US10023638B2

The current invention provides human variable chain framework regions and humanized antibodies comprising the framework regions, the antibodies being specific for integrin β1. The invention also provides methods for utilizing the antibodies, for example to treat diseases such as cancer.
US10023632B2

Hybridoma lines that secrete human monoclonal antibodies with high binding specificity and biological activity, particularly neutralizing activity against granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor, and methods of generating the hybridoma lines are provided. Target antigens and epitopes are also provided. The antibodies may be used in therapeutic methods, for example in the treatment of cancer, infectious disease, or autoimmune disease.
US10023630B2

An objective of the invention is to provide anti-C5 antibodies and methods of using the same. The invention provides anti-C5 antibodies and methods of using the same. In some embodiments, an isolated anti-C5 antibody of the present invention binds to an epitope within the β chain of C5 with a higher affinity at neutral pH than at acidic pH. The invention also provides isolated nucleic acids encoding an anti-C5 antibody of the present invention. The invention also provides host cells comprising a nucleic acid of the present invention. The invention also provides a method of producing an antibody comprising culturing a host cell of the present invention so that the antibody is produced. The invention further provides a method of producing an anti-C5 antibody comprising immunizing an animal against a polypeptide which comprises the MG1-MG2 domain of the β chain of C5. Anti-C5 antibodies of the present invention may be for use as a medicament. Anti-C5 antibodies of the present invention may be for use in treating a complement-mediated disease or condition which involves excessive or uncontrolled activation of C5. Anti-C5 antibodies of the present invention may be for use in enhancing the clearance of C5 from plasma.
US10023626B2

The invention relates to compositions and methods for the preparation, manufacture and therapeutic use of polynucleotide molecules encoding at least one polypeptide of interest to modulate the immune response.
US10023624B2

Recombinant Fc fusion proteins of human follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH) with in vivo biological activities comparable to those of human follicle-stimulating hormone are disclosed. A recombinant hFSH-Fc fusion protein comprises β subunit of hFSH (hFSH β), CTP, α subunit of hFSH (hFSH α), a flexible peptide linker, and human IgG2 Fc variant (vIgG2Fc). A method is also disclosed to make such fusion proteins at good expression levels. These recombinant hFSH-Fc fusion proteins of the present disclosure exhibit sufficient biological activities and prolonged plasma half-lives, leading to improved pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics. Thus, a lower dosage may be used and/or better or different therapeutic efficacies with less side effects may be achieved. A method for the application of the recombinant hFSH-Fc fusion proteins in the treatment and/or prevention of human infertility is also disclosed.
US10023617B1

Methods and systems for efficient and cost-effective production of lantibiotics. The methods and systems are capable of producing lantibiotics having high purity suitable for pharmaceutical use.
US10023610B2

The present invention relates to the field of molecular biochemistry and medicine, and in particular to ligands comprising modified amino acid residues, targeting the amyloid-β peptide associated with Alzheimer's disease for prevention of aggregation, neurotoxicity and use thereof as drugs for treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
US10023608B1

Disclosed are methods of purifying a protein sample. More specifically, provide are methods of removing or reducing the amount of high molecular weight species and/or high mannose species from a protein sample using a mixed mode chromatography step and a hydrophobic interaction chromatography step.
US10023606B2

Provided herein are 3,3-disubstituted 19-nor-steroidal compounds according to Formula (I): and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Such compounds are contemplated useful for the prevention and treatment of a variety of CNS-related conditions, for example, treatment of sleep disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, disorders of memory and/or cognition, movement disorders, personality disorders, autism spectrum disorders, pain, traumatic brain injury, vascular diseases, substance abuse disorders and/or withdrawal syndromes, tinnitus, status epilepticus.
US10023604B2

Disclosed are steviol glycosides referred to as rebaudioside V and rebaudioside W. Also disclosed are methods for producing rebaudioside M (Reb M), rebausoside G (Reb G), rebaudioside KA (Reb KA), rebaudioside V (Reb V) and rebaudioside (Reb W).
US10023603B2

The present invention provides preparations of monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides, and pentasaccharides of heparinoids. The present invention also provides novel monosaccharides, disaccharides, trisaccharides and pentasaccharides for use in the preparation of heparinoids.
US10023602B2

The present invention relates to hamamelitannin analogues, pharmaceutical compositions comprising the same, and combinations thereof with anti-microbial agents such as antibiotics or disinfectants. It in particular relates to the use of the compounds, compositions and combinations according to this invention in human or veterinary medicine, more in particular for use in the prevention and/or treatment of bacterial infections, such as Staphylococcus aureus infections, in humans or animals.
US10023592B2

The present invention relates to substituted heterocyclic derivative compounds, compositions comprising said compounds, and the use of said compounds and compositions for epigenetic regulation by inhibition of bromodomain-mediated recognition of acetyl lysine regions of proteins, such as histones. Said compositions and methods are useful for the treatment of cancer and neoplastic disease.
US10023590B2

The present invention provides a substituted pyridine compound of the formula I or an agriculturally suitable salt or N-oxide thereof, wherein the variables in the formula I are defined as in the description. Substituted pyridine compounds of formula I are useful as herbicides.
US10023571B2

The present invention provides compounds of formula I, compositions thereof, and methods of using the same for the inhibition of TYK2, and the treatment of TYK2-mediated disorders.
US10023565B2

The present invention relates to a compound of formula (I), a stereomeride, pharmaceutically acceptable salt, a solvate or an N-oxide thereof, a medicine composition comprising the compound, a method for preparing the compound, and a usage of the compound in treating diseases related to Hsp70. The diseases are preferably selected from tumors, neurodegenerative diseases, and allogeneic transplantation rejection and infection.
US10023563B2

Compounds of formula I defined herein are provided. Uses of these compounds for controlling invertebrate pests, protecting plant propagation material and providing an agricultural and a veterinary composition including the compounds are also described. Compounds for use as intermediate compounds in the preparation of compounds I are also described.
US10023555B2

The present invention discloses novel compounds derived from NSAIDs and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. Other aspects of the invention relate to use of the NSAID derivatives in treating inflammatory diseases and pharmaceutical compositions thereof.
US10023553B2

A method and a device for manufacturing lactide, whereby crude lactide, being prepared by means of depolymerization of lactic acid oligomers, is purified by means of a distillation step. The prepared crude lactide is maintained for a period of at least 5 hours in a reaction vessel at a temperature between 97° C. and 200° C. prior to the distillation step. Keeping the lactide during a period of time in a reaction vessel leads to a decrease of the lactic acid content and an increase of the lactic acid oligomer concentration, so that the resulting crude lactide can be more efficiently purified during subsequent distillation. A pre-distilling step gives additional advantages.
US10023552B2

[Problem] To provide a process suitable for mass-producing of iso-liquiritigenin.[Solution] A process for preparing iso-liquiritigenin, which comprises steps of coupling a 4-alkoxycinnamic acid represented by formula (I) with a 1,3-alkoxybenzene represented by formula (II) through the Friedel-Crafts reaction (A) to synthesize a tri-alkoxy-iso-liquiritigenin represented by formula (III), to crystallize out the reaction product, and eliminating the protecting groups therefrom to obtain iso-liquiritigenin, represented by formula (IV). The iso-liquiritigenin (IV), is administered as a precursor for liquiritigenin represented by formula (V) to the body, thereby obtaining in vivo a pharmacological effect of the (−) isomer of liquiritigenin.
US10023548B2

The invention relates to an improved process for making monomeric triglycidyl compounds, wherein the triglycidyl compounds include N, O-triglycidyl compounds containing at least one primary aromatic amine and one phenolic functional group attached to the same or a different aromatic ring. The methods of the present invention result in the production of N, O-triglycidyl compounds, such as those of formula I and II. The improved process is energy efficient, environment friendly, and results in increased yields of product. The methods of the present invention can be performed in the absence of protic organic co-solvents during the reaction of an epihalohydrin with an aminophenol, such as compounds of formula II and IV, which provides an intermediate halohydrin compound. The methods of the present invention may also be performed in the absence of a phase transfer catalyst.
US10023530B2

To provide a novel diamine, and a polyimide precursor and a polyimide using it. A diamine represented by the formula (1): wherein each of X1 and X5 which are independent of each other, is a single bond or the like; each of X2 and X4 which are independent of each other, is —CH2— or the like; X3 is a C1-6 alkylene or the like; each of Y1 and Y2 which are independent of each other, is a single bond or the like; R is a C1-20 linear, branched or cyclic hydrocarbon group; and a is 0 or 1).
US10023529B2

An apparatus for efficiently removing the exuded substance and/or the attached substance on the surface of a catalyst (catalyst surface substance) from the catalyst is provided. The apparatus comprising a main body, the apparatus for removing a catalyst surface substance present on a surface of a catalyst from the catalyst by bringing a gas flow into contact with the catalyst housed in the main body, wherein a gas flow length in a flow direction of the gas flow is 55 mm or more, and an average flow velocity of the gas flow is 80 m/s or more and 500 m/s or less in terms of a linear velocity at 15° C. and 1 atm.
US10023527B2

A method for producing a compound of formula (I) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, solvate, tautomer or stereoisomer, such as compound 1 and compound 2 is disclosed. The method proceeds through an O-allylated tyrosine-based compound, such as compound 3 and preferably comprises [3,3] sigmatropic Claisen rearrangement and olefin cross metathesis reactions. In addition, a pharmaceutical composition comprising a compound of formula (I) a tumor necrosis factor (TNF) related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier or excipient is disclosed.
US10023526B2

The present invention relates to a process for preparing Lomitapide or its pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof having high purity with acceptable levels of impurities.
US10023524B2

The present invention relates to a process for the continuous production of nitrobenzene by the nitration of benzene with nitric acid and sulphuric acid under adiabatic conditions, not the entire production plant being shut down during a production stop, but the production plant being entirely or at least partly operated in recirculation mode. The invention further relates to a plant for producing nitrobenzene and to a method for operating a plant for producing nitrobenzene.
US10023503B2

Treated biochar and methods for treating biochar are provided. The method for treating the biochar includes forcing, assisting or accelerating the movement of an infiltrant into the pores of the biochar, whereby the treatment affects properties of the biochar that provide for a more reliable and predictable biochar for use in various applications, including, but not limited to, agricultural applications.
US10023501B2

A fertilizer derived from an organic source and a method of making are provided. The fertilizer of the present invention advantageously has a Nitrogen content greater than 4%. The method of making the fertilizer also produces potable water.
US10023497B2

The present invention relates to a novel multifunctional material for workability of geopolymeric system and its process thereof. The viscous characteristics in geopolymeric system are responsible for observed negligible workability of geopolymeric cement concrete system and which limits its broad application spectrum. The novel multifunctional material of the present invention prepared by digestion of siliceous agricultural waste i.e. Rice husk with aqueous alkaline materials involving simultaneous and synergistic chemical reactions among the various constituents of rice husk, aqueous alkaline compounds and optionally adding Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) to obtain in-situ synthesis of desired nano-sized multi functional agents lignin, hemicelluloses, cellulose, sodium silicate necessary for addressing the issue of workability and also improving the engineering properties of geopolymeric system for broad application spectrum.
US10023494B2

A coated article is provided, having a coating supported by a glass substrate where the coating includes at least one color and/or reflectivity-adjusting absorber layer. The absorber layer(s) allows color tuning, and reduces the glass side reflection of the coated article and/or allows sheet resistance of the coating to be reduced without degrading glass side reflection. In certain example embodiments the absorber layer is provided between first and second dielectric layers which may be of substantially the same material and/or composition. In certain example embodiments, the coated article is capable of achieving desirable transmission, together with desired color, low reflectivity, and low selectivity, when having only one infrared (IR) reflecting layer of silver and/or gold. Coated articles according to certain example embodiments of this invention may be used in the context of insulating glass (IG) window units, monolithic windows, or the like.
US10023492B2

Embodiments are directed to glass frits containing phosphors that can be used in LED lighting devices and for methods associated therewith for making the phosphor containing glass frit and their use in glass articles, for example, LED devices.
US10023491B2

An inorganic fiber containing silica and magnesia as the major fiber components which further includes intended synergistic amounts of calcia and, an additional alkali metal oxide other than magnesia, such as lithium oxide, to improve the thermal performance and manufacturability of the fiber. The inorganic fiber is easier to manufacture, has a better fiber quality, exhibits good thermal performance at a use temperature of 1260° C. and greater, retains mechanical integrity after exposure to the use temperature, and exhibits low biopersistence in physiological fluids. Also provided are methods of preparing the inorganic fiber and of thermally insulating articles using thermal insulation prepared from the inorganic fibers.
US10023488B2

The synthetic amorphous silica powder of the present invention is characterized in that it comprises a synthetic amorphous silica powder obtained by applying a spheroidizing treatment to a silica powder, and by subsequently cleaning and drying it so that the synthetic amorphous silica powder has an average particle diameter D50 of 10 to 2,000 μm; wherein the synthetic amorphous silica powder has: a quotient of 1.00 to 1.35 obtained by dividing a BET specific surface area of the powder by a theoretical specific surface area calculated from the average particle diameter D50; a real density of 2.10 to 2.20 g/cm3; an intra-particulate porosity of 0 to 0.05; a circularity of 0.75 to 1.00; and an unmolten ratio of 0.00 to 0.25. This synthetic amorphous silica powder is less in amount of gas components adsorbed to surfaces of particles of the powder and in amount of gas components within the particles, so that a synthetic silica glass product manufactured by using the powder is remarkably decreased in amount of generation or degree of expansion of gas bubbles even upon usage of the product in a high temperature and reduced pressure environment.
US10023478B2

A system and method for treating flowing water systems with a plasma discharge to remove or control growth of microbiological species. Components of the water system are protected from being damaged by excess energy from the electrohydraulic treatment. Ozone gas generated by a high voltage generator that powers the plasma discharge is recycled to further treat the water. A gas infusion system may be used to create fine bubbles of ozone, air, or other gases in the water being treated to aid in plasma generation, particularly when the conductivity of the water is high. An electrode mounting assembly maintains a high voltage electrode and ground electrode at a fixed distance from each other to optimize plasma generation. An open support structure for the high voltage generator circuit physically separates spark gap electrodes and resists metal deposits that may disrupt discharge of a high voltage pulse to create the plasma.
US10023476B2

A water filter cartridge is reduced in fluctuation in filtration flow rate or in filtration performance due to activated carbon, and can exhibit stable performance even at the time of large scale production; and a water purifier is equipped with the water filter cartridge. A water filter cartridge having particulate activated carbon filled in a case for accommodating a filtering material in which the ratio of the total mass of particulate activated carbon having a particle size of 0.3 to 4.0 mm relative to the total mass of activated carbon is 97% by mass or more, and, in a particle size distribution which represents the relationship of the mass ratio of activated carbon relative to the particle size of activated carbon, a peak at which the mass ratio is 31% by mass or more does not appear in a particle size range of from 0.3 to 4.0 mm.
US10023474B2

Provided are methods of petroleum sequestration, which use electrospun microtubes capable of sequestering the petroleum from the water, and method of depleting and optionally degrading petroleum from water using floating devices which comprise the electrospun microtube attached to a floating carrier.
US10023473B2

A wastewater sewage system is disclosed. The sewage system includes a flow control valve that controls the flow of wastewater through the sewage system such that the sewage pipes in the sewage system are substantially full.
US10023467B2

A method for manufacturing a nanocarbon material includes the steps of: a) supplying an acetylene-based flammable gas into a torch nozzle at a flow rate such that an ignition at the torch nozzle produces a reducing flame in a cooling zone in a chamber; and b) supplying a cooling medium to a nebulizer disposed upstream of the cooling zone to produce nebulized droplets of the cooling medium such that the nebulized droplets come into contact with the reducing flame in the cooling zone to thereby cause carbon nanoparticles to be entrained in the nebulized droplets.
US10023466B2

A composition and a method for producing mesoporous carbon materials with a chiral or achiral organization. In the method, a polymerizable inorganic monomer is reacted in the presence of nanocrystalline cellulose to give a material of inorganic solid with cellulose nanocrystallites organized in a chiral nematic organization. The cellulose can be carbonized through thermal treatment under inert atmosphere (e.g., nitrogen or argon) and the silica may subsequently be removed using aqueous solutions of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or hydrogen fluoride (HF) to give the stable mesoporous carbon materials that retain the chiral nematic structure of the cellulose. These materials may be obtained as free-standing films with very high surface area. Through control of the reaction conditions the pore-size distribution may be varied from predominantly microporous to predominantly mesoporous materials. These are the first materials to use cellulose as both the structural template and carbon source for a mesoporous carbon material. These are also the first carbon materials to combine mesoporosity with long-range chiral ordering. Possible applications for these materials include: charge storage devices (e.g. supercapacitors and anodes for Li-ion batteries), adsorbents, gas purifiers, light-weight nanocomposite materials, catalyst supports (e.g., for chiral transformations), gas storage, and as a hard-template to generate other materials, preferably with chiral structures.
US10023465B2

A mixed-metallic phosphate compound is disclosed, which contains as the main metal copper in the divalent oxidation state in a proportion of at least 90.0 at-% and one or more doping metals in a total proportion of the doping metals of at least 0.01 to at most 10.0 at-%, wherein the doping metals are selected from the group consisting of the elements of the first and second main groups and the eighth subgroup of the elements of the periodic table, Al, Sn, Si, Bi, Cr, Mo, Mn, and the lanthanides. The stated metal proportions relate to the total amount of the metals in the mixed-metallic phosphate compound. The mixed-metallic compound has a phosphate content expressed as P2O5 in the range of 10 to 60 wt-%. Also disclosed is a method for producing the mixed-metallic phosphate compound and the use thereof.
US10023464B2

A method for concentration of phosphate compounds comprises dissolving (205) of sludge ash in hydrochloric acid. Insoluble residues are separated (210), thereby forming a first leach solution. A mole ratio of phosphorus to a sum of ferric iron and aluminum in the first leach solution is controlled (215) to be larger than 1. A base is added (220) to the first leach solution in an amount causing precipitation of phosphate compounds. The precipitated phosphate compounds are removed (225) from the first leach solution. Sulphuric acid is added (240) to the first leach solution, causing precipitation of sulphate compounds. The precipitated sulphate compounds are separated (245) from the first leach solution. At least a part of the leach solution is recycled (248) as the hydrochloric acid used for the dissolving of sludge ash. Further methods for processing the precipitated phosphate compounds are presented as well as arrangements for performing the methods.
US10023461B2

The microintegrated sensor comprises a stack formed by a sensor layer, of semiconductor material, by a cap layer, of semiconductor material, and by an insulating layer. The sensor layer and the cap layer have a respective peripheral portion surrounding a central portion, and the insulating layer extends between the peripheral portions of the sensor layer and of the cap layer. An air gap extends between the central portions of the sensor layer and of the protection layer. A through trench extends into the central portion of the sensor layer as far as the air gap and surrounds a platform housing a sensitive element. The cap layer has through holes in the insulating layer that extend from the air gap and form a fluidic path with the air gap and the through trench.
US10023455B2

A liquid filling apparatus has a vertical tube with bottom opening opened and closed by a valve. The tube is insertable into a container from above and supplies liquid to the container. A flexible separating disk extends radially from the bottom end of the tube. The tube with flexible separating disk is movable toward the container bottom and air in the container escapes between peripheral rim of the separating disk and container wall as the tube moves down until the flexible separating disk rests on the container bottom. The tube with flexible separating disk then is moved upwardly so that, between flexible separating disk and container bottom, an enlarging space is formed with upward movement. Liquid is supplied into this space through the open tube opening as upward movement continues. When a targeted liquid level is reached, the valve closes and the tube is pulled from the container.
US10023454B2

A system includes rigid reservoirs, each divided by a flexible diaphragm into a hydraulic chamber and a delivery chamber. The hydraulic chamber is connected to a hydraulic liquid conduit via a valve and the delivery chamber is connected to a delivery conduit. A hydraulic actuator is operable to apply pressure to the hydraulic liquid so as to force the hydraulic liquid into a hydraulic chamber whose valve is open, pushing the diaphragm distally to force the delivery liquid from the delivery chamber into the connected delivery conduit. The actuator is also operable to apply suction to the hydraulic liquid in the hydraulic liquid conduit so as to draw hydraulic liquid from the hydraulic chamber, proximally pulling the flexible diaphragm to draw the delivery liquid from the delivery conduit into the delivery chamber.
US10023452B2

A bottle opener apparatus has an inner body collar configured to rest on a top portion of a bottle placed within the bottle opener an outer body collar slidably connected to the inner body collar, with one or more springs attached to the inner body collar and the outer body collar, the one or more springs configured to be compressed or released when the outer collar slides relative to the inner collar and one or more levers pivotably attached the outer collar, the one or more levers configured to remove a bottle cap from the bottle and eject the bottle cap into the air when the outer collar slides relative to the inner collar in an ejection movement. One or more sensors are configured to collect data when the bottle is placed within the inner collar and a transmitter is configured to transmit the collected data to an external receiver.
US10023446B2

Embodiments of transformable tables are disclosed. A transformable table has a lifting mechanism and a platform secured to the lifting mechanism. The platform has a stationary panel; a plurality of expansion panels positioned on either side of the stationary panel; and a plurality of extension panels in slidable engagement with the expansion panels and the stationary panel. The stationary panel, the expansion panels, and the extension panels are formed from a plurality of hollow tubes, and the hollow tubes re spaced apart a predetermined distance to form forming spaces therebetween and are secured together with a reinforcement member. The expansion panels extend laterally outward from the stationary panel, and the extension panels extend longitudinally outward from the connection with the expansion panels and the stationary panel.
US10023440B2

The present disclosure discloses a system and method for measuring safety clearance between the steps and skirt panels of an escalator and positioning hidden dangers and, which improves the working efficiency of the detecting personnel and reduces labor intensity; the system and method of the present disclosure has high accuracy, and eliminates the detection error caused by manual observation and the sense of responsibility, thus helping the detecting personnel to comprehensively detect the hidden dangers to minimize the escalator safety accidents caused by such hidden dangers; and its accurate hidden danger positioning function can help the maintenance personnel to carry out maintenance and adjustment faster. Therefore, the present disclosure is of great significance to the safe operation of the escalator and the personal safety of the passengers, and plays a positive role in promoting the development of the whole quality supervision.
US10023433B2

A support for an elevator car in an elevator installation includes a plurality of tensile carriers, arranged parallel to one another, and a casing. The tensile carriers are enclosed by the casing, wherein the tensile carriers extend along a longitudinal axis of the support. The tensile carriers are freed at least partly from the casing on a section of the longitudinal axis of the support. Contact elements for electrical contacting of the exposed tensile carriers are fastened to the tensile carriers at this section.
US10023432B2

A method of making a guide rail for an elevator system includes providing a metallic guide rail having a base portion and a blade portion extending from the base portion The blade portion includes one or more guide surfaces interactive with a safety brake of the elevator system. A protective layer is applied to the guide rail for corrosion protection and a perimeter of the protective layer is adhered to the guide rail to seal the guide surfaces from corrosive elements, while not adhering the protective layer to the guide surfaces.
US10023428B2

Elevator brake system and elevator brake pads having embedded a sensor arrangement so as to detect relevant parameters of an elevator brake system and elevator brake pad.
US10023424B2

A sheet processing apparatus includes: an output unit that renders one side of a sheet convex and outputs the sheet, the sheet having the one side and other side; a first folding unit that mountain-folds the one side of the sheet, which is rendered to be convex, to form a first fold in the sheet; and a second folding unit that mountain-folds the one side of the sheet, which includes the first fold formed therein, to form a second fold in the sheet.
US10023414B2

An automatic core-charging and bobbin-discharging group in a plastic film winding machine, positioned partially juxtaposed and partially below a winding reel includes a core charging portion having a motorized linear actuator carrying a guide-support which houses a certain number of cores suitable for receiving plastic film, the guide-support being movable, backwards and forwards, between a position associated with a core charger and a juxtaposed position, axially parallel to a spindle of the winding reel, with the cores inserted on the spindle, the linear actuator also being vertically liftable with a variation in an external diameter of the cores, and a bobbin discharging portion having a motorized conveyor belt, equipped with an extendable portion, movable between a position below a spindle carrying the wound bobbins and a discharging portion of the bobbins, the conveyor belt being vertically liftable with a variation in an external diameter of the bobbins.
US10023411B2

A sheet conveyance apparatus includes a conveyance roller, a first rotary member forming a first nip portion conveying a sheet in a first conveyance direction, a rotation axis of the first rotary member being inclined with respect to a rotation axis of the conveyance roller such that a center of one end of the first rotary member is positioned at a different position in the first conveyance direction with respect to a center of the other end, and a second rotary member forming a second nip portion conveying a sheet in a second conveyance direction, a rotation axis of the second rotary member being inclined with respect to the rotation axis of the conveyance roller such that a center of one end of the second rotary member is positioned at a different position in the second conveyance direction with respect to a center of the other end.
US10023402B2

A system and method provides for the identification and monitoring of carriers within a pneumatic carrier system. Each carrier which is to be employed within the system includes an identification device such as a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip which has stored thereon identification information for the carrier. Positioned throughout the system are communications devices such as antennas and readers which are employed to read and/or write identification information on the chip. When a carrier is put in the system, a destination location can be associated with the particular carrier ID. This associated information is then employed to, among many things, monitor and confirm identity of the carrier as it moves to its destination.
US10023401B1

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a conveyer and a method of controlling the mentioned conveyer. In one embodiment, a conveyer includes: a support base; a roller assembly including a plurality of delivery rollers coaxially arranged, a plurality of lead screws and a plurality of screw motors respectively connected in a one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of lead screws, each of the delivery rollers being formed with at least one threaded hole, and being engaged with the corresponding lead screw of the lead screws through the threaded hole of the each of the delivery rollers; a driving shaft rotatably connected with the support base, the screw motors being provided on the driving shaft by fixing structures, wherein the delivery rollers are provided to be coaxial with the driving shaft; and a driver unit configured to drive rotation of the driving shaft.
US10023399B2

A plant for the production of containers made of PET comprises at least one rotary carousel for the production of preforms (2) and at least one zone, in which the preforms are either stored or they may be blown on another rotary carousel. The molded preforms are extracted from the carousel (2) by means of a transfer starwheel (50) provided with grippers (4) capable of performing complex translating-rotating type movements and independent grasping movements. The grippers (4) are provided with two suction jaws (90a and 90b) to make the grasping of the preforms more reliable when they are released from the rotary carousel for the production of the preforms (2).
US10023398B2

Methods, systems, computer program products, apparatus and circuits are configured to detect fallen containers upstream or proximate an intake zone suitable for automated evaluation apparatus using different sensors, including at least one lower sensor and at least one upper sensor which is positioned to project an optical signal at a height corresponding to a top portion of an upright container to thereby allow an increased reliability in detection of different orientations and positions of fallen containers. An optional second lower sensor may be used which is longitudinally spaced apart from the first lower sensor and the lower sensors can transmit optical signals across the container travel path that do not intersect.
US10023383B2

The present invention describes a subsurface refuse system for side loading collection. It comprises an underground bunker (4), a refuse container (installed with lateral movable arms, a deposit input bin, one internal platform that supports temporarily the container and a cover with automatic opening and closing. All the movements are remotely operated. The container translates and is collected only with an automated side loading lifter installed in the truck.
US10023369B2

An attachment (1) for a liquid container with a container outlet, wherein the liquid container is surrounded by a container wall and is intended to receive a first liquid, wherein the attachment (1) has a bearing surface (2), which defines a bearing plane (A), for bearing in a sealing manner against the liquid container a reservoir (4) for a second liquid, a channel (6), which connects the container outlet to an outlet (10) of the attachment (1) and a passage (44), which connects the reservoir (4) to the channel (6), wherein the attachment (1) is equipped with a clamping lever (14), which extends in a use position through the bearing plane (A) and the container outlet and which has a pressing surface (32) facing the inner side of the liquid container in the use position.
US10023366B2

A beverage container closure or lid that is adapted for closing an open end of a beverage container. The lid is selectively couplable to the beverage container and includes a selectively openable stopper that when closed, creates a fluid-tight seal between the beverage container and the environment. The stopper may be selectively opened by a user by the user pressing a button disposed on a side of the beverage container closure. The stopper is subsequently automatically closed when the user releases the button. Thus, a user may open and close the beverage container closure using a single hand without the need to remove the beverage container closure from the beverage container.
US10023363B2

A thermoplastic container assembly includes an improved means of attachment between lid, base and container which meets paint industry drop test standards and includes tamper evidence, a transparent lid and improved means to prevent leakage between the base, lid and container. The container includes an upper extending tubular wall element extending from the perimeter of a bottom wall to an upper rim, the upper rim including an annular inward facing cavity formed by a reduced thickness area, which includes an annular inward facing upper bead positioned above the inward facing cavity. A base includes an annular portion having an outwardly directed resilient exterior annular wall which engages the inward facing cavity of the rim of the tubular element in snap fit engagement. A lid includes a plurality of spaced apart resilient flange/protrusion elements extending outwardly from a bottom portion of an annular portion of the lid; the flanges/protrusion elements being snap-fit engageable within an upward facing annular groove of the base.
US10023353B2

A sealing structure for a plastic packing box, comprising: a packing box body, made by bending a plastic plate; top and bottom openings; and cover plates, configured on sides of each opening and bended inward to stack together to seat the opening, wherein a premade mating frame is respectively engaged with sealing end faces of the outer cover plates configured on two opposite sides of the main body and bended to each other to form a sealing edge, the mating frames are a male-female pair stacked together to sealing the box, ensuring that two end faces is neat after box body sealing, the opposite inner edges of the two mating frames are respectively configured with male and female buckling elements allowed to be pressed together to engage with each other after the stacking, thereby achieving stable and safe buckling, while the cover plate are stacked together simply.
US10023352B2

A container is produced from a single-layered, helically bent sheet-metal trip (20). A first, helically running peripheral portion (22) of the sheet-metal strip (20) is bent out in the direction of the outside of the container (10) to form a helically running bent out edge (24). A second, helically extending peripheral portion (26) of the sheet-metal strip (20) overlaps a third portion (28) of the sheet-metal strip (20) on the inside of the container (10). The third portion is adjacent to the bent-out edge (24) and extends in the direction of the second peripheral portion (26) from the bent out edge (24). The second peripheral portion (26) is connected in a fluid-tight manner to the third portion (28) of the sheet-metal strip (20) on the inside of the container (10).
US10023347B2

