US09153665B2
Provided is a method for fabricating a semiconductor device, which includes the following steps. A substrate having a plurality of pillars is provided, wherein a plurality of trenches are formed around each pillar, and a doped region is disposed at a bottom of each pillar. An insulation layer is formed below each doped region. In addition, a gate and a gate dielectric are formed on the sidewalls of each pillar.
US09153662B2
A method of fabricating a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor (MOSFET) device on a substrate includes doping a channel region of the MOSFET device with dopants of a first type. A source and a drain are formed in the substrate with dopants of a second type. Selective dopant deactivation is performed in a region underneath a gate of the MOSFET device.
US09153661B2
A silicon carbide substrate includes: an n type drift layer having a first surface and a second surface opposite to each other; a p type body region provided in the first surface of the n type drift layer; and an n type emitter region provided on the p type body region and separated from the n type drift layer by the p type body region. A gate insulating film is provided on the p type body region so as to connect the n type drift layer and the n type emitter region to each other. A p type Si collector layer is directly provided on the silicon carbide substrate to face the second surface of the n type drift layer.
US09153658B2
A gate insulating film of a conventional semiconductor device is subjected to dielectric breakdown at a low electric field strength and thus its service life is short. This is because since the size of the asperity of at least one of a semiconductor layer-side interface and an electrode-side interface is large and, an electric field applied to the gate insulating film is locally concentrated and has a variation in its strength. This problem is solved by specifying the sizes of the asperities of both interfaces of the gate insulating film.
US09153656B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: first semiconductor regions extending in a first direction and arranged in a direction crossing the first direction; control gate electrodes provided on an upper side of the first semiconductor regions, extending in a second direction different from the first direction, and arranged in a direction crossing the second direction; a charge storage layer provided in a position each of the first semiconductor regions and each of the control gate electrodes cross; a first insulating film provided between the charge storage layer and each of the first semiconductor regions; a second insulating film provided between the charge storage layer and each of the control gate electrodes; and a silicon-containing layer in contact with part of a side wall of each of the control gate electrodes and having a gradient in a silicon concentration in a direction crossing the second direction.
US09153655B2
The present disclosure describes a semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate and a gate stack disposed on the semiconductor substrate. A first spacer element is disposed on the substrate abutting the first gate stack. A second spacer element is adjacent the first spacer element. A source/raised drain is provided adjacent the gate stack. A conductive feature (e.g., silicide) is disposed on the source/drain and laterally contacts sidewalls of the second spacer element. In an embodiment, a contact directly interfaces with the second spacer element.
US09153650B2
To provide an oxide semiconductor with a novel structure. Such an oxide semiconductor is composed of an aggregation of a plurality of InGaZnO4 crystals each of which is larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 3 nm, and in the oxide semiconductor, the plurality of InGaZnO4 crystals have no orientation. Alternatively, such an oxide semiconductor is such that a diffraction pattern like a halo pattern is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 300 nm, and that a diffraction pattern having a plurality of spots arranged circularly is observed by electron diffraction measurement performed by using an electron beam with a probe diameter larger than or equal to 1 nm and smaller than or equal to 30 nm.
US09153645B2
A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes forming an opening in a dielectric layer, forming a recess in an exposed part of a substrate, and forming a lattice-mismatched crystalline semiconductor material in the recess and opening.
US09153642B2
A particular metal-oxide-metal (MOM) capacitor device includes a conductive gate material coupled to a substrate. The MOM capacitor device further includes a first metal structure coupled to the conductive gate material. The MOM capacitor device further includes a second metal structure coupled to the substrate and proximate to the first metal structure.
US09153640B2
A process of forming a capacitor structure includes providing a substrate. Next, a first electrode is deposited onto the substrate. Later, a water-based ALD process is performed to deposit a transitional amorphous TiO2 layer on the first electrode. Subsequently, the transitional amorphous TiO2 layer is treated by oxygen plasma to transform the entire transitional amorphous TiO2 layer into a rutile TiO2 layer. Finally, a second electrode is deposited on the rutile TiO2 layer.
US09153634B2
A display device includes a plurality of light-emitting elements aligned on a TFT substrate in a formation of a matrix. The plurality of light-emitting elements each have a flat surface portion and including a light-emitting layer, an anode, and a cathode, an insulating layer formed on the TFT substrate and under the light emitting element, and a tilted metal surface provided on a peripheral area surrounding the flat surface portion of the light-emitting element and having a tilt angle with respect to the flat surface portion of the light-emitting element. The tilted metal surface is provided on a surface of a slope of a bank that is provided on the insulation layer, and a width of a cross-section of the bank becomes smaller as the cross section comes farther away from a surface of the TFT substrate. A counter substrate is placed on the TFT substrate.
US09153632B2
Provided is an organic light emitting display including a pixel circuit unit prepared over a substrate and comprising a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs), and an organic light emitting device or diode (OLED) electrically connected to the pixel circuit unit. The pixel circuit unit and the OLED are connected through a repair unit comprising a semiconductor material, in order to facilitate easy repair.
US09153629B2
An in-cell OLED touch panel structure of narrow border includes an upper substrate, a lower substrate, an OLED layer configured between the upper and lower substrates, a black matrix layer, a first sensing electrode layer, a second sensing electrode layer, and a thin film transistor layer. The black matrix layer is composed of a plurality of opaque lines. The first sensing electrode layer includes M first conductor line units and N connection lines. The second sensing electrode layer includes N second conductor line units. Each second conductor line unit makes use of a corresponding i-th connection line to be extended to one edge of the in-cell OLED touch panel structure. The M first conductor line units, the N connection lines, and the N second conductor line units are disposed at positions corresponding to those of the plurality of opaque lines of the black matrix layer.
US09153623B1
A non-volatile memory device structure comprises a substrate having a surface region and a first dielectric material overlying the surface region. The device structure includes a state change device overlying the first dielectric material, the state change device comprising a first wiring structure configured to spatially extend in a first direction, a switching element comprising a first amorphous silicon material overlying the first wiring structure, and a second wiring structure configured to spatially extend in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction. The device structure includes a first thin film transistor device configured to cause the state change device to change from a first state to a second state. The thin film transistor device comprises a first active region, a second active region, a gate structure overlying a gate dielectric layer, and a channel region. The first active region is in electrical contact with the second wiring structure.
US09153620B2
A method for manufacturing the image sensor device is provided. The method includes depositing a first dielectric layer over a back surface of a substrate, forming a ridge over the first dielectric layer, depositing a second dielectric layer over the first dielectric layer, including filling in a space between two adjacent ridges. The method also includes removing the ridge to form a trench in the second dielectric layer and forming a metal grid in the trench.
US09153616B2
In the solid-state imaging device, first and second substrates are electrically connected to each other via connectors electrically connecting the first and second substrates. A photoelectric conversion element is disposed in the first substrate. A read circuit is disposed in the second substrate and reads a signal generated by the photoelectric conversion element and transmitted via the connector. In a signal processing circuit including elements or circuits performing signal processing on the read signal, some of the elements or circuits are disposed in the first substrate, the remaining elements or circuits are disposed in the second substrate, and the elements or circuits disposed in the first and second substrates are electrically connected to each other via the connector.
US09153612B2
A solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion portions each provided to correspond to each of a plurality of pixels in a semiconductor substrate and receiving incident light through a light sensing surface, and a pixel separation portion that is embedded into a trench provided on a side portion of the photoelectric conversion portion and electrically separates the plurality of pixels in a side of an incident surface of the semiconductor substrate into which the incident light enters. The pixel separation portion is formed by an insulation material which absorbs the incident light entering the light sensing surface.
US09153596B2
Semiconductor devices having reduced parasitic current and methods of malting the semiconductor devices are provided. Further provided are memory devices having reduced adjacent wordline disturb. The memory devices contain wordlines formed over a semiconductor substrate, wherein at least one wordline space is formed between the wordlines. Adjacent wordline disturb is reduced by implanting one or more of indium, boron, and a combination of boron and indium in the surface of the at least one wordline space.
US09153595B2
A NAND flash memory chip includes word lines formed by etching through concentric conductive loops and, in the same etch step, etching through a conductive strip to form select lines. A conductive loop forms two word lines which are in different erase blocks and are separately controlled by peripheral circuits.
US09153579B2
An electronic device includes a device isolation film formed to define an active region in a substrate, a first gate buried to traverse the active region and the device isolation film in a first direction, and a second gate coupled to the first gate buried in the device isolation film, and extended in a second direction.
US09153569B1
A segmented bipolar transistor includes a p-base in a semiconductor surface including at least one p-base finger having a base metal/silicide stack including a base metal line that contacts a silicide layer on the semiconductor surface of the p-base finger. An n+ buried layer is under the p-base. A collector includes an n+ sinker extending from the semiconductor surface to the n+ buried layer including a collector finger having a collector metal/silicide stack including a collector metal line that contacts a silicide layer on the semiconductor surface of the collector finger. An n+ emitter has at least one emitter finger including an emitter metal/silicide stack that contacts the silicide layer on the semiconductor surface of the emitter finger. The emitter metal/silicide stack and/or collector metal/silicide stack include segmentation with a gap which cuts a metal line and/or the silicide layer of the stack.
US09153568B2
An electrostatic discharge protection device is disclosed. The electrostatic discharge protection device comprises a N+ well, a P doping region, a first N doping region, a plurality of N sub-doping regions, a first N+ doping region, a first P+ doping region, a second N+ doping region, and a second doping region. The P doping region is disposed in the N+ well. The first N doping region is disposed in the P doping region. The plurality of N sub-doping regions is disposed in parallel in the P doping region. The first N+ doping region is disposed in the first N doping region. The first P+ doping region is disposed in the first N doping region. The second N+ doping region is disposed in the P doping region.
US09153563B2
An improvement is achieved in the performance of an electronic device. A first semiconductor device and a second semiconductor device are mounted over the upper surface of a wiring board such that, e.g., in plan view, the orientation of the second semiconductor device intersects the orientation of the first semiconductor device. That is, the first semiconductor device is mounted over the upper surface of the wiring board such that a first emitter terminal and a first signal terminal are arranged along an x-direction in which the pair of shorter sides of the wiring board extend. On the other hand, the second semiconductor device is mounted over the upper surface of the wiring board such that a second emitter terminal and a second signal terminal are arranged along a y-direction in which the pair of longer sides of the wiring board extend.
US09153561B2
A light-emitting device includes: a substrate; the metal film at the mounting region on the substrate; a light-emitting part including a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed on the metal film; metal members formed on the substrate, respectively including pad parts and wiring parts, forming a positive electrode and a negative electrode configured to apply a voltage to the light-emitting element through the wiring parts, respectively; and a plating wire connected to the metal film, extended to a side face of the substrate. The metal film and the metal members are independently disposed. The wiring part of the positive electrode and the wiring part of the negative electrode are formed at a circumference of the mounting region. The metal members are formed apart from the circumferential edge of the substrate on the side of the mounting region of the substrate.
US09153558B2
A through-substrate via (TSV) structure includes at least two electrically conductive via segments embedded in a substrate and separated from each other by an electrically conductive barrier layer therebetween. The length of each individual conductive via segment is typically equal to, or less than, the Blech length of the conductive material so that the stress-induced back flow force, generated by each conductive barrier layer, cancels the electromigration force in each conductive via segment. Consequently, the TSV structures are immune to electromigration, and provide reliable electrical connections among a chips stacked in 3 dimensions.
US09153557B2
A chip stack embedded package includes a first dielectric layer having a multistep cavity therein, a first plurality of semiconductor chips disposed in a first level of the multistep cavity, a second plurality of semiconductor chips disposed in a second level of the multistep cavity, and a second dielectric layer filling the multistep cavity to cover the first and second pluralities of semiconductor chips.
US09153554B2
A method of adjusting ultrasonic bonding energy on a wire bonding machine, the method comprising the steps of: providing a reference relationship between free air ball squash and ultrasonic bonding energy; determining an actual relationship between free air ball squash and ultrasonic bonding energy on a subject wire bonding machine; and adjusting at least one ultrasonic bonding energy setting of the subject wire bonding machine such that the actual relationship of the subject wire bonding machine is closer to the reference relationship.
US09153532B2
A semiconductor FET provides a resonant gate and source and drain electrodes, wherein the resonant gate is electromagnetically resonant at one or more predetermined frequencies.
US09153529B2
Consistent with an example embodiment, a semiconductor device comprises a patterned conductive layer defining contact pads for being connected to terminals of a semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip comprises the terminals at a first side and an adhesive layer at a second side opposite to the first side; wherein, the semiconductor chip is mounted with an adhesive layer on a patterned conductive layer such that the semiconductor chip part of each respective contact pad leaves part thereof uncovered by the chip for wire bonding. Wire bonds connect respective terminals of the semiconductor chip and respective contact pads at the first side thereof. A molding compound covers the semiconductor chip, the wire bonds and the contact pads; wherein, the molding compound is also located on the second side of the semiconductor device, separating the contact regions that are located directly on a backside of the contact pads.
US09153528B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a chip package including: a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface; a device region formed in the semiconductor substrate; a dielectric layer disposed on the first surface; and a conducting pad structure disposed in the dielectric layer and electrically connected to the device region; a cover substrate disposed between the chip and the cover substrate, wherein the spacer layer, a cavity is created an surrounded by the chip and the cover substrate on the device region, and the spacer layer is in direct contact with the chip without any adhesion glue disposed between the chip and the spacer layer.
US09153523B2
In an ASIC element, vias are integrated into the CMOS processing of an ASIC substrate. The ASIC element includes an active front side in which the circuit functions are implemented. The at least one via is intended to establish an electrical connection between the active front side and the rear side of the element. The front side of the via is defined by at least one front-side trench which is completely filled, and the rear side is defined by at least one rear-side trench which is not completely filled. The rear-side trench opens into the filled front-side trench.
US09153511B2
A chip on film for a flexible display device is disclosed. In one aspect, the chip on film includes a base film, a semiconductor chip provided to the base film, and a wire part provided to the base film and electrically connected to the semiconductor chip. The wire part includes a first region and a second region connected to the first region, and a first interval between the wires disposed at an outermost of the first region is different from a second interval between the wires disposed at an outermost area of the second region.
US09153509B2
A fault tolerant design for large area nitride semiconductor devices is provided, which facilitates testing and isolation of defective areas. A transistor comprises an array of a plurality of islands, each island comprising an active region, source and drain electrodes, and a gate electrode. Electrodes of each island are electrically isolated from electrodes of neighboring islands in at least one direction of the array. Source, drain and gate contact pads are provided to enable electrical testing of each island. After electrical testing of islands to identify defective islands, overlying electrical connections are formed to interconnect source electrodes in parallel, drain electrodes in parallel, and to interconnect gate electrodes to form a common gate electrode of large gate width Wg. Interconnections are provided selectively to good islands, while electrically isolating defective islands. This approach makes it economically feasible to fabricate large area GaN devices, including hybrid devices.
US09153504B2
A semiconductor device includes one or more metal-insulator-metal (MiM) capacitors. The semiconductor device includes a bottom electrode, a dielectric layer located above, and in physical contact with, the bottom electrode, a top electrode located above, and in physical contact with, the dielectric layer, a first top contact contacting the top electrode, a first bottom contact contacting the bottom electrode from a top electrode direction, a first metal bump connecting to the top contact, and a second metal bump connecting to the bottom contact. The top electrode has a smaller area than the bottom electrode. The bottom electrode, the dielectric layer, and the top electrode is a MiM capacitor. Top electrodes of a number of MiM capacitors and bottom electrodes of a number of MiM capacitors are daisy chained to allow testing of the conductivity of the electrodes.
US09153500B2
The present invention belongs to the technical field of integrated semiconductor circuits, and relates to a method used in a process no greater than 32 nm to improve the electromigration resistance of Cu interconnects. Coating layers on Cu interconnects, such as CuSi3, CuGe, and CuSiN, can be prepared by autoregistration, and with the use of new impervious layer materials, the electromigration resistance of Cu interconnects can be largely improved and the high conductivity thereof can be kept, which provides an ideal solution for interconnection process for process nodes no greater than 32 nm.
US09153493B1
A system for separating semiconductor devices from a wafer having back metal exposed in scribe streets of the wafer positioned on a plastic film by applying a variable radial force to stretch and tension the film while controlling the stretch and tension as a function of a control parameter.
US09153487B2
A method of forming a wiring may include forming a first wire on a substrate; forming a material layer on the substrate, except on the first wire; forming a surface treatment film on the material layer; and forming a second wire on the first wire. The surface treatment film has physical properties opposite to the first wire. A method of forming a wiring may include forming a first wire on a substrate; forming a material layer on the substrate and the first wire; removing a portion of the material layer from the first wire; forming a surface treatment film on the material layer and the first wire; removing a portion of the surface treatment film from the first wire; and forming a second wire on the first wire. A thickness of the material layer on the substrate is greater than a thickness of the first wire on the substrate.
US09153459B2
According to embodiments, there is provided a manufacturing method of a semiconductor device includes forming a semiconductor thin film on a substrate; processing the thin film to a predetermined shape; executing an ion implantation process on the thin film processed to the predetermined shape; executing an anneal treatment on the thin film on which the ion implantation process has been executed to create a resistor element; and adjusting both or any one of a process condition of the ion implantation process and a treatment condition of the anneal treatment based on at least any one of a film forming condition and a film formation result of the forming and a film process result of the processing.
US09153454B2
A method of fabricating a high voltage device includes the step of forming a patterned photoresist layer on a conductive layer and a dielectric below the conductive. The conductive layer and the dielectric layer are patterned by taking the patterned photoresist layer as a mask. Subsequently the patterned photoresist layer is shrunk. The conductive layer and the dielectric layer are then patterned by taking the shrunk photoresist layer as a mask.
US09153453B2
A process is disclosed for sectioning by etching of monolayers and multilayers using an RIE technique with fluorine-based chemistry. In one embodiment, the process uses Reactive Ion Etching (RIE) alone or in combination with Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) using fluorine-based chemistry alone and using sufficient power to provide high ion energy to increase the etching rate and to obtain deeper anisotropic etching. In a second embodiment, a process is provided for sectioning of WSi2/Si multilayers using RIE in combination with ICP using a combination of fluorine-based and chlorine-based chemistries and using RF power and ICP power. According to the second embodiment, a high level of vertical anisotropy is achieved by a ratio of three gases; namely, CHF3, Cl2, and O2 with RF and ICP. Additionally, in conjunction with the second embodiment, a passivation layer can be formed on the surface of the multilayer which aids in anisotropic profile generation.
US09153444B2
A replacement metal gate transistor and methods of forming replacement metal gate transistors are described. Various examples provide methods of manufacturing a replacement metal gate transistor that includes depositing a dielectric layer into a trench, wherein the dielectric layer is deposited onto the bottom of the trench and the sidewalls of the trench, depositing a first metal layer into the trench, wherein the first metal layer is deposited onto the bottom of the trench and the sidewalls of the trench over the dielectric layer, depositing a second metal layer into the trench, wherein the second metal layer is deposited onto the bottom of the trench and the sidewalls of the trench over the first metal layer, removing at least a portion of the second metal layer from the sidewalls of the trench, and depositing a conducting layer into the trench. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US09153442B2
Systems, chambers, and processes are provided for controlling process defects caused by moisture contamination. The systems may provide configurations for chambers to perform multiple operations in a vacuum or controlled environment. The chambers may include configurations to provide additional processing capabilities in combination chamber designs. The methods may provide for the limiting, prevention, and correction of aging defects that may be caused as a result of etching processes performed by system tools.
US09153438B2
An oxide sintered body including an oxide of indium and aluminum and having an atomic ratio Al/(Al+In) of 0.01 to 0.08.
US09153435B2
Provided is a method of fabricating a semiconductor device. The method includes providing a silicon substrate having opposite first and second sides. At least one of the first and second sides includes a silicon (111) surface. The method includes forming a high coefficient-of-thermal-expansion (CTE) layer on the first side of the silicon substrate. The high CTE layer has a CTE greater than the CTE of silicon. The method includes forming a buffer layer over the second side of the silicon substrate. The buffer layer has a CTE greater than the CTE of silicon. The method includes forming a III-V family layer over the buffer layer. The III-V family layer has a CTE greater than the CTE of the buffer layer.
US09153434B2
An integrated circuit chip is formed with an active layer and a trap rich layer. The active layer is formed with an active device layer and a metal interconnect layer. The trap rich layer is formed above the active layer. In some embodiments, the active layer is included in a semiconductor wafer, and the trap rich layer is included in a handle wafer.
US09153433B2
A disclosed method of depositing a silicon film on a substrate mounted on a turntable and can pass by rotation through a first process area and a second process area, which are separately arranged along a peripheral direction in a cylindrical chamber set to have a first temperature capable of cutting a Si—H bond includes a molecular layer deposition step of supplying a Si2H6 gas set to have a second temperature less than the first temperature when the substrate passes through the first process area thereby forming a SiH3 molecular layer on a surface of the substrate, and a hydrogen desorption step of causing the substrate, on a surface of which the SiH3 molecular layer is formed, to pass through the second process area maintained to have the first temperature thereby cutting the Si—H bond and leaving only a silicon atomic layer on the surface of the substrate.
US09153430B2
Provided is a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber configured to accommodate a substrate; a substrate holding member configured to hold the substrate in the process chamber; a first gas supply system including a first gas supply hole for supplying a first process gas into the process chamber; a second gas supply system including a second gas supply hole for supplying a second process gas into the process chamber; and a catalyst supply system including a catalyst supply hole for supplying a catalyst into the process chamber, wherein an angle between a first imaginary line connecting a center of the substrate holding member and the first gas supply hole and a second imaginary line connecting the center of the substrate holding member and the catalyst supply hole ranges from 63.5 degrees to 296.5 degrees.
US09153429B2
A method of depositing a film of forming an oxide film containing a predetermined element on substrates using an apparatus including a turntable mounting substrates, first and second process areas above the upper surface of the turntable provided with gas supplying portions, a separation gas supplying portion between the first and second process areas, and a separation area including depositing the oxide film by rotating the turntable while supplying a reaction gas containing the predetermined element, the oxidation gas from the second gas supplying portion, and the separation gas; and rotating at least one turn while supplying the separation gas from the first gas supplying portion and the separation gas supplying portion, and the oxidation gas from the second gas supplying portion.
US09153427B2
A vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) photon source includes a body, a VUV window, electrodes disposed on the body outside an interior thereof, and a dielectric barrier between the electrodes. A method for generating VUV photons includes generating a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) in an interior of a photon source by applying a periodic voltage between a first electrode and a second electrode separated by a dielectric barrier, wherein the DBD produces excimers from a gas in a gap between the electrodes, and transmitting VUV photons through a window of the photon source.
US09153425B2
A system and method for analyzing a chemical composition of a specimen are described. The system can include at least one pin; a sampling device configured to contact a liquid with a specimen on the at least one pin to form a testing solution; and a stepper mechanism configured to move the at least one pin and the sampling device relative to one another. The system can also include an analytical instrument for determining a chemical composition of the specimen from the testing solution. In particular, the systems and methods described herein enable chemical analysis of specimens, such as tissue, to be evaluated in a manner that the spatial-resolution is limited by the size of the pins used to obtain tissue samples, not the size of the sampling device used to solubilize the samples coupled to the pins.
US09153422B2
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for applying metallic, ceramic or composite thin film coatings onto parts, components and tools (e.g. gas turbine engine compressor blades or cutting tools) by a cathodic arc deposition technique. The method and the apparatus allows for a continually changing structure of the applied film by nanoimplanting atoms, molecules, compounds or other chemical species and structures of different materials thus coating a substrate during a single process. Furthermore, during the same process it allows for creating a coating with specific parameters as required. For instance: hardness, smoothness, corrosion resistance, erosion resistance.
US09153419B2
A pattern defect inspection method includes generating electron beam irradiation point track data on the basis of first data on an inspection target pattern, irradiating the electron beam to the inspection target pattern in accordance with the electron beam irradiation point track data, detecting secondary electrons generated from the inspection target pattern due to the irradiation of the electron beam, acquiring second data regarding a signal intensity of the secondary electrons from a signal of the detected secondary electrons, and detecting an abnormal point from the second data and outputting the abnormal point as a defect of the inspection target pattern. The electron beam irradiation point track data includes data on a track of irradiation points of an electron beam to the inspection target pattern and is intended to control over scanning with the electron beam, the electron beam irradiation point track data.
US09153417B2
It is an object of the present invention to provide a back scattered electron detector suitable for implementing a method for determining beforehand in which region of a sample an X-ray detector can obtain an accurate X-ray detection image and perform an appropriate analysis. A Coax-BSE detector which is a back scattered electron detector includes a BSE element, a support member that supports the BSE element, and a fixing member to fix the support member to the X-ray detector, in which the fixing member fixes the support member by clamping a side portion on the distal end side which is an X-ray receiving side of a housing that covers the X-ray detector.
US09153415B2
The invention relates to a charged particle lithography system for transferring a pattern onto a target, said system comprising:a target positioning device comprising a target holder having a first side for holding the target,a charged particle optical unit for generating a charged particle beam, modulating said charged particle beam, and directing said charged particle beam towards the first side of the target holder, anda sensor assembly comprising a converter element for converting charged particles which impinge on said converter element into light, wherein the converter element is arranged on said target positioning device, a light sensor for detecting the light, wherein the light sensor is arranged at a distance from said target positioning device, and a light optical lens which is arranged between the converter element and the light sensor for directing light originating from said converter element to said sensor.
US09153413B2
A multi-beam scanning electron beam device (100) is described. The multi-bea scanning electron beam device having a column, includes a multi-beam emitter (110) for emitting a plurality of electron beams (12,13,14), at least one common electron beam optical element (130) having a common opening for at least two of the plurality of electron beams and being adapted for commonly influencing at least two of the plurality of electron beams, at least one individual electron beam optical element (140) for individually influencing the plurality of electron beams, a common objective lens assembly (150) for focusing the plurality of electrons beams having a common excitation for focusing at least two of the plurality of electron beams, and adapted for focusing the plurality of electron beams onto a specimen (20) for generation of a plurality of signal beams (121, 131,141), and a detection assembly (170) for individually detecting each signal beam on a corresponding detection element.
US09153406B2
An ion generator includes: an arc chamber; a repeller that includes a repeller plate provided within the arc chamber and a repeller extension portion inserted through a through hole communicating the inside and the outside of the arc chamber; and a supporting structure that is provided outside the arc chamber and that supports the repeller so that a gap is ensured between the repeller extension portion and an inner wall of the through hole. The supporting structure includes a cover member that forms, outside the arc chamber, a small chamber communicating with the gap, and an insulation member that electrically insulates the arc chamber and the repeller from each other.
US09153397B2
An electrical wiring device includes a metal switch cover as a user contact point. The metal switch cover has antimicrobial properties that reduces microorganisms that are present on the wiring device, and helps reduce the spread of infections or disease from user to user. The metal switch cover is disposed on a switch in the wiring device, such that users touch the metal switch cover when operating the switch. In some exemplary embodiments, the metal switch cover is coupled to a paddle-style switch and takes on the profile of a paddle. In some exemplary embodiments, the metal switch cover is coupled to a toggle-style switch and take on the profile of a toggle.
US09153395B2
A switch structure with display and playback functions includes a base, a circuit board, a holder, a display screen, and a cover. The circuit board is received in the base and has an electrical connection region. A supporting member and a flexible flat cable are provided below the holder. An elastic supporting element in the supporting member corresponds in position to the electrical connection region and is provided with an electrical connector. The display screen is provided on the holder and is electrically connected to the circuit board by the flexible flat cable. The cover covers the holder and the display screen. When the cover is pressed downward, thereby compressing the elastic supporting element, the electrical connector is contacted with, and closes the circuit of, the electrical connection region to connect the display screen to the circuit board. The switch structure features a small internal space and small thickness.
US09153394B2
The invention concerns a method for the fabrication, on a plane substrate, of a microswitch actuatable by a magnetic field, comprising:a) the etching, in the upper face of the plane substrate, of cavities forming a hollow model of two strips, these cavities having vertical flanks extending perpendicularly to the plane of the substrate to form vertical faces of the strips,b) the filling of the cavities by a magnetic material to form the strips, thenc) the etching in the substrate, by a method of isotropic etching, of a well that extends between the vertical faces of the strips and beneath and around one distal end of at least one of the strips to open out an air gap between these strips and make this distal end capable of being shifted between a closed position and an open position.
US09153393B2
A manufacturing method of touch panel includes steps of: providing a substrate and defining a touch section and a non-touch section; disposing a shield layer on the non-touch section of the substrate; disposing a touch electrode layer with multiple touch electrodes on the touch section and the non-touch section by means of sputtering; covering the touch electrode layer with a metal mask and forming a metal wiring layer on the non-touch section by means of printing or sputtering and then removing the metal mask; performing lithography and etching processes to the touch electrode layer so as to form multiple touch electrodes; disposing an insulation layer on the junctions between the touch electrodes and the metal wires; disposing a lead layer with multiple metal leads on the insulation layer; and disposing a protection layer on the touch electrode layer and the metal wiring layer and the insulation layer.
US09153389B2
Provided is a carbon nanotube-graphene composite comprising a substrate, a graphene layer disposed on the substrate, and a patterned layer of aligned carbon nanotubes disposed on the graphene layer.
US09153382B2
A multilayer ceramic capacitor exhibits superior life characteristics in a high temperature load test despite the use of very thin dielectric layers. As a dielectric ceramic constituting a dielectric layer of the multilayer ceramic capacitor, a perovskite-type compound is used and contains Ba and Ti (a portion of Ba can be replaced with at least one of Ca and Sr, and a portion of Ti can be replaced with Zr) as a main component, and including La within the range of 2-6 parts by mole, Mg within the range of 3-5 parts by mole, and Mn within the range of 1.5-3 parts by mole in a case where a total content of Ti and Zr is 100 parts by mole.
US09153381B2
Disclosed herein is a chip device including: a multilayer body having a hexahedral shape; an external electrode covering both distal ends of the multilayer body; and a shape maintaining material contained in the external electrode to maintain a shape of the external electrode at the time of forming the external electrode.
US09153380B2
A ceramic short circuit resistant capacitor that is bendable and/or shapeable to provide a multiple layer capacitor that is extremely compact and amenable to desirable geometries. The capacitor that exhibits a benign failure mode in which a multitude of discrete failure events result in a gradual loss of capacitance. Each event is a localized event in which localized heating causes an adjacent portion of one or both of the electrodes to vaporize, physically cleaning away electrode material from the failure site. A first metal electrode, a second metal electrode, and a ceramic dielectric layer between the electrodes are thin enough to be formed in a serpentine-arrangement with gaps between the first electrode and the second electrode that allow venting of vaporized electrode material in the event of a benign failure.
