δ≦2×10−4.
US09720132B2
A device for detecting rain includes a camera and a lighting source for emitting visible light onto a window. The camera and the lighting source are configured and arranged in such a way that the camera can detect a signal of the visible light which the lighting source emits onto the window. The signal which is detected by the camera correlates with visible light of the lighting source, which visible light is reflected or scattered at the inner face of the window or outer face of the window and/or at the raindrop. The visible light passes through a shutter device which causes the light to be blocked or highly attenuated in a predefined direction perpendicular to the illumination direction of structures of the shutter device. In contrast, the light in the direction perpendicular to the predefined direction and to the illumination direction can propagate virtually unimpeded through the shutter device.
US09720131B2
A method is described that includes accessing, for a geological medium: a horizon model including a plurality of horizons in the geological medium; a fault model including a plurality of faults in the geological medium; and a rock property model including one or more physical rock properties at a plurality of spatial locations on a first grid corresponding to the geological medium. The method further includes determining intersections between the horizons and the faults by correlating the horizon model with the fault model and calculating a faulted structural model for the geological medium in accordance with the intersections between the horizons and the faults. The method further includes generating an earth model for seismic forward modeling by assigning one or more physical rock properties to the faulted structural model in accordance with the rock property model.
US09720122B2
Methods, systems, and devices for determining a parameter of interest of downhole fluid using an acoustic assembly comprising a single solid acoustic transmission medium having a face immersed in the downhole fluid. Methods include using characteristics of a plurality of acoustic pulse reflections from a solid-liquid interface at the face of the solid acoustic transmission medium to estimate the parameter of interest in near real-time. The characteristics may comprise a corresponding reflection amplitude and the corresponding unique angle of reflection for each acoustic pulse reflection. Methods may include generating a two dimensional data set from measured characteristics, generating a curve by performing data fitting on the two dimensional data set, and using the reciprocal slope of the curve to estimate the parameter of interest. Methods may include estimating time-dependent values for the parameter of interest substantially continuously while the acoustic assembly is on a single logging run in the borehole.
US09720115B2
A method of multi-triggering includes calculating a specific distance according to a plurality of parameters, deploying a plurality of earthquake detectors used for detecting a vertical acceleration of a surface vibration of the earth, and determining whether an earthquake happens or not according to the plurality of earthquake detectors.
US09720113B2
A muon tracker includes a drift tube detector having a plurality of drift tube arrays, a detection time-difference calculation circuit configured to calculate a detected time-difference between a plurality of time data detected at least two of the drift tubes, a time-difference information database that stores a relationship between a plurality of predetermined tracks of the muon passing the drift tube detector and a predetermined time-difference of possible detected time data to be detected at least two of the drift tubes where each of the plurality of predetermined tracks passes, a time-difference referring circuit configured to refer the detected time-difference calculated at the detection time-difference calculation circuit with the predetermined time-difference stored in the time-difference information database, and a muon track determining circuit configured to determine a muon track as the predetermined track of the muon corresponding to the predetermined time-difference that matches the best with the detected time-difference.
US09720109B2
A silicon photomultiplier array including a plurality of microcells arranged in subgroupings, each microcell of a respective subgrouping providing a pulse output in response to an incident radiation. Each microcell output interconnected by respective traces of equal length to either a summing node or an integrated buffer amplifier. Each respective summing node configured to sum the pulse outputs of a first subgroup of the microcell subgroupings, and each respective integrated buffer amplifier configured to sum the pulse outputs of each microcell of a second subgrouping, the respective integrated buffer amplifier located on the silicon photomultiplier array within the second subgroup of microcells. The plurality of microcells arranged in one of columns and rows, and a first group of the arranged plurality of microcells being a mirror image of a second group of the arranged plurality of microcells about a midpoint between one of the columns and rows.
US09720107B2
Methods, apparatuses, and methods for manufacturing apparatuses that differentially detect beta and/or gamma rays are described. One radiation sensor described herein has operational amplifier(s), two blocking layers capable of blocking beta rays, and two photodiodes. The first photodiode is disposed between the blocking layers and thus isolated from incident beta rays. Accordingly, the first photodiode is capable of detecting gamma rays and providing a current corresponding to detected gamma rays to an operational amplifier. The second photodiode is disposed on one of the blocking layers and is capable of detecting beta rays and gamma rays and providing current corresponding to detected beta and/or gamma rays to an operational amplifier. The operational amplifiers convert the currents into voltage pulses which are used to, for example, determine if beta and/or gamma rays are detected and the amount/level of detected rays.
US09720105B1
Strontium halide scintillators, calcium halide scintillators, cerium halide scintillators, cesium barium halide scintillators, and related devices and methods are provided.
US09720104B2
In a scintillator panel, a phosphor includes plural columnar crystals located on a columnar crystal growth starting surface of a scintillator layer, roots of the plural columnar crystals exist independently from each other, and a thickness region from the columnar crystal growth starting surface up to a height of 5 μm has a radiation absorptivity x of from 5.4 to 8.6%. The scintillator panel can provide radiation images having higher sharpness.
US09720103B2
A planar radiographic imaging device has electromagnetic radiation sensitive elements disposed in a two-dimensional array. A housing encloses the two-dimensional array of radiation sensitive elements and includes a layer of aligned carbon nanotubes on a surface thereof.
US09720095B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for verifying the quality of global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. The system includes a GNSS receiver, a wireless communications device, and a fault detection processor. The GNSS receiver includes a GNSS antenna for receiving signals from a plurality of global navigation satellites and a processor for calculating a ranging measurement for each of the global navigation satellites from the GNSS receiver to the global navigation satellite. The wireless communications device receives ranging measurements from at least one other GNSS receiver. The fault detection processor performs a fault detection algorithm to determine if there is an anomaly affecting the ranging measurements of the GNSS receiver and the at least one other GNSS receiver.
US09720091B2
A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver includes a processor to determine whether a first satellite is in view of GNSS receiver; whether a second satellite is in view of GNSS receiver when first satellite is in view of GNSS receiver; and whether a third satellite is in view of GNSS receiver when first satellite is not in view of GNSS receiver. Second satellite was previously determined more likely to be in view when first satellite is in view based on a first average distance between first satellite and second satellite based on a first orbit of first satellite and a second orbit of second satellite. Third satellite was previously determined more likely to be in view when first satellite is not in view based on a second average distance between first satellite and third satellite based on first orbit of first satellite and a third orbit of third satellite.
US09720089B2
A 3D imager comprising two cameras having fixed wide-angle and narrow angle FOVs respectively that overlap to provide an active space for the imager and a controller that determines distances to features in the active space responsive to distances provided by the cameras and a division of the active space into near, intermediate, and far zones.
US09720086B1
A passive-tracking system is described herein. In one example, the passive-tracking system includes a thermal sensor configured to generate a series of thermal frames based on an object in a monitoring area. In this example, the system also includes a processor and a time-of-flight (ToF) sensor configured to generate a series of modulated-light frames based on the object. The processor may be configured to receive the thermal and modulated-light frames and based at least in part on the data of the frames, generate a novelty representation of the object. Based on this data, the processor may also be configured to determine whether the object is human and if so, generate a three-dimensional (3D) position of the human object. The processor may also be configured to passively track the human object over time by, based on the novelty representation, selectively updating the 3D position of the human object.
US09720078B2
Methods and apparatuses for providing wide-area surveillance with a radar and/or other sensors from a stratospheric balloon launched from a land or ship platform for detection, tracking, and classification of maritime, land, and air objects such as ships, people/vehicles, or aircraft are described generally herein. In one or more embodiments, an apparatus is battery operated and includes a stratospheric balloon filled that is filled with helium when it is launched and a gondola with a radar system and communication equipment suspended therefrom. When launched, the apparatus can travel with the wind until it reaches an altitude of approximately 68,500 ft., then it can move substantially horizontally with the stratospheric winds until it returns to earth via a parachute. Multiple apparatus launches at periodic intervals can help provide continuous coverage of the surveillance area. The apparatus can be recovered and re-used or can be considered expendable.
US09720073B1
A radar sensing system for a vehicle includes transmit and receive pipelines. The transmit pipeline includes transmitters able to transmit radio signals. The receive pipeline includes receivers able to receive signals. The received signals are transmitted signals that are reflected from an object. The transmit pipeline phase modulates the signals before transmission, as defined by a first binary sequence. The receive pipeline comprises an analog to digital converter (ADC) for sampling the received signals. The transmit pipeline includes a pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) generator for outputting a second binary sequence of bits with an equal probability of 1 and 0. The first binary sequence is defined by least significant bit (LSB) outputs from the ADC and the second binary sequence of bits. The first binary sequence comprises a truly random unbiased sequence of bits with an equal probability of 1 and 0.
US09720066B2
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus includes a magnetic assembly including a main magnet and a gradient coil unit and forming a static magnetic field and a gradient magnetic field in the bore thereof, and a gradient controller applying a test gradient waveform to the magnetic assembly, and compensating for a distortion of the magnetic field gradients, caused by eddy currents, by reflecting the actual shape of the applied test gradient waveform.
US09720060B2
A radio frequency (RF) coil assembly for use in magnetic resonance includes a radio frequency coil (42, 100) and an electronic switch (28) which switches between open and closed states to detune and tune the coil to a preselected resonance frequency. Each electronic switch includes at least one field effect transistor (FET) (70) and a bias network (72).
US09720050B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for reducing errors in sensor devices and systems. In embodiments, the sensor devices comprise magnetic field sensor devices, such as ordinary or vertical Hall sensor devices, and the error to be reduced is a residual offset error, though in other embodiments other sensor devices can be used and/or other types of errors can be targeted for reduction or elimination. In one embodiment, at least two such sensor devices not electrically coupled with one another are sequentially operated in a spinning current-type mode such that an individual output signal from each of the at least two sensor devices is obtained. A total output signal can then be calculated, such as by averaging or otherwise combining the individual output signals from each sensor device.
US09720042B2
According to an embodiment, a testing system for a satellite payload includes a built-in testing component configured at a satellite, the built-in testing component comprising a built-in testing component input and a built-in testing component output, and a payload component configured at the satellite, the payload component comprising a payload component input communicatively connected to the built-in testing component output and a payload component output communicatively connected to the built-in testing component input, wherein the built-in testing component is configured to transmit a digital test signal from the built-in testing component output to the payload component input and receive a digital output signal at the built-in testing component input from the payload component output.
US09720041B2
Aspects of the invention relate to scan-based test architecture for interconnects in stacked designs. The disclosed scan-based test architecture comprises a scan chain. Scan cells on the scan chain are configured to receive data from, based on bits of a control signal, outputs of neighboring scan cells or outputs of mixing devices that combine data from through-silicon vias with data from the outputs of the neighboring scan cells. The scan-based test architecture can be used to identify single or multiple defective through-silicon vias.
US09720023B2
System and method for implementing a Vector Network Power Meter (VNPM) as a new class of electronic test instrument that uses a novel topology based upon a reflectometer to combine the functionality of a Power Meter with that of a Vector Network Analyzer (VNA). The VNPM overcomes application limitations of the two existing classes of test instruments, including parallel and simultaneous measurement capability, in-circuit operation, and improved accuracy and repeatability by eliminating the calibration of interconnecting cabling. Also provided are alternate implementations of a correlator for the reflectometer which reduce the size and complexity of the correlator while extending its frequency range without limit.
US09720019B2
A method for determining a topology information item on a low-voltage electrical distribution system. A group of at least two current measuring devices that are arranged at different points in the low-voltage distribution system is selected, and in each case the current is measured by the current measuring devices so as to form a current measurement value. The current measurement values are added so as to form a current sum taking into consideration the current flow direction. A topology information item is formed which specifies that the current measuring devices electrically isolate a load-free and source-free section of the low-voltage distribution system when the current sum, in terms of absolute value, falls below a predetermined threshold value.
US09720018B2
Apparatus and methods are provided for the measurement of power consumption at points of interest, such as circuit breakers, machines, and the like. Accordingly, means are provided for measurement of power consumption for each electrical sub-network that is controlled by a circuit breaker. Each apparatus is enabled to communicate its respective data, in an environment of a plurality of such apparatuses, to a management unit which is enabled to provide finer granularity power consumption profiles. Challenges of measuring relatively low supply currents, wireless operation in an environment of a large number of apparatuses, and self-powering are addressed.
