US09061812B1

The present invention will provide tamper-evident container which can be displayed via a hang tag, which clearly shows whether or not the tamper-evident seal has been broken. Furthermore, the present invention uses a seal which is not connected between the cap and the container, but rather is displayed clearly above the cap. This is accomplished by a container having a rim and flange at the opening for use with an attachable and detachable cap hingedly mounted to the container, a flexible hang tag, and perforation means used in collaboration with a mounting plate and hang tag.
US09061808B2

An openable/closable water-proof bag into which a motor vehicle, or other large object, may conveniently be moved and placed inside. The bag is formed of two sheets polyethylene plastic material, one atop the other, which are bonded and adhered at one end and on two vertical sides, leaving one end of the bag that is openable and closable. When the openable and closable end of the bag is closed, and the sides of the bag are folded upwardly and secured tightly around surfaces of the motor vehicle or other large object, the contents of the bag are protected from water and other harmful outside elements, thereby preserving intact electrical and mechanical components of the enclosed object from the effects of a flood and outside debris.
US09061806B2

Cable ties employing a nylon/graphene composite.
US09061804B2

The present invention relates to a device for packaging a product, in particular a cosmetic product, which comprises: —a container (10; 110) which contains the product and comprises an opening; —a member (20; 120) for closing the container, said member being intended to close the container in a reversible manner and being able to move between an open position and a closed position of the container; —a sealing member (40; 140), secured to the closing member, which comprises an elastically deformable part (42; 142), the sealing member having a contour that is able to come into contact with a perimeter of a part of the container; —a holding element (30; 175) that is mounted such that it can move along an axis X inside the closing member, the holding element (30; 175) resting along the axis X against a portion of the container (36; 116) before the closing member is in its closing position, such that the axial height (h) of a space (50; 80) that houses the sealing member decreases between the open position and the closed position of the container so as to axially compress the sealing member which widens radially in order to rest against the perimeter of the container.
US09061803B2

A storage display box includes an upper body having a side with an edge pivotably connected to an edge of a side of a lower body. An engagement groove is defined in an outer side of the upper or lower body. An elongated plate is removably received in the engagement groove when the upper and lower bodies are in a closed position. An insertion groove is defined in an inner wall of the upper or lower body. When the upper and lower bodies are in an open position, a first toothed portion on the side of the upper body meshes with a second toothed portion on the side of the lower body, and the elongated member is removably engaged in the insertion groove. The upper and lower bodies in the open position form two legs. The elongated member engaged in the insertion groove supports an object in an inclined position.
US09061802B2

A pourer comprises a pouring body and members for liquid interception disposed inside the pouring body to form a first pouring orifice and a second pouring orifice, which define first and second pouring areas respectively, wherein the first pouring area is larger than the second pouring area. The members for liquid interception include a first wall and a second wall arranged in offset positions in the longitudinal direction and projecting into the pouring body from the inner surface of the pouring body.
US09061782B2

A form, fill and seal machine includes a feed conveyor system (600), a fitment indexing module (650) and a fitment indexer (400) constructed and arranged to transfer a fitment to a fitment applicator station.
US09061776B2

An elongated sheet for a medicine packaging bag is provided. The sheet can be folded centrally in a width direction and a medicine introduced between its two-folded halves. The sheet can be thermal-bonded along an entire width ahead of and behind the medicine and along an entire length of open edge portions of the two-folded halves, thus forming the medicine packaging bag. A number of fine tearing cuts can be formed in a portion beginning at a distance (t) from an end edge of the open edge portions in a longitudinal direction of the sheet. A tearing cut-less portion can be formed between the cut portion and the end edge of the open edge portions. The tearing cut-less portion inhibits tears caused by tension through the cut when the sheet is drawn out. The bag can be easily torn by hand due to the cut portion.
US09061768B2

A mounting system for tubular structures within a wing structure provides for positioning of the tubular structure as it passes through wing ribs. The system provides for electrostatic protection from discharges between the rib and the tubular structure, and accommodates offset tubular positioning. A mounting flange is attached to an aperture in the wing rib, and the tubular structure is inserted through an aperture in the mounting flange. Once the tubular structure is positioned, a cushion mount comprising two pieces is inserted into the flange structure, holding the tubular structure in position in the mounting flange. The cushion mount may have a concentric aperture or an offset aperture to accommodate an offset positioned tubular structure in the wind rib aperture.
US09061765B2

Described are passenger seat assemblies comprising: at least one seat pan; an inflatable seat adjacent to the at least one seat pan; and at least one inflation system comprising a transport device and a delivery mechanism coupled to the transport device, wherein the transport device is configured to inject an inflating substance into the inflatable seat via the delivery mechanism, wherein the delivery mechanism is coupled to the inflatable seat via an opening. The passenger seat assemblies may further comprise a support structure. The inflating substance may be air. The inflatable seat may comprise at least one structural chamber. The inflatable seat may also have utility apart from the passenger seat assembly.
US09061761B2

An enclosure to enclose the vertical electromagnetic repulsive elevation and manipulation of electromagnets is presented. The enclosure is capable of elevating the electromagnet to various heights and additionally horizontally repelling the elevated electromagnet from one elevated position to the next. The heights of the elevated electromagnet may vary depending on the voltage of the base electromagnets, the polarities of the electromagnets and the desired height of the elevated electromagnet.
US09061760B2

According to one embodiment, a rotary blade actuator includes a housing, a vane disposed within the housing, a shaft disposed at least partially within the housing and coupled to the vane. The vane comprises a first vane surface disposed within a first chamber between a first fluid opening and a second fluid opening and a second vane surface disposed within a second chamber between a third fluid opening and a fourth fluid opening. The first and third fluid openings are configured to provide a first fluid to the first chamber and the second chamber at a first pressure, the second fluid opening is configured to provide a second fluid to the first chamber at a second pressure, and the fourth fluid opening is configured to provide a third fluid to the second chamber at a third pressure different from the second pressure.
US09061756B2

A method and apparatus for monitoring an aircraft. A current performance of the aircraft is identified during operation of the aircraft using a model of the aircraft and flight state data. A current capability of the aircraft is identified from the current performance of the aircraft. An operation is performed based on the current capability of the aircraft.
US09061751B2

A marine propulsion device includes a motive force transmission system, a propeller shaft, a housing section, and a clutch. The motive force transmission system includes a crank shaft and a drive shaft which transmits a motive force from the crank shaft. The propeller shaft transmits the motive force from the drive shaft. The housing section houses the motive force transmission system. The clutch is attached between the motive force transmission system and the housing section. The clutch permits relative rotation between the motive force transmission system and the housing section by opening a connection between the motive force transmission system and the housing section during normal rotation of the motive force transmission system. The clutch prevents relative rotation between the motive force transmission system and the housing section by connecting the motive force transmission system and the housing section during a reverse rotation of the motive force transmission system.
US09061750B2

The present invention provides an electric-powered drive system for coupling to a hull of a watercraft. The electric-powered drive system includes one or more mounting units; a first support members, a second support member, a propeller shaft, a propeller coupled to the distal end of the propeller shaft; and a rudder.
US09061749B2

A system and method of performing a dry-dock operation on a floating vessel, while the floating vessel may maintain operations. The dry-docking may be performed by another vessel, such as a semi-submersible transport vessel. The method may include: submerging the semi-submersible transport vessel, adjusting the positions of the vessels until the vessel is over the deck of the semi-submersible transport vessel, securing the vessel on the deck of the semi-submersible transport vessel, raising both vessels, performing the dry-dock operation, lowering the vessel back into the water, and unsecuring vessel from the semi-submersible transport vessel. The system may include suitable elements to perform the method.
US09061738B2

A travelling crane arrangement provided on a floating vessel having a deck and a pair of substantially parallel tracks comprises a pair of uprights configured to move along the respective tracks. In addition, the travelling crane arrangement comprises a transverse beam extending between said uprights across the deck of the vessel in spaced relation thereto. Further, the travelling crane arrangement comprises a trolley configured to move along the beam. The trolley carries at least part of a lifting mechanism configured to lift a load above the deck. Still further, the crane arrangement includes a support selectively positionable in a brace position extending between the deck and the trolley. In the brace position, the support is configured to at least partially support the beam in compression during use of the lifting mechanism to lift or otherwise support the weight of a load.
US09061734B2

Collapsible boats with foldable rigid transoms are disclosed. A collapsible boat includes a collapsible hull formed from a plurality of panels that extend from a first end to a second end of the collapsible/inflatable boat. Each of the panels is connected with at least one the other panels. The collapsible hull is configurable between a collapsed configuration and an expanded configuration. A folding rigid transom is used to constrain at least two rear margins of the panels when the hull is in the expanded configuration. The folding rigid transom and seats remain attached to the hull when the hull is in the collapsed configuration. A collapsible boat can have one or more interior members that are inflatable to support the collapsible hull in the expanded configuration.
US09061731B1

A self-charging electric bicycle that includes a solar panel disposed upon a back plate above the rear wheel, a first dynamo operationally engaged by the rotational force of the front wheel, a second dynamo operationally engaged by the rotational force of the rear wheel, and a third dynamo operationally engaged at a high gear ratio by a second chain in operational communication with the bicycle pedal crank, wherein an electric battery disposed within a housing upon the bicycle frame is charged and recharged when the bicycle is moved and pedaled and when sunlight is incident the solar panel, whereby an electric motor is activatable to drive the bicycle, as desired.
US09061728B2

A bicycle handlebar assembly that includes a body having at least two grip areas positioned for interaction with the hands of a rider. The grip portions or grip areas are preferably spaced apart by a center portion that secures the assembly to a bicycle steerer tube. A channel or detent is formed in the body proximate at least one, and preferably proximate each grip portion or grip area. A dampener formed of a different material than the body is disposed in the detent and dissipates at least a portion of vibration of the body to reduce vibrations communicated to the hands of the rider from handlebar vibration. An optional grip assembly cooperates with the handlebar assembly and is constructed to further dampen handlebar vibration.
US09061727B2

In a motorcycle having a head pipe, and a pair of left and right frame sections including left and right down tubes extended rearward from the head pipe, a cross plate continuously connects the pair of left and right down tubes in a width direction of the motorcycle. The cross plate is elastically connected to the left and right down tubes. Such arrangement of the cross plate suppresses distortion of a pair of left and right frame sections including the down tubes extended so as to be connected by the head pipe, and also improves the controllability and straight traveling characteristic of the motorcycle.
US09061719B2

A trailer 10 includes a frame 12 having a central axis 14 spaced between rear wheels. A plurality of storage units 20 are supported on the trailer frame, with each storage unit supporting a plurality of objects thereon. Each storage support has a support axis 22 substantially parallel to the frame central axis. A carriage assembly 24 rotates the plurality of storage supports, and a lift mechanism 30 raises and lowers the carriage assembly.
US09061717B2

A cabin 14 is formed as a casing body with a protection structure. The casing body is partitioned and separable from the vehicle body and has on a bottom side thereof support pillars 42 for secure attachment to the vehicle body 13 with restraint at least in planar coordinate directions.
US09061714B1

A battery pack protection system is provided for use with an electric vehicle in which the battery pack is mounted under the car. The system utilizes a debris capture plate mounted in front of the battery pack and positioned such that the leading edge of the mounted capture plate is positioned closer to the underlying road surface than the lowermost battery pack surface. Capture plate stiffeners, which are mounted to the capture plate, use deformation control features (e.g., notches) to promote a preconfigured pattern of capture plate deformation when a piece of debris impacts the plate's leading edge. The deformed capture plate then traps the debris and stops it from passing under the battery pack, thereby preventing the battery pack from possible debris impact damage.
US09061711B2

A hood covers a front part of a vehicle body from above and extends rearwardly and upwardly from a front end of the vehicle body. The hood includes upper surfaces provided at left and right parts of the hood, guide walls protruding upwardly from the upper surfaces, and a lid defining a lateral central part of the hood and contiguous with the upper ends of the guide walls. The guide walls extend continuously from a front end of the hood to a rear end of the hood. An instrument panel includes an upwardly inclined wall extending rearwardly from the rear end of the hood. The inclined wall slants at an angle larger than an angle at which the hood slants. The inclined wall of the instrument panel has an upper end located higher than an upper end of the hood.
US09061709B2

A structural body part and a method of assembling a structural body part are provided. The structural body part includes an inner wall surface defining an enclosed space. A nut is disposed within the enclosed space. The structural body part includes an aperture for receiving a fastener so as to accommodate the addition of additional structure. The body structure includes a spacer. The nut is attached to the spacer. The spacer is configured to suspend the nut above the inner wall surface of the structural body part. Thus, the inner wall surface of the structural body part is exposed and covered with a solution when submersed therein.
US09061702B2

A method of monitoring the condition of a steering system comprises the steps of repeatedly measuring the angular position of a steering wheel, identifying from the measurements of steering wheel position a first moment in time at which the steering wheel comes to rest in an off center position following movement in a first direction away from a straight ahead position, measuring the torque applied to the steering system at that first moment in time, identifying from the measurements of steering wheel position a second moment in time at which the steering wheel first starts to moves away from the off center position in the opposite direction to the first direction, measuring the torque applied to the steering system at that second moment in time, calculating the difference between the measured torques at the first moment of time and second moment of time to provide a static friction value and comparing the calculated static friction value with a target static friction value to provide an indication of the condition of the steering system.
US09061698B2

A speed reducer for an electric power steering system includes a worm, a worm wheel, and a housing. Only a meshing section where the worm and the worm wheel mesh with each other and a space between the worm wheel and the housing are filled with grease. The grease in the space is in contact with both tooth surfaces of the worm wheel and an inner peripheral face of the housing, the inner peripheral face facing the worm wheel.
US09061691B2

A method and an apparatus for operation of a railway branch line, which has line devices, in particular points, signals, axle counters, beacons and/or approach signaling devices, for specific functions. At least one first line device can be operated in an active mode and in a power-saving mode. In order to simplify the switching from the power-saving mode to the active mode, the active mode of the first line device is activated by a second line device when a rail vehicle moves over the second line device, possibly after a predetermined delay time has elapsed.
US09061689B2

An air spring according to this invention enables easy and reliable adjustment of a space between stoppers. Specifically, an upper member (3) and a lower member (4) are secured to upper and lower ends of a bellows (2). Stopper faces (5) and (6) that come in contact with each other to limit the amount of displacement of the upper member (3) are formed on the upper member (3) and the lower member (4). A movable body (7) that can move vertically to adjust the height of the stopper face (6) is provided in the lower member (4). A holding body (8) is provided that holds the movable body (7) in a manner that enables vertical movement thereof. The movable body (7) is capable of relative rotation around a central axis (18) with respect to the holding body (8). On at least one of the movable body (7) and the holding body (8), tapers (32) and (41) are formed that are capable of sliding with respect to the other of the movable body (7) and the holding body (8). The movable body (7) is rotated relative to the holding body (8) to cause the tapers (32) and (41) to slide and thereby move the movable body (7) upward or downward.
US09061686B2

A vehicle control method includes, among other things, recording a towing vehicle road grade for a fixed road position when a towing vehicle tows a trailered vehicle. The method further includes shifting, using a controller, the recording to provide a trailered vehicle road grade for the fixed road position based upon the towing vehicle road grade and initiating a vehicle control adjustment to control the towing vehicle based upon the trailered vehicle road grade.
US09061679B2

A control apparatus for a hybrid vehicle includes: engine starting means for starting an engine when a need for switching to a 4-wheel drive mode has been forecasted, the hybrid vehicle having a series HV drive mode in which the hybrid vehicle is run with a second electric motor, in the released state of a connecting/disconnecting device, while a first electric motor is operated with a drive force of said engine to generate an electric energy, the control apparatus further including, as said engine starting means, series HV drive controlling means for starting said engine and enlarging a series HV drive mode region for running the hybrid vehicle in said series HV drive mode, so as to cover a portion or an entirety of an original EV drive mode region for running the hybrid vehicle in said EV drive mode, when the need for switching to said 4-wheel drive mode has been forecasted.
US09061668B2

A hydraulic system for a brake system of a machine includes a relay valve coupled to a brake cylinder, a pump, and a tank. The relay valve includes a first position to allow supply of fluid from the pump to the brake cylinder, and a second position to allow discharge of fluid from the brake cylinder to the tank. Further, the relay valve includes a third position to restrictively allow discharge of fluid from the brake cylinder to the tank via a flow limiting orifice. A pilot valve coupled to the relay valve and configured to modulate the relay valve between the first position, the second position and the third position.
US09061667B2

The invention relates to a hydraulic piston pump, particularly for a slip-controllable vehicle braking system. A piston pump according to the invention includes a hydraulically permanently permeable stopper, the throughflow of which is carried out as a function of the pressure in an outflow channel of the piston pump. A pressure medium flow only takes place if the pressure level in the outflow channel has exceeded a threshold value. The latter takes place, for example, if the kinematic viscosity of the flowing pressure medium decreases due to low ambient temperatures, or if a throughflow of the outflow channel is obstructed. By means of the proposed solution, excess pressure increases in the interior of the piston pump can be avoided, and the resulting loads for the pressurized pump components and the drive can be reduced. Otherwise, the operating behavior of the piston pump according to the invention corresponds to that of a known piston pump.
US09061666B2

An electronic control unit includes: a sensor board on which a sensor is mounted; a control board configured to control an operation of each electric component, based on a physical quantity detected by the sensor; and a housing configured to accommodate the sensor board and the control board, wherein: in an internal space of the housing, a first accommodation chamber in which the electric component is accommodated, a second accommodation chamber in which the sensor board and the control board are accommodated in a hierarchical state, and a partitioning portion which partitions between the first accommodation chamber and the second accommodation chamber are formed; and the sensor board and the control board are supported by the partitioning portion, and a rib is protrudingly provided on the partitioning portion.
US09061664B2

An antilock brake system for a vehicle having a front axle with right and left front brakes and at least one rear axle with right and left rear brakes is disclosed. The front axle includes a front differential with a front clutch and the rear axle includes a rear differential with a rear clutch. A controller is employed to control the brake torque applied through one or more brake valve assemblies and the controller may further shift brake torque from one wheel of an axle to the other wheel on the axle through a differential clutch valve assembly in the clutch of an open differential which forms part of the axle assembly.
US09061654B2

A difference in limiting torques of rotation between a spring and a rotary member is increased without increasing a number of coils of the spring. In a webbing winding device, an outer diameter of a clutch wall of a clutch wheel increases from a flange side to a stopping flange side of the clutch wall. When a clutch spring is tightly wound on the clutch wall, the clutch spring is subjected to a movement force toward the stopping flange side. Thus, a winding force of the clutch spring onto the clutch wall is effectively increased. Therefore, a difference in limiting torques of rotation between the clutch spring and the clutch wheel between when the clutch spring is not tightly wound on the clutch wall and when it is wound on the clutch wall is increased, without increasing a number of coils of the spring.
US09061634B2

A mirror mounting assembly for mounting a mirror on a vehicle bulkhead. The assembly includes a mirror element and a main support arm having a first end and a second end. The mirror element is connected to the first end of the main support arm. The second end of the main support arm is mountable to the vehicle. A pair of brackets are configured to conform to an engine bay side wall of the vehicle. Each bracket has a center portion and two laterally extending flanges that extend at an angle from the center portion in opposite directions. One of the flanges of each bracket is connectable to the bulkhead of the vehicle in the engine bay. A first additional support arm has a first end connected to a first one of the brackets and a second end connected to the main support arm. A second additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle. Finally, a third additional support arm has a first end connected to the main support arm and a second end connectable to the vehicle.
US09061632B2

A vehicle night vision support system includes an infrared camera that captures an image ahead of a vehicle; a main display that displays the image captured by the infrared camera; a sub-display; and a control unit that controls the sub-display so as to display warning information when it is determined that there is an object in the image displayed on the main display, and controls the sub-display so as to display the warning information when it is estimated or detected that an object that has disappeared from the displayed image is present in the field of view of a driver.
US09061630B2

A vehicle travel control device can accurately determine a driver's intention to adjust the vehicle speed. After applying attention attracting reaction force corresponding to outside circumstances and the like to an accelerator pedal through a reaction force application mechanism, a reaction force control unit outputs intention determining reaction force that is used to determine the driver's intention to adjust the vehicle speed and is smaller than the attention attracting reaction force, and determines the intention to adjust the vehicle speed on the basis of the accelerator pedal operation amount of the driver while the intention determining reaction force is being applied to the accelerator pedal through the reaction force application mechanism.
US09061624B2

One variation may include a product including a vehicle including a powered lift arm connected thereto and a hand connected to the powered lift arm, and a body panel ramp, the hand being constructed arranged to capture a grab pin on a container, and wherein the powered lift arm, the hand in the body panel ramp are constructed and arranged so that the power lift arm may load and unload a container onto and off of the vehicle wherein the container rolls over the body panel ramp. One variation may include a method including providing a vehicle and a container, wherein the vehicle including at least one powered lift arm connected thereto, a hand connected to the powered lift arm, and a body panel ramp, the hand capturing a grab pin on the container, unloading the container from the vehicle comprising moving the at least one power lift arm so that the container rolls along and off of the body panel ramp and off of the vehicle.
US09061612B2

A device suitable for use in a transport vehicle of able people and/or people in a wheelchair is described. The device includes a foot support with a foot attachment for attachment to a vehicle floor and a rigid arm having a shoulder end and a foot end. The rigid arm is connected near the foot end to the foot support. The system also includes a safety-belt system including a safety-belt and safety-belt attachment. The safety-belt attachment has a first attachment point with belt-guiding situated near the shoulder end of the rigid arm. The rigid arm is attached to the foot support by one or more arm hinges. The rigid arm is capable of rotating around the arm hinges. In addition, a foldable chair may be mounted on the foot support. The foot support may be connected with the vehicle floor using a connector which fits in a rail in the floor.
US09061604B2

Provided is a slide door device for a vehicle seat slide apparatus including: a lower rail configured to be fixed to a vehicle floor; an upper rail configured to be fixed to a seat; a lock mechanism that selectively locks a movement of the upper rail at an arbitrary position of the upper rail with respect to the lower rail; a stopper mechanism that has a stopper portion provided in the lower rail and a stopper member movably provided in the upper rail; an operation member that allows the movement of the upper rail, which is locked at the predetermined position, in the one direction by inputting an operation force for releasing to the stopper member; and a guide portion that is formed on the stopper member, and guides the stopper member so as to release the engagement between the stopper member and the stopper portion.
US09061602B2

An air-conditioning device for conditioning/controlling the temperature of a surface contacted by a user at least occasionally, especially the surface of a vehicle interior component, which can be monitored by means of a corresponding detector device for detecting contact, use, or both. It is provided that the air-conditioning device has at least one air-conditioning layer, which extends at least partially along the surface, at least one companion layer, which extends at least partially along the air-conditioning layer and is connected to the air-conditioning layer at least in some sections in order to form an insertion pocket, and that at least one detector device can be inserted into the insertion pocket.
US09061600B2

An auxiliary machine mounting structure of a saddle-ride type vehicle that ensures consistent appearance irrespective of the presence or absence of a mounting of an auxiliary machine or device such as an antenna being mounted on a meter visor to ensure the degree of freedom in layout without having to consider the possibility of the windshield creating a ghost image of the auxiliary machine or device. An opening is formed on the windshield side of the meter visor. An ETC cover is detachably mounted on the meter visor to cover the opening. An antenna is positioned beneath the ETC cover and disposed in the opening.
US09061596B2

A charger includes a conversion unit for converting external electric power from a charging port into DC, a conversion unit for converting the output of the preceding conversion unit into high-frequency AC, and a conversion unit for converting the electric power generated by transforming the output of the preceding conversion unit by an insulated transformer into DC to output the DC to a power storage device. The charger further includes a switch unit that enables the circuit configuration of the charger to switch between a single-stage charging circuit and a dual-stage charging circuit. The switch unit is controlled by a control signal from an ECU. The ECU controls the switch unit in accordance with the SOC of the power storage device and switches the circuit configuration of the charger to one of the single-stage charging circuit and the dual-stage charging circuit.
US09061594B2

A system for evaluating the condition of a pantograph, the system comprising: a track-side pantograph monitoring station that captures one or more images of a pantograph, while a locomotive comprising the pantograph is in normal service; a station management system that analyzes one or more images captured at the monitoring site and determines the condition of the pantograph; and a user interface that controls the system and presents the results of the analysis to the user. A user may control the track-side monitoring station and station management system remotely.
US09061586B2

In a motor vehicle drive arrangement having a main drive train for driving a main axle and an auxiliary drive train for driving an auxiliary drive axle, with a power shift clutch for connecting the auxiliary drive train to the main drive train, the auxiliary drive train comprises at least one switching unit for engaging the power shift clutch which is arranged in the power flow in series with the switching unit without a differential speed.
US09061581B2

The invention relates to a liquid container (1) for a motor vehicle, in particular a fuel container (1), having at least one filler tube (4) and having operational and filling ventilation, comprising at least one operational ventilation line (7) which is connected to an equalizing volume of the liquid container (1) and at least one filling ventilation opening (9) which opens into the equalizing volume. The fuel container (1) according to the invention is distinguished by the fact that the operational ventilation opening (7) is connected to the filler tube (4) outside the container volume, in a manner which forms a siphon (8), and that the connection of the operational ventilation line (7) to the filler tube (4) is arranged in such a way that liquid is collected in the siphon (8) during each filling operation and closes the operational ventilation line (7).
US09061578B2

A hybrid driving apparatus includes an engine configured to output a rotation driving force to an output shaft; an input shaft configured to rotate in association with rotation of driving wheels of a vehicle; a clutch that is provided between the output shaft and the input shaft to disengageably connect the output shaft and the input shaft; a clutch actuator configured to operate the clutch; a motor generator configured to rotate in association with rotation of the input shaft; a rust formation determining unit configured to determine whether there is a possibility of a rust formation on the clutch; and a rust formation suppressing unit configured to operate the clutch actuator in a case where the rust formation determining unit determines that there is the possibility of the rust formation on the clutch.
US09061573B2

A motor vehicle seal which includes a fixing profile (5) to which a tubular sealing profile (6) is connected. At least one predetermined portion of the wall of the sealing profile has at least one outer groove (12, 14) defining an integral film hinge (13, 15) which reduces the resistance of the sealing profile (6) to compression in the direction of engagement (F) between the opening (2) and the door (D).
US09061568B2

Improved visors for mounting to golf carts are provided. A shade member can be connected to at least one mounting bracket. The bracket can be configured to include two mounting arms each having a substantially flat portion including an aperture therethrough and an arcturate portion. A mounting member can be fixedly connected to a golf cart frame and rotationally connected to the shade member thereby allowing rotation of the shade member to a plurality of stable positions.
US09061563B2

The invention relates to a wheel suspension for a vehicle, in particular a motor vehicle, having a transverse leaf spring arranged transversely relative to a vehicle longitudinal axis. The transverse leaf spring is supported at each of the two sides of a vehicle longitudinal center plane by at least one resilient member on a vehicle-side support which is securely connected to the vehicle superstructure or an auxiliary frame which is connected to the vehicle superstructure. The resilient member and the support form an articulated engagement. With an articulated engagement provided at each side of the vehicle longitudinal center plane.
US09061554B2

A tire position determination system includes a tire pressure detector coupled to a tire. A tire position determination unit locates the tire pressure detector and determines a mounting position of the tire. A gravitational component force detection unit generates gravitational force information of the tire pressure detector. A characteristic value acquisition unit acquires the angle of the tire pressure detector from the gravitational force information. The characteristic value acquisition unit acquires a first characteristic value of the tire pressure detector when a drive source of the vehicle is stopped and a second characteristic value of the tire pressure detector when the drive source is started. A characteristic value comparator compares the first and characteristic values. An operation control unit determines whether the mounting position of the tire has been changed based on the comparison and controls the tire pressure monitoring unit accordingly.
US09061540B2

A paperclip tab for coupling to an object. The paperclip tab can include a paperclip having a first leg and a second leg, and a sheet having a front surface and a rear surface opposite the front surface. The sheet can include a first portion, and a second portion overlapping at least part of the first portion, with the rear surface of the first portion and the rear surface of the second portion facing each another, such that a pocket is formed that can retain the first leg of the paperclip. At least a portion of the rear surface of the first portion can be adhered to at least a portion of the rear surface of the second portion. A recessed adhesive zone can be provided on a back of the paperclip tab positioned to face the object when the paperclip tab is coupled to the object.
US09061539B1

The greeting card of the present invention includes a sound and motor module which enable the greeting card to play audio and activate a scroll mechanism which displays a scrolling scene across a window or screen located on at least one panel of the greeting card. The scroll mechanism contains a piece of thin paper or paper-like material which is attached end-to-end, forming a loop. The material is then placed between two rotating spindles or rollers which rotate the material in a loop across the greeting card page as a moving picture, scene or message. The scroll may contain a greeting, message or simply contain artwork or a funny or entertaining scene. The information on the scroll may be coordinated with the theme of the music or audio clip.
US09061517B2

The present invention provides an inkjet printing apparatus and an inkjet printing method for printing a high-definition image while improving glossiness of the image surface without causing complication and enlargement of the apparatus. A plurality of inks are ejected from first and second printing heads so that a weighted average of a printing rate for each scan regarding an ink having the highest lightness becomes the largest among the plurality of inks and so that a maximum value regarding the printing rate of the ink having the highest lightness becomes larger than those of other inks.
US09061506B2

In a liquid containing vessel that is inserted in the −Y axis direction with regard to a mounting section, a substrate support member includes a substrate support section configured to hold a substrate, a first side wall along the Y axis and the Z axis, the first side wall being provided more to the +X axis direction side than the substrate support section, and a first ridge section protruding from the first side wall in the −X axis direction and configured to engage with a first apparatus side engaging section that protrudes in the +X axis direction in the apparatus side terminal section.
US09061502B2

A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head that ejects an ink from a nozzle opening; a moving unit that moves the head; and a heating unit that sets a temperature of a recording sheet onto which the ink is ejected from the head. Before the head ejects the ink onto the recording sheet, the moving unit is moved, and the head is moved to a position opposing a platen and an upper heater, which is a position to where heat radiated from the heating unit is transferred.
US09061495B2

A controller is configured to determine nozzles to be used for ejection in nozzle arrays in a upstream head block by selecting endmost nozzles from nozzles in a region of the upstream head block overlapping a downstream head block so that the endmost nozzle of the nozzle array located more downstream is closer to a center of the upstream head block, and determine nozzles to be used for ejection in nozzle arrays in the downstream head block by selecting endmost nozzles from nozzles in a region of the downstream head block overlapping the upstream head block so that the endmost nozzle of the nozzle array located more upstream is closer to a center of the downstream head block.
US09061484B2

