US09117970B2
A light emitting device (10) comprises a body (11) comprising a substrate (12) of a p-type semiconductor material. The substrate has an upper surface (14) and having formed therein on one side of the upper surface and according to a bulk semi-conductor fabrication process utilizing lateral active area isolation techniques: a first n+-type island (16) to form a first junction (24) between the first island and the substrate; and a second n+-type island (18) spaced laterally from the first island (16). The substrate provides a laterally extending link (20) between the islands having an upper surface. The upper surface of the link, an upper surface of the island (16) and an upper surface of the island (18) collectively form a planar interface (21) between the body (11) and an isolation layer (19) of the device. The device comprises a terminal arrangement to apply a reverse bias to the first junction, to cause the device to emit light. The device is configured to facilitate the transmission of the emitted light.
US09117964B2
The invention relates to a preparation process for thin semiconducting inorganic films comprising various metals (Cu/In/Zn/Ga/Sn), selenium and/or sulfur. The process uses molecular precursors comprising metal complexes with oximato ligands. Copper-based chalcopyrites of the I-III-IV2-type are prepared with high purity at low temperatures under ambient conditions. The thin films can be used in photovoltaic panels (solar cells).
US09117961B2
A nitride-based semiconductor light-emitting element includes a substrate and a nitride semiconductor multilayer structure. The nitride semiconductor multilayer structure includes a nitride semiconductor active layer which emits polarized light. Angle θ, which is formed by at least one of the plurality of lateral surfaces of the substrate with respect to the principal surface of the substrate, is greater than 90°. Angle θ2 (mod 180°), which is an absolute value of an angle which is formed by an intersecting line of at least one of the plurality of lateral surfaces of the substrate and the principal surface of the substrate with respect to a polarization direction in the principal surface of the polarized light, is an angle which does not include 0° or 90°.
US09117960B2
An ion implantation method includes: placing, in an atmosphere, a mask, which is used in conjunction with a tray for accommodating a substrate for a solar cell, at a first position covering a partial area on a surface of the substrate while maintaining the mask aligned relative to the substrate or at a second position distanced from the surface of the substrate; implanting, in a vacuum, ions in a first area on the surface of the substrate while the mask is placed at the first position; and implanting, in a vacuum, ions in a second area on the surface of the substrate while the mask is placed at the second position.
US09117959B2
A light emitting diode structure is provided. The light emitting diode structure includes a substrate, a light emitting multi-layer structure, a first current blocking layer, a first current spreading layer, a second current blocking layer and a second current spreading layer. The light emitting multi-layer structure is formed on the substrate by way of stacking. The first current blocking layer is formed on part of the light emitting multi-layer structure. The first current spreading layer covers the first current blocking layer and the light emitting multi-layer structure. The second current blocking layer is formed on part of the first current spreading layer. An orthogonal projection of the second current blocking layer is disposed in an orthogonal projection of the first current blocking layer. The second current spreading layer covers the second current blocking layer and the first current spreading layer.
US09117956B2
Methods for preparing an exposed surface of a p-type absorber layer of a p-n junction for coupling to a back contact in the manufacture of a thin film photovoltaic device are provided. The method can include: applying a treatment solution onto the exposed surface defined by the p-type absorber layer of cadmium telluride; and annealing the device with the p-type absorber layer in contact with the treatment solution to form a tellurium-enriched region in the p-type absorber layer at the exposed surface. The treatment solution comprises a chlorinated compound component that is substantially free from copper, a copper-containing metal salt, and a solvent.
US09117951B2
The present invention provides a solar cell module support structure comprising: a first support for a solar cell module to be received and supported; a connecting portion connected to the first support; a main frame connected to the connecting portion so as to support the solar cell module and the first support, having the connection portion mounted thereon and having a mounting groove formed along the length thereof so that the location of the connecting portion can be adjusted along the length thereof; second supports which are provided on the lower side of the main frame, support the main frame from the ground surface, are provided in a plurality, and are arranged in a separated manner from each other; and a connection wire for mutually connecting any one of the second supports with another second support.
US09117947B2
A detector apparatus is configured to receive light and generate electrical signals. The detector apparatus includes a housing, a detector disposed in the housing and a cooling component disposed in the housing. The cooling component electrically insulates the detector with respect to the housing or is part of an insulator electrically that insulates the detector with respect to the housing.
US09117938B2
A semiconductor device includes a via electrode penetrating a substrate and a back-side molding layer covering a back-side surface of the substrate. The back-side molding layer contacts a sidewall of a back-side end portion of the via electrode, which is a portion of the via electrode that protrudes from the back-side surface of the substrate.
US09117935B2
A diode and a method of making same has a cathode an anode and one or more semiconductor layers disposed between the cathode and the anode. A dielectric layer is disposed between at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers and at least one of the cathode or anode, the dielectric layer having one or more openings or trenches formed therein through which the at least one of said cathode or anode projects into the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers, wherein a ratio of a total surface area of the one or more openings or trenches formed in the dielectric layer at the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers to a total surface area of the dielectric layer at the at least one of the one or more semiconductor layers is no greater than 0.25.
US09117934B2
A fabricated electromechanical device is disclosed herein. An exemplary device includes, a substrate, at least one layer of a high-transconductance material separated from the substrate by a dielectric medium, a first electrode in electrical contact with the at least one layer of a high-transconductance material and separated from the substrate by at least one first supporting member, a second electrode in electrical contact with the layer of a high-transconductance material and separated from the substrate by at least one second supporting member, where the first electrode is electrically separate from the second electrode, and a third electrode separated from the at least one layer of high-transconductance material by a dielectric medium and separated from each of the first electrode and the second electrode by a dielectric medium.
US09117932B2
At a pressure sensor region, a pressure sensor including a fixed electrode, a void and a movable electrode is formed. At a CMOS region, a memory cell transistor and a field effect transistor are formed. An etching hole communicating with the void is closed by a first sealing film. The void is formed by removing a region of a film identical to the film of a gate electrode of the memory cell transistor. The movable electrode is formed of a film identical to the film of a gate electrode.
US09117927B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is disclosed. A high-k/metal gate (HK/MG) and a conductive feature are disposed over a substrate, separated by a first dielectric layer. A global hard mask (GHM) layer is formed over the HK/MG, the conductive feature and the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is then formed over the GHM layer. The second dielectric layer is etched to form a first opening to expose a portion of the HK/MG and a second opening to expose a portion of the conductive feature, by using the GHM layer as an etch stop layer. The GHM layer in the first opening and the second opening is then removed.
US09117926B2
A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same is disclosed. In one aspect, the method comprises forming a first MOSFET having a first gate length in a semiconductor substrate, and forming a second MOSFET having a second gate length in the semiconductor substrate. Furthermore, the second gate length is less than the first gate length, and wherein the second MOSFET has a gate stack in the form of a spacer having a gate conductor and a gate dielectric isolating the gate conductor from the semiconductor substrate.
US09117923B2
A method of forming a semiconductor memory device includes stacking a plurality of alternating first insulating layers and first sacrificial layers on a substrate to form a first multilayer structure, forming a first hole through the first multilayer structure, forming a first semiconductor pattern in the first hole, stacking a plurality of alternating second insulating layers and second sacrificial layers on the first multilayer structure to form a second multilayer structure, forming a second hole through the second multilayer structure to be aligned with the first hole, forming a second semiconductor pattern in the second hole, forming a trench to expose sidewalls of the first and second insulating layers at a side of the first and second semiconductor patterns, removing at least some portions of the first and second sacrificial layers to form a plurality of recess regions, forming an information storage layer, and forming a conductive pattern.
US09117914B1
A transistor includes a polymeric material post on a substrate. An inorganic material cap, covering the post, extends beyond an edge of the post to define a reentrant profile. A conformal conductive material gate layer is over the edge of the post in the reentrant profile. A conformal insulating material layer is on the gate layer in the reentrant profile. A conformal semiconductor material layer is on the insulating material layer in the reentrant profile. A first electrode is in contact with a first portion of the semiconductor layer over the cap. A second electrode is in contact with a second portion of the semiconductor layer over the substrate and not over the post, and adjacent to the edge of the post in the reentrant profile such that a distance between the first electrode and second electrode is greater than zero when measured orthogonally to the substrate surface.
US09117913B2
A current storing circuit capable of having a small area, a simple structure with the small number of devices, a low consumption current operation and high yield in manufacturing is provided. Applying the current storing circuit to the current-driving type of display device such as an OLED display device can improve the aperture rate of pixels and reliability of the display device as well as highly functionalize the display device. The invention is characterized by using a new semiconductor element in a shape of a transistor having plural drains or sources. When the semiconductor elements is used for both of a writing element and a driving element, reading in and storing a current value and outputting the current can be performed by only the two semiconductor elements, so that the area occupied by the devices would be easily reduced significantly.
US09117912B2
The present invention provides an IGZO transistor and a manufacturing method for the same. Wherein, the method comprises forming a source electrode, a drain electrode, and an IGZO layer on a substrate; forming a protect layer at a channel of the IGZO layer; performing N-type doping to a contact region of the source/drain electrodes and the IGZO layer to form a n+IGZO region through plasma treatment; and forming a gate insulation layer and a gate electrode. The IGZO transistor structure and method for the same provided by the present invention can prevent the channel of the IGZO layer from damage during N-type doping through the plasma treatment. It can improve the ohmic contact and increase device characteristics.
US09117908B2
One method disclosed includes, forming a sacrificial gate structure trench in a stack of sacrificial material layers, forming a sacrificial gate structure within the trench, performing at least one process operation to remove at least portions of the stack of sacrificial material layers and thereby expose sidewalls of the sacrificial gate structure, forming a sidewall spacer adjacent the exposed sidewalls of the sacrificial gate structure, removing the sacrificial gate structure so as to define a replacement gate cavity between the spacers, forming a replacement gate structure in the replacement gate cavity, and forming a gate cap above the replacement gate structure within the replacement gate cavity.
US09117898B2
A processing method for a package substrate composed of a substrate, a plurality of device chips mounted on the substrate in a plurality of separate device regions defined by a plurality of crossing division lines, and a sealing layer for sealing the device chips. The processing method includes a cut mark forming step of moving a cutting blade to cut into the package substrate from the side of the substrate in the regions other than the device regions to the depth passing through the sealing layer, thereby forming a cut mark having a predetermined positional relation to the division lines, and a cutting step of cutting the package substrate from the side of the sealing layer along the division lines by using the cutting blade according to the cut mark after performing the cut mark forming step.
US09117890B2
According to example embodiments, a HEMT includes a channel supply layer on a channel layer, a p-type semiconductor structure on the channel supply layer, a gate electrode on the p-type semiconductor structure, and source and drain electrodes spaced apart from two sides of the gate electrode respectively. The channel supply layer may have a higher energy bandgap than the channel layer. The p-type semiconductor structure may have an energy bandgap that is different than the channel supply layer. The p-type semiconductor structure may include a hole injection layer (HIL) on the channel supply layer and be configured to inject holes into at least one of the channel layer and the channel supply in an on state. The p-type semiconductor structure may include a depletion forming layer on part of the HIL. The depletion forming layer may have a dopant concentration that is different than the dopant concentration of the HIL.
US09117887B2
A semiconductor device and its fabrication method are provided. A first dielectric layer is provided to cover a substrate. The first dielectric layer contains a plurality of first conductive layers. A portion of each first conductive layer is removed to form a plurality of first openings in the first dielectric layer. A second dielectric layer is formed in each first opening. A third dielectric layer having second-openings are formed on the first dielectric layer and on the second dielectric layers. Each second-opening exposes at least two adjacent second dielectric layers. Second dielectric layers exposed by a first second-opening are removed to form third openings to expose corresponding first conductive layers. Second conductive layers are formed in the third opening and the second-openings including the first second-opening. Stable electrical interconnections with high quality electrical isolations can be provided.
US09117885B2
According to one embodiment, a graphene interconnection includes a first insulating film, a first catalyst film, and a first graphene layer. A first insulating film includes an interconnection trench. A first catalyst film is formed on the first insulating film on both side surfaces of the interconnection trench. A first graphene layer is formed on the first catalyst film on the both side surfaces of the interconnection trench, and including graphene sheets stacked in a direction perpendicularly to the both side surfaces.
US09117875B2
Forming a plurality of initial trenches that extend through a layer of silicon-germanium and into a substrate to define an initial fin structure comprised of a portion of the layer of germanium-containing material and a first portion of the substrate, forming sidewall spacers adjacent the initial fin structure, performing an etching process to extend the initial depth of the initial trenches, thereby forming a plurality of final trenches having a final depth that is greater than the initial depth and defining a second portion of the substrate positioned under the first portion of the substrate, forming a layer of insulating material over-filling the final trenches and performing a thermal anneal process to convert at least a portion of the first or second portions of the substrate into a silicon dioxide isolation material that extends laterally under an entire width of the portion of the germanium-containing material.
US09117872B2
A semiconductor device includes a p-type collector region, a drift region arranged on the collector region, a base region arranged on the drift region, an emitter region arranged on the base region, a gate oxide film arranged on the bottom surface and side surface of a trench which penetrates the emitter region and the base region, and a gate electrode embedded in the inside of the trench so as to be opposed to the base region while interposing the gate oxide film therebetween, wherein the position of the lower surface of the base region is shallower in the region brought into contact with the gate oxide film than in the region spaced apart from the gate oxide film.
US09117867B2
Embodiments of electrostatic chucks for substrate processing are provided herein. In some embodiments, an electrostatic chuck may include a puck for supporting a substrate, the puck formed from a dielectric material and having a chucking electrode disposed within the puck proximate a support surface of the puck to electrostatically retain the substrate when disposed on the puck; a base having a ring extending from the base to support the puck; and a spacer disposed between the base and the puck to support the puck above the base such that a gap is formed between the puck and the base, wherein the spacer supports the puck proximate a peripheral edge of the puck.
US09117862B2
There is provided a substrate processing apparatus 101, comprising: a substrate holder 217 that holds a plurality of substrates (wafers) 200 in a state of being arranged in a lateral direction (approximately in a horizontal direction) approximately in a vertical posture; a processing tube 205 that houses the substrate holder 217; a throat side sealing part (throat side mechanical flange part) 2190 that air-tightly closes an opening part of the processing tube 205; a rotation part 255 that rotates the substrate holder 217 in a peripheral direction of the substrates, with an arrangement direction (a direction in which the substrates 200 are held) of the plurality of substrates 200 as a rotation axis, wherein the substrate holder 217 includes a fixing part (movable holding part 217c) and a fixture holding part 217a for fixing the substrates 200 approximately in a vertical posture.
US09117857B2
In a plasma processing apparatus, a ceiling electrode plate provided to face a substrate holding stage via a process space contacts and is supported by an electrode support by interposing a cooling plate, and a heat-transfer sheet is provided in a contact surface between the ceiling electrode plate and the cooling plate. The heat-transfer sheet has thermal conductivity of 0.5 to 2.0 W/m·K. The heat-transfer sheet is provided of a heat-resistant adhesive agent or a rubber including silicon, or the heat-transfer sheet is formed of a ceramic filler including oxide, nitride, or carbide. The ceramic filler of 25 to 60 volume % is contained in the heat-resistant adhesive agent or the rubber. A thickness of the heat-transfer sheet is in a range between 30 and 80 μm, and the heat-transfer sheet is not provided in a predetermined area around gas holes of the ceiling electrode plate.
US09117843B2
An engineered epitaxial region compensates for short channel effects of a MOS device by providing a blocking layer to reduce or prevent dopant diffusion while at the same time reducing or eliminating the side effects of the blocking layer such as increased leakage current of a BJT device and/or decreased breakdown voltage of a rectifier. These side effects are reduced or eliminated by a non-conformal dopant-rich layer between the blocking layer and the substrate, which lessens the abruptness of the junction, thus lower the electric field at the junction region. Such a scheme is particularly advantageous for system on chip applications where it is desirable to manufacture MOS, BJT, and rectifier devices simultaneously with common process steps.
US09117842B2
In one example, the method disclosed herein includes forming at least one fin for a FinFET device in a semiconducting substrate, performing at least one process operation to form a region in the at least one fin that contains a metal diffusion inhibiting material, depositing a layer of metal on the region in the at least one fin and forming a metal silicide region on the at least one fin.
US09117829B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a peripheral edge, a first surface, and a second surface opposite to the first surface, an inter-layer insulator including a guard ring formed on the first surface, adjacent to the peripheral edge of the semiconductor substrate, a first groove formed on the second surface, adjacent to the peripheral edge of the semiconductor substrate, and a through electrode penetrating the second surface to the inter-layer insulator near the groove and on an opposite side of the groove with respect to the peripheral edge.
US09117821B2
Interconnects for semiconductors formed of materials that exhibit crystallographic anisotropy of the resistivity size effect such that line resistivity in one crystallographic orientation becomes lower than the resistivity in the other directions and methods of fabrication and use thereof are described. A wire having a dimension that results in an increase in the electrical resistivity of the wire can be formed of a material with a conductive anisotropy due to crystallographic orientation relative to the direction of current flow that minimizes the increase in the electrical resistivity as compared to the other orientations at that dimension.
US09117819B2
Various embodiments provide electrostatic discharge protection structures and methods for forming the same. An exemplary structure can include a semiconductor chip including a through hole. The structure can further include a through silicon via (TSV) structure disposed within the through hole and passing through the semiconductor chip. The TSV structure can have a first surface and a second surface. The structure can further include a tunneling dielectric layer disposed on the first surface of the TSV structure. The tunneling dielectric layer can have a surface area covering a top view surface area of the TSV structure and a surface portion of the semiconductor chip surrounding the TSV structure. Yet further, the structure can include a metal material discretely dispersed in the tunneling dielectric layer, a first electrode disposed on the tunneling dielectric layer, and a second electrode disposed on the second surface of the TSV structure.
US09117818B2
Techniques related to nanocomposite dielectric materials are generally described herein. These techniques may be embodied in apparatuses, systems, methods and/or processes for making and using such material. An example process may include: providing a film having a plurality of nanoparticles and an organic medium; comminuting the film to form a particulate; and applying the particulate to a substrate. The example process may also include providing a nanoparticle film having nanoparticles and voids located between the nanoparticles; contacting the film with a vapor containing an organic material; and curing the organic material to form the nanocomposite dielectric film. Various described techniques may provide nanocomposite dielectric materials with superior nanoparticle dispersion which may result in improved dielectric properties.
US09117806B2
A mount includes a terminal, and a resin portion. The terminal includes a first surface, a second surface, and an end surface having first and second recessed areas that are extend from the first and second surfaces, respectively. The resin portion is integrally formed with the terminal, and at least partially covers the end surface so that the first and second surfaces are at least partially exposed. The resin portion forms a recessed part to accommodate the light emitting device. The second recessed area includes a closest point that is positioned closest to the first surface, and an extension part that extends outward of the closest point and toward the second surface side. The extension part is formed at least on opposing end surfaces of the pair of positive and negative lead terminal. The first recessed area is arranged on the exterior side relative to the closest point.
US09117804B2
An interposer structure including a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of shallow trenches, a plurality of deep trenches and a plurality of metal damascene structures is provided. The semiconductor substrate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other. The shallow trenches are formed on the first surface in both of a first area and a second area of the semiconductor substrate and correspondingly a plurality of respective openings are formed on the first surface. The deep trenches extend from at least one of the shallow trenches toward the second surface in the second area and correspondingly a plurality of respective openings are formed on the second surface. The metal damascene structures are filled in both of the shallow trenches and the deep trenches. A manufacturing method for the aforementioned interposer structure is also provided.
US09117800B2
A switching device according to the present invention is a switching device for switching a load by on-off control of voltage, and includes an SiC semiconductor layer where a current path is formed by on-control of the voltage, a first electrode arranged to be in contact with the SiC semiconductor layer, and a second electrode arranged to be in contact with the SiC semiconductor layer for conducting with the first electrode due to the formation of the current path, while the first electrode has a variable resistance portion made of a material whose resistance value increases under a prescribed high-temperature condition for limiting current density of overcurrent to not more than a prescribed value when the overcurrent flows to the current path.
US09117799B2
In a method of manufacturing semiconductor device, an insulating film is provided on a surface of a semiconductor substrate, a porous metal film containing numerous voids is formed on a region of the insulating film, and a protective film is provided on the porous metal film. The protective film is provided with an opening portion on the porous metal film, with the opening portion defining a pad region. A wire is wire-bonded to the porous metal film in the pad region.
US09117798B2
A thin film transistor, a method of fabricating the same, and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display device including the same. The thin film transistor includes a substrate; a semiconductor layer disposed on the substrate and including a channel region; source/drain regions including ions and an offset region; a gate insulating layer disposed on the semiconductor layer; a gate electrode disposed on the gate insulating layer; a first insulating layer disposed on the gate electrode; a second insulating layer disposed on the first insulating layer; and source/drain electrodes disposed on the second insulating layer, and electrically connected to the source/drain regions of the semiconductor layer, respectively. The sum of thicknesses of the gate insulating layer and the first insulating layer that are on the source/drain regions is less than the vertical dispersion depth of the ions included in the source/drain regions.
US09117790B2
In an embodiment, there is provided a packaging arrangement comprising a substrate; a multi-memory die coupled to the substrate, wherein the multi-memory die comprises multiple individual memory dies, and each of the multiple individual memory dies is defined as an individual memory die within a wafer of semiconductor material during production of memory dies, and the multi-memory die is created by singulating the wafer of semiconductor material into memory dies, where at least one of the memory dies is the multi-memory die that includes the multiple individual memory dies that are still physically connected together; and a semiconductor die coupled to the multi-memory die and the substrate, wherein the semiconductor die is configured as a system on a chip, wherein at least one of the multi-memory die and the semiconductor die is attached to the substrate.
US09117788B2
A method of repairing a semiconductor device includes turning a press member to apply pressure on an electronic component which is mounted on a substrate. A heat sink which is provided on the electronic component via a bonding layer is thus displaced with respect to the electronic component in a transverse direction. The heat sink is removed from the electronic component by shearing the bonding layer with the press member.
US09117771B2
The invention relates to the fields of microelectronics and materials sciences and concerns an insulation layer material for integrated circuits in microelectronics, which can be used, for example, in integrated circuits as insulation material in semiconductor components. The object of the present invention is to disclose an insulation material for integrated circuits, which has dielectric constants of k≦2 with good mechanical properties at the same time. The object is attained with an insulation material for integrated circuits, containing at least MOFs and/or COFs.
US09117770B2
A semiconductor device includes a first base material having a first surface; a second base material having a coefficient of linear expansion different from that of the first base material, being in contact with the first base material, and having a second surface being adjacent to the first surface; and a first interconnect formed over the first and second surfaces to straddle a borderline between the first and second base materials. The cross-sectional area of the first interconnect along the borderline is greater than the cross-sectional area of at least part of a portion of the first interconnect on the first surface along a width of the first interconnect, or the cross-sectional area of at least part of a portion of the first interconnect on the second surface along the width of the first interconnect.
US09117768B2
In a method for manufacturing a display substrate, a thin film transistor is formed on a base substrate. The thin film transistor includes a gate electrode, an active pattern, a source electrode and a drain electrode. A first passivation layer is formed to cover the thin film transistor. A second passivation layer is formed on the first passivation layer. A photoresist pattern is formed to partially expose the second passivation layer. The first passivation layer and the second passivation layer are partially removed to form a contact hole exposing the drain electrode. A pixel electrode layer is formed on the second passivation layer, the drain electrode and the photoresist pattern. A portion of the pixel electrode layer and the second photoresist pattern are removed to form a pixel electrode. The portion of the pixel electrode layer is disposed on a top surface and a sidewall of the photoresist pattern.
US09117759B2
A method of creating a trench having a portion of a bulb-shaped cross-section in silicon is disclosed. The method comprises forming at least one trench in silicon and forming a liner in the at least one trench. The liner is removed from a bottom surface of the at least one trench to expose the underlying silicon. A portion of the underlying exposed silicon is removed to form a cavity in the silicon. At least one removal cycle is conducted to remove exposed silicon in the cavity to form a bulb-shaped cross-sectional profile, with each removal cycle comprising subjecting the silicon in the cavity to ozonated water to oxidize the silicon and subjecting the oxidized silicon to a hydrogen fluoride solution to remove the oxidized silicon. A semiconductor device structure comprising the at least one trench comprising a cavity with a bulb-shaped cross-sectional profile is also disclosed.
US09117758B2
A substrate capable of achieving a lowered probability of defects produced in a step of forming an epitaxial film or a semiconductor element, a semiconductor device including the substrate, and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device are provided. A substrate is a substrate having a front surface and a back surface, in which at least a part of the front surface is composed of single crystal silicon carbide, the substrate having an average value of surface roughness Ra at the front surface not greater than 0.5 nm, a standard deviation σ of that surface roughness Ra not greater than 0.2 nm, an average value of surface roughness Ra at the back surface not smaller than 0.3 nm and not greater than 10 nm, standard deviation σ of that surface roughness Ra not greater than 3 nm, and a diameter D of the front surface not smaller than 110 mm.
US09117753B2
According to one aspect of the inventive concept there is provided a process for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising: providing a channel layer (104), providing a mask (106) on the channel layer, epitaxially growing a contact layer (108) in contact with the channel layer, epitaxially growing a support layer (110) on the contact layer, wherein the support layer is arranged to be etched at a higher rate than the contact layer, forming a trench extending through the support layer by removing the mask, and providing a conductor (118) in the trench. There is also provided an intermediate product for the manufacture of a semiconductor device.
US09117752B2
A memory cell having a kinked polysilicon layer structure, or a polysilicon layer structure with a top portion being narrower than a bottom portion, may greatly reduce random single bit (RSB) failures and may improve high density plasma (HDP) oxide layer fill-in by reducing defects caused by various impurities and/or a polysilicon layer short path. A kinked polysilicon layer structure may also be applied to floating gate memory cells either at the floating gate structure or the control gate structure.
US09117749B1
A semiconductor device, including: a first transistor sharing a first diffusion with a second transistor; a third transistor sharing a second diffusion with the second transistor; and at least one programmable resistor; wherein the at least one programmable resistor is connected to the first diffusion and the second diffusion, wherein the at least one programmable resistor includes one of the following: memristor, transition metal oxides, polymeric memristor, ferroelectric memristor, spintronic memristor, spin transfer torque, phase-change structure, programmable metallization structure, conductive-bridging structure, magnetoresistive structure, chalcogenide structure.
US09117748B2
A semiconductor device includes a transistor including a plurality of transistor cells in a semiconductor body, each transistor cell including a control terminal and first and second load terminals. The semiconductor device further includes a first electrical connection electrically connecting the first load terminals. The semiconductor device further includes a second electrical connection electrically connecting the second load terminals. The transistor further includes a phase change material exhibiting a solid-solid phase change at a phase transition temperature Tc between 150° C. and 400° C.
US09117742B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a buffer layer of GaN containing at least one of Fe and C and disposed on the substrate, a channel layer of GaN disposed on the buffer layer and through which electrons travel, an electron supply layer disposed on the channel layer and producing a two-dimensional electron gas in the channel layer, a gate electrode, a drain electrode, and a source electrode. Recovery time of a drain current of the semiconductor device is no more than 5 seconds, where the recovery time is defined as the period of time after the semiconductor device is stopped from outputting high frequency power until the change in the drain current, after the stopping of the semiconductor device, reaches 95% of the change in the drain current occurring during the first 10 seconds after the stopping of the semiconductor device.
US09117739B2
An electronic device includes a silicon carbide layer including an n-type drift region therein, a contact forming a junction, such as a Schottky junction, with the drift region, and a p-type junction barrier region on the silicon carbide layer. The p-type junction barrier region includes a p-type polysilicon region forming a P-N heterojunction with the drift region, and the p-type junction barrier region is electrically connected to the contact. Related methods are also disclosed.
US09117736B2
A structure having: a substrate and a diamond layer on the substrate having diamond nanoparticles. The diamond nanoparticles are formed by colliding diamond particles with the substrate. A method of: directing an aerosol of submicron diamond particles toward a substrate, and forming on the substrate a diamond layer of diamond nanoparticles formed by the diamond particles colliding with the substrate.
US09117735B2
A hybrid circuit includes a high-voltage circuit and a low-voltage circuit having different power supply voltages, respectively, a board on which a connecting terminal for connecting an external element outside of the hybrid circuit is mounted; and a hybrid integrated circuit mounted on the board. The low-voltage circuit includes a control unit for controlling an operation of the high-voltage circuit. The control unit and the high-voltage circuit are integrated in the hybrid integrated circuit.
US09117734B2
An integrated circuit including a die of the integrated circuit, the die including an insulating layer, light emitting diodes, a semiconductor layer, and a control module. The insulating layer includes a first side and a second side. The second side is opposite to the first side. The light emitting diodes are arranged on the first side of the insulating layer. The semiconductor layer is arranged adjacent to the second side of the insulating layer. The light emitting diodes are connected to the semiconductor layer using connections from the first side of the insulating layer to the second side of the insulating layer. The control module is arranged on the semiconductor layer. The control module is configured to output pulse width modulated pulses to the light emitting diodes via the connections.
US09117733B2
A light emitting module according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a printed circuit board (PCB) and first through m-th lighting blocks (‘m’ is an integer greater than one). The PCB has wiring patterns electrically connecting optical semiconductor devices. The first through the m-th lighting blocks are disposed on the PCB and configured to generate light. Each of the first through the m-th lighting blocks includes first through n-th lighting groups (each block includes at least one group), each of which includes optical semiconductor devices disposed on the PCB, and an electric currents configured to flow through each lighting group is substantially the same.
US09117730B2
A printed wiring board includes a core substrate, a first conductive pattern formed on the substrate, an insulation structure having a first insulation layer and formed on the substrate such that the first insulation layer covers the first pattern, a second conductive pattern formed on the structure, and a second insulation layer formed on the structure such that the second insulation layer covers the second pattern. The structure has a via conductor connecting the first and second patterns through the first insulation layer, the first insulation layer includes a first layer containing a reinforcing fiber material and a second layer formed on the first layer such that the first layer is on the substrate side and a second layer is on the second insulation layer side, and the second layer is made of an insulating material which is the same material as an insulating material forming the second insulation layer.
US09117729B2
In various embodiments, a charge-coupled device includes channel stops laterally spaced away from the channel by fully depleted regions.
US09117726B2
A IDCA system with internal nBn photo-detector comprising: a photo-absorbing layer comprising an n-doped semiconductor exhibiting valence band energy level; a barrier layer, a first side of the barrier layer adjacent a first side of the photo-absorbing layer, the barrier layer exhibiting a valence band energy level substantially equal to the valence band energy level of the doped semiconductor of the photo absorbing layer; and a contact area comprising a doped semiconductor, the contact area being adjacent a second side of the barrier layer opposing the first side, the barrier layer exhibiting a thickness and conductance band gap sufficient to prevent tunneling of majority carriers from the photo-absorbing layer to the contact area, blocking the flow of thermalized majority carriers from the photo-absorbing layer to the contact area. Alternatively, a p-doped semiconductor is utilized, equalizing barrier conductance band energy levels and photo-absorbing layers.
US09117723B2
An image sensor includes a high concentration well region in contact with a device isolation layer extending along a periphery of a photoelectric converting part, which can improve dark current properties of the image sensor. The image sensor also includes a low concentration well region in contact with a sidewall of the device isolation layer overlapped with a transfer gate, which can improve image lag properties of the image sensor. Related fabrication methods are also discussed.
US09117715B2
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device packaged at the wafer level such that an entire packaged device is formed prior to separation of individual devices. The semiconductor device package includes a semiconductor chip having one or more bonding pads associated with the chip and a protective layer bonded over the semiconductor chip. An insulation layer is positioned on at least side edges and a lower surface of the semiconductor chip. Interconnection/bump metallization is positioned adjacent one or more side edges of the semiconductor chip and is electrically connected to at least one bonding pad. A compact image sensor package can be formed that is vertically integrated with a digital signal processor and memory chip along with lenses and a protective cover.
