US09059723B1
Provided is a digital-to-analog converter configured to mitigate data dependent jitter of switch driver signals. The digital-to-analog converter is configured to produce data patterns of “0001000”. The digital-to-analog converter includes a digital portion that includes a digital data input component, an analog portion, and a conversion component. The conversion component includes a decoder configured to split a first data stream comprising a set of digital data into a first data sub-stream and a second data sub-stream, and a second data stream comprising another set of digital data into a third data sub-stream and a fourth data sub-stream. The conversion component also includes a first pair of drivers, a second pair of drivers, a third pair of drivers, and a fourth pair of drivers, wherein respective drivers of the first, second, third, and fourth pairs of drivers are configured to output respective data patterns comprising at least three consecutive identical bits.
US09059712B2
An object detection sensor includes a hollow insulator, a plurality of electrode wires, a terminal molded member, and a blocking member. The hollow insulator includes a longitudinal end. The electrode wires are arranged in the hollow insulator with the electrode wires spaced apart from each other. Each electrode wire includes a drawn-out portion that is drawn out of the hollow insulator from the longitudinal end of the hollow insulator. The terminal molded member is formed from an insulative terminal molding resin material. The drawn-out portions are embedded in the terminal molded member. The blocking member, which is arranged at the longitudinal end of the hollow insulator, blocks entrance of the terminal molding resin material into the hollow insulator.
US09059710B2
Methods, systems, circuits, and devices for power-packet-switching power converters using bidirectional bipolar transistors (BTRANs) for switching. Four-terminal three-layer BTRANs provide substantially identical operation in either direction with forward voltages of less than a diode drop. BTRANs are fully symmetric merged double-base bidirectional bipolar opposite-faced devices which operate under conditions of high non-equilibrium carrier concentration, and which can have surprising synergies when used as bidirectional switches for power-packet-switching power converters. BTRANs are driven into a state of high carrier concentration, making the on-state voltage drop very low.
US09059708B2
A signal generating apparatus, for generating a power-on-reset signal, including a bias circuit and a power-on-reset signal generating circuit is disclosed. The bias circuit is for generating an output bias voltage, and includes at least one bipolar junction transistor (BJT), wherein a base terminal of the BJT is coupled to a collector terminal of the BJT, and the output bias voltage is related to an emitter-to-base voltage of the BJT. The power-on-reset signal generating circuit is coupled to the bias circuit, and is for generating a duplicated voltage by duplicating the output bias voltage, wherein the power-on-reset signal is generated according to the duplicated voltage.
US09059703B2
A switching circuit includes a plurality of switching elements connected between an input node and an output node and each comprising a first and second electrode connected to the input node and output node, respectively. The switching elements include a control electrode for controlling electrical conductance between the first and second electrodes such the switching element can be switched between an ON conductance state and an OFF conductance state. A detection circuit in the switching circuit outputs a detection value corresponding to an output current at the output node. A control circuit changes the conductance state of at least one switching element such that the summed total of the parasitic capacitances of all switching elements in the ON state decreases as the output current decreases as indicated by the detection value.
US09059699B2
Provided is a power supply switching circuit capable of suppressing a load fluctuation such as undershoot that occurs at an output terminal at the time of power supply switching. The power supply switching circuit includes: a battery connected to the output terminal; a replica current generation circuit for generating a replica current that is proportional to a current flowing from the battery to the output terminal; a voltage regulator connected to the output terminal, the voltage regulator including a reference voltage circuit, an error amplifier circuit, an output transistor, and a voltage divider circuit; and a current mirror circuit for causing the replica current to flow through the output transistor of the voltage regulator.
US09059694B2
An object is to provide a low-power semiconductor device which does not require a latch circuit to hold data at the output of inverter circuits. In the semiconductor device, an input of a first inverter circuit is connected to an input terminal through a source and a drain of a first transistor. An input of a second inverter circuit is connected to an output of the first inverter circuit through a source and a drain of a second transistor. An output of the second inverter is connected to an output terminal. An inverted clock signal and a clock signal are input to gates of the first transistor and the second transistor, respectively. The first and the second transistor have extremely low off-current, which allows the output potential of the device to remain unchanged even when the input varies.
US09059693B2
Provided is a semiconductor circuit. The semiconductor circuit includes a pulse generator which is enabled by a rising edge of a clock signal and generates a read pulse which varies depending on a voltage of a feedback node; and a sense amplifier which generates a voltage of a dynamic node and the voltage of the feedback node in accordance with a data value of an input signal using the read pulse.
US09059682B2
An advanced reverse orthomode junction feed assembly with associated filters for use in an antenna feed system for transmitting a first low frequency (LF) electromagnetic signal and receiving a second high frequency (HF) electromagnetic signal. The assembly includes, in a preferred square waveguide topology, an orthomode junction with an antenna port for connecting to a choking iris matching section and an antenna feed, an opposed generally coaxial first signal port to transmit the LF signal, and a generally perpendicular second signal port, located there between, to receive the HF signal. A first signal channel having fully asymmetric on-axis second signal reject filters connects to the first port; and a second signal channel having cross-axis first signal reject filters with multi-cavity HF path matching assembly connects to the second port. The use of a magic-tee as a combiner for the receive signal provides tracking capability to the antenna feed system.
US09059665B2
Multi-output amplifiers with configurable source degeneration inductance and having good performance are disclosed. In an exemplary design, an apparatus (e.g., a wireless device or an integrated circuit) includes a gain transistor and a configurable degeneration inductor for an amplifier. The gain transistor receives an input signal and provides an amplified signal. The amplifier provides a single output signal in a first operating mode or a plurality of output signals in a second operating mode. The configurable degeneration inductor is coupled to the gain transistor and provides a first source degeneration inductance in the first operating mode or a second source degeneration inductance in the second operating mode. The second source degeneration inductance is less than the first source degeneration inductance and may be dependent on the number of output signals generated in the second operating mode.
US09059664B2
An amplifier includes a signal processing circuit configured to generate an orthogonal signal orthogonal to an input signal; a first D/A converter configured to convert the orthogonal signal into a first analog signal; a second D/A converter configured to convert the input signal into a second analog signal; and an analog computing circuit configured to generate a constant envelope signal based on the first analog signal from the first D/A converter and the second analog signal from the second D/A converter.
US09059659B2
A control system for an electric motor having a first control device arranged to control current in a first coil set for generating a first torque on a rotor and a second control device arranged to control current in a second coil set for generating a second torque on the rotor, the system comprising a controller arranged to instruct the first control device to control current in the first coil set to generate a torque on the rotor to allow rotation of the rotor; and means for measuring a characteristic associated with the second coil set resulting from the rotation of the rotor from the torque generated by the first coil set while substantially no current is flowing in the coils of the second coil set.
US09059651B2
A method for determining the position of a moving rotor in a switched reluctance motor includes the steps of applying a voltage to a phase winding of the reluctance motor, sampling a signal representative of the current magnitude in this phase winding, detecting a feature of the second temporal derivative of the signal, and determining the position of the moving rotor taking into account the occurrence of this feature. Apparatus for carrying out the method is described.
US09059644B2
In one embodiment a dozer blade controller, which may comprise two-way, four-way, or six-way dozer blade position control such as, for example, a two-way control only for blade tilt. In one embodiment, a pulse width control is provided for use in a blade tilt electronic controller, which controls blade tilt independently of movement of the body of the bull dozer. And in another embodiment, a pulse width controller is operable to multiply and/or divide the width of a variable pulse by a preset multiplier factor or divider factor, e.g. by 100 or dividing by 100.
US09059643B2
A circuit having a plurality of parallel-connected partial circuits for feeding an inverter circuit. A partial circuit comprises an unregulated voltage source with a temporally variable output DC voltage and a synchronous converter having an automatically functioning regulating circuit. The circuit is triggered according to two modes of operation. The first mode of operation is as an upward converter, when the value of the output voltage of the unregulated voltage source exceeds a threshold value, and thus the inverter circuit is supplied with the requisite input voltage. The second mode of operation is as a downward converter, when the value of an output voltage of the unregulated voltage source is below a threshold value, or when there is no output voltage from the unregulated voltage source, in which case a first capacitor is charged from the DC voltage applied to the second terminals.
US09059641B2
A fault mode of a PWM module embedded in a microcontroller is used to detect main supply zero crossings for regulating output voltage of a PFC converter operating in BCM, without using an external detecting element or a comparator, ADC or other specialized component internal to the microcontroller. In some implementations, the end of decrease current flow in the energy storage inductor of the converter is used to reinitialize a PWM timer or counter (counting-up or counting-down timer). The current goes to zero for a time period when the main supply voltage goes to zero, resulting in the PWM timer or counter not being reinitialized prior to the end of the current PWM cycle. The failure to reinitialize the timer or counter can be used to generate a signal indicative of a zero voltage crossing of the main supply voltage.
US09059640B2
This invention relates to a control circuit for a buck power factor correction (PFC) stage. Buck PFC stages are commonly used in low cost, high efficiency power converters. These buck PFC stages are typically controlled using a very slow control loop with a crossover frequency of the order of 10 to 20 Hz. However, such a slow response is unsuitable for applications requiring overvoltage protection. The present invention overcomes the problems with the known control circuits for buck PFC stages by implementing a two stage control circuit having a fast outer loop control circuit and a slow inner loop control circuit. The fast outer loop control circuit is in operation during low load conditions and the slow inner loop control circuit is only active under load.
US09059637B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a method of calibrating a power supply includes coupling a reference load to an output of the power supply, setting an output voltage of the power supply to a first output voltage, measuring a current delivered to the reference load, and determining a current metric based on the measuring. The output voltage of the power supply is increased until the determined current metric crosses a first threshold, which occurs when the output of the power supply is at a second output voltage, and the power supply it set to operate at the second output voltage.
US09059634B2
There is provided an electronic sine wave transformer circuit configuration for transferring power from a source to a load using magnetic storage coupling, the circuit comprising: an input node adapted to receive an input alternating current power source having an input voltage operating at an input frequency in a Hertz range; the magnetic storage coupling unit comprising: a first set of windings coupled to a first switch, the first switch for receiving an input charging current associated with the input voltage; a second set of windings located in series or opposing connection with the first set of windings with a common magnetic path; a second switch connected at one end between the first and second set of windings and at another end to a common ground, the first and second switches having a switching frequency in a kilohertz range and switching between on and off in alternating modes; and an output node connected to the second set of windings, the output node adapted to provide an output AC power having a frequency of the input frequency to the load, the output power having an output voltage with an amplitude based on the input voltage and a voltage constant.
US09059618B2
In a rotating machine, a base is configured such that a housing space is formed by joining a cover to the base and has a bearing hole communicating ambient air and the housing space. A sleeve is fitted into the bearing hole and formed with a porous material. The circumferential lower end portion of the sleeve is exposed to ambient air from the bearing hole. At least part of the pores on the surface of the circumferential lower end portion in contact with ambient air are filled in.
US09059613B2
An amortisseur assembly comprises an end winding amortisseur. The end winding amortisseur comprises a body, at least one finger element, and a stop block. The body comprises a first edge. The finger element extends from the first edge of the body, and comprises a first surface. The stop block can attached to the first surface. The amortisseur assembly can further comprise a slot amortisseur so that the stop block abuts an end of the slot amortisseur. The amortisseur assembly can be assembled on a radial-flow cooled rotor. A method of forming an amortisseur assembly for a rotor comprises providing one or more slot amortisseurs and one or more of the end winding amortisseurs. The slot amortisseurs can be provided by shortening existing slot amortisseurs. The slot springs can replace existing slot springs, and the one or more slot springs can be longer than the existing slot springs.
US09059605B2
The invention is directed to various energy storage devices and methods of using the same. The energy storage device takes advantage of the height difference between the bottom and the surface of a body of water. The energy storage device utilizes the movement of a mass, such as weights or floats, to store energy as potential energy and to generate energy by releasing the potential energy. Weights attached to tethers are pulled toward the surface of the water by a motor/generator powered by energy to be stored, thereby storing potential energy. Allowing the weights to fall downward releases the potential energy and reverses the motor/generator to generate electricity. Floats attached to tethers are pulled toward the bottom of the water by a motor/generator powered by energy to be stored, thereby storing potential energy. Allowing the floats to rise releases the potential energy and reverses the motor/generator to generate electricity.
US09059597B2
Systems, circuits, and devices for reducing leakage current in a mobile device with an embedded battery are disclosed. In one embodiment, a system for reducing leakage current in a mobile device with an embedded battery comprises a power management integrated circuit (PMIC), a switch device electrically coupled to the embedded battery and the PMIC, and a low power personal area network (PAN) module coupled to the embedded battery, the PMIC, and the switch device. The low power PAN module is configured to maintain the switch device in an open state while an application processor (AP) of the mobile device is off and to close the switch device in response to a receipt of an AP ON request signal to wake up the AP, where the open state of the switch device blocks leakage current flowing from the battery to the PMIC.
US09059596B2
The present disclosure illustrates a battery charging circuit, adapted for charging a rechargeable battery. The battery charging circuit includes a temperature sensing unit, a current control unit, and a charging unit. The temperature sensing unit is coupled to a temperature output pin of the rechargeable battery to output a temperature signal according to the sensed temperature of the rechargeable battery. The current control unit is coupled to the temperature sensing unit for outputting a control voltage according to the received temperature signal. The charging unit is coupled to the current control unit and outputs a charging current to charge the rechargeable battery. When temperature of the rechargeable battery exceeds a predefined temperature range, the charging unit discontinues outputting the charging current. Hence, the battery charging circuit can completely fulfill the charging requirement of the rechargeable battery thereby increase the associated charging efficiency.
US09059595B2
The disclosed device for controlling charging of a secondary battery includes a step for calculating an amount of heat generated by a secondary battery on the basis of an inter-electrode-plate voltage, internal resistance, a current value, and charging efficiency; a step for calculating an amount of allowable generated heat of the secondary battery on the basis of a temperature of the secondary battery and the cooling ability of a cooling means that cools the secondary battery; and a step for limiting the charging power of the secondary battery when the aforementioned amount of heat generated is greater than the aforementioned amount of allowable heat generation.
US09059590B2
A system and method for a universal battery charger is presented. An RFID tag on a battery-powered device communicates battery information to the charger to allow the charger to optimally charge the battery. The battery charger has a charging cord with a charge plug at an end of the cord to connect the charging cord to a port on a device. The charging cord contains an RFID antenna near the end of the cord. The RFID antenna has a limited reading range. When the charge plug is inserted into a charging port on a battery-powered device, an RFID reader uses the RFID antenna to read the information stored on the RFID tag. Based on the RFID tag information, a charging selector selects a current and voltage to be output to charge the device through the device port.
US09059580B2
A system for curing a sealing compound provided in an electrical fitting, includes a curing chamber for receiving at least a portion of the electrical fitting therein, wherein the electrical fitting received within the curing chamber comprises a body and a sealing sleeve configured to engage the forward end of the body during assembly of the fitting to receive the two or more conductors of an electrical cable passing through the body. The sealing sleeve is configured to receive an ultra-violet (UV)-curable sealing compound therein, such that the sealing compound flows between the two or more conductors during filling of the sealing sleeve. The system further includes a plurality of UV light sources configured to provide UV light into the curing chamber to cure the UV-curable sealing compound and to initiate curing of the UV-curable sealing compound in the sealing sleeve.
US09059578B2
A holding device for a cable or an assembly like a trunk or furcation adapter for use with a cable, comprising: a cradle part adapted to hold the cable or the assembly for use with a cable; and a cover part to be mounted to a supporting structure, especially to a wall of a distribution device; whereby said cradle part when combined with said cover part can be rotated with respect to said cover part.
US09059574B2
A cable protector includes a base member, at least one channel, and at least one connector. The at least one channel extend between opposing first and second ends of the base member and is structured to house at least one cable. The at least one connector extends from a first end of the cable protector and includes a hand grip feature. The hand grip feature of the at least one connector may include a plurality of recesses or protrusions formed in a side surface of the at least one connector. The cable protector may also include at least one connector recess that includes a hand grip feature. The hand grip feature of the at least one connector recess may include a plurality of recesses or protrusions formed in a side surface of the at least one connector recess.
US09059561B2
The closed cycle solid state optically pumped gas hybrid (chemical recovery) system utilizes a laser diode excited solid state, fiber or bulk, laser as a pump for a molecular gas, or gas mix, medium. The existence of efficient high power laser diode excited solid state fiber or bulk lasers, output spectrally matched to suitable principle and excited level 1st and 2nd overtones of relevant gases, is the enabling system technology. The utilization of such in combination with suitable gases introduces a range of viable, in principle sourcing on laser diodes and thus effectively laser diode pumped, gas laser systems with access to the approximately 4.5 μm to approximately 5.4 μm spectral region. Continuous wave or pulsed operation, with significant energy capability courtesy of solid state storage, is admitted.
US09059560B2
Laser-induced damage in an optical material can be mitigated by creating conditions at which light absorption is minimized. Specifically, electrons populating defect energy levels of a band gap in an optical material can be promoted to the conduction band—a process commonly referred to as bleaching. Such bleaching can be accomplished using a predetermined wavelength that ensures minimum energy deposition into the material, ideally promoting electron to just inside the conduction band. In some cases phonon (i.e. thermal) excitation can also be used to achieve higher depopulation rates. In one embodiment, a bleaching light beam having a wavelength longer than that of the laser beam can be combined with the laser beam to depopulate the defect energy levels in the band gap. The bleaching light beam can be propagated in the same direction or intersect the laser beam.
US09059557B2
Technologies are generally described for implementing non-linear VCSEL equalization. In some examples, a rising edge tap parameter, a falling edge tap parameter, an equalization delay and a bias current may be used to equalize a data signal to be output from a VCSEL. A VCSEL model may be used to derive a VCSEL response to one or more isolated data pulses. The derived response may then be used to determine the rising and falling edge tap parameters and an equalization delay, based on a bias current value for the VCSEL and a data rate associated with the data signal. The data signal may then be adjusted based on the equalization delay and the rising and falling edge tap parameter and sent to the VCSEL for output. At the same time, the VCSEL may be biased with a bias current having the bias current value.
US09059543B2
A cable connector assembly (100) comprises an insulative housing, a number of contacts (2) received in the insulative housing, a printed circuit board (3) electrically connected with the contacts, a metallic shell (4) enclosing the insulative housing, and a cable. The contacts have signal contacts and grounding contacts. The printed circuit board defines a number of first conductive pads soldering with the contacts and a number of second conductive pads. The cable is soldering with the second conductive pads of the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board also has at least one third conductive pad (33) electrically connected with the grounding contact, and the metallic shell has at least one extension portion (423) connected with the third conductive pad. The extension portion is curved and extends into a U-shaped receiving portion (422) of the metallic shell.
US09059532B2
A belt connector for electrically connecting an electrode belt to a biometric device to be carried on a human or animal body. The belt connector is made from one single piece which can be economically manufactured in order to function as a single-use consumable, to be used with a matching biometric device. The connector comprises a molded plastic frame having a shaped circular or semi-circular hole with radial flexibility to function as a female snap button fastener for receiving and fastening on the front side of the frame a male snap protrusion. The belt connector further comprises fastening means for fastening to the frame a belt end of said electrode belt, and a member adjacent to said snap fastener hole to engage an electrode wire end electrically connected to said belt such that said end is in contact with said hole and comes in electrical contact with a conducting male snap fastener inserted in said hole. The belt connector and belt is configured such that a person wearing the belt under operation is insulated from current running through the belt, in order to meet existing standards for medical devices.
US09059529B1
A power outlet having a base, a top cover, a safety shutter, and an elastic member is disclosed. The base may include a support platform having a first electrode and a second electrode. The top cover may include a first receptacle and a second receptacle and overlaying the base. When in a first position, the safety shutter may be placed at a fulcrum of the support platform with equilibrium and mask the first electrode and the second electrode. The safety shutter may include a first incline and a second incline. When a foreign object invades either the first receptacle or the second receptacle, the safety shutter may lose its equilibrium despite still masking the first electrode and the second electrode. Only after the corresponding plug pins have been inserted into the receptacles before the safety shutter may be pushed away from the first position.
US09059506B2
An antenna apparatus for a portable terminal having a main board is provided. The antenna apparatus includes a main antenna that electrically connects to a feed line of the main board. A metal frame is constructed as part of a case frame forming an exterior of the portable terminal. The metal frame is divided into first and second parts that are separated. The first part electrically connects to the main antenna or to the main board feed line, and is designed to radiate. The second part electrically connects to a ground surface of the main board. The metal frame enhances overall antenna performance rather than causing degradation through interference.
US09059505B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for providing an electronic device (700) that includes a back housing (702) at least partially formed from a plurality of discrete antenna elements (706) and an antenna switching module (701) for selectively coupling two or more of the antenna elements to an antenna feed (723). The coupled antenna elements form an antenna for transmitting and/or receiving wireless communication signals. The antenna switching module includes a plurality of switches (716) configured to selectively couple together two or more of the antenna elements; a plurality of electrical posts (729) coupled to the switches; a plurality of radio frequency chokes (735) respectively coupled to the electrical posts; and a biasing module (725) coupled to the radio frequency chokes for selectively applying a bias voltage to the switches.
US09059503B2
An antenna arrangement for transmitting signals has improved directional characteristics and a higher antenna gain, is simple to produce, and is robust and cost-effective. The antenna arrangement has a plurality of planes, and a plurality of individual antennas are arranged in each plane.
US09059489B2
An HF feed bushing device is provided that is designed to connect an HF transmitter/receiver to an antenna via an external medium by means of a balanced two-wire line. The balanced two-wire line is at least partially encapsulated in a central part of a closed conduit including a wall isolating the balanced two-wire line from the external medium. Applications: Feeding of antennas via balanced two-wire lines.
US09059486B2
A system and method for discharging a vehicle battery following a vehicle damaging event. The method includes determining that the vehicle has been involved in the vehicle damaging event and then discharging cells in the battery to a predetermined cell voltage based on the severity of the vehicle damaging event. The battery cells can be discharged by resistors that are already existing in the vehicle battery for cell balancing purposes, or by resistors that have been added for the cell discharge purposes. The voltage of the cells are monitored when they are being dissipated, and once the particular voltage of a cell has reached the desired voltage, then a switch is opened to disconnect the resistor from the cell.
US09059481B2
A non-flammable quasi-solid electrolyte and a rechargeable non-lithium alkali metal cell containing this electrolyte. The electrolyte comprises an alkali metal salt dissolved in an organic liquid solvent with a concentration higher than 2.5 M (preferably >3.5 M) or a molecular ratio greater than 0.2 (preferably >0.3), wherein the alkali metal is selected from Na, K, a combination of Na and K, or a combination of Na and/or K with Li. The alkali metal salt concentration is sufficiently high so that the electrolyte exhibits a vapor pressure <0.01 kPa when measured at 20° C., a vapor pressure <60% of the vapor pressure of thet organic solvent when measured alone, a flash point at least 20 degrees Celsius higher than a flash point of the organic liquid solvent when measured alone, a flash point higher than 150° C., or no detectable flash point.
US09059458B2
Provided is a reverse connection preventing structure in a battery-driven object detection device, which has a simple structure capable of preventing reverse connection of even a battery whose projecting positive electrode is relatively lower in height. The structure has a holder for holding the battery including a first terminal for electrically connecting to a projecting positive electrode and a second terminal for electrically connecting to a negative electrode. The first terminal is formed in a printed circuit board. On the printed circuit board, an insulating member of less than 0.5 mm in thickness are provided around the circumference of the first terminal in such a manner as to allow the first terminal to come in contact with the positive electrode of the battery which is mounted correctly and as to prevent the first terminal from coming in contact with the negative electrode of the battery which is mounted reversely.
US09059453B2
A battery includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, a separator interposed therebetween, and an electrolyte. The separator includes a plurality of nanofibers and has a form of a sheet having a first surface and a second surface opposite thereto. When the average maximum fiber diameter of the nanofibers in the plane direction of the separator is compared between in vicinities of the first and second surfaces and at a center portion in the thickness direction of the separator, average maximum fiber diameters Ds1 and Ds2 of the nanofibers in the vicinity of the first and second surfaces arc smaller than an average maximum fiber diameter Dc of the nanofibers at the center portion in the thickness direction of the separator.
US09059450B2
Fuel cell devices and systems are provided. In certain embodiments, the devices include a ceramic support structure having a length, a width, and a thickness with the length direction being the dominant direction of thermal expansion. A reaction zone having at least one active layer therein is spaced from the first end and includes first and second opposing electrodes, associated active first and second gas passages, and electrolyte. The active first gas passage includes sub-passages extending in the y direction and spaced apart in the x direction. An artery flow passage extends from the first end along the length and into the reaction zone and is fluidicly coupled to the sub-passages of the active first gas passage. The thickness of the artery flow passage is greater than the thickness of the sub-passages. In other embodiments, fuel cell devices include second sub-passages for the active second gas passage and a second artery flow passage coupled thereto, and extending from either the first end or the second end into the reaction zone. In yet other embodiments, one or both electrodes of a fuel cell device are segmented.
US09059438B2
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell, a control valve and a controller. The controller controls the control valve to periodically increase and decrease the anode gas pressure downstream of the control valve. The controller executes a shutdown operation of the fuel cell by closing the control valve to stop the anode gas and shutting down power generation of the fuel cell upon receiving a shutdown command. The controller estimates an anode gas concentration at a location where the anode gas concentration is locally lower within a power generation region of the fuel cell based on a control state of the anode gas at a time the shutdown command is issued. The controller determines whether to permit or prohibit shutting down the power generating operation based on the anode gas concentration.
US09059436B2
A method for producing a lithium-ion secondary battery comprising positive and negative electrodes and a non-aqueous electrolyte solution is provided. The method comprises (A) with several different negative electrode active materials, determining density Xn (g/cm3) at several different number of taps applied, n, respectively; (B) determining density Y (g/cm3) of a negative electrode active material layer constituted with a mixture comprising each negative electrode active material; (C) based on a regression line, Y=aXn+b, determining the number of taps applied, n′, that gives a≦0.5 and a determination coefficient R2≧0.99; (D) based on a plot of Y=aXn′+b, determining a passing range of Xn′ where negative electrode active material layer density Y is in a prescribed range; (E) selecting a negative electrode active material having Xn′in the passing range, and fabricating a negative electrode with this material.
US09059434B2
A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell stack which includes a plurality of fuel cells contacted in series by a plurality of interconnect plates. At least two interconnect plates are contacted by a high-temperature bypass diode that is physically integrated in the fuel cell stack.
US09059430B2
A light-emitting element having high external quantum efficiency is provided. A light-emitting element having a long lifetime is provided. A light-emitting element includes a light-emitting layer between a pair of electrodes. The light-emitting layer contains at least a phosphorescent compound, a first organic compound (host material) having an electron-transport property, and a second organic compound (assist material) having a hole-transport property. The light-emitting layer has a stacked-layer structure including a first light-emitting layer and a second light-emitting layer, and the first light-emitting layer contains a higher proportion of the second organic compound than the second light-emitting layer. In the light-emitting layer (the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer), a combination of the first organic compound and the second organic compound forms an exciplex.
US09059423B2
An electronic component (100), which comprises a substrate (1), at least one first electrode (3) arranged on the substrate (3) and a growth layer (7) on the side of the electrode (3) remote from the substrate (7), wherein the electrode (7) arranged on the growth layer (3) comprises a metal layer (9) with a thickness of less than or equal to 30 nm and the growth layer (7) has a thickness which is less than or equal to 10 nm. An electrical contact is also disclosed.
US09059406B2
A PZT-based ferroelectric thin film formed on a lower electrode of a substrate having the lower electrode in which the crystal plane is oriented in a (111) axis direction, having an orientation controlling layer which is formed on the lower electrode and has a layer thickness in which a crystal orientation is controlled in a (111) plane preferentially in a range of 45 nm to 270 nm, and a film thickness adjusting layer which is formed on the orientation controlling layer and has the same crystal orientation as the crystal orientation of the orientation controlling layer, in which an interface is formed between the orientation controlling layer and the film thickness adjusting layer.
US09059403B2
Some embodiments include methods of forming memory structures. An electrically insulative line is formed over a base. Electrode material is deposited over the line and patterned to form a pair of bottom electrodes along the sidewalls of the line. Programmable material is formed over the bottom electrodes, and a top electrode is formed over the programmable material. The bottom electrodes may each contain at least one segment which extends at angle of from greater than 0° to less than or equal to about 90° relative to a planar topography of the base. Some embodiments include memory structures having a bottom electrode extending upwardly from a conductive contact to a programmable material, with the bottom electrode having a thickness of less than or equal to about 10 nanometers. Some embodiments include memory arrays and methods of forming memory arrays.
US09059402B2
A resistance-variable element as disclosed has high reliability, high densification, and good insulating properties. The device provides a resistance-variable element in which a first electrode including a metal primarily containing copper, an oxide film of valve-metal, an ion-conductive layer containing oxygen and a second electrode are laminated in this order.
US09059393B2
A vibrator element includes: a base having a mounting surface; a vibrating arm which is extended from the base and has a first surface and a second surface that faces the first surface and is positioned on the mounting surface side, and which performs flexural vibration in a direction normal to the first and second surfaces; and a laminated structure which is provided on at least one of the first and second surfaces of the vibrating arm, and which includes at least a first electrode, a second electrode, and a piezoelectric layer disposed between the first and second electrodes, in which the vibrating arm is warped toward the mounting surface side.
US09059391B2
The present disclosure provides a self-rectifying RRAM, including: a first electrode layer formed of a first metal element; a second electrode layer formed of a second metal element different from the first metal element; and a first resistive-switching layer and a second resistive-switching layer sandwiched between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer, wherein the first resistive-switching layer and the second switching layer form an ohmic contact, and the first resistive-switching layer has a first bandgap lower than a second bandgap of the second resistive-switching layer. Furthermore, an RRAM 3D crossbar array architecture is also provided.
US09059388B2
An artificial composite object combines a quantum of sound with a matter excitation. A phonon in a confinement structure containing the matter excites it from an initial state to an excited state corresponding to a frequency of the phonon. Relaxation of the matter back to the initial state emits a phonon of the same frequency into the confinement structure. The phonon confinement structure, for example, a cavity, traps the emitted phonon thereby allowing further excitation of the matter. The coupling between the phonon and the matter results in a quantum quasi-particle referred to as a phoniton. The phoniton can find application in a wide variety of quantum systems such as signal processing and communications devices, imaging and sensing, and information processing.
US09059384B2
LED packaging construction includes a substrate, a cavernous construction, a LED, and a reflection layer. The substrate is daubed with an insulation layer and a circuit layer on a surface on the substrate, wherein the substrate is made of metal, and the insulation layer is disposed between the circuit layer and the substrate. The cavernous construction is disposed on the substrate and surrounds the LED, and is formed by disposing a photoresist layer and patterning the photoresist layer. The circuit layer electrically connects the LED through a conducting wire. The reflection layer is at least disposed on a first surface of the cavernous construction, wherein the first surface surrounds the LED and faces toward the LED, and a part of light emitted from the LED is reflected by the reflection layer.
US09059382B2
Provided are a light source circuit unit that improves light extraction efficiency, as well as an illuminator and a display that include such a light source circuit unit. The light source circuit unit includes: a circuit substrate having a wiring pattern on a surface thereof, the wiring pattern having light reflectivity, a circular pedestal provided on the circuit substrate, a water-repelling region provided at least from a peripheral edge portion of the pedestal to a part of a side face of the pedestal, and one or two or more light-emitting device chips mounted on the pedestal, and driven by a current that flows through the wiring pattern.
US09059380B2
Discontinuous bonds for semiconductor devices are disclosed herein. A device in accordance with a particular embodiment includes a first substrate and a second substrate, with at least one of the first substrate and the second substrate having a plurality of solid-state transducers. The second substrate can include a plurality of projections and a plurality of intermediate regions and can be bonded to the first substrate with a discontinuous bond. Individual solid-state transducers can be disposed at least partially within corresponding intermediate regions and the discontinuous bond can include bonding material bonding the individual solid-state transducers to blind ends of corresponding intermediate regions. Associated methods and systems of discontinuous bonds for semiconductor devices are disclosed herein.