Disclosed is a synthetic resin container provided with an inverting, foldback bottom wall that can maintain a stable, self-supporting position while being able to minimize the amount of residual contents, and that can be formed by blow-molding, etc., and maintain the favorable producibility or low cost of the past. The synthetic resin container is provided with a bottom wall that forms the bottom of the container, and a drum section that is united to the perimeter of the bottom wall and forms a filling space M for contents on the inside, and is a synthetic resin container wherein a raised bottom is formed by inverting and folding back said bottom wall toward said drum section. Said drum section has a lower peripheral wall that touches or approaches the outer wall part of said bottom wall and forms a self-supporting base by the inversion and folding back of said bottom wall.
US10023338B2

A device, system, and method for loading empty and formed six-pack bottle carriers into a larger case (i.e. a multi-pack) is provided. The packaging device includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The six-pack carriers are formed by unfolding them in the upper portion. Various components are associated with the upper portion of the packaging device. The case receives a plurality of six-pack carriers therein. The larger cases is formed by unfolding them in the lower portion of the packaging device. Various components are associated with the lower portion of the packaging device. The upper portion and lower portion operate simultaneously to efficiently produce a case have empty six-pack carriers placed therein for later filling with bottles at a downstream destination. The system includes the machine, the cases, the six-pack carriers, and the bottles, operating collectively.
US10023336B2

Provided is a produce pack arrangement system. The produce pack arrangement system comprises a produce supply station, a produce orientation and assembly station, and a produce packaging delivery station. The produce orientation and assembly station is configured to receive produce from the produce supply station and orient a set group of produce according to a desired predetermined arrangement prior to release to the produce packing delivery station.
US10023316B2

Embodiments herein provide an interface that adjusts for distance changes between mobile seats. One embodiment comprises an elongated housing having a bottom side that mounts to a seat track, an opposing top side having an opening, and side walls between the bottom side and the top side. The housing has a front side that receives an end of a seat track cover within an interior space of the housing. The surfaces of the side walls within the interior space include pairs of slots in opposition that extend from the top side toward the bottom side. The pairs of slots receive an electrical connector of the seat, and mate it to an electrical connector of the seat track cover. A spacing of the pairs of slots along a length of the housing defines a variable distance between the end of the seat track cover and a leg of the seat.
US10023315B2

A passenger seat table assembly including a table movable between a fully stowed position and a fully deployed position through at least one intermediate position in which the table rotates relative to a support arm, wherein the table rotates in a first direction relative to the support arm as the table moves from the fully stowed position toward the at least one intermediate position, and rotates in a second direction opposite the first direction as the table moves from the at least one intermediate position toward the fully deployed position.
US10023312B2

A helicopter-hoist system is described. The system may include: hoist equipment, illumination systems, range-measuring equipment, camera(s), communication systems, display devices, processing/control systems including image-processing systems, and power-management systems. The system may also include a smart-hook for measuring a load on the hook. Based on the measured load on the cable, the lighting may be illuminated in different manners. In another aspect, the system may communicate with display devices, which render images of a mission to helicopter crew members or other observers. Measured parameters appurtenant to the mission—such as the weight of the load, height of the smart-hook above a surface, altitude of the aircraft, distance between the aircraft and end of the hook, location of the hook in three-dimensional space, forces on the hook and cable, and other mission-critical information—may be overlaid, or rendered proximate to the real images to provide crew members with a full understanding of a mission.
US10023310B2

A flight control method of an unmanned flying object includes acquiring first positional information indicating a position of the unmanned flying object using a position sensor, receiving a position reset command and second positional information that indicates a position of an operation device from the operation device used to operate the unmanned flying object, determining a rotation angle needed to orient a movement direction of the unmanned flying object in a predetermined direction in accordance with the first positional information and the second positional information, and performing control to orient the movement direction of the unmanned flying object in the predetermined direction in accordance with the rotation angle.
US10023306B2

An autopilot device (10) and method for automatically piloting a rotary wing aircraft (1), having at least one propulsion propeller (2), said rotary wing comprising at least one rotor (3) with a plurality of blades (3′), said device comprising a processor unit (15) co-operating with at least one collective control system (7) for controlling the collective pitch of said blades (3′). The device includes engagement means (20) connected to the processor unit (15) for engaging an assisted mode of piloting for maintaining an angle of attack, said processor unit (15) automatically controlling the collective pitch of the blades (3′) when the assisted mode of piloting for maintaining an angle of attack is engaged by controlling said collective control system to maintain an aerodynamic angle of attack (α) of the aircraft at a reference angle of attack (α*).
US10023292B2

A braided composite spar or preform for a braided composite spar, comprising a plurality of tubular plies of braided fibers, wherein the spar or preform has a center line which extends lengthwise from a root to a tip, and at least part of the center line follows a curved path which does not lie in a single plane. The spar or preform can be used to provide a tubular main spar for a winglet. The winglet also has a front spar with a front spar web, an upper front spar cap, and a lower front spar cap. An upper skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the upper front spar cap. A lower skin of the winglet is joined to the braided spar and the lower front spar cap.
US10023268B2

A moonpool work table able to provide an opening to a moonpool including a first set of opposing table doors having opposing vertical faces and moveable between an open position and one or more closed positions, and a second set of opposing table doors moveable between an open position and one or more closed positions in a transverse direction to that of the first set of table doors. In this way, the first and second set of table doors are able to define a “box” that can more closely and tightly define the area or envelope through which a conduit or the like can pass.
US10023266B2

A continuously variable transmission on a bicycle may be automatically configured with little or no assistance from a user. Optical scanning devices, RFIDs, and other information capturing technology can communicate with a controller. The controller may then perform a portion or all of a configuration process. In operation, a controller may determine that calibration is needed. A calibration process may be initiated and performed with little or no user interaction. A calibration process may account for a load, a power source, or an environment.
US10023261B2

A motorcycle trailer that includes a box trailer bed. The motorcycle trailer also includes a hinged lift lid, the lift lid including aerodynamic curvature on the front top and rear top. The motorcycle trailer additionally includes at least one lid latch positioned and structured on the off-road side of the hinged lift lid for fastening and unfastening the hinged lift lid closed selectively and the hinged lift lid having lid curvature corresponding to the aerodynamic curvature of the front top and the aerodynamic curvature of the rear top of the box trailer bed. The motorcycle trailer also includes the box trailer bed being affixed to a trailer frame, a road-side wheel suspended from the roadway side of the trailer frame with a road-side spring member and an off-road-side wheel suspended from the off-road side of the trailer frame with an off-road-side spring member.
US10023250B2

Provided are multi-tread vehicles and methods of operating such vehicles to access small interior spaces. A multi-tread vehicle may include two or more tread sections such that each pair of adjacent tread sections is interconnected by a connector section. Furthermore, each pair may have one or more degrees of articulations, such as being pivotable with respect to each other around one or more axis and/or being bendable with respect to each other around one or more axis. These articulation degrees may be provided by the connector section and/or by couplings between the connector section and each tread section. In some embodiments, each tread section may include two portions detachably coupled to each other. This detachable coupling may be used for disassembly of the multi-tread vehicle after or even during its use, for example, when only a portion of the vehicle needs to be retrieved from an interior space.
US10023241B2

An air flow adjusting structure for a vehicle includes: a fender liner provided above a tire in a vehicle vertical direction, the fender liner including an arch such that an air flow passage is formed between the arch and the tire; and an adjusting rib projecting from the arch in a vehicle-downward direction, the adjusting rib being inclined relative to a vehicle-width direction, and extending in a direction that intersects with a vehicle-longitudinal direction.
US10023237B2

A beam provided with at least one first part that has a main body with an overall U-shaped straight cross-section provided with lateral flanges protruding outwards from the sides of the U, the main body further comprising a bottom part as well as two wings forming the sides of the U.The central portion of the main body defines cells working under tension and under compression, respectively, on either side of a neutral main bending axis formed by two transition zones, which are each located between the U-shaped element and a lateral flange.The bottom part of the main body comprises at least one transition formed by a curvature discontinuity. And at least one wing comprises at least one transition formed by a curvature discontinuity.
US10023235B2

An automobile body and a method for manufacturing the same is provided in which a substantially rectangular windshield joining face is formed by a front roof arch, a front portion of roof side rails and a dash panel upper of a lower skeleton. Since the upper skeleton and the lower skeleton can be separated, there is the problem that a gap occurs between lower ends of the roof side rails of the upper skeleton and the vehicle width direction outer ends of the dash panel upper of the lower skeleton, and the windshield joining face is discontinuous. Extension parts are provided inward in the vehicle width direction from the lower ends of the roof side rails, and the vehicle width direction inner ends of the extension parts are connected to the vehicle width direction outer ends of the dash panel upper, thereby eliminating discontinuity of the windshield joining face.
US10023233B2

An auxiliary frame for supporting elements of a front suspension of a motor-vehicle includes two end supports for connection thereto of suspension elements and a structure which connects the end supports to each other. The connecting structure has a front beam and a rear beam which connect the end supports to each other. The rear beam has an arch-like configuration which extends substantially in a horizontal plane, with a central portion arranged in a forwardly spaced position. The front beam of the connecting structure has a configuration which is substantially straight and perpendicular to a vertical median plane of the auxiliary frame. The front beam and the rear beam are longitudinally spaced from each other and connected to each other by at least two lateral longitudinal arms spaced from each other and which have a configuration substantially straight and parallel to the vertical median plane of the auxiliary frame.
US10023227B2

A steering assistance control apparatus includes a positional deviation calculator, a relative yaw angle calculator, a target value calculator, and a steering driver. The positional deviation calculator calculates a lateral positional deviation between an own vehicle and a preceding vehicle, based on a detection signal by a sensor. The relative yaw angle calculator calculates a relative yaw angle, in which the relative yaw angle is an angle formed by a traveling direction of the own vehicle and a traveling direction of the preceding vehicle. The target value calculator calculates a steering-related control target value, based on the lateral positional deviation and the relative yaw angle. The steering driver that drives a steering mechanism, based on the control target value.
US10023223B2

A steering column assembly includes an energy absorption assembly, an adjustment lever, and a rocker member. The energy absorption assembly has an energy absorption strap and a cam member. The adjustment lever is operatively connected to at least one of the upper jacket assembly and the lower jacket assembly. The rocker member has a rocker member body that extends between a first end connected to the adjustment lever and a second end configured to engage the cam member.
US10023218B2

A carrier mounting (3a, 3b) for supporting an infant carrier on a pushchair chassis, the mounting comprising a socket member having a first socket (17) and a second socket (19) therein, both sockets being configured to receive a correspondingly shaped mounting strut of an infant carrier. The socket member is pivotable between first and second positions such that when the carrier mounting is connected to a pushchair chassis, the first or second socket (17, 19) respectively is locatable in a receiving position in which a longitudinal axis of the respective socket bore is oriented with respect to the pushchair chassis at an angle suitable for receiving a mounting strut of an infant carrier. When the second socket (19) is in its receiving position, said second socket (19) supports the infant carrier at a higher point on the pushchair chassis than the first socket (17). The carrier mounting further comprises a locking mechanism (23) configured to releasably hold the socket member in each of the first and second positions, and to allow pivoting therebetween.
US10023207B2

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a zip line or trolley system kit for propelling a person or an object using gravity along an extended cable line suspended between two trees or towers. The zip line or trolley system may include an easily installable support harness assembly, a braking system and a removable seat fixture to provide for the zip line system to be completely portable to be carried, installed and taken down in remote locations.
US10023183B2

A method of controlling an engine speed of a hybrid vehicle including a motor that is connected to a transmission, a battery that provides a driving voltage to the motor, an engine that is selectively connected to the motor through an engine clutch, and a hybrid starter-generator (HSG) that is connected to the engine includes: comparing, when the engine is started, an external air temperature to a setting temperature; setting a battery rated derating factor based on the comparison of the external air temperature to the setting temperature; determining an output area of the HSG according to a battery voltage; and outputting an available torque of the HSG based on the set battery rated derating factor and the determined HSG output area.
US10023181B2

A control device that includes an electronic control unit that is programmed to: perform shift device shift control in order to change a speed ratio, which is a ratio of a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine to a rotational speed of the output member, by changing at least the shift speed that is established by the shift device; and perform differential gear shift control in in order to change the speed ratio by changing rotational speeds of the first rotary element and the second rotary element of the differential gear unit without changing the shift speed that is established by the shift device.
US10023176B2

A method for predicting a range of a vehicle having an at least partially electric drive. When a first operating mode of the vehicle is ended at a time, the vehicle switches into a second operating mode when the first operating mode ends. The range of the vehicle is determined when the first operating mode ends. Starting at the time at which the first operating mode ends, the temporal development of a parameter from the surroundings of the vehicle is determined for a certain duration, wherein the vehicle is in the second operating mode for at least a portion of the certain duration. Also disclosed is a device for predicting a range of a vehicle having an at least partially electric drive.
US10023174B2

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting engine operation of a hybrid vehicle to increase power output and fuel efficiency. In one example, a method may include operating the engine using an Atkinson cycle during a lower than threshold engine torque demand and a lower than threshold battery state of charge, and operating the engine using an Otto cycle during a higher than threshold torque demand. During operation in the Otto cycle, an octane booster is injected to the fuel line to increase the octane level in the fuel, if desired.
US10023173B2

An electromotive drive system including a small motor and a small-capacity battery more effectively improves the fuel economy of an engine-driven vehicle. An electromotive drive system includes: a motor for driving a vehicle; a battery storing electrical energy to rotate the motor; an inverter; a converting mechanism transmitting rotation of the motor to a drive shaft at a predetermined conversion ratio independently of a conversion ratio at which an engine is driven; and a control unit controlling an operation of the inverter. The control unit is configured so that upper vehicle speed limits, to which the motor is allowed to operate, can be set separately during powering and during regeneration, respectively.
US10023168B2

A hydraulic power unit for a braking system of a vehicle, including a first sub-brake circuit or brake circuit and a second sub-brake circuit or brake circuit, a first supply line branching into a first line section having a first circuit separating valve situated therein, and a second line section having a first electrically controllable reservoir separating valve and/or first check valve situated therein, and a second supply line branching into a third line section having a second circuit separating valve situated therein and a fourth line section having a second electrically controllable reservoir separating valve and/or second check valve situated therein.
US10023166B2

A brake control device capable of preventing a braking force from being excessive when information cannot be transmitted between a first control unit configured to control operation of a boost mechanism and a second control unit configured to control operation of a hydraulic control mechanism. When a second ECU (32) cannot transmit information to a first ECU (26) due to a disconnection of a signal line (27), the second ECU carries out backup control of detecting a braking operation amount of a driver based on signal input from hydraulic pressure sensors (29), and operating a hydraulic pressure supply device (30) based on the detected braking operation amount, to thereby pressurize insides of wheel cylinders. In this case, the second ECU decreases a pressurization amount of a pressure inside the wheel cylinders when a pressure of a master cylinder (8) exceeds a predetermined value (PM0) during the backup control.
US10023165B2

A method for operating a brake system of a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, including at least one wheel brake having a displaceable brake piston and an electric motor first actuator of a parking brake and a hydraulic second actuator of an operating brake for displacing the brake piston in each case. For operating the parking brake, the electric motor first actuator is activated in order to set a specifiable target clamping force of the wheel brake. If the maximum clamping force that is achievable by the electric motor first actuator is lower than the target clamping force, then the hydraulic second actuator is activated to provide an additional clamping force.
US10023160B2

Actuator device for brakes suitable to be operatively connected to at least a first braking device acting on a brake disc or drum, so as to exercise a braking action, the actuator device for brakes being fitted with a lever and/or pedal for its manual operation, and being provided with a body which houses at least one piston which acts on a hydraulic circuit fluidically connected to said at least one first braking device for the hydraulic operation thereof, the lever and/or pedal being operatively connected to said piston so as to command its movement in an operating direction so as to exert pressure on the fluid of the hydraulic circuit, characterized in that the actuator device for brakes is fitted with an automatic actuator, operatively connected to the piston and/or to the operating lever and/or pedal so as to increase, control or reduce the braking action imposed manually by the operation of the operating lever and/or pedal, controlling the operating stroke of the piston.
US10023158B2

An anti-theft vehicle brake including a lockable restraining hub coupled to a wheel. The lock's default state being engaged and preventing rotation of the wheel. The lock including a solenoid bolt controlled through the communication of authenticating information sent from a transmitter and recognized by a receiver, triggering the disengagement of the bolt from the restraining hub allowing rotation of the wheel.
US10023155B2

A wiper fluid container including a fluid dispensing opening and an opening of a connecting member. The fluid dispensing opening is equipped with a connector that works with another connector in order to ensure fluid communication between those openings, where one connector can move from a first closed position of the container to a second open position thereby freeing that opening.
US10023154B2

A connector for connecting a wiper blade and multiple types of wiper arms, the connector including a base for attachment to a wiper blade. The connector further includes a receiving element attached to the base, the receiving element having a structure to receive and be connected to at least six different wiper arms.
US10023149B2

A vehicle occupant protection device includes a front airbag and a lateral airbag. The front airbag is provided in a vehicle body and deploys in front of an occupant boarding the vehicle body so that at least a head of the occupant hits against the front airbag. The lateral airbag is provided in the vehicle body so as to deploy at a lateral side of the occupant. The lateral airbag has a protrusion that deploys toward a middle of the vehicle body in a width direction. The protrusion is deployed together with the front airbag so that the head of the occupant hitting against the front airbag is supported from front and lateral sides.
US10023140B2

A bumper assembly for a motor vehicle comprising a cross member that extends transverse the motor vehicle, and has an open hat-shaped hollow profile with a rear-sided web and legs, extending from the web, wherein flanges extend from a free end of the legs in the vertical direction; and an opening pointing away from the motor vehicle, in the longitudinal direction. At least one closing plate is arranged allowing the opening to be completely closed in the vertical direction and arranged allowing a partial length of less than 50% of the length of the opening to be closed in the transverse direction; and that the flanges are offset from each other with an offset in the longitudinal direction; and that the cross member has a varying cross section over its length, wherein a central region is offset upwards from the end regions with a height offset to the vertical direction.
US10023139B2

A bicycle control system is basically provided with a first power supply, a plurality of electric drive devices and an operating apparatus. The electric drive devices are electrically coupled to the first power supply to receive electric power supplied from the first power supply. The operating apparatus wirelessly operates the electric drive devices by wireless signals.
US10023138B1

A vehicular acceleration input control apparatus is disclosed. The example apparatus includes a power circuit electrically connected to a wiring harness that connects a vehicular control module to accelerator pedal position sensors. The power circuit includes a first power supply line connected to a first harness power wire of the wiring harness and a second power supply line connected to a second harness power wire of the wiring harness. The power circuit also includes a ground line connected to at least one of a first harness ground wire and a second harness ground wire of the wiring harness. The example apparatus also includes a processor electrically connected to and configured to receive power from the power circuit. The processor is configured to adjust acceleration input control signals from acceleration pedal position sensors of an acceleration pedal for transmission to the vehicular control module.
US10023136B2

A wire harness includes electric wires, and an electromagnetic wave suppression member that includes a restricting member and an annular magnetic core, the restricting member being provided to cover a periphery of the electric wires and including an inner wall portion more rigid than the electric wires, and the magnetic core being provided around the inner wall portion. The restricting member includes fixing portions formed to fix the electromagnetic wave suppression member to a fixing target.
US10023130B2

A fuse-puller holding structure, in which a fuse puller used for detachment of a fuse is held by a fuse-puller holding object provided in a vehicle, includes: an engagement portion and a rib portion. The rib portion is provided at a position opposite to a predetermined position of the fuse puller across a support such that the rib portion serves as a fulcrum with the engagement portion as a point of load at the time when the predetermined position of the fuse puller is assumed a point of effort, and the rib portion being provided at a position at which a distance between the point of load and the rib portion is not more than a distance between the point of effort and the point of load. The fuse puller is held by the support so as to be distanced from the mounting surface of the fuse-puller holding object.
US10023123B2

Provided is an image display mirror that includes a half mirror and an image display apparatus, reduces an influence of a reflected image provided by the half mirror, and is excellent in visibility of an image displayed on the image display apparatus. The image display mirror for a vehicle includes: a circularly polarizing plate arranged attachably and removably; a half mirror; and an image display apparatus in the stated order from a viewer side. In one embodiment, attached and removed states of the circularly polarizing plate are switched when an image is displayed on the image display apparatus and when the image is not displayed thereon, and when the image is displayed, the circularly polarizing plate is arranged between the half mirror and a viewer.
US10023120B2

An illustrative example camera device includes a sensor that is configured to detect radiation. A first portion of the sensor has a first field of vision and is used for a first imaging function. A distortion correction prism directs radiation outside the first field of vision toward the sensor. A lens element between the distortion correcting prism and the sensor includes a surface at an oblique angle relative to a sensor axis. The lens element directs radiation from the distortion correcting prism toward a second portion of the sensor that has a second field of vision and is used for a second imaging function. The sensor provides a first output for the first imaging function based on radiation detected at the first portion of the sensor. The sensor provides a second output for the second imaging function based on radiation detection at the second portion.
US10023116B2

A computer-implemented method for detecting an unattended living presence in a vehicle having at least two doors, comprising determining, before the vehicle starts moving, a first total number of vehicle door openings utilizing a non added-on door sensor integrated in the vehicle, each of the door sensors is associated with at least one of the at least two doors and is indicative of a door state, wherein each opening of a door indicates a change in a door state of a door, out of the at least two doors, from a door closed state to a door open state; determining, after the vehicle has stopped moving and until being locked, a second total number of vehicle door openings utilizing the non added-on door sensors; and in case the first total number exceeds the second total number, outputting an alert on a possible unattended living presence in a vehicle.
US10023113B2

An apparatus for detecting an emergency situation of a vehicle comprises a sensor unit, an emergency situation determining unit and a communication unit. The sensor unit constitutes with one or more of a speed sensor, a wheel sensor, an acceleration sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, and a tilt sensor. The emergency situation determining unit receives a signal from the sensor unit and determines whether a driver's vehicle is in an emergency situation. The communication unit creates at least one of an emergency situation message representing the emergency situation of the driver's vehicle and a release message representing the release of the emergency situation according to the determination result of the emergency situation determining unit, transmits the message to an external emergency situation propagation device, and allows the emergency situation propagation device to propagate an emergency propagation state of the driver's vehicle to the outside.
US10023110B1

A badge is provided herein. The badge includes a proximity sensor located on said badge providing an activation field. The badge further includes control circuitry configured to monitor a signal responsive to the activation field and determine a switch activation based on the signal. The control circuitry is further configured to determine a moisture value based upon the signal.
US10023107B1

An electric light has a light bulb within a housing. The housing has generally horizontal exterior and interior surfaces and a periphery. The exterior surface has a translucent plate. A gripper, constructed of a pair of similarly configured arms, supports the housing. Each arm has a downwardly extending finger and an upwardly extending handle. Each arm has a laterally extending projection with a pivot pin pivotably coupling arms. A spring encompasses the pivot pin and contacts the handles. A coupling assembly couples the housing to the gripper which is removably supported on a recipient surface of a trailing vehicle. The electric light is adjustably positioned with respect to the recipient surface of the trailing vehicle.
US10023102B2

A vehicular headlamp includes: a first light distribution portion including a first light source; a second light distribution portion including a second light source and an micro electro mechanical system mirror; a holding member configured to hold the first light source, the second light source, and the micro electro mechanical system mirror; a single lens including a first lens portion and a second lens portion; and a separating wall formed in the holding member so as to protrude toward the vehicle front side relative to the holding member, the separating wall being configured to separate a region between the first lens portion and the holding member from a region between the second lens portion and the holding member.
US10023101B2

A clutching adjuster having a housing with a nose, the nose including a plurality of discrete helically-shaped thread segments, a ball stud journaled by a ball stud bore for axial movement therethrough and passing through the nose of the housing, the ball stud having a threaded portion, an unthreaded portion, a ball, and a drive spline portion, an outbound annular travel barrier and an inbound annular travel barrier, wherein, in length of travel clutching operation and end of travel clutching operation where the ball stud is axially rotated through the ball stud bore, the receipt of an undue axial force of resistance on the ball stud results in outward deflection of engaged thread segments, thereby allowing the threaded engagement between the threaded portion of the ball stud and the thread segments to clutch.
US10023092B2

According to the present disclosure, a child restraint includes a juvenile seat having a seat bottom and a seat back extending upwardly from the seat bottom. The juvenile seat further includes a cupholder coupled to the seat bottom.
US10023091B2

A vehicle, including a driver assistance device with the aid of which an autonomous driving mode without driver intervention may be carried out in an autopilot mode, and including at least one storage element for storing objects, such as a cup holder and/or a storage table, which is adjustable between a position of non-use and at least one position of use. The driver assistance device is assigned a control unit, which enables an adjustment of the storage element into the position of use when the autopilot mode is activated and disables an adjustment of the storage element into the position of use when the autopilot mode is deactivated.
US10023090B2

An apparatus is for providing seating in a vehicle passenger compartment. A vehicle seat includes a headrest for forming at least a portion of a seating surface of the vehicle seat in a stowed position and a panel for forming the portion of the seating surface in a deployed position of the headrest. The stowed headrest may be positioned in a cavity formed in the seat. The panel may be connected to the headrest, and at least partially sandwiched between an inner surface of the cavity and the headrest in the stowed position.
US10023089B2

The objective of the present invention is to provide a headrest that can have increased comfort and safety. This headrest is provided with: an affixed-side member provided to a headrest pillar; a mobile-side member that is joined to the affixed-side member with a mobile mechanism therebetween and that can move in the front-back direction with respect to the affixed-side member; and a front-back locking mechanism that has an engaged section and a lock member that engages the engaged section, and that locks and unlocks the movement of the mobile-side member in the front-back direction. Also, the mobile-side member has a front-side cover for supporting a head. Furthermore, the engaged section is attached to the back surface of the front-side cover.
US10023086B2

An element of connection between a trim element of a motor vehicle seat element and a cover part, wherein the connection element has a profiled shape having, in cross-section a first jaw and a second jaw intended to pinch together an edge of the trim element and an edge of the cover part, the connection element being one piece.
US10023083B1

A seat mounting structure for mounting a seat to a work vehicle includes a seat base fixed to a vehicle body, a seat swing element fixed to the seat and attached to the seat base to be vertically swingable, a suspension unit arranged between the seat base and the seat swing element, and a lock lever attached to the seat swing element to be movable between a seat locking position to prevent the seat swing element from flipping over and a seat unlocking position to allow the seat swinging element to swing upward. The lock lever engages the suspension unit in the seat locking position and disengages from the suspension unit in the seat unlocking position.
US10023079B2

A child safety seat includes a seat portion and a backrest connected with each other, and a belt restraint and a latch respectively connected with the backrest, the belt restraint and the latch respectively having a first and a second outer major surface. The backrest has a front surface on which is provided a recess, and the belt restraint is movable relative to the backrest between a clamping state for pressing an anchoring belt in the recess and a release state for facilitating installation or removal of the anchoring belt. The latch can engage with the belt restraint for locking the belt restraint in the clamping state, and disengage from the belt restraint for its movement between the clamping state and the release state. The first and second outer major surfaces are substantially flush with the front surface of the backrest when the latch is engaged with the belt restraint.
US10023075B2

A vehicle includes a vehicle seat comprising a seat base structure and a seat back structure pivotally connected to the seat base structure. The seat back structure includes a central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable region adjacent the central adjustable region and a outboard side adjustable region located adjacent the central adjustable region. The seat back structure includes a central proximity sensor located at the central adjustable region, an inboard side proximity sensor located at the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side proximity sensor located at the outboard side adjustable region. A seat back structure adjustment apparatus includes a central region adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the central adjustable region, an inboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the inboard side adjustable region and an outboard side adjustable member that adjusts a configuration of the outboard adjustable region.
US10023071B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a train control method for maximizing utilization of regenerative energy. The method mainly comprises: working out a matching error ΔT of a current matched pair of trains Mx (i, j) of a station in the current running situation; and comparing the matching error ΔT with a preset maximum adjustable error ΔTx of the current matched pair of trains Mx (i, j) of the station and determining a strategy for adjusting train running of the current matched pair of trains Mx (i, j) according to comparison results.
US10023067B2

A method for charging a motor vehicle battery includes determining the electrolyte resistance frequency of the cell, determining the battery charge transfer resistance frequency, and charging the battery with a current at a charging current frequency greater than the electrolyte resistance frequency of the battery and less than the battery charge transfer resistance frequency.
US10023064B2

A controller of a vehicle may be programmed to charge and discharge a battery according to a state of charge derived from model parameters defining one of a series of RC circuits that characterize frequency response of the battery to input current and that each has a time constant proportional to another of the time constants, and a proportionality parameter indicative of proportional relationship between the time constants. The proportionality parameter may be such that a ratio of the resistances of the RC circuits is equal to a ratio of the capacitances of the RC circuits.
US10023058B2

A charging station includes a plurality of electric power transmission portions and a power supply ECU. When a second vehicle is parked at a position where it can receive electric power from a first electric power transmission portion and when the second vehicle receives weak electric power from the first electric power transmission portion, the second vehicle transmits to the power supply ECU, an occupation signal which allows determination that the parking position corresponds to the first electric power transmission portion. When the power supply ECU receives the occupation signal of the first electric power transmission portion from the second vehicle, the power supply ECU stops transmission of weak electric power from the first electric power transmission portion and guides a first vehicle to a second electric power transmission portion.
US10023051B2

Disclosed herein are a vehicle and a method of controlling the same. The vehicle may be safely controlled by considering a manipulation load amount for manipulating a function of the vehicle when a user manipulates a user interface of the function, thereby providing safer driving of the vehicle. The vehicle includes a storage configured to store information on sizes of manipulation loads for a plurality of user interfaces for using a plurality of functions of the vehicle, and a controller configured to perform safe driving control corresponding to a size of a manipulation load of the a corresponding function from the plurality of functions when the a user interface from the plurality of user interfaces is manipulated to use at least one of the plurality of functions of the vehicle.
US10023048B2

An automotive service liquid tank for receiving a service liquid of a motor vehicle, in particular an aqueous urea solution, has a tank wall that encloses a tank volume on the inside of the tank, wherein the tank has locally, by comparison with at least one other tank region, at least one region with enhanced thermal insulation, in order to influence a freezing behavior of the service liquid received in the tank in such a way that the service liquid, when the outside temperature drops, freezes later in the tank region with enhanced thermal insulation than in the at least one other tank region without enhanced thermal insulation. According to the invention it is provided that the enhanced thermal insulation is formed integrally with the tank wall.
US10023046B2