US09117709B2
Improvement of key electrical specifications of vertical semiconductor devices, usually found in the class of devices known as discrete semiconductors, has a direct impact on the performance achievement and power efficiency of the systems in which these devices are used. Imprecise vertical device specifications cause system builders to either screen incoming devices for their required specification targets or to design their system with lower performance or lower efficiency than desired. Disclosed is an architecture and method for achieving a desired target specification for a vertical semiconductor device. Precise trimming of threshold voltage improves targeting of both on-resistance and switching time. Precise trimming of gate resistance also improves targeting of switching time. Precise trimming of a device's effective width improves targeting of both on-resistance and current-carrying capability. Device parametrics are trimmed to improve a single device, or a parametric specification is targeted to match specifications on two or more devices.
US09117705B2
The present invention relates to a thin-film transistor (TFT) active device. The TFT active device includes: a gate electrode; a gate insulation layer covering the gate electrode; an oxide semiconductor layer formed on the gate insulation layer; a first protection layer formed on the oxide semiconductor layer; a source/drain electrode electrically connected with the oxide semiconductor layer; and a second protection layer covering the source/drain electrode. At least one of the gate insulation layer, the first protection layer, and the second protection layer is made of a nitride of silicon and has a refractive index between 2.0-3.0. The TFT active device according to the present invention helps suppressing diffusion of metal ions from a metal electrode and reducing hydrogen content of the GI layer, the ES layer, or the PV layer so as to effectively improve the stability of the manufacture operation of TFT.
US09117704B2
A semiconductor device of the present invention includes an n-channel first thin film transistor and a p-channel second thin film transistor on one and the same substrate. The first thin film transistor has a first semiconductor layer (27), and the second thin film transistor has a second semiconductor layer (22). The first semiconductor layer (27) and the second semiconductor layer (22) are formed from one and the same film. Each of the first semiconductor layer (27) and the second semiconductor layer (22) has a slope portion (27e, 22e) positioned in the periphery and a main portion (27m, 22m) which is a portion excluding the slope portion. A p-type impurity is introduced into only a part of the slope portion (27e) of the first semiconductor layer with higher density than the main portion (27m) of the first semiconductor layer, the main portion (22m) of the second semiconductor layer, and the slope portion (22e) of the second semiconductor layer. Accordingly, a driving voltage of the semiconductor device provided with the n-type TFT and the p-type TFT can be reduced.
US09117701B2
Noise generated on a word line is reduced without increasing a load on the word line. A semiconductor device is provided in which a plurality of storage elements each including at least one switching element are provided in matrix; each of the plurality of storage elements is electrically connected to a word line and a bit line; the word line is connected to a gate (or a source and a drain) of a transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially; and capacitance of the transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially can be controlled by controlling a potential of a source and a drain (or a gate) the transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially. The transistor in which minority carriers do not exist substantially may include a wide band gap semiconductor.
US09117698B2
A semiconductor package includes: a dielectric layer having opposite first and second surfaces; a semiconductor chip embedded in the dielectric layer and having a plurality of electrode pads; a plurality of first metal posts disposed on the electrode pads of the semiconductor chip, respectively, such that top ends of the first metal posts are exposed from the first surface; at least a second metal post penetrating the dielectric layer such that two opposite ends of the second metal post are exposed from the first and second surfaces, respectively; a first circuit layer formed on the first surface for electrically connecting the first and second metal posts; and a second circuit layer formed on the second surface for electrically connecting the second metal post. The semiconductor package dispenses with conventional laser ablation and electroplating processes for forming conductive posts in a molding compound, thereby saving fabrication time and cost.
US09117694B2
A super junction semiconductor device includes strip structures between mesa regions that protrude from a base section in a cell area. Each strip structure includes a compensation structure with a first and a second section inversely provided on opposing sides of a fill structure. Each section includes a first compensation layer of a first conductivity type and a second compensation layer of a complementary second conductivity type. The strip structures extend into an edge area surrounding the cell area. In the edge area the strip structures include end sections. The end sections may be modified to enhance break down voltage characteristics, avalanche ruggedness and commutation behavior.
US09117692B2
A semiconductor device is manufactured using dual metal silicide layers. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having first and second regions, a first metal gate electrode on the substrate in the first region, a second metal gate electrode on the substrate in the second region, a first epitaxial layer on and in the substrate at both sides of the first metal gate electrode, a second epitaxial layer on and in the substrate at both sides of the second metal gate electrode, a first metal silicide layer on the first epitaxial layer, a second metal silicide layer on the second epitaxial layer, an interlayer dielectric layer on the first and second metal silicide layers, contact plugs passing through the interlayer dielectric layer and electrically connected to the first and second metal silicide layers.
US09117690B2
A SGT production method includes a step of forming first and second fin-shaped silicon layers, forming a first insulating film, and forming first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers; a step of forming diffusion layers by implanting an impurity into upper portions of the first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers, upper portions of the first and second fin-shaped silicon layers, and lower portions of the first and second pillar-shaped silicon layers; a step of forming a gate insulating film and first and second polysilicon gate electrodes; a step of forming a silicide in upper portions of the diffusion layers formed in the upper portions of the first and second fin-shaped silicon layers; and a step of depositing an interlayer insulating film, exposing and etching the first and second polysilicon gate electrodes, then depositing a metal, and forming first and second metal gate electrodes.
US09117688B2
Provided is a semiconductor device including: a first MOS-FET (21) joined to a first base plate (11) via solder (61); a second MOS-FET (22) joined to a second base plate (12) via solder (64); a first lead (31) joining the first base plate (11) and the second MOS-FET (22); and a second lead (32) joining the second MOS-FET (22) and a current path member (13) that gives and receives current flowing through the MOS-FETs (21, 22) to and from the outside. The second base plate (12) is more rigid than both the leads (31, 32), a boundary line (D-D) intersects the second base plate (12) without intersecting both the leads (31, 32), the boundary line including a gap portion (52) along which both the MOS-FETs (21, 22) are opposed to each other, extending in the direction in which both the MOS-FETs (21, 22) are not opposed to each other.
US09117685B2
Through silicon vias (TSVs) in a stacked multi-die integrated circuit package are controlled to assume different connection configurations as desired during field operation of the package in its normal mission mode. TSV connections may be reconfigured to connect an affected die in a manner different from, for example, a factory default connection of that die. TSV connections to the inputs and/or outputs of a die's native circuitry may be changed. A die may be disconnected altogether from an interface that interconnects dice in the stack, or a die that was originally disconnected from such an interface may be connected to the interface.
US09117684B1
Methods and apparatus for a semiconductor package having a plurality of input/output members are disclosed and may include a first laminate circuit board; with electrically conductive patterns formed thereon; a first semiconductor die coupled to the conductive patterns; a second laminate circuit board with electrically conductive patterns formed thereon; a second semiconductor die coupled to the conductive patterns and to the first semiconductor die; a flexible circuit board coupling the first and second laminate circuit boards; and contacts coupled to a bottom surface of the first laminate circuit board. The first and second laminate circuit boards each may comprise an insulative layer where the electrically conductive patterns are formed on one side of the insulative layer; a plating layer formed on predetermined parts of the electrically conductive patterns; and a protective layer formed on the electrically conductive patterns not covered by the plating layer.
US09117680B2
A biocompatible, implantable electrode for electrically active medical devices. The implantable medical electrode has a surface geometry which optimizes the electrical performance of the electrode, while mitigating the undesirable effects associated with prior art porous surfaces. The electrode has an optimized surface topography for improved electrical performance. Such a electrode is suitable for devices which may be permanently implanted in the human body as stimulation electrodes, such as pacemakers, or as sensors of medical conditions. Such is achieved by the application of ultrafast high energy pulses to the surface of a solid, monolithic electrode material for the purpose of increasing the surface area and thereby decreasing its after-potential polarization.
US09117675B2
A semiconductor device production method includes: forming a protection film on a semiconductor substrate; forming a first resist pattern on the protection film; implanting a first impurity ion into the semiconductor substrate using the first resist pattern as a mask; removing the first resist pattern; forming on the surface of the semiconductor substrate a chemical reaction layer that takes in surface atoms from the semiconductor substrate through chemical reaction, after the removing of the first resist pattern; removing the chemical reaction layer formed on the semiconductor substrate and removing the surface of the semiconductor substrate, after the forming of the chemical reaction layer; and growing a semiconductor layer epitaxially on the surface of the semiconductor substrate, after the removing of the surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09117670B2
A system for depositing a layer on a substrate includes a processing chamber, a gas injecting port for introducing gas into the system, a gas distribution plate disposed between the gas injecting port and the processing chamber, the gas distribution plate including holes therein, and an inject insert liner assembly received within the system adjacent to the gas distribution plate and upstream from the processing chamber. The inject insert liner assembly defines gas flow channels therein extending along a lengthwise direction of the system, wherein each channel includes an inlet and an outlet, and at least one channel is tapered along the lengthwise direction of the system in at least one of a vertical or horizontal direction. The inject insert liner assembly has the same number of gas flow channels as the number of holes in the gas distribution plate.
US09117668B2
Smooth silicon films having low compressive stress and smooth tensile silicon films are deposited by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) using a process gas comprising a silicon-containing precursor (e.g., silane), argon, and a second gas, such as helium, hydrogen, or a combination of helium and hydrogen. Doped smooth silicon films and smooth silicon germanium films can be obtained by adding a source of dopant or a germanium-containing precursor to the process gas. In some embodiments dual frequency plasma comprising high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF) components is used during deposition, resulting in improved film roughness. The films are characterized by roughness (Ra) of less than about 7 Å, such as less than about 5 Å as measured by atomic force microscopy (AFM), and a compressive stress of less than about 500 MPa in absolute value. In some embodiments smooth tensile silicon films are obtained.
US09117662B2
To improve productivity of a transistor that includes an oxide semiconductor and has good electrical characteristics. In a top-gate transistor including a gate insulating film and a gate electrode over an oxide semiconductor film, a metal film is formed over the oxide semiconductor film, oxygen is added to the metal film to form a metal oxide film, and the metal oxide film is used as a gate insulating film. After an oxide insulating film is formed over the oxide semiconductor film, a metal film may be formed over the oxide insulating film. Oxygen is added to the metal film to form a metal oxide film and added also to the oxide semiconductor film or the oxide insulating film.
US09117660B2
A nitride film manufacturing apparatus forms a nitride film on a substrate provided in a chamber by a plasma CVD technique. Specifically, the nitride film manufacturing apparatus includes a controller for calculating a first period for applying first high-frequency power having a relatively high frequency and a second period for applying second high-frequency power having a relatively low frequency in order to obtain desired compressive stress or tensile stress of the nitride film, based on distribution of a refractive index of the nitride film and/or distribution of a deposition rate of the nitride film, the distribution falling within a predetermined numerical range and being obtained using the first high-frequency power and/or the second high-frequency power applied independently for forming the nitride film.
US09117656B2
A semiconductor cleaning device includes an external electrode opposed to a side surface of the semiconductor device; a base configured to allow arrangement of the semiconductor device, and having an opening positioned between the side surface of the semiconductor device in the arranged state and the external electrode, and located below the side surface of the semiconductor device; a frame having an electrically insulating property, being in contact with the external electrode, arranged on the base and opposed to the side surface of the semiconductor device; and suction means connected to the opening in the base and being capable of taking in the foreign matter through the opening. Thereby, the semiconductor cleaning device and a semiconductor cleaning method that can remove the foreign matter adhered to the side surface of the semiconductor device and can prevent re-adhesion of the removed foreign matter can be obtained.
US09117651B2
An integrated circuit includes a node coupled between a terminal of the integrated circuit and a transmitter circuit. The integrated circuit includes a switch circuit coupled between the node and a receiver circuit. The switch circuit includes a bias circuit coupled to the node. The bias circuit is configured to provide a first bias voltage to the node in response to an indication of a transmit mode of the terminal. The bias circuit is configured to provide a second bias voltage to the node in response to an indication of a receive mode of the terminal. The switch circuit may include a plurality of n-type devices coupled in series. Each of the plurality of n-type devices may include a triple-well, doubly-floating n-type device. The plurality of n-type devices may include a resistively-biased bulk terminal and a resistively-biased n-well.
US09117650B2
A coating system for a fluorescent lamp, and fluorescent lamps provided therewith. The coating system includes a phosphor-containing coating containing a mixture of phosphors that contain less than 10% weight rare earth phosphors. The phosphor-containing coating emits visible light having a color rendering index of at least 87 when excited by UV radiation.
US09117648B2
A method of applying a Faraday cage to a lucent resonator, the resonator having a void containing microwave-excitable material and being adapted for microwave resonance in the resonator and within the Faraday cage for driving a light emitting plasma in the void, the method consisting in the steps of: deposition of a conductive material onto the lucent resonator; applying, patterning and developing a photoresist material over the conductive material to leave the conductive material exposed where it is not required; removing the conductive material where not required and the photoresist material from the required conductive material, leaving a reticular network of conductive material providing a Faraday cage and depositing a layer of protective material over the cage of conductive material.
US09117641B2
Certain embodiments described herein are directed to adapters for use in coupling a direct sample analysis device to an analytical instrument such as, for example, a mass spectrometer. In some examples, the adapter can include an internal coupler separated from an external coupler through an insulator.
US09117627B2
An ion implantation apparatus includes an implantation processing chamber, a high voltage unit, and a high-voltage power supply system. In the implantation processing chamber ions are implanted into a workpiece. The high voltage unit includes an ion source unit for generating the ions, and a beam transport unit provided between the ion source unit and the implantation processing chamber. The high-voltage power supply system applies a potential to the high voltage unit under any one of a plurality of energy settings. The high-voltage power supply system includes a plurality of current paths formed such that a beam current flowing into the workpiece is returned to the ion source unit, and each of the plurality of energy settings is associated with a corresponding one of the plurality of current paths.
US09117618B2
A discharge electrode 5 for generating ions and a high-voltage generating circuit unit 2 that supplies the discharge electrode 5 with a high voltage are housed in a housing 3. A discharge opening 12 for discharging the generated ions is formed in the housing 3. The housing 3 is covered by an exterior case 15. The exterior case 15 is connected to the high-voltage generating circuit unit 2 and functions as an induction electrode. A passage opening 33 leading to the discharge opening 12 is formed in the exterior case 15. An insulating sheet 36 covers the periphery of the passage opening 33 in the exterior case 15 facing a space into which the ions are discharged so that the discharged ions do not attach to the exterior case 15. Decrease in the amount of discharged ions can be prevented while using a peripheral component of the discharge electrode 5 as the induction electrode.
US09117613B2
A short circuit indicator module is disclosed for an electrical switching device, in particular for a circuit breaker. The electrical switching device is configured to interrupt a current flow in the event of a short circuit and/or an overload in a subordinate power circuit. The module includes a housing, a display facility for indicating tripping of the electrical switching device in the event of a short circuit and a movable unlatching element, it being possible for the display facility to be activated by a movement of the unlatching element and the unlatching element being configured to form a functional connection between the short circuit indicator module and the electrical switching device. The module is configured to test the activatability of the display facility of the short circuit indicator module and/or to test the functional connection between the short circuit indicator module and the electrical switching device.
US09117607B2
A muffler for enhanced arc protection is described. In the case of an internal arc event in an electrical enclosure, the muffler exhausts arc gas and plasma parallel to the enclosure surface, instead of directly forward where persons may be located. The muffler includes perforated plates and baffle plates in its interior space. The perforated plates have offset perforation patterns from one another, and the baffle plates are provided on opposing walls, causing the plasma and gas to make multiple directional changes. The perforated plates also filter the arc gas and plasma. These directional changes and filtering result in an energy reduction from the exhaust, which provides an increased margin of safety. In addition, the muffler provides an adequate level of ventilation in the enclosure, thus keeping the components cool.
US09117596B2
Electrodes, which may be composite capacitor electrodes, include carbon fibers, illustratively chopped carbon fibers having an aspect ratio of from about 100-5000, have been treated with a non-ionic surfactant, specifically the polyoxyethyleneglycol octophenyl ether, Triton X-100, to increase the hydrophilicity of the fibers. The capacitive electrodes prepared with the surface-modified carbon fibers exhibit increased charge acceptance.
US09117593B2
A MEMS device includes a substrate, one or more anchors formed on a first surface of the substrate, and a piezoelectric layer suspended over the first surface of the substrate by the one or more anchors. Notably, the piezoelectric layer is a bimorph including a first bimorph layer and a second bimorph layer. A first electrode may be provided on a first surface of the piezoelectric layer facing the first surface of the substrate, such that the first electrode is in contact with the first bimorph layer of the piezoelectric layer. A second electrode may be provided on a second surface of the piezoelectric layer opposite the substrate, such that the second electrode is in contact with the second bimorph layer of the piezoelectric layer. The second electrode may include a first conducting section and a second conducting section, which are inter-digitally dispersed on the second surface.
US09117589B2
A capacitor structure is provided, which includes a conductive substrate, a first dielectric layer, and a first metal layer. The conductive substrate includes a first surface and at least one first concave located on the first surface. The first dielectric layer covers the first surface and the first concave. The first metal layer covers the first dielectric layer, wherein the first dielectric layer and the first metal layer respectively have concave structures corresponding to the first concave. A stack-type capacitor structure is also provided.
US09117588B2
A combination converter arrangement and a switching device including such a combination converter arrangement are disclosed. The combination of a current transformer with a core made of ferromagnetic material and a Rogowski coil is referred to as a combination converter, the current transformer being used to supply energy to the electronic tripping unit of the switching device, and the Rogowski coil being used to measure current. In order to make use of the installation space available in the switching device for installing combination converters, a plurality of combination converters are arranged in a common housing to thereby provide a multi-pole combination converter module.
US09117582B2
The present invention provides a material which can be used for low pressure molding, and which has a low core loss while maintaining the characteristic of an amorphous powder that is the high coercive force. It provides a magnetic powder material containing, relative to the weight thereof, amorphous powders of 45 to 80 wt %, crystalline powders of 55 to 20 wt %, and a bonding agent. The magnetic powder material contains, relative to the mass thereof, Si of 4.605 to 6.60 mass %, Cr of 2.64 to 3.80 mass %, C of 0.225 to 0.806 mass %, Mn of 0.018 to 0.432 mass %, B of 0.99 to 2.24 mass %, P of equal to or less than 0.0248 mass %, S of equal to or less than 0.0165 mass %, Co of equal to or less than 0.0165 mass %, and a balance of Fe and inevitable impurities.
US09117579B2
A system and methods for redundant current-sum feedback control of an actuator system is presented. An actuator comprises actuation coils configured to actuate the actuator, and an actuation coil current sensor senses a measured total coil current comprising a sum of coil currents of each of the actuation coils. Actuator coil controllers control the actuation coils based on a commanded total coil current and the measured total coil current.
US09117575B2
An electric power resistor has a stack of a plurality of resistor plates of metal. Each resistor plate has at least one meandering structure which is formed by a plurality of alternately mutually connected transverse webs. Resistor plates following one another in the stack direction are rotated by 90° with respect to one another.
US09117573B2
A single machine configured to manufacture a wire cable assembly including an twisted wire pair and a drain wire having a conductive tape and an insulative tape spirally wrapped about said wire pair. The machine includes a first clamp that secures an end of the wire pair and a second clamp that secures the other end of the wire pair. The second clamp rotates while the first clamp is fixed thereby twisting the wires of the wire pair one about the other. The second clamp can also rotate synchronously with the first clamp thereby rotating the wire pair without twisting. The machine also has a tape reel configured to move parallel to the clamps as they rotate, wrapping tape around the wire pair. The apparatus can be configured to apply the tapes simultaneously to electromagnetically shield and insulate the cable assembly. A method of operating the apparatus is also provided.
US09117567B2
Electrically conductive thin film metallizations having continuous operating temperatures of 300° C. and more are of considerable practical interest for a number of technical applications, such as surface wave elements. Technical reasons and high production costs are a bar to the use of standard films. In order to remedy this, films including a mixture of a high-melting conductive metal and aluminum oxides, wherein in particular aluminum-rich non-stoichiometric aluminum oxides are used. The aluminum oxides act as components thermally stabilizing the conductive metal film; an optional proportion of chemically available aluminum can additionally alloy with the conductive metal and thereby enables essential film properties, such as the electrical conductivity to be specifically influenced. It is thus possible, using standard materials and methods of thin film deposition, in a cost-effective manner to produce highly electrically conductive, thermally resistant films having good structurability and comparatively low density for a wide range of different applications.
US09117564B2
A system for producing a controllable beam of radiation is controllable electronically, and includes no parts that must move relative to one another while in operation to form the beam. The direction and cross-section of the beam may be controlled electronically by controlling an electron beam. Various embodiments provide an X-ray collimator that allows forming a scanning X-ray beam of desired size and flux independently of the aperture material thickness without requiring movement of the aperture or physical components that create the aperture. Some embodiments provide an X-ray collimator that allows forming a scanning X-ray beam of desired size and flux independently of the beam angle.
US09117562B2
The steps of the method to make the scintillator panel are providing a first support having thereon a phosphor layer; dividing the first support the phosphor layer into a plurality of scintillator panel sections each having a first support section and a phosphor layer section thereon; providing an adhesive member between a side of the first support section of each of the plurality of the scintillator panel sections and a side of a second support; adhering the plurality of the scintillator panel sections onto the second support; forming a protective layer on a whole surface of the plurality of the scintillator panel sections except a portion of the scintillator panel sections which is contacted with the adhesive member; and separating the scintillator panel sections with their protective layer thereon from the second support. The separated scintillator panel sections with their protective layer are then adhered to light receiving element to form the flat panel detector.
US09117553B2
If a memory block in a flash memory device is found to have a defect, a memory block quality indication is generated in response to the type of memory defect. This indication is stored in the memory device. In one embodiment, the quality indication is stored in a predetermined location of the defective memory block. Using the quality indication, it can be determined if a system's error correction code scheme is capable of correcting data errors resulting from the defect.
US09117550B2
An apparatus includes a first array of transistor elements; a second array of carbon nano-elements formed above or below the first array of transistor elements; and a circuit coupled to the first array to access the carbon nano elements.
US09117547B2
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and system for asserting a voltage transition from a low voltage to a high voltage with a voltage difference between the low and high voltages on a word line with a word line driver logic that is composed of thin-oxide MOS transistors, wherein the thin-oxide MOS transistors experience less than the voltage difference on the word line between any two of a source, a drain, and a gate. In a step, charging the word line from the low voltage to an intermediate voltage level. In another step, charging the word line to the high voltage from the intermediate voltage level.
US09117545B1
A semiconductor device includes a sense-amplifier driving device. The sense-amplifier driving device includes a sense-amplifier driver configured to provide a first pull-up voltage and a first pull-down voltage to a pull-up power line and a pull-down power line, respectively, during a first over-driving time period, provide the second pull-up voltage and the first pull-down voltage to the pull-up power line and the pull-down power line, respectively, during an active time period, and provide a third pull-up voltage and a second pull-down voltage to the pull-up power line and the pull-down power line, respectively, during a second over-driving time period, and a drive-signal generator configured to generate a plurality of drive signals, which is selectively activated during the first over-driving time period, the active time period, and the second over-driving time period, to control an operation of the sense-amplifier driver.
US09117535B2
A memory circuit to reduce active power is disclosed (FIG. 7). The circuit includes a sense amplifier (600). A first bit line (BL) is coupled to a memory array. A second bit line (BLB) that is a complementary bit line to the first bit line is also coupled to the memory array. A first transistor (TG) is coupled between the first bit line (BL) and the sense amplifier. A second transistor (TG) is coupled between the second bit line (BLB) and the sense amplifier. A first drive circuit (700) is coupled between the sense amplifier and the first bit line and is operable to drive a first data signal from the sense amplifier onto the first bit line when the second transistor is off.
US09117520B2
A data storage device includes a memory and a controller. Mapping circuitry is configured to apply a mapping to received data to generate mapped data to be stored in storage elements. The mapping is configured to reduce average write time by mapping at least one incoming data value into a mapped value such that no transitions of storage elements from a second state to a first state are used for storing the mapped value into the storage elements. The mapping of the received data to the mapped data does not depend on the states of the storage elements prior to the writing of the mapped data.
US09117512B2
Discussed are a gate shift register and a flat panel display using the same. The flat panel display includes a display panel for displaying an image, a gate driver for driving a plurality of gate lines of the display panel, and a timing controller for outputting a gate start pulse and a plurality of clock pulses each having first to third voltages, to control the gate driver. The gate driver includes a gate shift register for generating scan pulses each having the first to third voltages, using the clock pulses, and supplying the generated scan pulses to the gate lines, respectively.
US09117509B2
The invention provides an electronic apparatus. The electronic apparatus includes a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and a DRAM controller. The DRAM receives at least one control and address signal and a clock signal, delays the clock signal by a predetermined value to obtain a delayed clock signal, samples the control and address signal according to the clock signal to obtain a first sample signal, samples the control and address signal according to the delayed clock signal to obtain a second sample signal, and compares the first sample signal with the second sample signal to obtain a status signal. The DRAM controller sends the control and address signal and the clock signal to the DRAM, receives the status signal from the DRAM, and adjusts a phase difference between the clock signal and the control and address signal according to the status signal.
US09117503B2
Memory arrays and methods of forming the same are provided. An example memory array can include at least one plane having a plurality of memory cells arranged in a matrix and a plurality of plane selection devices. Groups of the plurality of memory cells are communicatively coupled to a respective one of a plurality of plane selection devices. A decode logic having elements is formed in a substrate material and communicatively coupled to the plurality of plane selection devices. The plurality of memory cells and the plurality of plane selection devices are not formed in the substrate material.
US09117492B2
The storage layer such as a nitride layer of a nonvolatile memory cell has two storage parts storing separately addressable data, typically respectively proximate to the source terminal and the drain terminal. The applied drain voltage while sensing the data of one of the storage parts depends on the data stored at the other storage part. If the data stored at the other storage part is represented by a threshold voltage exceeding a minimum threshold voltage, then the applied drain voltage is raised. This technology is useful in read operations and program verify operations to widen the threshold voltage window.
US09117488B1
A novel symmetrical band is disclosed, which may be used in connection with shingled magnetic recording (SMR) in order to reduce write amplification (read-modify-write). Depending on the embodiment, overlapping data tracks diverge from, or converge to the center of each symmetrical band. Associated guard regions may be located at the center, or at the band boundaries, and are shared such that the excess width of a write element is caught by the guard regions from both sides. A symmetrical band may reduce the maximum write amplification by more than half. A hard disk controller may maintain the number of taken or empty tracks on both sides of each symmetrical band substantially equal at every fill level.
US09117484B2
An audio medium for a Q pen includes a recording area arranged on a side of the medium body and having multiple recording ID codes to associate with the Q pen and a completion area arranged on the side of the medium body and having multiple completion ID codes to associate with the Q pen as well.
US09117482B1
A hybrid drive is disclosed comprising a disk channel including a head actuated over a disk, the disk comprising a plurality of data sectors, and a non-volatile semiconductor memory (NVSM) comprising a plurality of memory segments. Write commands are received from a host, wherein the write commands comprise write data. When a frequency of the write data exceeds a threshold, an operating mode of the disk channel is changed to change a power consumption rate of the disk channel.
US09117481B1
A disk drive is disclosed comprising a disk, a head, and a ramp located near an outer periphery of the disk. The disk drive further comprises control circuitry operable to load the head off the ramp over the disk, receive an unload command to perform an unload operation, evaluate a number of unloads relative to an unload limit that varies over time, and when the number of unloads exceeds the unload limit, delay the unload operation.
US09117479B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a head actuated over a disk, wherein the head comprises a laser configured to heat the disk during write operations. A first test pattern written at a first laser power is read to generate a first track width metric and a first peak amplitude. A second test pattern written at second laser power is read to generate a second track width metric and a second peak amplitude. The first track width metric, the first peak amplitude, the second track width metric, and the second peak amplitude are processed to estimate a coefficient C of an error function. An operating write power for the laser is calibrated based on the estimated coefficient C of the error function.
US09117471B1
An apparatus includes a controller configured to be coupled to a read/write head. The controller is configured to perform various operations including detecting a change in a time interval difference between servo sectors of a servo marked recording medium, converting the change to an offset signal that compensates for the change, and positioning the read/write head relative to the servo mark recording medium in response to the offset signal. The change in the time interval difference is representative of disk slip.
US09117455B2
Systems and methods for adaptively processing speech to improve voice intelligibility are described. These systems and methods can adaptively identify and track formant locations, thereby enabling formants to be emphasized as they change. As a result, these systems and methods can improve near-end intelligibility, even in noisy environments. The systems and methods can be implemented in Voice-over IP (VoIP) applications, telephone and/or video conference applications (including on cellular phones, smart phones, and the like), laptop and tablet communications, and the like. The systems and methods can also enhance non-voiced speech, which can include speech generated without the vocal track, such as transient speech.
US09117453B2
A method of and system for accurately determining a caller response by processing speech-recognition results and returning that result to a directed-dialog application for further interaction with the caller. Multiple speech-recognition engines are provided that process the caller response in parallel. Returned speech-recognition results comprising confidence-score values and word-score values from each of the speech-recognition engines may be modified based on context information provided by the directed-dialog application and grammars associated with each speech-recognition engine. A context database is used to further reduce or add weight to confidence-score values and word-score values, remove phrases and/or words, and add phrases and/or words to the speech-recognition engine results. In situations where a predefined threshold-confidence-score value is not exceeded, a new dynamic grammar may be created. A set of n-best hypotheses of what the caller uttered is returned to the directed-dialog application.
US09117447B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable storage medium related to operating an intelligent digital assistant are disclosed. An event alert is detected, where the event alert includes context data. A representation of an intent is derived based at least in part on the context data. At least one domain, at least one task, and at least one parameter for the task are identified based at least in part on the representation of the intent. The identified task is performed using the at least one parameter. An output is provided to the user, where the output is related to the performance of the first task.
US09117446B2
A method and system for achieving emotional text to speech. The method includes: receiving text data; generating emotion tag for the text data by a rhythm piece; and achieving TTS to the text data corresponding to the emotion tag, where the emotion tags are expressed as a set of emotion vectors; where each emotion vector includes a plurality of emotion scores given based on a plurality of emotion categories. A system for the same includes: a text data receiving module; an emotion tag generating module; and a TTS module for achieving TTS, wherein the emotion tag is expressed as a set of emotion vectors; and wherein emotion vector includes a plurality of emotion scores given based on a plurality of emotion categories.
US09117444B2
Some aspects include transforming data, at least a portion of which has been processed to determine at least one representative vector associated with each of a plurality of classifications associated with the data to obtain a plurality of representative vectors. Techniques comprise determining a first transformation based, at least in part, on the plurality of representative vectors, applying at least the first transformation to the data to obtain transformed data, and fitting a plurality of clusters to the transformed data to obtain a plurality of established clusters. Some aspects include classifying input data by transforming the input data using at least the first transformation and comparing the transformed input data to the established clusters.
US09117442B2
Methods and apparatus for audio watermarking a substantially silent media content presentation are disclosed. An example method to audio watermark a media content presentation disclosed herein comprises obtaining a watermarked noise signal comprising a watermark and a noise signal having energy substantially concentrated in an audible frequency band, the watermarked noise signal attenuated to be substantially inaudible without combining with a separate audio signal, associating the watermarked noise signal with a substantially silent content component of the media content presentation, the media content presentation comprising one or more media content components, and outputting the watermarked noise signal during presentation of the substantially silent content component.