US09059371B2
The present invention concerns the enhancement of critical current densities in cuprate superconductors. Such enhancement of critical current densities include using wave function symmetry and restricting movement of Abrikosov (A) vortices, Josephson (J) vortices, or Abrikosov-Josephson (A-J) vortices by using the half integer vortices associated with d-wave symmetry present in the grain boundary.
US09059365B2
A method for manufacturing solar cell chips having an active surface area configured to directly convert solar energy into electrical energy. The method including cutting the solar cell chips out of a wafer using a laser such that the solar cell chips include a non-rectangular geometry. The non-rectangular geometry facilitate continuous cutting by the laser and maximizing a number of solar cell chips cut from the wafer.
US09059363B2
A thermoelectric material having a high ZT value is provided. In general, the thermoelectric material is a thin film thermoelectric material that includes a heterostructure formed of IV-VI semiconductor materials, where the heterostructure includes at least one potential barrier layer. In one embodiment, the heterostructure is formed of IV-VI semiconductor materials and includes a first matrix material layer, a potential barrier material layer adjacent to the first matrix material layer and formed of a wide bandgap material, and a second matrix material layer that is adjacent the potential barrier material layer opposite the first matrix material layer. A thickness of the potential barrier layer is approximately equal to a mean free path distance for charge carriers at a desired temperature.
US09059360B2
A design structure embodied in a machine readable medium used in a design process includes a first dielectric layer disposed on an intermediary layer, a first conductive pad portion and a first interconnect portion disposed on the first dielectric layer, a second dielectric layer disposed on the first dielectric layer, a first capping layer disposed on the first interconnect portion and a portion of the first conductive pad portion, a second capping layer disposed on the first capping layer and a portion of the second dielectric layer, an n-type doped silicon layer disposed on the second capping layer and the first conductive pad portion, an intrinsic silicon layer disposed on the n-type doped silicon layer, and a p-type doped silicon layer disposed on the intrinsic silicon layer.
US09059357B2
A bifacial solar cell is discussed. The bifacial solar cell includes a substrate, a p+-type doped region positioned at a first surface of the substrate, a P-type electrode part electrically connected to the p+-type doped region, an n+-type doped region positioned at a second surface of the substrate, and an N-type electrode part electrically connected to the n+-type doped region. The P-type electrode part is formed of a first inorganic solid powder including a first powder, which contains silver (Ag) and has an average diameter of about 0.2 μm to 1 μm, and a second powder, which contains a group III element and has an average diameter of about 1 μm to 5 μm. The N-type electrode part is formed of a second inorganic solid powder including only the first powder.
US09059353B2
An optoelectronic device having an active layer that includes a multiplicity of structural elements spaced apart from one another laterally, wherein the structural elements each have a quantum well structure including at least one barrier layer composed of Inx1Aly1Ga1-x1-y1N, wherein 0≦x1≦1, 0≦y1≦1 and x1+y1≦1, and at least one quantum well layer composed of Inx2Aly2Ga1-x2-y2N, wherein 0≦x2≦1, 0≦y2≦1 and x2+y2≦1.
US09059351B2
Provided are bypass diode assemblies for use in photovoltaic modules. Also provided are methods of fabricating such assemblies and a method of fabricating photovoltaic modules using such assemblies. A diode assembly may include an insulating strip, at least one lead-diode assembly having a diode and two leads, and at least two interconnecting conductors overlapping with and electrically contacting the leads of the lead-diode assembly. The insulating strip supports the lead-diode assembly and conductors and at least partially insulates these components from photovoltaic cells. Specifically, during module fabrication, the interconnecting conductors make electrical connections to the back sides of the cells through cutouts in the insulating strip. The electrical connections may be made to every cell in a row or a subset of selected cells in that row. In certain embodiments, the same interconnecting conductor is connected to two or more cells positioned in adjacent rows.
US09059343B2
A radiation image pickup apparatus includes a base, at least one image pickup element, a scintillator, a first heat peelable adhesive layer which is arranged between the base and the image pickup element and which fixes the base and the image pickup element, and a second heat peelable adhesive layer which is arranged between the image pickup element and the scintillator and which fixes the image pickup element and the scintillator, and in the radiation image pickup element described above, the first heat peelable adhesive layer contains first heat-expandable microspheres, the second heat peelable adhesive layer contains second heat-expandable microspheres, and the first heat-expandable microspheres have a different expansion starting temperature from that of the second heat-expandable microspheres.
US09059339B1
A method of forming an inorganic light emitting diode (LED) with a via contact scheme for large-area display and backlighting applications is provided. An inorganic LED stack comprising, from bottom to top, a first contact layer, an active layer, and a second contact layer having a polarity different from the first contact layer is removed from the underlying base substrate by a controlled spalling or chemical liftoff process. A via contact scheme that can provide ohmic contacts to both the first contact layer and the second contact layer is then formed on the released LED stack.
US09059333B1
A method of forming a stacked assembly of semiconductor chips can include juxtaposing and metallurgically joining kerf metal elements exposed in kerf regions of a first wafer with corresponding kerf metal elements exposed in kerf regions of a second wafer, and affixing undiced semiconductor chips of the first wafer with corresponding undiced semiconductor chips of the second wafer. The assembled wafers are then cut along the dicing lanes thereof into a plurality of individual assemblies of stacked semiconductor chips, each assembly including an undiced semiconductor chip of the first wafer and an undiced semiconductor chip of the second wafer affixed therewith.
US09059331B2
Provided are semiconductor devices and methods of fabricating the same. The methods may include forming a molding layer on a semiconductor substrate. A storage electrode passing through the molding layer is formed. A part of the storage electrode is exposed by partially etching the molding layer. A sacrificial oxide layer is formed by oxidizing the exposed part of the storage electrode. The partially-etched molding layer and the sacrificial oxide layer are removed. A capacitor dielectric layer is formed on the substrate of which the molding layer and the sacrificial oxide layer are removed. A plate electrode is formed on the capacitor dielectric layers.
US09059329B2
The present invention discloses a power device with integrated power transistor and Schottky diode and a method for making the same. The power device comprises a power transistor having a drain region, a Schottky diode in the drain region of the power transistor, and a trench-barrier near the Schottky diode. The trench-barrier is provided to reduce a reverse leakage current of the Schottky diode and minimizes the possibility of introducing undesired parasitic bipolar junction transistor in the power device.
US09059324B2
A bi-directional electrostatic discharge diode structure consumes substantially less silicon real estate and provides ultra-low capacitance by utilizing a p− epitaxial layer that touches and lies between an n+ lower epitaxial layer and an n+ upper epitaxial layer. A metal contact touches and lies over a p+ layer, which touches and lies over the n+ upper epitaxial layer.
US09059323B2
Various embodiments include methods of forming semiconductor structures. In one embodiment, a method includes: providing a precursor structure including a substrate and a set of fins overlying the substrate; forming a dummy epitaxy between the fins in the set of fins; masking a first group of fins in the set of fins and the dummy epitaxy between the first group of fins in the set of fins; removing the dummy epitaxy to expose a second group of the fins; forming a first in-situ doped epitaxy between the exposed fins; masking the second group of fins in the set of fins and the in-situ doped epitaxy between the second group of fins in the set of fins; unmasking the first group of fins; removing the dummy epitaxy layer between the first group of fins to expose of the first group of fins; and forming a second in-situ doped epitaxy between the exposed fins.
US09059319B2
Embodiments of the invention provide an integrated circuit for an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM), a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer in which such an integrated circuit may be formed, and a method of forming an eDRAM in such an SOI wafer. One embodiment of the invention provides an integrated circuit for an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) comprising: a semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) wafer including: an n-type substrate; an insulator layer atop the n-type substrate; and an active semiconductor layer atop the insulator layer; a plurality of deep trenches, each extending from a surface of the active semiconductor layer into the n-type substrate; a dielectric liner along a surface of each of the plurality of deep trenches; and an n-type conductor within each of the plurality of deep trenches, the dielectric liner separating the n-type conductor from the n-type substrate; wherein the n-type substrate, the dielectric liner, and the n-type conductor form a buried plate, a node dielectric, and a node plate, respectively, of a cell capacitor.
US09059318B2
A complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) structure includes a substrate and a P-type field effect transistor (FET) and an N-type FET disposed adjacent to one another on the substrate. Each FET includes a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) region, a gate electrode disposed on the SOI region, a source stressor, and a drain stressor disposed across from the source stressor relative to the gate electrode, wherein proximities of the source stressor and the drain stressor to a channel of a respective FET are substantially equal.
US09059315B2
Embodiments include methods of forming an nFET-tuned gate dielectric and a pFET-tuned gate dielectric. Methods may include forming a high-k layer above a substrate having a pFET region and an nFET region, forming a first sacrificial layer, a pFET work-function metal layer, and a second sacrificial layer above the first high-k layer in the pFET region, and an nFET work-function metal layer above the first high-k layer in the nFET region and above the second sacrificial layer in the pFET region. The first high-k layer then may be annealed to form an nFET gate dielectric layer in the nFET region and a pFET gate dielectric layer in the pFET region. The first high-k layer may be annealed in the presence of a nitrogen source to cause atoms from the nitrogen source to diffuse into the first high-k layer in the nFET region.
US09059312B2
A semiconductor device includes: a first conductivity type transistor and a second conductivity type transistor, wherein each of the first conductivity type transistor and the second conductivity type includes a gate insulating film formed on a base, a metal gate electrode formed on the gate insulating film, and side wall spacers formed at side walls of the metal gate electrode, wherein the gate insulating film is made of a high dielectric constant material, and wherein offset spacers are formed between the side walls of the metal gate electrode and the inner walls of the side wall spacers in any one of the first conductivity type transistor and the second conductivity type transistor, or offset spacers having different thicknesses are formed in the first conductivity type transistor and the second conductivity type transistor.
US09059310B2
A novel SRAM memory cell structure and method of making the same are provided. The SRAM memory cell structure comprises strained PMOS transistors formed in a semiconductor substrate. The PMOS transistors comprise epitaxial grown source/drain regions that result in significant PMOS transistor drive current increase. An insulation layer is formed atop an STI that is used to electrically isolate adjacent PMOS transistors. The insulation layer is substantially elevated from the semiconductor substrate surface. The elevated insulation layer facilitates the formation of desirable thick epitaxial source/drain regions, and prevents the bridging between adjacent epitaxial layers due to the epitaxial layer lateral extension during the process of growing epitaxial sour/drain regions. The processing steps of forming the elevated insulation layer are compatible with a conventional CMOS process flow.
US09059308B2
Embodiments of the present invention include a semiconductor structure including two transistor structures separated by a dummy gate of a different material and methods for forming said structure. Embodiments including forming sacrificial gates on a semiconductor substrate, forming spacers on the sacrificial gates, forming source/drain regions adjacent to two sacrificial gates separated by a third sacrificial gate, and replacing the third sacrificial gate with an insulating material. The insulating material replacing the third sacrificial gate may serve as a dummy gate to electrically isolate nearby source/drain regions. Embodiments further include forming sacrificial gates on a semiconductor substrate, forming spacers on the sacrificial gates, forming source/drain regions adjacent to two sacrificial gates separated by a third sacrificial gate, and replacing the two sacrificial gates with metal gates while leaving the third sacrificial gate in place to serve as a dummy gate.
US09059307B1
A method and circuit for implementing an enhanced transistor topology enabling enhanced current capability with added device drive strength with buried field effect transistors (FETs) below and beside a traditional FinFET on a bulk substrate, and a design structure on which the subject circuit resides are provided. Buried field effect transistors (FETs) are formed on either side and under the traditional FinFET. The gate of the FinFET becomes the gate of the parallel buried (FETs) and allows self alignment to the underlying sources and drains of the buried FET devices in the bulk semiconductor.
US09059301B2
A discrete storage element film is disposed above a tunneling dielectric film against a shallow trench isolation structure and under conditions to resist formation of the discrete storage element film upon vertical exposures of the shallow trench isolation structure. A discrete storage element film is also disposed above a tunneling dielectric film against a recessed isolation structure. A microelectronic device incorporates the discrete storage element film. A computing system incorporates the microelectronic device.
US09059295B2
The oxide semiconductor film has the top and bottom surface portions each provided with a metal oxide film containing a constituent similar to that of the oxide semiconductor film. An insulating film containing a different constituent from the metal oxide film and the oxide semiconductor film is further formed in contact with a surface of the metal oxide film, which is opposite to the surface in contact with the oxide semiconductor film. The oxide semiconductor film used for the active layer of the transistor is an oxide semiconductor film highly purified to be electrically i-type (intrinsic) by removing impurities such as hydrogen, moisture, a hydroxyl group, and hydride from the oxide semiconductor and supplying oxygen which is a major constituent of the oxide semiconductor and is simultaneously reduced in a step of removing impurities.
US09059292B2
Carbon-doped semiconductor material portions are formed on a subset of surfaces of underlying semiconductor surfaces contiguously connected to a channel of a field effect transistor. Carbon-doped semiconductor material portions can be formed by selective epitaxy of a carbon-containing semiconductor material layer or by shallow implantation of carbon atoms into surface portions of the underlying semiconductor surfaces. The carbon-doped semiconductor material portions can be deposited as layers and subsequently patterned by etching, or can be formed after formation of disposable masking spacers. Raised source and drain regions are formed on the carbon-doped semiconductor material portions and on physically exposed surfaces of the underlying semiconductor surfaces. The carbon-doped semiconductor material portions locally retard dopant diffusion from the raised source and drain regions into the underlying semiconductor material regions, thereby enabling local tailoring of the dopant profile, and alteration of device parameters for the field effect transistor.
US09059286B2
A method produces a transistor. The method forms a strain-producing layer on a base layer and then removes at least one portion of the strain-producing layer to create at least one opening in the strain-producing layer. This leaves first and second portions of the strain-producing layer on the substrate. The first and second portions of the strain-producing layer comprise source and drain stressor regions of the transistor. The method then grows a channel region in the opening of the strain-producing layer from the base layer, forms a gate insulator on the channel region, and forms a gate conductor on the gate insulator.
US09059284B2
A semiconductor device includes a first semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type. A second semiconductor layer of a second conductivity type is on the first semiconductor layer. A third semiconductor layer is on the second semiconductor layer. A fourth semiconductor layer is selectively in the first semiconductor layer. A first trench and second trench penetrate from a surface of the third layer through the second layer to reach the first layer. An embedded electrode is in the first trench. A control electrode is above the embedded electrode via an insulating film. A lower end of the second trench is connected to the fourth semiconductor layer. A first main electrode is electrically connected to the first layer. A second main electrode is provided in the second trench. A Schottky junction is formed by the first layer and the second main electrode at a sidewall of the second trench.
US09059281B2
A semiconductor device comprising dual L-shaped drift regions in a lateral diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) and a method of making the same. The LDMOS in the semiconductor device comprises a trench isolation region or a deep trench encapsulated by a liner, a first L-shaped drift region, and a second L-shaped drift region. The LDMOS comprising the dual L-shape drift regions is integrated with silicon-germanium (SiGe) technology. The LDMOS comprising the dual L-shape drift regions furnishes a much higher voltage drop in a lateral direction within a much shorter distance from a drain region than the traditional LDMOS does.
US09059280B2
A semiconductor device includes a first well and a second well implanted in a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device further includes a gate structure above the first and second wells between a raised source structure and a raised drain structure. The raised source structure above is in contact with the first well and connected with the gate structure through a first semiconductor fin structure. The raised drain structure above and in contact with the second well and connected with a second semiconductor fin structure. The second semiconductor fin structure includes at least a gap and a lightly doped portion.
US09059278B2
Disclosed are semiconductor structures. Each semiconductor structure can comprise a substrate and at least one laterally double-diffused metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (LDMOSFET) on the substrate. Each LDMOSFET can have a fully-depleted deep drain drift region (i.e., a fully depleted deep ballast resistor region) for providing a relatively high blocking voltage. Different configurations for the drain drift regions are disclosed and these different configurations can also vary as a function of the conductivity type of the LDMOSFET. Additionally, each semiconductor structure can comprise an isolation band positioned below the LDMOSFET and an isolation well positioned laterally around the LDMOSFET and extending vertically to the isolation band such that the LDMOSFET is electrically isolated from both a lower portion of the substrate and any adjacent devices on the substrate.
US09059277B2
A radio frequency (RF) laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor (LDMOS) device is disclosed, wherein a lightly doped n-type drain region has a laterally non-uniform n-type dopant concentration distribution, which is achieved by forming a moderately n-type doped region, having a higher doping concentration and a greater depth than the rest portion of the lightly doped n-type drain region, in a portion of the lightly n-type doped region proximate to the polysilicon gate. The structure enables the RF LDMOS device of the present invention to have both a high breakdown voltage and a significantly reduced on-resistance. A method of fabricating such a RF LDMOS device is also disclosed.
US09059276B2
High-voltage LDMOS devices with voltage linearizing field plates and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming an insulator layer of varying depth over a drift region and a body of a substrate. The method further includes forming a control gate and a split gate region by patterning a layer of material on the insulator layer. The split gate region is formed on a first portion of the insulator layer and the control gate is formed on a second portion of the insulator layer, which is thinner than the first portion.
US09059270B2
A disposable dielectric spacer is formed on sidewalls of a disposable material stack. Raised source/drain regions are formed on planar source/drain regions by selective epitaxy. The disposable dielectric spacer is removed to expose portions of a semiconductor layer between the disposable material stack and the source/drain regions including the raised source/drain regions. Dopant ions are implanted to form source/drain extension regions in the exposed portions of the semiconductor layer. A gate-level dielectric layer is deposited and planarized. The disposable material stack is removed and a gate stack including a gate dielectric and a gate electrode fill a cavity formed by removal of the disposable material stack. Optionally, an inner dielectric spacer may be formed on sidewalls of the gate-level dielectric layer within the cavity prior to formation of the gate stack to tailor a gate length of a field effect transistor.
US09059266B2
A semiconductor device includes a buffer layer formed with a semiconductor adapted to produce piezoelectric polarization, and a channel layer stacked on the buffer layer, wherein a two-dimensional hole gas, generated in the channel layer by piezoelectric polarization of the buffer layer, is used as a carrier of the channel layer. On a complementary semiconductor device, the semiconductor device described above and an n-type field effect transistor are formed on the same compound semiconductor substrate. Also, a level shift circuit is manufactured by using the semiconductor device. Further, a semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a compound semiconductor base portion, forming a buffer layer on the base portion, forming a channel layer on the buffer layer, forming a gate on the channel layer, and forming a drain and source with the gate therebetween on the channel layer.
US09059265B2
A graphene device having a ribbon structure with soft boundaries formed between two thin parallel transport barriers in a “railroad track” configuration. Such a structure permits transport along the ribbon, and also permits transport of electrons across the barriers by means of resonant tunneling through quasi-bound states within the railroad track confinement. The transport barriers can be of any form of so long as transport through the barriers leads to the formation of isolated resonant bands with a transport gap. In some embodiments, the transport barriers can be in the form of a pair of parallel line defects, wherein the line defects delineate the central ribbon section and the two lateral sections. In some such embodiments, the line defects are chemically decorated by the adsorption of diatomic gases. In other embodiments, the transport barriers can be formed by the application of large local potentials directly to the graphene sheet.
US09059264B2
Provided are multimaterial devices, such as coaxial nanowires, that effect hot photoexcited electron transfer across the interface of the materials. Modulation of the transfer rates, manifested as a large tunability of the voltage onset of negative differential resistance and of voltage-current phase, may be effected by modulating electrostatic gating, incident photon energy, and the incident photon intensity. Dynamic manipulation of this transfer rate permits the introduction and control of an adjustable phase delay within a device element.
US09059262B2
An integrated circuit includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface. At least one conductive structure continuously extends through the substrate. At least one sidewall of the at least one conductive structure is spaced from a sidewall of the substrate by an air gap.
US09059260B2
A semiconductor manufacturing method includes providing a carrier; forming a first photoresist layer; forming plural core portions; removing the first photoresist layer; forming a second photoresist layer; forming a plurality of connection portions, each of the plurality of connection portions includes a first connection layer and a second connection layer and connects to each of the core portions to form a hybrid bump, wherein each of the first connection layers comprises a base portion, a projecting portion and an accommodating space, each base portion comprises an upper surface, each projecting portion is protruded to the upper surface and located on top of each core portion, each accommodating space is located outside each projecting portion, the second connection layers cover the projecting portions and the upper surfaces, and the accommodating spaces are filled by the second connection layers; removing the second photoresist layer to reveal the hybrid bumps.
US09059259B2
A method of fabricating an interconnect structure on a wafer and an interconnect structure are provided. A dielectric layer is provided on the wafer. An interconnect is formed by etching a recess into the dielectric layer, where the etching utilizes a hard mask that includes a first layer deposited over the dielectric layer. The interconnect is planarized using a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, where the first layer remains on the dielectric layer at a completion of the CMP process. The first layer or a portion of the first layer is transformed into a nitride layer or an oxide layer after the CMP process.
US09059254B2
A method is provided that includes first etching a substrate according to a first mask. The first etching forms a first etch feature in the substrate to a first depth. The first etching also forms a sliver opening in the substrate. The sliver opening may then be filled with a fill material. A second mask may be formed by removing a portion of the first mask. The substrate exposed by the second mask may be etched with a second etch, in which the second etching is selective to the fill material. The second etching extends the first etch feature to a second depth that is greater than the first depth, and the second etch forms a second etch feature. The first etch feature and the second etch feature may then be filled with a conductive metal.
US09059248B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device including forming well trenches on opposing sides of a gate structure by removing portions of a semiconductor on insulator (SOI) layer of an semiconductor on insulator (SOI) substrate, wherein the base of the well trenches is provided by a surface of a buried dielectric layer of the SOI substrate and sidewalls of the well trenches are provided by a remaining portion of the SOI layer. Forming a dielectric fill material at the base of the well trenches, wherein the dielectric fill material is in contact with the sidewalls of the well trenches and at least a portion of the surface of the buried dielectric layer that provides the base of the well trenches. Forming a source region and a drain region in the well trenches with an in-situ doped epitaxial semiconductor material.
US09059245B2
Semiconductor-on-insulator (SOI) substrates including a buried oxide (BOX) layer having a thickness of less than 300 Å are provided. The (SOI) substrates having the thin BOX layer are provided using a method including a step in which oxygen ions are implanted at high substrate temperatures (greater than 600° C.), and at a low implant energy (less than 40 keV). An anneal step in an oxidizing atmosphere follows the implant step and is performed at a temperature less than 1250° C. The anneal step in oxygen containing atmosphere converts the region containing implanted oxygen atoms formed by the implant step into a BOX having a thickness of less than 300 Å. In some instances, the top semiconductor layer of the SOI substrate has a thickness of less than 300 Å.
US09059243B2
Shallow trench isolation structures are provided for use with UTBB (ultra-thin body and buried oxide) semiconductor substrates, which prevent defect mechanisms from occurring, such as the formation of electrical shorts between exposed portions of silicon layers on the sidewalls of shallow trench of a UTBB substrate, in instances when trench fill material of the shallow trench is subsequently etched away and recessed below an upper surface of the UTBB substrate.
US09059229B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate processing chamber including a plasma generation space where a plasma is generated and a substrate processing space where a substrate is placed during a substrate process; an inductive coupling structure outside the plasma generation space wherein a sum of electrical lengths of a coil of the inductive coupling structure and a waveform adjustment circuit connected to the coil is an integer multiple of a wavelength of an applied power; a substrate mounting table in the substrate processing space and supporting the substrate including grooves having high aspect ratios with a silicon-containing layer disposed thereon; a substrate transfer port at a wall of the substrate processing chamber; a substrate mounting table elevator moving the substrate mounting table upward/downward; an oxygen gas supply system to supply an oxygen-containing gas into the plasma generation space; and an exhaust unit exhausting gas from the substrate processing chamber.
US09059228B2
A substrate table for an immersion lithographic apparatus is disclosed having a recess, configured to receive a substrate of a given size, and a fluid extraction system, configured to extract fluid from a gap between the edge of the substrate and the edge of the recess, the fluid extraction system configured such that the rate of flow of fluid extracted from a localized section of the gap is greater than the rate of flow of fluid extracted from another section of the gap.
US09059223B2
A combinatorial processing system having modular dispense heads is provided. The modular dispense heads are disposed on a rail system enabling an adjustable pitch of the modular dispense heads for the combinatorial processing. The modular dispense heads are configured so that sections of the modular dispense heads are detachable in order to accommodate various processes through a first section without having to completely disconnect and re-connect facilities to a second section.
US09059217B2
In a method of fabricating a FET semiconductor device, a FET structure with a gate channel and dummy gate is formed on a layer of substrate. The gate channel includes one or more FINs, and spacer layers that line the sides of the gate channel and abut the layer of substrate. The dummy gate is removed and the height of the gate channel is reduced to substantially near that of a top surface of one or more FINs. A layer of high-k material is deposited into the gate channel. A layer of first metal is then deposited that fills the gate channel and covers, at least in part, the layer of high-k material. Excess material is removed from the layers of high-k material and first metal to create a surface. A layer of second metal is selectively deposited onto the surface to form a continued gate conductor.
US09059208B2
A plurality of disposable gate materials is employed to form multiple types of disposable gate stack structures. Different types of disposable gate stack structures are sequentially removed and replaced with different types of replacement gate stack structures. Sequential removal of the different types of disposable gate stack structures can be effected by employing etch chemistries that remove one type of disposable gate material while not etching at least another type of disposable gate material. Different types of replacement gate stack structures can employ different work function materials. Lithographic patterning of workfunction materials is avoided, and each replacement gate stack structure can have a workfunction material portion having a uniform thickness.
US09059206B2
A method to scale a MOSFET structure while maintaining gate control is disclosed. The extension regions of the MOSFET are formed by epitaxial growth and can be formed after the completion of high temperature processing. The extensions can be extremely shallow and have an abrupt interface with the channel. A dummy gate can establish the position of the abrupt interfaces and thereby define the channel length. The gate electrode can be formed to align perfectly with the channel, or to overlap the extension tip.
US09059201B2
Processes for making field effect transistors relax a buried stressor layer to induce strain in a silicon surface layer above the buried stressor layer. The buried stressor layer is relaxed and the surface layer is strained by implantation into at least the buried stressor layer, preferably on both sides of a portion of the surface layer that is to be stressed. For example, implanting ions through the surface silicon layer on either side of the gate structure of the preferred FET implementation into an underlying stressor layer can induce strain in a channel region of the FET. This process can begin with a silicon or silicon-on-insulator substrate with a buried silicon germanium layer having an appropriate thickness and germanium concentration. Other stressor materials can be used.
US09059196B2
Device structures, design structures, and fabrication methods for a bipolar junction transistor. A first layer comprised of a first semiconductor material and a second layer comprised of a second semiconductor material are disposed on a substrate containing a first terminal of the bipolar junction transistor. The second layer is disposed on the first layer and a patterned etch mask is formed on the second layer. A trench extends through the pattern hardmask layer, the first layer, and the second layer and into the substrate. The trench defines a section of the first layer stacked with a section of the second layer. A selective etching process is used to narrow the section of the second layer relative to the section of the first layer to define a second terminal and to widen a portion of the trench in the substrate to undercut the section of the first layer.
US09059186B2
An embedded semiconductor die package is made by mounting a frame carrier to a temporary carrier with an adhesive. The frame carrier includes die mounting sites each including a leadframe interconnect structure around a cavity. A semiconductor die is disposed in each cavity. An encapsulant is deposited in the cavity over the die. A package interconnect structure is formed over the leadframe interconnect structure and encapsulant. The package interconnect structure and leadframe interconnect structure are electrically connected to the die. The frame carrier is singulated into individual embedded die packages. The semiconductor die can be vertically stacked or placed side-by-side within the cavity. The embedded die packages can be stacked and electrically interconnected through the leadframe interconnect structure. A semiconductor device can be mounted to the embedded die package and electrically connected to the die through the leadframe interconnect structure.
US09059185B2
A semiconductor device (100) includes a leadframe having a chip pad (110) and a lead (111) with a first end (112) proximate to the pad and a second end (113) remote from the pad, the leadframe having a base metal (120) including copper and a stack of a plated first layer (121) of nickel in contact with the base metal and a plated second layer (122) of a noble metal in contact with the nickel layer, the second lead end free of the noble metal. Further included is a copper wire (104) having a ball bond (104a) on a semiconductor chip (101) attached to the chip pad, and a stitch bond (104b) on the proximate lead end, the stitch bond penetrating the second layer; furthermore a packaging compound (130) encapsulating the chip, the wire, and the first end of the lead, the compound leaving the second end of the lead un-encapsulated; and the unencapsulated second lead end covered with a plated third layer (123) of solder.
US09059183B2
A structure includes a substrate comprising a region having a circuit or device which is sensitive to electrical noise. Additionally, the structure includes a first isolation structure extending through an entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region and a second isolation structure extending through the entire thickness of the substrate and surrounding the region.
US09059166B2
An electronic interconnect structure having a hybridized metal structure near regions of high operating temperature on an integrated circuit, and methods of making the same. The hybridized metal structure features at least two different metals in a single metallization level. The first metal is in a region of high operating temperature and the second region is in a region of normal operating temperatures. In a preferred embodiment the first metal includes aluminum and is in a first level metallization over an active area of the device while the second metal includes copper. In some embodiments, the first and second metals are not in direct physical contact. In other embodiments the first and second metals physically contact each other. In a preferred embodiment, a top surface of the first metal is not co-planar with a top surface of the second metal, despite being in the same metallization level.
US09059164B2
A semiconductor structure may be formed by forming a sacrificial gate above a substrate covered by a hard mask, depositing a first interlevel dielectric (ILD) layer above the sacrificial gate, recessing the first ILD layer to a thickness less than the height of the sacrificial gate, depositing an etch barrier layer above the first ILD layer, depositing a second ILD layer above the etch barrier layer, planarizing the second ILD layer and the etch barrier layer to expose the hard mask using the hard mask as a planarization stop, removing the hard mask and sacrificial gate to form a gate cavity, forming a replacement metal gate in the gate cavity, removing the second ILD layer, and planarizing the replacement metal gate using the etch barrier layer as a planarization stop. A supplementary electrode layer may be formed above the replacement metal gate prior to planarizing the replacement metal gate.
US09059163B2
Serializer-deserializer (SERDES) and integrated circuit package including a package substrate, first and second SERDES dies having a SERDES circuit, and a logic die having a logic circuit. The SERDES circuit communicatively connected to the package substrate. The first and second SERDES dies positioned adjacent, in a plane, and disposed on the package substrate. The logic circuit communicatively connected to the SERDES circuit and to the package substrate. The logic die stacked vertically and disposed on the first and second SERDES dies. A method of assembling a SERDES and integrated circuit package including providing a SERDES structure selected from a menu of SERDES die and SERDES circuit combinations. A design structure of a SERDES and integrated circuit package including a package substrate, first and second SERDES dies having a SERDES circuit, and a logic die having a logic circuit. The SERDES circuit communicatively connected to the package substrate.
US09059136B2
An AlGaN/GaN HEMT includes: a compound semiconductor layer; a source electrode and a drain electrode formed on an upper side of the compound semiconductor layer; and an Al—Si—N layer being a high-resistance layer disposed in a lower portion of at least one of the source electrode and the drain electrode and higher in an electric resistance value than the source electrode and the drain electrode.
US09059127B1
Packages for a three-dimensional die stack, methods for fabricating a package for a three-dimensional die stack, and methods for distributing power in a package for a three-dimensional die stack. The package may include a first lid, a second lid, a die stack located between the first lid and the second lid, a first thermal interface material layer between the first lid and a first die of the die stack, and a second thermal interface material layer between the second lid and the second die of the die stack. The second thermal interface material layer is comprised of a thermal interface material having a high electrical conductivity and a high thermal conductivity.