US09720016B2
A hand-held power tool is disclosed with a measuring system for determining an effective value of an alternating voltage which is fed via an external conductor with respect to a neutral conductor. A regulated direct voltage source has a power supply potential which is referenced to the neutral conductor. There is a first resistance value from the power supply potential to a tap and a second resistance value from the tap to a ground. A voltmeter has a measurement range and its measurement input is connected to the tap. A measurement line connects the tap to the external conductor. The first resistance value is lower than the second resistance value such that the mean voltage value on the tap is equal to the mean of the measurement range for one period of the alternating voltage.
US09720005B2
An immunoassay method for detecting and determining ‘NBOMe’ family designer drugs is described. Also described are components for use in implementing the method, namely, antibodies, detection agents, solid state devices and kits as well as immunogens used to raise the antibodies.
US09720001B2
A method for detecting a list of known biopolymer molecules comprises: calculating, for each biopolymer, a respective list of oligomer molecules predicted to be produced by chemical processing; calculating, for each oligomer molecule, a respective predicted chromatographic elution time period; assigning, for each biopolymer molecule, one or more selected oligomer molecules to be detected, wherein the selecting is performed using weighted selection probabilities determined from the predicted elution times; scheduling a plurality of oligomer detection events of a detection system, wherein each oligomer detection event corresponds to a respective one of the predicted elution time periods; performing the chemical reaction or processing of the sample to generate a processed sample; introducing the processed sample into a chromatographic system; introducing any eluting oligomers into the detection system; and operating the detection system so as to search for each of the selected oligomer molecules in accordance with the scheduled detection events.
US09720000B2
This invention relates generally to identifying peptide sequences involved in antibody binding to any protein for synthesis of vaccine treatments. This novel method allows for a more manageable vaccine peptide discovery and specific generation of unique immunogenic peptides from self-tumor associated proteins and/or foreign proteins from infectious organisms for specific and/or enhanced expression only in the presence of the antibody.
US09719982B2
The present invention provides high throughput assays for identifying compounds that modulate a contractile function, as well as devices suitable for use in these assays.
US09719980B2
Devices and methods for detecting the length of analytes and/or sequencing analytes are provided in which two or more electrical signals are obtained as an analyte traverses a fluidic channel. Detection of the relative position of probes hybridized to a biopolymer and/or the length of the analyte (e.g., a biopolymer) does not rely on the absolute time between detection events of a given electrical signal to determine a distance associated with the biopolymer. Instead, multiple signals are obtained (e.g., as functions of time) corresponding to a plurality of detector volumes at known locations along a fluidic channel through which the biopolymer passes, and the distances are determined from the multiple signals.
US09719978B2
Methods and systems for detecting oil proximate to a body of ice is disclosed herein. An example system includes an energy emitter disposed proximate to a first surface of a body of ice. An energy detector is disposed proximate to a second surface of the body of ice. The energy detector is used to map a distribution of oil proximate to the body of ice based, at least in part, on differences in energy transmitted through the body of ice.
US09719975B1
A method of detecting Hg2+ in an aqueous solution. The method includes contacting the aqueous solution with a composition containing a plant extract and biosynthesized silver nanoparticles. The composition has an average particle size of 30-50 nm. A color change following the contacting indicates the presence of Hg2+ in the aqueous solution. The composition is preferably synthesized by reduction of a silver salt with an extract of Ocimum basilicum.
US09719973B2
In accordance with an example embodiment, a system is presented for collecting information about a crop to analyze the general health the crop relative to corresponding information from a previous information collection process. To ensure an optimal harvest, a field is typically treated with multiple material application steps. Starting with seed application, the system collects visual information and corresponding positioning data. With each subsequent application (e.g., fertilizer, pesticide, etc.), the information collection process is repeated. The new information is compared to corresponding information from a previous application step, such that the effectiveness of the prior application can be revealed.
US09719962B2
A device comprises an electric field applying assembly adapted to generate an electric field having a discrete electric field profile; a conducting volume and an electrical interface region provided between the conducting volume and the electric field applying assembly such that the discrete electric field is applied to the material by the electric field applying assembly at a location spaced from the conducting volume, wherein the electrical interface region comprises at least an ionically conductive material arranged adjacent to an in contact with the conducting volume; such that the discrete electric field applied by the electric field applying assembly is smoothed by the electrical interface region so that the electric field profile established within the conducting volume is substantially continuous.
US09719956B2
The present invention provides a method of measuring a component in blood, by which an amount of the component can be corrected accurately by measuring a hematocrit (Hct) value of the blood with high accuracy and high reliability and also provides a sensor used in the method. The method of measuring a component in blood using a biosensor comprising a first electrode system including a first working electrode on which at least an oxidoreductase that acts upon the component and a mediator are provided and a first counter electrode and a second working electrode on which the mediator is not provided. The first working electrode and the first counter electrode are used for obtaining the amount of the component and the second working electrode and the first working electrode are used for obtaining the amount of the blood cells.
US09719951B1
A method and apparatus for detecting moisture that includes at least three conductors. One of the conductors has a different resistance than the other conductors. A liquid extends between the conductors. The difference between the impedance through a pair of conductors and the liquid and the impedance of through another pair of conductors and the liquid may be used to determine the position of the liquid along a length of the conductors. Similar methods may be used to determine an area of a liquid with respect to the conductors.
US09719935B2
A technique relates to determining a presence of a known nucleic acid sequence of a known molecule in a sample. A sample surface is coated with a select segment of the known molecule. Beads are coated with a first molecule. A targeted nucleic acid sequence is attached to a second molecule that binds to the first molecule, such that the targeted nucleic acid sequence is attached to the beads via first and second molecules. The sample is placed on the sample surface. The sample includes the liquid medium, beads, and targeted nucleic acid sequence being tested. Brownian motion of beads is monitored to determine whether the Brownian motion of the beads is restricted or not restricted. When the Brownian motion of beads is restricted, the presence of the known nucleic acid sequence is in the sample, thus indicating that the targeted nucleic acid sequence is the known nucleic acid sequence.
US09719930B2
Provided are methods, devices and systems that utilize free-surface fluidics and SERS for analyte detection with high sensitivity and specificity. The molecules can be airborne agents, including but not limited to explosives, narcotics, hazardous chemicals, or other chemical species. The free-surface fluidic architecture is created using an open microchannel, and exhibits a large surface to volume ratio. The free-surface fluidic interface can filter interferent molecules, while concentrating airborne analyte molecules. The microchannel flow enables controlled aggregation of SERS-active probe particles in the flow, thereby enhancing the detector's sensitivity.
US09719928B2
In order to determine the locations of individual fluorescent molecules in a sample, which keep a minimum distance with regard to each other, the individual molecules are excited for emission of fluorescence light by means of excitation light. The fluorescence light is registered for different positions of a zero point of an intensity distribution of the excitation light. The distance between these positions is at least half the minimum distance of the fluorescent molecules. The locations of the fluorescent molecules are derived from the course of the intensity of the fluorescence light over the positions of the zero point of the excitation light.
US09719923B2
The present invention provides for the surface plasmon-enhancement of long lived luminescent compounds, thereby providing for methods and systems having enhanced and controllable rates of the radiative emission of such relaxation of long lived luminescent compounds. The present invention achieves acceleration of the radiative processes by the interaction of the long lived luminescent compounds with surface plasmons of the metal surfaces.
US09719922B2
An optical system comprising: a light source; a photodetector; a first light-receiving system for causing the photodetector to receive first reflected light with a first angle of reflection from a surface; and a second light-receiving system for causing the photodetector to receive second reflected light with a second angle of reflection, different from the first angle of reflection, from the surface is provided. Here, a first light-receiving area of the photodetector with respect to light, of reflected light from the surface, via the first light-receiving system is spaced apart from a second light-receiving area of the photodetector with respect to light, of the reflected light from the surface, via the second light-receiving system.
US09719917B2
The present invention discloses a flow cell optical detection system comprising a light source, a flow cell and a light detector, wherein the light detector is arranged in a separate detector unit that is arranged to be releasably attached to a detector interface, the detector interface being in optical communication with the light source and comprises optical connectors for optically connecting the flow cell and the detector unit in the light path from the light source, and wherein the flow cell is an interchangeable unit arranged to be held in position by the detector unit when attached to the detector interface.
US09719914B2
An embodiment provides a method, including: operating a motor to position sample fluid within a fluid channel of a cuvette; transmitting light through an optical chamber of the cuvette; measuring a value of received light that has been transmitted through the optical chamber; comparing the measured value of light to one or more thresholds; determining a position of the sample fluid within the fluid channel based on a comparison from the comparing step; and generating a response based upon the position of the sample fluid with the fluid channel. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US09719906B2
A method for determining a condition in a blood sample includes: providing a sample of blood; providing a metering probe having a pump for aspirating and dispensing; inserting the metering probe a selected distance into the blood sample; measuring the pressure between the sample and pump during sample aspiration or sample dispense; comparing the measured pressure with a reference value; and signaling the presence or absence of the condition. A method for confirming or detecting the presence of a selected layer of blood component in a centrifuged blood sample includes: measuring a pressure of a suspected selected layer in a metering probe during aspiration or dispense; comparing the measured pressure with a reference value, wherein if the measured pressure and the reference value are substantially identical then the selected layer of the blood component is confirmed. In a preferred embodiment the reference value is a pre-selected pressure range.
US09719897B2
A system and method for mounting a section onto a substrate, the system comprising: a fluid channel including: a fluid channel inlet that receives the section, processed from a bulk embedded sample by a sample sectioning module positioned proximal the fluid channel inlet, a section-mounting region downstream of the fluid channel inlet, and a fluid channel outlet downstream of the section-mounting region; a reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid channel outlet; and a manifold, fluidly coupled to the reservoir, that delivers fluid from the reservoir to the fluid channel inlet, thereby transmitting fluid flow that drives delivery of the section from the fluid channel inlet toward the section-mounting region.
US09719886B2
A tire wear state estimation system for a tire calculates tire effective radius during measured distance intervals travelled by the tire from vehicle speed and tire rotation counters. The system includes a filter for selecting slow-speed effective radius measuring intervals and an estimator for estimating the tire effective radius during only those intervals in which the vehicle is travelling below a threshold speed.
US09719857B2
Methods and apparatus for laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) sample chamber. An apparatus includes a sample chamber, a laser source connected to an excitation optics assembly, the excitation optics assembly connected to a first port on the sample chamber, a collimator assembly connected to a spectrometer, the collimator assembly connected to a second port on the sample chamber, and a first lens tube positioned on the first port and a second lens tube positioned on the second port, the first lens tube protecting the first port connected to the excitation optics assembly and the second lens tube protecting the second port connected to the collimator assembly from particles emitted when a laser pulse from the laser source ablates a surface of a target sample and generates a plasma.
US09719854B2
A spectroscopic analysis device for analysis of a sample comprising: a photonic integrated circuit (PIC) comprising: an input (DEF) for receiving light from the sample; and a demultiplexer (DEMUX) arranged to distribute the received light into at least a first optical chain (C1) and a second optical chain (C2); wherein each optical chain (C1, C2) of the photonic integrated circuit (PIC) further comprises a tunable bandpass filter (TBF1, TBF2) and a variable attenuator (ATT1, ATT2) and a photodetector (PD1, PD2) arranged respectively to filter and to attenuate and to detect the light distributed into its corresponding optical chain (C1, C2).
US09719840B2
A body weight management device includes: a change obtainment unit for obtaining an intra-day body weight change value on a daily basis based body weight measurement values of a measurement subject measured on a daily basis; an achievement rate obtainment unit for comparing the intra-day body weight change value obtained by the change obtainment unit with an intra-day target weight loss value and obtaining, based on a result of the comparison, a target achievement rate indicating a percentage of total days in a predetermined period in which the intra-day body weight change value has reached the intra-day target weight loss value; and a target obtainment unit for obtaining, based on the target achievement rate obtained by the achievement rate obtainment unit, a new intra-day target weight loss value to serve as a target for future body weight measurement.
US09719839B2
An occupant sensor having a switching element, which comprises a top carrier layer and a bottom carrier layer separated by a spacer. The spacer has an opening defining an active zone in which the carrier layers may be brought together in response to a force acting on at least one of them. The switching element includes a first electrode and a second electrode arranged within the active area between the carrier layers such that an electrical contact is established between the first and second electrodes if the carrier layers are brought together. The occupant sensor includes a decoupling layer arranged on a top side of the switching element such that the decoupling layer covers the top carrier layer in the region of the active area. The decoupling layer and switching element are laterally displaceable with respect to each other in the region of the active area.
