US09156314B2

A pneumatic tire including a cylindrical annular structure, a rubber layer that will become a tread portion provided along a circumferential direction of the annular structure, on an outer side of the annular structure, and a carcass portion including fibers covered by rubber, provided on both sides in a direction parallel to a center axis (Y-axis) of a cylindrical structure including the annular structure and the rubber layer. In a meridian cross-sectional view of the structure, an outer side of the rubber layer and the outer side of the annular structure have the same form.
US09156307B2

A plasma etching method deposits a silicon-containing deposit by a plasma processing using a Si-containing gas on an object to be processed that includes a film to be processed, an organic film formed in a plurality of narrow linear portions on the film to be processed, and a rigid film that covers both the film to be processed which is exposed between the linear portions and the linear portions. In the plasma etching method, each of the plurality of narrow linear portions of the organic film and the film to be processed between the linear portions are exposed by etching the silicon-containing deposit by plasma of CF-based gas and CHF-based gas after the silicon-containing deposit is deposited.
US09156283B2

Systems and methods are provided for dispersing a liquid coolant in a radiant dryer. The system comprises a dryer of a printing system. The dryer includes a heating element within an interior of the dryer that is able to heat a web of printed media as the web travels through the interior. The dryer also includes a liquid dispersal unit within the interior that is able to project liquid droplets of coolant onto the web as the web travels through the interior, in order to control the temperature of the web.
US09156281B2

A printing machine is providing including a transporter for transporting objects to be printed, a printing station including at least four printing units arranged to project ink on the objects to be printed, a transfer device for transferring an object to be printed from the transporter to the printing station and from the printing station to the transporter. The printing station includes a single mandrel corresponding to the maintenance of an object to be printed, the corresponding mandrel being rotatably movable around its axis so that the printing units project ink onto the object maintained by the corresponding mandrel, the printing station being arranged to print only the objects maintained by the corresponding mandrel.
US09156280B2

Provided are a light emitting diode unit including a light emitting diode integrated with a lens, a line printer head using the light emitting diode, and a method of manufacturing the light emitting diode. The light emitting diode unit includes the light emitting diode layer bonded to a transparent substrate after removing a growth substrate on which the light emitting layer is grown, and a lens that refracts light emitted from the light emitting diode is formed on the transparent substrate.
US09156272B2

A liquid supply apparatus, which supplies a liquid or liquids stored in liquid cartridges of a plurality of types, includes a plurality of cartridge installing sections to which the liquid cartridges of the plurality of types are detachably installable, wherein a plurality of connection ports, which correspond to supply ports formed for the liquid cartridges of the plurality of types respectively, are formed at mutually different positions of the respective cartridge installing sections.
US09156271B2

A liquid jet apparatus is provided. The liquid jet apparatus includes a first damper chamber and a second damper chamber, a release path operatively associated with both the first damper chamber and the second damper chamber, and a control path connecting the first damper chamber, the second damper chamber, and the release path to each other.
US09156269B2

An inkjet printer includes a cleaning unit to be brought into contact with a head lower surface of an ejection head, and a unit movement mechanism for moving the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit includes a base part, a cleaning liquid ejecting part protruding above the base part, and a pair of positioning parts. The positioning parts are brought into contact with a block lower surface of a head fixation block on opposite sides of the cleaning liquid ejecting part to keep an under-head gap for holding the cleaning liquid between the cleaning liquid ejecting part and the head lower surface. Since the positioning parts are spaced from the cleaning liquid ejecting part, it is possible to prevent the cleaning liquid that has spread from the under-head gap to the surrounding area from adhering to the block lower surface via the positioning parts.
US09156255B2

In one embodiment, an actuator connected to a printhead structure is activated with a waveform to cause vibration of the structure sufficient to move fluid within a printhead channel adjacent to the structure and not cause the fluid to eject from the channel during a nonprinting period. In another embodiment, a first pulse module applies a pulse at a printhead structure at a combination of voltage, duration, and frequency to cause shaking of printhead structure to move fluid within a printhead channel adjacent to the structure without ejecting the fluid from the channel during a nonprinting period. In another embodiment, an actuator connected to a printhead structure is activated during a nonprinting period to pulse the structure to move fluid within a printhead channel adjacent to the structure without causing the fluid to be expelled from the channel.
US09156254B2

A fluid ejection device is described. In an example, the fluid ejection device includes a substrate having a chamber formed thereon to contain a fluid. A thin-film stack is formed on the substrate having a resistor formed under the chamber. A transistor is formed in the substrate and coupled to the resistor. A circuit is formed in the substrate coupled to a gate of the transistor to selectively cause the transistor either to supply a firing current to the resistor for ejecting the fluid from the chamber or to dissipate power to warm the device.
US09156246B2

A method and a device for the quality inspection and testing of a flat print product. A print product, including at least one structural element, is initially deposited on a support element and illuminated by at least one light source. At least one image of the illuminated print product is generated using at least one image recording unit. An image is also generated of at least one structural element on the support element and a geometric object of the support element is determined from the at least one structural element of the support element. Actual values for the at least one geometric object of the support element are compared to predetermined desired values for this geometric object and the result of the comparison is used for controlling the further processing of the print product.
US09156235B2

A modular production device for integral fiber semi-finished products and a method for the creation of endless fiber composite components having a hollow body structure after the production of such integral fiber semi-finished products. The modular production device has at least one moveably guided fiber guide tube (100), at least one base element (2, 2′) and a plurality of hollow bodies (7) that are separated from one another in a row by a gap (8) and that can be fastened to an inner wall of the base element (2, 2′). Each hollow body (7) has at least one base (6) at least on one side, wherein the gap (8) has a width that provides a passage for the fiber guide tube (100).
US09156231B2

Steel for machine structure use for surface hardening containing, by mass %, C: 0.3 to 0.6%, Si: 0.02 to 2.0%, Mn: 1.5% to 3.0%, W: 0.0025 to 0.5%, Al: 0.001 to 0.5%, N: 0.003 to 0.02%, S: 0.0001 to 0.025%, P: 0.0001 to 0.03%, and O: 0.0001 to 0.0050%, having an Mn/S of 70 to 30000, and having a balance of substantially Fe and unavoidable impurities.
US09156230B2

A glass film laminate includes a supporting glass and a glass film peelably laminated to the supporting glass. A contacting surface of the glass film and a contacting surface of the supporting glass directly contact each other without an adhesive therebetween. The contacting surface of the supporting glass includes a first region and a second region with a surface roughness smaller than a surface roughness of the first region. An adhesive force between the supporting glass and the glass film is greater at the second region than at the first region.
US09156225B2

A packing structure adapted to pack a plurality of objects. The packing structure includes a plurality of first dividing plates and two side plates. The first dividing plates are arranged with intervals to form a plurality of containing spaces. Each of the first dividing plates has two sides opposite to each other, each of the sides has two first inserting slots, and a positioning portion is formed between the two first inserting slots. The two side plates are disposed at the two sides respectively. Each of the side plates has a plurality of positioning slots, and the positioning portions are respectively inserted into the positioning slots of the corresponding side plate. An extending direction of each of the first inserting slots is perpendicular to the corresponding side plate. The objects are adapted to be located in the containing spaces respectively and between the two side plates.
US09156218B2

Along a building line, a green tire is built on a rigid toroidal support having an outer surface substantially conforming in shape to an inner surface of the green tire. The green tire is then transferred to a bead molding and prevulcanization station where each bead of the tire is molded by tightening it between a surface portion of the toroidal support and an annular clamping surface carried by a removable tightening flange. The tightened beads are prevulcanized through a heat supply by means of electric resistors integrated into the tightening flanges. The tire with the prevulcanized and tightened beads is transferred into a molding cavity having an inner wall of a shape substantially conforming to that of the outer surface of the molded tire, to carry out molding of the tire and complete vulcanization of same.
US09156215B2

The invention provides a method for washing, with a water-based system, reusable molds for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses. The water-based washing system comprises an ethoxylated silicone polyether surfactant. The water-based system of the invention can effectively wash away silicone-containing components and other components of a lens formulation left behind on the molding surfaces of a reusable mold, after removing a silicone hydrogel contact lens cast molded in the reusable mold.
US09156209B2

Biopolymers that may be used in optical applications are provided. Suitable biopolymers include polylactic acid and polylactic acid blends. The polylactic acid may be used with a photocatalyst such as titonium dioxide in some embodiments. In other embodiments, the polylactic acid may incorporate decorative fused recycled particles. Generally, the biopolymer may be used in applications where optical characteristics and/or fire performance are desired.
US09156208B2

Disclosed is an infusion method for the manufacture of a fiber-reinforced composite component with a flow promoter, wherein the flow velocity of the matrix material in a component to be infiltrated is modified by means of the flow promoter. Also disclosed is a flow promoter, which has an integral body section for the modification of the flow velocity.
US09156202B2

A filament winding method performs a hoop winding step including a first step of fixing an end of a fiber bundle to a liner surface at a starting position of hoop winding, a second step of hoop winding the fiber bundle having the end fixed to the liner surface in the first step, a third step of fixing the fiber bundle hoop wound in the second step to the liner surface at an ending position of hoop winding, and a fourth step of cutting the fiber bundle upstream in a fiber bundle supplying direction of the position where the fiber bundle is fixed in the third step.
US09156199B2

A hybrid drive includes an electric motor coupled to a hydraulic drive having a double-acting hydraulic piston and a piston rod, and a substantially throttle-less valve for actuating the hydraulic drive, and a control unit for actuating the electric machine. To avoid unnecessary energy consumption, an actuating direction requested by the hybrid drive and a desired actuating force are determined, the valve is switched to a position such that the hydraulic drive is effective in the actuating direction, at least when the actuating force cannot be generated by the electric motor alone, the difference between the force generated by the hydraulic drive and the actuating force is determined, and the electric motor is operated such that the desired actuating force is achieved by adding the force generated by the motor to the force generated by the hydraulic drive, or subtracting the first from the latter.
US09156198B2

Systems and processes that limit distortion of inserts (e.g., previously formed parts) in insert molding and overmolding processes. Initially, a mold may be closed (e.g., clamped) about an insert with the mold at a first temperature. After closing the mold about the insert, the mold is heated up to a second temperature (e.g., a temperature suitable for injection of the molding material) and filled with the molding material to contact (e.g., encapsulate) the insert. After the mold has been cooled, the mold may be opened and the finished part (including the insert and the solidified molding material) removed (e.g., ejected). The process may be repeated for additional finished parts. Closing the mold about the insert before heating the mold to the injection temperature advantageously limits distortion of the insert that would otherwise occur by placing the insert into the mold with the mold already at the injection temperature.
US09156190B2

The present invention provides a method for sintering, comprising in the following order the steps of: providing a body in the green state or in the pre-sintered state on a support; providing a load on at least one spacer on the support such that the load is located above said body in the green state or in the pre-sintered state without contacting the body; heat treating the body in the green state or in the pre-sintered state at a temperature above the decomposition temperature of organic components contained in the green body and below the softening temperature or decomposition temperature of the spacer; heat treating the body in the green state or in the pre-sintered state at a temperature above the softening point or decomposition temperature of the spacer and below a sintering temperature such that the load contacts the body, and—sintering the body in the green state or pre-sintered state.
US09156189B2

A system for producing microbeads includes a microfluidic device defining a supply channel and a shearing channel, a microbead precursor material disposed in the supply channel, a carrier fluid disposed in the shearing channel, and a pressure distribution system fluidly connected to each of the supply channel and the shearing channel to control at least relative pressures of the microbead precursor material and the carrier fluid. The supply channel includes a check valve adapted to be subjected to a bias pressure that is sufficient to close the check valve to flow of microbead precursor material when a supply pressure of the microbead precursor material is below a threshold pressure and is open to flow of the microbead precursor material when the supply pressure of the microbead precursor material is greater than the threshold pressure. An end of the supply channel opens into the shearing channel such that the microbead precursor material is sheared into droplets by the carrier fluid flowing through the shearing channel. A pressure of the carrier fluid is less than the bias pressure. The microbead precursor material and the carrier fluid are substantially immiscible.
US09156182B2

A saw assembly includes a drive member, a motor, a housing, a foot, and a spring. The drive member is configured to be moved in a repeating pattern. The motor is configured to move said drive member in said repeating pattern. The housing defines an interior space in which said motor is positioned, and said housing includes a mount located in said interior space. The foot includes (i) a base defining a work piece contact surface, and (ii) an extension structure attached to said base and defining a spring arm contact surface. The spring includes (i) a spring arm positioned in contact with said spring arm contact surface, and (ii) a coiled portion supported by said mount. The housing is configured to pivot in relation to said foot about a pivot axis.
US09156177B2

A device includes a bearing assembly, a supporting assembly, a cutting assembly, a rotation pole, and a transmitting assembly. The supporting assembly includes a driving pole rotatably supported on the bearing assembly and a pair of guiding rails positioned on the bearing assembly. The cutting assembly screws on the driving pole and is slidably supported on the guiding rails. The cutting assembly includes a cutter protruding from the top plate. The rotation pole is rotatably positioned on the bearing assembly and is configured for supporting a lens module. The transmitting assembly drives the rotation pole and the driving pole to rotate. The driving pole drives the cutting assembly to move and the rotation pole to rotate, the cutter cuts the lens module during moving along the driving pole.
US09156176B2