A label assembly that includes a face sheet with a label shape defined by one or more tearable lines of separation, a back sheet adjacent to the face sheet, and an adhesive material disposed between the face sheet and the back sheet. The back sheet has a removable panel disposed over the label shape adhesive material and a registration structure that is or can be aligned with the label shape. The registration structure is adherable to an exposed portion of the adhesive material that is adjacent to a portion of the label shape.
US09061482B2

A bamboo Chair pad that can be manufactured from 100% Anji Mountain bamboo from China. The bamboo is all treated with various protective coatings to add resistance to natural factors including water, sun and dirt. All bamboo chair pads can be manufactured from the harder portions of the bamboo trunk. (Some bamboo is manufactured from the softer fibers of the inside of the bamboo trunk). This portion of the bamboo trunk is not utilized for this invention. The bamboo utilized in the present inventions is taken from the harder part of the bamboo trunk to assure maximum endurance and longevity. The lower trunk portion of the bamboo plant is harder and less porous.
US09061478B2

A conductive single-sided tape includes a conductive, nonwoven adhesive layer and a metal layer positioned adjacent the conductive, nonwoven adhesive layer. The conductive, nonwoven adhesive layer includes a conductive nonwoven substrate having a plurality of passageways, an adhesive material positioned within at least a portion of the passageways and a plurality of metal particles dispersed within the adhesive material.
US09061477B2

A cardboard box with four side panels, four bottom flaps and four top flaps. The box is made from a blank having a first height measured between the outermost edges of the top and bottom flaps. The flaps are rotated into abutting contact with the exterior surface of the panels thereby reducing the overall height of the box to the height of the panel. Adjacent pairs of top and bottom flaps are provided with living hinges that enable them to remain in this position when the box is collapsed. The collapsed box is shipped through the mail in this diminished size and then erected into a box of the same height as the panels.
US09061475B2

This plant for manufacturing a rigid pipe for drawing up deep water for a marine thermal energy plant is characterized in that it comprises a floating platform on which there is installed a continuous production device in the vertical axis of the pipe, including a first stage of winding webs of fibers impregnated with resin about a winding roll for the partial crosslinking thereof, said wall being formed by modular elements in the form of plates, which are connected together so as to form a strip that moves in a spiral and repeating in the upper part of the roll so as to form a winding surface for the webs.
US09061466B2

A method and an installation for constructing a layer (12) of armor strips around a tubular core (10) of a flexible pipe. The installation has a support wheel (14) of a plurality of armor strips (32, 34) having, respectively, two opposite faces (44, 46) and a plurality of pairs of guide members (20, 22). The pairs of guide members include upstream guide members (52, 54) and downstream guide members (56, 58) which sets of guide members extend along axes that are angularly offset from one another. The support wheel (14) has devices (78, 92) for adjusting the downstream guide members (56, 58) into a position such that the two opposite faces (44, 46) of the armor strip entering and leaving the downstream guide members (56, 58) are substantially perpendicular to the plane of flexing (Pf) defined by the entering and leaving armor strip.
US09061465B2

A powder rapid prototyping apparatus includes a decompressable chamber, a thin layer forming section which supplies powder material from a powder material housing container provided in the chamber to form a thin layer of the powder material, an energy beam source for heating which outputs energy beam for heating which sinters or melts and models the thin layer of the powder material, and a control section which controls the modeling, wherein the control section exposes the powder material to the decompressed atmosphere before starting modeling, and houses the powder material in the powder material housing containers in a divided manner.
US09061456B2

The first sliding molds are movable back and forth in a direction orthogonal to a back-and-forth direction of the movable mold, come into contact with a periphery of the central mold when the first sliding molds move forward to form a first cavity for molding a panel body, and avoid interference with a second sliding mold when the first sliding molds move back to form a second cavity for molding a frame. The second sliding mold is movable back and forth in the back-and-forth direction of the movable mold, allows a forward movement of the first sliding molds when the second sliding mold moves back to form the first cavity, and comes into contact with an inner peripheral edge and an outer peripheral edge of the panel body held on a fixed mold, thereby forming sealing portions, when second sliding mold moves forward to form the second cavity.
US09061452B2

An extruder having a housing (1) comprises at least two conveyor shafts (2, 3) having conveyor cross sections mutually wiping each other that can be driven in the same direction and are disposed in at least two housing bores (11, 12) having a cylindrical or conical design, the axes (15, 16) thereof being disposed parallel to or at an angle to each other, the distance (A) between the axes of the two housing bores (11, 12) being greater than D/1.4142, where D is the diameter of the cylindrical bore or the greatest diameter of the conical bore, and a clearance (a′) being provided between the housing bores (11, 12) and the outer diameter (DE) of the conveyor shafts (2, 3). Each conveyor shaft (2, 3) comprises a plurality of conveyor segments (17a through d, 18a through d), wherein the offset angle of at least two adjacent conveyor segments (17a, 17b, 18a, 18b) on each conveyor shaft (2, 3) relative to each other is 180°. The center point (PM) of the cross sectional profile of each conveyor segment (17a, 17b, 18a, 18b, etc.) is disposed eccentrically relative to the center point (BM) of the housing bore (11, 12) and the center of rotation (DM) of the conveyor shafts (11, 12).
US09061444B2

In order to reduce the wall thickness of housing parts produced by means of plastic injection molding and equipped with decorative layers, such as battery covers of mobile devices, it is recommended to change to a starting material that is a fiber composite material equipped on one side with the decorative layer, from which starting material the housing part is formed in a deep drawing process. Even if a thick decorative layer the outer surface of which is highly embossed for haptic reasons is applied, the resulting wall thickness remains far below the wall thickness for a housing part that can be produced by means of injection molding. An even further reduction of the wall thickness is achieved if a fiber composite material is used as the deep drawing starting material for the shaped part, the decorative material being directly foamed or injected onto the surface of the fiber composite material.
US09061441B2

A method of producing a vinyl alcohol resin having a water content of not higher than 10 wt % by performing a multistage dewatering process by means of a kneading machine. The method permits efficient dewatering of a highly hydrous vinyl alcohol resin to ensure easy production of a lower water content vinyl alcohol resin having a water content of not higher than 10 wt %, thereby reducing production costs.
US09061440B2

Blade (1) for a cutting tool (2) of a ceramic cutting machine (3) comprising a disc-shaped geometry with a specific cutting diameter (H); with at least one conical surface (13) at each side of the cutting perimeter (12), the conical surfaces (13) closest to the symmetry axis (11) being truncated by two truncation planes perpendicular to the symmetry axis (11) of the blade (1), such that if the conical surfaces (13) closest to the symmetry axis (11) of the blade (1) are imaginarily extended towards its vertex, both define two tangency conical surfaces (15) with an imaginary sphere (16) the center of which is located on the symmetry axis (11) of the blade (1), where the ratio between the cutting diameter (H) of the blade (1) and the diameter (D) of said imaginary sphere (16) is equal to a number with a value comprised between 1.5 and 1.7.
US09061435B1

An automated knife change adjustment on dual-gearbox paper cutting machines employs servo motors driving, with great gear reduction, turnbuckle nuts on a pair of pull arms. A graphic user interface automatically controls the knife adjustment on a replacement knife, the interface computer being connected to position sensors for the knife, to main motors driving gearboxes that cycle the knife down and up, to the servo motors and other sensors. The system avoids tedious manual steps typically in setting a replacement cutting knife to a correct cutting position.
US09061434B2

The disclosure discloses a printer comprising: a fixed part and an opening/closing part; a feeding roller configured to feed the print-receiving medium; a print head; a discharging exit configured to discharge the print-receiving medium; a fixed blade fixed to the fixed part so as to follow along an edge part of the discharging exit; a fixed blade cover; and a support device configured to support in a relatively displaceable manner the print head and the fixed blade cover, forming a first state wherein the fixed blade cover covers the blade edge of the fixed blade and the print head separates from the feeding roller when the opening/closing part changes to an open state, and a second state wherein the fixed blade cover does not cover the blade edge of the fixed blade and the print head presses against the feeding roller when the opening/closing part changes to a closed state.
US09061433B2

A post-processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a punching apparatus that has: a punching blade; an orthogonal direction movement portion that moves the punching blade in an orthogonal direction; a converting mechanism that converts rotational movement of a rotation member in a first rotation direction to reciprocating movement; a rotation driving portion that drives rotation of the rotation member; a rotation driving control portion; and an orthogonal direction movement control portion. The rotation driving control portion controls the rotation driving portion so as to move the punching blade toward a punching reference position when a reference position detection portion determines that the punching blade has moved beyond the punching reference position toward a through hole punching position, in a case where the punching blade is controlled so as to stop at the punching reference position.
US09061422B2

A device for handling objects is provided, comprising at least one inflatable air chamber and a retaining unit for objects, which is attached to the air chamber, to a robot or manipulator, characterized by at least one device for handling objects. Also provided is a method for handling objects using the aforementioned device, characterized by the steps of: moving the device with the side thereof comprising the retaining unit to the object to be handled in a first position; establishing an adhesive connection between the retaining unit and the object to be handled, thus retaining the object; moving the device to a desired second position, and releasing the object from the retaining unit by inflating the at least one air chamber.
US09061417B2

A robot arm mechanism includes a drive arm, a support arm, a transmission assembly and three tool portions. The support arm is rotatably connected to the drive arm. The three tool portions are rotatably mounted on the support arm. The transmission assembly includes a first bevel gear, a second bevel gear and a transmission belt. The first bevel gear is mounted on the drive arm, the second bevel gear is mounted on the support arm and engages with the first bevel gear. The transmission belt is driven by the second bevel gear and imparts rotary motion to the plurality of tool portions simultaneously.
US09061405B2

The inventive tool is designed to ensure proper plant operation position of the core shroud head bolt assemblies of a boiling water nuclear reactor. The tool exerts an upward pulling force on stuck retainers to return them to the locking position around the nut. The tool includes a frame, an engagement member, and a collar. The engagement member is lowered toward and end of the bolt until it comes into contact therewith. Further movement of the engagement member causes the frame and collar to move upward, lifting the retainer and extending the spring.
US09061404B2

A ratchet mechanism having a plurality of interconnected rotating drive members having teeth, one of the drive members being a stationary drive member and another of the drive members being a movable intermediate drive member, a first pawl member and a second pawl member movable in alternating reciprocating manner, wherein the stationary drive member is alternatingly rotated in a single direction by movement of the pawl members.
US09061399B2

A non-slip removable spacer for holding a workpiece in place relative to a work surface when interposed therebetween without permanent bonding therebetween. The spacer has a core with generally planar surfaces, with a pair elastomeric coverings applied to the surfaces. Further disclosed is a recessed attachment member in the spacer to receive a spindle element which permits spacers to be connected in a spaced part relationship. The spindle further includes a shelf. Also disclosed is cone adapter engagable atop a spacer. The cone has an apex for supporting a work surface with minimum surface contact.
US09061392B2

A controlled electro-pneumatic power tool includes an electro-mechanical adjustable valve, a pneumatic motor and a rotational speed sensor connected to a microcontroller for the selection, monitoring and adjustment adjustment of the rotational speed in real time. Using the communication port data for the consumable can be transmitted to the controlled electro-pneumatic power tool. The controlled electro-pneumatic power tool can read and utilize the transmitted data to select, adjust and maintain the optimum process parameters for the consumable without any input from the operator person. Furthermore, the communicated data can be used to warn the operator person that the tool used is inadequate for the selected consumable.
US09061381B1

A method and apparatus for aligning an input shaft of a wind turbine generator with an output shaft of a wind turbine are disclosed. Preferably, the method includes placing a push plate of a wind turbine alignment tool into pressing contact with a selected support flange of a wind turbine generator identified by a misalignment measurement device. With the push plate positioned, an indexing means of the wind turbine alignment tool is advanced along an adjustment link member of the wind turbine alignment tool to impart an alignment force onto the selected support flange to align the input shaft of the wind turbine generator with the output shaft of the wind turbine. The method preferably concludes by rechecking the alignment of the input shaft of the wind turbine generator with the output shaft of the wind turbine.
US09061372B2

A machining head of a laser machining tool includes a mechanical connector for connecting the machining head to a component of the laser machining tool, and a light path connector (15) and/or an electrical connector (16) and/or a fluid connector (17). The provided connectors are designed such that connections can be realized via one or more common relative movements between the machining head (10) and the component (5) of the laser machining tool, including a mechanically rigid connection to corresponding connectors on the component of the laser machining tool.
US09061368B2

The present invention relates to an improved laser annealing device, which includes a laser beam, a housing, a laser beam output window formed in a top of the housing, a substrate located at a bottom of the housing for carrying a material to be annealed, and a movable mask arranged between the laser beam output window and the substrate. The mask is set in inclination with respect to a horizontal direction. The mask forms a slit extending through upper and lower surfaces thereof. The laser beam travels vertically down through the laser beam output window and then passes through the slit to irradiate the substrate. The improved laser annealing device of the present invention includes a mask set in inclination with respect to the horizontal direction to prevent scraps from affecting the laser head, reduce replacement of the laser head, and lower down the cost.
US09061350B2

The disclosure relates generally to core compositions and methods of molding and the articles so molded. More specifically, the disclosure relates to core compositions and methods for casting hollow titanium-containing articles, and the hollow titanium-containing articles so molded.
US09061343B2

A machine may include a plurality of stations, e.g., for performing progressive die-necking of open-ended container bodies. A conveyer may be provided to index the open-ended container bodies in a linear manner through the machine from station to station.
US09061339B2

A method for manufacturing molded plates with multi-composite curved surface is provided to manufacture a forming plate having various cubic multi-composite curved surfaces. The operation program of an upper mold, a lower mold, a stretching forming unit, a marking robot, and a cutting robot is inputted (S1). The upper surface of the lower mold and the lower surface of the upper mold are formed into the shape of multi-composite curved surface (S2). After a metal plate is positioned on the upper surface of the lower mold, both ends thereof are clamped by multiple stretching forming units (S3). The metal plate is molded into the shape of the multi-composite curved surface (S4). The metal plate is marked by the marking robot (S5).
US09061328B2

A method of blast cleaning the inside of a hollow article, such as a storage tank. The method includes the introduction of outside air and evacuation of inside air to permit blast cleaning to be carried out while managing the conditions within the enclosed interior space within the hollow article. Managing the interior space conditions permits rapid application of protective coatings to the cleaned surface.
US09061324B2

A pipe cleaning device has a housing movable along a pipe to remove a coating. A stripper head, preferably water jets, are located in the housing to remove the coating from the pipe. The coating is removed from the housing by a vacuum hose and a comminution device is located in the housing to reduce the size of the stripped coating and facilitates passage along the hose. The comminution device includes a rotor driven by an external motor and aligned with the axis of the hose.
US09061317B2

A chemical vapor deposition method for producing a porous organosilica glass film comprising: introducing into a vacuum chamber gaseous reagents including at least one precursor selected from the group consisting of an organosilane and an organosiloxane, and a porogen that is distinct from the precursor, wherein the porogen is a C4 to C14 cyclic hydrocarbon compound having a non-branching structure and a degree of unsaturation equal to or less than 2; applying energy to the gaseous reagents in the vacuum chamber to induce reaction of the gaseous reagents to deposit a preliminary film on the substrate, wherein the preliminary film contains the porogen; and removing from the preliminary film substantially all of the labile organic material to provide the porous film with pores and a dielectric constant less than 2.6.
US09061314B2

There are provided a vacuum chamber system of a coating apparatus and a coating method using the same that prevents the attraction phenomenon of a coating solution in intermittent coating, so that the failure rate of coating is reduced, thereby improving the quality of products. In one embodiment, a vacuum chamber system of a coating apparatus includes a vacuum chamber connected to a coating solution outlet of the coating apparatus. A sound pressure generating unit is connected to one region of the vacuum chamber to generate sound pressure. A buffer tank is provided between the vacuum chamber and the sound pressure generating unit. In the vacuum chamber system, a control unit is further provided between the vacuum chamber and the buffer tank. The control unit controls air to be selectively inhaled or blocked from the vacuum chamber and the sound pressure generating unit.
US09061304B2

A method for preventing a plume from contaminating a surface of material that has been cut by a laser or focusing optic wherein the laser produces the plume, the method comprises providing a first airflow beneath the plume with the airflow redirecting the plume away from the surface of the material. A second airflow is provided to further lift the plume to an exhaust. Apparatus is configured to direct first and second air flows such that the plume is not deposited on the material being cut by the laser or on the focusing optic.
US09061301B2

The application sets forth a knapsack or backpack spraying device having a blower unit and a spraying medium container fixed to a carrying frame. The blower unit conveys an air stream through a blower pipe. Spraying medium is fed from the spraying medium container to the air stream. The spraying medium container has a filling opening which is closed by a cover. The cover has a lower edge facing the spraying medium container. The spraying device has a standing position in which it stands on a flat, horizontal standing face and in which the cover is arranged on an upper side of the spraying medium container facing away from the standing face. To reliably avoid contact of the operator with spraying medium, the height of the carrying frame, measured at right angles to the standing face, is at least 80% of the overall height of the spraying device.
US09061299B1

The spray paint can spraying accessory attaches onto an existing can of spray paint, and which is able to direct paint inwardly around a focal point in order to paint a cylindrical or circular object. The spray paint can accessory includes a nozzle housing that attaches atop of a spray paint can, and a can nozzle that attaches onto the outlet tube of the existing spray paint can. A spray gun hose connects with the can nozzle to direct paint to a spray gun having a plurality of paint nozzles positioned along an assembly, and which direct paint inwardly around a focal point. The assembly and paint nozzles include an opening to enable ingress and egress of the object to be painted. The can nozzle housing includes a threaded member that upon rotation engages the can nozzle downwardly thereby operating the outlet tube of the spray paint can.
US09061298B2

An adjustable sprayer comprising a fitting that includes a connector portion, an elongate cylindrical portion extending from the connector portion, and a bore formed longitudinally through the fitting. The sprayer includes a nozzle having a sleeve portion configured to receive the fitting's cylindrical portion whereby the nozzle is moveable, longitudinally, along the cylindrical portion between first and second spray positions. Movement of the nozzle into the first position permits a full diameter spray pattern through a water breaker. In the second position, fluid flow is restricted to a reduced diameter spray pattern through the water breaker.
US09061297B2

The present invention is generally directed to a system for controlling placement of nanoparticles, and methods of using same. In one illustrative embodiment, the device includes a substrate and a plurality of funnels in the substrate, wherein each of the funnels comprises an inlet opening and an elongated, rectangular shaped outlet opening. In one illustrative embodiment, the method includes creating a dusty plasma comprising a plurality of carbon nanotubes, positioning a mask between the dusty plasma and a desired target for the carbon nanotubes, the mask having a plurality of openings extending therethrough, and extinguishing the dusty plasma to thereby allow at least some of the carbon nanotubes in the dusty plasma to pass through at least some of the plurality of openings in the mask and land on the target.
US09061285B2

According to the present invention, a PCR device including two heating blocks which is used for nucleic acid amplification reactions is disclosed. Using the PCR device of the present invention, nucleic acid amplification reactions can be efficiently performed.
US09061282B2

A reaction plate includes a welded plastics planar laminate consisting of an aperture plate and a film, the aperture plate having at least one planar surface and a plurality of apertures in the planar surface of the apertured plate and the film being attached to the planar surface of the apertured plate around the or each aperture by welding. The welding is preferably laser or transmission welding. A method of forming such reaction plates using diode laser welding. An apparatus for handling such reaction plates including performing polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) or primer extensions therewith.
US09061255B2

The present invention relates to a micro-sized bubble generator. A micro-sized bubble generator using a highly-dissolved solution based on a rotating unit according to an exemplary embodiment of the present includes: a rotating unit receiving a mixture of water and gas and discharging a solution while making the water and gas collide with each other and rotating the same; a dissolving tank storing the solution discharged from the rotating unit; and a nozzle unit receiving the solution and generating micro-sized bubbles in the water. Accordingly, a massive amount of micro-sized bubbles less than 100 nm in size can be generated.
US09061248B1

A process for manufacturing a micromechanical structure envisages: forming a buried cavity within a body of semiconductor material, separated from a top surface of the body by a first surface layer; and forming an access duct for fluid communication between the buried cavity and an external environment. The method envisages: forming an etching mask on the top surface at a first access area; forming a second surface layer on the top surface and on the etching mask; carrying out an etch such as to remove, in a position corresponding to the first access area, a portion of the second surface layer, and an underlying portion of the first surface layer not covered by the etching mask until the buried cavity is reached, thus forming both the first access duct and a filter element, set between the first access duct and the same buried cavity.
US09061244B2

A system and method for NOx reduction is described, with a catalytic unit including a first zeolite catalyst with a first NOx conversion performance in a first temperature range and a second NOx conversion performance, lower than said first NOx conversion performance, in a second temperature range. The catalytic unit also comprises a second zeolite catalyst with a third NOx conversion performance, lower than said first NOx conversion performance, in the first temperature range and a fourth NOx conversion performance, higher than said second and third NOx conversion performances in the second temperature range, said first temperature range being higher than said second temperature range. The system further includes a controller configured to adjust an amount of reducing agent added to the NOx reducing system responsive to a temperature of the catalytic unit.
US09061233B2

Corrugated fluid treatment packs and methods of making corrugated fluid treatment packs are disclosed. The fluid treatment packs may comprise a non-woven fibrous structure having a tubular configuration, a longitudinal axis, and circumferentially extending corrugations.
US09061229B1

A clogged filter detector has a transmitter and a sensor which are held in place by a transmitter bracket and a sensor bracket, respectively. The transmitter emits a beam of electromagnetic radiation, and the sensor is positioned in the path of this beam at a point such that the beam travels through a filter between the transmitter and the sensor. The transmitter and sensor are mis-aligned with the air flow at the point where the beam contacts the filter. The transmitter alternates between a transmitting mode and a dormant mode, and the transmitter emits a plurality of electromagnetic pulses during each transmitting mode.
US09061222B2

An apparatus and method for filtering a liquid utilize a filter apparatus including a bypass filter, a full flow filter, and a flow balancing element for dividing a total inlet flow of fluid to the filter apparatus into a bypass portion, passing through the bypass filter, and a full flow portion, passing through the full flow filter. The bypass filter has a lower filtering efficiency than the full flow filter element, so that a venturi tube is not required for causing the bypass portion to pass through the bypass filter. The flow balancing element divides the flow into a desired bypass portion and a desired full flow portion, at a predetermined operating temperature. Below the operating temperature, the bypass portion increases and the full flow portion decreases, the bypass portion becoming greater than the full flow portion at a second predetermined temperature below the operating temperature.
US09061220B1

An amusement device includes a rotating assembly display rotatably mounted about a center point configured to create a plurality of images via a persistence of vision effect. The rotating assembly includes a sensor disposed on the rotating assembly at a location closer to an end of the rotating assembly than to the center point. The amusement device also includes a device for rotating the rotating assembly and a control circuit including a first microcontroller in operable communication with the sensor. The microcontroller controls a speed at which the device for rotating the rotating assembly rotates the rotating assembly based on communications with the sensor.
US09061213B2

A swing set (10) is shown including a support beam (16), a plurality of legs (14), and swing apparatus (18, 24, 26) supported by the support beam. The support beam and legs include a plurality of tubes (28, 30, 38, 40, 44) coupled together by connectors (42, 48). The connectors include an inner tube (66) and a cover (68, 68′) positioned over the inner tube. Feet (46) are provided at the lower ends of the legs that rotate relative to the legs.
US09061205B2

A music based video game provides a user directed sound generation feature. In some embodiments, the user is provided a video game controller simulating a musical instrument, which the user may operate similarly to its real musical instrument counterpart. A free play feature is provided for users to operate the video game controller, where a processor of a video game console receives input signals from the video game controller and outputs audio samples based on the received input signals. During the free play feature, multiple suggestions as to how to operate the video game controller are simultaneously provided to give users some guidance as to what to play using the video game controller.
US09061203B2

Embodiments related to conducting a wagering game according to the rules of a base game includes defining a finite set of game indicia. In some embodiments the player plays multiple sequential game hand by placing a wager, receiving game indicia from the finite set cumulatively excluding any game indicia previously dealt, playing the game hand to completion, collecting the game indicia from the player and excluding the dealt game indicia from further play, and displaying at least the excluded game indicia or any winning combinations precluded by the excluded game indicia. In some embodiments the game hands continue in sequence until a restoration event, which may include a manually triggered restoration or an automatic restoration event, that restores the excluded game indicia. Other embodiments are also described.
US09061202B1

Disclosed are various embodiments enabling a saved state of an application to be stored at a central location and to be retrieved by multiple computing devices executing the application. Accordingly, saved states of applications and interfaces are also enabled to follow a user from one personal computing device to the next.
US09061197B2

A read and write playing card system and method are described. The playing card includes a unique card identification that uniquely identifies the playing card from other cards in the deck of playing cards. Additionally, the read and write playing card includes at least one playing card electronic component that receives data regarding game play. Furthermore, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that stores data regarding game play. Further still, the read and write playing card includes at least one of the playing card electronic components that transmits the unique card identification data, when activated by the electronic system.
US09061195B1

A swing training shirt for training a user to perform proper swings can include a shirt body configured to fit closely against a body of the user and sleeves configured to fit closely about the user's arms. A side of the sleeves can be selectively engaged and disengaged from the shirt body to restrain movement of the user's arms away from the user's torso. The swing training shirt can allow the user to maintain the user's arms in sync with a rotation of the user's torso during execution of swings; thereby allowing the user to synchronously control and coordinate movement of the user's torso and arms during swings.
US09061182B2

A golf ball includes a core made from a highly neutralized polymer that has been mixed with a hardness modifier. The modifier may be a process oil or a plasticizer. In particular, the modifier may be a naphthenic process oil, a paraffinic process oil, a phthalate plasticizer, a trimellitate plasticizer, an adipate plasticizer, a sebacate-based plasticizer, a maleate-based plasticizer, and blends thereof. Also disclosed is a method for manufacturing a golf ball that includes changing the hardness of a highly neutralized polymer core.
US09061175B1

An exercise device has a frame supporting guide links and foot support links. A cam system has a vertical control cam portion with a first and second offset vertical drive portion. Vertical control followers are pivotally connected to a vertical follower support and each has a control portion and a cam engagement portion engaging a vertical drive portion. Vertical control couplings couple the foot support links to the control portions of the vertical control followers. Pivotal motion of the guide links is decoupled from motion of the foot receiving areas along the path of travel having a vertical component of motion so that the user can achieve a foot path that is generally vertical or a blend of vertical and horizontal motion.
US09061173B1

A basketball player training device including an adjustable waist belt; a harness including adjustable shoulder straps, each having a first D-ring disposed thereon; and a fingerless glove. A reinforcement member is disposed on a back side of the glove and an elastomeric securement band has a proximal end securely attached to the reinforcement member and a distal end to which a second D-ring is attached. Elastomeric resistance exercise bands are provided in a range of lengths directly correlated to resistance strengths that increases as the length decreases. A quick-release clip disposed on outer ends of each exercise band engages a respective first D-ring and second D-ring. Each exercise band is configured to provide a variable resistance to strengthen a basketball player's shooting arm and to develop muscle memory in the finger, arm, and shoulder muscles required to correctly execute basketball shots.
US09061164B2

Automated treatment of arrhythmia utilizing an electrotherapy device. Time-coordinated applications of medium-voltage therapy (MVT) followed by high-voltage therapy (HVT) include a first MVT waveform to a first target region and a second MVT waveform to a second target region, such that the HVT is synchronized relative to a first compression cycle corresponding to activation of the first target region, and to a second compression cycle corresponding to activation of the second target region resulting from the administration of the MVT.
US09061159B2

An improved implantable pulse generator (IPG) containing improved telemetry circuitry is disclosed. The IPG includes a telemetry coil within the conductive IPG case, not in the non-conductive header as is typical, which simplifies IPG design. The improved resonant circuit of which the coil is a part does not include a discrete tuning resistor with the coil, which tuning resistor was traditionally used to increase communication bandwidth of the coil to render it suitable for FSK telemetry. In lieu of the tuning resistor, the coil is intentionally inductively coupled to the case by positioning the coil a certain distance away from the case. Such coupling decreases the effective inductance and increases the effective series resistance in the improved resonant circuit, both of which increase the communication bandwidth. As such, suitable FSK telemetry can be achieved, even though the improved resonant circuit without the case would not on its own have suitable bandwidth.
US09061152B2

Disclosed herein are methods and circuitry for monitoring and adjusting a compliance voltage in an implantable stimulator devices to an optimal value that is sufficiently high to allow for proper circuit performance (i.e., sufficient current output), but low enough that power is not needlessly wasted via excessive voltage drops across the current output circuitry. The algorithm measures output voltages across the current source and sink circuitry during at least periods of actual stimulation when both the current sources and sinks are operable, and adjusts the compliance voltage so as to reduce these output voltages to within guard band values preferably indicative for operation in transistor saturation. The output voltages can additionally be monitored during periods between stimulation pulses to improve the accuracy of the measurement, and is further beneficial in that such additional measurements are not perceptible to the patient.
US09061149B2

An exemplary system includes an electro-acoustic stimulation (EAS) subsystem and a volume control subsystem communicatively coupled to the EAS subsystem. The EAS subsystem is configured to direct a cochlear implant to apply electrical stimulation representative of audio content included in a first frequency band to a patient and to direct a receiver to apply acoustic stimulation representative of audio content included in a second frequency band to the patient. The volume control subsystem is configured to facilitate independent control of a volume associated with the electrical stimulation and a volume associated with the acoustic stimulation. Corresponding systems, devices, and methods are also disclosed.
US09061145B2

A diagnostic device in an electrical interferential treatment regime applies different pulse frequencies in one selection of electrode placement and determines the change of blood flow in response to the change in pulse frequency in an attempt to determine an optimum or workable set of parameters. The device includes electronic storage to record a series of tests and their results and a communication link. The communication link enables a professional caregiver to determine whether the parameter determinations, made at a location remote from the professional's office, such as at the residence of the patient, were conducted and were conducted correctly. The communication link also enables the professional to determine whether the treatments were conducted and conducted correctly.
US09061143B2

A charged particle beam irradiation system includes: an irradiation unit configured to irradiate an irradiation target with a charged particle beam; a radiation resistance state measuring section configured to measure a radiation resistance state of the irradiation target; a region dividing section configured to divide the irradiation target into a plurality of radiation resistance regions based on a measurement result of the radiation resistance state measuring section; a radiation dose computing section configured to compute a planned value of a radiation dose of the charged particle beam for each of the plurality of radiation resistance regions divided by the region dividing section; and an irradiation planning section-configured to create an irradiation plan of the charged particle beam with respect to the irradiation target based on a computation result of the radiation dose computing section.
US09061137B2