A non-cylinder type composite pressure vessel of a vehicle is provided. The vessel includes a nozzle boss that includes a neck part having a hollow portion and a flange part that extends outward from the neck part. Additionally, a liner is engaged with the nozzle boss, thereby forming in the inside thereof a fluid filling space. The liner is formed stepped along a rim of an outer side of a reinforced area formed at an end portion of the fluid filling space.
US10023036B2

Some embodiments are directed to a seal assembly including a main door seal that extends around a vehicle door interior surface and that is spaced from a door perimeter. A first seal portion extends from an inward end thereof disposed along the main door seal to an outward end thereof disposed along the vehicle door perimeter. The first seal portion forms a barrier vertically above a latch slot, is capable of intercepting substances disposed above and traveling downward toward the latch slot, and facilitates transport of the intercepted substances to the door perimeter. A second seal portion is disposed between the latch slot and the vehicle door perimeter, and extends downwardly from the outward end of the first seal portion. The second seal portion is configured to impede travel toward the vehicle door interior surface of the intercepted substances that have been transported to the vehicle door perimeter.
US10023029B2

A vehicle door (10) has a door main body (20) comprising an inner panel (21) and an outer panel (22); a door sash (40) at the top of the door main body (20); a window opening section (14); a window panel (17) that occludes at least a portion of the window opening section (14); a panel support frame (50) that supports at least a portion of the window panel (17); and a belt line reinforcing member (100) attached to the inner panel (21) or the outer panel (22) along an upper edge of the door main body (20). The belt line reinforcing member (100) has an upper extension section (102) extending along the door sash (40) above the upper edge of the door main body (20), and the panel support frame (50) is sandwiched between the door sash (40) and the upper extension section (102).
US10023028B2

An autodimming window assembly for a vehicle such as an aircraft includes a UI devoid of movable elements and integrated with a dust cover of the window assembly. A dust cover optionally includes a lightguide configured to deliver light from a light source associated with the assembly and indicia representing an operational characteristic of the UI and articulated to the dust cover.
US10023023B2

A cowl cross assembly structure for a vehicle is provided. The cowl cross assembly structure includes a cowl cross bar which is connected horizontal at left and right sides between front pillars of a vehicle and a duct which passes through an aperture of a bracket which has been installed at the cowl cross bar and is integrally formed with the cowl cross bar. A fixing member is included on an exterior circumferential surface thereof to fix an installation position within the interior of the through hole.
US10023018B2

An arrangement for a motor vehicle includes a suspension arm, an engine cradle, a wheel attached to the suspension arm, at least one intermediate linking fork joint disposed between the suspension arm and the engine cradle to ensure attachment of the suspension arm to the engine cradle, removable elements to attach the linking fork joint to the engine cradle, elements to attach the suspension arm to the linking fork joint, and first fusible elements to allow a first relative displacement of the suspension arm with respect to the engine cradle over a first path only in an event of application, to the wheel or to the suspension arm, of an external force having a lateral component that exceeds a first predetermined threshold for which the first fusible elements are sized. The first fusible elements include at least one portion of the linking fork joint.
US10023017B1

Air-drag powered devices are provided for automatically maintaining a target inflation pressure or for equipping vehicle wheels with additional functionality. One illustrative device embodiment is an air compressor that attaches to the wheel of a vehicle to turn with the wheel as the vehicle moves. A drag member extends from the body of the air compressor to alternately present opposing surfaces to the air through which the vehicle passes. The air drag on the member thus creates an alternating drag force that powers the air compressor. Another illustrative device embodiment is an energy harvester that attaches to the wheel of a vehicle to turn with the wheel as the vehicle moves. A drag member attached to the base of the energy harvester presents alternating surfaces to the air through which the vehicle passes to derive a reciprocating motion suitable for generating electricity usable for powering wheel-mounted sensors or lights.
US10023016B2

An air maintenance tire assembly includes an air pumping passageway located within a tire sidewall to generate compressed air. An outlet screw assembly includes an elongate screw body residing within a profiled sidewall bore. The screw body extends through an axial span of the first sidewall to the tire cavity to conduct air from the sidewall air passageway to the tire cavity. The screw body has enlarged sectional end components to deter radial dislodging of the screw body from the sidewall bore during operation.
US10023015B2

Heavy vehicle tire with two beads (2) contacting rim (3) an outer face (21), radial carcass reinforcement (4) having carcass layer (41) wound within each bead (2) around bead wire (5) having center (O) to form turnup (411), additional circumferential reinforcement (6), in each bead (2), having additional layer (61, 62), additional reinforcement (6) extending radially from radially inner end (E1) to radially outer end (E2) and axially on outerside of axially outermost turnup (411). The orthogonal projection (P1) of radially inner end (E1) of additional circumferential reinforcement (6) onto axially outer face (21) of bead (2) is radially on outside of center (O) of bead wire (5), the orthogonal projection (P2) of radially outer end (E2) of additional circumferential reinforcement (6) onto axially outer face (21) of the bead (2) contacting point (P′2) of rim (3) that is axially on inside of point (C) of last contact of rim (3) when tire (1) is mounted and inflated, and radial distance (d) between end (E1) and end (E2) of additional circumferential reinforcement (6) is at most 20 mm.
US10023013B2

Provided is a tire and a tire surface printing method which are capable of reducing man-hours and cost required for application of printing on the tire surface. The tire and the tire surface printing method include, on an outer surface of at least one of side portions (3) thereof, a printed region (5) formed by printing. The printed region (5) includes: a dark-colored portion (7) having a black color, which is a base color of the tire; and a bright-colored portion (9) that has a color different from the black color and that is located to surround the dark-colored portion (7). The dark-colored portion (7) is not applied with any paint, and the bright-colored portion (9) includes a white-colored layer (11) that includes a white color paint and that is located as the lowermost layer being in contact at least with the outer surface (3a) of the side portion (3).
US10023011B2

A tire the tread of which contains at least three circumferential grooves, having at least three radially superposed layers of elastomeric compounds.A first elastomeric compound constituting the first layer forming the radially outer part of the tread has a maximum value of tan(δ)max, greater than 0.110, a second elastomeric compound constituting the second layer radially on the inside has a tan(δ)max at least 10% lower than the first elastomeric compound, the radially innermost third layer of the tread consists of at least two first parts and of at least three second parts axially, each one in contact with at least one of the at least two first parts, the at least two first parts axially centered on a radial plane passing through one of the at least three circumferential grooves consisting of the second compound and the at least three second parts consisting of a third elastomeric compound having a maximum value of tan(δ), denoted tan(δ)max, at least 10% lower than the second elastomeric compound.
US10023009B2

A tire which is formed of a resin material, is highly elastic, has a low loss factor, and has excellent heat resistance and fracture characteristics. A tire 10 has a circular tire case 17 that is formed of a resin material including a polystyrene-based resin and a resin having compatibility with polystyrene and having a glass transition temperature (Tg) higher than that of polystyrene.
US10023005B2

This invention concerns a damper used to reduce the running noise of track wheels. It can absorb wheel vibration, reduce oscillation amplitude and reduce the noise radiation of the wheel. The damper has a damping connector and a damping ring which has an open section; the end of the open section has an angled plane; the damping connector has a pipe-shaped object with two locating objects at the both ends; the locating object has a bar which can get into the pipe-shaped object and a wedge-shaped object which matches the angled plane of the end of the open section; inside the pipe-shaped object is a spring which can push out the two locating objects; each locating object has a locating hole which allows a bar to get through from the pipe-shaped object.
US10023002B2

An engraving tool for allowing a craftsperson to engrave an object, such a ring or other jewelry, while allowing a discrete number of degrees of freedom but restricting all others. In an embodiment, an engraving tool includes a base portion coupled to a manipulator housing portion that is rotatably attached to the base portion such that the manipulator housing portion may be rotated in a first degree of freedom (e.g., rotated in a horizontal plane with respect to a vertical axis of the base portion). The engraving tool further includes a manipulator secured to the manipulator housing portion in a U-shaped socket such that the manipulator is configured to be rotated in a second degree of freedom (e.g., rotated in one particular vertical plane with respect to the horizontal plane). A ring holder is attached to manipulator and configured to secure a ring for engraving.
US10022987B2

In one example, a media support includes a platen and multiple suction cups in the platen. Each suction cup in the platen has a port through which air may be evacuated from the cup.
US10022973B2

Apparatus and methods are provided. A supply of ink within a flexible bag is located apart from a printer. A fluid conduit couples the supply of ink to the printer by way of a connecting head. The connecting head includes a pump driven by a mechanical actuator of the printer. Operation of the pump causes a flow of ink from the flexible bag to a printhead of the printer. Pump failure is detected and interpreted as an out-of-ink condition, and user notification and/or cessation of printing operations are automatically performed.
US10022972B2

A waste liquid container includes an accommodating case which includes a mounting surface which is an external surface that faces internally in a mounting direction and a first side surface and a second side surface which are outside surfaces extending in a direction intersecting a width direction, a waste liquid introducing portion which is connected to a discharging portion, and a circuit board including a connecting terminal which is electrically connected to a substrate connecting portion. The accommodating case includes a recessed portion which opens on the mounting surface and the first side surface and allows a projecting portion to be inserted therein, when being mounted on the mounting portion, and a notch which opens on the mounting surface and the second side surface vertically below the waste liquid introducing portion. The connecting terminal is disposed inside the recessed portion.
US10022971B2

An automatic inkjet head cleaning method for a powder bed and inkjet 3D printer is provided, and the method includes steps: controlling a powder-laying module and a plurality of the inkjet heads of the powder bed and inkjet 3D printer to print a 3D physical model according to 3D printing data; retrieving a status value continuously or intermittently during printing; executing the first cleaning procedure for cleaning all or parts of the inkjet heads when determining the status value satisfies the first cleaning configuration value; and executing the second cleaning procedure for cleaning all or parts of the inkjet heads when determining the status value satisfies the second cleaning configuration value. The method automatically cleans the inkjet heads during the printing process, which effectively improves printing quality and reduces printing failure rates.
US10022968B2

A method (e.g., for creating a printing plate assembly of an ink jet print head assembly) includes coating one or more sides of plural planar subsection plates with a bonding material. The subsection plates include printing holes through which a fluid is to be ejected from the ink jet print head assembly. The method also includes placing the subsection plates of the printing plate assembly against each other with the printing holes axially aligned with each other and heating the bonding material between the subsection plates such that the subsection plates are affixed to each other. The subsection plates are coupled with each other to form a chamber printing assembly that is coupled to the ink jet print head assembly that prints fluid onto one or more objects by ejecting the fluid out of the printing holes of the subsection plates. The subsection plates may be hermetically bonded to each other by inductively heating the assembly.
US10022967B2

A liquid jetting apparatus jetting a liquid onto a recording medium conveyed in a first direction includes head units arranged in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction. One head unit includes nozzle chips; one nozzle chip has a nozzle arrangement area wherein nozzles are aligned in a third direction crossing the first and second directions. The nozzle chip is arranged to be shifted relative to another nozzle chip in a direction crossing the first and second directions and different from the third direction. The head unit has a first overlapping portion wherein nozzle arrangement areas of first and second nozzle chips included in the nozzle chips partially overlap with each other in the first direction. The liquid jetting apparatus has a second overlapping portion wherein nozzle arrangement areas of third and fourth nozzle chips included in the head units partially overlap with each other in the first direction.
US10022966B2

Film-forming apparatuses, systems, and methods are provided. The apparatus can include a substrate positioning system and a printing array that includes an inkjet printing array and/or a thermal printing array. The positioning system can be a gas-bearing plate system. The positioning system can be configured to move a substrate between a first position, away from the printing array, and a second position, above the printing array. The apparatuses, systems, and methods can be used to manufacture organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), for example, flat panel displays.
US10022959B2

A motor drive circuit which drives a motor, includes a driving unit that supplies a drive current to the motor on the basis of a control signal, an amplification unit that amplifies a potential difference between a first node of a wire, through which at least a portion of the drive current flows, and a second node of the wire, and a controller that generates the control signal on the basis of comparison between the potential difference amplified by the amplification unit and a threshold voltage.
US10022950B2

A system for providing a joint for connecting a first object and a second object includes a data acquisition device configured to acquire joint parameter data regarding the first object and the second object, and a controller coupled to the data acquisition device and configured to provide joint design data regarding a design of the joint based on the joint parameter data.
US10022949B2

A system for use in fabricating a laminate structure from a plurality of layers of material is provided. The system includes a marker coupled to at least two of the plurality of layers, and a positioning system configured to arrange the plurality of layers in a predetermined layup position based on a position of the markers.
US10022948B2

A composite pipe is disclosed. The composite pipe includes a thermoplastic inner layer and a tape layer. The tape layer is exterior to and bonded with the thermoplastic inner layer. The composite pipe also includes a protective layer formed exterior to the tape layer.
US10022928B2

Pressure sensors may be used to directly measure the pressure between a green tire and a curing apparatus during shaping and/or during curing. This can be accomplished by a method including the steps of: (A) providing a bladder, a tire mold and, a green tire having a pair of annular beads and one or more plies; (B) mounting a first pressure sensor to an inner surface of the green tire between an overlay and a belt; (C) inserting the green tire into the tire mold and closing the tire mold; (D) shaping the green tire by expanding the bladder within the green tire against the closed tire mold; and, (E) directly measuring the pressure between the overlay and the belt of the green tire during step (D) with the first pressure sensor.
US10022925B2

The invention is directed to a reusable mold for making a contact lens and the reusable mold has at least one of the mold halves is made from an oxide glass having a Knoop Hardness less than HK 350. The invention is also directed to a method for making an optical part by single point diamond turning an oxide glass having a Knoop Hardness HK less than 350.
US10022916B2

A method for making a rapid prototype of a patient's mouth to be used in the design and fabrication of a dental prosthesis. An intra-oral scan is made of the patient's mouth having an installation site with a dental implant installed and a healing abutment attached to the dental implant. The healing abutment has at least one informational marker. Scan data is generated from the scanning. The scan data is transferred to a CAD program. A three-dimensional model of the installation site is created in the CAD program. The at least one informational marker and the three-dimensional model are used to manufacture a rapid prototype model of the patient's mouth, which includes a dental implant analog.
US10022913B2

A cartridge (1) for a stereolithography machine, comprising: a container (2) provided with an access opening (3) and with a transparent bottom (4) opposite the access opening (3); a reservoir (5) suited to contain a liquid or pasty base material, unremovably associated with the container (2); valve means (6) suited to allow the passage of the base material from the reservoir (5) to the container (2), configured to open when the difference between the pressure present in the reservoir (5) and the pressure present in the container (2) is at least equal to a predefined value and to close spontaneously when the pressure difference is lower than the predefined value, the reservoir (5) comprising tight connection means (7) for connection to an external air feeding device (8).
US10022910B2

The present invention provides an ancillary additive manufacturing system for manufacturing a reconstructed model simultaneously during the oral surgery to effectively reduce the time and healthcare human resources for the oral surgery. The ancillary additive manufacturing system comprises an input device and a printing body. The printing body is connected to the input device and comprises a base, an ink-manufacturing module, an inkjet head controlling unit, and multiple inkjet heads. The ink-manufacturing module is located above the base and comprises first, second, and third ink-manufacturing units. The inkjet head controlling unit is located above the base. The inkjet heads are mounted to the inkjet head controlling unit and point toward the base and comprise a first, second, and third inkjet head. The first, second, and third inkjet head correspondingly connected to the first, second, and third ink-manufacturing units.
US10022892B2

Method and facility or apparatus for cutting a slipform cast hollow-core concrete product with water jet cutting, wherein in the outer surface of the fresh cast hollow-core concrete product is formed depressions or grooves in the areas to be cut with water jet cutting before curing of the hollow-core concrete product, which depressions or grooves extend in the area of the hollow-cores of the concrete product.
US10022888B2

A fireproof material incorporating aerogel with a wood material and a method for making the same are provided. The method is carried out as follows: A. a mixed solution of a precursor and an organic solvent is added with an acid catalyst and becomes an aerogel solution through hydrolysis; B. the aerogel solution is added with an aqueous alkali catalyst solution and forms an aqueous aerogel solution through condensation; C. a wood material is impregnated with the aqueous aerogel solution such that aerogel generated by gelation covers the wood material; and D. the wood material is dried and then shaped to produce a fireproof material. The fireproof material is highly proof against fire and can pass the limiting oxygen index test.
US10022879B2

A robot controller configured to be able to mitigate the effect that an emergency stop may have on a robot is disclosed. The robot controller includes: a load detection unit which detects the load of a motor for driving each individual articulated axis of the robot; a speed detection unit which detects an axial speed at each individual articulated axis of the robot; a cause-of-stop identifying unit which, when an emergency stop of the robot occurs, identifies a cause of the occurrence of the emergency stop; and a recording unit which records the cause of the occurrence of the emergency stop by associating the cause with the axial speed or the load of the motor. The robot controller may further include a display unit which displays information representing the state of occurrence of the emergency stop of the robot.
US10022870B2

Methods and systems for enabling human-machine collaborations include a generalizable framework that supports dynamic adaptation and reuse of robotic capability representations and human-machine collaborative behaviors. Specifically, a method of feedback-enabled user-robot collaboration includes obtaining a robot capability that models a robot's functionality for performing task actions, specializing the robot capability with an information kernel that encapsulates task-related parameters associated with the task actions, and providing an instance of the specialized robot capability as a robot capability element that controls the robot's functionality based on the task-related parameters. The method also includes obtaining, based on the robot capability element's user interaction requirements, user interaction capability elements, via which the robot capability element receives user input and provides user feedback, controlling, based on the task-related parameters, the robot's functionality to perform the task actions in collaboration with the user input; and providing the user feedback including task-related information generated by the robot capability element in association with the task actions.
US10022868B2

This multi-joint link mechanism has a driving joint driven by a driving source and a follower joint driven by the movement of the driving joint. First, an open-loop link mechanism that allows the position and pose of a workpiece to be varied is selected from a multi-joint link mechanism. The amount of movement/rotation of each of the joints constituting the selected open-loop link mechanism is derived. The derived amounts of movement/rotation of each of the joints of the open-loop link mechanism are set as fixed values to derive the amount of movement/rotation of each of the joints of a closed-loop link mechanism composed of non-selected joints and at least some of the joints of the open-loop link mechanism.
US10022867B2

Methods and systems for dynamically maintaining a map of robotic devices in an environment are provided herein. A map of robotic devices may be determined, where the map includes predicted future locations of at least some of the robotic devices. One or more robotic devices may then be caused to perform a task. During a performance of the task by the one or more robotic devices, task progress data may be received from the robotic devices, indicative of which of the task phases have been performed. Based on the data, the map may be updated to include a modification to the predicted future locations of at least some of the robotic devices. One or more robotic devices may then be caused to perform at least one other task in accordance with the updated map.
US10022862B2

The present invention applies to a mobile robot which can have a human appearance and sophisticated functions enabling it to execute missions. To enable communications internal to the robot to be optimized and allow for a versatility that is both physical (possible substitution of parts of the robot) and software (replacement of programs to adapt it to new missions), an architecture with three computer levels is provided. The highest level comprises the intelligence of the robot which generates commands which are transmitted by an intermediate computer to low-level cards which control the sensors and actuators. Communication between the intermediate computer and the low-level cards is managed by at least one specific secure communication protocol.
US10022858B2

A mechanic's chair with a movable tray includes a support and a seat pad disposed on the support. The tray is disposed below the seat pad and can be pulled to move and engageably fixed in place such that the distance by which the tray is pulled depends on a user's need for accessing the tray for a tool, and the tray is moved and fixed in place efficiently by an engagement mechanism composed of a lever disposed beside the tray and rails disposed on the support.
US10022853B1

The power tools having integral GPS-based locating means is configured for use as a power tool. The power tools having integral GPS-based locating means is configured for use with the global positioning system (GPS). The power tools having integral GPS-based locating means comprises a power tool, a tracking device, an appropriate authority, and a plurality of messages. The tracking device: 1) is contained within the power tool; and, 2) communicates with the appropriate authority by exchanging a plurality of messages. The tracking device: 1) tracks the GPS location of the power tool; and, 2) provides the GPS coordinates of the power tool to the appropriate authority through the plurality of messages.
US10022846B2

The present invention provides a screwdriver which includes a shaft, a handle and a speed increasing mechanism, in which the speed increasing mechanism includes a central axle connected to the shaft and provided with a toothed part on its periphery, a first member is disposed in the interior of the handle, at least one gear is connected to the first member, and a geared sleeve is sheathed outside the gear, in which the inner side of the geared sleeve has teeth on corresponding positions, engaging with the gear which is disposed at a side part of the central axle and is engaged with the toothed part of the periphery of the central axle. The present invention also includes a locking mechanism addressing the problem of torque being not high.
US10022840B1

Embodiments relate to polycrystalline diamond compacts (“PDCs”) including a substrate and a polycrystalline diamond (“PCD”) table mounted to the substrate. The PCD table includes an upper surface and one or more recesses extending inwardly from the upper surface of the PCD table. The one or more recesses may help prevent, stop, or limit crack propagation and may redistribute, breakup, or relieve stresses in the PCD table. In some embodiments, the one or more recesses exhibit, in plain view, a generally rectangular geometry, a generally circular geometry, or a generally triangular geometry. In some embodiments, the PCD table includes one or more channels that extend from a vertex of the one or more recesses. In some embodiments, the one or more channels and the one or more recesses may be at least partially filled with a sacrificial material. Methods for forming such PDCs are also discussed.
US10022834B2

The present invention relates to a device for burring a front face of a wheel. The device is composed of a rack, a motor, a guide rail, air cylinders, brushes and the like. A sensor enables the wheel to be positioned on a roller way, a clamping air cylinder drives left rolls and right rolls via synchronous gears and gear racks to clamp the wheel, a servo motor drives the wheel to rotate at relatively low speed under the clamped condition, and the rotation direction of the wheel is opposite to that of the brushes; the air cylinders I enable a dust cover to go down, and the motor drives a gear I and a central brush via a shaft II to rotate at relatively high speed; the gear I drives a gear II and a gear III to rotate simultaneously at slightly slow speed, so as to drive an outer ring brush to also rotate at relatively slow speed; and the air cylinders II drive the central brush and outer ring brush to go down, and burring can be performed once the central brush and outer ring brush contact the front face of the wheel. When in use, the device provided by the present invention can burr the central part and the spoke of the wheel at different rotation speeds, and the problem that the traditional big disc brush has low linear speed at the central position when rotating at fixed angular speed is avoided.
US10022821B2

To provide a wire bonding method and a wire bonding device capable of stably forming a free air ball having a large ball diameter while suppressing oxidation of the free air ball, in addition to supply of an oxidation prevention gas from gas supply means (10) into an insertion portion (32), an oxidation prevention gas is supplied from a gas supply nozzle (40), which is arranged outside the insertion portion (32), so as to cover an inlet of the insertion portion (32). Under a state in which a leading end of a wire (74) is positioned inside the insertion portion (32), and in which a leading end of a capillary (3) is positioned outside the insertion portion (32), spark discharge is generated. With this, a free air ball (75) having a large ball diameter can be formed while suppressing oxidation of the free air ball (75) and stabilizing the free air ball (75).
US10022814B2

For the determination of the welding current to be used for the resistance welding of the overlap seam of container bodies, welding with a test body is carried out with a changing strength of welding current which in the test body produces a varying welding of the seam. The current strength varies from welding of this seam with a too high temperature to welding with a too low temperature. Along with this the welding current strength used in the welding is determined so that it is further determined at which point of the seam the welding has been accomplished and with what strength of welding current. By means of a mechanical and/or optical investigation of the welded seam it can then be easily determined where the seam has been correctly welded for the series production of container bodies from the same sheet material as the test bodies. When such a point or such a region of the seam is known the welding current used in the test welding can be taken as the welding current for serial production.
US10022812B2

A method of machining a work-piece formed of titanium-based material, using a machining apparatus, is described. The method includes the steps of providing an electrically-conductive electrode contained within a spindle assembly, in a pre-selected distance and position relative to the titanium-based work-piece; while electrically powering the electrode and the work-piece with a power supply. In the process, fluid electrolyte is circulated through at least two pathways in the machining apparatus—an internal conduit within the spindle assembly; and an external conduit. The charged electrode is moved relative to the work-piece in a plunging motion, to remove material from the work-piece at a relatively high rate, using a high-speed electro-erosion (HSEE) process.
US10022807B2

A balancing adapter for clamping a rotor to a machine part of balancing machine that rotates about an axis of rotation. The balancing adapter has a main body having a central accommodating opening for the rotor, a collet chuck having clamping elements for detachably retaining the rotor in the accommodating opening, and an actuating device for moving the clamping elements between a clamping position and a releasing position. In order to enable positionally accurate and reproducible accommodation and retention, the clamping elements of the collet chuck are supported on a guiding surface on the main body.
US10022798B2

A method forms a crowning on a sintered component made from a sintering powder, in particular on the teeth of a sintered component including a toothing. The sintered component is calibrated in that the sintered component is introduced into a calibration tool. The sintered component includes a forming chamber with at least one forming wall. In the forming wall a crowning is formed which is inverse to the crowning of the sintered component to be formed. After calibration the sintered component is removed again from the calibration tool. The size of the forming chamber of the calibration tool remains unchanged at least for the time period beginning with the insertion of the sintered component into the calibration tool and ending after the removal of the sintered molding from the calibration tool.
US10022794B1

The present disclosure generally relates to additive manufacturing systems and methods on a large-scale format. One aspect involves a build unit that can be moved around in three dimensions by a positioning system, building separate portions of a large object. The build unit has an energy directing device that directs, e.g., laser or e-beam irradiation onto a powder layer. In the case of laser irradiation, the build volume may have a gasflow device that provides laminar gas flow to a laminar flow zone above the layer of powder. This allows for efficient removal of the smoke, condensates, and other impurities produced by irradiating the powder (the “gas plume”) without excessively disturbing the powder layer. The build unit may also have a recoater that allows it to selectively deposit particular quantities of powder in specific locations over a work surface to build large, high quality, high precision objects.
US10022793B2

An alloy flake production apparatus (1) includes a crystallinity control device (2) for controlling an alloy crystal structure of fed alloy flakes to a desired state, a cooling device (3) for cooling the alloy flakes discharged from the crystallinity control device (2), and a chamber for keeping these devices under reduced pressure or under an inert gas atmosphere. The crystallinity control device (2) has a rotary heating drum (21) in a cylindrical shape for heating the fed alloy flakes, and a switching device (23) for switching between storage and discharge of the alloy flakes fed to an inner wall side of the heating drum (21), so that long-time heat treatment is uniformly applied to the alloy flakes immediately after being made by ingot crushing. The heating drum (21) preferably has a scooping blade plate (22) for scooping up alloy flakes fed to the inner wall side with its rotation.
US10022779B2

A mechanically tuned rapid capacitive discharge forming apparatus and methods that utilize compliant and shock absorbing components in electrode assemblies in order to accommodate the stresses and strains of the thermally-expanding feedstock and maintain continuous electrical contact between the electrodes and the feedstock throughout the duration of the electrical discharge.
US10022772B1

A quick positioning tube expander includes a clamp mold having a first clamp block and a second clamp block; a pivoting assembly pivotally disposed on the clamp mold for the first and second clamp blocks to open and close with the pivoting assembly as a center of pivoting; and a positioning member. The tube channel is disposed between the first and second clamp blocks for containing a tube body. The first clamp block has a first through hole and a second through hole mutually spaced, and the tube channel is connected with the first and second through holes. The positioning member is connected with the first through hole. The tube body passes through the second through hole to be contained in the tube channel with an end part of the tube body resisting against an end surface of the positioning member to be positioned.
US10022770B2

A method and tool for producing workpieces with small corner radii in relation to the cutting thickness and with greatly reduced draw-in by precision cutting in a precision cutting tool includes clamping the workpieces between two tool parts consisting of a respective top and bottom cutting dies and of a top and a bottom cutting punch. The workpiece is machined in a one-stage arrangement in at least two successive cutting sequences in different cutting directions with the following partial steps: (A) cutting out a semifinished product, matched to the workpiece geometry, in a first cutting operation in a vertical working direction with slight draw-in, and (B) finish cutting of the semifinished product, produced in step (A), in at least one further cutting operation in a working direction opposed to step (A), wherein the draw-in of partial step (A) is filled again at least in the corner region.
US10022765B2

In a corrugated plate manufacturing apparatus, each of a plurality of primary forming punches includes a plurality of primary pressable portions that are arranged one after another in a slider reciprocating direction and are pressable by a corresponding one of a plurality of primary sliders. When the primary sliders are sequentially moved toward one side in the slider reciprocating direction, each corresponding one of the primary sliders presses the primary pressable portions of the corresponding one of the primary forming punches to press the primary forming punch against a secondary die.
US10022763B2

A method produces a press-molded article having a hat shaped cross-section with flanges at both sides, a top plate, vertical walls at both sides, and having a shape curved in the vertical direction to an inverted checkmark shape along the longitudinal direction when the molded article is viewed from a side face with the top plate section on the top side. An intermediate molded body is formed by drawing a metal stock sheet into an intermediate shape, and after preparing the outside shape of the intermediate molded body by trimming, drawing is subsequently performed to form the final shape.
US10022762B2

A dent repair system may have a gear with a body that has first and second end surfaces on opposite sides of a cylindrical shaped portion. A retention ring can continuously extend around the periphery of the cylindrical shaped portion between the first and second end surfaces with the retention ring having a sidewall that continuously extends from the cylindrical shaped portion in a radial direction with respect to the body. A tool may continuously extend from the body via a shaft.
US10022761B2

The invention relates to a forming device (10) for plastically deforming a component (54), in particular a sheet component, with a top part (12) of the forming device (10) and with a bottom part (14) of the forming device (10), between which the component (54) is fixable and deformable by a relative movement (20) between the bottom part (14) and the top part (12), with a machine rack (22) accommodating the top part (12) and the bottom part (14), which bounds a working area (28) of the forming device (10), in which the component (54) is deformable, at least in certain areas, and with a sensor device (40) for non-contact monitoring the working area (28) at least in certain areas by means of radiation (42) capable of being emitted by the sensor device (40).
US10022758B2