A cutting apparatus includes a cutter, a controller and a memory configured to store instructions. The instructions instruct the controller to execute steps including arranging patterns including peripheral lines including sequential line segments. The pattern arrangement includes arranging the patterns so that the line segments of adjacent patterns overlap each other. The instructions further include identifying the overlapping line segments, generating data representing a line including the identified overlapping line segments, designating the patterns including the overlapping line segments as a pattern group and extracting parallel line segments from the line segments forming the pattern group, grouping the extracted parallel line segments into line segments parallel to each other and denoting an identical cutting direction, determining a cutting order of the line segments composing the pattern group of the patterns including the overlapping line segments and generating a signal based on the generated data and the determined cutting order.
US09156174B2

A razor cartridge that includes a housing, at least one support, received by the housing, and having parallel first and second faces, the support having a lower portion, an upper portion, and a bent portion intermediate the lower and upper portions, a razor blade having a cutting edge and a fixation portion fixed on the second face of the upper portion of the support, where the second face of the support has a recess extending at least in the bent portion.
US09156166B2

A robot control device according to an embodiment includes: an observer receiving the angular velocity of the motor and the current command value, and estimating an angular acceleration of the link, and angular velocities of the link and the motor from a simulation model of an angular velocity control system of the motor; a first feedback unit calculating an axis torsion angular velocity from a difference between the angular velocities of the link and the motor estimated by the observer, and giving feedback to the angular velocity control system; a second feedback unit feeding back the angular acceleration of the link estimated by the observer to the angular velocity control system; and a first feedback constant calculating unit compensating an end effector load mass and increases inertia at the second feedback unit when an end effector load in the nonlinear dynamic model has low inertia.
US09156161B2

A robot arm assembly includes a first robot arm, a second robot arm, and a third robot arm. The first robot arm includes a first body and a backlash adjusting assembly received in the first body. The backlash adjusting assembly includes a base plate, a protruding shaft perpendicularly coupled to the base plate, and an adjusting member. The base plate defines a slotted hole. The adjusting member is detachably inserted into the slotted hole and is detachably coupled to first body. The second robot arm includes a second body and a first transmission assembly rotatably coupled to the second body. The first transmission assembly includes a first adjusting gear, a first intermediate gear, and a second adjusting gear. The first intermediate gear meshes the first and second adjusting gear. The second adjusting gear is coupled to the second body. The first intermediate gear is sleeved on the protruding shaft.
US09156160B2

A robot system includes a plurality of robots, a control device, a common work table, and a calibration device. The control device is configured to control the plurality of robots. On the common work table, the plurality of robots are configured to work. Based on a position of a first robot having a calibrated coordinate relative to a position of a second robot among the plurality of robots, the calibration device is configured to calibrate a coordinate of the second robot.
US09156154B2

A supporting and orienting apparatus that is angularly agile and can balance the weight of tools, and permits quick tool replacement is disclosed. An inner gimbal portion holds the tool at its center of balance and is rotationally disposed within an outer gimbal portion. The gimbal portion combination is rotationally attached to an articulated arm. The tool with one or both gimbal portions attached can be removed and replaced with another tool, also having gimbal portions attached such that the tool is automatically balanced when inserted into the support apparatus.
US09156150B2

The present invention relates to a snap ring pliers. As to the entire structure of the present invention, a lock member is simply turned to control gripping members to hold or release deformation of a snap ring. The lock member is turned for a stop of a limit member to hold against the upper surface of an elastic plate to block a hook portion from moving upward, so that the elastic plate can be made with a thinner plate. The hook portion is flexibly held by teeth of a ratchet rail. A lower protrusion of the elastic plate is held by an upper protrusion of the lock member with less resistance. This enhances the lock member to be turned in a labor-saving or flexible way.
US09156146B1

A wrench adapter device adapts a conventional box wrench for use with a ratchet. The device includes a housing having a top face, a bottom face, and a perimeter wall coupled to and extending between the top face and the bottom face. The perimeter wall comprising a plurality of planar faces wherein the housing is configured for insertion into a wrench such that the housing is engaged to be rotated by the wrench. A socket extends into the top face of the housing wherein the housing is configured for being engaged by insertion of a drive of a ratchet into the socket.
US09156131B2

Provided is a method of treating a surface of a mold to achieve good demoldability and capable of preventing wearing of the mold by avoiding load concentration on one part of the surface of the mold. After a first blasting is performed on the surface of the mold to remove a hardened layer produced on the surface and/or to adjust the surface roughness, a second blasting is performed to create fine irregularities on the surface. Then, an elastic abrasive in which abrasive grains are carried on an elastic body, or a plate-like abrasive having a planar shape with a maximum length that is 1.5 to 100 times the thickness thereof, is ejected onto the surface of the mold at an inclined ejection angle such that the abrasive is caused to slide along the mold surface to flatten peaks of the irregularities created on the mold surface.
US09156130B2

The method includes the steps of measuring a surface height of a polishing member 10 at each of plural oscillation sections Z1 to Z5 which are defined in advance on the polishing member 10 along an oscillation direction of a dresser 5; calculating a difference between a current profile obtained from measured values of the surface height and a target profile of the polishing member 10; and correcting moving speeds of the dresser 5 in the plural oscillation sections Z1 to Z5 so as to eliminate the difference.
US09156126B2

An object of the invention is to provide a polishing pad that is prevented from slurry leaks and has high optical detection accuracy. The present invention relates to a polishing pad comprising a polishing region, a cushion layer, and a support film layered in this order, wherein a light-transmitting region is provided on the support film and in an opening part that passes through the polishing region and the cushion layer; the light-transmitting region has a peripheral part and a recessed part on the surface of a polishing platen-side; the support film is layered on the peripheral part; and the support film is not layered on the recessed part, which remains open.
US09156119B2

The present invention relates to a machine tool, in particular to a lathe, comprising a machine frame 1, a first work spindle 21 which is arranged on a spindle carrier face of the machine frame 1 and is to receive a first workpiece W1, a second work spindle 22 which faces the first work spindle 21, is arranged on a spindle carrier face of the machine frame 1 and is to receive a second workpiece W2, the axis of the second work spindle 22 being aligned parallel, in particular coaxially to the axis of the first work spindle 21, and comprising two movable tool carrier slides 51 and 52, on which a respective tool-carrying tool carrier 61 and 62 is arranged. According to the invention, provided between the work spindles 21 and 22 is a tool carrier 62 which can be moved transversely to the spindle axes, is configured as a tool turret and the turret axis of which is aligned transversely to the spindle axes.
US09156116B2

The present invention provides an axial machining device comprising a tool-carrier spindle rotatable in a housing, the housing housing a transmission system causing the spindle to advance automatically relative to the housing under the effect of the tool-carrier spindle being driven in rotation, the transmission system including an advance gearwheel screwed onto the spindle, the device including a resilient return member urging the advance gearwheel in a first axial direction opposite to the advance direction of the spindle, and also including a first rolling bearing having rolling members rolling on an undulating raceway having an axial component, thereby periodically urging the advance gearwheel to move in a second direction opposite to the first, such that rotation of the spindle is accompanied by axial vibratory motion.
US09156103B2

A modular direct current power source is provided. One welding power supply system includes a plurality of hysteretic buck converters coupled in parallel. The hysteretic buck converters are configured to receive a common input and to provide combined output power to a common load based upon the common input.
US09156099B2

In a method for manufacturing a gearwheel, a gearwheel blank is clamped in a workholder of a multi-axis machine tool. A milling head is clamped in a tool holder which is rotated by a spindle drive to enable the milling head to mill out tooth spaces of the gearwheel blank to thereby create a gearwheel having teeth. After replacing the milling head in the tool holder with an inductor, the inductor is inserted successively between two adjacent teeth of the gearwheel and supplied with alternating current from a current supply device of the spindle drive to inductively heat at least one of the two adjacent teeth. The inductor in the tool holder is then replaced with a machining tool to remachine the teeth of the gearwheel.
US09156092B2

A clamping device (01), for use on a lathe, includes a plurality of basic clamping supports (06), which can be moved in a star-shaped formation in relation to an axis of rotation and on each of which a clamping jaw (11) for clamping workpieces can be attached. The basic clamping supports (06) can be adjusted simultaneously by means of an adjusting drive (21, 36) of the clamping device (01). At least two basic clamping supports (06) are coupled directly or indirectly to one another by an outer rocker (15). At least in the middle of the adjusting path, a limited inward displacement of a basic clamping support (06a, 06c, and 06b, 06d, respectively) leads to a swiveling of the outer rocker (15a, 15c) and an outward displacement of the other coupled basic clamping support (06b, 06d, and 06a, 06c, respectively).
US09156073B2

A forming apparatus and method for forming a sectional profile of round tubing, angled tubing or open forming stock without losing the manufacturability of conventional roll forming The forming apparatus comprises individual shoe blocks having a pass on their rotating curved faces. The shoe blocks can be moved in the circumferential direction on an endless track, and are connected to provide the same curvature radius and length as a required arc segment of a virtual large-diameter circle.
US09156068B2

An optical instrument, including a chamber, an object exposed to an interior of the chamber, a source of low-pressure gas, the gas comprising at least one of low-pressure molecular hydrogen gas, low-pressure molecular oxygen and a low-pressure noble gas, the source of low pressure gas being fluidly coupled to the chamber, a low voltage source electrically coupled between the object and a remaining portion of the instrument that is exposed to the interior of the chamber so as to maintain the object at a low voltage relative to the remaining portion, and an EUV/VUV light source adapted to direct EUV/VUV light through the low pressure gas in the chamber onto the object. In such a system, when the EUV/VUV light source is activated ions of the low-pressure gas are formed and directed to the object. The ions may be ions of Hydrogen, Oxygen or a noble gas.
US09156066B2

A sensor aperture cleaning system includes a fluid dispensing arm movable between a stowed position in which the fluid dispensing arm is outside a field of view of a sensor aperture and a cleaning position in which the fluid dispensing arm is disposed within the field of view of the sensor aperture. The system further comprises a piston mechanism, a housing sized to slidably receive the piston mechanism, and a biasing member disposed within the housing and configured to bias the piston mechanism. The piston mechanism is coupled to the fluid dispensing arm and is configured to move the fluid dispensing arm from the stowed position to the cleaning position in response to pressure on the piston mechanism from a pressurized fluid.
US09156064B2

An apparatus and method for sorting plant material based on the presence or absence of a visual marker on the plant material. The visible marker may be a visible genetic color marker in the corn seed which is used in double haploid breeding. The absence or presence of the visible marker identifies correctly pollinated seeds as well as putative haploid seeds.
US09156062B2

A vibratory screener including a screen with an upper surface, a lower surface, and a plurality of apertures, an attachment post extending above the upper surface of the screen, and a cleaning system positioned above the upper surface of the screen. The cleaning system includes a support plate, a plurality of arms extending radially from the support plate, and at least one brush extending downwardly from each of the arms. Each brush is positioned so that the distal end of at least one of its multiple bristles contacts the upper surface of the screen. The screener further includes a collection area positioned below the lower surface of the screen and a vibration generator that vibrates the screen and the cleaning system and causes the arms to rotate relative to the upper surface of the screen.
US09156057B2

The present invention is directed to a method for controlling the viscosity of a sprayable mixture. The sprayable mixture forms a layer of a coating composition on an applied substrate and forms crosslinked network after drying and curing the layer. The dried and cured composition provides the substrate with a coating having a good appearance.
US09156044B2

The invention relates to devices for air humidification, aerosol vaccination and disinfection, inhalation chemotherapy and for protection of plants against pests and diseases. The inventive aerosol nozzle-based device comprises a cylindrical container in which ejector atomizers are arranged above a liquid surface in such a way that they can rotate in a horizontal plane. Each atomizer comprises a chamber which is provided with a nozzle and into which branch pipes for supplying a liquid material to be atomized and air are introduced. The air supply branch pipes are tangentially arranged in the chamber. The atomizers are mounted in such a way that a jet coming out therefrom is chordwisely oriented with respect to the walls of the cylindrical container. The projection of the central axis of the aerosol spray on the cylinder walls does not cross the top edge of the walls during at least one turn. The dimensions of the branch pipe openings and of the nozzle are related by the equation Do=(0.5÷0.7)D2c/Dk, wherein Do is the diameter of the liquid supply branch pipe, Dc is the diameter of the outlet nozzle and Dk is the diameter of the air inlet channel. Said invention makes it possible to produce a stable fine aerosol.
US09156033B2

A Lab On a Chip (LOC) has a Sample Preparation Module (SPM) coupled to a sample inlet, a microchannel coupled to the SPM, and an optic module optically proximate to the microchannel. The optic module holds multiple lenses, each of which has a different effective focal length, such that all fields of focus within the microchannel are covered as objects suspended within the liquid sample pass through the microchannel.
US09156029B2

A composition that comprises a support material that is loaded with an active metal or metal precursor, an amine component, and a non-amine containing polar additive. The composition is useful in the hydroprocessing of hydrocarbon feedstocks. The composition is prepared by incorporating a metal solution into a support material followed by incorporating therein an amine component and a non-amine containing polar additive.
US09156017B2