A nerve electrode that is inserted into a living body and that is configured to attach to nerves is provided. The nerve electrode that is inserted into a living body and that is configured to attach to nerves includes: i) a flexible substrate; ii) a plurality of electrodes that are separately positioned on the flexible substrate; and iii) an insulating layer that is positioned at a separation space of the plurality of electrodes and that insulates the plurality of electrodes. The plurality of electrodes include i) at least one linear electrode, and ii) a planar electrode that is separated from the linear electrode. An anti-inflammatory drug transfer layer is positioned on the planar electrode.
US09061135B1

Method and apparatus for infrared-light nerve stimulation plus low-level light therapy (INS-plus-LLLT) that includes providing an infrared-light nerve stimulation plus low-level light therapy (INS-plus-LLLT) device; implanting the INS-plus-LLLT device in the animal; emitting a plurality of infrared laser-light nerve-stimulation signals from the INS-plus-LLLT device and directing the plurality of infrared laser-light nerve stimulation signals toward a neural tissue of the animal in order to trigger an action potential response in the neural tissue; and generating a plurality of low-level light therapy signals using the INS-plus-LLLT device and directing the low-level light therapy signals toward the neural tissue of the animal, wherein the low-level light therapy signals are configured to be efficacious for pain management in order to reduce an acute pain of the animal.
US09061127B2

Medical balloons having one or more folds, on which are disposed protective surfaces e.g., protective lines or strips, and at least one therapeutic agent between the lines. The protective surfaces prevent, inhibit, or reduce the contact between therapeutic agent on one area, e.g., a surface area, and an opposing area or therapeutic agent on the opposing area when the balloon is folded. The protective surfaces also prevent, inhibit, or reduce loss of therapeutic agent from the balloon surface as a result of, for example, contact with a medical device during expansion or removal of a protective sheath. Also a medical device delivery system comprising a medical device surrounded by a retractable sheath, wherein protective surfaces are disposed on the sheath.
US09061126B2

A stent delivery catheter including a catheter tubing defining a lumen therethrough, a balloon disposed near a distal end of the catheter tubing and moving between deflated and inflated states, and proximal and distal balloon control bands concentrically arranged around respective proximal and distal end portions of the balloon. The proximal balloon control band has a proximal end located proximally of a proximal end of the balloon and a distal end located adjacent a proximal end of a received unexpanded stent. The distal balloon control band has a proximal end located adjacent a distal end of the received unexpanded stent and a distal end located distally of a distal end of the balloon. The balloon control bands each have a diametric cross-section larger than the balloon in an uninflated state and the unexpanded stent received over the balloon to impede axial movement of the unexpanded stent off of the balloon.
US09061119B2

A heart valve delivery apparatus includes a valve carrying member. A prosthetic valve is crimped onto the valve carrying member at a location that is distal or proximal to the balloon member, thereby providing a smaller profile delivery apparatus.
US09061116B2

An introducer assembly (10) includes a sheath (18) having a proximal portion (26) with a greater wall thickness and a distal portion (30) with a smaller wall thickness. A transition portion (28) may be provided to give a gradual transition between the proximal and distal portions (26, 30). The outer surface (32) of the sheath (18) has a substantially smooth and preferably even form and preferably constant diameter. The sheath (18) can thus have a greater flexibility at its distal end that at its proximal end, to improve trackability and thus to facilitate deployment of an implantable medical device (16) carried by the introducer (10). The smooth outer surface (22) prevents snagging of the introducer assembly (10) during and after the deployment procedure.
US09061108B2

An object is to provide a material capable of removing Aβ from a body fluid efficiently and use of the material, which are developed for the purpose of establishing a therapeutic or preventive method for Alzheimer's disease. Provided is an amyloid β protein remover, containing a carrier made of any one material selected from the group consisting of cellulose, silica, polyvinyl alcohol, and activated carbon, wherein the carrier does not have an alkyl chain on the surface thereof or has an alkyl chain having 1 to 18 carbon atoms on the surface thereof.
US09061104B2

A medicament delivery device comprising a housing, a tubular activation member, a first resilient member, a container holder, a medicament container (80), a tubular operation member (100), a plunger rod (90), a delivery member; wherein the container is a cartridge, having a membrane (82) and in that the delivery member comprises a retainer member (70) fixedly connected to the container holder, a hub (60) coaxially movable within the retainer member, a needle having opposite proximal and distal ends, and a cap (10) interactively connected to the hub and to the retainer member, wherein the cap comprises a distal end surface abutting with the proximal end surface of the annular contact member such that said hub may be distally moved whereby the needle penetrates the membrane and the cap is detached from the retainer member, allowing the tubular activation member to be moved its activated position.
US09061102B2

Structures and protocols are presented for configuring an unmanned aerial device to participate in the performance of tasks, for using data resulting from such a configuration or performance, or for facilitating other interactions with such devices.
US09061100B2

A patient controlled liquid drug administration device providing either or both of a continuous flow of a liquid drug, as well as successive boluses thereof, to be self-administered by a patient while allowing delivery of only full bolus volumes. The device includes a reciprocating pump defining a closed internal reservoir having a fixed first wall, and a second, flexible wall that is axially movable in relation to the fixed wall between reservoir-full and reservoir-empty positions. A lock is connected to a push button that activates a plunger of the pump. The lock has a first position preventing the push button from being depressed when the push button is in an extended position and the plunger is in a reservoir-empty position and a second position permitting the push button to be depressed when the push button is in an extended position and the plunger is in a reservoir-full position.
US09061098B2

Methods and kits for delivering pharmaceutical agents to the adventitia and other regions outside the external elastic lamina (EEL) surrounding a blood vessel utilize a catheter having a needle. The needle is positioned in up to 5 mm beyond the EEL and delivers an amount of pharmaceutical agent sufficient to circumferentially permeate around the blood vessel and, in many cases, extend longitudinally and radially along the blood vessel. Confirmation that a delivery aperture of the needle lies beyond the EEL may be required before delivering the pharmaceutical agent.
US09061096B2

A powered irrigator for use in rinsing nasal cavities has a main body including a handle and a fluid reservoir detachably coupled to one another, an outlet nozzle extending from a top end of the handle, a pump mechanism operably coupled to a power source, and a switch operably coupled to the power source for turning the pump mechanism on and off. When the switch turns on the pump mechanism, fluid flows from the fluid reservoir into a first fluid coupling between the reservoir and the pump mechanism and into a second fluid coupling between the pump mechanism to the outlet nozzle. The top of the handle can be angled relative to a longitudinal axis of the main body. The nozzle is removable from the top end and has a self-sealing structure to provide an enhanced fit within a user's nostril.
US09061095B2

A system, method, and apparatus are disclosed for dressing a wound. The apparatus comprises a liquid and gas permeable transmission layer, an absorbent layer for absorbing wound exudate, the absorbent layer overlying the transmission layer, a gas impermeable cover layer overlying the absorbent layer and comprising a first orifice, wherein the cover layer is moisture vapor permeable.
US09061092B2

Medical articles with porous polymeric structures and methods of forming thereof are disclosed. The porous structure can have pores sizes that are nanoporous or greater than nanoporous. The porous structure can be a coating or layer of a medical device such as a stent, stent graft, catheter, or lead for pacemakers or implantable cardioverter defibrillators. Additionally, the body of the medical device can be a porous polymeric structure. The porous structure can be made from bioabsorbable polymers. The porous structures can be formed by contacting a polymer with a supercritical fluid.
US09061091B2

Methods are disclosed to improved adhesion of polymer coatings over polymer surfaces of stents which include plasma treatment, applying an adhesion promoting layer, surface treatments with solvents, and mechanical roughening techniques.
US09061087B2

A method of making a wound dressing comprises dissolving at least one hemostatic agent in at least one solvent to form a solution. The method continues by freeze drying the solution to form a sponge. The method further comprises compressing the sponge, wherein the sponge is subjected to a vapor above ambient temperature prior to or during the compression.
US09061075B2

Bone cages are disclosed including devices for biocompatible implantation. The structures of bone are useful for providing living cells and tissues as well as biologically active molecules to subjects.
US09061074B2

The present invention provides variant target binding agents and methods relating to the use of such binding agents for the prophylaxis or treatment of cancers and immunological disorders. The variant target binding agent is conjugated to a therapeutic agent that exerts a cytotoxic, cytostatic, or immunomodulatory effect on target cells.
US09061073B2

Antibody-LIGHT fusion products or conjugates stimulate immunity against tumors and eradicate metastases. Tumor-specific antibodies coupled with LIGHT effectively target metastatic tumors and reduces cancer metastases.
US09061071B2

Analogs of ShK toxin and methods for using such ShK analogs. The ShK analogs generally comprise ShK toxin attached to a chemical entity (e.g. an atom, molecule, group, residue, compound, moiety, etc.) that has an anionic charge. The ShK analogs may be administered to human or non-human animal subjects to cause inhibition of potassium channels or to otherwise treat diseases or disorders. In some embodiments, the chemical entity to which the ShK toxin is attached may be chosen to provide selective inhibition of certain potassium channels (e.g., Kv 1.3 channels) over other potassium channels (e.g., Kv 1.1 channels). In come embodiments, the chemical entity to which the ShK toxin is attached may include a fluorophore and such fluorophore-tagged ShK analogs may be used in flow cytometry alone, or in conjunction with class II tetramers that can detect autoreactive cells.
US09061064B2

Devices for the treatment of intervertebral discs are described. The devices, when implanted into the nucleus pulposus of an intervertebral disc, provide for the controlled release of active agents into the disc. The active agent can be a chemonucleolytic agent such as chymopapain. The device can also comprise one or more binders. The device can be an elongate solid body having a tapered or rounded insertion end. Alternatively, the device can include a plurality of particles.
US09061051B2

The present invention relates to a biocompatible polymer composition, suitable for in vivo vessel repair, comprising a matrix pre-polymer, a filler and a curing agent, wherein said composition wherein said biocompatible polymer composition is curable in the presence of a curing catalyst at 37° C. to form a cured material with an elongation until rupture of at least 5% and an elastic modulus of at least 1 MPa.
US09061044B2

Provided herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for reducing expression of transthyretin mRNA and protein in an animal. Such methods, compounds, and compositions are useful to treat, prevent, delay, or ameliorate transthyretin amyloidosis, or a symptom thereof.
US09061043B2

The present invention relates, in general, to glycoprotein VI (GPVI) and, in particular, to aptamers to GPVI and to compositions comprising same. The invention also relates to methods of inhibiting platelet aggregation using an aptamer that binds to and inhibits the activity of GPVI. The invention further relates to antidotes to GPVI aptamers and to methods of using such antidotes to reverse aptamer-induced platelet inhibition. The invention also relates to aptamers that bind to and enhance the activity of GPVI.
US09061035B2

The present invention relates to an alcoholic injury mitigating agent comprising krill oil as an active ingredient. The krill oil preferably comprises phospholipids in an amount of at least 30% by weight, ω3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in an amount of at least 5% by weight of the total fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid in an amount of at least 2% by weight of the total fatty acids, or docosahexaenoic acid in an amount of at least 1% by weight of the total fatty acids.
US09061026B2

The invention relates to (among other things) oligomer-diarylpiperazine conjugates and related compounds. A conjugate of the invention, when administered by any of a number of administration routes, exhibits advantages over previously administered un-conjugated diarylpiperazine compounds.
US09061023B2

The invention provides the use of an extract of a plant of the genus Elephantorrhiza and at least one compound selected from quercitin-3′-O-glucoside, trans-3-O-galloyl-3,3′,5,5′,7-pentahydroxyflavan, taxifolin-3′-O-glucoside, catechin and epicatechin in the preparation of a medicament for the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The mode of action is by a route selected from blocking the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone by inhibiting the 5α-reductase enzyme or by reducing oxidative stress or both.
US09061022B2

The present invention relates to a pharmaceutical composition for treating wounds or revitalizing skin comprising the Euphorbia kansui extract, the fractions thereof, or the diterpene compound isolated therefrom as an active ingredient. The Euphorbia kansui extract may act on epithelial cells to induce PKD1 activity required for improving the reproduction capability of differentiated epithelial cells, and thus may induce the phosphorylation of lower ERK1 and the generation of Cycline D, thus exhibiting an excellent ability to activate the reproduction of damaged skin. Therefore, the Euphorbia kansui extract may be used effectively as an active ingredient in a pharmaceutical composition for treating wounds or reproducing skin, a health food for recovering skin damage or reproducing skin, or a functional cosmetic for inducing skin cell activity.
US09061012B2

The present invention relates to the use of a DGAT1 inhibitor, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof, for the prevention, delay of progression or treatment of a disease or condition which is selected from chylomicronemia syndrome, familial chylomicronemia syndrome and Type V hyperlipoproteinemia. The present invention further relates to the use of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a DGAT1 inhibitor, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt or ester thereof, for the prevention, delay of progression or treatment of a disease or condition which is selected from chylomicronemia syndrome, familial chylomicronemia syndrome and Type V hyperlipoproteinemia.
US09061010B2

Briefly described, embodiments of this disclosure include compositions, pharmaceutical compositions, methods of treating a host infected with a virus from the Flaviviridae family of viruses, methods of treating HCV replication in a host, methods of inhibiting the binding of NS4B polypeptide to the 3′UTR of HCV negative strand RNA in a host, methods of treating liver fibrosis in a host, and the like.
US09061007B2

The present invention relates to methods which make possible to assess and/or prognose a cancer disease, the metastatic behavior of a cancer disease and/or the occurrence of a relapse of cancer. In particular, the methods of the invention make possible to assess and/or prognose the occurrence of cancer metastasis, in particular distant metastasis. Preferably, the methods of the invention allow to discriminate malign from benign conditions.
US09061000B2

A method for pharmacological prevention and suppression of aortic aneurysm development is disclosed. The method comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of recombinant thrombomodulin to a subject in need thereof. The recombinant thrombomodulin prevents formation and/or retards progression of an aortic aneurysm.
US09060999B2

The present invention relates to a composition consisting of ellagitannins rich extracts originated from plant extracts of the Fagaceae family, for use in a method for preventing or treating sleep and anxiety disorders, fatigue as well as for improving mood, reducing tension and raising energy in a subject.
US09060978B2

Effective methods of treating a spinal disorder or osteoarthritis associated with a proinflammatory agent in a patient in need of such treatment, the method comprising administering an effective amount of DN-TNF (e.g., XPro®-1595) to a target tissue site at or near the spine or osteoarthritic joint to reduce pain and/or inflammation.
US09060976B2

Disclosed in certain embodiments is a controlled release oral dosage form comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a drug susceptible to abuse together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients; the dosage form further including a gelling agent in an effective amount to impart a viscosity unsuitable for administration selected from the group consisting of parenteral and nasal administration to a solubilized mixture formed when the dosage form is crushed and mixed with from about 0.5 to about 10 ml of an aqueous liquid; the dosage form providing a therapeutic effect for at least about 12 hours when orally administered to a human patient.
US09060975B2

Heat-stable oligomeric recombinant polypeptides, presenting at least one antigenic epitope of the pre-fusion Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) F protein, comprising the RSV F protein ectodomain, functionally deleted in the HRB region, transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains replaced with a heterologous trimerization domain, and absent two functional multibasic furin cleavage sites, are useful as antigenic components in immunogenic compositions useful in methods of inducing an immune response and vaccinate against RSV infections.
US09060972B2

The present invention provides a recombinant hemagglutinin antigenic protein, a virus-like particle and a recombinant influenza virus. The present invention further provides a vaccine comprising the recombinant hemagglutinin antigenic protein, the virus-like particle or recombinant influenza virus.
US09060971B2

The present invention relates to pharmaceutical agents administered to a subject either in combination or in series for the treatment of a flaviviridae viral infection, for example, hepatitis C virus (HCV), wherein treatment comprises administering a compound effective to inhibit the function of the HCV NS5A protein and an additional compound or combinations of compounds having anti-HCV activity.
US09060970B2

It has been discovered that the Sal target represents a new and promising target for antibacterial drug discovery. The Sal target is distinct from the rifamycin target and from the CBR703 target. This indicates that antibacterial compounds that function through the Sal target should exhibit no, or minimal, cross-resistance with rifamycins and CBR703. This further implies that it should be possible to co-administer antibacterial compounds that function through the Sal target together with a rifamycin, together with CBR703, or together with both a rifamycin and CBR703, in order to achieve additive or synergistic antibacterial effects and in order to suppress or eliminate the emergence of resistance.
US09060968B2

The invention provides a method of treating a degenerative joint disease. The method comprises administering an effective amount of a pharmaceutical composition comprising a diketopiperazine with amino acid side chains of aspartic acid and alanine (DA-DKP). The invention also provides a pharmaceutical product as well as a kit comprising DA-DKP.
US09060967B2

An aqueous pharmaceutical solution composition comprising between about 20 mg/ml to about 100 mg/ml of a radioprotective α,β-unsaturated aryl sulfone, a cosolvent comprising polyethylene glycol (PEG), polypropylene glycol, polyglycerol, DMA, propylene glycol, glycerol, ethanol, sorbitol, isopropyl alcohol, or a combination thereof in an amount between about 25% and about 90% w/v, and a water soluble Vitamin E derivative, wherein the composition has a pH within the range of about 7.0 to about 9.5.
US09060963B2

Methods and compositions for reducing and/or inhibiting inflammation by topical application of dermatocosmetic compositions comprising effective amounts of extracts of Coriolus versicolor that have been hydrolyzed by an acid protease, preferably Rhizomucor miehei, and thereafter rendered substantially devoid of acid-protease activity.
US09060948B2

Dermatological/cosmetic compositions contain, in a physiologically acceptable medium, at least one retinoid, dispersed benzoyl peroxide and a gelling system comprising at least two categories of compounds.
US09060939B2

Disclosed are modified release oral tranexamic acid formulations and methods of treatment therewith.
US09060938B2

Solid dry powder compositions comprising active agents and dextran polymer derivatives comprising an ester-linked amine-containing substituent and an alkyl ester substituent are disclosed, as are methods for making such compositions.
US09060935B2

The present invention relates to a particulate composition containing; a) 5 to 90% of at least one phosphatidyl choline component b) 5 to 90% of at least one diacyl glycerol component, at least one tocopherol, or mixtures thereof, and c) 1 to 40% of at least one non-ionic stabilizing amphiphile, where all parts are by weight relative to the sum of the weights of a+b+c and where the composition contains particles of at least one non-lamellar phase structure or forms particles of at least one non-lamellar phase structure when contacted with an aqueous fluid. The invention additionally relates to pharmaceutical formulations containing such compositions, methods for their formation and methods of treatment comprising their administration.
US09060929B2

Compositions and methods for the treatment of premature ejaculation are provided wherein a composition comprising a vasoactive prostaglandin, a topical anesthetic, a shear-thinning polymeric thickener, a lipophilic component that is selected from the group consisting of an aliphatic C1 to C8 alcohol, an aliphatic C8 to C30 ester, a liquid polyol and a mixture thereof, water and a buffer system that provides a buffered pH value for the composition in the range of about 3 to about 7.4 is administered to the penile meatus.
US09060926B2

Certain embodiments disclosed herein relate to compositions, methods, devices, systems, and products regarding frozen particles. In certain embodiments, the frozen particles include materials at low temperatures. In certain embodiments, the frozen particles provide vehicles for delivery of particular agents. In certain embodiments, the frozen particles are administered to at least one biological tissue.
US09060924B2

Compositions are provided that include date palm pollen or an extract thereof. The compositions may be formulated for topical use in methods of treatment or prophylaxis of various skin conditions or methods to counteract the effects of skin aging.
US09060918B1

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of an attachable mouthpiece spout for use with food packaging. One example embodiment is suited for use with a food pouch that has an internal chamber for storing food, a threaded tip having a tip opening for dispensing food, and a fluid-communication path extending between the internal chamber and the tip opening. In accordance with this embodiment, the attachable mouthpiece spout includes a tube having a first end and a second end, a consumption opening disposed on the tube proximate the first end, and a thread-receiving structure disposed proximate the second end on an interior surface of the tube. The thread-receiving structure is constructed and arranged for engaging the threaded tip of the food pouch to extend the fluid-communication path to the consumption opening. In accordance with this embodiment, the attachable mouthpiece spout also includes a flared mouth guard extending from and around the tube.
US09060917B1

Briefly, a feeding device embodying features of the present invention approximately conforms to the shape of a human breast and includes at least one housing for storing fluid coupled to a dispensing portion having an apertured dispensing tip for delivering the fluid to an infant.
US09060908B2

A varying depth fluidized bed comprises a tank assembly containing fluidizable medium. The tank assembly comprises at least one step such that the depth of fluidizable medium is greater in one region of the tank assembly relative to another.
US09060901B2

A diaper includes front and rear waist members and a crotch member. The front and rear waist members are respectively formed with first narrowly-spaced elastic zones, widely-spaced elastic zones and second narrowly-spaced elastic zones adjacent one to another. Front and rear ends of the crotch member are bonded to respective sides of the front and rear waist members so that the crotch member's front and rear ends may positionally correspond to the second narrowly-spaced elastic zones. Cover sheets are attached to the side of the crotch member to cover the crotch member's front and rear ends respectively. A length dimension of the cover sheet in the longitudinal direction is set to be smaller than those of the front and rear waist members and a length dimension of the cover sheet in the transverse direction is substantially equal to those of the front and rear waist members.
US09060900B2

A pant-type disposable wearable absorbent article comprising an absorbent core area, a side, and an anchoring subsystem. The anchoring subsystem includes exactly one side anchoring member. The side anchoring member has a pathway with a front end, a back end, and a middle. The front end, the back end, or both ends are disposed outside of the absorbent core area. The front end is disposed at a front end longitudinally outboard distance. The back end is disposed at a back end longitudinally outboard distance. The middle is disposed at a middle longitudinally outboard distance. The front end longitudinally outboard distance is greater than the middle longitudinally outboard distance, which is greater than the back end longitudinally outboard distance.
US09060899B2

To provide an underpants type disposable diaper that can be formed such that the edges of the leg openings fit the groin and gluteal portions of a wearer with no or less trim loss than conventional diapers The above problem is solved by that the ventral side outer sheet 12F and the back side outer sheet 12B each have a separated portion 12S formed by a slit or an elongated opening so as to extend in a width direction at a lengthwise middle section in a widthwise central region, a connecting member 12M connects the both outer sheets 12F, 12B at widthwise middle portions on the crotch side with respect to the separated portions, and the both outer sheets 12F, 12B are pulled up toward the waist side at entire widthwise sections on the waist side with respect to the separated portions 12S while being deformed with increased longitudinal separation distances of the separated portions 12S, and are diagonally pulled up toward the waist side at sections on the crotch side with respect to the separated portions 12S and at the same time, on both widthwise sides of connecting portions 12x connected to the connecting member, with increasing proximity to the both widthwise sides.
US09060895B2

A stent graft deployment device assembly (10) has a cylindrical fixed handle (6) to be gripped and held by a user and an tubular release handle (30) extending through the fixed handle. The release handle can be moved through the fixed handle. The deployment device assembly has a pusher assembly and a sheath (18) to cover a stent graft on the pusher assembly. The pusher assembly is connected to the fixed handle and the sheath is connected to the release handle so that retraction of the release handle through the fixed handle causes the sheath to be retracted from the stent graft on the pusher assembly. The fixed handle has a rotator component (36) with internal first and second screw threads. The tubular release handle has an external screw thread (31) which engages with the first screw thread. The external screw thread (31) can extend along part, all or in segments along the release handle. A release clamp (48) on the pusher has pins which engage with the second screw thread. Movement of the rotator component with respect to the fixed handle first moves the tubular release handle with respect to the fixed handle and subsequently moves the release clamp on the pusher and thereby pulls the trigger wires.
US09060891B2

An implantable flow restrictor device is disclosed for initially restricting, then gradually restoring blood flow through a body vessel after an interventional procedure. A self-expanding annular member having a constricted diameter gives the device a frustoconical configuration that reduces blood flow therethrough upon initial deployment at a treatment site. The annular member is constricted by a plurality of linkages that operate to allow the annular member to gradually expand, thereby transforming the flow restrictor device to a cylindrical configuration that allows unimpeded blood flow therethrough. In one embodiment, expansion of the annular member is achieved via biodegradation of the linkages. In another embodiment, expansion of the annular member is achieved via creep deformation of the linkages. The flow restrictor device may be attached to an endoluminal prosthesis, or may be a separate complementary component that is delivered during an interventional procedure.
US09060888B2

A method includes placing a ureteral stent on an insertion tool. The ureteral stent includes an elongate member having a distal end coupled to a distal retention member. The elongate member includes a solid spring wire having a plurality of coils defining a lumen. A first portion of the insertion tool is disposed within the lumen, and the distal retention member, which has a nominally curved shape, is disposed about a second portion of the insertion tool such that the distal retention member is substantially linear. The insertion tool is inserted into the body of the patient and the ureteral stent is moved along the insertion tool such that at least a portion of the distal retention member is disposed within the kidney and a portion of the elongate member is disposed within the ureter.
US09060881B2

A lower leg prosthesis, for an amputee who has at least one leg having a leg stump, has a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end is connectable to an artificial foot. The proximal end is connectable to the leg stump via a stump socket. A use condition of the lower leg prosthesis includes the distal end being connected to the artificial foot and the proximal end being connected to the leg stump via the stump socket. The lower leg prosthesis includes a mechanism which is configured such that, in the use condition of the prosthesis and in an upright position of the amputee with the artificial foot in contact with a floor and in response to a rotative movement of the leg stump around its corresponding hip joint by the amputee with the artificial foot still in contact with the floor, the rotative movement being at least in a frontal plane of the amputee and in a first rotation direction within the frontal plane, the lower leg prosthesis rotates the artificial foot relative to the floor in a second rotation direction within the frontal plane. The first rotation direction is opposite the second rotation direction.
US09060877B2

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for near-simultaneous and integrated delivery of bone graft material during the placement of surgical cages or other medical implants in a patient's spine. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device according to various embodiments delivers and disperses biologic material through a fusion cage to a disc space and, without withdrawal from the surgical site, may selectably detach the fusion cage for deposit to the same disc space. The integrated fusion cage and graft delivery device is formed such that a hollow tube and plunger selectively and controllably place bone graft material and a fusion cage in or adjacent to the bone graft receiving area.
US09060867B2

Implantable assemblies/devices and methods are provided for manipulating energy transferred by members defining an articulating anatomical joint, wherein the members collectively define a path of motion. Assemblies/devices are provided with a first component configured to be attached to a first anatomical member of the anatomical joint, a second component configured to be attached to a second anatomical member of the anatomical joint, and a tension member joining the first and second components. The tension member is placed under tension to absorb energy transferred by the anatomical members when the first component is attached to the first anatomical member and the second component is attached to the second anatomical member and a distance between locations of attachment of the first and second components becomes smaller then an implant-defined distance between the locations.
US09060866B2

A knee joint endoprosthesis (1) for forming an articulation between a femur and a tibia includes a femur component (2), which is connected to the femur, a tibia component (4), which is connected to the tibia, and an intermediate element (3) which is mounted between the tibia component (4) and the femur component (2). This intermediate element lies against the femur component (2) with a modular sliding surface (9) which includes a lateral sliding surface (9a) and a medial sliding surface (9b), and can be connected in a releasable manner to the tibia component (4). The lateral sliding surface (9a) and the medial sliding surface (9b) of the intermediate element (3) have different sagittal cross-sectional profiles.
US09060861B2

An annuloplasty ring system for repairing an atrioventricular cardiac valve includes an external support ring (2), an inner adjustable ring (4), a sliding pushing element (6) mounted between the external and inner rings (2, 4), and actuating element designed to control the pushing element (6). The pushing element (6) is designed, when actuated by the actuating element, to slide between the external ring (2) and the inner ring (4) and to press on the inner ring (4) by using the external ring (2) as a support, in such a way that a precise part of the inner ring (4) is deformed without modifying the perimeter of the inner ring (4).
US09060856B2

A prosthetic heart valve comprises a biological tissue valve and a collapsible and expandable support frame having a longitudinal axis. The frame comprises an outflow circumferential structure defining an outflow end of the frame and consisting essentially of a single row of diamond-shaded expandable cells. The frame also comprises three V-shaped structures spaced apart from the outflow circumferential structure and three struts longitudinally aligned with the longitudinal axis of the frame. The three struts are configured to facilitate mounting the biological tissue valve to the frame and interconnect the outflow circumferential structure to the three V-shaped structures. The frame also includes three undulating structures, each of the three undulating structures interconnecting respective adjacent V-shaped structures of the three V-shaped structures. The prosthetic heart valve is configured to be collapsed for introduction into a patient using a catheter and to be expanded for deployment at an implantation site.
US09060855B2

In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a valve prosthesis for attachment to a native valve complex of a subject. The prosthesis is configured to assume a compressed delivery state and an uncompressed implantation state. The prosthesis includes a support frame, which is shaped so as to define an upstream inlet having upstream-most portions that are tapered in an upstream direction toward a central longitudinal axis of the prosthesis when the prosthesis assumes the compressed delivery state, and a flexible prosthetic heart valve component, coupled to the support frame. Other embodiments are also described.
US09060853B2

The present embodiments provide stents and stent-grafts for use in medical procedures. In one embodiment, a stent comprises a series of proximal apices, a series of distal apices, and at least one imaging element. A first suture bore is disposed in a surface of the stent at a location distal to the imaging element, and is adapted to receive a suture for coupling a portion of the stent to a graft material. A distal region of the stent, including the series of distal apices and the first suture bore, overlaps with the graft material, while a proximal region of the stent, including the series of proximal apices and at least one barb, is disposed proximally beyond the graft material. In an alternative embodiment, a stent-graft comprises a graft, a first stent and a second stent, in which a series of proximal apices of the first stent are each disposed distal to the proximal end of the graft, and a series of proximal apices of the second stent are each disposed proximally beyond the proximal end of the graft.
US09060852B2

A method of making a stent-graft is provided. The method includes mounting a stent on a mandrel so that the stent is stretched when it is on the mandrel. A graft layer is then adhered to the stent while it is mounted on the mandrel. When the stent-graft is removed from the mandrel, the stent contracts and the graft layer becomes partially wrinkled when the stent is in its expanded relaxed state.
US09060850B2