US09059125B2
Circuit and method for heating a battery. The circuit includes the battery including a first damping component and a first current storage component, a switch unit, a switching control component, a first charge storage component, and an energy superposition unit. The switching control component is configured to turn on the switch unit so as to allow a current to flow between the battery and the first charge storage component and to turn off the switch unit so as to stop the current. The energy superposition unit is configured to, after the switch unit is turned on and then turned off, adjust a storage voltage associated with the first charge storage component so that a positive voltage terminal of the first charge storage component is coupled, directly or indirectly, to a negative voltage terminal of the battery.
US09059121B2
An organic light emitting display includes a substrate, a metal pattern on the substrate, the metal pattern directly contacting the substrate, and a thin film transistor including an active layer spaced apart from the metal pattern on the substrate, a gate electrode on the active layer, and a source electrode and a drain electrode on the gate electrode.
US09059100B2
A method of forming a semiconductor IC includes forming grooves in a substrate to define a first dummy region and second dummy regions formed at a scribing area, and third dummy regions and a fourth dummy region formed at a product area. A width of the first dummy region is greater than widths of each of the second and third dummy regions and a width of the fourth dummy region is greater than widths of each of the third dummy regions. A conductor pattern is formed over the first dummy region for optical pattern recognition. The first dummy region is formed under the conductor pattern so the grooves are not formed under the conductor pattern. The second dummy regions are spaced from one another by a predetermined spacing at the scribing area, and the third dummy regions are spaced from one another by a predetermined spacing at the product area.
US09059095B2
A photo-patternable dielectric material is provided to a structure which includes a substrate having at least one gate structure. The photo-patternable dielectric material is then patterned forming a plurality of sacrificial contact structures adjacent the at least one gate structure. A planarized middle-of-the-line dielectric material is then provided in which an uppermost surface of each of the sacrificial contact structures is exposed. Each of the exposed sacrificial contact structures is then removed providing contact openings within the planarized middle-of-the-line dielectric material. A conductive metal-containing material is formed within each contact opening.
US09059088B2
An electronic component built-in substrate, includes a lower wiring substrate, an electronic component mounted on the lower wiring substrate, an intermediate wiring substrate including an opening portion in which the electronic component is mounted, and arranged in a periphery of the electronic component, and connected to the lower wiring substrate via a first conductive ball, an upper wiring substrate arranged over the electronic component and the intermediate wiring substrate, and connected to the intermediate wiring substrate via a second conductive ball, and a resin filled into respective areas between the lower wiring substrate, the intermediate wiring substrate, and the upper wiring substrate, and sealing the electronic component, wherein the first conductive ball and the second conductive ball are arranged in displaced positions mutually.
US09059082B2
A semiconductor device includes a first switching element, a second switching element, and at least one third switching element; wherein the third switching element includes a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein each of the first switching element and the second switching element includes an ion conductor, a first electrode which is disposed so as to have contact with the ion conductor and supplies metal ions to the ion conductor, and a second electrode which is disposed so as to have contact with the ion conductor and is less susceptible to ionization than the first electrode; and wherein (a) the first electrode of the first switching element and the first electrode of the second switching element are electrically connected each other, and the first terminal of the third switching element is electrically connected to only the first electrodes which are electrically connected each other or (b) the second electrode of the first switching element and the second electrode of the second switching element are electrically connected each other, and the first terminal of the third switching element is electrically connected to only the second electrodes which are electrically connected each other.
US09059078B2
Some embodiments include methods of forming voids within semiconductor constructions. In some embodiments the voids may be utilized as microstructures for distributing coolant, for guiding electromagnetic radiation, or for separation and/or characterization of materials. Some embodiments include constructions having micro-structures therein which correspond to voids, conduits, insulative structures, semiconductor structures or conductive structures.
US09059073B2
A method of removing a semiconductor device layer from a base substrate is provided that includes providing a crack propagation layer on an upper surface of a base substrate. A semiconductor device layer including at least one semiconductor device is formed on the crack propagation layer. Next, end portions of the crack propagation layer are etched to initiate a crack in the crack propagation layer. The etched crack propagation layer is then cleaved to provide a cleaved crack propagation layer portion to a surface of the semiconductor device layer and another cleaved crack propagation layer portion to the upper surface of the base substrate. The cleaved crack propagation layer portion is removed from the surface of the semiconductor device layer and the another cleaved crack propagation layer portion is removed from the upper surface of the base substrate.
US09059072B2
Provided are a semiconductor package and a method of fabricating the same. In one embodiment, to fabricate a semiconductor package, a wafer having semiconductor chips fabricated therein is provided. A heat sink layer is formed over the wafer. The heat sink layer contacts top surfaces of the semiconductor chips. Thereafter, the plurality of semiconductor chips are singulated from the wafer.
US09059070B2
A circuit assembly includes a plurality of integrated circuits having stud bumps at each input/output pad, an interconnection circuit having wells filled with solder, said wells corresponding in a one-to-one relationship with said stud bumps of said integrated circuits, and electrical and mechanical bonding at each of said input/output pads, wherein each of said stud bumps connects with solder in each of said wells to form a permanent connection.
US09059063B2
A CMOS image sensor includes a pixel array including a plurality of unit pixels with individual rows of unit pixels being coupled to respective row control signal lines, and a buffer including plural row control signal drivers. Each driver is coupled to a respective one of the row control signal lines and is configured to provide a row control signal pulse to a respective row control signal line in response to an input pulse when the row control signal line is in an active state and to bias the row control signal line at a ground voltage when the respective row control signal line is in an inactive state. Each driver has a first drive capability when the row control signal line is in the active state and a second drive capability greater than the first drive capability when the row control signal line is in an inactive state.
US09059062B2
A solid state imaging device including a semiconductor layer, an insulating material in an opening penetrating a surface of the semiconductor layer, and a protective film that is resistant to etching covering one end of the insulating material on an interior side of the semiconductor layer.
US09059058B2
An image sensor device may include a bottom interconnect layer, an image sensing IC above the bottom interconnect layer and coupled thereto, and an adhesive material on the image sensing IC. The image sensor device may include an IR filter layer above the lens layer, and an encapsulation material on the bottom interconnect layer and surrounding the image sensing IC, the lens layer, and the IR filter layer. The image sensor device may include a top contact layer above the encapsulation material and including a dielectric layer, and a contact thereon, the dielectric layer being flush with adjacent portions of the IR filter layer.
US09059042B2
One method disclosed includes, among other things, removing a sacrificial gate structure to thereby define a replacement gate cavity, performing an etching process through the replacement gate cavity to define a fin structure in a layer of semiconductor material using a patterned hard mask exposed within the replacement gate cavity as an etch mask and forming a replacement gate structure in the replacement gate cavity around at least a portion of the fin structure.
US09059040B2
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor structure and method, and more specifically, to a structure and method for reducing floating body effect of silicon on insulator (SOI) metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). An integrated circuit (IC) structure includes an SOI substrate and at least one MOSFET formed on the SOI substrate. Additionally, the IC structure includes an asymmetrical source-drain junction in the at least one MOSFET by damaging a pn junction to reduce floating body effects of the at least one MOSFET.
US09059035B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device a first memory cell array layer, a first insulation layer formed on top of the first memory cell array layer, a second memory cell array layer formed on the first insulation layer, and a control gate. The first and second memory cell array layers have first and second NAND cell units provided with multiple first and second memory cells connected in series in a first direction and the first and second selection gates connected at both ends of the multiple first and second memory cells. The control gate is formed via an insulation layer between gates of the memory cells on both sides thereof in the first direction, and extends in the second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US09059031B2
A top semiconductor layer and conductive cap structures over deep trench capacitors are simultaneously patterned by an etch. Each patterned portion of the conductive cap structures constitutes a conductive cap structure, which laterally contacts a semiconductor material portion that is one of patterned remaining portions of the top semiconductor layer. Gate electrodes are formed as discrete structures that are not interconnected. After formation and planarization of a contact-level dielectric layer, passing gate lines are formed above the contact-level dielectric layer in a line level to provide electrical connections to the gate electrodes. Gate electrodes and passing gate lines that are electrically connected among one another constitute a gate line that is present across two levels.
US09059010B2
A semiconductor device includes a chip stacked structure. The chip stacked structure may include, but is not limited to, first and second semiconductor chips. The first semiconductor chip has a first thickness. The second semiconductor chip has a second thickness that is thinner than the first thickness.
US09059005B2
MOSFETs and methods for making MOSFETs with a recessed channel and abrupt junctions are disclosed. The method includes creating source and drain extensions while a dummy gate is in place. The source/drain extensions create a diffuse junction with the silicon substrate. The method continues by removing the dummy gate and etching a recess in the silicon substrate. The recess intersects at least a portion of the source and drain junction. Then a channel is formed by growing a silicon film to at least partially fill the recess. The channel has sharp junctions with the source and drains, while the unetched silicon remaining below the channel has diffuse junctions with the source and drain. Thus, a MOSFET with two junction regions, sharp and diffuse, in the same transistor can be created.
US09059001B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a plurality of line element on a provided substrate. The plurality of line elements includes a first line element having a first region having a first width and a biased region having a second width. The second width different than the first width. Spacer elements are then formed abutting sidewalls of each of the plurality of line elements including the biased region where the spacer elements may be shifted. After forming the spacer elements, the plurality of line elements from the substrate are removed from the substrate. An underlying layer is etched using the spacer elements after removing the plurality of line elements.
US09058999B2
An antifuse according to an embodiment of the invention herein can include a depletion mode metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (“MOSFET”) having a conduction channel and a metal gate overlying the conduction channel. A cathode and an anode of the antifuse can be electrically coupled to the gate, such that the antifuse is programmable by driving a programming current between the cathode and the anode to cause material of the metal gate to migrate away. Under appropriate biasing conditions, when the antifuse is unprogrammed, the conduction channel is turned on unless a voltage above a first threshold voltage is applied to the gate to turn off the conduction channel. The gate can be configured such that when the antifuse has been programmed, the conduction channel remains turned on even if a voltage above the first threshold voltage is applied between the gate and a source region of the MOSFET.
US09058998B2
An input signal having a high level or a low level is input to a pad. A first protection element includes a first transistor configured as an N-channel MOSFET designed so as to withstand ESD. A second protection element includes a second transistor configured as a P-channel MOSFET designed so as to withstand ESD. A capacitance element is connected to a second line, and forms an RC filter together with a filter resistor. The capacitance element includes at least one from among a third transistor having the same device structure as that of the first transistor and a fourth transistor having the same device structure as that of the second transistor.
US09058989B2
Thin flat crack-free freestanding nitride layers are fabricated by laser patterning of the interface and/or opposing surface of the nitride layer. The nitride layer is substantially flat once removed from the non-native substrate. The thin flat crack free nitride layers are between 3 and 250 microns thick and can have areas greater than 1 cm2.
US09058981B2
An electronic device, such as a thin-film transistor, includes a substrate and a dielectric layer formed from a dielectric composition. The dielectric composition includes a dielectric material, a crosslinking agent, and a thermal acid generator. In particular embodiments, the dielectric material comprises a lower-k dielectric material and a higher-k dielectric material. When deposited, the lower-k dielectric material and the higher-k dielectric material form separate phases. The thermal acid generator allows the dielectric layer to be cured at relatively lower temperatures and/or shorter time periods, permitting the selection of lower-cost substrate materials that would otherwise be deformed by the curing of the dielectric layer.
US09058980B1
Embodiments of the invention generally provide methods for sealing pores at a surface of a dielectric layer formed on a substrate. In one embodiment, the method includes exposing a dielectric layer formed on a substrate to a first pore sealing agent, wherein the first pore sealing agent contains a compound with a general formula CxHyOz, where x has a range of between 1 and 15, y has a range of between 2 and 22, and z has a range of between 1 and 3, and exposing the substrate to UV radiation in an atmosphere of the first pore sealing agent to form a first sealing layer on the dielectric layer.
US09058978B2
A memory device includes a plurality of memory elements, each having a first electrode, a second electrode, and a memory layer between the first electrode and the second electrode. The plurality of memory layers are in a dotlike pattern. Two adjacent first electrodes share a same memory layer.
US09058969B2
An apparatus, system and method for the continuous flow extraction, collection and analysis of small amounts of energetic substance/s and their reacted/unreacted residue/s in real time are provided. The apparatus includes an agitator that generates a particulate material from a surface. A vacuum gathers particulate material which is provided to a mixing module. The mixing module creates a supercritical matrix containing the particulate matter. A separator separates and removes waste in the supercritical matrix from the supercritical matrix. Concentrated particulate material from the supercritical matrix is provided to a mass spectrometer for analysis and detection of a target material in proximate real-time. In one embodiment, the separator provides the supercritical matrix to a tube arm. The tube arm is heated to reduce solvent in the supercritical matrix. A collector in the tube arm concentrates particulate material, which is volatilized by a laser. Volatilized particulate material is provided to the mass spectrometer. In another embodiment, the separator provides the supercritical matrix to an electrospray or APCI module whose output is provided direct to the mass spectrometer.
US09058960B2
A compression member for use in a showerhead electrode assembly of a capacitively coupled plasma chamber. The member applies a compression force to a portion of a film heater adjacent a power supply boot on an upper surface of a thermal control plate and is located between the thermal control plate and a temperature-controlled top plate. The member is composed of an electrically insulating elastomeric material which can work over a large range of compressions and temperatures.
US09058956B2
A method of forming a reticle includes: loading a blank reticle; projecting an electron beam; moving a second aperture plate having a first pattern aperture and a second pattern aperture so that the first pattern aperture is directly overlapped by a first aperture of a first aperture plate, the electron beam passing through the first pattern aperture after passing the first aperture; exposing the blank reticle with the electron beam after the electron beam passes the first pattern aperture, to form a first exposure pattern; moving the second aperture plate so that the second pattern aperture is directly overlapped by the first aperture of the first aperture plate, the electron beam passing through the second pattern aperture after passing the first aperture; exposing the blank reticle with the electron beam after the electron beam passes the second pattern aperture, to form a second exposure pattern; and developing the blank reticle having the first and second exposure patterns to form the reticle having first and second patterns.
US09058955B2
Embodiments of a lamp comprise a light source and an active cooling device that propagates airflow within the lamp to dissipate heat from the light source. In one embodiment, the lamp comprises a light emitting diode (LED) device and an inductor that couples in series with the light emitting diode (LED) device. The lamp also comprises a diaphragm magnetically coupled with the inductor, wherein the diaphragm can flex between a first position and a second position to generate the air flow.
US09058950B2
According to one embodiment, a coil terminal is electrically connected to a coil being wound around an electromagnetic block and connected to a coated wire. The coil terminal includes a connection portion electrically connected to the coil, and a terminal body portion extending from the connection portion and connected to the coated wire. The terminal body portion includes a slit formed in the longitudinal direction of the coated wire from one end to the other end of the terminal body portion, a base portion formed on the other end of the coil terminal, and a pair of parallel beam portions extending toward one end of the coil terminal from the base portion with the slit interposed between the pair of beam portions. The pair of beam portions may protrude in a thickness direction of the terminal body portion. The coated wire may be disposed within the slit and a core wire at the tip end of the coated wire may be soldered to the base portion.
US09058941B2
Switch assemblies that mitigate stack up variations and methods of making the same are provided. The stack up variations are mitigated by embodiments that use a floating switch design. The floating switch design may eliminate height variations in the stack up by directly mounting an activation assembly to a support bracket. This ensures that the stack up height of the activation assembly and support bracket remain fixed, independent of a flexible printed circuit board (PCB) that may also be secured to the activation assembly. This way, regardless of the thickness of the flexible PCB and any height variations in solder used to secure the flexible PCB to the activation assembly, the stack up height of the activation assembly and support bracket remains fixed.
US09058931B2
A method of forming a composite involving the steps of providing a porous carbon electrode structure having a surface and pores wherein the pores have an average diameter that ranges from about 2 nm to about 1 μm, depositing a coating comprising FeOx via self-limiting electroless deposition without completely filling or obstructing a majority of the pores, wherein the coating comprising FeOx covers most to all of the interior and exterior surfaces of the prefabricated porous carbon electrode structure and can be deposited in a homogenous form and wherein it can be used directly as an electrode without requiring additional conductive additives or binders to be processed into a device-suitable electrode.
US09058925B2
A donut-shaped solenoid surrounds a central plate which spins clockwise or counter-clockwise while holding an object, such as a tube, inside the solenoid coils so that the tube and its contents can be moved through the solenoid's magnetic field. Although the plate interrupts the solenoid coils, the plate is a conductor which can maintain the conductivity of the coils and thus the strength of the magnetic field. The solenoid donut can be of any size, but is especially intended to be at the approximate scale of a microchip, so as to fit inside any kind of hand-held or portable device, such as a cell phone, tablet or a laptop computer. Multiple solenoid donuts can be stacked in series to function within larger-scale devices such as air-conditioners, generators, or automobiles.
US09058920B2
An RTV anti-pollution flashover coating, and preparation method, includes components of the following weight parts: polydimethylsiloxane 100 parts, a reinforcing filler 4 to 10 parts, a catalyst 0.1 to 1 part, a crosslinking agent 1 to 5 parts, a hydrophobic agent 3 to 6 parts, a pigment 1 to 2 parts, decabromodiphenyl ether 1 to 2 parts, and toluene 30 to 40 parts. The hydrophobic agent is a mixture of a substance having a structure represented by Formula I and any one or more of a low-molecular weight silicone oil, dihydroxydiphenyl silane, fluorine-containing silicone oil and white oil. In Formula I, R is any one of acetoxy CH3COO—, methoxy CH3O—, ketoximo MeEtCNO—, an amide group AcMeN—, amino C6H11NH— and acetonyl H2C═CMeO; R1—Si is a polysiloxane group or a fluorine-containing siloxane group, and has a structural formula represented by Formula II, where n=1 to 4, and R2 is CH3— or CF3—
US09058919B2
A water proof press contact terminal includes a base portion, a pair of first press contact pieces, a pair of second press contact pieces, and a covering member. The first press contact pieces are provided at both sides of a front part of the base portion. The second press contact pieces are provided at both sides of a rear part of the base portion, press contact a sheath of a wire. The covering member is provided on the base portion. A core wire of the wire is inserted into the covering member so as to be covered in a waterproof manner, and is press contacted by the first press contact pieces together with the covering member.
US09058918B2
TRXLPE-type cable sheaths are prepared by a method in which a solid polymer is mixed with a liquid water tree-resistant agent either by dosing or direct injection. In the dosing method, the solid polymer, e.g., high pressure LDPE, is sprayed or otherwise contacted with the liquid agent, e.g., PEG, the agent is allowed to absorb into the polymer, and the polymer with absorbed agent is then fed to an extrusion apparatus for extrusion over a sheathed or unsheathed wire or optic fiber. In the direct injection method, the solid polymer is first fed to an extrusion apparatus, and the liquid agent is sprayed or otherwise contacted with the polymer before the two are blended with one another through the action of the mixing elements of the apparatus.
US09058916B2
The purpose is to provide a technique which enables various kinds of conductive polymer composition to be dissolved in an organic solvent and to be used to form a conductive membrane on a target portion easily. Provided is a composite conductive polymer composition, a method of manufacturing the same, and a solution obtained by dissolving the composition in an aromatic solvent, ester-based solvent or ketone-based solvent. The composition is obtained by doping a π-conjugated polymer (β) with a polymer compound (A), wherein the polymer compound (A) is obtained from (a-1) a monomer having a sulfonic acid group and a polymerizable vinyl group in an amount of 20 to 60 mol %, (a-2) a polar monomer having a hydrophilic group and a polymerizable vinyl group in an amount of 20 to 60 mol %, and (a-3) another polymerizable monomer in an amount of 20 to 60 mol %, and the n-conjugated polymer (β) is obtained from a monomer compound selected from the formulas (I) to (III) in the formula (I) to (III), at least one of R1 to R4 represent an alkoxy group of C1 to C10, and the other groups represent H, an alkyl group of C1 to C10, or an alkoxy group of C1 to C10; at least one of R5 and R6 represent an alkoxy group of C1 to C10, and the other group represents H, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group of C1 to C10, or R5 and R6 jointly represent an alkylenedioxy group of C1 to C8; and R7 represents H, an alkyl group of C1 to C6, or an aromatic ring group.
US09058913B2
The invention relates to a cobalt-free NTC ceramic having the composition Nia′Cub′Coc′MndO4 where 0.09
US09058912B2
A paste composition containing an inorganic filler, a resin and a solvent, wherein the paste composition is characterized in that it contains one or more solvents of which the boiling point is 160° C. or higher and an inorganic filler of which the mean particle diameter is 5 μm or smaller, and the total content of the solvent is 25 wt % or less based on the total amount of the paste composition, and a dielectric composition containing an inorganic filler and resin, wherein the inorganic filler includes inorganic fillers of at least two kinds of mean particle diameter, and the greatest mean particle diameter of said mean particle diameters is 0.1-5 μm and is 3 times or more the minimum mean particle diameter.
US09058910B2
The invention comprises a charged particle beam acceleration method and apparatus used as part of multi-axis charged particle radiation therapy of cancerous tumors. The accelerator includes a synchrotron having advances in turning magnets, edge focusing magnets, magnetic field concentration magnets, and extraction and intensity control elements that minimize the overall size of the synchrotron, provide a tightly controlled proton beam, directly reduce the size of required magnetic fields, directly reduces required operating power, and allows independent energy and intensity control of extracted charged particles from the synchrotron.
US09058905B2
An apparatus and method for maintaining contact between a pod of transducers and an inner surface of a reactor pressure vessel filled with water of a nuclear power plant is described. An underwater carriage carries the pod of transducers each of which is independently movable and are constantly urged against the surface of the vessel during inspection. Each transducer is independently pivotable about two axes. Each transducer emits and receives signals to detect any flaws of potential problems in the reactor pressure vessel.
US09058901B2
A semiconductor apparatus includes: a receiver configured to receive a plurality of input signals through a plurality of pads; a signal processing unit configured to process the input signals received by the receiver and output the processed signals as a plurality of internal signals; a MUX unit configured to select the plurality of internal signals as a plurality of MUX output or select test input data and a plurality of latch signals as the plurality of MUX output signals in response to an input/output select signal; a latch unit configured to output the plurality of MUX output signals as the plurality of latch signals and a final output signal in response to a latch clock signal; and a clock selection unit configured to output any one of a test clock signal and an internal clock signal as the latch clock signal in response to a test mode signal.
US09058896B2
A refresh of a DRAM having at least a fast and a slow refresh rate includes encoding a pointer on a row or rows with refresh information, reading the refresh information, and incrementing a fast refresh address counter with the refresh information. The refresh may be performed by encoding one or more cells on a row that may require a fast refresh, one or more cells on a group of rows that may require a fast refresh, or one or more cells on a row that may not require a fast refresh.
US09058891B2
An EEPROM cell is provided which includes a control gate; a tunneling plate; a floating plate configured to form a capacitor area with the control plate and the tunneling plate; an inverter configured to sense a voltage level of the floating plate; a first transfer gate connected with the tunneling plate and configured to transfer an operating voltage selectively applied from first and second bit lines to the tunneling plate; a protection circuit connected with the inverter and configured to float the inverter at non-read or write/erase operations of an adjacent EEPROM cell; and a second transfer gate configured to transfer an output voltage of the inverter. This configuration is enable to use all the same gate oxide (i.e. 26 Å) and ultra low operation voltages (i.e. ±2V) in EEPROM cell.
US09058889B2
An object is to suppress the stress applied to a transistor as well as suppressing generation of defective operation. In a pulse output circuit having a function of outputting a pulse signal and including a transistor that controls whether to set the pulse signal to high level, in a period during which the pulse signal output from the pulse output circuit is at low level, the potential of a gate of a transistor is not set to a constant value but intermittently set to a value higher than the potential VSS. Accordingly, the stress to the transistor can be suppressed.
US09058878B2
A read method of a semiconductor memory device includes performing a read operation on target cells by using a first read voltage, terminating the read operation on the target cells if, as a result of the read operation on the target cells, error correction is feasible, performing a read operation on first cells next to the target cells along a first direction if, as a result of the read operation on the target cells, error correction is unfeasible, performing the read operation again on the target cells by selecting one of a plurality of read voltages in response to a result of the read operation on the first cells and by using the selected read voltage for reading data of the target cells, and terminating the read operation on the target cells if error correction is feasible.
US09058875B2
The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for sensing a resistive memory cell. A number of embodiments include performing a sensing operation on a memory cell to determine a current value associated with the memory cell, applying a programming signal to the memory cell, and determining a data state of the memory cell based on the current value associated with the memory cell before applying the programming signal and a current value associated with the memory cell after applying the programming signal.
US09058868B2
A memory element includes a first piezotronic transistor coupled to a second piezotronic transistor; the first and second piezotronic transistors each comprising a piezoelectric (PE) material and a piezoresistive (PR) material, wherein an electrical resistance of the PR material is dependent upon an applied voltage across the PE material by way of an applied pressure to the PR material by the PE material.
US09058861B2
A static random access memory (SRAM) having two or more SRAM memory cells connected with a write bit line (WBL) and a write bit line complement (WBLC) is disclosed. The SRAM may include a write driver logic coupled to the WBL and the WBLC. The write driver logic is adapted to drive a selected bit line of the WBL and the WBLC to a voltage uplevel below a first supply voltage and shut off the drive to the selected bit line when the selected bit line reaches the uplevel. The write driver logic is further adapted to drive an unselected bit line of the WBL and the WBLC to a downlevel, in conjunction with the driving of the selected bit line to the uplevel, where the downlevel is a second supply voltage lower than the first supply voltage.
US09058859B2
A data output circuit includes a control signal generation block configured to generate a first transfer control signal which is produced in a first read operation and a second transfer control signal which is produced in a second read operation, where the first transfer control signal and the second transfer control signal are generated upon entry into a test mode; and an enable signal generation unit configured to generate first and second enable signals for generating first and second internal clocks, in response to the first and second transfer control signals.
US09058847B2
A communication apparatus includes a communication unit that communicates with an external apparatus via communication lines conforming to HDMI standard, a first detection unit that determines whether a first signal is detected indicating that the communication unit and the external apparatus are connected, a second detection unit that determines whether a second signal is detected indicating that the external apparatus is in a state where the external apparatus displays video data transmitted from the communication unit, and a control unit that controls the communication unit to transmit the video data to the external apparatus if the first signal and the second signal are detected.
US09058840B2
A method of displaying a moving image and an image playback apparatus to display the same. According to the method, the image playback apparatus reduces each first I frame of one or more moving images stored in a recording medium and displays thumbnail images. The image playback apparatus also displays a thumbnail moving image generated based on thumbnail images which correspond to I frames extracted at regular intervals from a selected moving image. If a playback command is input while the thumbnail moving image is being displayed, the image playback apparatus can display the selected moving image from a scene corresponding to a thumbnail image obtained from a point at which the playback command is input.
US09058839B1
A secure picture generating device and corresponding method are described herein for receiving a picture and then generating a secure picture executable file which functions to secure the picture when it is posted to an online social media site or elsewhere on the Internet. In addition, a secure picture displaying device (which has a display or is connected to one or more remote displays) and corresponding method are described herein for receiving a secure picture executable file and then executing the secure picture executable file to display a selected portion of the picture at any one time on the display/remote display in a manner wherein the picture is perceivable by the human eye on the display/remote display but an image copy of the display/remote display at any given time will not capture the entire picture.
US09058836B2
A data transfer apparatus comprises drive apparatus to move a received tape along a path in a longitudinal direction of the tape, a transducer head to transfer data to and/or from the tape, a tape lifter to contact the tape; and control apparatus operable, in response to a tape speed related condition or event, to cause relative movement between the tape lifter and the tape into mutual contact, thereby biasing the tape away from surface to surface contact with the transducer head.
US09058832B2
A method of forming a bit patterned media on a magnetic media disk may include forming topographic features on a substrate and defining trenches therebetween. The method also may include forming non-magnetic material on the topographic features to define non-magnetic portions. In addition, magnetic material may be formed on the non-magnetic portions to define magnetic portions for a recording layer, such that the magnetic portions have a magnetic width that is greater than a non-magnetic width of the non-magnetic portions.
US09058823B2
A transducer includes magnetic material formed on a substrate that is shaped to include a trailing edge, a leading edge and a pair of opposing sidewalls extending between the trailing edge and the leading edge. A layer of protective material is positioned in contact with each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material. Backfill material surrounds the protective material on each of the pair of sidewalls of the shaped magnetic material.
US09058822B2
Provided is an objective lens driving unit in which a wire holder is coupled to a circuit board. In a conventional objective lens driving unit, a connection between a wire holder and a circuit board may deteriorate over time due to a deterioration of the connection. According to various aspects, a wire holder may be directly coupled to a circuit board by insert molding, thus improving the connection between the wire holder and the circuit board over time.
US09058821B2
A computer implemented method comprising: setting a plurality of frames on a time axis between a first waveform of an input to audio processing and a second waveform of an output from the audio processing, detecting a voice frame and a noise frame in the first and second waveform, calculating a first and second spectrum from the first and second waveform, adjusting level of the first or second spectrum of the noise frame, setting the adjusted first and second spectrum of the noise frame as a third and fourth spectrum, calculating a distortion amount of the noise frame from the third and fourth spectrum, estimating a noise model spectrum from the first or second spectrum, determining a selected frequency by comparison of voice and noise frame spectrum levels, and calculating a distortion amount of the voice frame from the first and second spectrum of the voice frame at the selected frequency.
US09058819B2
A system and method for reducing uplink noise in a mobile communications device, the system including: a noise estimator for estimating noise in proximity to the mobile communication device; an adjustable filter for receiving a signal from a microphone of the mobile communication device; an adjustable attenuation block for receiving a filtered signal from the adjustable filter; a controller configured to: monitor the estimated noise; and adjust the adjustable filter and adjustable attenuation block based on the estimated noise. In particular, the controller may be configured to adjust the adjustable filter by increasing the depth of the filtering for higher estimated noise levels and adjust the attenuation by increasing the attenuation for higher estimated noise levels.
US09058818B2
Systems, methods and apparatuses are described for deriving and updating user attribute information about users of a communications system. A communications network is then used to transfer the user attribute information to communication terminals, which use the user attribute information to configure a speech codec to operate in a speaker-dependent manner during a communication session, thereby improving speech coding efficiency. In a network-assisted model, the user attribute information is stored on the communications network and selectively transmitted to the communication terminals while in a peer-assisted model, the user attribute information is derived by and transferred between communication terminals.
US09058812B2
In a speech encoder/decoder a pitch delay contour endpoint modifier is employed to shift the endpoints of a pitch delay interpolation curve up or down. Particularly, the endpoints of the pitch delay interpolation curve are shifted based on a variation and/or a standard deviation in pitch delay.
US09058809B2
A system and a method perform information recognition. The method arranges data base information in a data base information structure. The method matches input information to the data base information using at least one matching algorithm and using a matching information structure. In accordance with the system and the method, the matching information structure differs from the data base information structure.
US09058802B2
An audio encoder for providing an output signal using an input audio signal includes a patch generator, a comparator and an output interface. The patch generator generates at least one bandwidth extension high-frequency signal, wherein a bandwidth extension high-frequency signal includes a high-frequency band. The high-frequency band of the bandwidth extension high-frequency signal is based on a low frequency band of the input audio signal. A comparator calculates a plurality of comparison parameters. A comparison parameter is calculated based on a comparison of the input audio signal and a generated bandwidth extension high-frequency signal. Each comparison parameter of the plurality of comparison parameters is calculated based on a different offset frequency between the input audio signal and a generated bandwidth extension high-frequency signal. Further, the comparator determines a comparison parameter from the plurality of comparison parameters, wherein the determined comparison parameter fulfills a predefined criterion.
US09058781B2
A liquid crystal display for displaying either a flat image or a stereoscopic image, comprising: a panel; and a backlight unit for providing a light source to the panel. The backlight unit comprising: a switch circuit and an oscillator. One end of the switch circuit is electrically connected with a first resistor, and another end of the switch circuit is electrically connected with a second resistor. When the switch circuit is turned on, the first resistor is connected with the second resistor in parallel. The oscillator is electrically connected with the first resistor and the switch circuit. When the switch circuit is turned off, the oscillator outputs a first frequency, and when the switch circuit is turned on, the oscillator outputs a second frequency.