US09117439B2
A method for ultrasound imaging is provided. The method includes at least a transmission step, a coherence enhancing step, and a beamforming step. In the transmission step, a plurality of ultrasonic waves are transmitted into an imaged region and a set of raw data is acquired by an array of transducers in response to each ultrasonic wave. The ultrasonic waves have different spatial frequency content. In the coherence enhancing step, for each of a plurality of virtual transmit focal zones in the imaged region, at least one set of coherent data is synthesized from the sets of raw data. In the beamforming step, for each of a plurality of locations included in each of the virtual transmit focal zones, an image pixel is computed by beamforming, using the set of coherent data.
US09117438B2
The present invention relates to a pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10) comprising a substrate (12), and a membrane (14) disposed above a total membrane area ((Atotal), wherein a cavity (20) is formed between the membrane (14) and the substrate (12), the membrane (14) comprising a hole (15) and an edge portion (14a) surrounding the hole (15), the edge portion (14a) of the membrane (14) being collapsed to the substrate (12). The cell further comprises a plug (30) arranged in the hole (15) of the membrane (14), the plug (30) being located only in a subarea (Asub) of the total membrane area (Atotal). The present invention further relates to a method of manufacturing such pre-collapsed capacitive micro-machined transducer cell (10).
US09117423B2
A string for a musical stringed instrument includes (a) a core wire and (b) a wrap wire coiled tightly around the core wire. The wrap wire is an aluminum-copper alloy having between about 2 wt % and about 10 wt % aluminum.
US09117421B2
Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of methods, systems, and apparatus for improving pianos and like musical instruments. For example, in certain embodiments, the improvements are in the structures of the piano (or like musical instruments) that affect the vibratory relationships between the struck string and other segments of said string. The improvements affect how these vibratory relationships of the string segments interact with the bridge, soundboard, the plate of a piano, the string rests, and/or the string terminations. For example, in embodiments of the disclosed technology, the vibratory relationships of the string segments involve transient transverse (T) and longitudinal (L) frequencies as well as sustained transverse, longitudinal, and horizontal (H) modes carried by said string segments and their support structures. Embodiments of the disclosed technology also affect how these relationships are defined across the compass of the standard piano keyboard.
US09117418B2
The present invention provides a gate driver on array (GOA) circuit and a display panel with the GOA circuit. The driver circuit includes multiple stages of gate driver units and multiple stages of supplementary gate driver units connected in cascade, in which the nth stage gate driver unit includes a driving unit (42) and a pull-down unit (44) and the mth stage supplementary gate driver unit includes a supplementary driving unit (52) and a supplementary pull-down unit (54). The GOA circuit according to the present invention adopts a dual-pull-down architecture so that thin-film transistors contained in pull-down units and supplementary pull-down units of the circuit can be set in an operation environment featuring dual polarity electrical biasing to effectively suppress threshold voltage drifting of the thin-film transistors of the pull-down units and the supplementary pull-down units and extend the lifespan of circuit thereby making the circuit better meet the needs of large- and medium-sized display panels. Further, the circuit has a simple structure and reduced power consumption and is also fit to low temperature and high temperature operations.
US09117417B2
A system for powering and controlling an LED-backlit liquid crystal display (LCD) where redundancy is used to provide two independent paths from a pair of power supplies to the LED backlight. Further, two independent paths are also used from a pair of power supplies to the LCD. If any one of the paths were to fail or begin to degrade in performance, the system contains monitoring circuits which can direct another path to be used by the system. Two separate control circuits for the LCD may be used so that either one may be used to control the LCD if one were to fail. Two separate temperature sensors and luminance sensors may also be used to increase the durability of the system.
US09117407B2
Pixel circuit, method of driving the same, and organic light emitting display device having the same
A method of driving a pixel circuit includes initializing a driving transistor and a storage capacitor by simultaneously applying an initialization voltage and a first power voltage to a gate electrode of the driving transistor and the storage capacitor, respectively, diode-coupling the driving transistor, applying a data voltage to the storage capacitor, applying the data voltage to the gate electrode of the driving transistor by a coupling of a compensation capacitor coupled between the gate electrode of the driving transistor and the storage capacitor, and applying a current corresponding to the first power voltage and the data voltage to an organic light emitting diode that is coupled to the driving transistor.
US09117405B2
An organic light emitting device is provided. The organic light emitting device includes an organic light emitting panel, a drive unit receiving image data and image luminance discrimination signal that includes information on a maximum luminance of the image and providing a data voltage corresponding to the image luminance discrimination signal to the organic light emitting panel, and a power supply unit providing a common voltage to the organic light emitting panel. The common voltage is varied to correspond to the image luminance discrimination signal.
US09117401B2
Disclosed is an organic light emitting diode display, including a first substrate including an organic light emitting diode and a driving circuit part for driving the light emitting diode, a second substrate facing the first substrate and covering the light emitting diode and the driving circuit part, a connection unit connected to the driving circuit part and extending from the first substrate along a rear side thereof, an electronic device disposed between the connection unit and the first substrate and transmitting a signal to the driving circuit part via the connection unit, and an electromagnetic wave-shielding sheet disposed on one side of the first substrate to directly face the electronic device and including a first conductive material layer, a buffer layer formed on one side of the first conductive material layer, and a first adhesive layer formed on the other side of the first conductive material layer.
US09117400B2
A system for maintaining a substantially constant display white point over an extended period of operation of a color display formed by an array of multiple pixels in which each of the pixels includes multiple subpixels having different colors, and each of the subpixels includes a light emissive device. The display is generated by energizing the subpixels of successively selected pixels, and the color of each selected pixel is controlled by the relatives levels of energization of the subpixels in the selected pixel. The degradation behavior of the subpixels in each pixel is determined, and the relative levels of energization of the subpixels in each pixel are adjusted to adjust the brightness shares of the subpixels to compensate for the degradation behavior of the subpixels. The brightness shares are preferably adjusted to maintain a substantially constant display white point.
US09117398B2
A method for rendering input data into target data includes: applying a pattern detecting window to the input data about an input pixel to detect a green light emitting pattern within the window; determining whether the detected green light emitting pattern belongs to a threshold pattern in which at least two green subpixels that are contiguously arranged emit light; and rendering the target data for a red or blue target subpixel having a first color by: applying a first filter to the input data of the first color red or blue input subpixels that are near the input pixel when the detected green light emitting pattern does not belong to the threshold pattern; and applying a second filter that is different from the first filter to the input data of the first color red or blue input subpixels when the detected green light emitting pattern belongs to the threshold pattern.
US09117396B2
When the video images to be played back are three-dimensional (3D) images each including a first parallax image and a second parallax image obtained when an object in a 3D space is viewed from different viewpoints, a video attribute determining unit determines whether or not the frame rate of the images is within a predetermined frame rate range at which a flicker is likely to occur. When the frame rate of the 3D images is within the predetermined frame rate range, a frame rate converter raises the frame rate of the 3D images until the frame rate exceeds the predetermined frame rate range.
US09117395B2
Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for defining an overlay region for an application in a user interface control region on a screen of a display in a mobile device. The application queries a platform about an overlay region desired to be generated based on a basic resolution set in the application. The platform calculates an approximate region satisfying an overlay region condition for the queried overlay region and informs the application of the approximate region. Thereafter, the application generates an overlay region corresponding to the approximate region, and the platform displays the generated overlay region on the screen.
US09117384B2
Systems, methods and apparatus are described for displaying visual information on a deformable display device, and for compensating for distortion of images of the visual information that results from the deformation of the display device and the viewing orientation of a viewer of the display device, or for improving or enhancing the displayed visual information in response to the deformation of the display device and the viewing position of the viewer.
US09117383B1
A multi-panel display includes at least one anchoring platform, a plurality of display panels, vibration mechanisms, and control logic. The anchoring platform(s) are to be secured to a fixed surface. The plurality of display panels is aligned to form the multi-panel display and the display panels are substantially rectangular. The vibration mechanisms are configured to vibrate the plurality of display panels along a vibration axis. The vibration mechanisms are coupled to the anchoring platform(s), and the vibration axis is common to each of the display panels in the plurality of display panels. The control logic is coupled to drive the vibration mechanisms and configured to drive the plurality of display panels to display images corresponding with positions along the vibration axis to disguise seams between the plurality of display panels.
US09117368B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for transmitting re-routing options to a plurality of in-flight aircraft in accordance with preconfigured pilot preferences. The apparatus comprises a data store module containing data sets against which the pilot preferences are evaluated during flight, including weather, airspace and flight restrictions, ground delay programs, and air traffic information. The apparatus further includes a flight path module containing route and position information for each aircraft. An incursion alert processing module evaluates the flight path, data store, and pilot preferences and generates incursion alerts which are transmitted to each aircraft during flight. Upon receipt of an incursion alert or, alternatively, independent of an incursion alert, the pilot may request re-routing options. Once received and reviewed, the pilot selects the optimum re-routing option, and an associated micro flight plan is uplinked and loaded into the FMS (Flight Management System).
US09117363B2
Methods, apparatuses, systems, and computer-readable media for communicating via an electronic device for use in a mouth environment of an animal and resistant to damage from bodily fluids and pressure. The device can be pierced through a tongue, a lip, or a cheek, anchored to a tooth or a teeth of the mandible, or implanted in (or attached to an implant in) the maxilla or mandible. The device includes: a power device, which can power the apparatus, a memory storage device, which can store and recall data; a communications subsystem, which communicates with one or more remote devices; an output device, which creates stimulus directly or indirectly observable in the mouth environment; an input device, which can create signals according to activity in the mouth environment and can send them to the memory storage device and/or processor; and a processor coupled to the memory storage device, the communication subsystem, the output device and the input device.
US09117359B2
A photoelectric smoke detector 1 for detecting smoke particles 4 is disclosed, the smoke detector 1 comprising: a light emitting element 5, a light receiving element 6 for receiving light 8 emitted by the light emitting element 5 and scattered by the smoke particles 4 and for outputting a detection signal 12 obtained by photoelectrical converting the received light 10, 11, an amplifier circuit 13 for amplifying the detection signal 12 and providing an amplified output signal 14, wherein the amplified output signal 14 may be divided into an offset-signal 20 and an amplified detection signal 21, whereby the photoelectric smoke detector 1 is adapted to operate in a pulsed mode, so that the detection signal 12 comprises high-frequency components, whereby the amplified detection signal 21 is determined by high-frequency components of the detection signal 12 and that the offset-signal 20 is determined by low-frequency components of the detection signal 12 and/or by low-frequency components of at least an intermediate signal based on the detection signal 12, and whereby the amplifier circuit 13 is adapted to transfer the high-frequency components with a higher gain and to transfer the low-frequency components with a lower gain in order to improve the signal ratio between the amplified detection signal 21 and the offset-signal 20.
US09117358B2
The present invention generally relates to a method for improving the reliability of a portion of physiological data from an image sensor monitoring an operator positioned in an operator compartment of a vehicle. An embodiment of the method includes receiving, from the image sensor, physiological data including information relating to at least one of eye, face, head, arms and body motion of the operator, identifying an indication of at least an eyelid closure, eye movement or head movement of the operator based on the physiological data; comparing at least one of the physiological data and a lighting condition within the operator compartment with a set of rules for a current operator status; and classifying the type of eyelid closure, eye movement and/or head movement by correlating the identified eyelid closure, eye movement and/or head movement and a result of the comparison.
US09117355B2
Systems and methods for operating a security tag of an Electronic Article Surveillance (“EAS”) system. The methods involve providing a unique identifier from the security tag to an application installed on a mobile communication device via a first short-range communication when the security tag is attached to an article for sale. A second short-range communication is received by the security tag from the mobile communication device that comprises a detachment command. The detachment command is received by the security tag exclusively after the article has been successfully purchased. Thereafter, the security tag verifies that the second short-range communication is intended to be processed thereby. Next, the security tag performs operations to actuate a detachment mechanism in response to the detachment command so that the security tag can be detached from the article for sale.
US09117353B2
A method of monitoring an object of value to optimize energy consumption, the object of value being equipped with an event detection device including: a circuit configured to provide contactless communication with a remote entity; a sensor configured to detect an event related to the monitoring of an object of value; a unit configured to collect energy; the method including a first step of collecting energy by the detection device; a second step, started following the detection of an event by the detection device, in the course of which energy collected during the first step is restored such that: the detection device activates at least one contactless communication circuit of a remote entity or searches for one; the detection device transmits to the contactless communication circuit of the remote entity information related to the detected event.
US09117348B2
An exemplary apparatus includes a sensor array configured to sense a gas stream temperature, pressure, and humidity. The sensor array includes a plurality of sensors, each configured to sense at least one of the gas stream conditions. The apparatus further includes an electronic control unit comprising a memory storage device, a condition evaluation module, a display module, and a wireless transmission module. The memory storage device stores a plurality of condition parameters, each condition parameter corresponding to one of the gas stream conditions. The condition evaluation module is configured to determine if one of the sensed conditions violates one of the corresponding parameters, and is further configured to output a warning command in response to the determining. The display module is configured to display information relating to at least one of a sensed condition and a condition parameter. The wireless transmission module is configured to wirelessly transmit data relating to at least one of the warning command and one of the sensed conditions.
US09117342B2
A system, method and apparatus for a gaming system is provided. The gaming system includes a rewards server and a separate gaming or slot accounting server. The system may further include a separate player tracking server. The system further includes one or more game machines. The game machines may include a base game, rewards tracking module, and a game management module. Further details will be apparent from the description, drawings and claims.
US09117332B2
A method for use with a gaming system that provides a game in which a plurality of symbols are selected and presented on a display to form one or more combinations includes: providing a base game, providing a feature game on the occurrence of a first event during play of the base game, awarding a jackpot on the occurrence of a second event during play of the feature game, and varying the probability of both the first and the second events dependent on at least an aspect of a wager placed by a player to play the base game, wherein said variation maintains at least an approximately constant probability of the jackpot being won despite variations in said aspect of the wager.
US09117328B2
In an example embodiment, an automated banking machine is provided which may comprise a trusted platform (TP) including a trusted platform module (TPM) in a computer of the machine. Through use of the TP, the machine may perform cryptographic functions for use in enabling the machine to perform transaction functions for users. The machine may be operative to use the TP to securely store secret keys, or other critical information in sealed storage on a data store of the machine. The TP may also be used to measure, attest, and verify transaction function devices, hardware devices, firmware, software, and/or other components of the machine prior to enabling the machine to function in an enabled mode. The TP may also be used to establish secure communication between components of the machine. The TP may also be used to perform key transfers between the machine and a host banking system.
US09117317B2
A method for creating an intelligent physical mailpiece includes looking up a mailpiece preference of an addressee concerning mail received by the addressee. A physical mailpiece to the addressee is prepared and includes on the mailpiece the addressee preference. The mailpiece is scanned to determine the addressee preference. The mailpiece may also be processed to link the owner of a meter employed to imprint an indicia on the mailpiece to the mailpiece.The intelligent physical mailpiece system may include a database of recipient preferences. A sender mail creation means is coupled to the recipient preference database. A processor is coupled to a scanner. A communications means is coupled between the processor and the sender mail creation means for communicating recipient preferences to the sender mail creation means for storage in the database of recipient preferences.
US09117303B2
This invention is a system and method for defining a location-specific augmented reality capability for use in portable devices having a camera. The system and method uses recent photographs or digital drawings of a particular location to help the user of the system or method position the portable device in a specific place. Once aligned, a digital scene is displayed to the user transposed over (and combined with) the camera view of the current, real-world environment at that location, creating an augmented reality experience for the user.
US09117293B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a high-pass filter that extracts a high-frequency component of an input image; an edge judgment unit that judges whether there is an edge based on the high-frequency component and estimates an edge position when there is an edge; a coordinate conversion unit that obtains an edge position in an enlarged image corresponding to the estimated edge position; an interpolation unit that obtains, regarding a position where an edge position of the high-frequency component and the edge position of the enlarged image overlap, a pixel value at each pixel position of an edge circumference of the enlarged image using a pixel value of the high-frequency component; a first enlargement processing unit that generates the enlarged image by enlarging by a desired enlargement factor; and a synthesis unit that synthesizes the interpolated pixel value of the high-frequency component and the pixel value of the enlarged image.
US09117286B2
Analyzing an application executing on a target device. An application may be executed on a target device. Low cost measurement may be gathered regarding the application executing on the target device. In response to a trigger, high cost measurement data may be gathered regarding the application executing on the target device. The high cost measurement data may include graphics commands provided by the application. The graphics commands and related information may be stored and provided to a host. The host may modify the graphics commands to perform experiments to determine performance issues of the application executing on the target device. The host may determine whether the performance is limited by the CPU or the GPU and may determine specific operations that are causing performance issues. The host may provide suggestions for overcoming the performance issues.
US09117284B2
An asynchronous computing and rendering system includes a data storage unit that provides storage for processing a large-scale data set organized in accordance to data subregions and a computing cluster containing a parallel plurality of asynchronous computing machines that provide compute results based on the data subregions. The asynchronous computing and rendering system also includes a rendering cluster containing a parallel multiplicity of asynchronous rendering machines coupled to the asynchronous computing machines, wherein each rendering machine renders a subset of the data subregions. Additionally, the asynchronous computing and rendering system includes a data interpretation platform coupled to the asynchronous rendering machines that provides user interaction and rendered viewing capabilities for the large-scale data set. An asynchronous computing and rendering method is also provided.
US09117278B2
A system and a method for modeling a predefined space including at least one three-dimensional physical surface, referred to hereinafter as a “measuring space”. The system and method use a scanning system enabling to acquire three-dimensional (3D) data of the measuring space and at least one two-dimensional (2D) sensor enabling to acquire 2D data of the measuring space. The system and method may enable generating a combined compound reconstructed data (CRD), which is a 3D geometrical model of the measuring space, by combining the acquired 2D data with the acquired 3D data, by reconstructing additional 3D points, from the combined 3D and 2D data thereby generating the CRD model. The generated CRD model includes a point cloud including a substantially higher density of points than that of its corresponding acquired 3D data point cloud from which the CRD was generated.
US09117275B2
Attribute information is extracted from content stored by users. A product expression model indicating a product display method is corrected using reference information pertaining to content characteristics suitable for the product expression model and using attribute information. Processing information is then determined for making the content suit the corrected product expression model. The content is processed according to the determined processing information and a product is generated using the corrected product expression model.
US09117272B2
A method and device determine the change in pitch angle of a camera of a vehicle. At least three images, each reproducing a detection area in front of the vehicle, are sequentially recorded and corresponding image data are generated. A position of a first reproduction of a stationary object in the first image is determined as a first image position. A position of a second reproduction of the stationary object in the second image is determined as a second image position. On the basis of at least the first image position and the second image position, the course of a straight line is determined. A position of a third reproduction of the stationary object in the third image is determined as a third image position. On the basis of the distance between the third image position and the straight line, the change in the pitch angle is determined.
US09117271B2
An image processing apparatus includes: a placement information acquisition section which acquires, for each image sensor, placement information of the image sensors with respect to the imaging section; a movement information acquisition section which acquires movement information of the imaging device; and an output area acquisition section which acquires, for every image sensor, position information of a second output area within the second frame image which corresponds to a first output area within the first frame image. The output area acquisition section acquires: a second output area of a base image sensor based on position information of a first output area determined by the placement information and based on the movement information; and a second output area of another image sensor based on the placement information of the base image sensor, the placement information of the other image sensor, and the movement information.
US09117268B2
The present invention relate generally to digital watermarking. One claim recites a method including: obtaining first data representing a first chrominance channel of a color image or video, where the first data comprises a watermark signal embedded therein; obtaining second data representing a second chrominance channel of the color image or video, the second data comprising the watermark signal embedded therein but with a signal polarity that is inversely related to the polarity of the watermark signal in the first data; combining the second data with the first data in a manner that reduces image or video interference relative to the watermark signal, said act of combining yielding third data; using at least a processor or electronic processing circuitry, processing the third data to obtain the watermark signal; and once obtained, providing information associated with the watermark signal. Of course, additional combinations and claims are provided as well.
US09117266B2
A method and apparatus of presenting a collection of images in the form of a collage is provided. The method dynamically visualizes the collection of images in the form of a collage. The method includes receiving the image from the collection of the images; adjusting parameters of dynamic visualization; analyzing distribution of colors in local areas of the images and the collage; modifying the image by adding the decorative elements of which the appearance depends on the distribution of colors in the local areas of the images and the local areas of the collage; modifying the collage by changing an appearance of decorative elements in the image; determining a position of the modified image on the modified collage; and generating a sequence of frames showing an occurrence of the modified image in the collage.
US09117259B2
A method and system for automatically detecting liver lesions in medical image data, such as 3D CT images, is disclosed. A liver region is segmented in a 3D image. Liver lesion center candidates are detected in the segmented liver region. Lesion candidates are segmented corresponding to the liver lesion center candidates, and lesions are detected from the segmented lesion candidates using learning based verification.
US09117258B2
Methods for registering a three-dimensional model of a body volume to a real-time indication of a sensor position that involve analyzing scanned and sensed voxels and using parameters or thresholds to identify said voxels as being either tissue or intraluminal fluid. Those voxels identified as fluid are then used to construct a real-time sensed three-dimensional model of the lumen which is then compared to a similarly constructed, but previously scanned model to establish and update registration.
US09117256B2
A portion of imagery data is obtained from a digital slide and a protocol of image analysis/diagnostic tasks is performed on the portion of imagery data by a pathologist or an image analysis module. The result of each task (e.g., success or no success) is recorded and a score is determined for the portion of the imagery data. Multiple portions of imagery data from the digital slide are analyzed and scored and the various scores from the multiple portions of imagery data are calculated to determine an overall score for the digital slide. Regions of the digital slide can be scored separately. Multiple rounds of scoring (by different pathologists and/or different image analysis algorithms) may be employed to increase the accuracy of the score for a digital slide or region thereof.
US09117251B2
The present invention is directed to methods and systems for control of loads that are connected to plugs. Through the use of various embodiments of the present invention one may allow a plurality of users to control the use of power by individual loads and dynamically configurable sets of loads with ease, on both small and large scales. Users may select from energy savings plans to generate compiled device power state schedules that automatically cause devices to enter power savings modes as pre-determined times. Consequently, one can efficiently manage plug load electricity usage in a plurality of buildings.
US09117245B1
Systems and methods are provided to perform credit valuation adjustment analyses.
US09117243B2
A system and method of providing payment information for a lease of a specific vehicle in a vehicle dealer's inventory to a consumer via an Internet website of a dealer service is disclosed. A lease service obtains data via the Internet from the dealer service. The data is stored in a database associated with an Internet website and includes vehicle data, lease data, and consumer data. The lease service determines a residual value of the vehicle and obtains lease funding information from one or more third parties. The lease service then determines lease payment information and generates a disclosure webpage of the lease payment information. The disclosure webpage is formatted to comply with the Regulation “M” disclosure notice for vehicle lease payments. The consumer is allowed to view the disclosure webpage from the Internet website before committing to the lease.
US09117238B2
Systems and methods to provide a prioritized shopping system are discussed. For example, a method can include receiving a list of target items, receiving busyness data for a plurality of local merchants, developing a prioritized shopping plan, and communicating the prioritized shopping plan to a mobile device. Each target item in the list of target items can represents a product or service that a user has indicated an interest in purchasing. The prioritized shopping plan is based at least in part on the busyness data and the list of target items. Busyness data provides an indication of traffic levels within at least a portion of the plurality of local merchants.
US09117232B2
A page update handler, which may be loaded by a web browser as part of a web page, adds functionality for dynamically updating the web page with content supplied by a content server. The content may be related to a particular item detected on the web page by the page update handler, such as a link that matches a link signature. The content server may operate in a different Internet domain from the server that servers the original web page, and may supply content for display on web pages of many different independent web sites. In one embodiment, an operator of a web site that is separate from the content server can enable the display of content from the content server on the site's web pages by adding an update handler tag to one or more corresponding HTML documents.
US09117228B1
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide an electronic marketplace that matches units of content from secondary content providers with suitable vacancies from primary content providers. Vacancies may constitute, or be included in, any digital transmission containers, such as a television or radio programming, web pages, and the like. Specifically, the electronic marketplace automatically matches content offered by secondary content providers with vacancies offered by primary content providers thus filling the vacancies in these containers through a real-time content trading, placement, and distribution system. To do so, attributes associated with the vacancies and with units of secondary content are used to trade and match suitable vacancies with suitable content. This invention enables both secondary content owners and vacancy owners (primary content providers) to obtain the full commercial benefit of their secondary content and containers.
US09117227B1
A real-time messaging platform allows advertiser accounts to pay to insert candidate messages into the message streams requested by account holders. To accommodate multiple advertisers, the messaging platform controls an auction process that determines which candidate messages are selected for inclusion in a requested account holder's message stream. Selection is based on a bid for the candidate message, the message stream that is requested, and a variety of other factors that vary depending upon the implementation. The process for selection of candidate messages generally includes the following steps, though any given step may be omitted or combined into another step in a different implementation: targeting, filtering, prediction, ranking, and selection.
US09117226B2
A system and method for delivering an authorized in-store promotion to a consumer includes storing in an offer database a plurality of offer data items for use in creating an in-store promotion. The method further includes storing in an authorization database an authorization parameter. In response to receiving a request from a consumer device to present the in-store promotion, the server uses the authorization parameter to verify that the request is authorized without requesting additional information from a consumer operating the consumer device. When the request is authorized, the server dynamically generates the in-store promotion using at least one of the plurality of data items stored in the offer database. Once generated, the server transmits the in-store promotion to the consumer device without any system-specific client software to be stored by the consumer device.
US09117216B1
An Internet use profile is created by a parent or guardian of an Internet user via a client-side software application at the user's computer. The use profile is submitted via the Internet to an intelligent network component. The use profile sets the duration for Internet use in general and sets the duration for access to particular Internet sites such as chat rooms, shopping sites, etc. The use profile is stored locally on the user's computer and remotely at the intelligent network component. When the user attempts to log on to the Internet via her Internet service provider, the client-side application verifies that the user computer has not already exceeded allowed Internet connection time in a previous Internet connection. If not, the connection to the Internet is allowed. After the connection is established, an Internet usage monitoring and controlling application at the intelligent network component monitors the time of connection between the user computer and the Internet. Once the allowed time of connection expires, the monitoring and controlling application instructs the client-side application to disconnect the user computer from the Internet service provider. Prior to disconnection from the Internet service provider, the client-side computer requests a password from the user. If the password equals a password included in the Internet use profile, then the user is allowed to continue the Internet connection. Also, the user is allowed to modify the use profile with the entry of a correct password to include adding additional access time.
US09117214B2
System, for selecting and purchasing products or services from a predetermined manufacturer or retailer, including a first device, in the form of a physical receptacle, for containing a plurality of second devices for presentation of a product or service from an assortment of products and/or services from a predetermined manufacturer, provider and/or retailer, each product or service for which a second presentation device is contained by the first device being selected from the assortment, and wherein the system also includes a voucher of a nominal value to be used for purchasing a product and/or service chosen from the assortment.
US09117213B2
A method of detecting unauthorized activity in an electronic message transfer system comprising a plurality of devices, each device being configured to generate and receive cryptographically secured transfer messages for exchanging content with other devices in the system. In each device, audit information is accumulated in a memory of the device. The device periodically forwards at least part of its accumulated audit information to a secure server.
US09117210B2
Systems and methods for improving security in mobile payment systems are described. A user device may be operated to request temporary account data for an account. No actual account number may be stored on the device. A remote system may correlate temporary account data to actual account data and transmit temporary account data to the user device, which use the data to make a purchase or generate a temporary account number than may be used to make a purchase. Temporary account data may be automatically erased or expire. A purchase authorization request may be sent by a merchant with temporary account data to a provider of temporary account data. The provider may transmit a request for purchase authorization using actual account data to a payment processor, sending a response to the merchant that does not include actual account data based on a response from the payment processor.
US09117205B2
An apparatus for receiving waste contained in a container. The apparatus including a housing and a receiving mechanism coupled to the housing. The receiving mechanism is configured to receive the container. The apparatus further includes an analysis mechanism coupled to the housing; the analysis mechanism is configured to analyze the container.
US09117198B1
Embodiments provide on-line non-downloadable software for use by others to access media content, such as musical selections, songs, song hooks, videos, video hooks, audio media, visual media, websites, website content, etc. to solicit listener or viewer participation in surveys to determine listener or viewer approval of the content, musical selections, songs, song hooks, videos, video hooks, audio media, visual media, websites, website content, etc. and to assist in planning future content, musical selection, songs, song hooks, videos, video hooks, audio media, visual media, websites, website content, etc. to be presented on radio, television, movies, websites, released to the public or other media outlets in International Class 042. Time stamping is generally used in conjunction with display of the media content and surveys, allowing for better recordation of user interactions with the media.
US09117196B2
A business networking system and method for groups of people within a variety of business types to organize themselves into specific and relevant categories in order to maximize the exchange of relevant information and further development of relevant business contacts. The method and system offer tools for registering members and sub-dividing those registered members into smaller relevant groups. The method matches members of similar backgrounds and business experiences and provides communications, messaging and meetings for relevant. The system provides tools to encourage reciprocal relevant communications, both online and in the real world, between members. All activity is tracked and grouped into a plurality of statistics that are then ranked and shared with members. The statistics are used by the TBS system as a scorecard or as punishment in the form of expulsion from the categorized group.
US09117195B2
An e-book system receives and stores different versions of an e-book supporting different consumption modes. Additionally, the e-book system stores signposts for the e-book. The signposts include corresponding locations in different versions of the e-book. When a user switches from a first version to a second version, the e-book system determines based on the signposts a location in the second version of the e-book that corresponds to the current location in the first version. The e-book system then presents the content in the second version from the determined location.
US09117187B2
For each of a plurality of the work items, at least a first parameter to be associated with the work item can be received and associated with the work item. Each of the plurality of work items can be compiled in a work item list. In response to receiving a request to present the work item list to the user, the work item list can be filtered, via a processor, based on the first parameter and at least a second parameter associated with the user that corresponds to the first parameter. The filtered work item list can be presented to the user.
US09117183B2
Methods, systems, and computer storage media are provided for generating simulation graphs using real-time clinical data. A user may indicate one or more scenario variables to apply to an area of interest. A simulation graph is then generated that includes at least an indication of a scenario status. The scenario status indicates an expected result based on the one or more scenario variables selected by the user. The simulation graph may also include a baseline status indicating an expected result should no changes be made to a current environment. Multiple simulation graphs for varying areas of interest may be generated and compared to one another such that a user is able to quickly identify efficient solutions.
US09117174B2
This disclosure provides a computer-program product, system, method and apparatus for accessing a representation of a category or item and accessing a set of multiple transactions. The transactions are processed to identify items found amongst the transactions, and the items are ordered based on an information-gain heuristic. A depth-first search for a group of best association rules is then conducted using a best-first heuristic and constraints that make the search efficient. The best rules found during the search can then be displayed to a user, along with accompanying statistics. The user can then select rules that appear to be most relevant, and further analytics can be applied to the selected rules to obtain further information about the information provided by these rules.
US09117165B2
An image processing system includes a reception unit configured to receive an input of authentication information from a user, an authentication unit configured to authenticate the user based on the authentication information received by the reception unit, a setting unit configured to set a destination of image data, an operation key configured to set a folder of the user as a destination of the image data, and a transmission unit configured to send the image data to a destination set by the setting unit. The image processing system performs control not to allow a destination setting using the operation key, in the case where a destination to be set by the setting unit is limited to a destination to be set using the operation key and a folder to be set in response to an operation of the operation key is the one to be registered by the user.