A temperature controlled cosmetic treatment facial mask with area-specific treatments of the present invention includes a substantially planar mask body which is formed with cut-outs for a person's eyes, nose, and mouth. The mask may include a number of large and small area treatment zones in combination with asymmetrical treatment zones suitable for treatment of specific and localized skin conditions. The treatments zones are coated with skin treatments, such as compounds, lotions, gels, and the like as are known in the facial treatment, cosmetics, spa and medical industry. The mask may include a self-heating or cooling substrate to provide temperature control to the face mask and each mask may include heating areas, cooling areas, or both. A system is also provided that includes an imaging device that feeds its output to a central computer system having an image analyzer, CPU, memory and Look Up Table, and face map for determining specific treatment requirements for the particular patient. An output from the central computer system is provided to a treatment deposition device which deposits various treatments onto an intermediate membrane layer to generate a custom temperature controlled facial mask with area-specific treatments for that particular patient.
US09060847B2

A method for modifying the refractive index of an optical, hydrogel polymeric material. The method comprises irradiating predetermined regions of an optical, polymeric material with a laser to form refractive structures. To facilitate the formation of the refractive structures the optical, hydrogel polymeric material comprises a photosensitizer. The presence of the photosensitizer permits one to set a scan rate to a value that is at least fifty times greater than a scan rate without the photosensitizer in the material, yet provides similar refractive structures in terms of the observed change in refractive index. Alternatively, the photosensitizer in the polymeric material permits one to set an average laser power to a value that is at least two times less than an average laser power without the photosensitizer in the material, yet provide similar refractive structures.
US09060839B2

Described are implants, tools, and related methods, for use in pelvic surgery to treat conditions such as prolapse, including embodiments of methods that involve a tissue path above the arcus tendineus.
US09060838B2

An implant configured to treat prolapse of a pelvic organ includes a support member and an extension portion projecting from the support member. The extension portion has a barbed fixation means provided thereon for anchoring the extension portion into pelvic paravaginal tissue. The barbed fixation means allow bi-directional adjustment of the barbed fixation means relative to the tissue, and when suitably located, the barbed fixation means engage the tissue. The support member comprises a mesh material having a mass density of less than 50 g/m2.
US09060837B2

Embodiments of elongate pelvic implants and methods for treating pelvic conditions, such as incontinence, are provided. The implants can include a tissue support portion, one or more extension portions and one or more anchors. The implant is constructed as a unitary sling implant. The implant can be constructed or formed in a generally elongate shape to provide a lattice support structure of repeated cells.
US09060836B2

A unitary or homogeneous patterned implant is provided. The implant is constructed of patterned cells formed by way of a molding, die casting, laser etching, laser cutting, extruding, and the like. Portions of the implant can be formed into sinusoid or other waveform strut members to control and promote elongation, expansion or contraction along single or multiple axes. As such, controlled and designated stress, tension and compression distribution is promoted across specific or localized areas of the implant.
US09060835B2

The invention relates to devices that are stabilized at an intraluminal residence site in the gastrointestinal tract by their conformation, including dimensions of length and curvature. The device as a whole corresponds to the conformation of the residence site; more particularly, the curved or angled portions correspond to the curved or angled portions of the residence site and do not conform to an immediately proximal or distal site. In some embodiments, the conformationally stabilized device may effect a change in the residence site shape that contributes to stability of the device. Some embodiments are directed toward curbing appetite and/or reducing food intake, other embodiments may be directed toward other therapeutic ends. Some embodiments of the device are designed to reside wholly in the duodenum; others reside principally within the duodenum but extend proximally into the gastric antrum, while other embodiments are designed to reside elsewhere within the gastrointestinal tract.
US09060833B2

A flavored toothpick and a method for preparing such, the product exhibiting improved capacity for delivering flavor and additives to the user, among other advantages. The toothpick may be prepared by pretreating the wooden substrate to increase porosity and decrease hardness. The toothpick is then immersed in a solution containing an additive, a masking agent, and a sweeting agent, where the toothpick absorbs the solution. Alternatively, the toothpick may be placed with the solution in a sealed chamber under vacuum pressure to infuse the toothpick with the additive solution and any desired flavoring.
US09060828B2

The invention relates to a method for manufacturing an ultrasonic tip for an apicoectomy, such that the tip has a shape suitable for the shape of a tooth root, comprising the steps of: forming a feedstock by mixing a metal powder including stainless steel with a binder; injecting the feedstock to form an injection-molded part having a plurality of projections integrally formed on the surface thereof; performing debinding to remove the binder from the injection-molded part; sintering the injection-molded part; and performing annealing to increase the ductility and facilitate the bending of the sintered part.
US09060825B2

A spinal stabilization system, method, and a surgical kit having a surgical extender apparatus for implanting a surgical screw are disclosed. The extender includes a housing having a distal end and a proximal end, a hollow interior passageway disposed between the distal end and the proximal end, a channel disposed along an exterior surface of the housing at least partially between the distal end and the proximal end and configured to at least partially expose the hollow interior passageway, an interior locking mechanism disposed on an interior surface of the housing and substantially adjacent the proximal end, wherein the interior locking mechanism is configured to allow attachment of at least one surgical tool, and at least one flexible member disposed substantially adjacent the distal end. The housing is configured to accommodate placement of a surgical screw implant. The surgical screw implant is secured to the housing using a mating feature in the surgical screw implant. The at least one flexible member is configured to retain the surgical screw implant. The mating feature is configured to control axial movement of the surgical screw implant.
US09060823B2

Orthopedic fracture repair implants, systems and methods are disclosed. Implants include one or more biocompatible sleeves and struts. The implants, systems and methods are applied to bone fractures, such as segmentation fractures.
US09060803B2

Exemplary embodiments of apparatus and method for obtaining one or more portions of biological tissue (“micrografts”) to form grafts are provided. For example, a hollow tube can be inserted into tissue at a donor site, and a pin provided within the tube can facilitate controlled removal of the micrograft from the tube. Micrografts can be harvested and directly implanted into an overlying biocompatible matrix through coordinated motion of the tube and pin. A needle can be provided around the tube to facilitate a direct implantation of a micrograft into a remote recipient site or matrix. The exemplary apparatus can include a plurality of such tubes and pins for simultaneous harvesting and/or implanting of a plurality of micrografts. The harvested micrografts can have a small dimension, e.g., less than about 1 mm, which can promote healing of the donor site and/or viability of the harvested tissue.
US09060797B2

A method of preparing a femur and tibia in surgery on a knee joint using a navigation system and a robotic system. The navigation system tracks movement of the femur and tibia during the surgery. The robotic system includes a cutting tool for cutting away material from the femur and tibia. Femoral and tibial implants on installed on the femur and tibia.
US09060792B2

A manipulator for an instrument for minimally invasive surgery, having at a proximal end a handle for operating the instrument, and wherein the instrument is removably placed at a distal end, and wherein a parallelogram construction is provided between the proximal end and the distal end for guaranteeing an unambiguous positional relationship between the handle and the instrument, wherein the parallelogram construction is coupled with a system of bars for controlling the position of the parallelogram construction, the bars of the system of bars being connected to the parallelogram construction as well as to each other by means of cardan joints.
US09060789B2

An embodiment includes a system for preparing fusion of joints, such as joints in the toes or fingers of an animal such as a human. The system may include one or more of complementary ball and socket joint reamers. A reamer may be separable from an intramedullary fixation rod. The rod may include channels to prevent rotation of the rod once implanted in bone. Other embodiments are discussed herein.
US09060781B2

The embodiments disclosed herein relate to various medical device components, including components that can be incorporated into robotic and/or in vivo medical devices, and more specifically including end effectors that can be incorporated into such devices. Certain end effector embodiments include various vessel cautery devices that have rotational movement as well as cautery and cutting functions while maintaining a relatively compact structure. Other end effector embodiments include various dual end effector devices that have more than one end effector.
US09060778B2

A method and system for detecting a short circuit during a radiofrequency ablation procedure. The method includes measuring an impedance of a pair of electrodes coupled to a treatment assembly of a medical device. Radiofrequency ablation energy is transmitted between the pair of electrodes. The transmission of radiofrequency ablation energy between the pair of electrodes is terminated when after a predetermined period of time the measured impedance in either of the electrodes in the pair of electrodes is below a predetermined threshold impedance value. An alert is generated indicating a short circuit between the pair of electrodes.
US09060773B2

The various embodiments simplify the delivery of an occlusive implant to a hollow anatomical structure, such as a fallopian tube. For example, the delivery devices don't need to be retracted manually to deploy the implant. When the devices are activated, stored energy or a powered drive member induces movement of the various components. The operator need only position the distal ends of the devices at the treatment site and then commence deployment by, for example, flipping a switch or changing the position of an activation button. The present embodiments thus increase the efficacy of occlusion procedures by reducing the likelihood of operator error.
US09060761B2

A flexible catheter includes a magnetically permeable element provided at its distal end. The magnetically permeable element is configured for placement within the renal artery. External coils, positionable on anterior and posterior portions of a patient in proximity to the renal artery, are coupled to a generator which energizes the external coils to create a high-frequency oscillating magnetic field in body tissue between the external coils including the renal artery and perivascular renal nerve tissue. The magnetically permeable element serves to concentrate the magnetic field in a region near the renal artery. The concentrated magnetic field induces high frequency electric current sufficient to ablate the perivascular renal nerve tissue proximate the renal artery. A cooling arrangement can be provided at the catheter's distal end and configured to provide cooling to the renal artery during ablation of the perivascular renal nerve tissue.
US09060760B2

A tissue removal device includes an outer tubular member coupled to a housing and a having a tissue resection window, an inner tubular member slidably disposed within the outer tubular member, a tissue trap having a sealed interior in fluid communication with a vacuum chamber, an open proximal end of the inner tubular member being disposed within the tissue trap interior, and an actuator moveably coupled to the housing and operatively connected to a movable piston in the vacuum chamber, such that movement of the actuator relative to the housing generates a vacuum in the tissue trap.
US09060753B2

A sampling system comprises a mailing package; a cell sampling device comprising a flexible shaft having a handle at one end, wherein the shaft is configured to allow an individual to self collect a cell sample from mucous tissue, and a sample collecting element removably connectable with the other end of the shaft and operable to collect a cell sample from mucous tissue of an individual; and a sealable unit, wherein the unit is configured to store the sample collecting element having a cell sample thereon configured to receive the remaining components of the system for delivery to a user.
US09060752B2

A urinary catheter connector system having a housing; a catheter connector port supported by the housing and configured to attach to a urinary catheter; a urine exit port supported by the housing and configured to connect to a urine collection device; an irrigation port supported by the housing and configured to receive an irrigation syringe; a channel in the housing fluidly connecting the catheter connector port, the urine exit port and the irrigation port; and a valve supported by the housing and adapted to cooperate with the irrigation syringe to shut off flow of fluid and air to the urine exit port when the irrigation syringe is inserted and allow for flow of fluid and air to the urine exit port when the irrigation syringe is removed. The invention also includes methods of using the system.
US09060751B2

A device for closing an opening in a tissue includes a closure body, a fastening element, and a capture strip coupleable to the closure body such that the capture strip is moveable from a first position to a second position relative to the closure body, the capture strip including a receptacle configured to receive the fastening element when the capture strip is in the first position such that movement of the capture strip from the first position to the second position causes the fastening element to urge the closure body toward the tissue.
US09060742B2

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.
US09060741B2

Provided is an X-ray device which can perform X-ray imaging without an object being subjected to ineffective exposure even when the X-ray imaging is interrupted by the occurrence of an error. The X-ray device is provided with an X-ray generator, an operation panel configured to set an imaging condition, an X-ray irradiation control unit configured to control X-ray irradiation in accordance with the imaging condition, an error detecting unit, configured to, during the X-ray irradiation, detect the occurrence of an error by which the X-ray irradiation should be interrupted, an irradiation interrupting unit configured to interrupt the X-ray irradiation when the occurrence of the error is detected, and a recovery unit configured to resume the X-ray irradiation for ensuring the X-ray amount defined by the imaging condition.
US09060730B2

A method and a kit for quantification of at least one predictor promoting at least one multifactorial disease, intended for use in assessment of the risk for developing or progression of the at least one multifactorial disease for a subject are disclosed. The kit comprises a plurality of reservoir units (320), each reservoir unit (320) being arranged to releasably retain a skin irritation agent adapted to provoke an unspecific inflammatory response of skin. The kit comprises an estimation unit adapted to estimate a quantification of the at least one predictor on basis of an assessment of the at least one predictor performed by a user on basis of an assessment of the degree of severity of the inflammatory response to the skin irritation agent at each of a plurality of skin sites according to a predetermined inflammatory response criteria performed by the user and relative impact of the at least one predictor on the progress of the at least one multifactorial disease.
US09060720B1

An oximeter tool includes a base with one or more sensor structures to make measurements, a handle, and a spring connected between the handle and the base. A user can hold the handle while measurements are made and the spring permits the handle to flex relative to the one or more sensor structures.
US09060719B2

Methods and apparatus for providing data processing and control for use in a medical communication system are provided.
US09060711B2

Systems and methods for automatically detecting, classifying and quantifying clumps indicative of inflammation in the eye using optical coherence tomography images are described. Clump detection relies on both intensity and geometric thresholding. Applications of the invention include improved diagnosis, classification and monitoring of inflammatory disease.
US09060708B2

Aspects of the invention include multi-mode communication ingestible event marker devices. Ingestible event marker devices of the invention include an ingestible component comprising a conductive communication module and at least one additional non-conductive communication module. The non-conductive communication module may be integrated with the ingestible component or at least a portion or all of the non-conductive communication module may be associated with a packaging component of the ingestible event marker device. Additional aspects of the invention include systems that include the devices and one or more receivers, as well as methods of using the same.
US09060706B2

A capsule medical device includes: a casing having a capsule shape; a plurality of batteries, each having a first face, a second face, a first electrode and a second electrode; and a short-circuit prevention member, wherein the short-circuit prevention member includes an insulating member having an annular shape, covering the portion of the second electrode, and formed with an aperture from which the first electrode is exposed, an outer diameter of the annular shape is smaller than an inner diameter of the casing, and larger than an outer diameter of the battery, and a diameter of the aperture is larger than a diameter of the first electrode, and smaller than a diameter of the portion of the second electrode.
US09060704B2

A micro-camera catheter device is disclosed comprising at least one light source disposed on a distal end of a catheter. The light source is capable of propagating a predetermined wavelength of light with a wavelength between approximately 1000 nanometers and approximately 2000 nanometers onto a target. The device further comprises a lens system disposed on the distal end of the catheter, said lens system configured to receive light reflected from the target. The device further comprises a non-linear optical media disposed behind the lens system configured to modify the light reflected from the target. The device also comprises a silicon-based solid state imaging device disposed behind the non-linear optical media configured to receive light from the non-linear optical media.
US09060703B2

Preferably, an embodiment of a sensor assembly includes at least a sensor probe assembly providing a plurality of conductive pins, a compressible electrically conductive member in electrical communication with the sensor probe assembly, and a signal processing circuit in electrical communication with the compressible electrically conductive member. Preferably, the sensor assembly of the preferred embodiment further includes at least a housing confining said sensor probe assembly, compressible electrically conductive member, and signal processing circuit to form said sensor assembly.
US09060697B2

A blood pressure meter cuff includes an air bladder that receives a supply of air in order to compress a radial artery and an ulnar artery, and a cuff band for fixing the air bladder to a wrist including the radial artery and the ulnar artery. The air bladder has a wide portion that is arranged on the radial artery and the ulnar artery, and first and second narrow portions that are continuous with the wide portion and are narrower than the wide portion. The edges of the first and second narrow portions that are continuous with the edges of the wide portion are shaped as straight lines that are inclined with respect to the width direction.
US09060689B2

Apparatus, system and method are provided which utilize signals received from a reference and a sample. In particular, a radiation is provided which includes at least one first electro-magnetic radiation directed to the sample and at least one second electro-magnetic radiation directed to the reference. A frequency of the radiation varies over time. An interference can be detected between at least one third radiation associated with the first radiation and at least one fourth radiation associated with the second radiation. It is possible to obtain a particular signal associated with at least one phase of at least one frequency component of the interference, and compare the particular signal to at least one particular information. Further, it is possible to receive at least one portion of the radiation and provide a further radiation, such that the particular signal can be calibrated based on the further signal.
US09060684B2

An observation device (1) is provided with: a general observation unit (10) for observing sample cells by observing an entire container (C) containing the cells and a culture solution; and a magnification observation unit (20) for magnifying a region within the container (C) and observing the cells, the general observation unit (10) and the magnification observation unit (20) each individually having lighting for illuminating the cells with light, and an optical system for observing the cells. The general observation unit (10) and the magnification observation unit (20) are thereby each provided with an individual optical system and lighting, making it possible to configure an appropriate observation unit for use both when the cells are observed by observing the entire container (C) and when a part within the container (C) is magnified and the cells are observed.
US09060683B2

A wireless system for a person includes a wearable appliance with an accelerometer; a wireless device in communication with the wearable appliance; and a remote computer coupled to the wireless device to provide information to an authorized remote user.
US09060676B2

A warming device (30) for warming the lens portion (2) of an optical instrument (1), such as a laparoscope, to a temperature above ambient to prevent lens fogging comprising: a double walled cylindrical tube (3) having an internal wall (3b), and an external wall (3a), an upper surface and an open distal portion (7) with a central cavity (4) therebetween; a protrusion (9) extending from said upper surface, sized and shaped to receive the lens portion; a circular cap (5) sized to attach to said distal portion of said double walled cylindrical tube; and, a heating element (15) enclosed within said central cavity and thermally coupled to said insulation layer.
US09060673B2

A method and a system for displaying portions of in vivo images such as pathological or anatomical landmark portions of images, may include receiving a stream of in vivo images captured in a body lumen, and selecting relevant image portions such as suspected pathological image portions from the stream, based on one or more predetermined criteria. A spatial arrangement of the image portions may be determined, and the selected image portions may be resized to an appropriate size, and displayed in a rectangular or hexagonal array layout according to the determined spatial arrangement, such that rows and columns of selected image portions are adjacent to each other.
US09060672B2

A method for coregistering images involves defining middle paths through image objects depicting tissue slices of needle biopsies. First landmarks are defined on a first middle path through a first image object in a first digital image of a first tissue slice, and second landmarks are defined on a second middle path through a second image object of a second digital image of a second tissue slice. Individual first landmarks are associated with individual second landmarks. A first pixel in the first object is coregistered with a second pixel in the second object using multiple first and second landmarks. The first image is displayed in a first frame on a graphical user interface, and the second image is displayed in a second frame such that the first pixel is centered in the first frame, the second pixel is centered in the second frame, and the images have the same orientations.
US09060671B2

Example devices are disclosed herein that include a first elongated band coupled to a first housing to be located on a first side of a head of a subject and a second housing to be located near a second side of the head of the subject, the first elongated band comprising a first set of electrodes. The example device also includes a second elongated band coupled to the first housing and to the second housing, the second elongated band comprising a second set of electrodes. In addition, the device includes a third elongated band coupled to the first housing and to the second housing, the third elongated band comprising a third set of electrodes.
US09060670B1

Three dimensional heat-induced echo-strain imaging is a potentially useful tool for monitoring the formation of thermal lesions during ablative therapy. Heat-induced echo-strain, known as thermal strain, is due to the changes in the speed of propagating ultrasound signals and to tissue expansion during heat deposition. This paper presents a complete system for targeting and intraoperative monitoring of thermal ablation by high intensity focused acoustic applicators. A special software interface has been developed to enable motor motion control of 3D mechanical probes and rapid acquisition of 3D-RF data (ultrasound raw data after the beam-forming unit). Ex-vivo phantom and tissue studies were performed in a controlled laboratory environment. While B-mode ultrasound does not clearly identify the development of either necrotic lesions or the deposited thermal dose, the proposed 3D echo-strain imaging can visualize these changes, demonstrating agreement with temperature sensor readings and gross-pathology. Current results also demonstrate feasibility for real-time computation through a parallelized implementation for the algorithm used. Typically, 125 frames per volume can be processed in less than a second. Motion compensation can account for a shift within frames due to either tissue movement or positional error in the US 3D imaging probe.
US09060659B2

A cleaning vehicle includes a vehicle body, a cantilever system, and a cleaning apparatus. The cantilever system includes a rotary table fixed on the vehicle body, a first cantilever pivotably mounted on the rotary table, and a second cantilever pivotably connected to the first cantilever. The cleaning apparatus is fixed to one end of the second cantilever opposite to the first cantilever. The cantilever system further includes a first adjusting pole, a second adjusting pole, and a third adjusting pole, for adjusting the position and the angle of the cleaning apparatus.
US09060655B2

In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a sanitizer dispenser may include a dispenser intake, a diaphragm pump including a diaphragm and a pump chamber, a dispenser outlet, a first one-way valve having an intake in fluid communication with the dispenser intake and an output in fluid communication with the pump chamber, a second one-way valve having an intake in fluid communication with the pump chamber and an outlet in fluid communication with the dispenser outlet, and a push plate including an outer surface and configured to press an outer surface of the diaphragm when the push plate is pressed.
US09060648B2

An electrically powered device for preparing beverages, in particular hot beverages, that includes means for conditioning a liquid to prepare one or more batches of beverage after such a beverage preparation device has been switched on; and a power management arrangement for shutting down the beverage preparation device automatically.
US09060644B2

Systems and methods for thermal treatment of packed product(s), e.g, food items, using electric current, which includes providing interconnected electrodes to facilitate the flow of electric current through the products in series, parallel, or any other combination, thus efficiently heating the products in a controlled manner.
US09060638B2

A process and reactor used for the depth thermal treatment in maize for producing High Performance Integral Nixtamal, a process for treating maize under conditions different from known ones and by which a new product can be manufactured which has been called High Performance Integral Nixtamal.
US09060632B2

The present disclosure, in one embodiment, relates to a biodegradable mailbox that includes a receptacle. The receptacle has a post attachment integral with the receptacle. The mailbox also includes a post, the post having a first end and a second end, the first end being securely insertable into the post attachment of the receptacle. The mailbox also includes a base into which the second end of the post is securely inserted. The mailbox is comprised of cardboard and contains no glue.
US09060621B2

A foldable structure includes: an upper assembly forming an upper portion of the structure; a base assembly forming a lower portion of the structure; a centrally-located hub assembly operatively connected to the base assembly; and a post extending from each corner of the upper assembly to a corner of the base assembly. The upper assembly includes a plurality of arm assemblies. At least one latching mechanism is provided at each corner of the upper assembly extending from an upper portion of at least one of the posts to a portion of at least one of the arm assemblies.
US09060617B2

A mattress has a perimeter rail having a head end, a foot end, and two sides, each having an inner surface, and at least two substantially parallel rectilinear sections. Each section comprises an array of springs whose tension is selected to provide a predetermined firmness for that section. Each adjacent pair of sections is urged into a spaced-apart relationship by a spacing means, where each spacing means comprises a flexible spacer. The flexible spacer restricts or substantially eliminates the translation of movements between the sections of the mattress, while avoiding the use of uncomfortable separation means.
US09060616B2

The invention describes a coated spring for mattresses that comprises a helical compression spring and a wrapping in the form of a bag containing the spring, wherein the bag containing the spring is injected with a polymeric reaction mixture, which after reacting or curing produces a polymeric foam, preferably of flexible polyurethane up to a desired volume in order to cause the spring to change its flexion or compression properties, as well as the method for its manufacturing and its use in the manufacturing of mattresses of different kinds.
US09060596B2

A toothbrush can include a handle and a head. At least one bristle can be attached to the head. The toothbrush can also have an illumination member, an illumination circuit and an activation device. A pliant base on the handle can be used to activate the activation device to initiate the illumination circuit.
US09060595B2

The compensating/performance regulation system includes a power skin brush having a handle, an oscillating brushhead workpiece and a drive system, wherein the brushhead workpiece has an RFID tag. An RFID reader is provided in the handle and is responsive to the RFID tag moving past the reader to produce an indication of use of the brushhead. A microprocessor calculates a value of actual use from the RFID information and uses stored information to determine the decline in performance from the calculated use. A compensating change in drive frequency or duty cycle of the drive signal is then determined by the microprocessor from stored information and transmitted to the drive system to maintain performance of the appliance.
US09060593B2

The invention relates to a toothbrush having a head area comprising cleaning elements, a grip area, and a neck area, which connects the head and the grip areas to each other, wherein the toothbrush is configured having a first component made of plastic, and at least one further second component made of plastic, wherein the first component has a relief structure that is covered by the second component. The relief structure comprises high regions having the shortest distance to the outer surface of the second component, and low regions having the greatest distance to the outer surface of the second component, and the relief structure has intermediate regions adjacent to the high and low regions, the distance to the outer surface of the second component of the intermediate regions being between that of the high and low regions.
US09060591B1

A handle for displaying and manually holding an advertising sign includes a C-shaped member having two opposing channels, a front side with a slot, a rear side, and two opposing ends. A handle terminates at each of two opposing ends with a T-shaped retention member that is slidably retained within the two opposing channels. The handle further includes a central portion situated in front of the C-shaped member. A pair of end caps each adapted for fixing with one of the ends of the C-shaped member is included, at least one of which includes a first fastener. A second fastener such as two-sided tape is fixed with the rear side of the C-shaped member. With the second fastener fixed with the sign, the handle may be pulled outwardly for holding the sign, or retracted to allow suspension of the sign from a wall, or the like, at the first fastener.
US09060574B2

A cap structure includes a cap body and an elastic piece. The cap body has at least two first inner concave grooves corresponding to each other, at least two first retaining blocks corresponding to each other and respectively extended outwardly from the at least two first inner concave grooves, and at least two first outer concave grooves corresponding to each other and respectively adjacent to the at least two first retaining blocks. The at least two first inner concave grooves are disposed on the inner surface of the cap body, and the at least two first outer concave grooves are disposed on the outer surface of the cap body. The elastic piece is disposed on the inner surface of the cap body, and the at least two first retaining blocks contact the elastic piece for retaining the elastic piece.
US09060567B2

An article of footwear includes an upper having a first area and a second area. The footwear also includes a sole structure that is coupled to the upper. The sole structure includes a bladder that contains a fluid. Moreover, the footwear includes a tensile structure that is coupled to the first area of the upper, that extends through the sole structure, and that is coupled to the second area of the upper. The tensile structure is operably coupled to the bladder. The tensile structure is operable to flex the bladder due to an increase in tension in the tensile structure.
US09060557B2

A safety helmet, in particular for cyclists, includes a self-contained portable semi-shell helmet (H), on which an integral part (1) enclosing the chin and the occiput/neck area can be fixed in a detachable way. The semi-shell helmet (H) is equipped as a self-contained helmet with a chin strap fastening and all that belongs to known helmets, This hence enables, depending on the intended use, only to wear the upper helmet part or the assembled integral helmet.
US09060551B2

Aspects of the present invention relate to systems and methods for providing adjustable permeability in articles of apparel. For example, in response to a human's body heat, a dynamic material may change shape to allow additional permeability in an article of clothing. Similarly, in response to the presence of moisture, an article of clothing may close a vent to prevent the introduction of rain into an internal portion of the article. The shape changing material may change shape that merely affects a feature formed by the shape changing material. Additionally, it is contemplated that the shape changing material may change shape that affects a geometric structure of the article as a whole.
US09060546B2

A smoking article filter includes a flow restrictor and a cavity downstream of the flow restrictor. The flow restrictor includes an orifice or flow channel for directing smoke into the cavity. The filter is attached to the tobacco rod with tipping paper and includes an air-admissible ventilating zone at a location downstream of the restrictor.
US09060534B2

The invention relates to a method for drying rice, in which, during the drying process, the grains of rice pass through surface states which have various pairs of values of temperature (T) of the surface and moisture (U) of the surface, the surface of the grains of rice remaining in a viscoelastic state during the drying process, and in which, in a diagram comprising temperature (T) of the surface of the grains of rice and moisture (U) of the surface, a) the temperature (Tv) of the surface of the grains of rice lies no more than 40° C. above the temperature (Tg) on the glass transition curve of the rice at the point of the same moisture of the surface and/or b) the moisture (Uv) of the surface of the grains of rice lies no more than 20% above the moisture on the glass transition curve of the rice at the point of the same temperature of the surface.
US09060517B2

An agricultural or horticultural fungicide contains as an active ingredient thereof at least one compound selected from the group consisting of nitrogenated heterocyclic compounds represented by formula (I) (wherein, R represents a group represented by CR1R2R3 or a cyano group, R1 to R3 represent hydrogen atoms, alkyl groups or hydroxyl groups, or the like, X1 represents a halogeno group or the like, m represents an integer of 0 to 5, X2 represents a halogeno group or the like, n represents an integer of 0 to 3, B represents a carbon atom or a nitrogen atom, D represents a 5- to 7-membered hydrocarbon ring, and A1 to A4 represent carbon atoms or nitrogen atoms, provided that A1 to A4 do not all represent carbon atoms when B represents a carbon atom) and salts thereof.
US09060515B2

The present invention provides a compound of the following formula, racemates, enantiomers and salts thereof. Also provided is the use of these compounds as antibacterials, compositions comprising them and processes for their manufacture.
US09060514B2

The present invention provides the efficacy-enhancing agent composition for agricultural chemicals containing (A) the sorbitan fatty acid ester surfactant, (B) the rosin-oxyalkylene adduct surfactant or a specified quaternary ammonium salt surfactant, and (C) a specified glycol ether solvent.
US09060509B2

The present invention is an apparatus, method and system to thermally package an item having at least one container (100) substantially filled with an alcohol, wherein said alcohol undergoes a phase change.
US09060501B2

Disclosed is a lead-free fishing sinker and a method of manufacturing. The sinkers are constructed from a combination of colored grout and a countertop mix having a superplasticizer additive. The mixture is about 60% colored grout and 40% countertop mix having a super plasticizer additive. A liquid mixture includes a 50/50 mixture of water and latex additive to be added to the dry mixture. Steel pellets are placed within the admixture before placement into a cold mold to form any size or shape fishing sinker. The fishing sinkers can be made of most any shape and include a receptacle for holding simulator skirts or dry chum pellets.
US09060491B1

A soybean cultivar designated 39242052 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 39242052, to the plants of soybean cultivar 39242052, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 39242052, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 39242052. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 39242052. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 39242052, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 39242052 with another soybean cultivar.
US09060488B1

A soybean cultivar designated 33351113 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 33351113, to the plants of soybean cultivar 33351113, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 33351113, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 33351113. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 33351113. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 33351113, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 33351113 with another soybean cultivar.
US09060486B1

A soybean cultivar designated 35460534 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 35460534, to the plants of soybean cultivar 35460534, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 35460534, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 35460534. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 35460534. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 35460534, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 35460534 with another soybean cultivar.
US09060466B2