US09153377B2
The invention relates to a hot melt dispensable polymeric composite and process for making and using the composite. Particulates of adequate particle size are mixed with a polymer that exhibits low viscosities at temperatures typically provided by hot-melt glue guns to form rods that vary significantly in density from the base polymer. Novel articles can be manufactured by dispensing the composite from a glue gun into molds or by placement of the melt molding compound into preformed cavities within an end article.
US09153372B2
An inductor that has the following: an inductor core comprising a plurality of core members arranged in a ring with gaps therebetween; primary insert-molded resin parts comprising a thermoplastic resin covering the outside surface of the inductor core, excluding the surfaces of the core members that face each other; coils disposed around the aforementioned gaps and the primary insert-molded resin parts on the inductor core; and secondary insert-molded resin parts comprising a thermoplastic resin insert-molded around the coils to affix said coils to the inductor core. This allows high-cycle manufacturing of inductors without a thermosetting-resin potting step in a vacuum furnace or a heat curing treatment in a heating furnace.
US09153370B2
A linear solenoid has a moving core, a main coil, and a magnetically attractive core. The moving core is supported to be capable of sliding in an axial direction of the moving core. The main coil winds around the moving core and forms a tubular shape. The magnetically attractive core magnetically attracts the moving core based on magnetic force caused by the main coil. The linear solenoid may further have a secondary coil disposed separately from the main coil so that the secondary coil intersects with the moving core at a position corresponding to the secondary coil when the moving core moves toward the magnetically attractive core.
US09153363B2
The present invention provides a light-transmitting metal electrode including a substrate and a metal electrode layer having plural openings. The metal electrode layer also has such a continuous metal part that any pair of point-positions in the part is continuously connected without breaks. The openings in the metal electrode layer are periodically arranged to form plural microdomains. The plural microdomains are so placed that the in-plane arranging directions thereof are oriented independently of each other. The thickness of the metal electrode layer is in the range of 10 to 200 nm.
US09153358B2
A composition for a wire protective member with heat resistance, flame retardancy, and resistance against both a calcium chloride and a braided wire; a wire protective member and a wire harness using the composition. The composition for a wire protective member is produced by including a polypropylene having a propylene monomer constituting 50 to 95 percent by mass of monomers forming a polymer, a melt flow rate of 0.5 to 5 g/10 min, and a melting point of 150 degrees C. or more; a bromine-based flame retardant and an antimony trioxide as a flame retarder; a phenol-based antioxidant as a heat resistance life improving agent; and a metal deactivator, wherein the propylene has a tensile strength of 20 to 35 MPa and a Charpy impact strength of 10 kJ/m2 or more at 23 degrees C.
US09153350B2
A protective shroud is provided for covering a radiation shield that surrounds a nuclear pharmacy generator. The radiation shield includes components having seams therebetween. The protective shroud includes a tubular body configured to contain the radiation shield, a first opening adapted for receiving the radiation shield, and a second opening for allowing access into the radiation shield.
US09153338B2
To provide a semiconductor memory device including an oxide semiconductor that can deal with instability of a threshold characteristic, in which writing is possible by a simple method. The semiconductor memory device functions by utilizing a characteristic that a threshold shifts when a thin film transistor including an oxide semiconductor is irradiated with ultraviolet light. Readout can be performed by setting a readout voltage between the threshold before the ultraviolet light irradiation and the threshold after irradiation. The threshold characteristic of an initial characteristic can be controlled by providing a back gate or by using two thin film transistors.
US09153335B2
The invention provides a clamp voltage generating circuit capable of generating a correct clamp voltage. The clamp voltage generating circuit includes an emulate transistor, having a drain coupled to a power source VDD, a source coupled to a node, and a gate coupled to the clamp voltage; a current setting circuit, connected between the node and ground, for setting a current flowing from the node to the ground; a regulator, inputting a feedback voltage from the node and a reference voltage, and outputting a voltage VCLMP. The current setting circuit duplicates a current of a bit line, so that the emulate transistor is similar to a charge transfer transistor.
US09153333B2
Semiconductor memory having both volatile and non-volatile modes and methods of operation. A semiconductor storage device includes a plurality of memory cells each having a floating body for storing, reading and writing data as volatile memory. The device includes a floating gate or trapping layer for storing data as non-volatile memory, the device operating as volatile memory when power is applied to the device, and the device storing data from the volatile memory as non-volatile memory when power to the device is interrupted.
US09153329B2
A method for data storage includes defining, in a memory that includes multiple analog memory cells, an erased state, a set of non-erased programming states and a partial subset of the non-erased programming states. Data is initially stored in a first group of the analog memory cells by programming each of at least some of the memory cells in the first group from the erased state to a respective non-erased programming state selected from the set of non-erased programming states. After initially storing the data, a second group of the analog memory cells, which potentially cause interference to the first group, is programmed. After programming the second group, the first group is selectively re-programmed with the data by repeating programming of only the memory cells in the first group whose respective programming states belong to the partial subset.
US09153328B2
A page buffer circuit is coupled to a bit line of a memory array. The page buffer circuit includes a latch storing different data during different phases of a multi-phase program operation. A preparation phase is after the program phase and after the program verify phase of the present multi-phase program operation. For the preparation phase, the control circuitry causes the latch to store the preparation data indicating whether to program the memory cell in a subsequent multi-phase program operation following the present multi-phase program operation. Results of the program verify phase, and contents of the latch at a start of the present multi-phase program operation, are sufficient to determine the preparation data.
US09153316B1
An RRAM circuit includes word lines, bit lines, source lines, memory cells, and a sense module. Each of the memory cells includes a resistor and a transistor. The resistor alternates between a high impedance and a low impedance, and is coupled to one of the bit lines. The transistor is controlled by one of the word lines and coupled between the resistor and one of the source lines. The sense module includes a switch and a sense amplifier. The switch is controlled by an output signal and coupled to one of the bit lines. The sense amplifier compares the data voltage, which is generated by a current flowing through the switch and the resistor, and a reference voltage to generate the output signal. The switch is turned off when the data voltage exceeds the reference voltage, and is turned on otherwise.
US09153303B2
Apparatuses and methods are disclosed, such as those including an oscillator circuit that generates an alternate clock. A multiplexing circuit can be coupled to the alternate clock and an input clock. The alternate clock has a more accurate duty cycle than the input clock. A clock path can be coupled to an output of the multiplexing circuit. The more accurate alternate clock can be coupled to the clock path during a test mode.
US09153299B2
Disclosed are various embodiments related to stacked memory devices, such as DRAMs, SRAMs, EEPROMs, ReRAMs, and CAMs. For example, stack position identifiers (SPIDs) are assigned or otherwise determined, and are used by each memory device to make a number of adjustments. In one embodiment, a self-refresh rate of a DRAM is adjusted based on the SPID of that device. In another embodiment, a latency of a DRAM or SRAM is adjusted based on the SPID. In another embodiment, internal regulation signals are shared with other devices via TSVs. In another embodiment, adjustments to internally regulated signals are made based on the SPID of a particular device. In another embodiment, serially connected signals can be controlled based on a chip SPID (e.g., an even or odd stack position), and whether the signal is an upstream or a downstream type of signal.
US09153291B2
A filter assembly for use in an electronic enclosure is provided. The filter assembly includes a highly permeable scrim that defines an elongate enclosure with an inlet at a first end and a closed second end, wherein an electrostatic filtration media is disposed within the elongate enclosure.
US09153290B1
A head-assisted magnetic recording-shingled magnetic recording (HAMR-SMR) type storage device is described that includes a control module and one or more magnetic recording layers partitioned into zones. The control module is configured to write initial data beginning at an initial logical address of a zone. The initial logical address of the zone corresponds to an initial physical address of the zone. Responsive to receiving a command from a host associated with the HAMR-SMR type storage device to reset the zone and write subsequent data, the control module is further configured to reset the initial logical address of the zone to a subsequent physical address of the zone, and after resetting the initial logical address, write the subsequent data beginning at the initial logical address of the zone.
US09153288B2
The invention provides a recordable display apparatus, which uses a converting unit to convert the digital image signal into a specific image signal, in which the specific image signal has a signal format acceptable by the multimedia processor. The multimedia processor is used for integrating the specific image signal and the sound signal produced by the sound-receiving unit during receiving and recording the ambient sound into an audio/video (AV) recording data.
US09153280B2
Adjusting tension in a tape media to counter tape dimensional stability (TDS) errors in a tape media
Provided are a method, system, and program for adjusting tension in a tape media to counter tape dimensional stability (TDS) errors in a tape media. A determination is made of whether to adjust tension of the tape media based on a detected error rate of reading at least one of the tracks. The tension of the tape media is adjusted in response to determining to adjust the tension.
US09153278B2
A storage system includes a storage apparatus, a control apparatus, and a host apparatus. The storage apparatus includes a recording medium. The control apparatus includes a detection unit and a control unit. The detection unit detects whether a recording medium loaded in the storage apparatus is a stand-alone-only recording medium that is used in a stand-alone mode. When the recording medium is the stand-alone-only recording medium, the control unit registers a physical volume of the stand-alone-only recording medium as a logical volume and automatically switches the operation mode of the control apparatus to the stand-alone mode.
US09153277B2
Near field transducers (NFTs) and devices that include a peg having an air bearing region and an opposing back region, the back region including a sacrificial structure, a disc having a first surface in contact with the peg, and a barrier structure, the barrier structure positioned between the opposing back region of the peg and the first surface of the disc.
US09153275B1
A heat-assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head gimbal assembly (HGA) protects the associated HAMR heating source from unwanted contact, such as from contact with an adjacent HAMR laser in response to a shock event. The HGA is configured such that the distance between the flexure and the top of a load beam flange is greater than the height of a submount associated with the heating source, and the height of the submount may also be greater than the height of the heating source, thus protecting against contact between adjacent heating sources.
US09153267B1
A thermally-assisted magnetic recording head of the invention includes: a waveguide; a plasmon generator; and a light-absorbing protrusion layer provided on a leading side of the plasmon generator. A ratio W1/W2 is within a range from 2/3 to 55/3, where W1 is a width of the light-absorbing protrusion layer in an air-bearing surface, and W2 is a width of the waveguide in the air-bearing surface.
US09153264B1
A method of operating or calibrating a storage device having a storage medium platter includes writing servo data to the storage medium platter, where the servo data include, for each track on the storage medium platter, a servo sync mark, and a repeating pattern. For each pair of adjacent tracks on the storage medium platter, the repeating patterns, which may be orthogonal, are compared to determine relative phase of the repeating patterns on adjacent tracks. The relative phase for each pair of adjacent tracks is recorded. In another calibration method, first and second repeating patterns may compared to determine whether relative phase of the first and second repeating patterns exceeds a threshold, in which case the second servo data are erased, new second servo data are written, and the comparing and erasing are repeated until the relative phase of the first and second repeating patterns is less than the threshold.
US09153262B1
A head stack assembly (HSA) for a disk drive includes an actuator body having a cylindrical bore therethrough and an actuator arm extending therefrom. A head is attached to a distal end of the actuator arm. A pivot bearing cartridge is disposed within the cylindrical bore. A tolerance band is radially preloaded between an outer surface of the pivot bearing cartridge and an inner surface of the cylindrical bore. The cylindrical bore has a first diameter in a first region adjacent a first axial end, and a second diameter in a second region adjacent a second axial end. There is a radial step between the first and second regions. The first diameter is greater than the second diameter by at least 20 microns but no more than 100 microns.
US09153258B2
A scissor type magnetic sensor having a back edge bias structure that has a non-uniform magnetic moment to compensate for differences in magnetic spacing between the bias structure and a first magnetic free layer as compared with the magnetic spacing between the bias structure and a second magnetic free layer. The magnetic bias structure can include a first magnetic layer and a second magnetic layer formed over the first magnetic layer, with the first magnetic layer having a higher magnetic moment than the second magnetic layer.
US09153257B1
A write head having reduced dimensions. In one implementation, the write head has a main pole having a leading side and a trailing side, a leading yoke on the leading side of the main pole, and a coil wrapped around the main pole and the leading yoke. The coil on the leading side and the leading yoke having a distance of no greater than 300 nm therebetween, and the coil on the trailing side and the main pole having a distance of no greater than 350 nm therebetween. In an alternate implementation, the write head has a trailing yoke, with the coil on the trailing side and the trailing yoke having a distance of no greater than 350 nm therebetween.
US09153253B2
The perpendicular magnetic recording head includes: a magnetic pole including an end surface exposed on an air bearing surface, and extending in a height direction perpendicular to the air bearing surface; a leading shield including an end surface exposed on the air bearing surface; a leading gap provided between the magnetic pole and the leading shield; and a recess shield including a mid-part and other parts, and provided at a position on a side opposite to the magnetic pole with the leading shield in between, the mid-part being distanced from the leading shield in a track width direction, the other parts being in contact with the leading shield, and the position being recessed from the air bearing surface.
US09153249B1
An apparatus for measuring cross-talk in an array reader magnetic storage system includes an array reader with multiple read heads operable to read data from a magnetic storage medium, a first preamplifier connected to a first read head, a second preamplifier connected to a second read head, and a cross-talk measurement circuit connected to the first preamplifier and to the second preamplifier, operable to measure cross-talk between a first signal from the first read head and a second signal from the second read head.
US09153248B1
A disk drive preamplifier (preamp) includes a write driver that has two pairs of programmable bypass current sources not connected to the write current source to compensate for the inherent magnetic asymmetry of the write head. One pair of the programmable bypass current sources provides a fixed bypass current in one direction. The other pair provides a fixed bypass current in the opposite direction. Prior to writing, only one of the pairs of bypass current sources is selected and programmed with the correct value of bypass current. When the write driver generates the positive and negative write current pulses during writing the selected bypass current sources provide a fixed offset to the amplitude of the write current pulses.
US09153246B1
A method for preventing overwriting of data, e.g., on a magnetic medium, includes receiving a write command to write to a magnetic tape. A determination is made as to whether a current location of the magnetic tape is at a block at a beginning of tape. A determination is also made as to whether data corresponding to the write command is at least one of: a size and type specified for the block. Execution of the write command is disallowed when the data corresponding to the write command is not of the specified size and/or type.
US09153245B2
A pitch detection method and apparatus are disclosed. The method includes: performing pitch detection on an input signal in a signal domain, and obtaining a candidate pitch; performing linear prediction (LP) on the input signal, and obtaining an LP residual signal; setting a candidate pitch range that includes the candidate pitch; searching the candidate pitch range for the LP residual signal, and obtaining a selected pitch.
US09153244B2
A voice analyzer includes an apparatus body, a strap that is connected to the apparatus body and is used to hang the apparatus body from a neck of a user, a first voice acquisition unit provided in the strap or the apparatus body, a second voice acquisition unit provided at a position where a distance of a sound wave propagation path from a mouth of the user is smaller than a distance of a sound wave propagation path from the mouth of the user to the first voice acquisition unit, and an identification unit that identifies a sound, in which first sound pressure acquired by the first voice acquisition unit is larger by a predetermined value or more than second sound pressure acquired by the second voice acquisition unit, on the basis of a result of comparison between the first sound pressure and the second sound pressure.
US09153221B2
Provided are a percussion instrument tuning system and method. A position sensor determines at least one first position of a tuning mechanism of a timpano. A control unit generates a calibration result by measuring a first pitch of the timpano corresponding to the at least one first position of the tuning mechanism and estimates a second pitch of the timpano corresponding to at least one second position of the tuning mechanism from the calibration result.
US09153210B2
Displaying a map on a wireless communications device includes downloading map data from which the map is to be rendered, rendering portions of the map for which the map data has been fully downloaded, and then graphically overlaying on a portion of the map for which the map data has not yet been fully downloaded a graphical indication, such as hatching, crosshatching or shading, to indicate that further map data is being downloaded. This hatching, crosshatching, shading, or writing informs the user that further map data is being downloaded and that not all of the map features have been rendered yet.
US09153201B2
A method and system for producing an image to be displayed are disclosed herein. The image includes a plurality of pixels. An example of the method includes dedicating a fixed amount of memory to store a data structure for a pixel of plurality of pixels. The method also includes building a visibility function and determining a partial color sum for each fragment of the plurality of fragments. A pixel color is determined using the visibility function and the partial color sums.
US09153198B2
A method and device of over training a connection is provided. Noise is intentionally supplied and added to a signal that is subjected to a link training operation. The link training operation is used to obtain a link between a source device and a receiving device. The device includes a noise source from which noise is obtained and added to a signal to aid in link over-training.
US09153194B2
A computationally implemented method includes, but is not limited to: determining that a computing device that was in possession of a first user has been transferred from the first user to a second user, the determining including at least partially identifying the second user and the computing device being designed for presenting one or more items; and presenting, via the computing device, the one or more items in one or more particular formats, the one or more particular formats being selected based, at least in part, on said determining. In addition to the foregoing, other method aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text forming a part of the present disclosure.
US09153193B2
Rendering different types of graphical content using a single primitive type. Embodiments enable graphical elements of different content types representing a scene to be rendered as a batch based on the single primitive type, thereby reducing data transfer and improving processing performance. For example, each graphical element in a batch of graphical elements can rendered based modifications to instances of a template shape, which represents a single primitive type usable for rendering different types of graphical content. The modifications to each instance can include modifying the instance according transformation data, clip data, and/or width and height data to position the instance in a scene, and filling the modified instance according to one or more of shape or brush data corresponding to the graphical element.
US09153189B2
Disclosed is an LCD apparatus having improved display characteristics. A clock generator applies first and second clock signals to a gate driver so as to control a pulse width of a gate driving signal. A discharging transistor connected to first ends of gate lines discharges a present stage before operating a next stage. The gate lines include a first gate driver and a second gate driver for operating the gate lines while the first gate driver is operated in an abnormal state. Accordingly, the LCD apparatus may be operated in high-speed and prevent the gate driving signal from being delayed.
US09153185B2
A field sequential liquid crystal display device includes a circuit unit producing RGB reference voltages and scanning signal voltages using RGB data and control signals, a liquid crystal display panel changing alignment direction of liquid crystal molecules in accordance with the RGB reference voltages and the scanning signal voltages, and a backlight device emitting light to the liquid crystal display panel, wherein the circuit unit includes an interface receiving the RGB data and the control signals, a timing controller generating gate control signals and data control signals, at least two gamma generating units generating the RGB reference voltages, a switch selecting one of the RGB reference voltages, a data driver receiving the data control signal and the selected RGB reference voltage selected from the switch, and supplying an RGB image voltage to the liquid crystal display panel in accordance with the selected RGB reference voltage and the data control signal, and a gate driver receiving the gate control signals from the timing controller and supplying the scanning signal voltage to the liquid crystal display panel in accordance with the gate control signal.
US09153181B2
An object is to improve visibility without causing increases in device size and cost. Another object is to improve visibility and reduce the burden on a user without blocking external light when reflection of external light is high. An electronic book includes a display panel having an electrophoretic display element controllable by a pixel circuit of each pixel, and an illuminance sensor, and a display control portion having a circuit configured to correct an image signal for the electrophoretic display element to display a grayscale image in accordance with illuminance that is detected by the illuminance sensor.
US09153174B2
A method for adjusting the electricity of a TFT has the steps of starting a displaying sequence by driving the TFT and resetting the electricity of the TFT. The step of starting the display sequence by driving the TFT further comprises the steps of: (a) providing a gate driving voltage to the gate electrode of the TFT; (b) providing a source driving voltage to the source electrode of the TFT; and (c) providing a drain driving voltage to the drain electrode of the TFT. The step of resetting the electricity of the TFT comprises the steps of: (a) providing a gate resetting voltage to the gate electrode of the TFT; (b) providing a source resetting voltage to the source electrode of the TFT; and (c) providing a drain resetting voltage to the drain electrode of the TFT. The gate resetting voltage is smaller than or equal to the source resetting voltage or the drain resetting voltage. The source resetting voltage and the drain resetting voltage are adjustable.
US09153171B2
A light emitting assembly is described. In one embodiment, one or more light emitting diode (LED) devices and one or more microcontrollers are bonded to a same side of a substrate, with the one or more microcontrollers to switch and drive the one or more LED devices.
US09153170B2
A display device includes a display unit having a plurality of pixel, a scan driver that sequentially applies scan signals at a first voltage level to the plurality of pixels, a data driver that writes data by applying data signals to the plurality of pixels to correspond to the scan signals at the first voltage level, and a power source controller that supplies a first power source voltage and a second power source voltage to the plurality of pixels. The power source controller maintains the first power source voltage and the second power source voltage at the second voltage level while the data are written, and allows the plurality of pixels to which data are written to emit light by changing the first power source voltage into a third voltage level and the second power source voltage into the first voltage level after writing is complete.
US09153169B2
An image display apparatus includes a pixel array section and a drive section configured to drive the pixel array section. The pixel array section is a pixel-circuit matrix with pixel circuits each serving as a matrix element. The drive section has at least a write scanner for supplying the control signal to each of the scan lines in order to carry out a sequential scanning operation on the scan lines for every field and a signal selector for supplying a video signal to each of the signal lines with a timing adjusted to the sequential scanning operation. Each of the pixel circuits employs at least a sampling transistor, a drive transistor, a signal holding capacitor and a light emitting device.
US09153163B2
Various embodiments of methods and systems for designing and constructing displays from multiple light emitting elements are disclosed. Display elements having different light emitting and self-organizing characteristics may be used during display assembly.
US09153144B2
A computer in a vehicle is configured to receive one or more data collector inputs, detect an object proximate to the vehicle based on the one or more inputs, determine a closure speed between the object and the vehicle, determine a change in speed of the object, compute an accountability factor; and determine whether to identify a potential incident based at least in part on the accountability factor and an incident value. The incident value is a function of at least one of the closure speed and a distance between the vehicle and the object. The accountability factor is based at least in part on the closure speed and the change in speed of the object.
US09153142B2
Systems and methods display at least one subject, and display a location for at least one user to enter at least one problem related to the subject. The problem comprises unknown items to which the user would like more information. In response to the problem, such systems and methods automatically generate evidence topics related to the problem, and automatically generate questions related to the problem and the evidence topics. Further, such systems and methods can receive additional questions from the user. In response to the questions, such systems and methods automatically generate answers to the questions by referring to sources, automatically calculate confidence measures of each of the answers, and then display the questions, the answers, and the confidence measures. When the user identifies one of the answers as a selected answer, such systems and methods display details of the sources and the factors used to generate the selected answer.
US09153141B1
User content access events pertaining to a content item, such as an ebook, audio, video file, and so on, are collected and analyzed to determine progress data, including abandonment information about when the content item, or a portion thereof, has been abandoned. Once determined, recommendations may be presented based on the progress data from similar users.
US09153139B2
A flight control system can achieve a relatively steep descent (using drag devices such as flight spoilers) at relatively low speeds while retaining good airplane handling qualities from the pilot's point of view. The system and method optimize the drag device's positioning used to perform steep approach to improve performance.
US09153134B2
A visual back-up guidance device and system for trailers and vehicles includes a guidance device having a durable main body, a plurality of indicators represented by a left turn indicator, a GO indicator, a STOP indicator, and a right turn indicator, a speaker and a plurality of control inputs.A visual back-up guidance system includes the guidance device and a driver unit having another plurality of indicators represented by a left turn indicator, a GO indicator, a STOP indicator, and a right turn indicator, that is communicatively linked to the guidance device.
US09153129B2
The present principles are directed to in-vehicle drive pattern optimization for reduced road wear. A method includes monitoring statuses of various vehicle functions. The method further includes controlling the various vehicle functions to optimize the vehicle drive pattern for reduced road wear, responsive to an output of the monitoring step and known information at least about a road segment currently being or about to be traversed.
US09153124B2
An alarm sensor can be located at a premises, for example a smoke detector mounted to a wall or ceiling of a building. In response to an alarm event, such as detection of a level of smoke indicative of a fire hazard, the alarm sensor can send a wireless notification directly to a remote recipient that is offsite from the premises. The recipient could be a smart phone or other handheld cellular device carried by a homeowner on vacation, for example. The alarm sensor can be either originally manufactured with remote notification capabilities or retrofitted after installation for remote notification. In some cases, the alarm sensor can be networked with other alarm sensors located at the premises. For example, an alarm sensor having remote notification capabilities can receive alarm notifications from other alarm sensors for relay to the remote recipient.
US09153121B2
An alarm suspend system utilizes an alarm trigger responsive to physiological parameters and corresponding limits on those parameters. The parameters are associated with both fast and slow treatment times corresponding to length of time it takes for a person to respond to medical treatment for out-of-limit parameter measurements. Audible and visual alarms respond to the alarm trigger. An alarm silence button is pressed to silence the audible alarm for a predetermined suspend time. The audible alarm is activated after the suspend time has lapsed. Longer suspend times are associated with slow treatment parameters and shorter suspend times are associated with fast treatment parameters.
US09153116B2
Real-time vehicle driver performance monitoring uses a plurality of sensors operated in a vehicle, each generating a real-time data stream comprising data corresponding to operation of the vehicle by the vehicle's driver. A computing device (such as an in-vehicle computer) processes the generated data stream from each of the plurality of sensors to determine whether the operation of the vehicle triggers any of a plurality of predetermined operational alert triggers. The predetermined operational alert triggers may correspond to detecting characteristics of an improper magnitude and/or an improper linearity of a delta in data detected by one of the sensors. When an alert is triggered, a corresponding alert message is generated and sent to at least one recipient (e.g., to the vehicle's driver, to nearby driver(s), to authorities, etc.). Examples of monitored characteristics include speed, steering, braking, use of turn indicators by the driver, and mobile phone usage.
US09153097B2
A casino gaming system includes gaming machines which are configured to accept and read tickets. The ticket may comprise cash-value tickets or non-cash value tickets. The tickets may also include secondary feature triggering indicia. A player may obtain a ticket from a system kiosk. The player may then present that ticket to a gaming machine, such as by inserting it into a media reader such as a bill acceptor. Associated monetary value or non-monetary credits may be credited to the machine. In addition, if the ticket includes a feature triggering indicia, when such an indicia is detected, the gaming machine preferably triggers or initiates the feature.
US09153090B2
A gaming machine for conducting a symbol pushing wagering game (40) includes a plurality of symbols (42) arranged in an array (44). The array (44) comprises at least one variable position (52) and a plurality of pass-through positions (54). At least one pass-through position is adjacent to the variable position. A first symbol in the variable position is varied and then stopped, wherein the first symbol is translated from the variable position to the adjacent pass-through position. In the direction of translation, symbols are pushed to adjacent pass-through positions. Payoff awards are distributed upon the occurrence of certain winning combination of symbols.
US09153084B2
Methods and systems for an improved navigation environment are provided. The navigation system can route users to preferred locations based on user profile data and past experience with the present driver and other drivers. The system provides more cost-effective and time-sensitive routing by incorporating other information about destinations. Further, the navigation system provides enhanced guidance in foreign or unfamiliar locations by incorporating experience from other drivers and other data.
US09153081B2
Of a counter apparatus, a first microcomputer and a second microcomputer communicate with each other and receive a crank signal with pulses. The first microcomputer detects a first pulse count number at a detection time point and transmits it to the second microcomputer. The second microcomputer detects a second pulse count number at a determination time point, which is an allowable delay time period later from the detection time point. The allowable delay time period is expected to elapse from the detection time point to when the first pulse count number is received by the second microcomputer. The second pulse count number is compared with a determination value, which is the sum of (i) the first pulse count number and (ii) the largest integer not greater than the quotient of T2/T1, T1 being a pulse period of the crank signal, T2 being the allowable delay time period.
US09153077B2
Systems and methods to request and collect evidence elements from one or more evidence systems responsive to a triggering event are disclosed. An evidence request beacon may be generated based at least in part on information associated with the triggering event. The evidence request beacon may be received by one or more evidence systems and may be evaluated to determine if potentially relevant evidence is available from the evidence system. If potentially relevant evidence elements are available from the one or more evidence systems, then the potentially relevant evidence elements may be provided to the requesting system.
US09153075B2
According to an aspect, a display device includes a display unit, a control unit, and a detecting unit. The display unit stereoscopically displays a three-dimensional block in a three-dimensional space. A virtual play space in the three-dimensional space is sectioned in a three-dimensional matrix pattern, and the three-dimensional block occupies one or a plurality of sections obtained by sectioning. The detecting unit detects a position of an object in the three-dimensional space. The control unit controls the display unit to allow the three-dimensional block to appear. When a change with time in the object in the three-dimensional space is detected by the detecting unit, the control unit controls the display unit to allow the three-dimensional block to move in section unit based on a detection result.
US09153070B2
The early depth test stages 4, 13 of a graphics processing pipeline 1 are configured to broadcast information 9, 10, 11, 14 about fragments, etc., that pass those early depth tests to other stages 3, 4, 6, 12 in the pipeline. The other stages in the pipeline then use the early depth test pass information to determine if the processing of any fragments that they are currently processing can be stopped.
US09153067B2
Systems and methods for 3D data based navigation using descriptor vectors are provided. In at least one embodiment, a method for identifying corresponding segments in different frames of data comprises identifying a first segment set in a first frame in multiple frames acquired by at least one sensor, and identifying a second segment set in a second frame in the multiple frames. The method also comprises calculating a first and second set of descriptor vectors, wherein the first and second sets of descriptor vectors comprise a descriptor vector for each segment in the respective first and second segment set, wherein a descriptor vector describes an indexed plurality of characteristics; and identifying corresponding segments by comparing the first set of descriptor vectors against the second set of descriptor vectors, wherein the corresponding segments describe characteristics of the same feature in the environment.
US09153066B2
An image processing device for generating depth data, utilizing the a first image and a second image which are captured from different viewpoints, the image processing device including: a disparity value calculation unit which calculates, for each of plural representative pixels included in pixels in the first image, a disparity value of the representative pixel, based on a positional relationship between the representative pixel and a pixel corresponding to the representative pixel, in the second image; a segmentation unit which partitions the first image into plural segments, based on a similarity between pixel values; and a depth data generation unit which determines, for each segment, a disparity value of the segment, based on the disparity value of the representative pixel included in the segment to generate depth data indicative of depths corresponding to the plural segments.
US09153059B2
A method for displaying an image onto a relief projection surface using a projection system includes the automatic measurement, using a fixed camera, of the distance separating virtual reference frame points projected onto the projection surface, from real reference frame points produced on a three-dimensional screen to set the projection system, acquisition, by the same fixed camera as that used during the setting of the projection system, of an image of a rear face of the three-dimensional screen, identification of the position of a finger in contact with a front face of the three-dimensional screen in the acquired image, and control of an appliance according to the identified position of the finger.