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including a chamber, a first measuring unit, an exhaust pipe, a regulation valve, an opening degree detection unit, a valve controller, and a clogging detection unit. The chamber accommodates therein a substrate to be processed by using a processing fluid. The first measuring unit measures an internal pressure of the chamber. An exhaust from the chamber flows through the exhaust pipe. The regulation valve regulates an exhaust volume of the exhaust pipe. The opening degree detection unit detects a valve opening degree of the regulation valve. The valve controller controls the valve opening degree of the regulation valve based on a measurement result of the first measuring unit to keep the internal pressure within a specified range. The clogging detection unit detects clogging of the exhaust pipe based on the valve opening degree detected by the opening degree detection unit.
US10022750B2

An ultrasonic piezoelectric transducer device includes a transducer array consisting of an array of vibrating elements, and a base to which the array of vibrating elements in the transducer array are attached. The base include integrated electrical interconnects for carrying driving signals and sensed signals between the vibrating elements and an external control circuit. The base can be an ASIC wafer that includes integrated circuitry for controlling the driving and processing the sensed signals. The interconnects and control circuits in the base fit substantially within an area below the array of multiple vibrating elements.
US10022742B2

An applicator comprises a housing having a liquid input, a pump, a motor, and a power source; a trigger for providing selective control over the pump; a wand hingedly connected to the housing; and a nozzle coupled to the wand for discharging liquid from the applicator. The nozzle and the liquid input are in fluid communication via the pump and various conduits of the applicator.
US10022739B2

A fluid dispenser for containing and dispensing metered amounts of fluid that includes a reservoir for containing fluid and a chamber positioned substantially within the reservoir for containing a quantity of the fluid. The fluid dispenser additionally includes a piston that is moveable within the chamber to draw fluid into the chamber when the piston is moved in a first direction with respect to the chamber, and to discharge fluid from the chamber when the piston is moved in a second direction opposite the first direction. Further, the fluid dispenser includes a user-manipulatable control coupled to the piston and rotatable about an axis to select one of at least two different metered quantities of fluid to be dispensed. The user-manipulatable control is further movable to move the piston relative to the chamber along the axis to selectively dispense the selected metered quantity of fluid.
US10022738B2

A fluid dispenser device comprising: a reservoir (1) including a neck (12); a dispenser member (2) that is mounted in the neck (10), the dispenser member (2) being provided with a dip tube (23); and a cover tube (5) that surrounds said dip tube (23); the fluid dispenser device being characterized in that, in the proximity of its connection top end (52), said cover tube (5) includes at least one vent (55) having a total flow section (St) that presents a size that is sufficient to enable the fluid to rise in the cover tube (5) while the cover tube is being inserted quickly into the fluid reservoir (1) in the filled state, without being significantly disturbed by the air that is evacuated from the cover tube (5) through said at least one vent (55).
US10022713B2

The present invention provides a photocatalyst for water splitting which includes barium niobium oxynitride and exhibits excellent water splitting performance and a production method for the same, and a water splitting photoelectrode. The photocatalyst for water splitting of the present invention is a photocatalyst for water splitting including: an optical semiconductor and a promoter supported by the optical semiconductor, in which the optical semiconductor includes barium niobium oxynitride, and the promoter includes at least one substance selected from a group consisting of cobalt oxides and metallic cobalt.
US10022704B2

The invention relates to a catalyst comprising at least two catalytically active layers, A and B, wherein A contains a carrier oxide and components A1 and A2, and B contains a carrier oxide and components B1, B2, and B3, wherein A1, A2, and B1 to B3 are defined as disclosed in claim 1. The proportion of component A1 in layer A is thereby greater than the proportion of component B1 in layer B, wherein the proportion of layer A with respect to the total weight of layers A and B, is greater than the proportion of layer B. The invention further relates to a method for reducing nitrogen oxides in exhaust gases of lean-burn internal combustion engines and to an exhaust gas cleaning system.
US10022703B2

The disclosure concerns an improved method of preparation of nanoparticular vanadium oxide/anatase titania catalysts having a narrow particle size distribution. In particular, the disclosure concerns preparation of nanoparticular vanadium oxide/anatase titania catalyst precursors comprising combustible crystallization seeds upon which the catalyst metal oxide is coprecipitated with the carrier metal oxide, which crystallization seeds are removed by combustion in a final calcining step.
US10022698B2

An ethylene oligomerization system is useful for creating 1-butene from ethylene in the presence of an ethylene oligomerization catalyst. The ethylene oligomerization system includes an internal baffle single pass reactor, a separation system and an external motion driver. The external motion driver is operable to induce unsteadiness in the flow of the process fluid contained in the internal baffle single pass reactor by transferring motion into the process fluid. An ethylene oligomerization process is useful for creating a refined 1-butene product from ethylene using the ethylene oligomerization system.
US10022697B2

An arc reactor and a process for the production of nanoparticles are disclosed. The reactor has a crucible in a gas-tight housing having a carrier gas inlet and a spaced-apart carrier gas outlet. The carrier gas inlet is directed to the side of the crucible opposite the crucible opening. The inlet can be disposed below the crucible and directed to the side of the crucible opposite the crucible opening. The carrier gas outlet is disposed above the crucible and exits the housing above the crucible. The carrier gas outlet is formed by a hood disposed at a distance above the crucible, which is separated from the crucible and formed by an exhaust pipe that connects the hood to the carrier gas outlet of the housing. The reactor housing has at least one inlet for cooling gas. This can be directed at an interstice formed between the crucible and the hood.
US10022695B2

The present disclosure provides a cover sheet for a microarray reaction device. In one aspect, the present cover sheet or device ensures the reaction units/volumes are stable and/or consistent among assay samples and assay runs, allowing samples (e.g., reaction solutions) to be conveniently added and distributed uniformly.
US10022693B2

A system used for converting multiple fuel feedstocks may include three reactors. The reactor system combination can be so chosen that one of the reactors completely or partially converts the fuel while the other generates the gaseous product required by utilizing the gaseous product from the second reactor. The metal-oxide composition and the reactor flow-patterns can be manipulated to provide the desired product. A method for optimizing the system efficiency where a pressurized gaseous fuel or a pressurized utility is used for applications downstream can be used to any system processing fuels and metal-oxide.
US10022687B2

A vacuum mixing device for mixing PMMA bone cement from a monomer liquid and a cement powder, the vacuum mixing device comprising at least one cartridge comprising an evacuable interior for mixing of the bone cement, a mixing device for mixing the content in the interior of the at least one cartridge, which is arranged movably in the interior, a receptacle for receiving a separate container containing the monomer liquid or comprising an integrated container containing the monomer liquid, an opening device, which is arranged in the region of the receptacle in a manner movable relative to the receptacle so that, by moving the opening device, a separate container arranged in the receptacle is openable by means of the opening device, or the opening device is arranged in the region of the integrated container in a manner movable relative to the integrated container so that, by moving the opening device, the integrated container is openable by means of the opening device, a pump, in which a movable plunger for generating a negative pressure is arranged and delimits a pump chamber of the pump, and a connection line, which connects the interior of the at least one cartridge to the pump chamber of the pump, wherein the vacuum mixing system comprises an operating element that is operatable from outside, wherein the plunger in the pump is movable manually by means of the operating element, and wherein the opening device is movable relative to the receptacle or relative to the integrated container by means of the same operating element, and the mixing device in the interior of the cartridge is movable by means of the same operating element in order to mix the content in the interior of the cartridge.
US10022684B2

An impeller mixer of electrode slurry includes a container (100) filled with raw materials of electrode slurry, impellers (110) have different shapes from each other and are multi-layered, the impellers being rotatably provided in the container (100) and configured to mix the raw materials of electrode slurry, and a driving part (120) disposed on a bottom portion of the container (100) and coupled to the impellers (110) through a coupling shaft to rotate the impeller, wherein the coupling shaft is disposed above the driving part. Therefore, multi-layered impellers (11) rotating at a high speed efficiently disperse raw materials of electrode slurry in a short time and also allow the raw materials to be uniformly mixed, resulting in an increase in work efficiency.
US10022678B2

The technology encompassed by the current disclosure generally relates to membrane composites that can be used in acoustic venting assemblies. In one embodiment of the technology disclosed herein, a venting media composite has a microporous membrane layer and a coating on the microporous membrane layer to form a composite. The basis weight of the composite is at least about 0.5% higher than a basis weight of the microporous membrane layer without the coating. In some embodiments the composite has a decreased insertion loss than its membrane-only counterpart.
US10022676B2

The invention provides a membrane comprising tubes extending through a polymer, wherein substantially all of the tubes are parallel with each other. Also provided is a method for producing a membrane, the method comprising: placing tubes on a substrate, subjecting the tubes to a magnetic field for a time and at a magnetic field strength to cause the tubes to align parallel with each other while simultaneously causing depending ends of the tubes to embed within the substrate; applying polymer to the tubes and substrate in an amount to affix the tubes relative to each other and relative to the substrate, and applying an etchant that cleaves a specific type of the bonds within the polymer to unblock the upstream ends of the nanotubes.
US10022673B2

The present application discloses novel systems for conducting the filtration of blood using manifolds. The manifolds integrate various sensors and have fluid pathways formed therein to direct fluids from various sources through the requisite blood filtration or ultrafiltration system steps.
US10022666B2

The present invention is an apparatus and method having dynamically reconfigurable air flow paths for supporting polishing and non-polishing operations. The invention includes a first baghouse section and a second baghouse section coupled to the first baghouse section via conduit. A set of valves is disposed along the conduit to direct air flow through the baghouse apparatus. A controller configures the baghouse apparatus by actuating at least one valve in the set of valves. The controller automatically configures the baghouse apparatus in either a polishing operation or a non-polishing operation based on a predetermined criteria.
US10022658B2

A water filter system includes a removable filter unit having a body portion including a proximal end and a distal end. The proximal end is adapted to be inserted into a filter head assembly. A laterally extending key member is disposed on the body portion and adapted to engage a key slot in the filter head assembly. An engagement protrusion extends from the proximal end. The engagement protrusion includes a first portion that has a first radius of curvature and a second portion opposing the first portion that includes a second radius of curvature that is larger than the first radius of curvature.
US10022650B2

Systems and methods for enhanced separation of H2S and NH3 in an H2S stripper using carbon dioxide and/or an inert gas.
US10022646B1

The solar cooling and water desalination system is a roof-mounted system having a refrigeration unit driven by electricity produced by solar panels to chill water, which is stored in a first tank and used to cool living spaces. Seawater is preheated in a first heat exchanger by waste heat from operation of the refrigeration unit, and heated further in a second heat exchanger by hot distilled water. A field of solar collectors heats oil, which is stored in a hot oil tank and then powers a first boiler to produce high pressure and temperature steam for a steam ejector vacuum system connected to a desalination water boiler that desalinates the seawater, which is condensed by a condenser and stored in a distilled water tank, where it is stored at about 80° C.
US10022645B2

[Problem] To provide an educational toy which allows an observed action to be experienced artificially. [Solution] A toy system (900) is used by bringing a magnifying-glass type hand-held instrument (930) into contact with a page (912) of a main body portion (910) having a picture portion (914). The magnifying-glass type hand-held instrument (930) captures an image of the picture portion (914), and determines the location, within the image in said picture portion, that has been captured. From pre-stored image data of a picture image that is the same as the picture portion (914), image data for a part (a partial image) corresponding to the location being captured are then read out and are displayed on a touch panel (942). If the location being captured fulfills certain location conditions, one image element from image elements W41 to W49 is also selected as a special image and is displayed superimposed on the partial image.
US10022635B2

An assembly play equipment for children has bases comprising of a pair of end plates which are made vertical in shape and face each other, are formed at top parts of facing surfaces with open windows, are connected at center parts by a seat surface member, are connected at bottom parts by reinforcing members, and are provided at the center parts with pluralities of first connecting holes for connection use which form rotation preventing parts, and one or plural such bases have a step climbing stand, slide, twisted slope, climbing slope, arcade bridge, arch balustrade net bridge, corridor bridge, bulging bridge, wave bridge, or ring tunnel suitably selected and assembled together with the one or plural such bases by connecting the second connecting holes and the first connecting holes with connecting pieces.
US10022634B2

An apparatus for recording game history is coupled between a game host and a game console and performs a game history recording and interaction method. The apparatus communicates with the game host through a first wireless unit, and communicates with the game console through a second wireless unit, to receive game operation information generated from operations of the game console. The apparatus receives a video signal outputted by the game host through a video input port. The processing module is coupled to the wireless units and the video input port respectively and is used to obtain the game operation information from the wireless units and generate operation information images corresponding to the game operation information. The processing module superimposes the operation information images on the video signal correspondingly to form game history video data and outputs the superimposed game history video data to a display device for display.
US10022633B2

Game client, game server, Web application server, and database server including database with data representative of a virtual world. Game client or server, or both, includes motifs, motif manager, character manager, scenes-a-faire manager, and display manager coupled to display, all in communication with game manager, and pseudorandomizer, which can instigate changing of a motif. Motifs are representative of a game character or environment. A user interface has mass sensor, accelerometer, haptic device, first device for visual input, output, or both, second device for audio input, output, or both, and tactile sensor, effector or both. Included may be automatic translator, or TTS/STT module. The online game can be virtual world representative of at least two of a northern continent, a western continent, a southern continent, a central continent, and an eastern continent. Methods provide game client, game server, and a database that manipulate character or environment motifs and scenes-a-faire.
US10022632B1

A computer game system in which real-world financial investment by the player of the computer game is incentivized, and such real-world financial investment is realized as a secondary benefit of game play.
US10022620B2

A game apparatus as a handheld information processing apparatus includes a CPU, and when the game apparatus is closed, the CPU shifts to a sleep mode. When a user carries the game apparatus in the sleep mode, a micon measures step counts according to a magnitude of accelerations indicated by acceleration data from an acceleration sensor. When a main power of the game apparatus is turned on to display a main menu screen, the step counts are converted into earned coins, for example. In each of a plurality of applications to be executed by the game apparatus, a special item is purchased, or game playing on a special course is permitted by utilizing the earned coins.
US10022616B1

A skateboard riser is described. The skateboard riser housing and a camera assembly disposed in the housing. A skateboard is also described. The skateboard includes a skateboard deck, a truck, and a riser coupled between the skateboard deck and the truck. The riser includes a camera assembly and a digital video recorder.
US10022610B2

A pole-mounted individual safety restraint system that incorporates a self-retracting lanyard, suitable for installation and use in vehicles so as to allow exercise or other activity on the vehicle while the vehicle is in motion.
US10022607B1

A row boat for rowing training includes a hull including a bottom and four sidewalls, and a pair of oars connected to opposing sidewalls, each oar including a handle and an oar scoop disposed as an end of the handle, wherein the oars are configured to rotate about a first axis of rotation to move the oars during a pull phase and a flex phase of a rowing stroke, and wherein the oars are configured to rotate about a second axis of rotation to change an angular orientation of the oar scoop in water during the pull phase and the flex phase.
US10022596B2

Provided is a putter in golf clubs for use in swinging and putting beside a golf ball while looking at front and keep watching the moving trace of the golf ball, which is titled as a look & watching side swing putter by which a golfer stands at the same point of place where he examined the green grass state and the distance previously, and practices swings while checking the estimated imaginary putting line of the golf ball, and executes putting of the golf ball on the side thereof like bowling while keep watching the golf ball, thereby reducing the putting errors or strokes to wrong directions due to the differences in views direction depending on putting posture and improving straight-line movement of the golf ball at putting.
US10022586B1

An elliptical exercise machine includes a resisting unit disposed at a front of a frame unit and having two cranks and a resisting member rotatable synchronously, two linking units each having a handle rod, an adjusting rod, a pedal rod, a swing rod, a first linking rod, a second linking rod and a third linking rod such that the pedal rod is suspended by the handle rod and the third linking rod to move along an elliptical route, and an adjusting unit having an adjusting tube which is pivotably connected to the adjusting rod and which is shiftable to adjust the position of the adjusting rod so as to adjust the elliptical route and the span between foot pedals on the pedal rods.
US10022584B2

An exercise machine such as a stationary exercise bicycle includes a body supported by the ground; an axle disposed in the body; a first gear disposed on the axle; a driving shaft vertically disposed in the body; a second gear disposed on the driving shaft and meshed the first gear; and a horizontally disposed flywheel disposed in a base of the body. A rotation of the axle rotates the flywheel via the first gear, the second gear, and the driving shaft.
US10022573B2

A safety device for use in a fall arrest system, has a safety line drum mounted for rotation and a speed responsive engagement mechanism responsive to the speed of rotation of the drum, which is activated above a predetermined rotational speed of the drum to deploy an energy absorber. A rotational transmission member (which may be in the form of a shaft) is coupled, via the speed responsive engagement mechanism, when activated, to rotate with the drum. The energy absorber is deployed in response to operation of the rotational transmission member. The speed responsive engagement mechanism may be mounted intermediate the drum and the energy absorber for ease of replacement.
US10022567B2

Various embodiments are directed to a method of driving an end effector coupled to an ultrasonic drive system of a surgical instrument. In accordance with the method, a generator is configured to generate at least one time varying electrical signal having a resonant frequency, monitor the resonant frequency of the at least one electrical signal, compare the resonant frequency to a threshold frequency, and trigger a first response of the generator when the resonant frequency crosses the threshold frequency.
US10022561B2

A radiotherapy apparatus and method, comprising a source of radiation for delivering pulses of radiation at a base frequency; and a control unit configured to generate a time-averaged power level of x by generating an nth pulse when n is equal to the rounded value of an integer multiple of 1/x, where x is a value between 0 and 1 representing a proportion of a maximum power output of the radiotherapy apparatus. The pulses may form a repeating pulse train pattern, and the control unit may comprise a processing unit configured to provide a pulse train pattern having a number of available slots, the slots being marked as a permitted pulse or a suppressed pulse.
US10022556B1

A light system can simultaneously emulate more than one different diurnal cycle to individually improve circadian rhythm control for more than one observer by having each light fixture autonomously self-controlled. Each light fixture is mountable in respective locations to individually treat respective observers. Each light fixture includes one or more light elements mounted to a housing and are controllable to emit a selected light intensity at a selected light temperature. A micro controller is contained in the housing and includes memory containing instructions for one or more automatic diurnal cycle protocols. The micro controller is in communication with the memory and the one or more light elements to execute the instructions to configure the light fixture to vary the light intensity and the light temperature of the emitted light.
US10022554B2

The radiant energy bandage system is disclosed including a plurality of therapeutic lamps and a controller for operating the lamps. Batteries power the lamps and are secured to a flexible fabric layer supporting the lamps and the controller. A foam and reflective layer includes a spacer foam and radiant energy reflector. A plurality of spacer windows are aligned with the lamps for communicating lamp radiation therethrough. A sheer mesh fabric layer is supposed to cover the foam and reflective layer.
US10022548B2

Electrical stimulation may be delivered to a patient's heart using a plurality of cardiac electrodes. Each electrode combination may be evaluated based on one or more first parameters and one or more second parameters. In many cases, the one or more first parameters are supportive of cardiac function consistent with a prescribed therapy and the one or more second parameters are not supportive of cardiac function consistent with the prescribed therapy. The electrode combination selected to deliver a cardiac pacing therapy may be more associated with the one or more first parameters supportive of cardiac function consistent with the prescribed therapy and less associated with the one or more second parameters inconsistent with cardiac function.
US10022547B2

The disclosure relates to a device including a plurality of electrodes for stimulation of both ventricles with application of an atrioventricular delay and of an interventricular delay, a processor configured to multidimensionally measure an interventricular conduction delay, and monitor the evolution of a patient's condition. For the multidimensional measurement of the interventricular conduction delay, the device produces stimulation of one of the ventricles and collects, in the other ventricle, two endocardial electrogram signals on separate respective channels, giving two respective temporal components. Both temporal components are combined in one single parametric 2D characteristic representative of the cardiac cycle, and a comparison is made with reference descriptors for deriving an index representative of the evolution of the patient's condition.
US10022546B2

Electrode structures for transvascular nerve stimulation combine electrodes with an electrically-insulating backing layer. The backing layer increases the electrical impedance of electrical paths through blood in a lumen of a blood vessel and consequently increases the flow of electrical current through surrounding tissues. The electrode structures may be applied to stimulate nerves such as the phrenic, vagus, trigeminal, obturator or other nerves.
US10022543B2

The present invention provides methods for stimulating cells using quantum dots. In addition, the present invention provides methods for treating a variety of clinical conditions using stimulation of quantum dots to induce cell stimulation and/or function.
US10022539B2

A cardiac pacing system that includes an implantable pulse generator and electrical leads that include a lead body portion having a distal end and a proximal end, a connector configured to electrically connect the proximal end of the lead body to the pulse generator, and at least one electrode disposed at the distal end of the lead body for delivering electrical stimulation to a patient's heart, wherein the distal end of the lead body is configured to terminate within the mediastinum of the thoracic cavity of the patient, proximate to the heart.
US10022526B2

The present disclosure provides improved devices and methods to treat periprosthetic breast implant infections.
US10022524B2

A device for positioning a catheter at an ostium. The device includes an attachment mechanism for direct attachment to the catheter at a location proximal to a treatment device positioned on the catheter, the attachment mechanism having a proximal end, a distal end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the proximal end to the distal end. The device also including a stopper element extending from the distal end of the attachment mechanism and projecting away from the longitudinal axis, the stopper element being bendable in a direction toward the proximal end of the attachment mechanism.
US10022514B2

A collapsible joint for use with a nebulizer includes a housing connected to the source of carrier gas flow, an extensible and flexible airway and an extension connected to a patient applicator. A swivel joint for use with a nebulizer includes a swivel housing, a rotating airway pivoted in the swivel housing about a first axis of rotation; and an airway base coupling coupled to the swivel housing rotatable with respect to the swivel housing about a second axis of rotation. The first and second axes of rotation are mutually orthogonal at least in part to each other.
US10022512B2

Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards a system, and corresponding method, for providing ventilation synchronization between breathing gas supplied by a mechanical ventilator and the breathing needs of a patient. In providing the ventilation synchronization, a total amount of energy required during an inspiratory phase of breathing is calculated. Based on the calculated energy, a decay factor is determined. The decay factor is supplied to an inspiratory triggering system in order to provide the ventilation synchronization.
US10022506B2

A hypodermic injection device configured to be attached to a portable electronic device is disclosed herein. The hypodermic injection device can be an auto-injector for delivering a dose of an injectable medicament. The injection device can include a durable barrier providing a sheath over an injectable cannula to maintain sterility of an injectable cannula that delivers the medicament. The injection device can also include tamper proof features such as by requiring that deployment of the device only be possible after completing two mechanical manipulations so as to prevent accidental discharge of the injection device. By incorporating the injection device within a case for a portable electronic device, the injection device is readily available to those that rely on auto-injectors to provide emergency therapeutic treatment, and is much less likely to be forgotten or left behind by a user than a typical auto-injector.
US10022501B2

A medicament delivery device includes a housing, a container holder in the housing, an axially movable plunger, and an energy accumulating member adapted for displacing the plunger. The container holder is configured to accommodate a medicament container that includes a first piston arranged inside an opposite end portion of the container and a second piston arranged inside an intermediate portion of the container. The plunger includes an outer plunger rod, an inner plunger rod at least partially inside the outer plunger rod, a biassing arrangement for actuating the inner plunger rod, and a locking arrangement that, in a first state, locks the biassing arrangement in an energy-storing position and, in a second state, releases the biassing arrangement from the energy-storing position to displace the inner plunger rod into the container holder.
US10022500B2

A method for filling a cylinder/piston unit (1) for a needle-free injector comprising a chamber (3) arranged in a cylinder (2), for receiving an injection solution (4), a front wall (5) having at least one nozzle borehole or an outlet element (6), and a second piston (7) arranged to move in the chamber. The chamber (3) is made in two parts with a first chamber (8) and a concentric second chamber (9) having a smaller cross section than the first chamber. A first piston (10) closes the first chamber (8) and the second piston closes the second chamber (9). The second piston comprises at least one flow channel (16) or the first chamber comprises at least one closable, axially oriented freeze-drying channel (34), and the second chamber (9) comprises at least one axially oriented flow channel (36), on the respective rear ends of the chambers (8, 9).
US10022497B2

A system allows for collection and re-use of a fluid medium derived from diverting at least some of the fluid medium of an injection. The system comprises a sterile container, an injector, a delivery catheter, a flow diverter assembly and a diversion reservoir assembly. The delivery catheter is in communication with a selected site within a patient's body. The flow diverter assembly is disposed in a flow path between the injector and the delivery catheter and is configured to divert at least a portion of a medium of the injection from the flow path. The diversion reservoir assembly has a reservoir chamber fluidly coupled to the flow diverter assembly. The reservoir chamber is configured to receive the diverted portion of the fluid medium to allow re-use by the medium injector of the diverted portion.
US10022494B2

Provided is an infusion pump in which one or more occlusion sensors includes a Hall element detecting a variation in magnetic flux, of one or more magnets, generated with movement of a plunger caused by a variation of an infusion tube in a radial direction that results from an occlusion of the infusion tube, and changing the variation of an infusion tube in the radial direction into an output voltage. When increasing a movement distance of the plunger to a plurality of predetermined positions D1 to D4, a control unit obtains linearity of output voltages PV1 to PV4 of the Hall element with respect to movement distances to a plurality of positions D1 to D4 by applying a plurality of predetermined impression voltages BE1 to BE16 to the Hall element to select from the plurality of impression voltages applied for each of the movement distances to the plurality of positions.
US10022493B2

A fluid injection system including an injector head having a syringe for delivering a fluid to a patient, a mounting structure pivotally connected to the injector head and configured to support the injector head above a surface, and a control system operationally coupled to the injector head for controlling an injection procedure is disclosed. The fluid injection system is provided with sensors to control various aspects of the fluid injection system, such as the establishment of a reference plane, the determination of a tilt angle of the injector head, and the determination of a temperature of an actuation system of the injector head.
US10022483B2

The present invention relates to a method for using lectins that bind to pathogens having high mannose surface glycoproteins or fragments thereof which contain high mannose glycoproteins, to remove them from infected blood or plasma in an extracorporeal setting. Accordingly, the present invention provides a method for reducing viral load in an individual comprising the steps of obtaining blood or plasma from the individual, passing the blood or plasma through a porous hollow fiber membrane wherein lectin molecules are immobilized within the porous exterior portion of the membrane, collecting pass-through blood or plasma and reinfusing the pass-through blood or plasma into the individual.
US10022480B2

The invention relates to a method of controlling the speed of a ventricular assist device, in particular the rotational speed of a rotary blood pump, wherein at least temporarily the speed of the device is modulated around a mean speed and a response of the native heart to this modulation is measured to determine the ventricular function/contractile state of the heart, in particular to determine whether the aortic valve opens and closes at the instant mean speed, and the mean speed is set, in particular a new mean speed is set in dependence of the measured response. The invention furthermore relates to a device performing the method.
US10022473B2

A method of producing a modified acellular tissue matrix (mATM) from an acellular tissue matrix (ATM), where the mATM has a reduced stretchiness relative to the ATM, without substantially compromising its associated structural or functional integrity. The method includes providing an acellular tissue matrix (ATM) and exposing the ATM to elastase for a period of time.
US10022465B1

An odor reducing composition comprising a scent and silver nanoparticles is disclosed, together with methods of making and using the same, and methods for reducing an odor.
US10022462B2

The present invention generally relates to methods and system for the synthesis of imaging agents, and precursors thereof. The methods may exhibit improved yields and may allow for the large-scale synthesis of imaging agents, including imaging agents comprising a radioisotope (e.g., 18F). Various embodiments of the invention may be useful as sensors, diagnostic tools, and the like. In some cases, methods for evaluating perfusion, including myocardial perfusion, are provided. Synthetic methods of the invention have also been incorporated into an automated synthesis unit to prepare and purify imaging agents that comprise a radioisotope. In some embodiments, the present invention provides a novel methods and systems comprising imaging agent 1, including methods of imaging in a subject comprising administering a composition comprising imaging agent 1 to a subject by injection, infusion, or any other known method, and imaging the area of the subject wherein the event of interest is located.
US10022461B2

The present invention is directed to pyrrolopyridine compounds of formula (I) or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, which may be suitable for imaging tau aggregates, b-sheet aggregates, beta-amyloid aggregates or alpha-synuclein aggregates, and hence are useful in binding and imaging tau aggregates in Alzheimer's patients. More specifically, this invention relates to a method of using the compounds of this invention as tracers in positron emission tomography (PET) imaging to study tau deposits in brain in vivo to allow diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by tau pathology. The invention further relates to a method of measuring clinical efficacy of therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative diseases characterized by tau pathology.
US10022460B2

The invention provides, inter alia, improved lipid formulations used to generate lipid-encapsulated gas microspheres, and methods of their use.
US10022454B2

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for generating ribo-nucleic neutral (RNN) or deoxyribo-nucleic-neutral (DNN) polynucleotides with reduced anionic charge, for improved intracellular delivery. Also disclosed herein are methods of using RNN and DNN compositions.
US10022448B2

A composition comprising: a benefit agent; at least one polymer including a polycaprolactone polymer; at least one lower alcohol; and at least one co-solvent; and a method for enhancing topical delivery of a benefit agent is disclosed.
US10022441B2

The present invention provides methods for improving the efficacy of a vaccine in the treatment of cancer. The methods of the invention comprise the administration of at least two doses of an agent that interferes with DNA replication prior to vaccination with a survivin vaccine. Also provided are compositions for use in the methods of the invention.
US10022434B2

Provided herein are nucleic acid sequences that encode novel consensus amino acid sequences of HA hemagglutinin and/or influenza B hemagglutinin, as well as genetic constructs/vectors and vaccines expressing the sequences. Also provided herein are methods for generating an immune response against one or more influenza A serotypes and/or influenza B serotypes, or combinations thereof, using the vaccines that are provided.
US10022432B2

The invention is directed to a composition comprising one or more polypeptides or one or more nucleic acid sequences that can induce a protective immune response against Plasmodium species that infect humans. The invention also is directed to a method of using such compositions to induce a protective immune response against a Plasmodium parasite in a mammal.
US10022424B2

The invention relates to the use of gelsolin to treat infections and to monitor the treatment of infections. The invention also provides methods up-regulating interleukin expression and methods for down-regulating pro-inflammatory cytokine expression.
US10022412B2