The invention provides systems and methods for the delivery of carbon to photoautotrophs. The invention utilizes low energy regeneration of adsorbent for CO2 capture and provides for effective CO2 loading into liquids useful for photoautotroph growth and/or production of photosynthetic products, such as biofuels, via photoautotrophic culture media. The inventive system comprises a fluid/membrane/fluid contactor that provides selective transfer of molecular CO2 via a dense (non-porous) membrane from a carbonate-based CO2 snipping solution to a culture medium where the CO2 is consumed by a photoautotroph for the production of biofuels, biofuel precursors or other commercial products.
US09066460B2

Cooled electronic assemblies and methods of fabrication are provided. In one embodiment, the assembly includes a coolant-cooled electronic module with one or more electronic component(s), and one or more coolant-carrying channel(s) integrated within the module, and configured to facilitate flow of coolant through the module for cooling the electronic component(s). In addition, the assembly includes a coolant manifold structure detachably coupled to the electronic module. The manifold structure facilitates flow of coolant to the coolant-carrying channel(s) of the electronic module, and the coolant manifold structure and electronic module include adjoining surfaces. One surface of the adjoining surfaces includes a plurality of coolant capillaries or passages. The coolant capillaries are sized to inhibit, for instance, via surface tension, leaking of coolant therefrom at the one surface with decoupling of the coolant manifold structure and electronic module along the adjoining surfaces.
US09066453B2

A power electronic system including a casing encapsulating a circuit board and multiple power electronic components mounted to a first broad face of the circuit board. The casing includes a case body, a first lid, and a second lid. The case body includes a cooling channel region including a cooling plate having a first and second broad face, cooling features extending from the cooling plate first broad face, and a cooling block extending from the cooling plate second broad face. The case body further includes a first access gap defined through the case body. The circuit board is mounted to the casing with the first broad face proximal the cooling plate second broad face. The power electronic system additionally includes a connector that extends from the case exterior to connect to the circuit board first broad face, wherein connector connection is facilitated by the first access gap.
US09066451B2

A heat exchanger system having a container having an inner chamber containing the media from which heat is to be pulled, and further having an outer surface to which is attached corrugated columns of thermally conducting material, cooling fluid conduits through the corrugated columns supplied with cooling water, at least the outer surface of the container and the corrugated columns is composed of metal and the outer surface of the container is separated from the inner surface by insulator material. It also contains a temperature monitor and controller for controlling the cooling system based upon the environment temperature to save energy.
US09066450B2

The invention provides a modular, configurable aisle isolation and containment system that may function as a hot aisle or as a cold aisle. The data center air routing system of the invention comprises one or more free-standing, essentially identical, modular system units. Each modular unit comprises two sidewalls, a ceiling, and a door or panel at either end to form an interior, enclosed aisle. Two or modular units may be coupled together end-to-end. Each modular unit further comprises one or more sidewall blanking panels that may be removed to create gaps of varying height and width to accommodate one or more IT racks. Each modular unit may also include one or more ceiling-mounted air ducts, baffles and fans to manage air flow.
US09066448B2

The embodiments of the present invention provide an insert box with front and rear insertion and a heat dissipation method of the insert box. The insert box includes a front board area, a backboard, and a rear board area. A first air flow passing from a first wind inlet at an upper end portion at a front side of the insert box passes through one of the front board area and the rear board area; and a second air flow passing from a second wind inlet at a lower end portion at the front side of the insert box passes through the other one of the front board area and the rear board area.
US09066441B2

The invention relates to a receiving device, in particular a cabinet or rack, having a receiving space (12) for receiving built-in components (14) provided with RFID transponders (34), and having a detection device for detecting built-in components (14) accommodated, which is or can be connected to an evaluation device, and has at least one RFID antenna (32) for communication with the RFID transponders (34) of the incorporated built-in components (14). According to the invention, the receiving device (10) has a plurality of RFID transponders (36) arranged distributed along the receiving space (12), the transponder action of said RFID transponders can be changed as a function of a presence or absence of a built-in component (14) in the vicinity of the respective device-specific RFID transponder (36).
US09066440B2

A side bracket for holding a housing in a rack is provided that includes a profile section with a vertical mounting plate that can be used to attach the profile section in a rack. The profile section includes a horizontal slide plate attached to the mounting plate, upon which slide plate a housing may be placed and moved in a sliding manner, and includes at least one retaining element with which a force acting in the horizontal direction from the profile section can be exerted on a side wall of the housing.
US09066438B2

A fixing mechanism includes a first platform, a first bent portion, a second platform and an engaging portion. The first platform is fixed on a casing of an electronic device. The first bent portion is connected to the first platform. An end of the second platform is connected to the first bent portion. The second platform pivots relative to the first platform via the first bent portion. The engaging portion is disposed on a side of the second platform. The engaging portion is for engaging with an interface card and the casing as the second platform pivots relative to the first platform, so as to fix the interface card on the casing.
US09066435B2

A wiring board includes a first insulation layer, a second insulation layer formed on the first insulation layer, a wiring structure interposed between the first insulation layer and the second insulation layer and including an insulation layer and conductive patterns formed on the insulation layer, second conductive patterns formed on the second insulation layer, and a via conductor formed through the second insulation layer and connected to one of the second conductive patterns on the second insulation layer.
US09066424B2

The presently claimed invention is to provide a package for compact RF signal system, and a method to form the package thereof in order to miniaturize the size of package, improve signal integrity, and reduce manufacturing cost. The package comprises a hybrid substrate with a sandwiched structure, in which the hybrid substrate comprises an upper layer and a lower layer with different dielectric properties being separated by an interposer for improving electrical isolation and mechanical stiffness. Metal layers are formed on the sidewalls of the opening to surround an active component, such that the metal sidewalls together with two ground plates in the upper and lower layers constitute a self-shielding enclosure inside the package to protect the active component.
US09066416B2

In a power supply enclosure and a method of manufacturing the same, the power supply enclosure is divided into an independent top cover, an independent bottom base, as well as two independent side panels. The top cover, the bottom base, and the side panels are formed by blanking. After extruded hole, punching or bending processes by using a change core method, the top cover and the bottom base were made, followed by assembling the two side panels on the two sides between the top cover and the bottom base to form the power supply enclosure group.
US09066406B1

An LED driver circuit is provided with protection against short circuits between output terminals. Two switches are coupled in series with the LED load. A first capacitor is coupled to gate terminals for the first and second switches and defines a first gate charge time. A first failure detection circuit includes a third switch coupled across the first capacitor, a second capacitor defining a second gate charge time for the third switch, the second gate charge time being less than the first, and a zener diode having a threshold voltage less than a maximum output voltage during normal operation. The failure detection circuit disables the third switch during normal operation, and during short conditions enables the third switch to short the gates of the first and second switches. A second failure detection circuit is identical to the first, and coupled in parallel to protect against circuit failure.
US09066401B1

A method, apparatus, and system for compensating for lamp lumen depreciation. The method includes operating the lamp under rated wattage for a period towards the first part of operating life of the lamp. Operating wattage is increased at one or more later times. Energy savings are realized. The increases also restore at least some light lost by lamp lumen depreciation. The apparatus uses a timer to track operating time of the lamp. A few wattage changes made at spaced apart times can be made in a number of ways, including changing capacitance to the lamp, or using different taps on the lamp ballast. In one aspect the invention pertains to solid state sources. The invention can pertain to a variety of applications including wide area lighting, indoor lighting, pathway lighting, parking lot lighting, street lighting, under-counter or -cabinet lighting, and others.
US09066400B2

A bi-level dimming control circuit is disclosed. The bi-level dimming control circuit is electrically coupled between two switches and a driver circuit that is compatible with 0 to 10 volt dimming signals. The bi-level dimming control circuit controls the output from the driver circuit based on the on and off positions of the switches. In repose to the on and off positions of the switches the driver circuit powers a light engine between a maximum light output mode, a zero light output mode and a reduced or dimmed light output mode. The bi-level control circuit is used to modulate LED light engines, fluorescent light engines and combinations thereof.
US09066399B2

There is provided an illumination driving apparatus for a light emitting diode, the apparatus including: a light emitting unit including M number of light emitting diodes (LEDs) connected in series and driven by an output voltage rectified in a rectifying unit; an LED switch unit including N number of LED switches connected in parallel with at least N number of the M LEDs, respectively, and connected in series; an LED switch control signal generating unit comparing the output voltage of the rectifying unit with each of the first to Nth preset reference voltages to generate N number of LED switch control signals controlling the LED switch unit; and an LED switch controlling unit transferring the N number of LED switch control signals to the LED switch unit.
US09066397B2

Current is provided to a segment of light emitting diodes in a plurality of segments of light emitting diodes. Embodiments generate a current and sequentially and separately switch the current to each segment of light emitting diodes in the plurality of segments of light emitting diodes for a corresponding period of time, where the corresponding period of time is based on an average current of the generated current.
US09066395B2

There are provided a power supply device switching power input to a primary side to supply the power to a predetermined load connected to a secondary side electrically insulated from the primary side and a control circuit thereof. The control circuit generates a predetermined PWM signal to apply the PWM signal to a dimming switch connected to an end of the load and controls a switching frequency of the primary side, based on a control voltage generated according to a feedback signal according to the power supplied to the load and the PWM signal, and the control voltage maintains a constant difference between a minimum voltage level and a maximum voltage level regardless of a duty of the PWM signal.
US09066383B2

A method of controlling illumination, including transmitting location information from a communication device to a computer; receiving illumination data with the communication device, where the illumination data is generated by the computer based at least in part on the location information; and transmitting an illumination signal from the communication device to a wearable accessory containing at least one light source, where the illumination signal is based at least in part on the received illumination data and is operable to actuate the at least one light source.
US09066379B2

A circuit arrangement for organic light-emitting diodes can be arranged in a two-dimensional matrix. It can in particular be used with microdisplays. It can allow a wide influencing of the brightness of the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the organic light-emitting diodes. Every organic light-emitting diode can be controlled by means of a storage circuit, a sense amplifier and a driver circuit using the circuit arrangement. The driver circuit can be formed by at least three transistors connected in series and a further output transistor whose drain is connected to the anode of the respective organic light-emitting diode. In this respect, the transistor acting as the driver can have a constant electric operating voltage LVDD applied at its source and a further likewise constant electric operating voltage Vdrive is applied to its gate. The drain of the first transistor to the source of the following transistor connected to it in series and the two gates of the following transistors which form a switch and are connected in series are connected to the output of the sense amplifier and are acted on by its electric output voltage VSenseOut. The drains of the two transistors forming the switch are connected to the source of the output transistor whose gate is connected to ground potential or to which negative electric voltage is applied.
US09066373B2

A system and method of controlling an induction cooking appliance based on a feedback signal. A feedback signal sampling time interval may be triggered when a power control signal has a magnitude of zero. The feedback signal sample may be used to calculate a status factor and the appliance may be controlled based on the calculated status factor.
US09066361B2

The present invention relates to a method for communicating in a network comprising a primary station and at least one secondary station, said secondary station comprising a buffer containing data packets to be transmitted to the primary station, the method comprising the step of the secondary station transmitting an indication of the buffer status to the primary station, said indication comprising information about history of said buffer.
US09066359B2

The invention relates to apparatuses, a method, computer program and computer-readable medium for resource allocation (selection of channel and maximum allowed transmission power) in a coexisting secondary communications system, overlapping with a primary system. Allocation is performed based on an interference table indicating measured interference per cell of the primary system from other cells of the primary and secondary system.
US09066356B2

In a wireless communication system including a plurality of wireless stations provided in a structure having a radio wave shield arranged at a fixed position, at least one of two wireless stations using an identical wireless channel and two wireless stations using wireless channels adjacent to each other are allocated on both sides of the radio wave shield, respectively. In this case, the structure is an aircraft, and the two wireless stations are allocated on different aisles of the aircraft, respectively. In addition, the two wireless stations are allocated to be apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the aircraft.
US09066353B2

A method and system for controlling discontinuous reception (DRX) in a mobile device in a wireless communications network uses autonomous DRX control after initial VoIP traffic setup. If the mobile device transmits a negative-acknowledgement signal (NACK) indicating unsuccessful receipt of a VoIP packet, then it autonomously turns on a predetermined delay time later to receive the retransmission of the VoIP packet. The predetermined delay time is related to the time for the base station to process the NACK and prepare the VoIP packet for retransmission. When the mobile device transmits or retransmits a VoIP packet, reception is deactivated, but is autonomously activated the predetermined delay time later to receive an acknowledgement signal (ACK) or NACK. VoIP packets may be transmitted from the mobile device the predetermined delay time before VoIP packets are transmitted from the base station.
US09066351B2

Systems and methods for data transmission include categorizing users into one of a plurality of profiles using a processor based on device and channel characteristics. Each of the plurality of profiles is mapped to one of a plurality of transmission schemes. Data is combined for a plurality of users categorized with different profiles for data transmission.
US09066346B2

This document discloses a solution where a network element of a cellular communication system detects appearance of a terminal device in the cellular communication system. In connection with registering the terminal device in the cellular communication system, the network element determines that a native frequency band of the terminal device is a sub-band of an operating frequency band of the cellular communication system and, then, allocates to the terminal device frequency resources from the native frequency band of the terminal device.
US09066343B2

A method for receiving a Relay Physical Downlink Control CHannel (R-PDCCH) by a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. The method includes receiving a downlink subframe including one or more aggregated resource blocks including resource elements. The resource elements are mapped in increasing order of first a subcarrier index, and then a symbol index. The method further includes monitoring the R-PDCCH on the one or more aggregated resource blocks. The one or more aggregated resource blocks are numbered based on an aggregation level and a number of the one or more aggregated resource blocks corresponding to the aggregation level.
US09066342B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method in which a terminal transmits control information in a CA-based wireless communication system and to an apparatus for the method, the method comprising: a step of configuring a first cell and a second cell having different subframe configurations, the second cell has UL-DL configuration #0; a step of receiving a downlink control information (DCI) format including an N-bit field (N>1), for the second cell; and a step of transmitting a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) signal corresponding to the downlink DCI format through a subframe. The N-bit field indicates either an uplink (UL) index or a downlink assignment index (DAI). For PUSCH timing, in cases where a reference UL-DL configuration applied to the second cell is any one of UL-DL configurations #1 to #6, the N-bit field indicates the DAI.
US09066338B2

The present invention relates to a method for transmitting resource allocation information between a mobile communication device and a base station in a wireless mobile communication system that supports a plurality of communication modes. The method comprises the steps of: creating information relating to the number of resource units available for the mobile communication device operating in a second communication mode from all of the whole resource units which can be used by a first mobile communication device operating in a first communication mode and a second mobile communication device operating in the second communication mode; and broadcasting the information relating to the number of available resource units created in the previous step.
US09066337B2

A wireless subscriber communication unit is provided for operation in a cellular communication system having a plurality of shared uplink and downlink transmission resources, each divided into sets of mutually exclusive resources. The shared uplink transmission resources are defined in terms of codes and timeslots. The communication unit comprises a receiver, control, and transmitter unit. The receiver unit receives scheduling information including an assignment of a scheduled uplink transmission resource from the shared uplink transmission resources from a network infrastructure apparatus. The control unit derives an uplink resource identifier related to the scheduled uplink transmission resource from the received scheduling information. The transmitter unit transmits an uplink transmission, which includes the uplink resource identifier, using the scheduled uplink transmission resource. The control unit receives a downlink transmission associated with the uplink transmission on a downlink transmission resource determined from at least one of the received scheduled uplink resource or identifier.
US09066323B2

Example disclosed herein relate to an ad hoc network connection. A first mobile device initiates a request for an ad hoc wireless local area network (WLAN) connection with a second mobile device via a cellular network. Location information of the second mobile device is received and a distance of the second mobile device to the first mobile device is determined from the location information. If the distance is within a threshold, the first mobile device and the second mobile device exchange WLAN parameters and the ad hoc WLAN connection is established using the WLAN parameters.
US09066301B2

Embodiments include managing a reverse link transmission power level setpoint during periods of data inactivity on a reverse link traffic channel in a wireless communications system. At an access terminal, upon detecting reverse link data inactivity above a time threshold, a message is generated and transmitted on the reverse link traffic channel at a power level sufficient for the access network to measure transmission statistics to determine whether to adjust the current transmission power level setpoint of the access terminal. Alternatively, the access terminal notifies the access network of an upcoming reverse link data inactivity period, and then lowers its transmission power level setpoint to reduce power consumption during the reverse link data inactivity period. Then, upon detection of a potential reverse link data transmission, the access terminal may then send one or more messages to prompt the access network to modify the access terminal's transmission power level setpoint.
US09066290B2

Disclosed is the radio (wireless) communication system providing a radio communication service and the terminal, and more particularly, to a method for reconfiguring a timer of a mobile terminal in an Evolved Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (E-UMTS) evolved from the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) or a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system.
US09066289B2

A system including multiple nodes performing radio communication, wherein each node stores routing information, uses it to determine a transmission path, and performs cut-through transmission by transmitting and receiving packets to and from a node on the determined path through transmission and reception radio waves given a directivity by controlling their phases. In the system, time synchronization and transmission and reception of packet communication records are performed during a certain time period by carrying out the cut-through transmission while controlling phases of the radio waves so that all of the nodes form one or more closed loops. The node transmits and receives packets in accordance with routing information and a time frame assigned to each of the nodes as a time when each node is allowed to transmit and receive a packet, updates the routing information, and shares it with each node.
US09066284B2

Call policy enforcement and routing is based on user location. A plurality of endpoints is provided for receiving and making calls. Each of the plurality of endpoints are assigned a default policy for controlling call authorization and providing call routing rules. A mapping of policies for a plurality of locations is stored. A location of a client associated with one of the plurality of endpoints is identified. A location-based policy is obtained from the stored mapping of policies of the plurality of locations based on the identified location of the client. The obtained location-based policy is applied instead of the default policy assigned to the client associated with one of the plurality of endpoints.
US09066283B2

Provided are a basic service set (BSS) load management procedure and a quiet interval setup procedure in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system. The WLAN system uses a bonding channel, and an access point (AP) of the WLAN system provides BSS load information regarding a channel having a bandwidth less than or equal to a bandwidth of the bonding channel (e.g., each of channels of 20 MHz, 40 MHz, 60 MHz, and 80 MHz) to STAs of the WLAN system. The BSS load information may be specified by an extended BSS load element. The AP transmits the extended BSS load element to the STAs by including the BSS load information to a beacon frame or a probe response frame.
US09066278B2

A communications apparatus is described which is capable of auto-tuning a cell admission threshold value used to control admission into a communications network. The apparatus obtains an outage rate for one or more current calls at a node in the network, and also a blocking rate of the rate at which admission requests at the node are blocked and uses these rates to adjust a load threshold to be used in admission control decisions. The apparatus then controls admission of calls at the node in dependence on an estimated current load and the load threshold.
US09066273B2

Cell selection procedures performed in a wireless network are disclosed that include determining a uplink/downlink (ULDL) preference of a User Equipment (UE) in communication with a first evolved Node B (eNB) having a first ULDL configuration and a second eNB having a second ULDL configuration. The UE compares the first and second ULDL configurations to the ULDL preference. The UE selects the first eNB based on the first ULDL configuration matching the ULDL preference. In alternative aspects, a first eNB having a first ULDL configuration and in communication with a UE receives the ULDL preference of the UE. The first eNB compares the first ULDL configuration and a second ULDL configuration of a second eNB in communication with the UE to the ULDL preference. The first eNB selects the second eNB based on the second ULDL configuration matching the ULDL preference.
US09066270B2

A system and method for determining a correspondence between an Abis signaling channel and an air channel frequency designator. A monitoring instrument may be connected to multiple E1 circuits, monitoring messages sent on Abis signaling channels. By repeatedly observing channel activation messages (135) preceding channel assignment messages (145) of interest, or channel assignment messages (145) following channel activation messages (135) of interest, the instrument may infer a correspondence between an Abis signaling channel and an air channel frequency designator.
US09066267B2

A wireless communication device and a method to establish a protected time for communication over a direct link between two stations of the same network. The method includes configuring at least one antenna for a direct link establishment, switching to a listening mode and waiting for a channel time allocation (CTA) for transmission. After receiving the CTA a source station sends a first frame to a destination station based on a channel time allocation value and receive a second frame from the destination station to complete an establishment the CTA.
US09066265B2

Logic such as hardware and/or code to narrow available sub-channels in frequency selective transmission communications in which a station selects a narrow band from a wider channel bandwidth. A frequency selective transmission scheme for communications devices may select a 1 or 2 MHz channel from a wider channel bandwidth (e.g., 4, 8, 16 MHz) that consists of a number of 1 or 2 MHz sub-channels and transmitting packets on the selected sub-channel. The access point may narrow the number of sub-channels available for selection by stations. Stations may narrow the number of sub-channels. Both the AP and the stations may operate to narrow the number of sub-channels. A medium access control sub-layer protocol common to the communications devices may facilitate a frequency selective transmission scheme.
US09066257B2

Some aspects of the present disclosure relate to a method for accurately detecting and measuring signals received from multiple cells surrounding a user equipment (UE) during a cell search. The method is performed by receiving a composite signal comprising an aggregate of transmissions (e.g., synchronization signals) from a plurality of base stations at a UE. A correlation-based metric describing a cell is generated by performing a cross-correlation of a transmission (e.g., synchronization signal, reference signal, etc.) from the cell with the received composite signal. The correlation-based metric of weaker cells may be modified to generate an equivalent ideal metric, also proportional to the search criteria, in which the impact of interfering signals is suppressed. By suppressing the impact of the interfering signals, the equivalent ideal metric can be used to identify a weaker target signal in light of the eclipsing, stronger signals.
US09066249B2

Methods and apparatus for interference coordination to improve transmission and reception performance within wireless networks. In one exemplary embodiment, a wireless transmitter transmits multiple transmissions over a determined time. The receiver receives the multiple transmissions and attempts to recover the transmitted signal. Because, the fading channel varies over time for each transmitter-receiver, by combining the received signals over multiple iterations, the signal of interest will be magnified, whereas interference effects will be suppressed.
US09066242B2

The embodiments herein relate to a method in a target node (501, 520) for handling capabilities of a wireless relay (510) in a communications network (500). The target node (501, 520) receives, from the wireless relay (510), information indicating a capability of the wireless relay (510). The information indicates whether the wireless relay (510) is fixed or movable. Based on the received information, the target node (501, 520) determines a procedure to be executed, which procedure is dependent on whether the wireless relay (510) is fixed or movable.
US09066240B2

A user equipment (UE) may detect a potential collision between a discontinuous reception (DRX) pattern of a first radio access technology (RAT) and a reception time of a message from a second RAT of a remote device. The reception time may be unknown. The UE may dynamically reconfigure the DRX pattern to reduce a likelihood of the potential collision. The UE may also configure transmission of a different message by the second RAT during a DRX off-period to reduce a likelihood of the potential collision.
US09066235B2

A moving state detecting section 202 determines a moving state of a share source terminal 100. A moving state detecting section 302 determines a moving state of a share destination terminal 110. An inter-terminal distance measuring section 304 detects the distance between the share source terminal 100 and the share destination terminal 110. A security process determining section 305 determines a terminal and a function on which to perform a security process, based on the moving state of each terminal and the distance between the terminals. A security process executing section 306 notifies the determined terminal to perform the security process on the determined function.
US09066227B2

A system and method are disclosed for providing wireless network access to a user of a remote device at a hotspot. In general, wireless communication is established by the system with the remote device to enable wireless transmission therefrom of social networking credentials associated with a social network profile maintained by a third party social network service provider. Using these credentials, the user is authenticated with the third party social network service provider, and, upon authentication, is provided wireless access to the network.
US09066221B2

A method and a user equipment (UE) are described for performing a proximity-based service (ProSe) in a cellular communication system. The UE is a public safety (PS) ProSe-enabled UE that is a member of a ProSe Group. At least one UE of the ProSe Group is not served by a cellular network, and an apparatus therefore. The PS ProSe-enabled UE checks whether it is in a location served by the cellular network, and transmits first information related to the ProSe Group to the cellular network if a condition is satisfied. The PS ProSe-enabled UE transmits a notice to a leader UE of the ProSe Group for informing that the PS ProSe-enabled UE is in a state that can be served by the cellular network when the PS ProSe-enabled UE is in the location served by the cellular network as a result of the check operation.
US09066220B2

Methods and systems for distributed infrastructure for streaming data via multiple access points. Aspects of one method may include apportioning multimedia information among a plurality of transmitting devices based on feedback channel information received from a destination receiving device by, for example, a transmission controller device. The transmitting devices may transmit the multimedia information to the destination receiving device. A transmitting device that may not be apportioned multimedia information may transmit a probing signal. The destination receiving device may generate feedback channel information for a transmitting device, for example, based on the multimedia information or the probing signal received from the respective transmitting device. The apportioning of the multimedia information may be dynamically adjusted based on updated feedback channel information received from the destination receiving device.
US09066216B2

Methods and apparatus for providing voicemail services to callers of wireless devices may include providing customized outgoing messages to callers based upon the caller's identification. A subscriber to the voicemail service may select one or more contacts associated with the subscriber to receive a customized outgoing message while the remaining callers receive a general outgoing message. The methods and apparatus may further include distributing voicemail messages from a subscriber's voicemail accounts to one or more social networking sites. The subscriber to the voicemail services may share one or more received voicemail messages via one or more social networking accounts associated with the subscriber.
US09066203B2

The disclosed embodiments include a method, apparatus, and computer program product for restricting communications at a network level. For example, one disclosed embodiment includes a system that includes at least one processor and at least one memory coupled to the at least one processor. The memory stores instructions that when executed by the at least one processor performs operations that includes receiving location coordinates such as, but not limited to, a building's coordinates, a name of a business, and a freeform shape that defines a boundary. The operations include restricting, at the network level, communications associated with a device determined to be within a boundary corresponding to the location coordinates.
US09066202B2

A method of determining a position of a target device includes: sending a first measurement signal from a first known-position device; receiving the first measurement signal at a second known-position device; receiving a first acknowledgement signal from the target device at the first known-position device and at the second known-position device; determining the position of the target device using first timing information associated with the first measurement signal and the first acknowledgement signal, a first position of the first known-position device, and a second position of the second known-position device.
US09066196B2

The present application provides a method and a device for saving network resources, wherein the method particularly includes: determining that a user equipment has the property of small data amount transfer; and during network attachment, allocating no user plane resources to the user equipment which has the property of small data amount transfer. The present application is used to save network resources in an LTE system during M2M communication.
US09066194B2

A method of detecting, controlling and managing transmission of a transmitting device within a facility is disclosed. The method involves transmitting information to the transmission device, detecting a response transmission from the transmission device by a least one transmission detection facility, extracting identification information associated with the transmission device in response to the transmitted information; and determining a location of the transmission device based on the response transmission received by the at least one received transmission detection facility, wherein the response transmissions are sorted by the identification information, determining an allowability of the located transmission device with the set area and interacting and manipulating transmission of the detected transmitting device.
US09066187B2

The invention relates to a transducer comprising a housing having a first and a second sound input, a first and a second vibration sensors configured to convert vibration to an output, and a diaphragm connected to both the first and second vibration sensor.
US09066179B2

Embodiments are provided for configurations of a loudspeaker and assembly of the loudspeaker. The loudspeaker configuration may include a circumferential spacer element having a first surface and a second surface. The first surface may be attached to an outer rim of a first suspension element. An inner rim of the first suspension element may be attached to an outer rim of a diaphragm. A central portion of the diaphragm may be coupled to a voice coil. The second surface may be attached to an outer rim of a second suspension element. An inner rim of the second suspension element may be coupled to a lower surface of the diaphragm. The circumferential spacer element has a structural shape configured to be coupled to a loudspeaker frame such that the voice coil may be suspended at least partially within a magnetic gap of a magnetic structure of the loudspeaker.
US09066172B2

Computing devices and microphone assemblies including acoustic waveguides are described. According to some examples, a computing device may include an enclosure, a microphone which may be spaced apart and angled relative to the interior surface of the enclosure to which the microphone may be coupled. The computing device may further include an acoustic waveguide disposed between the microphone and the interior surface of the enclosure, the acoustic waveguide having a passage for allowing acoustic energy to be transmitted from a microphone opening in the enclosure to the receiving element of the microphone (also referred to as sensing element, or microphone sensor).
US09066157B2

A dynamic watermark generation method and system in which the dynamic watermark may have a default length or a shorter length, and wherein the dynamic watermark is generated to have the determined length. The dynamic watermark is a locally-unique code that is used as an index to a database entry that identifies the subscriber that requested the media asset. In some instances, the entry may include a timestamp, a subscriber device identifier such as a MAC address or IP address, a subscriber identifier or ID number, and a media asset identifier such as a static ID. The static ID may include a code that indicates whether the dynamic watermark is of a default length or shorter. The length of the dynamic watermark may be partly based upon projected audience size for the requested media asset.
US09066144B2

A system and method for remote participation in live events are described. The system comprises one or more interactive environments, each hosting a live event and including means for continuously recording the interactive environment; a transmitter coupled to the one or more interactive environments, configured to receive from each interactive environment the respective recording and to transfer each recording to at least some of a plurality of remote viewers; a processing unit configured to receive feedback related to one of said live events from two or more of the remote viewers, wherein, based on the feedback, the processing unit is configured to determine an interactive environment hosting the related live event and to directly update the determined interactive environment based on the feedback.
US09066142B2

A method and system for providing content includes a network having a plurality of receiving units generating a plurality of recording or tuning requests for content and communicating the recording or tuning requests through the network. The system includes a first receiving unit of the plurality of receiving units that is selected by the network to receive content corresponding to the request and stream the content to the network. A second receiving unit receives the content from the network.
US09066141B2

In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes generating a workload using at least one schema defined by combinations of ranges of each of at least two attributes. The computer-implemented method also includes receiving a request to provide content. The computer-implemented method further includes provisioning the content based upon the workload.
US09066138B1

Methods, systems, and apparatuses can replace content within a manifest driven streaming video program. A generic manifest file can be retrieved, original content within the streaming program can be identified for replacement, and a user specific manifest file can be generated that includes references to replacement content instead of the original content identified for replacement.
US09066136B2

Methods and apparatus to count audience members are disclosed. An example method includes determining a first viewing count of a number of times that a first person was historically logged in to a measurement apparatus during a day part; determining a second viewing count of a number of times that a second person was historically logged in to the measurement apparatus during the day part; determining, using a processor, a first probability that the first person is in a current audience based on the first viewing count and the second viewing count; and when the first probability satisfies a probability threshold, prompting the audience to enter user identification.
US09066120B2

A personalized television viewing system includes a head-end subsystem. The head-end subsystem includes a personality server configured to store a user preference regarding a television viewing format and a rendering server configured to provide digital media content in the television format of the user's preference. The viewing system further includes a client-end subsystem. The client-end subsystem includes a client server configured to electronically communicate with the head-end subsystem and provide the personality server with the user preference regarding the television viewing format.
US09066116B2