US09719838B2
A method for calibrating a multiple flow conduit flow meter (200) is provided according to an embodiment of the invention. The multiple flow conduit flow meter (200) includes a first flow conduit (201) conducting a first flow stream and a pair of first pickoff sensors (215, 215′) affixed to the first flow conduit (201). The multiple flow conduit flow meter (200) further includes at least one additional flow conduit (202) conducting at least one additional flow stream and at least one pair of additional pickoff sensors (216, 216′) affixed to the at least one additional flow conduit (202).
US09719834B2
The invention is a fill-level measuring device having the following features: a housing, a membrane, a first drive unit have a first bolt, the bolt being coupled to the membrane, a second drive unit having a second bolt, the second bolt being operatively connected to the membrane and being connected to the housing at an end of the second bolt facing the membrane by means of an intermediate bottom, and the first drive unit and the second drive unit are mechanically connected to each other in series.
US09719828B2
The present invention relates to a system for estimating the individual water consumption of a plurality of devices supplied by the secondary fluid distribution network of a user. The system comprises a sleeve able to be fitted around the supply pipe of the secondary network and comprises an electromechanical sensor placed against the outside wall of the supply pipe, and a processor for analyzing the signals delivered by the electromechanical sensor with a view to extracting information characterizing the individual consumption of the devices supplied by the secondary network.
US09719820B1
A pitot tube includes a substantially cylindrical body portion having an interior defining a flow passage and a tip portion extending along a pitot tube axis from the body portion. The tip portion includes a disk, a tip cover and a high thermal conductive insert disposed between the disk and the tip cover and in thermal contact with both.
US09719804B2
A position sensor comprises a magneto-resistive element. The magneto-resistive element comprises a stack of layers including at least a conductive layer in between two magnetic layers. The layers have a longitudinal extension along a longitudinal axis and a lateral extension along a transverse axis. A magnet is provided comprising a magnetic dipole with a dipole axis orthogonal to a plane defined by the longitudinal axis and the transverse axis. The electrical resistance of the conductive layer depends on a position of the magnet along the longitudinal axis. The position sensor provides for nano-scale sensing.
US09719798B2
A navigational aid including an intelligent display mode and a communication system communicates with a vehicle's sensor system and/or historical- or time-based information to reduce the number of businesses that are displayed on the map by filtering out unneeded or less preferred services. When the vehicle's fuel level sensor detects that the fuel tank is almost empty, a message can be sent from the sensor system to the navigational aid such that the navigational aid can then begin showing a visual indication (e.g., text or graphical information such as an icon) of the location of fuel stations on the screen. Additionally, the location receiver indicates to the filter when the navigational aid is close to the programmed destination. At that point, the filter can be informed that it should start showing garages or areas where the vehicle can be parked without having cluttered the screen with parking garages that were not close to the destination. Similarly, when in need of other services (e.g., hotel or restaurant services), the navigational aid can display preferred brands (while omitting non-preferred brands) and make reservations when a communication system is included which is capable of communicating with the service provider. Additionally, prices or relative prices for the services may also be indicated.
US09719797B2
Various examples are directed to an electronic device capable of touch input through a touch-sensitive surface and/or voice input through a microphone. In some examples, the electronic device may be used in an automobile. For example, some or all of the electronic device may be mounted in a dashboard for use while driving. The electronic device may provide informational content, entertainment content, navigation, and communication features in such a manner that user interaction may be minimized, thus providing a safe driving experience. This can be accomplished by performing tasks and presenting content automatically, without the need for user input, and by allowing user input through voice controls, touch screen controls, and/or physical controls mounted on the dashboard or steering wheel, among other possibilities.
US09719796B2
The present disclosure relates to an intersection guidance method, a navigation server, a navigation terminal, and a navigation system including the same using point-of-interest (POI) information specialized for a user in order to provide enhanced intersection turn guidance. In one form, the method includes: tracing a route to a destination designated by a user and performing route guidance along the route; when an intersection on the route is detected, determining a representative point-of-interest (POI) from among one or more POIs corresponding to the intersection on the basis of profile information of the user; and performing turn guidance at the intersection using the representative POI.
US09719791B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing travel information and/or content to users. According to certain embodiments, an area of interest is calculated based on a determined location of a user traveling along a route and a relative distance of travel. The area of interest is associated with coordinates on a map and includes at least a triangular area or a radial area. At least one database is searched to identify travel information and/or content within the area of interest. The travel information and/or content is stored in the database and associated with coordinates on the map. Instructions are provided at a first point in time to electronically display the identified travel information and/or content on a device of the user. Further identified travel information and/or content is displayed to the user at subsequent points in time as the user travels along the route.
US09719782B2
An avionics system comprises one or more attitude sources, each configured to produce a respective calculated attitude solution; at least one magnetometer configured to measure magnetic field; and at least one attitude monitor configured to use the respective calculated attitude solution from one of the attitude sources to project the measured magnetic field estimate or an Earth Magnetic Field Model (EMFM) estimate such that the measured magnetic field estimate and the EMFM estimate are in a common shared frame. The at least one attitude monitor is further configured to determine a difference between the measured magnetic field estimate and the EMFM estimate in the common shared frame. The at least one attitude monitor is further configured to output an alert, which indicates that the respective calculated attitude solution used to project the measured magnetic field estimate or the EMFM estimate is in error, if the difference exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US09719763B2
Improvements in a reusable polyurethane projectile are presented. The reusable polyurethane projectile performs like a bullet or projectile because the projectile is essentially the same size and shape of a bullet and can be fed through a normal bullet clip into the breach of a gun, fired and ejected. The reusable polyurethane projectile conforms to the rifling of the barrel of the firearm to spin the projectile and provide equivalent accuracy to a metallic bullet. Upon impact the projectile will flatten and then rebound to the original shape. Standard re-loading mechanisms can be used to install the projectile back into a prepared cartridge. The reusable projectile is fabricated from a casting process that increases the resistance of the polyurethane from melting when the hot gun gunpowder pushes the reusable projectile out of the barrel of the gun.
US09719758B2
Aspects of the disclosed subject matter involve an airborne-based network for implementing a laser-based visual disruption countermeasure scan pattern system, method, and computer program product. The scan pattern can be comprised of a plurality of lasers each with their own scan pattern and may be used to disrupt an optical system of a weapon or an individual. One vehicle in the network can transmit target information and/or scan information to one or more other vehicles or to a non-vehicle remote location in the network.
US09719749B1
The projectile launcher includes a riser base, an elongate barrel assembly attached to the riser base, a crank mechanism attached to the back of the barrel assembly, a trigger assembly, and an internal bow assembly mounted to the riser base. The crank assembly includes a rotatable crank for selective reciprocation of a cocking carriage riding inside a rail system in the barrel assembly. The cocking carriage selectively engages a projectile nock carriage riding within the rail system to push the nock carriage into a cocked position. The internal bow assembly includes vertically spaced upper and lower resilient bow arms and a system of pulleys and cables interconnecting the bow arms and the nock carriage. Cocking to the nock carriage flexes the bow arms in preparation for placement and firing of a projectile. The working components of the projectile launcher are enclosed by a covering to protect the user.
US09719744B2
A fire control group is capable of operating in multiple, user-selectable modes. The fire control group includes two disconnectors, a selector switch, and a trigger with a tang. The selector switch has a series of cams which interact with the tang of the trigger and surfaces of the two disconnectors to provide different hammer break points (i.e., distances from neutral), reset distances, overtravel distances, and pull weights, depending on a rotational position of the selector switch. In one embodiment, the fire control group is capable of a safe mode, a 2-stage trigger pull, and a 1-stage trigger pull.
US09719743B2
A sliding safety device for use in AR-15 style and type of semi-automatic rifles is disclosed. The sliding safety device having cylindrical end portions is configured to prevent the discharge of semi-automatic rifle when the device is in a “safe” position. Additionally the invention includes the method of retrofitting the sliding safety device into the lower receiver of a semi-automatic style or type rifle after removal of the standard rotating safety selector device that has been in use since the inception of semi-automatic rifles of the AR-15 style or type.
US09719738B2
Devices and methods are provided for in-line water treatment using strong magnetic fields to influence corrosion, separate toxins, suppress bacteria and bio-fouling, as well as inhibit or greatly reduce mineral scaling due to fluid flow in or around equipment components. For example, a device is provided for applying a magnetic field to a portion of tubing through which a fluid flow, such as water, is conveyed. The device includes a number of links joined together via detachable pivoting connections, such that links may be removed and/or links may be added, thereby allowing a diameter of the device to be adjusted so as to accommodate larger or smaller piping, as necessary, for retrofitting applications. The use of magnetic treatment of fluids such as water may allow extended cycles of operation with higher concentration of mineral salts without the use of chemical scaling suppressants.
US09719737B2
A stub connection for a heat exchanger that is arranged in a housing and has a stack including plates and fins. The housing consists of housing parts which can be joined together, and at least one first stub for a first heat-exchanging medium being integrated directly into the housing. The stub connection also includes at least one second stub for a second heat-exchanging medium that extends to outside the housing. The at least one second stub is configured for the connection of a line and is integrated directly or indirectly into the housing.
US09719736B1
Embodiments for a cryohead heat transfer coupling as well as methods for extracting heat from an article using these couplings are provided. Couplings employ a component made from a material having a greater mean thermal coefficient of expansion than the mean thermal coefficient of other coupling components and of the article. As a result, differential contraction during cryocooling contributes a shrink fitting of a portion of the coupling resulting in enhanced thermal conduction when cooling and a releasing of the coupling when ambient temperature is restored.
US09719725B2
A drive system for a roller conveyor is described. The drive system may comprise a motor and a driving loop driven by the motor and having a driving side and a return side. The drive system may further comprise a first reducer configured to drive a rotation of the driving loop in a forward direction, a second reducer configured to drive the rotation of the driving loop in a reverse direction, and at least one sprocket driven by the driving side of the driving loop. The at least one sprocket may be configured to drive a rotation of at least one roller of the roller conveyor in the forward direction when the driving loop is rotating in the forward direction, and in the reverse direction when the driving loop is rotating in the reverse direction.
US09719723B2
Disclosed is a substrate support structure, a vacuum drying apparatus and a method for vacuum drying a substrate. The substrate support structure comprises: a support pin having a top end for supporting a substrate; and an auxiliary support assembly including: a drive device; a support rod driven by the drive device; and a support disc disposed at a top end of the support rod and made of flexible material adapted to support the substrate, wherein the drive device is configured to drive the support rod to move in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the support pin so as to make the support disc positioned below or above the top end of the support pin as the support rod moves, so that the substrate is selectively supported by the support disc or the support pin. The substrate support structure, the vacuum drying apparatus and the method for vacuum drying a substrate can prevent the substrate from being easily scratched and avoid poor quality and uneven brightness of the substrate.
US09719722B2
The present invention provides grain-drying facilities which can effectively use the heat energy of biomass combustion hot-air that has been generated in a biomass combustion furnace. The grain-drying facilities 1 include: a biomass combustion furnace 3 provided with a heat exchanger 24 for generating a hot air from a combustion heat of a biomass fuel and an outside air which has been taken in from the outside; and a circulation type grain-drying apparatus 2 provided with a grain-drying portion 7 to which the hot air that has been generated in the biomass combustion furnace 3 is supplied through a pipe 15 for supplying a hot air, wherein the circulation type grain-drying apparatus 2 has a plurality of warming pipes 6a in the grain-drying portion 7, and an exhaust hot-air is supplied to the warming pipes 6a from the biomass combustion furnace 3 through a pipe 11 for supplying the exhaust hot-air.
US09719712B2
A system and a thermochemical method for the production of cold, that uses a reactive device having a reactor or a chamber for storing a reactive product that can absorb a gas. The reactive product and the gas are such that, when they are exposed to one another, they undergo a reaction resulting in absorption of the gas by the reactive product and, conversely, they undergo a reaction involving the desorption of the gas absorbed by the reactive product as a result of heat applied to the reactive product when it absorbed the gas. The system has two substantially identical reactive devices wherein when the reactor of one reactive device is operating in the absorption cycle, the reactor of the other is operating in the desorption cycle. The system has a mechanism for determining the progress rate of the thermochemical reaction.
US09719711B2
An ice making assembly and method utilizes a housing having an upper fluid chamber, a plurality of distinct, substantially vertical fluid channels, and at least one drain aperture in fluid communication with a fluid reservoir. Ice forming members extend from an ice forming evaporator into respective fluid channels. During an ice making event, fluid continuously supplied to the upper fluid chamber flows into each of the fluid channels and out through at least one drain aperture into a fluid reservoir below. The ice forming members are cooled such that fluid flowing across the fluid channels freezes on the ice forming members over time, forming clear ice pieces. The ice pieces are subsequently released from the ice forming members and transferred for storage and/or dispensing.