The present invention provides a composition for preventing, improving or treating periodontal diseases comprising extract of mangosteen.The composition of the present invention has excellent anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory effects against bacteria inducing periodontal diseases as comprising extract of mangosteen, or alpha-mangosteen or gamma-mangosteen derived from thereof, and thereby it can be widely used for medicines and foods for preventing, improving or treating periodontal diseases.
US10022409B2

The present invention provides compositions and methods of promoting human health and nutrition.
US10022402B2

A method of preparing an allogenic dendritic stem cell vaccine for treating ovarian cancers is disclosed. The method comprises, (a) collecting blood sample from an allogenic donor in a sterile collection bag, (b) separating viable mesenchymal stem cells inoculums by centrifuging the blood sample, suspending said mesenchymal stem cells inoculum in proliferation medium, plating the cells in a flask and incubated, and collecting cells adherent to the flask and further harvesting and expanding said adherent cells, (c) preparing myeloid dendritic cells by isolating, harvesting and culturing said blood sample source using myeloid dendritic isolation kit, (d) mixing the adherent cells obtained. Finally, (e) the composition of the adherent cells obtained in step (d) to the myeloid dendritic cells obtained in step (c) at a ratio of 90:10 and printing the cellular vectors with patient tumor derived heterogeneous progenitors.
US10022391B2

A method for reducing or maintaining platelet inhibition in a patient by administering cangrelor prior to an invasive procedure is described. The method of this invention can be used for patients in need of antiplatelet therapy or at risk of thrombosis. The method can further be used in patients who were previously treated with long-acting platelet inhibitors without increasing the risk of excessive bleeding.
US10022390B2

Phosphoramidate derivates of 5-fluoro-2′-deoxyuridine are disclosed for use in the treatment of cancer, especially in the treatment of cancer where the patient shows resistance, for example, in a patient with cells with a lowered level of nucleoside transporter proteins and/or with nucleoside kinase-deficient cells and/or with mycoplasma-infected cells and/or with cells with a raised level of thymidylate synthase.
US10022388B2

The present invention is directed to methods of treating or preventing fibrosis comprising an oxidized lipid or pharmaceutical composition comprising the same.
US10022387B2

The present invention provides aza-heteroaryl derivatives of Formula I: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein X, Y, Z, A, W, R4, R5, and R6 are defined herein, that inhibit the activity of phosphoinositide 3-kinases-gamma (PI3Kγ) and are useful in the treatment of diseases related to the activity of PI3Kγ including, for example, autoimmune diseases, cancer, cardiovascular diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases.
US10022383B2

A method of treating a condition of in a human patient comprising pharmacologically activating a translocator protein of 18 kDa (TSPO), wherein the condition is one of a chronic methamphetamine addiction, a medical consequence of methamphetamine use; a behavioral consequence of methamphetamine use, an HIV associated cognitive motor disorder, an HIV-associated neurodegenerative disorder, and a neuroinflammatory response.
US10022377B2

Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension, including pulmonary arterial hypertension. The methods include administering to a patient in need thereof an effective amount of anagrelide or derivative thereof. The compositions include an effective amount of anagrelide or derivative thereof, in some instances combined with one or more additional agents for the treatment of pulmonary hypertension.
US10022368B2

A solid oral controlled-release dosage form of hydrocodone is disclosed, the dosage form comprising an analgesically effective amount of hydrocodone or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and controlled release material.
US10022367B2

The disclosure provides extended release pharmaceutical formulations comprising an opioid, particularly buprenorphine, a biocompatible organic solvent, and, optionally, a glycol, for use in the treatment of pain or opioid dependence. The pharmaceutical formulations are in the form of a pharmaceutical solution.
US10022363B2

The invention provides pharmaceutical stable semisolid topical compositions comprising between 0.2 to 5% of a des-fluoroquinolone compound, and a suitable carrier to manufacture an ointment or a cream.
US10022361B2

Compositions and methods for the treatment and control of various conditions in an animal which comprises administering to said animal an effective amount of a immediate release composition of about 0.5% to 50% wt/wt of active ingredient together with excipients to a total of about 100%, wherein said composition dissolves in a relatively short period of time, e.g., 75 seconds or less, 5 seconds or less, or 3 seconds or less, upon administration to said animal.
US10022358B2

The present invention encompasses combinations comprising a plurality of amino acids, formulations thereof for use in humans and animals, as well as methods for increasing muscle protein synthesis, muscle strength, and/or muscle function in a subject with chronic heart failure, cardiac cachexia or a combination thereof.
US10022356B2

The present invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions for treating cancer comprising BRAF inhibitors, (e.g. vemurafenib) and/or MEK inhibitor, (e.g. trametinib, RO5068760), in combination with anti-tubulin compounds of the invention or other known tubulin inhibitors, and using such compositions for treating cancer such as melanoma, drug-resistant cancer, and cancer metastasis.
US10022349B2

Cadotril particles suitable for solid or liquid dosage forms are the subject of this application.
US10022342B2

Methods and compositions for sensitizing multiple myeloma cells to treatment with IMiDs are provided. Aspects include methods of administering AR-42 and an IMiD (e.g., lenalidomide, pomalidomide) to multiple myeloma patients.
US10022341B2

The present invention provides methods of preventing and/or reducing risk of neurodegeneration of association cortex, and/or inhibiting or reversing formation of phosphorylated tau or COXIV in the prefrontal cortex of a mammal in need thereof. In certain embodiments, the method comprises administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of an α2A-adrenergic receptor agonist.
US10022340B2

Topical sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonist active agent formulations are provided. Aspects of the transdermal formulations include an amount of a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonist active agent in combination with a topical delivery vehicle, e.g., a topical patch that includes an adhesive layer and a backing layer. Also provided are methods of topically delivering a therapeutically effective amount of a sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor agonist active agent to a subject, e.g., to treat a subject for a disease condition, such as an immune system disorder like multiple sclerosis, a hyperproliferative dermatological disorder, e.g., psoriasis, acne, etc. Packaged topical formulations, kits including such formulations, and methods of making such formulations are also provided.
US10022323B2

The present invention concerns a method for making an inhaled pharmaceutical composition with improved powder handling properties comprising a stearate, a method of preparing such a composition, and the use of such a stearate in a composition when dispensed into a receptacle for use in a dry powder inhaler receptacle.
US10022321B2

A method of treating pain, e.g., acute post-operative pain, by administering to a human patient(s) a therapeutically effective dose of tramadol intravenously in a dosing regimen which includes one or more loading doses administered at shortened intervals as compared to dosing at steady-state is disclosed. In certain embodiments, the dose of tramadol about 25 mg and the second (and optionally) third doses are intravenously administered at intervals of about 2 hours, and thereafter the tramadol is intravenously administered at a dosing interval of about 4 hours, until the patient no longer requires treatment with tramadol.
US10022320B2

Disclosed herein are formulations containing carbidopa and optionally levodopa, arginine, and other components that have reduced levels of impurities and toxins, particularly degradation productions. Also disclosed herein are methods of treatment diseases or conditions relating to a loss of dopamine or dopaminergic neurons using such formulations, methods of making such formulations, and kits that include such formulations.
US10022314B2

Compositions of the invention comprise 8-oxoguanine glycosylase (OGG1) and SIRT6 activating peptide G-A-G-V-S-A-E-NH2. Compositions of the invention exhibit anti-aging effects by promoting the repair of skin cell DNA and/or by protecting skin cell DNA from UV damage.
US10022302B2

In certain embodiments, a vial adaptor for removing liquid contents from a vial comprises a housing and a bag. In some embodiments, an initial volume of a regulating fluid can be contained within the bag. In some embodiments, the regulating fluid flows into the vial as liquid is removed from the vial via the adaptor, thereby regulating pressure within the vial. In some embodiments, a vial adaptor is coupled with the vial in order to remove the liquid. In some embodiments, as the liquid is removed from the vial via the adaptor, the bag expands, and in other embodiments, the bag contracts.
US10022287B2

A walking training system includes a walking assistance apparatus that is mounted on a leg portion of a user, and assists the user's walking, first pulling means for pulling at least one of the walking assistance apparatus and the leg portion of the user to a front side; and second pulling means for pulling at least one of the walking assistance apparatus and the leg portion of the user to a rear side. A pulling point of the walking assistance apparatus and/or the leg portion of the user, which is pulled by the first and second pulling means is provided to be movable around the leg portion of the user.
US10022271B2

The present invention provides methods and systems for an eye marker device that includes a handle having an interior cavity, a marking device coupled to the handle, and a rotational scale for providing a visual representation of the angle of the marking device relative to a predetermined origination point.
US10022270B2

Methods and systems for performing laser-assisted surgery on an eye form a layer of bubbles in the Berger's space of the eye to increase separation between the posterior portion of the lens capsule of the eye and the anterior hyaloid surface of the eye. A laser is used to form the layer of bubbles in the Berger's space. The increased separation between the posterior portion of the lens capsule and the anterior hyaloid surface can be used to facilitate subsequent incision of the posterior portion of the lens capsule with decreased risk of compromising the anterior hyaloid surface. For example, the layer of bubbles can be formed prior to performing a capsulotomy on the posterior portion of the lens capsule.
US10022269B2

Patterned laser treatment of the retina is provided. A visible alignment pattern having at least two separated spots is projected onto the retina. By triggering a laser subsystem, doses of laser energy are automatically provided to at least two treatment locations coincident with the alignment spots. All of the doses of laser energy may be delivered in less than about 1 second, which is a typical eye fixation time. A scanner can be used to sequentially move an alignment beam from spot to spot on the retina and to move a treatment laser beam from location to location on the retina.
US10022264B2

An intrauterine contraceptive system may include a contraceptive intrauterine device, a retrieval thread permanently attached to the intrauterine device and an insertion device for inserting the intrauterine device into a uterus. The system may also include a release thread releasably coupled with the intrauterine device. The intrauterine device may be deployable out of a distal end of the insertion device and may be configured to change from a delivery configuration when housed in the insertion device to a deployed configuration when deployed in a uterus. The retrieval thread and the optional release thread may be at least partially housed within the insertion device during insertion of the intrauterine device into the uterus. The release thread may extend from the intrauterine device through the insertion device to an attachment point at or near a proximal end of the insertion device.
US10022262B2

A medical appliance for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in a patient, the appliance comprising: a securing device configured to be removably affixed to the patient's jaw; and a biasing member which is insertable behind the soft palate and/or the base of the patient's tongue, thereby providing for the flow of air in the nasopharyngeal airway; wherein the securing device is connected to the biasing member to allow insertion and/or removal of the biasing member from the nasopharyngeal airway.
US10022260B2

The present disclosure concerns an ostomy pouch comprising a first pouch wall and a second pouch wall joined together along a peripheral seal to form a cavity for accommodating waste material; and said pouch having an upper and a lower portion; an inlet provided in the first pouch wall for receiving waste into the pouch; said inlet opening being provided in the upper portion; wherein the pouch further comprises a top view member comprising two layers of transparent flexible film is provided an upper section of said upper portion between said first and second pouch walls and sealed to either the first or the second wall by peripheral seals, wherein said top view member is provided with a lowermost edge.
US10022259B2

Apparatus for distracting the hip joint of a patient, said apparatus comprising: a perineal post for engagement with a leg of the patient, said perineal post comprising a first portion and a second portion, wherein said first portion is configured for mounting to a table, and further wherein said second portion is movable relative to said first portion so as to change the geometry of the perineal post relative to a patient supported on the table.
US10022252B2

A spiral blood flow device includes a stent made up of a plurality of expansion members joined to a plurality of axial members that permit the stent to change diameter among a continuum of expanded configurations. The axial members have fixed orientation, whereas the expansion members have a variable orientation relative to the longitudinal axis throughout the continuum of expanded configurations. A spiral flow inducing structure, which may include fins attached to the axial members, define a helical flow angle that remains constant throughout the continuum of expanded configurations.
US10022251B2

A flow diversion device for the treatment of intracranial aneurysms and other medical conditions is disclosed. The flow diversion device may include a generally tubular wire stent frame formed from a plurality of zig-zag shaped wire elements that are coupled together. The device further includes a base layer of graft material coupled to the wire stent frame and surrounding at least a portion thereof, the wire stent frame maintaining the base layer in an open condition. In some embodiments, the base layer may be formed of porous graft material having a plurality of pores formed thereon to provide a passageway for a small blood flow to maintain the long term patency of important small side branches, while also reducing blood flow to the aneurysm to promote occlusion and avoid potential rupture.
US10022244B2

A method of inserting a femoral prosthesis includes coupling an insertion/extraction instrument with an insertion/extraction cavity of a femoral component using a threaded member, the insertion/extraction cavity defining a cavity axis which is not parallel with a longitudinal axis defined by a proximal stem portion of the femoral prosthesis, inserting a distal end portion of the femoral prosthesis into a femur, impacting a proximal end portion of the insertion/extraction instrument, and transferring an impact force from the proximal end portion to the femoral prosthesis through the threaded member.
US10022240B2

A vertically expandable intervertebral cage, deployment devices, and methods for using the same. The intervertebral cage can include a circuitous body at least partially enclosing an interior volume. The intervertebral cage can also include a front panel which can be formed into a wedge for facilitating implantation of the intervertebral cage into an intervertebral space. The intervertebral cage can be converted from an undeployed configuration, wherein the height of the intervertebral cage is reduced, to a deployed configuration, wherein the height of the intervertebral cage is increased to support end plates of the vertebrae. The intervertebral cage can be converted from the undeployed configuration to a deployed configuration by using a deployment device such as an implantation device and a guide wire. The deployment device can be used to impart a force upon the cage.
US10022228B2

An implant system includes a fixation device that, in turn can include an expandable implant alone or in combination with an auxiliary implant. The expandable implant includes an expandable implant body that is made from an expandable material. The expandable material includes a polymer matrix and an expandable gas source contained within at least a portion of the polymer matrix. The implant system can further include an energy source configured to heat the polymer matrix to a temperature above its glass transition temperature, thereby causing the gas source to expand inside the polymer matrix. The fixation device can further include an insertion instrument configured to implant the fixation device into an anatomical cavity.
US10022225B2

Tissue holders that can be used for gripping natural or synthetic heart valves are described. The tissue holder can include a clamping mechanism and a spring and can be self-adjusting with regard to pressure applied to the tissue gripped in the holder. The tissue holder can be removably attached to systems for processing the tissues and can provide completely hands-free processing of a tissue from development or excisement to implantation and/or completion of testing.
US10022223B2

Described embodiments are directed toward centrally-opening leaflet support devices having a frame and one or more support leaflets coupled to the frame forming a hinge where coupled. The described support leaflets have one or more stiffer regions that facilitate the function of a support leaflet to decrease or prevent prolapse of a native valve leaflet. Methods of making and using such valve devices are also described amongst others.
US10022221B2

A stentless support structure capable of being at least partly assembled in situ. The support structure comprises a braided tube that is very flexible and, when elongated, becomes very long and very small in diameter, thereby being capable of placement within a small diameter catheter. The support structure is preferably constructed of one or more thin strands of a super-elastic or shape memory material such as Nitinol. When released from the catheter, the support structure folds itself into a longitudinally compact configuration. The support structure thus gains significant strength as the number of folds increase. This radial strength obviates the need for a support stent. The support structure may include attachment points for a prosthetic valve.
US10022212B2

The present invention provides a removable vena cava filter for capturing and treating blood clots in a blood vessel. The filter comprises a hub, a plurality of struts extending distally from the hub, and a tubular member disposed through the hub. The tubular member has a proximal end and a distal portion including a plurality of perforations. A catheter may be attached to the proximal end of the tubular member. Fluid may be injected into the catheter to treat blood clots captured in the filter.
US10022210B2

Described are implants, tools, and methods useful for treating pelvic conditions such as prolapse, by placing an implant to support pelvic tissue, the implants, tools, and methods involving one or more of adjusting engagements, specific implants and pieces of implants, placement of implants at locations within the pelvic region, and insertion, adjusting, and grommet management tools.
US10022209B2

The present disclosure relates to an electric toothbrush, and more particularly, to an electric toothbrush including: a main body which includes an outer case; a cleaning body which is coupled to the main body and has a cleaning head formed at one end thereof; a vibration transmission unit which couples the main body and the cleaning body, has a vibration generator mounted thereon to generate vibration, and transmits the vibration to the cleaning body; and a vibration damping unit which is provided between the outer case and the vibration transmission unit, thereby maintaining cleaning performance of the electric toothbrush, reducing magnitude of vibration to be transmitted to a user, and improving convenience for the user.
US10022207B2

An oral irrigator including a handle through which fluid flows to a tip. Fluid flows to the tip during irrigate mode, and fluid flow may be interrupted by selecting a pause mode. The handle includes a mechanically controlled actuator for selecting the pause mode. The actuator may include a rack gear operably connected to a pinion gear formed on a valve spool inside the handle. The valve spool may include a ball that blocks fluid flow to the tip during pause mode but not during irrigate mode.
US10022206B2

A method, system, and dental prosthesis are provided to facilitate simulation of the natural appearance of teeth. The prosthesis can be formed to include a component to which an aesthetic coating, such as a coloring or tint, can be applied. Further, the prosthesis can include a porcelain coating disposed on the outer surface thereof, and on top of the aesthetic coating, such that the aesthetic coating can be visible through the porcelain coating of the prosthesis. During production, the crown can be coated with a metal and/or ceramic powder by means of a powder printer that can be controlled by computer equipment. A practical and rapid application function can be obtained to produce an extremely natural-looking result.
US10022204B2

System and methods for positioning 3D virtual brackets on teeth for the precise positioning of conventional brackets and wire. Various reference features may be calculated for the teeth and used to calculate a position for the virtual bracket. Reference features that are calculated include curve of Spee, Andrew's plane, and a facial axis of the clinical crown for the teeth.
US10022202B2

Ablation probe tips (108, 148, 320, 360) and physical and virtual stents (110) for use in tooth bud ablation procedures that result in tooth agenesis as well as tooth bud ablation methods are described herein.
US10022194B2

A system comprises a medical instrument including a rotatable capstan. The rotatable capstan includes a first coupling feature and a drive system including a rotatable drive element. The rotatable drive element includes a second coupling feature. The first and second coupling features have an aligned engagement configuration in which rotation of the rotatable drive element induces rotation of the rotatable capstan and a non-aligned engagement configuration in which rotation of the rotatable drive element does not induce rotation of the rotatable capstan.
US10022181B2

The present invention includes a medical device providing for the measurement and/or monitoring of the thermal conditions and/or environment existing across a substantial portion of a thermal element disposed on the medical device and the corresponding tissue region being treated by the device. The medical device of the present invention may generally include an elongate body having a thermal element coupled thereto for providing thermal energy to a desired tissue region, as well as a thermocouple array providing a plurality of temperature measurement positions about the thermal element. The thermocouple array may include one or more thermocouple elements arranged as a mesh or wire structure disposed about a substantial portion of the surface area of the thermal element.
US10022179B2

A bipolar medical device for extracting tissue including a handle, and an outer tube projecting from the handle, the outer tube extending along a longitudinal axis and including a proximal end connected with the housing and a distal end spaced from the proximal end. The medical device includes a split tube disposed within the outer tube, the split tube having a distal end including a first cutting element and an opposing second cutting element, a motor coupled with the split tube for selectively rotating the split tube and the first and second cutting elements about the longitudinal axis, and an electrosurgical generator coupled with the split tube, whereby the first cutting element is connectable with a first pole of the electrosurgical generator and the second element is connectable with a second pole of the electrosurgical generator for passing electrical current between the first and second cutting elements.
US10022177B2

A medical treatment apparatus is an apparatus for treating a living body tissue by heating the living body tissue. The apparatus includes a heat transfer portion, a heating chip and a flexible substrate. The heat transfer portion is configured to come into contact with the living body tissue and transfer heat to the living body tissue. The heating chip is disposed on the heat transfer portion and is configured to heat the heat transfer portion. The flexible substrate is partly joined to a first surface of the heat transfer portion on which the heating chip is disposed, with a remaining portion extending outside the heat transfer portion. A heating trace for supplying power to the heating chip is formed on the flexible substrate.
US10022173B2

Systems and methods for stabilization of a bone structure. A distal curved portion of a delivery tube is directed through an access cannula to a target site within the bone structure. The distal curved portion forms a curved path with respect to the access cannula. A cavity-forming device including an expandable member is adapted to be curved by a support structure in the expandable member. The curve may be provided by tracking the curved path formed by the delivery tube. The support structure may provide trackability and pushability to the expandable member of the cavity-forming device as it is directed into the curved path. Curable material is delivered through the delivery tube into a cavity formed by expanding the expandable member within the bone structure. The cavity is offset relative to the access cannula and/or the distal curved portion of the delivery tube.
US10022170B2

An extreme movement osteotomy device includes an attachment plate suitable for being locked to the cortical substance of the bone to be treated, having a first proximal portion suitable for being attached to the inner cortical substance of the metatarsal diaphysis of the bone, a distal portion suitable for being attached to the outer cortical substance, next to the epiphysis of the metatarsus, and a central portion connecting the proximal and distal portions, each one of the proximal and distal portions of the plate being provided with at least one hole and orthopedic screws to pass therethrough; and a proximal intramedullary support system having a shank with a foam tip extending from the end of the proximal portion of the plate.
US10022164B2

Orthopedic fastener devices for fixation of fractured bones are disclosed. The orthopedic fastener device is in the form of an orthopedic fastener having an IM nail coated on its external surface with a bioabsorbable or biodegradable hydrogel. Also disclosed are hydrogel coated orthopedic fastener devices in the form of a K-wire or bone screw, a method for stabilizing a fractured long bone fracture by inserting an orthopedic fastener into the medullary canal of the bone and a kit for fastener implantation.
US10022159B2

A surgical instrument comprises a first member that defines a cavity and includes a locking surface disposed with the cavity. The locking surface is engageable with a longitudinal member to fix the longitudinal member with the first member. A second member includes at least one mating element that is engageable with a spinal construct. An actuator is connected with the members that incrementally tensions the longitudinal member. Systems, implants and methods are disclosed.
US10022156B2

A minimally invasive screw with double threaded plugs is provided, for connecting to a connecting rod. The screw includes an inner threaded plug, an outer threaded plug, a lengthened arm connector, a press block and a pin with a hollow ball head. The connecting rod can be fixed to the lengthened arm connector via the press block, the inner and outer threaded plugs, to prevent the vertebral body from rotating and loss of intervertebral height when the vertebral body is distracted and pressurized.
US10022155B1

Dynamic lumbar spine stabilization device implementations and methods are disclosed, which allow for dynamic fixation of both anterior and posterior vertebral columns simultaneously through the articulation of pairs of curved, overlapping rails for partial flexion and extension or up to full normal flexion and extension while stabilizing at least two vertebrae of the lumbar spine.
US10022152B2

An external fixation assembly for bone fusion or separation is disclosed. The assembly includes a fracture fusion tube, with a bracket slidably engaged thereon. The assembly further includes a collet clamp connected to the bracket, with a ball collet rotatably seated within the clamp, the ball collet having an aperture for receiving a bone bin therethrough and perforations for a compression engagement with a bone pin. The assembly uses a single screw for threadably engaging the ball collet, the clamp and the bracket such that the position of the bone pin, ball collet and bracket are all fixed.
US10022147B2

The present invention presents an applicator having a non-reusable static pointing device reversibly attachable to a face of an ultrasound transducer to attach the non-reusable static pointing device to the face of the ultrasound transducer in a consistent and accurate way. The static pointing device attached to the face of the ultrasound transducer is coupled with an ultrasound positioning apparatus and is to produce a linear shadow line in a visualized ultrasonographic field.
US10022141B2

A method and apparatus for transecting soft tissue, such as a ligament, and more particularly, the transverse carpal ligament. An hollow introducer needle and a threadlike cutting element enable the method to performed in a minimally invasive manner. The cutting element is routed into position about the target ligament such that the cutting element both enters and exits the body from the same side of the ligament. The substantially smooth exterior surface of the cutting element serves to provide for a kerf-less cut.
US10022136B2

A device for guiding a drilling of a femoral head of a femur in femoral head resurfacing comprises a body defining a guide channel adapted to receive and guide a drilling component therein. Arms are pivotally connected to the body and biased toward one another, the arms each having a contact end extending below the body, the contact ends adapted to contact a femoral neck when the body is in a hovering position relative to the femoral head. Sensors produce a signal indicative of an orientation angle of each of the arms relative to the body. A processor unit calculates the orientation angles of the arms from the signal, and evaluates from the orientation angles an alignment of the body relative to the femur. A visual output produces a visual signal representative of said alignment. A method for aligning a drill guide device on a femur for subsequent drilling a femoral head with a guide channel in the drill guide device is also provided.
US10022132B2

Apparatus and methods for bone cavity preparation. Formed broaching members may be supported inside a bone by a rotator. The broaching members may be bowed out inside the bone to create a cavity having a shape determined by the broaching members and bone anatomy.
US10022124B2

There is provided a surgical instrument incorporating driving force mechanisms capable of transmitting a driving force through an articulated section of the surgical instrument. In one embodiment, a series of racks connect with a transfer gear to pass forces around the articulated section. In an alternative embodiment a series of cable sections and wheels or pulleys are provided to transmit a driving force through the articulated section of the surgical instrument.
US10022123B2

Adapter assemblies are provided for selectively interconnecting a surgical end effector that is configured to perform at least a pair of functions and a surgical device that is configured to actuate the end effector, wherein the adapter assembly includes an adapter knob housing configured and adapted for connection with the surgical device and to be in operative communication with each of the at least one rotatable drive shaft of the surgical device, the adapter knob housing defining a lumen extending longitudinally therethrough and a ring gear formed in an inner surface of the lumen of the adapter knob housing, the ring gear defining an internal array of gear teeth which are engaged with a spur gear of a rotatable drive shaft. The adapter knob housing may be a unitary member and may be formed of plastic.
US10022122B2

The present invention provides an apparatus for suture-based tissue repair, preferably for the annulus of a spinal disc, that includes a suture loop preferably pre-tied with a sliding knot, a clasp-type component that captures the ends of the suture loop, and an optional plug member that fills the tissue defect. Also disclosed is a method that places the suture loop in a full-thickness stitch encircling the tissue defect, secures the ends of the suture loop to the clasp, and cinches the suture loop to approximate the tissue without the need to tie knots. Also disclosed is a suture passer that enables a suture strand or loop to be passed through the tissue wall, captured, and retrieved. The suture passer may optionally incorporate a clasp in such an arrangement that enables a suture loop passed through the tissue wall to be captured directly by the clasp.
US10022116B2

A method of fixating an implantable material in a patient includes forming an incision in the patient. The method includes inserting an anchor into a bore of a cannula, with the anchor attached to a support by a suture that is looped through an eyelet of the anchor and engaged through the support. The method includes inserting the cannula into the incision and along a cannula path into soft tissue, and ejecting the anchor out of the bore of the cannula and into the soft tissue. The suture is pulled in a direction away from the patient, moving the anchor to position a length of the anchor transverse to the cannula path. The method includes tying a knot in the suture, driving the knot against the support, and fixating the support in the patient.
US10022115B2

A suture anchor has an entry tip and a hollow cylindrical body. The entry tip is integral to a hollow cylindrical body. The entry tip is at a distal end and the body has a proximal end and projections formed on an external surface of the body for retaining the anchor in a pre-drilled hole formed in bone. Four suture openings are formed on the tip at the distal end. Each opening is connected to an internal cavity of the body. The four suture openings are divided into two pairs, a first pair and a second pair. Each first or second pair of two suture openings are recessed in a respective first or second external channel formed in the entry tip. Each pair of two suture openings is configured to receive a suture.
US10022113B2

Catheter system, devices and methods for diagnosing and treating lateral stenosis causing back pain and or leg pain. The devices comprise a tubular part for insertion into a working cannula to self-position itself safely within the foramen, and minimize the risk of displacement medially or laterally, to prevent nerve or dura injury. An expandable membrane is configured to maintain the catheter device within the foramen. Expansion of this membrane would decompress the nerve within the foramen by opening the foraminal canal as the membrane expands. Inserts may be used in connection with the expandable member.
US10022110B2

A biopsy system driver includes a motor having a rotatable output shaft, a support structure, a drive shaft, an elongate lead screw and a biopsy instrument drive member. The drive shaft is rotatably coupled to the support structure and includes or is otherwise operatively connected to the motor output shaft such that activation of the motor rotates the drive shaft. The elongate lead screw is coupled to the drive shaft such that rotation of the drive shaft rotates the lead screw about an axis of the lead screw. The lead screw is axially translatable relative to the drive shaft and to the support structure. The biopsy instrument drive member is threadably coupled to the lead screw such that rotation of the lead screw causes axial translation of one of the lead screw and biopsy instrument drive member relative to the other one and to the support structure.
US10022109B2

The present invention refers to a detection device for the in vivo and/or in vitro enrichment of sample material, the detection device comprising a functional surface equipped with detection receptors. To further improve the enrichment of sample material by using a detection device of the aforementioned type, it is provided according to the invention that the functional surface has a three-dimensional structure with mutually facing functional sections which form spaces that can be filled with a sample liquid. Furthermore, the present invention provides for a use and for a method for the use of the detection device.
US10022107B2

A method for correcting fat-induced aberrations in ultrasound imaging comprises segmenting a thermoacoustic absorption image of a region of interest into at least one fat region and at least one non-fat region, creating a speed of sound map by assigning a speed of sound to each region based on tissue type of the region, correcting aberrations in the segmented thermoacoustic absorption image using the assigned speeds of sound thereby generating a corrected thermoacoustic image, and correcting an ultrasound image of the region of interest using the corrected thermoacoustic image and the speed of sound map.
US10022105B2

A radiographic imaging apparatus includes an electronic cassette and a console device for radio communication with the electronic cassette. The electronic cassette includes a transmitter for transmitting a beacon for the radio communication. A regulation unit regulates beaconing of the beacon in a predetermined specific state among plural operational states. The console device includes a receiver for receiving the beacon. A communication failure detector checks whether a communication failure has occurred in the radio communication according to a receiving state of the beacon in the receiver. A display panel or speaker generates alert notification to notify the communication failure assuming that the communication failure detector judges that the communication failure has occurred. An operational state detector checks whether the electronic cassette is in the specific state. An alert manager avoids generation of the alert notification while the operational state detector judges that the electronic cassette is in the specific state.
US10022103B2