US09058780B2
A 2D/3D switchable and touch sensitive display, comprising a display panel with a plurality of pixels and a LC cell is disclosed. The LC cell is disposed on the display panel for providing 2D/3D switchable and touch sensitive function. The LC cell comprises a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to each other, a plurality of first electrodes disposed on the first substrate, a plurality of second electrodes disposed on the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first electrodes and the second electrodes. The second electrodes interlaced with the first electrodes. The liquid crystal layer is controlled by a voltage between the first electrodes and the second electrodes for adjusting light path from the display panel and/or touch sensing.
US09058777B2
A LED backlight driving circuit is disclosed. The driving circuit includes a boost circuit for converting an input voltage to a needed output voltage and for providing the output voltage to at least one LED strings, a follower circuit connecting to a negative end of the LED string, and a reference voltage module connecting to a reference voltage and the follower circuit. The follower circuit is for detecting a negative end voltage of the LED string and for generating a follower voltage according to the negative end voltage. The follower voltage couples with a reference voltage module. The reference voltage module adjusts the output voltage according to the follower voltage generated by the follower circuit. The output voltage is adjusted in accordance with the voltage drop of the LED string. In addition, a liquid crystal device including the LED backlight driving circuit is also disclosed.
US09058776B2
A LED backlight source and a liquid crystal device are disclosed. The LED backlight source includes: a boost circuit for boosting an input DC voltage and for outputting the boosted DC voltage; a plurality of LED strings connected in parallel, wherein each of the LED strings comprises a plurality of serially connected LEDs and a first resistor, and each of the LED strings receives the boosted DC voltage from the boost circuit; an over-current protection circuit for controlling an output power of the boost circuit according to a detected resistance; and a short-connection protection circuit for adjusting the resistance detected by the over-current protection circuit according to a voltage at two ends of the first resistor.
US09058774B2
A pixel includes a first transistor coupled between a first power source and a first node, the first transistor including a gate electrode coupled to a second node, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) coupled between the first node and a second power source, a second transistor for supplying a data signal to the second node in response to a scan signal, a third transistor having a source electrode and a drain electrode electrically coupled to each other, the third transistor being coupled to the first power source and the second node, and a fourth transistor having a source electrode and a drain electrode electrically coupled to each other, the fourth transistor being coupled between the second node and the first node.
US09058769B2
The present invention relates to a method for compensating ageing effects of pixel outputs displaying an image on a display device. The method involves displaying a first image on an active display area (6) on the display device (1) having a first plurality of pixels; displaying a second image on a sub-area (7) of the display device (1) and having a second plurality of pixels, the active display area (6) being larger than the sub-area (7) and the second image being smaller than the first image and having fewer pixels than the active display area (6); driving the pixels of the sub-area (7) with pixel values that are representative or indicative for the pixels in the activity display area (6); making optical measurements on light emitted from the sub-area (7) and generating optical measurement signals (11) therefrom, and; controlling the display of the image on the active display area (6) in accordance with the optical measurement signals (11) of the sub-area (7).
US09058764B1
A method is provided for markers to implement augmented reality. An image is captured of an environment. A plurality of markers is detected in the image of the environment. A virtual image is displayed overlaid on the image of the environment, wherein the virtual image is based on a combination of the plurality of markers.
US09058763B2
A system and method automatically determines aligned edges of display devices for an aggregate display. The system includes a first mobile unit (MU) and a second MU. The first and second MUs include respective emitters, sensors, transceivers, and display devices. The emitters of the MUs are activated to transmit edge patterns based upon an inter-device communication such that when one of the sensors of the first MU receives the edge pattern from the second MU and vice versa, the MUs have an aligned edge. Select emitters of the MUs are activated to transmit a further edge pattern based upon a further inter-device communication such that when a corresponding sensor of the first MU receives the further edge pattern from the second MU and vice versa, the aligned edges are verified to be aligned.
US09058762B2
This disclosure provides an output stage for a LED driver circuit. The output stage has an input module, a regulator module for maintaining a constant internal voltage, and an output module for generating output signals.
US09058761B2
An LCD controller includes a charge pump for generating a charge voltage responsive to an external voltage and a clock signal. The controller further includes an oscillator for generating the clock signal responsive to an oscillator control signal. An LCD driver voltage circuit generates a plurality of LCD driver voltages for driving segments of an associated LCD display. A loop control circuit within the LCD controller monitors an LCD driver voltage from the LCD driver voltage circuit and generates the oscillator control signal responsive thereto to enable and disable the oscillator.
US09058758B2
Disclosed are a curved display device and a driving method thereof. The curved display device includes a flexible display panel, a bottom cover serving as a rear surface casing for the display panel, and at least one curvature control unit disposed on a rear surface of the bottom cover to control curvature of the bottom cover by applying tensile force to the rear surface of the bottom cover in a longitudinal direction of the bottom cover. The bottom cover is formed of a corrugated board including an intermediate layer provided with ridges, a first cover layer serving as a coating for an upper surface of the intermediate layer, and a second cover layer serving as a coating for a lower surface of the intermediate layer. The first cover layer has an opening configured to expose the intermediate layer to correspond to the curvature control unit.
US09058756B2
An outdoor art-post assembly includes an elongate support pole, an art post, and at least one mounting mechanism. The elongate support pole has a lower portion and an auger disposed at the lower portion. The auger allows for vertical installation of the support pole in soil in response to manual rotation of the support pole. The art post has an inner surface defining a bore. The bore is capable of receiving at least a portion of the elongate support pole. The art post also has an outer surface including decorative indicia thereon. The mounting mechanism is located on the support pole and has protruding portions extending away from the support pole. The protruding portions are configured to contact the inner surface of the art post and affix the art post relative to the support pole. Methods of assembling the same are also disclosed.
US09058750B2
The invention relates to a flight simulator vibration system, particularly to a crew seat (1), a flight control stick (20) and a panel (30) vibration system of a flight simulator with at least one plate of the crew seat (1), the flight control stick (20) and/or the panel (30) being equipped with predefined momentum weights (13, 16) and electric motors driving said respective momentum weights. Speed governors are controlling individually said electric motors (7, 8, 9, 21, 33, 34).
US09058749B2
A system and method is disclosed for correlation of received objects offering a valid presentation to an operator. The method correlates actual objects and simulated objects to offer a valuable training presentation environment to an operator. The method may receive a plurality of data streams including sensed data, simulated sensed data, and truth data to correlate among the plurality of data to determine if the data corresponds to a common object. Each of these data streams may be received from an off-board source via datalink or generated by an onboard simulation data source. The system correlates data received from an onboard source with data received from an off-board source to present the best available training scenario to the operator.
US09058743B2
An automatic landing method and device for an aircraft on a runway with strong slope. The device includes means to automatically transmit, a runway slope value to an automatic piloting system of the aircraft, and said automatic piloting system uses the slope value to automatically manage the flare phase upon landing.
US09058742B2
Methods of illustrating aircraft situational information on a flight display in a cockpit of an aircraft, include determining a location of the aircraft, displaying on the flight display a forward looking graphical representation of the runway from the determined location of the aircraft, displaying situational awareness information on the graphical representation, and updating the location determination, graphical representation and the situational awareness information as the aircraft moves.
US09058736B2
Apparatus for detection of human falls comprises: an acceleration detector, for detecting vibration events, typically placed on a floor, a microphone, located in association with the acceleration detector for detection of corresponding sound events, and a classification unit to classify concurrent events from the microphone and the acceleration detector, thereby to determine whether a human fall is indicated. If the event appears to be a human fall, then an alarm is raised.
US09058734B2
A device may configure recognition of a first alert. The device may store information associated with recognition of the first alert. The device may determine a response action to be associated with recognition of the first alert. The device may store information identifying an association between the first alert and the response action. The device may detect a second alert. The device may determine that the second alert matches the first alert based on the information associated with recognition of the first alert. The device may retrieve the stored information identifying the association between the first alert and the response action based on determining that the second alert matches the first alert. The device may perform the response action based on retrieving the stored information identifying the association between the first alert and the response action.
US09058732B2
A method of wireless communication includes maintaining user profile information, receiving a plurality of position locations, correlating the received position locations to determine failed correlations, determining blackout periods based on whether there is a gap in the received position locations, obtaining location information for the failed correlations and the blackout periods, updating the user profile information based on the obtained location information, receiving an emergency notification, and responding to the emergency notification based on at least one of the user profile information or an emergency position location received with the emergency notification.
US09058724B2
A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include obtaining data provided from a first application. In some examples, the first application is a wagering game application presented on a wagering game machine. The operations can also include determining a subscription level associated with a second application. The subscription level indicates access to the data from the first application. Further, the operations can also include, providing a service to the second application. In some examples, the service is one of a plurality of tiers of services that correspond to the subscription level. In some examples, the service has one of a plurality of degrees of access to the data from the first application according to the subscription level.
US09058707B2
A system and method for managing abrasive blasting may include timing duration of blast media being blown in performing abrasive blasting using an abrasive blasting machine. Time duration that an operator worked in association with the duration of the blast media being blown may be received. A blasting efficiency ratio may be computed based on the duration of the blasting media being blown and duration of that the operator worked. The blasting efficiency ratio may be displayed to a user.
US09058706B2
A camera that is mounted on a vehicle is used to monitor the vehicle, the driver and the contents therein. The camera includes an external housing, a camera module having a camera lens, a lighting component, a dimmer switch and a transmission medium. The external housing may be made of alloy. The camera module may capture video data and the transmission medium may be coupled to the camera module to transmit the captured video data as a live video stream to an external device. The lighting component included in the fleet camera apparatus may include LEDs and have infra-red capabilities to provide a night vision mode. The dimmer switch is included to control the LEDs' brightness. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09058700B2
A method of franking a mailpiece that is to be put into a letter box associated with a mail-receiving office, including, in a portable communications device of a sender of the mailpiece, firstly an operation of inputting an identifier of said letter box, and secondly an operation of transmitting the identifier together with other postal data, including at least one franking amount and an unique identification code relating to the mailpiece, to a server of a franking service having the function of issuing a franking authorization for the sender.
US09058697B2
Depth of field may be rasterized by culling half-space regions on a lens from which a triangle to be rendered is not visible. Then, inside tests are only performed on the remaining unculled half-space regions. Separating planes between the triangle to be rendered and the tile being processed can be used to define the half-space regions.
US09058695B2
In a data visualization system, a method of creating a visual representation of data points from metric data, wherein the method includes the steps of: a data retrieval module retrieving the metric data from a data storage module in communication with the data visualization system, a determination module determining the data points based on the retrieved metric data, and a display module arranging the data points for displaying on a display device according to a predetermined visual representation, arranging the data points into a plurality of meta groups in a hierarchical manner, and arranging the meta groups into a plurality of layers, where each layer represents the data points at different levels of granularity, and a statistical distance determination module determining a statistical distance between items in the meta groups, and the display module arranging the items within the meta groups based on the determined statistical distance.
US09058692B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for integrating imaging data from multiple sources to create a single, accurate model of a patient's anatomy. One method includes receiving a representation of a target object for modeling; determining one or more first anatomical parameters of the target anatomical object from at least one of one or more first images of the target anatomical object; determining one or more second anatomical parameters of the target anatomical object from at least one of one or more second images of the target anatomical object; updating the one or more first anatomical parameters based at least on the one or more second anatomical parameters; and generating a model of the target anatomical object based on the updated first anatomical parameters.
US09058689B2
The present invention provides a method for approximating the location of a point of interest relative to a three dimensional coordinate system, the method including the steps of: orientating a camera toward the point of interest such that the point of interest can be seen within a camera view; retrieving camera data including a location relative to the three dimensional coordinate system, and a camera position including a camera heading and a camera tilt; querying an associated topographic map database to identify one or more coordinates located on the topographic map along the camera heading to form a first dataset; computing one or more coordinates located on a radial plane between the camera and the point of interest based on the camera heading and camera tilt to form a second dataset; and comparing the first dataset with the second dataset to identify a pair of matching coordinates; wherein the matching coordinates represent the three dimensional coordinate location of the point of interest. A system and software for performing the method is also provided.
US09058681B2
In one embodiment, a computer-based system comprises a measurement device, a display, a processor, and logic instructions stored in a tangible computer-readable medium coupled to the processor which, when executed by the processor, configure the processor to determine a position and orientation in a real three dimensional space of the measurement device relative to at least one real object in the three dimensional space and render on the display, a perspective view of a virtual image of a virtual object corresponding to the real object in a virtual three-dimensional space, wherein the perspective view of the virtual object corresponds to the perspective view of the real object from the position of the measurement device.
US09058679B2
An apparatus and a method for examination and visualization of an object of interest. The apparatus comprises a display, an input device, and a calculation unit, wherein the calculation unit is adapted for performing the following steps: acquiring a first data set; acquiring a second data set; fusing the first and second data sets; determining image parameters entered by means of the input device, related to at least one of an image plane, an angle of view, a contrast and a transparency; rendering an image on the basis of the data sets and the determined parameters, resulting in a combined image with selected areas of transparency and selected areas of visible contrast information, wherein the image is visualized on the display.
US09058675B2
Methods and systems may provide for an apparatus having a graphics processing unit (GPU) and a non-volatile memory dedicated to the GPU. If a request for content is detected, a determination may be made as to whether the non-volatile memory contains the content.
US09058673B2
Systems, methods, and other embodiments associated with generating a mosaic image using a virtual grid are described. In one embodiment, a method includes analyzing, by a processor of an apparatus, a boundary of a requested image to determine source images that collectively form an area that includes the requested image. The method also includes generating, by the processor, a virtual grid from coordinates of the source images by identifying edges of the source images from the coordinates to define rows and columns of the virtual grid within the boundary. The rows and columns of the virtual grid define virtual tiles in the virtual grid.
US09058669B2
A moving object tracked within a field of view environment of a two-dimensional data feed of a calibrated video camera is represented by a three-dimensional model. An appropriate three-dimensional mesh-based volumetric model for the object is initialized by using a back-projection of a corresponding two-dimensional image. A texture of the object is projected onto the three-dimensional model, and two-dimensional tracks of the object are upgraded to three-dimensional motion to drive a three-dimensional model.
US09058668B2
Image data may be processed via one or more stages by a hardware image sensor pipeline (ISP) wherein one or more software processing steps may be inserted at any point within the hardware ISP. Output from any stage of the hardware ISP may be stored in memory. Stored hardware ISP output may be retrieved from memory and processed via one or more software processes. Results from the one or more software processes may be stored in memory and communicated to any stage of the hardware ISP for additional processing. In this regard, the hardware ISP and one or more processors may simultaneously process portions of image data. In addition, the hardware ISP and the one or more processors may be integrated within a chip.
US09058663B2
Techniques are disclosed for the automatic recovery of two dimensional (2D) and three dimensional (3D) poses of multiple subjects interacting with one another, as depicted in a sequence of 2D images. As part of recovering 2D and 3D pose estimates, a pose recovery tool may account for constraints on positions of body parts of the first and second person resulting from the correlated activity. That is, individual subjects in the video are treated as mutual context for one another.
US09058655B2
Techniques for registering images based on an identified region of interest (ROI) are described. In general, the disclosed techniques identify a region of ROI within an image and assign areas within the image corresponding to those regions more importance during the registration process. More particularly, the disclosed techniques may employ user-input or image content information to identify the ROI. Once identified, features within the ROI may be given more weight or significance during registration operations than other areas of the image having high-feature content but which are not as important to the individual capturing the image.
US09058654B2
In the field of medical imaging using fluoroscopy, a method for reducing noise in a sequence of fluoroscopic images acquired by an X-ray detector comprises for each image (xn) of the sequence: applying temporal filtering to the image (xn) at instant n, the temporal filtering comprising fluoroscopic noise reduction processing; applying spatial filtering to the image (yn) at instant n, the spatial filtering comprising: transforming the image (yn) acquired at the instant n from the spatial domain into the curvelet domain using a curvelet transform, each transformed image being represented by a set of coefficients, thresholding the coefficients of the image (yn) using a thresholding function, the thresholding function cancelling the coefficients below a third predetermined threshold, and preserving or adjusting the coefficients above the third predetermined threshold, transforming the image (Zn) whose coefficients have been thresholded from the curvelet domain into the spatial domain using an inverse curvelet transform.
US09058640B2
An image processing apparatus, including a first obtaining unit which obtains image data; a first generation unit which generates a plurality of levels of pixel values that are respectively smoothed in a plurality of levels of resolutions; a correction unit which corrects the pixel value of the obtained image data for each of the levels; and a control unit which controls so as to form image data in which the pixel value of the obtained image data is enhanced by utilizing a high frequency component in each of the levels of the image data having the pixel value corrected by the correction unit, the high frequency component corresponding to each of the levels of the resolutions.
US09058638B2
Methods and systems for super resolution encoding. A matching pattern can be encoded with respect to an original pattern to generate a matching function for converting a screen into an IOT screen. Then, an operation can be implemented for accounting for a disturbance that causes a change in gray value that includes a minimal error while remaining close to the original pattern. The gray value is then mapped to the matching pattern via the matching function to convert the screen into the IOT screen and thereby minimize the effects of lossy compression and data variations caused by the disturbance.
US09058628B2
A marketplace for trading derivative financial contracts includes a forum that publishes a financial contract and allows the financial contract to be traded by one or more market participants. The financial contracts are based on one or more underlying intangible assets of one or more entities. The price of the contract is derived from a measure of value of the one or more underlying assets of the particular financial contract. The forum may include an exchange for trading financial contracts and may also host trading of over-the-counter financial contracts.
US09058627B1
A credit score user interface that may comprise a circular visual interface to view a consumer's credit information is disclosed herein. Sections of the circular visual interface may correspond to credit categories, where each section is sized according to the impact of the associated credit category on the consumer's credit score. One of the category sections may be selected, and credit information about a specific consumer that is related to that section may be displayed. The selected credit category may change based on touch input. A change in selection may cause new credit information related to the newly selected credit category to be displayed about the specific consumer.
US09058610B2
An embodiment of the invention comprises a method and apparatus for performing collective validation of credential information. The invention has applicability in industries that require sales agents or those related to the distribution of a certain product to be credentialed (e.g., licensed and/or appointed) when selling certain products (e.g., life insurance, etc. . . . ). For example, in order to sell some financial instruments sales representatives must meet state and/or federal licensing requirements. Embodiments of the invention provide a way to ensure that sales representatives operate within any regulatory constraints put in place by government or any other organization. Companies may, for instance, utilize embodiments of the invention to ensure that sales representatives operate within a set of defined constraints. One aspect of the invention provides a method for validating sales agents' credentials while processing the sales transaction data to determine commission amounts. The system is configured to perform such transaction processing in an efficient manner that minimizes the amount of computational resources required to determine whether a sales agent has valid credential at the time of a particular sale and is therefore entitled to compensation (e.g., a commission) for the sale.
US09058606B1
A computer implemented method for forming an accelerated compliance plan with a plurality of graphic visualization indicators, markers, and displays. The method includes forming client files comprising at least one client profile and at least one dynamic editable field. An updateable database of regulatory compliance information is maintained and used to rapidly generate and customize a plan for records retention that can be verified for compliance with regulations.
US09058604B2
Techniques for providing information to a user of a mobile device based on an online or web-identity of the user and a geolocation of the mobile device are described herein. The user may be notified when a nearby merchant has a good or service for sale that matches a good or service in a list, such as a wish list, associated with the web-identity of the user. The users may also be provided access to a coupon within an electronic document when a mobile device storing the electronic document is located at a particular merchant. This convergence of geographical location of the user, as determined by the geolocation of his or her mobile device, with his or her web-identity can bring the online and off-line worlds closer together to provide relevant information for the user and improved marketing opportunities for merchants.
US09058600B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium for usage billing of one or more hosted applications serving one or more clients. The hosted applications are contained within one or more isolated environments or run without isolated environments. The system may include usage billing based on one or more of resources open, amount of data flowing through resources, number of open files, number of transactions, number of concurrent users, number of processes, CPU utilization and memory usage, The system may further include a management interface where administrators may add, remove and configure isolated environments, configure client policies and credentials, and force upgrades. If using isolated environments, the isolated environments may be isolated from other applications and the host operating system on the clients and applications within the isolated environments may run without performing an application-installation on the client.
US09058594B2
A system and method for providing a social network computing system having a database of user records of members of the social network where the user records are structured according to topic. Topics are arranged in an interlinked manner in a topic library stored on the database and managed by database manager. Each topic is related to a set of questions relevant to the topic. For each question, a user preferably records a video recording containing a response to the question. The user records may be edited by the owner or viewed by other members of the social network according to permissions.
US09058593B2
An electronic mail on which a control command is interpolated is transmitted through a public line, received by a modem section of a gate way, converted to a digital data, and supplied to the control section. A CPU of the control section stores the received electronic mail in a RAM, and extracts the control command contained in the electronic mail. The CPU supplies a control signal corresponding to the control command to an interface section. The interface section controls an IR transmission section to transmit a signal corresponding to the control signal supplied from the CPU or outputs a signal through a connection line, and controls a video deck.
US09058589B2
Disclosed is a subjective user interface that allows a user to define a worknet from a set of data objects of a business enterprise. The user may instantiate channels which are subsets of the worknet. In embodiments, predefined channels may be created and then installed in the user's subjective user interface, which the user may choose as a new channel. Activity spaces may be defined within a channel comprising members of the channel. The data objects that comprise a worknet, or a channel, or an activity space may comprise people as well as non-person (inanimate) entities.
US09058588B2
A computer-implemented system and method for managing a context-sensitive sidebar window is provided. Contextual information relevant to an electronic document is determined. A portion of the determined contextual information is presented in a sidebar window. A display of the context-sensitive sidebar window is managed by automatically opening the context-sensitive sidebar window when the electronic document is opened and automatically closing the context-sensitive sidebar window when the document is closed.
US09058586B2
A method, which includes, within an electronic communication client, identifying a first person. Via a processor, at least a second person geographically located proximate to a geographic location associated with the first person can be identified. The method further can include, within the electronic communication client, indicating that the second person is geographically located proximate to the geographic location associated with the first person.
US09058582B1
The present invention provides a method for automatically pairing a first container monitoring device equipped with a RFID reader and a second container in which stored data is embedded within an RFID tag or data storage device. The present invention provides a protocol for secure and supervised access between the first container monitoring device and the second container monitoring device as prescribed from an authorizing remote monitoring station.
US09058579B2
Techniques for project management instantiation and configuration are provided. A master project includes policy directives that drive the dynamic instantiation and configuration of resources for a project. The resources are instantiated and configured on demand and when resources are actually requested, in response to the policy directives.
US09058570B2
A system for controlling motions of a plurality of particles in a spatial area with at least one target and at least one obstacle, has a first detection device for detecting positions of the particles at a starting time; predicting a future path search of the particles occurs by way of a computer device, wherein the region has been superimposed by a cell grid and each cell takes on various occupation and total potential states, and each cell is associated with a target potential determining how particles are attracted to a target, and is associated with an obstacle potential determining how particles are repelled by an obstacle, and wherein each particle is associated with a particle potential, wherein a total potential in a cell is made up of the values of the target potential and the obstacle potential in the cell and the particle potentials of particles in cells adjacent to the cell, and particles each change from a cell into an adjacent cell having a least total potential, and additionally, starting from a target to each cell, the target potential for each cell is calculated using a length of the shortest distance from the cell to each cell center point. A central controller controls the motions of the particles in case of forecast critical situations.
US09058545B2
In a method, device and storage medium encoded with programming instructions for automatic image registration of image data of a current medical image MR study and at least one reference study, corresponding image pairs of the current study and the reference study are formed automatically with an association machine without needing the analyze the respective image data or pixel data. The pair determination takes place exclusively on the basis of the DICOM header data. A synchronized image processing and/or presentation of the generated image pairs takes place at a monitor.
US09058534B2
A scanning system and method are disclosed which may include a bar code scanner module incorporated within a housing; and a wireless network transceiver coupled to the bar code scanner module and operable to communicate with at least one other communication device, the bar code scanner and the transceiver forming a scanning device. The transceiver may communicate employing Zigbee network protocol.
US09058529B2
Radio-frequency identification-(RFID)-based systems and methods for collecting telecommunications information is disclosed. The methods include storing transceiver information in a transceiver and connector information in an optical fiber connector, and then operably connecting the connector to the transceiver. The connection results in an electrical connection that allows the transceiver information to be communicated to the connector. The connector has a RFID tag that generates a connector RFID-tag signal that includes the connector information and the transceiver information. When electronics equipment are connected to the transceiver, electronics-equipment information is passed through the transceiver to the connector so that the electronics-equipment information can be included in the connector RFID-tag signal. The transceiver may also include a transceiver RFID tag that can receive connector information and electronics-equipment information and generate a transceiver RFID-tag signal that includes connector, transceiver and/or electronics-equipment information. A Portable test device is also used to connect to the transceiver or the electronics equipment to effectuate the transfer of transceiver and/or electronics-equipment information.
US09058526B2
A data collection module including an illumination assembly and an imaging assembly, a processor configured to operate the illumination and imaging assemblies, at least one network interface configured to communicate with a terminal module, at least one power supply and a terminal module interface configured to communicate with a terminal module when the data collection module is mated with the terminal module.
US09058518B2
This disclosure relates to a method and system that models a seed structure and uses a spectral analysis to identify which morphological seed structures are existent in the seed/seedling. Additionally, this disclosure relates to a method and system that applies multi-spectral analysis using predetermined models of a seed/seedling to identify which morphological structures are existent in the seed/seedling. The information about the existence or non-existence of structures of the seed/seedling is used to classify the seed as having a specific characteristic, for later commercial use or sale. The seed market determines which specific characteristic the method will use to classify the seed/seedling. The individual seed classification may help determine associated seed lot germination values.
US09058511B2
A biometrics sensor module includes a housing, a biometrics sensor and a coupling electrode. The housing has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. The biometrics sensor has a sensing surface, which is disposed on the first surface of the housing and has sensing members arranged in an array. The coupling electrode is disposed on the first or second surface of the housing. Two regions, projected from the sensing surface and the coupling electrode to the second surface of the housing, do not overlap with each other. A coupling signal is provided to the coupling electrode and directly or indirectly couples the coupling signal to an object, so that the sensing members of the biometrics sensor sense biometrics messages of the object contacting with the second surface of the housing.
US09058499B1
A server and one or more portals cooperate with a first registered agency, an administrator of the first registered agency, a second agency, and an administrator of the second registered agency to determine whether access to protectable information should be granted to a registered requester.
US09058493B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for conditionally implementing protected content. In use, protected content is identified. Additionally, one or more elements associated with the protected content are verified. Further, the protected content is conditionally implemented, based on the verifying.
US09058490B1
A computer-implemented method to provide a secure uniform resource locator (URL) shortening service is described. A URL is received via a browser provided on a display of a computing device. A shortened URL is generated to represent the received URL. A determination is made as to whether a classification assigned to a web site associated with the shortened URL is valid. Upon determining that the assigned classification is not valid, the web site is evaluated in order to assign an updated valid classification to the web site.
US09058486B2
A particular activity performed by a particular user of a computing device is identified, for instance, by an agent installed on the computing device. It is determined that the particular activity qualifies as a particular use violation in a plurality of pre-defined use violations. A behavioral risk score for the particular score for the user is determined based at least in part on the determination that the particular activity of the particular user qualifies as a particular use violation. Determining that the particular activity qualifies as a particular use violation can include determining that the particular activity violates a particular rule or event trigger corresponding to a particular pre-defined use violation.
US09058485B1
Method and apparatuses for detecting violations of data loss prevention (DLP) in NTFS removable media and non-NTFS removable media are described. In NTFS, when an application opens a data file, a DLP file system filter driver internally opens the same data file using file system transaction and is transparent to the application. Application read/writes are redirected to the remote transaction. When the application tries to close the file, the DLP agent scans the data being written to the file for detection of violations and commits or aborts the remote transaction depending upon the detection of a violation of the policy.
US09058481B2
Systems and methods for security token based user authentication in a multi-tenanted application. An access request, from a user, is received to access at least one user account associated with the user in the multi-tenanted application. Upon receiving the access request, a security token is obtained for the user from a Security Token Service (STS) system. The security token is obtained upon authentication of the user based on login credentials provided by the user. Thereafter, a plurality of user accounts associated with the security token is determined. The plurality of user accounts includes the at least one user account. Further, an access to the plurality of user accounts is provided to the user.
US09058473B2
Techniques are disclosed for authentication and identification of a user by use of an electroencephalographic (EEG) signal. For example, a method for authenticating a user includes the following steps. At least one electroencephalographic response is obtained from a user in accordance with perceptory stimuli presented to the user. The user is authenticated based on the obtained electroencephalographic response. The authenticating step may be based on detection of an event-related potential in the obtained electroencephalographic response. The event-related potential may be a P300 event-related potential. The method may also include the step of enrolling the user prior to authenticating the user. The enrolling step may include a supervised enrollment procedure or an unsupervised enrollment procedure.
US09058467B2
A distributed system in which time-dependent credentials are supplied by controllers that operate according to different local times. Errors that might arise from the controllers generating inconsistent credentials because of time skew are avoided by identifying credentials generated during transition intervals in which different ones of the controllers may generate different credentials at the same absolute time. During a transition interval, controllers and other devices may use credentials differentially based on the nature of the authentication function. Each controller may periodically renew its credentials based on self-scheduled renewals or based on requests from other devices, such that renewal times are offset by random delays to avoid excessive network traffic. Controllers may determine which credential is valid for any given time, based on a cryptographically secure key associated with that time and information identifying the entity that is associated with that credential.
US09058465B2
Disclosed are methods and devices, among which is a device that includes a finite state machine lattice. The lattice may include a counter suitable for counting a number of times a programmable element in the lattice detects a condition. The counter may be configured to output in response to counting the condition was detected a certain number of times. For example, the counter may be configured to output in response to determining a condition was detected at least (or no more than) the certain number of times, determining the condition was detected exactly the certain number of times, or determining the condition was detected within a certain range of times. The counter may be coupled to other counters in the device for determining high-count operations and/or certain quantifiers.
US09058461B2
A method in a computer-aided design system for generating a functional design model of an integrated circuitry structure including generating a functional representation of at least first and second regions of the integrated circuitry structure, generating a functional representation of an optical layer comprising optical waveguides, and generating a functional representation of a heat-conductive material for transferring heat from at least the second region through the optical layer to a heat sink.
US09058460B2
Stacked chip systems and design structures for stacked chip systems, as well as methods and computer program products for placing thermal conduction paths in a stacked chip system. The method may include determining an availability of space in a layout of an interconnect structure of a first chip for a fill shape structure extending partially through the interconnect structure to thermally couple a metal feature in the interconnect structure with a bonding layer between the interconnect structure of the first chip and a second chip. If space is available, the fill shape structure may be placed in the layout of the interconnect structure of the first chip. The stacked chip system may include the first and second chips, the bonding layer between the interconnect structure of the first chip and the second chip, and the fill shape structure.
US09058459B1
An embodiment includes a method, comprising: receiving a layout of an integrated circuit having a plurality of regions; determining a utilization for each of the regions; for each region, selecting from among a plurality of switch cell organizations for the region in response to the corresponding utilization; and for each region, modifying the layout to include switch cells for the region according to the selected switch cell organization.
US09058457B2
A method of determining focal planes during a photolithographic exposure of a wafer surface is provided. The method may include receiving data corresponding to a surface topography of the wafer surface and determining, based on the received data corresponding to the surface topography, a plurality of regions having substantially different topographies. Reticle design data is received for exposure on the wafer surface, whereby, from the received reticle design data, reticle design data subsets that are each allocated to a corresponding one of the determined plurality of regions are generated. A best fit focal plane is then generated for each of the determined plurality of regions.