US09719707B2
An air conditioner for a vehicle includes a cycle switching device. The cycle switching device switches a refrigerant cycle between a heating circuit, in which refrigerant flows through a heating heat exchanger, and a cooling circuit, in which refrigerant flows through a cooling heat exchanger. The air conditioner further includes an air conditioning controller, which controls the cycle switching device and includes a defroster control portion. The defroster control portion increases a temperature of air blown into the vehicle compartment through a defroster air outlet by a predetermined degree while keeping the refrigerant cycle at a state of the heating circuit for a predetermined time, when a defrosting operation is commanded to be performed during the heating circuit.
US09719706B2
An accumulator arrangement for use in a cooling system suitable for operation with two-phase refrigerant includes a condenser having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet. The accumulator arrangement further includes an accumulator for receiving the two-phase refrigerant therein, the accumulator having a refrigerant inlet connected to the refrigerant outlet of the condenser and a refrigerant outlet. Finally, the accumulator arrangement includes a subcooler having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, the refrigerant inlet of the subcooler being connected to the refrigerant outlet of the accumulators, and the subcooler being arranged at least partially within the interior of the accumulator.
US09719697B2
A solar selective coating includes a substrate, a cermet layer having nanoparticles therein deposited on the substrate, and an anti-reflection layer deposited on the cermet layer. The cermet layer and the anti-reflection layer may each be formed of intermediate layers. A method for constructing a solar-selective coating is disclosed and includes preparing a substrate, depositing a cermet layer on the substrate, and depositing an anti-reflection layer on the cermet layer.
US09719674B2
A modular light assembly having a control housing surrounding a power driver and at least one modular component. The modular component includes two side portions, a plurality of ribs extending between the two side portions to form a grated portion, and a flat portion configured to receive a COB LED. The lighting assembly may also comprise a video assembly having a camera and control circuitry provided within the lighting and video assembly for remotely controlling the camera.
US09719672B1
A light module includes a cover, a circuit board, a gasket, a bottom covering, and an optional optic assembly. The cover includes an inner and an outer wall extending outwardly from the cover, where the outer wall surrounds the inner wall and forms a groove therebetween. The circuit board is positioned within the inner wall's profile and includes a plurality of LEDs. The gasket is disposed within the groove. The bottom covering is positioned adjacent to the circuit board and is coupled to the cover. The gasket provides a seal between the cover and the bottom covering. The optic assembly is disposed within the inner wall's profile and between the cover and the circuit board. The optic assembly includes one or more apertures and one or more optics disposed around at least some of the apertures. Each optic is aligned with one or more LEDs.
US09719670B1
A light emitting diode (LED) system that includes a LED, a heat sink, a fan housing, a fan, and a cover is disclosed. The heat sink is typically coupled to the LED, and the fan housing is typically coupled to the heat sink opposite the LED. The fan housing is sized to fit within an electrical junction box and includes a fan housing aperture that extends through the fan housing. A cover may be coupled to the fan housing opposite the heat sink. The system may include at least one air intake opening and at least one air exhaust opening. When activated, the fan may external air into the fan housing through the air intake opening and direct the air toward the heat sink and ultimately through the air exhaust opening. In so doing, the temperature of the heat sink and the LED is reduced.
US09719669B2
A multi-mode portable illumination device includes a switch structure featuring a substantially planar member and a mechanical switch which requires a relatively small amount of force and a short stroke distance to actuate. The mechanical switch is attached to a member which contains circuit(s) adding additional functionality to the multi-mode portable illumination device. The member has conductive springs attached to either end that are used to complete the electrical circuit with the battery and the lamp, while their compressive force is absorbed by a housing protecting the switch structure. A conductive strip is used to improve the conductivity of the circuit in a metal multi-mode portable illumination device which has been provided with an electrically resistive protective coating.
US09719664B1
A light device that includes a set of modular optical units disposed within a housing of the light device, each of the modular optical units include a light source a reflector, a frame, and a yoke assembly with a shaft having a set of cams attached to the shaft and a yoke having a set of lobes. The yoke assembly is coupled to the frame, whereby the reflector is moveable towards and away from the light source such that the light output is adjustable depending on a position of the reflector with respect to the light source.
US09719658B2
A lighting device with improved optical performance and efficiency is provided. The lighting device includes a source of energy, a light source, a reflector and a holder. The reflector has a first open end, a second end, and a parabolic profile extending between the first open end and second end. The focus of the parabolic profile is located outside of the profile. The reflector may also be movable relative to the light source. The lighting device may include a circuit that delivers a pulsed or thermally compensated pulsed current to the light source. The light device may also include a heat sink housing.
US09719657B2
An optical warning system comprises a light head that includes a light source emitting light rays from a light-emitting area. The light rays propagate through an optical diffuser to provide a visual warning signal to an observer remotely located from the optical warning system. A Fresnel optic array positioned between the optical diffuser and the light-emitting area is spaced apart from and spatially aligned with the light-emitting area to receive the light rays emitted from the light-emitting area and form a collimated light beam. The Fresnel optic array is fabricated so that it exhibits increased optical transmission efficiency by reducing light lost to scattering in forming the collimated light beam.
US09719656B2
An aspheric lens is rotating symmetrically with a central optical axis, the aspheric lens includes a first optical surface and a second optical surface opposite to the first optical surface, the second optical surface includes a first portion, the first portion is formed in a rotation symmetrical formed with the central optical axis and is flat.
US09719654B2
An LED and/or laser light device for having a plug-in power source, an interchangeable power source, or a USB power source incorporates more than one optical element having more than one reflective or refractive surfaces at different positions, distances, and/or orientations relative to the LEDs and/or laser-light source of the LED or laser light to cause light beams to reflect or refract before passing through the optical elements and create or project an image, message, time, geometric art, nature scene, galaxy, milky way, sky, cloud, start, moon, water-wave, aurora light, animal, characters, cartoon, sign, logo, commercial to at least one surface surrounding the light device. The optical elements may have a predetermined texture and/or shaped openings, windows, cutouts, or variable thicknesses and further may incorporate parts and accessories such as a motor to provide moving image effects with a wide viewing angle and variable colors or patterns.
US09719652B1
A three-way bulb including light emitting diodes is used to achieve a variety of light output colors and/or intensities. In some embodiments, the inputs to a three-way bulb are configured to perform other functions, such as power a motor. In some embodiments, a bulb including light emitting diodes includes a replicable cover and/or a replicable LED. This cover may be configured to project images or support a shade made of a heat sensitive material.
US09719651B2
A vehicle lamp is configured to selectively perform low beam irradiation and high beam irradiation, and includes at least two reflector units each including a first light emitting element and a second light emitting element disposed next to each other in a front-rear direction and a reflector that reflects emitted light beams from the first light emitting element and the second light emitting element forward. In the vehicle lamp, a low-beam light distribution pattern or part of the low-beam light distribution pattern is formed by simultaneously turning on the first light emitting element of each of the reflector units, and a high-beam light distribution pattern or part of the high-beam light distribution pattern is formed by simultaneously turning on the second light emitting element of each of the reflector units.
US09719641B1
A lamp is described. The lamp includes a housing made at least partially from an electrically and thermally conductive material. The lamp also includes a primary light source positioned within the housing such that the housing dissipates heat generated by the primary light source. The primary light source configured to emit light in a first direction relative to the housing. The lamp also includes at least one indicator light source positioned relative to the housing to emit light in a second direction relative to the housing, the second direction being substantially opposite the first direction. The lamp also includes a capacitive proximity sensor electrically connected to the housing that triggers illumination of the at least one indicator light source if a user's hand approaches the housing.
US09719639B2
A display has an array of display pixels formed from display layers such as one or more polarizer layers, a substrate on which an array of display pixel elements such as color filter elements and downconverter elements are formed, a liquid crystal layer, and a thin-film transistor layer that includes display pixel electrodes and display pixel thin-film transistors for driving control signals onto the display pixel electrodes to modulate light passing through the display pixels. A light source such as one or more laser diodes or light-emitting diodes may be used to generate light for the display. The light may be launched into the edge of a polymer layer or other light guide plate structure. A light guide plate may include phase-matched structures such as holographically recorded gratings or photonic lattices that direct the light upwards through the array of display pixels.
US09719633B2
A support arm interface for connecting a dynamic assist support arm to an exoskeleton structure having a chassis, a connection component on the chassis configured to pivotably attach a dynamic assist support arm thereto, a connection component on the chassis configured to attach an exoskeleton thereto and a leveling mechanism attached to the chassis and configured to level the dynamic assist support arm interface.
US09719627B2
A stand includes a base, a first tube coupled to the base and extending therefrom, the first tube defining a first bore having an opening at an end of the tube opposite the base, and a second tube, a portion of which is received in the first bore such that the second tube and the first tube form a telescoping relationship, the second tube comprising a first section and a second section, the first section and second section being connected via a clutch, the clutch being configured to enable articulation of the second section relative to the first section about the clutch. The clutch has an outer cross section that is configured to be received in the first bore when the first section is coaxial with the second section.
US09719625B2
A pig handling device has a housing, a cavity found in the housing in which a pig can be received, a connection by means of which the cavity is connectable to a processing system, the connection suitable for allowing the pig to pass through, and a handling element that is arranged in the cavity, influences the mobility of the pig in the cavity, and has a base element and a functional element. The base element has a first surface, and the functional element is connected to the base element in the cavity and has a second surface. The arrangement improves cleanability in that the handling element has a concavely curved transition surface arranged between the first surface and the second surface and having a core curvature region, and in that the base element and the functional element are bonded to one another outside of the core curvature region.
US09719621B2
In a snap tap forming method, a partition wall formed along a curvature of a water pipe outer peripheral wall surface is brought into hermetical pressure contact with the water pipe outer peripheral wall and is mounted on the outer peripheral wall at a position corresponding to an inflow opening portion of a gate valve and at which a snap tap of the water pipe is formed. A center drill guide small hole aligned with the snap tap axis is drilled in a center portion of partition wall. A drilling machine inserted in a water flow sleeve of the gate valve is inserted into the aforementioned small hole. A water diverting port is formed in the partition wall and a peripheral wall of the water pipe using a core drill by advancing the drilling machine while estimating a drilling center. Then the drilling machine is removed from a water flow passage in the gate valve, and the snap tap is connected to the water diverting port by a snap tap attaching tool.
US09719619B2
A clamp assembly for temporarily applying compressive force to a flange connection assembly, such as a bolted pipe flange. Frame members are pivotally attached to interconnecting linkage members to form an elongate assembly having joinable ends. When installed around the circumference of a flange connection assembly, interchangeable cuff members removably attached to the frame members apply compressive forces to a flange connection assembly in order to facilitate a fluid-pressure seal.
US09719615B2
The present invention provides high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness suppressed in drop of toughness of the HAZ and a method of production of the same, more particularly high strength steel plate for line pipe used as a material for high strength steel pipe for line pipe and a method of production of the same, in particular high strength steel pipe for line pipe superior in low temperature toughness characterized in that the chemical compositions of the base metal is, by mass %, C: 0.020 to 0.080%, Si: 0.01 to 0.50%, Mo: 0.01 to 0.15%, Al: 0.0005 to 0.030%, and Nb: 0.0001 to 0.030% contained in a range of C+0.25Si+0.1Mo+Al+Nb: 0.100% or less and the mixture of austenite and martensite present along prior austenite grain boundaries of the reheated part of the heat affected zone has a width of 10 μm or less and a length of 50 μm or less.
US09719614B2
The invention relates to a cable contact weather protection device for receiving cable contact points, in particular of fiber optic cable contact points, with at least one cable pass-through sealing unit comprising at least two separate sealing modules, which are exchangeable independently from each other and each of which is provided to at least sectionally completely encompass, in at least one usage state, at least one elongate body in a circumferential direction.
US09719609B2
A change-over valve comprises a spool housed in a spool housing, and a pilot chamber facing at least an end of the spool. An axial passage is formed in the spool along the axial direction. While being connected to a pilot chamber, the axial passage communicates with a tank passage via a small hole having an opening on an outer periphery of the spool in accordance with displacement of the spool, to discharge the air in the pilot chamber to the tank passage. Since the axial passage is formed at a location offset from a center axis of the spool, a length of the small hole is shortened and the small hole is easily processed.