An X-ray diagnostic apparatus according to an embodiment includes an X-ray generator, processing circuitry, and a display unit. The X-ray generator radiates an X-ray. The processing circuitry obtains an exposure dose of a subject due to the X-ray radiated from the X-ray generator and generates an image in which a dose distribution based on the exposure dose is superimposed on a three-dimensional model representing the subject. The display unit displays the image. The processing circuitry generates an image in which the dose distribution on a body surface on a rear side when observed in a first view direction, serving as a direction in which the three-dimensional model is displayed, is visible.
US10022102B2

In an X-ray imaging apparatus, a detection panel has monitor pixels for monitoring X-rays. A signal processor samples a dose signal of a dose per unit time of X-rays according to an output of the monitor pixels. A start detector checks whether irradiation of X-rays is started according to a result of comparison between the dose signal and a start threshold. An AEC device acquires cumulative dose from a start time of the start of irradiation of X-rays until acquisition time after a predetermined time according to the dose signal. According to the cumulative dose, a predicted time point of a reach of the cumulative dose to a target dose is estimated. A stop signal is transmitted to a radiation source controller at the predicted time point, to stop the irradiation of X-rays.
US10022097B2

A medical imaging system for reconstructing quantitative dynamic nuclear medicine images of a subject may include a three dimensional positron emission tomography (3D PET) scanner and a data processing system. The three dimensional positron emission tomography (3D PET) scanner may: perform scans of the subject at each of multiple bed positions, each scan being of only a sub-portion of the subject that is within an axial length covered by the scanner; and generate dynamic list-mode PET data that: represents a total number of photon pairs arriving at each of multiple detector pairs in the 3D PET scanner; and is organized in a list of elements, each element in the list including a detector pair index and an arrival time for each detected photon pair; and acquires PET data using a dynamic PET protocol with at least two scans at each of the multiple bed positions. The data processing system may: reconstruct Patlak slope and intercept images of the subject over an axial length of the subject that exceeds the axial length of each scan of the subject by optimizing a likelihood or penalized likelihood function using the list-mode PET data from at least two scans of the subject at each of the multiple bed positions; and store the reconstructed image in a storage device or displays the reconstructed image on a display system.
US10022094B2

An improved injection port for implantation within a patient having an x-ray discernable marker allowing for the determination of a pressure rating for the injection port when so implanted.
US10022093B2

An X-ray diagnosis apparatus includes an X-ray irradiator, a light source device, and a light emission control unit. The X-ray irradiator emits X-rays to a subject. The light source device includes a light-emitting part and a light irradiation part. The light-emitting part includes a semiconductor laser or a light-emitting diode for emitting light. The light irradiation part emits the light as output light indicating the irradiation field of the X-rays. The light emission control unit controls the light-emitting part according to the operating state of the X-ray irradiator.
US10022075B2

A biological information measurement device according to the present invention detects a signal expressing biological information from a fingertip using an internal sensor (S1). A first perfusion index and first biological information aside from the first perfusion index are obtained from the signal detected by the internal sensor (S2, S3). It is determined whether or not the first perfusion index is greater than or equal to a first threshold (S4). When the first perfusion index is greater than or equal to the first threshold, the first biological information is permitted to be displayed in a display unit (S5). However, when the first perfusion index is less than the first threshold, a notification is made indicating that an external sensor that is lighter than a main body, is an entity separate from the main body, and is communicably connected to the main body is to be used (S6).
US10022066B2

A coil pad according to one embodiment is a coil pad that is placed between a receiving coil and a subject. The receiving coil is mounted on the subject and receives a magnetic resonance signal emitted from the subject. The coil pad includes a pad opening and a vibrating portion. The pad opening is aligned with a coil opening included in the receiving coil and forms a through-hole between the coil opening and the subject. The vibrating portion vibrates with a medium that transmits vibration being filled therein.
US10022060B2

A method and system for high-throughput prediction of the onset of heart arrhythmias observes trends in abnormal or pathologic morphology of the electrocardiogram (ECG). A first set of ECG signals is monitored from a patient. A baseline measurement is generated from the monitored first set of ECG signals to contain nonpathologic ECG morphologies in each lead. A second set of ECG signals is monitored from the patient and a second baseline measurement is generated from the second set of ECG signals. A residuum signal is generated for each lead based on the baseline measurement and the second baseline measurement. The residuum signals are averaged across the leads. R-wave heterogeneity, T-wave heterogeneity, P-wave heterogeneity, or ST-segment heterogeneity or other indicators of arrhythmia risk or myocardial ischemia are quantified based on the generated residuum signals and the averaged residuum signal.
US10022056B2

A blood pressure measurement cuff wrapped a direction along circumferential direction around a measurement site, the blood pressure measurement cuff containing fluid bladder between belt-shaped body composed of inner cloth to be in contact with the measurement site and outer cloth opposing the inner cloth. Ring attachment member attached to a region on inner circumferential end-side of the outer cloth and hook-and-loop fastener provided in a region on outer circumferential end-side of the inner cloth are included. The ring has a temporary fastening structure that allows a region continuous with outer circumferential end of the belt-shaped body to be pulled through ring with arm strength in a direction away from measurement site during attachment and suppresses a case in which the region continuous with the outer circumferential end of the belt-shaped body pulled by the arm strength is pulled back through the ring by elastic force of the measurement site.
US10022048B2

Method, system and computer program for measuring light diffusion in the eyeball or in the ocular region.The method comprises: projecting a punctiform light beam onto the retina; correcting low-order ocular aberrations of the eye; capturing and recording an image of the retinal plane formed after reflection of the punctiform light beam on the retina and a double passage through the ocular media of the eye; and at the same time as capturing the image of the retinal plane, performing a high- and low-order ocular aberration measurement in the plane of the pupil and performing a light diffusion measurement, combining ocular aberration measurement information with information on the image of the retinal plane. The system and the computer program are adapted for implementing the method.
US10022045B1

A vision testing system and a method of operating a data processing system for displaying an eye test pattern on a computer display to a patient during an eye examination are disclosed. The method includes causing the data processing system to display the eye test pattern in a chart region of a computer display controlled by the data processing system and characterized by a luminance in regions not displaying the eye test pattern. An intensity of light leaving the computer display is measured in a sensor region outside the chart region using a display luminance sensor. The luminance of the computer display is adjusted to provide a light level within a predetermined range of light levels based on the measured intensity of light. The data processing system can receive the measured intensity and adjust the display luminescence.
US10022044B2

A method of visual testing of an individual (10) includes the steps of: a) placing the individual at a predetermined observation distance (D1) from a display surface (21) at which the individual observes, with a natural head carriage, the display surface; b) displaying, on the display surface, a visual test including at least one test image (22) in a visual field of the individual; and c) determining, on the display surface, a boundary (23) of zones of optimal/degraded vision of the test image by the individual in the configuration resulting from steps a) and b), the boundary delimiting respectively a zone of optimal vision (23A) and a zone of degraded vision (23B) of the visual field, for which zones the individual indicates that he sees the test image of the visual test in an optimal manner, respectively in a degraded manner.
US10022042B2

Systems and methods for imaging ear tissue include: directing illumination radiation to pass through an intact biological structure and be incident on ear tissue that does not include an exogenous fluorophore, at a plurality of locations, the illumination radiation including a plurality of light pulses each having a temporal duration of 500 femtoseconds or less; for each one of the plurality of locations, using a detector to detect radiation emitted from the location that passes through the intact biological structure; and forming an image of the tissue based on the detected radiation at each of the plurality of locations, where the emitted radiation corresponds to endogenous two-photon fluorescence of the tissue.
US10022041B2

A surgical device includes a plurality of cameras integrated therein. The view of each of the plurality of cameras can be integrated together to provide a composite image. A surgical tool that includes an integrated camera may be used in conjunction with the surgical device. The image produced by the camera integrated with the surgical tool may be associated with the composite image generated by the plurality of cameras integrated in the surgical device. The position and orientation of the cameras and/or the surgical tool can be tracked, and the surgical tool can be rendered as transparent on the composite image. A surgical device may be powered by a hydraulic system, thereby reducing electromagnetic interference with tracking devices.
US10022037B2

A dish rack is supported for vertical movement relative to a dishwasher tub between lowered and raised positions. To raise the rack, spring biased locking levers provided on side walls of the dish rack are pivoted to cause wing members of the locking levers to release locking tabs, extending in a cantilevered fashion from locking straps secured to the rack, from locking openings provided in adjuster arms which are fixed vertically relative to the tub, thereby disengaging the locking straps from the adjuster arms to enable the rack to be lifted to the raised position. To lower the rack, the locking levers are again pivoted to reposition support members of the locking straps into positions offset from the adjuster arms, thereby enabling the rack to be guided to the lowered position where the locking tabs automatically engage the adjuster arms.
US10022034B2

A dishwasher appliance and method of operation is provided. The dishwasher appliance may include a tub defining a wash chamber, a coarse filter disposed, a recirculation pump, and a drain pump. The method may include activating the recirculation pump to flow wash fluid through the coarse filter in a primary flow direction, and activating the drain pump to flow wash fluid through the coarse filter in the primary flow direction for an initial purge cycle. Further included may be flushing wash fluid through the coarse filter and into the tub in a secondary flow direction opposite from the primary flow direction. Still further included may be activating the recirculation pump to flow wash fluid through the coarse filter in the primary flow direction, and activating the drain pump to flow wash fluid through the coarse filter in the primary flow direction for an additional purge cycle.
US10022031B2

A portable power and water supply for hard surface or carpet cleaners is disclosed. The portable power and water supply can include a portable platform with a fresh/waste water tank and two or more power connectors that can be coupled to separate power sources. The fresh/waste water tank can have an internal bladder that separates fresh cleaning water from returned waste water. The fresh/waste water tank can facilitate operation of cleaning tools (e.g., hard surface cleaners and/or carpet cleaners) in buildings with limited or widely spaced water supplies, without the need for long hoses. The power connectors can be coupled to wall power to direct power to the cleaning tools.
US10022026B2

The present invention relates to a lightweight, portable vacuum that can be operated with a single hand. The invention provides improved means of collecting small objects, pet waste, dust, dirt, or other small debris without requiring excessive bending or stooping by the user. Advantageously, the invention provides improvements that reduce or potentially eliminate the user's contact with pet waste or other potentially hazardous solid waste.
US10022024B2

An exemplary refill unit for a foam dispenser includes a container for holding a foamable liquid and a liquid pump connected to the container and an outlet nozzle. The liquid pump has a rigid back plate and a flexible membrane. The flexible membrane and the rigid back plate form an arcuate shaped liquid pump chamber. The rigid back plate has a liquid inlet located proximate a first end of the arcuate shaped pump chamber and a liquid outlet located proximate a second end of the arcuate shaped pump chamber. The liquid pump is actuated by progressive compression of the flexible membrane against the back plate.
US10022022B2

A genitalia washing assembly includes a container that may contain a liquid detergent. The container has an aperture extending therethrough. The aperture may insertably receive male genitalia thereby facilitating the liquid detergent to wash the male genitalia. A lid is removably coupled to the container. The lid frictionally engages the lip such that the lid closes the opening.
US10022021B2

The present disclosure relates to a cooking apparatus having a base; a cooking container configured on the base; and a top lid that is configured to cover the cooking container so as to allow multiple modes of cooking, wherein the top lid is coupled with at least one magnetron that acts as a source of microwaves, such that in at least a first configuration, covering of the top lid enables microwave cooking using the magnetron, and in at least a second configuration, the cooking container is used to enable any or a combination of induction, open flame, radiation, convection, and conduction cooking.
US10022019B2

A system for food preparation, including a system body, a blade actuator retained by the system body; a set of blades; a blade platform rotatably mounting the set of blades, the blade platform pivotally connected along a first edge to the system body and operable between an engaged position and a disengaged position; and a container platform defining a container receptacle, the container platform pivotally connected along a first edge to the system body and operable between a loading position and a processing position.
US10022011B2

A beverage preparation machine of the type which uses pre-packaged containers of beverage ingredients includes a cartridge recognition device for determining the type of beverage to be prepared from a cartridge inserted into the machine and a variable geometry valve located downstream of a cartridge when inserted in the machine. The valve enables preparation of beverages at a range of pressures by having at least an open position and at least one restricted flow position, and a controller for selecting an initial valve position and controlling the subsequent operation of the valve according to the determination of the type of beverage to be prepared by the cartridge recognition device.
US10022009B2

A filter-paper insert for making brewed beverages at least two layers of filter paper having a base and two opposite sides. The two layers are connected together at the base and at the two opposite sides to define an interior space that can be filled from a filling opening opposite the base. The filter paper includes a plurality of slots to increase permeability. The filter-paper insert has a lower region adjacent the base and an upper adjacent the filling opening. The lower region has fewer slots per surface area than the upper region.
US10022000B2

Bedding material including a first fabric section manufactured from performance fabric and having a first and second side; and, a second fabric section attached to the first side of the first fabric section. Additionally, a third fabric section can be attached to the second side of the first fabric section. The first fabric section can be attached to the second fabric section through a flatlock stitch. The first fabric section can include a first zone and a second zone wherein the first zone contains different performance properties from the second zone and the first zone can have thermal or moisture wicking properties.
US10021997B2

A single-item-access (SIA) sub-drawer is disclosed that has a body with a compartment and a lid that is selectably securable in a closed position that encloses the compartment. The SIA sub-drawer includes a lid latch configured to secure and selectably release the lid and a sub-drawer latch configured to engage and selectably release a retention hook to secure the SIA sub-drawer to a dispensing cabinet. The SIA sub-drawer also includes a processor configured to cause the lid latch to release the lid upon receipt of a lid release signal and to cause the sub-drawer latch to release the retention hook upon receipt of a sub-drawer release signal.
US10021988B2

An actively ventilated chair includes a first distribution layer, a second distribution layer, and a fan, wherein the first distribution layer includes a large aperture on a first side and a plurality of small apertures on the second side, the second distribution layer couples to second side first distribution layer, and the fan couples to the first side of the first distribution layer such that it covers the large aperture, enabling the fan to direct air through the large aperture, into the first distribution layer, through the plurality of small apertures, and through the second distribution layer.
US10021980B2

A seating unit that includes a linkage mechanism adapted to adjust between closed, extended, and reclined positions is provided. The linkage mechanism includes a linear actuator primarily coupled to a seat mounting plate for carrying out automated adjustment of the linkage assembly.
US10021979B2

Disclosed are various reclining and/or declining mechanisms or systems allowing a greater range of recline and an easy way to recline and decline a chair. Optionally, the chair can also have a reclining and declining backrest and a leg rest, a footrest, or both and also optional storage compartments. The reclining and/or declining systems of the invention cause at least a portion of a vertical or generally vertical support for the plate or frame of the chair seat to tilt with respect to vertical.
US10021975B1

An apparatus for support and display of hanging articles includes: a length of wire shelving, and attachment assembly for securing to an underside of the wire shelving, and an extendable and sloping support arm coupled to the attachment assembly.
US10021967B2

A portable detachable counter extension system uniquely mounts on top of an already existing surface including but not limited to a counter, bookshelf, radiator cover, bathroom vanity or any other suitable existing suitable surface.
US10021965B2

A lollipop toothbrush apparatus includes an edible lollipop head, a hollow handle extending from the lollipop head, and a toothbrush having a handle that fits inside the hollow lollipop handle. The hollow lollipop handle has internal threading configured to receive a complementary threaded portion of the toothbrush handle. The toothbrush is configured to screw into the hollow lollipop handle and form a combined continuous handle for the lollipop.
US10021961B2

A head for an oral care implement has at least a first row of tufts comprising a plurality of filaments having free ends and fixed ends being opposite the free ends and being fixed on a mounting surface of the head. The filaments of the at least first row of tufts extend from the mounting surface of the head in different length extensions thereby defining with the filaments' free ends an upper top cleaning surface in the form of a continuous wave-shape. The tufts of the at least first row are inclined with respect to the mounting surface.
US10021955B2

A locking mechanism for a shoulder strap of a backpack is disclosed which has guiding means, retaining means, and engaging means, where the engaging means is rotatable about an axis and slidably guided along the guiding means, where in a first rotational position the engaging means engages the retaining means so that a sliding movement of the engaging means along the guiding means is restricted, and where in a second rotational position the engaging means disengages the retaining means so that a sliding movement of the engaging means along the guiding means is enabled.
US10021952B2

A system and method for an intelligent hair drying/styling apparatus with user information transmission and storage capabilities is herein provided. The hair drying/styling apparatus houses a control circuit board and an infrared or temperature sensor (or camera) in order detect an individual's hair condition moisture level to determine a user specific, customizable dryer setting. The information detected by the sensor is stored locally, on a proximal Internet-enabled device, or on a remote or cloud-based server and accessed by the hair drying/styling apparatus through a wireless local area network connectivity function. Accordingly, a user's hair temperature-drying profile may be stored and later recalled to provide optimal hair styling setting customized for that user. This innovation will enable any number of hair professionals and or end consumers to improve styling and dry time. Such a profile may contain a proprietary V-Factor calculation that will, among other applications, correspond to the use of a coordinated and optimized hair spray solution. According to the present invention, energy usage is reduced to enable a more efficient design.
US10021951B2

A hairdryer including an ionizing system and a heater wherein the ionizing system comprises an ion producing electrode and the ion producing electrode extends along an external periphery of the heater. The ion producing electrode may extend along the heater to a downstream end of the heater. The ion producing electrode may extend along the heater from an upstream end of the heater. The heater may be generally cylindrical and the ion producing electrode extends along a radially outer surface of the heater. The ion producing electrode may have a first part which extends along a first axis and the first part extends along the external periphery of the heater. The ion producing electrode may have a second part, which extends along a second axis, wherein the second part extends radially inwards from the external periphery of the heater.
US10021946B2

A buckle includes a male member and a female member. The male member is provided with an engagement section which protrudes from a body section. The female member includes a pressing elastic member which is provided with an engagement receiving section with which the engagement section engages; and a housing body in which a housing space for housing the pressing elastic member is housed. The housing body has an opening which connects to the housing space and into which the engagement section is inserted. The pressing elastic member is integrally provided with: a pair of pressing sections-which protrudes from the housing space of the housing body; elastic body sections which connect the pair of pressing sections together, elastically support the pressing sections, and enable the pressing sections to elastically move into the housing section; and the engagement receiving section which is supported by the elastic body sections.
US10021934B2

The sole of a footwear such as slipper having an outsole. The sole is made of a foam material and outsole area of which is partly laid with a fabric material. The fabric is attached to the outsole layer by a plastic which has been heat pressed to the fabric and the foam material. This provides a strong attachment between the fabric-plastic-foam material.
US10021932B2

One variation of a helmet system includes: a shell defining an interior volume and an aperture proximal an anterior end of the shell; a primary visor coupled to the shell and transiently arranged over the aperture; a secondary visor adjacent the aperture, including an elongated translucent member suspended from the shell, and defining a first discrete reflective region on a right side of the elongated translucent member and a second discrete reflective region on a left side of the elongated translucent member; a camera coupled to the shell and defining a field of view extending outwardly from a posterior end of the shell; and a projection system projecting an image onto the first discrete reflective region and onto the second discrete reflective region, the image comprising a subregion of a video frame recorded by the camera, the secondary visor reflecting the image toward the interior volume.
US10021930B2

A covering apparatus having a unitary material. The unitary material has a grip disposed around the interior perimeter of the material. The grip is fused to the material wherein the grip enables the material to provide a water tight seal and wherein the material is covering an object without slipping and sliding off the object. The material has an elastic member which is enclosed in the material which is located in the rear of the covering apparatus.
US10021926B2

Provided is an athletic headband with removable cooling elements. The athletic headband includes a body and cooling elements. The body has a first opening and a second opening substantially opposed to the first opening. Further, the body includes pockets disposed about the body and extending from the first opening to the second opening. The pockets have respective openings about the second opening. The first cooling elements are configured to be received into the pockets through the respective openings to provide cooling to the head of the user. The cooling elements are disposed adjacently to one another about the body to provide continuous cooling about the head.
US10021914B2

The present application discloses an atomization assembly, an electronic cigarette with a limited lifetime and a method of limiting a lifetime of the electronic cigarette. The atomization assembly includes an interface circuit detachably connected with the battery assembly, an atomization circuit and a main circuit. The atomization circuit and the main circuit are both connected with the interface circuit. The main circuit is used to count the puff number according to actual conducting times of the atomization circuit, after electrically communicated with the battery assembly via the interface circuit, so that the electronic cigarette controls the atomizing circuit to be disconnected and stopped from working when the puff number reaches a preset value. A technical effect is achieved that exactly counting the puff number and effectively ensuring the consistency between the available puff number and available amount of tobacco tar.
US10021913B2

An atomizing assembly includes a tubing section having an inlet end and an outlet end. The inlet end of the tubing section is connectable to a liquid storage portion, and the outlet end of the tubing section is in fluid communication with an atomizing nozzle. The tubing section is configured to deliver a flow of liquid aerosol-forming substrate through the atomizing nozzle. The atomizing nozzle includes an air channel configured to establish an air flow through the nozzle. The air flow is mixed with the flow of liquid aerosol-forming substrate.
US10021906B2

An electronic pipe includes a first pipe section having an electronic module and a first connector element that communicates with the electronic module. A second pipe section is attached to the first pipe section, the second pipe section including a combustible material reservoir having a passageway that communicates with a mouthpiece receiver, with an aperture located on a surface of the second pipe section, the aperture communicating with the combustible material reservoir so that a fluid exterior to the electronic pipe can pass into the aperture, through the combustible material reservoir and into the passageway that communicates with the mouthpiece receiver and a second connector element coupled to the first connector element, with both connector elements structured to transmit an electric current from the battery to a laser diode or induction coil heat source located within the combustible material reservoir.
US10021905B1

A smoking apparatus has a vessel, a smoke generation structure coupled to a lower portion of the vessel for accommodating smoke-generation substance for generating smoke, and for guiding the smoke into the vessel, a smoke guide for discharging the smoke out of the vessel, and a pump for pumping the smoke from the smoking generation structure into the vessel and for pumping the smoke out of the vessel through the smoke guide.
US10021889B2

A grill smoker apparatus provides a container and a cover. A carrier is disposed in the container. The carrier is configured to store smoke producing material such as wood chips. The carrier may be removable from the container for filling the container, for emptying the container, for replacing the container or for cleaning the smoker apparatus. The carrier includes an outer dimension smaller than the inner dimension of the container. As such, a carrier gap is defined between the inner container wall and the outer region of the carrier. The carrier gap may form a uniform, annular gap in some embodiments. Alternatively, the carrier gap has a non-uniform radial dimension around the perimeter of the container. The carrier gap provides enhanced airflow to the smoke producing material in the carrier for improving smoker performance. A heat concentrator also focuses heat to the smoker apparatus for igniting the smoke producing material.
US10021888B2

Implementations of a vertical smoker and cooker for food are provided. In some implementations, the vertical smoker and cooker may be configured to cook and smoke food using charcoal briquettes and wood chips while maintaining a constant cooking temperature within the cooking chamber. In some implementations, the vertical smoker and cooker may be configured to protect the contents of the cooking chamber from direct exposure to the radiant heat coming from the fire box and prevent meat drippings from falling into the fire box. In some implementations, the vertical smoker and cooker may comprise a housing having an interior cooking chamber accessible through a first door, and a fire box chamber accessible through a second door, and an array of drip guides positioned between the cooking chamber and the fire box chamber.
US10021884B2

Vent cutter including a rotatable cutter with forward cutting edge for cutting tissue around a vent of poultry. A centering pin can be inside the cutter with a thickened end portion for insertion into the vent prior to cutting. A clamping sleeve can be inside of the cutter and surround the centering pin. The centering pin and the clamping sleeve can be movable with respect to each other and arranged to cooperate for clamping tissue of the poultry. The clamping sleeve can be movable with respect to the cutter.
US10021866B2

A mobile fishing rod transportation and storage system includes two longitudinal and two horizontal rods. Four corners connect the longitudinal rods to the horizontal rods to form a frame. A first of the horizontal rods is horizontally and rotationally fixed to the longitudinal rods. A second of the horizontal rods is horizontally fixed to the longitudinal rods and is rotationally free with respect to the longitudinal rods to permit rotation of the second horizontal rod. At least one rod holder is rotationally connected with respect to one of the first and second horizontal rods between the longitudinal rods to both rotationally pivot along with the one horizontal rod when in a rod-holder locked state and rotationally move independently of the one horizontal rod when in a rod-holder unlocked state. A set of wheels is connected to the frame to permit the frame to roll upon a surface of the environment.
US10021862B2

An angling has a rigid head with a rear face, a flexible body having a front end and a second end adapted to contact the rear face, a hook having an eyelet and a point, and an attachment rod having a first end fastened to the rigid head and a free second end. The attachment rod has a fixing portion onto which the eyelet is retained and a vertical retaining portion exerting a force compressing the rigid body so as to retain the rigid body against the rear face of the rigid head. The head and the body have a shape corresponding to a shape of bait.
US10021852B2

The present invention provides novel lettuce cultivar Claudita and plant parts, seed, and tissue culture therefrom. The invention also provides methods for producing a lettuce plant by crossing the lettuce plants of the invention with themselves or another lettuce plant. The invention also provides lettuce plants produced from such a crossing as well as plant parts, seed, and tissue culture therefrom.
US10021851B2

The present invention relates to a hybrid Swiss chard seed designated 69-600 RZ. The present invention also relates to a Swiss chard plant produced by growing the 69-600 RZ seed, which plant exhibits a combination of traits including having green leaves with white petioles and leaf midribs, resistance to downy mildew (Peronospora farinosa f. sp. betae), field resistance to Cercospora leaf spot, strong blistering of the leaf blade and a dark to very dark green leaf coloring. The invention further relates to methods for producing the Swiss chard cultivar, represented by hybrid Swiss chard variety 69-600 RZ.
US10021849B2

The present invention relates to an iceberg lettuce having one or more romaine lettuce characteristics. The invention further relates to methods for producing iceberg lettuce varieties containing one or more romaine lettuce characteristics.
US10021847B1

The present invention provides an inbred corn line designated CI5166, methods for producing a corn plant by crossing plants of the inbred line CI5166 with plants of another corn plant. The invention further encompasses all parts of inbred corn line CI5166, including culturable cells. Additionally provided herein are methods for introducing transgenes into inbred corn line CI5166, and plants produced according to these methods.
US10021846B1

A novel maize variety designated PH2WSG1 and seed, plants and plant parts thereof are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant comprise crossing maize variety PH2WSG1 with another maize plant are provided. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH2WSG1 through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby are provided. Hybrid maize seed, plants or plant parts are produced by crossing the variety PH2WSG1 or a locus conversion of PH2WSG1 with another maize variety.
US10021843B2

According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH243452. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH243452, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH243452 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH243452.
US10028419B2

A gasket assembly structure including a frame which includes a front half and a back half joined together with a plurality of interlocking tabs located around a perimeter of the frame, defining a window, and an electromagnetic gasket, constrained between the front half and the back half of the frame; where the electromagnetic gasket lines an interior perimeter of the window and partially extends from the frame into the window, and a passageway through the window of the frame with boarders defined by the constrained electromagnetic gasket. A housing structure including a receptacle recessed within an opening on a front side of the housing, the receptacle is rigidly attached to the housing, and a gasket assembly recessed within the opening and located between the front side of the housing and the receptacle, where the gasket assembly is directly secured to the housing.
US10028415B1

Described herein is an integrated data center that provides for efficient cooling, as well as efficient wire routing, and in particular a configuration in which electronic equipment cabinets are arranged in rows within thermal compartments where the cabinets may be rolled in and out of place as required and a frame supports thermal shields of the thermal compartment.
US10028413B2

Heat transfer management apparatuses are disclosed. In one embodiment, a heat transfer management apparatus includes a composite lamina having an insulator substrate and a plurality of thermal conductor traces coupled to the insulator substrate. The plurality of thermal conductor traces are arranged into a first enhanced thermal conduction region and a second enhanced thermal conduction region. The heat transfer management apparatus also includes a heat generating component mount and a temperature sensitive component mount in electrical continuity with the heat generating component mount, where a shielding path projection extends from the heat generating component mount towards the temperature sensitive component mount, and at least one of the thermal conductor traces is transverse to the shielding path projection between the heat generating component mount and the temperature sensitive component mount to steer heat flux away from the temperature sensitive component mount.
US10028402B1

The disclosed technology includes an assembly of two planar expansion card cards, which provides functionality to be leveraged by an upper planar expansion card. The base planar expansion card includes a first connector A, a first connector B, a connector C, a first pass-through connector A configured to connect to the first connector A, and a first pass-through connector B configured to connect to the first connector B. An upper planar expansion card includes a second connector A and a second connector B. The second connector A and the second connector B connect to the first pass-through connector A and the first B connector pass-through, respectively. In some implementations, the second connector A and second connector B are configured for a PCI-E and the connector C is configured for Ethernet KR signals.
US10028399B2

A compressor may include a shell, a terminal assembly and an electronics module. The terminal assembly may engage the shell and may include an outwardly extending conductor and a terminal fence at least partially surrounding the conductor. The electronics module may include a back plate having an opening through which the terminal fence may be received. The back plate may include an engagement feature and a spring element. The engagement feature may removably engage the terminal fence. The spring element may contact the shell and bias the back plate away from the shell.
US10028395B2

A foldable display device includes a holding structure and a flexible display panel. The holding structure includes a housing, a first supporting stage, a second supporting stage, a supporting element, and a first flexible element. A third portion of the housing is pivotally connected to a first portion and a second portion of the housing. The third portion of the housing has an accommodating space. The first supporting stage is located on the first portion of the housing. The second supporting stage is located on the second portion of the housing. A gap is formed between the portion of the second supporting stage and the portion of the first supporting stage. The supporting element is located in the accommodating space. Two ends of the first flexible element are respectively connected to the supporting element and the third portion of the housing.
US10028391B1