The present invention relates to a pyrolysis device using a liquid metal including: a hollow reactor in which the liquid metal is received; a circulating pump connected to the reactor; a buffer tank disposed on an upper portion of the reactor and receiving the liquid metal from the circulating pump; a nozzle coupled with the buffet tank and jetting the liquid metal within the buffer tank into the reactor; and an air supply source supplying air to the liquid metal within the reactor, wherein char generated from fuel injected into the reactor is combusted by reacting with air introduced into a lower portion” of the reactor through the air supply source, and liquid metal sprays jetted from the nozzle react with gases generated in the reactor to purify the gases.
US09156015B2

A microchannel double pipe device comprises a channel for inner nozzle (4), a channel for outer nozzle (5) and a mechanical probe (8). The channel for outer nozzle (5) concentrically surrounds the channel for inner nozzle (4), and the channel for inner nozzle (4) concentrically surrounds the mechanical probe (8). Constricted at the outlet of the channel for inner nozzle (4), the channel for inner nozzle (4) extends to form an inner nozzle core (9). Constricted at the outlet of the channel for outer nozzle (5), the channel for outer nozzle (5) extends to form an outer nozzle core (10). The outer nozzle core (10) essentially concentrically surrounds the inner nozzle core (9), and the outlets of the inner nozzle core (9) and the outer nozzle core (10) are at the same level essentially. The mechanical probe (8) is configured to intermittently empty the inner nozzle core (9). The device can be used for microcosmic mixing and reaction, especially suitable for continuous preparation of inorganic, organic or medicine particles with nanostructure or micron-structure using liquid-liquid precipitation method.
US09156012B2

A method for detecting analytes in a liquid is provided in which the liquid is subjected to a mixing treatment on an area of a support which has in particular immobilized reactants, wherein in the mixing treatment the liquid is impinged upon by a stream of gas that sweeps across at least some areas of the support surface in a scanning manner by means of a jet directed towards the support surface. The invention also concerns a method for mixing a liquid sample comprising an analyte and a device for carrying out the method.
US09156010B2

Systems, including apparatus and methods, for performing assays. These systems may involve separating sample components by partitioning them into droplets or other partitions, amplifying or otherwise reacting the components within the droplets, detecting the amplified components, or characteristics thereof, and/or analyzing the resulting data, among others.
US09156002B2

A process for simultaneously controlling the pH and level of target ions of a liquid composition, more particularly the use of Reverse Electro-Enhanced Dialysis (REED) for extraction of low-molecular, charged species generated in a reactor. Even more particularly, the invention relates to a process for simultaneous pH control and control of inhibitors in an ongoing fermentation or catalytical system, where the pH is controlled by at least one primary Reverse Electro-Enhanced Dialysis (REED) stack and the level of target ions by at least one secondary REED stack, where the primary REED is one of a Cation REED (CX-REED) or an Anion REED (AX-REED) and the secondary REED is the other of a CX-REED and an AX-REED.
US09155996B2

Provided herein are sorbents for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture, such as from natural gas and coal-fired power plant flue gases, and uses thereof.
US09155994B2

The invention relates to a system and a method for purifying ship diesel exhaust gases of fine dust particles, and of certain burnt gases, having a spray tower, a venturi washer, a cyclone and a disc centerifuge.
US09155993B2

An object is to provide an exhaust-gas treatment apparatus capable of realizing a dissolved-salt spray method easily and at low cost. An exhaust-gas treatment apparatus that removes SO2and SO3contained in combustion exhaust gas includes a desulfurization apparatus based on the lime-gypsum method. Desulfurizing effluent, containing dissolved salt, from the desulfurization apparatus is sprayed to an upstream side of the desulfurization apparatus to remove SO3. A wet electrical dust precipitator may be provided downstream of the desulfurization apparatus. Furthermore, effluent from the wet electrical dust precipitator may be made to merge with the desulfurizing effluent from the desulfurization apparatus.
US09155988B2

Embodiments of multi-stage air filtration systems are disclosed herein. A filtration system configured in accordance with one embodiment includes at least a first filter and a second filter arranged in series in an exhaust stream. The first filter is arranged to hold a first active media in the exhaust stream, the second filter is arranged to hold a second active media in the exhaust stream, and the active media is selected to remove one or more contaminants known to be in the exhaust stream. The system also includes at least one sensor arranged to detect the presence of the one or more contaminants downstream of the first filter and/or the second filter.
US09155981B2

A system and method for filtering sediment from water prior to disposal. According to some aspects, water is provided to a trough which feeds a settling pool via a port. The settling pool may comprise one or more blocks disposed in one or more corresponding channels which restricts flow of the water. In some embodiments, this restriction of flow may cause sediment to collect on a bottom of the settling pool and/or residual oil to collect on a surface of the water. The residual oil may be pumped or skimmed from the surface and the water may be pumped from the settling pool into one or more external holding tanks. The one or more blocks may then be removed from the settling pool and the sediment may be collected via a frontloader or other device accessing the sediment via an access ramp formed in the settling pool.
US09155979B2

A method for performing maintenance on a chromatography column (1; 41) comprising the steps of: a) when maintenance is required, detaching a detachable joint (7; 63) between a bottom plate (5; 53) of the chromatography column and a stand (3; 43) on which the chromatography column is provided; b) attaching an adaptor (15; 59) provided in the chromatography system to any part of the chromatography column (1; 41) making it possible to lift the bottom plate (5; 53) from the stand (3; 43) with the adaptor (15; 59); and c) raising the adaptor (15; 59) and thereby also the bottom plate (5; 53) such that maintenance can be performed under the bottom plate (5; 53).
US09155972B2

A motion platform system comprising a motion platform which is supported above a base by displacement units. Displacement units comprise a drive unit which drives a crank. A connecting arm is connected between the crank and the motion platform, so that translational and tilting movement of the motion platform is achieved by appropriate operation of the drive units. Each connecting arm has a curved profile which enables a full range of movement of the motion platform to be achieved using connecting arms of relatively short length. The connection between the connecting arm and the crank arm can be brought close to, or within, the crank arm. The height of the motion platform above the base, and bearing loads within the drive units, can thus be reduced.
US09155969B2

Methods and systems are described for automatically sending a popup or other message to another person's electronic device upon finishing a predetermined goal in a video game. The predetermined goal can be, for example, killing a first boss in under five minutes. The message to the friend can include a link or button enabled such that the friend can begin the game on his device in the same room, mission, scenario, etc. that the first player started out in so that the friend can attempt to duplicate or ‘one up’ the first player's achievement. Friends who are interested in receiving such messages can be determined from existing social networking sites.
US09155955B2

A putter stroke training device comprising a putter guide apparatus having a shaft clamp configured to removably secure a golf putter shaft, an arm extension comprising a first end and a second end, wherein the shaft clamp may be coupled to the first end of the arm extension and the arm extension may be configured to extend away from the putter shaft, and wherein a rail contact member may be coupled to the second end of the arm extension; and a putter rail apparatus which may comprise a contact rail with a contact surface configured to make contact with the rail contact member of the putter guide apparatus.
US09155952B2

A tennis training apparatus is provided with a sheet supporting frame to be installed in a training place; a hit ball receiving sheet supported by the sheet supporting frame rises in an inclination state toward a distal end thereof; and a turning guide portion provided at an upper end of the hit ball receiving sheet in an eave shape curved toward a near side. When a ball hit by a player is received by the hit ball receiving sheet, the ball is turned by the turning guide portion to move downward along the hit ball receiving sheet and fly out of the hit ball receiving sheet as a returning ball. The returning ball bounces to return near the player. The hit ball receiving sheet is provided with a returning hit ball guiding structure where the player can select from one or more preferable hitting-back positions.
US09155941B2

A takraw ball side strip (2) comprising an elongate length of plastics material having one side edge of sinusoidally undulating profile having troughs (7) and peaks (6), wherein the strip (2) is shaped or otherwise constructed to be preferentially flexible in peak regions (20) whereby, when the strip (2) is joined by its ends into a hoop (30), peak regions (20) will bend more readily than other regions of the strip. Also disclosed is A takraw ball woven from side strips as described, a more flexible peak region (20) of one strip (20a) may be positioned to overlie a less flexible strip region (34), located between a peak region (20) and a trough (7), of an underlying strip (20b).
US09155935B2

A gyroscopic exercise ball (10) includes a housing (10a, 10b) surrounding a rotor (12) centrally disposed on a shaft (14) having two ends (28) mounted in notches (26) of a freely rotatable gimbal ring (24). The ring and the ends of said shaft are disposed in a groove having a height larger than a diameter of the ends of the shaft. The diameter is larger than a thickness of the gimbal ring, and a rotation rate sensor (60) measures the rotor speed. A processor (110) is in communication with the rotation rate sensor to calculate an exercise evaluation. A pitch axis and a roll axis gyroscopic sensor (80, 70) are in communication with the processor. The exercise evaluation determines energy expenditure, force, power, angles or angular velocity of motion, range of motion, position, speed or trajectory of motion, and an evaluation of form for an individual exercise.
US09155931B2

A strap restraint for a device having adjustable straps is disclosed. In one embodiment, a strap restraint for an adjustable device is provided. The device has a strap with an end that doubles back through a length-adjustment mechanism and over the strap. The strap restraint includes an elastic band attached to the end, where the band encircles the strap, and a pair of flexible inelastic fastening elements attached to the end. The strap restraining permits the user to select the force with which the strap restraint holds the end against the strap.
US09155929B2

A method of suppressing, reducing and/or extinguishing a subterranean fire comprising contacting the subterranean fire with a fire-suppression composition comprising a carrier agent and a flame-retardant salt. A method of treating a peat fire comprising locating one or more hot spots associated with the peat fire, preparing an aqueous solution of a fire-suppression composition comprising guar and monoammonium phosphate, wherein a ratio of guar to monoammonium phosphate is about 30:70; and contacting the peat fire with the aqueous solution.
US09155922B2

This invention relates to a protective garment comprising a hood comprising an outer protective apparel fabric, the hood adapted to be worn on a user's head and including a face side provided with hood portions for covering the front side of the head and defining an opening for the face; a back side provided with hood portions for covering the back side of the head and comprising a hood crown portion and first and second side hood portions, the first and second side hood portions meeting along the centerline plane of the hood; the back side further having an first resilient strap secured to the inside of the back side of the hood, extending from the first side portion to the second side portion, the resilient strap positioned perpendicular to, and centered on, the centerline plane of the hood.
US09155921B2

A chemical protective suit includes a head portion, a body portion, a pair of arm portions, a pair of leg portions, and a pair of foot portions. The aforementioned portions are integrated into a unitary body. The integrated portion of each two adjacent sheet fabric pieces in each of the foot portions comprises a seam line extending along peripheral edges of two adjacent sheet fabric pieces stacked on each other, with the peripheral edges opposed to each other, and a welded portion of the stacked sheet fabric pieces of a predetermined breadth extending along the seam line, with the peripheral edges and the welded portion disposed to face opposite sides of the seam line. The integrated portion of the two adjacent sheet fabric pieces in each of the foot portions is exposed to the external air.
US09155911B1

As part of a charged particle cancer therapy system, a negative ion source is used to generate and accelerate an anion, such a C−, and to convert the anion to a cation, such as C6+, through use of one or more electron extraction subsystems. Initially, an electric field is pulsed across a magnetic field to generate the C− anion. Subsequent to extraction of the C− anion from a plasma region using pulsed electrodes, one or both of a hydrogen gas electron stripping system and a carbon foil electron stripping system converts the carbon anion into the cation. The resultant cation is accelerated in a synchrotron, transported along a beam-line, and targeted to a tumor resulting in ablation of the tumor.
US09155910B1

This invention relates to adaptive resistance inhibiting 100 to 1,000 Gy, single fraction radiosurgery with inverse Compton scattering gamma ray microbeam and nanobeam. The distance from two adjacent microbeams or the nanobeam generate peak and valley dose. Proliferation of normal tissue's clonogenic cells from low or no dose valley region to peak dose regions makes the normal tissue tolerance to to 100 to 1,000 Gy. The collilinear electron beam and gamma ray microbeam and nanobeam are generated in microfocus carbon tubes in a tissue equivalent primary collimator. Electron beam is absorbed by the tissue equivalent primary collimator. Focusing anode and magnets and multiwalled carbon nanotubes channels the microbeam and nanobeam as focused beams. Methods of spread out or spot scanned or raster scanned collilinear gamma ray microbeam and nanobeam radiosurgery are implemented. Adaptive resistance to cancer treatment is inhibited by inactivation of cancer cell's repair capabilities.
US09155908B2

When performing multimodal radiotherapy planning, an optimizer (36) concurrently optimizes a combined treatment plan that employs an intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) device (30) and an intensity modulated proton therapy (IMPT) that respectively generate a photon beam and an ion beam for treating a volume of interest (18) in a patient (34). A simulator (40) iteratively generates multiple variations of a simulation model (44) according to optimization parameters that are varied by the optimizer (36) until the simulation model (44) satisfies user-entered treatment objective criteria (48) (e.g., maximum dose, does placement, etc.)
US09155907B2

A control circuit accesses machine limitations information and target motion boundary information. The control circuit then combines the machine limitations information with the target motion boundary information when acting with respect to a radiation treatment plan. By one approach the control circuit acts with respect to a radiation treatment plan by presenting machine limitation information in combination with target motion boundary information. As another approach, the control circuit acts by combining the foregoing information while developing the radiation treatment plan to use that information to make automatic adjustments to the radiation treatment plan to correct instances where a planned configuration reveals a conflict between the physical limitations of the treatment platform and the target motion boundary.
US09155906B2