US09153057B2
An edge image generating unit generates an edge image formed by edges in an original image. A connection pixel extracting unit extracts connection pixel sets in the edge image. A binary image generating unit classifies the connection pixel sets by colors and generates respective character images of the colors. A background image generating unit generates a background image of the original image. An image compressing unit compresses image data of the character images and the background image using different compressing methods. The binary image generating unit identifies which of a density reversed character, an ordinary character and non character each one of the connection pixel sets is, on the basis of luminance values of the original image on pixels at four corners of a rectangle circumscribed to the connection pixel set, and generates the character images of the density reversed character and the ordinary character.
US09153053B2
Systems, apparatus, methods and computer program products are described below for rendering a graphical user interface by selectively compositing display contents. In general for each of one or more content producers, where each content producer is associated with content storage containing display content, display content for output is identified depending on the content consumer to which the graphical user interface is being rendered.
US09153052B2
The embodiments discussed herein involve flood filling a region with anti-aliasing. In forming a fill region, a candidate pixel can be included in the region based on a color of the pixel and also a color of a neighbor of the point. The inclusion basis may be a color distance between a seed color and the points, and a color distance between the seed color and the point's neighbor. Points in the region may be weighted according to their color distance relative to the seed color, where the color distance can also take into account alpha values. Flood filling may be anti-aliased by assigning alpha values to pixels in gaps between corners of the fill region, where an alpha value may be proportional to a point's contribution to the gap. Dimples in a fill region may be tested for and used to determine which of two flood fill algorithms to use.
US09153050B2
A visualization system for visualizing data obtained in a borehole includes a processor configured to process the data based on user input and instructions and provide output for display on a display device. The system may also include a computer-readable medium configured to store the instructions, the instructions including commands to output values of two or more types of parameters at two or more depth values. The instructions may include commands to provide a perspective top-down or bottom-up fly-through display of the borehole including a zoomed-in image of values closest to a user. The processor may also output a display of a photographic image at each of the two or more depth values based on a correspondence between the values of the two or more types of parameters and the plurality of parameters associated with the photographic image.
US09153048B2
Iterative reconstruction (IR) algorithms are advantageous over standard filtered backprojection (FBP) algorithms by improving resolution and noise performance. In this regard, model-based IR algorithms (MBIR) have been developed to incorporate accurate system models into IR and result in a better image quality than IR algorithms without a system model. System optics are included in both forward and backprojection (IRSOM-FPBP).
US09153036B2
An embodiment relates to a method for the detection of texture of a digital image, including providing a raw data image of the image by means of Bayer image sensors, determining noise in at least a region of the raw data image and determining the texture based on the determined noise without using a high pass or low pass filter.
US09153035B2
Techniques for efficiently tracking points on a depth map using an optical flow are disclosed. In order to optimize the use of optical flow, isolated regions of the depth map may be tracked. The sampling regions may comprise a 3-dimensional box (width, height and depth). Each region may be “colored” as a function of depth information to generate a “zebra” pattern as a function of depth data for each sample. The disclosed techniques may provide for handling optical flow tracking when occlusion occurs by utilizing a weighting process for application of optical flow vs. velocity prediction to stabilize tracking.
US09153030B2
There is provided a method for accurately estimating a position and orientation of an object even if the object is more dispersive in shape than a three-dimensional geometric model with a standard shape. The statistic of deviation of a feature constituting a three-dimensional model representing a three-dimensional standard shape of an object is estimated to determine a reliability for each feature. The amount of deviation is calculated between the feature extracted from observation data obtained by an imaging apparatus and the feature in the three-dimensional model. The three-dimensional position and orientation of the object is estimated based on the amount of deviation and the reliability related to each feature extracted from the three-dimensional model.
US09153025B2
Plane detection and tracking algorithms are described that may take point trajectories as input and provide as output a set of inter-image homographies. The inter-image homographies may, for example, be used to generate estimates for 3D camera motion, camera intrinsic parameters, and plane normals using a plane-based self-calibration algorithm. A plane detection and tracking algorithm may obtain a set of point trajectories for a set of images (e.g., a video sequence, or a set of still photographs). A 2D plane may be detected from the trajectories, and trajectories that follow the 2D plane through the images may be identified. The identified trajectories may be used to compute a set of inter-image homographies for the images as output.
US09153018B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the exemplary embodiments may include, for example, means for generating a disparity map based on a depth map, means for determining accuracy of pixels in the depth map where the determining means identifies the pixels as either accurate or inaccurate based on a confidence map and the disparity map, and means for providing an adjusted depth map where the providing means adjusts inaccurate pixels of the depth map using a cost function associated with the inaccurate pixels. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09153016B2
In a method to enhance the contrast of spatially-localized phenomena in an image such as microcalcifications in a mammogram, a multi-scale decomposition is applied to a digital signal representation of the image thereby generating a number of detail images at different scales, the detail signals pertaining to the spatially-localized phenomena having a common polarity (either negative or positive) being modified at at least one scale.
US09153009B2
A motion sickness reduction device includes an image capture device for capturing an image device environment and an image display device for displaying image related to the captured image. In order to effectively prevent or reduce motion sickness, the right amount of motion must be displayed on the image display device when the vehicle accelerates or turns. Various methods are disclosed for adjusting the image on the display device and/or the angle of the environment subtended to make the motion sickness reduction device effective.
US09153007B2
Imaging systems may be provided with image sensors for capturing images. An image sensor may include storage and processing circuitry having a conformal image buffer to be used in performing various types of image transformations on captured input images. The storage and processing circuitry may perform the image transformations, in part, by storing a portion of a captured input image in the conformal image buffer. A conformal image buffer may include a buffer for storing input image pixel values specific to various types of image transformations and memory for storing a pixel buffer lookup table. The pixel buffer lookup table may be used by the storage and processing circuitry to determine which input image pixel values should be stored in the conformal image buffer for each type of image transformation and to provide random read access to the stored input image pixel values in the conformal image buffer.
US09153003B2
In general, a computer-implemented method is described for receiving one or more requests to generate a medical study, retrieving from one or more data repositories one or more medical study instruments, receiving a selection of a particular medical study instrument to use in the medical study, generating by one or more computers a list of one or more research collaborators invited to review the medical study, and generating by one or more computers a list of one of more participants invited to join the medical study.
US09152991B2
Methods and systems for generating an interactive communication session with a live consultant that comprises: receiving a request to communicate with a live consultant concerning at least one item for purchase. In response to the request, an interactive communication session is generated between the live consultant and a customer. The interactive communication session transmits live video images of the live consultant and the at least item to the remote device. Live video images of a customer are transmitted and received. At least one test is applied on the at least one item. The results generated by the at least one a test is transmitted.
US09152988B2
An aspect of the present invention includes a protocol for conveying data during an e-commerce session with a polymorphic response, comprising initiating a session with a message from a buyer application to a broker application and a session identifier assigned by the broker application; conducting the session between the buyer application and a supplier application; and concluding the session with a additional message which includes a schema identifier for the additional message, resolvable in a context of a system identifier; and a polymorphic response comprising a type and a version, wherein the polymorphic response includes additional data elements corresponding to values assigned to the type and version.
US09152983B2
A method and apparatus for advertising on a mobile phone. In one embodiment the method includes the steps of downloading an advertisement to the mobile phone using an advertisement server; selecting the downloaded advertisement on the mobile phone by a user of the mobile phone; providing by a server additional information in response to the user selection; and tracking the selection and additional information by the server. In another embodiment the compensation provided is in response to the display screen of said advertisement. In another embodiment the step of providing additional information includes the step of using space reserved, in the user interface of the mobile phone, for advertisements. Another aspect the invention relates to a system for displaying advertisements on a mobile phone. In one embodiment the system includes a server; and a mobile phone in communication with said server.
US09152977B2
Systems and methods for detecting instances of click fraud are disclosed. Click fraud occurs when, for example, a user, malware, bot, or the like, clicks on a pay per click advertisement (e.g., hyperlink), a paid search listing, or the like without a good faith interest in the underlying subject of the hyperlink. Such fraudulent clicks can be expensive for an advertising sponsor. Statistical information, such as ratios of unpaid clicks to pay per clicks, are extracted from an event database. The statistical information of global data is used as a reference data set to compare to similar statistical information for a local data set under analysis. In one embodiment, when the statistical data sets match relatively well, no click fraud is determined to have occurred, and when the statistical data sets do not match relatively well, click fraud is determined to have occurred.
US09152967B2
When a device desired to acquire emission right information is selected on a selection screen displayed on a display unit and a “SEND” icon is manipulated, a control unit causes the display unit to display consumables information of consumables granted with emission rights and consumables not granted with emission rights that is received from a server. When a user selects a consumable item that is desired to be ordered from among consumables indicated by the consumables information displayed on the display unit, and manipulates a “SEND ORDER SHEET” icon on the ordering screen, the control unit sends an order sheet to the server. The control unit causes the display unit to display, in the case of receiving order sheet receipt notification from the server in response to the sent order sheet, the received order sheet receipt notification.
US09152964B1
A system and method of obtaining and storing a signed agreement authorizing the use of a user's biometric data for the purpose of offering legal consent to agreements and transactions with one or more operators. The present invention imparts a process by which merchants and other service providers can access a verifying agreement indicating a user's intent to submit biometric data as a substitute for a written signature and the user's consent to abide by the terms and conditions of any agreements entered into by the submission of biometric data.
US09152960B2
Disclosed are methods, apparatus, and systems of biometric identification and authentication. In one embodiment, a method to authenticate a user at an automated teller machine is disclosed. In this embodiment, the method comprises: retrieving, by a processor of the automated teller machine, a numeric identification data inputted by the user; comparing, by the processor or by a processor of a remote sever, the numeric identification data against a stored set of numeric identification data in a user database stored in a memory communicatively coupled to the automated teller machine; and narrowing, by the processor or by the processor of the remote server, a user population to a first narrowed set of the user population based on the comparison of the numeric identification data against the stored set of numeric identification data. Multiple biometric identification techniques may then be used to authenticate the user at the automated teller machine.
US09152956B1
An automated kiosk assembly includes a housing coupled to a support surface. A processor is coupled to the housing. A blood alcohol analyzer is coupled to the housing and the processor. A display is coupled to the housing and the processor. A user touches the display so the user actuates the processor. A payment acceptor is coupled to the housing and the processor. A dispenser is coupled to the housing and the processor. The dispenser selectively dispenses a straw. An input is coupled to the housing and the blood alcohol analyzer. The user operationally couples the straw to the input. The user exhales through the straw so the blood alcohol analyzer determines a blood alcohol content of the user. A transceiver is coupled to the housing and the processor. The transceiver contacts a taxi service if the user's blood alcohol content is above a legal limit.
US09152953B2
An apparatus for automating a prioritization of an incoming message, including a batch learning module that generates a global classifier based on training data that is input to the batch learning module. A feedback learning module that generates a user-specific classifier based on a plurality of feedback instances. A feature extraction module that receives the incoming message and a topic-based user model, infers a topic of the incoming message based on the topic-based user model, and computes a plurality of contextual features of the incoming message. A classification module that dynamically determines a priority classification strategy for assigning a priority level to the incoming message based on the plurality of contextual features of the incoming message and a weighted combination of the global classifier and the user-specific classifier, and classifies the incoming message based on the priority classification strategy.
US09152952B2
Systems and methods to reduce false positives in spam filtering. In one aspect, a method includes automatically generating profiles for persons identified in messages, such as incoming and outgoing e-mails. Messages flagged as spam can be checked against the profile to identify false positives.
US09152947B2
Techniques for exploring social connections in an in-memory database include identifying an attribute in a user profile associated with a first user; executing a query against a data element stored in an in-memory database, the query including the attribute in the user profile; identifying a second user from results of the query, the second user associated with the data element based on a relationship between the second user and the first user defined by the attribute; and generating displayable information associated with the second user.
US09152932B2
A system may create work units, each work unit including at least one of an input port or output port, each work unit configured to modify data that is received via the input port. In addition, the system may compose a workflow by connecting an output port of a first of the work units to an input port of a second of the work units, receive a work order, select the workflow in response to the work order, decompose the workflow into constituent work units, instantiate tasks that correspond to the constituent work units, and execute a work unit process for each of the tasks.
US09152929B2
Embodiments are directed towards real time display of event records and extracted values based on at least one extraction rule, such as a regular expression. A user interface may be employed to enable a user to have an extraction rule automatically generate and/or to manually enter an extraction rule. The user may be enabled to manually edit a previously provided extraction rule, which may result in real time display of updated extracted values. The extraction rule may be utilized to extract values from each of a plurality of records, including event records of unstructured machine data. Statistics may be determined for each unique extracted value, and may be displayed to the user in real time. The user interface may also enable the user to select at least one unique extracted value to display those event records that include an extracted value that matches the selected value.
US09152917B2
Methods and systems for the evolution of electronic neural assemblies toward directed goals. A compact computing architecture includes electronics that allows users of such an architecture to create autonomous agents, in real or virtual world and add intelligence to machines. An intelligent machine is composed of four basic modules: one or more sensors, one or more motors, a (Reward Input Output System) RIOS and a cortex. A number of genetically evolved detectors can project both to cortex and RIOS. At first the neurons within the cortex evolve to predict the structure of the sensory data followed by the structure of proprioceptive activations of its own motor system. Finally, once the cortex has learned its sensory and motor programs, it evolves to predict the reward signals, which comes in multiple channels but is dominated by the detection of the acquisition of free-energy.
US09152914B2
A system for automatically increasing a capacity of a virtual space in a virtual world may include a processor and a module operating on the processor for detecting an attempt by an avatar to enter a virtual space in a virtual world. The system may also include another module for determining if an allowable number of avatars is currently in the virtual space. The allowable number of avatars may be determined by at least a capacity of a server that is hosting the virtual space. Another module may be provided for increasing a capacity of the virtual space when the allowable number of avatars is currently in the virtual space. Increasing the capacity of the virtual space may include spawning a replicate new virtual space on a different server in response to the capacity of the server that is hosting the virtual space reaching the allowable number of avatars.
US09152910B2
The present invention provides a RFID tag structure having anti-reuse function, comprising a substrate; a pattern formed on a surface of the substrate; and an adhesive layer provided on a surface of the pattern which is not in contact with the substrate, wherein the adhesive forces of the adhesive layer are stronger than the binding strengths generated between the pattern and the substrate, and the adhesive layer is capable of being adhered on an article to be adhered and a RFID tag is formed thereby; when the RFID tag is separated from the article to be adhered, the substrate is released from the article to be adhered, the pattern and the adhesive layer are still remained on the article to be adhered, thereby preventing the RFID tag from being reused and fulfilling the objective of anti-reuse and anti-counterfeit. The present invention also provides a manufacture method thereof.
US09152906B2
A device having a card (40) and a support (PC). The card has (a) no internal battery, (b) a single antenna (10) that receives electromagnetically data and power, (c) a data processor, (d) rectifying and filtering circuitry receiving the electromagnetic input and supplying at output terminals (A, B) a voltage to the processor. and (e) two terminals (36, 38) on an external surface of the card which are connected to the output terminals (A, B). The support is mechanically and electrically connectable to the card. It has (a) a power source that may be a battery, (b) surface terminals that mate with the card's external terminals, (c) a switch for connecting the power source to the surface terminals, and (d) a mechanism for holding together the card and support with the card's and the support terminal's electrically engaged to one another.
US09152902B2
To provide an identification document, particularly a passport, in which at least one contactless RFID chip (10) and an antenna (12) connected thereto are integrated on a page of the identification document, an additional layer (22) mechanically reinforcing the RFID chip is situated at the area of the RFID chip (10) on the page, thus providing an arrangement with which the RFID chip can withstand mechanical stress for years on end.
US09152900B1
The invention automatically generates a QSL card, a template previously loaded, when an electronic confirmation of the contact between two stations matches each other logbooks. The card can only be obtain in a print fashion via online printers previously registered, and the card can not be saved in any place outside the server before the confirmation between both stations. The QSL cards are coded with ID serial numbers and traceable through commercial printers and personal printers services to prevent any fraud. The invention provides a more robust QSO Confirmation System, taken advantages of the best technologies available today while maintaining a very important radio amateur tradition.
US09152892B2
A system and method for parsing data formatted in a plurality of encoding schemes at a printer is provided. The method comprises receiving serialization data from at least one host computer at a printer where at least a portion of the serialization data is encoded in at least one encoding scheme. The method also includes converting the data into a first encoding scheme. The method also includes parsing the converted data into an array of combining semantic clusters based on a plurality of rules, each combining semantic cluster comprising a plurality of code points. The method also includes generating a plurality of labels for printing based on the array of combining semantic clusters where each of the plurality of labels are printed such that one or more elements within the array are at least one of incremented or decremented.
US09152889B2
A power supplier includes a power supply to provide a supplied power to the power supplier, a first capacitor charged by a predetermined voltage corresponding to supplied power supply, a power state detector to detect an on-state or an off-state of the power supply, a first controller to generate a first discharge control signal that has a signal level varying according to the state of the power supply and controls discharging of the predetermined voltage charged in the first capacitor, and a discharger connected to the first capacitor in parallel and to discharge the predetermined voltage charged in the first capacitor in response to the first discharge control signal, thereby reducing discharge risks to a user.
US09152882B2
A mobile device having the capability of performing real-time location recognition with assistance from a server is provided. The approximate geophysical location of the mobile device is uploaded to the server. Based on the mobile device's approximate geophysical location, the server responds by sending the mobile device a message comprising a classifier and a set of feature descriptors. This can occur before an image is captured for visual querying. The classifier and feature descriptors are computed during an offline training stage using techniques to minimize computation at query time. The classifier and feature descriptors are used to perform visual recognition in real-time by performing the classification on the mobile device itself.
US09152876B1
A system and method for determining handwritten character segmentation shape parameters for a user in automated handwriting recognition by prompting the user for a training sample; obtaining an image that includes handwritten text that corresponds to the training sample; sweeping the image with shapes corresponding to parameters to determine coordinates of the shapes in the image; segmenting the image into segmented characters based on the coordinates of the shapes; determining character segmentation accuracies of the parameters; and storing an association between the user and the parameters. The system and method can further include receiving a writing sample from the same user and utilizing the stored parameters to segment characters in the writing sample for use in automated handwriting recognition of the writing sample.
US09152874B2
Various methods, apparatuses and/or articles of manufacture are provided which may be implemented for use by an electronic device to track objects across two or more digital images. For example, an electronic device may generate a plurality of warped patches corresponding to a reference patch of a reference image, and combine two or more warped patches to form a blurred warped patch corresponding to the reference patch with a motion blur effect applied to a digital representation corresponding to a keypoint of an object to be tracked.
US09152873B2
An image processing device selects an image in which sharpness of a photographic subject is relatively high compared with sharpness of a background. The image processing device includes a photographic subject detection unit that identifies a photographic subject region on an image, which includes a predetermined photographic subject, by detecting the predetermined photographic subject from the image, a background region identifying unit that identifies a background region on the image, which is other than the photographic subject region, a sharpness identifying unit that identifies sharpness of the photographic subject region and sharpness of the background region, a score calculation unit that calculates a score based on a difference in the sharpness between the photographic subject region and the background region, and a determination unit which determines the image as an optimum image when the score indicates that photographic subject region is clearer than the background region.
US09152871B2
Embodiments disclosed pertain to Optical Character Recognition using Multiple Hypothesis Testing based techniques on images occurring in a variety of settings, including images captured by mobile stations. In some embodiments, a set of bifurcation points for a character cluster in an image may be determined. The character cluster may comprise non-uniformly spaced text or closely spaced text. A plurality of hypotheses may be determined for the character cluster, where each hypothesis is based on a subset of the bifurcation points and comprises a set of words generated from the character cluster. A plurality of scores corresponding to the plurality of hypotheses may be determined, where each score corresponds to a hypothesis, and a hypothesis may be selected from among the plurality of hypotheses based on a score associated with the selected hypothesis.
US09152868B2
Described is a technology by which the identity of a person (e.g., a customer in a commercial transaction) is determinable without active identification effort, via biometric data is obtained without action by the person. Machine processing of the biometric data over a set of possible persons, determined from secondary proximity sensing, is used to determine or assist in determining the identity of the person.
US09152863B1
A system for remotely assessing the condition of a roof of a building is disclosed. The system may compare multiple pieces of image data of the roof, representing the roof at different moments in time, to determine if at least a portion of the roof has been repaired, replaced or damaged in the time between the pieces of image data. If the roof is determined to have been repaired, replaced or damaged, the system may calculate a date of repair, replacement or damage of the roof that corresponds to the date on which at least one of the pieces of image data was captured or created. In the case where the roof has been repaired or replaced, the system may calculate the age of the roof based on the date of repair or replacement, and subsequently, calculate the actual cash value (ACV) of the roof based on the roof age.
US09152855B2
An enhanced object detection method uses image discontinuousness for enhancing performance of identifying objects of a specific class in an image data. The method includes retrieving an image data; computing an image discontinuousness value between a first area and other areas surrounding of the first area, which is with different sizes and in different positions within the image data, and marking areas with an image discontinuousness value larger than a threshold; and identifying the objects of the specific class within the sliding window and outputting detection result.
US09152851B2
Systems and methods for the analysis of the diverse behaviors of animal subjects in defined areas are provided, including tools for filtering and analysis of high-resolution behavioral data. These systems and methods provide an opportunity to examine behavioral patterns with levels of precision and quantization that have not been previously achieved. Methods and systems for managing and analyzing the very large and unique datasets produced by behavioral monitoring systems, including quality assessment and control, archiving, data query, data reduction, analytical procedures and visualization techniques are provided. Such detailed analyses of spontaneous behavior provide fundamental insights into the neural organization of behavior and enable detection of genetic, pharmacological and environmental influences on brain function with high sensitivity.
US09152841B1
The present invention relates to a capacitive fingerprint sensing device comprising a semiconductor substrate; and an array of sensing elements formed on the semiconductor substrate. Each of the sensing elements comprises a protective dielectric top layer; a sensing structure arranged underneath the top layer; and a charge amplifier connected to the sensing structure. The charge amplifier comprises a negative input connected to the sensing structure; a positive input; an output providing a sensing signal; a feedback capacitor; and a sense transistor having a gate constituting the negative input. The sense transistor is formed in an insulated well in the semiconductor substrate. The fingerprint sensing device further comprises excitation signal providing circuitry connected to the positive input of the charge amplifier and the well for changing electric potentials of the sensing structure and the well, to thereby reduce the influence of parasitic capacitances in the sensing element.
US09152839B2
A method for an optical fingerprint recognition, the method includes scanning a fingerprint image separately using a multiple exposure which allows alternating a short exposure and a normal exposure; determining whether there is an inflow of external light depending on a darkness level of a fingerprint image derived from the normal exposure; and performing a fingerprint recognition using a fingerprint image derived from the short exposure or the fingerprint image derived from the normal exposure in accordance with the determination result as to the inflow of external light.
US09152833B2
An antenna circuit has a substrate, an antenna coil on only one side of the substrate, and a low-profile crossover element on the same side of the substrate and which bridges at least one turn of the antenna coil to electrically interconnect an inner end portion and an outer end portion of the antenna coil. The crossover element includes an electrically insulative layer on or adjacent to the turn of the antenna coil, a first electrically conductive layer above the electrically insulative layer, and a second electrically conductive layer which is above the first electrically conductive layer and which is of a different electrically conductive material.
US09152830B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure can include devices for storing and exchanging color space encoded images. The encoded images can store input data into high capacity multi-colored composite two-dimensional pictures having different symbols organized in specific order using sets in a color space. The encoding can include performing two-level error correction and generating frames based on the color space for formatting and calibrating the encoded images during decoding. The decoding can use the frames to perform color restoration and distortion correction. The decoding can be based on a pseudo-Euclidean distance between a distorted color and a color in a color calibration cells. In some embodiments, an encoded image can be further divided into sub-images during encoding for simplified distortion correction.
US09152822B2
Configuration data for a programmable integrated circuit device is at least partially encrypted according to at least one encryption scheme. A plurality of key stores store a plurality of decryption keys for the at least one encryption scheme. Control circuitry identifies a required key from the at least partially encrypted configuration data and generates a key selection signal. Key selection circuitry responsive to the key selection signal reads the plurality of key stores and provides the required key to the control circuitry. The control circuitry may include decryption circuitry that decrypts the at least partially encrypted configuration data using the required key. In some embodiments, different portions of the configuration data, which may represent separate partial reconfigurations of the device, require different decryption keys. Keys may be generated from combinations of the contents of the key stores.
US09152819B2
A method of operating an electronic device comprises detecting access to private information stored in memory of the electronic device. The detecting is performed by a privacy management module downloadable to the electronic device as object code for execution on the electronic device and the access is performed by a client application program. The method further comprises tracking, using the privacy management module, the private information being accessed by the client application program, and reconfiguring the electronic device, using the privacy management module, to change the access to the private information by the client application program according to at least one privacy access policy stored in the electronic device.
US09152802B2
A method for providing multiple users with security access to an electronic system is provided. The method comprising: providing a plurality of parent security roles, wherein each parent security role includes a plurality of transactions authorized to be performed in the electronic system, providing a plurality of child security roles, wherein each child security role is derived from one of the plurality of parent security roles, setting up the multiple users in the electronic system and their associated user passwords, assigning one of the plurality of child security roles to each of the multiple users to provide the multiple users with security access to the electronic system at once, and providing each of the multiple users with security access to the electronic system, via the associated user password, in accordance with the child security role assigned to the user.
US09152798B1
A sandboxed application issues a request to enable content protection for audio and video content. The request is sent via an application programming interface to an unsandboxed application. The request is received from the unsandboxed application by an output device. After receiving the request, content protection is enabled and the output device employs a certificate to create a signed message indicating the content protection is enabled. The sandboxed application verifies the request has been fulfilled based on the signed message, and provides protected audio and video content.
US09152787B2
Methods, devices and systems for monitoring behaviors of a mobile computing device include observing in a non-master processing core a portion of a mobile device behavior that is relevant to the non-master processing core, generating a behavior signature that describes the observed portion of the mobile device behavior, and sending the generated behavior signature to a master processing core. The master processing core combines two or more behavior signatures received from the non-master processing cores to generate a global behavior vector, which may be used by an analyzer module to determine whether a distributed software application is benign or not benign.
US09152786B2
A computer-implemented method for controlling invocation of application programming interface (API) is provided. The method includes categorizing a plurality of APIs according to a plurality of API categories. The API categories are categorized by an API function through which user information is obtained. The method further includes setting a default invoking permission for a respective API category, and detecting, in real time, an attempt by an application to invoke an API in the respective API category. Upon detecting the attempted invocation of the API in the API category by the application, the method further includes controlling the invoking behavior of the API by the application in accordance with the default invoking permission for the API category.
US09152785B2
Methods and systems for providing a flexible protection model in a computer system by decoupling protection from privilege are described. Information describing a relationship between the two or more domains that define types of protection and portions of code is received. The portions of code with the multiple domains that provide fine granularities of protection can be executed in the same privilege level. The relationship is not required to be linear. In addition, the overhead associated with crossing protection domains is relatively low with respect to traditional operating system context switching overhead.
US09152783B2
Techniques for managing accounts are provided. An access management system may check out credentials for accessing target systems. For example a user may receive a password for a period of time or until checked back in. Access to the target system may be logged during this time. Upon the password being checked in, a security account may modify the password so that the user may not log back in without checking out a new password. Additionally, in some examples, password policies for the security account may be managed. As such, when a password policy changes, the security account password may be dynamically updated. Additionally, in some examples, hierarchical viewing perspectives may be determined and/or selected for visualizing one or more managed accounts. Further, accounts may be organized into groups based on roles, and grants for the accounts may be dynamically updated as changes occur or new accounts are managed.
US09152781B2
A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) access control application on a client device is configured with a certificate that identifies a user, and with configuration information for one or more SaaS applications to access, and including an IDP identifier for the SaaS application. The SaaS access control application includes software to be inserted into a network software stack of the client device and software configured to serve as an identity provider for assertions. A request, made by an application on the client device to a SaaS service provider identified by a Universal Resource Locator (URL) provided during configuration of the SaaS access control application, is intercepted within the network software stack of the client device. The SaaS access control application generates an assertion based on the certificate and configuration information. The requesting application is caused to make a request to the SaaS service provider with the assertion embedded in the request.
US09152778B2
A system grants “provisional privileges” to a user request for the purpose of provisionally performing a requested transaction. If the provisionally-performed transaction does not put the system in a degraded state, the transaction is authorized despite the user request having inadequate privileges originally.
US09152776B2
Embodiments described herein provide a technique for securely responding to an enumeration request of a data container stored at a location referenced by a junction or mount point within a share served by a storage system. To that end, the technique applies access permissions of the data container at the referenced location instead of permissions that may reside at the junction or mount point. Upon determining that the permissions are insufficient to allow access to the data container, the technique ensures that a descriptor of the junction or mount point is not included in a response to the enumeration request.
US09152765B2
The present specification discloses systems and methods for patient monitoring using a multitude of display regions, at least two of which have the capability to simultaneously display real time patient waveforms and vital statistics as well as provide display for local and remote software applications. In one example, a primary display shows real time patient waveforms and vital statistics while a customizable secondary display shows trends, cumulative data, laboratory and radiology reports, protocols, and similar clinical information. Additionally, the secondary display can launch local and remote applications such as entertainment software, Internet and email programs, patient education software, and video conferencing applications. The dual display allows caregivers to simultaneously view real time patient vitals and aggregated data or therapy protocols, thereby increasing hospital personnel efficiency and improving treatment, while not compromising the display of critical alarms or other data.
US09152763B2
A computer implemented method for generating a report that includes latent information, comprising receiving an input data stream that includes latent information, performing one of normalization, validation, and extraction of the input data stream, processing the input data stream to identify latent information within the data stream that is required for generation of a particular report, wherein said processing of the input data stream to identify latent information comprises of identifying a relevant portion of the input data stream, bounding the relevant portion of the input data stream, classifying and normalizing the bounded data, activating a relevant report template based on said identified latent information, populating said template with template-specified data, and processing the template-specified data to generate a report.
US09152761B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for identifying image acquisition parameters. One method includes receiving a patient data set including one or more reconstructions, one or more preliminary scans or patient information, and one or more acquisition parameters; computing one or more patient characteristics based on one or both of one or more preliminary scans and the patient information; computing one or more image characteristics associated with the one or more reconstructions; grouping the patient data set with one or more other patient data sets using the one or more patient characteristics; and identifying one or more image acquisition parameters suitable for the patient data set using the one or more image characteristics, the grouping of the patient data set with one or more other patient data sets, or a combination thereof.
US09152759B2
Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an image display method including selecting an image hanging protocol and displaying an image set based at least in part on the image hanging protocol. The image hanging protocol includes a rule set for displaying the image set based at least in part on a key image note. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an image display system including a display device adapted to display an image set based at least in part on an image hanging protocol. The image hanging protocol includes a rule set for displaying the image set based at least in part on a key image note. Certain embodiments of the present invention provide an image hanging protocol including a rule set for displaying the image set based at least in part on a key image note.