US09117160B2
Provided is a color conversion table creation method for creating a color conversion table for an image forming apparatus which forms an image by performing, on an input color value with total use amount of color material exceeding set amount, a process for reducing the total use amount of color material, the table presenting correspondence between the input color value input to the image forming apparatus and an output color value in a device-independent color space. The method includes: acquiring an input color value of a patch image for creating the table; when the total use amount of color material defined by the acquired input color value is around the set amount, adjusting the input color value to have a smaller difference between the total use amount and the set amount; and creating the color conversion table using the patch image with the adjusted input color value.
US09117159B2
According to one example of the present invention there is provided apparatus for generating control data to control an ink jet printer to print a double-sided image on a single side of a substantially transparent substrate. The apparatus comprises a processor for receiving image data of a first and a second image, a printhead control data generator to generate, from the first image, first image printhead control data, and to generate, from the second image, second image printhead control data, and a covering layer printhead control data generator to generate covering layer printhead control data.
US09117158B2
An image forming apparatus includes a print request combining unit and a reduced-size image display unit. The print request combining unit combines multiple print requests to generate one print request. The reduced-size image display unit reduces sizes of images of to-be-displayed pages among pages to be formed in accordance with the one print request generated by the print request combining unit, and displays reduced-size images of the to-be-displayed pages. The reduced-size image display unit extracts at least one to-be-displayed page from each set of to-be-printed pages specified in a corresponding one of the multiple print requests having been combined by the print request combining unit, and displays reduced-size images of the extracted to-be-displayed pages.
US09117154B2
The invention described herein generally pertains to a system and method for managing a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system by employing a switching means to at least a portion of at least one RFID tag in order to activate or deactivate such RFID tag. The switching means allows the transmission of data between an RFID tag and RFID reader to be controlled.
US09117152B2
An RFID card includes a smartcard controller that receives power from a host device. The RFID card also includes a small inductive device capable of inductive coupling with an RFID reader. The small inductive device is small enough to fit in the form factor of a memory card or SIM card. Enhancement circuits enhance the usable read and write distance of the RFID card.
US09117148B2
An information processing apparatus includes a detection unit, a data acquisition unit, and a communication unit. The detection unit is configured to detect whether or not print target data based on a print job has been created in a format suitable for printing on a predetermined image forming apparatus. The data acquisition unit is configured to acquire, when the detection unit detects that the print target data has been created, the created print target data and accompanying print information extracted from the print job. The communication unit is configured to transmit print data containing the acquired print target data and accompanying print information to the image forming apparatus using a predetermined protocol applicable to the image forming apparatus.
US09117133B2
An apparatus for analyzing a subject including a hyperspectral image module is provided. It is used to identify a suspect region of a subject by using a hyperspectral sensor (for obtaining a hyperspectral image of the subject), a control computer including a processor unit (PU) and a computer readable memory (CRM) (for controlling and is in electronic communication with the sensor), a control software module including instructions stored in the CRM and executed by the PU (for controlling said at least one operating parameter of the sensor), a spectral calibrator module including instructions stored in the CRM and executed by the PU (for applying a wavelength dependent spectral calibration standard constructed for the sensor to a hyperspectral image), and a light source for illuminating the subject. An optional contact probe module is used to collect a signal of the suspect region for medical diagnosis.
US09117128B2
In embodiments of the present invention improved capabilities are described for an RFID tag comprising a radio frequency (RF) network node and a communication facility, the RF network node comprising a data processing and controller block for digital information processing, a memory store, and a power management block for managing power requirements of the RFID tag, wherein an external computing device accesses the memory store through a communications bus.
US09117123B2
A vehicular display system having a camera for producing a video signal and a display device for displaying the video signal. The display device includes an integrity check to detect a defective video signal and alert the driver if a defective video signal has been detected.
US09117118B1
Systems and methods for processing documents involve directing an imager at a document and automatically capturing the document when predetermined criteria are satisfied. The captured document can then be subjected to image processing, including separating the document into individual data field images and performing optical character recognition (OCR) processing on the individual data fields so extract data that can then be used to determine eligibility for benefits.
US09117102B2
The invention provides a method for the magnified depiction of samples, wherein at least two sections from a sample, which are present on at least one sample carrier, are depicted in magnified form using an apparatus for the magnified depiction of samples, wherein the sample carrier is connected to the apparatus via a sample carrier holder, wherein the position of the depicted sample carrier regions in relation to the apparatus and the magnification stage used are recorded, at least one selected feature contained in the image information from the sections depicted in magnified form, particularly at least one suitable contour and/or structure, is/are used to define local coordinate systems, which are specific to the respective section, for the at least two sections depicted in magnified form, at least one region within at least one of the sections depicted in magnified form is/are selected (selection region) and the relative position of this at least one selection region in relation to the local coordinate system defined for the respective section, and the position of said selection region in relation to the apparatus, are ascertained, the relative position of this at least one selection region is transmitted to the local coordinate system of the at least one further section depicted in magnified form in order to stipulate at least one corresponding adjacent region on this section, the position of the adjacent region in relation to the apparatus is ascertained, and the at least one previously stipulated selection region and/or the at least one corresponding adjacent region is/are approached by the apparatus and depicted in magnified form, preferably at high magnification. In addition, the invention provides an apparatus—that is set up to carry out the method—for the magnified depiction of samples and also a computer program product which prompts an apparatus for the magnified depiction of samples to carry out the method.
US09117100B2
Techniques described herein relate to mobile computing device technologies, such as systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer-readable media for tracking an object from a plurality of objects. In one aspect, the plurality of objects may be similar. Techniques discussed herein propose dynamically learning information associated with each of the objects and discriminating between objects based on their differentiating features. In one implementation, this may be done by maintaining a database associated with each object and updating the dynamic database transferred while the objects are tracked. The tracker uses algorithmic means for differentiating objects by focusing on the differences amongst the objects. For example, in one implementation, the method may weigh the differences between different fingers higher than their associated similarities to facilitate differentiating the fingers.
US09117090B2
The system may provide for the collection of data in a heterogeneous network, long term secure storage of the data, and secure transfer of the data to an environment that may be secure and controlled for the purpose of controlled and secure selected viewing of all or parts of the data. The data stored may include core data of interest as well as any data that is associated with the core data. The core data and associated data may be stored. To do so, the system may identify and collect associated data at the point of release of all or part of the data. Further, the system may provide secure and controlled transfer of the data to a permanent and secure media. Lastly, the system may provide secure transfer of all or parts of the data from the media to a controlled and secure environment suitably constructed to provide for secure viewing of all or parts of the data under the control of the owner of the data.
US09117085B2
An electronic device comprises an outer case, a wireless card reader and a signal processing device. The outer case comprises a door and a metal wall. The metal wall is disposed on a lateral side of the outer case and has an opening. The door is disposed on the metal wall and capable of covering the opening. The wireless card reader is inside the door and capable of transmitting wireless signals. The signal processing device has a case, a data storage device and a safety mechanism. The signal processing device is inside the outer case and is electrically connected to the wireless card reader. The signal processing device is capable of processing the data of wireless signals from the wireless card reader. When the case is dissembled, the safety mechanism destroys at least part of the data stored in the data storage device.
US09117078B1
Creating a policy to be used by a malware prevention system uses multiple events triggered by malware. A sample of malicious computer code or malware is executed in a computer system having a kernel space and a user space. Event data relating to multiple events caused by the malicious code executing on the computer system are captured and stored. The event data is configured using a specific property that facilitates malware behavior analysis. A behavior list is then created utilizing the multiple events and associated event data. The behavior list, together with data in a malware behavior database, is used to derive a policy for use in a malware prevention system. The computer system is free of any malicious code, including viruses, Trojan horses, or any other unwanted software code. The malicious computer code executes without any constraints so that the execution behavior of the malicious code may be observed and captured. Critical events are selected based on the user's expertise and experience in dealing with malware and a sequential stream including the event as the events occur is created.
US09117076B2
A system and method is provided to monitor user and system behavior associated with computer and network activity to determine deviations from normal behavior that represent a potential cyber threat or cyber malicious activity. The system and method uses a multi-factor behavioral and activity analysis approach to determine when a trusted insider might be exhibiting threatening behavior or when a user's computer or network credentials have been compromised and are in use by a third-party. As a result, changes in insider behavior that could be indicative of malicious intent can be detected, or an external entity masquerading as a legitimate user can be detected.
US09117075B1
A computer network of an enterprise includes a central management computer linking at least one trusted host computer with at least one user computer. The trusted host computer is not used for normal day-to-day activities within the enterprise, and may also not be used for reading electronic mail nor for accessing the Internet and downloading Web site content. Antivirus software on the user computer screens for suspect activity or features and, if found, the suspect activity or features are compared to rules database. If a determination of malware cannot be made, then these unresolved activities or features are sent to the central management computer to be compared to the trusted, known activities and features of the trusted computer. The suspect activities may be deemed acceptable if activities are shared amongst a certain number of user computers all configured to perform the same function. A user computer may be compared against itself over time.
US09117073B1
In systems and methods of network path generation, instructions are transferred from a first network node to a second network node instructing the second network node to establish a first secure communication link with the first network node. According to the instructions, instructions are transferred from the second network node to a third network node instructing the third network node to establish a second secure communication link with the second network node. Within the first secure communication link and the second communication link, a third secure communication link between the first network node and the third network node is established.
US09117071B2
A method and an apparatus that provide secure executable codes generated during run time via a trusted compiler server are described. An application can send a service request to the compiler server to request executable codes. The compiler server can determine whether the service request is permitted to be served based on a security policy imposed and the security settings associated with the service request. Availability of certain compilers can be allowed if the application is authorized according to the service request.
US09117069B2
A security information management system is described, wherein client-side devices preferably collect and monitor information describing the operating system, software, and patches installed on the device(s), as well as configuration thereof A database of this information is maintained, along with data describing vulnerabilities of available software and associated remediation techniques available for it. The system exposes an API to support security-related decisions by other applications. For example, an intrusion detection system (IDS) accesses the database to determine whether an actual threat exists and should be (or has been) blocked.
US09117068B1
A user creates a pattern in a two-dimensional grid by entering a password and enters a user name. This user name, password and pattern are stored locally on a computing device or are transmitted to a remote computer server for later authentication. Upon authentication, a choice of input grids is displayed. The user chooses a grid, enters the password into the grid in the form of the pattern, and also enters the user name. The computer retrieves the previously stored pattern and password with the user name. A match with the stored password indicates authentication. Each cell of the input grid may contain more than one symbol of the password. The input grid may also be filled with random characters to improve security. A grid may be a rectangular matrix, a circular region, an asymmetrical region, or other.
US09117065B2
An identity authentication system includes a storage unit, a display character set generation unit, a display unit and a password authentication unit. An identity authentication method includes the following steps: generating the dynamic display character sets; inputting a dynamic input code; and comparing the dynamic input code with the user password. This invention can improve the security of identity authentication and is convenient to use.
US09117056B2
A method and system for secure distribution of digital content, using a disintegration tool under control of a distributor of the digital content to divide the digital content into protected and unprotected segments, delivering the unprotected segments to the customer along with installation software and identification information. The segments to be protected are modified using the identification information on the distribution medium and hardware information unique to a particular customer device. Upon communication of this information from the customer device, the modified segments are sent to the customer device for integration with the unprotected segments to generate a modified digital content operable only on the particular customer device.
US09117049B2
A capacitor arrangement assisting method wherein data entered by a user, such as the width w of a power supply wiring, the thickness h of a dielectric between the power supply wiring and a ground plane, the ESLcap of a capacitor, and a target frequency fT and a target impedance ZT of an IC, are received, the maximum allowable wiring length lmax of the power supply wiring is calculated on the basis of the received width w of the power supply wiring, the thickness h of the dielectric, the ESLcap of the capacitor, and the target impedance ZT of the IC at the target frequency fT, and the calculated maximum allowable wiring length lmax is displayed.
US09117045B2
A method for predicting and controlling leakage wherein an IDDQ prediction macro is placed in a plurality of design topographies and data is collected using the IDDQ prediction macro. The IDDQ prediction macro is configured to measure subthreshold leakage and gate leakage for at least one device type in a semiconductor test site and in scribe lines using the IDDQ prediction macro and establish a leakage model. The method correlates the semiconductor test site measurements and the scribe line measurements to establish scribe line control limits, predicts product leakage; and sets subthreshold leakage limits and gate leakage limits for each product using the leakage model.
US09117044B2
The invention provides for the hierarchical verification of clock domain crossings. In various implementations of the invention, a device design is partitioned into blocks. Subsequently, a block level clock domain crossing verification process is performed on selected ones of the blocks. Verification interface files are generated by the block level clock domain crossing process. After which, a top level clock domain crossing verification process is performed over the entire design. In various implementations, the top level clock domain crossing verification process utilizes the verification interface files to verify clock domain crossing signals between blocks. Additionally, in some implementations, blocks not verified during block level verification are verified during top level verification. With some implementations of the invention, the device design is partitioned based input from a user of the implementation. Furthermore, in various implementations, the specific clock domain crossing verification checks employed during block level verification and top level verification are specified by a user of the implementation.
US09117021B2
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to manage concurrent predicate expressions. An example method discloses inserting a first condition hook into a first thread, the first condition hook associated with a first condition, inserting a second condition hook into a second thread, the second condition hook associated with a second condition, preventing the second thread from executing until the first condition is satisfied, and identifying a concurrency violation when the second condition is satisfied.
US09117014B2
In an open environment, a consensus building means for maintaining dependability throughout the entire life cycle of a target system between stakeholders is provided, thereby appropriately operating the target system in accordance with the content of an agreement between the stakeholders.A consensus building support tool provides a support for consensus building through an argument regarding an ordinary operation state of a target system. History obtained in the process of the consensus building is recorded in a database layer as an agreement graph. A monitoring node tool detects deviation from the ordinary operation state of the target system based on an actual operation state of the target system and the agreement graph. A contract generating tool extracts information data regarding the consensus building from the agreement graph when the deviation from the ordinary operation state is detected in the target system.
US09117009B2
In an apparatus configured to generate a report based on diagnosis target images, image characteristic conditions to identify a plurality of diagnosis target images specified by a user as a group are derived, search conditions of images similar to the diagnosis target images by using the obtained image characteristic conditions are determined, a database is searched for one or more similar images satisfying the search conditions; and image findings satisfying predetermined conditions is extracted from image findings attached to one or more obtained similar images.
US09117005B2
A method, system, and computer readable medium for collecting statistics associated with data in a database are disclosed. The computer readable medium implements the method comprises determining an amount of memory needed to collect statistics for data associated with a defined data type in a relational database. The defined data type is based upon a mark-up language using a tree structure with one or more root-to-node paths therein. The amount of memory is allocated as determined for collecting the statistics for the data of the defined data type. A statistics collection is performed for the data of the defined data type in a single pass through the database and within the amount of memory which has been allocated. The performing includes at least determining a total number of instances of at least one path-identifier associated with a given value within a given set of documents.
US09116993B2
A system embodiment receives a query from the user. The query is processed by a search infrastructure which may return a set of results. Results may then be estimated for quality by a quality estimator. The quality estimator may determine an initial quality estimation of the search result(s). A query re-issuer generates re-issued query information based on the initial quality estimation of the search result(s) for the initial query. A query modifier then receives the re-issued query information and generates a modified re-issued query in accordance with the query re-issue information. A method embodiment modifies and re-issues a query to the search infrastructure. The method includes determining an initial quality estimation of the search result, generating re-issued query information based on at least an initial quality estimation of the search result for the initial query, receiving the re-issued query information and generating a modified re-issued query.
US09116991B2
An e-book server creates index information for encrypted e-book content. The index information is used by a reader module to efficiently search the encrypted content. To create the index information, the e-book server identifies logical partitions of an e-book that include phrases, and creates encrypted segments including a portion of the e-book content that is not necessarily aligned with the logical partitions of the e-book. The e-book server then stores index information including a mapping between the encrypted segments and the phrases located in the logical partitions.
US09116987B2
The present invention relates generally to the field of telecommunications systems and methods. More specifically, the present invention is directed to systems and methods for identifying and/or distributing music and other types of useful information for users in a very simple and convenient manner. A variety of systems and methods are disclosed which provide users with quick and convenient access to various forms of information, such as, for example, audio information including music and news items as well as coupons and other information. The systems and methods allow users to store data representative of a time of transmission and preferably a source of transmission so that data of interest may be identified for ordering an/or downloading.
US09116979B2
Profiling systems and methods of creating and using user interest profiles are described. In some example embodiments, the method includes: creating a topic set which includes topics which are organized in a hierarchical structure which includes a plurality of topic levels including an upper topic level and a lower topic level, each topic in the lower topic level being a subtopic of at least one of the topics in the upper topic level; monitoring interest in a plurality of documents for a user to identify one or more documents-of-interest to the user; and based on the monitored interest for the user, creating an interest profile for the user by determining a measure of topical interest for the user for at least one of the topics at the upper topic level and for a subtopic of that topic, the subtopic being at the lower topic level.
US09116978B2
A computer-implemented system for facilitating cross-subsystem queries of a plurality of building automation subsystems includes a first database storing a logical model for a building automation system. The system further includes a second database storing information for the plurality of building automation subsystems. The second database relates information for the plurality of building automation subsystems based on the logical model of the first database. The system also includes a query engine configured to decompose a cross-subsystem query received from an application into a plurality of subsystem queries using the information of the second database.
US09116974B2
A method of clustering a plurality of documents having input and output space data is disclosed that uses both input and output space criteria. The method can include aggregating documents into clusters based on input and/or output space similarity measures, and then refining the clusters based on further input and/or output space similarity measures. Aggregating the documents into clusters can include forming a hierarchical tree based on the input and/or output space similarity measures where the hierarchical tree has a root node, branching into intermediate nodes, and branching into leaf nodes covering individual documents, where the hierarchical tree includes a leaf node for each document of the plurality of documents. The method can then include forming a forest of sub-trees of the hierarchical tree based on cluster criteria. Textual and numeric similarity measures can be used depending on the type and distribution of data in the input and output spaces.
US09116971B2
A method can include: calculating a maximum sync anchor change number; and creating a sync action entry, the sync action entry having a sync action change number and a composite change clock number, the composite change clock number set: to the maximum sync anchor change number when the sync action change number of the sync action entry is less than the maximum sync anchor change number, and to the sync action change number of the sync action entry when the sync action change number of the sync action entry is less than a sync action change number of a subsequent sync action entry and the sync action change number of the sync action entry is greater than the maximum sync anchor change number.
US09116969B2
A pedigree data processing system receives a first item from an upstream partner and generates a receive native event for the first item. The mechanism receives pedigree data for the first item from the upstream partner, generates at least one synthetic event based on the pedigree data and stores the receive native event and the at least one synthetic event in a pedigree data repository. The pedigree data processing system determines whether to send electronic pedigree information for the first item to downstream partners using push data exchange or pull data exchange. The pedigree data processing system generates an electronic pedigree for the first item using pull data exchange based on the receive native event and the at least one synthetic event and provides the electronic pedigree to a first downstream partner pedigree system.
US09116966B2
Website search results obtained from searching multiple electronic information stores may be displayed transparently without distinguishing the electronic information store. The search may be performed by a web host and may include receiving at least one search term that then is compared with first electronic information within a first electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the first electronic information includes content provided by an internal source. The search term also is compared with second electronic information within a second electronic information store to determine whether matches exist, where the second electronic information includes content provided by an external source. Results are displayed based on matches that are determined to exist with the first electronic information and the second electronic information. The results are combined in a single list of results.
US09116964B2
A vehicle identification number (VIN) decoder (VDC) implementing a unique VIN decoding method may, for a given VIN, shorten the VIN and form a stem and a leaf therefrom. Utilizing the stem, the VDC may operate to find matching leaf values, if any, from a set of look up tables. Depending upon a match outcome, one or more trim identification code (TIC) values can be assigned to the VIN and a candidate list can be constructed utilizing the assigned TIC value(s). The candidate list, which can be optimized, may contain one or more candidate trims for the VIN. For each candidate trim, a confidence score and a match probability can be generated. The VDC may provide decoded information containing trim data associated with at least one of the one or more candidate trims for the VIN to a client device over a network connection.
US09116963B2
A method is performed at a server system having one or more processors and memory. The server receives a search query from a user and identifies a list of search results associated with the search query. Each search result has an initial position in the list. The server identifies a set of user-preferred search results that comprises search results in a search history of the user. Each of the user-preferred search results has been previously selected by the user for at least a predefined minimum number of times. The server identifies in the list of search results, one or more search results that are associated with at least one of the user-preferred search results and reorders the list of search results by moving each of the identified search results from its initial position by a non-zero offset. The server then provides the reordered list of search results to the user.
US09116954B1
Database report generation technology for handling a single logical query that requires data that is physically located in two different sources. The system uses intelligent push-down joins, which move data from one source to the other and join data within that source. The system dynamically determines which direction to move data depending on how the data is used in a query.
US09116953B2
A query is received by a database server from a remote application server. The query is associated with a calculation model that defines a data flow model that includes a plurality of calculation nodes that each define one or more operations to execute on the database server. Thereafter, the database server dynamically determine, using at least one attribute of at least one dataset responsive to the query, that intermediate results provided by at least one of the operations specified by at least one of the nodes of the calculation model require partitioning. The database server then modifies the calculation model to partition operations on the at least one dataset based on the dynamic determination. The database server subsequently instantiates the modified calculation model so that it can be executed to generate at least one result set.
US09116946B2
System and method for interacting with a plurality of data sources are provided. A request may be parsed and an identification parameter identifying a data set may be determined. A field included in the request may be designated as a distribution key. At least one data source may be selected based on a value associated with the distribution key. At least a portion of the request may be sent to a selected data source. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09116945B1
A statistical model may be created that relates human ratings of documents to objective signals generated from the documents, search queries, and/or other information (e.g., query logs). The model can then be used to predict human ratings/rankings for new documents/search query pairs. These predicted ratings can be used to, for example, refine rankings from a search engine or assist in evaluating or monitoring the efficacy of a search engine system.
US09116944B1
Techniques for selecting content may include determining that a URL was historically visited, determining an interest associated with the URL, and selecting content associated with the interest. Selected illustrative applications for displaying relevant content, subscribing to relevant content sources, displaying relevant advertisements, and offering and/or applying relevant promotions are disclosed.
US09116943B2
Mitigating problems related to the Halloween problem including where update operations potentially allow the record to be visited more than once during the operation. A method includes accessing an instance of a data store operation statement. The instance of the data store operation statement is executed causing an update or delete to an old version of data store record or creation of a data store record resulting in a new version of the data store record in the case of an update or creation of a data store record and a deleted version of the data store record in the case of a delete in the data store. The instance of the data store operation statement is correlated with the new version of the data store record or the deleted version of the data store record.
US09116933B2
Embodiments relate to interfaces allowing a user to optimize a model which references and manipulates volumes of information present in an underlying database. An interface engine of an application layer, may communicate with the database engine of an underlying database layer, to provide a user with indicia of modeling performance. Thus for every modeling step, an interface engine could display performance indicia such as a number of database rows that are being referenced, and/or an amount of time consumed in retrieving the data from the database. This performance indicia, together with a structure of the model itself, can be processed by the interface engine through a repository of optimization recommendations. Recommendations from the repository may be published to the user, who is free to accept or reject them. Particular embodiments may leverage processing capacity of an in-memory database engine, to analyze database information gathered during modeling.
US09116931B2
An integrated, configurable, analytical, temporal, visual, electronic plan system includes one or more row descriptors that each include a plurality of row descriptor properties, column descriptors each including a plurality of column descriptor properties, cells mapped to one of the row descriptors by a unique row descriptor identifier and to one of the column descriptors by a unique column descriptor identifier, and each of the cells including a numeric formula or a user-defined formula that references other cells. The user-defined formula includes the unique row descriptor identifier and/or the unique column descriptor identifier from other cells initially expressed by an abbreviation associated with a row descriptor and/or an abbreviation associated with a column descriptor. Using the unique identifiers, changes to the natural language descriptions and/or abbreviations are automatically rendered to any formulas that reference them without having to reconfigure and/or persist new versions of those formulas.
US09116925B2
In response to a query of discernable facial attributes, the locations of distinct and different facial regions are estimated from face image data, each relevant to different attributes. Different features are extracted from the estimated facial regions from database facial images, which are ranked in base layer rankings as a function of relevance of extracted features to attributes relevant to the estimated regions, and in second-layer rankings as a function of combinations of the base layer rankings and relevance of the extracted features to common ones of the attributes relevant to the estimated regions. The images are ranked in relevance to the query as a function of the second-layer rankings.
US09116921B2
This specification relates to presenting image search results. In general, one aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of receiving an image query, the image query being a query for image search results; receiving ranked image search results responsive to the image query, the image search results each including an identification of a corresponding image resource; generating a similarity matrix for images identified by the image search results; generating a hierarchical grouping of the images using the similarity matrix; identifying a canonical image for each group in the hierarchical grouping using a ranking measure; and presenting a visual representation of the image search results based on the hierarchical grouping and the identified canonical images.
US09116918B1
Mechanisms for interpreting queries are provided. In some implementations, a method for interpreting queries is provided, comprising: receiving a search query in a search domain; determining search terms based on the search query; determining, for each of the search terms, whether a search term corresponds to an entity name, wherein the entity name is derived from metadata associated with the search domain; in response to determining that entity names correspond to a portion of the search terms, determining an entity type and an entity score associated with each of the corresponding entity names; determining a remaining portion of the entity names by removing at least one of the matching entity names based on the entity score and contextual information in the search query; and performing a search in the search domain with the remaining portion of entity names, wherein each entity name in the remaining portion of entity names is searched corresponding to the associated entity type.
US09116909B2
Methods and apparatus for uploading data from a sender to a receiver. A data deduplication technique is described that may reduce the bandwidth used in uploading data from the sender to the receiver. In the technique, the receiver, rather than the sender, maintains a fingerprint dictionary for previously uploaded data. When a sender has additional data to be uploaded, the sender extracts fingerprints for units of the data and sends the fingerprints to the receiver. The receiver checks its fingerprint dictionary to determine the data units to be uploaded and notifies the sender of the identified units, which then sends the identified units of data to the receiver. The technique may, for example, be applied in virtualized data store systems to reduce bandwidth usage in uploading data.
US09116903B2
Methods and system for adding a data record to a file comprise maintaining a data structure to track locations of data records within the file, wherein each entry in the data structure is a Bloom filter that corresponds to a different portion of the file that includes a plurality of data records. When an instruction to write data to the file is received, a data record is generated to append to the file, wherein the data record comprises a randomized unique id and the data from the received instruction. A Bloom filter bit pattern is extracted from the randomized unique id and bits in a current Bloom filter entry of the data structure are set, wherein the set bits correspond to the same bit positions as the Bloom filter bit pattern. The data record is thus able to be added to the file.
US09116896B2
A proxy-based, non-linear editing system is provided having simplified source file ingestion. The system includes a source file repository that stores media source files copied from a plurality of memory cards from video cameras; a proxy file generator that generates and stores a compressed low-resolution proxy of media source files copied into the source file repository; both an editing station and an ingestion station including a web browser having a display screen, and at least one interactive digital processor that coordinates the interaction between the source file repository, proxy file generator, and editing and ingestion stations. In operation, the digital processor automatically generates a proxy file and a thumbnail of each media source file copied into one of the card folders, and makes the proxy file and thumbnail immediately ready for editing on the web browser of the editing station.
US09116895B1
A computer-implemented method comprises storing a plurality of construction project specification documents in a data storage system. The method further comprises, for each of the plurality of construction project specification documents, extracting a plurality of blocks of text from the document, extracting formatting information for the document based on the extracted text blocks, generating a location descriptor for each of the text blocks based on the formatting information, the location descriptor indicating the location of the text block within the document, determining the type of text contained in each of the text blocks, and storing the location descriptor and the type of text contained in the text block for each of the text blocks.
US09116894B2
A method and system is disclosed for tagging a latent object with selected tag recommendations, including a set of content objects wherein each object is characterized by an associated set of content features. An annotation relationship is determined between the features and a pre-determined tag for the each object, the relationship being defined by a graph construction representative of an affinity relationship between each pre-selected tag and content object to a selected query. A plurality of the annotation relationships are ranked based upon a relevance of the preselected tags to the content features in response to a new query for assigning a new tag to the each object, so that a suggested tag is made from the ranking whereby the suggested tag is determined as a most likely tag for annotating the content object.
US09116893B2
A network traffic managing node of a local area network, such as a router or gateway, can implement a network discovery and remote access mechanism for the local area network. A catalog of a plurality of files stored in a plurality of network devices of the local area network is created at the network traffic managing node based, at least in part, on information associated with the plurality of files determined using a network discovery procedure. The catalog of the plurality of files is provide to a remote network node of a wide area network in response to receiving a message from the remote network node requesting access to the plurality of files. One or more files are provided to the remote network node in response to receiving a message from the remote network node requesting the one or more files from the catalog of the plurality of files.
US09116885B2
A computer-implemented technique can receive a first input from a user including one or more characters of a first language, which is a transliteration of a second language. The technique can determine a coefficient indicative of a gender of the recipient. The technique can determine and display potential translations of the first input to the second language based on the coefficient. The technique can receive a selection by the user of one of the potential translations to obtain a selected character. The technique can adjust the coefficient based on the selected character to obtain a modified coefficient. The technique can determine and display potential translations of second input from the user to the second language based on the modified coefficient.
US09116882B1
Determining relative relationships among a plurality of individuals, comprising: accessing user-specified genealogical information of at least some of the plurality of individuals and genetic information of recombinable deoxyribonucleic acids (DNAs) of at least some of the plurality of individuals; determining, using one or more computer processors and among the plurality of individuals, one or more related individuals who are relatives of a target individual, and information pertaining to the one or more related individuals, and presenting information pertaining to at least one of the one or more related individuals, including to present an indication of whether the at least one of the one or more related individuals is a matrilineal relative or a patrilineal relative of the target individual.
US09116874B2
An objective of the present invention is to efficiently perform a platform level test on a computer system comprising virtual machines that are automatically built according to predefined templates. A virtual machine test system according to the present invention creates a virtual machine according to a system template defining a combination of a network topology type of virtual machines and a role of each of the virtual machines, and performs a platform level test according to a test item defined for each of the combination (refer to FIG. 1).
US09116867B2
Various embodiments provide an interface between a Web browser's layout engine and a scripting engine. The interface enables objects from the layout engine to be recognized by a memory manager in the scripting engine and interact in a streamlined, efficient manner. In accordance with one or more embodiments, the interface allows browser layout engine objects to be created as objects that are native to the scripting engine. Alternately or additionally, in some embodiments, the native objects are further configured to proxy functionality between the layout engine and the scripting engine.
US09116858B1
The transfer data amount between a server and storage is effectively reduced, and the broadband of an effective band between the server and the storage is realized. An interface device is located in a server module, and, when receiving a read request issued by a server processor, transmits a read command based on the read request to a storage processor. In a case where a reverse-conversion instruction to cause the interface device to perform reverse conversion of post-conversion object data acquired by converting object data of the read request is received from the storage processor, DMA to transfer post-conversion object data stored in the transfer source address on a storage memory to the transfer destination address on the server memory while reverse-converting the post-conversion object data is performed.
US09116856B2
Various embodiments include systems, methods, and devices configured to reduce the amount of information communicated via system buses/fabrics when transferring data to and from one or more memories. A system master component may send a source address and a destination address to a direct memory access controller inside of, or adjacent to, a memory controller. The direct memory access controller and/or the memory controller may determine whether the source and destination addresses are inside relevant portions of the memory. When both the source and destination are inside the relevant portion of the memory, the memory controller may perform a memory-to-memory data transfer without accessing the system bus.