A light-emitting diode (LED) therapeutic apparatus includes a body portion formed of a light-weight resin material into a rectangular housing; a printed circuit board including a plurality of LEDs having different emission colors mounted linearly in a plurality of rows at required intervals; a thermal radiating plate provided with a plurality of thermal radiating studs formed of a light-weight thermally conductive material; and a transparent plate mounted on an opening surface of the body portion. The thermal radiating plate is mounted in tight contact in the body portion, and the printed circuit board is mounted in tight contact with the heat radiating studs. The heat generated by the LEDs is radiated from the surface of the body portion via the thermal radiating plate from the thermal radiating studs. The LEDs may be maintained to a junction allowable temperature or lower so that a long life span without noise is achieved.
US09155902B2

A notebook, laptop computer or tablet computer having an automated external defibrillator (AED) capability, and methods of utilizing the notebook, laptop computer or tablet computer defibrillator to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest. Kits and methods for converting, adapting or retrofitting a common notebook, laptop computer and tablet computer to enable each to be used as an AED to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest. A kit including an adjustable case for receiving, encompassing, adapting and converting a common notebook, laptop computer or tablet computer to enable each to be used as an AED. A kit including a slave automated external defibrillator (AED) that is joined to a common notebook, laptop computer or tablet computer to adapt, convert and enable each to be used as an AED.
US09155900B2

Systems, methods, and apparatuses may be used to charge battery-powered devices using a charging device. Such battery-powered devices include the external portions of auditory prostheses or other medical devices. The charging device prioritizes the charging requirements of a number of batteries and transfers power to one or more batteries. The charging device also sends a signal to activate an indicator on each external portion.
US09155888B2

An exemplary cochlear implant system includes a component that houses a circuit board comprising electronic circuitry that generates one or more signals, an induction coil that transmits the one or more signals by generating a telemetry magnetic field, and a telemetry flux guide positioned between and in direct contact with a top surface of the induction coil and a bottom surface of the circuit board.
US09155884B2

A treatment system includes a power source for heat generation which outputs power for heat generation, a grasping member having a heating element which applies the power for heat generation as thermal energy to a grasped living tissue, a storage section storing a power decrease pattern which is a prediction about a change state of the power for heat generation, and a control section which performs pattern control on the power source for heat generation on the basis of the power decrease pattern acquired from the storage section.
US09155878B2

A device for preparing an elongated implanted medical apparatus, such as a cardiac lead, for extraction from the body of a patient. The device includes a first handle and a second handle. At least the first handle has a surface for receiving the implanted apparatus therealong. A wire member having a first end and a second end is positioned to span a distance between the surface of the first handle, and the second handle. The wire member first end is removably engaged with the first handle, and the wire member second end is removably engaged with the second handle. The wire member is sized and arranged to enable the wire member to be wound around a length of the implanted apparatus to facilitate extraction of the apparatus with a lead extraction device.
US09155876B2

A catheter assembly is presented which includes a catheter adapter having a blood control valve. A port is disposed in the catheter adapter for providing selective access to the interior of the catheter adapter. A port valve is disposed within the catheter adapter to control access between the interior of the catheter adapter and the port. The port valve includes a flexible tube, a portion of the flexible tube covering an opening between the port and the catheter adapter.
US09155875B2

A method and apparatus for application of a microneedle patch to a skin surface of a patient includes use of an applicator. The applicator includes a housing, a slidably disposed applicator plate, and a compression spring. The applicator plate is moveable between a retracted position and a deployed position, and has an engaging surface suitable for mashing up against a microneedle patch and pressing it against a skin surface. A docking system transfers the microneedle patch from a support to the applicator without requiring a user to handle the microneedle patch directly. Once mounted in the applicator, the microneedle patch is deployed against a skin surface of a patient for delivery of a desired agent via a microneedle array contained on the patch.
US09155871B2

An electrically operable, in one possible embodiment programmable hydrocephalus valve. The abstract of the disclosure is submitted herewith as required by 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b). As stated in 37 C.F.R. §1.72(b): A brief abstract of the technical disclosure in the specification must commence on a separate sheet, preferably following the claims, under the heading “Abstract of the Disclosure.” The purpose of the abstract is to enable the Patent and Trademark Office and the public generally to determine quickly from a cursory inspection the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. The abstract shall not be used for interpreting the scope of the claims. Therefore, any statements made relating to the abstract are not intended to limit the claims in any manner and should not be interpreted as limiting the claims in any manner.
US09155869B2

A system including a catheter and an expandable member. The catheter includes an independent inflation lumen and an separate independent deflation lumen capable of sequential inflation and deflation of an expandable member in rapid succession, such as less than five seconds.
US09155864B2

A system for controlling fluid flow in a catheter assembly is disclosed. The system comprises an intravenous catheter assembly with a catheter adapter. The catheter adapter comprises an inner lumen with a septum disposed within a portion of the inner lumen. The septum has a barrier capable of being deformed from a relaxed position to a biased position. The barrier further comprises a slit having a closed configuration and an opened configuration. The slit is in the closed configuration when the barrier is in the relaxed position and in the opened configuration when the barrier is in the biased position. The barrier is configured to be mechanically deformed from the relaxed position to the biased position by a septum actuator that advances against a proximal surface of the barrier without traversing the barrier.
US09155860B2

A catheter for providing a blood flow includes first and second lumen parts having a distal portion with at least one port for delivering and receiving the flow from a patient and a non-linear profile along the distal portion.
US09155853B2

The systems and methods of the present application provides a graphical user interface (GUI) for adjusting the modes and settings of a patient ventilator. Upon selecting the type of breath setting (mechanical and/or pressure supported), and the target and control parameters for each breath setting, an ideal set of pressure, flow and volume waveforms are displayed on a touch-screen GUI. The user is then able to adjust any of the waveforms using the touch-screen GUI to the desired ventilator settings for that particular patient. The user then confirms the settings and the ventilator operates according to the user-set waveforms.
US09155852B2

A method and system for controlling fluid flow settings by receiving a precondition pressure wave function, representative of a precondition frequency, a precondition amplitude and a precondition pressure of the fluid flow in the system, establishing an operating pressure wave function, representative of an operating frequency, an operating amplitude and an operating pressure of the fluid flow desired in the system, determining cycle error between the precondition pressure wave function and the operating pressure wave function, converting the cycle error to flow adjustment, and updating an operating flow with the flow adjustment.
US09155842B2

A medication delivery device (1) comprises an indicator element (3) having indications (300) and a magnifying device located over an indication position (32). The magnifying device (4) comprises an optical system (5) with a magnifying lens (43) wherein the optical system (5) is constructed such that the optical path length between the indication position (32) and the magnifying lens (43) is enlarged. As an example, the medication delivery device (1) is a pen-type device, wherein a dose dial element (30) having a dosage scale (31) is disposed. The magnifying device (4) generates a magnified image of the dosage scale (31) so that the size of the selected dose (33) of the medical product is visible through a window (41). A method for assembling the medication delivery device (1) includes providing a medication delivery device (1) having a receptacle and mounting an element of the magnifying device (4) at the receptacle.
US09155841B2

A drive mechanism for a drug delivery device having a rotationally fixed plunger rod driven by a lead screw. The lead screw engages a free lock which is coupled to a release knob. A dose setting dial cooperates with an inner cylinder using a clutch to establish the axial movement of the plunger rod during dose setting and dispensing.
US09155834B2

Systems and methods for infusion of fluids using stored potential energy and a variable flow resistor. In one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided an infusion device that includes a plunger situated within a vessel so as to define a chamber within which a volume of fluid can be accommodated between a downstream surface of the plunger and the vessel. The infusion device further includes an outflow path through which the fluid in the chamber can be dispensed upon displacement of the plunger by a force acting thereon. A variable flow resistor is situated within the outflow path and is configured to allow a substantially constant fluid flow rate from the vessel to be maintained as the force acting on the plunger decreases.
US09155825B2

A hemodialysis system including (i) a dialyzer; (ii) a blood circuit including a blood pump in fluid communication with the dialyzer; (iii) a dialysate circuit including a dialysate circulation pump in fluid communication with the dialyzer, at least a portion of the dialysate circuit incorporated into a disposable dialysate cassette; (iv) a sorbent cartridge for cleaning used dialysate flowing in the dialysate circuit; (v) a reservoir holding an initial supply of dialysate; (vi) a reservoir pump in fluid communication with the dialysate circuit and the reservoir; (vii) a supply of infusate; and (viii) an infusate pump in fluid communication with the dialysate circuit and the supply of infusate.
US09155821B2

A fluid collection canister including a chamber to collect fluids and a canister top disposed over the chamber. The canister top includes a bottom side facing into the chamber, including first and second ribs disposed thereon, a filter membrane attached to the first and second ribs, a first port to communicate with the chamber and a pressure source external to the chamber, and a second port to communicate with the chamber and a sensor external to the chamber. The first port is in fluid communication with a first area, which is bounded by the filter membrane, the first and second ribs and the bottom side of the canister top. The second port is in fluid communication with a second area, which is bounded by the filter membrane, the second rib and the bottom side of the canister top.
US09155816B2

A magnesium-based medical device which can adjust a degree of corrosion within a wide range of period such that the device can maintain a sufficient strength only during a desired period and disappears within a desired period thereafter and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. A magnesium-based medical device of the present invention is a magnesium-based medical device in which a base material is made of magnesium or a magnesium alloy, wherein a corrosion-resistant film is formed on a surface of the base material, and variation in surface hardness of the formed corrosion-resistant film in the in-plane direction is less than 21 in terms of a dispersion value of Vickers hardness.
US09155815B2

Biocompatible phase invertible proteinaceous compositions and methods for making and using the same are provided. The subject phase invertible compositions are prepared by combining a crosslinker and a proteinaceous substrate. The proteinaceous substrate includes one or more proteins and a polyamine, where the polyamine and a proteinaceous substrate are present in synergistic viscosity enhancing amounts, and may also include one or more of: a carbohydrate, a tackifying agent, a plasticizer, or other modification agent. In certain embodiments, the crosslinker is a heat-treated dialdehyde, e.g., heat-treated glutaraldehyde. Also provided are kits for use in preparing the subject compositions. The subject compositions, kits and systems find use in a variety of different applications.
US09155812B1

A vent stick air freshener has a pair of vent rods extending rearwardly from an annular head with a hollow therein, an open front end and an open rear end defining an air tunnel. At least one body is carried by at least one of the pair of vent rods. An insert is at least partially received in the hollow of the annular head. A space is defined between the insert and the annular head. The at least one body or the insert or both has a desired scent material interspersed therein and diffusible out over time.
US09155808B2

There is described a radiation source assembly comprising an elongate radiation source; a reactor port for receiving and reversibly securing the elongate radiation source; a top plug element for reversible connection to a proximal end of the radiation source and reversible engagement with the reactor port; the top plug element configured to be disengaged from reactor port without disengagement of the elongate radiation source from the reactor port.
US09155807B2

A method of sterilizing containers, wherein the containers are conveyed along a pre-set conveying path by a conveying device, and wherein an irradiation device is introduced by a relative movement between the container and the irradiation device in a longitudinal direction of the container into the interior of the container to be sterilized and emits a charge carrier irradiation to sterilize the inner wall of the container by the charge carrier irradiation, wherein an aperture region situated on the outside of the container is also sterilized.
US09155805B2

[Theme] To provide a monoclonal antibody against human GPR87. Also, to provide a novel means for diagnosing or treating a malignant tumor.[Solution means] Monoclonal antibodies against human GPR87 are provided. The antibodies can recognize human GPR87, which is expressed on a cell membrane while retaining a three-dimensional structure, and can recognize GPR87, which is expressed in a cell endogenously with an epitope being present in an extracellular domain of full-length human GPR87. The antibodies are thus useful in biochemical analysis, etc., of GPR87, useful in immunohistological diagnosis, etc., of squamous cell carcinoma, and also potentially useful in PET diagnosis, antibodies for treatment, etc., of squamous cell carcinoma.
US09155801B2

The present invention provides peptide conjugates having improved solubility as well as increased secretion during cell based production, as well as methods of utilizing such peptides. The peptide conjugates include a short peptide domain defined by the amino acid sequence AGIH (SEQ ID NO: 8) and may include a biologically active molecule useful in intracellular and intranuclear transport of the biologically active molecule to treat various disorders and diseases.
US09155793B2

The present invention provides a ceramide lamella structure comprising a glucoside surfactant, a preparation method thereof, and a skin composition for external use containing the same. According to the skin preparation composition for external use of the present invention, phase stability is very excellent and a greater amount of ceramides can be stably formed according to the stability of ceramides using multilayered lamellar liquid crystals, thereby showing excellent skin moisturizing and skin barrier function repairing effects when applied to the skin.
US09155789B2

The present invention is directed to the discovery that allogenic or syngenic adjuvant stimulation can cause local inflammation which increases the antigen presentation capability of cells in the vicinity of adjuvant stimulation. By discovering this phenomenon, the present invention provides a novel method for augmenting the immunogencity of an antigen by conjointly administering an allogenic or syngenic MHC molecule (as a universal adjuvant) to trigger a local inflammatory reaction to enhance antigen presentation at the site of delivery.
US09155783B2