US09152751B2
A method is disclosed that includes the operations outlined below. An effective current pulse width of a maximum peak is determined based on a waveform function of a current having multiple peaks within a waveform period in a metal segment of a metal line in at least one design file of a semiconductor device to compute a duty ratio between the effective current pulse width and the waveform period. A maximum direct current limit of the metal segment is determined according to physical characteristics of the metal segment. An alternating current electromigration (AC EM) current limit is determined according to a ratio between the maximum direct current limit and a function of the duty ratio. The metal segment is included with the physical characteristics in the at least one design file when the maximum peak of the current does not exceed the AC EM current limit.
US09152745B2
A model for predicting fracturing in shale can minimize surface disruption, protect groundwater, maximize efficiency of hydraulic fracturing, and manage fluids used in unconventional gas development. The model provides a more comprehensive understanding of the geological, geophysical, and geomechanical properties of shales and imbeds these properties in geomechanical computer simulations to predict both the reservoir performance from the fracturing, and the associated microseismic events generated by fracturing. Since the geological and geophysical properties can be estimated from surface seismic, well logs, and geologic concepts with regional context; the performance of the fracturing can be predicted and optimized. Since the microseismic events can be predicted with the model, the simulations can be verified and the model can be updated to be consistent with the observed microseismic.
US09152724B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for a search result suppression application. A search result suppression application selects items from an electronic catalog. Suppression rules are selected and applied to the selected items. Items which meet conditions defined in the suppression rules are excluded from search results responsive to search queries subsequently applied to the electronic catalog.
US09152720B2
The present invention is directed to a search engine for a video recorder. One embodiment of the present invention operates in an environment that includes one or more set-top boxes connected to or integrated within one or more output devices. The set-top boxes are used to transfer shows from a broadcast input source to one or more types of storage devices and to play back the shows from the storage devices to the output devices, either in a delayed-live fashion or at a later time of the user's choosing. The set-top box displays a graphical user interface (GUI), which gives the user the ability to watch and/or record timeslot based programming, to order on-demand programming, and to playback previously recorded shows that reside on a local or remote storage device. A search engine is added to the GUI that lets the search for shows and receive results in an enhanced manner.
US09152718B2
Advertisers are permitted to put targeted ads on page on the web (or some other document of any media type). The present invention may do so by (i) obtaining content that includes available spots for ads, (ii) determining ads relevant to content, and/or (iii) combining content with ads determined to be relevant to the content.
US09152717B2
A search engine suggestion method, apparatus, and non-transitory article of manufacture embodying computer readable instructions for data search. The method includes: obtaining a query input by a user; obtaining a query suggestion set for the query for each of a plurality of different search engines, the query suggestion set including at least one query suggestion; determining a match degree between each of the search engines and the query based on the query suggestion set and background association information of the query; and suggesting among the plurality of different search engines based on the match degrees. By use of the solutions proposed by this application, it is possible to suggest the user a more appropriate search engine(s) for data search.
US09152714B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for selecting score improvements. In one aspect, a method includes obtaining search query data, each search query being associated user selection data that identifies which search results were selected by users; obtaining a plurality of score improvement lists, each score improvement list being an ordered list of adjusters, wherein the adjusters are serially applied to initial scores of a group of search results to determine a final scoring of the search results; testing the plurality of score improvement lists comprising: iteratively selecting pairs of score improvement lists from a pool of score improvement lists, and determining, for each pair of score improvement lists, a winning score improvement list and a losing score improvement list based on the search query data, repeating testing until ending criteria are reached; and selecting one or more score improvement lists.
US09152711B2
Search and retrieval of information shared between members of a social mobile networks is facilitated. The search returns results in an order that is based on relevance measurements unique to each member. A comprehensive map of the interactions and behaviors that take place between the members of a social mobile network is discovered and maintained. Such maps are used to assign a unique relevance measurement for each member of each social mobile network.
US09152708B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for clustering videos and using video clusters to present content. One method includes generating target video-specific clusters of co-watched videos for target videos, according to keywords for each target video, and storing data associating the target video with its clusters. The clusters can then be used in various applications, including identifying related videos, augmenting video search results, re-ordering video search results, and identifying content for a target video.
US09152707B2
A system and method for storing and providing media objects in a navigable environment implemented on at least one computer executing computer readable program code stored in a tangible memory medium. The at least one computer is configured to access a plurality of media objects comprising a media recording and metadata. The at least one computer is further configured to generate an index of said plurality of media objects based on said metadata.
US09152706B1
Surveillance data is received from a source such as a traffic camera. The data is hashed and the signature is stored in a database. The data itself may be discarded after it is hashed. In an embodiment, extrinsic information such as time and location are associated with the signature. Identification data may be received and hashed. The signature belonging to the identification data may be compared to the database to determine if there is any matching surveillance data. If a match is found, the extrinsic information may be returned.
US09152702B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for providing a plurality of facets in response to a search query. The method according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises receiving a search query from a user and retrieving a search result set. The method then identifies an optimum number of facets and selects a plurality of facets with a maximum incremental value. Finally, the method provides the search result set and the selected facets to a user.
US09152701B2
Methods, apparatus and software for classifying queries. In an aspect, for each of a plurality of queries, determines a first value based on a first number of occurrences for which the query was received for unfiltered search operations, and a determines a second value based on a second number of occurrences for which the query was received for filtered search operations. The method determines a first content type value based on the first value and the second value, and for each of the plurality of queries having a first content type value that meets a first threshold, classifies the query as a first content type seeking query, the classification being indicative of likely user interest in content of the first type.
US09152699B2
An example method of expanding a search is provided. In this example, a query used in the search is initially accessed. Other queries associated with the accessed query are identified, and these other queries include query terms. A diversity of the query terms is measured and the accessed query may be expanded with the query terms based on the measured diversity. Another example method is also provided for expanding a search. In this alternate example, a result set resulting from the search is accessed and a diversity of the result set is measured. The query used in the search may then be expanded based on this measured diversity.
US09152695B2
Various mechanisms are described for generating metadata describing relationships among data sets. Quantitative data can be analyzed to determine relationships, and metadata representing the determined relationships can then be stored. Visualizations can then be generated from the metadata, and a navigational model can be defined based on the generated set of visualizations. The navigational models can provide robust visual mechanics for implementing intuitive navigational schemes that facilitate interaction with data on any suitable output device, include small screens as found on smartphones and/or tablets.
US09152692B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs for receiving a set of content items, each content item including a time reference and digital content that is distributed using one or more computer-implemented services, for each content item: determining an event time based on a respective time reference, identifying one or more n-grams based on text of the content item, associating each of the one or more n-grams with the event time, and including the one or more n-grams in a superset of n-grams, the superset of n-grams including n-grams provided from one or more of the content items in the set of content items, generating one or more n-gram clusters based on the superset of n-grams, each n-gram cluster providing a description of an event and including at least one n-gram and an associated event time and storing each of the one or more n-gram clusters in a cluster database.
US09152689B2
Embodiments of the disclosure provide a method, system, and computer program product for processing data such as a stream of tuples. Each tuple can contain one or more attributes. The method can include processing the attributes of the stream of tuples using stream operators operating on one or more computer processors and corresponding to one or more processing elements. The method can also include detecting an indicative element from a plurality of stream operators. The method can also include transmitting, in response to detecting the indicative element, a passthru command to a processing element corresponding to the indicative element. The method can also include altering, in response to receiving the passthru command at the processing element, a portion of attribute processing for the indicative element.
US09152686B2
A method for backing up a client data set on a computer by generating a manifest of the client data set and storing the manifest on a remote server along with a server data set corresponding to the client data set; taking a snapshot of the server manifest and data set; and comparing the manifest to the remote server data set and synchronizing the client dataset if a difference is detected.
US09152685B2
System and methods for selectively or automatically migrating resources between storage operation cells are provided. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, a management component within the storage operation system may monitor system operation and migrate components from storage operation cell to another to facilitate failover recovery, promote load balancing within the system and improve overall system performance as further described herein. Another aspect of the invention may involve performing certain predictive analyzes on system operation to reveal trends and tendencies within the system. Such information may be used as the basis for potentially migrating components from one storage operation cell to another to improve system performance and reduce or eliminate resource exhaustion or congestion conditions.
US09152684B2
In one embodiment, a node coupled to one or more storage devices executes a storage input/output (I/O) stack having a volume layer that manages volume metadata. The volume metadata is organized as one or more dense tree metadata structures having a top level residing in memory and lower levels residing on the one or more storage devices. The dense tree metadata structures include a first dense tree metadata structure associated with a parent volume and a second dense tree metadata structure associated with a copy of the parent volume. The top level of the first dense tree metadata structure may be copied to the second dense tree metadata structure. The lower levels of the first dense tree metadata structure are initially shared with the second dense tree metadata structure. The shared lower levels may eventually be split as the parent volume diverges from the copy of the parent volume.
US09152679B2
According to an example, data pertaining to a plurality of entities recommended for a user may be accessed, in which the data identifies relationships between the plurality of entities with respect to each other. In addition, a relevance map for the user that displays graphical representations of the plurality of entities over a substantially optimized use of space available for display of the graphical representations in the relevance map may be generated, in which the graphical representations of the plurality of entities are arranged in the relevance map according to a predetermined arrangement scheme.
US09152671B2
A system for storing time series data includes an ingester that prepares metadata indices associated with blocks of incoming time series data and stores the blocks of data in a time series database and the indices in a separate index database. The time series database distributes storage of the data blocks among multiple data nodes. A query layer receives queries and uses the index database to determine which data blocks are needed to process the query, and then requests only those data blocks from the time series database. Processing of the query is performed within the time series database only on those data nodes that contain relevant data, and partial results are passed to an output layer for formation into a final query result.
US09152669B2
System and method embodiments are provided for improving the performance of query processing in a massively parallel processing (MPP) database system by selecting one or more stationary tables for processing the query plan. In an embodiment method, a join query associated with a plurality of tables of the MPP database system is received at a coordinator process. Stationary tables are then selected from the tables according to table partition keys in the join query. The stationary tables are indicated and the join query are sent to a plurality of data nodes communicating with the coordinator process. At each of the data nodes, an execution plan for the join query is generated. Each of the data nodes then executes the execution plan to obtain query results without sharing information of the stationary tables between the data nodes.
US09152643B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for backing up a computer with a distributed meta data store by splitting meta data from file data; storing the meta data for each file in a separate file; mapping the file data and meta data to an arbitrary file system; and reconstructing files for the arbitrary file system.
US09152639B2
Systems and methods are directed to a file storage system that manages configuration information for each cloud gateway's storage device. Systems and methods also manage a configuration parameter; and a file transfer slot number, which represents how many HTTP sessions the cloud gateway can process substantially simultaneously. Based on the configuration information, systems and methods may prioritize the multiple cloud gateways. Systems and methods calculate time lengths weighted by the priorities of the cloud gateways and multiplied by the file-transfer slot number for each cloud gateway in a time period, and then allocate time slots of the cloud gateways in the time period according to the above calculated time lengths. Systems and methods therefore allow for automatically aligning the traffic between cloud gateways and cloud storage according to the configuration of cloud gateways.
US09152638B1
A file backup method, which can be implemented on a virtual machine system or applied to backup files of a virtual machine, is herein described. The virtual machine system may include a virtual machine server and be associated with a backup server. Changes to a storage media are tracked through change block tracking. A location where file system records reside on the storage media is identified. Changed file system records are identified among the tracked changes to the storage media. Copies are made of the files that the changed file system records are pointing to.
US09152635B2
A method and system that includes an aggregation of clients' playlists, separate item names, and a systems own playlists that are converted to request lists. A consolidated dynamic playlist is created by a computer algorithm, which provides an order of priority depending on input variables. Depending on a system mode, consolidated dynamic playlist of a lower level can participate in higher level session of the system.
US09152618B2
Embodiments provide electronic spreadsheet viewing and interaction features and functionalities, but the embodiments are not so limited. In an embodiment, a computer-implemented method can be configured to provide a cell view launch indicator or interface that alerts a user that a selected cell includes additional content not being currently displayed. The cell view launch indicator can be activated and use a cell view mode to launch a separately controllable cell view window or portion. Other embodiments are included.
US09152614B2
A system and method for enabling networked computer users to bulk create and manage multiple web domains is disclosed. A particular embodiment includes collecting, by use of a processor, a set of domain names for bulk content development, at least one domain name of the set of domain names being derived from a user-provided keyword; filtering the set of domain names based on network search matching; automatically submitting at least one domain name of the set of domain names for purchase by a domain purchase agent; applying a template to pages of a plurality of sites, each site corresponding to a domain name of the set of domain names; and inserting a plurality of content items into the pages of the plurality of site, at least one of the plurality of content items being an original content item retrieved from an original content portal.
US09152611B2
A dynamical method and system generate a global optimal solution to a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) problem, where a part or all of optimization variables of the MINLP problem are restricted to have discrete values. The method computes a first integer solution to the MINLP problem with a given starting point using an MINLP solver; computes a set of stable equilibrium points (SEPs) of a nonlinear dynamical system associated with a relaxed continuous problem of the MINLP problem, where the SEPs surround the first integer solution and form one or more tiers; identifies from the SEPs a set of new starting points for the MINLP problem; computes integer solutions to the MINLP problem with progressively tightened bounds, starting from the new starting points using the MINLP solver; and generates the global optimal solution based on the integer solutions after one or more iterations.
US09152610B2
A system for generating an energy use model of a building includes a processing circuit operable to receive building data indicative of a first type of building variable and to receive additional building data correlated to an energy use of the building. The processing circuit is also operable to determine a portion of the building variable that is uncorrelated with the additional building data. The processing circuit is further operable to use the additional building data and the uncorrelated portion of the building variable to generate the energy use model of the building.
US09152605B2
An apparatus includes a plurality of processing modules which are connected to each other by corresponding communication unit and the modules transfer packets in a predetermined direction to execute a plurality of operations of pipeline processing. The module includes a storage unit for storing a first identification and a second identification for each of the plurality of operations, a reception unit for extracting data from a packet which has the first identification, a processing unit for processing the data extracted by the reception unit, and a transmission unit for storing the second identification corresponding to the first identification of the packet a packet and transmitting the packet to the module arranged in the predetermined direction.
US09152602B2
A pseudo-agent is disclosed herein that bridges this divide. For purposes of the discussion herein, a pseudo-agent is a machine that is installed on a fully capable host machine, such as a Windows or UNIX machine, and that gathers and evaluates content from a management server, takes actions if so instructed, and reports the results of its evaluation upstream. However, unlike an agent in a traditional management system, which inspects and acts on the local machine, the pseudo-agent actually inspects and acts on a remote device, or many remote devices.
US09152598B2
A device comprising: a bus master, including a bi-directional data and clock lines, configured to produce a select signal output for enabling data transmission on the bi-directional data line to first/second different data busses supporting multiple slave devices configured to receive/transmit data over a respective data bus and to receive a clock signal from the bus master from the clock line; and a de-multiplexer including an input, first and second outputs and a control input, the input coupled to the bi-directional data line of the bus master, first/second outputs of the de-multiplexer coupled to first/second data busses, respectively, and the control input configured to receive the select signal from the bus master that is configured to communicate to a first slave device when the select signal is in a first state, and a second different slave device when the select signal is in a second different state.
US09152596B2
In one embodiment, a device having a link training state machine including a reconfiguration logic to perform a dynamic link reconfiguration of a physical link coupled between the device and a second device during a run-time in which the physical link does not enter a link down state, including transmission of a plurality of bandwidth change requests to the second device, each of the plurality of bandwidth change requests to request a bandwidth change from a first bandwidth to a second bandwidth. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09152595B2
Processor-based system hybrid ring bus interconnects, and related devices, systems, and methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor-based system hybrid ring bus interconnect is provided. The processor-based system hybrid ring bus interconnect includes multiple ring buses, each having a bus width and configured to receive bus transaction messages from a requester device(s). The processor-based system hybrid ring bus interconnect also includes an inter-ring router(s) coupled to the ring buses. The inter-ring router(s) is configured to dynamically direct bus transaction messages among the ring buses based on bandwidth requirements of the requester device(s). Thus, less power is consumed than by a crossbar interconnect due to simpler switching configurations. Further, the inter-ring router(s) allows for provision of multiple ring buses that can be dynamically activated and deactivated based on bandwidth requirements. This provides conservation of power when full bandwidth requirements on the processor-based system hybrid ring bus interconnect are not required.
US09152593B2
Methods and systems are disclosed herein for providing a universal PCIe port. In one example, the same port is configured to accept a PCIe connection as a host or an endpoint symmetrically. Downstream transactions towards an endpoint can be intercepted and a virtual address in the downstream transaction can be translated to a local address using a mapping. The downstream transactions can be forwarded to the endpoint using the local address instead of the virtual address. For endpoints that share the same local address with multiple hosts, a reverse lookup may be provided to determine which one of the hosts a local address corresponds when forwarding upstream transactions. PCIe over Ethernet is provided as one embodiment for allowing remote PCIe endpoints to be associated with a local host transparently.
US09152586B2
To enable efficient tracking of transactions, an acknowledgement expected signal is used to give the cache coherent interconnect a hint for whether a transaction requires coherent ownership tracking. This signal informs the cache coherent interconnect to expect an ownership transfer acknowledgement signal from the initiating master upon read/write transfer completion. The cache coherent interconnect can therefore continue tracking the transaction at its point of coherency until it receives the acknowledgement from the initiating master only when necessary.
US09152585B2
Embodiments of a memory system that communicates bidirectional data between a memory controller and a memory IC via bidirectional links using half-duplex communication are described. Each of the bidirectional links conveys write data or read data, but not both. States of routing circuits in the memory controller and the memory IC are selected for a current command being processed so that data can be selectively routed from a queue in the memory controller to a corresponding bank set in the memory IC via one of the bidirectional links, or to another queue in the memory controller from a corresponding bank set in the memory IC via another of the bidirectional links. This communication technique reduces or eliminates the turnaround delay that occurs when the memory controller transitions from receiving the read data to providing the write data, thereby eliminating gaps in the data streams on the bidirectional links.
US09152579B2
The invention described herein generally relates to systems and methods of securely storing data so that the data contains information about the data and/or the encryption of the data, systems and methods of providing secure access to real world data through data transformations, and systems and methods of managing security parameters for data.
US09152574B2
Systems and methods for identification of data stored in memory are provided. A data packet is received and a first packet byte within the data packet is compared to a first memory byte within a memory. A mismatch is determined between the first packet byte and the first memory byte. A memory location is accessed that contains a second memory byte that is non-consecutive with the first memory byte. A packet location accessed that contains a second packet byte that is non-consecutive with the first packet byte. The second packet byte is compared to the second memory byte. A retrieval instruction is generated based at least in part on a result of the comparison between the second packet byte and the second memory byte. Various embodiments may be included in a network memory architecture to allow for faster data matching and instruction generation in a central appliance.
US09152572B2
Some implementations disclosed herein provide techniques and arrangements for an specialized logic engine that includes translation lookaside buffer to support multiple threads executing on multiple cores. The translation lookaside buffer enables the specialized logic engine to directly access a virtual address of a thread executing on one of the plurality of processing cores. For example, an acceleration compute engine may receive one or more instructions from a thread executed by a processing core. The acceleration compute engine may retrieve, based on an address space identifier associated with the one or more instructions, a physical address associated with the one or more instructions from the translation lookaside buffer to execute the one or more instructions using the physical address.
US09152568B1
The disclosure is related to systems and methods for temperature-based device operation. In one example, a device may include a first memory and a temperature detection module adapted to measure a temperature of the device and modify a data storage behavior of the first memory based on the temperature. The device may further comprise a second memory, and the temperature detection module may direct that data be written to the first memory less frequently, and be written to the second memory more frequently when a threshold temperature is exceeded. The temperature detection module may also implement operating limitations for the device when a threshold temperature is exceeded, such as restricting execution of background diagnostics or implementing other operating limitations. In some embodiments, other environmental factors such as humidity, altitude, air pressure, physical shock, or other factors may be monitored and the device operation may be modified based on those factors.
US09152564B2
Described embodiments provide an input/output interface of a network processor that generates a request to store received packets to a system cache. If an entry associated with the received packet does not exist in the system cache, the system cache determines whether a backpressure indicator of the system cache is set. If the backpressure indicator is set, the received packet is written to the shared memory. If the backpressure indicator is not set, the system cache determines whether to evict data from the system cache in order to store the received packet. If an eviction rate of the system cache has reached a threshold, the system cache sets a backpressure indicator and writes the received packet to the shared memory. If the eviction rate has not reached the threshold, the system cache determines an available entry and writes the received packet to the available entry in the system cache.
US09152552B2
A virtual non-volatile memory is simulated for a virtual switch. Operating instructions from the non-volatile memory of a physical switch may be translated into a flash type file. The flash type file may be stored on a virtual storage area in the virtual switch. Operating instructions in the virtual switch may access the flash type file in the virtual storage area without the need to access the non-volatile memory in the physical switch.
US09152551B2
A method for operating a memory controller is provided. The method includes generating a pseudo random number by using a seed included in a stored seed group corresponding to a page to be currently programmed, wherein the stored seed group is stored among a plurality of seed groups. Data to be programmed into the current page is randomizing by using the pseudo random number and the memory controller outputs the randomized data. A solid state drive (SSD) or other memory storage device such as a memory card includes the memory controller and includes a read only memory (ROM) storing the plurality of seed groups. The memory controller includes a micro-processor and a read only memory (ROM) storing executable code for causing the micro-processor to access the plurality of stored seed groups and to select a seed therefrom corresponding to a page to be currently programmed.
US09152546B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed, such as those that store data in a plurality of non-volatile integrated circuit memory devices, such as NAND flash, with convolutional encoding. A relatively high code rate for the convolutional code consumes relatively little extra memory space. In one embodiment, the convolutional code is spread over portions of a plurality of memory devices, rather than being concentrated within a page of a particular memory device. In one embodiment, a code rate of m/n is used, and the convolutional code is stored across n memory devices.
US09152533B1
Various embodiments are disclosed herein including systems and methods for managing the asynchronous and parallel execution of computer programs. Embodiments implement asynchronous execution in a distributed environment. Single-threaded execution of multiple routines can proceed without thread blocking. Asynchronous variable and routine classes are provided to facilitate development of asynchronous systems using substantially the same development techniques as used for synchronous systems. In some embodiments, the systems and methods for managing asynchronous execution of programs are applied to workflow processing systems.
US09152531B2
The invention is directed to instrumenting object code of an application and/or an operating system on a target machine so that execution trace data can be generated, collected, and subsequently analyzed for various purposes, such as debugging and performance. Automatic instrumentation may be performed on an application's object code before, during or after linking. A target machine's operating system's object code can be manually or automatically instrumented. By identifying address space switches and thread switches in the operating system's object code, instrumented code can be inserted at locations that enable the execution trace data to be generated. The instrumentation of the operating system and application can enable visibility of total system behavior by enabling generation of trace information sufficient to reconstruct address space switches and context switches.
US09152516B2
An information processing apparatus includes: processing units to perform information processing, the processing units being capable of continuing the information processing even if a processing unit in the processing units stops its operation; and a control unit to perform a potential failure detection process of restarting the processing units one by one and outputting information requesting replacement or repair of a processing unit that is not restarted up.
US09152514B2
A method begins with a processing module storing a set of encoded data slices in memory of a dispersed storage network (DSN), where a data segment is encoded using an error coding dispersal storage function to produce the set of encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module adding the data segment to a rebuilding list, where encoded data slices of data segments identified in the rebuilding list are checked via a rebuilding process to detect errors and, when one of the encoded data slices has an error, the rebuilding process rebuilds the one of the encoded data slices. The method continues with the processing module, in response to a condition, removing the data segment from the rebuilding list.
US09152505B1
Systems, methods and related processes for securely erasing and/or rendering permanently inaccessible data stored on storage systems securely erased is described. Such storage systems may, in some aspects, integrate hardware capable of secure erasure. In some aspects, a cryptographically-based system is utilized.
US09152501B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to supporting transaction data committed to a stable storage. Committed data in the cluster is stored in the persistent cache layer and replicated and stored in the cache layer of one or more secondary nodes. One copy is designated as a master copy and all other copies are designated as replica, with an exclusive write lock assigned to the master and a shared write lock extended to the replica. An acknowledgement of receiving the data is communicated following confirmation that the data has been replicated to each node designated to receive the replica. Managers and a director are provided to support management of the master copy and the replicas within the file system, including invalidation of replicas, fault tolerance associated with failure of a node holding a master copy, recovery from a failed node, recovered of the file system from a power failure, and transferring master and replica copies within the file system.
US09152499B1
A method for calculating parity values including calculating a first set of parity values using datum stored in RAID Grid locations in a first PCB, where datum associated with the RAID Grid locations in the first PCB is obtained in a first order that is based on a Hilbert curve. The method further includes calculating a second set of parity values using datum stored in RAID Grid locations in a second PCB, where datum associated with the RAID Grid locations in the second PCB is obtained in a second order that is based on the Hilbert curve. The method further includes storing at least a portion of the first set of parity values and a second set of parity values in a cache, memory, or persistent storage, where each of the first parity values and second parity values is associated with a separate RAID Grid location in the RAID Grid.
US09152496B2
Systems and/or methods that facilitate high performance flash channel interface techniques are presented. Integrated error correction code (ECC) engine and buffer sets facilitate bypassing error correction of data being written to or read from memory, such as flash memory, in addition to single ECC mode or multiple ECC mode. The integrated ECC engines and buffers can quickly analyze data, and provide error correction information or correct error, significantly increasing throughput. In addition, the programmable flash channel interface can provide more rapid development of flash products by accommodating both Open NAND Flash Interface (ONFI) standard flash and legacy flash devices, by using a configurable micro-code engine in the flash interface.
US09152495B2
Apparatuses, systems, and methods are disclosed for managing non-volatile a medium. A method includes determining whether a first error correcting code (ECC) code word of a non-volatile storage device is correctable using a first error correcting code. A method includes determining whether a second ECC code word is correctable using a second error correcting code in response to determining that a first ECC code word is uncorrectable using a first error correcting code. A method includes adjusting one or more media parameters for accessing a non-volatile medium of a non-volatile storage device based on error information. Error information may include information from a decoder for a second error correcting code. Adjusting one or more media parameters may be in response to determining that a second ECC code word is correctable using a second error correcting code.
US09152489B2
A method begins by a processing module receiving a write request message from a dispersed storage (DS) processing module, wherein the write request message includes a slice name, a DS processing module most-recent slice revision, a new slice revision, and an encoded directory slice of directory information regarding storage of data. The method continues with the processing module obtaining, from local memory, a DS unit most-recent slice revision based on the slice name. The method continues with the processing module storing the new slice revision as the DS unit most-recent slice revision and storing the encoded directory slice when the DS unit most-recent slice revision compares favorably to the DS processing module most-recent slice revision.
US09152487B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are disclosed for providing a customized service error message to a user of a service. An error encountered during a user action related to the service may be compared to one or more identified service outages to determine if the error may be attributable to any of the service outages. If the error may be caused by one or more of the identified service outages, the customized service error message can be provided, where the customized service error message comprises information about one or more of the identified service outages that cover the error. The customized service error message may be displayed to the user so that the user knows that the error is server/service side (e.g., as opposed to an issue on the user's local device), a timeframe within which the error is expected to be resolved, etc.
US09152478B2
A distributed services modular client architecture may be used to implement IP-based real time communication services in a flexible manner among a wide variety of different types of chip sets and systems-on-chip. The various services are distributed among one or more processor cores, at least one of which is a low power core, in accordance with a number of factors, including power consumption, media latency, on-time, performance, and other considerations. A processor “core” may refer to a processor itself where the processor has only a single core, and may also refer to a “core” of a multicore processor. The architecture uses a SIP/IMS framework, and is modularized by placing certain services into their own framework so that a particular service may be plugged into the SIP/IMS framework if and when desired, and otherwise omitted. The frameworks may be installed on various processor cores within the chip set or system-on-chip, including in particular the low power core, to allow for more effective power conservation without unduly sacrificing performance.
US09152472B2
A load distribution system for allocating a job to one of a plurality of arithmetic devices includes a temperature data acquirer, a candidate selector, and a job allocator. The temperature data acquirer acquires temperature data indicating temperature of each of the plurality of arithmetic devices. The candidate selector selects at least one of the plurality of arithmetic devices as a candidate for a device to which the job is to be allocated. The job allocator allocates the job to the selected candidate.
US09152468B2
Task management in a Non-Uniform Memory Access (NUMA) architecture having multiple processor cores is aware of the NUMA topology in task management. As a result memory access penalties are reduced. Each processor is assigned to a zone allocated to a memory controller. The zone assignment is based on a cost function. In a default mode a thread of execution attempts to perform work in a queue of the same zone as the processor to minimize memory access penalties. Additional work stealing rules may be invoked if there is no work for a thread to perform from its default zone queue.
US09152467B2
Method for simultaneous scheduling of processes and offloading computation on many-core coprocessors
A method is disclosed to manage a multi-processor system with one or more manycore devices, by managing real-time bag-of-tasks applications for a cluster, wherein each task runs on a single server node, and uses the offload programming model, and wherein each task has a deadline and three specific resource requirements: total processing time, a certain number of manycore devices and peak memory on each device; when a new task arrives, querying each node scheduler to determine which node can best accept the task and each node scheduler responds with an estimated completion time and a confidence level, wherein the node schedulers use an urgency-based heuristic to schedule each task and its offloads; responding to an accept/reject query phase, wherein the cluster scheduler send the task requirements to each node and queries if the node can accept the task with an estimated completion time and confidence level; and scheduling tasks and offloads using a aging and urgency-based heuristic, wherein the aging guarantees fairness, and the urgency prioritizes tasks and offloads so that maximal deadlines are met.
US09152465B2
A branch device that may be operable to: request to initiate access to a cloud computing application; map or link service level agreement information associated with the cloud computing application to performance and uptime specifications associated with a policy engine; and communicate with a first computational node that runs a first instance of the cloud computing application. Also, the branch device may be operable to: compare the performance data and the uptime data retrieved from the first computational node against the specifications, respectively; direct a request to the first instance, where the performance data and the uptime data at least satisfies the specifications, respectively; and direct a request to a second instance of the cloud computing application running on a second computational node, where the performance data and the uptime data do not satisfy the specifications, respectively.
US09152460B1
Systems and method for the management of resource dependent workflows are provided. One or more resource control devices monitor usage of a computing resource by server computing devices. Each resource control device may direct a server computing device to proceed with a workflow or to pause processing a workflow. A resource control device may further direct a server computing device to take resource conserving actions. When a computing resource is determined to be available, a resource control device may direct a paused server computing device to resume a workflow.