US09116855B2
A client (300) acquires a user function symbol name, acquires a pointer to a wrapper function, which is defined as a template function and internally executes the user function by designating the types of argument and return value of the user function as a template argument, and acquires a wrapper function symbol name of the wrapper function using the pointer to the wrapper function. A server (310) acquires, from the client, the user function symbol name, data corresponding to the arguments of the user function, the wrapper function symbol name, and a shared library user program in which the user program and the wrapper function are compiled as a shared library. The server executes the wrapper function within the shared library user program, which is specified by the pointer to the wrapper function, using the user function symbol name and the data corresponding to the arguments of the user function as arguments.
US09116852B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for processing a copy command indicating a source set comprising a subset of source logical addresses to copy to an indicated target set comprising a subset of target logical addresses. Complete is expected to be returned to the copy command in response to completing the copying of the source set to the target set. A point-in-time (PiT) copy establish command is generated in response to receiving the copy command, indicating the source and target sets in the copy command, The generated PiT copy command is executed to generate copy information indicating the source and target sets of source logical addresses and whether they have been copied to the target set. Complete is returned to the copy command after generating the copy information and before copying all the source logical addresses to the target logical addresses.
US09116851B2
System and method embodiments are provided herein to enable VTL backup and retrieval over S3 storage technology. An embodiment method includes mapping a plurality of data blocks for VTL storage into a plurality of S3 objects for S3 storage, and storing the S3 objects at one or more locations for S3 storage over one or more networks, wherein the mapping enables stateless backup and restore of the data blocks. An embodiment network component includes a Small Computer System Interface configured to receive a plurality of data blocks form one or more servers, a data library storage including tape storage, disk storage, or both that is configured to store the data blocks, a blocks-to-objects mapping engine configured to map the data blocks into a plurality of S3 objects, and a S3 interface configured to transfer the S3 objects to one or more locations for S3 storage over one or more networks.
US09116850B2
A storage system according to certain embodiments includes a client-side repository (CSR). The CSR may communicate with a client at a higher data transfer rate than the rate used for communication between the client and secondary storage. During copy operations, for instance, some or all of the data being backed up or otherwise copied to secondary storage is stored in the CSR. During restore operations, copies of the data stored in the CSR is accessed from the CSR instead of from secondary storage, improving performance. Remaining data blocks not stored in the CSR can be restored from secondary storage.
US09116842B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a system avoids restart on an error in a data integration process. The system processes data received from a data source in accordance with a parallel processing pipeline and partitioning scheme and submits said processed data to a destination. In response to an indication of an error, the system pauses receiving of data and saves unprocessed data received from the source. After correction of the error, the system resumes processing of the received and saved data in an order of the parallel processing pipeline and partitioning scheme. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for avoiding restart on an error in a data integration process in substantially the same manners described above.
US09116835B1
Methods and apparatuses for estimating activation of cerebral cortical sources from scalp site measurements of electroencephalograms (EEG) from a human subject are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a method comprises: specifying cortical neural sources within the brain of the subject; simulating activation potentials for the specified cortical neural sources; projecting the simulated cortical neural source voltage activations to scalp site measurements locations for the subject; simulating scalp voltage potentials for one or more extra-cranial sources outside the brain; constructing simulated scalp site voltage potentials from the projected simulated modeled cortical neural source voltage activations and the simulated extra-cranial scalp voltage potentials; comparing the simulated scalp site voltage potentials and the electroencephalograms scalp site measurements for the subject; and adjusting parameters for simulating the cortical neural source voltage activations until the simulated scalp site voltage potentials generally correspond to the electroencephalograms scalp site measurements based on the comparison.
US09116834B2
Algorithm for reconstructing grating profile in a metrology application is disclosed to numerically solve a volume integral equation for a current density. It employs implicit construction of a vector field that is related to electric field and a current density by a selection of continuous components of vector field being continuous at one or more material boundaries, so as to determine an approximate solution of a current density. The vector field is represented by a finite Fourier series with respect to at least one direction, x, y. Numerically solving volume integral equation comprises determining a component of a current density by convolution of the vector field with a convolution operator, which comprises material and geometric properties of structure in the x, y directions. The current density is represented by a finite Fourier series with respect to x, y directions. Continuous components are extracted using convolution operators acting on electric field and current density.
US09116831B2
A method begins by a processing module decoding a set of encoded data slices to produce a decoded data segment and determining whether the decoded data segment includes an error. When the decoded data segments includes the error, the processing module identifies one or more errant encoded data slices by decoding another set of encoded data slices to produce another decoded data segment. The method continues with the processing module determining whether the other decoded data segment includes the error. When the other decoded data segment does not include the error, the processing module identifies the one or more errant encoded data slices and corrects the one or more errant encoded data slices. When the other decoded data segment includes the error, the processing module repeats, for yet another set of encoded data slices, the decoding step, the determining step, and the identifying and correcting step or the repeating steps.
US09116815B2
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for throttling prefetch requests for a cache. One embodiment of the method includes selecting a sequence of relative addresses for prefetching data from a memory into lines of a cache in response to detecting a cache miss to a first address. The sequence of relative addresses is determined relative to the first address. This embodiment of the method also includes issuing a prefetch request for data from a memory address indicated by one of the sequence of relative addresses when at least one previous prefetch stream accessed prefetched data associated with this one of the sequence of relative addresses.
US09116811B1
A method, computer program product, and computing system for providing an option to a user of a cache system to have a copy of at least one IO operation directed toward the cache system redundantly provided to a remote device. If the user selects to have the copy of at least one IO operation redundantly provided, the copy of the at least one IO operation directed toward the cache system is provided to the remote device.
US09116797B2
A flash memory controller is provided. The flash memory controller includes a read/write unit, a state machine, a processing unit, and a reserve unit. The read/write unit is coupled to a flash memory. The read/write unit is configured to perform a write command or a read command. The state machine is configured to determine a state of the flash memory controller. The processing unit is coupled to the read/write unit and the state machine. The processing unit is configured to control the read/write unit. The reserve unit is coupled to a first data line, a second data line, and the read/write unit. When the flash memory controller is operating abnormally, the reserve unit receives an external signal via the first data line and the second data line and controls the read/write unit according to the external signal.
US09116786B2
The present disclosure describes a microprocessor executable remote control module operable to receive, via a remote node, a command from a vehicle owner to configure and/or alter and/or determine a state of a selected vehicle component and, when the vehicle owner is authenticated successfully by the remote control module, to configure and/or alter and/or determine a state of the selected vehicle component.
US09116785B2
A tester on a device under test to test component circuitry of the device under test, the tester comprising: logic configured with firmware to implement test circuitry comprising: protocol generators that are configurable to generate protocols; pattern generators that are configurable to provide test patterns that are drivable according to one or more of the protocols; and a system controller to select, in response to a program input, a test pattern and a protocol with which to test the component circuitry.
US09116784B2
The present invention proposes a system and method for preventing a vehicle from rolling over in curved lane. The road images captured by the image capture devices are used to calculate road information. The road information together with the vehicular dynamic information, such as the speed and acceleration of the vehicle are used to predict the rollover angle and lateral acceleration of the vehicle moving on the curved lane. The height of the gravity center and critical rollover speed of the vehicle moving on the curved lane are worked out and used to define a vehicular rollover index. If the vehicular rollover index exceeds a preset value, the system warns the driver or directly controls the speed of the vehicle to prevent the vehicle from rolling over in the curved lane.
US09116780B2
A system and method for modeling code segments that do not have a location is disclosed. Source code may be indexed and modeled in a data graph with nodes representing code elements and edges representing relationships between nodes. However, some code elements may be hidden or implicit and therefore may lack location information. In these cases, code figments are created and represented as nodes in the graph. Figment nodes may be specially designated so that the figment nodes may be easily distinguished from real source code nodes. The graph is then updated to include location information for the code figments in the nodes that interact with the hidden or implicit code. The data graph may then be provided to a user or as a service to be used by coding tools.
US09116772B2
Downloadable pluggable services and methods of distributing the same are described. The downloadable pluggable services may correspond to communication services that can be downloaded to upgrade a communication system. The downloadable pluggable services may include a number of component parts that can be distributed among various servers in the communication system being upgraded along with instructions that enable the component parts to instruct each server in the communication system to operate in a coordinated fashion so as to provide the downloaded service.
US09116764B2
Disclosed is a method for producing, in an electronic circuit, a varying digital output in response to edges of a received clock signal. The method includes generating, within circuitry of the electronic circuit, an unbalanced, pseudo-random binary output of the circuitry. The method also includes generating, within the electronic circuit and from the received clock, a sub-rate clock version of the received clock. The method also includes carrying out, within the electronic circuit, an exclusive OR operation between the sub-rate clock and the pseudo-random binary output of the circuitry to produce a balanced, pseudo-random binary output.
US09116759B2
Techniques are disclosed that include a computer-implemented method including transmitting a message in response to a predetermined event through a process stage including at least first and second processes being executed as one or more tasks, the message instructing the abortion of the executing of the one or more tasks, and initiating abortion of execution of the one or more tasks by the one or more of the processes on receiving the messages.
US09116753B2
A method includes, on a virtualization platform, creating a first runtime instance of a virtual appliance. The virtual appliance includes a solution stack of software components selected from a reference architecture. The method further includes, responsive to satisfaction of at least one performance criterion, dynamically scaling-out the solution stack to one or more additional runtime instances of the virtual appliance. The dynamically scaling-out includes distributing a subset of the solution stack to each of the first runtime instance and the one or more additional runtime instances.
US09116752B1
A variety of methods, systems, devices and arrangements are implemented for controlling server load-distributions. According to one such computer-implemented method, a desired server load-distribution is assigned for a plurality of computer servers that collectively provide services to computer clients. In response to a computer client request for service, a subset of computer servers is selected from the plurality of computer servers. Weight factors for servers of the selected subset of servers are determined as a function of the overall server load-distribution-profile and the selected subset.
US09116751B2
According to the present invention, in changing the circuit configuration of a reconfigurable device, a circuit configuration change period is shortened while avoiding a dependency on processing contents without increasing the size of a circuit due to addition of a mechanism. Considering an execution order relation between a plurality of data flows, a setting change count necessary for changing the circuit configuration in changing processing is decreased within a constraint range, thereby shortening the circuit configuration change period.
US09116749B2
An apparatus comprising a processor configured to startup a new process on a peer processor to off-load a load of a local process on the processor in a dynamic manner based on monitoring an amount of resources used by the processor, wherein the startup of the new process on the peer processor is initiated when the amount of resources used by the local process reaches a threshold.
US09116745B2
A resource allocation method and a resource allocation device for foreground switch of a J2ME (Java 2 Micro Edition) application are provided in the present invention. A JAVA application program receives a first message from a JAVA virtual machine when switching to background from foreground, wherein the first message carries information indicating that the JAVA application program needs to release partial resources; and the JAVA application program returns a first response message to the JAVA virtual machine so as to realize release of the resources, wherein the first response message carries information of resources to be released and/or information of resources to be reserved for restoring to an executing state. The user experience can be improved and the normal use of local applications can be ensured according to the technical solution provided by the present invention.
US09116744B2
A system and method manages resources within a process by identifying a first resource threshold associated with available resources. The method receives a resource request from a resource requesting participant requiring the available resources. The method determines that an estimated resource usage, associated with the resource request, approaches the first resource threshold. The method negotiates with at least one resource consuming participant to voluntarily release resources until the estimated resource usage approaches a second resource threshold associated with the available resources within the process.
US09116739B2
This disclosure is directed to a fast and scalable concurrent queuing system. A device may comprise, for example, at least a memory module and a processing module. The memory module may be to store a queue comprising at least a head and a tail. The processing module may be to execute at least one thread desiring to enqueue at least one new node to the queue, enqueue the at least one new node to the queue, a first state being observed based on information in the tail identifying a predecessor node when the at least one new node is enqueued, observe a second state based on the predecessor node, determine if the predecessor node has changed based on comparing the first state to the second state, and set ordering in the queue based on the determination.
US09116737B2
A framework for converting between copy-on-write (COW) and redo-based technologies is disclosed. To take a virtual disk snapshot, disk descriptor files, which include metadata information about data stored in virtual volumes (vvols), are “swizzled” such that the descriptor file for a latest redo log, to which IOs are currently performed, points to the base vvol of a COW-based vvol hierarchy. A disk descriptor file previously associated with the base vvol may also be updated to point to the vvol newly created by the snapshot operation. To revert to an earlier disk state, a snapshot may be taken before copying contents of a snapshot vvol of the COW-based vvol hierarchy to a base vvol of the hierarchy, thereby ensuring that the reversion can be rolled back if it is unsuccessful. Reference counting is performed to ensure that vvols in the vvol hierarchy are not orphaned in delete and revert use cases. Differences between vvols in the COW-based vvol hierarchy are used to clone the hierarchy and to migrate the hierarchy to a redo-based disk hierarchy.
US09116736B2
In one embodiment, a method comprises detecting an initiation of a movement process of a virtual machine executed by a first physical host to a destination physical host; initiating a transfer of a stateful process executed by a first network entity and providing enhanced network services for the virtual machine executed in the first physical host, including causing execution parameters for the enhanced network services to be sent to a second network entity; and completing the movement process of the virtual machine to the destination physical host in response to detecting the stateful process is executing in the second network entity and is ready to provide the enhanced network services for execution of the virtual machine in the destination physical host.
US09116733B2
Approaches for executing untrusted software on a client without compromising the client using micro-virtualization to execute untrusted software in isolated contexts. A template for instantiating a virtual machine on a client is identified in response to receiving a request to execute an application. After the template is identified, without human intervention, a virtual machine is instantiated, using the template, in which the application is to be executed. The template may be selected from a plurality of templates based on the nature of the request, as each template describe characteristics of a virtual machine suitable for a different type of activity. When the client determines that the application has ceased to execute, the client ceases execution of the virtual machine without human intervention.
US09116729B2
A processor includes a processor core to execute a first translated instruction translated from a first instruction stored in first page of a memory. The processor also includes a translation indicator agent (XTBA) to store a first translation indicator that is read from a physical map (PhysMap) in the memory. In an embodiment, the first translation indicator is to indicate whether the first page has been modified after the first instruction is translated. Other embodiments are described as claimed.
US09116721B2
An icon line is displayed on a screen so as to align icons laterally. When a user slides a stick laterally based on an originating point corresponding to a point on an icon of the icon line, it is possible to scroll the icon line laterally in accordance with the stick being moved, and when a user slides a stick vertically based on an originating point corresponding to a point on an icon of the icon line, it is possible to move only the icon of the icon line in accordance with the stick being moved. Therefore, a user is allowed to easily change the display order in which a plurality of objects are displayed on the screen.
US09116720B2
In one embodiment, a decision tree is evaluated in interpreted mode while statistics are collected. The decision tree is then represented as source code, and each decision in the decision tree is annotated with instructions determined based on the collected statistics. The source code is compiled into machine code, and the machine code is optimized based on the instructions annotating each decision in the decision tree.
US09116712B2
Compiler based obfuscation is described. To protect portions of a code project with obfuscations, the code is modified within a compiler to produce one or more modifications that obfuscate the code as part of a compilation process. A compiled version of the code is generated having the modifications that are produced within the compiler. In one approach, the compiler is configured to consume an obfuscation description that indicates portions of the code to protect and specifies the modifications to make to the indicated portions. Various different modifications of code may be performed during the compilation process to implement corresponding obfuscation features. For example, the modifications made within a compiler may include, but are not limited to, modifications designed to enable tamper detection, anti-debugging, and/or encryption of the code.
US09116708B2
A program creation support apparatus (100) includes: a table storage unit (110) which stores a basic program management table (112) that manages a basic program, an individual requirement management table (114) that manages individual requirements of users, and a user management table (116) that manages individual requirements in association with the users; a template storage unit (122) that stores model forms of aspects; a program editing unit (130) that presents an editing target program to a program developer, receives editing operations of inserting individual requirements of each user, and edits the program; an individual requirement management unit (128) that registers the received individual requirements in the respective management tables in association with corresponding sets of program strings of the basic program with respect to each target user; and an aspect synthesizing unit (140) that synthesizes the aspect using the model forms in accordance with each management table.
US09116703B2
A device may receive information that identifies a first task to be processed, may determine a performance metric value indicative of a behavior of a processor while processing a second task, and may assign, based on the performance metric value, the first task to a bin for processing the first task, the bin including a set of processors that operate based on a power characteristic.
US09116697B2
Techniques are described to monitor a level of graphics processing activity and control power usage based on the level. When no graphics processing activity is detected for a period of time, then a timing controller for a display device is instructed to capture a current image and repeatedly display the captured image. The graphics processing devices can be powered down. When graphics processing activity is detected, the graphics processing devices are powered up and the components used to capture an image and display the captured image are powered down.
US09116694B2
Embodiments of the invention describe methods, apparatuses and systems for providing an efficient low power exit sequence for peripheral devices. In embodiments of the invention, a signal from a host device is transmitted to a SATA peripheral device for exiting a low-power state. An initialization time for OOB transmission and reception logic of the SATA peripheral device is tracked, and a reference time value based on the tracked initialization time is stored. In subsequent transitions from said low-power state, the reference time value for waking a host physical layer is utilized, thereby improving the efficiency of the management and use of said low power state. In some embodiments, the above described tracked initialization comprises a time from a transmission of an OOB signal (from the host to the peripheral device) to receiving an OOB response at the host device from the SATA peripheral device.
US09116689B2
An information processing unit includes a processing unit including a plurality of processor cores; and a power consumption reduction device configured to reduce power consumption of the processing unit. The power consumption reduction device measures the loads on threads that are running in the plurality of cores; checks the number of high load threads which are threads in a high load state and the number of low load threads which are threads in a low load state for each core, on the basis of the measuring results; selects, when there exists a core having high load threads whose number is less than a preset threshold on the number of high load threads, the core as a candidate core; and replaces the high load threads existing in the candidate core with the low load threads existing in other cores when the total number of the low load threads in a core other than the candidate core is not less than the number of the high load threads in the candidate core.
US09116687B2
An apparatus includes an instruction decoder, first and second source registers and a circuit coupled to the decoder to receive packed data from the source registers and to unpack the packed data responsive to an unpack instruction received by the decoder. A first packed data element and a third packed data element are received from the first source register. A second packed data element and a fourth packed data element are received from the second source register. The circuit copies the packed data elements into a destination register resulting with the second packed data element adjacent to the first packed data element, the third packed data element adjacent to the second packed data element, and the fourth packed data element adjacent to the third packed data element.
US09116677B2
A method and system for managing a thermal policy of a receiving device that couples to a portable computing device (PCD) includes automatically detecting a presence of the PCD. After detecting the presence of the PCD, a command to deactivate a thermal sensor and to deactivate a power supply within the PCD may be issued. The thermal policy manager module of the receiving device may issue a command to adjust an operating condition of a processor within the PCD if a temperature value reaches a predetermined value. The thermal policy manager module may also adjust operation of an active cooling device if the temperature value sensed by a sensor within the PCD reaches a predetermined value. The receiving device may include at least one of a docking station, a tablet personal computer, a laptop personal computer, a desktop personal computer, a portable media player, a portable television, and a printer.
US09116665B2
A protective cover for a portable electronic device that includes a main body portion that is adapted to at least partially surround and enclose a portable electronic device. The main body portion includes a rear section that has an accessory slot defined therein. The accessory slot removably receives an accessory assembly that includes a base having an accessory mounted thereto.
US09116650B2
In an image processing apparatus, a communication device is configured to communicate with a server. A memory stores computer executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the image processing apparatus to: acquire sign-in data from a storing device; automatically sign-in to the server based on the sign-in data; and execute at least one of a scanning process and a printing process. In the scanning process, the at least one processor acquires image data by controlling the image processing device to scan an image, and controls the communication device to transmit the image data to the server. In the printing process, the at least one processor receives print data from the server via the communication device, and controls the image processing device to print an image based on the print data.
US09116649B2
A CPU of an image forming apparatus acquires a transmission instruction for a log, destination information on a WebDAV server, authentication information, and the like from a management server in accordance with a schedule set by the management server, determines whether or not special log information is to be transmitted to the WebDAV server in accordance with a link speed with respect to the WebDAV server, and notifies the management server of an error when it is determined that the special log information is not to be transmitted. Further, when it is determined that the special log information is to be transmitted, the CPU transmits the special log information to the WebDAV server by using the destination information and the authentication information.
US09116647B2
An image forming apparatus A adds a user ID of a user, who has requested a job, to job information about the job to be processed in linkage to store it. The image forming apparatus A receives a user's linkage instruction together with the user ID of the user. When the received user ID matches the user ID added to the job information, the image forming apparatus A transmits a request message including the user ID and for establishing linkage with other image forming apparatuses B and C. The image forming apparatus B receives the request message, and receives a user's linkage instruction together with the user ID of the user. When the user ID included in the received request message and the user ID received from the user match each other, the image forming apparatus B transmits a reply message permitting linkage to the image forming apparatus A.
US09116637B2
A control device controlling a plurality of disk devices to which a physical storage area is assigned in response to a logical storage area accessed from an upper device includes a processor, and the processor assigns an assignment start location of the logical storage area of the plurality disk devices to respectively different physical locations.
US09116630B2
Described herein are methods, systems and machine-readable media for migrating data between storage devices of a storage array. A metric is used to measure the optimality of candidate data migrations, the metric taking into account capacity balance and proper data striping. Candidate migrations are evaluated against the metric. The candidate migration that ranks as the best migration according to the metric may be carried out. This process of evaluating candidate migrations and carrying out the best candidate migration may be iterated until data is properly distributed among the storage devices of the storage array.
US09116627B2
A data size characteristic of contents of a related unit of data to be written to a storage by an input/output module of a data storage application can be determined, and a storage page size consistent with the data size can be selected from a plurality of storage page sizes. The related unit of data can be assigned to a storage page having the selected storage page size, and the storage page can be passed to the input/output module so that the input/output module physically clusters the contents of the related unit of data when the input/output module writes the contents of the related unit of data to the storage. Related methods, systems, and articles of manufacture are also disclosed.
US09116622B2
Storage system having nonvolatile semiconductor storage device with nonvolatile semiconductor memory
A storage system coupled to a host has a nonvolatile semiconductor storage device that includes a nonvolatile semiconductor memory configured by a plurality of pages, and a storage controller coupled to the semiconductor storage device. In the case where data stored in the plurality of pages become unnecessary, with this plurality of pages being the basis of a region of a logical volume based on the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, the storage controller transmits, to the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device, an unnecessary reduction request for reducing the number of pages that are the basis of the region having the unnecessary data stored therein. On the basis of the unnecessary reduction request, the nonvolatile semiconductor storage device invalidates the plurality of pages that are the basis of the region having the unnecessary data stored therein.
US09116620B2
A controller and method for memory aliasing for different flash memory types are presented. In one embodiment, a controller is presented having one or more interfaces through which to communicate with a plurality of memory dies, wherein at least one of the memory dies is of a different memory type than the other memory dies. The controller also has an interface through which to communicate with a host, wherein the interface only supports commands for a single memory types. The controller further contains a processor that is configured to receive a logical address and a command from the host, determine which memory die is associated with the logical address, and translate the command received from the host to a form suitable for the memory type of the memory die associated with the logical address.
US09116610B2
A screen ST1 of an LCD with which a digital camera is provided displays an icon of a folder F1 indicating that the folder F1 has been selected. Image files P11 and P12 are captured reproduced images. A display frame SC displays a currently captured picture of an object, files P11 and P12, and the icon of the folder F1. To switch the folder F1 to a folder F2, the user presses a down button of a cross key 27. When the user presses the down button on the screen ST1, the screen ST1 is switched to a screen ST3 through a screen ST2. On the screen ST2, the number denoted in the icon is changed. The screen ST2 displays a state of which the folders are being switched. An icon displayed on the screen ST3 indicates that the folder F1 was switched to the folder F2.
US09116600B2
A computer-implemented method for automatically personalizing applications includes: receiving, in a computer system, user behavior data for multiple users of at least one application program, the application program having a user interface with multiple input controls displayed on multiple different panes, and the user behavior data reflecting actions performed using the input controls on the panes; identifying, using the computer system, at least one usage pattern in the user behavior data as meeting a usage pattern criterion; storing a personalization record based on identifying the usage pattern, the personalization record specifying the usage pattern as a sequence of activating at least some of the input controls on at least some of the panes; and automatically generating, using the computer system and based on the personalization record, a modified user interface according to the identified usage pattern.
US09116594B2
A mobile terminal is provided that includes a display unit configured to display one or more windows at a time, and a controller configured to generate a first window and a second window separate from the first window when an event occurs in the first window. The controller is configured to control the display unit to display at least one of the first window and the second window. Methods for controlling the mobile terminal are also provided.
US09116589B2
A single-layer projected capacitive touch panel has a glass cover, a touch sensing circuit layer, an insulating ink layer, a conductive wire layer, an insulator layer, a conductive glue layer and a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board. The touch sensing circuit layer, the insulating ink layer, the conductive wire layer, the insulator layer and the conductive glue layer are mounted on a circuit surface of the glass cover in sequence. The insulating ink layer covers the touch sensing circuit layer and has multiple through slots. Each through slot is filled with an electric conductor. The FPC is fastened on the conductive wire layer by a conductive glue layer. Therefore, the touch panel of the present invention is thinner, provides better penetrability and costs less than conventional projected capacitive touch panels.
US09116577B2
A sensing method of optical touch, adapted for providing and sensing a sensing beam through at least one optical sensing module, is provided. The sensing method of optical touch includes the following steps. A plurality of sensing pixel zones of the optical sensing module is selected, and a main incident angle is chosen in an incident angle range according to light intensity sensed by each of the selected sensing pixel zones, wherein the sensing beam entering the optical sensing module at the main incident angle has a maximum light intensity. Main incident angles corresponding to the unselected sensing pixel zones are computed according to the main incident angles corresponding to the selected sensing pixel zones.
US09116576B2
A photosensitive pixel circuit of a touch module including an output transistor and a light detection unit is provided. The output transistor receives a reference signal and provides a touch voltage controlled by a light detection voltage. The light detection unit is electrically connected to the output transistor, and receives a touch scan signal. The light detection unit detects an intensity of a light according to the touch scan signal so as to correspondingly provide the light detection voltage.
US09116575B2
A capacitance sensing circuit, comprising: a first voltage source; a first switch, wherein the first voltage source charges a sensing capacitor to a first voltage when the first switch is conductive; a base capacitor; a second voltage source; a second switch, wherein the second voltage source charges the base capacitor to a second voltage when the second switch is conductive, where the first switch and the second switch are simultaneously conductive via a control signal; a first comparator, for outputting a first comparing result according to a voltage difference between a sensing voltage on the sensing capacitor and a base voltage on the base capacitor, and a voltage difference between the first voltage and the second voltage; and a voltage holding circuit, for keeping the base voltage at a reference voltage.
US09116570B2
A touch display device is provided which includes a display panel for displaying an image, and a touch screen panel disposed on the display panel and configured to sense at least one touch. The touch screen panel includes a touch substrate at which the touch can be generated; sensing electrodes provided on the touch substrate and spaced apart from one another, each of the sensing electrodes being formed of a piezoresistive material having a resistance value that varies according to an applied force; and a touch processor electrically connected to the sensing electrodes. The touch processor extracts a touch coordinate based on time constants of sensing signals applied to the sensing electrodes, and calculates a touch force of the touch based on resistance values of the sensing electrodes.
US09116565B2
A mobile terminal including a wireless communication unit configured to communicate with a content provision server over a network; a touch screen display unit configured to display a first image object associated with first content downloading from the content provision server and a second image object associated with second content that can be downloaded next from the content provision server; and a controller configured to receive a first input indicating the second image object is moved to be adjacent to the first image object, and download the second content corresponding to the second image object as soon as the first content corresponding to the first image object is downloaded.
US09116555B2
A controller for interfacing with an interactive application is provided, including: a housing defined by a main body, a first extension extending from a first end of the main body, and a second extension extending from a second end of the main body, the first extension and the second extension for holding by a first hand and a second hand of a user, respectively; an input device positioned along a top surface of the main body; a touch-sensitive panel defined along the top surface of the main body.
US09116549B2
An electronic device having an input control application is disclosed. The input control application is used for enabling the electronic device to execute the following actions: obtaining a member group comprising members lined up orderly and a member as a selection member; pressing a key to generate a first signal for excluding members after the selection member, then determining if only one member left in the member group, if “No”, determining the member of the member group in the middle as the new selection member, if “Yes”, executing the input operation; pressing another key to generate a second signal for excluding the members before the current selection member, then determining if only one last member in the current member group, if No”, determining the member of the member group in the middle as the new selection member, if “Yes”, executing the input operation.
US09116543B2
For a user having a user input actuator, a virtual interface device, such as for a gaming machine, for determining actuation of a virtual input by the input actuator is disclosed. The device comprises a position sensing device for determining a location of the user input actuator and a controller coupled to the position sensing device, the controller determining whether a portion of the user input actuator is within a virtual input location in space defining the virtual input.
US09116539B1
An electrolarynx includes a case and a thumbwheel component within its hollow interior that includes a wheel with a peripheral edge. A wheel-receiving slot extends from the exterior surface of the case to the hollow interior, and the wheel is disposed partially within that slot so that the peripheral edge of the wheel is accessible with a finger of a user from the exterior of the case for purposes of engaging and turning the wheel. The case includes a radially outward protruding wheel-protecting structure next to the wheel-receiving slot that shields (i.e., protects) the wheel from an impact directed parallel to the rotational axis of the wheel, without the radially outward protruding wheel-protecting structure preventing the user from engaging and turning the wheel with a finger of the user.
US09116533B2
The invention provides a cascode transistor circuit with a depletion mode transistor and a switching device. A gate bias circuit is connected between the gate of the depletion mode transistor and the low power line. The gate bias circuit is adapted to compensate the forward voltage of a diode function of the switching device. The depletion mode transistor and the gate bias circuit are formed as part of an integrated circuit.
US09116524B1
A system and method for achieving vertical navigation by using a satellite based navigation system exemplified by a GPS system and implementing the vertical navigation features in an autopilot unit interfaced to the satellite based navigation system. The autopilot reads waypoint information output from the satellite navigation system and receives VNAV altitudes and other commands from the pilot. The autopilot then performs VNAV calculations and guidance in accordance with the VNAV program. VNAV setup and progressive status are displayed on an economical small screen autopilot display. Modes are disclosed for exemplary GPS direct to waypoint VNAV, waypoint transition VNAV, multiple waypoint VNAV and other VNAV modes. Safety limits may be imposed on the VNAV program.
US09116520B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include methods and devices in which a flight parameter vector for an aircraft is automatically estimated and then compared to a threshold to determine whether the flight parameter vector is accurate. The detection device estimates a coefficient vector in an observation window, calculates an estimated flight parameter value, and minimizes an error associated with the observation window when calculating the estimated flight parameter value of the flight parameter vector. Comparisons may be performed by a failure detector or a flight control computer to determine failures impacting the flight parameter vector.
US09116514B2
A configurable process control device, which includes a field device, such as a valve position controller, that can be configured by a user to emulate any one of a plurality of different types of process control devices, is provided with an electronic display assembly. The electronic display assembly is operatively connected with a control circuit that is arranged to respond to the specific configuration of the field device to cause the electronic display assembly to display information relevant to the specific type of control device the field device has been configured to emulate. The information may include safety certification information specific to each of the different types of process control devices that the field device can be configured to emulate.
US09116511B2
The present invention makes it possible to measure a precision event time in such a way to make a reference data in accordance with a standard time reference frequency signal and to make a measurement data by using an apparatus with the same structure as a reference data with respect to a signal to be measured and to compare the measurement data with a reference data, whereby temperature effects can be minimized by making the time changes due to temperature changes occurring between two apparatuses happen equally, by providing the same structure and parts to a reference signal circuit apparatus for an event time measurement and a signal circuit apparatus to be measured, and the zero point adjustment is performed during the real time operation, so the system is not needed to stop.