US09719600B2
In one aspect, a valve is provided. The valve includes a body having a first inlet, a second inlet and an outlet. The valve further includes a shuttle disposed in the body. The shuttle is movable within the body between a first position and a second position, wherein the first inlet is open and the second inlet is closed when the shuttle is in the first position, and wherein the first inlet is closed and the second inlet is open when the shuttle is in the second position. In addition, the valve includes a non-metallic seal assembly disposed adjacent each inlet. The seal assembly having a seal member with a V-shaped configuration. In another aspect, a method of moving a shuttle in a valve is provided. The method includes three stages of dampening which slows the velocity of the shuttle as it moves within a body of the valve toward an inlet.
US09719599B2
As passages forming a main gas passage, each of the passage blocks 3 has a first inverted-V passage, a first outlet passage communicating between the apex of the first inverted-V passage and an outlet of a first on-off valve. As passages forming a vent gas passage, each of the passage blocks 3 has a second inverted-V passage and a second outlet passage communicating between the apex of the second inverted-V passage and an outlet of a second on-off valve. As passages forming a first sub-gas inflow passage, each of the passage blocks has a first inlet passage leading to an inlet of the first on-off valve and a common inlet passage. As passages forming a second sub-gas inflow passage, each of the passage blocks has a second inlet passage leading to an inlet of the second on-off valve and a communication path continued to the common inlet passage.
US09719595B2
An active rev-matching system for a motor vehicle manual transmission includes an engine control module that monitors and adjusts an output speed of the motor vehicle's prime mover and at least one sensor that monitors movement of a shift linkage. When the at least one sensor determines the movement of the shift linkage is an in-gate downshift, the engine control module adjusts the available time for the engine control module to match the output speed of the prime mover to an input speed of the transmission.
US09719594B2
A method for supporting a driver of a motor vehicle in which a quantity of permissible end positions of an in particular manual gear shift of the motor vehicle is determined and a manual gear shift actuation is detected. A target position of the manual gear shift actuation is determined, and a warning is output when the target position does not belong to the quantity of the permissible end positions. A gear shift actuation and gear shift movement of manual gear shift of the motor vehicle may also be determined. The gear shift movement path may include a starting position, an end position and a movement from the starting position into the end position, as a function of the gear shift actuation. The gear shift movement path is displayed in a graphic of a gear shift of the motor vehicle.
US09719587B2
A hydraulic axle includes a reversible hydraulic pump. The hydraulic axle has a multi-surface cylinder with two retraction surfaces and two deployment surfaces. A first deployment surface and a first retraction surface are configured to interconnect with each other and separate from other surface during a rapid-traverse stroke. A pressure medium is configured to act on the second deployment surface to enable deployment.
US09719586B2
A ramping subsystem of a control system for a dual path electronically controlled hydrostatic transmission is used to modify the commanded rate of change of pump and motor acceleration, deceleration and direction change command (performed to command machine motion from forward to reverse or vice versa) in order to achieve desired machine performance and operator feel. Pump and motor acceleration, deceleration and direction change command rates are then further modified using scaling tables based on selected maximum machine speed using operator input device.
US09719579B2
A speed change device that includes a first clutch that includes a first piston, a first engagement oil chamber, and a first clutch drum that has a first outer tubular portion which extends in an axial direction and with which an outer peripheral portion of a first friction engagement plate is fitted, and a second clutch that includes a second piston, a second engagement oil chamber, and a second clutch drum that has a second inner tubular portion that extends in the axial direction and that slidably supports an inner peripheral portion of the second piston.
US09719568B2
A method may be provided for correcting a raw signal supplied by a pressure sensor in an all wheel drive system having a hydraulic pump and a hydraulic fluid. The method may include measuring the raw signal supplied by the pressure sensor, determining when the all wheel drive system is in a state where the hydraulic fluid is at a known pressure determined independently from the pressure sensor, determining a new zero-point offset by comparing the raw signal to a voltage value associated with the known pressure, and creating a corrected voltage signal by adjusting the raw signal based on the new zero-point offset. This corrected voltage signal may be converted into a pressure reading for controlling the all wheel drive system.
US09719566B2
A one-way clutch includes a first rotational member, a second rotational member, and a first rotational body. The second rotational member has plural first through holes in which bolts are inserted. A dimension of the first through hole in a circumferential direction is larger than a dimension of the first through hole in a radial direction. A first region and a second region are obtained by dividing the first through hole into two regions in the circumferential direction. The first region is located ahead of the second region in a rotatable direction of the second rotational member. The bolts are inserted such that the each of the bolts is located in the first region of the first through hole, and the second rotational member and the first rotational body are fastened by the bolts.
US09719559B1
A rolling bearing assembly including a nut for providing a preload is disclosed. A first plurality of rolling elements is supported between an inner bearing ring and an outer bearing ring. A first one of the inner bearing ring or the outer bearing ring includes an extension in an axial direction including a first engagement surface, and a second one of the inner bearing ring or the outer bearing ring includes a first axial end face defining a first axial bearing surface. A nut includes a second engagement surface configured to matingly engage with the first engagement surface, and a second axial end face of the nut defines a second axial bearing surface. The first axial bearing surface and the second axial bearing surface form an axial bearing.
US09719539B2
A fastener for superimposing and fastening two sheets of plate-like members, wherein at least one of the plate-like members has a hole formed therein, includes a pair of U-shaped accommodating portions adapted to be inserted with end portions of the two sheets of plate-like members; a pair of connection portions respectively connecting the pair of accommodating portions; a pair of engagement pieces extending from the pair of connection portions in an insertion direction of the plate-like members; an engagement portion formed in each of the pair of engagement pieces, adapted to engage with the hole; and a wobbling suppressing mechanism disposed adjacent to the pair of engagement pieces, and extending from each of the pair of connection portions in the insertion direction of the plate-like members for engaging with the hole.
US09719537B2
An adjust support bracket for communication with a wall or wall supports is provided. The support provides a mounting surface for plumbing and other fixtures to be mounted within or on a wall or panel. The support comprises first and second sheet metal support panels that connectively sleeve together to form a single fixture support assembly for spanning between, and fastening to, wall framing members, and allows for various fixtures to be securely attached and thereby retained in a secure fixed position.
US09719519B2
Disclosed is a dropped ceiling fan that includes an elongated body with a fan inside the elongated body that move air downward in the elongated body with a plate positioned below the fan with a hole in the airflow of the fan, a peripheral intake that surrounds the plate and several inclined elements that direct air that is adjacent to the elongated body into the peripheral intake. The elongated body includes a hole in the top that, in combination with the peripheral intake, defines the intake for the fan, to take inlet air from either the room below or both the room below and the space above the dropped ceiling. Also disclosed is a mounting bracket to permit HVAC ducting to be coupled to the hole on top of the body to permit the fan to be used as a powered register with an HVAC system.
US09719517B2
A canned motor pump that includes a pipe-shaped can part which accommodates a rotor, a plurality of supports protruding radially outward from sides of the can part, and a plurality of the split cores each of which is inserted inside a corresponding support of the supports. Each distal end of the split cores extends in a direction toward a corresponding insulator part. A plurality of insulator parts are respectively formed on distal ends of the supports. An annular outer ring surrounds the outer circumference of the insulator parts. The inner circumference of the outer ring adjoins to exposed outermost ends of the split cores. Coils then are wound on the supports to provide a can motor pump with fewer parts and better performance.
US09719507B2
The invention relates to a rotary lobe pump including a pump housing with a pump chamber, an inlet opening and an outlet opening. A first multi-lobed rotary piston is rotably mounted around a first axis in the pump chamber. A second multi-lobed rotary piston is rotably mounted around a second axis in the pump chamber and meshes with the first rotary piston. The first and second rotary pistons are rotated by a drive unit to create a fluid flow from the inlet opening to the outlet opening. The drive unit includes a first electric drive motor mechanically coupled with the first rotary piston and a second electric drive motor mechanically coupled with the second rotary piston.
US09719506B2
A stator for eccentric screw pumps with a stator casing for an elastomer body for accommodating a rotor, the elastomer body being provided with at least one collar, wherein the collar is disposed in a recess between the stator casing and a connection body, wherein the fixing of the elastomer body in the stator casing is to be improved. The stator casing includes for this purpose open cavities, recesses and/or elevations at least at one side on the end face.
US09719495B2
The present disclosure is directed to a lightning protection system for a wind turbine rotor blade. The lightning protection system includes a lightning conductive circuit having at least one electrical conductor and at least one semiconductor. The semiconductor is configured for placement at a blade root of the rotor blade. Further, the electrical conductor is configured to electrically couple a blade tip of the rotor blade to a ground conductor. In addition, the electrical conductor is configured to electrically couple the semiconductor between one or more spar caps located on either or both of the pressure or suction sides at the blade root and the ground conductor.
US09719493B2
A method is provided for dampening oscillations in a wind turbine, the wind turbine having a tower 1, a rotor 3 arranged on the tower 1 such as to be able to rotate about an X axis, and a plurality of blades 4 with adjustable pitch mounted on the rotor. The method includes monitoring the fore-aft oscillation of the tower 1 in the direction of the X axis, at the 2nd or a higher bending mode frequency; determining a compensating torque to be applied by the rotor 3 to the tower 1 of the wind turbine about a Y axis, which is horizontal and at right angles to the X axis, for at least partly dampening the oscillation at the 2nd or higher bending mode frequency; determining for each rotor blade 4 of the wind turbine an adjustment of the pitch angle suitable to generate the compensating torque about the Y axis; and adjusting the pitch angle β1, β2, β3 of at least one of the individual blades 4 to generate at least part of the compensating torque.
US09719488B2
An arrangement to reduce noise of a wind turbine rotor blade is provided, including a wind turbine rotor blade and a noise reduction device. The noise reduction device includes a serrated extension for at least reducing noise generated from the wind turbine rotor blade, the noise reduction device attached to the trailing edge section. The serrated extension has a number of first and second teeth. The designs of the first and second teeth are differently compared to each other such that suction side noise and pressure side noise are both reduced by the teeth of the serrated extension. Advantageously, the first teeth and the second teeth are arranged in an alternating, periodic pattern and differ from each other by an angle of inclination with regard to a trailing edge streamline and or by its planform shape. Furthermore, a method to reduce noise of a wind turbine rotor blade is provided.
US09719481B2
The invention, while reducing noise, suppresses a load increase in a processor and a delay in drive control. An engine control unit includes a processor, a driving circuit including a switching element to drive a load such as a fuel injector and an ignition device, and a communication circuit that transmits control signals from the processor to the driving circuit via serial communication. The control signals each include a command frame for controlling the driving circuit and a data frame for driving the load. If a predetermined bits in each of the data frames received from the processor at predetermined time intervals are determined to be the same twice in succession, the engine control unit changes a state of a driving signal ‘Drive’ for driving the load and thereby changes an operating state of the switching element.
US09719478B2
A starter device for an internal combustion engine includes a starter housing, an electric motor and an engagement pinion driven in rotation by the motor around the pinion rotation axis, the pinion being movable in a translational motion along its pinion rotation axis between a retracted position and an engaging position for engaging a gear connected to the internal combustion engine, the translational motion being caused by the rotation of the electric motor, the starter device further comprising a non-rotatable element which is blocked in rotation with respect to the starter housing, a rotatable element driven in rotation by the electric motor, a helical linkage between the non rotatable element and the rotatable element for causing the translational motion of the pinion. The non rotatable element is fixed in translation along the pinion rotation axis with respect to the starter housing, the rotatable element can translate with respect to the starter housing, and translation of the rotatable element causes translation of the pinion towards its engaging position. The non-rotatable element includes a retractable clutching member with a pin movable in translational movement, so that the helical linkage can be deactivated.
US09719467B2
An engine pressure sensor monitoring system uses the position of a wastegate in a turbo-charged engine when known and calibrated engine operating conditions occur to provide diagnostic information for various engine pressure sensors and for the operation of the wastegate itself. Discrete measurement windows are defined for engine conditions with specific values for parameters that may include rpm, torque, injection timing and fuel consumption. Other sensor readings for intake manifold pressure, turbocharger compressor output pressure, peak cylinder pressure, and wastegate valve position during these measurement windows should match predicted values. If measured and predicted values do not match, one or more sensors may be bad and an alarm may be raised.
US09719462B2
A cylinder block for an internal combustion engine includes a network structure projecting from a sidewall thereof. The network structure is formed by a plurality of ribs including a first group of parallel ribs extending in a first diagonal direction with respect to an axis of a cylinder, a second group of parallel ribs extending in a second diagonal direction with respect to the axis of the cylinder, and a third group of parallel transverse ribs intersecting the diagonal ribs in such a way to form a triangular arrangement of ribs. The network structure further includes cylindrical portions in correspondence of the vertices of the triangular arrangement of ribs.