This invention relates to the use of a polypeptide in the production of an immunostimulatory agent, said polypeptide comprising a sequence corresponding to the EDA domain of fibronectin, a fragment of the EDA domain which can bind to TLR4 or a variant of said EDA domain or a fragment which can bind to TLR4 and which has a homology of more than 70% with any form or natural fragment of the EDA domain. The invention also relates to the production methods and applications of said agent.
US09155778B2

A regulatory protein RS1 fragment or a nucleic acid molecule encoding the regulatory protein RS1 fragment for the preparation of a pharmaceutical composition, food and/or food supplements for the amelioration, prevention and/or treatment of a metabolic disease or a secondary disorder caused by a (pathological) modification of homeostasis, wherein the RS1 fragment is characterized in comprising at least the amino acid sequence Q-C-P Glutamine-Cysteine-Proline) or derivatives thereof, is provided. Also provided is a method for the amelioration, prevention and/or treatment of a metabolic disease or a secondary disorder caused by a (pathological) modification of homeostasis comprising administering a pharmaceutically active amount of a regulatory protein RS1 fragment or a nucleic acid molecule encoding a regulatory protein RS1 fragment, wherein the RS1 fragment comprises at least the amino acid sequence Q-C-P or derivatives thereof.
US09155775B1

The patent provides a process of preparing a pharmaceutical preparation of glatiramer acetate and mannitol in a suitable container comprising the steps of: (i) obtaining an aqueous pharmaceutical solution of glatiramer acetate and mannitol; (ii) filtering the aqueous pharmaceutical solution at a temperature of from above 0° C. up to 17.5° C. to produce a filtrate; and (iii) filling the suitable container with the filtrate obtained after performing step (ii), so as to thereby prepare the pharmaceutical preparation of glatiramer acetate and mannitol in the suitable container. This patent further provides an aqueous pharmaceutical solution comprising 40 mg/ml glatiramer acetate and 40 mg/ml mannitol, wherein the aqueous pharmaceutical solution a) has a viscosity in the range of 2.0-3.5 cPa; or b) has an osmolality in the range of 275-325 mosmol/Kg. This patent also provides a prefilled syringe, an automated injector and a method of treatment of a human patient.
US09155774B2

Aspects of the invention include compositions and methods for inhibiting the interaction between scaffold proteins and kinases. These compositions and methods find a number of uses including, for example, suppressing tumor growth and metastasis and reducing tumor size and number in a mammal with cancer.
US09155769B2

The present invention relates to flavor oils including mint-, fruit- and spice-type flavors that are specially processed to substantially eliminate low-molecular weight sulfur compounds, in particular dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), which has been found to be the main precursor of malodorous species such as dimethyl sulfide and methyl mercaptan. These malodorous species are produced via oxidation-reduction reactions involving such sulfur-containing compounds present in flavor oils. A preferred processing method is an aqueous-washing process, which has advantages of being simple, inexpensive and easy to implement while importantly avoiding the problems of typical processes including non-selective removal of desirable components and subjecting the flavor oils to extreme conditions that may destroy other components and result in undesirable changes in flavor or odor character. Other processing methods to selectively remove non-desired components include (1) distillation to remove polar low boiling point components, (2) filtration through adsorbents selective for sulfur compounds, (3) countercurrent extraction and (4) column chromatography. The processing methods may optionally be followed by reengineering to add back desired components that may have been removed or altered during the processing. The specially processed flavor oils are particularly useful in oral care compositions comprising components with chemical reducing capability such as stannous ions, which react with the sulfur-containing compounds to produce malodorous products.
US09155762B2

The presently disclosed subject matter provides populations of stem cells that are purified from bone marrow, peripheral blood, and/or other sources. Also provided are methods of using the stem cells for treating tissue and/or organ damage in a subject.
US09155760B2

Methods of treatment or prophylaxis of bacterial vaginosis, prevention of recurrence of bacterial vaginosis and alleviation or prevention of symptoms or diagnostic criteria of bacterial vaginosis are provided. The methods include administration of an effective amount of a macromolecule comprising a polylysine, polyamidoamine, poly(etherhydroxyamine) or poly(propyleneimine) dendrimer and one or more sulfonic acid containing moieties attached thereto.
US09155756B2

This invention is in the field of medical treatment, in particular the invention provides a method for the prevention and treatment for sepsis or septic shock. The invention provides a novel use of a known medicament, i.e., pentasaccharide-depleted heparin, for use in the treatment or prevention of sepsis, systemic inflammatory response syndrome, severe sepsis or septic shock.
US09155755B2

Beta glucan and fulvic acid can be combined in a dietary supplement as a partial substitute or complete replacement for blue green algae and/or brown seaweed and its derivatives. Beta glucans are widely available as derivatives of Brewer's yeast and fulvic acid is widely available as well. These supplements are not subject to the vagaries of weather-influence growing seasons as is the case with blue green algae and brown seaweed. When combined, beta glucan and fulvic acid can provide a less costly dietary supplement than blue green algae and brown seaweed and its derivatives such as fucoidan.
US09155750B2

This invention relates to a composition that comprises inositol phosphates and/or bisphosphonates, and to the use thereof to prevent the loss of substances of biological interest in the body of patients subjected to dialysis and to maintain sufficient physiological levels of said substances to regulate physiological and/or pathological processes, these substances being inhibitors of pathological crystallization.
US09155749B2

The present invention is directed to long-lasting therapeutic formulations and their methods of use wherein the formulation comprises a genetically modified micro-organ that comprises a vector which comprises a nucleic acid sequence operably linked to one or more regulatory sequences, wherein the nucleic acid sequence encodes a therapeutic polypeptide, such as erythropoietin or interferon alpha.
US09155744B2

A pharmaceutical composition and method for regenerating cardiomyocytes in treating or repairing heart muscle damages or injuries caused by an ischemic disease. The pharmaceutical composition contains an active ingredient compound with a backbone structure of Formula (I). The active ingredient compound is capable of (a) increasing viability of myogenic precursor cells to enable said precursor cells to survive through an absolute ischemic period; (b) reconstituting a damaged blood supply network in said heart region where said injured muscle is located; and (c) enhancing cardiomyogenic differentiation efficiency of said precursor cells down cardiac linage, said steps being performed simultaneously or in any particular order.
US09155739B2

Histone deacetylases inhibitors (HDACIs) and methods for treating cancer in a subject in need thereof are disclosed. The HDACIs comprise a compound of Formula X. or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. In one embodiment of the invention, R1 is ethyl; R2 is 2-phenylethyl; R3 is hydrogen; R4 is fluoro; R5 is (2E)-3-N-hydroxyamino-3-oxo-propenyl; and R6 is hydrogen, or a salt thereof. In another embodiment of the invention, R1 is ethyl; R2 is 2-phenylethyl; R3 is hydrogen; R4 is (2E)-3-N-hydroxyamino-3-oxo-propenyl; R5 is chloro or fluoro; and R6 is hydrogen.
US09155717B2

Disclosed in certain embodiments is an oral dosage form comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a drug susceptible to abuse; and an effective amount of an irritant to impart an irritating sensation to an abuser upon administration of said dosage form after tampering.
US09155716B2

A composition comprising from 0.005% to 0.02% bimatoprost by weight and from 100 ppm to 250 ppm benzalkonium chloride, wherein said composition is an aqueous liquid which is formulated for ophthalmic administration is disclosed herein. A method which is useful in treating glaucoma or ocular hypertension related thereto is also disclosed herein.
US09155711B2

The present invention provides a transdermal drug delivery system comprising a drug-containing matrix layer comprising: (a) donepezil or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof as an active ingredient; and (b) an acrylate-rubber hybrid as an adhesive.
US09155710B2

A ropinirole-containing patch comprises an adhesive agent layer and a support layer, the adhesive agent layer containing ropinirole and/or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, wherein a content of the ropinirole and/or the pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof in terms of free ropinirole in the adhesive agent layer is 5 to 13.2% by mass relative to a total mass of the adhesive agent layer.
US09155709B1

A composition containing two (2) essential medicaments formed in situ, hydroalcoholic povidone iodine and hydroalcoholic benzalkonium chloroiodide after mixing a stock solution and a topical reacting solution which form a safe and effective antiseptic, antimicrobial protective polymeric film after topical application to the skin. A method of preparing a composition for forming a protective polymeric film after topical application includes mixing povidone iodine in a buffer solution to form a stock solution and mixing that solution on a one to one basis with a topical reacting solution with a hydroalcoholic benzalkonium chloride with lidocaine or benzocaine solution. A related method of treating injured or diseased skin is also disclosed.
US09155706B2

Disclosed are novel pharmaceutical compositions containing N-{3-[3-cyclopropyl-5-(2-fluoro-4-iodo-phenylamino)-6,8-dimethyl-2, 4, 7-trioxo-3, 4, 6, 7-tetrahydro-2H-pyrido[4,3-d]pyrimidin-1-yl]phenyl}acetamide dimethyl sulfoxide solvate, methods of using the compositions in therapy and processes for preparing the same.
US09155701B2

The present invention generally relates to the transdermal delivery of various compositions. In some aspects, the transdermal delivery may be facilitated by the use of a hostile biophysical environment. One set of embodiments provides a composition for topical delivery comprising ibuprofen and/or an ibuprofen salt, a nitric oxide donor, and optionally, a hostile biophysical environment. In some cases, the composition may be stabilized using a stabilization polymer such as xanthan gum, KELTROL® BT and/or KELTROL® RD; propylene glycol; and a polysorbate surfactant such as Polysorbate 20, which unexpectedly provides temperature stability to the composition, e.g., at elevated temperatures such as at least 40° C. (at least about 104° F.), as compared to compositions lacking one or more of these.
US09155700B2

Process for preparing sterile suspensions for inhalation comprising an active ingredient insoluble in water and wherein at least 80% of the particles of said active ingredient have a diameter between 3 and 5 μm, comprising the following stages: dissolving the active ingredient in the minimum quantity of an alcoholic solvent, optionally in the presence of a polyol and adding at least one surfactant, filtering the solution obtained in the previous stage through a sterilizing filter, adding the solution from stage (b) to sterile water under sonication to directly obtain a suspension wherein the particles have a reduced diameter.
US09155699B2

In one aspect, the invention is related to a method of treating a patient with Parkinson's disease, the method including administering to the respiratory tract of the patient particles that include more than about 90 weight percent (wt %) of levodopa. The particles are delivered to the patient's pulmonary system, preferably to the alveoli or the deep lung.
US09155695B2

Compositions and methods are provided that utilize an injectable ropinirole having a therapeutically effective amount of ropinirole in an aqueous solvent, the composition having a pH of from about 3.0 to about 6.5. The compositions and methods provided contain less than 3% by weight of impurities and are suitable for administration by infusion pumps. In some embodiments, the compositions are made in an oxygen free environment and/or are made with an antioxidant to reduce impurities and improve stability. In some embodiments, the compositions provided are utilized to treat Parkinson's disease.
US09155680B2

A modular filling device for filling at least a first reservoir (111) of an applicator (100) with a fluid is proposed. The filling device comprises a container holder (310) with a holding area (320) on which a container (330) is held. The applicator is mounted along a securing direction on an applicator holder (200). In order to permit the greatest possible flexibility in the choice of the container, the container holder (310) can be connected to the applicator holder (200) along a connecting direction that runs transversely with respect to the securing direction for the applicator.
US09155679B2

A syringe is provided with an inner tube which has at the tip thereof a mouth section through which liquid can enter and exit the inner tube; a bag body which is disposed inside the inner tube and is flexible and reversible; a gasket which is mounted to the tip of the inner tube; and an outer tube in which the inner tube is inserted together with the gasket so as to be movable in the axial direction. The syringe is configured in such a manner that, when liquid enters and exits through the mouth section, the bag body is reversed to change the volume of a containing space surrounded by the inner tube and the bag body.
US09155678B2

The present disclosure discloses an apparatus of cardiopulmonary resuscitator that is operated through a driving mechanism controlled and driven by air power. The driving mechanism functions to actuate a belt adapted to extend around a chest of a patient to generate reciprocating movement of pressing and releasing so as to achieve a purpose of cardiopulmonary resuscitation for recovering heartbeat and breathing of the patent.
US09155676B2

A device that permits slimming by improving blood flow in the skin, with movement by endurance training devices in the fat-burning pulse, with a main body with an attachment in the form of a sleeve for placing around the abdomen, wherein the main body has at least two chamber systems that can be acted on independently by a fluid, is improved by the fact that at least one and preferably two to four chambers of the chamber systems which come to lie on the right-hand side of the body are arranged in a U-shape with upwardly directed arms, whereas at least one and preferably two to four chambers of the chamber systems which come to lie on the left-hand side of the body are arranged in a U-shape with downwardly directed arms. This additionally stimulates peristalsis.
US09155666B2