Some embodiments of the invention provide techniques for an advertisement mask and a target media content being jointly encoded, transformed, and progressively rendered for presentation to a user. Specifically, a request for the target media content by a user is received. The target media content and the advertisement mask are scaled and divided into equally sized blocks and, further, jointly encoded into a compressed media file. Transformation of the content of the compressed media file is followed by progressively loading and rendering the advertisement mask and a partially obscured view of the media content. As the target media content is transmitted and fully rendered, the advertisement mask gradually decreases in opacity until it is removed for presentation of the fully-rendered target media content.
US09066115B1

Methods, systems, and computer readable media can provide for structuring of dynamic advertisement breaks in video manifest files. This can be facilitated by accessing information associated with a recognized advertisement break in a video stream and inserting information into a generic manifest file to create a customized manifest file in order to drive downstream server or equipment decisions.
US09066108B2

Parametric Motion Vector Prediction (PMVP) methodologies and components and systems for performing those methodologies are provided to more effectively and efficiently encode video content that includes complex motion such as zoom or rotation. By substituting the PMVP for a collocated MVP used in HEVC in order to reduce the amount of bit rate increase required when including the PMVP analysis in the bit stream. Further, compression of the motion vectors is provided in a three stage approach based on transformation, quantization and difference coding.
US09066103B2

A video signal coding apparatus includes a coding unit which codes and re-codes a video signal and includes: a coding processing unit which codes, slice-by-slice, a current picture indicated by the video signal, to generate coded data; an integration unit which calculates a code-integrated value indicating a code amount of the coded data; a coding result determination unit which determines that re-coding of the current picture is necessary when determining that the code-integrated value is grater than a threshold; and a re-coding control unit which specifies a slice to be re-coded, based on coding information indicating a feature of the coded data, when it is determined that the re-coding is necessary, and the coding processing unit further re-codes the slice specified by the re-coding control unit.
US09066093B2

A display panel module includes: a pixel array section in which a sub-pixel formed by a self-luminous element of a current-driven type and a pixel circuit configured to drive and control the self-luminous element is arranged in a form of a matrix; a signal line driving section configured to drive a signal line; a writing control line driving section configured to control writing of a potential appearing in the signal line to the sub-pixel; and a power supply controlling section configured to control supply of driving power to the sub-pixel and stop of the supply of the driving power; wherein when either of a two-dimensional image and a three-dimensional image is displayed, the signal line driving section, the writing control line driving section, and the power supply controlling section operate in common driving timing set such that display periods of adjacent frames do not overlap each other.
US09066082B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to encoding multi-channel media content. In one embodiment, a set of multi-channel media content is received. The set of multi-channel media content includes a plurality of content frames. Each content frame includes a first channel content frame and second channel content frame. Each of the first channel content frames is grouped into a first group of content frames. Each of the second channel content frames is grouped into a second group of content frames. Each content frame in the first group of content frames is encoded. At least a first content frame in the first group of content frames includes at least one variation, where the variation is a different version of the first content frame. Each content frame in the second group of content frames is also encoded, where the second group of content frames is absent any content frames including a variation.
US09066074B2

A camera module testing device for detecting light leakage in relation to a camera module includes a base, a first fixing plate, a second fixing plate, a movable element, a stepping motor, a sliding table, a support mechanism, a board and a power supply module, and a processing unit. The movable element includes a first movable plate, a second movable plate, and a third movable plate. The support mechanism and the camera module are driven to rotate to various predetermined angles. The stepping motor drives movable element, the support mechanism and the camera module to swing a predetermined number times for each predetermined angle. The lens captures an image each time. The processing unit compares an image captured each time with a predetermined image and analyze if there is a problem of light leakage for the camera module.
US09066066B2

An interactive television system is provided in which a user can use an interactive television application to establish time-based settings. The user may set television program reminders, advance-order pay-per-view programs, schedule programs for recording, and establish parental controls to prevent television viewing during certain times on certain channels. The interactive television application may be used to support video recorder functions such as personal video recorder functions implemented locally on the user's set-top box or other equipment and network-based video recorder functions implemented using servers at cable television headends and other network locations. The interactive television application may also be used to deliver video-on-demand content. When the user requests that video be delivered, conflicts may arise between the requested video delivery and the previously-established time-based settings. The interactive television application may provide the user with on-screen options that allow the user to select how to resolve these conflicts.
US09066061B2

A plurality of I- or P-pictures for displaying video images with the same data as the last frame of the main data of the content are added as reproduction synchronization adjustment frames after the last frame of the main data; when reproduction leads a reference reproducing device, more synchronization adjustment frames are reproduced (ST11); when reproduction lags, fewer synchronization adjustment frames are reproduced (ST9). Reproduction can be synchronized among a plurality of reproducing devices (42) that read data from a storage medium and reproduce the data, or receive data by network delivery and reproduce the data, under conditions where system clock correction by use of PCR is impossible.
US09066049B2

Provided in some embodiments is a computer implemented method that includes providing script data including script words indicative of dialogue words to be spoken, providing recorded dialogue audio data corresponding to at least a portion of the dialogue words to be spoken, wherein the recorded dialogue audio data includes timecodes associated with recorded audio dialogue words, matching at least some of the script words to corresponding recorded audio dialogue words to determine alignment points, determining that a set of unmatched script words are accurate based on the matching of at least some of the script words matched to corresponding recorded audio dialogue words, generating time-aligned script data including the script words and their corresponding timecodes and the set of unmatched script words determined to be accurate based on the matching of at least some of the script words matched to corresponding recorded audio dialogue words.
US09066048B2

An electronic device with one or more processors, memory and a display receives a first request to display a first video stream and in response, displays the first video stream on the display in a first video tile and plays first audio content that corresponds to the first video stream. While displaying the first video stream, the device receives a second request to display a second video stream. In response to receiving the second request, the device slides the first video tile off of the display and slides a second video tile that corresponds to second video tile onto the display. The device also starts to play second audio content for the second video stream and increases an amplitude of the second audio content relative to an amplitude of the first audio content in accordance with an amount of the second video tile that is displayed on the display.
US09066040B2

An intelligent television can provide various interfaces for providing video-on-demand (VOD). The user interfaces include unique visual representations and organizations that allow the user to utilize the intelligent television more easily and more effectively. Particularly, the user interfaces pertain to the display of VOD content and better organizations thereof. Further, the user interfaces provide unique process of transitioning between the VOD content.
US09066025B2

Input image information is received. A processor device is used for determining enhancement information based on frequency characteristics and feature information of the input image information. The enhancement information is mixed with the input image information to generate an enhanced image.
US09066022B2

Image capture based on logarithmic conversion. At least some of the illustrative embodiments are methods including capturing an image by: reading a plurality of analog signals from an array of light sensitive elements; performing logarithmic analog-to-digital conversion on the plurality of analog signals which creates a corresponding plurality of digital values; and storing representations of the plurality of digital values to a storage medium.
US09066021B2

The invention relates generally to both a method and apparatus for the creation of full resolution color digital images of diagnostic cassettes or objects of interest using a gray-scale digital camera or sensor combined with time sequential illumination using additive primary colors followed by post exposure digital processing. Such procedures and equipment is of significant economic value when employed in situations such as diagnostic clinical analyzers where space is limited and image quality requirements are high.
US09066017B2

An image capture device may capture a series of images. The series of images may include a plurality of metering images interleaved with a plurality of preview images. The preview images may be captured using respective total exposure times (TETs) that are based on characteristics of at least one previously-captured metering image. A viewfinder of the image capture device may display a stream of display images. Each display image in the stream of display images may be derived from at least one of the preview images, and at least part of the capturing may occur contemporaneously with at least part of the displaying.
US09066016B2

An image recording apparatus includes an image capturing unit configured to capture an image of a subject, a recording unit configured to record one of still image data and video image data captured by the image capturing unit on a storage medium in the form of an image file, a generating unit configured to generate a management file used for managing the image file recorded on the storage medium, and a registering unit configured to register an identifier of the image file recorded on the storage medium in the management file on a capture date basis in the order of capture time.
US09066012B2

An image capturing device includes a first controller operable to control image capturing; an operation section including a switch; a detector operable to detect a change to an image capturing mode and to send a signal representing the change; a second controller operable to monitor and process the sent signal, the second controller having a power consumption less than that of the first controller; and a power supply operable to supply power to the first controller, the second controller, and a functional section of the device. When the second controller receives the signal sent from the detecting section in a power saving state in which power is supplied from the power supply to the second controller, the power saving state is changed to a power supplying state capable of image capturing by supplying power from the power supply to portions of the device including the first controller.
US09065999B2

An auto focus image system that includes a pixel array coupled to a focus signal generator. The pixel array captures an image that has a plurality of edges. The generator generates a focus signal that is a function of a plurality of edge-sharpness measures for the plurality of edges. The generator compares a sequence of gradients across the edge with one or more reference sequences of gradients and/or reference curves defined by data retrieved from a non-volatile memory. The generator may reject or de-emphasize the edge using result of the comparison. The edge sharpness measure is a quantity whose unit is a positive or negative, integer or non-integer power of a unit of length. It may be measured from the edge and/or a reference sequence/curve matched to the edge, or may be retrieved for the matched reference sequence/curve from a non-volatile memory.
US09065995B2

A television lens apparatus in which circuit boards can be easily mounted or dismounted and can be easily wired is provided. A lens barrel is contained in a housing. A housing opening is formed in the lens barrel to be opened and closed with a rotatable lid. A board holding device is fixed on a rear portion of the lens barrel. In the board holding device, four connectors are mounted on a wiring board and arranged in an axial direction of the lens barrel. Four circuit boards are inserted in the connectors through the housing opening in a direction perpendicular to the lens barrel.
US09065994B2

An image pickup apparatus, including: a filter including transmittance variable element and adjusting amount of incident light from lens; a photoelectric transducer; and guide optical system guiding the incident light from the filter to the photoelectric transducer. The guide optical system includes color separation optical system including, in order from object side, first prism having first dichroic film, second prism having second dichroic film, and third prism, to separate the incident light into red, green, and blue. The first or second dichroic film is blue reflection dichroic film. Rotational position of the transmittance variable element about optical axis is such a position that ratio of transmittance for blue to transmittance for green of marginal ray entering the blue reflection dichroic film at incident angle smaller than principal ray of axial ray to the blue reflection dichroic film is smaller than such ratio of the principal ray of axial ray.
US09065990B2

A microphone assembly includes a microphone unit and an attachment unit. The attachment unit includes a camera shoe attachment section to be attached to a camera shoe and a damper housing cylinder fixed to the camera shoe attachment section. A holder is fixed to a lower end of an inner cylinder of a protruding section protruding from the microphone unit. The lower end of the inner cylinder is pivotally supported by a second damper contained in the damper housing cylinder through the holder. The middle portion of the protruding section is supported by a first damper contained in the damper housing cylinder.
US09065985B2

A vehicle collects oblique imagery along an intercardinal nominal heading using rotated camera-groups with distortion correcting electronic image sensors that align projected pixel columns or rows with a pre-determined direction on the ground, thereby improving collection quality, efficiency, and/or cost. In a first aspect, the camera-groups are rotated diagonal to the nominal heading. In a second aspect, the distortion correcting electronic image sensors align projected pixel columns or rows with a pre-determined direction on the ground. In a third aspect, the distortion correcting electronic image sensors are rotated around the optical axis of the camera. In a fourth aspect, cameras collect images in strips and the strips from different cameras overlap, providing large-baseline, small-time difference stereopsis.
US09065979B2

A classification method and system for possible content alteration of a media work may include criteria regarding content that is feasible for alteration. Such criteria may be maintained in records that are accessible to an interested party. Some embodiments may include a record of primary authorization rights applicable to a possible content alteration. A further embodiment feature may include a record of secondary authorization rights applicable to substitute altered content incorporated in a derivative version. Various techniques may be used to incorporate substitute altered content in a derivative version of the media work in accordance with applicable substitution guidelines.
US09065978B2

A system and method are disclosed for acquiring services on a multiplicity of devices. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a service management center (SMC) (100) that has a plurality of service centers (102-110) for supplying services to a corresponding plurality of devices (120-128), and a controller (112) for managing operations of the service centers. The controller is programmed to receive (202) from a select one of the devices an identification reference in response to a request for service by an end user, search (210) for one or more services associated with the identification reference, select (212) from the search results one or more services appropriate for the requesting device, and enable (220) the one or more services on the selected device.
US09065965B2

An apparatus, system and method are described which allows multimedia signals received from one or more content providers (e.g., cable television providers, Internet content providers, . . . etc) to be received, processed and retransmitted by an originating node to one or more receiving nodes over a local cable network (e.g., the coaxial cable network within a user's home). One impediment to communication between nodes within the local cable network is the fact that most cable splitters are designed to attenuate signals between the split legs of the splitter. Accordingly, in one embodiment of the invention, a reflector device coupled upstream of the root splitter in a local cable network (or in place of the root splitter) is configured to reflect signals transmitted from the originating node back up into the network to the receiving nodes. Signal attenuation is minimized because the signals propagate from the splitter inputs to the splitter legs (rather than between the splitter legs).
US09065963B2

An HDMI® source determines whether or not an HDMI® sink can receive a sub-signal based on VSDB of E-EDID. When the HDMI® sink can receive the sub-signal, the HDMI® source adds a sub-signal to pixel data of a main image composed of pixel data whose number of bits is smaller than that of transmission pixel data transmitted by a transmitter, thereby constructing transmission pixel data. This data is transmitted by the transmitter through TMDS channels #0 to #2. Furthermore, the HDMI® source transmits a general control packet containing sub-signal information indicating whether or not the sub-signal is contained in the transmission pixel data in the control period of a vertical blanking period. The present invention can be applied to, for example, HDMI®.
US09065961B2

A circuit board of an image sensor unit of this invention includes a substrate, a first circuit pattern portion formed on the substrate, and a second circuit pattern portion formed continuously from the first circuit pattern portion. A light source is connected to the second circuit pattern portion. The light source is arranged facing an incident surface by bending the second circuit pattern portion.
US09065958B2

An image processing device is configured to provide a service relating to at least one of (1) the image data generated by the function of the image processing device and (2) image data representing the image to be formed, in response to a request from the image processing device. The image processing device may include a parameter designating unit, a service request unit, and a function implementation unit that is adapted to implement the function of the image processing device based on the service providing parameter designated by the parameter designating unit. The service providing device is provided with a service provision executing unit that is adapted to execute a process to provide the service to the image processing device after receiving the request from the service request unit provided to the image processing device.
US09065949B2

A document reading device includes: a reading position at which information on a document is read; a light source that radiates light toward the document passing through the reading position; a light receiving section that receives reflected light generated from the light from the light source; and a background reflection section disposed to reflect the light from the light source so as to be received by the light receiving section through the reading position. When the document is not present, the background reflection section reflects an amount of light that is greater than an amount of document-reflected light reflected by the document which is white. The background reflection section is formed by processing a specular surface so as to reflect an amount of light that is less than an amount of specularly reflected light reflected by a specular surface.
US09065932B2

A device for providing notifications while mated with a carrying case is provided. The device comprises: an indicator; a first detector configured to detect when the device is mated with a carrying case, the carrying case having an open configuration and a closed configuration, wherein the indicator is hidden in the closed configuration and at least partially exposed in the open configuration; a second detector configured to detect when the carrying case is in the open configuration; and, a processor configured to place the indicator in a given notification mode when the first detector detects that the device is mated with the carrying case and the second detector detects that the carrying case is in the open configuration.
US09065925B2

Systems and methods for providing a method of recording, delivering, reviewing and responding to messages such that the context of responses to the messages are recorded in the form of a message index to enable linking of messages and responses in a meaningful fashion for review by a user. The flow of conversation on a topic initiated in an original message is preserved in one or more conversation threads. Also incorporated is a method to indicate the party (user or entity) responsible for posting a response in the form of a brief audible icon overlaid on the original message and heard upon review, the icon also to be used to indicate affiliation with third parties at the option of the user or as a means to subsidize the cost of providing the messaging service.
US09065917B1

Systems and methods to process communications received from a user are described herein. In one example, the system may include a communications handling module that receives communications from users and a routing decision engine that selects an agent to process the communication. In another example, the method may include, receiving a communication from a user, parsing their need from the communication, and processing the communication using the need and other needs. In a further example, the method may include anticipating a service or product that may be of interest to the user and servicing that during a single interaction with an agent, where the interaction was initiated by the user for another need.
US09065913B2

The present disclosure relates generally to interactive response systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for providing multi-modality interaction between communication devices. In one embodiment, a multi-modality interactive system is disclosed, comprising: a processor; and a memory storing processor-executable instructions comprising instructions to: obtain a request to initiate an interactive session with a communication device; obtain interactive session data for communication to the communication device; select a modality for the interactive session data, by analyzing one or more parameters associated with the interactive session data and the communication device; convert a format of the interactive session data according to the selected modality; and transmit the interactive session data in the converted format to the communication device.
US09065912B2

A system is disclosed. The system has a client device, an interactive response system, and an Internet Protocol (IP) network enabling IP communication between the client device and the interactive response system. The client device may be configured to place a call to the interactive response system via the IP network, to establish an IP telephonic communication session between the client device and the interactive response system, and to display textual content received from the interactive response system during the IP telephonic communication session. The interactive response system is configured to receive the call from the IP network, to establish the IP telephonic communication session between the client device and the interactive response system, to transmit textual content to the client device during the IP telephonic communication session.
US09065898B1

A communication network comprises a public safety answering point, a responder device, and a customer information system. The public safety answering point receives a call from a caller and signaling for the call. The signaling indicates a key associated with the call. The public safety answering point transfers dispatch information that identifies the key to the responder device. The responder device receives the dispatch information and generates and transmits a context request that indicates the key. The responder device receives a context response that includes a context information. The customer information system receives the context request, processes the context request to select the context information from a plurality of context information based on the key, and transfers the context response.
US09065894B2

The display of a mobile device is managed during a voice communication session using a proximity sensor and an accelerometer. In one example, the display of a mobile device is turned off during a phone call on the mobile device when a proximity sensor detects an object is proximate the device and an accelerometer determines the device is in a first orientation.
US09065891B2

A radio communication apparatus includes: a first casing; a second casing; a connection section that connects the first and second casings to each other to be movable; and an antenna device that operates at a predetermined communication frequency. In the radio communication apparatus, first and second states are switched between by relatively moving the first and second casings. The first state is a state in which the first and second casings are opened or closed with respect to one another, and a first conductor (122) installed from the connection section to the first casing and a second conductor (240) installed from the connection section to the second casing are separated and faced each other. In the first state, the first conductor (122) and the second conductor (240) are electrically connected to each other at the communication frequency. The second state is a state in which the first and second casings are closed or opened with respect to one another.
US09065890B2

A wrist-worn mobile telephone is comprised of a body with a microphone and a speaker attached to a wristband and adapted to be movable around and along the wrist. The wristband can be resiliently stretchable and multi-sectional. The wristband can be made with a groove, and a holding clip attached to the body can be inserted into the groove. Alternatively, the phone can be made with a through slot to let the wristband be fed through the slot. In this version, an inner side of the body contacting the wrist can be shaped concave, and the through slot can be longitudinally shaped to generally follow the shape of the inner side, which can be made coarse.
US09065875B2

A Push-to-talk over Cellular (PoC) communication session is established between an inviting PoC client and at least one invited PoC client using an IP Multimedia Subsystem network. Establishment involves using a pre-established session procedure to negotiate media parameters between the inviting PoC client and a participating PoC server for the inviting PoC client. At the inviting PoC client, a Talk Burst Control Protocol (TBCP) or Media Burst Control Protocol (MBCP) message is sent directly to its participating PoC server, the TBCP or MBCP message containing the PoC address of the at least one invited PoC client. At the participating PoC Server, in response to receipt of the TBCP or MBCP message, a SIP INVITE message is generated and sent towards a participating PoC server for the at least one invited PoC client.
US09065865B2

A method and system for HTTP request service identify a true URL content regardless of whether the target URL is redirected, and send the true URL content to a client. The requesting and sending of the redirected URL content is done internally in the HTTP server system and do not require the client to have the ability to receive and execute a URL redirection command. The server system receives a URL request from the client and generates within the server a response to the URL request. If the response does not contain any redirection information, the true URL content includes the target URL content; and if the response contains redirection information indicating a redirected URL, the true URL content includes a redirected URL content associated with the redirected URL. The client receives the true URL content in either case by submitting a request for the target URL once.
US09065854B2

The present disclosure relates to methods and systems for managing a guest virtual machine executing within a virtualized environment. A daemon is established on a guest virtual machine executing within a virtualized environment. The daemon is configured to communicate with a management service virtual machine executing within the virtualized environment. The daemon receives, from the management service virtual machine via an application layer protocol, a request identifying an action type of a plurality of predetermined action types. The daemon identifies the action type of the plurality of predetermined action types from the received request and performs an action corresponding to the identified action type. In some implementations, the application layer protocol is one of Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) or Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS).
US09065851B2

Storing data is disclosed. A range or addresses is received and the range of addresses is stored in a bulk object. Retrieving data is disclosed. A request to access data associated with an address within a range of addresses is received. A response is derived based at least in part on a bulk object.
US09065848B2

A method and apparatus for identifying data patterns of a file are described herein. In one embodiment, an exemplary process includes, but is not limited to, receiving a data packet of a data stream containing a file segment of a file originated from an external host and destined to a protected host of a local area network (LAN), the file being transmitted via multiple file segments contained in multiple data packets of the data stream, and performing a data pattern analysis on the received data packet to determine whether the received data packet contains a predetermined data pattern, without waiting for a remainder of the data stream to arrive. Other methods and apparatuses are also described.
US09065844B1

A method and apparatus to help manage sequential processing of messages. When a layer of a protocol stack in a computing device encounters a need to transmit two or more messages in a particular sequence, the layer generates and pass to a next layer of the stack a composite message defining the two or more messages together, rather than sending the messages one by one to the next layer. With this process, the combination of the two or more messages may thus pass between and/or through layers of the stack, and a layer of the stack receiving the combination may then extract the messages individually from the combination and output the extracted messages in sequence as desired.
US09065842B2

Systems and methods for authenticating electronic messages using client-generated encryption keys provide for a sender transmitting an original message to a recipient device that includes a digital signature of the original message content and the key used to generate the digital signature. The sender may store an association between the digital signature, the key, and the recipient's address. The recipient may verify the integrity of the original message using the received digital signature and may further verify the authenticity of the message by transmitting a confirmation request message back to the sender that includes the original digital signature and a second digital signature of the confirmation request message using the received key. The sender may either confirm or deny that it sent the original message by determining whether a record exists that associates the digital signature and the key received from the recipient as well as the recipient's address.
US09065837B2

Method, system and network nodes for performing a SIP transaction, such as a SIP Invite transaction, in a Session Initiation Protocol based communications network from a first node to a third node via a second node. The second node acts as a proxy that receives a SIP message from the first node and, instead of forwarding the message to the third node, transmits a pivot request to the first node requesting the first node to forward the message directly to the third node. The first node forwards the message directly to the third node, and during the remainder of the SIP transaction further SIP messages are exchanged between the first and third node directly.
US09065835B2

A peer group can be established for sharing Web cache data among a set of computing devices through a peer-to-peer network. The Web cache data can be used by each of the computing devices to respond to requests issued over a client-server network from a Web browser running on that computing device. Web cache data can be exchanged among the peers of the peer group via the peer-to-peer network. A client request issued from a Web browser of one of the computing devices can be satisfied using Web cache data obtained from a different one of the computing devices in the peer group. The client request can be a request to one of the Web servers for Web content. The server associated with the request may never provide the Web content responsive to the client request, which is obtained instead from the different one of the computing devices.
US09065829B2

At least one embodiment of this disclosure includes a method of resource balancing execution of an application involving multiple devices. The method can include: identifying an application executing on an operating system of a first computing device; identifying a resource type to facilitate the executing of the application; identifying multiple computing devices each having at least an available resource instance of the identified resource type, wherein the multiple computing devices are reachable by a communication protocol of the first computing device; and selecting a target computing device to offer up a target resource instance of the resource type to the application based at least partly on a comparable limitation of each available resource instance of the multiple computing devices.
US09065826B2

Malware detection is often based on monitoring a local application binary and/or process, such as detecting patterns of malicious code, unusual local resource utilization, or suspicious application behavior. However, the volume of available software, variety of malware, and sophistication of evasion techniques may reduce the effectiveness of detection based on monitoring local resources. Presented herein are techniques for identifying malware based on the reputations of remote resources (e.g., web content, files, databases, IP addresses, services, and users) accessed by an application. Remote resource accesses may be reported to a reputation service, which may identify reputations of remote resources, and application reputations of applications that utilize such remote resources. These application reputations may be used to adjust the application policies of the applications executed by devices and servers. These techniques thereby achieve rapid detection and mitigation of newly identified malware through application telemetry in a predominantly automated manner.
US09065823B2

(EN)A system, method and computer-readable storage medium with instructions for operating a digital signature server and a portable security device to cooperate to provide digital signature services using a private key stored on the portable security device by delegating to a user's smart card the actual task of digitally signing documents. Other systems and methods are disclosed.
US09065819B1

Single sign on (SSO) functionality is provided across native and hybrid applications executing on a mobile communication device, such that both native and hybrid applications can access authenticated services offered through respective application servers without repeatedly providing authentication credentials. In operation, the mobile device obtains an SSO token from an SSO server providing the SSO functionality, and native applications executing on the mobile device retrieve the SSO token from memory for use in accessing authenticated services. In the case of hybrid applications, an alias is assigned to the mobile device in response to receiving a page request received from the hybrid application. The alias is associated with SSO token of the mobile device in the SSO server, and is used to provide the SSO token directly to the hybrid application from the SSO server such that the hybrid application can use the SSO token for authentication.
US09065812B2

Technology is described for protecting transactions. The technology may include a switching component that a user can employ to switch an associated mobile device into a secure mode so that a user can confirm the transaction. After initiating a transaction request, the user can confirm the transaction request by activating the switching component, which can cause the mobile device to switch into a secure mode. In the secure mode, the mobile device may prevent the mobile device from conducting various normal activities, such as executing applications, receiving input, providing output, and so forth. The switching component may disable other processing temporarily. Upon receiving the confirmation from the user, the switching component may send a confirmation communication to complete the transaction.
US09065803B2

The present disclosure relates to a privacy-based representation of a user identity within an online system. A method for representing a user identity within an online system is provided, comprising: requesting a user identity of a user of the online system by a viewer; retrieving a status of the viewer with regard to the user; based on the status of the viewer, determining a representation of the user identity; and providing the representation of the user identity to the viewer. Furthermore, an online system and a data structure representing a user identity of a user of an online system are defined.
US09065791B2

To generate dynamic relationship-based content personalized for members of a social networking system, at least one action of one or more members of the social networking system is associated with relationship data for the one or more members to produce consolidated data. One or more elements associated with the consolidated data is identified and used to aggregate the consolidated data. Further exemplary methods comprise weighting by affinity the aggregated consolidated data to generate dynamic relationship-based content personalized for the members of the web-based social network.
US09065786B2

In response to detecting an incoming message (such as an email message, a text message, or a voice message) sent by a sender to a recipient, a computer system determines whether a current context of the recipient satisfies a condition. If the current context of the recipient satisfies the condition, then the system selects a response message based on the current context and sends the response message to the sender. The system's decision about whether to respond automatically to subsequent messages sent to the recipient may vary as the recipient's context changes. Furthermore, the system may select and send different response messages based on changes in the recipient's context.
US09065783B2

The method may include collecting performance data relating to processing nodes of a computer system which provide services via one or more applications, analyzing the performance data to generate an operational profile characterizing resource usage of the processing nodes, receiving a set of attributes characterizing expected performance goals in which the services are expected to be provided, and generating at least one provisioning policy based on an analysis of the operational profile in conjunction with the set of attributes. The at least one provisioning policy may specify a condition for re-allocating resources associated with at least one processing node in a manner that satisfies the performance goals of the set of attributes. The method may further include re-allocating, during runtime, the resources associated with the at least one processing node when the condition of the at least one provisioning policy is determined as satisfied.
US09065780B2

A network device receives a packet that includes a plurality of header fields. The packet is parsed to sequentially obtain the plurality of header fields. One or more header fields not yet available at the network device are predicted based on one or more header fields that are available at the network device. A network processing decision is generated for the packet based on the predicted one or more header fields and the one or more header fields that are available at the network device.
US09065772B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an approach for dynamically modifying Quality of Service (QoS) levels for resources (e.g., applications, processes, services, etc.) running in a networked computing environment. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention dynamically adjust transport level networking QoS parameters based on associated service level agreements (SLA) term. In a typical embodiment, a set of service level requirements associated with a resource running in the networked computing environment will first be identified (e.g., in a computer data structure). Then, the set of service level requirements will be mapped to a set of QoS parameters associated with a transport layer of the networked computing environment. A current performance of the resource within the transport layer will then be determined. Once the current performance has been determined, it will be further determined whether the current performance meets the set of service level requirements. Based on this determination/comparison, the set of QoS parameters can be adjusted accordingly.
US09065764B2

The present invention discloses a method for maintaining quality of service QoS, which includes: identifying a CLP and a service type of a newly received ATM cell, and obtaining a corresponding QoS label; when the QoS label corresponding to the newly received ATM cell is different from a QoS label corresponding to a buffered ATM cell, encapsulating the buffered ATM cell into a pseudo wire PW packet in a concatenation manner and sending the pseudo wire PW packet, where the QoS label corresponding to the buffered ATM cell is used as a QoS label of a PSN transport header of the PW packet, or is used as QoS labels of both the PSN transport header and a PW header of the PW packet, and buffering the newly received ATM cell. The present invention further provides a corresponding provider edge PE device and a corresponding ATM PWE3 system.
US09065756B2

Aspects of the disclosure pertain to a system and method for providing fast and efficient flushing of a forwarding database in a network processor. The present disclosure provides a deterministic mechanism to implement a flush operation for flushing the forwarding database. A dual FDB approach, a means for switching from one FDB to another in the event of a failure, and FDB flush operation as a background task are key features of this disclosure. The effective time for completing the flush operation is within a sub-50 millisecond time frame and is independent of the number of entries in the forwarding database. The flush operation may be performed using software.
US09065755B2

Disclosed are systems and methods for cut-through switching in port-speed-mismatched networks. Specifically, systems and methods are described in which data packets from an ingress device are paced, thereby matching the data rate of the ingress device with the data rate of the egress device.
US09065748B2