US09719459B2
A sliding component for an internal combustion engine includes: a sliding component main body that includes a plurality of concave portions formed in a predetermined portion thereof; and a coating layer that covers a portion of the sliding component main body, in which the plurality of concave portions are not formed.
US09719457B2
This disclosure provides system and method that can determine hydraulic start of injection (SOI) in engines using an in-cylinder pressure sensor. The system and method determine apparent heat release rate (AHRR) curve data for the cylinder from the pressure information provided by the in-cylinder pressure sensors, and the hydraulic SOI from the derivative of the AHRR curve data. The system and method provide diagnostic, control and/or compensation opportunities for fuel injector operation in high pressure fuel rail engine systems without use of expensive or complex fuel injector components.
US09719454B2
A display system for an engine includes a processor configured to receive a first measurement indication relating to a measurement of a fuel control valve position of the engine, wherein the fuel control valve position is configured to control an air/fuel ratio of the engine. The processor is further configured to compare the first measurement indication to a first preset fuel control valve range, generate a first completion indication based on when the measurement is within the first preset fuel control valve range, and display the first completion indication on a display of the display system.
US09719450B2
A device executes a power limiting process when the number of pressure sensors determined to be normal in a second determination process made by a second processing unit is smaller than or equal to one. When only one pressure sensor is determined to be normal through the second determination process, and when that pressure sensor and a pressure sensor connected to only a first processing unit are determined to be normal in a first determination process made by the first processing unit, a process associated with fuel injection based on a detected value of the pressure sensor determined to be normal in the second determination process is executed, and a degree of limiting engine power through the power limiting process is reduced as compared with when both the pressure sensors are determined to be abnormal in the first determination process.
US09719442B2
A method for heating fuel upon start-up of a hybrid vehicle combustion engine, in which method temperature of fuel and temperature outside the vehicle are compared against a first threshold below which starting of the vehicle is forbidden, and against a second threshold higher than the first threshold and above which the engine will start without the fuel being heated. The fuel is heated by exchange of heat with a cooling circuit for the vehicle battery when the external temperature is between the two thresholds.
US09719441B2
A control device for a compression ignition engine includes a controller configured to operate an engine body by compression ignition combustion when the engine body operates in a predetermined compression ignition range. When the engine body operates in a predetermined high load range of the compression ignition range, the controller maximizes a filling amount of the cylinder using a gas state adjustment system, and lowers an EGR ratio so that the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder is lean with an excess air ratio λ higher than 1 in a lower speed range, and maximizes the filling amount of the cylinder, and increases the EGR ratio so that the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder has the excess air ratio λ of 1 or lower in a higher speed range than the lower speed range.
US09719439B2
A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a cylinder activation module and a spark timing module. The cylinder activation module selectively deactivates and reactivates a cylinder of an engine based on a driver torque request. When the cylinder is deactivated, the spark timing module selectively increases an amount by which spark timing of at least one active cylinder of the engine is retarded based on noise and vibration generated by the engine when the cylinder is deactivated.
US09719434B2
A control system for a machine having an engine, a first alternator, a second alternator, and an aftertreatment system is disclosed. The control system may include a sensor associated with the aftertreatment system and configured to determine a temperature of exhaust passing through the aftertreatment system, and a controller in communication with the sensor and connectable to the first and second alternators. The controller may be configured to determine an available power output of the first alternator, determine a load increase of the engine needed to raise the temperature of the exhaust to an operating temperature of the aftertreatment system, and selectively connect the first alternator to a power consumer to achieve the load increase when the available power output of the first alternator is greater than the load increase. The controller may be further configured to selectively connect the second alternator to the power consumer to achieve the load increase when the available power output of the first alternator is less than the load increase.
US09719433B2
The gross output power of an engine distributed to at least one main machine and one auxiliary machine. A total load value calculation unit calculates the value of the lost power consumed by the auxiliary machine, and calculates the value of total load power by adding to this lost power value a target value for the main output power of the engine to be distributed to the main machine. A gross output value control unit controls the value of the gross output power so that the value of the gross output power becomes equal to the value of the total load power when the value of the total load power is less than a predetermined threshold value, and so that the value of the gross output power becomes equal to the above described threshold value when the value of the total load power is greater than the threshold value.
US09719428B2
A gas turbine engine includes an accessory gearbox within an engine pylon. The accessory components may be mounted within the engine pylon to save weight and space within the core nacelle as well as provide a relatively lower temperature operating environment.
US09719426B2
A gas turbine engine is provided that has a rigid dressing raft mounted to a rigid part of the gas turbine engine. The rigid dressing raft includes at least a part of a component or system of the gas turbine engine. For example, the rigid dressing raft may have electrical conductors embedded therein that are a part of the electrical system of the gas turbine engine.
US09719422B2
A process for the production of an acoustic treatment panel that includes an acoustically resistive layer (24), at least one alveolar structure (26), and a reflective layer (28), as well as at least one channel that is bordered at least in part by a wall (32) that is secant with at least one wall of a cell of the alveolar structure (26), includes elevating the temperature of the wall (32) and the ends of the cells of the alveolar structure (26) and injecting a pressurized gas into the channel (30) so as to expand the wall (32) of the channel so as to flatten it against the ends of the cells of the alveolar structure (26) in such a way as to produce a weld by continuous diffusion between the ends of the walls of the cells of the alveolar structure (26) and the wall (32) of the channel (30).
US09719416B2
A stratified scavenging two-stroke engine includes: an intake passage that connects an intake opening through an outer surface of a cylinder member with an intake port opening to the inside of a cylinder, and supplies gaseous mixture of fuel and air; an exhaust passage that connects an exhaust outlet opening through the outer surface of the cylinder member with an exhaust port opening to the inside of the cylinder, and discharges combustion gas; a scavenging passage; and an air passage that connects an air inlet opening through the outer surface of the cylinder member with the scavenging passage and supplies pre-scavenging air into the scavenging passage. The intake and the air inlet are arranged at positions opposite from the exhaust port across the axis of the cylinder, and arranged side by side in a substantially circumferential direction of the cylinder or a direction substantially perpendicular to the axis of the cylinder.
US09719414B2
An apparatus for supporting a waste gate module includes a support bracket connecting the waste gate module and a turbocharger housing, and a coupling protrusion formed on a face of the support bracket and that faces the waste gate module, where the coupling protrusion has an end coupled to the waste gate module.
US09719412B2
Methods and systems are provided for adjusting the opening of a scroll valve of a binary flow turbine. Scroll valve adjustments are used at different engine operating conditions to improve engine performance and boost response. Scroll valve adjustments are coordinated with wastegate and EGR valve adjustments for improved engine control.
US09719408B2
A method is disclosed for improving fuel economy in an internal combustion engine. The method may involve sensing a temperature of an engine block and determining a block thermal energy representing an ability of the block to reject heat. An open loop control scheme may be used together with the block thermal energy to predict if a coolant in the block is about to enter a boiling condition and, when this is about to occur, to open a block valve to permit a flow of coolant through the block. A closed loop control scheme may be used together with the sensed temperature of the block to determine if a coolant boiling condition is about to occur, and to control the block valve to permit a flow of coolant through the block which is just sufficient to prevent the onset of coolant boiling in the block.
US09719403B2
An internal combustion engine exhaust system supporting structure includes a body fastening portion, an exhaust fastening portion, a bracket, and a stay. The body fastening portion is provided on a power plant or a vehicle body located on a side of an exhaust passage extending from an internal combustion engine to a rear of a vehicle so that exhaust emissions flow from the internal combustion engine to the rear of the vehicle. The bracket is fastened to the body fastening portion. The stay is fastened to the exhaust fastening portion and has lower stiffness than the bracket. The bracket and the stay are fastened to each other at a connecting portion so that a vertical distance between the exhaust fastening portion and the connecting portion in a vertical direction is greater than a vertical distance between the body fastening portion and the connecting portion in the vertical direction.
US09719392B2
A system is provided for delivery of diesel exhaust fluid or other reductant to an injector for release into an engine exhaust aftertreatment system. The injector includes a nozzle assembly that thermally shields the diesel exhaust fluid from the exhaust gas temperatures. A diesel exhaust fluid delivery procedure is also disclosed for nozzle cooling prior to operation of the injector for emissions reduction.
US09719389B2
A system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes an engine start module and an exhaust throttle valve control module. The engine start module determines when an engine is started based on at least one of an input from an ignition system and the speed of the engine. The exhaust throttle valve control module selectively fully closes an exhaust throttle valve in an exhaust system of the engine when the engine is started to trap exhaust gas in the exhaust system.
US09719385B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a honeycomb filter having low pressure loss and high collection efficiency. The honeycomb filter of the present invention comprises a ceramic honeycomb substrate in which a multitude of cells through which a fluid flows are disposed in parallel in a longitudinal direction and are separated by cell walls, each cell being sealed at an end section at either the fluid inlet side or the fluid outlet side, and a filter layer which, among the surfaces of the cell walls, is formed on the surface of the cell walls of those cells in which the end section at the fluid inlet side is open and the end section at the fluid outlet side is sealed by a sealing material, wherein the filter layer comprises spherical ceramic particles, and the average particle size of the spherical ceramic particles increases gradually from the fluid inlet side toward the fluid outlet side.
US09719374B2
A turbine housing includes a first shell member and a third shell member, which are formed from metal sheets and forming a housing body, and a tongue member, which is fixed to inner circumferential surfaces of the shell members and discrete from the shell members. The tongue member defines an inlet port and a scroll compartment in the housing body.
US09719373B2
A seal assembly for a gas turbine engine, may be manufactured in two pieces, the first piece is a seal plate with a cavity around its inner wall and the second piece is a sleeve that mounts in the cavity of the seal plate. The sleeve may have oil distribution channels that deliver oil to subsequent components and apertures that deliver oil to the seal plate. The volume of oil delivered to the seal plate can be set by the number of apertures and related radial holes in the sleeve. Because the sleeve delivers oil through the apertures and radial holes to an annulus in the cavity of the seal plate, cooling bores in the seal plate need only be drilled into the annulus and the number of cooling bores can be independent of the number of radial holes in the sleeve.
US09719372B2
A gas turbomachine includes a casing assembly surrounding a portion of the gas turbomachine and a counter-flow cooling system arranged within the casing. The counter-flow cooling system is configured and disposed to guide cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a first axial direction and return cooling fluid through the casing assembly in a second axial direction that is opposite the first axial direction.
US09719368B2
A method of inspecting the fan track liner of a gas turbine engine of a type having a rotatable propulsive fan circumscribed by a fan track liner and having a plurality of fan blades extending radially outwardly from a central hub. The method comprises the steps of: affixing at least part of an inspecting device to the fan so as to be directed towards the fan track liner; and rotating the fan within the fan track liner to move the at least part of the inspecting device circumferentially relative to at least a region of the fan track liner to thereby scan the region of the fan track liner with the at least part of the inspecting device.
US09719366B2
Systems and methods for blade health monitoring are provided. According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a system may include a feature extraction module and an anomaly detection module in communication with the extraction module. The feature extraction module may be configured to continuously receive blade passing signal data associated with clearance of a blade and pre-process the blade passing signal data. Blade clearance feature data may be extracted from the blade passing signal data prior to transmission to the anomaly detection module. The anomaly detection module may be configured to normalize the blade clearance feature data received from the extraction module, analyze the blade clearance feature data to detect a shift in the clearance of the blade, and determine an abnormality of the blade based on the shift exceeding a predetermined shift threshold.
US09719362B2
A turbine nozzle assembly includes an inner circumferential support platform, an outer circumferential support platform, and a plurality of airfoil vanes disposed between the inner circumferential support platform and the outer circumferential support platform. The turbine nozzle assembly further includes a plurality of impingement plates disposed along a radially outer surface of the outer circumferential support platform or a radially inner surface of the inner circumferential support platform, and a plurality of gap-maintaining features disposed between the plurality of outer or inner circumferential support platforms and the plurality of impingement plates. Each gap-maintaining feature of the plurality of gap-maintaining features is provided at a height such that a cooling air flow space is maintained between the plurality of outer or inner circumferential support platforms and the plurality of impingement plates.