The present invention relates to a press (100) for manufacturing a tampon, comprising at least three press jaws (6) arranged in a star around a central longitudinal press axis (4) forming a press opening (2), whereby there is provided on a single or separate adjacent press jaws (6): —a penetrating segment, PSLG, (13) configured to penetrate the absorbing material with a longitudinal groove, and —penetrating segments, PSSG, (11) configured to penetrate the absorbing material with a plurality of side grooves that are arranged in the longitudinal direction, wherein the press is configured to: a) load a cylindrical blank (200) in the press opening (2), b) move the press jaws (6) to a closed position to press the cylindrical blank (200) so forming a preform (210), c) move the press jaws (6) to a holding position between the closed position and open position, so that the preform can be removed, d) remove the preform while the jaws (6) are in the holding position, and e) move the press jaws (6) to the open position for loading of a subsequent cylindrical blank. It further relates to a method for manufacture of the tampon.
US09155652B2

The present invention relates to a method of altering the refractive properties of the eye, the method including applying a substance to a cornea of an eye, the substance configured to facilitate cross linking of the cornea, irradiating the cornea so as to activate cross linkers in the cornea, and altering the cornea so as to change the refractive properties of the eye.
US09155644B2

The present invention relates to tubular stents that are implanted within a body lumen to support the organ, maintain patency and/or deliver drugs or agents. The stent has a cylindrical shape defining a longitudinal axis and includes a helical section having of a plurality of longitudinally oriented strut members and a plurality of circumferentially oriented hinge members connecting circumferentially adjacent strut members to form a band. The band is wrapped about the longitudinal axis in a substantially helical manner to form a plurality of helical windings. The helical section further includes a proximal section, a distal section and an intermediate section there between. The stent further includes a plurality of connector members extending between longitudinally adjacent helical windings, wherein the number of circumferentially adjacent connector members per winding in the intermediate section is greater than the number of circumferentially adjacent connector members per winding in the proximal or distal sections.
US09155639B2

An expandable helical stent is provided, wherein the stent may be formed of a main stent component and a securement. The main stent component is formed from a flat strip having one or more undulating side bands that may be connected to form geometrically shaped cells and are helically wound to form a stent. The helical coils of the main stent component may be spaced apart or nestled to each other. The nestling of the undulation of adjacent helical windings contributes to maintaining the tubular shape and uniformity of the helically coiled stent. Alternatively, the flat strip may comprise a single undulating pattern. At the ends of the main stent component are end bands, which when wound, form a cylindrical ring. In one embodiment, one or more struts of the main stent component may have a width sufficient to include one or more fenestrations. The fenestrated struts may be connected by loops or turns wherein the material is narrower than that of the fenestrated struts to provide enhanced flexibility. The helical tubular is maintained with a securement.
US09155620B2

Apparatus is provided, including a tube (421) shaped to define a tube lumen at least one implant (100) reversibly coupled to the tube (421), and configured for implantation within a body of a patient. The apparatus also comprises two or more longitudinal guide members (470) disposed at least in part along a distal portion of the tube (421), the longitudinal guide members (470) having distal portions thereof configured to be reversibly coupled to the implant (100), and arranged such that application of a force to a first one of the longitudinal guide members (470) steers the distal portion of the tube (421) toward a first location along the implant (100), and application of a force to a second one of the longitudinal guide members (470) steers the distal portion of the tube (421) toward a second location along the implant (100). Other embodiments are also described.
US09155615B2

An intraocular lens (“IOL”) cartridge includes an upper wall and a lower wall, together defining a lumen for receiving an IOL. The proximal end of the cartridge has an open slot cut into and through the entire thickness of the upper wall so to allow the leading haptic of the IOL to extend above the upper wall. The cartridge includes a proximal-end feature to facilitate folding of the leading haptic radially inward relative to the optic as the IOL moves into the lumen.
US09155599B2

The system of a preferred embodiment uses a process whereby a true replication of the patient's jaw structure is created in a digital three dimensional model. This true replication is then used to precisely locate and/or copy the anatomical landmarks of the patient for use in fabricating a denture base for use in a denture for the individual patient. This system is able to create a denture with precisely located features corresponding to the anatomical landmarks of the patient with little manual intervention.
US09155593B2

A positioning unit (11) for positioning an optical unit (12, 13) comprising at least one optical element in a beam path (20) of a microscope between an objective lens of a microscope and in front of an eye to be monitored is provided, wherein the positioning unit comprises a connection device (21), by means of which the positioning unit can be coupled to the microscope, wherein the positioning unit comprises a positioning device (22), by means of which the optical element is movable relative to the microscope in the longitudinal direction of the beam path, wherein the positioning device is formed by a first double rocker mechanism (31) and a second double rocker mechanism (32), wherein the double rocker mechanisms are interconnected by means of a common coupling member (33). A monitoring device (10) is also provided that comprises the positioning unit (11).
US09155577B2

A locking element and a corresponding housing are disclosed, for the locking of the locking element in housing. The locking element includes a locking piece, for example a head, with a peripheral outer surface, running essentially in the direction of a longitudinal axis with at least one clamping surface extending outwards from the longitudinal axis in the form of a wedge, in order to lock the locking piece on the locking element with a corresponding inner contour of the housing. The peripheral outer surface is at least approximately spherical, parabolic, elliptical or hyperbolic in embodiment, viewed in the direction of the longitudinal axis in the region of the clamping surface, which is also true for the inner contour of the housing in the region of the recess, whereby the recess cooperating with the clamping surface can also be cylindrical.
US09155572B2

A plurality of individual tools is provided where each tool is uniquely configured to perform a step or a portion of a step in a novel procedure associated with the implantation of a stabilizing device (e.g., an interspinous spacer) for stabilizing at least one spinal motion segment. The tools are usable individually, or more preferably as a tooling system in which the tools are collectively employed to implant an interspinous spacer, generally in a minimally invasive manner. For example, each of the tools is arranged with coordinated markings and/or other features to ensure consistent depths of insertion, proper orientation of the tools with respect to each other or an anatomical feature of the patient, and precise delivery of the spacer to maintain safe positioning throughout the implantation procedure.
US09155564B2

A stabilization system for the spine that includes an elongated member, preferably an elastic cord, and a plurality of attachment mechanisms, preferably lamina hooks. The stabilization system is configured to extend across a plurality of spinal motion segments to dynamically couple the motion segments in a manner that places the system in tension to apply a compression force to the posterior of the spine. The system and method may have particular application after a laminectomy or laminoplasty procedure.
US09155559B2

The present disclosure provides an external fixation strut for an external fixation device having a ball joints that can be attached to the outer or inner surface of the ring and locked to increase overall stability of the external fixation device. Some embodiments of the fixation strut include a first ball joint coupled to a first end portion of a strut housing, the strut housing having an axial bore defined therethrough. A second ball joint is coupled to a second end portion of an elongated member. The elongated member is coupled to an adjustment mechanism, which is coupled to an upper end portion of an adjustment sleeve. The adjustment sleeve is slidably disposed in the axial bore of the strut housing, and is used to effect coarse strut length adjustments. Gradual strut adjustments are effected by translating the elongated member.
US09155557B2

An access device adapted and configured to be inserted through a natural biological orifice, and related surgical methods are provided. The access device includes a body, a nozzle means and means for delivering a pressurized flow of fluid to the nozzle means. The body is configured and dimensioned to be inserted through a natural bodily orifice and has proximal and distal end portions and defines at least one lumen therethrough to accommodate passage of one or more surgical instruments. The nozzle means is operatively associated with the body for directing pressurized fluid into the lumen to develop a pressure differential in an area within a region within the lumen to form a fluid seal around the one or more surgical instruments passing therethrough.
US09155556B2

The present disclosure provides a support element (110) for use in effecting ischemic necrosis in a foreskin of a penis, being a closed-loop member defining an opening dimensioned to permit a penis glans to pass therethrough and having an inner surface and an outer surface; the outer surface comprising a circumferential support (118) for an elastic ring (150) to be mounted thereon, said circumferential support being formed within a groove (120) in at least part of the outer surface; at least one first segment of the outer surface having an outer curvature of a radius larger than that of its flanking second segments. Also provided herein is a system (100) for effecting ischemic necrosis in a foreskin of a penis, comprising the support element (110) and elastic ring (150), and optionally a deployment element (160) for mounting the elastic ring over the foreskin and support element.
US09155553B2

An intervertebral spacer implant can include: a plurality of links, each link having a hole bored along an axis of said link and said hole of each link of said plurality of links aligns to form a channel bored through said plurality of links, wherein a first link of said plurality of links is pivotally engaged to a second link of said plurality of links. The implant can include an elongated member, such as a guide wire, adapted to retain said plurality of links, wherein said elongated member is configured to mate with each said hole of each link of said plurality of links. At least one link of the plurality of links includes a body having one or more textured sides. The elongated member is adapted to allow said plurality of links to rotatably articulate with respect to one another, such as by a hinge.
US09155532B2

Medical devices, systems and methods for placing tissue fixation devices are provided. The medical device includes a plurality of elongate delivery devices, a plurality of elongate tubes, and a distal tip. Each delivery device defines a delivery lumen sized to receive a tissue fixation device. Each elongate tube defines a tube lumen sized to receive one of the delivery devices. Each tube lumen has a distal port. The distal tip is connected to the plurality of elongate tubes and defines a guide surface positioned distally of the distal ports. The guide surface is structured to redirect the plurality of delivery devices radially outwardly as the plurality of delivery devices are distally translated through the tube lumens and the distal ports of the plurality of elongate tubes. A medical system is formed by an endoscope that is selectively attachable to the medical device.
US09155524B2

A physiologically active substance collecting device, includes: a collecting section brought into contact with a body surface of a living organism to acquire a physiologically active substance from the body surface; and a liquid sending means for sending a solvent to the collecting section, the collecting section having an aperture at which the solvent flown by being sent from the liquid sending means contacts the body surface.
US09155520B2

An intra-operative ultrasound probe for use with a robotic and laparoscopic surgical systems that allows for direct surgeon control over the position and orientation of the ultrasound image is presented. The transducer is designed to interface with the laparoscopic grasper so that it is easy to pick up in a locking, self-aligning and repeatable manner. The transducer is tracked in space using either forward kinematics or electromagnetic sensing, allowing multiple 2D images to be combined in order to create 3D ultrasound volumes. The 3D volumes can be further processed and displayed on the surgeon's console, or used to register and display acquired pre-operative images at the correct spatial location within the patient.
US09155517B2

An opto-electrical ultrasound sensor, preferably for the use in medical diagnostics, comprising at least one light source (2), a photo detector (3) illuminated by the light source (2) and capable of producing an electrical signal indicative of the intensity of the light incident on the photo detector (3), and an optical ultrasound detector (4) located in the optical path between the light source (2) and the photo detector (3) and capable of modulating in response to an ultrasound signal the intensity of at least part of the light incident on photo detector (3) from the light source (2). The opto-electrical ultrasound sensor further comprises intensity adjustment means (5) for adjusting the intensity of the light incident on the photo detector (3) via the optical ultrasound detector (4).
US09155496B2

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for measuring an analyte in a host. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for transcutaneous and subcutaneous measurement of glucose in a host.
US09155494B2

Certain embodiments provide a hearing testing probe apparatus. The hearing testing probe apparatus includes a probe tube detachably coupled at a first end to a probe body and extending through a center hole in an eartip to align proximate a face of the eartip at a second end. The probe tube includes a plurality of stimulus lumens for receiving and carrying stimulus from the first end of the probe tube for output at the second end of the probe tube. The probe tube includes one or more microphone lumens for receiving and carrying one or more measured responses from the second end of the probe tube to one or more microphones at the first end of the probe tube.
US09155492B2

An illuminating wire medical device may include an elongate flexible housing and an illuminating fiber and a core wire extending through at least part of the housing, the core wire providing desired pushability and torquability. The illuminating device may further include a connector assembly cooperating with the illuminating fiber to accommodate changes in length, to absorb forces applied during use of the device and to channel errant light away from the illuminating fibers of the device.
US09155484B2

A body-worn physiological sensor includes a computation-communication module, and a flexible circuit layer configured to be coupled to a skin surface of a subject to measure physiological signals. An adhesive covers at least a portion of the flexible circuit layer and a protective covering protects the adhesive. The computation-communication module can be releasably attached to the sensor using electrical traces provided on the flexible circuit layer.
US09155472B2

A method for evaluating vascular endothelium function in a human subject comprises monitoring changes in intensity of NADH fluorescence signal emitted from skin tissue cells of an upper limb of said subject as a function of time, wherein said changes result from reactive hyperaemia caused by blocking and releasing blood flow in the same upper limb of said subject. A system for evaluating vascular endothelium function in a human subject comprises a means for illuminating a skin on an upper limb of said subject with exciting light, a means for measuring intensity of fluorescence signal emitted from the skin and recording changes of said intensity of the fluorescence signal over time; and a restriction means for blocking and releasing blood flow in the upper limb of said subject.
US09155469B2

Provided herein is an apparatus for converting a wired sensor system to a wireless sensor system. The apparatus can comprise a relay station comprising at least one antenna and at least one radio. The relay station can be adaptable to be integrated as at least one application specific integrated circuit and further adaptable to convert a wired sensor system into a wireless sensor system. Further provided are systems for converting wired sensor systems into wireless sensor systems and methods of use.
US09155466B2

An eye imaging apparatus can include a housing, an optical imaging system in the housing, and a light source in the housing to illuminate an eye. The optical imaging system can include an optical window at a front end of the housing with a concave front surface for receiving the eye as well as an imaging lens disposed rearward the optical window. The apparatus can comprise a light conditioning element configured to receive light from the light source and direct said light to the eye. The apparatus can further include an image sensor in the housing disposed to receive an image of the eye from the optical imaging system. In various embodiments, light conditioning element includes at least one multi-segment surface. In some embodiments, the housing is provided with at least one hermitic seal, for example, with the optical window. In some embodiments, time sequential illumination is employed.
US09155464B2