A method and system are provided for allowing time-alignment of teleprotection measurements of power signals. Teleprotection observations are communicated between teleprotection ends through a packet switched network. At each end of a teleprotection segment, a teleprotection device communicates with the network through a router providing CES and located at the edge of the network. Clocks within the two routers are synchronized using IEEE 1588v2 signals. Using this synchronization, accurate one-way latency of data through the network between the two routers in each direction can be determined. The router at the incoming end of the faster path delays playout of packets by the difference between the two one-way latencies, thereby ensuring time-alignment of observations as they are sent from the routers to the teleprotection devices.
US09065736B2

Aspects of a method and system for compensated time stamping for time-sensitive network communications are provided. In this regard, one or more timestamps generated in an OSI layer above the physical layer may be adjusted based on parameters associated with an amount of time in which data traverses a PHY of the network device. Communications of the network device may be managed based on the adjusted one or more timestamps. The parameters may comprise one or more of: average ingress PHY traversal time, average egress PHY traversal time, variance of ingress PHY traversal time, and variance of egress PHY traversal time. One or more network links coupled to the network device may be characterized based on the one or more adjusted timestamps. The parameters may be stored in one or more registers within a PHY of the network device.
US09065733B2

A system and method for registering a client device with a server device includes the server device having a display. The display displays a first identifier in response to entering a registration mode. A client device is in communication with the server device. The client device detects that the server device is in registration mode and communicates a second identifier to the client device. The server device compares the first identifier and the second identifier and, after comparing, registers the client device at the server device.
US09065732B2

A communication system configuration has an annular design and includes multiple participants which are serially interconnected, one participant being configured as a master and the remaining participants being configured as slaves. The master is configured for transmitting a data packet to one or a plurality of slaves, and each slave has a shift register. The communication system includes a participant which has an external interface and is adapted for receiving data via the external interface from outside of the communication system to implement a debugging or a programming of one or a plurality of participants of the communication system or for transmitting data to outside of the communication system.
US09065726B2

Methods and apparatus to utilize route parameter sets for exchanging routes in a communication network are disclosed. An example method to exchange routes in a communication network disclosed herein comprises receiving a route comprising a route identifier identifying the route and a plurality of route parameter values characterizing the route, and sending the route identifier and a pointer to forward the route to a recipient in the communication network, the pointer being associated with a route parameter set comprising the plurality of route parameter values.
US09065723B2

An unaddressed device installed inline in a path of an MPLS network can communicate a packet from within the MPLS network to an upstream device without knowledge of the necessary MPLS labeling by sending the packet intentionally in the wrong direction: downstream. To communicate to an upstream device, the unaddressed device sends a packet downstream into the MPLS network on the opposite side and through the opposite outgoing port from that which would be used for a packet sent to the same device in a non-MPLS network. This behavior forces the MPLS network, when it next inspects the packet, to re-label it with the correct labeling to route the packet on a path back upstream to the recipient device. In this manner, the MPLS architecture is used to redirect or loop back packets from an unaddressed inline device to the upstream device.
US09065720B2

A method includes: confirming a wireless communication link between a medical device and a mobile computing device hosting an application; requesting identifying data for the medical device via the wireless communication link; and receiving identifying data for the medical device via the wireless communication link in response to the request. The method further includes: presenting an option to register the medical device on a display of the mobile computing device; receiving an affirmative indication to register the medical device; requesting input of patient identifiable data for a user of the medical device in response to receiving the affirmative indication to register; receiving patient identifiable data for the user of the medical device in response to the request for input; forming registration data from the patient identifiable data and the identifying data; and registering the medical device with a manufacturer of the medical device using the registration data.
US09065712B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting/receiving data in a wireless communication system. According to one aspect of the present invention, a data receiving method is provided wherein a mobile station in a wireless communication system uses a frame including a first subframe in which a physical downlink shared channel (hereinafter, referred to as “PDSCH”) includes a first cyclic prefix (hereinafter, referred to as “CP”) and a second subframe in which the PDSCH includes a second CP, wherein the data receiving method comprises a step in which the mobile station receives information on the length of the first CP from a base station, receives data from the base station through the first subframe, and removes the CP of the data using the information on the length of the first CP. The first CP and the second CP have different lengths.
US09065704B1

Adapting digital content to be provided to a computing device may include a variety of elements. For example, when digital content is requested, a version of the digital content may be split into segments, which are adapted in parallel. The adapted segments may then be provided to the computing device in a recombined version of the digital content or as individual segments.
US09065698B2

A radio (102) in a sensor network and powered by electricity includes a data communicating unit (114) performing data communication; and a pulse interval demodulating unit (111) configured to (i) detect, from a signal (11c) with signals for corresponding frequency channels overlapped, a frequency channel indicated by a time interval between two pulses in a wake-up signal (1R) included in one of the frequency channels and (ii) cause the data communicating unit (114) to perform the data communication over the detected frequency channel.
US09065695B2

The present disclosure provides for a method and apparatus for efficient cross-correlation between a reference sequence and a received sequence in a wireless communication system. The reference sequence includes a concatenation of sign-adjusted sub-sequences, the sign adjustments determined by a first sign sequence of a set of sign sequences. For example, the reference sequence may be an alternating concatenation of sign-adjusted Golay complementary pair sub-sequences. The received sequence is shifted to provide a plurality of time shifted sequences that are then cross-correlated with the sub-sequences to form a set of partial cross-correlations. The partial cross-correlations are sign-adjusted using the first sign sequence and combined to produce the cross-correlation between the reference sequence and the received sequence. The cross-correlations so produced may be used for channel signature (e.g. PHY-type) identification and/or channel impulse response estimation.
US09065691B2

An embodiment of the invention provides a sliced transmitter front-end (TX FE). The sliced TX FE includes first TX FE slices and a second TX FE slice that are connected in parallel. As a whole the first TX FE slices contributes a high-gain section to a superimposed gain range of the sliced TX FE. The second TX FE slice has a gain range that constitutes a low-gain section of the superimposed gain range of the sliced TX FE. A minimum gain of the gain range of the second TX FE slice is smaller than a minimum gain of the high-gain section.
US09065685B2

In an example embodiment, an IP phone is connected to a network switch that has an established communications channel to a call control server. The network switch acts as a proxy for the phone exchanging registration information that in effect keeps the phone registered while the phone itself can go to sleep as defined by periods of the day, periods where the phone is unused, or presence, which can then wake-up quickly with assistance from the switch. If the switch is not able to act as proxy, the phone can switch from sleep mode to “wake” up mode at predetermined intervals, such as every 30 seconds, in order to respond to keep alive packets from the call control server.
US09065680B2

A virtual private network (VPN) service is provided through a shared network infrastructure comprising interconnected provider edge (PE) devices having customer edge (CE) interfaces. Some of the CE interfaces are allocated to a VPN supporting virtual LANs. A correspondence between a CE interface and a virtual LAN is learnt on the basis of tagged frames received at this CE interface and including an identifier of this virtual LAN. The learning process permits the detection of pairs of CE interfaces which correspond to a common virtual LAN. Upon such detection, a virtual circuit is established in the shared network infrastructure between the PE devices having these CE interfaces, and subsequently used for forwarding frames including the identifier of the common virtual VLAN.
US09065677B2

A hybrid device can apply forwarding tables associated with one or more other hybrid network devices of a hybrid communication network to control the entire transmission route of a frame scheduled for transmission. The hybrid device can use its forwarding table and a forwarding table of a destination hybrid device to determine a source network interface address, a destination network interface address, and a frame transmission route. The destination hybrid device can use forwarding tables associated with one or more hybrid network devices to determine whether to process or drop a received frame, whether the frame was previously received, and/or whether the frame was received on an incorrect network interface. The hybrid device can also use the forwarding tables to ensure that the frame comprises an appropriate link layer address and to select an appropriate transmission route based on analyzing link performance values associated with multiple transmission routes.
US09065673B2

Aspects of a method and system for a centralized vehicular electronics system utilizing Ethernet with audio video bridging are provided. In this regard, electronic devices in a vehicle may be communicatively coupled via one or more Ethernet links and information may be communicated between the electronic devices over the Ethernet link(s) utilizing audio video bridging. At least one of multimedia, control, diagnostic, and sensory information between the electronic devices. Accordingly, resources on the one or more Ethernet links may be reserved via AVB to give priority to one of multimedia, control, diagnostic, and sensory information. Information communicated between the devices may be secured utilizing MACsec and related protocols. The electronic devices may comprise two or more network ports and may be enabled to forward packets between the two or more ports. The Ethernet links may comprise optical and/or copper cabling.
US09065669B2

A method and apparatus for authorizing forwarding states in a Layer 2 device of a multicast system includes a forwarding table for use in forwarding communications to group members over interfaces of the Layer 2 device. According to one aspect of the invention, associated with the forwarding state is an authorization flag. The authorization flag signals whether or not the forwarding state is an authorized forwarding state over which multicast communications may be transferred. The Layer 2 device snoops authorization communications between a host and a layer 3 device, and updates the forwarding table authorization flags in response to these communications.
US09065665B1

A conference call system with a plurality of endpoints, a switch and a conference bridge is described. A first endpoint participating in a call authenticates a second endpoint for the call by transmitting to the switch a request to authenticate the second endpoint for the call. The second endpoint is authenticated without the user of second endpoint inputting the authentication data. Additionally, a voice call is upgraded to a collaboration call, i.e. a call with an associated visual presentation, through an upgrade request. The first endpoint transmits the upgrade request and consequently the collaboration bridge creates a visual presentation for the upgraded call. A link to the presentation is then transmitted to a call manager associated with the first endpoint.
US09065659B2

A communication device includes: a communication unit that is configured to execute communication of data according to one of a plurality of bandwidth guarantees with different communication charges per time unit; and a selection unit that is configured to select a first bandwidth guarantee with the lowest communication charges required for communication of specific data, among the plurality of bandwidth guarantees, using a data size of the specific data when the communication of the specific data is to be executed, wherein the communication of the specific data is executed according to the selected first bandwidth guarantee.
US09065657B2

In a particular embodiment, a method of producing a powered device detection signature includes rectifying a device detection input received from a powered network to produce a rectified detection input at a powered device. The method further includes applying the rectified detection input to a signature resistor and to a variable impedance circuit in parallel with the signature resistor to produce a device signature that is substantially constant over a power range associated with the device detection input.
US09065654B2

The present disclosure includes methods and devices for parallel encryption/decryption. In one or more embodiments, an encryption/decryption device includes an input logic circuit, an output logic circuit, and a number of encryption/decryption circuits arranged in parallel between the input logic circuit and the output logic circuit. For example, each encryption/decryption circuit can be capable of processing data at an encryption/decryption rate, and the number of encryption/decryption circuits can be equal to or greater than an interface throughput rate divided by the encryption/decryption rate.
US09065652B2

An apparatus and method for generating a Media Access Control (MAC) Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes reconstructing at least one MAC Service Data Unit (MSDU) according to scheduling information of the MAC layer and generating at least one MAC Protocol Data Unit (MPDU) data portion, adding control information to each MPDU data portion and generating at least one MPDU payload, the control information comprising MSDU information constituting each MPDU data portion, adding a General MAC Header (GMH) to each MPDU payload and generating at least one MPDU, the GMH including length information on the MPDU and Connection IDentifier (CID) information, and transmitting the MPDU to a receive end.
US09065648B2

A method and apparatus for forwarding non-consecutive data blocks in enhanced uplink (EU) transmissions. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) and one or more Node-Bs include one or more automatic repeat request (ARQ)/hybrid-ARQ (H-ARQ) processes for supporting an enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH). Data blocks transmitted by the WTRU are re-ordered in a re-ordering entity located in the Node-B(s) or a radio network controller (RNC). Once a missing data block is identified, a data forwarding timer in the Node-B(s) or RNC is initiated and subsequent WTRU transmissions are monitored to determine whether the missing data block has been discarded by the WTRU. Upon recognition of the discard of the missing data block, the non-consecutive data blocks are forwarded to higher layers.
US09065647B2

The present invention is directed to a wireless communication, more specifically to a method and apparatus of transmitting control information via a PUCCH in the wireless communication system, which comprises generating channel quality information and ACK/NACK information; and transmitting the channel quality information and the ACK/NACK information together via the PUCCH at a subframe, the subframe including a plurality of SC-FDMA symbols, wherein if SRS transmission is not configured at the subframe, all SC-FDMA symbols of the subframe are used for the transmission of the PUCCH, wherein if the SRS transmission is configured at the subframe, last SC-FDMA symbol of the subframe is not used for transmission of the PUCCH.
US09065646B2

In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes: transmitting a value from an access node towards an apparatus, where the value is indicative of a size of a first portion of an uplink resource block, where the uplink resource block is shared among a plurality of apparatus, where the first portion is specified for transmission of a first type of signaling to the access node, where a second portion of the uplink resource block is specified for transmission of a second type of signaling to the access node; and receiving at least one transmission using at least one of the first portion and the second portion.
US09065645B2

A method and apparatus for providing acknowledgment information for radio communication devices in a wireless communication system. A base station receives a plurality of units of data each respectively transmitted by one of a plurality of radio communication devices on one of a plurality of predetermined communication slot positions of a first channel. The base station, in response to receiving the data messages, sends a control message on a communication slot position of a second channel. The control message includes acknowledgment information having a plurality of positional acknowledgment indicators. Each radio communication device receives the control message and uses acknowledgment position mapping information to identify one or more positions within the plurality of positional acknowledgment indicators that contains an acknowledgment to the respective units of data it transmitted on the corresponding predetermined communication slot positions of the first channel.
US09065621B2

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, particularly, a method in which a terminal transmits control information in a CA-based wireless communication system and an apparatus for the method, the method comprising: configuring a first cell and a second cell having different subframe configurations, wherein the second cell has any one of UL-DL configuration #0 to #6; receiving a DC) format including a DAI field, for the second cell; and transmitting HARQ-ACK information relating to the downlink DCI format. For HARQ-ACK timing, in cases where a reference UL-DL configuration applied to the second cell is any one of UL-DL configurations #1 to #6, the DAI field is used in a process of transmitting the HARQ-ACK information. For HARQ-ACK timing, in cases where a reference UL-DL configuration applied to the second cell is #0, the DAI field is not used in a process of transmitting the HARQ-ACK information.
US09065618B2

Provided are a radio communication mobile station apparatus, a radio communication base station apparatus and a radio communication method, which make it possible to correctly switch between transmission modes for a PUSCH and a PUCCH while impeding signaling overhead from increasing. A transmission mode setting unit (107) detects an instruction given by a base station, the instruction indicating a multiplexing method for a PUSCH and a PUCCH. A trigger information reporting determination unit (108) performs threshold discrimination where PHR_pucch, which is calculated by PHR_control calculation unit (106), is compared with a threshold value that depends on the multiplexing method indicated by the instruction given by the base station. Specifically, in a TDM transmission mode, trigger information is reported if PHR_pucch>X1[dBm] is satisfied. On the other hand, in an FDM transmission mode, the trigger information is reported if PHR_pucch
US09065610B2

Systems and methods for smoothing jitter generated by byte stuffing. A frequency synthesizer comprises a smoothing logic coupled with a PLL. The smoothing logic is configured to modify a phase error signal generated by a phase frequency detector into a distributed phase error signal that spread over multiple clock cycles. The distributed phase error signal is used to drive a DCO. The smoothing logic may comprise a ramping logic operable to generate a series of ramping values to substitute a phase difference in the phase error signal. The phase difference may correspond to a stuffing byte.
US09065608B2

A method and apparatus are provided to manage the assignment transmission resource of forward and reserve link that is assigned to transmitting entity for a period of time. An indication of a gap is provided whenever the transmitting entity is not transmitting actual data packets (e.g. whole or part of intended data or content), yet the transmitting entity is to maintain the assignment of the allocated resource. For example, an erasure signature packet comprising a first data pattern is transmitted on the assigned resource when there is no actual data to transmit on the assigned resource.
US09065607B2

A clock data recovery circuit includes: an oscillator that outputs a clock signal; a phase comparator that outputs a signal corresponding to a phase difference between an input reception data signal and the clock signal; a divider that outputs a feedback clock signal; a first variable delay circuit that outputs a delay data signal; a second variable delay circuit that outputs a delay feedback clock signal; a frequency phase comparator that outputs a signal corresponding to a frequency difference and a phase difference between the delay data signal and the delay feedback clock signal; a lock detector that outputs a determination signal indicating whether or not the frequency difference and the phase difference are within a predetermined range; and a multiplexer that receives the determination signal and select a signal of the phase comparator and a signal of the frequency phase comparator.
US09065604B2

The amount of control information is reduced for specifying the transmission method for simultaneously transmitting uplink data and reception quality information, and uplink data and ACK/NACK. Delay in changing the transmission method is reduced, and the mapping of uplink data and reception quality information and of uplink data and ACK/NACK is realized, in compliance with modulation scheme and coding rate of the uplink data specified by the base station apparatus. In a mobile communication system the base station apparatus allocates, to the mobile station apparatus, resources wherein the base station apparatus transmits, to the mobile station apparatus, control information for specifying a transmission format for the mobile station apparatus to transmit information using the uplink, while the mobile station apparatus simultaneously transmits, to the base station apparatus, uplink data and reception quality information based on the specified transmission format when the control information from the base station apparatus is received.
US09065598B2

In order to implement both a physical later pipe (PLP) structure and a plurality of receiver classes, a transmitting apparatus includes: a signaling information generation unit which generates signaling information including a transmission parameter for each of PLPs; a PLP processing group which performs processing based on the transmission parameter for each of the PLPs; and a transmitting unit which transmits data including the generated signaling information and PLP data for each of the PLPs. The PLP data is received by a receiving apparatus that is indicated by a flag of the PLP and is not received by another receiving apparatus, the receiving apparatuses being included in a plurality of receiving apparatuses classified under a plurality of states. The generated signaling information includes, as the transmission parameter for each of the PLPs, the flag of the PLP.
US09065595B2

An adaptive file delivery system and method transmits a data file, such as an audio-video file, over a network or collection of networks in segments, each segment transmitted during a different time period. Each time period has a transmission portion to transmit its associated file segment and a wait portion in which no further interaction with the network occurs regarding the transmitted segment. In some implementations, the duration of the transmission portion of each time period is sufficient to reach a steady-state throughput condition, which allows the traffic load status of the network or networks to be determined from rate measurements of file segment transmissions. A peak flow determination is made to assure that the delivery of file segments does not cause network congestion. The system has spurious peak rejection to avoid the false detection of network congestion.
US09065594B1

Bluetooth file transfers using FTP do not provide upper-layer reliability checking and rely on the Bluetooth device physical layer providing reliable data to upper layers of a Bluetooth stack. However, reliability checks implemented by the physical layer are typically not very robust and in some cases may fail to detect errors, thus may provide corrupted data to the upper layers for further processing and may result in data corruption/transfer failure. Non-FTP Bluetooth file transfers are typically more robust when it comes to reliability checking because of upper layer reliability checks. Functionality can be implemented to vary packet transmission parameters depending on a Bluetooth profile implemented on a communication link. A packet error rate of received packets can be compared against a different set of thresholds depending on whether the Bluetooth profile is an FTP profile. Appropriate values of packet transmission parameters can be selected based on the above comparison.
US09065589B2

The invention relates in general to a method, an apparatus and a unit for operating a Wavelength Division Multiplexing Access Network 25, and in particular to unbundling wavelengths in the network 25. Embodiments of the invention disclose monitoring a plurality of wavelengths of the Wavelength Division Multiplexing Access Network 25 to determine at least one available wavelength that is free for use. The transmitter then automatically transmits data to at least one user device 22 via at least one available wavelength.
US09065581B2

An OPU frame generating device includes a frequency setting unit that sets a frequency corresponding to a bit rate of data which can be stored in a payload area, a parameter calculating unit that calculates a parameter Cm indicating an integer part of the amount of data included in the payload area using the set frequency, a data inserting unit that outputs a timing signal determined by the parameter Cm and inserts data at a position determined by the parameter Cm in the payload area, a data generating unit that generates data in synchronization with the timing signal, and a frame generating unit that generates an OPU frame having the payload area into which the data is inserted.
US09065580B2

In an example embodiment, a method for synchronizing clocks between a plurality of clocked devices where one of the plurality of clocked devices is not directly synchronized with another of the plurality of clocked devices. Clock offset and a clock drift between a first clock associated with a first device and a second clock associated with a second is directly determined based on signals exchanged between the first and second devices. Clock offset and clock drift between the second clock and a third clock associated with a third device is directly determined based on signals exchanged between the second and third devices. A clock offset and clock drift between the first clock and third clock is determined based on a difference between the clock offset and drift between the first and second clocks and the clock offset and drift between the second and third clocks.
US09065578B2

A system and method for delivering content to at least one mobile communication device is disclosed. The system comprises software for detecting an audio watermark in a watermarked audio signal that has been broadcast by at least one local audio transmitter and if necessary triggering an event on the mobile communication device.
US09065574B2

A method and device for transmitting audio data and text data to an RDS capable radio receiver by a wireless device is disclosed. The device includes a receiver for scanning a frequency range to detect an available radio frequency based on predetermined criteria. The device also includes a transmitter for transmitting data on a detected frequency that comprises RDS message data. Other systems and methods are also disclosed.
US09065568B2

A number of fiber optic networks, nodes, and methods are disclosed. One fiber optic network embodiment includes a network module including a star coupler for receiving a signal from a number of nodes and outputting a combined signal, including the received signals, to the number of nodes, and the number of nodes optically connected to the network module, the number of nodes including a transmit module including a first adjustable optical amplifier and a number of optical emitters, a receive module including a second adjustable optical amplifier and a number of receivers, and a controller coupled to the transmit and receive modules for adjusting the first and second optical amplifiers in response to the combined signal.
US09065556B2

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for processing multiple control and user data flows at a port processor are disclosed. According to one method, the method occurs at a testing platform. The method includes concurrently receiving, via a communications interface of the testing platform, a first control plane flow and a second control plane flow. The method also includes concurrently processing the first control plane flow and the second control plane flow using a port processor of the testing platform.
US09065554B2

System and methods for analyzing a network are disclosed. One method can comprise determining a parameter for each of a plurality of devices, generating a signature for each of the plurality of devices based upon the determined parameters, comparing the signatures of two or more of the plurality of devices, and grouping the plurality of devices based upon the comparison of the signatures of the two or more of the plurality of devices.
US09065545B2

Systems and methods for handling of scheduling request collisions with an ACK/NACK repetition signal are provided. In some aspects, a scheduling request (SR) is triggered. The triggering results in a pending SR transmission. The UE determines that the pending scheduling request (SR) transmission would collide with a transmission of a repeated acknowledgement/negative acknowledgement (ACK/NACK) signal. The repeated ACK/NACK signal is part of an ACK/NACK repetition sequence. The ACK/NACK repetition sequence includes an ACK/NACK signal and at least one repeated ACK/NACKm signal. Responsive to the determining, the UE refrains from transmitting the SR and incrementing an SR counter.
US09065542B2

A Radio Frequency (RF) front end system and method are disclosed. The RF front end system comprises an antenna, a matching network coupled to the antenna, a power amplifier (PA) coupled to the matching network via a port on a transmit path, a low noise amplifier (LNA) coupled to the matching network via the port on a receive path and at least one transmit/receive switch (T/R SW) coupled between the port and at least one of the PA and LNA.
US09065539B2

A circuit module includes: an RFIC that has a transceiver circuit for processing high-frequency signals related to mobile phone communication and a reception circuit for processing reception signals related to GPS, which is a satellite positioning system; GPS front end components; and mobile phone front end components. The mobile phone front end components are mounted on one main surface of a circuit substrate, and at least one of the GPS front end components (a second band-pass filter) is embedded in the circuit substrate.
US09065533B2

Measures for optimized signaling in relay-enhanced access networks exemplarily include receipt of at least one signaling message concerning at least one relay node of a relay-enhanced access network over at least one predetermined signaling interface, concentration of signaling concerning a respective relay node in terms of irrelevancy and/or redundancy from the at least one signaling message, and forwarding of the concentrated signaling in a signaling message over the at least one predetermined signaling interface towards the respective relay node. These measures may exemplarily be applied for optimizing X2 messaging in relay-enhanced LTE access networks.
US09065522B2

The present invention provides a radio frequency front-end module, and a radio access network device and a control method thereof. The radio frequency front-end module includes a phase-shifting and attenuating unit, a radio frequency unit, and an antenna, where the radio frequency unit is respectively connected to the phase-shifting and attenuating unit and the antenna; the phase-shifting and attenuating unit is configured to receive a control signal and a radio frequency signal sent by a radio access network device and perform phase-shifting processing, or attenuating processing, or phase-shifting and attenuating processing on the radio frequency signal according to the control signal. The technical solution according to the embodiments of the present invention can be used to implement an operation mode of an intelligent antenna having multiple antennas cooperating with each other.
US09065521B1

Under one aspect, a system includes circuitry that digitizes and Fourier transforms first and second beams and outputs first and second sets of spectral bins. Each bin may include a portion of a group of signals or interference. The circuitry compares the collective power levels of each set of spectral bins to a predetermined threshold, and excises at least one bin of that set that contains the interference if the collective power level of that set exceeds the predetermined threshold. The circuitry determines an angular location of the interference based on excised bins, combines remaining bins with weights selected to form a null in a pattern of the first and second beams that is aligned with the interference's angular location, and inversely Fourier transforms the combined remaining bins and outputs the group of signals less any interference that was excised or excluded by the null.
US09065519B2

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to a method of cancelling interference in a wireless system, wherein the interference introduced by an interfering signal causing reception of an interfered signal responsive to transmission of a desired signal, the method comprising acquiring the interfering signal from a transmitter during or before transmission thereof, generating an analog cancellation signal based on the acquired interfering signal, and injecting said analog cancellation signal into an interfered receiver receiving said interfered signal to reduce said interference therefrom.
US09065509B1

A communication unit includes a radio frequency, RF, transmitter having: a power amplifier, PA, module; and an envelope tracking system operably coupled to the PA module and having a supply modulator arranged to variably control a supply voltage for the PA module in response to a number of input samples of an envelope signal; wherein the envelope tracking system further includes at least one slew rate module arranged to re-distribute a maximum slew rate across the number of input samples in a provision of a variable power supply to the PA module.
US09065508B2

A method and apparatus for cancelling, from signals received by a radio device in a first frequency band, interference generated by the radio device in the first frequency band when the radio device transmits simultaneously radio signals on at least a second frequency band.
US09065501B2

The present invention relates to a method for enabling intercell interference coordination in a network node 112, 132, which is comprised in a wireless communications network 100. The network node 112, 132 comprises at least two antennas for multi-antenna transmission and/or reception. According to the method, the network node 112, 132 transmits an indication of an amount of spatially multiplexed streams for at least one block of radio resources to at least one receiving network node 122, which is also comprised in the wireless communications network 100. By indicating the amount of spatially multiplexed streams, it is made possible for the receiving network node 122 to take the intercell interference in the spatial domain into consideration, for instance in a scheduling and/or link adaptation decision.
US09065495B2

A two-way relay transmission apparatus applied to multi-input multi-output communication systems that combines signals received from the terminals and performs a modulo operation to the combined signal to concentrate the signal points towards the center of the constellation. And then, the modulo version of the combined signal is broadcasted. As a result, the peak and average relay transmission powers can be reduced.
US09065489B2

A control circuit for an inductive power outlet configured to transfer power to an inductive power receiver includes a resonant circuit having a characteristic resonant peak and connected to a primary coil configured to inductively couple with a secondary coil of the inductive power receiver, a frequency driver operable to provide a driving voltage oscillating at an operating frequency higher than the characteristic resonant peak of the resonant circuit across the primary coil, a magnitude detector operable to monitor primary coil voltage, and a data demodulator operable to detect modulated peaks in primary coil voltage indicating that a communications modulator of the inductive power receiver has transitioned from a first state to a second state. The communications modulation determines a characteristic frequency of the peaks and extracts modulated data sent in communication signals from the inductive power receiver.
US09065488B2

A method and apparatus for data communication in wireless power transmission are provided. A wireless power transmitter includes a resonance antenna configured to wirelessly transmit a power to a wireless power receiver, and receive a signal from the wireless power receiver, the signal including a sub-carrier. The wireless power transmitter further includes a controller configured to receive the signal from the resonance antenna, and receive data from the wireless power receiver based on the sub-carrier.
US09065473B1

Systems and techniques for decoding are described. A described technique includes receiving coded bit streams that are differently encoded versions of an original bit stream, the coded bit streams including coded bits that are based on the original bit stream, where the coded bit streams have different encoding rates; identifying, within the coded bit streams, repeated coded bits of a coded bit of the coded bits that has been repeated N times; combining the coded bit streams to produce a combined bit stream by at least combining the repeated coded bits into a combined coded bit; determining, without multiplying by a normalization factor that is based on N, a bit metric for the combined coded bit that is a function of N; and decoding the combined bit stream by at least using the bit metric.
US09065462B1

A digital-to-analog conversion circuit includes first current sources weighted depending on lower-order bits of digital input signals and supplied with a first bias voltage and second current sources weighted depending on higher-order bits of the digital input signals and supplied with a second bias voltage. A reference current source circuit generates the first and second bias voltages based on a first reference current. An output circuit combines currents from the first and second current sources in accordance with the digital input signals to generate an output current, the currents from the first and second current sources being set according to the first reference current. A correction circuit changes the first reference current into a second reference current smaller than the first reference current, and adjusts the first and second bias voltages based on currents from the first and second current sources changed according to the second reference current.
US09065458B2

A frequency synthesizer and oscillator are disclosed for reducing noise in processed signals. The synthesizer and oscillator comprise an array of frequency dividers adapted to receive an input signal, which is derived from a single signal source having a prescribed frequency. The synthesizer and oscillator further comprise at least one frequency multiplier coupled to at least one of the frequency dividers, such that in use, the dividers and the at least one multiplier are operable to generate a plurality of frequencies which are coherent with the prescribed frequency. A regulated power supply is also disclosed comprising a filter and first and second regulators, for reducing noise in the output voltage of the power supply.
US09065446B1

Approaches for generating delay values for instances of a circuit include inputting possible contexts of the circuit. Each context includes a respective delay value and a combination of possible types of a plurality of characteristics of the circuit, and each characteristic is of one type of a plurality of alternative types of the characteristic. A plurality of classification parameters is input and the classification parameters indicate selected ones of the characteristics. Groups of contexts are selected based on the plurality of classification parameters. Each group includes one or more of the contexts, and each context includes the plurality of characteristics. A combination of types of the selected characteristics in each context in a group is equal to the combination of types of the selected characteristics of each other context in the group. For each group, a mean and a standard deviation of the respective delay values are determined and output.
US09065445B2