A bussed electrical center includes an electrical-assembly and a single fastening feature. The electrical-assembly includes a lower-housing, a printed-circuit-board, an upper-housing, and electrical-devices. The lower-housing engages an outer-housing that retains electrical-connectors having a plurality of electrical-terminals. The printed-circuit-board has a plurality of corresponding-electrical-terminals configured to mate with the plurality of electrical-terminals of the electrical-connectors. The electrical-assembly defines a guide-hole that passes through the upper-housing, the printed-circuit-board, and the lower-housing, wherein the guide-hole defines a shoulder in the upper-housing. The single fastening feature consists of one first-fastener element positioned within the guide-hole that has a flange and a shank. The shank is operable to engage one second-fastener element in the outer-housing. The flange engages the shoulder, wherein the electrical-assembly is drawn into the outer-housing when the first-fastener element and the second-fastener element are tightened together to mate the electrical-terminals with the corresponding-electrical-terminals.
US10028386B2

A composite electronic component includes a multilayer capacitor; a tantalum capacitor; a lead frame disposed between the multilayer capacitor and the tantalum capacitor and electrically connecting the multilayer capacitor and the tantalum capacitor to each other; and an encapsulation member encapsulating the multilayer capacitor and the tantalum capacitor so that a portion of the lead frame is exposed.
US10028385B2

An inductor is integrated into a multilevel wiring network of a semiconductor integrated circuit. The inductor includes a planar magnetic core and a conductive winding. The conductive winding turns around in generally spiral manner on the outside of the planar magnetic core. The conductive winding is piecewise constructed of wire segments and of VIAs. The wire segments pertain to at least two wiring planes and the VIAs are interconnecting the at least two wiring planes. Methods for such integration, and for fabricating laminated planar magnetic cores are also presented.
US10028377B2

Provided are a resin composition having excellent electrical characteristics and heat resistance after moisture absorption, and being also excellent in flowing characteristics at the time of production of a laminate, and a prepreg, a metal foil-clad laminate and a resin sheet using the same. Used is a resin composition comprising a bifunctional phenylene ether oligomer (a) having a polyphenylene ether skeleton, an aralkyl-based cyanate ester compound (b), a bisphenol-based cyanate ester compound (c), an epoxy resin (d), a brominated carbonate oligomer (e), an inorganic filler (f), an alkoxynaphthol-based polymerization inhibitor (g) and/or a thioether-based polymerization inhibitor (h).
US10028371B2

A heat radiation member, a heat radiation circuit board, and a heat emission device package are provided. The heat radiation circuit board includes a printed circuit board in which a heat radiation region is defined, and a heat radiation member inserted into the heat radiation region and including a bottom surface attached to the heat radiation region and a lateral surface bent from the bottom surface to pass through the printed circuit board. The heat radiation member is inserted into a region of the heat radiation circuit board adjacent to the heat emission device so that the heat radiation effect is improved. The heat radiation member having the spatial structure is formed to obtain the superior heat radiation effect. The structure of the heat radiation member is simplified so that the heat radiation member is automatically assembled, thereby reducing the failure of the heat radiation member.
US10028369B2

Ions are released over time from an ion source into a beam area proximate a central axis. A radiofrequency (RF) system with a variable frequency and variable voltage accelerates the ions in orbiting trajectories expanding outward from the central axis. The ions are accelerated to different extraction energy levels within a given design range at a shared extraction radius from the central axis. An RF-frequency versus ion-time-of-flight scenario is set such that the frequency versus time scenario is the same for any ion extraction energy from the given design range, and a constant-or-variable-RF-voltage versus ion-time-of-flight scenario is adjusted to provide ion acceleration from injection to extraction for ions with different respective extraction energy levels within the given design range; and the ions are extracted at the different energy levels at the shared extraction radius.
US10028368B2

An induction plasma torch comprises a tubular torch body, a tubular insert, a plasma confinement tube and an annular channel. The tubular torch body has upstream and downstream sections defining respective inner surfaces. The tubular insert is mounted to the inner surface of the downstream section of the tubular torch body. The plasma confinement tube is disposed in the tubular torch body, coaxial therewith. The plasma confinement tube has a tubular wall having a thickness tapering off in an axial direction of plasma flow. The annular channel is defined between, on one hand, the inner surface of the upstream section of the tubular torch body and an inner surface of the insert and, on the other hand, an outer surface of the tubular wall of the plasma confinement tube. The cooling channel carries a fluid for cooling the plasma confinement tube.
US10028365B2

A chamber device may include a chamber, and a target generation device assembled into the chamber and configured to supply a target material into the chamber, the target generation device including a tank configured to store the target material, a temperature variable device configured to vary temperature of the target material in the tank, and a nozzle section in which a nozzle hole configured to output the target material in a liquid form is formed, and the chamber device may further include a gas nozzle having an inlet port facing the nozzle section and configured to introduce gas into the chamber, a gas supply source configured to supply gas containing hydrogen to the gas nozzle to supply the gas containing the hydrogen to at least periphery of the nozzle section, and a moisture remover configured to remove moisture at least in the periphery of the nozzle section in the chamber.
US10028358B2

The invention relates to the integration of an energy function into a light management system, particularly for saving energy and monitoring energy consumption. According to an embodiment of the invention, a light management system (10) with an integrated energy function is provided, wherein the system is adapted to receiving energy information about light fixtures (12-16) of a lighting system (18), and to processing the received energy information with regard to energy consumption of the lighting system (18). The energy function may be for example used to automatically configure a lighting system to low energy consumption, to allow further configurations of the lighting system with regard to lowering energy consumption, or to provide a user with a sensible set of lights that can be turned off and will amount to significant energy savings when turned off.
US10028343B2

Apparatuses, systems and methods for regulating the output currents of a power supply at a target output current include a buck converter module operably connected to a power source and a load. A first switch couples the power source to the buck converter module during a first period of a given operating cycle, while the buck converter module stores and provides electrical power to the load. During a second period, a second switch may discharge, the electrical power stored during the first period. A current sensor senses the currents during at least one of the first period and the second period and, over the operating cycle, the switching times are adjusted so the average output current equals the target output current. Adjustments to the first and second period durations result in maximum and a minimum currents symmetrically disposed about the average current provided to the load during the operating cycle.
US10028342B2

A driver circuit comprising: output circuitry for connecting the circuit to a load, the output circuitry comprising one or more energy-storing components; switching circuitry arranged to supply power from a power supply to the load by supplying a current through at least one of the energy-storing components that resists a change in current, or applying a voltage across at least one of the energy-storing components that resists a change in voltage; and control circuitry arranged to control the switching circuitry, to cause the above-mentioned current or voltage to oscillate between an upper envelope and a lower envelope. The control circuitry is configured to modulate data into this current or voltage by shifting the upper envelope between at least a first amplitude level and a second amplitude level, and by shifting the lower envelope by the same amount in the same direction at the same time.
US10028333B2

In one embodiment, an apparatus includes three remote radio heads (RRHs) mounted on a pole using one or more triangular brackets, each RRH connected to a corresponding antenna. Each RRH includes an electronics module, a heat sink mounted on the electronics module, and a cover attached to the heat sink. The heat sink comprises a base, a plurality of attached forward-facing fins, and a pair of backward-facing fins. Each forward-facing fin and backward-facing fin comprises a proximal end attached to the base and an opposite distal end. The proximal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins are collinear. The distal ends of the plurality of forward-facing fins and the backward-facing fins define an arc of an ellipse.
US10028332B2

A method for wireless communications is provided. The method includes forming a first set of wireless components into a master cluster that provides upper level service functionality to a subset of user devices. The method includes forming a second set of wireless components into a nested cluster that is associated with the master cluster, where the nested cluster provides data transfer to and from the subset of user devices.
US10028330B2

An example method is disclosed that is implemented by a base station that supports a plurality of UEs configured to use DRX. The base station transmits respective individual scheduling assignments to each UE in a group of the UEs during an initial, on Duration portion of a DRX cycle, thereby preventing the group of UEs from immediately entering a DRX mode after the onDuration of the DRX cycle. For each UE in the group, the scheduling assignments schedule a respective first data transmission during the onDuration, and also schedule a respective second data transmission after the onDuration but within the DRX cycle. The base station transmits the scheduled first data transmissions during the onDuration of the DRX cycle, and transmits the scheduled second data transmissions after the onDuration but within the DRX cycle. For each UE in the group, its second data transmission includes more data than its first data transmission.
US10028329B2

A UE in an eDRX cycle may miss an SI change notification because the UE's receiver may be powered down during the entire modification period prior to the SI change. An apparatus for wireless communication at a base station may transmit SI, change the SI during a period of eDRX by a UE, and transmit the changed SI. The apparatus ensures that a UE receives an SI change notification, even when performing eDRX, by transmitting at least one notification associated with the changed SI after the transmission of the changed SI and during a paging occasion for the UE. In another aspect, an apparatus for wireless communication at a UE enters into an eDRX cycle and receives, after an SI change, a notification associated with the SI change.
US10028326B2

A method for setting up and operating a multiple communication link in a wireless communication apparatus, which includes a first wireless transceiver and a second wireless transceiver, includes setting up a first communication link according to an IEEE standard 802.15.1 using the first wireless transceiver. The method also includes setting up a second communication link according to an IEEE standard 802.11 using the second wireless transceiver, and setting up a third communication link according to an IEEE standard 802.15.1 using the first wireless transceiver, on a channel of the second communication link. Moreover, the method includes simultaneously operating the first communication link, the second communication link and the third communication link, wherein the second communication link and the third communication link are both simultaneously operated on the same channel of the second communication link.
US10028325B2

The invention relates to a medical communication system, comprising at least one medical device (2a, 2b, 2c); a gateway (31) configured for establishing at least one wireless link to an access point; wherein the medical device (2a, 2b, 2c) comprises a unit (22a, 22b, 22c) for establishing a communication connection to the gateway (31) and a unit (21a, 21b, 21c) for establishing a direct wireless link to the access point, and wherein the medical device (2a, 2b, 2c) is configured to detect whether or not a communication connection to the gateway (3) is established and to set up a direct wireless communication link to the access point if a communication connection to the gateway (31) is not established, wherein the medical communication system is configured to set up a communication link between the medical device (2a, 2b, 2c) and the access point via the gateway (31) if a communication connection between the medical device (2a, 2b, 2c) and the gateway (31) is established.
US10028320B2

Among other things, a communication system and technique for transferring information between a stationary unit and a rotating unit of a computed tomography (CT) system is provided. The communication system comprises a transceiver and a contactless data-link comprising at least one physical channel. The transceiver is configured to create at least two logical channels from a single physical channel to provide for transmitting at least two types of information in a single direction and/or to provide for transmitting information bi-directionally. In this manner, an amount of data that can be transmitted over a single physical channel can be increased.
US10028316B2

A device for network discovery and selection includes at least one processor circuit that is configured to determine a number of networks available for connection within a configurable set of frequency bands. The at least one processor circuit is further configured to, when a single network is available for connection, and the single network being open, automatically connect to the single network. The at least one processor circuit is further configured to, when multiple networks are available for connection, the multiple networks comprising at least one open network and at least one private network: initiate a timer. The at least one processor circuit is further configured to initiate a connection with the at least one private network when a protected setup is initiated for the connection prior to the timer reaching a timeout value, otherwise connect to the at least one open network.
US10028315B2

A user apparatus configured to perform discontinuous reception control for discontinuously receiving a signal transmitted from a base station, including: a reception unit configured to receive information, from the base station, specifying a transmission cycle of a control signal in discontinuous reception performed at a predetermined discontinuous reception cycle; and a transmission control unit configured, when performing the discontinuous reception at the predetermined discontinuous reception cycle, to transmit the control signal in an active period in the discontinuous reception at a cycle longer than the discontinuous reception cycle based on the information specifying the transmission cycle.
US10028314B2

A first communication device 100 is configured for device-to-device (D2D) communications with a second communication device 102. A method by the first communication device 100 includes obtaining 300 information on duplex configuration of a radio network node 110 that may affect resource allocation by the first communication device 100 for D2D communication with the second communication device 102. The method further includes deriving 302 a set of resource patterns (RPTs) based on the information, selecting 304 one RPT among the set of RPTs based on scheduler information, and signaling 306 an index that is used to identify the selected RPT to the second communication device 102. Related methods by a communication device to derive resources to be used for D2D reception from another communication device based on a selected RPT are disclosed.
US10028312B2

A communication apparatus comprises: a communication unit configured to communicate with external communication apparatuses; a storage unit configured to store history information related to an external communication apparatus with which connection has been established in the past; and a display control unit configured to, during display for selection of an external communication apparatus, display information indicating one or more services provided by the external communication apparatuses, wherein the communication unit receives information related to the services provided by the external communication apparatuses, and based on the received information related to the services provided by the external communication apparatuses and on the history information, the display control unit changes a display appearance used in displaying the information indicating one or more services provided by the external communication apparatuses.
US10028311B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and a device for processing received PDCP PDUs for D2D communication system, the method comprising: establishing a PDCP (Packet Data Convergence Protocol) entity for transmitting a PDCP PDU (Protocol Data Unit) to a peer UE; receiving a PDCP SDU (Service Data Unit) from an upper layer; setting a COUNT for the PDCP SDU using a fixed value and a PDCP Sequence Number (SN) associated with the PDCP SDU; ciphering the PDCP SDU using the COUNT; generating a PDCP PDU including the PDCP SDU and a header including the PDCP SN of the PDCP SDU; and transmitting the PDCP PDU to the peer UE.
US10028310B2

A method and apparatus for indicating a resource pool for device-to-device (D2D) transmission in a wireless communication system is provided. A first evolved NodeB (eNB) transmits information on a resource pool of the first eNB for D2D transmission to a second eNB. The second eNB also transmit information on a resource pool of the second eNB for D2D transmission.
US10028308B2

A mobile communication system, which supports D2D communication that is direct device to device communication, comprises: a user terminal that transmits a discovery signal that is used for discovering a communication partner terminal in the D2D communication, wherein the user terminal transmits the discovery signal when the user terminal accepts start of communication and the user terminal has difficulty to establish a connection with a base station.
US10028303B2

This disclosure describes methods, apparatus, and systems related to providing a source device more degrees of freedom in the performing CCA, and in using CCA for communicating with neighboring devices. Before accessing the channel, a source device may need to perform carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA), the CSMA/CA additionally comprising CCA. In various embodiments, CCA can be performed either using quasi-omnidirectional receiving antenna(s), or using directional receiving antenna(s). In one embodiment, one or more requisite conditions for performing directional CCA can be specified. In another aspect, sensitivity level adjustments can be provided when performing directional CCA and/or quasi-omnidirectional CCA.
US10028301B2

Technology for performing device-to-device (D2D) communications is disclosed. A user equipment (UE) can identify D2D data to be transmitted from the UE. The D2D data can be identified when the UE is in a radio resource control (RRC) idle. The UE can be limited to using a defined resource allocation mode to transmit the D2D data from the UE. A service request procedure can be initiated at the UE. The service request procedure can trigger the UE to perform an RRC connection establishment procedure with an evolved node B (eNB) to switch the UE from the RRC idle mode to an RRC connected mode. The UE can receive an uplink (UL) grant from the eNB for communicating the D2D data from the UE. The UE can send the D2D data using the UL grant provided by the eNB.
US10028291B2

A device is configured to determine quality of service information and determine a set of service classes, associated with a wireless local area network, based on the quality of service information. The device is configured to determine an association between the set of service classes and a set of service identifiers. The device is configured to receive data traffic and to determine a service class, of the set of service classes, associated with the data traffic based on the association between the set of service classes and the set of service identifiers. The device is configured to schedule delivery of the data traffic based on the service class and to deliver the data traffic via the wireless local area network.
US10028282B2

A first mobile device determines a second mobile device losing connectivity to a second network or a communication link between the second mobile device and the second network degrading below a threshold value, the second mobile device assigned a role of sharing broker that brokers sharing of network resources of at least a first network among a plurality of other mobile devices via the second network, the first mobile device and the plurality of other mobile devices participating in a sharing group. Responsive to the determination, the role of sharing broker is activated on the first mobile device.
US10028272B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and more particularly to a method for exchanging a frame for a low power device and an apparatus therefor in a wireless LAN system. A method for enabling an access point (AP) to exchange a frame with a station (STA) in a wireless LAN system according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of receiving the information of the maximum awake time from the STA. When the frame exchange is expected to be accomplished within the maximum awake time, the frame exchange can be performed. When the frame exchange is expected to exceed the maximum awake time, the frame exchange is stopped, and a new back-off procedure can be invoked.
US10028264B2

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for receiving control information of a terminal for device-to-device (D2D) ProSe in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: receiving information on radio resources which are semi-statically configured for device-to-device proximity service (D2D ProSe); and receiving downlink control information (DCI) indicating whether or not D2D ProSe is activated on a specific radio resource of the radio resources, wherein the downlink control information is available only in a search procedure in which a resource for transmitting a terminal-specific search signal is allocated.
US10028257B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting device-to-device (D2D) related information in a wireless communication system is provided. A user equipment (UE) transmits a D2D-related identifier (ID) to a network during a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment procedure, and transmits D2D-related group information to the network.
US10028254B2

Aspects of the present disclosure generally relate to managing decoding of system information blocks (SIBs) at a user equipment (UE) and managing SIB transmissions at a base station. For example, the described aspects at the UE may include detecting a trigger event for decoding one or more SIBs received from a cell and determining to avoid decoding of at least one SIB received from the cell in response to the detected trigger event and a mobility pattern of the UE. The described aspect at the UE may further include using a stored version of the at least one SIB for communication with the first cell.
US10028242B2

The present disclosure provide a transmission method and a device, which relate to the technical field of communications and reduce overhead and improve work efficiency in an application of cooperative transmission in aspects of synchronization, sharing of information such as data and the like, obtaining of channel information and data transmission. Meanwhile application scenarios may also be extended. The method specifically includes: obtaining, by an access point AP, a parameter value, wherein the parameter value is a frequency difference between a crystal oscillator frequency of the AP and a reference crystal oscillator frequency of a reference AP or a delay difference of the AP with respect to the reference AP; compensating, by the AP, a phase difference or a time difference according to the parameter value when both of the AP and the reference AP send data. The present disclosure is applied to an application of a cooperative transmission.
US10028239B2

Methods and systems for precise temperature and timebase ppm error estimation using multiple timebases may comprise measuring a temperature corresponding to the plurality of timebases. The frequencies of the timebases may be compared to generate error functions for the timebases, and generating a more accurate reading of the temperature based, at least in part, on the measured temperature and the error functions for the timebases. The timebases may be calibrated utilizing the generated more accurate reading. The plurality of timebases may comprise different order temperature dependencies. The models of temperature dependencies of each of the plurality of timebases may be updated based, at least in part, on the fine reading of the temperature corresponding to the plurality of timebases. A global navigation satellite system (GNSS) clock signal may be utilized periodically to improve the accuracy of the calibration of the plurality of timebases.
US10028234B2

Methods and apparatus for determining a transmit antenna gain and a spatial mode of a wireless device (100) are disclosed. The apparatus (100) includes a main receive antenna (112) associated with a first receive signal strength, a diversity receive antenna (114) associated with a second receive signal strength, and a transmit antenna (116). Each of the antennas (112, 114, and 116) is operatively coupled to a controller (102). The controller (102) determines (i) a difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength, (ii) a correction factor based on the difference, and (iii) the transmit antenna gain based on the correction factor. In addition, the difference between the first receive signal strength and the second receive signal strength may be used, along with other sensor data (e.g., accelerometer), to estimate the spatial mode (e.g., orientation and hand grip) of the device (100). This spatial mode estimation may be then be used, among other things, to more accurately determine transmit antenna gain.
US10028233B2

Methods and systems for providing joint power control (PC) and scheduling in a wireless network are provided. In one example, a method includes generating a near-optimal power pattern for PC and scheduling in accordance with long term channel statistics. The near-optimal PC solution may be generated by first generating a set of possible power patterns in accordance with likely scheduling scenarios, then statistically narrowing the set of possible power patterns to identify the most commonly used power patterns, and finally selecting one of the most commonly used power patterns as the near-optimal power pattern. In another example, a table of optimal PC solutions are provided for performing distributed PC and scheduling in an adaptive and/or dynamic manner.
US10028227B2

Disclosed are a mobile terminal capable of implementing an always-on function with a lower power, based on a motion, and a motion-based low power implementing method thereof. The method includes sensing a motion of a user by using an acceleration sensor in a low-power always-on that only the acceleration sensor is activated; a selectively activating an always-on function according to the sensed motion and deactivating the always-on function when no motion is sensed in an always-on state and automatically entering to the low-power always-on function.
US10028226B2

Communications systems including multiple computer devices where: (i) for a set of computer devices, used by a common user, it is determined which computer device the user is most actively using; and (ii) an operational mode of a “wireless service” (see definition, below) on one of the other computer devices (that is, a non-most-active computer device) is changed in its operational mode. For example, if a user has two smart phones and the user's first smart phone is determined to be more active than the second smart phone, then on the second smart phone (that is, the non-most-active computer device) a social media home page updating service is turned off. In some embodiments, the change from first operational mode to second operational mode will mean that wireless transceiver hardware (such as an antenna) is turned off for the non-most-active device(s).
US10028225B2

Communications systems including multiple computer devices where: (i) for a set of computer devices, used by a common user, it is determined which computer device the user is most actively using; and (ii) an operational mode of a “wireless service” (see definition, below) on one of the other computer devices (that is, a non-most-active computer device) is changed in its operational mode. For example, if a user has two smart phones and the user's first smart phone is determined to be more active than the second smart phone, then on the second smart phone (that is, the non-most-active computer device) a social media home page updating service is turned off. In some embodiments, the change from first operational mode to second operational mode will mean that wireless transceiver hardware (such as an antenna) is turned off for the non-most-active device(s).
US10028220B2

Systems and methods for implementing power management features while providing a wireless asymmetric network are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a system includes a hub having a wireless control device that is configured to control communications and power consumption in the wireless asymmetric network architecture and sensor nodes each having at least one sensor and a wireless device with a transmitter and a receiver to enable bi-directional communications with the wireless control device of the hub. The wireless control device is configured to determine a scheduled timing of operating each sensor node during a first time period that is close in time with respect to a transmit window of the transmitter and during a second time period that is close in time with respect to a receive window of the receiver for each wireless device to reduce power consumption of the wireless devices of the sensor nodes.
US10028205B2

The present disclosure describes a method and an apparatus for techniques used for wireless local area network (WLAN) scanning in coexistence scenarios. For example, a method for is provided for WLAN scanning in which a scan of a WLAN is initiated at a wireless device configured to share an antenna for WLAN operations and Bluetooth (BT) operations while a voice call is in progress over the WLAN and packets from the voice call are routed between the wireless device and a BT device. A clear-to-send-to-self (CTS2Self) packet may be broadcast to reserve a communication channel for the wireless device after the scan is initiated. Moreover, a probe request may be broadcast after the broadcast of the CTS2Self packet, where the CTS2Self packet and the probe request are broadcast during a same WLAN interval of the WLAN operations and while the voice call is in progress over the WLAN.
US10028196B2

A method, system and apparatus for selecting an access point includes detecting a location and direction of motion of a mobile device, detecting a strength of signal from candidate access points and determining a location of such access points based upon at least one of the (i) location and direction of motion of the mobile device, (ii) access point location information known to the mobile device, and (iii) monitoring of the change in detected signal strength from candidate access points that occurs upon the movement of the mobile device. Embodiments of the system and apparatus may include a mobile terminal device or may include such a device and a plurality of access points that provide access to a network, such as a base station or a router that provide access to an enterprise network or a local area network that is connected to the internet.
US10028192B2

Disclosed aspects relate to access point selection. A set of beacon frame transmission data for a set of access points may be collected by a computing device. The computing device may use the set of beacon frame transmission data for the set of access points to determine to establish a connection utilizing a first access point of the set of access points. The computing device may establish the connection utilizing the first access point.
US10028190B2

A technique is disclosed, according to which a mobile node, having a plurality of interfaces and performing communication according to flow information when an operator is performing communication based on the flow information as defined by a policy, can select an interface suitable for the flow and can perform communication. According to this technique, a mobile node (MN 10) having a plurality of interfaces has a list to indicate domain limited flows to be transmitted only within a specific network (a trusted network), and a list to indicate the trusted networks. When a certain interface performs handover, and in case there is a domain limited flow that uses the interface, it is decided whether the network of handover destination is a trusted network or not, and in case the network of the handover destination is not a trusted network, it is decided whether it is possible or not to transmit and receive the domain limited flow via another interface that is connected to the trusted network.
US10028184B2

Embodiments of UE and methods for measurement of Reference Signal Received Quality (RSRQ) are generally described herein. The UE may be configured to determine an RSRQ of a serving cell and an RSRQ of a target cell based on an indicated RSRQ measurement type. The measurement type may be received as part of a measurement configuration Information Element (IE) that indicates a first or second RSRQ measurement type. For the first RSRQ measurement type, the RSRQ may be determined based on a Received Signal Strength Indicator (RSSI) over common reference signals (CRS). For the second RSRQ measurement type, the RSRQ may be determined based on an RSSI that is based on a received power of one or more Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) symbols received at the UE.
US10028183B2

A method performed by a first network node of a wireless communication network for handling uplink signals sent by a UE. The wireless communication network comprises a serving network node responsible for transmitting downlink signals to the UE, and a non-serving network node capable of receiving uplink signals sent by the UE. The non-serving network node is the first network node and the serving network node is a second network node of the communication network, or vice versa. The method comprises receiving an uplink signal from the UE, measuring signal quality on the received uplink signal, and receiving signal quality information from the second network node regarding signal quality measured by the second network node on the uplink signal received by the second network node, to detect imbalances in experienced signal quality between the first network node and the second network node.
US10028181B2

The embodiments of the present application provide a method for configuring a neighboring cell, and for reporting neighboring cell information. The embodiments of the present application can implement automatic configuration of neighboring cell information, which does not require manual test and configuration of a live network.
US10028165B2

Techniques, devices, and systems that include mechanisms for connectionless communications in wireless communication networks or systems include a base station controller, a plurality of base stations and a mobile station. The base station controller combines connectionless transmissions received by the base stations, including decoded and un-decoded frames, into a complete message.
US10028164B2

Methods, devices and software enable uploading a file from a user equipment to an Internet storage service server via a mobile cellular network. A method includes (A) uploading sequential chunks of the file from the user equipment via a cell of the mobile cellular network, (B) sending a first message requesting to pause the uploading, to the user equipment upon receiving an indication that the cell is overloaded, (C) storing a length corresponding to the sequential chunks that have been uploaded until the uploading has been paused, and (D) sending a second message requesting to resume the uploading, to the user equipment. The user equipment pauses the uploading upon receiving the first message and resumes the uploading using an offset from the beginning of the file corresponding to the length upon receiving the second message.
US10028157B2

A bit allocation device includes: a channel estimation unit, performing a channel estimation to generate a plurality of channel qualities of a plurality of subcarriers; a processing unit, coupled to the channel estimation unit, generating a first plurality of bit numbers of the plurality of subcarriers according to the plurality of channel qualities; and a control unit, coupled to the processing unit, generating a second plurality of bit numbers of the plurality of subcarriers according to the first plurality of bit numbers and an upper limit of a total bit number.
US10028156B2

Methods, systems, and devices are described for wireless communications. A device may utilize enhanced roaming techniques to identify a candidate channel for roaming. In one example, a device determines whether a candidate channel is congested by calculating a congestion metric associated with traffic over the shared channel. In some examples, the congestion metric is calculated based at least in part on an amount of energy measured over the candidate. For instance, the calculated congestion metric can be an instantaneous congestion level measured during a CCA. The device may then determine whether to roam to the candidate channel based at least in part on the calculated congestion metric.
US10028152B2

A device enabling a frequency band shared between wireless communication of a cellular system and other wireless communication to be more appropriately used in the cellular system. The device includes a control unit configured to occupy a frequency band shared between wireless communication of a cellular system and other wireless communication for the wireless communication of the cellular system during a first period and release the frequency band from the wireless communication of the cellular system during at least a second period corresponding to the first period.
US10028151B2

A mobile device obtains data to be wirelessly transmitted over a shared spectrum in an uplink channel to a base station. The uplink channel is formatted with a frame/subframe structure with a predetermined timing. The mobile device determines whether the shared spectrum is free for transmission according to a Listen Before Transmit procedure. When the shared spectrum is free for transmission, the mobile device selects a start time in the uplink channel that mitigates interference from other mobile devices in proximity to the mobile device. Beginning at the start time, the mobile device transmits the data over the shared spectrum in the uplink channel to the base station.
US10028145B2

Blocking of undesirable voice over internet protocol (VOIP) communications is disclosed. A communication screening service initiates operations to block a threat posed by a VOIP communication upon receiving the communication from a gateway server. The communication may include an audio/video conversation and/or an audio/video conference. Next, metadata and content of the communication is analyzed to detect a threat, such as a scamming scheme and/or a phishing scheme, from a sender of the communication. A rejection of the communication is generated to disrupt the threat associated with the communication. The rejection is transmitted to the gateway server to prompt the gateway server to block the communication.
US10028143B2

Disclosed is a method and apparatus for executing an application or a service. The method includes determining a security level associated with an application or a service of which execution is requested, changing at least part of a graphic object based on the determined security level, and displaying the changed graphic object, obtaining an input through a body of rotation that is included in the electronic device, and executing the application or the service when the input corresponds to security information associated with the application or the service.
US10028142B2

A method implemented by an Access Point (AP) in a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) to facilitate an unassociated station (STA) to participate in an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission. The method includes receiving a request frame from the unassociated STA and generating a response frame, where the response frame includes timing information regarding a future transmission, by the AP, of a trigger frame. The trigger frame includes scheduling information for scheduling an uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission, where at least one transmission resource unit allocated for the uplink multi-user simultaneous transmission allows random access. The method further includes transmitting the response frame to the unassociated STA through a wireless medium.
US10028130B2

The invention relates to methods and devices for updating a cache memory in a telecommunications terminal suitable for co-operating with a subscriber identity module. Some implementations of the subscriber identity module may perform operations that include detecting a modification of an elementary file and generating update data associated with the modified elementary file. During a starting stage, the operations may further include receiving a start message from the terminal; receiving a request serving to identity an elementary file for processing; sending the update data associated with the elementary file for processing; and reading the elementary file in compliance with a read command from the terminal. The invention also provides corresponding methods and devices for the terminal, and the corresponding module and terminal.
US10028122B2

A method for facilitating a safety check in emergency situations includes: storing a plurality of account profiles, each including a primary account number, account details, and sets of communication data; receiving a transaction message including a specific primary account number and an indication that an associated individual is safe; identifying a specific account profile that includes the specific primary account number; and transmitting a safety notification including the account details stored in the specific account profile the indication of the associated individual's safety for at least one of the sets of communication data stored in the specific account profile.
US10028120B2