A visual field examination system measures the visual field of an eye. Quantitative information of a 3D retinal layer structure is acquired by detecting a range in which a peak of a retinal reflectance distribution obtained by OCT scanning is lost. A position of the fovea of the eye fundus is identified based on the acquired information. A location of a range in which the peak of the retinal reflectance distribution is lost is specified in a 2D fundus image based on the position of the fovea, and the specified location is marked on a region of the 2D fundus image. A position of the marked region is detected, and a visual inspection field region is generated based on the detection. Visual field examination points of the visual inspection field region are presented to the eye through a visual field dome for carrying out visual field examination of the eye.
US09155462B2

A short coherence interferometer for measuring several axially spaced-apart regions of a sample, especially of an eye, which has a measuring optical path, through which the measuring radiation falls on the sample, a tunable interferometer for the axial, relative retardation of parts of the radiation, wherein the axial relative retardation is assigned to the axial spacing of the regions and a detector for producing an interference signal from interfering measurement radiation, scattered or reflected back from the sample as sample radiation. The tunable interferometer divides the sample radiation into two parts, which are axially relatively retarded and superimposed so as to interfere. During the superimposition, the tunable interferometer forms individual radiations, which represent quadrature components of the sample radiation, and the detector detects the individual radiations.
US09155459B2

Methods and systems for endoscopic observation of tympanic function.
US09155457B2

An endoscope apparatus includes a white LED that emits synthesized light of the excitation light and the fluorescence, a CCD that picks up an image of an observation part, a brightness detecting section that detects brightness of an optical image of the observation part based on an image pickup signal outputted by the CCD, a light adjusting circuit that adjusts driving time of the semiconductor light source, a color correction parameter deriving section that derives a first color correction parameter for correcting a gain of a color component signal related to the excitation light in a video signal, and a second color correction parameter for correcting a gain of a color component signal related to the fluorescence, and a color tone varying section that corrects the excitation-light-related gain with the first color correction parameter, and corrects fluorescence-related gain with the second color correction parameter.
US09155451B2

A torque-transmitting, variably-flexible device, comprising a hollow body having a proximal end and a distal end, a torque-transmitting element operable to transmit torque from the proximal end towards the distal end of the hollow body, and a steering element operable to steer the distal end of the hollow body.
US09155445B2

A domestic appliance, in particular a dishwasher, includes a container for receiving items to be processed, and at least one load limiter which is held directly or indirectly on the container and constructed to absorb a load. The load limiter is provided with at least one open or enclosed recess for engagement of at least one tab assigned to an outer region of the container in a mounted position of the at least one load limiter.
US09155442B2

A dishwasher, in particular a household dishwasher, includes a control facility for performing a wash cycle to clean items to be washed based on a plurality of selectable wash programs. The control facility operates, in particular controls or regulates, a drain pump for pumping off wash fluid from the dishwasher. At least one of the wash programs includes an automatic execution of a pump-off sequence having at least three successively executed pump-off phases to define first, second and third pump-off phases, during each of which the drain pump is activated, with a break being provided between the first and second pump-off phases and a break being provided between the second and third pump-off phases, wherein the drain pump is deactivated during each of the breaks.
US09155432B2

A central vacuum cleaning system can include a vacuum unit, a plurality of inlet valves, an exhaust, a cleaning air path from the inlet valves through the vacuum unit to the exhaust, and a control unit. An example control unit can include a power input, a power output, motor control circuitry to control application of power from the power input to the power output, a first port, a second port, a conduit providing a conduit air path between the first port and the second, a heat sink in thermal contact with the conduit air path and a component of the motor control circuitry, wherein the control unit is connected through the first port and the second port in the cleaning air flow path between the inlets and the exhaust, and the power output is connected to a power input of the vacuum unit.
US09155425B2

A culinary nut opening device can include a mount and a tool. The mount can be sized and shaped to securely and removably receive a finger or a thumb of a human user. The tool can extend from and be coupled to a portion of the mount. In varying examples, the tool can include a pick portion that is sized and shaped to fit at least partially within an opening of a culinary nut and have sufficient stiffness to allow the culinary nut to be pried open. A pick portion can extend ventrally, laterally, or dorsally from a side of the mount, or from a distal end of the mount. A culinary nut opening device can be provided with or packaged in a container of culinary nuts, or with other culinary nut opening devices (e.g., of different sizes), or with instructions for use.
US09155421B2

An improved grill assembly is provided that has at least three grilling regions for effecting different types of cooking. The first grilling region includes two vertically standing fuel receptacles spaced apart in a grill housing to form an open area therebetween. An opening in the housing allows a food basket to be inserted into the open area to cook both sides of the food at the same time. The second grilling region includes a grilling surface that is placed over a recessed grilling area on the outer surface of the top wall of the grill housing. The third grilling region is a rotisserie cooking region and includes an open area on a side of the grill housing that has a rotatably secured rod that receives a food product and that is in communication with one of the vertical standing fuel receptacles to cook the food product.
US09155416B1

A multi-purpose grill which easily can be converted for use as a conventional grill and as an open fire pit by selectively opening and closing a movable covering.
US09155415B2

According to one embodiment of the present invention, an integrated installation apparatus to receive an electronics rack in a data center method is provided having a mat comprising a hard material to protect a floor surface beneath the mat, wherein the mat has a key feature to couple to a key feature of an adjacent mat. The apparatus also has a guide coupled to the mat to receive a rolling member supporting the electronics rack and a weight distribution structure configured to distribute a weight from feet that support the electronics rack to the mat. The weight distribution structure includes a first pair of elongated members arranged to form an X-shaped structure.
US09155412B2

A napkin ring can include a first transparent disc, a second transparent, and a decorative disc positioned between the first and second transparent discs. The first and second transparent discs can be retained adjacent to each other by a retention feature, which can be a first and second plurality of magnets disposed within the respective transparent discs.
US09155411B2

The invention relates to a pair of chopsticks, comprising: an upper chopstick, and a lower chopstick with a first protrusion and a second protrusion, wherein both of the first and second protrusions protrude from the back surface of the lower chopstick, so that at the holding status of the chopsticks, the first protrusion can touch the vicinity of the first joint of the ring finger of user and the second protrusion can touch the finger pad of the third section of the index finger of user. With the two protrusions coexisting in the lower chopstick, the chopsticks can be firmly held by hand of users.
US09155406B1

A device includes a housing, a rotatable platform, and a lift assembly supported by the housing and coupled to lift the rotatable platform above a working surface of the housing, the rotatable platform configured to support a checkout module and rotate the checkout module between a self-checkout position and an assisted checkout position.
US09155390B2

A motion simulator is provided with a motion simulator accommodation that is dynamically mounted to a fixed datum or platform and is positioned facing a presentation. The motion simulator is provided with one or more access fitting which may be used to assist a person to enter the motion simulator accommodation. At least one of the motion simulator accommodation and the access fitting is movable with respect to each other from a first position to a second position, wherein, in the second position, the access fitting is less perceptible during the presentation than in said first position.
US09155387B2

An anti-corrosion support device includes a post and a post protector that is disposed about a bottom portion of the post. An interior surface of the post protector is sized and shaped to fit tightly over an exterior surface of the bottom portion of the post. The anti-corrosion support device also may include an adjustment foot that passes through an aperture formed through a bottom portion of the post protector into an attachment member mounted to the post. An anti-corrosion support system includes several of the anti-corrosion support devices, shelf supporting means, and one or more shelves.
US09155378B2

An accessory pocket system that provides a slim, secure pocket that attaches to a belt loop. The pocket system according to the present invention allows a user to insert documents, credit cards, money and in one particular embodiment a smart phone for safekeeping. The accessory pocket system includes a belt sleeve that allows the insertion of a user's belt to secure the pocket to the individual. The accessory pocket system allows the insertion of passports, credit cards, documents, portable electronic devices or smart phones in a convenient manner so that the user may readily access them.
US09155376B2

A tool lanyard wrist cuff includes a fixed closed loop band and an adjustment tab extending therefrom. A second fastener part releasably engages a first fastener part when the adjustment tab is folded with a tab inside surface against a loop outside surface. A lanyard connector assembly includes a lanyard connector, a breakaway lanyard connector strap releasably connected to the closed loop band by a releasable fastener and fixedly connected at a first end to the adjustment tab or the closed loop band adjacent the adjustment tab.
US09155374B2

A wearable equipment carrier comprises a first receptacle for retaining a first set of equipment, a lower load bearing section, and an upper load stabilizing section. The lower load bearing section includes a belt for detachably securing the first receptacle to a lower abdominal region of a person. The belt is engaged with a middle portion of the first receptacle for transferring a majority of weight in the first receptacle through the belt to the lower abdominal region during a time that the belt is secured to the person. The upper load stabilizing section includes a first shoulder strap for orienting and laterally stabilizing the first receptacle substantially along a forward walking direction. The first shoulder strap has a forward end for engaging with a top portion of the first receptacle, and a distal end for engaging with a bottom portion of the first receptacle.
US09155365B2

A method for applying an image onto a surface (or substrate) of most any material, including thermoplastic, thermoset plastic, metal, metal alloys, wood, cellulose material, polymer, synthetic fabric, natural fabric, glass, ceramic, and combinations thereof, includes the steps of preparing a substrate for application of an image, placing the transfer sheet onto the prepared substrate, applying heat to the substrate and image sufficient to sublimate the image, allowing the image to absorb into the prepared substrate, and then curing the imaged substrate. Multiple substrates may be individually imaged and joined, if desired. One or more of the substrates may be at least partially transparent (e.g., clear, transparent or translucent) such that portions of other images, substrates or objects placed behind the one or more substrates are at least partially visible through the one or more substrates.
US09155356B2

A shoe sole, a shoe and a method for producing a shoe sole, which has at least one cleat that is designed to make contact with the ground on the underside of the sole facing towards the ground when used as intended. In order to improve the traction of the shoe fitted with such a shoe sole the cleat has a base body that is fixed to the underside of the sole, wherein an arcuate recess having a longitudinal direction of arc is arranged in the base body which has two openings on a surface facing the ground of the base body. An insert having a shape congruent to the arcuate recess is arranged in the recess. The insert is arranged such as to be movable in the base body in the longitudinal direction of arc of the arcuate recess.
US09155355B2

An insole for an article of footwear includes a base that extends generally in the transverse direction, and the base includes a base superior surface and a base inferior surface. Furthermore, the insole includes a dampener that is resiliently flexible to cushion the foot of the wearer. The dampener extends inferiorly from the inferior surface of the base and terminates at a dampener inferior surface. The dampener also is rounded in a cross section taken in the inferior-superior direction. The dampener also includes an opening that extends through the dampener inferior surface and that extends superiorly therefrom.
US09155353B2

An article of footwear an upper and a sole structure that defines a first portion and a second portion. The first portion is disposed proximate the medial side of the footwear, and the second portion is disposed proximate the lateral side. The first portion and the second portion are configured to move relative to each other. The article of footwear also includes a flexible biasing member including a first end, a second end, and a middle portion. The middle portion extends across the first portion and the second portion. The first and second ends extend out from the outer surface of the footwear from either the medial or lateral side. The middle portion of the biasing member is configured to bias the first and second portions toward each other.
US09155348B2

The present invention relates to a hat using a shape-maintenance enhancing member and a method for manufacturing the same. In particular, the present invention relates to a hat using a shape-maintenance enhancing member that can maintain the exterior appearance of the hat by eliminating wrinkles in a sewing portion using a flexible tape and maintain the shape of the hat to be the same as the initial design, and a method for manufacturing the hat. The shape-maintenance enhancing member according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a main body portion disposed on the sewing portion and a wing portion surrounding the sewing portion, and the main body portion includes a shape-maintenance enhancing layer formed of a material with properties of heat fusion and thermal fixation and a cover portion connected with the wing portion.
US09155347B2

The invention is a kit including a helmet having front straps fixed at a first end to the helmet such that in use, the two front straps fasten together. A continuous front strap is formed running from one fixing device to another, under the chin of the wearer and crossing the temporal line on each side of the wearer's face. Each front strap includes a magnetic or magnetically attractable element extending both above and below the temporal line when the helmet is worn with the front straps fastened together. The kit includes eyewear which extends on both sides of the face, along the respective temporal lines up to at least the points where the front straps intersect their respective temporal lines, and magnetically couples the eyewear to the magnetic or magnetically attractable element fixed to the front straps of the helmet.
US09155343B1

A patient lift assist harness composed of a single or multiple layer sheet of flexible fabric material in a generally elongated X shape with a central crotch portion, two first arms, and two second arms. The first arms are at an angle of approximately 45° to each other, and the second arms are at an angle of approximately 45° to each other. Belt loops at the ends of the arms are adapted to receive a gait belt. The gap between the first arms, the gap between the second arms, and the space between first and second arms at the sides expose the gait belt around the patient, thereby providing hand holds for the therapist.
US09155335B2