US09152455B2
The invention relates to systems, methods and computer-readable media for using system jobs for performing actions outside the constraints of batch compute jobs submitted to a compute environment such as a cluster or a grid. The method for modifying a compute environment from a system job comprises associating a system job to a queuable object, triggering the system job based on an event and performing arbitrary actions on resources outside of compute nodes in the compute environment. The queuable objects include objects such as batch compute jobs or job reservations. The events that trigger the system job may be time driven, such as ten minutes prior to completion of the batch compute job, or dependent on other actions associated with other system jobs. The system jobs may be utilized also to perform rolling maintenance on a node by node basis.
US09152454B2
A method for enabling sequential, non-blocking processing of statements in concurrent tasks in a control device having an operating system capable of multi-tasking, in particular a programmable logic controller, is disclosed. At least one operating system call, which causes the operating system to interrupt the particular task according to an instruction output by the statement in favor of another task, is associated with at least one statement.
US09152452B2
A transactional memory (TM) receives a lookup command across a bus from a processor. The command includes a base address, a starting bit position, and a mask size. In response to the command, the TM pulls an input value (IV). A selecting circuit within the TM uses the starting bit position and the mask size to select a first portion of the IV. The first portion of the IV and the base address value are summed to generate a memory address. The memory address is used to read a word containing multiple result values and multiple reference values from memory. A second portion of the IV is compared with each reference value using a comparator circuit. A result value associated with the matching reference value is selected using a multiplexing circuit and a select value generated by the comparator circuit. The TM sends the selected result value to the processor.
US09152447B2
A system and method of emulating a shared storage device includes determining a storage unit identifier (SUID) associated with a first local storage device in a first node of a distributed computing system, updating a first path handler to intercept storage requests including the SUID and being made on the first node and forwarding the storage requests to drivers for an emulated shared storage device, associating a second local storage device in a second node of the distributed computing system with the SUID, updating a second path handler to intercept storage requests including the SUID and being made on the second node and forwarding the storage requests to the drivers for the emulated shared storage device, and intercepting storage requests including the SUID and being made on the second node and forwarding the storage requests to the drivers for the emulated shared storage device.
US09152446B2
A system for on-demand cloning of virtual machines (VMs) includes a virtual server to host a number of VMs, the virtual server including at least one master VM. The system also includes a Web server to authenticate a user in response to a request for online access to a new VM on the virtual server. In addition, the system includes a cloning module, in communication with the Web server and the virtual server, to automatically clone the master VM to create a unique VM clone for the user on the virtual server responsive to the request.
US09152441B2
Systems and methods for virtual machine host isolation are disclosed. According to one implementation, an illustrative system may include a first compute node configured to be operatively coupled to a second compute node via a first application server, and to a third compute node via a second application server. In operation, the first compute node may be configured to receive an instruction from the second compute node via the first server to define a virtual machine, and send an instruction to the third compute node via the second server to define the virtual machine.
US09152431B2
When a shutdown is detected, a master boot record (MBR) or a backup MBR are read. When the data of the MBR is not identical to the data of the backup MBR, the MBR is copied to the backup MBR. When the backup MBR cannot normally be read or is improper, the MBR is copied to the backup MBR. When the backup MBR cannot normally be read or is improper while the power of the computer is turned on, the MBR is copied to the backup MBR.
US09152429B2
A computer system is disclosed. The computer system comprises a near field communication (NFC) tag and a computer. The computer comprises a flash read only memory (ROM), a chipset, an NFC module and a central processing unit (CPU). The flash ROM stores a basic input/output system (BIOS) having a default user identification (UID) and a default entry key data. The chipset comprises a keyboard buffer. The NFC module reads a UID seed from the NFC tag when the NFC tag is close to the NFC module. The CPU generates a current UID according to the UID seed and a function, and determines whether the current UID is equal to the UID. The CPU writes the default entry key data to the keyboard buffer if the current UID is equal to the UID.
US09152427B2
The present invention discloses a single chip sequential processor comprising at least one ALU-Block wherein said sequential processor is capable of maintaining its op-codes while processing data such as to overcome the necessity of requiring a new instruction in every clock cycle.
US09152426B2
A method of data processing includes a processor of a data processing system executing a controlling thread of a program and detecting occurrence of a particular asynchronous event during execution of the controlling thread of the program. In response to occurrence of the particular asynchronous event during execution of the controlling thread of the program, the processor initiates execution of an assist thread of the program such that the processor simultaneously executes the assist thread and controlling thread of the program.
US09152419B2
A processor includes an instruction decoder to receive an instruction having a first operand, a second operand, and a third operand, and an execution unit coupled to the instruction decoder to execute the instruction, the execution unit to individually perform a shift operation by at least one bit for each of a plurality of data elements stored in a storage location indicated by the second operand, for each of the data elements that has an overflow in response to the shift-left operation, to carry over the overflow into an adjacent data element based on a first bitmask obtained from the third operand, generating a final result, and to store the final result in a storage location indicated by the first operand.
US09152415B2
A method that includes: obtaining a computer code usable to process insurance claims; building a computer readable directed graph representing a control flow of the code and comprising nodes connected by edges, some of the nodes being decision nodes associated with decisions and some of the nodes being action nodes associated with actions; determining, on the graph, benefit action nodes that are each associated with at least one monetary outcome of a specified insurance claim; identifying all logic paths that lead to each benefit action node by traversing the graph from each benefit action node backwards, each logic path comprising a sequence of preceding decision nodes and action nodes connected by edges, each set of paths being associated with a specified benefit action node representing a benefit rule; and outputting all benefit rules by presenting each specified benefit action in relation to grouped logic paths associated with the specified benefit action.
US09152411B2
An edge computing platform that provides on-demand delivery of Rich Internet Applications and other applications is disclosed. One embodiment includes an optional manager node and content distribution network (CDN) that include one or more compute nodes. The CDN collects information pertaining to execution of a software application. The CDN aggregates the information and transfers the aggregated information to the manager node. The manager node analyzes the information from the CDN and transfers results of the analysis to the CDN. The CDN receives a software application that is designed to be dynamically updated when executed at the clients. The CDN modifies the software application based on the information from the manager node. The CDN receives a request that pertains to the software application from a client device. The CDN transfers at least a portion of the modified software application to the client.
US09152409B2
A low or medium voltage electric power distribution network comprising at least a P&C device (IED1, IEDN), and a computer station 11 which communicate with said at least a P&C device through a communication network 12. Said computer station comprises first computerized means 111 for executing, according to a batch processing mode, downloading sessions of the software package (F1, FN) to said P&C devices in order to upgrade the software of said at least a P&C device, and said at least a P&C device comprises second computerized means 115 for executing a procedure for safely managing the software upgrade in said at least a P&C device.
US09152401B2
A system for updating and delivering an interactive application delivery store, where the system includes a client computer, a server and an application delivery store executing on the server, the client computer communicating with the server over a communicative connection. A user accesses the application delivery store using the client computer, and subscribes to an application not included in a user profile of the user using the application delivery store. In response to subscribing to the application, the application delivery store verifies user permissions of the user and determines whether the user is permitted to subscribe to the application. Upon determining the user can subscribe to the application, the application delivery store updates the user profile with the application and transmits a stub application to the client computer. The stub application represents the application subscribed to by the user in that the stub application includes a portion of the application.
US09152389B2
A trace generating unit according to an embodiment of the present invention generates parallel trace information by executing a sequential program code, in case that the above-described sequential program code is parallelized and executed. The sequential program code includes a plurality of processing codes, codes to record a start and an end of the execution for each processing code, and codes to record a start and an end of the execution for each thread. The parallel trace information includes an execution sequence of the threads and an execution sequence of the processing codes for each thread.
US09152386B1
A process for identifying functional and detailed design decisions in a core software architecture across multiple applications and clients includes comparing the results of two independent review sub processes to rapidly build an upgrade testing matrix. The two sub process include an independent functional review and a regression analysis using data extracts from historical data generated from client use of the core software architecture.
US09152384B2
A system and method can support a hybrid application development environment. The system allows a client application in the application runtime environment to obtain a reference to a framework instance for a dynamic module system. Furthermore, the system can configure a bundle in the dynamic module system to be a gateway bundle based on the framework instance, and the client application can access the dynamic module system using the gateway bundle.
US09152377B2
Event sounds for a multimedia system are assigned statically and/or dynamically to an event based on internal and/or external events and the like. An associator associates a sound to an event based on these factors. User related information that is implicit and/or explicit can also be used to determine an association between an event sound and an event. A controller controls which sound is played back when a particular event occurs based on the event sound association. Probabilities related to a user's preferences can also be utilized to determine which sound is played back during an occurrence of an event.
US09152374B2
A method includes implementing an audio framework to be executed on a data processing device with a virtual audio driver component and a User Mode Component (UMC) communicatively coupled to each other. The virtual audio driver component enables modifying an original default audio endpoint device of an application executing on the data processing device to an emulated audio device associated with a new audio endpoint in response to an initiation through the application in conjunction with the UMC. The virtual audio driver component also enables registering the new audio endpoint as the modified default audio endpoint with an operating system executing on the data processing device. Further, the virtual audio driver component enables capturing audio data intended for the original default audio endpoint device at the new audio endpoint following the registration thereof to enable control of the audio data.
US09152373B2
The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates interaction between an electronic device and a remote display. The system includes a first application and an encoding apparatus on the electronic device, and a second application and a decoding apparatus on the remote display. The encoding apparatus obtains graphical output for a display of the electronic device and a first set of touch inputs associated with the graphical output from a first touch screen. Next, the encoding apparatus encodes the graphical output, and the first application transmits the graphical output and the first set of touch inputs to the remote display. Upon receiving the graphical output and the first set of touch inputs at the remote display, the decoding apparatus decodes the graphical output. The second application then uses the graphical output and a visual representation of the first set of touch inputs to drive the remote display.
US09152367B2
When a printing apparatus according to one aspect of this invention newly accepts a print job other than a specific job, for which guarantee of the print order is set as a print setting, during execution of print order guarantee for inhibiting execution of a print job other than the specific job and executing specific jobs in the acceptance order, it executes interrupt print processing to execute the print job under a predetermined condition. If the print settings of the print job do not include a setting which disturbs output of a printed material complying with the print settings of a specific job in progress by the print order guarantee, the printing apparatus executes the print job by interrupt processing.
US09152363B2
An information processing apparatus 101 processes a print job based on job data inputted from a PC 103 to a hot folder and retains print job history information and job data relating to the print job history information. The information processing apparatus 101 receives an instruction from a user and determines a dependency relation between the job history information and the job data to set a retention period of the print job history information and a retention period of the job data so that the retention period of the print job history information is over the retention period of the job data. The information processing apparatus 101 deletes the print job history information and the job data based on the set retention period of the print job history information and the retention period of the job data.
US09152359B2
An image forming apparatus includes an operation panel, a printing device, a storage device, a job management unit, a power-saving mode setting unit, and an operation mode control unit. The power-saving mode setting unit that: (a) specifies the job log where the start time point of the job execution belongs to an identical time slot in a past for a predetermined time slot; and (b1) sets the power-saving mode for the predetermined time slot to the first power-saving mode when a proportion of the number of the executing jobs where the job types of the specified job log belong to the first job type group to the number of the executing jobs where the job types of the specified job log belong to the first job type group or the second job type group exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
US09152357B2
A request for print content is received at a network server system. The request includes variable user input. Webpage content is obtained based at least in part on the variable user input. A subset of the webpage content is identified as print content. A print-ready layout of the print content is formed and the print content in the print-ready layout is provided, via network connection, to a client in response to the request.
US09152356B2
A function setup method of providing a user interface for setting various setup items related to a predetermined function, the method including: generating a setup screen in which display item groups corresponding respectively to the various setup items and each including display items are displayed in a list form; detecting an operation input instructing selection of one display item belonging to a certain one of the display item groups; changing a display state of the one display item to a setup effective state; accessing a data storage unit storing confliction information defining a conflicting relationship of setup values not allowed to be set simultaneously between the setup items, and finding a conflicting display item having the conflicting relationship with the one display item from the display item groups based on the confliction information; and changing the display state of the found conflicting display item to a setup disabled state.
US09152351B2
A storage device includes a source volume and a processor. The source volume includes a plurality of data blocks. The processor is configured to execute a full copy process of copying all data blocks of the source volume to form a full backup volume. The processor is configured to execute, at a generation change timing of changing from a current generation to a next generation, a difference copy process of copying a first data block that has been updated in the current generation into a corresponding region of the full backup volume. The processor is configured to execute a generation backup process of storing the first data block of a previous generation in a generation backup volume corresponding to the current generation.
US09152341B2
According to one embodiment, a storage controller includes a dividing unit, a duplication manager, and a duplication determination unit. The dividing unit divides data specified in a write request from a host computer into a plurality of chunks. The duplication manager preferentially stores a first hash value of a first chunk in a first table in a hash table in association with the first chunk when the first chunk is written to a storage device. The hash table includes a second table having more entries than the first table. The duplication determination unit first searches the first table for a third hash value matching a second hash value of a second chunk when the second hash value has been calculated.
US09152339B1
In one aspect, a method includes synchronizing a second storage volume to a first storage volume by synchronizing extents according to priority based on extent activity. In another aspect, an apparatus includes electronic hardware circuitry configured to synchronize a second storage volume to a first storage volume by synchronizing extents according to priority based on extent activity. In a further aspect, an article includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores computer-executable instructions. The instructions cause a machine to synchronize a second storage volume to a first storage volume by synchronizing extents according to priority based on extent activity.
US09152338B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for snapshot management in a storage infrastructure. A computer identifies one or more snapshots within layers of the storage infrastructure. The computer determines one or more relationships of the one or more identified snapshots of the storage infrastructure. The determined relationships include, at least in part, relations of one or more entities included in the one or more snapshots to additional one or more entities in the one or more snapshots of the storage infrastructure. The computer identifies the one or more duplicate snapshots by utilizing the one or more determined relationships of the one or more identified snapshots. The computer consolidates the one or more identified duplicate snapshots in the storage infrastructure. In another embodiment, the computer identifies one or more inconsistent snapshots, and consolidates the one or more inconsistent snapshots in the storage infrastructure.
US09152337B2
A source remote copy configuration in a source storage system is migrated to a destination storage system as a destination remote copy configuration. The destination primary storage apparatus of the destination storage system defines a virtual volume mapped to the primary volume provided by the source primary storage apparatus which is a storage area of the virtual volume; takes over a first identifier of the primary volume to the virtual volume; transfers, when the virtual volume receives an access request, the access request to the source primary storage apparatus to write data in the primary volume; and takes over the first identifier from the virtual volume to another primary volume provided by the destination primary storage apparatus, after completion of copy of data from primary volume of the source primary storage apparatus into primary volume of the destination primary storage apparatus and secondary volume of the destination secondary storage apparatus.
US09152326B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory cell array configured to include sub memory blocks and a redundancy memory block, data line groups configured to deliver data to be programmed into the sub memory blocks and data read from the sub memory blocks, a redundancy data line group configured to deliver data to be programmed into the redundancy memory block and data read from the redundancy memory block, and switching circuits configured to couple selectively the data line groups to the redundancy data line group.
US09152325B2
One method includes assigning a pointer from multiple logical blocks to the same original physical block if the multiple logical blocks include the same data. The method further includes receiving a command to write data to the first logical block and determining if the first logical block is a frequently accessed logical block. If the first logical block is a frequently accessed logical block, ownership of the original physical block is assigned to the first logical block. If ownership is established, the method includes copying any data stored in the original physical block to a new physical block, assigning a pointer from a second logical block to the new physical block, and performing the write command on the original physical block. A system includes a processor for performing the above method. One computer program product includes computer code for performing the method described above.
US09152321B2
Techniques are disclosed for providing a duplicate content mode in touch sensitive computing devices. The duplicate content mode can be used to copy content or objects to a target location using a multiple contact point drag and drop gesture. For example, the duplicate content mode may be used to copy files from a first folder to a second folder. In some cases, the duplicate content mode drag and drop gesture is initiated using multiple contact points, such as two or more fingers, but may transition to a smaller number of contact points, such as one finger, once initiated. In some cases, the user may be able to select additional content after initiating the drag and drop gesture. Once the content has been copied to the target location, the user can then share or organize the content to the users liking.
US09152319B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product for entering text on a touch-screen device is presented. Entry of at least one letter of a word on a virtual keypad of a touch-screen device is detected. In response to the detection of an entry of least one letter of a word on a virtual keypad of a touch-screen device a first row of keys is displayed on the virtual keypad, the first row of keys comprising a predictive character set of keys based on the entry of at least one letter of a word.
US09152315B2
A touch device is provided that allows users to easily select text in an Electronic Book (e-book), based on a touch interaction. A method is also provided that operates an e-book function in the touch device which includes displaying e-book content, receiving an anchor interaction at a location in text of the e-book content, displaying a number of candidate anchors, based on the location where the anchor interaction is input, determining two selected candidate anchors as definite anchors, and forming a block of text in the definite anchors.
US09152309B1
A computer-implemented touch screen call interface includes announcing an incoming telephone call on a mobile device touch screen display, connecting to the call and displaying a slidable panel on the display while locking the display from inputs other than unlocking inputs, receiving a user selection moving the slidable panel away from a position that covers one or more selectable controls, and unlocking the display for selection of the selectable controls while the slidable panel stays in a position that leaves the selectable controls uncovered.
US09152307B2
Systems and methods for displaying electronic messages are disclosed. In some implementations, a method includes, at a computing device, displaying a user interface for a messaging application, comprising an electronic message list. The message list comprises a plurality of objects. Each respective object in the plurality of objects is visually distinct in the message list and represents one or more corresponding electronic messages. The method includes detecting user selection of an object in the message list and in response to detecting user selection of the object, toggling display of the first object from a first state to a second state. The method includes moving a first subset of objects vertically upward, where the first subset of objects comprises one or more objects above the selected object, and moving a second subset of objects vertically downward, where the second subset of objects comprises one or more objects below the selected object.
US09152300B2
A user may establish a reservation for content that is not currently available to the user via a group of sources, including broadcast, streaming, and/or download sources. For example the a user may establish a reservation to record a broadcast of specific content that is currently not scheduled for broadcast. As another example, the user may establish a reservation for the purpose of alerting the user once a new movie becomes available through a subscription streaming service. Based on a reservation, the service provider and/or the user's media playback device may monitor content availability data for one or more sources. When the content is indicated as available, the user may be so informed. The content may then be streamed or downloaded, or a recording of the content may be scheduled. Additionally, or alternatively, the content may be automatically scheduled for recording or download.
US09152296B2
A scheduling order can be designated for the delivery and playback of media content (e.g., music, news, other audio, advertising, etc) with respect to particular slots within the scheduling order. The broadcast day is divided into blocks of time that include multiple time slots. One of those time slots, a transition slot, is adjacent to another block of time. The transition slot can be scheduled using a different algorithm than the one used for scheduling the other slots in the same block. At least the transition slot can be scheduled to satisfy both horizontal and vertical adjacency requirements. The remaining slots can be scheduled by selecting a next available media item from one or more categories of media items associated with the block being scheduled.
US09152276B2
The motion of an object is characterized by transmitting acoustic signals over first and second transmitter-receiver channels. Information relating to signals received over the first channel is compared with information relating to signals received over the second channel, to identify a similar pattern in both channels arising from reflections from the object. A relative timing difference between the channels, associated with the similar pattern, is used to characterize the motion of the object.
US09152273B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure disclose a terminal and method for controlling a screen. The method comprises: during a calling or call originating process of the terminal, determining whether a distance between a specified area and a human body is larger than a distance threshold value based on an electrical signal generated by the screen when the specified area of a screen of the terminal gets close to the human body; controlling the screen to be off if it is determined that the distance is not larger than the distance threshold value, and controlling the screen to be on if it is determined that the distance is larger than the distance threshold value. By adopting the technical solution disclosed in the embodiments of the present disclosure, the on and off status of the screen can be controlled more precisely during the calling or call originating process of the terminal.
US09152269B2
A sensing circuit includes a plurality of sensors, a controller, a multiway switch, a linear optocoupler, and a logical control unit. The plurality of sensors are capable of measuring physical quantity, and each of the plurality of sensors is capable of generating a sensing signal in accordance with the physical quantity. The controller is capable of receiving and analyzing the sensing signals, and transforming the sensing signals into sensing events. The multiway switch is capable of selectively connecting one of the plurality of sensors to the controller. The linear optocoupler is connected between the plurality of sensors and the controller. The logical control unit is capable of controlling the multiway switch to selectively connect one of the plurality of sensors to the optocoupler, and generating a control signal to the controller, wherein the control signal indicating the one of the plurality of sensors connected to the controller.
US09152260B2
Disclosed herein are a touch panel and a fabricating method thereof. In the touch panel according to an embodiment of the present invention, a noise shielding layer may be separately formed between a transparent substrate and an electrode pattern, thereby shielding noise that occur from a display coupled to the touch panel. In addition, through a bridge electrode pattern formed by patterning the noise shielding layer and a bridge insulating pattern patterned on an insulating layer formed on the noise shielding layer, a first electrode pattern and a second electrode pattern may be formed on the same plane of the transparent substrate so as to intersect with each other, thereby ensuring reliability of electrical connection between each electrode pattern.
US09152259B2
According to one aspect of the invention, a contact detecting device includes: a contact responding section configured to produce an electric change in response to an object to be detected coming into contact with or proximity to a detecting surface; and a contact driving scanning section configured to scan application of driving voltage to the contact responding section in one direction within the detecting surface, and control output of the electric change in time series, wherein the contact driving scanning section performs a plurality of scans of different regions of the contact responding section in parallel with each other, and outputs a plurality of the electric changes in parallel with each other.
US09152258B2
A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processor of an electronic device that includes a touch sensitive and pressure sensitive display, cause the processor to enable a user interface of the electronic device, by which a glide gesture along the display and an amount of pressure applied to the display both generate the same user interface command.
US09152251B2
A scan driving circuit includes a shift register configured to sequentially output a first scan signal to scan lines through respective first output lines during a first section of a frame period, a simultaneous switching block configured to simultaneously output a second scan signal to the scan lines through respective second output lines during a second section of the frame period, the first and second periods of the frame period being different from each other, a switching device electrically connected to the second output line, and a repair line across the first output line and the second output line.
US09152249B2
A system and a method for determining an attitude of a device undergoing dynamic acceleration is presented. A first attitude measurement is calculated based on a magnetic field measurement received from a magnetometer of the device and a first acceleration measurement received from a first accelerometer of the device. A second attitude measurement is calculated based on the magnetic field measurement received from the magnetometer of the device and a second acceleration measurement received from a second accelerometer of the device. A correction factor is calculated based at least in part on a difference of the first attitude measurement and the second attitude measurement. The correction factor is then applied to the first attitude measurement to produce a corrected attitude measurement for the device.
US09152239B2
A keyboard safety protection device for protecting a point of sale (POS) device keyboard area from being attacked includes: a protection layer, a metal dome, and a keyboard printed circuit board, wherein a key gold finger and a safety processor are arranged on the keyboard PCB, the protection layer is composed of a layer of PVDF film and a first and second silver slurries, the first and the second silver slurries are coated on the surface of the PVDF film, the surfaces of the first and second silver slurries are provided with a first and second thin film layers respectively, the first and second silver slurries are electrically connected with the key gold finger, and the first and second silver slurries are electrically connected with the safety processor to form a safety detection circuit through the keyboard printed circuit board and the safety processor.
US09152238B2
An asymmetric keyboard with a QWERTY style layout comprising a plurality of sparse grids and a plurality of dense grids is provided. A sparse grid is substantially large in size containing large keys with large labels, whereas a dense grid is substantially small in size containing small keys with small labels. All keys are functional but the larger keys in the sparse grid offer greater visibility and operability than the smaller keys in the dense grid. The user makes use of the sparse grid as the primary grid to input data. A swipe across a designated boundary interchanges the key labels between corresponding pairs of keys in the designated sparse and dense grids. On the software-based version, a swipe across another designated boundary compresses or decompresses a corresponding grid. On the hardware-based version, a bi-axial hinge allows the display and the keyboard to rotate around two axes.
US09152229B2
A display processing device includes a face image detecting unit detecting the user's face image based on imaging data output from a camera unit provided on a cabinet, a position/angle change detecting unit detecting a change in the position of the user's face image and a change in the face angle, and a display control unit that displays a predetermined image on a display unit, moves the position of the display image in accordance with a change in the position of the detected user's face image, the change occurring in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, performs enlargement/reduction processing based on a position change in the Z-axis direction, performs rotating processing in accordance with a change in the face angle so that an image viewed from the face angle is obtained, and displays the obtained image on the display unit.
US09152228B2
The invention enables users to virtually attach information to situations in the real world, and also enables users to quickly and easily find out desired information. An IR sensor receives an IR signal transmitted from an IR beacon, and supplies the received signal to a sub-notebook PC. A CCD video camera takes in a visual ID from an object, and supplies the inputted visual ID to the sub-notebook PC. A user inputs, through a microphone, a voice to be attached to situations in the real world. The sub-notebook PC transmits position data, object data and voice data, which have been supplied to it, to a server through a communication unit. The transmitted data is received by the server via a wireless LAN. The server stores the received voice data in a database in correspondence to the position data and the object data.
US09152226B2
Apparatuses, methods, systems and computer-readable media for using proximity inputs on or near a touch screen lens to select objects within a field of view are presented. In some embodiments, a viewing apparatus (e.g. head mounted display, augmented reality goggles) may include at least one lens, wherein the lens can sense touches or near-touches and output data indicative of a location of the proximity input by the user. A processor may receive the data and may select an object within the field of view of the user corresponding to the data, wherein the object and the location of the proximity input on or near the lens by the user are on a common line of sight. In some embodiments, the viewing apparatus may include at least one camera that is configured to record at least one image representative of the user's field of view.
US09152224B2
A mobile terminal device includes a storage module which stores two or more screens of web pages; a receiving module which receives an operation to collectively update predetermined screens of the web pages stored in the storage module; an acquisition module which acquires information for generating the predetermined screens of the web pages through a communication network, in response to the operation; and an updating module which collectively updates, based on the acquired information, the predetermined screens of the web pages stored in the storage module.
US09152221B2
A method, apparatus, and system for modeling user interactions with a computer system associates semantic descriptions of passive and active user interactions, which are meaningful at a user level, with application events and user interaction data as a user interacts with one or multiple software applications with a computing device, and uses those associations to build and maintain a user-specific contextual model. In some embodiments, the contextual models of multiple users are leveraged to form one or more collective contextual user models. Such models are useful in many different applications.
US09152219B2
Embodiments provide context-aware inclusion of emoticon item sets in applications and/or services. The emoticon item sets include a plurality of emoticon images or other emoticons. A computing device creates custom emoticon item sets for each of the applications. Based on a determined execution context, the computing device selects the emoticon item set and presents the selected emoticon item set for use within the execution context by a user of the computing device.
US09152214B2
This disclosure discusses systems, methods, and apparatus for dynamically scaling a clock frequency of an I/O interface to a non-volatile storage device. The scaling can be based on monitoring an idle time on the I/O interface, a priority of one or more applications having read/write requests queued for dispatch to the I/O interface, a load of the queued read/write requests on the I/O interface or a combination of priority and load. Such variables can be compared to thresholds in a frequency governor.
US09152210B2
Various method and apparatus embodiments for selecting tunable operating parameters in an integrated circuit (IC) are disclosed. In one embodiment, an IC includes a number of various functional blocks each having a local management circuit. The IC also includes a global management unit coupled to each of the functional blocks having a local management circuit. The management unit is configured to determine the operational state of the IC based on the respective operating states of each of the functional blocks. Responsive to determining the operational state of the IC, the management unit may provide indications of the same to the local management circuit of each of the functional blocks. The local management circuit for each of the functional blocks may select one or more tunable parameters based on the operational state determined by the management unit.
US09152203B2
A system and process that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, transitioning a processor from a high-power consumption state to a low-power consumption state, wherefrom return to the high-power consumption state includes a boot process. Future demand for operation of the processor in the high-power consumption state is predicted, while the processor is in the low-power consumption state. The processor is transitioned from the low-power consumption state to the high-power consumption state in response to predicting future demand for operation of the processor in the high-power consumption state. Such transition of the processor from the low-power consumption state to the high-power consumption state sufficiently precedes actual demand for operation of the processor in the high-power consumption state so as to avoid perceptible user delay. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09152197B2
An overcurrent protection circuit and a server using the same are provided. The overcurrent protection circuit coupled between a power supply module and a load on a mainboard including a detecting component, a detection unit, a comparing unit, and a power switch. The detecting component is coupled between the power supply module and the detection unit. The detection unit detects a detecting voltage generated by the detecting component responsive to a supplying current. The comparing unit generates a control voltage according to the detecting voltage and a reference voltage. The power switch is coupled between the detecting component and the load and is controlled by the control voltage. When the comparing unit determines that the detecting voltage is greater than the reference voltage, the comparing unit cuts off the power switch to disconnect a power supply path between the power supply module and the load.
US09152185B2
A back touch sensor positioned on a back surface of a device accepts user input in the form of touches. The touches on the back touch sensor map keys on a virtual keyboard, a pointer input, and so forth. Touches on a touch sensor positioned on a front surface provide additional input while also allowing the user to grasp and hold the device.
US09152184B2
A hybrid computer system is provided. The hybrid computer includes a display portion attached to a base portion via hinge. The display portion can be folded flat against the base portion such that the display screen faces outwards, for use in a tablet computer configuration. The display portion can alternatively be tilted upwards relative to the base portion, with the display portion being hinged at a front edge of the display and in a middle section of the base portion. When the display is articulated upwards, a support structure can be deployed between the backside of the display and the base portion, in order to provide physical support to the display and resistance against hinge movement in response to a user pressing on the display to engage touchscreen functionality.
US09152183B2
In one embodiment a locking mechanism for a hinge, comprises a housing defining a chamber which is to contain a magnetorheological (MR) fluid, a bias mechanism which disposed at a first end of the chamber, a piston disposed at a second end of the chamber, the piston to be coupled to a hinge rotatable about a first axis, wherein rotation of the hinge about the first axis translates the piston laterally in the housing on a first side of the chamber, and a magnet positioned proximate the housing to change the MR fluid from a first state in which the MR fluid exhibits a low viscosity to a second state in which the MR exhibits a high viscosity. Other embodiments may be described.
US09152182B1
Embodiments of the invention provide a removable memory unit (RMU) that facilitates concatenation of said memory modules irrespective of their individual physical interfaces, enables encryption/decryption keys (including cryptographic ignition keys (CIKs)) to reside onboard the RMU, provides for physical separation of RED and BLACK data in cross-domain environments and implements zeroization functionality onboard the RMU. Further embodiments provide a swappable IO backplane and adapter plates for incorporation into a wide variety of platforms.