US09116510B1
A chip scale atomic clock (CSAC) accelerometer incorporates a case in which a cesium vapor resonance cell is carried. An optical laser is mounted in the case and emits a laser beam through the resonance cell. The laser is modulated by a microwave signal generator. A photon detector mounted in the case receives photons emitted by cesium atoms in the resonance cell and provides a frequency output representative of interference of energy levels of the emitted photons including momentum changes due to acceleration.
US09116509B2
Methods and systems for training cognitive skills are disclosed. The methods and systems include: providing, via a computing device and user interface display, musical rhythm training comprising at least one trial comprising: displaying on the user interface display, via the user computing device, a rhythm track comprising at least one stationary beat timing mark and at least one moving beat timing mark repeatedly moving along the rhythm track at a uniform speed; receiving via a user interface input an indication from the user that the user perceives a moving beat timing mark to be coincident with a stationary beat timing mark; and providing, via the user interface, an indicator that the user is correct or not correct.
US09116503B2
A developing unit for an electrophotographic image forming apparatus includes a developing roller, having a shaft member, for developing an electrostatic latent image formed on an electrophotographic photosensitive drum using a developer; and a bearing for rotatably supporting the shaft member, the bearing including a bearing base portion of a first resin molded material and a bearing portion of a second resin molded material different from the first resin molded material, the bearing portion having a through-hole, wherein the bearing portion includes a contact portion contacting a stepped abutting portion of the shaft member, and a retaining portion overlapping with the bearing base portion in a direction crossing with an axial direction of the shaft member.
US09116499B1
A customer replaceable unit for a printer includes a toner reclaim system that has a spring-like wire attached to and surrounding the bottom half of a toner agitator. As the agitator is rotated by a cleaner auger through a crankshaft connection, the spring compresses and relaxes with every revolution. This creates small vibrations which help move toner in a downward direction with the assistance of gravity into a developer sump.
US09116497B2
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing section, a low voltage detection circuit, an arithmetic control section, and a storage section. The fixing section has a heater and fixes a toner image on recording paper with heat of the heater. The low voltage detection circuit detects a drop in an input voltage from a power source. The arithmetic control section determines, when a drop in the input voltage is detected by the low voltage detection circuit, whether the drop in the input voltage is linked to working of the heater. The arithmetic control section lowers the temperature of the heater when the drop in the input voltage is linked to the working of the heater, and causes the storage section to store a result of the detection by the low voltage detection circuit when the drop in the input voltage is not linked to the working of the heater.
US09116493B2
To facilitate replacing photosensitive drums and/or developing devices in an image forming apparatus, a photosensitive member unit including a plurality of photosensitive members is loaded in a main casing. A developing device unit including a plurality of developing devices is also loaded in the main casing. Both an intermediate transfer belt and the photosensitive member unit are configured to be movable toward and away from the developing device unit. Further, when the photosensitive member unit is separated from the developing device unit, the intermediate transfer belt and the plurality of photosensitive members are also separated from each other.
US09116480B2
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing portion, including: a heating member and a back-up member forming a nip; and an air feeding portion for feeding air to a non-sheet-passing area of at least one of the heating member and the back-up member, the air feeding portion including a fan for feeding the air, a duct, including an opening, for guiding the air fed from the fan through the opening to the non-sheet-passing area, and an adjusting member for adjusting an opening amount of the opening. The apparatus executes a first air feeding operation with a first opening amount and a first rotational frequency of the fan and a second air feeding operation with a second opening amount and a second rotational frequency, when the fixing portion fixes the images on sheets having the same widths.
US09116479B2
A fixing control device includes an image detection unit that determines presence of an image in each of areas obtained by division of an image formation region in which the image is formed, a heater selection unit that selects from heaters of a fixing device heaters at positions corresponding to areas in which the presence of the image is determined, a heating amount computation unit that computes a heating amount of a heating area heated by each of the selected heaters in a fixing region corresponding to the image formation region, a change amount computation unit that computes an amount of change of the heating amount between adjoining ones of the heating areas, and a heating amount correction unit that corrects one of the heating amounts of the adjoining heating areas so that the amount of change after the correction is less than a predetermined threshold.
US09116476B2
A fixing device, including a fixing member; an opposing member contacting the fixing member to form a fixing nip; plural separation assisting members; a contact direction biasing member contacting an end of the auxiliary separation members to the surface of the fixing member; a contact and release switching member switching contacting the end of the auxiliary separation members to the surface of the fixing member and releasing the end of the auxiliary separation members therefrom; a fixing exit guide member guiding a recording medium to a discharge direction and separated from the fixing member by the separation assisting member; a first rotating member near the auxiliary separation members downstream from an end thereof; and a second rotating member guiding a recording medium guided by the fixing exit guide member in the recording medium conveyance direction while rotating.
US09116471B2
A control part provided in an image forming apparatus controls a moving unit so as to cause a secondary transfer rotary member to move from an intermediate position to an abutment position at a first moving speed in the case of bringing the secondary transfer rotary member into abutment against an intermediate transfer member during an exposure period or a primary transfer period, and to cause the secondary transfer rotary member to move from a separation position to the abutment position at a second moving speed higher than the first moving speed in the case of bringing the secondary transfer rotary member into abutment against the intermediate transfer member during a period other than the exposure period and the primary transfer period. Thus, the productivity can be prevented from being degraded while a load change at a time of the abutment of the secondary transfer rotary member is reduced.
US09116470B2
An image forming apparatus configures a normal transfer potential in a yellow primary transfer unit, and configures a transfer potential which does not cause any retransfer phenomenon of a yellow measurement image in image carriers located on the downstream side of the yellow primary transfer unit. When a color difference obtained from a reference density and a density of a measurement image on an intermediate transfer belt becomes equal to or larger than a prescribed value, the image forming apparatus determines that multinary-color density adjustment is required.
US09116467B2
A developing apparatus used in an image forming apparatus, including: a developer carrying member configured to carry a developer; and a control member configured to control the amount of a developer carried on the developer carrying member, wherein the control member is manufactured by cutting a supporting member covered with a covering member in a cutting direction intersecting a surface of the supporting member so as to be a predetermined length in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the covering member provided on the upstream side of the control member in the cutting direction comes into contact with the developer carrying member.
US09116465B2
Provided is an electrophotographic image forming apparatus including: a toner buffer unit arranged between a toner cartridge and a developing unit to receive toner from the toner cartridge and supply the toner to the developing unit; and a toner level detection unit. The toner buffer unit includes a first buffer unit connected to the toner cartridge. A first conveyance member including a rotation shaft and a conveyance wing provided in the rotation shaft and transporting the toner in a radial direction is provided in the first buffer unit. The toner buffer unit includes an elevation plate provided in the first buffer unit and elevated according to a toner level, and a sensor unit detecting a location of the elevation of the elevation plate. The elevation plate is located to be spaced apart from the conveyance wing in an axial direction of the rotation shaft.
US09116462B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image holding member, a charging unit, an electrostatic charge image forming unit, a developing unit that accommodates an electrostatic charge image developer containing flake shape toner particles, a transfer unit, an arranging unit that causes transfer residual toner to rise from the surface of the image holding member, a cleaning unit, and a fixing unit.
US09116461B2
A developing device is provided. The developing device includes a housing, a developer carrier which is rotatably supported by the housing, and a layer thickness regulating member which includes a blade configured to contact the developer carrier along a rotational axial direction of the developer carrier, a support member supporting the blade, and a reinforcement member provided at an opposite side to the support member with respect to the blade and reinforcing the blade. The support member includes a first part which contacts the blade, and to which the blade is fixed, a second part which is connected to the reinforcement member, and a third part which is attached to the housing. As viewed from the rotational axial direction, the first part and the third part are provided on a same first plane, and the second part is provided on a second plane intersecting with the first plane.
US09116458B2
A light scanning device of the invention includes a scan deflection range of each of the light fluxes deflected by the deflecting part in a scan period of the scan object with the respective light fluxes is divided into a first deflection range where a reflection angle of each of the light fluxes with respect to the deflecting part is small and a second deflection range where the reflection angle is large. A polarization direction of each of the light fluxes is set such that a reflectivity of the reflective mirror when each of the light fluxes deflected in the second deflection range is reflected becomes larger than a reflectivity of the reflective mirror when each of the light fluxes deflected in the first deflection range is reflected.
US09116455B2
A grid of a charging device is cleaned without causing the grid to contact a member to be charged. In this structure, to suppress non-uniform charging due to wear of the grid, which is pulled toward a discharge electrode, for a long time, first and second protective layers are provided. The first protective layer is provided on a surface of a base member of the grid that faces the cleaning member. The second protective layer is provided on a surface of the base member that faces the pressing member. The second protective layer is thicker than the first protective layer.
US09116451B2
A doped protective coating for extending a lifetime of an organic photoconductor is provided. The coating includes an in-situ cross-linked polymer matrix and a substantially uniformly distributed dopant therein. The dopant comprises a charge transport molecular species. A process for coating the organic photoconductor and a coated organic photoconductor are also disclosed.
US09116444B2
In a case where a substrate is exposed to exposure light of a first wavelength band, an exposure coefficient, which is defined as an amount of fluctuation of an imaging characteristic of a projection optical system per unit of exposure energy, for the first wavelength band is calculated using data of the amount of fluctuation of the optical characteristic of the projection optical system. An exposure coefficient for a second wavelength band that is different from the first wavelength band is calculated using the exposure coefficient for the first wavelength band. In a case where the substrate is exposed to exposure light of the second wavelength band, the amount of fluctuation of the imaging characteristic of the projection optical system is calculated using the exposure coefficient for the second wavelength band.
US09116443B2
In a single or multiple stage lithography apparatus, a table provides a confining surface to a liquid supply system during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading. In an embodiment, the table has a sensor to make a measurement of the projection beam during, for example, substrate table exchange and/or substrate loading and unloading.
US09116442B2
A method and apparatus for process control in a lithographic process are described. Metrology may be performed on a substrate either before or after performing a patterning process on the substrate. One or more correctables to the lithographic patterning process may be generated based on the metrology. The patterning process performed on the substrate (or a subsequent substrate) may be adjusted with the correctables.
US09116440B2
An optical module includes a chamber capable of being evacuated and a mirror in the chamber. The mirror includes a plurality of individual mirrors. Each individual mirror includes: a mirror body including a reflection face; a support structure; and a thermally conductive portion that mechanically connects the support structure to the mirror body. For at least one individual mirror, the thermally conductive portion includes a plurality of thermally conductive strips arranged radially, adjacent thermally conductive strips being separated from each other, and each of the plurality of thermally conductive strips connecting the mirror body to the support structure. For at least one individual mirror, an actuator is associated with the mirror body, the actuator being configured to displace the mirror body relative to the support structure in at least one degree of freedom.
US09116439B2
An illumination system is disclosed having a polarization member that includes first and second polarization modifiers movable into at least partial intersection with a radiation beam such that the respective polarization modifier applies a modified polarization to at least part of the beam. The illumination system further includes an array of individually controllable reflective elements positioned to receive the radiation beam after it has passed the polarization member, and a controller configured to control movement of the first and second polarization modifiers such that the first and second polarization modifiers intersect with different portions of the radiation beam.
US09116434B2
An electron beam exposure method includes the steps of: preparing an exposure mask having a plurality of opening patterns formed by dividing a drawing object pattern into exposable regions; and drawing the drawing object pattern by performing exposure with an electron beam passing through the opening patterns of the exposure mask. Each end portion serving as a joint in each opening pattern of the exposure mask is provided with a joining portion tapered in a width of the opening pattern. The exposure is performed in such a way that portions drawn through adjacent joining portions overlap each other.
US09116431B2
According to one embodiment, a development processing apparatus including a film reduction amount calculation unit configured to calculate a film reduction amount of a to-be-exposed portion of the photosensitive film, a dimension prediction unit configured to calculate predicted pattern dimension when the developing process is performed in a standard development condition, a dimension correction amount calculation unit configured to calculate a pattern dimension correction amount, a corrected development condition derivation unit configured to derive a corrected development condition based on the calculated pattern dimension correction amount, and a developing mechanism configured to develop the photosensitive film in the derived corrected development condition.
US09116420B2
A centrifugal fan introducing air via an inlet port in a direction of a rotation axis and discharging the air via an outlet port in the a direction of a centrifugal force produced by rotation includes: an impeller having a plurality of vanes around the rotation axis; and a housing including the inlet port and supporting the impeller such that the impeller is allowed to freely rotate in the housing. An inclined portion is formed at least at a part of edge portion of the inlet port, the inclined portion widening to the side that the impeller is disposed.
US09116415B2
A pop up prism camera (10) having a pop up prism lens assembly (11). A first lens assembly (14), a second lens assembly (18), and a prism assembly (21) are moved in relationship to a camera housing (12) controlled by a cam tube (20). The prism assembly (21) projects outside the camera housing (12) when the pop up prism camera (10) is in an operational configuration. A prism (100) of the prism assembly (21) redirects an optical path (48). A non-angled portion (44) of a first cam groove (30) causes the prism assembly (21) to remain fixed relative to the camera housing (12) while continued rotation of the cam tube (20) allows the first lens assembly (14) and the second lens assembly (18) to continue to move to accomplish a lens zoom function.
US09116409B1
The present invention generally relates to electrochemical devices, such as electrochromic (EC) devices and thin film batteries (TFB), and in particular to anodes of electrochemical devices with improved intercalation and/or transport properties. Some embodiments of the invention include anodes, such as nickel oxide, doped with Si, Sn, SiO2 and/or SnO2, which may be in the form of nanoparticles or even substituted atoms/molecules. These nanoparticles/substituted atoms, which have higher lithium intercalation capability, distort the lattice of the anode, improving movement and intercalation of Li ions. In some other embodiments, the anode may be formed of silicon oxide and/or tin oxide, which materials have good transport and intercalation of Li ions.
US09116406B2
A pixel structure and a liquid crystal display device are disclosed. The pixel structure is formed on a substrate. The substrate includes at least two scan lines and at least one data line formed thereon. The pixel structure includes a main pixel, a first subpixel, and a second subpixel. The main pixel is electrically coupled to one of the two scan lines and the data line. The first subpixel is electrically coupled to the two scan lines and the data line. The second subpixel is electrically coupled to the two scan lines and the first subpixel. The present invention is capable of solving the color shift problem without a high frequency driving method and a large number of scan lines.
US09116405B2
A display device according to the present invention includes a first substrate, a driving portion formed on the first substrate, a plurality of signal lines formed on the first substrate to transmit signals to the driving portion, a second substrate facing the first substrate, and a conductive member formed on the second substrate, wherein the driving portion overlaps with the conductive member, and the signal lines are disposed at a position outside a region of overlap of the conductive member. Accordingly, the capacitances between the signal lines may be substantially the same.
US09116404B2
According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display includes an array substrate provided with pixel electrodes including a first pixel electrode and a second pixel electrode aligning in a first direction, a first gate line placed on one side of the pixel electrodes in a second direction, a second gate line placed on the other side of the pixel electrodes, a source line extending along the second direction, a first pixel switch for switching connection of the source line with the first pixel electrode by a gate signal provided through the first gate line, and a second pixel switch for switching connection of the source line with the second pixel electrode by another gate signal provided through the second gate line, an counter-substrate provided with an common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer held between the substrates.
US09116398B2
The present invention discloses an array substrate, which includes a thin-film transistor, a data line, a gate line, and a pixel electrode. The array substrate further includes a common electrode. The common electrode has a first region, a second region, and at least one opening. The first region is defined on the common electrode, and the first region is a projection of the pixel electrode on a plane where the common electrode is located. The second region is defined on the common electrode, and the second region is close to at least one edge of the first region. The at least one opening is disposed on the second region of the common electrode.
US09116394B2
A display panel includes a pair of substrates, a pixel structure, and a display medium layer disposed between the pair of substrates. The pixel structure is disposed on one of the substrates, and includes first and second sub-pixels. The first sub-pixel includes a first pixel electrode, wherein the first pixel electrode has a first spacing in a first main region and has a second spacing in a first minor region, wherein the second spacing is smaller than the first spacing. The second sub-pixel includes a second pixel electrode, wherein the second pixel electrode has a third spacing in a second main region and has a fourth spacing in a second minor region, wherein the fourth spacing is larger than or equal to the third spacing, and wherein the first spacing is larger than the third spacing.
US09116388B2
A backlight module and a liquid crystal display are provided. The backlight module includes an optical film, a reflection member and a light-emitting unit. A reflection surface of the reflection member includes multiple side edges. The light-emitting unit is disposed on one intersection position formed by the side edges of the reflection surface, and a light-emitting direction of the light-emitting unit faces the reflection surface. The reflection surface has a default track, whereby the lights emitted from the light-emitting unit can be projected to the reflection surface, and then uniformly entering into the optical film after being reflected by the reflection surface.
US09116386B2
A lens includes an upper flat surface having a first outer diameter, a bottom surface having a second outer diameter and a third inner diameter, an external curved surface which connects the upper flat surface and the bottom surface, and an inner curved surface which protrudes toward the upper flat surface from the bottom surface at the third inner diameter.
US09116383B2
A manufacturing method of a light barrier glass sheet, comprising: farming a metal layer (2) on a glass substrate (1); coating a first photoresist layer (3) on the metal layer (2), performing first exposure on the first photoresist layer (3) through a half tone mask, then performing first development on the first photoresist layer (3); removing partial region of the metal layer (2) through a first etching process; removing a partial thickness and a partial region of the first photoresist layer (3) through an ashing process; forming an insulating layer (4) on the exposed glass substrate (1), the exposed metal layer (2), the first photoresist layer (3) after the ashing process, and sidewalls of the photoresist layer (3) after the ashing process; removing the first photoresist layer (3), the insulating layer (4) on the first photoresist layer (3), and the insulating layer (4) on the sidewalls of the first photoresist layer (3) by a photoresist lifting-off process so as to form a via hole (7); forming a transparent pixel electrode pattern (5) in the via hole (7), on sidewalls of the via hole (7) and on the insulating layer (4). With the method, one mask process can be omitted, thus the manufacturing process can be simplified, the production efficiency can be improved and the production cost can be reduced.
US09116381B2
An electro-optical device includes an electro-optical panel and a retaining member. The retaining member includes a first retaining portion that extends along a first side of the electro-optical panel and a second retaining portion that extends along a second side, the first side intersects a direction in which cooling air flows, the first retaining portion is formed to be flush with a panel face of at least one of a light incident side and a light emitting side of the electro-optical panel, and the second retaining portion is formed to protrude from at least one of the panel faces.
US09116375B2
The present invention provides a connection structure for panel and frame and holding member thereof. The connection structure includes a panel and a frame supporting the panel. The panel and the frame use a plurality of holding members to fix and hold. The holding member includes a presser and a connection part extending from one side of the presser. The connection part includes a first extension part and a second extension part. The first extension part and the second extension part connect a corresponding connection element on the side of the frame. As such, the present invention saves the front frame and fixes a liquid crystal panel and a frame of a liquid crystal module to reduce the transportation risk, protect the liquid crystal panel from damage, simplify the overall assembly structure of the liquid crystal module and reduce the assembly cost.
US09116368B2
An optical modulation device including: bias power supplies that output a signal having a bias voltage corresponding to the null point of an optical modulation unit to the optical modulation unit; and synchronous detection circuits that determine whether an intensity of a QAM signal at a drift non-occurrence time where no drift occurs in the bias voltage becomes larger or smaller than the intensity of the QAM signal at a drift occurrence time where a drift occurs in the bias voltage, adjust the bias voltage to maximize the intensity of the QAM signal when determining that the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift non-occurrence time becomes larger than the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift occurrence time, and adjust the bias voltage to minimize the intensity of the QAM signal when determining that the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift non-occurrence time becomes smaller than the intensity of the QAM signal at the drift occurrence time.
US09116366B2
A tunable Radio Frequency (RF) filter device includes a tunable optical source generating an optical carrier signal, and a modulator coupled to the tunable optical source and modulating the optical carrier signal with an RF input signal. The tunable RF filter device may include first and second optical waveguide paths coupled to the modulator and having first and second dispersion slopes of opposite sign from each other, one or more of the first and second optical waveguide paths comprising an optical splitter and combiner pair therein, and an optical-to-electrical converter coupled to the first and second optical waveguide paths and generating an RF output signal with a frequency notch therein based upon the tunable optical source.
US09116362B2
An eyeglass frame includes an outer frame (20), an inner frame (50) provided with a pair of eyeglass lenses (60), and temples (31) connected to the outer frame (20). The inner frame (50) is attached to the outer frame (20) through connection members (55).
US09116359B2
To enable a viewer to recognize a stereoscopic image even when a posture of the viewer is changed in front of a display device by providing a stereoscopic image display apparatus including: a lens sheet which is adjacent to a display surface of a display device, and is configured by arranging a plurality of plano convex lenses along an arrangement direction of display elements, consecutively side by side while varying a distance from the display surface; a storage unit storing stereoscopic display images corresponding to parallax points with respect to a display object at a plurality of viewing points; a sensing unit which senses a posture changing amount of a visual organ of a human body; a selection unit selecting the stereoscopic display images for the respective viewing points according to the posture changing amount sensed; and a display controller allowing the stereoscopic display images on the display device.
US09116358B2
A 3D display is provided, at least comprising a display module, a backlight module disposed beneath the display module, and a barrier module disposed above the display module. The barrier module comprises a bottom substrate having a bottom electrode layer, an upper substrate having an upper electrode layer, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the bottom substrate and the upper substrate. At least one of the bottom electrode layer and the upper electrode layer comprises at least two finger electrodes interlaced to each other, and voltages with opposite direction are applied on the two finger electrodes at the same time interval in a 3D driving mode.
US09116357B2
A hybrid multiplexed 3D display including a light source, an image splitter, and an image display is provided. The light source is used for sequentially providing a plurality of groups of light emitting toward different emitting directions. The image splitter is disposed above the light source for imaging each of the groups of light at a view group comprising a plurality of views. The image display is disposed above the light source for providing image data. The groups of light are sequentially transmitted through the image display and the image splitter to respectively generate a plurality of view images at the views such that an image viewed by a user includes at least two of the view images to achieve a stereoscopic visual effect.
US09116353B2
With a microscope device according to the invention, it is possible to acquire information on a deeper part of a living organism than that in the case of a conventional microscope device. The microscope device according to a first invention comprises an illumination optical system for irradiating an object with illumination rays in a line-like form, a detection optical system for receiving light rays generated by the illumination rays. The second invention relates to a microscope device wherein an objective lens of an illumination optical system, and an objective lens of a detection optical system are at respective positions. The third invention relates to a microscope device wherein a separation filter is structured such that a laser beam can pass through only a part (a region) thereof. The fourth invention relates to a microscope device wherein illumination rays having coherence are separated into two portions.
US09116352B2
A method for manufacturing an optical element includes forming a functional layer (half mirror layer) on a first face of a first translucency member that is made of cyclo olefin polymer or cyclo olefin copolymer, and forming an inorganic coating layer having translucency (silicon oxide layer) on a second face of a second translucency member that is made of cyclo olefin polymer or cyclo olefin copolymer. The method for manufacturing an optical element further includes bonding the first face side of the first translucency member to the second face side of the second translucency member by an adhesive layer.
US09116347B2
An illuminating system for transmitted-light microscopes has a illuminator unit seated on a bracket. A condenser is mounted on the bracket by way of a condenser holder and is rotatable with respect to the bracket. The condenser has an integrated modulator slider that slidably extends through the condenser. The bracket has an upright portion with a window through which the modulator slider may be fed in the direction facing away from the operator. the bracket may be provided with a stand mount.
US09116346B2
To optionally forming a multilevel light intensity distribution on an illumination pupil plane, the illumination apparatus implements Köhler illumination on an illumination target surface, using as a light source the light intensity distribution formed on the illumination pupil plane on the basis of light from a light source. The illumination apparatus has a spatial light modulator, a condensing optical system, and a control unit. The spatial light modulator has a plurality of reflecting surfaces which are two-dimensionally arranged and postures of which can be controlled independently of each other. The condensing optical system condenses light from the reflecting surfaces to form a predetermined light intensity distribution on the illumination pupil plane. The control unit controls the number of reflecting surfaces contributing to arriving light, for each of points on the illumination pupil plane forming the light intensity distribution, according to a light intensity distribution to be formed on the illumination pupil plane.
US09116328B2
Present embodiments provide for a mobile device and an optical imaging lens thereof. The optical imaging lens comprises five lens elements positioned sequentially from an object side to an image side. Though controlling the convex or concave shape of the surfaces, the refracting power of the lens elements and/or equations between parameters, the optical imaging lens shows better optical characteristics and the total length of the optical imaging lens is shortened.
US09116327B2
An imaging lens system includes, sequentially from an object side to an image side: a first lens having a positive refractive power; a second lens having a negative refractive power; and a third lens having a negative refractive power, wherein a viewing angle θ satisfies following condition, 0.3<|tan θ|<0.8.
US09116326B2
An optical distributor (10) is formed as a reflector with one or more sloping surfaces. The sloping surfaces have varying angles of inclination from a bottom edge (20) to a top edge of the reflector. The sloping surfaces may form a substantially pyramidal or conical frustum-shaped surface. The sloping surfaces may additionally or alternatively form a band of adjacent or contiguous faceted surfaces. The reflector is configured to receive light rays through an opening (32) in a first plane (30) and reflect light rays radially outward and upward at varying angles of reflection (8B) to a bottom surface of the first plane (30) in a manner that illuminates both the bottom surface of the first plane (30) and an area (40) below the first plane (30). The reflected light may illuminate the first plane (30) and the area (40) below in a substantially uniform manner.
US09116325B2
An imaging lens system includes, from the object side, an aperture stop, a positive first lens convex to the object side, a negative second lens, a positive third lens convex to the object side, a positive meniscus fourth lens convex to the image side, and a negative biconcave fifth lens, and fulfills the conditional formulae 0.8
US09116323B2
A pressure-balanced enclosure for subsea use, and in particular for use as a submersible junction box in which subsea cables can be joined. The apparatus maintains a balanced pressure within the termination chamber; it is field installable, testable, and repairable. The termination chamber is not oil-filled; instead, it is substantially filled with a solid particulate fill material which includes a portion of elastomeric material.
US09116321B2
An optical fiber cord includes an optical fiber cord main body with a round sectional form, the optical fiber cord main body including a core which has an optical fiber ribbon in which N (N is an even number of 4 or larger) coated optical fibers are arranged in parallel, and a sheath which covers the core. In the optical fiber ribbon, connected parts and non-connected parts are intermittently formed in a longitudinal direction between the adjacent coated optical fibers.
US09116315B2
Embodiments of a barrel for use with fiber optic connections and method of manufacturing are disclose herein. In one embodiment, a barrel comprises a first portion. The first portion having a wedge protruding from a distal end of the first portion at an angle and a component cavity for receiving an opto-electric component therein. The barrel further comprises a second portion having a fiber cavity for receiving one or more fiber cables therein, wherein the second portion is moldably coupled onto the distal end of the first portion around the wedge. The second portion may further comprise a panel interface for mounting the barrel within a panel.
US09116313B2
A pluggable light source device connects in a plug-in engaging manner with an optical modulating device that includes an optical modulator component. The pluggable light source includes a light generator to generate an optical signal to be output from the light source device, and a connection member disposed at a connecting end of the light source device. The connection member includes an optical connector, where the optical connector of the light source device is configured to engage with a corresponding optical connector of the optical modulating device when the connecting end of the light source device is connected via a plug-in engagement with a connection member of the optical modulating device so as to facilitate input of optical signals from the light generator to the optical modulator component.
US09116308B2
An optical fiber connector includes a housing and a clamping element. The housing defines a receiving space including an inner bottom surface. The inner bottom surface defines first grooves and first receiving grooves aligned with the first grooves, and includes two clamping holes. The clamping element is received in the receiving space and includes a cantilever beam and two hooks extending from the cantilever beam. The cantilever beam includes a bottom surface defining a second receiving grooves. The two hooks are received into the two clamping holes to fix the clamping element to the housing. The first receiving grooves and the second receiving grooves cooperatively define receiving holes to receive optical fibers.
US09116307B2
A sleeve for an optical connector into which a ferrule arranged to hold an optical fiber is to be inserted, and by which an optical connector in which the sleeve is to be housed can be reduced in size in a direction that the optical connector is fitted into a counterpart optical connector. A sleeve for an optical connector includes a portion having a tube shape, into which a ferrule is to be inserted, and a hook portion at one end of the sleeve, the hook portion protruding in a diameter direction of the tube-shaped portion.
US09116303B2
The present invention provides a hologram which forms a light intensity distribution on a predetermined plane by using incident light. The hologram includes a plurality of cells configured to control both a phase of a first polarized light component in a first polarization direction of the incident light and a phase of a second polarized light component in a second polarization direction perpendicular to the first polarization direction, to form a phase difference distribution between phase distributions for the first and second polarized light components. The plurality of cells are designed so that a number of phase difference levels of the phase difference distribution is less than a number of phase levels of the phase distribution of the first polarized light component.
US09116288B2
An optical instrument of the present invention comprises a ring member which is arranged to be rotatable with respect to a lens barrel, and also to slide in an optical axis direction to a first position and a second position, a rotation position detection section for outputting a preset distance that has been set by a rotation operation, when the ring member is at the second position, and a control section for, when the ring member has been subjected to a slide operation between the first position and the second position, moving a photographing lens at a first speed or a second speed up to a distance corresponding to an operation position.
US09116269B2
A microoptical device, and a method for forming cavities of the microoptical device, including: (a) forming, on the planar surface of a support substrate (10), a layer (12) of a sacrificial material, b) forming walls (6) of said cavities, the bottom of said cavities (4) being formed by said layer of sacrificial material, c) conformally depositing a layer (30) of absorbing, on tops (60) of the walls, on flanks (61, 62) of the walls, and on the bottom (4′) of the cavities, d) etching the sacrificial layer (12), and removing the material of this layer and the material of the layer (30) of absorbing material being present at the bottom of the cavities (4).
US09116267B2
Electronic devices may include displays. A display may include backlight components such as a light guide plate that distributes light from a light source across the display. The light source may include a plurality of light-emitting diodes mounted on a printed circuit substrate. A portion of the light guide plate may be attached to the printed circuit substrate using adhesive. The adhesive may be a supported adhesive that includes a lining of reflective material. A reflective coating such as a layer of white coverlay may be formed on the surface of the printed circuit substrate and may be configured to reflect light into the light guide plate. The reflective coating may serve as a solder mask. The printed circuit substrate may be attached to a metal display chassis using adhesive. A shim may be used to raise the height of the light source relative to the printed circuit substrate.
US09116266B2
A light-emitting element includes: a light source; a light guide member having a columnar shape and comprising a plurality of side surfaces containing a pair of parallel total reflection principal surfaces and other surfaces than the total reflection principal surfaces, an upper bottom surface disposed so that light from the light source reaches the total reflection principal surfaces, and a lower bottom surface disposed opposite to the upper bottom surface; clad portions provided on the other side surfaces of the light guide member than the total reflection principal surfaces, the clad portions having a smaller refractive index than that of the light guide member; and a light extraction portion provided on one part of the total reflection principal surfaces.
US09116262B2
An illumination system includes a light source, an optical waveguide that has a proximal end and a distal end such that the proximal end is arranged to receive light from the light source and the distal end is suitable to illuminate an object of interest; and an optical coupler constructed and arranged to couple light from the light source into the optical waveguide. The optical coupler includes a reflective surface that reflects at least some light diverging from the light source to be coupled into the optical waveguide.