A transistor driven load circuit includes a gate driver transistor includes an internal voltage clamp, a controller providing a gate control signal operable to control a state of said gate driver, a load connected to said gate driver, such that said gate driver allows power to flow through the load when the gate driver is in an on state and prevents power from flowing through the load when the gate driver is in an off state, a clamp assist circuit connected in electrical parallel to the load, wherein the clamp assist circuit is operable to dissipate energy flowing through the load during a high energy event in a recirculating device.
US09065439B2

A tuneable buffer circuit for use in a clock tree has multiple buffers in parallel, each buffer having a grounding function, and also a bypass switch in parallel with the buffers. The circuit has a normal mode of one buffer connected into circuit, a first low voltage mode of multiple buffers connected into circuit in parallel without grounding function, a second low voltage mode of the buffers connected into circuit in parallel with grounding function and a bypass mode.
US09065437B2

A circuit for driving a transistor includes a drive circuit, a first voltage boost circuit and a second voltage boost circuit. The drive circuit has a first specific node, a second specific node, and a third specific node coupled to a control node of the transistor. The drive circuit is arranged for coupling the first specific node to the third specific node according to at least a voltage of the first specific node and a voltage of the second specific node in order to charge the control node. The first voltage boost circuit is coupled between the first specific node and a connection node of the transistor, and is arranged for boosting the voltage of the first specific node. The second voltage boost circuit is coupled between the first specific node and the second specific node, and is arranged for boosting the voltage of the second specific node.
US09065426B2

In accordance with this invention the above and other problems are solved by a switching apparatus and method that uses a switching circuit having a pair of parallel solid-state diodes (e.g., PN or PIN diodes), one of which is connected to a transistor (e.g., power MOSFET or IGBT), to switch a capacitor (or reactance element) in or out of a variable capacitance element (or variable reactance element) of an impedance matching network. Charging a body capacitance of the transistor reverse biases one of the two diodes so as to isolate the transistor from the RF signal enabling a low-cost high capacitance transistor to be used. Multiple such switching circuits and capacitors (or reactance elements) are connected in parallel to provide variable impedance for the purpose of impedance matching.
US09065422B2

A frequency stabilization circuit includes a primary side circuit connected to a feeder circuit, and a secondary side circuit electromagnetically coupled to the primary side circuit. The primary side circuit is a series circuit including a first coiled conductor and a second coiled conductor, and the secondary side circuit is a series circuit including a third coiled conductor and a fourth coiled conductor. An antenna element is connected through a high pass filter to a first antenna connection portion set as a connection point of the first coiled conductor and the second coiled conductor. Additionally, the antenna element is connected through a low pass filter to a second antenna connection portion set as a connection point between the second coiled conductor and the fourth coiled conductor.
US09065418B2

An electrode material capable of making more satisfactory the dispersion at the time of production and the aging property of a resonator than Au and capable of reducing the price as compared to Au. An resonator electrode material including a ternary alloy composed of Au and two metals M1 and M2, and being used as an excitation electrode to excite oscillation in a piezoelectric element, wherein the two metals M1 and M2 are, respectively, (a) metal M1: a metal exhibiting a tendency to decrease the temporal frequency property (Δf1/f1) from the reference value f1, and (b) metal M2: a metal exhibiting a tendency to increase the temporal frequency property (Δf1/f1) from the reference value f1. The metal M1 is preferably at least any one of Ag, Al and Ni, and the metal M2 is preferably at least any one of Pd, Ru, Pt, Ir, Rh and Cu.
US09065404B2

To effectively control the amplitude vs. power supply voltage characteristics, for example, in an ET amplifier. An amplifying device for amplifying an input signal wherein: amplifier means (4) amplifies the input signal; amplification control means (5, 7) control the power supply voltage to the amplification means on the basis of the input signal; first detection means (14) detects the amplification factor between the input signal and a feedback signal obtained by means of a feedback of the signal that has been amplified by the amplification means; second detection means (14) detects the variance of the amplification factors for each value or range of the amplitude of the input signal; and amplification control update means (14) performs an update so as to increase the power supply voltage with respect to a value or range of amplitude that exhibits a variance in excess of a predetermined threshold value, or to reduce the power supply voltage with respect to a value or range of amplitude that exhibits a variance lower than the predetermined threshold value.
US09065400B2

A device comprises a first amplifier, a first resistive element that comprises a first resistor and a first dummy switch, a second amplifier, a second resistive element that comprises a second resistor and a second dummy switch, and a programmable resistive gain element operable to receive control input, wherein a resistance value of the programmable resistive gain element is based at least in part on the received control input, wherein a first end of the programmable resistive gain element is connected to both the first inverting input of the first amplifier and to a second end of the first dummy switch, and wherein a second end of the programmable resistive gain element is connected to both the second inverting input of the second amplifier and to a second end of the second dummy switch.
US09065386B2

In one embodiment, a power amplifier may include a bridge configuration having a first pair of gain transistors to receive a first portion of a differential signal and to amplify the first portion of the differential signal to an amplified first differential signal portion and a second pair of gain transistors to receive a second portion of the differential signal and to amplify the second portion of the differential signal to an amplified second differential signal portion. This second pair of gain transistors can be configured to be enabled in a first power mode and to be disabled in a second power mode.
US09065384B1

A system and method is disclosed for selecting between two electronic signals, one of high quality, such as music audio, and the other of low quality, such as telephone call audio, in a smart phone, tablet or other device. In one embodiment, when the low quality signal is to be used this is accomplished by disabling the amplifier output to disconnect the high quality audio signal from the output port, rather than by means of a switch between the amplifier and the output port as in the prior art. This eliminates degradation of the signal due to the switch when the high quality signal is to be used. The amplifier typically has an associated feedback resistor network, and this may also be disconnected by means of a switch when the low quality signal is to be used, thus preventing distortion of the low quality signal due to the feedback network being a parallel load to the output port.
US09065381B2

An electrically adjustable antenna control system includes a controller, an actuation mechanism controlled by the controller, and a feedback loop connected to both of the controller and actuation mechanism. Herein, the controller includes a control board and its imbedded program. The actuation mechanism includes a DC geared motor controlled by the control board and embedded program and an electrically adjustable antenna phase shifter driven by the geared motor. The feedback loop has a travel plate electrically coupled to both of the control board and DC geared motor and a counter device installed on the geared motor. The present invention also provides an electrically adjustable antenna control method realized by the above-mentioned electrically adjustable antenna control system.
US09065379B2

Provided are a low-cost control device and the like for a vehicle generator-motor for minimizing the number of current sensors and the like, and estimating an output torque and a current consumption during drive of the generator-motor. The output torque and the current consumption during the drive of the generator-motor are estimated based on a field current, an rpm, a DC voltage, and a phase of an AC voltage to be supplied of the generator-motor, without providing a current sensor for detecting an input current from a power supply to an inverter device of the generator-motor, and a current sensor for detecting an output current from the inverter device to an armature winding of a rotary electric machine.
US09065378B2

A motor control circuit calculates an α-axis current iα and a β-axis current iβ in a fixed coordinate system based on a W-phase (sensor phase) of an AC motor. The control circuit calculates the α-axis current iα from a current iw.sns sensed in the W-phase, and the β-axis current iβ from a differentiated value Δiα determined from the variation quantity of the α-axis current based on that the α-axis current iα and the β-axis current iβ are in a relation of a sine wave and a cosine wave. Subsequently, the control circuit calculates a current phase xθ=tan−1(iβ/iα) relative to the W-phase. Subsequently, the control circuit calculates an estimation factor according to the current phase xθ and determines an estimated current iu.est in the U-phase of the AC motor by multiplying the sensed current iw.sns by the calculated estimation factor.
US09065373B2

A rotating electrical machine control apparatus includes a plurality of rotating electrical machine controllers and a target voltage setting device. Each of the rotating electrical machine controllers includes a rotating electrical machine and a power supply controller configured to perform power supply control on the rotating electrical machine. The rotating electrical machine controllers have different imposed loads. The target voltage setting device is configured to set DC-side voltages of the rotating electrical machine controllers to a target voltage defined as a thermal equilibrium voltage which represents the DC-side voltages obtained when the rotating electrical machine controllers are in a thermal equilibrium condition.
US09065368B2

In order to cause the residual magnetic flux in an induction motor to decay in a short time without an excessive current flow, an induction motor control apparatus continues an operation in which an inverter apparatus is caused to output a zero voltage to the induction motor for a predetermined time before deactivating an operation of the inverter apparatus.
US09065360B2

A polymer actuator device system includes: a polymer actuator which includes an electrolyte layer, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer provided to oppose each other with the electrolyte layer interposed therebetween in a thickness direction of the electrolyte layer, and deforms in response to a voltage between the first and second electrode layers; and a sealing member which coats an entirety of the polymer actuator to be enclosed therein. The sealing member has two layers of a resin layer and an inorganic layer, a thickness of the sealing member is 1 to 5 microns, and an outer side of the sealing member in the thickness direction has a wear preventing body.
US09065359B2

An unnecessary vibration detection apparatus of a vibration type actuator includes an AC voltage generation unit that generates a plurality of AC voltages having a driving frequency; a vibration detection unit that outputs a vibration detection signal of the vibration type actuator; and an unnecessary vibration detection unit that detects an unnecessary vibration component by generating a signal for cancelling the vibration component of the driving frequency in the vibration detection signal by controlling amplitudes of a plurality of AC signals which are used for generating the plurality of AC voltages.
US09065356B2

There is provided a technology for realizing a low-cost electric power converter operating at low noise under a high-temperature environment. The electric power converter is provided with an enclosure, a power module including a switching element, a driver circuit for generating a signal for driving the switching element, a control circuit board for generating an actuating signal to be sent out to the driver circuit, a base plate with the control circuit board mounted thereon, and a connection part for connecting between the enclosure and the control circuit board. The enclosure is provided with two openings adjacent to each other, and the base plate or the opening of the enclosure is provided with the connection part.
US09065352B2

An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a medium voltage inverter control apparatus and a medium voltage inverter system using the same. The medium voltage inverter control apparatus determines input voltage information by receiving an input voltage of a medium voltage inverter, compares an output command of the medium voltage inverter with an output of a first PLL unit to output a difference therebetween, and synchronizes the output command of the medium voltage inverter using the difference.
US09065349B2

A control method for bidirectional DC-DC converter includes: operating a bidirectional DC-DC converter having a low voltage side including a plurality of low-voltage-side switches, a voltage clamping switch and a voltage clamping capacitor, and a high voltage side including a plurality of high-voltage-side switches in a boost mode; switching the voltage clamping switch with a predetermined duty cycle prior to switching on all of the low-voltage-side switches; adjusting the predetermined duty cycle of the voltage clamping switch to be smaller than a turn-off interval of the low-voltage-side switches to reduce the conduction loss of the low-voltage-side switches and the voltage clamping switch; alternatively, operating the DC-DC converter in a buck mode; and adjusting and extending the duty cycle of the low-voltage-side switches to overlap a turn-off time of the high-voltage-side switches to reduce the conduction loss of the low-voltage-side switches.
US09065344B2

A circuit for a switched mode power supply having a winding. The circuit comprising: an input configured to receive a winding voltage derived from the winding; a differentiation element configured to differentiate the winding voltage with respect to time in order to determine a derivative signal and compare the derivative signal with a threshold value; a steady state detector configured to set a zero derivative signal when the derivative signal has not exceeded the threshold value for a predetermined period of time, and a logic arrangement configured to identify an end of a demagnetization stroke of the switched mode power supply when the derivative signal crosses a final threshold value after the zero derivative signal has been set.
US09065336B2

A maximum power point tracking (MPPT) apparatus and a MPPT method are disclosed. A converter uses an inductor therein to perform power conversion operations according to a gating signal so as to convert an input electrical energy into an output electrical energy to a load. A controller monitors the voltage difference of the inductor and the element temperature, performs a lookup table operation or calculates the element characteristic according to the element temperature, and further uses the element characteristic and the voltage difference of the inductor for calculating a characteristic value and correspondingly adjusts the gating signal according to the characteristic value so as to track the power of the input electrical energy.
US09065332B2

A high voltage resonant step-up convertor converts a lower voltage signal to a higher voltage signal. The converter may be used, for example, to supply power via electromagnetic coupling to an implantable medical device. In some embodiments, a power converter comprises a driver circuit and a resonant circuit. The resonant circuit generates a high voltage output signal at a selected frequency. The driver circuit is controlled by a low voltage signal and periodically generates a higher frequency signal (e.g., approximately twice the selected frequency) to drive the resonant circuit. In some embodiments, the driver circuit comprises another resonant circuit and a switching circuit. The switching circuit periodically pumps current to the other resonant circuit and isolates the two resonant circuits. The other resonant circuit periodically pumps current to the output resonant circuit.
US09065331B2

The present invention pertains to an inductor current detection circuit in a switching mode power supply, and a light-emitting diode (LED) driver thereof. In one embodiment, an inductor current detection circuit configured in a switching mode power supply under discontinuous conduction mode, can include: (i) a voltage detection circuit configured to generate a sampling voltage based on a drain-source voltage of a power switch in the switching mode power supply; (ii) a voltage holding circuit configured to receive the sampling voltage, and to generate a holding voltage through a sampling and holding operation; and (iii) a comparison circuit configured to compare the sampling voltage against the holding voltage, and to generate a zero-crossing signal when the sampling voltage is less than the holding voltage, where the zero-crossing signal is configured to represent an inductor current ending time of the switching mode power supply.
US09065330B1

Aspects of the disclosure provide a method that including receiving a sensed signal corresponding to a current flowing through an energy transfer module in response to an on/off state of a forward-type triode for alternating current (TRIAC), determining the TRIAC on/off state based on the sensed signal, and controlling the energy transfer module based on the determined TRIAC on/off state.
US09065327B2

A dual voltage power conversion system with power factor correction (PFC) having a capabilities to adjust a PFC setpoint according to operating conditions. The input signaling levels, for example, may be monitored and used to control adjustments to the PFC setpoint in order to allow the PFC setpoint to dynamically change with any input variation. The PFC setpoint may be adjusted to a PFC setpoint resulting in maximum efficiency.
US09065323B2

A grid-tie inverter includes a power circuit and a control circuit coupled to the power circuit. The power circuit has an input terminal for coupling to a DC power source and an output terminal for coupling to an AC power grid. The control circuit is configured to perturb an AC output current of the power circuit a first time and detect a first change in an AC output voltage of the power circuit without shutting down the power circuit, perturb the AC output current of the power circuit a second time and detect a second change in the AC output voltage of the power circuit, and shut down the power circuit in response to detecting at least the first change in the AC output voltage and the second change in the AC output voltage. Example embodiments and related methods of controlling grid-tied inverters are also disclosed.
US09065317B2

A fixing structure for an electrical component includes a heat removing member for removing heat from the electrical component. The heat removing member has a receiving portion for receiving the electrical component. The fixing structure for an electrical component further includes a separation member that is coupled to the electrical component to separate the electrical component from the heat removing member. The separation member is coupled to the heat removing member. The fixing structure for an electrical component includes a soft material member that is accommodated in the receiving portion to contact the receiving portion and the electrical component. Heat of the electrical component is transmitted to the heat removing member via the soft material member.
US09065297B2

A method and an apparatus for charging a battery using a solar cell are provided. The method includes detecting an output state of the solar cell, searching a mapped charging current amount corresponding to the detected output state of the solar cell, setting a charging current amount of a charging unit for charging the battery based on the found charging current amount, and charging the battery with the set charging current amount. The method may maximize charging efficiency of a battery using the solar cell. Furthermore, the method may prevent output power consumption of a solar cell. Accordingly, the method may improve charging efficiency in comparison with a portable terminal of the related art in the same condition to shorten a charging time.
US09065295B2

Featured are methods for regulating the AC frequency of the electrical power to be supplied on an electrical distribution system or grid. Such a method includes electrically coupling an energy storage sub-system to the electrical distribution network, where the energy storage sub-system includes one or more flywheel energy storage systems. Also featured as devices, systems and apparatuses embodying such methodologies or for use in implementing such methodologies of the present invention.
US09065294B2

A control device includes a storage device storing reference power, basic device point information showing a control priority representing a degree for determining a control order of a plurality of devices, and room information showing a priority of each room in which the plurality of devices are disposed; an acquisition unit acquiring power usage of the plurality of devices; a changing unit changing the basic device point information based on the room information; a determination unit determining whether or not the acquired power usage has exceeded the reference power; and a transmitting unit transmitting, to a device of the plurality of devices that is relatively high in control priority after change, an instruction to reduce the power usage of this device, based on determination that the acquired power usage has exceeded the reference power.
US09065293B2

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a battery heating circuit, comprising a switch unit 10 , a switching control module 100 , a one-way semiconductor component D10 , a damping component R, and a transformer T, wherein: the switching control module 100 is electrically connected with the switch unit 10; the battery, the damping component R, the first winding of the transformer T, and the switch unit 10 are connected in series with each other to constitute a battery discharging circuit; the battery, the damping component R, the second winding of the transformer T, and the one-way semiconductor component D10 are connected in series with each other to constitute a battery charging circuit. The transformer in certain embodiments of the present invention serves as an energy storage component, and has a current limiting function.
US09065291B2

Disclosed is a secondary battery management apparatus including a current control switch for opening and closing the flow of charge or discharge current of a secondary battery; a connector for selectively providing a power conducting state and a power cutoff state based on whether the apparatus is connected to a charge/discharge device; a communication terminal for providing a communication interface with the charge/discharge device; a power supply for receiving power from the secondary battery and supplying the received power to a component that requires electrical power; a power supply line including a power supply switch; a switch controller for detecting the reception of a communication request signal through the communication terminal during connection to the charge/discharge device through the connector and transmitting a turn-on signal to the power supply switch; and a controller connected to the power supply and initiating or terminating a management operation for the battery.
US09065290B2

A system and method of use of a three-phase inverter driver includes three single-phase inverters that are connected to the three-phase AC input of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) so that each of the single-phase inverters provide one of the three phases of the AC signal used by the EVSE. The single-phase inverters are rectified and either have variance in their output frequencies or have their phases staggered so that the maximum voltage provided to the EVSE remains at a consistently high level. In some cases, the three phases each cross polarity simultaneously, resulting in a drop in the maximum three-phase voltage, so low-capacity capacitors are used in conjunction with the inverters to bridge these gaps in voltage. These systems and methods use readily available, inexpensive components that have regulatory safety-approval and therefore may allow implementation on a vehicle or with a load leveling energy storage system.
US09065287B2

A handheld device includes a capacitive storage device and energy storage cells. The capacitive storage device can be rapidly charged. The energy from the capacitive storage device is used to recharge the energy storage cells over a longer period of time.
US09065285B2

One embodiment provides a computer system for preventing switching errors in a power system that includes a plurality of switching devices. The system includes a topology-extraction mechanism configured to extract topology information associated with the power system; a status database configured to store status information associated with the switching devices; a rule database configured to store user-definable operation rules associated with the switching devices; a receiving mechanism configured to receive a request for performing a switching operation on a device; a simulation mechanism configured to perform a simulation based on the extracted topology information, the status information, and a rule associated with the device; a determination mechanism configured to determine whether the switching operation is allowed based on an outcome of the simulation; and a display mechanism configured to display an output of the determination mechanism.
US09065282B2

A mobile charger includes a housing (1). A cell (2) is provided in the housing (1). A positive power distribution unit (4) and a negative power distribution unit (5) are provided at both ends of the housing (1) relative to the positive and the negative poles (21, 22) of the cell (2) respectively. A conducting piece set (3) is provided in the housing (1). The conducting piece set (3) is connected to the positive power distribution unit (4) and the negative power distribution unit (5). A charging unit (6) and a power supplying unit (7) are provided in the housing (1). The charging unit (6) and the power supplying unit (7) are electrically connected with the positive pole (21) of the cell (2) through the positive power distribution unit (4) and the conducting piece set (3) and electrically connected with the negative pole (22) of the cell (2) through the negative power distribution unit (5). Thus, the cell (2) is charged with direct current which is converted from alternating current through a AC charge by the charging unit (6), and then direct current is outputted from the cell (2) through the power supplying unit (7), so as to provide sufficient electric power to an electronic product which needs to use a DC power supply at any time and anywhere.
US09065281B2

Provided is a battery device for controlling charge/discharge of a secondary battery by a single bidirectionally conductive field effect transistor, a charge/discharge control circuit with which a leakage current of the bidirectionally conductive field effect transistor is reduced to perform stable operation. The charge/discharge control circuit includes: a switch circuit for controlling a gate of the bidirectionally conductive field effect transistor based on an output of a control circuit for controlling the charge/discharge of the secondary battery; and two MOS transistors for preventing back-flow of a charge current and a discharge current. The first MOS transistor has a drain and a back gate which are connected to each other, and a source connected to a drain of the bidirectionally conductive field effect transistor. The second MOS transistor has a drain and a back gate which are connected to each other, and a source connected to a source of the bidirectionally conductive field effect transistor.
US09065278B2

Systems and methods for estimating the relative capacity of individual battery subdivisions in a battery system are presented. In some embodiments, a system may include calculation system configured to analyze the electrical parameters to generate derivative values of the parameters over a period of time. The calculation system may further calculate summation values associated with individual battery subdivisions based upon the derivate values. A battery control system may utilize the summation values to generate one or more commands configured to control an aspect of an operation of the battery pack based on using the summation values. The summation values associated with battery subdivisions may be used to determine a relative capacity for storing electrical energy, according to some embodiments. The determination of relative capacity may be used by a control system to prevent over-discharge of a battery subdivision having the lowest energy storage capacity.
US09065276B2

Provided is an over-voltage protection device for a resonant wireless power transmission device. The over-voltage protection device includes an amplifier for amplifying a transmission signal, a resonance signal generator for generating a wireless resonance signal according to the transmission signal amplified by the amplifier, a voltage detector for sensing a voltage of the wireless resonance signal generated by the resonance signal generator, and a controller for monitoring the voltage detected by the voltage detector to determine whether the voltage repetitively increases and decreases with periodicity when the voltage is greater than a reference voltage and controlling the amplifier to decrease an output of the transmission device by a value according to a result of the determination.
US09065261B2

A connecting structure is applied for connecting an electric wire and a terminal. For coating a connecting portion of a conductor of the electric wire and the terminal, which form a wire harness, with a coating resin, a portion of an insulator, which is to be inserted into a terminal insertion hole of a connector housing, is subjected to a diameter reduction process such that an outer diameter of the coating resin coated on the insulator is smaller than the terminal insertion hole.
US09065260B2

A modular electric power distribution system transmits power between a power source and control modules for power consumers. The system includes a power distribution unit mounted on each module and bridge assemblies which connect adjacent distribution units.
US09065254B2

Embodiments of the invention describe an illuminator having a light source to originate an illumination beam, wherein the light source further comprises a set of vertical-cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs), including a first VCSEL having a first laser emission wavelength, and a second VCSEL having a second laser emission wavelength different than the first laser emission wavelength. Thus, by varying laser emission wavelengths of VCSELs in a VCSEL array, embodiments of the invention produce low-contrast speckle, and do not limit the imaging capabilities of the host illumination system. In some embodiments of the invention, vertical external cavity surface emitting lasers (VECSELs) are utilized to produce the above described varying laser emission wavelengths.
US09065252B2

A semiconductor laser element includes: a light emitting layer of a nitride semiconductor that is placed above a substrate of GaN and has a refractive index higher than the substrate, wherein the semiconductor laser element further includes the following layers between the substrate and the light emitting layer in an order from the substrate: a first nitride semiconductor layer of AlGaN; a second nitride semiconductor layer of AlGaN having an Al ratio higher than the first nitride semiconductor layer; a third nitride semiconductor layer of an InGaN; and a fourth nitride semiconductor layer of AlGaN having an Al ratio higher than the first nitride semiconductor layer and having a thickness greater than the second nitride semiconductor layer.
US09065249B2

A photonic-crystal surface-emitting laser (PCSEL) includes a gain medium electromagnetically coupled to a photonic crystal whose energy band structure exhibits a Dirac cone of linear dispersion at the center of the photonic crystal's Brillouin zone. This Dirac cone's vertex is called a Dirac point; because it is at the Brillouin zone center, it is called an accidental Dirac point. Tuning the photonic crystal's band structure (e.g., by changing the photonic crystal's dimensions or refractive index) to exhibit an accidental Dirac point increases the photonic crystal's mode spacing by orders of magnitudes and reduces or eliminates the photonic crystal's distributed in-plane feedback. Thus, the photonic crystal can act as a resonator that supports single-mode output from the PCSEL over a larger area than is possible with conventional PCSELs, which have quadratic band edge dispersion. Because output power generally scales with output area, this increase in output area results in higher possible output powers.
US09065247B2

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are drawn to a method and apparatus for the differentiation of power and channel count changes in optically amplified links. Additionally, configuration of a corresponding optical amplifier can be based on the determination of the power and channel count changes.
US09065246B2

Laser devices are presented in which a graphene saturable absorber and an optical amplifier are disposed in a resonant optical cavity with an optical or electrical pump providing energy to the optical amplifier.
US09065245B2

The invention relates to a double-sheath fiber having a core region (1) and a sheath region, the sheath region having an inner region (2) and an outer region (3), which comprises a refractive index that is lower with respect to that of the inner region (2) and the core region (1), wherein the outer region (3) surrounds the inner region (2). The invention proposes an internal structure (4) of the inner region (2) which effects a spatial overlap of modes of higher order with the core region (1), which is lower than the spatial overlap of a fundamental mode with the core region (1).
US09065236B2

A structure includes a channel waveguide and a pocket adjacent to an input facet of the channel waveguide. A laser having an output facet is positioned in the pocket. The structure includes a stop on either the laser or a wall of the pocket. The stop is positioned at an interface between the laser and the wall of the pocket such that the output facet of the laser and the input facet of the waveguide are separated by a gap.
US09065230B2

A cable connector with improved performance and ease of use. The connector has staggered ports to reduce crosstalk and to prevent incorrect insertion of a plug into a receptacle. The plug may be constructed with subassemblies, each of which has a lossy central portion. Conductive members embedded within an insulative housing of the subassemblies may be used to electrically connect ground conductors within the subassemblies. Further, the connector may have a quick connect locking screw that can be engaged by pressing on the screw, but requires rotation of the screw to remove. Additionally, a ferrule may be used in making a mechanical connection between a cable bundle and a plug and making an electrical connection between a braid of the cable bundle and a conductive shell of the plug. The ferrule may be in multiple pieces for easy attachment while precluding deformation of the cable, which disrupts electrical performance.
US09065229B2

A USB device has a substrate on which a plurality of USB 2.0 pads and a plurality of USB 3.0 pads are arranged on a fore side of the substrate, a male connector's fore-end part configured to surround the USB 2.0 pads and the USB 3.0 pads, a housing configured to be joined to a base end of the male connector's fore-end part in order to cover at least a rear side of the substrate, and a plurality of lead wires each configured to have one end fixed to an inner surface of the housing and the other end contacted to the USB 3.0 pad corresponding to the lead wire.
US09065217B2

An electrical connector including a housing, a plurality of contacts fastened in the housing for mating with a plug, a plurality of terminals for connecting an electrical device, and a magnetic module electrically connecting the contacts and the terminals to form a number of signal channels carrying differential signal pairs. The magnetic module has a printed circuit board (PCB) and a transformer mounted thereon. The transformer is connected in one of the signal channels and comprises an H-shaped magnetic core, a magnetic board a primary coil having a first magnetic wire and a second magnetic wire, and a secondary coil having a third magnetic wire and a fourth magnetic wire. The wires have specific parameters to suit specific needs.
US09065214B2

An electrical connector including a housing having a mating connector receiving passageway. A pair of first differential signal contacts have solder portions and first contact portions positioned in the mating connector receiving passageway. A first ground contact faces the pair of first differential signal contacts. The first ground contact has a solder portion and a pair of first grounding contact portions spaced apart from each other by a gap and positioned in the mating connector receiving passageway. The pair of first grounding contact portions face the first contact portions of the pair of first differential signal contacts.
US09065210B2

An efficient removal operation of a signal transmission medium is enabled with a simple configuration. A lock mechanism having a latch lock part, which retains an inserted state of the signal transmission medium by engagement with the signal transmission medium inserted in an insulating housing, is provided with an unlock maintaining part, which retains the latch lock part at a detachment position in conjunction with an unlock operation. It is configured so that, when the latch lock part of the lock mechanism is to be detached from the signal transmission medium by the unlock operation, an unlock maintaining part, which is moved in conjunction with the unlock operation, causes the latch lock part to be retained in a state in which it is detached from the signal transmission medium, and the signal transmission medium is maintained in a removable state thereafter even without continuing the unlock operation so that the unlock operation is completed at first for example only with one hand, and the signal transmission medium can be removed thereafter.
US09065205B2

A magnetic connector system having a durable and reliable construction and a reduced height while maintaining sufficient holding strength. A connector insert may utilize a crimping piece to crimp a braiding of a cable. The crimping piece may be fixed to an attraction plate and a board in the insert for mechanical reliability. Retention clips may be used to fix a shell to the attraction plate. A connector receptacle may employ a magnetically conductive label to improve holding strength.
US09065191B2

A one-piece metallic connector is configured to receive a fastener and has features that grip and electrically bond two conductors as they are clamped together when the fastener is tightened. The connector's generally U-shaped body has first and second legs, a bight portion joining the legs and an opening in each leg through which a single mounting fastener can extend. When installed with the outside of one leg abutting one conductor, another conductor is clamped between the legs. At least one outer projection (tooth) on the outer face of one leg engages the conductor to which the connector is mounted. At least one inner projection (tooth) on the same leg engages the conductor clamped between the legs. A recess on the inner face of the distal portion of the other leg is configured to cradle the clamped conductor.
US09065190B2

An object is to provide a crimp terminal which can increase contact pressure at both sides of a conductor press-clamping portion by reducing difficulty with which an original crimped shape is restored after a thermal shock test by realizing an increase in rigidity at root portions of conductor clamping pieces. In a crimp terminal (10) in which a conductor press-clamping portion (12) is provided rearwards of an electrical connecting portion (11) and a sheath clamping portion (13, 32) is provided rearwards of the conductor press-clamping portion (12), and the conductor press-clamping portion is formed into a configuration having a substantially U-shaped cross section by a bottom plate (31) and a pair of conductor clamping pieces (32) which extend upwards from left- and right-hand side edges of the bottom plate (31), reinforcement concave-convex portions (40) of a limited size are formed at respective root portions of the pair of conductor clamping pieces (32, 32) in which either an inner surface side or an outer surface side of the conductor clamping piece (32) is formed into a depressed portion (41) and the other is formed into a projection portion (42).
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