US09058456B2
An improved method for fixing an early mode slack in a hierarchically designed hardware device with at least one source macro, an integration unit and at least one sink macro comprises: Loading hardware design timing data to determine pins where an early mode slack fix can be applied to fix an early mode slack; for each such pin determining a location across the design hierarchy for the early mode slack fix by calculating a weight value for each of a selection of fix locations of the early mode slack based on absolute values of arrival times of data signals, ratio and difference between arrival times of late mode data signals and early mode data signals; and assigning the early mode slack fix to the determined location based on said weight value.
US09058454B1
A method and apparatus to provide a power segmentation architecture that substantially eliminates the routing and area penalties associated with conventional power segmentation architectures. Power switching components are configured within the external interconnect portion of the integrated circuit (IC) to reduce the number of inter-layer interconnects that must be traversed in order to programmably supply operational power to the various device segments of the IC. A system-in-package (SIP) integration approach is alternately taken, whereby the power switching components utilized within the power segmentation architecture are conveniently allocated among the base or stacked die to reduce the number of inter-layer interconnects. The power switching components may also be implemented off-chip as discrete switching components such as a transistor or a micro-miniature switch/relay.
US09058447B2
A method of transforming a provided virtual processor model to a user virtual processor model. Also a tool, e.g., provided as instructions for operating in a host computer system for converting a provided virtual processor model to a user virtual processor model. Also a method of specifying one or more characteristics of a target processor to transform a provided virtual processor model to a user virtual processor model that when operating in a c-simulation system, simulates the operation of the target processor. For example, a method of specifying one or more characteristics of instructions to transform a provided virtual processor model to a user virtual processor model.
US09058442B2
Methods and apparatus disclosed herein operate, for example, to derive a non-ideal received signal from an ideal signal, to compute, from the non-ideal received signal, at least one probability density function of amplitude and time values representing deviations from the ideal signal, to derive at least one amplitude noise component and at least one timing jitter component from the at least one probability density function, and to generate a non-ideal waveform by applying the at least one amplitude noise component and the at least one timing jitter component to an ideal waveform.
US09058438B2
Techniques for automatically designing an application-requirement based configuration for a distributed computing system are provided. One or more application-level templates are obtained, wherein the one or more templates are representative of one or more requirements associated with one or more applications. Using the one or more application-level templates, one or more logical flows are created. The one or more logical flows are then used to generate one or more system-level configuration plans of the distributed computing system.
US09058432B2
A data transferring circuit includes a data transferor configured to transfer data through a plurality of parallel data transfer lines, wherein the data transferor is further configured to partially invert the transferred data in response to an inversion signal, and a pattern sensor configured to enable the inversion signal when data transferred through the parallel data transfer lines is to cause three sequential lines to transfer data of a logic value through a middle one of the sequential lines and data of an inverse of the logic value through the remaining ones of the sequential lines or cause all of the transfer lines to transfer data of a same logic value.
US09058431B2
Methods and articles of manufacture for hosting a safety critical application on an uncontrolled data processing device are provided. Various combinations of installation, functional, host integrity, coexistence, interoperability, power management, and environment checks are performed at various times to determine if the safety critical application operates properly on the device. The operation of the SCA on the UDPD may be controlled accordingly.
US09058416B2
A computerized system and method for tracking and reporting online activity across a plurality of clients and servers is disclosed that intercepts and logs secure and non-secure HTTP request and response pages, analyzes each of the received page records, associates each page record to an event type based on user-defined parameters, identifies and extracts user-defined attributes of each page record based on its event type, and reports on the occurrence of the event along with its associated attributes.
US09058414B2
A method and system to remotely control data logging are described including establishing a first connection, transmitting a signal to initiate data logging, terminating the established first connection, initializing a timer, determining if the timer has expired, establishing a second connection, transmitting a signal to cease data logging, transmitting a signal to collect the logged data and receiving the logged data.
US09058402B2
In some embodiments of the invention, a system for serving dynamic content objects is provided. The system includes a request fulfiller that: receives a request for a webpage from an end-user system, retrieves a content file associated with the requested webpage, and transmits a modified content file to the end-user system. The system further includes a content-file modifier that generates the modified content file, the content-file modifier including: a dynamic-code detector that detects that the retrieved content file comprises or is associated with a dynamic code; and a reporting-code injector that injects a reporting code into the retrieved content file or an associated content file to produce the modified content file, the reporting code including instructions to report data identifying usage characteristics of one or more content objects. A high-priority content object is identified based on the reported data, and access to the high-priority content object is improved.
US09058393B1
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for storing one or more data records, comprising a text string and a monetary value associated with the text string, in a database. One or more server computers may receive an appraisal request for a domain name and identify one or more keywords in the domain name. The server(s) may then determine an existence of one or more matching data records wherein the text string in the record(s) match the identified keyword. If the matching data records exist, the server(s) may identify a keyword frequency count and a keyword monetary value for that keyword. A keyword appraisal value may be generated by dividing the keyword monetary value by the keyword frequency count. The appraisal value for all identified keywords may be added to the domain name appraisal and the domain name appraisal may be transmitted to a client computer.
US09058386B2
Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable media for transmedia video bookmarks, the method comprising receiving a first place marker and a second place marker for a segment of video media, extracting metadata from the video media between the first and second place markers, normalizing the extracted metadata, storing the normalized metadata, first place marker, and second place marker as a video bookmark, and retrieving the media represented by the video bookmark upon request from a user. Systems can aggregate video bookmarks from multiple sources and refine the first place marker and second place marker based on the aggregated video bookmarks. Metadata can be extracted by analyzing text or audio annotations. Metadata can be normalized by generating a video thumbnail representing the video media between the first place marker and the second place marker. Multiple video bookmarks may be searchable by metadata or by the video thumbnail visually.
US09058377B2
This specification describes technologies relating to fixed width encoding/decoding of document posting lists. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in apparatuses that include a server obtaining a list of one or more of document identification numbers, each of the document identification numbers uniquely identifying a document; an encoding device operatively connected to the server, the encoding device generating a sequence of deltas from the sequential list of one or more of the document identification numbers, and encoding each delta in the sequence of deltas using a fixed-width encoding scheme.
US09058376B2
A structured collection of message elements comprising message elements and oriented child-parent links each connecting a message element to a parent message element is provided. Each message element comprises a message content and metadata including an author identity and a timestamp. The message contents are parsed to generate appreciative phrase marks assigned to the message elements. An appreciative phrase mark is generated in response to detecting that the parsed message content of a later message element comprises a string of characters that matches an entry within a predefined dictionary of regard-expressing phrases. The appreciative phrase mark is assigned to an earlier message element that is connected to the later message element by a sequence of child-parent links. The metadata is parsed to detect the marks and further regard indicators assigned to the message elements. Relevance scores of the message elements are computed as a function of the regard indicators.
US09058370B2
The present invention provides a vehicle for the exchange of data between a database and an independent spreadsheet. Specifically, the present invention may be used to import data from a database to a spreadsheet and/or to export data to a spreadsheet. To facilitate this exchange, one or more controls are entered into cells in the spreadsheet. The controls specify the manner in which the data is exchanged between the database and the spreadsheet. For example, a control may specify a data type, a formatting parameter, a source field, a destination field, and/or a formula for a designated cell in the spreadsheet. The controls are executed by a linker that links the data in the database and the data in the spreadsheet to effect the exchange of data between the two.
US09058368B2
Methods and apparatus for information organization and exchange by providing a data store of interconnected items of information that together form an intent-driven taxonomy. This allows users to easily discover and exchange real-time items of information across applications.
US09058363B2
A distribution list of users of an online social network can be used to communicate database record information to the users. In some implementations, one or more users of the online social network are identified as being relevant to the record and who are not following the record. A distribution list is provided and includes the information identifying the one or more relevant users. A network communication can be sent to users identified in the distribution list. The network communication identifies the record or information associated with the record.
US09058361B2
In accordance with embodiments, there are provided mechanisms and methods for applying a group of instructions to metadata in the context of an on-demand database service. These mechanisms and methods for applying a group of instructions to metadata can enable embodiments that ensure that “all or none” of the operations corresponding to the grouped instructions are performed. The ability of embodiments to provide such feature can prevent a scenario where only a portion of a desired effect is accomplished which, in turn, may complicate any effort to undo the same.
US09058359B2
An incompatible software level of an information technology infrastructure component is determined by comparing collected inventory information to a minimum recommended software level. If a knowledge base search finds that the incompatible software level is associated with a prior infrastructure outage event, an outage count score is determined for the incompatible software level by applying an outage rule to a historic count of outages caused by a similar incompatible software level, and combined with an average outage severity score assigned to the incompatible software level based on a level of severity of an actual historic failure of the component within a context of the infrastructure to generate a normalized historical affinity risk score. The normalized historical affinity risk score is provided for prioritizing the correction of the incompatible software level in the context of other normalized historical risk level scores of other determined incompatible software levels.
US09058352B2
A system generates a request for quotation for a healthcare information system function using a stored template quotation format and multiple different quotation related data fields associated with multiple different healthcare information system elements. A search engine receives user entered text data associated with a desired healthcare information system element and searches stored information to identify multiple different quotation related data fields associated with a healthcare information system element in response to the entered text data. A quotation generator generates a display image showing items representing the identified multiple different quotation related data fields enabling a user to populate a template executable application image window with one or more of the identified data fields and initiate obtaining a quotation for providing the image window.
US09058342B2
According to a conventional image classification device that extracts a feature from an image and classifies the image with use of the extracted feature, in the case where one image and another one image, which are included in an image group, each have a different feature, the one image and the other one image might be each classified into a different category. In order to solve this problem, an image classification device relating to the present invention calculates, with respect to each of persons appearing in a plurality of images included in an image group which have been photographed with respect to one event, a main character degree that is an index indicating an important degree in units of image groups, and classifies the images into any one of different classification destination events in units of image groups based on the calculated main character degrees.
US09058337B2
User interfaces for browsing, searching, and/or previewing are described. In one embodiment, a method includes call a preview generator to generate an initial preview in response to receiving an input, receiving a content to be displayed from the preview generator, displaying the content as the initial preview, and displaying and scrolling concurrently an enhanced preview to a next item in a representation of items in a search result in response to an input to directionally move. Other embodiments are also described, and computer readable media and apparatuses are also described.
US09058333B2
Techniques related to publishable metadata for content management are described that enable selective invocation of new components in a web content management system. Metadata that is published in connection with corresponding content can be configured to include tags or other identifiers that cause a content management system to selectively direct content processing between existing and new components. Switches implemented by the content management system can operate to examine the metadata to determine which processing components are selected for particular content and direct the content to corresponding components. Switches can also be placed in websites to direct page requests from clients to existing or new rendering controls based upon publishable metadata that is associated with a requested page. Thus, the metadata and switches can be employed to perform testing of and load balancing between new and existing components in a live environment.
US09058330B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying software components stored on one or more virtual machines (VM). An installation directory is traversed and an ordered installation index of file paths and content identifiers are created for the files thereof. The installation index may be transmitted to a client that accesses artifact indexes for artifacts of software installed on the VMs. The artifact indexes include file paths and content identifiers for the fields of the artifact. Where all artifacts of a software package are found in the installation index, the package is deemed to be installed and a portal for accessing the VM may be updated to so indicate. The software packages found to be installed on a VM may be evaluated with respect to an application manifest to verify proper provisioning according to the manifest.
US09058328B2
A search server includes an extracting unit that extracts a search target matching a search condition based on profile data, and a transmitting unit that transmits the search target to a user terminal. The search condition includes a first frequency of appearance for each of one or more specified topics specified by a user in a first specified period and a second frequency of appearance for each of the specified topics in a second specified period being later than the first specified period. The extracting unit extracts the search target where the frequency of appearance for each of the specified topics in a first search target period and a second search target period being later than the first search target period are identical or similar to the first frequency of appearance and the second frequency of appearance, respectively.
US09058327B1
An exemplary predictive coding system can be programmed to update a plurality of training documents based on a portion of a training document selected by a user. The predictive coding system generates a machine learning engine based on the updated plurality of training documents. The predictive coding system predicts a classification for one or more remaining documents from the plurality of training documents using the machine learning engine.
US09058321B2
A search engine server delivers search results to a web browser of a client device communicatively coupled to the search engine server via the Internet. The system identifies new web pages in a source language during crawling, translates them into a plurality of destination languages, creates reverse indexes in respective languages, and stores both reverse indexes and cache web pages in a database. Upon the entry of search strings by a user using a web browser, the search engine server responds by delivering links of web pages in the user-desired language (the language of the search string or a language chosen by the user) as well as web pages translated from a plurality of destination languages, ranked based upon popularity or other means. The search engine server contains a plurality of translators that translate new web pages, links that are obtained during crawling, in to a plurality of destination languages.
US09058317B1
According to one aspect, a method for machine learning management is provided. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a first segment of text data, identifying data features corresponding to a sequence of characters in the first segment of text data, and generating predictive annotations to the sequence of characters based at least in part on the identified data features. The method can also include identifying inaccurate annotations generated according to the predictive annotations, correcting the identified inaccurate annotations, generating one or more sets of model training data incorporating the corrected annotations, and monitoring progress of annotations made to a second segment of text data associated with the first segment of text data by a plurality of collaborating users of a plurality of managed computers.
US09058316B2
A method and computer program product for generating a data visualization based, at least in part, upon a data set. A first user is allowed to add an annotation to at least a portion of the data visualization. A determination is made concerning whether the annotation is associatable with any portion of the data set.
US09058313B2
A program on a plurality of processing units executes test input data. In the case where an error occurs so that processing of the program is not completed normally, it is determined that a test performed by using the input data failed. Meanwhile, in the case where an error does not occur so that processing of the program is completed normally, if the same feature pattern as that of the input data is stored in a storing unit which stores feature patterns of the executed input data, it is determined that the test performed by using the input data succeeded, while if the feature pattern is not stored in the storing unit, the result of the test performed by using the input data is judged based on the result of comparing the expected data with result data of the program.
US09058309B2
Techniques to provide multiple styles in a single HTML text object. An input field to receive user-generated input is presented. User-generated input is received via the input field. The user-generated input based on formatting criteria. The formatting criteria provides N formatting types to be applied to the user-generated input, where N is at least two. An underlay field is provided for each of N−1 formatting types. One of the formatting types is applied to each of the N−1 underlay fields and the input field. The N−1 underlay fields are aligned with and the input field. Portions of the user-generated input are displayed within the corresponding fields while maintaining spacing of the user-generated input.
US09058296B2
A data processing method, a memory storage device, and a memory control circuit unit are provided. Here, each physical address corresponds to one flag. The data processing method includes: receiving a reading command; reading first data stored in the physical addresses of a physical programming unit; determining whether a first flag in the physical programming unit is in a first status or a second status; transmitting decrypted first data or decrypted specific-format data to a host system according to whether the first flag is in the first status or the second status. Accordingly, the encryption operation may be simplified.
US09058290B2
Accessing data at a memory is described. A request associated with a read or write operation is received, wherein the request includes a logical address associated with the memory. A physical address is generated based at least in part on the logical address. A block of data at the memory that includes data associated with the physical address is determined. Data at the determined block of data and a corresponding set of ECC from the memory are accessed. Whether the accessed data can be decoded based at least in part on the corresponding set of ECC is determined.
US09058283B2
A first cache arrangement including an input configured to receive a memory request from a second cache arrangement; a first cache memory for storing data; an output configured to provide a response to the memory request for the second cache arrangement; and a first cache controller; the first cache controller configured such that for the response to the memory request output by the output, the cache memory includes no allocation for data associated with the memory request.
US09058280B1
A hybrid drive is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk comprising a plurality of data tracks, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM). An access command is received from a host, the access command identifying at least one target logical block address (LBA). When the target LBA is mapped to a target data track on the disk, the head is positioned over the target data track and an accumulated access time is updated for the target LBA. The accumulated access time is compared to a first threshold, and the target LBA is migrated to the NVSM in response to the comparison.
US09058278B2
A method, an apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for tracking accuracy and coverage of a prefetcher in a processor are presented. A table is maintained and indexed by an address, wherein each entry in the table corresponds to one address. A number of demand requests that hit in the table on a prefetch, a total number of demand requests, and a number of prefetch requests are counted. The accuracy of the prefetcher is calculated by dividing the number of demand requests that hit in the table on a prefetch by the number of prefetch requests. The coverage of the prefetcher is calculated by dividing the number of demand requests that hit in the table on a prefetch by the total number of demand requests. The table and the counters are reset when a reset condition is reached.
US09058269B2
A method and apparatus use one or more inclusion bits and a victim bit to filter probes to shared caches. One embodiment of the method includes filtering a probe or snoop of one or more of a plurality of first caches based on a plurality of first bits, such as inclusion bits, associated with a line indicated by the probe or snoop. Each of the plurality of first bits is associated with a different subset of the plurality of first caches and each first bit indicates whether the line is resident in a corresponding subset of the plurality of first caches. A second bit, such as a victim probe bit, indicates whether the line is resident in more than one of the plurality of first caches in at least one of the subsets of the plurality of first caches. The first caches may be L1 caches and the first bits may be stored in an L2 cache of a multilevel cache.
US09058268B1
A method of memory management using a page table is provided where the method supports memory pages having a plurality of page sizes including a first page size and a second page size, where the second page size is a multiple (N) of the first page size. If the page table does not include an entry for a memory page of the first page size, the method includes reducing a size of the page table by eliminating at least one of a plurality of sections of the page table.
US09058264B2
An embodiment of the present invention provides a method for repairing a communication abnormality between a data card and a host. When an abnormality occurs on communication between a data card and a host, executing repair data in the data card to repair the operating system of the host; resetting the data card and reporting an optical disk descriptor; and detecting, by the data card, the type of the operating system of the host according to a received minicomputer system interface command. According to the embodiments of the present invention, in a process of communication between the data card and the host, when an abnormality occurs on the communication between the data card and the host and therefore the data card can no longer be used, the abnormality is able to be automatically repaired, thereby greatly improving repair efficiency and reducing a repair duration and repair complexity.
US09058262B2
Error information is sent from a terminal adaptor that accesses a wireless network to terminal equipment coupled to access the wireless network through the terminal adaptor. The error information is sent in response to existence of any one of a plurality of errors conditions with respect to access to the wireless network. The error information includes an error type identifying a domain associated with a source of the error condition being reported and an error code providing a reject error cause for the error condition. One of the error conditions may include an unsolicited error received by the terminal adaptor from the wireless network or when a request by the TA is ignored by the wireless network.
US09058260B2
In a data processing system, a memory subsystem detects whether or not at least one potentially transient condition is present that would prevent timely servicing of one or more memory access requests directed to the associated system memory. In response to detecting at least one such potentially transient condition, the memory system identifies a first read request affected by the at least one potentially transient condition. In response to identifying the read request, the memory subsystem signals to a request source to issue a second read request for the same target address by transmitting to the request source dummy data and a data error indicator.
US09058255B2
A solid state drive and a method for constructing a logical-to-physical table of the solid state drive are provided. Once the solid state drive is powered on again, the logical-to-physical table and the bitmap table are directly read from the flash memory. Then, the blocks whose history numbers are higher than the reference history number are searched from the flash memory. According to the history numbers in an ascending order, the physical-to-logical data in the blocks are sequentially reconstructed into the logical-to-physical table and the bitmap table of the mapping unit. Consequently, the logical-to-physical table and the bitmap table can be quickly reconstructed.
US09058251B1
A system for detecting external software update failure of an application may receive a request at the application to determine the status of an update mechanism and infrastructure (“updater”) associated with the application. The system may determine one or more values written by the updater at a location accessible by the application. The one or more values may include one or more of a first value indicating when a last successful check for updates for the application was completed by the updater and a second value indicating when a last successful update for the application was completed. The system may determine, at the application and based on the one or more values, if an update failure has occurred at the updater. The update failure may include the updater having problems detecting or applying updates. The system may generate a notification when it determines that an update failure has occurred.
US09058250B2
A remaining time to replace can be updated taking into account time variation of a failure mechanism of a device. Starting with an initial remaining time to replace, an effective operating time can be determined periodically based on an operating parameter measured at a tracking interval, and remaining time to replace can be updated by subtracting the effective operating time. The technique can be applied to multiple failure mechanisms and to multiple devices and/or components each having multiple failure mechanisms.
US09058249B2
The vehicle control system controls a vehicle based on an estimated gradient value of a travel road. Further, the vehicle control system includes a front/rear acceleration sensor and wheel speed sensors, and a control device for calculating the estimated gradient value. Further, when the vehicle travels, the control device determines whether or not the vehicle is traveling rearward. Then, when the vehicle is traveling forward, the control device calculates the estimated gradient value based on an output signal of the acceleration sensor and output signals of the wheel speed sensors. In contrast, when the vehicle is traveling rearward, the control device calculates the estimated gradient value based on an output signal of the acceleration sensor.
US09058246B2
A vehicle control device capable of more appropriately carrying out travel control of an own vehicle carried out while acquiring travel information of a leading vehicle by an inter-vehicle communication is provided. Provided is a vehicle control device for carrying out vehicle control of acquiring inter-vehicle communication information of a leading vehicle travelling in front of an own vehicle, and controlling a travel state of the own vehicle based on the acquired inter-vehicle communication information of the leading vehicle, wherein control of the inter-vehicle communication is changed according to a parameter at the time of the vehicle control.
US09058240B2
A method implemented by a processor and a system develop a software project targeting one or more remote systems. The method includes generating a project on a local system, which includes receiving user input through a user interface. The project includes one or more source files. The method also includes generating one or more remote contexts corresponding to the one or more remote systems.
US09058232B2
Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and software for computer application installation. In one example, a method of computer application installation includes executing a computer application installer. The method further provides, interrupting the computer application installer with a clean install mechanism, and forcing installation of all application components even if one or more of the application components was previously installed.
US09058231B2
A deployment request from a target machine is received for an operating system on a source machine. Tracking information indicative of an evolution of the deployment of the operating system is received. Deployment of the operating system is enabled or refused in response to each deployment request according to the tracking information.
US09058229B2
A method and apparatus for maintaining operability with a cloud computing environment. The apparatus includes a storage module and a local environment module. The storage module may store cloud computing data from a cloud computing environment onto a local storage device. The storage module may communicate with the cloud computing environment through a remote connection. The local environment module may operate a local cloud computing environment from the local storage device while the remote connection to the cloud computing environment is unavailable. The local cloud environment may replicate at least a portion of the cloud computing environment and may be operated from the stored cloud computing data.
US09058210B2
Methods and systems to automatically respond to consider the weight of a request when responding to requests associated with resources are described. In one embodiment, an interface module may be configured to receive a request associated with consumer identifier and a resource. A calculator module may be configured to determine a weight of the request and a usage module configured to calculate, using a processor, a usage level associated with the consumer identifier, the usage level based on a usage history associated with the consumer identifier. An enforcer module may also be configured to respond to the request based on the usage level and the weight of the request. In one embodiment, the usage module may also be configured to update the usage level associated with the consumer identifier based on the weight of the request.
US09058207B2
A simulation apparatus is disclosed, including a group switching part. The group switching part refers to a priority management table, which manages priority information of priorities to assign a CPU for multiple groups of tasks stored in a storage area, and changes the priorities of the multiple groups of tasks, when an event occurs to activate a task to be executed in verifying of software by using a simulation.
US09058200B2
Systems and methods for reducing the computational load of processing measurements of affective response of a user to content. A content emotional response analyzer (content ERA) receives a segment of content, analyzes it, and outputs an indication regarding whether a value related to a predicted emotional response to the segment reaches a predetermined threshold. Based on the indication, a controller selects a processing level, from among at least first and second processing levels, for a processor to process measurements of affective response. The first level may be selected when the value does not reach the predetermined threshold, while the second level may be selected when the value reaches it. The processor is configured to utilize significantly fewer computation cycles to process data operating at the first processing level, compared to the number of computation cycles it utilizes to process data operating at the second processing level.
US09058192B2
Some embodiments include a processing subsystem that compiles program code to generate compiled program code. In these embodiments, while compiling the program code, the processing subsystem first identifies a pointer in the program code that points to an unspecified address space. The processing subsystem then analyzes at least a portion of the program code to determine one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point. Next, the processor updates metadata for the pointer to indicate the one or more address spaces to which the pointer may point, the metadata enabling a determination of an address space to which the pointer points during subsequent execution of the compiled program code.
US09058189B1
A system and method is provided for selecting an appropriate user account for accessing an application, the system, the method including receiving a request to launch an application while in a first user account, identifying a plurality of user accounts including the first user account, selecting one of the plurality of identified user accounts for launching the application, wherein the selected one of the plurality of user accounts provides functionality for launching the application and providing the user with access to the selected one of the plurality of identified user accounts.
US09058187B2
Methods, computer program products and devices for displaying a current task list on a graphical user interface of a control computer of a processing machine. In implementations, a running task list is provided, each task of the running task list including a task that is running on the control computer, a release task list is defined, each task of the release task list being selectively provided in the release task list based on predetermined, dynamically monitored selection criteria, the current task list is defined, each task of the current task list being provided in the running task list and in the release task list, and the current task list is displayed on the graphical user interface.
US09058185B2
There is provided an information processing system including an information processing apparatus, at least one device, and a mobile terminal, the information processing apparatus being configured to perform a data communication with the at least one device in accordance with a first communication method, the mobile terminal being configured to perform the data communication with the information processing apparatus in accordance with the first communication method, and a data communication with the at least one device in accordance with a second communication method. If there exists device information, among a plurality of pieces of the device information the information processing apparatus obtained from the devices, coincides with the particular device information, the device corresponding to the piece of information that is identical to the particular device information is set as the device subjected to the installation.
US09058183B2
Techniques for utilizing processor cores include sequestering processor cores for use independently from an operating system. In at least one embodiment of the invention, a method includes executing an operating system on a first subset of cores including one or more cores of a plurality of cores of a computer system. The operating system executes as a guest under control of a virtual machine monitor. The method includes executing work for an application on a second subset of cores including one or more cores of the plurality of cores. The first and second subsets of cores are mutually exclusive and the second subset of cores is not visible to the operating system. In at least one embodiment, the method includes sequestering the second subset of cores from the operating system.
US09058176B2
A code generator may determine an object metadata model which defines structures and behaviors of objects adapted for use in at least one software application, where the code generator includes an object analyzer configured to determine at least one object instance of the object metadata model, a domain analyzer configured to determine a domain associated with the at least one object instance, and a template selector configured to select a domain-specific code template based on the domain. The code generator may generate a domain-specific application program interface (API) configured to facilitate interactions of the at least one object instance during execution of the at least one software application, using the domain-specific code template.
US09058160B2
A method and apparatus for dependency tracking in a JavaScript is disclosed. The method comprises defining a plurality of properties as JavaScript property objects, evaluating at least one expression containing at least one property object in the plurality of property objects to define at least one dependent property, notifying the at least one dependent property when a state of the property object changes, and updating the state of the at least one dependent property based on the changed state of the property object.
US09058158B2
An electronic device includes a motherboard, a power module, a hard disk module, a fan module, a heating module and a power-supply wind scooper. The power module is arranged on a front side of the motherboard along a longitudinal direction, and has a power-supply opening. The hard disk module is stacked on the module. The fan module is located on a rear side of the motherboard along a transverse direction, and further provides airflows towards the power-supply opening of the power module. The heating module is arranged on the motherboard, and further located between the fan module and the power module. The power-supply wind scooper shields a part of the power-supply opening, so as to respectively guide parts of the airflow into the power module and the heating module.
US09058145B2
An image processing apparatus includes an image processing unit configured to set a background color in color line image data to one of white and transparent and express a line-drawing color of a line-drawing object by achromatic brightness when performing black-and-white printing based on the color line image data. The image processing unit includes: an origin setting unit configured to set a brightness of the background color to an origin on a brightness axis of a hue coordinate system in a case where the background color in the color line image data is a color other than white; and a first brightness setting unit configured to set a distance from the origin to a coordinate of the line-drawing color in the hue coordinate system as a brightness of the line-drawing object for the black-and-white printing.
US09058142B2
An apparatus for printing job data, includes a rendering unit configured to rasterize the job data into bitmap data, a print engine unit configured to print the rasterized job data, and a control unit configured to transmit the job data to the rendering unit, to receive the rasterized job data, to transmit the rasterized job data to the print engine unit. The control unit switches between saving the rasterized job data in a spool space and inspecting the job data without saving the job data to the spool space, depending on free space situation of the spool space.
US09058139B2
A method of expanding the function of an application in a computer that operates under an operating system and executes specific processes by an application has a step that acquires and sends print data that is output from the application to a driver to a communication port before the print data is received by the driver; a step that acquires and relays the transmitted print data, or the print data that is output from the application to the communication port, before the print data is received by the communication port; and a step that expands the function of the relayed print data on the application layer, and outputs the processed data to a communication port.
US09058137B2
A printing apparatus includes an instruction unit configured to issue a print instruction for printing print data stored in a storage device or a print server, a determination unit configured to determine whether authentication information is included in the print data, and a printing unit configured to, when the instruction unit issues the print instruction without performing authentication operation for authenticating a user and when the determination unit determines that authentication information is included in the print data, print the print data in response to an input of the authentication information by the user, and when the instruction unit issues the print instruction after performing authentication operation for authenticating a user and when the determination unit determines that authentication information is included in the print data, print the print data without prompting the user to input authentication information.
US09058134B2
A signal synchronizing device includes a trigger module for capturing an input signal according to a first clock signal which corresponds with the input signal so as to generate a trigger signal, a storage unit for forming a first pulse signal by pulling an output thereof to a first logic level according to the trigger signal, and by pulling the output thereof to a second logic level according to a feedback reset signal, and a synchronizing module for performing synchronous transfer according to the first pulse signal so as to output an output signal corresponding with frequency of a second clock signal, and for generating the feedback reset signal according to the output signal.
US09058131B2
A method and apparatus for storing a function specification file is described. In an exemplary method, the function specification field is capable for providing other software to facilitate execution of an application in a second operating system with the presence of a first operating system and the application is compiled for the first operating system. In another exemplary method, a preprocessor receives the function specification file comprising function definition data for a library function. The preprocessor processes the function definition data to generate header information and function code for the function. In another exemplary method, the preprocessor generates an automatic logging framework for the interposing library based on the function definition data. Further, a function in an interposing library logs calls to a corresponding library function.
US09058127B2
Embodiments include methods, apparatus, and systems for data transfer in storage systems. One embodiment includes a method that transmits a state of cached write data and mapping metadata associated with a disk group from a first array to a second array and then transfers access to the disk group from the first array to the second array while host applications continue to access data in the disk group.
US09058120B2
In one embodiment, a system includes a network storage controller having logic adapted for receiving a request to duplicate at least a portion of a volume stored on the first disk array, logic adapted for creating at least one dependent volume on the first disk array, and logic adapted for duplicating the at least the portion of the volume to the at least one dependent volume on the first disk array to create a snapshot. Other systems, computer program products, and methods are described according to more embodiments.
US09058117B2
Described in detail herein are systems and methods for single instancing blocks of data in a data storage system. For example, the data storage system may include multiple computing devices (e.g., client computing devices) that store primary data. The data storage system may also include a secondary storage computing device, a single instance database, and one or more storage devices that store copies of the primary data (e.g., secondary copies, tertiary copies, etc.). The secondary storage computing device receives blocks of data from the computing devices and accesses the single instance database to determine whether the blocks of data are unique (meaning that no instances of the blocks of data are stored on the storage devices). If a block of data is unique, the single instance database stores it on a storage device. If not, the secondary storage computing device can avoid storing the block of data on the storage devices.
US09058113B2
A storage region providing device provides a physical storage region (a physical region) as a virtual storage region (a logical region). The device accepts a writing request including data and information for specifying a partial logical region that is part of the logical region. In a case that part of the physical region is not allocated yet to a partial logical region specified by a writing request, the device allocates at least part of an initial allocation region of the physical allocation region to the partial logical region. The device moves data stored in the partial physical region included in the initial allocation region, to a movement destination region that is at least part of a reallocation region other than the initial allocation region of the physical region, and reallocates the movement destination region to the partial logical region.