US09719356B2
An automated technique for finishing gas turbine engine blades or vanes by generating a bespoke tooling path for each blade or vane. The bespoke tooling path is generated by scanning the aerofoil surface to generate a 3-D electronic representation of the surface. The 3-D electronic surface is then analyzed to identify imperfections or defects, and then a machining path a generated through which the imperfections can be removed. The machining path is determined so as to smoothly blend the surface back to the underlying surface where the imperfections had been present. In this way, the resulting aerofoil, once machined, has optimized aerodynamic performance.
US09719351B2
The present invention relates to a rotary motor, comprising a plurality of vanes, wherein each of the vanes is split into two subvanes, one or more elastic members, wherein the elastic member is configured to push each of the subvanes forming a vane toward an end plate to form a seal between the subvane and the end plate; an inner rotary member housing the plurality of vanes projecting from a central rotation axis of the inner rotor; a lobe member encompassing the inner rotary member and the plurality of vanes; a plurality of chambers wherein each of the chambers is encompassed by an inner surface of the lobe member and an outer surface of the inner rotary member; and one or more end plates to enclose the plurality of vanes, the inner rotary member, the lobe member and the plurality of chambers.
US09719349B1
A support system, an excavation arrangement, and a process of supporting an object are disclosed. The support system includes a weight-bearing device and a camming mechanism positioned below the weight-bearing device. A downward force on the weight-bearing device at least partially secures the camming mechanism to opposing surfaces. The excavation arrangement includes a borehole, a support system positioned within and secured to the borehole, and an object positioned on and supported by the support system. The process includes positioning and securing the support system and positioning the object on the weight-bearing device.
US09719347B2
Flow electrification sensors and methods relating thereto may be useful in characterizing fluids, especially the in situ characterization of fluids produced during oil and gas production operations. A system may include a flow path; a flow electrification sensor at least partially contained within the flow path, the flow electrification sensor comprising a static charge accumulator and an insulator arranged such that the static charge accumulator interacts with a fluid in the flow path; a reference sensor; and a signal processor communicably coupled to the flow electrification sensor and the reference sensor.
US09719335B2
An enhanced recovery method that optimizes the stages of pumping, transport and surface treatment of the production effluent, during which a sweep fluid having at least one polymer so as to displace hydrocarbons towards a production well is injected into a reservoir, the resulting production effluent having hydrocarbons is collected through the production well, and a degradation agent for a polymer within the sweep fluid is injected into the effluent.
US09719329B2
A buoyancy apparatus operable for connecting to a downhole tool string conveyable within a wellbore extending into a subterranean formation. The buoyancy apparatus comprises a mandrel having an axially extending bore, a first connector disposed at a first end of the mandrel and operable for connecting the buoyancy apparatus to a first portion of the downhole tool string, and a second connector disposed at a second end of the mandrel and operable for connecting the buoyancy apparatus to a second portion of the downhole tool string. A shell extends around the mandrel to define an annular space between the shell and the mandrel. A buoyant material is retained within in the annular space.
US09719320B2
Embodiments pertain to a downhole tool that includes a mandrel made of a composite material, a bearing plate disposed around the mandrel, the bearing plate having an angled inner plate surface configured for engagement with a mandrel surface; a composite slip disposed around the mandrel, and having a composite slip body configured with a one-piece configuration, a first cone disposed around the mandrel, and proximate to the composite slip; a second slip disposed around the mandrel; a sealing element disposed around the mandrel; and a lower sleeve coupled to the mandrel, and proximate to a second side of the metal slip.
US09719318B2
The invention is directed to a novel and useful fluid-tight, metal-to-metal, annular seal which can be repeatedly cycled in a high temperature, high pressure environment. More specifically, the invention provides a metal-to-metal, annular, seal on a radially expandable sliding sleeve which moves longitudinally from a reduced ID section of a bore to an enlarged section of the bore. The seal is disengaged at the enlarged bore section resulting in rapid fluid flow and pressure equalization which would destroy many traditional elastomer seals.
US09719316B2
A slip assembly is in two pieces that move relatively to each other to facilitate release. The wicker portion is dovetailed to the base near a center underside location and at the edges. A positive travel stop converts the initial relative movement into tandem movement of the base and the wicker segment after a predetermined relative movement that has resulted in release. Adjacent components prevent relative movement during the radially outward movement for setting the assembly during which there is tandem movement of the base portion and the wicker portion. The two portions can be initially attached with a breakable member that fails during the release movement.
US09719314B2
An apparatus and method automatically tally drill string rods for use with a drilling machine. The machine comprises a rack and a rotary drive configured for longitudinal displacement between first and second longitudinal positions. A sensor system is configured to monitor the machine to detect a clamping force applied to rotationally immobilize the drill string and to detect a break-out torque generated by the rotary drive, detect a first longitudinal position of the rotary drive whereat the break-out torque is generated, and detect a second longitudinal position of the rotary drive whereat a make-up torque is generated by the rotary drive. A controller is configured to prevent release of the clamping force until the make-up torque is detected, and automatically enable release of the clamping force after the make-up torque is detected and, concordantly, to update a drill rod tally only when the first and second longitudinal positions are different.
US09719311B2
A set of manifold string members usable to selectively control separate flowing fluid streams of varying velocities for operations of well construction, injection or production of fluid mixtures of liquids, gases and/or solids, that can be injected into, or taken from, one or more proximal regions of a subterranean passageway, underground cavern, hydrocarbon or geothermal reservoir. Fluid communicated through a manifold string radial passageway of a manifold crossover, between conduit strings and at least one other conduit, can be controlled with at least one flow controlling member, communicating with a passageway member from an innermost, concentric, and/or annular passageway. Fluid communication can be selectively controlled for various configurations of one or more substantially hydrocarbon and/or substantially water wells, below a single main bore and wellhead.
US09719300B2
A bracket assembly is disclosed to secure a cable bundle to a ladder rung. The bracket assembly includes a metal bracket and protective grommets. The metal bracket has a first member, side walls and second members. The first member of the metal bracket is parallel to the second members of the metal bracket. The protective grommets are secured to the metal bracket. The protective grommets have a base member, sleeves extending from the base member, a side member and a bottom member. The assembled metal bracket and protective grommets receive the ladder rung and the sleeves of the protective grommets wrap around the cable bundle positioned on the ladder rung to secure the cable bundle.
US09719298B2
A blind is arranged such that minimal force is required to rotate the tilt drum to tilt the slats from the fully open to the fully closed position and back, with each of the front and rear tilt cables sharing the load nearly equally throughout the entire path from the fully open to the fully closed position and back.
US09719295B2
A window covering includes a liner attached to a first rail and window covering material attached to the first rail and the liner such that the window covering material is moveable from a retracted position to an extended position when the liner is moved from its retracted position to its extended position. The window covering material can be configured to define a first number of folds when the window covering material is moved to the retracted position of the window covering material. The liner can be configured to define a second number of folds when the liner is moved to the retracted position of the liner. The second number of folds can be a number of folds that is at least 50% larger than the first number of folds formed in the window covering material when it is moved to its retracted position.
US09719291B1
Hollow core door apparatus for preventing the build up of pressure in a room having a register through which air flows into the room and the door includes an inside door skin and an outer door skin, and the door skins includes openings through which air flows and panels disposed in the openings to define the amount of air flowing through the openings in the skins. The door also includes at least a single fixed panel and a movable panel, both of which panels include openings through which air flows when the openings in the panels are aligned and which air flow is restricted when the openings are misaligned. The inside and outside panels have peripheral openings defined between the openings in the skins and the panels disposed in the openings and which peripheral openings define areas at least as great as the area of the openings in the fixed and movable panels, and the openings in the fixed and movable panels are offset from the peripheral openings to provide for a non-linear flow of air through the door to prevent the build up of pressure in the room and to restrict the non-linear air flow through the door when the openings in the fixed and movable panels are misaligned. An embodiment combining a noxious gas absorbent material with the pressure build up prevention capability is also illustrated.
US09719285B2
A damping hinge for damping a hinge rotational movement about a hinge rotational axis comprises a housing extending along the hinge rotational axis, the housing comprising a first housing part, a second hosing part, which is rotatable relative to the first housing part about the hinge rotational axis, and a piston arranged in the working chamber such as to be displaceable along the hinge rotational axis, a piston rod for displacing the piston, and an adjustment device for adjusting a damping effect of the damping hinge, the adjustment device having a plurality of discrete adjustment stages each providing a different damping effect.
US09719284B2
A damping device is applicable to a hinge. The damping device includes a housing, a damper, an abutting member and an adjusting member. The damper is arranged on the housing. The damper includes a first movable member and a second movable member movable relative to each other. The abutting member is configured to abut against the second movable member of the damper. The adjusting member is movable relative to the housing. When the adjusting member is moved to a first position relative to the housing, the adjusting member abuts against the first movable member of the damper. When the adjusting member is moved to a second position relative to the housing, the adjusting member does not abut against the first movable member of the damper.
US09719270B2
Disclosed is a car parking assembly (100). In one aspect, the car parking assembly (100) comprises a rail mechanism (104) and a plurality of V-bars (106) mounted on the rail mechanism (104) to facilitate the parking of a car and horizontal movement of a parked car respectively. The rail mechanism (104) further comprises a first rail (202), a second rail (204) and a plurality of equally spaced connection. The V-bars (106) further comprises a first bar (502) for facilitating parking of a rear wheel of the car and a second bar (506) for facilitating parking of a front wheel of the car and wherein one end of the first bar (502) and one end of the second bar (506) are connected such that to form a obtuse angle.
US09719260B2
A baffle, for use with a roof deck, includes a main body portion and an attachment surface. The baffle is installable from the exterior side of a roof deck through an opening in the deck to form an air flow path between the interior side of the roof deck and the main body portion. The attachment surface may be attachable to the roof deck while the main body extends along the interior side of the roof deck.
US09719257B2
A composite assembly includes a series of elongated layers joined lengthwise thereof. At least two of the elongated layers each have an upper elongated portion and a lower elongated portion secured together in an end-to-end relationship at a joint therebetween by a connector arrangement. The upper elongated portion is constructed of a wood material, and the lower elongated portion is constructed of a non-wood material. The lower elongated portion may have a reinforcing rod therein.
US09719256B2
The disclosure generally relates to a locating assembly as a component of a locating table segment for positioning truss segments in a truss assembly system. The system generally includes a plurality of table segments aligned in parallel and adapted to position a series of locating blocks on a top surface of the system/table, where each block is a component of one of a plurality of locating assemblies in the system. The block positions collectively define an outer boundary of a support truss (e.g., as a roofing truss). Once the blocks are moved to their desired position, appropriately sized truss segments are placed within the block-defined boundary and fastened together.
US09719233B1
An exhaust pipe (7A) in an engine (7) is provided with an exhaust gas purifying device (10) with a urea selective reduction catalyst (13A) removing nitrogen oxides in an exhaust gas. The exhaust gas purifying device (10) is provided with a urea water injection valve (14) that injects urea water as a reducing agent to the upstream side of the urea selective reduction catalyst (13A). The urea water injection valve (14) is connected to a urea water tank (22) through a urea water pump (25). The urea water pump (25) is arranged in an upper side to the urea water tank (22). A return conduit line (30) in which the urea water flows from the urea water pump (25) toward the urea water tank (22) is disposed in an upper-lower direction between the urea water pump (25) and the urea water tank (22).
US09719227B2
The coupler is mounted on the end of the boom of a boom-tractor, and provides secure locking-in of a bucket. The coupler having been set to its latched-open condition, the tractor is driven to the bucket so that the bottom-lug of the bucket enters the coupler, whereupon the bucket is picked up and is automatically securely locked into coupler, without and manipulation of the coupler being required of the tractor-driver other than manipulation of the boom. For setting the bucket down on the ground, after use, the driver manually pulls out a slider of the coupler. That action sets the coupler into its slider-held condition, whereby when the tractor is driven away from the bucket, the coupler is automatically left set in the said latched-open condition.
US09719224B2
In a vehicle skid recovery system skid recovery can be accelerated when an automotive vehicle begins to skid as a result of ice accumulation on the road surface. The system can control operation of ice removers (e.g., blades or heaters), which are mounted within the wheel wells forward of the wheel, based on information received from the vehicle's outside temperature sensor and anti-lock braking system (ABS). When the temperature sensor indicates that the outside temperature is below a predetermined temperature and when the anti-lock braking system is activated as a result of detected skid, a controller activates the ice remover in one or more of the wheel wells and, thereby cause the ice remover to remove ice from the road surface forward of the corresponding wheel. Clearing the ice allows the vehicle's tires to gain traction on the road surface and, thereby stops the skid.