US09152175B2
According to one embodiment, a display device includes a display unit and a mounting stand. The display unit has a housing, a display panel housed at least partially within the housing, an engaging member joined to the housing at a first predetermined location and a processing unit configured to control the display panel to display a position indicator at a second predetermined location substantially corresponding in height to the first predetermined location. The mounting stand has a plurality of engaging parts disposed at different heights for engagement with the engaging member and a plurality of position marks disposed at third predetermined locations, the third predetermined locations being respectively at the different heights and visible when the display unit is mounted on the mounting stand.
US09152173B2
This document describes techniques and apparatuses for implementing a transparent display device. A transparent display device includes a transparent or translucent screen to render images on the screen, and to render virtual objects that appear to be in a three-dimensional (3D) space behind the screen. The transparent display device also includes a hand tracker to sense movement of a user's hands to interact with one or more of the virtual objects, and to generate 3D-input based on the movement. The transparent or translucent screen enables the user to see the user's hands behind the screen as the user's hands interact with the one or more virtual objects. The transparent display device is controlled to modify the rendering of the images on the screen or the virtual objects behind the screen based on the 3D-input.
US09152167B2
A steering means for vehicles suitable for use by disabled persons comprises an attachment device for receiving an upper limb of a person who does not have the ability to grasp the steering means. The attachment device comprises a hollow body in which are provided a seat to receive an extremity of the upper limb, a front opening, having an open outline, through which the limb projects when the extremity is received in the seat, a side opening, joined to the front opening, extending along the hollow body to allow the extremity of the limb to be inserted into or removed from the hollow body, respectively, as well as opposing abutment regions shaped and spaced so as to abut the extremity of the limb when the latter is subjected to a torsion movement.
US09152166B2
A first coil spring urges a shaft in an accelerator closing direction. A support member has a space, in which a first center line of the first coil spring is convexly curved when the shaft is rotated in an accelerator opening direction. The first center line is straight or is convexly curved toward the space when the limiting portion contacts the support member.
US09152162B2
Disclosed herein are a constant voltage generating circuit and a constant voltage generating method. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the constant voltage generating circuit includes a voltage distribution unit performing voltage drop on a variable input power, a reference voltage and register bit generation unit outputting a band gap reference voltage and register bit, a comparison control unit comparing an input voltage dropped in the voltage distribution unit and the band gap reference voltage output from the reference voltage and register bit generation unit, and controlling the reference voltage and register bit generation unit or a constant voltage generation unit in accordance with the compared result, and a constant voltage generation unit receiving the variable input power by an operation of a switch corresponding to the register bit to thereby output a constant voltage, in accordance with the control of the comparison control unit.
US09152154B2
Methods and system for facilitating multi-dimensional personal heating and cooling. User information is used as a mean to configure the temperature in a surrounding environment, thereby facilitating comfort for a user and, in the case wherein multiple users are accessing an area, classifying the area into a number of regions and maintaining each region at a different temperature and guiding the users to desired regions.
US09152152B2
A controller for mobile hydraulic equipment includes a radio receiver, hydraulic controller, and display unit. The controller further includes terminals configurable to function as a combination of analog or digital inputs or outputs according to the system requirements. A user interface included on the controller permits an operator to select a desired function for each terminal and to configure the controller according to the application requirements.
US09152149B1
A system for managing inventory items includes a portable inventory holder and an unmanned drive unit configured to move the inventory holder between locations in an inventory facility. The inventory facility includes a plurality of uniquely identifiable fiducial markers having a small set of values distributed in a pattern. The drive unit captures at least one image of a subset of the plurality of the fiducial markers. The at least one captured image is processed to determine a location of the drive unit within the facility. A path is determined along which the drive unit moves to an inventory holder and moves the inventory holder to another location. The pattern of fiducial markers can include one or more repeated instances of uniquely identifiable fiducial markers. A fiducial marker can encode information using a readable code and at least one attribute of the fiducial marker.
US09152146B2
A plurality of wireless engine sensors each includes a sensing circuit that senses an engine parameter as engine data. A radio transceiver receives and transmits the engine data regarding the sensed engine parameters. An engine monitoring module includes a housing configured to be mounted at the aircraft engine. A sensor receiver is mounted within the housing and receives the engine data from the wireless engine sensors. A first wireless transmitter is carried by the housing. A memory is carried by the housing and a processor is carried by the housing and coupled to the memory and the first wireless transmitter and configured to collect and store in the memory engine data related to engine parameters sensed during operation of the aircraft engine by the plurality of wireless engine sensors and transmit the engine data via the first wireless transmitter.
US09152139B2
A system is provided for remote control of electronic devices. An automation controller can be used to control electronic devices via a network. A communication port for the automation controller is used to provide control signals for at least one electronic device via the network. An analog receiver module receives analog video signals from analog sources. A digital display module can receive a digital control interface from the automation controller. The digital control interface can include automation graphical interface controls. A display module, coupled to the automation controller, is used to composite the digital control interface received from the digital display module into a composite image with analog video signals.
US09152121B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a developer collecting duct that is linear and has a plurality of coupling portions vertically spaced apart from each other; and a plurality of developer discharging sections that each have an engaging portion inserted into one of the coupling portions to thereby be disposed as being exposed to the inside of the developer collecting duct, and that discharge waste developer to the developer collecting duct through a developer outlet provided in the engaging portion. Second and subsequent ones of the developer discharging sections from the top are detachably attached to the developer collecting duct. The developer collecting duct has a flow path restricting portion that restricts the area through which the waste developer flows down to prevent the waste developer from hitting the engaging portion of lower one of the developer discharging sections.
US09152118B2
A sheet conveying apparatus includes a sheet conveying unit that conveys a sheet including a drive roller, a driven roller, and a rotary encoder provided on a rotational axle of one of the drive roller and the driven roller; a conveying amount measuring unit that measures a conveying amount of the sheet; a first detection unit positioned downstream of the sheet conveying unit, the first detection unit being positioned apart from the drive roller and the driven roller not to overlap with the drive roller and the driven roller in the conveying direction; a second detection unit positioned upstream of the sheet conveying unit; and a conveying distance calculation unit that calculates a conveying distance of the sheet based on the measured result by the conveying amount measuring unit and the detected results detected by the first detection unit and the second detection unit.
US09152115B2
The formation position of a primary-transferred toner image is corrected by using, as a reference, a timing at which a marker that rotates together with a rotating member is detected by a marker detecting unit for detecting the marker, after part of a preparation operation in which a processing unit is caused to contact or depart from the rotating member is finished.
US09152109B2
A cylindrical fixing member includes a substrate; an elastic layer overlying the substrate; an outermost surface release layer overlying the elastic layer; and a heat source inside. The elastic layer includes a carbon fiber and has a heat diffusivity (X) not less than 1.0×10−6 m2/s in a direction of a rotational axis of the fixing member, and the heat diffusivity (X) is not less than 2.0 times of a heat diffusivity (Z) in a direction of thickness of the elastic layer.
US09152077B2
Aspects include an apparatus, a blade assembly, and a method for manufacturing the apparatus with the blade assembly. The apparatus may include a developer carrier for carrying developer and a blade assembly. The blade assembly may include a blade disposed adjacent to the developer carrier and configured to regulate an amount of developer on the developer carrier. The blade may include a weld mark joining the blade to the supporting member. A first dimension of the weld mark in a first direction may be greater than a second dimension of the weld mark in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and a third dimension of the weld mark in a third direction may be a dimension of the thickness of the blade. The weld mark may be formed by irradiating a laser beam onto the blade while moving the laser beam or the blade.
US09152074B1
In accordance with one embodiment, an image forming apparatus comprises a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged in a line, an image forming section and an exposure control section. The image forming section develops, with developing agent, a latent image formed on a photoconductive drum through the light from the light-emitting elements which emit light according to printing data. The exposure control section controls the operations of the plurality of light-emitting elements according to shifted printing data obtained by shifting the printing data in a case where the number of printings based on the same printing data is more than one.
US09152070B2
A transfer device including an image carrier; a transfer member disposed facing the image carrier; a transfer electrical field generator including a direct-current (DC) power source to generate a DC voltage and an alternating current (AC) power source to generate an AC voltage; and a controller. The transfer electrical field generator forms the transfer electrical field between the image carrier and the transfer member using the DC voltage and the AC voltage, to transfer the toner image on the image carrier, charged to a predetermined polarity, onto the recording medium. The controller controls the AC voltage source so that, the AC voltage output from the AC voltage source when a leading edge of the recording medium is positioned in the transfer electrical field is set larger than the AC voltage when the portion of the recording medium other than the leading edge is positioned in the transfer electrical field.
US09152057B2
A microlens array is a stacked body of four unit microlens arrays, and the optical axis of a portion of the unit microlens arrays can be shifted from the optical axis of the other unit microlens arrays. In a scanning exposure apparatus, a CCD line camera detects an image on a substrate, and using a first-layer pattern on the substrate as a reference pattern, in a case in which a mask exposure pattern does not match the reference pattern, shifts the optical axis of the microlenses to adjust the magnification of a projection pattern using the microlens array. This makes it possible to adjust the exposure position using the microlens array so that even when the exposure pattern deviates from the reference pattern, the deviation can be detected during exposure and an exposure pattern misregistration can be prevented, enabling the precision of the exposure pattern to be enhanced in an overlay exposure.
US09152052B2
[Object]To provide a composition for forming a tungsten oxide film from an aqueous solution, and also to provide a pattern formation method employing that composition.[Means]The present invention provides a tungsten oxide film-forming composition comprising: water, a water-soluble metatungstate, and at least one additive selected from the group consisting of anionic polymers, nonionic polymers, anionic surfactants, and tertiary amino group-containing nonionic surfactants. For forming a pattern, this composition can be employed in place of a silicon dioxide film-forming composition in a pattern formation process using an image reversal trilayer structure, a resist undercoat layer or a resist top protective film.
US09152051B2
The present invention relates to an absorbing hard mask antireflective coating composition comprising a novel polymer, where the novel polymer comprises in the backbone of the polymer four repeat units -A-, -B-, -C- and -D-, where A is repeat unit which comprises a fused aromatic ring in its backbone, B has the structure (1), C is a hydroxylbiphenyl of structure (2) and D is a derivatized fluorene of structure (3), where R1 is C1-C4alkyl, R2 is C1-C4alkyl, R3 and R4 are independently hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl, and Ar′ and Ar″ are independently phenylenic, or naphthalenic derived moieties, R5 and R6 are independently —OH or —(CH2)nOH where n=2-4, and R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen or C1-C4 alkyl. This invention also relates to a process for forming an image using the novel antireflective coating composition.
US09152046B2
A method for fabricating a semiconductor product includes applying a photo-resist layer to a substrate, the photo-resist layer including a higher acid concentration at an upper portion of the photo-resist layer than at a lower portion of the photo-resist layer. The method also includes exposing the photo-resist layer to a light source through a mask including a feature, the photo-resist layer including a floating, diffusing acid that will diffuse into a region of the photo-resist layer affected by the feature while not diffusing into a feature formed by the mask.
US09152040B1
In accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure, a maskless interferomeric lithography system for fabricating a three-dimensional (3D) photonic crystal using a multiple two-beam-exposures is disclosed. The system can comprise an illumination system comprising an optical arrangement operable to receive radiation from a radiation source and provide three or more tilted two-beam interference pattern exposures to be combined into a three-dimensional pattern; and a substrate operable to be supported by a substrate table, wherein the substrate comprises a photoresist formed on a top surface of the substrate and operable to receive the three-dimensional pattern and wherein means are provided to adjust the position of the substrate in all six mechanical degrees of freedom.
US09152029B2
An optical module includes a curved reflecting component, a first filtering component, a second filtering component and a rolling component. The curved reflecting component has a focus, a transmissive portion, a first reflecting portion and a second reflecting portion. The rolling component includes a first transforming portion and a second transforming portion. The first waveband light is transmitted into the transmissive portion and is then transformed into a second waveband light via the first transforming portion. The second waveband light is subsequently transformed into a first emergent light. The first waveband light is transmitted into the transmissive portion and is then transformed into the second waveband light via the second transforming portion. The second waveband light is subsequently transformed into a second emergent light.
US09152025B2
An image projector in a case, having a light engine, a circuit board, a heat sink assembly, and a fan assembly, has one or more heat sinks and heat pipes shaped to gather heat from all heat-generating components within the projector and a single air passage to receive the heated air combined from all components, allowing the employment of a single fan module in sucking cool air from the exterior and exhausting heated air through the single air passage.
US09152019B2
A camera holding assembly that is configured to hold a plurality of cameras in a predetermined orientation includes a support having a plurality of receptacles. Each of the receptacles include at least one feature enabling a camera to be releasably retained therein as well as at least one and preferably at least three attachment features configured for enabling the camera holding assembly to be secured to another object. The receptacles are oriented about the support so that each camera, when loaded into the defined receptacles, is aimed in a different angular orientation. Images obtained from each retained camera can be stitched to create either a composite 360 degree×180 degree full spherical image or a composite 360 degree composite image of a scene of interest.
US09152012B2
A power source switching device includes a first switch circuit provided between a first power source and a load section, a second switch circuit provided between a second power source and the load section, a third switch circuit provided between the first power source and the load section in series with the first switch circuit, a fourth switch circuit provided between the second power source and the load section in series with the second switch circuit, a logic circuit that controls the third and the fourth switch circuits to prevent at least one of the third and fourth switch circuits from turning on while both of the first and second switch circuits are in an on state, and a control circuit that controls the first switch circuit, the second switch circuit, and the logic circuit.
US09152009B2
A terahertz-wave generating element includes a waveguide including an electro-optic crystal; an optical coupling member that extracts a terahertz wave, which is generated from the electro-optic crystal as a result of light propagating through the waveguide, to a space; and at least two electrodes that cause a first-order electro-optic effect in the electro-optic crystal by applying an electric field to the waveguide so as to change a propagation state of the light propagating through the waveguide. A crystal axis of the electro-optic crystal of the waveguide is set such that the terahertz wave generated by a second-order nonlinear optical process and the light propagating through the waveguide are phase-matched.
US09152000B2
A liquid crystal display includes a plurality of pixels, each of which includes a thin film transistor (TFT), a gate line supplying a driving signal to a gate of the TFT of each pixel, a liquid crystal capacitor included in each pixel and connected to one terminal of the TFT in a corresponding pixel, a sub-capacitor line aligned in parallel to the gate line, a sub-capacitor included in each pixel and connected between one terminal of the TFT in a corresponding pixel and the sub-capacitor line, and a driving circuit having at least four voltages, selecting one of the voltages and supplying the selected voltage to the sub-capacitor line to drive the liquid crystal display in a state in which the liquid crystal capacitor is capacitively coupled to the sub-capacitor.
US09151998B2
A liquid crystal display includes a display area and a non-display area. The liquid crystal display includes a first base substrate, a pixel disposed on the first base substrate in the display area, a second base substrate, a common electrode disposed on the second base substrate, a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first base substrate and the second base substrate, and an electric field control line disposed on the first base substrate in the non-display area. The electric field control line is disposed on a same layer as the pixel electrode.
US09151989B2
The present invention relates to a norbornene monomer, a polynorbornene derivative, a liquid crystal alignment film including the same. and a liquid crystal display device including the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a norbornene monomer, a polynorbornene derivative, a liquid crystal alignment film including the same, and a liquid crystal display device including the same, which have an alignment property by photoreaction, excellent thermal stability and photoreactivity, the increased photo-reaction rate and reliability of the alignment film, thereby showing high manufacturing process efficiency.
US09151979B2
An in-cell touch panel LCD module (100) and a method for driving the same includes a common electrode layer including first and second common electrodes. A control circuit divides the frame time period into a display time period and a touch control time period. A display signal is applied to the common electrode layer during the display time period for a normal LCD display. First and second touch control signals are applied to the first and second common electrodes, respectively, during the touch control time period, so that the electric potential of the first common electrode equals to that of the driving line and the electric potential of the second common electrode equals to that of the sensing line.
US09151977B2
A liquid crystal display module includes a liquid crystal module and a polarizer on the liquid crystal module. The liquid crystal module includes an upper substrate, an upper electrode layer, a first alignment, a liquid crystal layer, a second alignment layer, a thin film transistor panel, and a lower polarizing layer. The polarizer includes a first transparent conductive layer, an upper polarizing layer, and a second transparent conductive layer on the second surface of the upper polarizing layer. A number of first electrodes are electrically connected with the first transparent conducive layer, a number of second electrodes are electrically connected with the second transparent conducive layer. The first transparent conductive layer includes a number of carbon nanotubes substantially aligned along a second direction, and the second transparent conductive layer includes a number of carbon nanotubes substantially aligned along a first direction.
US09151971B2
A liquid crystal lens is comprises: a plurality of lens units (1), and a driver circuit electrically-connected with the plurality of lens units respectively; each lens unit comprises: a common electrode (11), a signal electrode opposite to the common electrode, and a liquid crystal layer provided between the common electrode and the signal electrode; each signal electrode comprises: one or two conductive wires (25) with one end being electrically-connected to the driver circuit, and a resistive block (22) provided on a second substrate and opposite to the common electrode. The resistive block is electrically-connected with the conductive wire(s). Where the driver circuit applies a drive voltage through the conductive wire(s) to the resistive block, the liquid crystal layer provided between the resistive block and the common electrode has a lens function. A stereoscopic display device comprising a same liquid crystal lens is also disclosed.
US09151965B2
A lens driving device includes a lens barrel supporting a lens; an autofocusing driving unit disposed on one side of a plane perpendicular to an optical axis direction based on the lens barrel to thereby drive the lens barrel in the optical axis direction; and a hand-shake prevention driving unit disposed on sides of the plane perpendicular to the optical axis direction other than the one side on which the autofocusing driving unit is disposed, to thereby drive the lens in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction.
US09151953B2
A wearable computer device may include multiple imaging devices or other sensors working in concert to recognize conditions, objects or areas of an environment in which the wearable computer device is situated. The device may include a imaging device and a sensor, which may but need not be a imaging device, for sensing and capturing information regarding the environment. The sensor may be configured to perform one or more specific tasks, such as recognizing particular items, and the imaging device may be generally configured to perform multiple tasks. Upon the execution of a specific task by the sensor, information or instructions regarding the specific task may be provided to a wearer of the device, or may cause the imaging device to automatically operate to gather further information. Such information gathered from the imaging device or the sensor may be provided to the user, such as on a computer display mounted to the device.
US09151950B2
Techniques and configurations are provided for packaging optoelectronic devices. In particular, a lid component of an optoelectronic device is provided, and the lid component is configured to cover active components of the optoelectronic device. An optically transparent wall is also provided. The optically transparent wall is coated with an anti-reflective material and configured to interface with a section of the lid component. The optically transparent wall is joined with the section of the lid component such that the optically transparent wall and the lid provide a seal for the active components of the optoelectronic device. Additionally, the lid component has a top surface and a plurality of side surfaces that are coupled to the top surface. An optically transparent wall coated with an anti-reflective material adhesively joins to the top surface and one or more side surfaces.
US09151948B2
A curvature variable mirror includes a mirror base material that is configured such that the curvature is variable and that reflects laser light on the mirror reflective surface side, wherein the mirror base material is formed by using spring-material copper alloy, and the spring-material copper alloy is constituted by using any of phosphor bronze, copper-nickel-zinc alloy, chromium copper, zirconium copper, titanium copper alloy, copper-nickel alloy, and alloy obtained by adding at least one of Ni (nickel), Sn (tin), Si (silicone), Mg (magnesium), Zn (zinc), Mn (manganese), Pb (lead), Fe (iron), and Al (aluminum) to copper.
US09151946B2
A method of manufacturing an electrowetting display device includes a preliminary partition wall pattern formed on a lower substrate on which a pixel electrode of an oxide series and an insulation layer are formed. The preliminary partition wall pattern is disposed along a boundary of the pixel electrode. A water-repellent layer including a self-assembled monolayer having a hydrophobic property is formed on the lower substrate. A portion of the preliminary partition wall pattern and the water-repellent layer formed on the preliminary partition wall pattern are removed to form a partition wall pattern on the insulation layer and to form a water-repellent pattern on the pixel electrode and the insulation layer between partition walls of the partition wall patterns. A fluid layer is formed on the lower substrate on which the water-repellent pattern is formed. The lower substrate and an upper substrate are combined with each other.
US09151944B2
A method for navigating images in microscopic imaging, the method comprising reducing dimensionality of an original sequence of images of a specimen for navigation using an all-focus image and providing a user interface to a user for navigating the original sequence of images and the all-focus image.
US09151936B2
The invention relates to an optical inspecting system designed to image an object to be inspected with a variable imaging scale, comprising a variation system for imaging the object into infinity, a lens group downstream of the variation system for imaging the object from infinity into the image plane of the whole system, and a light source for generating light in order to illuminate the object, means for imaging the illuminating light into the exit pupil of the variation system being provided in the airspace between the fifth lens group and the subsequent lens group. Of the five lens groups of the variation system, the first, second, and fourth lens groups, when seen in the imaging direction, are arranged in a movable manner in the direction of the optical axis, whereas the third and fifth lens groups are not movable.
US09151932B2
A reflective type telephoto lens and a photographing apparatus including the reflective type telephoto lens are provided. The reflective type telephoto lens includes: a first lens that receives an incident flux of light from an object side; a main mirror including a reflective unit that reflects light transmitted through the first lens toward the object side, and a transmission portion disposed on a center portion thereof; a sub-mirror group including a sub-mirror that reflects light from the main mirror toward an image side; and a focusing lens group that focuses the light reflected by the sub-mirror.
US09151929B2
A first lens unit performing communication with an image pickup apparatus with a first voltage and a second lens unit performing communication with the image pickup apparatus with a second voltage are selectively attached to the image pickup apparatus. The image pickup apparatus includes a controller configured to operate with a third voltage different from at least one of the first and second voltages to output a signal for the communication with the first and second lens units, and a determiner configured to determine the type of the lens unit attached to the image pickup apparatus. The controller is configured to produce, as a voltage of the signal for the communication, from the third voltage, one of the first and second voltages corresponding to a determination result of the determiner.
US09151917B2
The present invention relates to the apparatus and method for optical interconnection. The present invention provides an optical interconnection structure comprising: a substrate on which double side perforated multi-hole through a predetermined region is formed; bottom hole which is etched and tapered for optical fiber array is bigger than upper hole which is etched for the optical devices. The present invention provides the optical interconnection structure that can facilitate the optical interconnection between the active optoelectronic devices that transmit/receive the optical signals and the optical fiber array, making it possible to align easily and acutely between the optical devices and optical fiber array.
US09151912B2
An optical fiber segment holder includes a lens holder body comprising a mating surface having a light transmissive material. At least one optical fiber segment is disposed in the lens holder body. The at least one optical fiber segment having an end face located behind the mating surface such that light travels to or from the at least one optical fiber segment through the mating surface.
US09151911B2
A photoelectric coupling module includes a holding module and a lens module. The holding module includes a base defining a receiving recess and a cover having a protruding portion. The protruding portion is received in the receiving recess, and the protruding portion and the receiving recess cooperatively define a receiving room for holding optical fibers. The lens module is coupled to the holding module, and includes a reflective surface, a plurality of first lenses, and a plurality of second lenses. Optical axes of the first lenses cross optical axes of the second lenses on the reflective surface. The optical fibers are coupled to the second lenses.
US09151908B2
An LC type plug with a shutter includes: a plug frame; a square cylindrical front housing arranged slidably on the plug frame and including a shutter; a locking housing connected to the plug frame; and a spring provided between an upper part of the front housing and the locking housing. The front housing includes a front portion storage space for storing a front portion of the spring, the locking housing is provided with a rear portion storage space for storing a rear portion of the spring, a rear end side of the front portion storage space and a front end side of the rear portion storage space are formed so as to overlap with each other, and the spring is not exposed to an outside even in a non-connected state of the plug, and the entire part is stored in the both storage spaces.
US09151907B2
An optical fiber connector includes a connector body and an actuating device. The connector body is adapted to connect with an adapter, and includes a main body portion having a tubular section, a resilient retaining arm portion extending inclinedly from the main body portion, and a pressing plate portion extending inclinedly from the main body portion. The actuating device includes a handle unit and two flexible rods extending from the handle unit and through the tubular section in the main body portion to connect with a free end of the pressing plate portion. The handle unit can be pulled to move the free end of the pressing plate portion to press a free end of the resilient retaining arm portion, thereby allowing for removal of the connector body from the adapter.
US09151884B2
An illumination system, such as might be used for illuminating a projection system, includes at least a first source of incoherent light capable of generating light in a first wavelength range. The system includes at least one active chromophore layer, sandwiched by transparent materials into a multi-layer body. They active chromophore layer emits light in a second wavelength range, different from the first wavelength range, when illuminated by light in the first wavelength range. The multi-layer body has an extraction area and at least some of the light at the second wavelength is internally reflected within the body to the extraction area.
US09151883B2
Provide is a cellulose acylate film, of which the environmental humidity-dependent retardation change is small and which, when stuck to a polarizer and used in high-temperature and high-humidity environments, is effective for preventing the polarizing element from being deteriorated. A cellulose acylate film, which contains a hydrogen-bonding compound satisfying the following requirements (A) to (C), and at least one hydrophobizing agent selected from a polyalcohol ester-base hydrophobizing agent, a polycondensate ester-base hydrophobizing agent and a carbohydrate derivative-base hydrophobizing agent: (A) the compound has both a hydrogen-bonding donor part and a hydrogen-bonding acceptor part in one molecule, (B) the value computed by dividing the molecular weight of the compound by the total number of the hydrogen-bonding donor number and the hydrogen-bonding acceptor number in the compound is from 30 to 65, and (C) the total number of the aromatic ring structures in the compound is from 1 to 3.
US09151874B2
The present invention provides a near-infrared reflective film and a near-infrared reflector, which can be used over large areas and are flexible, and have low haze and high visible light transmittance. The near-infrared reflective film comprises at least one unit composed of a high refractive index layer and low refractive index layer on a substrate, and is characterized in that the refractive index difference between an adjacent high refractive index layer and low refractive index layer is at least 0.1, and said high refractive index layer contains at least one type of compound (A) selected from: 1) a rutile-type titanium oxide having a volume-average particle diameter of not more than 100 nm; 2) a water-soluble polymer; and 3) the following group of compounds. Group of compounds: a carboxyl group-containing compound, hydroxamic acids, pyridine derivatives.
US09151873B2
The invention provide a class of actinically-crosslinkable amphiphilic prepolymers which comprise at least one polysiloxane segment, at least one polyoxazoline segment, and two terminal ene groups. The present invention is also related to a medical device comprising a silicone hydrogel material obtained from step-growth polymerization of a polymerizable material comprising a prepolymer of the invention and to a method for producing contact lenses from a prepolymer of the invention.
US09151869B2
A liquid crystal film, a method for manufacturing the same, a polarizing plate, and a liquid crystal display are provided. The liquid crystal film has excellent physical properties such as durability and an optical physical property so that it can be effectively used for various applications. In addition, the physical property of the liquid crystal film can be controlled according to desired purposes.
US09151862B2
A buried object detector comprising: a loop antenna and an RF source, the RF source coupled to the loop antenna and arranged to feed the loop antenna with an RF signal, the detector further comprising a detector circuit coupled to the loop antenna and arranged to detect changes in the quality factor of a resonant circuit formed by the loop antenna, wherein the loop antenna is arranged to magnetically couple with a buried object, thereby reducing the quality factor of the resonant circuit.
US09151860B2
A towed array sonar system 10 with a towed array 14, a deployment device 32 for respectively deploying and retrieving the towed array 14 into and from a body of water, a signal processing device 28 for processing the signals of the towed array 14 and at least one control console 30 for controlling the towed array sonar system 10. In order to create a mobile sonar system that can be deployed independently of a ship, the towed array 14, the deployment device 32, the signal processing device 28 and the control console 30 are installed in a container 12 that can be transported independently of a ship. The invention furthermore pertains to a method for carrying out a sonar mission using such a towed array sonar system 10.
US09151856B2
A method for processing seismic data. The method may include receiving seismic data due to a plurality of seismic sources and applying a first operator to the seismic data to generate a first estimate of seismic data. The method may then include applying a second operator to the first estimate of seismic data to generate residual seismic data due to one or more seismic sources. The method may determine a second estimate of seismic data based on the first estimate and the residual seismic data. The method may then process the second estimate of seismic data due to each seismic source to determine the presence of hydrocarbon deposits in a subterranean area of the earth.
US09151853B2
Neutron-detecting structures and methods of fabrication are provided which include: a substrate with a plurality of cavities extending into the substrate from a surface; a p-n junction within the substrate and extending, at least in part, in spaced opposing relation to inner cavity walls of the substrate defining the plurality of cavities; and a neutron-responsive material disposed within the plurality of cavities. The neutron-responsive material is responsive to neutrons absorbed for releasing ionization radiation products, and the p-n junction within the substrate spaced in opposing relation to and extending, at least in part, along the inner cavity walls of the substrate reduces leakage current of the neutron-detecting structure.
US09151851B2
A multiplexing circuit for a positron emission tomography (PET) detector includes a delay circuit and a multiplexer communicating with the delay circuit. The delay circuit configured to receive a plurality of timing pickoff (TPO) signals from a plurality of positron emission tomography (PET) detector units, add a delay time to at least one of the plurality of TPO signals, and transmit the TPO signals based on the delay time to the multiplexer, the multiplexer configured to a multiplex the TPO signals and output a single TPO signal from the plurality of TPO signals to a Time-to-Digital Convertor (TDC). A method of operating a multiplexer and a imaging system including a multiplexer are also provided.
US09151845B2
The present system relates to a GNSS receiver that includes a processor. The processor is configured to receive a temperature signal from a temperature sensor indicating an operating temperature of an resonator. The processor is also configured to compute a frequency and a frequency correction data of the resonator based on the temperature and a frequency model of the resonator. The processor then transmits the frequency correction data to an RF receiver which utilizes the frequency correction data and the resonator to receive and RF signal.
US09151839B2
An imaging system (1) comprises a transmitter (3, 6), a receiver (3, 4, 6), an antenna array (2); and a controller (4, 5, 10, 11) for directing the transmitter, the receiver, and the antenna array to scan a volume containing an object. The controller has multiple distributed processors (15) to calculate antenna control pattern data during run-time. The processor (4, 5) assesses misalignment of antennae using a receiver placed in the imaging volume, and monitors level of energy received by the receiver and compares it with a reference energy level. Also, the controller performs on-the-fly modification of antenna control pattern data according to real time conditions such as mechanical misalignment of the transmitter, the receiver, or of one or more antennas. The controller may generate three-dimensional offset vectors to provide a profile of the offset across the scan volume, and the position of an antenna may be moved to compensate for the mechanical misalignment.