US09116260B2
Techniques described herein generally relate to optical devices and methods of manufacturing optical devices. An example optical device includes a first substrate having a first optical element, a second substrate coupled to the first substrate, and cured resin. The first substrate has a first optical element. The second substrate has at least one supporting structure and a second optical element supported by the at least one supporting structure. The at least one supporting structure has at least one receptor. The cured resin is arranged in the at least one receptor of the at least one supporting structure effective to position the second optical element relative to the first optical element.
US09116258B2
A method, apparatus, and program product increase the computational efficiency of a multipoint geostatistics method by parallelizing the simulation process to concurrently simulate sets of unassigned cells in a simulation grid. Values of unassigned cells in the neighborhood of the unassigned cells being simulated are predicted, and a plurality of threads are used to simulate the set of unassigned cells using the predicted values. Simulation results are used to verify predictions, and mispredicts cause ongoing simulations of other cells to be restarted using the simulation results in lieu of mispredicted values.
US09116251B1
A method on a server for logging and recalling data gathered from a buried asset location procedure is disclosed. The method includes receiving a group of buried asset data points corresponding to a particular buried asset, receiving at a different time a portable transmitter hookup definition associated with the group of buried asset data points, searching for buried asset data points that match, within predefined parameters, the portable transmitter hookup definition, storing the portable transmitter hookup definition in association with the matching points, creating a buffer zone around the portable transmitter hookup, and transmitting to a mobile device the buffer zone for the portable transmitter hookup.
US09116250B2
A radiation detector includes a housing to contain a radiation detecting gas. The housing has a first thermal expansion over an operating temperature range. An elongate electrode extends within the housing and has opposing first and second ends, with the first end secured to adjacent portion of the housing. The elongate electrode has second thermal expansion over the operating temperature range defining a difference with respect to the first thermal expansion. A temperature compensator is coupled between the second end of the elongate electrode and an adjacent portion of the housing. The temperature compensator has a third thermal expansion over the operating temperature range to maintain a tension on the elongate electrode within a desired range over the operating temperature range.
US09116247B2
A neutron detector circuit for a neutron detector is disclosed that includes a scintillator having a plurality of wavelength shifting optical fibers. A first detection circuit is connected with a first PMT output that is configured to generate a first detection circuit output in response to a first neutron event. A second detection circuit is connected with a second PMT output that is configured to generate a second detection circuit output in response to a second neutron event. A coincidence detection circuit is included that has inputs connected with the first and second detection circuit outputs that is configured to generate a neutron event count output pulse in response to coincident signals being received by the coincidence detection circuit from the first and second detection circuit outputs.
US09116246B2
A thermal neutron detector and method employ Gd-containing nanoscintillators. Thermal neutron radiation is detected by observing scintillation events from the nanoscintillators.
US09116241B2
In the method for detecting precipitation using a radar sensor, the radar sensor emits a transmission signal, whose frequency is varied periodically in successive modulation ramps. Signals received by the radar sensor are analyzed to determine precipitation on the basis of two different criteria. In the method, a first criterion relates to signals which are received during a pass-through of a modulation ramp, and a second criterion relates to a comparison of signals which are received during a pass-through of at least two successive modulation ramps.
US09116236B1
A multi-function avionics system that includes, but is not limited to, a combined traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and directional measuring equipment (DME) system that utilizes a multi-function directional antenna for both functions. The multi-function system utilizes the same directional antenna for TCAS and DME functions, which typically utilize the same communication frequency band. The multi-function antenna may include four antenna elements that discriminate the direction of the DME ground station squitter. The DME system establishes a bearing to the ground station from the squitter and uses this information to determine which directional beam to use for the DME interrogation. Directional DME interrogation reduces the power requirements relative to that required for omni-directional DME interrogation. The integration of DME and TCAS enables the removal of antennas and feeder cables from the aircraft, saving weight, drag and cost.
US09116235B2
A Mode S anti-reflection method for eliminating false tracks due to reflected replies in ground radar systems, wherein the information contribution of the replies (at the level of raw video) is analyzed with the aim of calculating the position of the reflectors. The possible presence of ADS-B reports can be used, otherwise it will be effectuated a geometrical analysis of the distribution of the replies and will be compared with the plot(s) extracted by the radar sensor. The possibility of correlating along time the moving of the plots, their place of origin and average duration of the tracks generated by them will allow to understand whether the plot is relevant to a reflection or not. In the case of “reflection”, a reflectors map is updated automatically in order to avoid the enabling of the initialization of the track in that area.
US09116233B2
A method, system, and computer program product to provide accurate positioning of a vehicle while conserving power is provided. The system includes a receiver configured to receive a positioning signal that determines a position of the vehicle and an auxiliary sensor configured to provide data to supplement the positioning signal so as to provide the position of the vehicle more accurately than with using solely the positioning signal. The system also includes an auxiliary controller coupled to the auxiliary sensor. The auxiliary controller is configured to generate a first signal to power-up the auxiliary sensor if the vehicle is proximate to entering an area that reduces accuracy of the positioning signal, and calibrate the auxiliary sensor prior to the vehicle entering the area; and generate a second signal to power-down the auxiliary sensor if the vehicle is proximate to exiting the area.
US09116229B2
The invention provides a novel method of transmit beamforming, which allows compact analog implementation of complex digital algorithms without compromising their features. It is aimed to support envelope shaping, apodization, and phase rotation per channel and per firing. Each of three embodiments represents a complete transmit channel driven by pulse-width modulated (PWM) waveforms stored in a conventional sequence memory. PWM signals controls the transmit pulse envelope (shape) by changing the duty cycle of the carrier. Beamformation data are loaded prior to a firing via serial interface. Under the direction of a controller, the circuitry allows high precision (beyond sampling rate) phase rotation of the carrier. It also provides transmit apodization (aperture weighting), which maintains an optimal trade-off among low sidelobe level and widening of the mainlobe. Implementing such an IC, the manufacturing cost of a high-end ultrasound system can be reduced. Equally, the proposed solution makes the benefits of digital transmit beamformers available to midrange and entry-level machines since it merely requires a modified programming of the sequence memory.
US09116228B2
A low-latency centralized RTK system utilizes an RTK server to perform matched updates using base station GNSS measurements from one or more base stations and GNSS measurements from one or more rovers, and the one or more rovers produce RTK solutions based on the results of the matched updates. The RTK server includes one or more processors that perform the matched updates and a transmitter that transmits at least the ambiguities to the rovers. The respective rovers, which have processing power that is sufficient to quickly calculate RTK baselines, utilize the received ambiguities, the base station GNSS measurements received from either the RTK server or the base stations, known base station positions and instantaneous GNSS measurements at the rovers to readily determine and update their RTK baselines and their precise positions.
US09116224B2
Provided is an electronic device including a modulation unit (22) that modulates a sound signal to a modulation wave for a parametric speaker; an oscillator (12) to which the modulation wave is input; an equalizer (26) that corrects a frequency characteristic of a sound wave that is demodulated by the modulation wave; and a control unit (20) that selects a carrier frequency of the modulation wave and changes setting of the equalizer (26) on the basis of the selected carrier frequency. Thus, it is possible to provide the electronic device capable of correcting the frequency characteristic of the sound wave that is demodulated, for each carrier frequency of the modulation wave.
US09116219B1
A system and methods for high-speed functional magnetic resonance imaging using multi-slab echo-volumar imaging (EVI), specifically a combination of multi-slab excitation and single-shot 3D encoding with parallel imaging to reduce geometrical image distortion and blurring, and to increase blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) sensitivity compared to conventional echo-planar imaging (EPI).
US09116216B2
An apparatus combines magnetic resonance (MR) and nuclear imaging of human breast for cancer diagnosis. An MRI system including an MR breast RF coil is combined with a nuclear imaging system having a detector disposed or disposable within the MR breast RF coil arranged and configured for the performance of simultaneous or sequential coregistered breast MRI and nuclear imaging. A selectively controlled compression mechanism for lightly compresses the breast being imaged. The remotely controlled compression mechanism is integrated with the MR breast RF coil.
US09116208B2
An address and command port interface selectively enables JTAG TAP domain operations and Trace domain operations within an IC. The port carries TMS and TDI input and TDO output on a single pin and receives a clock signal on a separate pin. The addressable two pin interface loads and updates instructions and data to the TAP domain within the IC. The instruction or data update operations in multiple ICs occur simultaneously. A process transmits data from an addressed target device to a controller using data frames, each data frame comprising a header bit and data bits. The logic level of the header bit is used to start, continue, and stop the data transmission to the controller. A data and clock signal interface between a controller and multiple target devices provides for each target device to be individually addressed and commanded to perform a JTAG or Trace operation.
US09116203B2
A test structure including an array of microbumps electrically connecting a chip and a substrate, wherein a width of each microbump of the array of microbumps is equal to or less than about 50 microns (μm). The test structure further includes an interconnect structure connected to the array of microbumps. The test structure further includes an array of test pads around a periphery of the array of microbumps, wherein a test pad of the array of test pads is connected to a corresponding microbump of the array of microbumps through the interconnect structure. A width of the test pad is greater than a width of the corresponding microbump, and the test pad is adapted to be covered after circuit probing by a passivation material to prevent particle and corrosion issues.
US09116202B2
In an embodiment, a chuck to support a solar cell in hot spot testing is provided. This embodiment of the chuck comprises a base portion and a support portion disposed above the base portion. The support portion is configured to support the solar cell above the base portion and to define a cavity between a bottom surface of the solar cell and the base portion that thermally separates a portion of the bottom surface of the solar cell from the base portion.
US09116197B2
A device is provided. The device may include a first electrical connector, a second electrical connector, an interconnect, and a magnetic field detector. The interconnect is mounted in electrical contact with the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector and includes a loop. The magnetic field detector is located in proximity to the loop of the interconnect. The magnetic field detector is located to detect a current flowing in the interconnect when the current flows in the interconnect.
US09116191B2
A voltage-drop testing system, including a voltage-drop control apparatus, and a voltage-drop testing method adapted for the voltage-drop testing system based on LABVIEW department platform. When the LABVIEW department platform 12 is running, different groups of test data may be transferred to the PLD tester 20, when the PLD tester 20 finishes the testing based on all groups of test data, the PLD tester 20 feeds back the test results to the LABVIEW department platform 12, and the LABVIEW department platform 12 creates the voltage-drop testing graphic frame displaying the test results for the electronic device under test 2 for the convenience of a user.
US09116175B2
An electrical testing apparatus for testing an electrical test sample. The apparatus includes a conductor substrate which is electrically connected via a contact spacing converter to a test head. The conductor substrate is mechanically connected to a first stiffening device and is thereby stiffened. At least one spacer which penetrates the conductor substrate is mechanically connected to the contact spacing converter and is held on the first stiffening device via at least one tilt adjusting arrangement.
US09116172B2
A connector includes a support and an arm. The support is to support a to-be-test workpiece. The arm is rotatably connected to the support and includes a number of probes. Pinheads of the probes faces the support. When the arm is rotated to a predetermined position relative to the support, the pinheads of the probes contacts with a flexible printed circuit (FPC) of the to-be-tested workpiece.
US09116171B2
What is disclosed is a current measuring apparatus comprising: a mains connector, such as a plug, for connecting to a wire of a mains supply; an apparatus connector, such as a socket, to provide for electrical conduction to an electrical apparatus; a coil in series between the mains connector and the apparatus connector; and a measurement circuit that is operative to measure a voltage drop across the coil. In particular the coil is one present to also filter the mains signal. Also disclosed is a mains voltage powered consumer product, a network and an adaptor utilizing the current measuring apparatus.
US09116170B2
An automatic aligning apparatus for aligning aligning components of a first object with aligning components of a second object includes first and second aligning mechanisms. The first aligning mechanism carries the first object and has a guiding groove. The second aligning mechanism has a carrying component that carries the second object, two rear holding plates, and two connecting components, each extending through a through hole in a corresponding rear holding plate and having two clamping parts that clamp a corresponding rear holding plate. The carrying component is movable between an initial position and an aligning position where a guiding stud of the carrying component extends into the guiding groove.
US09116164B2
A pseudo-differential accelerometer resistant to EMI is disclosed that includes a device with a sensor core connected to an integrated circuit including a chopper, differential amplifier, and dummy core. The chopper swaps input to output connections during different states. The dummy core is coupled to a dummy chopper input. Three bond wires coupling the sensor output to a sensor chopper input, a first chopper output to a first sensor input, and a second chopper output to a second sensor input can connect the sensor and integrated circuit. The device can include a dummy pad and dummy bond wire connecting the dummy pad to the dummy chopper input. This configuration requires four bond wires connecting the sensor and integrated circuit. A neutralization core can be connected to the sensor chopper input. The chopper can change states to smear noise across a wide range, or away from a band of interest.
US09116156B2
An in vitro method aiding in the assessment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The disclosure further relates to a method for assessing COPD from a sample, derived from an individual, by measuring the protein ASC in said sample in vitro.
US09116142B2
A method of nondisruptive loading of reagents in a body fluid workstation including a plurality of analyzers, including: receiving application information to a first analyzer which needs loading of a reagent; loading the reagent into the first analyzer; controlling the first analyzer to pause dispensing of the reagent at a determined time; and controlling one or more other analyzers in the body fluid workstation to continue testing, wherein controlling the one or more other analyzers includes adjusting a test sequence of one or more sample racks in the one or more other analyzers subsequent to the first analyzer, and dispatching the one or more sample racks according to the adjusted test sequence.
US09116140B2
An apparatus and method for non-destructively diagnosing crop growth using terahertz waves are provided. The apparatus includes an information extractor configured to extract status information on a crop from information on an image of the crop taken using terahertz waves, a database configured to store growth-stage-specific information on the crop, and a status determiner configured to compare the status information on the crop extracted by the information extractor with the growth-stage-specific information stored in the database, and determine the degree of growth of the crop.
US09116122B2
An optical biosensor is provided for detecting a bio-molecular sample by Goos-Hänchen (GH) enhancement of Aharonov-Albert-Vaidman (AAV) amplification to a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) detector. The sensor includes pre- and post-selection polarizers respectively upstream and downstream of a right-isosceles prism with a metal film and a liquid medium disposed on a diagonal side of the prism. Laser light passes through the first polarizer, reflects at the film, passes through the second polarizer and is detected with a shift determined by a pointer estimator to indicate the sample.
US09116116B2
Provided is an optical analyzer which can promote enhancement of measurement sensitivity, cost reduction, size reduction, structural flexibility, disturbance resistance, and the like, at the same time. A laser device to be used in such optical analyzer is also provided. An optical analyzer comprises a laser light source (2); a wavelength selection element (3) for selecting and leading out light having a wavelength substantially equal to the absorption wavelength of an analysis object from among light outputted from the laser light source (2); an optical detection means (5) for detecting the intensity of light red out from the wavelength selection element (3); and a drive current control means (6) for increasing or decreasing the drive current of the laser light source (2) near a specified current value thereof for outputting light of the absorption wavelength, and setting the drive current at such a current value as the intensity of light detected by the optical detection means (5) has a peak value. The laser light source (2), the wavelength selection element (3), and the optical detection means (5) are mounted on a single substrate (11) which can regulate the temperature to a constant level.
US09116110B2
This invention employs an object information acquiring apparatus including a probe for receiving, as a received signal, an acoustic wave which is generated within an object irradiated with light and propagates on an object surface, and a processor for generating object information, which is information based on an internal optical characteristic value of the object, by using intensity of the received signal. The processor corrects the intensity of the received signal by using the reflectance upon the acoustic wave entering the probe which is calculated based on the angle of the acoustic wave entering the probe, and on the acoustic impedance and acoustic velocity of the object and the probe.
US09116093B2
A blood analyzer, a blood analysis method, and a computer program product that can distinguishably detect abnormal lymphocytes, blasts, and atypical lymphocytes are provided. A blood analyzer prepares a first measurement sample from a first reagent containing a hemolyzing agent, a second reagent containing a fluorescence staining dye, and the blood specimen, and prepares a second measurement sample from a third reagent containing a hemolyzing agent, a fourth reagent containing a fluorescence staining dye, and the blood specimen. The blood analyzer measures each of the measurement samples, and distinguishably detects abnormal lymphocytes, blasts, and atypical lymphocytes in a blood specimen based on the measurement data.
US09116085B2
The present invention is a mist testing device having a freezing chamber 30 (a mist-freeze unit) that freezes a mist particle injected from a injection valve 12, a tray 40 (a frozen-mist-hold unit) that holds a frozen mist particle 42 frozen by the freezing chamber 30, and an analyze unit 86 that analyzes the frozen mist particle 42 held by the tray 40.
US09116081B2
An improved electrical equipment housing which includes an oil sample valve and a gas port assembly which are contained within the electrical equipment housing, yet are separated from electrical contacts and may be accessed without exposure to the electrical contacts.
US09116075B2
A method for checking a function of an outlet valve of an internal combustion engine includes sensing an exhaust gas pressure in an exhaust section of the internal combustion engine. The sensed exhaust gas pressure is compared with a comparison value so as to provide a comparison result and the function of the outlet valve is evaluated as a function of the comparison result.
US09116068B2
A wind tunnel device defines a cyclical tunnel to receive continuous airflow. Airflow is delivered through the tunnel to a testing region that includes a first portion carrying an arm including a spray tip configured to spray particulates in the testing region at an angle, and a second portion including an enlarged cutout region configured to receive the angled sprayed particulates. As airflow carries the angled spray particulates into the second portion, the enlarged cutout region enables the spray particulates to pass through and exit the second portion of the testing region. Analysis in the second region may be conducted through transparent walls free of openings to minimize exposure of the spray particulates to the exterior of the device. A scrubber is adapted to extract spray mist from the airflow as the airflow exits the testing region and is re-circulated through the cyclical tunnel.
US09116065B2
An ionization vacuum measuring cell has: a) an evacuatable housing (10) with a measuring connection (8) for the vacuum to be measured, b) a first outer and a second inner electrode (3, 4) which are coaxially arranged in an interspaced manner with a common axis (7), whereby a measuring chamber (20) is formed between the two electrodes, the measuring chamber communicating with the measuring connection (8), c) a voltage source (16) which is connected to the electrodes (3, 4), d) a current measuring mechanism (17) for analyzing a discharge current generated between the electrodes (3, 4), and e) at least one permanent magnet ring (1) which surrounds the coaxial electrode (3, 4) arrangement, has a magnetizing direction (13) directed radially to the axis, and has a soft-magnetic yoke (2) that surrounds the permanent magnet ring (1).
US09116064B2
A built-in self-test structure for a pressure tester and a method thereof are provided. The built-in self-test structure includes a substrate, a plurality of membrane layers, a fixing portion, an electrical heating unit and a sensing circuit unit. The membrane layers are formed on the substrate. The fixing portion is configured on the membrane layers and includes a notch. The notch and the membrane layers define a cavity. The electrical heating unit is configured on one membrane layer, and the sensing circuit unit is configured on another membrane layer. The electrical heating unit heats up to increase the pressure in the cavity according to an input voltage, so that the membrane layers have a small deformation. The sensing circuit unit outputs a test signal according to the small deformation.
US09116063B2
A sensor unit may include a ceramic member including a first face and a second face opposite to each other with a predetermined interval, a sensor part mounted on the first face, a plurality of metal pins fixed to the second face, a plurality of internal wirings passing through the ceramic member, each of the plurality of internal wirings connecting the sensor part with one of the plurality of metal pins, and a metal member formed on a circumferential end of the second face and joined with a housing by welding.
US09116062B2
Provided is a test system capable of stable torque control. A test system is provided with: an excitation torque command calculation unit which calculates an excitation torque command value; a shaft torque command calculation unit which defines a value obtained by adding up a base torque command value and the excitation torque command value as a torque command value; a controller which determines a first control input value such that a shaft torque detection value becomes the shaft torque command value; a feedforward input calculation unit which defines a value obtained by removing components equal to or less than a predetermined frequency from the shaft torque command value as a second control input value; and an addition unit which defines a value obtained by adding up the first and second control input values as a torque current command value.
US09116061B2
An exemplary embodiment of a testing device for testing a pulling force includes a shell having a test platform, a load sensor mechanism, a control system, a drive and transmission mechanism and a material clamping mechanism. Two portions of a test object are clasped by the load sensor mechanism and the clamp. When the load sensor mechanism is driven to move further away from the clamp via the drive and transmission mechanism, a pulling force perpendicular to the test platform is generated between the two portions of the test object. The load sensor mechanism detects the pulling force and feeds back the detection to the control system.
US09116051B2
An actively cooled turbine sensor assembly is designed to withstand post-combustion gas-path conditions of gas turbine engines. The housing forms part of a cooling system and includes an elongated tubular structure that may be inserted into the hot flow path. The distal end portion of the sensor assembly is contoured to minimize heat transfer. The housing also includes leading and trailing plenums for flowing cooling air through the housing and out through the distal end portion. Additional side cavities may also be provided for active cooling of the sensor and reducing possible heat conduction paths to the sensor.
US09116047B2
Systems and methods for controlling the optical path length between a feedback enabled laser and a cavity, and hence the optical feedback phase. A phasor element, positioned along an optical path between the laser and the cavity coupling mirror, includes a gas medium within a volume defined by the phasor element. The phasor element is configured to adjust or control an optical path length of the laser light between the laser and the cavity coupling mirror by adjusting or controlling a density of the gas medium within the phasor volume.
US09116038B2
An integrated illumination reference source for generating an illumination reference signal may include an optical element having a first outer surface and a second outer surface, such that the first and the second outer surface are substantially opposing. The optical element receives an incident optical signal at the first outer surface and projects the incident optical signal from the second outer surface onto a surface. A reflective device that is located on a region of the second outer surface is offset from an optical axis of the optical element. The reflective device includes a reflective surface that reflects a portion of the incident optical signal from the second outer surface back through the first outer surface, whereby the reflective surface of the reflective device is encapsulated between the first outer surface and the second outer surface of the optical element.
US09116031B2
A weighing cell based on the principle of electromagnetic force compensation and having an optoelectronic position sensor that includes a light source, a light receiver, and a shutter vane. The light receiver functions to generate a position sensor signal corresponding to a deflection of the shutter vane from a zero position which occurs as a result of placing a load onto a load receiver of the weighing cell. A controller functions to regulate compensation current in response to the position sensor signal in such a way that the shutter vane and the movable parts of the weighing cell connected to the shutter vane are returned to the zero position by the electromagnetic force between a coil and permanent magnet system of the weighing cell.
US09116008B2
A method of providing route guidance to a vehicle user via a telematics unit comprises reading geo-coded route data from a removable medium at the telematics unit, the geo-coded data comprising a list of location and events associated with respective actions. The system senses the vehicle location and event status during the course of a trip. If the vehicle location matches a vehicle location listed in the geo-coded route data, the system executes an action associated in the list with that location and if a sensed event status indicates the occurrence of an event listed in the geo-coded route data, the system executes an action associated in the list with that event.
US09116003B2
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to systems, methods, etc. for creating a routing graph based at least partly on building information. For certain example implementations, a method includes obtaining building information descriptive of at least a portion of a building structure. A grid of points may be superimposed onto the building information. At least one routing graph may be created based at least in part on the superimposed grid of points and the building information. Other example implementations are also described.
US09115999B2
A digital video camera is placed on a vehicle. The video camera is attached to the vehicle and is directed to a surface at a certain angle to the surface. The camera angle can change while vehicle is in motion. The camera angle is constantly measured by angular sensor (i.e., inclinometer). Images of the surface are projected onto a video matrix and transformed into a sequence of digital frames that are formed at a pre-set time interval. A speed of the video camera relative to the surface is calculated as a ratio of an off-set between the adjacent frames and the time interval between the frames. Then a known relative speed of the vehicle can be corrected by multiplication of the height of the camera (above the surface) by a coefficient that equals a ratio of the known vehicle speed and the measured camera speed.
US09115979B2
A web thickness measuring equipment and a method of measuring a web thickness. A web thickness measuring equipment includes: a roller that is rotatable and configured to wind a web; a detection unit that detects a light amount on an outer circumferential surface of the roller or an external surface of the web wound on the roller, and detects a magnetic field of an internal surface of the web opposite to the external surface; and a processor unit configured to obtain a thickness of the web by generating profile data of the outer circumferential surface of the roller, generating displacement amount data of a target external surface of the web, generating displacement amount data of a target internal surface of the web, and comparing the displacement amount data of the target external surface of the web with the displacement amount data of the target internal surface of the web.
US09115971B2
A measuring apparatus includes an optical frequency comb source configured to emit an optical frequency comb in which a plurality of frequency components are arranged at equal frequency intervals, a beam splitter configured to split a beam emitted from the optical frequency comb source into a test beam to be irradiated onto a test surface and a reference beam to be irradiated onto a reference surface, an optical path difference changing element configured to change an optical path difference between the reference beam and the test beam, an image sensor configured to capture an interference pattern formed by interference between the test beam and the reference beam, and an analyzer configured to calculate a position of the test surface based upon a signal of the interference pattern captured while the optical path length difference is being changed by the optical path difference changing element.
US09115956B2
A fire-control system including a housing and a light channel, through which a user may directly observe a target and receive visually displayed information simultaneously. The light channel includes partially reflective optics. The fire-control system also includes a light source for visualization of a reticle to the user via the partially reflective optics and means for receiving a measure of the distance to the target. The fire-control system further includes a processor for determining the adequate position of the reticle based on the distance to the target and for controlling the light source to emit light so that the reticle is visualized at the adequate position. The light source is an array capable of selectively emitting light in well-defined locations on its surface.
US09115945B2
A device for cleaning the barrel of a firearm comprising a longitudinal central member having a leading end and a trailing end; a tubular woven sheath surrounding said central member; and a radial protrusion formed of a polymer disposed about said central member and under the tubular woven sheath. The radial protrusions are overmolded thermoplastic that distends the sheath radially to the internal diameter of gun barrel. The central member may include a fitting for attachment to various auxiliary tools or a T-handle. The surface of the polymer is provided with helical pattern of protrusions formed to urge the sheath against the lands of barrel rifling. The sheath is woven of primarily a natural fiber such as cotton. Luminescent, abrasive or heat resistant threads may also be woven into the sheath. A sponge material may be disposed between the sheath and the central member.
US09115941B2
A straight pull bolt action system for use with a firearm includes a bolt, an action bar, a locking pin and a locking lug. The locking lug front end is pivotally moveable between an up position and a down position, the bolt and action bar are longitudinally moveable between forward and rearward positions. The bolt has a lower locking surface that locks with the locking lug front end when the bolt is in the forward position and the locking lug front end is in the up position. The locking pin has one portion slidably disposed in an opening in the bolt and another portion slidably disposed in an L-shaped opening in the action bar.
US09115929B2
A refrigerator includes a fixed frame in which an electric wire cable drawn from one sidewall of a storage chamber is disposed to form a loop, a sliding frame slidably coupled to the fixed frame, and an electric wire cable housing fixed to the sliding frame to surround a portion of the electric wire cable. The electric wire cable is prevented from being damaged upon insertion and drawing of a drawer type door.
US09115928B2
A home appliance, e.g., a refrigerator, includes a body; a door connected to the body with a hinge; a transfer element provided between the body and the door; and a guiding device guiding the transfer element between the body and the door. The guiding device includes a body element fixed to the body; a door element fixed to the door; and at least one bridge element pivotally connected to the body element and the door element as compatible with the movement of the hinge and guiding the transfer element between the body element and the door element.
US09115923B2
A shield for an ice dispensing assembly of a cooling compartment. The shield has at least one side member that increases in width along its length downwardly from a top of the shield. The shield blocks ice from falling directly from an ice maker into an ice chute of the cooling compartment.
US09115919B2
The disclosure is directed to an energy efficient thermal protection assembly. The thermal protection assembly can include three or more thermoelectric unit layers capable of active use of the Peltier effect; and at least one capacitance spacer block suitable for storing heat and providing a delayed thermal reaction time of the assembly. The capacitance spacer block is thermally connected between the thermoelectric unit layers. The present disclosure further relates to a thermoelectric transport and storage devices for transporting or storing temperature sensitive goods, for example, vaccines, chemicals, biologicals, and other temperature sensitive goods. The transport or storage device can be configured and provide on-board energy storage for sustaining, for multiple days, at a constant-temperature, with an acceptable temperature variation band.
US09115915B2
A support assembly for supporting photovoltaic panels includes a plurality of support units connected one by one. Each of the plurality of support units includes a support beam, a pair of standing posts, a strengthening bar and at least one horizontal beam. The pair of standing posts, the strengthening bar and the at least one horizontal beam are pivotably mounted on the support beam via connecting members. When used, the strengthening bar rotates relative to the support beam and collectively constitutes a triangle with the support beam and one of the pair of standing posts to avoid distortion. When packaged, the pair of standing posts and the strengthening bar rotate relative to the support beam to be received in the receiving groove respectively, and the at least one horizontal beam rotates relative to and is disposed in parallel to the support beam.
US09115912B2
The present invention relates to a fluid heating device which can instantaneously heat a fluid which is flowing for the purpose of supply or circulation. It comprises: a ceramic heater in the form of a flat plate having terminal lead wires for applying a power source; partition plates, to top and bottom of the ceramic heater, which allow the fluid which is to be heated to move towards the ceramic heater and which said partition plates have horizontal-movement fluid pathways such that fluid which has been heated by means of the ceramic heater is discharged; a flow path forming plate having a fluid through path such that the fluid on the horizontal-movement fluid pathways can move vertically to the fluid pathway of the next layer; an upper cover having an inlet hole for the supply of a fluid for heating the outside surface of the uppermost partition plate; and a final lower cover having an outlet hole for discharging the heated fluid onto the outside surface of the lowermost partition plate.
US09115911B2
A direct-fired heater suitable for connection to duct work is provided. The heater comprises a combustion chamber defined by a combustion chamber wall, a burner plate at one end proximate a fan blade and an exhaust plate at an opposite end, the burner plate having openings therein for allowing airflow into the combustion chamber and the exhaust plate have an opening therein for allowing exit of heated exhaust from the combustion chamber, the combustion chamber wall extending past the burner plate. A first airflow zone exists between the outer shell and the combustion chamber allowing airflow between the fan blade and the outlet in the outer shell. An injector for injecting gas into the combustion chamber in proximity to the openings in the burner plate is used. The heater also comprises a nose cone between the outlet in the outer shell and the exhaust plate.
US09115907B2
A ventilation system for a building in some cases includes a main HVAC blower for moving temperature-conditioned air through the building plus a smaller ventilation blower for providing fresh air. A controller regulates the ventilation blower's speed to provide a target ventilation flow rate regardless of changes in the pressure differential between the indoor and outdoor air. To ensure that the target rate is appropriate for a particular building, the target flow rate is determined based on a ventilation setting that reflects a specified number of bedrooms and a specified amount of floor space of the building.
US09115905B2
A steam-baking oven includes a baking chamber, an element for heating the air in the baking chamber, and a steam generator connected to a water supply controlled by shut-off means. The steam generator has a pipe for spraying water onto the heating means; its operation is controlled according to the humidity in the baking chamber according to a first parameter PX1 and a second parameter PX2. The parameters are preset so as to maintain the steam quality substantially constant with respect to a predefined value. The oven further includes a control interface operatively connected to control means and comprising a control device for selectively varying the steam quality with respect to the predefined value through the variation of the second parameter PX2, which controls the actuation of the shut-off means and corresponds to the duration of water inflow from the water supply toward the steam generator.
US09115899B2
A gas turbine combustor stably burns low-BTU gases, such as blast furnace gases, that are heavily laden with CO2. The gas turbine combustor includes a double-swirling burner with an inner swirler and an outer swirler, the burner having a configuration with gas fuel injection holes and air injection holes arranged at alternate positions in the inner swirler and with gas injection holes arranged in the outer swirler. In addition, fuel injection holes for enhancing flame stability are provided at positions radially inward of the inner swirler. An inner flame by the inner swirler and an outer flame by the outer swirler interact with each other to stably burn the low-BTU gas. In the inner swirler, the gas injection holes and air injection holes arranged at alternate positions contributes to raising a temperature of the inner flame to a level required for flame stabilization.