US09058112B2
The invention relates to retrieving data from a storage system. One embodiment of the invention comprises receiving a write operation, establishing a correspondence relationship between a logic block address and a physical block address of the write operation, and determining whether a valid data percentage in a mapping table is greater than a predetermined threshold after the correspondence relationship is added in stored metadata. In response to the valid data percentage being less than the predetermined threshold, the embodiment adds the correspondence relationship to a B-tree data structure of stored metadata.
US09058111B2
Provided are a device and computer readable storage medium for programming a memory module to initiate a training mode in which the memory module transmits continuous bit patterns on a side band lane of the bus interface; receiving the bit patterns over the bus interface; determining from the received bit patterns a transition of values in the bit pattern to determine a data eye between the determined transitions of the values; and determining a setting to control a phase interpolator to generate interpolated signals used to sample data within the determined data eye.
US09058109B2
Embodiments of methods and systems comprise identifying failing media and/or drives for a media library. Error data can be collected from media libraries. For each tape exhibiting an error rate of interest, a determination can be made whether the tape would still have been of interest had it not been loaded in certain drives. This information can be analyzed to identify failing drives or tapes.
US09058101B2
A display control device includes a first-contents-list displaying unit which displays a first contents list on a display screen, a base-point-content identifying unit which identifies a base-point content on the first contents list, a base-point-content-position obtaining unit which obtains a first base-point-content position on the first contents list, a focus position obtaining unit which obtains a focus position on the first contents list, a positional difference calculating unit which calculates a positional difference between the first base-point-content position and the focus position, and a first scrolling unit which scrolls the first contents list displayed on the display screen so that the positional difference decreases.
US09058100B2
A method for providing a user interface includes creating a representative image of a media content, displaying the representative image on a screen, making the representative image a movable object on the screen, monitoring a motion gesture to move the representative image, and performing a corresponding action based on the motion gesture. The action includes saving, deleting, sending, or rejecting a message including the representative image and the media content or a link to the media content.
US09058095B2
A method of controlling a mobile terminal includes displaying, via a touch screen included on the mobile terminal, predetermined data, receiving, via a controller included on the mobile terminal, a first touch signal generated based on a first touch, generating, via the controller, a display change notifying signal to notify the generation of the first touch signal, displaying, via the touch screen, the display change notifying signal, changing an input mode of the touch screen to a first mode, according to the first touch signal, and modifying, via the controller, the displayed predetermined data based on a second touch signal generated by a second touch on the touch screen in the first mode.
US09058086B1
A portable computer system contained within a housing that comprises an electronic muscle material for performing a plurality of functions. The electronic muscle can be used to replace buttons or keys used in many PDAs. The movement of the electronic muscle material can charge the battery. When handled, the electronic muscle material can further detect the left- or right-handedness of the user and, based on the handedness, can generate function buttons or other alterations to accommodate the user's hand preference and finger placement. The electronic muscle can change shape to accommodate the user's hand for comfort and, further, as a security function to identify and authorize the user. Additionally, the electronic muscle material in the housing can be caused to vibrate at given frequencies so that it can generate an alarm and can function as a speaker or a dynamically directional microphone.
US09058083B2
The present invention discloses a touch sensing structure for capacitive touch panel comprising a substrate, at least one first conductive line formed on the substrate, an insulating layer formed on the substrate and covering the first conductive line, the insulating layer having at least two adjacent holes therein formed above the two ends of the first conductive line respectively, at least two adjacent first conductive cells, at least two adjacent second conductive cells and at least one second conductive line formed on the insulating layer, the adjacent first conductive cells connected to two ends of the first conductive line correspondingly, the second conductive cells located on two sides of the first conductive line respectively, the second conductive line located on the insulating layer for interconnecting the adjacent second conductive cells, and the insulating layer makes the first conductive line electrically insulated from the second conductive line, thereby forming the touch sensing structure.
US09058079B1
A computing device may include a sensor controller configured to control operations of a human-touch capacitive sensor module, a near-field communication (NFC) controller configured to control operations of an NFC module, and/or a plurality of communication lines including a first communication line and a second communication line. Each of the first and second communication lines may be connected to the sensor controller and the NFC controller such that control signals are transferred between the sensor controller and the NFC controller to synchronize the operations of the human-touch capacitive sensor module and the operations of the NFC module.
US09058078B2
Control circuitry for a touch panel includes a touch panel interface, a memory comprising touch positioning logic, and a controller in communication with the memory and the touch panel interface. The controller is operable, when the touch positioning logic is executed, to perform selected processing of the touch panel, including scanning a touch panel and determining a touch panel blob resulting from a touch, obtaining blob characteristics of the touch panel blob, and determining a position of the blob relative to the touch panel based on the blob characteristics. The blob characteristics can be adjusted to more accurately position the blob in circumstances where the blob is located near the edge of the touch panel, is in close proximity to another blob, or when the touch panel has variation in the received signal noise.
US09058075B2
The present invention relates to a display device including a touch sensor and a driving method thereof. A display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of data lines which extends in a first direction, a plurality of sensing output lines which extends in a second direction which is not parallel to the first direction and transmits a sensing output signal, a pixel electrode which is connected with the data line through a switching element, a touch sensor which is connected to the data line and the sensing output line and detects a touch, and a data driver which applies a displaying data voltage to the plurality of data lines during the image display period for one frame and applies a sensing input signal during a touch sensing period for one frame. The touch sensing period is included in a vertical blank period of the frame.
US09058070B2
For predicting timing violations, a prediction module predicts a timing violation for a first instruction in a semiconductor device in response to use by the first instruction of a specified sensitized path. The prediction module further mitigates the predicted timing violation.
US09058066B2
The suppression of errant motion regarding a mouse is disclosed. Mouse and touch information can be integrated to determine whether a gesture made on a surface of the mouse is errant, such as when a mouse is being moved and the fingers holding the mouse inadvertently move on the mouse surface. A gesture motion that is small relative to mouse motion can be considered errant and therefore at least partially suppressed, while a gesture motion that is large relative to mouse motion can be considered an intended gesture and therefore processed. Similarly, mouse and touch information can be integrated to determine whether a mouse motion is errant, such as when a robust gesture being made on the mouse surface inadvertently moves the mouse. A mouse motion that is small relative to gesture motion can be considered errant and therefore at least partially suppressed, while a mouse motion that is large relative to gesture motion can be considered an intended motion and therefore processed.
US09058065B2
An orthopedic cursor control device that supports a user's hand, or other controlling anatomy, in a functionally neutral posture. The device has a motion sensor housed in a base, a mound attached to the top of the base and an optional carpal support attached to the base. The surfaces of the base, mound and optional carpal support together support a user's hand, or other controlling anatomy, in the functionally neutral, or other appropriate, posture. The mound conforms to an interior portion of the user's hand when in a grasping configuration. An inner surface of the carpal support conforms to, and supports, the user's wrist in the functionally neutral posture. The carpal support extends beyond a distal end of the user's ulna bone when the user grasps the cursor control device. The functionally neutral posture has, at the distal end, the user's radial bone substantially vertically above their ulna bone.
US09058052B2
An adjustable armrest mechanism is provided, which is adapted to be coupled to a vehicle frame. The armrest mechanism comprises a base fixed to the vehicle frame, armrest apparatus movably coupled to the base such that the armrest apparatus moves relative to the control handle and pivots about a virtual pivot point in front of the control handle, and a locking device for releasably locking the armrest apparatus to the base in one of at least two positions.
US09058047B2
Provided is a startup circuit which allows a reference voltage generating circuit to start up and reach a stable equilibrium state in an extremely short period. The startup circuit is configured to hold voltage which is substantially the same as internal voltage of the reference voltage generating circuit in the stable equilibrium state even when power is not supplied to the startup circuit. The voltage is output from the startup circuit to the reference voltage generation circuit when the reference voltage generating circuit is started.
US09058046B1
A voltage regulation circuit and method where a pre-charge device (PCD) and a power gate device (PGD) are connected to a voltage line that supplies power to at least one additional device. The PCD pre-charges the line toward a supply voltage (Vdd) and PGD limits voltage changes on the voltage line caused by leakage current in the additional device(s) and does so differently under different leakage conditions. Specifically, the PGD is controlled by a variable reference voltage (Vref), which is closer to Vdd when a leakage condition is low relative to when the leakage condition is high. Since Vref is relatively high when the leakage condition is low and relatively low when the leakage condition is high, the power gate device will turn on after a smaller amount of voltage change on the voltage line when the leakage condition is low as compared to when the leakage condition is high.
US09058038B2
A method includes collecting vehicle health data from a plurality of vehicles. A peer group is identified among the plurality of vehicles. The collected vehicle health data from the peer group into a collaborative vehicle health model, the collaborative vehicle health model being applicable to a current vehicle to predict a state of at least a component of the current vehicle.
US09058035B2
A method is specified for ascertaining an actuating position of a vehicle part that can be moved by an electric actuating motor. The speed of an actuating motor correlated therewith is acquired in a time-resolved manner during an actuation process. An initial no-load phase of the actuation process is identified, during which the actuating motor rotates while overcoming the system tolerance of the actuating mechanism without motion of the vehicle part. An actuating position measure for the actuating position of the vehicle part is ascertained from the motor rotation, with this measure being corrected during the no-load phase. By averaging over time, a test quantity is ascertained from the second derivative or the measured quantity correlating herewith. The end of the initial no-load phase is identified in this process when the test quantity exceeds a predetermined limit.
US09058034B2
Disclosed are embodiments of a method, system and computer program product for optimizing integrated circuit product yield by re-centering the manufacturing line and, optionally, adjusting wafer-level chip dispositioning rules based on the results of post-manufacture (e.g., wafer-level or module-level) performance path testing. In the embodiments, a correlation is made between in-line parameter measurements and performance measurements acquired during the post-manufacture performance path testing. Then, based on this correlation, the manufacturing line can be re-centered. Optionally, an additional correlation is made between performance measurements acquired during wafer-level performance testing and performance measurements acquired particularly during module-level performance path testing and, based on this additional correlation, adjustments can be made to the wafer-level chip dispositioning rules to further minimize yield loss.
US09058033B2
The invention relates to computer-implemented charging of a blast furnace equipped with an automated top-charging installation and stockhouse for batchwise charging. It proposes: obtaining a nominal charge dataset reflecting a nominal blast furnace charge and comprising plural charge material records, each charge material record comprising a material type and an associated nominal charge quantity; generating a graphical user interface comprising batch data fields for entering and displaying plural batch datasets for pre-configuring batches, each batch dataset comprising at least one batching record, each batching record comprising a material type and an associated batching proportion. According to the invention, the batching proportion associated to a material type in a batching record is used for predefining a ratio between the material quantity that is to be contained in a batch and the nominal charge quantity. Further according to the invention, the method comprises computing, for the respective material type of each batching record, based on the batching proportion and the nominal charge quantity associated to the respective material type, an associated batching quantity which the stockhouse is to provide in a batch as pre-configured by the batch dataset.
US09058028B2
Systems and methods for adaptive control are disclosed. The systems and methods can control uncertain dynamic systems. The control system can comprise a controller that employs a parameter dependent Riccati equation. The controller can produce a response that causes the state of the system to remain bounded. The control system can control both minimum phase and non-minimum phase systems. The control system can augment an existing, non-adaptive control design without modifying the gains employed in that design. The control system can also avoid the use of high gains in both the observer design and the adaptive control law.
US09058027B2
A spa node comprising a spa controller, a power sense adapter configured to compute power being drawn by selected spa components; a spa network adapter, and a home network adapter, each of the three adapters including a wireless transceiver wherein the spa network adapter is configured to receive power data transmitted over a wireless link by the power sense adapter and to further receive status/performance data from the spa controller. The home network adapter is configured to receive power and status data transmitted by the spa network adapter over a wireless link and to convert that data to a form suitable for transmission to an Internet access point. The home network adapter is further linkable over the Internet to a central server, a dealer computer and a spa owner or user computer.
US09058024B2
A domestic appliance with timer control for the treatment of contents, the domestic appliance comprising a timer configured to track a treatment time period, a display configured to display a plurality of screens, at least one user input component programmed to receive a treatment time input corresponding to a treatment time and receive an expiration function input corresponding to an expiration function subsequent to receiving the treatment time input, and a controller programmed to set the timer with the treatment time in accordance with the received treatment time input and set the expiration function.
US09058015B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of photoconductor drums; a plurality of exposure members; a drum supporting member having a pair of side walls disposed opposite to each other in an axial direction of the photoconductor drum and configured to support the photoconductor drums and the exposure members between the side walls; a belt disposed below and opposite to the photoconductor drums; a pair of guide members configured to support the drum supporting member while allowing rectilinear movement of the drum supporting member; and a main body circuit board provided in the main body and connected to the exposure members via a cable. The main body circuit board is arranged above the drum supporting member.
US09058002B2
An image forming apparatus includes a belt unit detachable from a main body, a sensor unit, a blocking member, a moving mechanism, and a determination portion. The sensor unit includes a light emitting element configured to emit an outgoing light toward the belt, a first light receiving element configured to output a first signal, and a second light receiving element. The blocking member includes a first window and a second window. The moving mechanism is configured to move the blocking member between a first position in which the outgoing light passes the first window and a second position in which the outgoing light passes through the second window. The determination portion is configured to, when the blocking member is in the second position, determine whether the belt unit is attached to the main body based on the first signal output from the first light receiving element.
US09057998B2
A printer includes: a printing unit; a processor; and memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, causing the printer to perform operations comprising: shifting from a power supply mode to a power saving mode in case that a shift condition from the power supply mode to the power saving mode is met; executing a correction processing group that includes a first correction process in case that a first execution condition is met, and a second correction process unit in case that a second execution condition is met after the execution of the first correction process is completed; and delaying the shifting from the power supply mode to the power saving mode until completion of the second correction process, when both execution condition are met and when the execution of the first correction process has started and the execution of the second correction process is not completed.
US09057996B2
An image forming device includes a power supply for transfer for applying a voltage for transfer for transferring the toner image on the image carrier onto the recording paper sheet to the transfer member, and a recording paper sheet feed device for feeding the recording paper sheet into the pressing nip, and the method for controlling a power supply for transfer. The power supply for transfer is turned on and the output voltage of the power supply for transfer is set to 0 V before the transfer member is pressed against the image carrier, and the output voltage of the power supply for transfer is switched from 0 V to a high voltage for transfer after the transfer member is pressed against the image carrier.
US09057990B2
An image forming apparatus including an image forming unit; a belt unit with a first roller, a second roller, an endless belt, and a frame; a frame positioning member arranged in the belt unit to define a position of the frame in the axial direction with respect to a body; a first roller positioning member arranged in the belt unit to define a position of the first roller in the axial direction with respect to the frame; a guiding member arranged in a position corresponding to one of axial-end sides of the first roller along the axial direction in the endless belt; and an engageable member arranged on the one of axial-end sides of the first roller in the belt unit, is provided. The frame positioning member, the first roller positioning member, and the engageable member are arranged on the same axial-end side along the axial direction.
US09057989B2
In a method or system to operate a digital printer for double-side printing to a recording medium with toner particles applied with a liquid developer, the digital printer prints first and second sides of the recording medium in succession. Electrophoretic mobility of toner particles of a first toner image on the first side is reduced after application of said first toner image and before application of the second toner image on the second side of the recording medium. The electrophoretic mobility is reduced by drying the first toner image along a drying route in an airflow generated by a blower such that carrier fluid is thus removed from the first toner image. After the application of the second toner image on the second side of the recording medium, both the first and second toner images are simultaneously fixed.
US09057986B2
A shutter mechanism capable of opening and closing an opening through which a developer accommodated in a container is movable includes a shutter member movable to open and close the opening; and a limiting member for limiting movement of the shutter member in a direction of opening the opening. When the container is inclined, the limiting member moves to a position where the limiting member limits the movement of the shutter member.
US09057971B2
Provided is a toner that is excellent in terms of low-temperature fixability and hot offset resistance, has a wide fixing temperature range from a low-temperature region to a high-temperature region, and has high thermal storability.When the toner is measured with a capillary rheometer, t(1) is 60 seconds or more and t(5) is 30 seconds or less and the toner satisfies the following formulae (1) and (2) 65.0[° C.]≦T(5)≦90.0[° C.] (1) 4.5≦t(1)/t(5)≦10.0 (2).
US09057969B2
A photosensitive layer or a charge generation layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a gallium phthalocyanine and a particular diamine compound such as 1,2-diaminoethane or 1,3-diaminopropane. The content of the particular diamine compound in the photosensitive layer or the charge generation layer is from 10 ppm to 1,000 ppm (mass ratio) based on the gallium phthalocyanine.
US09057961B2
Structure of mask blanks and masks, and methods of making masks are disclosed. The new mask blank and mask comprise a tripe etching stop layer to prevent damages to the quartz substrate when the process goes through etching steps three times. The triple etching stop layer may comprise a first sub-layer of tantalum containing nitrogen (TaN), a second sub-layer of tantalum containing oxygen (TaO), and a third sub-layer of TaN. Alternatively, the triple etching stop layer may comprise a first sub-layer of SiON material, a second sub-layer of TaO material, and a third sub-layer of SiON material. Another alternative may be one layer of low etching rate MoxSiyONz material which can prevent damages to the quartz substrate when the process goes through etching steps three times. The island mask is defined on the mask blank by using various optical proximity correction rules.
US09057958B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for forming a printing form from a photosensitive element to form a relief pattern. The method and apparatus thermally develop the photosensitive element by heating a composition layer of the element to cause a portion of the layer to liquefy and providing a development medium to the element to remove the liquefied composition. A conformable layer is disposed between the photosensitive element and a base support, which improves the compressibility and the contact between the photosensitive element and the development medium. The method and apparatus improve the efficiency of the removal of liquefied portions from the photosensitive element and the uniformity of the relief pattern formed.
US09057954B2
An apparatus for creating an EUV light may include a droplet-supplying unit, a laser-irradiating unit, a light-concentrating unit and a guiding unit. The droplet-supplying unit may supply a droplet from which the EUV light may be created. The laser-irradiating unit may irradiate a laser to the droplet supplied from the droplet-supplying unit to create the EUV light. The light-concentrating unit may concentrate the EUV light created by the laser-irradiating unit. The guiding unit may guide the droplet to a position at which the laser may be irradiated. The guiding unit may have at least one gas-spraying hole for spraying a gas to a space between the droplet-supplying unit and the laser irradiation position to form a gas curtain configured to surround the droplet.
US09057953B2
A thinner composition for a reduced resist coating process includes an alkyl lactate, cyclohexanone, and an alkyl acetate, wherein an alkyl substituent of the alkyl acetate is a C1 to C5 non-ether based alkyl group.
US09057945B2
The present embodiments relate to an X-ray apparatus having a movable detector housing, in which a radiation detector is arranged. The X-ray apparatus includes at least one releasable interlock device configured to inhibit or enable the maneuverability of the movable detector housing. At least one control element is arranged on the movable detector housing, using which the at least one releasable interlock device is actuated. At least one grab handle element is also arranged on the movable detector housing. The movable detector housing is movable by hand and is holdable by a patient using the at least one grab handle element.
US09057938B2
A projector includes a light source lamp, a cooling device adapted to feed a cooling fluid to the light source lamp to thereby cool the light source lamp, a lighting control section adapted to supply the light source lamp with the lamp electric power having either one of a first electric power value and a second electric power value higher than the first electric power value to thereby light the light source lamp, and a cooling control section adapted to control the cooling device, and the cooling control section controls the cooling device so that the cooling fluid at a flow rate lower than a set flow rate set in accordance with the second electric power value is fed to the light source lamp during a predetermined period after the lamp electric power is switched from the first electric power value to the second electric power value.
US09057937B2
An image projection device includes a light source that emits a plurality of colored lights and a projection section that modulates each colored light emitted by the light source according to image data and projects an image onto a projection surface, a storage section that stores projection surface information indicating a spectral reflectance of the projection surface, and a correction section that determines, when the image data is received, a correction value for correcting a color shift in the image on the projection surface using the projection surface information, and corrects an intensity value of a colored light emitted by the light source by controlling the light source according to the correction value.
US09057936B2
A micromechanical projection device includes: a carrier which has a first, a second, and a third section, the second section being situated between the first and the third sections and having a flexible design; a mirror, which is mounted on the first section; and a light source which is mounted on the third section. The second section is bent in such a way that a light beam from the light source is directable onto the mirror.
US09057924B2
An object is to propose a method of manufacturing, with high mass productivity, liquid crystal display devices having thin film transistors with highly reliable electric characteristics. In a liquid crystal display device having an inverted staggered thin film transistor, the inverted staggered thin film transistor is formed as follows: a gate insulating film is formed over a gate electrode; a microcrystalline semiconductor film which functions as a channel formation region is formed over the gate insulating film; a buffer layer is formed over the microcrystalline semiconductor film; a pair of source and drain regions are formed over the buffer layer; and a pair of source and drain electrodes are formed in contact with the source and drain regions so as to expose a part of the source and drain regions.
US09057922B2
Disclosed is a driver circuit structure integrated in a display panel. The driver circuit structure includes a plurality of transistors and a backup transistor. After completing the driver circuit structure, the disclosure inspects it to find an inactive transistor. The inspection process first, isolates the electrical connection between the inactive transistor and the first electrode line and/or the electrical connection between the inactive transistor and the second electrode line. Next, the source electrode of the backup transistor and the first electrode line and/or electrically connecting the drain electrode of the backup transistor and the second electrode line are electrical connected.
US09057917B2
A liquid crystal display panel, including: a pixel electrode formed on a first substrate; an alignment layer formed on the pixel electrode, wherein the alignment layer includes an alignment layer material and aligns first liquid crystal molecules in a direction substantially perpendicular to the pixel electrode; and a photo hardening layer formed on the alignment layer, wherein the photo hardening layer includes a photo hardening layer material and aligns second liquid crystal molecules to be tilted with respect to the pixel electrode, wherein the alignment layer material and the photo hardening layer material have different polarities from each other.
US09057915B2
A structure includes a first substrate having a first surface and a second substrate having a second surface facing the first surface; liquid crystal material disposed between the first and second surfaces; a first upstanding electrode disposed over the first surface and extending into the liquid crystal material towards the second surface; and a first planar electrode disposed upon the first surface and electrically connected with the first upstanding electrode. The first planar electrode at least partially surrounds the first upstanding electrode. A combination of the first upstanding electrode and the first planar electrode forms at least a portion of a pixel of a liquid crystal display. Various methods to fabricate the structure are also disclosed.
US09057914B2
A distribution-type compensator has an in-plane retardation of 18 nm±5 nm in a rectangular effective region with a long side and a short side. The slow axis direction of the distribution-type compensator changes continuously in a plane of the effective region and an angle difference between slow axis directions at any two positions in the effective region has a maximum value in a range of 10 degrees to 30 degrees. The distribution-type compensator is mounted to a projection-type display apparatus.
US09057911B2
A direct type LED backlight device improves color unevenness on the periphery of the display region without increase of the driver and its control circuit and contour change of a liquid crystal panel. This device includes a bottom wall, a set of optical members arranged opposite to an inner surface of the bottom wall, a side wall maintaining the bottom wall and the set of optical members at a predetermined distance, and LEDs fixed to the inner surface of the bottom wall. The side wall has a protrusion protruding toward a central portion of a space formed by the bottom wall, the side wall, and the set of optical members. At least part of emission surfaces of the LEDs arranged at outermost positions are overlapped with the protrusion and located at such positions as to be invisible when seen along a direction perpendicular to the set of optical members.
US09057899B2
An array substrate and a liquid crystal panel are disclosed. Each of the pixel cells of the array substrate includes a voltage compensation circuit. When the scanning signals are inputted to the corresponding first scanning line of a farther pixel cell, the voltage compensation circuit of a current pixel cell operates on the second pixel electrode of the current pixel cell. As such, a ratio of a voltage difference between the second pixel electrode and the common electrode to the voltage difference between the first pixel electrode and the common electrode when the positive polarity is inversed is the same with the ratio when the negative polarity is inversed. In this way, the low color shift effect is enhanced.
US09057896B1
A polarization device can comprise a layer of liquid crystal material and a polarizing layer. The layer of liquid crystal material can be sandwiched between two layers of electrodes. A voltage can be applied across the two layers of electrodes to the layer of liquid crystal material. The voltage can cause the orientation of liquid crystals to change. The direction of polarization of light passing through the layer of liquid crystal material must conform to the orientation of the liquid crystals. As such, the direction of the polarization of light passing through the polarization device (comprising the two electrodes layers sandwiching the liquid crystal material, and the polarizing layer) can be manipulated by altering the voltage applied. Manipulating the polarization of light passing through the polarization device, before the light is received by an image sensor of a camera, can improve image quality in photographs captured by the camera.
US09057890B2
A structure of a diamond-inlaid eyeglass temple includes an eyeglass temple body (1) and an elastomer (3) set thereon. The elastomer (3) has an elastic tendency to bend inwardly and the two external sides thereof are connected, respectively, to a first holding device (4) and a second holding device (5) with a cantilever structure. A first groove (41) and a second groove (51) are provided, respectively, on the corresponding end surfaces of the first holding device (4) and the second holding device (5). A diamond (2) is clamped under the elastic force of the elastomer (3). Also provided are eyeglasses with the structure of diamond-inlaid glass temple and a diamond-inlaying method. Eyeglasses with a structure of the diamond-inlaid eyeglass temple have a high production efficiency, and the diamonds are fixed firmly and are less prone to falling out. The diamond-inlaying method features a simple process and is easy to operate.
US09057885B2
The present invention relates to safety or sport or recreational eyewear with an interchangeable optical PVC foil inserts. The eyewear includes a polycarbonate frame configured to receive interchangeable PVC prescription foil inserts. The frame includes a central nose bridge portion, molded lenses, nose pads, first and second wrap around frame arms, first and second frame arm hinge gussets. Arm hinge gussets strengthen the frame hinge and locate the foil insert in position. Inner hinges securely attach and lock the foil insert into its correct location within the frame. The foil insert provides two inner foil radiuses for the fitting of prescription corrective lenses. Nose bridge and nose pads hooks are supplied to ensure correct central alignment of the optical foil insert. Foil gusset slots ensure correct alignment of the foil insert at the top and base of the frame arm hinge gussets.
US09057882B1
An optical element has layers formed on a substrate, including alternating first and second layers having first and second refractive indices, nL and nH that exhibit a spectral characteristic, providing, for incident light at a predetermined wavelength and directed toward the optical element within a range of angles bounded by first and second incident angles θ1 and θ2, between 0 and 80 degrees and differing by at least 1 degree, substantially linear polarization-averaged attenuation of the incident light energy wherein, for any incident angle θn between θ1 and θ2, Aθn is the corresponding polarization-averaged attenuation, and wherein the polarization-averaged attenuation at Aθn at angle θ1 is less than or equal to an optical density value of 0.2 and the polarization-averaged attenuation Aθn at angle θ2 exceeds an optical density value of 4.
US09057874B2
A method to select a feature in a view in front of a vehicle includes monitoring the view in front of the vehicle visible through a graphic projection display, monitoring a user input to the graphic projection display, determining the selected feature based upon the monitored view and the monitored user input, determining a registered graphic representing the selected feature for display upon the graphic projection display, and displaying the registered graphic upon the graphic projection display.
US09057871B2
A set of compound lenses according to the present invention forms, on an imaging device, an optical image of an object. The set of compound lenses includes a focus lens group including one or more lenses; a driving unit shifting a range of focus by moving the focus lens group within a predetermined range during an exposure period; and a correcting lens group correcting a shift in a position of an image formed on the imaging device to one pixel or less, the shift occurring when the focus lens group moves within the predetermined range.
US09057867B2
A hard coat layer 8 is provided on an outermost surface layer of a film mirror 10 having a first resin base material 1 and a silver reflection layer 3, and the hard coat layer 8 contains a polyfunctional acrylic monomer and a silicon resin having an active energy ray reactive unsaturated group.
US09057866B2
Present embodiments provide for a mobile device and an optical imaging lens thereof. The optical imaging lens comprises four lens elements positioned sequentially from an object side to an image side. Through controlling the convex or concave shape of the surfaces and/or the refractive power of the lens elements, the optical imaging lens shows better optical characteristics and the total length of the optical imaging lens is shortened.
US09057865B1
An optical imaging lens includes a first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth lens element, the first lens element having an image-side surface with a concave part in a vicinity of its periphery, the second lens element having an object-side surface with a convex part in a vicinity of its periphery, the third lens element having an image-side surface with a convex part in a vicinity of its periphery, the fourth lens with positive refractive power, the fifth lens element having an object-side surface with a concave part in a vicinity of its periphery, the sixth lens element having an image-side surface with a convex part in a vicinity of its periphery, wherein the optical imaging lens set does not include any lens element with refractive power other than said first, second, third, fourth, fifth and sixth lens elements.
US09057857B2
A fiber optic assembly includes a buffer tube forming an elongate passage and a plurality of optical fibers positioned therein. The buffer tube includes at least one layer of a composite material that includes a base material and a filler material blended therein. Particles of the filler material have an acicular structure, having a longest dimension that is on average at least ten times a narrowest dimension of the particles. Further the buffer tube has kink resistance.
US09057843B2
A film construction (610) includes a group of microlayers that reflect normally incident light polarized along a first axis more than normally incident light polarized along a second axis. The microlayers are arranged into optical repeat units (ORUs) that have a layer thickness distribution along a thickness axis perpendicular to the first and second axes that provides the group of microlayers with an intermediate reflectivity over an extended reflection band for a given incidence condition. The ORUs include thinner ORUs whose thicknesses are less than an average thickness, and thicker ORUs whose thicknesses are greater than the average thickness. The group of microlayers is optically immersed in a medium having a refractive index greater than air, such that “supercritical light” can propagate through the microlayers. The microlayers are oriented such that, on average, the thinner ORUs are closer than the thicker ORUs to an output surface of the construction. By “supercritical light” is meant that travels through the film at an angle that is more oblique than can be achieved by illumination from air using a flat, smooth air/film interface.
US09057840B2
An optical filter comprising a substrate and a dielectric multilayer film formed on at least one surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate comprises an aromatic polyether-based polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg), measured via differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, heating rate: 20° C./min), of from 230 to 350° C.
US09057832B2
A method for fabricating an optical modulator includes forming n-type layer, a first oxide portion on a portion of the n-type layer, and a second oxide portion on a second portion of the n-type layer, patterning a first masking layer over the first oxide portion, portions of a planar surface of the n-type layer, and portions of the second oxide portion, implanting p-type dopants in the n-type layer to form a first p-type region and a second p-type region, removing the first masking layer, patterning a second masking layer over the first oxide portion, a portion of the first p-type region, and a portion of the n-type layer, and implanting p-type dopants in exposed portions of the n-type layer, exposed portions of the first p-type region, and regions of the n-type layer and the second p-type region disposed between the substrate and the second oxide portion.
US09057830B2
The present invention provides systems, articles, and methods for discriminating electromagnetic radiation based upon the angle of incidence of the electromagnetic radiation. In some cases, the materials and systems described herein can be capable of inhibiting reflection of electromagnetic radiation (e.g., the materials and systems can be capable of transmitting and/or absorbing electromagnetic radiation) within a given range of angles of incidence at a first incident surface, while substantially reflecting electromagnetic radiation outside the range of angles of incidence at a second incident surface (which can be the same as or different from the first incident surface). A photonic material comprising a plurality of periodically occurring separate domains can be used, in some cases, to selectively transmit and/or selectively absorb one portion of incoming electromagnetic radiation while reflecting another portion of incoming electromagnetic radiation, based upon the angle of incidence. In some embodiments, one domain of the photonic material can include an isotropic dielectric function, while another domain of the photonic material can include an anisotropic dielectric function. In some instances, one domain of the photonic material can include an isotropic magnetic permeability, while another domain of the photonic material can include an anisotropic magnetic permeability. In some embodiments, non-photonic materials (e.g., materials with relatively large scale features) can be used to selectively absorb incoming electromagnetic radiation based on angle of incidence.