US09151836B2
A detection and tracking radar includes a hazardous zone set within a preset radius based on a main body having a radar, a plurality of detection and tracking sectors configured to detect a high speed mobile approaching the main body within detection areas, the detection areas being defined by diving the hazardous zone based on an azimuth angle, and a controller configured to recognize the high speed mobile as a target based upon signals received from the detection and tracking sectors and track the target. Accordingly, rapid detection and tracking of the high speed mobile can be allowed. Also, since the detection and tracking sectors can be independently run, expansion of a radar system can be free by virtue of addition of the detection and tracking sectors.
US09151835B2
A detection information memory stores, for each object, detection information that includes a distance to and a traveling speed of an object for each predetermined timing detected by a radar apparatus which detects detection information on the object, and the radar apparatus detects the detection information by receiving a reflected wave of an irradiated radar wave from the object. A predictor predicts, for each object, the detection information to be newly detected by the radar apparatus from a history of the detection information. A tracker tracks the object by identifying the object which is the target of the detection information newly detected using a result of the predictor; a determiner determines whether the object is a fixed object or a moving object. An output unit outputs the detection information on the object determined to be the moving object by the determiner.
US09151828B2
A simulation device and a system and method for using the simulation device are disclosed. The simulation device may contain a plurality of antenna elements positionable on or near a radar or other sensing device. The simulation device may be configured to control the plurality of antenna elements to transmit signals that simulate a reflection of an electromagnetic signal off of one or more targets of particular sizes at particular azimuths, elevations, distances, trajectories, and/or velocities.
US09151821B2
An antenna array may stagger the signal of one or more beams within a single base station sector. The time-delayed beams may have a watermark within the signal they are carrying. The receiving unit then may identify the beam as a time-delayed beam and compensate for the delay using stored data. The receiving unit may transmit the beam identification information to the base station and receive the time delay data.
US09151807B2
A magnetic field sensor includes built in self-test circuits that allow a self-test of most of, or all of, the circuitry of the magnetic field sensor, including self-test of a magnetic field sensing element used within the magnetic field sensor, while the magnetic field sensor is functioning in normal operation.
US09151804B2
A circuit and method is described for automatically testing multiple LDO regulator circuits on an integrated circuit chip independent of an ATE. Each LDO regulator is tested for voltage at a specified current output capability, wherein the output driver transistor is formed by at least two pass transistors, which are each tested for voltage output at a particular current capability. The test results are delivered back to the ATE and for a failed test, the gate voltage of the pass device can be observed through an analog multiplexer to enable debug.
US09151800B2
First and second scan channels each comprise a plurality of scannable latches that apply input to and receive output from logic circuits on a chip under test. First input is scanned into the first scan channel and second input is scanned into the second scan channel. Output from the first scan channel is hashed using a first XOR on the first scan channel and output from the second scan channel is hashed using a first XOR on the second scan channel. Output from the first XOR on the first scan channel is hashed using a second XOR on the first scan channel. A rotator creates adjustment data from the output from the second XOR on the first scan channel. The adjustment data and output from the first XOR on the second scan channel are hashed using a second XOR on the second scan channel.
US09151797B2
An apparatus is described for burn-in and/or functional testing of microelectronic circuits of unsingulated wafers. A large number of power, ground, and signal connections can be made to a large number of contacts on a wafer. The apparatus has a cartridge that allows for fanning-in of electric paths. A distribution board has a plurality of interfaces that are strategically positioned to provide a dense configuration. The interfaces are connected through flexible attachments to an array of first connector modules. Each one of the first connector modules can be independently connected to a respective one of a plurality of second connector modules, thereby reducing stresses on a frame of the apparatus. Further features include for example a piston that allows for tight control of forces exerted by terminals onto contacts of a wafer.
US09151793B1
The method for measuring the complex dielectric constant of a substance is based on calculations made in the frequency domain. An open ended rectangular waveguide terminates, at one end, in a non-resonant rectangular cavity, which is then filled with a substance of interest. An electromagnetic wave of known frequency is transmitted through the waveguide and the reflection coefficient at the interface between the waveguide and the cavity is measured by a network analyzer or the like. Another measurement is then made with a slight variation in depth of the cavity or a variation in frequency, and from these two measurements of the reflection coefficient, the complex dielectric constant of the substance of interest can be calculated.
US09151790B1
Apparatuses and methods of equalizing mutual capacitances of sense arrays using inactive electrodes disposed between or within transmit (TX) electrodes and aligned in relation to the receive (RX) electrodes.
US09151781B2
A set of first substrate and second substrate are manufactured with a built-in N-fold rotational symmetry around the center axis of each substrate, wherein N is an integer greater than 1. A set of N different interposers is provided such that an i-th interposer provides electrical connection between the first substrate and the second substrate with a rotational angle of (i−1)/N×2π. The first and second substrates are tested with each of the N different interposers therebetween. Once the rotational angle that provides the highest stacked chip yield is determined, the first and the second substrates can be bonded with an azimuthal rotation that provides the highest stacked chip yield.
US09151780B2
A wafer inspection interface 18 includes a probe card 20 having a substrate 20a and a multiple number of probes 25 that are provided at a surface of the substrate 20a facing a wafer W and arranged to correspond to electrodes of a plurality of semiconductor devices formed on the wafer W; a pogo frame 40 that is in contact with a surface of the probe card 20 opposite to a surface of the probe card 20 facing the wafer W and supports the probe card 20; and a shim 51 provided on the surface of the probe card 20 in contact with the pogo frame 40 and configured to adjust a thickness of the probe card 20. The shim 51 has a cross shape when viewed from the top.
US09151779B2
Systems and methods for EMC, EMI and ESD testing are described. A probe comprises a center conductor extending along an axis of the probe, a probe tip, and a shield coaxially aligned with the center conductor and configured to provide electromagnetic screening for the probe tip. One or more actuators may change the relative positions of the probe tip and shield with respect to a device under test, thereby enabling control of sensitivity and resolution of the probe.
US09151771B2
An apparatus and a method provide an output signal indicative of a speed of rotation and a direction of rotation of a ferromagnetic object capable of rotating. A variety of signal formats of the output signal are described.
US09151763B2
Provided are high-throughput detection systems. The systems include a magnetic sensor device, a magnetic field source and a reservoir plate that includes a plurality of fluid reservoirs. The magnetic sensor device includes a support with two or more elongated regions each having a magnetic sensor array disposed at a distal end. Also provided are methods in which the subject high-throughput detection systems find use.
US09151761B2
Methods and compositions are disclosed for predicting and treating the clinical benefit to a human renal cell carcinoma patient prior to their treatment with a VEGFR inhibitor and an Ang2 inhibitor.
US09151756B2
The invention provides Chlamydia antigens for use in the treatment, prevention and/or diagnosis of Chlamydia infection. In particular, the invention provides antigens CT733, CT153, CT601, CT279, CT443, CT372, CT456, CT381, CT255, CT341, CT716, CT745, CT387, CT812, CT869, CT166, CT175, CT163, CT214, CT721, CT127, CT043, CT823 and/or CT600 from C. trachomatis for the treatment, prevention or diagnosis of Chlamydia infection.
US09151754B2
The present disclosure relates to diagnostic test devices that provide increased comfort and ease of use. The diagnostic test device can include a test member, such as a lateral flow assay test strip. The test device can further comprise a housing that comprises a substantially arch shaped handle. The housing of the test device can comprise a base member that is attached to a curved lower surface of the housing and that can improve stability of the device in an upward facing position as well as enable angled positioning of the device relative to a flat, horizontal surface. The curvature of the test device in particular can provide secure handling of the device while also improving ease and comfort of use thereof. The disclosure further relates to methods of determining the presence of an analyte in a fluid sample and methods for evaluating a test result of a personal use diagnostic test device.
US09151740B2
A nanopore device comprising a channel unit comprising a micro channel defined by a bottom surface and an insulator lateral wall; and a cover unit covering the micro channel, wherein the cover unit comprises a nanopore extending through the cover unit and connected to the micro channel; a first source/drain electrode disposed on an upper surface of the cover unit and adjacent to an inlet of the nanopore; an opening extending through the cover unit and connected to the micro channel; and a second source/drain electrode disposed on the upper surface of the cover unit and adjacent to the opening; as well as a method for fabricating and using the device.
US09151736B2
An apparatus (100) for measuring quality of a urea solution is operated with at least a portion of the apparatus inserted into the urea solution. The apparatus (100) includes a configuration of sensors (180, 190, 200) for measuring mechanical and electrical properties within a volume of the urea solution, the measurements of mechanical and electrical properties being mutually differently influenced by components present in the urea solution. A data processing arrangement (230) of the apparatus (100) is operable to process the measurements of mechanical and electrical properties for generating output data (120) indicative of a quality of the urea solution. The apparatus (100) is also capable of being adapted to measure qualities of other types of solution.
US09151734B2
A fitting assembly having a single- or double-headed ferrule, a nut, and a fitting that may be assembled or dissembled by an operator. The fitting assembly includes a nut with first and second ends, with the second end adapted to receive or abut the first end of a ferrule, and further includes a fitting with a first end having an internally tapered portion adapted to receive the second end of the ferrule and a second end adapted to be removably connected to a component or fitting of a liquid chromatography system. The nut, ferrule and fitting of the fitting assembly have passageways therethrough for receiving and removably holding tubing.
US09151732B2
Techniques for enhanced isotachophoresis assays using additives with spatial gradients include forming a concentration gradient of an additive along a channel from an input port to an output port. The channel is used for isotachophoresis with ions of a leading electrolyte having a first mobility greater than a mobility of an analyte, and ions of a trailing electrolyte having a second mobility less than the mobility of the analyte. The additive is different from both the leading electrolyte and the trailing electrolyte; and the additive has a third mobility that assures the analyte will encounter the additive. The method further comprises introducing a mixture of the trailing electrolyte and a sample including the analyte. The method further comprises applying an electric field to the channel; and, measuring the analyte.
US09151726B2
A measurement device is for use with a current-type sensor unit, which, when applied with a driving voltage, is capable of reacting with a target substance for generating a sensor current that corresponds to a concentration level of the target substance, and includes: a driving unit operable to generate the driving voltage that includes alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) components; and a processing unit for receiving the sensor current from the current-type sensor unit, and operable to determine the concentration level of the target substance according to a peak-to-peak value of the sensor current received by the processing unit.
US09151724B2
The invention refers to a method and capacitive sensor for counting aerosol nanoparticles in an electric way. Aerosol particles, onto which a fluid was applied in an earlier process by known methods, change the capacitance of the dielectric of the capacitor when entering its field, which causes an electric signal. The method provides for detection of aerosol particles in a wide scope of their presence in the air and is not specific for any shape or chemical composition of nanoparticles.
US09151723B2
A label-free RF MEMS-based biosensor is described for detecting biomarkers in a given environment. The biosensor is capable of sensing the presence of biomarkers by exploiting both its mechanical and electrical characteristics. In addition, the method employed for detecting mechanical deflections due to antigen-antibody binding uses a simple electrical circuitry which allows the sensor to be used at any location and time. Such a sensor, when placed in a matrix like structure allows for the detection of multiple biomarkers simultaneously.
US09151716B1
A device for testing a scuba tank air supply for carbon monoxide comprising a transparent or clear inflatable enclosure such as a balloon and a tablet that changes color when exposed to carbon monoxide mounted inside said balloon and a hermetically sealed package containing the balloon and the CO tablet to prevent the activation of the tablet prior to testing the air supply in the scuba tank.
US09151710B2
Detector receives optical radiation transmitted through measured object and is responsive to one or more predetermined optical absorption bands of water and cellulose and two or more separate optical bands related to spectral disturbance caused by coloring substance. The measuring unit measures, on basis of responses of the detector, a water dependent value on basis of attenuation of optical radiation in predetermined optical absorption band of water, a cellulose dependent value on basis of attenuation of optical radiation in predetermined optical absorption band of cellulose, determines general dependence of attenuation with respect to wavelength including spectral disturbance caused by coloring substance by measuring attenuations in predetermined separate optical bands apart from predetermined bands of water and cellulose, and forms a moisture value on basis of moisture dependent value, cellulose dependent value, and general dependence of attenuation for compensating for spectral disturbance of at least one coloring substance.
US09151701B2
The systems and methods disclosed herein include a microfluidic system, comprising a pneumatic manifold having a plurality of apertures, and a chip manifold having channels disposed therein for routing pneumatic signals from respective ones of the apertures to a plurality of valves in a microfluidic chip, wherein the channels route the pneumatic signals in accordance with a configuration of the plurality of valves in the microfluidic chip.
US09151694B2
This disclosure concerns a cleaning and inspection system for fiber optics that is rapid, reliable and useful for various types of fiber optics. In an embodiment, the system includes a wide field of view (FOV) camera to image the ferrule and rapidly locate the fiber ends and a narrow FOV camera to provide detailed inspection of fiber ends. A cleaning module with a cleaning tip and a cleaning media that is drawn through the tip is used to clean the fiber ends. Images captured by the dual cameras are automatically enhanced and analyzed to determine the effectiveness of the cleaning process and to identify the types and quantity of defects present. In another embodiment, a single higher resolution camera is provided with a lens that can image an entire fiber array and yet enable defects to be detected by analysis of sub-images of each fiber in the fiber array.
US09151682B2
A sensor for measuring heat generated from cells, including a thermopile manufactured by surface-micromachining technology, and a microfluidic flow-channel structure for mixing cells with medium and dividing the mixture into cells and medium. Medium and cells are uniformly mixed using a micro-mixer. The mixture is separated into a medium microfluid and a cell microfluid using the Zweifach-Fung effect, after which signals measured in the two microfluids are amplified. The difference between the two signal values determines the amount of heat generated from the cells. The influence of noise caused by a change in external environment is eliminated. Convection heat dissipation caused by fluid flow is minimized. The sensor accurately measures the amount of heat generated from cells flowing in the microfluidic flow-channel. Diseases such as cancer are diagnosed using the difference between the measured amount of heat generated from cells and the standard amount of heat generated from normal cells.
US09151679B2
In one embodiment, a system comprises a portable computing device comprises a housing, at least one temperature sensitive radio frequency signal source proximate the housing and at least one radio frequency interface to receive a radio signal generated by the at least one temperature sensitive radio frequency signal source.
US09151668B1
The present invention relates to scintillators and related devices and methods. More specifically, the present invention relates to quantum dot scintillators for use, for example, in radiation detection, including gamma-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray and neutron detection.
US09151667B1
The present invention includes a laser diode, a laser controller configured to adjust a wavelength of illumination from the laser diode, a beam sampler configured to receive illumination from the laser diode and configured to direct a delivery portion of illumination to a phase-shifting interferometer, the beam sampler configured to direct a reference portion of illumination along a reference path, a detector configured to receive the reference portion of illumination, an amplitude controller configured to receive information associated with optical power of the reference portion of illumination from the detector and further configured to compare optical power of the reference portion of illumination with a selected optical power, and an optical amplitude modulator configured to adjust optical power of illumination received from a first portion of the illumination path, the optical amplitude modulator configured to transmit illumination having adjusted optical power along a second portion of the illumination path.
US09151661B2
A method of determining the dimensions of a parcel, in which method the parcel to be measured is placed against an orthogonal reference support made up of at least two perpendicular vertical side panels, each of which is provided with a grid, and an image of the support and of the parcel together is acquired so as to determine at least three perpendicular edges of the parcel, and then the number of intervals of the grid that form each of the edges is counted so as to obtain the dimensions in mm of the parcel.
US09151659B2
A flexure element used in a load cell comprises a rectangular strain region, two first arms, a first connection portion, which is connected to one end of the strain region and the first arms, two second arms, and a second connection portion which is connected to the other end of the strain region and the second arms, wherein one of the pair of first arms and the pair of second arms receives a load in a direction perpendicular to the flexure element, and the other of the pair of first arms and the pair of second arms is fixed to a support body, and a gap between the first arm and the second arm and a gap between the second arm and the strain region are equal to or smaller than a half of the thickness.
US09151658B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for differential pressure meters having a constant beta edge boundary defined by fluid displacement members of the meter. In some embodiments, a differential pressure meter may have an interchangeable fluid displacement member, such that each fluid displacement member replaced in the meter maintains a constant beta edge boundary. In other embodiments, a family of differential pressure meters having permanent fluid displacement members may maintain a constant beta edge boundary for each meter of the family of differential pressure meters.
US09151655B2
An oil level gauge structure with an oil level gauge attachment hole functioning as an oil filling opening provided in a casing of an engine with an oil level gauge for closing up the attachment hole. The oil level gauge has a columnar portion formed on the lower end side of an external thread. The columnar portion has a predetermined length and is continuous with the external thread for attaching the oil level gauge to the casing. A guide hole into which the columnar portion is fitted to restrict the position of the columnar portion is provided on the lower end side of an internal thread of an attachment hole of the casing. The columnar portion of the oil level gauge is formed to have such an axial length that the lower end of the columnar portion exceeds the depth of the internal thread of the casing.
US09151654B2
Electronic circuits in a register associated with a commodity usage meter capture energy from a meter reading device when the device is coupled to the register (e.g., either electrically or inductively coupled) for the purpose of reading metered quantity data from the register. Electrical charge obtained from the reading device may be stored in a high-capacity storage capacitor. When the capacitor is sufficiently charged, it provides power to at least part of the register circuits, such as a controller, for at least the duration of the communication session with the reading device. In some embodiments, the capacitor may additionally supply sufficient power to operate the register until a subsequent reading device coupling.
US09151653B2
A gas meter with integrated gas shut-off valve has a housing with a gas inlet and a gas outlet. A device to record the gas flow, a meter mechanism, a gas shut-off valve and optionally a pressure reducer are positioned in a gas flow path between the gas inlet and the gas outlet. The gas shut-off valve is an electrically operated valve with a spherical or cylindrical valve element.
US09151647B1
A vertical flow meter comprises a vertical barrel, an adjustment mechanism and an induction mechanism. The vertical barrel has a flow passage inside to house a vertical rod and a magnetic element coupling on the vertical rod. The adjustment mechanism straddles a holding plate and a scale plate that are located at two sides of the vertical barrel, and includes an adjustment portion at one side thereof, at least one adjustment member corresponding to a second elongate slot of the scale plate and fastening to the adjustment portion, a protrusive connection portion at another side opposite to the adjustment portion, and a connection plank connecting with the adjustment portion and protrusive connection portion. The induction mechanism is disposed at one side of the protrusive connection portion. Through magnetic attraction between the induction mechanism and the magnetic element, the adjustment mechanism can be moved upward or downward on the scale plate.
US09151644B2
A support structure stabilizes a position of a load measurement sensor by ensuring the rigidity of a support bracket supporting the sensor. The support structure supports the sensor, including an extension shaft portion extending from a sensor body, by each of attachment bracket and while the extension shaft portion is located at the lateral side of the sensor body, wherein each of the attachment brackets and includes an upright wall that is provided with an insertion hole into which the extension shaft portion is inserted when the sensor is supported, a bottom wall that intersects the upright wall and contacts the upright wall at one end in the seat width direction, and an upward protruding wall provided at a position contacting the bottom wall at the other end opposite the upright wall in the seat width direction of the bottom wall, intersecting the bottom wall, and facing the upright wall.
US09151641B2
The circuit arrangement according to the invention comprises a measuring apparatus that measures an electrical connection, and also one or more conductor patterns. The conductor pattern is connected to the measuring apparatus using an adaptor component, which fits the impedance produced by the conductor pattern to be suitable for the measuring apparatus.
US09151640B2
A capacitive sensing system are configured to sense a capacitance value and convert the sensed capacitance value to a digital format. The capacitive sensing system provides good selectivity and immunity to noise and interference, which can be further enhanced by enabling spread spectrum excitation. In some embodiments, the capacitive sensing system utilizes a sinusoidal excitation signal that results in low electromagnetic emissions, limited to narrow frequency band. In some embodiments, the capacitive sensing system is configured to operate in a spread spectrum mode, in which the majority of the excitation signal power is carried in the assigned bandwidth. The excitation frequency and the bandwidth of the spread spectrum excitation signal are programmable in a wide range, which allows for avoiding frequency conflicts in the operating environment.
US09151633B2
A mobile communications device comprising a location sensing system, producing a location output; a memory, storing a set of locations and associated events; a telecommunications device, communicating event and location information between a remote system and said memory; and a processor, processing said location output in conjunction with said stored locations and associated events in said memory, to determine a priority thereof.
US09151631B2
An estimated fuel consumption may be determined for a route for a vehicle. At least in part based on the estimated fuel consumption, it may be determined that an amount of fuel in the vehicle is insufficient for the vehicle to traverse the route and/or one or more waypoints may be identified within a predetermined distance of the route, e.g., waypoints for refueling the vehicle. The estimated fuel consumption may be determined in a computer system included in the vehicle.
US09151617B2
To determine whether to notify a traveler of events proximate to a travel path, a description of an event and an event location are received. A geographic coordinate area search range is determined based on the received event location. All midpoints of multiple contiguous segments of the travel path that lie within the determined geographic coordinate search range are identified. A set of segments is determined based on the identified midpoints and proximity searched to identify one segment within the searched set of segments that is in closest proximity to the received event location. A closest offset event location along the identified one segment is identified used to determine whether the user is to be notified of the event.
US09151610B2
Implementations are disclosed for validating data retrieved from a calibration database. In some implementations, calibrated magnetometer data for a magnetometer of a mobile device is retrieved from a calibration database and validated by data from another positioning system, such as course or heading data provided by a satellite-based positioning system. In some implementations, one or more context keys are used to retrieve magnetometer calibration data from a calibration database that is valid for a particular context of the mobile device, such as when the mobile device is mounted in a vehicle. In some implementations, currently retrieved calibration data is compared with previously retrieved calibration data to determine if the currently retrieved calibration data is valid.
US09151607B2
A system for determining the position and location of a module comprising: a module which includes an optical generator which generates an optical beam; a diffractive element placed in the path of the optical beam which generates an optical pattern; a reference length artifact placed in a location with close proximity to the optical pattern; and a plurality of digital cameras connected to a computer with photogrammetry software and a minimization algorithm installed on the computer; where the digital cameras are set up in different locations to take one or more digital images of the optical pattern, with at least one digital image including the reference length artifact; and where the digital images are downloaded onto the computer and processed by the photogrammetry software to generate optical coordinate data followed by the insertion of the optical coordinate data into the minimization algorithm to generate the position and location of the module.
US09151604B1
A non-saturating receiver design and clamping structure for high power laser rangefinders of especial utility with respect to pumped, monoblock lasers. The receiver comprises a photodiode and a transimpedance amplifier having at least first and second stages. The first stage comprises a field effect transistor and the second stage comprises a non-saturating, non-inverting amplification stage including a differential pair of bipolar transistors having a feedback path coupling the second stage to the input of the first stage. A clamping structure for the receiver comprises a resistor coupling a cathode of the photodiode to a first voltage input and a clamping diode also coupling the cathode to a second lower voltage input. A capacitor having a capacitance Cs couples the cathode of the photodiode to a reference voltage line, wherein the capacitance Cs is greater than the capacitance of the photodiode CD.
US09151599B2
The present invention provides an image sensing module including an image sensing device and a calculation device. The image sensing device includes a plurality of pixels for acquiring an operation image containing an object image. The calculation device stores a look-up table regarding a temperature related parameter and a position deviation of the object image at each pixel associated with the temperature related parameter, and selects a deformation error from the look-up table according to the temperature related parameter corresponding to the operation image so as to correct a current position of the object image in the operation image.
US09151598B2
A position measuring device includes a position detection unit, which may be used to process positional signals that result from scanning a code track by a scanning unit, into digital positional values, a first interface unit for the communication with a control unit via a data transmission channel, and a second interface unit for the communication with at least one peripheral unit. The first interface unit is a hard-wired interface, and the second interface unit is a wireless radio interface.
US09151592B2
A multiple resonance interferometer structure includes an input port and a first arm coupled to the input port and including a first resonant structure. The multiple resonance interferometer also includes a second arm coupled to the input port and including a second resonant structure and an output port coupled to the first arm and the second arm.
US09151590B2
A method for determining the proximity to an electrically conductive body comprises transmitting an alternating magnetic field at a selected frequency and registering an alternating magnetic field. Frequencies of the registered alternating magnetic field comprising the selected frequency and have an amplitude value above a predefined threshold value and are detected by a detection means. Utilizing a blocking circuit, frequencies of a predefined frequency band comprising the detected frequency or a plurality of predefined frequency bands comprising in each case one of the detected frequencies, are defined as blocked frequencies. A following frequency following the respective selected frequency and different from the selected frequency and the blocked frequencies is defined in a selection controller. The following frequency of a selected frequency is continuously selected as a newly selected frequency for a new time window following immediately after or chronologically spaced apart from a selected time window.
US09151588B2
A circular shape characteristic measuring device includes a shape measuring device that obtains measured data by measuring a profile shape of a circular cross-section of an object to be measured having the circular cross-section, and a computation device that calculates a circular shape characteristic of the circular cross-section. The computation device includes: an input device configured to input one of three parameters including a cutoff value of the filtering process, a minimum number of samples, and a ratio of a radius of the circular cross-section to a radius of a gauge head; a parameter table that stores a relationship between the three parameters, and based on the input parameter, determines the other two parameters; and a sampler configured to perform sampling of the measured data based on the minimum number of samples.
US09151583B1
Among other things, a digitally controlled actuator has a connector for coupling to a drive mechanism of an existing hand-driven cartridge reloader, to actuate a series of processing cycles of the reloader in which supplies of components are subjected to successive mechanical processing steps to produce reloaded cartridges ready for use. There are sensors associated with the actuator and the reloader to (a) acquire digital information that is indicative of a state of progress of each of the processing cycles and of conditions of the reloader related to the production of the reloaded cartridges, and (b) deliver the digital information to a digital controller for controlling the processing cycles of the reloader. The digital controller is connected to receive the digital information from the sensors and to control automatic operation of the reloader in successive processing cycles to produce reloaded cartridges without requiring human intervention.
US09151579B2
Non-circular cross-section missile components, missiles incorporating same, and methods of operation
A missile component such as a rocket motor case, of an initial transverse cross-sectional shape flexible into another, different cross-section responsive to application of internal pressure from ignition of a propellant grain within the component. A missile launch assembly including at least one missile of a non-circular cross-section disposed within a segment of a partitioned circular launch tube. A multi-stage missile comprising at least a first stage and a second stage having rocket motor cases of non-circular transverse cross-section, the rocket motor case of at least one of the stages being deformable into another, different cross-section. A method of launching a missile including igniting a rocket motor of a missile component having a first cross-section, internally pressurizing the missile component substantially concurrently with motor ignition and flexing the component rocket motor into a second, different cross-sectional shape.
US09151576B2
The invention relates to an armor comprising in front to back order at least one rigid first panel comprising inorganic fibers and at least one second panel comprising polymeric fibers, characterized in that the at least one rigid first panel has a flexural strength of at least 300 MPa and the at least one second panel has a flexural strength of at most 250 MPa.
US09151571B2
This disclosure relates to an apparatus for mounting a camera onto a firearm and an associated device for capturing images and recordings of a firearm target. The apparatus allows for easy attachment of cameras of varying sizes onto the scope of a firearm and along the same longitudinal axis of the scope. The apparatus comprises a sleeve connected to a scope of a firearm, the sleeve being hallow and having a longitudinal axis longitudinal axis forming an unobstructed axial bore and generally coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the scope; a base member with a hole and adapted to receive a camera with the hole of the base member positioned adjacent to the lens of the camera and the longitudinal axis of the camera lens is generally coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the scope.
US09151557B2
An automatic sear assembly for providing a large-bore rifle with full-automatic firing and/or burst firing capabilities is disclosed. In accordance with some embodiments, the disclosed assembly includes an automatic sear operatively configured with a sear lever which is provided with bidirectional articulation for selectively imparting torque on the automatic sear to cause tripping thereof. For example, the disclosed assembly can be configured such that rotational deflection of the sear lever away from the automatic sear imparts no rotation thereto, whereas rotational deflection of the sear lever toward the automatic sear imparts rotation thereto. Thus, and in accordance with some embodiments, the disclosed sear assembly can be used in a rifle, for example, to utilize the force of a moving bolt carrier during a given firing cycle to initiate a subsequent firing cycle without need to release and once again operate the trigger of the rifle.
US09151555B1
A firearm pin that includes a head that extends from a shoulder to a crown, a face formed between the shoulder and the crown, wherein the face is formed at an angle of between approximately 1° and 89° relative to a longitudinal axis of the pivot pin, and a shank, wherein the shank includes an elongate, cylindrical shank portion that extends from a terminal surface to the shoulder.
US09151554B2
A magazine comprises: a shell, having an inner space in a shape of cylinder, wherein said shell has an opening, and bullets enters into or gets out of said magazine via said opening; a bullet limiting column, provided in said inner space, and coaxial with said inner space, wherein a bullet space is defined between said bullet limiting column and an inner wall of said shell; a bullet guide rail, winding around said bullet limiting column spirally, wherein a motion trail for said bullets to move along is defined; and a main spring, provided in said motion trail, wherein a first end of said main spring extends to said opening, when said bullets are put in said magazine, said bullets compress said main spring to said second end of said inner space, when said bullets are needed, said main spring pushes said bullets out of said magazine.
US09151553B2
Several improvements to the components and assembly method of a bolt-action firearm are disclosed. An improved bolt includes two separate members, which makes the bolt less expensive to manufacture while having a stronger extension handle. An improved takedown system and buttonless stop provide two easy ways to remove a bolt from a receiver when desired without misplacing any parts. An improved scope mount has a base connected to a receiver with two ends that substantially cover the top surface of the receiver and a middle portion that is narrowed over an opening to the receiver to accommodate a cartridge. A method of assembling a firearm involves providing a barrel with a threaded portion, fitting a crush washer over the threaded portion, inserting the threaded portion into a corresponding threaded portion of a receiver, and adjusting the barrel about the crush washer until a proper headspace is achieved.
US09151551B2
Apparatus to control device temperature includes a thermal head fluid path in thermal contact with the device, a pump assembly, a temperature sensor in communication with a controller, and first, second and third valves operable in response to the controller wherein the fluid path receives thermal transfer fluid from a combined path and outputs it to the pump assembly, the pump assembly outputs the fluid to a first, a second and a third path, all connected to the combined path wherein the first path is in thermal contact with a heat assembly and the second path is in thermal contact with a cooling assembly, the temperature sensor senses a temperature of the fluid path, and the first, second and third valves are disposed in the first, second and third paths to control fluid flow therethrough, respectively.