US09719223B2
A sifting pick-up device is provided that operates as a combined pick-up tool and sifter. The device comprises an elongated frame, a first jaw member, and a second jaw member. The elongated frame includes a proximal end, a distal end, and a slidable handle therealong. The two jaw members are disposed along the distal end and move relative to one another based on movement of the slidable handle. At least one of the jaw members has a sifting screen jaw surface in which contents secured between the jaws can be separated from granular material. One or both of the jaw members are movable, and in one embodiment the slidable handle is spring biased and is connected to at least one jaw member via one or more cables. The handle controls the position of the jaws, which can be used to pick-up items and sift the same.
US09719221B2
The present invention is directed to a vehicle safety catch fence system, the system comprising: two or more posts; two or more longitudinal cables operatively coupled between the two or more posts; a transverse cable, wherein the transverse cable is operatively coupled to the two or more longitudinal cables; and two or more cable clamps, wherein the two or more cable clamps operatively couple the transverse cable to the two or more longitudinal cables.
US09719219B2
The invention generally relates to two-bladed turbine nacelles and platforms integrated into the nacelle structure. In certain embodiments, the invention provides an assembly encompassing a nacelle that houses a two-bladed turbine and a hoisting platform. The hoisting platform is integrated into the structure of the nacelle so as to form the roof of the nacelle.
US09719218B2
A conveyor system for a cold planer is disclosed. The conveyor system may include a first conveyor, and a second conveyor configured to convey a milled material from the first conveyor to a discharge location. The second conveyor may include a first conveyor section, a second conveyor section, and a pivoted connection between the first conveyor section and the second conveyor section. The pivoted connection may provide movement of the second conveyor section relative to the first conveyor section during an operating state of the cold planer.
US09719210B2
In a method for the continuous precipitation of lignin from black liquor black liquor is provided so as to flow as a pressurized flow in a reactor with a dwell time of less than 300 s. An acidifying agent selected from the group of carbon dioxide, acid and their combinations is led to the flow at one or more feeding sites to lower the pH of black liquor. The pH is allowed to decrease by the effect of the acidifying agent in the pressurized flow to the precipitation point of lignin, the pressure of the pressurized flow is abruptly released, and lignin particles are separated from black liquor.
US09719209B2
A method to be used in conjunction with a single-stage or multi-stage process for leaching ash originating from the recovery boiler of a pulp mill, particularly when the ash contains a significant amount of carbonate, wherein calcium compounds, such as calcium oxide (CaO) or calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2), are employed as additives in one or more leaching stages, a liquid fraction formed in the leaching process is utilized outside the main chemical recovery cycle, such as a substitute for purchased sodium hydroxide in the bleaching line of the pulp mill, and a solids fraction may be mixed with a black-liquor stream of the mill or subjected to further processing to separate calcium compounds for recycle.
US09719207B2
The present invention is a process of producing a decorated case insert suitable for use on a phone or tablet that applies a synthetic organic polymer coating onto a heat stabilized extruded polymeric substrate, and diffuses a set of disperse dyes in the form of an image into the polymer applied coating through the application of heat and pressure. The decorated insert is then cut to match an article or manufacture, such as a phone or tablet case, and affixed onto that case to form a decorated case.
US09719206B2
An article of apparel includes a fabric portion having an inside and an outside defined by the article of apparel. A ceramic print is provided on the inside of the fabric portion. The ceramic print includes at least five percent of a ceramic by weight and covers at least ten percent of the inside of the fabric portion. A method of manufacturing the article of apparel includes first printing an ink comprising at least five percent of a ceramic by weight onto a first side of a fabric portion in order to provide a fabric with a ceramic print that covers at least ten percent of the inside of the fabric portion. The method further includes incorporating the fabric with the ceramic print into a garment with the first side of the fabric portion exposed on an inside of the garment.
US09719201B2
A laundry machine comprising a dynamically suspended assembly including a drum for holding laundry, rotationally mounted with the dynamically suspended assembly, a supporting structure for the dynamically suspended assembly, and at least one suspension assembly coupled between the dynamically suspended assembly and the supporting structure for supporting the dynamically suspended assembly, with a load sensor between the suspension assembly and the supporting structure or between the suspension assembly and the dynamically suspended assembly.
US09719199B2
A circular needle loom comprises a bed plate for receiving a transport layer. Engagement members may be disposed proximate to the bed plate, such that the engagement members interface with a positional structure of the transport layer that is used to position and rotate the transport layer around the bed plate. The engagement members may be configured to rotate the transport layer around the bed plate until a predetermined number of fibers and/or layers are deposited on the transport layer and/or bed plate in order to create a needled preform.
US09719198B2
There is provided a footwear having a three-dimensional shape that fits a foot of a wearer regardless of a stretchability of a knitted fabric. A seamless footwear (1) including an instep cover section (3) and a sole cover section (2) is provided. The sole cover section (2) is divided to a heel portion (20) and a sole main body portion (21). A setup portion (1S) or a knitting end portion is formed at a heel side end of the footwear (1), and such setup portion (1S) or the knitting end portion is extended in a height direction of the footwear (1) and also connected to the heel portion (20). The heel portion (20) is formed by a knitting of stacking a stitch row for plural tiers in a wale direction, and gradually differing the number of stitches in a knitting width direction of the stitch row when stacking tiers of the stitch row. The heel portion (20) is formed to a tongue shape in which a width gradually becomes narrower toward a heel side of the footwear (1) according to the change in the number of stitches.
US09719197B2
A multi-layer tubular woven construct includes two or more layers including an innermost layer and layer A that is a layer other than the innermost layer, layer A including a monofilament yarn serving as a weft yarn, the weft yarn extending spirally and circumferentially around the tubular woven construct to form the weft, the weft including threads lying adjacent to each other, the adjacent weft threads of the monofilament yarn having intervals larger than the diameter of the monofilament yarn.
US09719196B2
A weave pattern and method for weaving that provides stability to high performance fabrics, such as fabrics used for life protection and composite use, is provided. An additional set of yarn may be added in the warp direction, such that there are two sets of warp yarns per fill yarn alternating throughout the structure of the fabric. This second set of warp yarn locks the fill yarns in place, subsequently interlocking and stabilizing the fabric pattern. This stabilization increases tensile strength, tightness, stiffness, and also improves the handling and cutting of the fabric by resulting in decreased fraying and fiber loss during product construction. Also, the fabric maintains proper shape and form due to the 90 degree interlacing of warp and fill yarns. In this way, the fabric may have the enhanced performance characteristics of a looser weave in combination with the enhanced handleability of a tighter weave.
US09719194B2
A conductive yarn and an apparatus for making the same are disclosed. The conductive yarn comprises a non-conductive core thread and a fine metal thread wound around the surface of the non-conductive core thread. The fine metal thread is guided by the apparatus to wind around the surface of the non-conductive core thread in a spiral form. The apparatus comprises a base station, an axle on the base station, and a spool set on the axle for twisting the fine metal thread. The core thread passes through the center of the axle, and the axle is driven by a power to drive the spool to rotate, whereby winding the fine metal thread around the surface of the non-conductive core thread so as to form an elastic and flexible conductive yarn.
US09719191B2
Disclosed are methods for identifying a nucleic acid (e.g., RNA, DNA, etc.) motif which interacts with a ligand. The method includes providing a plurality of ligands immobilized on a support, wherein each particular ligand is immobilized at a discrete location on the support; contacting the plurality of immobilized ligands with a nucleic acid motif library under conditions effective for one or more members of the nucleic acid motif library to bind with the immobilized ligands; and identifying members of the nucleic acid motif library that are bound to a particular immobilized ligand. Also disclosed are methods for selecting, from a plurality of candidate ligands, one or more ligands that have increased likelihood of binding to a nucleic acid molecule comprising a particular nucleic acid motif, as well as methods for identifying a nucleic acid which interacts with a ligand.
US09719188B2
A method of manufacturing of a vitreous silica crucible includes: fusing silica powder under a reduced pressure of −50 kPa or more and less than −95 kPa to form a transparent vitreous silica layer as an inner layer; fusing silica powder under a reduced pressure of 0 kPa or more and less than −10 kPa to form a bubble-containing vitreous silica layer as an intermediate layer; and fusing silica powder under a reduced pressure of −10 kPa or more and less than −50 kPa to form a semi-transparent vitreous silica layer as an outer layer.
US09719183B2
A non-cyanide gold plating bath 1 contains gold ions and a compound represented by the following chemical formula (chem 1):
US09719180B2
A crust breaker and ore feeder device for electrolytic aluminum smelting employs an in-line three-position pneumatic cylinder capable of moving the plunger shaft between a raised position and a fully lowered position. A dose meter in the form of a cylindrical member rests a small distance above the valve seat of the crust breaker. In the raised position the dose meter fits within the dosing cup and receives the dose of alumina. In the lowered position of the crust breaker, the dose meter slows down the flow of alumina into the electrolytic liquid, with the alumina flowing out through cutouts formed in the lower rim of the dose meter.
US09719174B2
A composite article includes a substrate and a powder-derived composite coating on the substrate. The composite coating includes discrete regions of a first material and discrete regions of a second material. At least one of the first material or the second material is a chemical precursor.
US09719170B2
Block copolymers (BCPs) and synthetic infiltration synthesis (SIS) are used to double the line density on a substrate. The BCP comprises first and second interconnected BCP components with a functional group at the junction or interface of the components. After deposition of the BCP on the substrate and annealing, a pattern of parallel stripes of first and second BCP components is formed with a pattern of functional group interfaces between the components. Each of the BCP components is non-reactive with atomic layer deposition (ALD) precursors, while the functional group is reactive with the ALD precursors. The ALD results in the infiltration of inorganic material into the interfaces where the reactive functional groups are located but without affecting the BCP components. After removal of the organic material, a pattern of parallel lines of inorganic material remains with a pitch half that of the stripes of BCP components.
US09719163B2
A method of manufacturing a deposition mask is disclosed. In one aspect, the method includes depositing a first photoresist layer on a substrate, aligning a first photomask over the first photoresist layer and developing the first photoresist layer to form a plurality of first photoresist patterns having sides that gradually narrow toward the substrate. The method also includes forming a metal layer over the first photoresist patterns and a portion of the substrate exposed by the first photoresist patterns, depositing a second photoresist layer over the metal layer and aligning a second photomask over the second photoresist layer and developing the second photoresist layer to form a plurality of second photoresist patterns between the first photoresist patterns. The method further includes etching the metal layer to form a pattern hole, removing the first and second photoresist patterns and separating the substrate so as to form a deposition mask.
US09719162B2
A method for hot-dip coating of a steel strip running in a bath of liquid metal such as zinc, or metal alloy contained in a pan is provided. Dross which are formed during the coating and float at the surface of the bath are moved away from the surface of the strip by at least one inductor. Each inductor produces a sliding electromagnetic field oriented along a given direction and generates a magnetomotive force, and the magnetomotive forces displaced the dross towards a container intended to collect them and/or towards an area of the surface of the bath from which they are discharged. For at least one of the inductors, the direction of the respective sliding electromagnetic field is reversed intermittently so as to modify the flows of the dross inside the pan. A hot dip coating facility is also provided.
US09719148B2
The furnace of the present invention includes a body of a furnace having a cylindrical shape; a steel shell which is arranged at an inside surface of the furnace; and a lining refractory which is arranged at an inside of the steel shell and includes a plurality of refractory blocks, wherein: each of the refractory blocks includes a hot-face end surface which has a hexagonal shape exposed to a middle of the furnace, and a cold-face end surface which has a hexagonal shape larger than the hot-face end surface, the cold-face end surface being arranged at an outer periphery side of the furnace; the refractory blocks are arranged such that each position of the hot-face end surface is positioned along the radial direction of the furnace at a predetermined reference position; and the refractory blocks are arrayed along the circumferential direction of an inside surface of the steel shell, thereby being stacked in a honeycomb manner.
US09719146B2
An expression vector, comprising a first reporter nucleic acid sequence operably linked to a first expression control sequence comprising a promoter; and a second reporter nucleic acid sequence operably linked to a second expression control sequence that comprises a response element that is activated or inactivated as one or more of the cells differentiate or dedifferentiate. Methods and kits for imaging and monitoring stem cells comprising the expression vector are also provided.
US09719138B2
This invention provides substrates for use in various applications, including single-molecule analytical reactions. Methods for propagating optical energy within a substrate are provided. Devices comprising waveguide substrates and dielectric omnidirectional reflectors are provided. Waveguide substrates with improved uniformity of optical energy intensity across one or more waveguides and enhanced waveguide illumination efficiency within an analytic detection region of the arrays are provided.