US09057827B2
Provided are an optical transmission structure having a high degree of flexibility in the design of an optical waveguide and a method for manufacturing the optical transmission structure, and also an optical transmission module. An optical transmission structure includes a main substrate (30), a cladding member (40), and core members (50). The main substrate (30) has a through hole (30a) penetrating therethrough in a thickness direction thereof. The cladding member (40) is disposed inside the through hole (30a) and has a plurality of optical waveguide holes (40a) penetrating therethrough in a thickness direction thereof. The core members (50) are disposed inside the plurality of optical waveguide holes (40a), respectively, and have a refractive index larger than the cladding member (40).
US09057826B2
An optical apparatus includes an optical combiner, an image lens, and an external scene lens. The optical combiner has an eye-ward side and an external scene side and includes a partially reflective diffraction grating that is at least partially reflective to image light incident through the eye-ward side and at least partially transmissive to external scene light incident through the external scene side. A first mount is positioned to hold the image lens in an optical path of the image light to apply a first corrective prescription to the image light. A second mount is positioned to hold an external scene lens over the external scene side of the optical combiner to apply a second corrective prescription to the external scene light. The optical combiner combines the image light with the scene light to form a combined image that is corrected according to the first and second corrective prescriptions.
US09057822B2
Silicone hydrogel contact lenses that are derived from a polymerizable composition including a first siloxane monomer represented by formula (3): wherein m of formula (3) represents one integer from 3 to 10, n of formula (3) represents one integer from 1 to 10, R1 of formula (3) is an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms, and each R2 of formula (3) is independently either a hydrogen atom or a methyl group; and at least one vinyl ether-containing cross-linking agent are described. Batches of silicone hydrogel contact lenses and methods of making silicone hydrogel contact lenses are also described. In one example, the batches of silicone hydrogel contact lenses are dimensionally stable, and the method of making is a method of making dimensionally stable silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
US09057820B2
An optical lens element resin composition including: dicyclohexylmethane diisocyanate; a polythiol compound having 3 or 4 thiol groups; and a thermal catalyst.
US09057816B2
The invention provides a resin-coated optical fiber, including at least: a glass optical fiber composed of a core and a clad for coating the core; a primary layer made of UV-curing resin in contact with the glass optical fiber; and a secondary layer made of the UV-curing resin disposed on an outer periphery of the primary layer, wherein the primary layer has a two-layer structure of an inner layer in contact with a surface of the clad, and an outer layer for coating the inner layer, wherein the UV-curing resin of the inner layer has a Young's modulus of 0.9 MPa or more and 3.0 MPa or less at room temperature in a film state based on JIS standard K7113, and the UV-curing resin of the outer layer has a Young's modulus of 0.1 MPa or more and 0.7 MPa or less at room temperature in a film state based on JIS standard K7113.
US09057813B2
An optical fiber of the invention satisfies Δcore>Δic>Δtmax>Δtmin, −0.15%≧Δtmax>Δtmin≧−0.7%, and 0.45≦(rtmax−rin)/(rout−rin)≦0.9 where the relative refractive index difference of the core is Δcore, the relative refractive index difference of the internal cladding coat is Δic, the relative refractive index difference of a highest refractive index layer in the trench coating is Δtmax, the relative refractive index difference of a lowest refractive index layer in the trench coating is Δtmin, the radius of an internal edge of the trench coating is rin, the radius of an external edge of the trench coating is rout, and the radius of an internal edge of a highest refractive index layer in the trench coating is rtmax and where the relative refractive index differences are based on a refractive index of the outermost cladding coat.
US09057810B2
A light-emitting module includes a light source, a printed circuit board (“PCB”) and a light absorption portion. The light source generates and emits a light, and the light source is on a first surface of the PCB. The light absorption portion is on the first surface of the PCB and absorbs the light.
US09057805B2
A lens includes a bottom face, a light incident face defined in the bottom face, two opposite first lateral faces, two opposite second lateral faces and a light emerging face. The two first lateral faces are located adjacent to the light incident face, and the two second lateral faces are located away from the light incident face. The light emerging face includes two convex faces and a concave face interconnecting the two convex faces. The light emerging face has a light diverging capability along a first direction larger than that along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US09057804B2
The present inventions relate generally to methods, apparatus and systems for measuring snow stability and structure which may be used to assess avalanche risk. The disclosed apparatus includes a sensing unit configured to sense a resistance to penetration as the sensing unit is being driven into a layer of snow. The disclosed apparatus may also be configured to take other environmental measurements, including temperature, humidity, grain size, slope aspect and inclination. Methods and apparatus are also disclosed for generating a profile of snow layer hardness according to depth based on the sensed resistance to penetration and identifying areas of concern which may indicate an avalanche risk. Systems and apparatus are also disclosed for sharing the generated profiles among a plurality of users via a central server, and for evaluating an avalanche risk at a geographic location.
US09057797B2
A multi-step electromagnetic inversion method is provided for determining formation resistivity, anisotropy and dip. An electromagnetic logging tool is used to obtain non-directional, anisotropy, and directional (including symmetrized and anti-symmetrized resistivity measurements) in a formation using an electromagnetic logging tool. Bed boundaries of the formation are first identified. A horizontal resistivity profile is obtained using the non-directional resistivity measurements, and a vertical resistivity profile is obtained using the anisotropy resistivity measurements. The vertical resistivity profile is improved using the directional resistivity measurements, while dip values are also obtained via an inversion using the directional resistivity measurements. Then, an inversion for each of vertical resistivity, horizontal resistivity, dip values, and bed boundaries is performed using all of the non-directional, anisotropy, and directional resistivity measurements to obtain a formation model.
US09057788B2
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems are described for creating virtual channels in a photon emitting imaging modality. The imaging modality comprises a plurality of photon counting channels. Information yielded from two or more photon counting channels during a same or similar acquisition view may be combined to yield a virtual channel that represents a portion of the detection surface substantially equivalent to an area comprised by the two or more photon counting channels. In one example, within a same acquisition view, some virtual channels may comprise a different number of photon counting channels than other virtual channels. Also, different sets of virtual channels may be created for a same acquisition view to produce different images from a single set of data, for example, where there may be overlap between virtual channels such that the same photon counting channel is comprised in more than one virtual channel.
US09057787B2
A method for colorimetric radiation dosimetry includes subjecting an aggregate including a polymeric matrix having uniformly dispersed nanoparticles therein to radiation. The aggregate is soaked in a solution selected to dissolve decomposed pieces of the polymeric matrix to release into the solution nanoparticles from the decomposed pieces. Color of the solution is compared to a reference to determine a dose of radiation based on number of liberated nanoparticles.
US09057777B2
A multi-sensor device for detecting events, comprises first acquisition means comprising at least a first sensor, operating in a first frequency band and second acquisition means comprising at least a second sensor, operating in a second frequency band different from the first frequency band, means for processing raw data originating from the acquisition means and comprising means for the detection of events in the raw data and for determining the geographic location of said events, means for transmitting an alert if an event is detected by the processing means, means for storing the raw data, said storage means being suitable for restoring the stored raw data in a synchronized manner, and monitoring means which, following detection of an event in the raw data of one of said acquisition means, enables said processing means to be adapted to detect events in said stored raw data originating from said other acquisition means.
US09057764B2
An unchecked signal detection mechanism runs simulation tests of circuit designs that normally pass. Before a simulation test is run, noise is injected into one randomly chosen signal. A random constant value is assigned to the randomly chosen signal. The constant random value is forced on the selected signal for the duration of the simulation test. Signals for which simulation tests always pass, even when their value is forced, are likely not checked and declared as suspect. The subset of suspect signals is then checked to determine whether their checkers are indeed missing or defective. Any verification flaws (holes) found are then fixed.
US09057758B2
An object is to provide a current measurement method which enables a minute current to be measured. To achieve this, the value of a current flowing through an electrical element is not directly measured, but is calculated from a change in potential observed in a predetermined period. The detection of a minute current can be achieved by a measurement method including the steps of applying a predetermined potential to a first terminal of an electrical element comprising the first terminal and a second terminal; measuring an amount of change in potential of a node connected to the second terminal; and calculating, from the amount of change in potential, a value of a current flowing between the first terminal and the second terminal of the electrical element.
US09057757B2
Forward voltage drift in a probe system for the characterization of a light-emitting wafer is virtually eliminated by directing compressed air to the probe so as to ensure that the exact same temperature conditions exist during repeated measurements of the wafer. In one embodiment of the invention, an air flow at room temperature is used, either continuously or intermittently. In another embodiment, the temperature of the probe is controlled by flowing a liquid or a gas through micro-channels built into the probe. In yet another embodiment, the probe is connected to a solid-state Peltier cell that is computer-controlled to maintain the probe's temperature at a predetermined set-point. A temperature-controlled chamber or a thermal reservoir enclosing the probe could be used as well. The results obtained showed remarkable repeatability.
US09057756B2
To prevent an excessive current from flowing through a device under test. A test apparatus that tests a device under test, comprising a power supply section that generates a power supply voltage to be supplied to the device under test; an inductive load section that is provided in a path leading from the power supply section to the device under test; a first semiconductor switch that is provided in the path leading from the inductive load section to the device under test and is connected in parallel with the device under test; and a control section that turns the first semiconductor switch ON when supply of the power supply voltage to the device under test is stopped.
US09057755B2
A device for monitoring internal arc in gas insulated switchgear. The device includes: at least one or more partial discharge sensors that electronic wave signals of partial discharge generated by internal arc in a gas section of the gas insulated switchgear; at least one or more gas pressure wave sensors that measure pressure wave signals due to expansion of a gas produced by internal arc in the gas section of the gas insulated switchgear; a data acquiring unit that receives the electronic wave signals measured by the partial discharge sensors and the pressure wave signals measured by the gas pressure sensors, finds out internal arc on the basis of the received sensor measure information, and determines the reason and the position of the internal ark; and a transmitting unit that transmits the sensor measurement information and determination information from the data acquiring unit to a super-system.
US09057751B2
A ground fault detection circuit for detecting ground faults in electrical subsea conductor lines including a first electrical conductor line, a second electrical conductor line, a first ground fault detection line, and a second ground fault detection line. The ground fault detection circuit further includes a first resistor operatively connected to a voltage source and the first ground fault detection line, a second resistor operatively connected to the voltage source and the second ground fault detection line, and a voltage detection device configured to detect the voltage at an output end of the first resistor to determine the presence of a ground fault in at least one of the first and second conductor lines.
US09057750B2
Test of a testing device for determining a voltage state of a high-voltage vehicle electrical system
A method for testing a testing device for determining a voltage state of an on-board high-voltage electrical system of a motor vehicle includes establishing a predetermined voltage state in the on-board high-voltage electrical system by supplying a test voltage to the on-board high-voltage electrical system and determining the voltage state with the testing device and comparing the determined voltage state with the predetermined voltage state This ensures that, before maintenance work on the on-board high-voltage electrical system is performed, a voltage-free state of the on-board high-voltage electrical system determined by the testing device is actually present, thereby eliminating risk to maintenance personnel due to an accidentally applied voltage.
US09057747B2
A film sensor includes a polarizing film, an antistatic layer and a capacitive sensor that are laminated in this order, the capacitive sensor having a transparent film, a transparent electrode pattern formed on one side of the transparent film, and an adhesive layer formed on the one side of the transparent film to embed the transparent electrode pattern. The transparent film is disposed between the antistatic layer and the transparent electrode pattern. The antistatic layer has a surface resistance value of 1.0×109 to 1.0×1011Ω/□.
US09057727B2
The present invention provides screening methods for GPCRs based on the discovery that the affinity of a receptor agonist for a GPCR (such as the parathyroid hormone receptor) when not bound to a G-protein is correlated with the length of time over which the agonist is effective, independently of its pharmacokinetic properties. The invention also provides PTH- and PTHrP-derived polypeptides.
US09057724B2
Label complexes, lateral flow apparatus and methods of detecting a high molecular weight substance are shown and described. In one embodiment, the label complex includes an antispecies antibody and another antibody having sensitivity to both the antispecies antibody and to a control line capture agent, an antibody binding protein and a detectable component. Typically, the antibody binding protein may bind to a receptor for the analyte or to the anti-species antibody. In yet other embodiments, a lateral flow test strip includes the label complex and a solid support that traverses lateral flow of a liquid sample and provides a detectable signal.
US09057721B1
An assay device may include a first cylinder that includes a first end that is closed and a second, opposite end that is open. The first cylinder may include one or more reservoirs that are compressible and store one or more reagents. The device may include a test chamber to which the reservoirs are connected, and in which the sample can be inserted to perform the assay; and a second cylinder that includes a third end that is closed and a fourth, opposite end that is open. The fourth end may fit within the second end to enable the second cylinder to be attached to, and rotate within, the first cylinder. The third end may include a member that compresses the reservoirs, in a predetermined order, as the second cylinder is rotated within the first cylinder to cause the reagents to flow, to the test chamber, in the predetermined order.
US09057713B2
Methods and systems for sensing properties of an object or entity utilize non-resistive contact sensors alone or in combination with other sensors. The sensor data is utilized for detecting and visualizing properties of one or more biological or non-biological objects or entities.
US09057712B1
A system and method for tagging, tracking, locating and identifying people and vehicles transporting people using Perfluorocarbon tracers. An on-going problem faced by military as well as law enforcement personnel is that of friendly fire incidents. To prevent possible friendly-fire incidents, troops would separate the two layers of the uniform patch, thereby releasing a controlled release of the Perfluorocarbon vapors. Other “friendly” troops, equipped with sensors tuned to the specific perfluorocarbon characteristics would thus be able to literally view a plume around the tagged person or object. The system may conversely be used to tag enemies. Formulations of mixed perfluorocarbons may be used to provide coding of emissions.
US09057708B2
Inspection equipment for mouth section of bottle-can, including: a rotating device which holds and rotates the bottle-can around a can-axis; a first illumination device which irradiates a first illumination light toward the curl portion in an imaging area; a second illumination device which irradiates a second illumination light having a different light color from that of the first illumination light toward the curl portion from an opposite side to the first illumination light with the imaging area therebetween; a third illumination device which irradiates a third illumination light having a different light color along an intersecting direction with the first and second illumination lights; an imaging device which is disposed toward the imaging area and obtains an inspection image including reflected lights at the curl portion; and an asperity-recognition device which detects an edge position of the curl portion based on the reflected light of the third illumination light.
US09057705B2
A surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) substrate formed from a plurality of monolayers of polyhedral silver nanocrystals, wherein at least one of the monolayers has polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP) on its surface, and thereby configured for sensing arsenic is described. Highly active SERS substrates are formed by assembling high density monolayers of differently shaped silver nanocrystals onto a solid support. SERS detection is performed directly on this substrate by placing a droplet of the analyte solution onto the nanocrystal monolayer. Adsorbed polymer, polyvinypyrrolidone (PVP), on the surface of the nanoparticles facilitates the binding of both arsenate and arsenite near the silver surface, allowing for highly accurate and sensitive detection capabilities.
US09057704B2
A surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) sensor includes a substrate with a nanostructured surface. The nanostructured surface has a quasi-periodic, anisotropic array of elongated ridge elements having a wave-ordered structure pattern, each ridge element having a wavelike cross-section and oriented substantially in a first direction. The sensor also includes a plurality of metal elements disposed, at least in part, on tops of the ridge elements.
US09057699B2
In a first embodiment, a spectroscopy device comprises a preheater, an ionizer, and a differential ion mobility spectroscopy (DMS) analyzer. The preheater is disposed to heat inlet air to 150° C. or more. The ionizer is disposed to receive and ionize heated inlet air from the preheater. The differential ion mobility spectroscopy (DMS) analyzer has a reception element configured to detect ionized chemical agents in the inlet air.In a second embodiment, a spectroscopy device comprises a DMS detector and a controller. The DMS detector comprises an ionizer disposed to receive and ionize inlet air at 150° C. or more, and an analyzer disposed to selectively receive ions from the ionizer under varying radio frequency voltage and compensation field voltage. The controller is configured to flag at least one chemical agent as present in the inlet air upon reception of negatively charged ions by the analyzer under corresponding values of the radio frequency voltage and the compensation field voltage.
US09057695B2
A system and method for irradiating a medium including irradiating the medium with an electromagnetic wave which is scattered in the medium and modulated in frequency at a position in the medium; obtaining information corresponding to an interference pattern generated by interference between the modulated electromagnetic wave and a reference wave; and generating a phase conjugate wave, based on the obtained information, which irradiates the medium.
US09057694B2
Gels, such as polyacrylamide gels, are provided that include linear polyacrylamide in the stacking gel. Native gels that include linear polyacrylamide in the stacker can be used to separate biomolecular complexes, such as protein complexes. Gel cassettes in which the gap width between front and back plates does not vary by more than 5% at the upper edge of the cassette are also provided. The gel cassettes can be used for electrophoretic separation of proteins and protein complexes on native gels, such as native gels that include linear polyacrylamide in the stacker. The native gels can have multiple wells for electrophoresing at least one sample and/or at least one molecular weight standard.
US09057684B2
A system for imaging a gamma source includes a pixelated Compton scattering layer, for Compton scattering of gamma photons emitted by the gamma source, and a non-pixelated full-energy detector for detecting at least a portion of Compton scattered gamma photons geometrically encoded by a coded aperture positioned between the pixelated Compton scattering layer and the full-energy detector at a distance from the pixelated Compton scattering layer. A method for imaging a gamma source includes (a) detecting coincidence events, each including Compton scattering in a pixelated Compton scattering layer, and transmission to a non-pixelated full-energy detector of a Compton scattered gamma photon transmitted through a coded aperture located at a distance from the pixelated Compton scattering layer, and (b) determining an image of the gamma source from the detection of the coincidence events.
US09057675B2
Methods of formulating and designing liquid drug suspensions containing ion exchange resin particles
The invention relates to the formulation and quality control of liquid drug suspensions. In particular, the invention relates to methods of formulating liquid suspensions comprising drug-containing resin particles. The invention also relates to methods of confirming the acceptability of drug-containing resin particles for use in formulating liquid drug suspensions. The invention further relates to methods of formulating liquid suspensions in which drug-containing resin particles, the liquid suspension, or both are modified to achieve a desired in vitro dissolution profile. The invention also relates to a novel dissolution method and methods of predicting in vivo bioequivalence based on in vitro dissolution methods.
US09057671B1
A system and method for mounting a section onto a substrate, the system comprising: a fluid channel including: a fluid channel inlet that receives the section, processed from a bulk embedded sample by a sample sectioning module positioned proximal the fluid channel inlet, a section-mounting region downstream of the fluid channel inlet, and a fluid channel outlet downstream of the section-mounting region; a reservoir in fluid communication with the fluid channel outlet; and a manifold, fluidly coupled to the reservoir, that delivers fluid from the reservoir to the fluid channel inlet, thereby transmitting fluid flow that drives delivery of the section from the fluid channel inlet toward the section-mounting region.
US09057669B2
Methods of sampling substances such as subsurface contaminants, a transfer line for use in a system for such sampling, a sampling system and methods of manufacture and use of the system are described. The transfer line used in a probe system for subsurface chemical sampling connects a detection apparatus with a probe, the transfer line including a first flexible tube for carrying fluid to the probe; and a second flexible tube for carrying sample-loaded fluid from the probe; wherein second flexible or both first and second flexible tubes comprise a barrier tube surrounded by a metal coating. The metal coating is a continuous cladding deposited with structural integrity, and the metal coating is surrounded by an insulating layer, so that one or both of the flexible tubes can be heated by applying a voltage on the metal coating.
US09057668B2
A liquid gas vaporization and measurement system, and associated method, for efficiently vaporizing a continuous sample of liquid gas, such as liquid natural gas (LNG), and accurately determining the constituent components of the gas. A constant flow of liquid gas sampled from a mass storage device is maintained in a vaporizing device. Within the vaporizing device the liquid gas is flash vaporized within heated narrow tubing. The liquid gas is converted to vapor very quickly as it enters one or more independently operating vaporizer stages within the vaporizing device. The vapor gas is provided to a measuring instrument such as a chromatograph and the individual constituent components and the BTU value of the gas are determined to an accuracy of within +/−0.5 mole percent and 1 BTU, respectively.
US09057661B2
A tire pressure observation method and computer readable medium is provided. Upon detection of an abnormal pressure condition, a tire pressure observation method provides for various maintenance actions. A computer readable medium may contain instructions for a tire pressure observation controller directing the controller to present messages at different stages of the maintenance actions to assist maintenance staff in properly performing the maintenance actions, for example, observing the tire pressure.
US09057658B2
A sensor array (13) for checking the pressure of a vehicle tire while being moved over the array comprises two sets (14) and (19) of aligned, facing sensor members. The first set (14) of sensor members is formed by slits (15) cut into a plate of metal to form first fingers (16) connected in cantilevered fashion to a first base portion (17), which extend in the direction of intended vehicle movement to free ends (18). The second set (19) of sensor members is formed by slits (20) cut into a plate of metal to form second fingers (21) connected in cantilevered fashion to a second base portion (22), which extend in the reverse of the direction of intended vehicle movement to free ends (23). The fingers of the two sets are aligned and the free ends (18) and (23) are closely adjacent. Each finger is provided with a load sensing system (28, 29) which provides an indication of the load on the finger as the tire moves over the finger. Loads are applied to different positions along the fingers as the tire moves over the array. The sensitivity of the array increases from a minimum for a load applied where the first fingers (16) are attached to the first base portion (17), to a maximum adjacent the free ends (18, 23) of the first and second fingers (16) and (21), and then decreases to a minimum where the second fingers (21) are attached to the second base portion (22). The fingers may be replaced by series of individual sensing elements (42) arranged in groups so as to constitute sensor members, whose outputs are weighted so that the sensitivity varies in a similar manner along a sensor member.
US09057656B2
A pressure indication device is provided to connect to an inflation mechanism of an inflation machine. The pressure indication device includes a hollow tubular body in which a push bock is received in a manner of being movable by a pressure conducted into the hollow tubular body and connected to a linearly movable plate and biased by an elastic element. The hollow tubular body has a tubular wall forming a pressure relief hole at a preset position corresponding to a maximum allowable pressure level. A scale bar having graduations is provided along a moving path of the plate. The elastic force of compression of the elastic element serves as a reaction force (restoration and returning force) for the linear movement of the plate. A pressure conducted into the hollow tubular body from the inflation machine drives the plate to move and thus indicates the pressure level.
US09057655B2
A force sensor includes a transducer with a measuring element operatively connected to a measuring object for generating measuring signals of a force acting on the measuring object, and two in parallel transmission channels transmit mutually corresponding signals of the measuring signals independently from one another and connected in parallel to the same transducer. A test signal is evaluated in a transmission channel in which the test signal has been injected and in another transmission channel in which the test signal has not been injected. In another testing method, the transmitted signals are compared.
US09057644B2
An illuminance and proximity sensor includes a first sensing unit that senses infrared light and green light, and forwards a first sensing signal corresponding to a result of the sensing, a second sensing unit that filters visible light, senses the infrared light, and forwards a second sensing signal corresponding to a result of the sensing, and a control unit that produces an illuminance using a first difference value from subtracting the second sensing signal from the first sensing signal, and a proximity using a second difference value from subtracting the first difference value from the second sensing signal.
US09057641B2
A POS-based checkout/scale system having (i) a bar code symbol reading subsystem for reading bar code symbols on products being purchased at a retail POS station, and (ii) a produce weigh scale having a weigh scale assembly for weighing one or more produce items on a weigh platter during produce weighing operations carried out at the time of checkout at said retail POS station. The system also includes an automatic produce weighing interference detection subsystem, supporting an IR-based light curtain about the weigh platter, automatically detects when any object is overhanging the weigh platter during produce weighing operations, and generates an alert signal when such conditions are automatically detected.
US09057640B1
A system and apparatus for preparing bulk quantities of dry colorant or pigment for blending with mortar are described. The system mixes pigments of black, red, white and yellow to prepare a batch of the dry colorant having a particular color. The pigments or dry colorant are generally a powder of metal oxide crystals. The system includes pigment dispensers, wherein each pigment dispenser includes a tote that is in flowing communication with a valve. A receptacle receives pigments from the exit opening of the vibratory trays. A control unit serially operates the vibratory trays to dispense the pigment from each tote. A scale measures the weight of the pigments in the receptacle. The scale is in operational communication with the control unit.
US09057638B2
Level of a substance in a container can be determined by exciting vapor in unfilled space within the container. Variable frequency oscillator and emitting transducer can provide signals to excite resonance of vapor. A sensor can measure the peak resonant signal of vapor excited in unfilled space within the container as the amount of substance in the container changes. A signal-processing unit coupled to the sensor and variable frequency oscillator can process signals sensed by the sensing transducer and can extract them from background noise affecting the acoustic signal of the system using correlation functions by referencing the signal generated by the variable frequency oscillator. A computer can obtain the signal processed by the signal-processing unit and calculate unfilled space within the container and derive therefrom an amount of filled space representing the amount of the substance contained therein. A gauge can indicate the amount of substance in the container.
US09057627B2
A device for providing flight condition information and a method of displaying such information. In one form, the device functions as a backup system to provide flight condition information in the event of partial or complete inoperability of a primary flight instrument system, or to complement such primary flight instrument system. Numerous sensors collect flight data, which can pass through devices to convert and manipulate the data to produce flight condition information that can be displayed in such a way as to reduce a pilot's cognitive workload. The information displayed includes at least flight path angle, lateral acceleration, and turn rate. Additional information that may be displayed includes heading information, as well as information relating to airspeed and altitude, among others. In another form, the device can be part of either a primary or backup system.
US09057626B2
An advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) cartridge includes an AMI cartridge housing having an interior zone, and an AMI module system supported within the interior zone of the AMI cartridge module housing. The AMI module system includes an AMI module and an energy meter interface configured and disposed to detachably connect to an energy meter.
US09057618B1
Systems and methods provide approximations of latitude and longitude coordinates of objects, for example a business, in street level images. The images may be collected by a camera. An image of a business is collected along with GPS coordinates and direction of the camera. Depth maps of the images may be generated, for example, based on laser depth detection or displacement of the business between two images caused by a change in the position of the camera. After identifying a business in one or more images, the distance from the camera to a point or area relative to the business in the one or more images may be determined based on the depth maps. Using this distance and the direction of the camera which collected the one or more images and GPS coordinates of the camera, the approximate GPS coordinates of the business may be determined.
US09057617B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for identifying points-of-interest. In one aspect, a method includes identifying points-of-interest (POIs) associated with one or more of multiple, selected geographic areas, and determining, for each of the multiple geographic areas, a score associated with the identified POIs. The actions also include generating a combined score for each identified POI based on the determined scores associated with the respective POI, selecting a subset of the identified POIs based at least on the combined scores, and displaying a link to the POIs in the subset.
US09057611B2
In order to make a user intuitively recognize labor of traveling on a route, a map information providing server (10) stores map data including an undulation of an actual topography, stores information on first routes each containing one or more routes from a point, as a start point, corresponding to information on the user in the map data, to a plurality of predetermined points in a region containing the point corresponding to the information on the user in the map data, in association with identification information on the user, determines a second route from a start point to an endpoint specified based on a request from the user, directly or indirectly compares a length of the second route and an undulation on the second route, and a length of each of the first routes and an undulation on each of the first routes with each other in the map data, and provides the user with information on a comparison result.
US09057607B2
A laser measuring device is provided and includes a device top, a device bottom, wherein the device bottom includes a first bottom surface and a second bottom surface, wherein the first bottom surface is in a first plane and the second bottom surface is in a second plane to form a ledge between the first bottom surface and the second bottom surface, a device front portion, a device rear portion, wherein the device rear portion defines a scribe channel, a plurality of leveling vials, wherein each of the plurality of leveling vials are located in a separate plane and a laser light source, wherein the laser light source is associated with the device front portion such that when the laser light source is activated, laser light is emitted from the device front portion and is aligned with the scribe channel.
US09057600B2
For position sensors, e.g., a fiber-based system, that build a shape of an elongated member such as a catheter using a sequence of small orientation measurements, a small error in orientation at the proximal end of the sensor will cause large error in position at distal points on the fiber. Exemplary methods and systems are disclosed which may provide full or partial registration along the length of the sensor to reduce the influence of the measurement error. Additional examples are directed to applying selective filtering at a proximal end of the elongated member to provide a more stable base for distal measurements and thereby reducing the influence of measurement errors.
US09057588B1
A portable remote controlled target assembly includes a frame carried on a base. The frame includes a first arm and a second arm. A sheath is carried on the first arm, a roller is carried on the second arm, and a sheet spans the sheath and the roller. The sheet includes a target. The sheet is advanced between the sheath and the roller by a motor which rotates the roller. The motor is remote control operated to allow new targets to be displayed while a user is remotely positioned during target practice.
US09057585B1
The disclosed embodiments relate to illumination associated with a weapon. In one embodiment, a lighting device for mounting on a weapon comprises a light source, an inertial sensor, and a controller. The light source can be used to illuminate a portion of a target. The inertial sensor can be used for sensing the forces acting on the lighting device. The controller can be configured to activate the light source when the lighting device is in a firing position for more than a first predetermined time period, and deactivate the light source when the lighting device is in a non-firing position for more than a second predetermined time period.
US09057581B2
A gun sight for use with a weapon configured for super elevation is disclosed herein. The gun sight includes, but is not limited to, an imaging system that is configured for rotation. The gun sight further includes a drive mechanism that associated with the imaging system and that is configured to rotate the imaging system. The gun sight further includes an inclinometer associated with one of the weapon and the imaging system. The gun sight still further includes a processor that is communicatively coupled with the drive mechanism and the inclinometer. The processor is configured to control the drive mechanism to rotate the imaging system in a manner that causes the imaging system to maintain an initial angular orientation based on information provided by the inclinometer when the weapon is superelevated.
US09057569B2
A ceramic heat sink material for a pressure contact structure includes a resin layer on a ceramic substrate. The resin layer can have a durometer (Shore) hardness (A-type) of 70 or less, and an average value of gaps existing in an interface between the ceramic substrate and the resin layer is 3 μm or less. The resin layer can be formed by solidifying a thermosetting resin which is fluidized at a temperature of 60° C.
US09057568B2
Temperature control devices and methods are described. The described temperature control devices and methods comprise optical emission and detection assemblies and can be used in PCR and qPCR applications.
US09057567B2
A fluid heat exchanger includes: a heat spreader plate including an intended heat generating component contact region; a plurality of microchannels for directing heat transfer fluid over the heat spreader plate, the plurality of microchannels each having a first end and an opposite end and each of the plurality of microchannels extending substantially parallel with each other microchannel and each of the plurality of microchannels having a continuous channel flow path between their first end and their opposite end; a fluid inlet opening for the plurality of microchannels and positioned between the microchannel first and opposite ends, a first fluid outlet opening from the plurality of microchannels at each of the microchannel first ends; and an opposite fluid outlet opening from the plurality of microchannels at each of the microchannel opposite ends, the fluid inlet opening and the first and opposite fluid outlet openings providing that any flow of heat transfer fluid that passes into the plurality of microchannels, flows along the full length of each of the plurality of microchannels in two directions outwardly from the fluid inlet opening. A method of cooling a heat generating component uses a fluid heat exchanger that splits a mass flow of coolant.
US09057565B2
The cooling device comprises a base with a recessed part in a first surface, a plurality of heat radiating fins standing erect on a second surface on the reverse side of the first surface, and a flat, plate-like thermal diffusion part housed inside the recessed part. The upper surface of the thermal diffusion part makes thermal contact with the upper surface of the recessed part, the side surface of the thermal diffusion part makes thermal contact with the side surface of the recessed part, and the thermal diffusion part diffuses in the planar and orthogonal directions heat from the heat generating element arranged on the bottom surface of the thermal diffusion part by vaporizing and condensing coolant sealed inside.