US09151550B2
The invention relates to a semiconductive device comprising a die with at least one defined hot-spot area lying in a plane on the die and a cooling structure comprising nanotubes such as carbon nanotubes extending in a plane different than the plane of the hot-spot area and outwardly from the plane of the hot-spot area. The nanotubes are operatively associated with the hot-spot area to decrease any temperature gradient between the hot-spot area and at least one other area on the die defined by a temperature lower than the hot-spot area. A matrix material comprising a second heat conducting material substantially surrounds the nanotubes and is operatively associated with and in heat conducting relation with the other area on the die defined by a temperature lower than the hot-spot area.
US09151540B2
The present disclosure is directed to multichannel tubes with flow path inlet sections that allow refrigerant to enter the flow paths through an outer wall of the multichannel tubes. In certain embodiments, a portion of the outer wall is removed to expose the flow paths to a distribution chamber within an inlet manifold divided into an inlet section and a distribution section by a distributor. According to certain embodiments, the inlet section may be designed to have a relatively small cross-sectional area that promotes mixed phase flow of liquid and vapor refrigerant. The multichannel tubes extend into the distribution section to partition the distribution section into a series of distribution chambers defined by a pair of adjacent tubes, the distributor, and the inlet manifold. Within each distribution chamber, the refrigerant may be directed into the multichannel tubes through the flow path inlet sections of the multichannel tubes.
US09151536B2
A dispensing device for a free-flowing or pourable refrigerated product is situated on the front face of the housing of a refrigeration device. A sleeve, through which the dispensing device is accessed, protrudes beyond the front face and is surrounded by a peripheral frame that protrudes beyond the sleeve.
US09151535B2
The present invention provides for an apparatus for supporting stacking of a top heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) unit on top of a bottom HVAC unit. The apparatus includes a base member configured to mount to a top cover of the bottom HVAC unit. The base member comprises an upper base portion with a top surface configured to receive at least a portion of a base rail of the top HVAC unit. The apparatus further comprises a stacking insert extending away from the base member. The stacking insert has one or more sloped surfaces extending above the top surface of the upper base portion. The top surface extends from a base of the one or more sloped surfaces in a plane substantially parallel to the top cover, when the base member is mounted to the top cover of the bottom HVAC unit.
US09151527B2
An ice maker adapted to make clear ice spheres includes a mold apparatus having a first mold portion and a second mold portion. The first and second mold portions further include mold cavity segments which define mold cavities when the mold apparatus is assembled in an ice forming position. A cooling source is in thermal communication with the first mold portion of the mold apparatus, such that water injected into the mold cavities is solidified in a directional manner from the first mold portion to the second mold portion to create a clear ice structure. Water is circulated, typically continuously, within the mold cavities to ensure clear ice is formed by injecting and simultaneously ejecting water from the mold cavities during ice formation.
US09151519B2
A roof hook for mounting of solar installation modules on roofs. The roof hook has a first fastening section, which extends in the X and Y direction for fixing a roof hook, a hook-shaped mount for fixing the solar installation module or a fastening profile for solar installation modules and a second fastening section which runs perpendicular to the first fastening section in the Z direction from the latter. The mount is adjustable on the second fastening section in the Z direction, and fasteners act obliquely to the Z direction for fixing the mount on the fastening section.
US09151516B2
A control module for a water heater includes a switching module that receives a voltage supply and outputs the voltage supply to the water heater. The water heater includes an electrical junction box that receives the voltage supply. A communication module communicates with at least one of an energy meter and an energy network external to the water heater and the control module, and receives information from the at least one of the energy meter and the energy network. The control module is mounted on the water heater and the voltage supply passes through or adjacent to the control module. The control module determines an operating characteristic of the water heater based on the voltage supply and selectively actuates the switching module to turn on and turn off the voltage supply to the water heater in response to the operating characteristic and the information.
US09151501B2
A gas-turbine combustion chamber arrangement includes at least one centrifugal compressor as well as one centripetal annular combustion chamber, with a stator vane arrangement being provided between the centrifugal compressor and the annular combustion chamber. The stator vane arrangement for diverting the air flowing out of the centrifugal compressor is designed at an angle α of 20° to 30°, preferably 25°, relative to the engine axis, so the airflow is passed at essentially this angle α to the combustion chamber. The inflow area into the combustion chamber for supplying air is designed at an angle of 20° to 30°, preferably 25°, relative to the meridional plane, and the center axes of the burners or of the injection nozzles of the combustion chamber are arranged inclined at an angle β of 30° to 40°, preferably 35°, relative to a meridional plane passing through the engine axis.
US09151497B2
A gas regulator fitting is to be devised that prevents distortions of the temperature value to be regulated caused by ambient temperature fluctuations. Retrofitting without intervention into the gas-conducting space is also to be made possible. To that end, one or more bimetal discs (17) are arranged outside the gas-conducting space of the gas regulator fitting, between an operating element (18) for setting the required temperature and a longitudinally movable ram (8) whose position can be altered by means of metal bellows (9) which are connected to a temperature sensor (11) by a capillary line (10). The ram (8) protruding into the gas-conducting space activates a switch which controls a valve for regulating the gas stream to the main burner. The bimetal discs (17) are arranged in such a manner that their overall height, which is altered in the direction of movement of the ram (8) depending on the ambient temperature, can influence the position of the metal bellows (9).
US09151493B2
A head assembly 52,152 for a pulverized coal nozzle includes a turning vane 54 or a curved vane 154 disposed within a pipe elbow. The vanes 54,154 are angled relative to the inlet port and the outlet port of the pipe elbow to redirect a stream of air and pulverized solid fuel particles from the inlet port 60,160 toward the outlet port 62,162. The coal rope-breaking vane 56 is pivotable about an axis to adjust an angle of the vanes relative to a stream of air and pulverized solid fuel particles from the inlet port 60,160. An adjustment bar 66 may connect to the vanes 56 and extend outward through the pipe elbow to allow the vanes 56 to be adjusted while the pulverized solid fuel particles flow through the head assembly 52. The pipe elbow may further include inspection ports 68,168 and a removable cover 70,170. The vanes may be attached to the removable cover 70,170 thus allowing them to be easily removed and replaced.
US09151489B2
An electrolytic power plant using an electrolysis device which requires one part of the electric energy which is produced by the power plant. The electrolysis device forms a variable load for the constant control network frequency and produces hydrogen and oxygen. The power plant has an oxygen pump, a buffer container, an oxygen distribution line, and an oxygen pump that are used for the accumulated oxygen.
US09151484B1
Lighting apparatus or luminaires for use in wet, humid, or underwater environments are disclosed. The luminaire may include a plastic housing block, port assembly including a copper or copper alloy fitting and transparent port window disposed within the housing block, and a compound LED light-engine unit.
US09151482B2
An electrical device and method are presented, the device having an enclosure defining an interior volume sealed from the environment and an electronic lighting apparatus, which may include a heat generating element such as a light source, a heat sink, and a fluid flow generator. The heat sink may be positioned partially within the sealed interior volume and adjacent the heat generating element and transfer heat therefrom. The fluid flow generator may create a flow of fluid to transport heat away from the heat sink and to the enclosure. The electronic lighting apparatus may be carried by the enclosure and partially disposed within the interior volume of the enclosure. The electrical device may further include an optic carried by the enclosure that may cooperate with the enclosure to define the sealed interior volume.
US09151481B2
An end piece for a retrofit fluorescent lamp may include a housing section open on a first end face and a cover that can close off the first end face, wherein the housing section and the cover can be non-detachably interlocked.
US09151476B2
According to an aspect, a lighting apparatus includes a lighting unit including a long-shaped housing that has upper and lower openings and has an outer surface formed as a convex surface when seen in a cross-section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction, and a semiconductor light emitting device disposed inside the housing so as to emit light toward the lower opening. Further, the lighting apparatus includes a holding unit including a holding member in which at least a portion of a surface is formed as a concave surface corresponding to the convex surface when seen in a cross-section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the lighting unit. When seen in the cross-section, the convex surface has, in a region that faces the concave surface, a portion that is brought into contact with the concave surface, and a portion that is not brought into contact with the concave surface.
US09151463B2
A light source combines colored light from different LED sources to provide white light output. Multiple LEDs emitting light at different peak wavelengths may be disposed on a flexible substrate, the LEDs being close to an aperture formed in the substrate. Multiple mirrors, including at least one dichroic mirror, are oriented to reflect light from the multiple LEDs into the aperture. The flexible substrate includes a dielectric layer having a cavity region and an adjacent neighboring region that is thicker than the cavity region. The aperture and the multiple LEDs are all disposed in the cavity region of the dielectric layer. An integrating rod may be coupled to the aperture to receive the reflected light from the multiple LEDs.
US09151462B2
Systems, devices and methods for illuminating sites (e.g., surgical sites) are provided. An illumination device (e.g., a surgical site light) includes a body (e.g., a plastic body) with a cross-sectional shape similar to an inward-facing asymmetrical C, and wherein the body is shaped to be placed proximal to a site (e.g., surgical site) and emit light onto the site from a plurality of directions while inhibiting the light from radiating away from the outside of the body.
US09151461B1
A lens for a vehicular lamp includes an outer annular portion and a central portion. The outer annular portion surrounds a central axis and includes an incident face on a rear thereof. The outer annular portion further includes a light guiding portion in front of the incident face. The light guiding portion includes a reflective face on an outer side thereof. The central portion is surrounded by the outer annular portion and is connected to the light guiding portion. The central portion includes front and rear faces. The front face includes an outer edge connected to the reflective face. The rear face includes a plurality of grooves. A portion of light rays from a light source entering the light guiding portion via the incident face transmits out of the lens via the reflective face. Another portion of the light rays is reflected to the central portion and reaches the grooves.
US09151460B2
Light assembly having reflector (17), a light source (22), an outer light cover (12) having a first color zone (15) and a second, different color or clear zone (16), and an inner lens (19) with a transflective surface. Embodiments of light assemblies described herein are useful, for example, as signs, backlights, displays, task lighting, luminaire, and vehicle (e.g., cars, trucks, airplanes, etc.) components. Vehicle comprising light assemblies include those where the light assembly is a vehicle tail light assembly.
US09151459B2
In some embodiments, a headlamp assembly can comprise: a reflector, a mounting bracket, a housing, and a light source. The reflector can have a lip at a light source opening and a peripheral rim with a reflector portion extending from the lip to a peripheral rim. The mounting bracket can be configured to attach to the reflector. The mounting bracket can comprise attachment structures configured to mate with the lip, and adjustment features that enable horizontal, vertical, and pivotal adjustment. The light source can extend into the reflector through the light source opening.
US09151450B2
A gas pressure regulator for use with a gas delivery system is provided. The gas delivery system defines an outer profile, and the gas pressure regulator comprises a plurality of elements arranged such that a substantial portion of the elements of the gas pressure regulator are disposed within the profile of the gas delivery system to reduce a number of impact locations on the gas pressure regulator should the gas delivery system be mishandled during use.
US09151448B2
Method for dispensing a compressed gas using at least three dispensing protocols, the selected dispensing protocol depending on the time-averaged dispensing rate. Compressed gas is passed from a plurality of supply vessels, for example a tube trailer, to a plurality of storage vessels, and dispensed from the plurality of storage vessels to a plurality of receiving vessels. The supply vessel providing the compressed gas depends on the compressed gas pressure in the supply vessel and the anticipated time-averaged dispensing rate for the time period.
US09151447B2
A pressure vessel for storing a fluid is disclosed. The pressure vessel including a vessel liner having a substantially smooth outer surface including a flange portion with an aperture formed therein and an end cap coupled to the vessel liner to substantially enclose the flange portion within the resultant pressure vessel.
US09151443B2
A fluid holder includes: a housing having an inner surface and at least one fluid outlet; a piston in slidable engagement with the inner surface and having first and second opposed surfaces with a threaded opening extending therebetween, the first surface of the piston and the inner surface of the housing defining a fluid chamber in communication with the at least one fluid outlet; and a threaded member engageable with the threaded opening, a first portion of the threaded member extending from the first surface of the piston, the threaded member being rotatably coupled to the housing on the first portion of the threaded member for rotation in the threaded opening of the piston such that rotation of the threaded member causes a force to be exerted by the threaded member on the housing and on the piston to expand or contract the fluid chamber.
US09151431B2
The present invention provides an apparatus and method for repairing a manhole. The wall of the manhole is lined with a liner to form a new wall. The liner includes a resin that cures to form the new wall that is similar to the repaired wall. Embedded in the liner is a wireless data transfer mechanism that includes a transmitter, such as a radio-frequency identification (RFID). The RFID transmits identification information about the liner or the repaired wall. The transmitter may be capable of data entry in the field or may be otherwise field-programmable and further capable of transmitting at least one physical characteristic. Examples of physical characteristics may include temperature, pressure, chemical reactions, flow within the manhole, and the like. Additional transmitters may be used along the length of the manhole to determine characteristics at multiple locations, with each additional transmitter including the same or different sensors.
US09151426B2
A closure fitting for enclosing a portion of one or more carrier conduits between a first containment conduit section and an opposed second containment conduit section has: (a) a first cylindrical hollow body; (b) a second cylindrical hollow body, the second body being reversibly attached in fluid tight communication to the first body; (c) a first seal for sealing the first body to the first containment conduit section and a second seal for sealing the second body to the second containment conduit section, wherein and (d) a third seal for reversibly sealing the first body to the second body. In the invention, at least one of the first or second seals allows one of the bodies to axially move with respect to its containment conduit section.
US09151415B2
A tubular pipe adapted for transporting oil and water may be treated upon its interior surface to reduce frictional pressure of a multiphase oil/water mixture flowing through the pipe. The tubular pipe may have an interior wall and a central cavity. In some instances, the interior surface is provided with a first textured region being adapted for reducing the adhesive forces of transported oil along the interior wall. A second region upon the interior wall may be adapted for reducing the adhesive forces of water along the interior wall of the tubular pipe. In some applications, riblets may be provided upon the interior pipe wall to further reduce the frictional forces of fluid flowing through the central cavity of the pipe.
US09151414B2
A pipe joint coupling apparatus has first and second pipe joint members coupled to each other, a plate-shaped support member with an opening through which the first pipe joint member extends, and an elastic member accommodated in an annular groove formed in the outer surface of the first pipe joint member. The support member is clamped between a shoulder part formed on the outer surface of the first pipe member and a collar member disposed about the first pipe joint member such that the edge of the opening of the support member engages the elastic member. The width of the groove is greater than the width of the support member to allow the first pipe joint member to be radially displaced relative to the support member with the opening edge partially and radially entering into the annular groove while deforming the elastic member.
US09151406B2
A temperature limit stop assembly for a mixing valve including a stop surface supported by a stem and a hot water stop shoulder supported by a stop member and engagable with the stop surface of the stem to limit rotational movement of a valve plate.
US09151404B2
The present invention discloses a button switch outlet mechanism, which is provided with a body communicating with the water source and in which at least two water passages are arranged, wherein, it is further provided with a switch unit and a water division unit mounted in the body, the switch unit comprises at least two switch buttons that are arranged to the control poles of the switch buttons and a limiting assembly respectively, the limiting assembly controls that one of the switch button is pressed or all the switch buttons are pressed simultaneously and located to the limiting plate; the water division unit is connected to the switch unit to control that the water passages are communicated with the water source respectively or simultaneously. The cooperation of the components of the present outlet mechanism is tight and artistic with effective and stable switch.
US09151391B2
A labyrinth seal includes a first labyrinth ring and a second labyrinth ring. In an installed state of the labyrinth seal, the first labyrinth ring and the second labyrinth ring engage in each other in an at least partially overlapping manner and are rotatable relative to each other. Furthermore, in the installed state, mutually-opposing surfaces of the first and of the second labyrinth ring have different wear resistances.
US09151390B2
Sliding parts are provided wherein a plurality of pumping areas for generating pumping action via the relative rotational sliding of a stationary ring and a rotating ring is discontinuously formed in a circumferential direction on a sealing face of one of the stationary ring and rotating ring so as to communicate with a sealed fluid-containing space. The pumping areas are provided with intake pumping areas operating in a direction in which the sealed fluid is drawn in and outflow pumping areas operating in a direction in which the sealed fluid is expelled. A plurality of dynamic pressure-generating grooves for generating dynamic pressure via the relative rotational sliding of the stationary ring and the rotating ring are formed in a circumferential direction on a sealing face of the other of the stationary ring and the rotating ring so as to communicate with the sealed fluid-containing space.
US09151365B2
The present invention relates to a timing chain system including a hydraulic pressure timing chain tensioner autonomously controlling a hydraulic pressure for maintaining tension of a timing chain to effectively operate. The system may include: a crankshaft sprocket; a camshaft sprocket controlling exhaust or intake timing of the engine; a timing chain operably connecting the crankshaft and camshaft sprockets; a chain guide for the timing chain; a chain tensioner pushing the chain guide inward; and an oil supply unit for the chain tensioner. The chain tensioner may include a housing, an operating unit case fixed to the housing, a reciprocating plunger inserted into the operating unit case, a high pressure chamber, a low pressure chamber, a supply hydraulic path supplying oil from the oil supply unit to the low pressure chamber, and a regulator controlling hydraulic pressure of the low pressure chamber.
US09151361B2
A gearbox arrangement including a dual-clutch gearbox and an adjoining range gearbox. The dual-clutch gearbox comprises an extra motion-transmitting connection adapted to transmit rotary motion from a primary gear to the output shaft without use of the range gearbox, so that the gearbox arrangement provides an extra gear of at least one primary gear. The extra gear is so dimensioned that it has a higher transmission ratio than the gear achieved by the primary gear with a low transmission ratio in the range gearbox, and a lower transmission ratio than the gear achieved by the primary gear with a high transmission ratio in the range gearbox.
US09151350B2
Self-ventilated brake disk, particularly for vehicles, comprising a unique body formed by a frictional circular crown and a hub transmitting the couple to the whole disk, wherein the circular crown includes multiple grooves arranged radially in respect to the center of the disk, including at least a portion with a predetermined width arranged between each of the grooves, said portions been arranged on the same plane that the rest of the circular crown. In this way, the wear of the brake pad is reduced, having a simple construction and providing good heat dissipation during the contact of the brake pad and the friction surface of the disk.
US09151349B2
A centrifugal brake assembly comprises a pawl and a biasing member. The pawl includes a base from which a circular portion and a triangular protrusion extend. A rotor includes a receiving portion having a notched portion. The notched portion is configured and arranged to receive the circular portion. One of the pawl and the rotor has a slotted portion, and the other of the pawl and the rotor has a protrusion. The slotted portion is configured and arranged to receive the protrusion and the biasing member. The pawl is pivotable about the circular portion relative to the rotor and the triangular portion of the pawl is configured and arranged to engage a stop member when the pawl is in an engaged position. The base contacts the rotor in the engaged position to reinforce the pawl.
US09151342B2
A roller lock device has a shaft and a housing configured over the shaft for selective relative movement thereto. A plurality of rollers is configured between the housing and the shaft, at least some of which are substantially conically shaped. A cage is configured between the housing and the shaft and adjacent the rollers such that the rollers are at least partially constrained from movement by the cage. A control is configured to move the rollers axially thereby engaging and disengaging the roller lock. The housing has ramps configured to receive the rollers, the ramps having a curved contour.
US09151336B2
Power takeoff lubrication devices and methods are disclosed. Embodiments include an accumulator connected to a power takeoff fluid supply line and storing fluid (which may be under pressure) for selective use independent of the fluid being supplied by the fluid supply line. In some embodiments, the fluid in the accumulator is supplied to various components within the power takeoff, including the clutch plates (which may have fluid supplied prior to and/or during engagement), which can decrease wear and/or clutch temperature. In some embodiments, the fluid in the accumulator is supplied to the clutch piston to actuate the clutch piston when the pressure in the supply line is less than optimal and/or to stabilize the pressures in the hydraulic lines connected to the clutch piston. In still further embodiments, the fluid in the accumulator is supplied to the clutch when the fluid supply line pressure is less than optimal.
US09151328B2
The conical roller bearing includes an inner ring which includes an annular groove between an inner-ring-side raceway surface and a small-diameter-side end portion thereof, and a cage which includes an erected portion extending from a first annular portion of the cage towards the annular groove. The erected portion includes a first inclined portion and a second inclined portion. The first inclined portion is inclined towards conical rollers disposed in pockets of the cage while extending from the first annular portion towards the annular groove. The second inclined portion is inclined towards the small-diameter-side end portion while extending from the first inclined portion towards the annular groove. The second inclined portion is configured to be brought into engagement with the annular groove in an axial direction of the inner ring.
US09151320B2
Vehicle handle, which comprises a lever (2) which can rotate around a first axis (4) and is mechanically connected to a first rocker (9) which can rotate around a second axis (10) when the lever (2) rotates around the first axis (4) for pulling a cable (11) which can slide in a duct (12) mechanically connected to the lever (2), so that the duct (12) moves in the direction opposite to the direction (32) of the cable (11) when the lever (2) rotates around the first axis (4).
US09151319B2
A mounting structure includes a resin member that includes a mounting portion having a mounting hole, and a reinforcing member that has a insertion hole through which a fastening member is inserted for mounting the resin member on a bearing surface of a mounting target member. A mounting surface of the resin member is inclined so that the axis direction of the insertion hole of the reinforcing member coincides with a fastening direction of the fastening member to the mounting target member. The mounting hole of the mounting portion has a polygonal shape.
US09151314B2
Method for reinforcing a component and/or for introducing force into a component using a screw or a threaded rod, wherein the screw or threaded rod has a thread with a variable thread lead, which thread creates an internal stress distribution, which is suitable to reduce at least one maximum in the bond stress occurring under loading of the component.
US09151307B2
An assembly including a plurality of parts fastened together with a flow drill screw. An indentation is formed on one side of a first part and a second part is assembled into engagement with the side of the first part with the indentation facing the second part. The flow drill screw is inserted through the indentation and material is displaced from the part into the indentation. Two or more panels or parts may be joined by aligning a flow drill screw with the indentations that are formed by embossing one or more panels.
US09151306B2
Described herein is a structure that comprises a plurality of spherical triangular units on a plurality of levels. The structure has a superior ability to survive disasters such as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes etc. It is cost-efficient, energy efficient, extremely durable and easily maintained. The plurality of spherical triangular units on one level of the plurality of levels are essentially identical to each other, and are essentially equally spaced radially relative to a center of the sphere; each of the plurality of spherical triangular units comprises three planar panels, each with an end surface comprising a minor arc of a great circle of the sphere; a spherical triangular unit on a level above the first level of the structure is configured to be joined with two neighboring spherical triangular units on the level below; the structure is substantially a dome.
US09151301B2
A hydraulic system for an access arrangement having a platform configured for movement between a deployed position and a stowed position, the hydraulic system including: at least one hydraulic power unit configured to urge hydraulic fluid through a hydraulic circuit; at least one hydraulic cylinder directly or indirectly connected to a portion of the platform and configured to urge the platform towards at least one of the stowed position and the deployed position, wherein the at least one hydraulic cylinder is in fluid communication with the hydraulic power unit; and a pressure regulating valve in a path between the at least one hydraulic power unit and the at least one hydraulic cylinder, wherein the pressure regulating valve is operable to prevent the at least one hydraulic cylinder from urging the platform to the stowed position if a load on the platform exceeds a specified threshold.
US09151290B2
A cylinder body includes a cylinder hole and a discharge flow passage. The cylinder hole receives a plunger and forms a pressurizing chamber in one axial end portion thereof. The discharge flow passage is connected to the pressurizing chamber and is adapted to guide and discharge the pressurized fuel from the pressurizing chamber to an outside of the housing. A connection opening of the discharge flow passage is formed in a hole wall of the cylinder hole. A pressure is applied to a predetermined prestressing subject area in the hole wall of the cylinder hole and a passage wall of the discharge flow passage through autofrettage to generate a residual compression stress in the predetermined prestressing subject area and thereby to form a prestressed area of a final product. The prestressing subject area includes an inner peripheral edge of the connection opening.
US09151280B2
The present disclosure sets forth an axial piston pump barrel. The axial piston pump barrel is provided with cylinders, antechambers, and fluid flow apertures which are uniquely shaped and dimensioned so as to increase the overall flowability and expulsion rate of a piston pump. By providing curvilinear transition zones and fluid flow apertures, the cylinders can be completely filled and pressurized even at the extremely high pressures and RPMs required by modem machines. Such machines may include front-end loaders, excavators, pipe layers, graders, and the like wherein such pumps can be used to power hydraulic cylinders moving the implements, work arms and other tools associated with such machines.
US09151278B2
An economizer in a solar tower plant and operating method of said plant the purpose whereof is to make use of the heat from the heat losses generated around the solar tower receivers (3) to preheat the fluid with which the saturated steam or superheated steam solar receivers are fed. When the heat from the losses absorbed by the economizer (2) is not sufficient to achieve the necessary minimum temperature, a secondary economizer (4) is used which takes live steam (prior to it entering the turbine) and increases the temperature of the feed water of the receiver (3).
US09151271B2
A control system for a wind park includes a plurality of limit controllers. Each limit controller is configured to output a limit value set based upon a specific grid code requirement. A selection unit compiles a limit value set from the plurality of limit value sets according to a number of grid code requirements. The control system further includes a plurality of main controllers, wherein a main controller is configured to generate a setpoint for one or more wind turbines of the wind park according to the compiled limit value set. Further, a wind park and a method of controlling a wind park are provided.
US09151270B2
An aerodynamic slat (30F) having a flatback trailing edge (44F) extending along and spaced proximate an inboard portion of a wind turbine blade (22). At least the leading edge (42F) of the slat may be disposed within a zone (48) of airflow that is generally parallel to the suction side (40) of the wind turbine blade over a range of air inflow angles. A splitter plate (52) may extend aft from the flatback trailing edge to reduce vortex shedding and extend the effective chord length of the slat. Vortex generators (60) may be attached to the slat. Flatback slats may be retrofitted to a wind turbine rotor (20) by attaching them to the spar caps (56) of the blades or to the hub spinner (28). The flatback slat provides lift on low-lift inboard portions of the wind turbine blade over a range of angles of attack of the inboard portion.
US09151260B2
A fuel injection valve that can favorably reduce the film thickness of fuel ejected from an outlet of an injection hole without relying on increase of the fuel pressure, whereby atomization of fuel spray can be favorably promoted, is provided.A fuel passage (16) through which the fuel flows is formed in the interior of the fuel injection valve (10). An injection-hole plate (18) as a member that separates an injection space (20) into which the fuel is injected, from the fuel passage (16), is provided in which a plurality of injection holes (22) for ejecting the fuel from the fuel passage (16) toward the injection space (20) are formed. The injection-hole plate (18), as viewed from the outlet side of the injection hole (22), is formed with an injection-hole outlet-side groove (24) connected to the injection hole (22) in a region (inner wall surface 22b) opposed to a main flow direction of the fuel directed toward the injection hole (22) along an inner wall surface (18a) of the injection-hole plate (18). The injection-hole outlet-side groove (24) is formed so as to extend in a direction away from the injection hole (22).
US09151259B2
An orifice plate used as part of a fuel injector. The orifice plate has a base portion, an offset portion integrally formed with the base portion, a flow entry side and a flow exit side, where the base portion and the offset portion are part of the flow entry side and the flow exit side. A plurality of exit apertures is integrally formed with the offset portion. Each of the plurality of exit apertures includes a plurality of stepped portions, and at least one inner diameter, and each exit aperture is disposed at an angle relative to a central axis extending through the orifice plate. Each exit aperture is of a depth that is about twice the size of the inner diameter, providing optimal atomization of the fluid as the fluid flows through the exit apertures.
US09151256B2
An overfill prevention valve includes: a valve housing having a first valve seat communicating with a fuel tank, and a second valve seat communicating with a canister; a parent valve disposed slidably within the valve housing, and having a base end opening communicating with a first opening, a front end opening communicating with a second opening and a third valve seat provided in the base end opening; a first urging unit which urges the parent valve toward the first valve seat; a child valve disposed slidably within the parent valve; a second urging unit which urges the child valve toward the third valve seat; and an air passage forming unit which forms an air passage between the parent valve and the first valve seat when the patent valve abuts on the first valve seat.
US09151254B2
A torque increase resonator includes: a plurality of resonance pipes that extend outward from an intake passage supplying air to an internal combustion engine; one resonance chamber that is formed so that end portions of extending portions of the plurality of resonance pipes are positioned in an internal space of the resonance chamber; and a valve that opens and closes an opening of the extending portion of at least one resonance pipe of the plurality of resonance pipes, wherein the intake passage and the resonance chamber communicate with each other through the plurality of resonance pipes, and the plurality of resonance pipes are close to each other, and are disposed on a downstream side of a throttle in a flow direction of air in the intake passage.
US09151248B2
A system for supplying fuel to an engine of a ship. The system includes a high pressure pump pressurizing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) and supplying the pressurized LNG to the engine, a hydraulic motor driving the high pressure pump and a chamber carrying the high pressure pump and the hydraulic motor. The chamber is substantially free of electric sparks.
US09151245B2
A pulse rocket motor has a hollow cylinder-like first grain situated in a rear section of a pressure vessel; a first igniter for igniting the first grain; a hollow cylinder-like second grain situated in a front section of the pressure vessel; a second igniter for igniting the second grain; and a dividing sheet member that covers the second grain within the pressure vessel. The dividing sheet member includes a dividing sheet expanding at least along the inner circumferential surface of the second grain and holders formed integrally with the dividing sheet at both ends of the dividing sheet by cure adhesion and attached to the pressure vessel. The dividing sheet includes a brittle portion that expands along the inner circumferential surface of the second grain through a rear end face of the second grain and is more brittle than other portions.
US09151242B2
A vehicle has an engine as a driving source. The vehicle has a charge system which generates electric power by using a part of rotational output of an engine, and charges a battery by the generated electric power. Optimal shaft efficiency points are combinations of revolution speed and torque of the engine for maximizing the shaft efficiency. Optimal shaft efficiency line passes through the optimal shaft efficiency points for each engine output level. Warming-up operation line is defined by shifting the optimal shaft output efficiency line to a side to increase heat loss. An engine controller stores the lines. The engine controller performs a warming-up operation by operating the engine at a revolution speed and a torque on the warming-up operation line. The engine controller controls the battery to reduce possibilities of a full charge at a next warming-up.
US09151241B2
An internal combustion engine includes at least one cylinder having a reciprocable piston, an intake system directing intake air to the at least one cylinder, and an exhaust system directing exhaust gasses from the at least one cylinder. A first fuel injector disposed to inject a first fuel into the cylinder, and a second fuel injector disposed to inject a second fuel into said cylinder. At least one intake valve of said cylinder is configured to open and close with a variable timing in accordance with a Miller thermodynamic cycle. An exhaust gas recirculation system, provides exhaust gas to said cylinder through the intake valve. An electronic controller is disposed to monitor and receive at least one input signal indicative of the operating conditions of the internal combustion engine, and adjusts at least the amount of exhaust gas recirculation.