An ID card and/or cell phone holder provides position identification, 2-way communication, and panic control features for emergency communication. Contemplated holders include those configured as a wallet, arm band, belt clip, or money clip, and can additionally or alternatively be adapted for use with a key ring, lanyard, or other carrying adapter. Position identification circuitry, the communication circuitry, and the panic control interface can be physically distributed between or among at least first and second cards or other components.
US10028118B2

The present disclosure discloses an intelligent security identification apparatus and system, to improve the security of the intelligent security identification apparatus and system. The intelligent security identification apparatus comprises: a body portion; an annular belt portion comprising a first annular belt and a second annular belt, wherein the body portion has one end connected to one end of the first annular belt and the other end connected to one end of the second annular belt, the first annular belt has a first conductor arranged therein and the second annular belt has a second conductor arranged therein; and a latch portion comprising a latch plug and a latch socket, wherein the other end of the first annular belt is connected to the latch plug, and the other end of the second annular belt is connected to the latch socket. The body portion comprises: an IC module, wherein the first conductor has one end connected to the IC module and the other end connected to the latch plug, the second conductor has one end connected to the IC module and the other end connected to the latch socket, and the latch portion, the first conductor, the second conductor, and the IC module form a circuit loop when the latch plug is engaged to the latch socket.
US10028115B2

Disclosed are an apparatus and method of performing automated administrative operations on a mobile device. One example method may include determining via a hosted server that an action needs to be performed by a mobile device under management. The method may further include generating a message via the hosted server, the message includes the action, and transmitting the message to the mobile device under management, and receiving a result message from the mobile device under management responsive to the transmitted message, the result message indicating that the action has been satisfied.
US10028112B2

Apparatuses, techniques, and methods for a security and/or automation system are described. In some cases, these may include a first user recording a message and the message being broadcast or conveyed to a second user based on the second user's identity and/or location and/or a relevant time of recording or broadcasting, among other things. The methods may include receiving a first communication from a first user, storing the first communication in memory, identifying a second user at a first location, retrieving the first communication from memory, the retrieving based at least in part on the identification of the second user, and conveying the first communication to the second user at the first location.
US10028109B2

A method of supporting group communication over LTE MBMS is provided. A UE first establishes a unicast Evolved Packet Service (EPS) bearer in an LTE network for group communication. The UE belongs to a communication group having a communication group ID. The UE receives access information from the network for monitoring downlink (DL) multicast traffic of the DL group communication based on a multicast decision. The UE is then ready for monitoring a multicast Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) bearer for receiving the DL multicast traffic. The multicast MBMS bearer is associated with a Temporary Mobile Group Identifier (TMGI), and wherein the TMGI is associated with the communication group ID. In one embodiment, the access information comprises mapping information between the TMGI and the communication group ID.
US10028102B2

Systems, apparatuses, and methods are provided for determining the geographic location of an end-user device using a multilateration calculation. The end-user device collects a depth map at a location in a path network. Two-dimensional feature geometries are extracted from the depth map, and a number of control points are identified in the extracted feature geometries. Distances are calculated between the end-user device and the identified control points. Location reference information is received for each identified control point from an external database. A geographic location of the end-user device in the path network is determined through a multilateration calculation using the location reference information of the identified control points and the calculated distances between the end-user device and each identified control point.
US10028101B2

In one embodiment, a method includes determining a geo-location of a first user; and identifying a second user that the geo-location of the first user is of interest to. The second user is identified based at least in part on a relationship between the first and second users. The method also includes sending to a mobile client computing device associated with the second user a notification associated with the geo-location of the first user.
US10028099B2

A locator assembly is provided. The locator assembly includes an article of wear and a location sending device embedded in the article of wear. A bio-related electric generator is connected to the location sending device for providing power for the location sending device. A system for locating a person and a locating method are also provided.
US10028095B1

Embodiments of the invention generate metrics quantifying the mobility of a mobile device without persisting information related to the device's specific location at any given time. Specifically, at multiple intervals, a value of a mobility metric is computed based on the distance between the current location of the mobile device and a previously identified origin location of the mobile device. The values of the mobility metric computed over a period of time quantify the overall mobility of the mobile device. The mobility metric does not provide any information regarding the specific location of the mobile device at any given time.
US10028093B2

To cause a specific device to stay in a specific location. An information processing apparatus includes a control unit. The control unit in the information processing apparatus performs control that transmits a stay request to request a stay in a specific location to a first information processing apparatus included in a plurality of information processing apparatuses in a network in which the plurality of information processing apparatuses perform one-to-one wireless communication to be connected to each other. In addition, the control unit in the information processing apparatus performs control that gives an incentive to the first information processing apparatus under a condition that the first information processing apparatus stays in the specific location.
US10028090B2

Optimized location information is provided for a location based service. An event is detected which is indicative of an error in the location based service which degrades the performance of the location based service. A cause of the error is determined, and resolution of the error is initiated based on the determined cause.
US10028089B2

The present disclosure relates to a sensor network, Machine Type Communication (MTC), Machine-to-Machine (M2M) communication, and technology for Internet of Things (IoT). The present disclosure may be applied to intelligent services based on the above technologies, such as smart home, smart building, smart city, smart car, connected car, health care, digital education, smart retail, security and safety services.A method and apparatus for estimating a location in a terminal are provided. The method includes calculating locations of the terminal and a tag, calculating information about movement of the terminal using a motion sensor, and correcting the calculated location of the tag based on information about the movement of the terminal.
US10028081B2

Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media configured to determine a location of a user, identify the user and provide additional services based on the determined location and/or identity are provided. In some examples, a signal emitted from a beacon may be detected by a personal computing device of a user within a predefined proximity of the beacon. The location of the beacon, and the device detecting the signal, may be determined and the identity of the user associated with the device may be determined. Authentication information may be requested from the user. The request for authentication information may be transmitted to the personal computing device and the user may provide the authentication information via the device. If the received authentication information matches pre-stored authentication information, the user may be authenticated and/or authorized to conduct one or more transactions or types of transactions based on the determined location, identity, and authentication information.
US10028071B2

A binaural sound reproduction system, and methods of using the binaural sound reproduction system to dynamically re-center a frame of reference for a virtual sound source, are described. The binaural sound reproduction system may include a head-mounted device, e.g., headphones, having a device sensor to provide device orientation data corresponding to a direction of the head-mounted device. The system may use the orientation data to determine whether the head-mounted device has moved over an angle within a range of movement, and may adjust an audio output to render the virtual sound source in an adjusted source direction based on the range of movement. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.
US10028068B2

A MEMS microphone package and a method of manufacturing a MEMS microphone package having a lid and a substrate cap. The lid includes a wire bonding shelf that provides a surface internal to the MEMS microphone for connection points for internal wire bonds. One or more conductive traces deposited on the bonding shelf are provided to connect internal electronic components via the wire bonds to a substrate cap. The substrate cap is configured to connect to external devices or components. The internal electronic components include a MEMS microphone die and an application specific integrated circuit. The internal electronic components are configured to transmit signals to external electronics indicative of acoustic energy received by the MEMS microphone die by the configurations described herein.
US10028061B2

A surround that is generally arched in shape and that includes a radial exterior flange that extends downward from exterior side of the arched portion of the surround and that adhesively attaches to the inner wall or edge of the mounting ring of the frame or the loudspeaker.
US10028060B2

The present invention relates to a membrane plate structure for generating sound waves. The membrane plate structure comprises a first skin layer, a second skin layer, a foam core layer which is interposed between the first skin layer and the second skin layer, and two binding layers. At least one of the first skin layer and the second skin layer is attachable to a vibrating element for generating sound waves. The elastic modulus of the core layer and its density are lower than the elastic modulus and the density of the first skin layer and the second skin layer, so that a sandwich structure is achieved. The Young modulus and the shear modulus of first skin layer, the second skin layer, the core layer and the binding layers are not variating between each other of more than 30% between a temperature 20° C. and 150° C., particularly between 20° C. and 170° C., more particularly 20° C. and 180° C.
US10028056B2

Technology for grouping, consolidating, and pairing individual playback devices with network capability (players) to stimulate a multi-channel listening environment is disclosed. Particularly, the embodiments described herein enable two or more playback devices to be paired, such that multi-channel audio is achieved. Such embodiments may be used to produce stereo and multi-channel audio environments for television and movies.
US10028045B1

A computing device may include a multi-functional port in a base housing of the device. The multi-functional port may include an audio input device that can receive and process external audio input signals through an opening in the base housing. The multi-functional port may include a light source that can output light through the opening in the base housing. The multi-functional port may include a microphone boot. The microphone boot may guide external audio input signals into to the audio input device for processing. The microphone boot may also guide light, emitted by the light source, out of the base housing.
US10028036B1

Systems and methods for generating a set of custom keywords based on a media asset. The systems and methods may receive a media asset viewed by a user, receive a set of base keywords, and determine a character in the media asset. Further, the systems and methods may determine a set of custom keywords based on dialog in the media asset corresponding to the character and determine for a custom keyword, from the set of custom keywords, an equivalent base keyword from the set of base keywords. The systems and methods may determine a response to a received user request, wherein the response includes the base keyword from the set of base keywords, and generate a modified response to the user request based on the response to the user request, wherein the modified response replaces the base keyword with the custom keyword.
US10028031B2

A mobile entertainment system, comprising: a video system in combination with a media source, the video system and media source are attached to a housing secured within an automobile; the media source includes a storage medium upon which audio and video media content is stored for display upon the video system as desired by a user; an access point configured for wireless retrieval of audio and video media content for display upon the video monitor; a remote library of audio and video media content in wireless communication with the media source via the access point, the remote library including storage space for uploading of media content from a personal collection of audio and video media content from a user for subsequent transmission to the media source.
US10028015B2

A signal processing apparatus includes: a signal input unit that receives inputs of a plurality of signals, the plurality of signals having a first temporal order different from each other; a transmission unit that sequentially transmits the plurality of signals as data to outside of the signal processing apparatus; and a reception unit that receives a plurality of output signals from outside of the signal processing apparatus, the plurality of output signals being generated by processing the data, the plurality of output signals having a second temporal order corresponding to the first temporal order.
US10028010B2

A system architecture provides a hardware-based root of trust solution for supporting distribution and playback of premium digital content. In an embodiment, hardware root of trust for digital content and services is a solution where the basis of trust for security purposes is rooted in hardware and firmware mechanisms in a client computing system, rather than in software. From this root of trust, the client computing system constructs an entire media processing pipeline that is protected for content authorization and playback. In embodiments of the present invention, the security of the client computing system for content processing is not dependent on the operating system (OS), basic input/output system (BIOS), media player application, or other host software.
US10027987B2

The present technology relates to an image processing apparatus and method that are capable of enhancing encoding efficiency while suppressing a decrease in the efficiency of encoding processing. The image processing apparatus includes an encoding mode setter that sets, in units of coding units having a hierarchical structure, whether a non-compression mode is to be selected as an encoding mode for encoding image data, the non-compression mode being an encoding mode in which the image data is output as encoded data, and an encoder that encodes the image data in units of the coding units in accordance with a mode set by the encoding mode setter. The present disclosure can be applied to, for example, an image processing apparatus.
US10027982B2

The current application is directed to flexible methods for motion-vector-based encoding of macroblocks within video frames. The flexible methods for encoding video-frame macroblocks provide for segmentation of a video-frame block and encoding the segmented video-frame block by a segmented-block motion vector that includes a reference to a segmentation-defining region of a segmentation map and that also includes references to sources of intensity-and-color data for each segment. Segmented-block motion vectors provide for flexible segmentation-based encoding of video-frame blocks without sacrificing the coding efficiencies attendant with conventional motion-vector-based video encoding.
US10027978B2

A method of decoding a video bitstream is disclosed. The method includes: using a set of previously decoded pictures for decoding a subsequent picture; receiving a delta_poc_msb_present_flag indicating whether a delta_poc_msb_cycle_lt is present or not present, wherein the delta_poc_msb_cycle_lt being present indicates that more than one reference picture in the set of previously decoded pictures having same value, wherein the first previously decoded picture has a temporal ID being equal to zero, is not a RASL picture, not a RADL picture, not a sub-layer non-reference picture.
US10027972B2

A method of encoding a video is provided, the method includes: determining a filtering boundary on which deblocking filtering is to be performed based on at least one data unit from among a plurality of coding units that are hierarchically configured according to depths indicating a number of times at least one maximum coding unit is spatially spilt, and a plurality of prediction units and a plurality of transformation units respectively for prediction and transformation of the plurality of coding units, determining filtering strength at the filtering boundary based on a prediction mode of a coding unit to which pixels adjacent to the filtering belong from among the plurality of coding units, and transformation coefficient values of the pixels adjacent to the filtering boundary, and performing deblocking filtering on the filtering boundary based on the determined filtering strength.
US10027961B2

Techniques are provided to encode and decode image data comprising a tone mapped (TM) image with HDR reconstruction data in the form of luminance ratios and color residual values. In an example embodiment, luminance ratio values and residual values in color channels of a color space are generated on an individual pixel basis based on a high dynamic range (HDR) image and a derivative tone-mapped (TM) image that comprises one or more color alterations that would not be recoverable from the TM image with a luminance ratio image. The TM image with HDR reconstruction data derived from the luminance ratio values and the color-channel residual values may be outputted in an image file to a downstream device, for example, for decoding, rendering, and/or storing. The image file may be decoded to generate a restored HDR image free of the color alterations.
US10027958B2

An image processing apparatus comprising an acquiring unit configured to acquire an encoding target block having a plurality of groups each including a predetermined number of pixels, a deciding unit configured to decide, for each group, a quantization parameter used to quantize image data of the group and an encoding scheme so that a code length of the encoding target block does not exceed a predetermined value corresponding to a target code amount of the encoding target block, and an encoding unit configured to generate encoded data by encoding image data of the encoding target block in accordance with the quantization parameters and the encoding schemes decided for the respective groups by the deciding unit.
US10027957B2

A method of encoding video using a plurality of reference pictures is provided. The method includes: writing one of a parameter or a flag into one or more reference pictures of the plurality of reference pictures, creating a first list of reference pictures comprising the plurality of reference pictures sorted based on the parameter or flag, and encoding a current picture of the video using at least the first list of reference pictures. A method of decoding video using a plurality of reference pictures is also provided. The method includes parsing one of a parameter or flag from one or more reference pictures of the plurality of reference pictures, creating a first list of reference pictures comprising the plurality of reference pictures sorted based on the parameter or flag, and decoding a current picture of the video using at least the first list of reference pictures. In addition, there are provided corresponding apparatuses for encoding and decoding video.
US10027952B2

LK-SURF, Robust Kalman Filter, HAR-SLAM, and Landmark Promotion SLAM methods are disclosed. LK-SURF is an image processing technique that combines Lucas-Kanade feature tracking with Speeded-Up Robust Features to perform spatial and temporal tracking using stereo images to produce 3D features can be tracked and identified. The Robust Kalman Filter is an extension of the Kalman Filter algorithm that improves the ability to remove erroneous observations using Principal Component Analysis and the X84 outlier rejection rule. Hierarchical Active Ripple SLAM is a new SLAM architecture that breaks the traditional state space of SLAM into a chain of smaller state spaces, allowing multiple tracked objects, multiple sensors, and multiple updates to occur in linear time with linear storage with respect to the number of tracked objects, landmarks, and estimated object locations. In Landmark Promotion SLAM, only reliable mapped landmarks are promoted through various layers of SLAM to generate larger maps.
US10027948B2

Camera related methods and apparatus which are well suited for use in capturing stereoscopic image data, e.g., pairs of left and right eye images, are described. Various features relate to a camera rig which can be used to mount multiple cameras at the same time. In some embodiments the camera rig includes 3 mounting locations corresponding to 3 different directions 120 degrees apart. One or more of the mounting locations may be used at a given time. When a single camera pair is used the rig can be rotated to capture images corresponding to the locations where a camera pair is not mounted. Static images from those locations can then be combined with images corresponding to the forward direction to generate a 360 degree view. Alternatively camera pairs or individual cameras can be included in each of the mounting locations to capture video in multiple directions.
US10027944B2

Methods and apparatus for using selective resolution reduction on images to be transmitted and/or used by a playback device are described. Prior to transmission one or more images of an environment are captured. Based on image content, motion detection and/or user input a resolution reduction operation is selected and performed. The reduced resolution image is communicated to a playback device along with information indicating a UV map corresponding to the selected resolution allocation that should be used by the playback device for rendering the communicated image. By changing the resolution allocation used and which UV map is used by the playback device different resolution allocations can be made with respect to different portions of the environment while allowing the number of pixels in transmitted images to remain constant. The playback device renders the individual images with the UV map corresponding to the resolution allocation used to generate the individual images.
US10027932B2

There is provided an intercom system which realizes high-quality image display and communication with low cost.In the intercom system, front door slave unit 300 having an attached camera and master unit 400 are connected to each other through a two-wire cable, and communication between front door slave unit 300 and master unit 400 is performed with transmission and reception of an image signal. Front door slave unit 300 packetizes a control signal, an image signal, and a sound signal of front door slave unit 300, generates an uplink signal, and transmits the generated uplink signal to master unit 400. Master unit 400 packetizes a control signal and a sound signal of master unit 400, generates a downlink signal, and transmits the generated downlink signal to front door slave unit 300. Front door slave unit 300 and master unit 400 perform transmission of the uplink signal and transmission of the downlink signal in a manner of time division duplex using the two-wire cable.
US10027925B2

A flip signal is received from a first device, at a signaling server, during a video chat between the first device and a second device. The flip signal indicates that media packets from the second device intended for the first device are to be sent to a third device. Responsive to the signaling server receiving the flip signal, the signaling server sends a call request to the third device; and the signaling server sends a message to the second device to cause the second device to send the media packets to the third device. In another aspect, at the first device, during the video chat, a gesture is detected which indicates that media packets from the second device intended for the first device are to be sent to the third device; and, responsive to the detecting, the flip signal is sent.
US10027921B2

A display device includes a panel module including a display cell; a front side exterior panel and a rear side exterior panel which sandwich the panel module therebetween from back and front; a driving circuit which drives the display cell; and a stand which is separately provided from the rear side exterior panel, includes a speaker box inside which a first speaker is built-in, and is located on a lower rear side of the rear side exterior panel when placing the panel module.
US10027919B2

A signal processing apparatus comprising: an analog-digital converter that converts an analog signal output from a pixel section of an image sensor to a digital signal using a plurality of reference signals having different slopes from each other; and a determination unit that determines a signal level at which the plurality of reference signals are changed based on a distribution of the converted digital signal, wherein the analog-digital converter performs the conversion using a reference signal having a steeper slope when the analog signal is equal to or greater than the signal level than when the analog signal is smaller than the signal level.
US10027906B2

The image forming apparatus of the present invention is a semiconductor integrated circuit including: a first image processing module; a second image processing module; a first SRAM configured to temporarily store image data for which the first image processing has been performed by the first image processing module; a second SRAM configured to store a parameter for performing the second image processing for image data that is input to the second image processing module; and a control unit. The control unit stops power supply to the first SRAM, continues to supply power to a storage area of the second SRAM in which the parameter is stored, and stops power supply to a control area for writing data to the storage area of the second SRAM based on that a condition to cause the semiconductor integrated circuit to make a transition into a power-saving mode is satisfied.
US10027896B2

To provide an image display system in which an imaging device and a display device are combined. The image display system includes the imaging device including a plurality of pixel blocks and the display device including a plurality of display regions. Image data obtained in the first imaging mode is displayed on the display device as an image, and then, the imaging device switches to the second imaging mode to obtain data of whether an object is changed or not. If the object is changed, the imaging device switches to the first imaging mode, obtain image data newly, and then display the new image on the display device. If the object is not changed, display of the image stored in the display region is maintained and image rewriting is not performed.
US10027893B2

Real-time video stabilization for mobile devices based on on-board motion sensing. In accordance with a method embodiment of the present invention, a first image frame from a camera at a first time is accessed. A second image frame from the camera at a subsequent time is accessed. A crop polygon around scene content common to the first image frame and the second image frame is identified. Movement information describing movement of the camera in an interval between the first time and the second time is accessed. The crop polygon is warped to remove motion distortions of the second image frame is warped using the movement information. The warping may include defining a virtual camera that remains static when the movement of the camera is below a movement threshold. The movement information may describe the movement of the camera at each scan line of the second image frame.
US10027892B2

A distance measurement device includes an emission unit, a detection unit, a first reduction unit that reduces, based on a detection result of the detection unit, influence of variation of an optical axis of the image formation optical system on a subject image received as light by a light receiving section, a second reduction unit that reduces variation of an optical axis of the directional light with respect to the subject based on the detection result of the detection unit, and a control unit that, in the case of operating the first reduction unit and the second reduction unit at the same time, controls the first reduction unit and the second reduction unit to reduce variation of an irradiation position of the directional light in the subject image received as light by the light receiving section.
US10027891B2

A distance measurement device includes an emission unit, a detection unit, a first reduction unit that reduces, based on a detection result of the detection unit, influence of variation of an optical axis of the image formation optical system on the subject image received as light by the light receiving section, a second reduction unit that reduces variation of an optical axis of the directional light with respect to the subject based on the detection result of the detection unit, and a control unit that, in the case of operating the first reduction unit and the second reduction unit at the same time, controls the first reduction unit and the second reduction unit to reduce variation of an irradiation position of the directional light in the subject image received as light by the light receiving section.
US10027890B2

A motion detector calculates a camera shake matrix H(t) applied for a coordinate conversion for a camera shake correction. At this time, the motion detector calculates a motion vector (MV) for each block obtained by dividing a frame, and excludes an object motion vector (MV-B) from the MV. In addition, when a camera shake matrix H_mv that represents a camera shake between the frames is not calculable based on the MV, the motion detector calculates and adjusts a camera shake matrix H_sensor that represents a camera shake in accordance with a motion of an image picker, and settles this matrix as the camera shake matrix H(t).
US10027876B2

A mobile terminal including a camera; a wireless communication processor configured to provide wireless communication; a display; and a controller configured to display a first preview image on the display corresponding to image data input through the camera, detect an external device located within a preset range of the mobile terminal via the wireless communication processor, display an icon on the display corresponding to the detected external device by overlapping the first preview image, execute a communication connection with the external device, in response to a touch input applied to the icon, while the communication with the detected external device is not connected, and release the communication connection with the external device, in response to the touch input applied to the icon, while the communication with the detected external device is connected.
US10027868B2

A spectral imaging device is configured to capture color images synchronized with controlled illumination from different color light emitting diodes. A processor in the device applies a coupling factor to sampled color images to convert sampled pixels into spectral channels corresponding to LED color and color filter. Multi-spectral spectricity vectors produced at pixel locations are used along with spatial information to classify objects, such as produce items.
US10027867B2

An image pickup apparatus capable of focusing correctly and of setting a bounce angle accurately. A lighting device that changes an irradiation angle is attached to an apparatus body. A first control unit drives the lighting device to perform pre-emission when the irradiation angle is controlled for bounce emission photographing where an object is photographed while being illuminated by a reflected light emitted from the lighting device and reflected by reflection material. A first distance measuring unit measures a first distance to the object and a second distance to the reflection material using the pre-emission. A second control unit sets up the irradiation angle based on the first and second distances and controls the lighting device to the set irradiation angle. A second distance measuring unit measures a third distance to the object during focus control. A prohibition unit prohibits the pre-emission when the second distance measuring unit measures the third distance.
US10027866B2

Example refrigerators having internal content cameras, and methods of operating the same are disclosed. A disclosed example refrigerator includes a cabinet, an internal compartment disposed within the cabinet, a closing member operatively coupled to the cabinet providing selective access to the internal compartment, two cameras disposed in the compartment and positioned to capture images of different portions of the compartment, two light sources disposed in the compartment, and a controller communicatively coupled with the cameras and light sources and configured to control the light sources to provide two different illuminations for respective ones of the two cameras.
US10027864B2

An optical assembly is described. The optical assembly comprises a transparent front cover, a lens having a lens surface facing the front cover, wherein the lens surface is designed to be essentially planar and has a central region and a transparent medium. The optical assembly optically couples at least the central region of the lens surface extensively to the front cover by the fact that the refractive index of the transparent medium differs from the refractive index of the front cover and the refractive index of a segment of the lens adjacent to the lens surface by less than 0.5. Furthermore, an electronic device having the optical assembly, a motor vehicle comprising the electronic device and a method for manufacturing the optical assembly are described.
US10027853B2

A printer cartridge includes a memory device and at least one compressed color table stored on the memory device. A compressed color table includes a losslessly compressed neutral axis, a number of nodes that correspond to seed color table nodes and a number of delta nodes that correspond to a number of delta tables. The number of delta tables indicate differences between interpolated color table nodes and corresponding actual color table nodes.
US10027851B2

An image processing apparatus includes a first selection unit configured to select an adjustment color, a print control unit configured to cause a printer to print a chart including a patch corresponding to the adjustment color selected and patches corresponding to respective neighboring colors of the adjustment color, a second selection unit configured to select a target color from the colors corresponding to the respective patches on the chart, a generation unit configured to generate a color conversion table to the used for converting a color to be printed by the printer, by using the adjustment color selected and the target color selected, and a determination unit configured to determine an arrangement of the patches to be included in the chart to be printed by the printer, based on a color value of the adjustment color selected.
US10027844B2

A control method for an image forming apparatus configured to perform transmission of information includes performing retransmission of the information a predetermined number of times in a case where the transmission of the information fails, wherein an entry about the retransmission of the information is added to a notification table managed by the image forming apparatus, clearing the entry from the notification table, in a case where the retransmission of the information is completed the predetermined number of times or a case where the image forming apparatus receives a response to the retransmission of the information, and clearing the entry from the notification table in a case where user information necessary for the retransmission of the information is changed.
US10027836B2

A display apparatus comprises a control section and a display section. The control section is capable of switching a mode to each mode of a normal mode and a power saving mode that consumes less power than the normal mode, shifting an apparatus from the normal mode to the power saving mode in a case in which a shift period during which an operation or a job is not executed lasts a certain time, and totalizes times the apparatus enters the shift period, times the apparatus shifts to the power saving mode and dwell time when the apparatus is in the normal mode for each time zone. The display section displays each value totalized by the control section for each time zone.
US10027835B2

An image reading apparatus includes: a movable body configured to illuminate a document with light; and an apparatus body configured to wirelessly transmit power to the movable body, wherein the movable body includes receiver coils, and a feed circuit in which the receiver coils uses receiving power to supply power to a load, the apparatus body includes transmitter coils placed along a track of the receiver coils, the transmitter coils and the receiver coils are placed such that power supply efficiency of any receiver coil with the transmitter coil placed along the track of the receiver coil fluctuates, and power supply efficiency related to one receiver coil increases at a position where power supply efficiency related to the other receiver coil drops, and the feed circuit supplies power sequentially using the receiving power of the receiver coil whose power supply efficiency is increased to highest among the receiver coils.
US10027818B2

In various embodiments, a corpus of codecs may be correlated with different, partially overlapping ranges of transmission characteristics. As channel conditions degrade or improve, the system may select a new codec with which to continue the connection based upon the corresponding overlapping range. Codecs may not be switched immediately when the transmission characteristics enter overlapping ranges, to avoid degrading the user's experience. If the characteristics remain in the overlap, or manifest a likely progression toward another region, then the transition may be effected.
US10027812B1

A method, system and program product, the method comprising: obtaining for each call in one set of calls a respective pattern representing multiple different respective data fields; obtaining performance data for the respective patterns of the calls; obtaining performance data for the respective agents; determining agent performance sensitivity to call pattern performance for agents in a set of agents comprising the agent performance data correlated to call performance data for the calls the agent handles; and matching a respective one of the agents from the set of agents to one of the calls based at least in part on the performance data for the respective pattern of the one call and on the agent sensitivity to call performance for the respective one agent of the set of agents.
US10027801B1

Methods and systems for controlling inter-agency, incident scene communications. One method includes storing, in a memory of a first dispatch device of a first agency, subscription information from a second agency. The method further includes establishing a geo-fence surrounding an incident and a talk group that allows communication devices to communicate with each other within the geo-fence. The method further includes identifying the second agency based on the geo-fence and transmitting a request to the second agency based on incident information and the subscription information. The request includes role information based on the incident information. The method further includes receiving information relating to an available communication device affiliated with the second agency. The available communication device is selected based on the role information. The method further includes transmitting instructions to the available communication device to control the available communication device to join the talk group.
US10027798B2

Multiple mobile device numbers (MDNs) may be associated with a single user device. For outgoing communications, the user may choose which of the accounts are to be used. For incoming communications, application layer processes may perform an arbitration function to ensure that that the communication state, associated with each MDN, is correctly updated both at the user device and in the telecommunications network.
US10027790B2

A device for performing a cooperative function with another device is provided. The device includes a communication unit, and a controller that determines whether the other device is in a surrounding area of the device based a signal received through the communication unit, selects one cooperative function from among a plurality of cooperative functions according to a relative position of the device with respect to the other device and performs the selected cooperative function with the other device.
US10027784B2

An apparatus including a sound transducer; and a housing having the sound transducer connected thereto. The housing forms a substantially sealed air space back cavity acoustically coupled to the sound transducer. The housing includes a housing member having a first dividing structure located in the back cavity to connect two adjacent air mass sections of the back cavity, where the dividing structure includes at least one aperture to permit travel of sound waves through the at least one aperture between the air mass sections.
US10027781B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a TCP link configuration method, apparatus, and device. The method includes: acquiring data information in a data packet transmitted on a target TCP link or transmission information generated in a process of transmitting the data packet; determining, according to the data information or the transmission information, a target network type of a network on which the target TCP link is located; searching a pre-established configuration library for a target TCP configuration file corresponding to the target network type; and configuring the target TCP link by using the searched target TCP configuration file. According to the method, the configured target TCP link is better adapted to a network on which the target TCP link is located; use of network bandwidth can be maximized; and TCP transmission efficiency can be improved.
US10027780B2

A method and system for demultiplexing packets of a message is provided.The demultiplexing system receives packets of a message, identifies a sequence of message handlers for processing the message, identifies state information associated with the message for each message handler, and invokes the message handlers passing the message and the associated state information. The system identifies the message handlers based on the initial data type of the message and a target data type. The identified message handlers effect the conversion of the data to the target data type through various intermediate data types.
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