US09057548B2
A receiver (50) is provided for collecting a refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant flow circuit. The receiver housing (52) defines an enclosed volume (55) establishing a refrigerant collection reservoir, and has an inlet (54), a first outlet (56), and a second outlet (58). A refrigerant metering device (70) is disposed within the enclosed volume (55) in operative association with the second outlet (58) for controlling a flow of refrigerant discharging through the second outlet (58). The refrigerant metering device (70) may be a capillary tube metering device (72). The receiver (50) may also include a refrigerant filter/dryer (80) disposed within the enclosed volume (55).
US09057542B2
A connector is provided and includes a first and second side wall that are connected by a base. The side walls have recesses such that a structural member's protrusions can be interposed between the side wall's recesses and snapped into place to connect the connector to the structural member.
US09057540B2
A frame for a solar module that includes at least one solar cell. The solar-module frame has a frame corner having a corner connector made of a first material, in particular made of aluminum, and having a corner element made of a second material, which is different from the first material, in particular made of plastics material.
US09057535B2
Methods and devices are presented that allow the harvest of electricity, heat and lighting simultaneously from a solar converter, often at less cost than conventional solar collectors. The converters use slats to intercept sunlight. Slat surfaces in the direct light path may be coated with photovoltaic (PV) material, or may be shaped to concentrate sunlight, allowing less PV material to capture reflected, concentrated light for improved economics. Forcing air flow past enclosed slats let the slats operate as PV heat sinks, heat absorbers, and heat exchangers capturing much of the solar energy that is not converted to electricity, as heat. Embodiments also allow passage of indirect light to supplement interior artificial lighting, often with positive aesthetic effects. These slatted apertures mitigate glare and overheating problems associated with typical skylights and some windows, allowing wider use as architectural elements. The devices also can be integrated into new building construction, and serve a dual purpose as building structural components.
US09057529B2
A rotatable exhausting structure of a portable air conditioner has a housing and a connecting tube. The housing has through hole, and multiple holders and a resilient stop separately arranged around the through hole. The connecting tube has a flange formed on and around an outer surface of the connecting tube and held between the holders and the resilient stop of the housing, and is used to be connected to an exhausting pipe. Thus, the connecting tube is rotatable relative to the housing. When torque is caused in the exhausting pipe due to redirecting it, the connecting tube rotates accordingly. The exhausting pipe is not bent or twisted and keeps in good condition.
US09057525B2
A home appliance having an oven with a bake element, the home appliance including an appliance body, an oven cavity defined within the appliance body, a bake element operationally associated within the oven cavity, a bake element retainer supporting the bake element and mounted adjacent the oven cavity, and a mounting arrangement formed integrally with the bake element retainer for mounting the bake element within the oven cavity.
US09057523B2
A combustor component of a gas turbine engine including a heat shield panel. The heat shield panel a defines microcircuit flow path within a thickness of said heat shield panel.
US09057516B2
Modularized, superheated steam generators comprise a steam module (46), a thermocouple module (41), and an electrode module (45) assembled within a containment enclosure (66). The multi-stage steam module (46) comprises a plurality of first stage pressure vessels (77) surrounding and feeding a second stage pressure vessel (78). The steam module (46) is coaxially surrounded by insulation (48) disposed within a cylindrical shroud (72). The electrode module (45) radiantly heats the steam module with resistive heating elements (119). The thermocouple module (41) includes thermocouples monitoring first stage temperatures within and between pressure vessels (77). PLC computer SCADA software (600) operates the generators. Thermocouple data is analyzed to control heater temperatures, the water feeding system (340), and outputted steam temperature. PLC software (600) provides operating logic (602) establishing a start up subroutine (602), a ramp up subroutine (603), a steady state subroutine (605), and a shut down subroutine (606).
US09057515B2
The invention relates to an illuminating device for a machine tool, in particular, a grinding machine, wherein the illuminating device is arrangeable at a machine table of the machine tool, and is displaceable with the machine table, characterized in that the illuminating device comprises a first housing in which an illuminating module having a number of illuminating means is arranged, and in that a transparent plate is arranged at the first housing on the side of the illuminating means, wherein the transparent plate is configured so as to disperse the light emitted from the illuminating means substantially evenly. Further, a machine tool, in particular, a grinding machine, equipped with the illuminating device according to the invention is provided by the invention.
US09057514B2
A solid state lighting (SSL) device with a solid state emitter (SSE) being partially exposed in a channel loop, and methods of making and using such SSLs. The SSE can have thermally conductive projections such as fins, posts, or other structures configured to transfer heat into a fluid medium, such as a liquid coolant in the channel loop. The channel loop can include an upward channel in which the SSE is exposed to warm the coolant in the upward channel, and a downward channel through which coolant moves after being cooled by a cooling structure. The coolant in the channel loop can naturally circulate due to the heat from the SSE.
US09057511B2
Solid state lamps and bulbs comprising different combinations and arrangements of a light source, one or more wavelength conversion materials, regions or layers which are positioned separately or remotely with respect to the light source, and a separate diffuser. These are arranged on a heat sink in a manner that allows for the fabrication of lamps and bulbs that are efficient, reliable and cost effective and can provide an essentially omni-directional emission pattern, even with a light source comprised of a co-planar arrangement of LEDs. Additionally, this arrangement allows aesthetic masking or concealment of the appearance of the conversion regions or layers when the lamp is not illuminated. Various embodiments of the invention may be used to address many of the difficulties associated with utilizing efficient solid state light sources such as LEDs in the fabrication of lamps or bulbs suitable for direct replacement of traditional incandescent bulbs. Embodiments of the invention can be arranged to fit recognized standard size profiles such as those ascribed to commonly used lamps such as incandescent light bulbs, while still providing emission patterns that comply with ENERGY STAR® standards.
US09057509B2
A backlight module and a backlight lamp guide for the backlight module. The backlight lamp guide (5) comprises: a fixed base (3); a lamp clamping portion (2) provided on a first side of the fixed base (3); and a snap-fit structure (4) provided on a second side of the fixed base (3) opposite to the first side, wherein the snap-fit structure (4) comprises a snap-fit resilient structure (44); when the snap-fit structure (4) and a back cover (7) are snap-fitted, the snap-fit resilient structure (44) is elastically deformed, to exert an elastic retaining force on the back cover (7) in a direction away from the fixed base (3). The snap-fit resilient structure (44) facilitates a sufficient snap-fit of the snap-fit structure (4) with the back cover (7) of a backlight module.
US09057508B1
Disclosed are a system, device and/or an apparatus of modular hanging lasers to enable real-time control in a distribution center. A laser assembly includes a first support member and a second support member having a curved upper hook. The laser assembly includes a printed circuit board in between the first support member and the second support member that is physically coupled with the first support member at a first rotation point of the printed circuit board and the second support member at a second rotation point of the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board has a laser whose orientation is adjustable when a protrusion of the printed circuit board extends from a curved guide of the first support member. The second support member is manually adjusted by shifting the protrusion along the curved guide based on a graduation indicator adjacent to the curved guide.
US09057498B2
An LED light module and a backlit sign using at least one of the LED light modules are described. The LED light module comprises at least two LED light sources that are spaced apart from each other. Each of the LED light sources is covered by a lens and at least two of the lenses have a different shape than each other. The LED light module produces a uniform intensity of light on a backlit surface. The LED light module can include three LED light sources. Two of the lenses covering the LED light sources emit light that is distributed off-axis and a third of the lenses covering the LED light sources emits light that is distributed substantially on-axis. The backlit sign comprises a housing, at least one LED light module disposed in the housing and a backlit surface on the housing extending over the LED modules.
US09057484B2
A device and method for chemicals to be fed into a water system, treating the water system as it enters, for example, a fire protection mains and/or fire protection systems (FPS) to protect and maintain the longevity of the water system preventing damages to the water system or enhancing the operation characteristics of the system. This device is a treatment system that may be installed as a portable or permanent device with chemicals such as, corrosion inhibitors, wetting agents, polymeric dispersants, biocides, biostats or other water chemical enhancing effects with means for injecting the chemicals into the fire protection system or a bypass feed system (20) utilizing the fluid means without the need for any electricity. Activation of the pump(1) occurs when water enters the FPS mains and FPS sprinkler system from an outside source. Valving (22, 24) is included to isolate the pump and drums, storage tank to prevent backflow from the FPS.
US09057482B2
The auto/single functions selecting device of a grease gun includes a switch unit connected to the main body of the grease gun. When the user switches the switch unit to the first position, a single shot is available when pulling the trigger one time. When the user switches the switch unit to the second position, the grease is continuously supplied when keep pulling the trigger. The grease gun provides the function of single shot and the function of auto shot.
US09057481B1
A camera pedestal has wheels that can be positively steered via a steering bar operating a corrective and crab mode steering system, and that may also be uncoupled from the steering system and operated in a caster wheel mode. The pedestal includes a base having a chassis and four leg assemblies. Each leg assembly has an upper component rotatably attached to the chassis, and wheels attached to a lower component via a caster fitting. The caster fitting allows the wheels to be positioned in a normal position where they are aligned with the rotation axis of the leg assembly, and into a caster position where the wheels are offset from the rotation axis, to allow for caster rolling movement.
US09057470B1
The invention is a novel offset conduit body that has T-type, L-type and X-type conduit body variants. The T-style conduit body has an offset port the axis of which is perpendicular to the co-linear axis of the other two ports, but the axis of the offset port does not lie in a common plane with the axis of the other two ports, and this offset eliminates the need for bending conduit connected to the offset port in order for that conduit to pass over or under different conduit that is adjacent to the T-style conduit body and is parallel to the conduit connected to the other two ports. The L-style conduit body has a first and an offset port oriented at right angles to each other and the axis of the two ports are offset from each other so they do not lie in a common plane, and the offset eliminates the need for bending conduit connected to the offset port in order for that conduit to pass over or under adjacent conduit that is parallel to the conduit connected to the first port. The X-type conduit body has two collinear ports in one plane and two collinear ports in an offset plane.
US09057467B2
A gasket for preventing separation of interconnected pipes without damaging the pipes. The gasket includes a compressible body having a plurality of metal segments partially embedded therein. Each of the metal segments includes a row of exposed teeth configured for engaging a spigot end of a pipe and a trough configured for pivotably engaging a bead on a bell. The trough is further configured for shearing or deforming the bead and inhibiting over-pivoting of the segment about the bead when the pipes are partially withdrawn away from one another, for example, during over-pressurization of the pipes.
US09057465B2
The invention relates to an unbonded, flexible pipe having a length and comprising a tubular inner sealing sheath, at least one metal armor layer and an outer sealing sheath. The unbonded, flexible pipe comprises at least one insulated length section comprising a fluid permeable thermally insulating cover surrounding the outer sealing sheath in the insulated length section. The thermally insulating cover is further surrounded by a liquid permeable jacket, and preferably the thermally insulating cover is liquid permeable.
US09057464B2
A threaded pipe connector, including: a pipe body including an external thread on one end; and a coupling including an internal thread on a corresponding end. Both the external thread and the internal thread are buttress threads capable of matching with each other. A ratio of thread height to pitch is 0.25-0.35, bearing surface angle is −15-3°, and guide surface angle is 10-50°. A clearance is provided between a thread crest and a thread root after engagement of the external and internal threads. A sealing area between the pipe body and the coupling includes in sequence a first cylindrical transitional area, a cylindrical sealing area, a secondary cylindrical transitional area, a conical sealing area, and a conical transitional area. Tapers of both sides of the conical sealing area are the same. One end of the conical transitional area is connected with a torque shoulder.
US09057463B2
A subsea connector includes first and second tubular members, each having a forward end with an external first flange. A guide basket with an open forward end extends around the first tubular member. A fluid cylinder assembly moves the guide basket axially relative to the first tubular member between a rearward position and a forward position. Lock dogs are carried by the second tubular member. Each of the dogs has a first load shoulder and a second load shoulder and is mounted to a dog support. The dog support has a forward portion that contracts and expands radially relative to the second tubular member. While the guide basket is in the forward position, an interior of the guide basket engages outer sides of the dogs to retain the first and second load shoulders of the dogs in engagement with the first and second flanges.
US09057454B2
A flush actuator for use with a flush valve includes: a) a base having a bore extending therethrough between a lower portion and an upper portion; b) a plunger rod positioned within and guided by the bore of the base; and c) a handle mounted to the base, which when moved displaces the plunger rod within the bore of the base. The upper portion of the base includes a beveled nose extending from an end thereof beyond the lower portion. The plunger rod includes a body portion having a first diameter and a recessed area formed in the body portion with a second diameter that is less than the first diameter.
US09057452B2
A driving mechanism, mounting to a flush apparatus, includes an actuation housing coupling with a valve body, a manual actuation unit including a push button and a manual plunger arm transversely extended from the push button towards a pushing platform, and an automated actuation unit including a motorized unit and an automated plunger arm transversely extended towards the pushing platform. When the push button is manually pressed, the pushing platform is pushed by the manual plunger arm to move a diaphragm member at the unsealed position. When the motorized unit is activated in responsive to a presence of a user, the automated plunger arm is driven by the motorized unit to move towards the pushing platform, such that the pushing platform is pushed by the automated plunger arm to move the diaphragm member at the unsealed position.
US09057448B2
A method and apparatus for a pressure control system for an actuator is provided. In one embodiment, the pressure control system may include a housing defining an upper chamber and a lower chamber, and a piston disposed between the upper and lower chambers. A valve may be coupled to the piston that is operable to control fluid communication between the upper chamber and the lower chamber. In one embodiment, a method of controlling over-pressurization of an actuator includes supplying a fluid pressure to a first chamber of an actuator having a piston and actuating the piston using the fluid pressure. The method may further include relieving the fluid pressure from the first chamber through a valve that is coupled to the piston when the fluid pressure exceeds a predetermined maximum pressure.
US09057436B1
The present invention is a shift device for switching a dog clutch mechanism in a transmission, comprising: a shift shaft capable of moving in an axial direction; a shift member capable of moving in the axial direction within a predetermined waiting stroke range; an elastic member holder for a waiting mechanism; and an elastic member provided in outside of the shift shaft in a radial direction so as to be compressed and expanded between the elastic member holder and the shift member, wherein the elastic member biases the shift member toward one side in the axial direction.
US09057425B2
A flexure support apparatus for providing multiple axes support to reciprocating members for an energy conversion process includes a base having a sleeved opening disposed therethrough a central portion of the base and a plurality of apertures also disposed therethrough the base that are positioned outside of the sleeved opening, also included in a plurality of flexible finger assemblies that are positioned in an offset manner on opposing sides of the base. Further included is a pair of piston assemblies that are disposed within opposing ends of the sleeved opening being supported by the plurality of flexible finger assemblies, wherein the piston assemblies move in opposing and equal amounts in reciprocating movement within the sleeved opening being supported and controlled by the plurality of flexible finger assemblies, thus the pair of piston assemblies are able to do compressive work on a fluid within the sleeve without bearings or seals.
US09057421B2
In a wave gear device, an involute tooth profile with the low pressure angle α (<20°) is employed as a basic tooth profile of external teeth of a flexible external gear. In the principal section of the external teeth, the tooth depth thereof satisfies 2κ0mn=2(1+c) mn (deflection coefficient κ0=1+c, 0
US09057415B1
The present invention's vibration/shock amelioration device, as typically embodied, has a geometric device axis and includes two axial endplates, an intermediate support structure, and at least six truncated-conical resilient (e.g., elastomeric) elements. The intermediate support structure is equidistant between the endplates and lies in a geometric bisector plane that is perpendicular to the device axis. Each resilient element has a geometric conical axis, a larger-diameter axial end, and a smaller-diameter axial end. The resilient elements are fixed between the support structure and an endplate and are arranged symmetrically with respect to the device axis whereby the conical axes intersect the device axis at oblique angles and the smaller-diameter axial ends are closer to the bisector plane than are the larger-diameter axial ends. The intermediate support structure can include a single rigid piece, or a composite unit having a pair of rigid members and a resilient (e.g., elastomeric) member sandwiched therebetween.
US09057413B2
Provided are a floating brake disk assembling method and a floating brake disk, and a floating brake disk assembling device, wherein a washer or a spring member can be accurately attached to a coupling pin. In the floating disk brake assembling method, a coupling pin 32 for coupling a brake disk (10) to a hub disk (20), which has a cylindrical body portion (41) to be mounted in a coupling hole (31), a first jaw portion (42) formed in one end portion of the body portion (41), and a portion to be swaged (43A) continuous to the other end portion of the body portion (41), is used; and the portion to be swaged (43A) is swaged so that a second jaw portion (42) having a diameter larger than that of the body portion (41) can be formed. The second jaw portion is formed by swaging the portion to be swaged (43A) while the coupling pin (32) is mounted in the coupling hole (31), and the spring member (33) and the washer (34) are attached to the outside of the coupling pin (32), to compress and deform the spring member (33) via the washer (34).
US09057406B2
A part-bearing-ring of a rolling-element bearing includes first and second assembly bores on its end surface, and the second assembly bore has a larger diameter than the first assembly bore so that it can accommodate a securing sleeve. The second assembly bore may include an internal thread for attaching the securing sleeve. Also a bearing ring formed of two part-bearing-rings and a securing sleeve and a method of installing a bearing ring.
US09057401B2
A journal foil bearing includes a bearing retainer having one slot configured to receive a top foil leading edge tab and another slot configured to receive a top foil trailing edge tab. A backup support structure, integral to the bearing retainer, extends between and is at least partially defined by the slots. The retainer is configured so that, during operation, the trailing edge tab contacts the support structure at a position close to the friction force, thereby minimizing top foil bending stress and improving bearing strength.
US09057398B2
The present invention generally relates to the field of suction cups, and more particularly to a rotatable multi-cup suction device. The heavy-load suction cup device includes a cup body that is directly contactable with an adhered surface. The cup body is provided thereon with a cap that defines, together with the cup body, a cavity. The cup body includes a coupling rod. The cap includes a mounting hole formed in a central portion thereof for receiving the coupling rod to extend therethrough. The cup body includes an air evacuation hole that is connectable to and thus communicates with an air evacuation device. The device can notify a user when the suction force gets weakening in order to restore or replenish the suction force and has an improved functionality of self-inspection. Further, the suction cup device has an increased load capacity, an extended life span, and is reusable for numerous times.
US09057395B2
A bolt for use with a hydraulic disc brake caliper. The bolt includes a head and a shaft extending outwardly from the head. The shaft includes a threaded portion having a diameter, at least one channel defined in the outer surface of the threaded portion, first and second reduced diameter portions defined at least partially circumferentially around the shaft and a blocking portion separating the first and second reduced diameter portions.
US09057373B2
In one aspect, a single screw compressor is disclosed. The compressor, in at least some embodiments, includes: a housing including a cylindrical bore; a pair of gate rotors mounted for rotation in the housing, each gate rotor having a plurality of gear teeth; and a main rotor rotatably mounted in the bore and having a plurality of grooves, a plurality of lands, an additional groove, and an additional land; wherein the plurality of lands of the main rotor comprises a first wrap angle and the additional land comprises a second wrap angle, and the second wrap angle is distinct and different from the first wrap angle. In other aspects, a method of assembling a gate rotor in relation to a main rotor that is positioned within a single screw gas compressor configured for high output, and a main rotor device for use with a single screw compressor configured for high output are also disclosed.
US09057372B2
A gear includes a gear root defined by a stretched root blended into an involute tooth profile curve within a True Involute Form diameter.
US09057368B2
A rotary cam actuated linear peristaltic pump includes a plurality of cams which actuate a plurality of pistons. The cams apply a force to the piston by way of a lifter for providing mechanical advantage so that a smaller motor may be used to rotate the cam. Each piston of a plurality of pistons is sequentially raised to the extended position to squeeze a tube so as to flow fluid through the tube.
US09057366B2
A diaphragm pump (1) which has in at least one pump head (2) a working or pump diaphragm (3) which, by means of a clamping zone (4) arranged at its outer circumference, is clamped between two housing parts (5, 6) of a pump housing and which, between itself and a pump head part (6), borders a working or delivery chamber (8) and which, in a central zone (10), surrounds a diaphragm armature (11) which, on a side facing away from the working or delivery chamber (8) of the at least one pump head (2), is connected to a reciprocating drive (12) which is provided for generating an oscillating stroke movement of the working or pump diaphragm (3). The diaphragm pump according to the invention is characterized in that the annular zone arranged adjacent to the clamping zone (4) is formed as a guide zone (14) which, in the unloaded state of the working or pump diaphragm, is convexly curved and projects into the working or delivery chamber (8), with which guide zone (14) the working or pump diaphragm (3) rolls on a complementarily shaped annular or support zone (15) of the pump head (2) during the stroke movement of the working or pump diaphragm (3), and that a compensation zone (16) of the working or pump diaphragm (3) is provided between the guide zone (14) and the central zone (10), which compensation zone, in the unloaded state, is in contrast curved concavely and in the direction of the stroke drive (12). The diaphragm pump according to the invention is characterized by improved pump performance, a long service life and quiet and low-vibration pump operation.
US09057361B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for harvesting energy from motion of one or more joints. Energy harvesters comprise: a generator for converting mechanical energy into corresponding electrical energy; one or more sensors for sensing one or more corresponding characteristics associated with motion of the one or more joints; and control circuitry connected to receive the one or more sensed characteristics and configured to assess, based at least in part on the one or more sensed characteristics, whether motion of the one or more joints is associated with mutualistic conditions or non-mutualistic conditions. If conditions are determined to be mutualistic, energy harvesting is engaged. If conditions are determined to be non-mutualistic, energy harvesting is disengaged.
US09057358B2
The present patent application provides a wind turbine with variable blade pitch. The wind turbine with variable blade pitch includes a turbine shell coaxially disposed at a turbine axis; and at least three evenly distributed blade handle bases fixedly disposed at the outer circumference of the turbine shell. A blade handle axis is coaxially configured on each blade handle base. A blade is fixedly disposed on each blade handle axis. A centrifugal blade pitch changing unit is disposed on the turbine shell and configured to adjust the rotation speed of the wind turbine. When the rotating speed of the wind turbine exceeds the rated rotating speed, it is regulated by the centrifugal blade pitch changing unit, so as to avoid the rotating speed of the wind turbine to be greatly increased due to the wind speed rise and make the wind turbine run stably at the rated rotating speed.
US09057354B1
The present disclosure describes a hydro energy-offset turbine insert generator to generate energy within a piping system. The system can include a fluid conduit that includes an inner wall structure and a pipe sleeve disposed along the inner wall structure to reduce the cross-sectional area of the interior of the conduit. The system can also include a turbine positioned within the fluid conduit adjacent the pipe sleeve and a flow diverter upstream of the turbine. A drive shaft is coupled to the turbine and extends to an area outside of the fluid conduit. The drive shaft can be directly or indirectly coupled to a generator or multiple generators positioned in the area outside of the fluid conduit. Fluid passing through the conduct can cause a rotational action in the turbine that causes a corresponding rotation in the drive shaft and generator to generate electricity.
US09057352B2
A wave power generation device for synchronizing a vertical movement of a float with all the wave periods, and a method of controlling the same. The device has a controller which controls a torque of a power generator, and the controller is configured to estimate a displacement and a speed of a float from data of a rotation number or a rotation speed of the power generator, to estimate a wave period from the displacement and the speed, and to determine a displacement coefficient corresponding to the wave period from a data table stored in advance, and to transmit a calculated product of the displacement coefficient and the displacement as a torque command to the power generator so as to control a torque of the power generator.
US09057348B2
A pulsation damper mounted in a fuel chamber (23) of a high-pressure fuel pump (20) is provided with a diaphragm (11) having a flat section (11a) displaced when fuel pressure is applied thereto, a pump cover (10) for supporting the diaphragm (11), and a gas chamber (12) formed by the diaphragm (11) and the pump cover (10). Pressure pulsation occurring in the fuel chamber (23) is suppressed by displacement of the flat section (11a). The diaphragm (11) is formed in a closed-bottomed tubular shape with the flat section (11a) located at the bottom and has a projection (11b) provided to the periphery of the flat section (11a) and projecting to the side opposite to the pump cover (10). A tubular peripheral section extending from the outer periphery of the projection (11b) so as to be vertical to the flat section (11a) is fitted over the pump cover (10). The externally fitting portion of the tubular peripheral section is a joint section (11c) joined to the pump cover (10).
US09057347B2
A method for determining a characteristic for a pressure regulating valve of an injection system is described, using which fuel is injected into an internal combustion engine, in which a flow of the fuel which flows through the pressure regulating valve is set to a minimum and a control pressure of the fuel is reduced until the pressure regulating valve is opened, and in which at least one value for the characteristic is formed from a difference between a value for the control pressure, at which the pressure regulating valve opens, and a reference value for the control pressure.
US09057343B2
A control system comprises a TRAS actuator 14, a VAFN actuator 40, and a control arrangement 52 operable to control the operation of the TRAS actuator 14 and the VAFN actuator 40, wherein at least one control circuit 54 of the control arrangement 52 is a common control circuit, common to the operation of both the TRAS actuator 14 and the VAFN actuator 40.
US09057336B2
Provided is a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine that can suppress blowback of in-cylinder residual gas to an intake passage when reverting from a fuel-cut operation accompanied by valve stopping control of an intake valve while suppressing an oil ascent during execution of the fuel-cut operation, and a control apparatus for a vehicle equipped with the internal combustion engine. When executing a fuel-cut operation accompanied by intake valve stopping control, advancement control of the opening/closing timing of an exhaust valve (32) is executed. If the advancement control is being executed in a case where a request to revert from the fuel-cut operation has been detected, an advance amount of the opening/closing timing of the exhaust valve (32) is retarded so as to become less than or equal to a predetermined value.
US09057334B2
A control device includes a PWM control unit that executes PWM control over an alternating-current motor mounted on a vehicle. The PWM control unit includes an alarm sound generation processing unit and a slip determination unit. The slip determination unit determines whether a drive wheel coupled to the alternating-current motor is slipping on the basis. of a d-axis current (Id), a q-axis current (Iq), a d-axis voltage command value (Vd) and a q-axis voltage command value (Vq) of the alternating-current motor. When the drive wheel is not slipping, the alarm sound generation processing unit generates an alarm sound from the alternating-current motor by adding a variation value (ΔV) to the d-axis voltage command value (Vd) at a predetermined interval. When the drive wheel is slipping, the alarm sound generation processing unit temporarily stops adding the variation value (ΔV) to the d-axis voltage command value (Vd).
US09057328B2
A gas turbine engine includes a combustor section, a fan section forward of the combustor section, a low pressure turbine section along the combustor section, and an intercooling turbine section aft of the fan section and forward of the combustor section. The intercooling turbine section includes upstream and downstream intercooling turbine variable vanes. The intercooling turbine section is situated in an intermediate flow path that is inboard of an outer bypass flow path. The intermediate flow path splits downstream from the intercooling turbine section to a second stream bypass flow path and a core flow path. The second stream bypass flow path is inboard of the outer bypass flow path and extends to an exhaust nozzle. The exhaust nozzle is located aft of the low pressure turbine section and inboard of the outer bypass flow path.
US09057327B2
A method of heating liquid fuel upstream of a combustor in a system where compressor discharge air is cooled before being supplied to fuel nozzles in the combustor includes the steps of passing the compressor discharge air through a heat exchanger in heat exchange relationship with the liquid fuel to heat the liquid fuel and cool the compressor discharge air; supplying the heated liquid fuel and the cooled compressor discharge air to the combustor.
US09057326B2
A system of contra-rotating propellers for an aircraft jet engine, including: a free power turbine; a first and second propeller, contra-rotating, the first propeller being placed in a predetermined direction relative to the second propeller, each including a hub, an outer ferrule, and coupling arms linking the two; and a casing inserted between the free turbine and the propellers, the propellers arranged in the predetermined direction relative to the casing and the free turbine arranged in the opposite direction relative to the casing, the casing including a casing extension in the given direction, rotatably supporting the hub of the propeller. The coupling arms extend in the opposite direction, radially towards the outside.
US09057312B2
System and apparatus are disclosed for reducing reductant deposit formation in an exhaust aftertreatment system. A directing device is provided in the exhaust flow path upstream of a reductant opening into the exhaust flow path. The directing device is configured to direct an exhaust flow toward the reductant opening and around the directing device to effectively mix the exhaust flow with a reductant provided through the reductant opening to reduce the formation of reductant deposits.
US09057311B2
A metal honeycomb structure includes planar and corrugated sheets brazed together at first and second joining portions made of brazing materials applied to the corrugated sheet. The first and second joining portions are located proximate exhaust inlet and outlet of the honeycomb structure. The honeycomb further includes a joining strip joined to a metal outer tube. The joining strip is made of a brazing material applied to an inner wall of the metal outer tube. The second joining portion overlaps the joining strip and has a brazing length larger than a brazing length of the first joining portion which does not overlap the joining strip.
US09057307B2
An exhaust gas aftertreatment installment and associated exhaust gas aftertreatment method utilizes a nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter and an SCR catalytic converter. A particulate filter is provided upstream of the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter or between the latter and the SCR catalytic converter or downstream of the SCR catalytic converter. The time of regeneration operating phases of the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter can be determined as a function of the nitrogen oxide content of the exhaust gas downstream of the nitrogen oxide storage catalytic converter or of the SCR catalytic converter and/or as a function of the ammonia loading of the latter. Moreover, a desired ammonia generation quantity can be determined for a respective regeneration operating phase. The installation and method are adopted for use for motor vehicle internal combustion engines and other engines which are operated predominantly in lean-burn mode.
US09057305B2
The invention relates to a reservoir tank for a reducing agent (1), in particular an aqueous urea solution for the after-treatment of exhaust gas from a combustion engine, comprising an outer container (2) and a pot-shaped inner container (3) which limits a partial volume (4) of the volume (5) of the outer container (2), a heating element (6) which is set in the inner container (3) and an extraction device (7) for extracting the reducing agent (1). According to the invention, the pot-shaped inner container (3) is surrounded in the floor region by an insulated collar (8) comprising a first limb (9) led to the outer circumferential surface (11) of the inner container (3) and a second limb (10) contacting the floor surface (12) of the outer container (2), such that the insulated collar (8) limits an additional partial volume (13) of the volume (5) of the outer container (2).
US09057304B2
The invention relates to a metering system for injecting a urea solution into the exhaust gas flow (9) of an internal combustion engine for selective catalytic reduction, and method for controlling the injecting of a urea solution by means of compressed air, wherein the metering system can be connected to a urea solution tank (1), wherefrom urea solution can be removed, and wherein the metering system can be connected to a compressed air supply (6), wherein the metering system comprises at least one nozzle (5) through which the urea solution can be injected into the exhaust gas flow (9) by means of compressed air, wherein the metering system comprises an air valve (7) by means of which the pressure and/or the quantity of air and/or the valve opening times of the compressed air supply (6) can be regulated, and a sensor for measuring the pressure and/or the quantity of air is disposed in the compressed air supply (6) between the air valve (7) and the nozzle (5), so that the quantity of compressed air fed in for atomizing the urea solution is controlled and lowered to the minimum air quantity required at a given moment, depending on the operating parameters of exhaust gas temperature and exhaust gas mass flow.
US09057302B2
A system and method for controlling temperature of a urea reductant to form ammonia for NOx reduction in a selective catalytic reducer coupled to a turbocharged engine exhaust by portioning a flow across the reductant of one or more of the following: a combination of compressed air and ambient air; and/or a combination of the exhaust upstream and downstream the turbine.
US09057289B2
An internal combustion engine has a working cylinder with two intake valves and two exhaust valves assigned thereto. A first camshaft and a second camshaft each actuate a respective one of the intake valves and a respective one of the exhaust valves. The first camshaft is a variable camshaft with an adjuster for adjusting valve control times and includes an outer shaft, which is a hollow shaft, and an inner shaft, which is disposed within the outer shaft. The outer shaft as well as the inner shaft are rotatable by the adjuster and are rotatable relative to one another by the adjuster such that relative positions of given cams controlling given ones of the intake and exhaust valves are changeable. The second camshaft is driven by a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine and is configured as a fixed camshaft.