US09115877B1
A mounting apparatus for a light emitting diode module provides a support structure for attaching a light emitting diode module directly to a light bulb in a lighting system. A bulb bracket includes a bulb clip that can be mechanically attached to a conventional bulb such as a fluorescent, neon or incandescent light bulb. A light emitting diode module can be secured to the bulb bracket using a module clip or another attachment disposed between the bracket and the module. Additional light emitting diode support structures include a mounting bar securable directly to a light bulb or other structure in a lighting system such as a sign box wall. An expandable support bracket is also provided for supporting one or more light emitting diode modules.
US09115876B1
An improved light-emitting diode (LED) light fixture can include a circuit board, multiple LED clusters, and a master power controller. The LED clusters can be arranged on the circuit board and can include at least seven LEDs electrically connected in series and a regulator circuit. The LEDs of an LED cluster can be arranged such that one LED is located at a central point of the LED cluster and the remaining LEDs are arranged in a circular geometry around the center LED. The master power controller can be coupled to the circuit board and can be configured to control power provided to the LED clusters.
US09115872B2
A lighting device includes a base, a light source, an optical color wheel, and a lens. The base has a plurality of fins for heat dissipation. The light source is disposed in the base, and the optical color wheel is disposed above the light source and in contact with the base. The lens is movably disposed on the base. The Light from the light source passes through the optical color wheel to form colored light. The colored light passes through the lens to form a light beam. Heat generated by the light source and the optical color wheel is dissipated by the fins.
US09115867B2
The present invention provides an illuminator system comprising a dual reflector system and a linear light source. The dual reflector system comprises a primary and secondary generally cylindrical reflector, which collimate light from a linear light source in two planes. The linear light source may comprise many light emitting devices, and may emit light in a strobe or continuous fashion. The reflectors may be of many cylindrical shapes, and may include additional mirror segments to capture light otherwise not collimated. Further, the reflectors may be in various configurations of position and orientation with respect to one another, and may be adjustable in this respect. The system is more efficient than existing illuminators, is compact, all reflective (no color), lightweight, simple and inexpensive to manufacture. The system has applications to many fields including machine vision, surveillance, spectroscopic inspection of materials, and converting linear light sources into rectangular beam spot lights.
US09115863B2
An optical compound sheet for a backlight module includes a base layer formed of a transparent material, a plurality of structured patterns formed on the base layer at a predetermined interval, a light-condensing layer which includes a surface coating including nano-particles distributed on the surface of the structured patterns at the thickness of 0.01 μm to 1 μm, and an anti-scratching layer which is coated under the base layer at the thickness of 0.1 μm to 3 μm by using the UV-curable bond containing nano-particles. While improving the anti-scratching performance by using the surface coating and the anti-scratching layer containing the nano-particles, the wet-out and Moire phenomena are greatly reduced by the finely separate coating of the nano-particles, thereby achieving both the light-condensing function and light-diffusing function.
US09115858B2
An extended length flexible LED light strip system for extending the length of a flexible LED light strip. The extended length flexible LED light strip system generally includes a protective covering having a passage, a light strip extending within the passage of the protective covering, a first power bus and a second power bus within the protective covering, and a plurality of connectors electrically connecting the light strip to the power buses at selected lengths. A power coupler is provided that includes a pair of prongs that extend into the protective covering and electrically contact the power buses to provide DC power to the power buses.
US09115857B2
A landscape lighting system includes a light engine slug, an LED secured to a leading end of the light engine slug, an LED driver for controlling operation of the LED, wherein the LED driver is spaced from the LED, and conductive wires electrically interconnecting the LED driver and the LED. The lighting system includes a plurality of interchangeable light diverting elements adapted to be secured over the LED. Each of the light diverting elements has a unique light diversion angle associated therewith, whereby only one of the light diverting elements is secured over the LED at any one time. The landscape lighting system includes a light intensity controller in communication with the LED driver. The light intensity controller includes a control element that enables an operator to selectively increase and decrease the intensity of the light generated by the LED.
US09115853B2
A lighting device includes at least one light source arranged in contact with an electrically conducting layer, and mechanically secured to an electrically insulating heat sink element.
US09115846B2
A holding element, in particular for a hydraulic unit of a slip-controllable block vehicle braking system, includes at least one side wall which, at one end, has a receptacle for holding the hydraulic unit. The holding element further includes at least one fastening element for fastening the holding element to a support part, wherein the holding element is at least substantially designed as a single piece. The holding element is manufactured at least substantially from plastic and the side wall is provided with at least one stiffening rib which runs in a radial or radiated manner with respect to the receptacle.
US09115838B2
A rapid-connect gas coupler is shown and described herein. In an embodiment, the rapid-connect gas coupler includes a spring-loaded probe within a probe cavity, which is defined by a housing and one or more latch segment. The probe can engage with a gas connector, which causes the latch segment to engage and couple with the gas connector.
US09115835B2
An apparatus includes a fitting having an inner surface defining a passageway, an outer surface, and at least one aperture extending from the outer surface to the inner surface. A plug extends into the passageway and has a plug surface defining at least one hole. A retaining member extends through the aperture and into the hole to retain the plug with respect to the fitting. A locking member is operatively connected to the fitting and the plug, and is positioned such that the locking member restricts movement of the retaining member out of said at least one hole.
US09115827B2
A clevis hanger has an upper strap and a lower strap. The upper strap can be supported by a hang rod or the like. The lower strap and the upper strap can be snapped open and snapped closed such that the lower strap can be secured to the upper strap without additional hardware.
US09115825B2
A cage for a control valve trim assembly includes a cage body having an opening at one end and a wall extending from the opening, a plurality of cage openings disposed in the wall, and a pressure relief mechanism disposed in the cage wall.
US09115824B2
A fluid control valve for high pressure surges, that has a controlled pressure drop box inside, arranged on a block seat and through whose core a cylindrical plug can be moved. The box is formed by a number of disks grooved on both sides, fluid flows through the grooves. The grooves are arranged in a spiral, curved clockwise or counterclockwise and crossways to the grooves of the adjacent disks, forming a number of chambers at the intersections between the contact faces of two side-by-side disks. A dynamic mixture of the incoming fluid veins through each groove is produced in each of the chambers, with the ensuing creation of local turbulence and loss in kinetic energy as heat prior to evacuation through the protruding course of the outlet grooves. The successive chambers in the course of the grooves are arranged in tiered annular spaces of gradual and controlled pressure loss.
US09115820B2
A fluidic control element includes a housing having a fluid space formed between at least two housing parts. First and second flow channels may each have a sealing seat that opens into the fluid space. The fluidic control element may further include a two-armed lever which is configured to swivel in the fluid space. Each arm of the lever may be configured to open and close one of the flow channels in a corresponding end position. Additionally, a valve body may have a load-carrying core including a shaft mounted in the housing. The shaft may be rounded at least in the region in which it is embedded in a sealing ring that surrounds the lever arms.
US09115813B2
This invention provides a fluid control device which is capable of visually recognizing its opening and closing states with a simple configuration. The casing 3 is formed so as to be opened upward. The piston 8 is disposed at an upper end portion of a valve rod 7 such that a piston upper end portion is exposed from an opening of the casing 3 when the valve rod 7 is located at the upper position.
US09115811B2
A flow control device is provided with a first body having a first port through which pressure fluid is supplied, and a second body which is installed on the first body. A valve mechanism which controls the circulation state of the pressure fluid that circulates from the first port to a second port is provided inside this first body. Furthermore, a first connecting section of the first body is inserted into and engaged with the inside of a second connecting section formed at the upper end of the second body, resulting in the first body and the second body being integrally connected together.
US09115807B2
A piston for an air pump has a connecting rod and a sealing valve. The connecting rod has a seat. The seat has a groove and a retaining surface. The groove is defined in an outer surface of the seat. The retaining surface is adjacent to the groove. The sealing valve movably engages the seat of the connecting rod and has an engaging ring and a sealing part. The engaging ring has an inwall which extends into the groove and has an engaging surface facing the retaining surface. The sealing part is connected with the inwall of the engaging ring and sealingly covers the through hole. The sealing valve is not prone to deformation and warpage during the operation of the piston to prevent any operating noise problem.
US09115802B2
A drive sprocket for driving a modular belt having a plurality of belt modules with intercalated link ends connected by transverse pivot members to form hinges. The belt modules may have transverse ribs. The drive sprocket is driven by a shaft. The drive sprocket has a central opening for receiving the shaft. The body has a plurality of teeth disposed in pairs along a periphery of the body. The body has a first opening formed between adjacent pairs of teeth and extending toward the center of the sprocket to provide access to the hinge area, when the belt engages with the sprocket, for application of cleaning fluid.
US09115796B1
In a differential device, first and second bearing bosses aligned on a same axis to be rotatably supported by a transmission case are integrally formed on one and another side portions of an integrated differential case housing a differential gear mechanism. Paired sleeves rotatably supported by the bosses are connected liquidtightly to paired left and right side gears of the mechanism. A tube portion is integrally protruded from an outer end of a hub of each gear. The sleeve is screwed and fastened onto an outer periphery of the tube portion. In the gear and sleeve, first and second sealing surfaces are formed respectively to closely adhere to each other by such screwing and fastening, thereby shutting off communication between an inside of the differential case and a screwed portion between the tube portion and sleeve.
US09115794B2
An integrated drive generator includes a pump plate having first and second parallel faces defining a first thickness. A passage extends between the first and second faces through the pump plate. Webbing is provided in the passage having a second thickness less than the first thickness. The webbing provides a first volume and the passage provides a second volume. A ratio of the second volume to the first volume is 20.8.
US09115793B2
A transmission for rotatably coupling an input shaft with an output shaft about a longitudinal axis is disclosed, which may include a continuous variable transmission and an output torque sensing control mechanism. The continuous variable transmission may be a toroidal disc continuous variable transmission. The output torque sensing control mechanism may include a spring and an intermediary output shaft rotatably connected with an output rotating member of the continuous variable transmission, and the output shaft may be externally threaded and matable with an internally threaded portion of the intermediary output shaft.
US09115789B2
A transmission having two clutches connected between a drive and respective transmission input shafts, one being hollow which supports the other within. A hollow countershaft which supports another countershaft therein. A main shaft arranged coaxially between the inner input shaft and an output shaft. Shifting elements can engage a variety of transmission connections in which transmission elements of the main group couple transmission elements of the range group which can couple the output shaft. The hollow countershaft has three fixed wheels which engage respective loose wheels, and the countershafts are rigidly coupled by a shifting element. With respect to this shifting element: an adjacent loose wheel rotates on and can rigidly couple the main shaft; a remote loose wheel rotates on and can rigidly couple the inner input shaft; and a central loose wheel rotates on and can rigidly couple at least one of the inner input and main shafts.
US09115788B2
In a ring-type tensioner, a resilient ring that cooperates with external grooves formed on a plunger to restrict retracting movement of the plunger in a tensioner housing, is formed with manipulation parts that extend through a cut-out portion in the housing and have bulged portions that are spaced by gaps from opposed walls of the cut-out portions. A rod-shaped tool inserted into one of the gaps cooperates with the bulged portion and the wall on opposite sides of the gap to expand the ring. The manipulation parts can be formed with tool-holding portions.
US09115785B1
A drive mechanism effects a rotary power output in a selected one of opposite first and second power output directions in response to a reciprocating power input resulting from substantially linear forces applied to the drive mechanism. The drive mechanism includes input bevel gears meshed with corresponding output bevel gears coupled to a common power output shaft through clutches that effect a rotary power output at the power output shaft in response to the reciprocating power input from the substantially linear forces. Opposite crank arms are coupled with the input bevel gears such that each crank arm is advanced by an applied substantially linear force, and is retracted upon advancement of the opposite crank arm. A selector enables selection of either one of the opposite directions of rotation of the power output shaft, without requiring a change in the manner in which the linear force input is applied.
US09115784B2
The invention provides a transmission belt that can suppress lowering in transmission efficiency and has improved durability. A rubber layer adhered to core wires is formed to have a durometer hardness (shore A) of not less than 72 and not more than 85, or have a tensile stress of not less than 0.5 MPa and not more than 1.7 MPa when stretched 10% in the belt longitudinal direction at 25° C., and the rubber layer is formed to have a weight increase of 90% or less after immersed in light oil for 48 hours at 25° C. or have a weight increase of 80% or less after immersed in toluene for 48 hours at 25° C. Alternatively, the rubber layer adhered to the core wires is formed to have a storage modulus of not less than 10 MPa and not more than 50 MPa and a tan δ of not more than 0.15 as measured by dynamic viscoelasticity measurement under conditions at a static load of 3 kgf/cm2, a dynamic strain of 0.4%, a frequency of 10 Hz and a temperature of 25° C. in a tensile mode in a belt longitudinal direction.
US09115781B2
A device for springing a mass including a fluid spring and a frame, in which the fluid spring is arranged between the mass and the frame in such a way that the mass is mounted on the frame in a sprung and/or damped manner. An add-on-fluid volume device for providing an additional fluid volume for the fluid spring includes at least two fluid volume chambers that can be fluidically connected to one another and which have a common, displaceable chamber wall.
US09115776B2
The present invention is concerned with a flexing arrangement with a wide range of applications. The arrangement has at least one leaf spring structure having a plurality of reusable leaf springs connected together. At least one of the leaf springs is made of essentially of an alloy of nickel and titanium, and the alloy has a nickel content of substantially 50.1-55 at % and a titanium content of substantially 45-49.9 at %.
US09115775B2
Internally vented brake disk rotors have a form of a cylindrical slab with an annular geometry and have an axis of circular symmetry for its outer circumference and its inner circumference and a center hole which is symmetric with regard to the axis. The brake disk contains at least two parallel ring disks which are connected with each other by a repeating series of ribs, the configuration of the brake disk rotor is symmetric with regard to different sense of rotation of the brake disk, i.e. symmetric to at least one plane spanned by the axis of rotation of the brake disk and one radius of the cylindrical brake disk.
US09115774B2
A mechanical mechanism is used to prevent a rotor of an aircraft from rotating when the rotor is not in use. The mechanical mechanism disengages when the speed of the rotor exceeds a speed threshold and the mechanism reengages when the speed of the rotor is below the speed threshold.
US09115770B2
A variable capacity hydraulic machine has a rotating group located within a casing and a control housing secured to the casing to extend across and seal an opening in the casing. The control housing accommodates a control circuit and a pair of sensors to sense change in parameters associated with the rotating group. One of the sensors is positioned adjacent the barrel on the rotating group to sense rotational speed and the other senses displacement of the swashplate. The control housing accommodates a control valve and accumulator to supply fluid to the control valve.
US09115761B2
A ball bearing assembly can include an outer race that includes an inner surface; an inner race that comprises an outer surface that includes an imperfection and a shoulder disposed at a shoulder angle where the imperfection is disposed at an angle in a range from about 50% of the shoulder angle to about 100% of the shoulder angle; and balls disposed between the inner surface of the outer race and the outer surface of the inner race. Various other examples of devices, assemblies, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US09115754B2
A support device and method for fixing a bearing on a bearing shield of a housing of an electric machine. Rotatably mounted in the support device is a rotor with a shaft. The support device is substantially flat and comprises a plurality of fastening openings that are grouped about a central opening. The support device comprises at least one design break point that acts to provide a local limit to the excess stress in the material of the support device.
US09115752B2
A bearing assembly includes a tubular outer housing and a tubular inner mandrel. The outer housing has an exterior surface and an interior surface defining an interior bore. The inner mandrel has an exterior surface and an interior surface defining an interior mud flow channel. The inner mandrel is journaled for rotation within the interior bore of the outer housing. Pairs of diamond bearings having opposed curved bearing surfaces are disposed between the outer housing and the inner mandrel. One of each pair of opposed curved bearing surfaces being convex and being secured to one of the inner mandrel or outer housing and another of each pair of opposed curved bearing surfaces being concave and secured to another of the inner mandrel or outer housing. The opposed curved bearing surfaces accommodate limited relative misalignment and provide radial and axial support between the inner mandrel and the outer housing.
US09115749B2
A ball joint 10 includes a first member 12 having a ball section 14 and a second member 15 having a socket 16. Ball section 14 is accommodated and supported inside socket 16. A pair of dies 20, 30 sandwich a wall 18 surrounding an opening 17 of the socket 16, and are configured to approach each other gradually, utilizing small repetitive vibrations that include an approaching and separating action, thereby intermittently pressing the wall in an inward radial direction. During each interval of the intermittent pressing action, a supporting and rotating device 40 rotates socket 16 (second member 15) in small increments about a central axis C2 of socket 16. Consequently, dies 20 and 30 successively press against a multitude of points on the circumference of the outer surface of wall 18 of the socket, thereby bending wall 18 inward so as to reduce the diameter thereof.
US09115747B1
An articulating grease shield has a plurality of ring members, wherein each ring member has a central opening through which an axle is positioned through, the central opening allowing for each of the ring members to move freely with articulation of the axle and to form a barrier to keep a lubricant within a constant velocity joint.
US09115746B2
A screw (10) and a connection produced therewith of a thin metal sheet forming a substructure (40) to a plastics component (30) having a through-bore (32) and having a seal (50) located between the substructure (40) and the component (30). The screw (10) has a shank (13) having a thread-cutting thread (16) and a tip (12) in the form of a boring part, and also a lower thread section (18) having a first thread outside diameter (D18) and an upper thread section (19) having a second, larger thread outside diameter (D19) and having a conically narrowing transition section (22) between the two thread sections (18, 19). The upper thread section (19) has a thread pitch (P2) which is smaller than the thread pitch (P1) of the lower thread section (18). During the production of the connection, the upper thread is screwed into the through-bore (32), wherein a form-fit is produced in the component (30) between the latter and the screw (10) and the material of the component (30) rests in a sealing manner around the upper thread section (19). This produces a combination of a seal without a sealing washer and with a defined distance between the component and the substructure by defined compression of the seal (50).
US09115739B2
An adapter for releasably gripping the end of a long-handled tool handle. The adapter including a plurality of grippers threadably mounted around a tubular body. An engagement plug having both male and female threaded ends is removable secured to the end of the tubular body for engaging a tool's work head.
US09115736B2
A fluid heating system for a work vehicle includes a pressurized fluid circuit having a pump for providing pressurized fluid to the fluid circuit. A control module for controlling a first control device is in fluid communication with the fluid circuit, the first control device operable between a first position and a second position. The first position of the first control device permits a load sense pressure to be applied through the first control device, thereby preventing pressurized fluid from the pump flowing to a pressure return tank for heating the pressurized fluid. The second position of the first control device prevents the load sense pressure from being applied through the first control device, thereby permitting pressurized fluid from the pump flowing to a pressure return tank and resulting in heating of pressurized fluid of the fluid circuit.
US09115733B2
The present invention relates to a servo-control (1) provided with at least one body (2) defining an inside space (10) together with a slider element (11) having a control piston (12) suitable for sliding in said inside space (10), said control piston (12) subdividing said inside space (10) into a retraction chamber (4) and an extension chamber (3). The servo-control (1) has at least one limit force detector device (20) comprising a casing (21) secured to said body (2) and defining a detection space (22). Furthermore, a movable member (50) subdivides said detection space (22) into a first detection chamber (26) opening out to said inside space (10) and a second detection chamber (27). Finally, the device includes detector means (29) for detecting the position of said movable member (50) in said detection space (22).
US09115732B1
An actuator including a housing and a force sensing mechanism positioned within an interior of the housing and in operable communication with the actuator, the force sensing mechanism capable of measuring the various forces exerted by or on the actuator without losing any of the energy being transmitted by the actuator. A high precision position sensing mechanism can also be included with the actuator.
US09115724B2
A blade structure and ceiling fan having the same are disclosed. The blade structure includes a blade root, a blade tip, and a first vertex and a second vertex between the blade root and the blade tip. The blade bends from blade root to the first vertex, the blade tip and then bends from the blade tip to the second vertex and back to the blade root to form a hollow structure. The ceiling fan with the blade structure not only provides air modulating function but also has unique modeling.
US09115723B2
A cooling fan includes a hub and an impeller. The hub includes a circular wall and an annular wall. The annular wall has a position end opposite to the circular wall. The impeller includes a blade ring and a plurality of blades integrally extending outwards from an outer circumferential surface of the blade ring. The blade ring receives the hub and has a first mounting end and a second mounting end opposite to the first mounting end. When the position end abuts the second mounting end of the blade ring, the blades extend aslant from the blade ring toward a counterclockwise direction relative to the circular wall. When the position end abuts the first mounting end of the blade ring, the blades extend aslant from the blade ring toward a clockwise direction relative to the circular wall.
US09115721B2
The present invention provides a turbofan and a graphics card with the turbofan. The turbofan comprises: a turbofan assembly which admits air in an axial direction and dispenses air in a radial direction; an inlet fan assembly disposed at an inlet of the turbofan assembly and disposed coaxially with the turbofan assembly; and a driving means for driving the turbofan assembly and the inlet fan assembly to rotate. The turbofan provided by the invention gathers the ambient air to the inlet through the inlet fan assembly disposed at the inlet of the turbofan assembly, so as to change a negative pressure state at the inlet. Consequently, the cooling efficiency of the turbofan is improved effectively and the noise of the turbofan is reduced.
US09115719B2
A scroll fluid machine having: a compressor body including a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll opposed to the fixed scroll, the orbiting scroll orbiting; a drive shaft connected to the orbiting scroll; a cooling fan provided on another side of the drive shaft opposite to the orbiting scroll, the cooling fan generating a cooling wind; and a cooling wind passage surrounded by walls in all directions, the cooling wind passage sending the cooling wind of the cooling fan to the compressor body, when the cooling wind passage being disposed left and the drive shaft being disposed right when seen from a direction in which the drive shaft extends, a size of the cooling wind passage in the left and right directions being smaller in upstream than downstream of the cooling wind passage.
US09115714B2
Providing a screw compressor 1 having a lubricating oil system, the compressor being provided with a plurality of radial bearings 5 and a plurality of thrust bearings 6, a rotor shaft 2a or 3a is supported rotation-freely by each bearing, wherein at least one radial bearing 5 or at least one thrust bearing is provided with a hole space 25 or 34 with a bottom, the hole space being bored in the radial bearing and the thrust bearing so that a temperature-detecting terminal 26 is inserted in the hole space 25 or 34; at least one penetrating hole 28 or 35 is provided at the casing wall 1c of a casing that houses the radial bearing 5, so that the outside of the casing communicates with a space s1 for inserting the radial bearing, through the penetrating hole, the space s1 28 or 35 being formed inside of the casing wall; the temperature-detecting terminal 26 together with a sheath tube 27 is led into the space s1 through the penetrating hole 28 or 35.
US09115710B2
The present application relates generally to pumps, and more particularly to piston type pumps having increased energy efficiency, systems incorporating such piston type pumps, and methods of operating piston type pumps.
US09115707B2
An inverter module and an integrated-inverter electric compressor using the same, which can eliminate noise interference, noise leakage, and the like attributable to a smoothing capacitor accommodated therein and which can be reduced in size and weight is provided. An inverter module (11) includes a resin module case (17); a power system board (15) provided on a bottom side of the module case (17); and a control board (19) provided on an upper side of the module case (17). A smoothing capacitor (18) connected to a power supply line for the power system board (15) is incorporated into the module case (17), and the smoothing capacitor (18) is electromagnetically shielded with respect to the power system board (15) and the control board (19).
US09115699B2
A rotor blade for a wind turbine is disclosed. The rotor blade may generally include a body extending between a blade root and a blade tip. The body may include a pressure side and a suction side extending between a leading edge and a trailing edge. In addition, the rotor blade may include a nozzle mounted on or within the body. The nozzle may include an inlet, an outlet and a converging section between the inlet and the outlet. The converging section may be configured to accelerate a flow of air through the nozzle such that an ultrasonic sound emission is produced.
US09115698B2
A wind turbine including a nacelle and a rotor hub is disclosed. The nacelle may extend between a hub end and an aft end and may define a nacelle shaft opening and a nacelle access port at the hub end. The rotor hub may extend between a first end and a second end, with the second end being disposed adjacent to the hub end of the nacelle. The rotor hub may also define a hub shaft opening at the second end and a hub access port generally adjacent to the hub shaft opening. In addition, the wind turbine may include an access bridge configured to extend between the nacelle and the rotor hub so as to provide access between the nacelle access port and the hub access port.
US09115696B2
A direct drive wind turbine has a a rotor and a generator. The rotor includes a hub and a plurality of blades rotatably mounted on a frame. The generator includes a generator rotor and a generator stator. There are one or more dampers arranged between the rotor and the generator rotor and extending at least partially in an axial direction.
US09115693B2
A device for establishing admittance and transport of cargo to and from a wind turbine construction above ground level and having a part which can be raised and/or lowered by wires and winches located at ground level and connected with snatch blocks attached to a part so that it can be raised and/or lowered in relation to the construction. The part has a number of travelling crabs according to the numbers of winches and the travelling crabs are guided of the wires between the winches and the snatch blocks, and that the part with the travelling crabs is displaced upwards or downwards by the wires. Advantageously, the wires are used for both hoisting the part and as guide for the travelling crabs.
US09115692B2
A system and method for a piezoelectric-based vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) are disclosed. The piezoelectric-based VAWT may generate electricity in response to a deformation (e.g., a stretching or bending) of piezoelectric material. For example, the piezoelectric material may be included on or within a wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade may be struck by an object or may hit an object. Such an action may cause the wind turbine blade to vibrate and subsequently cause the piezoelectric material to deform and generate electricity.
US09115683B2
A ring gear to be coupled to a crankshaft of an engine; a starter motor for starting the engine; a pinion gear for transmitting rotation of the starter motor to the ring gear; pinion-gear meshing-engagement unit for moving the pinion gear to achieve meshing engagement with the ring gear; rpm-difference acquiring unit for acquiring an rpm difference between the pinion gear and the ring gear; and restart control unit for allowing the pinion gear to be moved by the pinion-gear meshing-engagement unit when the rpm difference between the pinion gear and the ring gear, which is acquired by the rpm-difference acquiring unit, becomes smaller than a threshold value are provided. The restart control unit includes threshold-value setting unit, and the threshold value corresponding to a characteristic to be input to the threshold-value setting unit is preset.
US09115678B2
Systems and methods for a permanently magnetized valve mechanism and/or valve mechanism seat for a fuel injector are disclosed. In one example approach, a fuel injector comprises a valve mechanism and a valve mechanism seat, wherein at least one of the valve mechanism and the valve mechanism seat is permanently magnetized; an injector driver circuit for actuating the valve mechanism; and a spring biasing the valve mechanism in a closed position against the valve mechanism seat. For example, a first amount of current may be supplied in a first direction to the injector driver to lift a permanently magnetized injector valve mechanism from the injector valve mechanism seat, and a second amount of current may be supplied in a second direction to the injector driver to close the permanently magnetized injector valve mechanism onto the injector valve mechanism seat.
US09115670B2
The opening of a solenoid valve is automatically adjusted after an engine is started and before actual work is performed for an appropriate air-fuel ratio, whereby it is possible to attain a good and stable driving of the engine without any delay even for an abrupt change in load. After the engine is started, when a rotation speed enters a “fuel flow rate adjusting rotation speed range” in which a definite load is applied to the engine in a working rotation speed range of the engine in which a throttle valve is opened to a definite opening, a detected rotation speed is fed back to a target rotation speed, and the opening of the solenoid valve is controlled to adjust a fuel flow rate, so that the combustion state in the engine is optimized at the valve opening so determined.
US09115664B2
A system comprising an air actuator configured to control air delivered to an engine; a fuel actuator configured to control fuel delivered to an engine; and a controller configured to: actuate the air actuator in response to a first torque signal; and actuate the fuel actuator in response to a second torque signal.
US09115659B2
A method for reducing the particle emissions of a spark-ignition, direct-injection internal combustion engine is provided. The method comprises operating at least one cylinder superstoichiometrically, responsive to an injector coking level and sufficiently high cylinder temperature, for a duration to increase oxidation of coking residues.
US09115656B2
A control system for an internal combustion engine having a throttle valve disposed in an intake passage of the engine. A target intake air amount of the engine is calculated, and an intake pressure of the engine is estimated. A wide-open intake air amount is calculated according to the engine rotational speed, and a theoretical intake air amount is calculated according to the wide-open intake air amount and the intake pressure. The wide-open intake air amount is an intake air amount corresponding to a state where the throttle valve is fully opened, and the theoretical intake air amount is an intake air amount corresponding to a state where no exhaust gas of the engine is recirculated to a combustion chamber of the engine. further, an exhaust gas recirculation ratio is calculated using the theoretical intake air amount and the target intake air amount, and a target output torque of the engine is calculated using the target intake air amount and the exhaust gas recirculation ratio. The engine is controlled using the target output torque.
US09115650B2
A turbine engine includes a fan section including a plurality of fan blades, a turbine section, and an epicyclic gear train coupled between the turbine section and the fan section for providing a speed reduction between turbine section and the fan section. The epicyclic gear train includes a plurality of intermediate gears. A carrier supports the plurality of intermediate gears. A sun gear meshes with the plurality of intermediate gears and a ring gear surrounding and meshing with the plurality of intermediate gears. The ring gear includes first and second portions that each have an inner periphery with teeth. The first and second portions of the ring gear have an outer circumferential surface opposite the teeth that provides a first thickness, a second thickness greater than the first thickness and axially inward from the first thickness, and a flange extending radially away from the axis. An epicyclic gear train for a turbine engine and method of designing an epicyclic gear train are also disclosed.
US09115649B2
A gas turbine engine includes a spool, a turbine coupled to drive the spool, a propulsor coupled to be rotated about an axis by the turbine through the spool, and a gear assembly coupled between the propulsor and the spool such that rotation of the turbine drives the propulsor at a different speed than the spool. The propulsor includes a hub and a row of propulsor blades that extend from the hub. Each of the propulsor blades has a span between a root at the hub and a tip, and a chord between a leading edge and a trailing edge. The chord forms a stagger angle α with the axis, and the stagger angle α is less than 15° at a position along the propulsor blade that is within an inboard 20% of the span.
US09115647B2
A detection method of a breakdown of a pressure relief valve of a fuel injection circuit for a turbomachine, the injection circuit including a low pressure stage and a high pressure stage, the low pressure stage having an inlet and an outlet, the high pressure stage having an inlet and an outlet, the low pressure stage being connected to the high pressure stage, the pressure relief valve being connected in parallel with respect to the high pressure stage, the injection circuit further including a recirculation loop including an inlet connected to the outlet of the high pressure stage and an outlet connected to the outlet of the low pressure stage, the method including measuring a differential pressure in the injection circuit.
US09115636B2
A device for evacuating and filling a vehicle cooling system includes a housing having an interior chamber. A service port extends into the housing and connectable with the vehicle cooling system, a supply port extends into the housing and connectable with a source of coolant fluid, and an evacuation port extends into the housing. A valve is disposed at least partially within the housing chamber and is adjustable between a first configuration in which the service port is fluidly coupled with the evacuation port and a second configuration in which the service port is fluidly coupled with the supply port.
US09115627B2
A catalytic converter for use in motor vehicle exhaust systems includes a housing and a catalytic substrate disposed in the housing. The housing includes a central shell fixed to an inlet end cone and an outlet end cone. The catalytic substrate includes a primary body section is disposed in an internal chamber and has a plurality of skewed flow channels through which the hot exhaust gas flows. The skewed flow channels create turbulent flow to assist in improved light-off and improved purification efficiency.