A degradable cigarette filter includes a filter element of a bloomed cellulose acetate tow, a plug wrap surrounding the filter element, and either a coating or a pill in contact with the tow. The coating and/or pill may be composed of a material adapted to catalyze hydrolysis of the cellulose acetate tow and a water-soluble matrix material. The material may be an acid, an acid salt, a base, and/or a bacterium adapted to generate an acid. The coating may be applied to the tow, the plug wrap, or both. The pill may be placed in the filter element. When water contacts the water-soluble matrix material, the material adapted to catalyze hydrolysis is released and catalyzes the hydrolysis, and subsequent degradation, of the cellulose acetate tow. The foregoing is also applicable to articles made of cellulose esters.
US09155331B2

A device for adding a flavoring product to a liquid includes a tubular body having openings extending through a sidewall of the body to an interior cavity. A flavoring product is loaded into the interior cavity. At least one fin is coupled to the tubular body and extends outwardly from the sidewall. The device, with the flavoring product loaded therein, is inserted into a container and a liquid is added to the container. The openings in the tubular body are sized to admit the liquid into and out of the interior cavity to enable infusion of the flavoring product into the liquid and to discharge the flavored liquid. The fin is configured such that following insertion into the container, the fin is positioned to largely prevent the tubular body of the device from blocking the opening into the container and inhibiting discharge of the liquid.
US09155327B2

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated A1016131. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety A1016131. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety A1016131 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety A1016131 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09155324B2

Apparatus, systems and methods are disclosed for manufacturing slices of sausages that appear to have been cut from a conventional round sausage log at an angle. An illustrative embodiment provides a manufacturing process for making portions to be finished into angled pet treats comprising: (a) providing a ground mix of proteinaceous material, flavor enhancers and preservatives to a forming chamber comprising: a fixed base surface, a fixed top surface, and a movable intermediate section insertable between said base and top surfaces, said intermediate section having a plurality of die cavities that each have a central axis oblique to the surface of said intermediate plate, said top surface having a plurality of feeder holes that overlap at least partially with said die cavities, (b) filling said plurality of die cavities via said feeder holes with said foodstuff, thereby forming a plurality of portions in shapes and dimensions that generally correspond to the shapes and dimensions of said die cavities, (b) moving said intermediate section containing said plurality of portions out of said chamber, (c) forcibly ejecting said portions with a plurality of longitudinal elements that reciprocate in and out of said die cavities along said central axis, thereby forming angled pet treats.
US09155323B2

Disclosed is an aqueous process for the preparation of a protein isolate and a hydrolyzed protein concentrate from an oilseed meal, comprising: 1) mixing an oilseed meal with an aqueous solvent to form a slurry; 1a) optionally treating the slurry with phytase; 2) separating the slurry with a solid/liquid separation to form a liquid phase comprising the aqueous solvent, soluble protein and oil; and a solid phase comprising insoluble protein; 3) separating the liquid phase to form an oil phase and an aqueous protein phase; 4) subjecting the aqueous protein phase to membrane filtration to obtain a protein solution and drying the protein solution to obtain the protein isolate, subjecting the insoluble protein to enzymatic hydrolysis, and 5) subjecting the hydrolyzed protein to membrane filtration to obtain an amino acid and peptide solution; and drying the amino acid and peptide solution to obtain the hydrolyzed protein concentrate.
US09155319B1

The present technology relates to compositions, assemblies, and methods for the brewing of ground coffee bean particles, where the ground coffee bean particles have been separated on the basis of size to provide a truncated Gaussian distribution of particle sizes of coffee particles.
US09155312B2

Safeners for herbicides are suitable for increasing the microbicidal activity of fungicides.
US09155303B2

A method of controlling phytopathogenic diseases on useful plants or on propagation material thereof, which comprises applying to the useful plants, the locus thereof or propagation material thereof a combination of components (A) and (B) in a synergistically effective amount, wherein component (A) is a compound of formula (I) compound of formula (I) wherein R is hydrogen or methoxy; Q is (Q1) or (Q2); R1 is hydrogen, halogen or C1C6alkyl; R2 is hydrogen, halogen, C1C6alkyl, C2-C6alkenyl, C3-C6alkinyl, C3-C6cycloalkyl-C3-C6alkinyl, halophenoxy, halophenyl-C3-C6alkinyl, C(C1-C4alkyl)═NO—C1-C4alkyl, C1C6haloalkyl C1C6haloalkoxy, C2-C6haloalkenyl, or C2-C6haloalkenyloxy; R3 is hydrogen, halogen, C1C6alkyl; R4, R5 and R6, independently from each other, are hydrogen, halogen or ≡R7; with the proviso that at least one of R4, R5 and R6 is different from hydrogen; R7 is hydrogen, C1C6alkyl, C1C6haloalkyl or C1C4alkoxyalkyl; and R8 is hydrogen or methoxy; and agrochemically acceptable salts/isomers/structural isomers/stereoisomers/diastereoisomers/enantiomers/tautomers and N-oxides of those compounds; and component (B) is a compound selected from compounds known for their fungicidal and/or insecticidal activity, is particularly effective in controlling or preventing fungal diseases of useful plants.
US09155289B2

Non-human animals which overexpress PPARd or which express transgenic PPARd are useful as models for inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis. Test substances can be screened to assess their suitability for the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions such as psoriasis. Methyl 3-({[2-(methoxy)-4-phenyl]amino}sulfonyl)-2-thiophenecarboxylate can be administered topically for the prevention or treatment of psoriasis.
US09155286B2

A pet vest adapted to safely secure weights to a pet to improve the health benefits of exercise and a method for using same.
US09155285B2

A portable water feeder for pets comprises a water storage bottle, a water tray for pets, a bottle stopper and curved sliding surface set on the inner bottom side of the water tray; the bottle stopper has a radial water outlet; when the water storage bottle is in the closing state, the head of the bottle stopper presses against the root of the curved sliding surface, so that water cannot leak from the water storage bottle; when the water storage bottle is rotated to be in use and squeezed, the bottle stopper moves a distance towards the outside of the bottle mouth, so that the water flow path between the water storage bottle and the water tray is clear and water flows from the water storage bottle into the water tray for pets to drink. The water feeder is watertight and simple in structure.
US09155283B2

Provided herein are slidable “drawer” animal containment systems that allow for ready access to contained animals. In certain embodiments, the animal containment systems include disposable cages, and the systems are ventilated in some embodiments.
US09155257B2

A new and distinct Guzmania hybrid named ‘BLITZ’ characterized by solid growth habit; funnel-form rosette plant, measuring about 20 cm to 25 cm in height (above the pot when flowering); numerous, green color foliage (measuring about 25 to 30 cm length and about 3.0 to 3.5 cm in width) Superior floral bract production; bracts are red in color (closest to RHS 45A), singular head inflorescence, measuring about 8 cm in height and about 18 cm in diameter; and long-lasting habit.
US09155240B2

A tillage implement includes a main frame with adjustable toolbar sections thereon which each support respective tillage units thereon for engaging the ground. According to one aspect of the invention, the toolbar sections are angularly adjustable about a pivot head at one end thereof while also being slidable in a longitudinal direction of the toolbar section to maintain alignment of the tillage units. The pivot head is elongate in a direction transverse to the toolbar section to resist moments applied to the toolbar section by the tillage units engaging the ground while the toolbar section remains adjustable. In another aspect of the invention, the tillage units each comprise a trailing arm supporting the respective coulter disks thereon. The trailing arm is pivoted between two side plates fixed to the toolbar section and biased downward by a spring enclosed between the side plates to resist debris catching on the spring.
US09155239B2

An agricultural tractor seeks to simplify a shaft support structure in a lower portion side of an elevating hydraulic cylinder which is externally installed to a rear side of a transmission case. The agricultural tractor of the present invention is provided with a travel machine body to which an engine and the transmission case are mounted, a lift arm which is provided in a rear portion side of an upper surface of the transmission case so as to freely oscillate up and down, the elevating hydraulic cylinder which oscillates up and down the lift arm, and rear axle cases which protrude laterally outward from the transmission case. An upper portion side of the elevating hydraulic cylinder is connected to the lift arm, and a lower portion side of the elevating hydraulic cylinder is supported to the travel machine body. The lower portion side of the elevating hydraulic cylinder is axially supported rotatably via a laterally directed pivot pin shaft by a hitch portion which is integrally formed in at least one of the right and left rear axle cases so as to protrude backward, and a bracket portion which is integrally formed in a rear surface of the transmission case so as to protrude backward.
US09161486B2

It is an objective to provide an electronic parts mounting apparatus and an electronic parts mounting method for making it possible to mount various types of electronic parts having equivalent electric characteristics on a single substrate. Before a mount head 15 starts mounting LED parts 4 on substrates 3 positioned by substrate conveyance paths 12, the number of LED parts 4 still remaining on a plurality of tape feeders 13 is compared, according to the type of the LED part 4, with target number of LED parts 4 to be mounted on the substrates 3. When the number of remaining LED parts 4 of at least one type becomes smaller than the target number of LED parts 4 to be mounted, the mount head 15 is deactivated.
US09161478B2

Heat dissipation in vertically arrayed host device configurations can be improved through inclusion of heat sinks having split-stream fin architectures. The split-stream fin architecture includes two or more sets of angled fins separated by a central conduit, which allows for more efficient inflow and/or expulsion of convection cooling air over the heat sink. The split-stream fin arrangement may include inwardly angled fins in order to draw convection cooling air inwards from horizontal inlets, in which case warm exhaust is expelled through the central conduit. Conversely, the split-stream fin arrangement may include outwardly angled fins, which draw convection cooling air from the central conduit, and expel warm air through horizontal exhausts. The split-stream fin arrangements function well when host devices are configured horizontally, which allows for more flexible host device configurations.
US09161475B2

According to an example, a multi-function module for insertion into a slot of a networking chassis includes a front plane having an opening through which a plurality of ports are accessible, a switch carrier board comprising an ASIC that is to operate as an interface between the plurality of ports accessible through the front plane and a plurality of rear connectors, and a microprocessor system board positioned in spaced relation with respect to the switch carrier board, the microprocessor system board comprising a microprocessor, a chipset, and a memory. The ASIC is positioned on a side of the switch carrier board that faces the microprocessor board and the microprocessor is positioned on a side of the microprocessor system board that faces the switch carrier board.
US09161465B2

In a quick-release fixing structure for an electronic equipment, the electronic equipment includes a plurality of holes and a snap slot, and the quick-release fixing structure includes a substrate, a turning element and a plurality of fixing elements. The substrate includes a plurality of grooves and a port, and each groove includes a first groove hole and a second groove hole interconnected to the first groove hole, and the second groove hole is greater than the first groove hole. The turning element is coupled to the substrate and includes a bump exposed from the port and snapped into the snap slot. Each fixing element is passed through each first groove hole and fixed to each hole. The turning element can be turned to push the electronic equipment to move each fixing element into each second groove hole, and separate the electronic equipment from the substrate.
US09161462B2

Machines and systems for chemical, foodstuffs and pharmaceuticals industry are subject to particularly demanding requirements for hygiene. In particular, equipment used in such machines, must avoid any gaps, in which dirt, bacteria or germs could settle. To avoid this, a hygiene-compliant display and control device having a front plate is proposed, having a peripheral groove, which is open on the outer peripheral surface of the front plate, on the outer edge of the front plate, and a sealing element fitted in the peripheral groove. The outer peripheral surface of the sealing element is arranged flush with the outer peripheral surface of the front plate, and a number of clamping arrangements with a pressing element are provided on the display and control device distributed around the periphery. One axial end of the pressing element engages with a fixing frame, which rests on the mounting plate, or with the mounting plate.
US09161461B2

A multilayer electronic structure comprising a plurality of layers extending in an X-Y plane consisting of a dielectric material surrounding metal via posts that conduct in a Z direction perpendicular to the X-Y plane, wherein at least one multilayered hole crosses at least two layers of the plurality of layers and comprises at least two hole layers in adjacent layers of the multilayer composite electronic structure, wherein the at least two holes in adjacent layers have different dimensions in the X-Y plane, such that a perimeter of the multilayered hole is stepped and where at least one hole is an aperture to a surface of the multilayer electronic structure.
US09161455B2

A method of fabricating a circuit board is provided. An elastic bump material layer is formed on a substrate and then is patterned to form a plurality of first elastic bumps and a plurality of second elastic bumps, arranged in at least an array. A conductive layer is formed and then is patterned to form a patterned circuit layer to cover first plurality of elastic bumps and a portion of the substrate. An entirety of the plurality of second elastic bumps and another portion of the substrate are not covered by the patterned circuit layer. A protection layer is formed to cover a portion of the patterned circuit layer, a second number of the plurality of second elastic bumps entirely, a third number of the plurality of second elastic bumps partially and the another portion of the substrate, and expose the first number of the plurality of second elastic bumps.
US09161448B2

A method of printing transferable components includes pressing a stamp including at least one transferable semiconductor component thereon on a target substrate such that the at least one transferable component and a surface of the target substrate contact opposite surfaces of a conductive eutectic layer. During pressing of the stamp on the target substrate, the at least one transferable component is exposed to electromagnetic radiation that is directed through the transfer stamp to reflow the eutectic layer. The stamp is then separated from the target substrate to delaminate the at least one transferable component from the stamp and print the at least one transferable component onto the surface of the target substrate. Related systems and methods are also discussed.
US09161433B2

A power supply control IC is mounted on a surface of a multilayer body that defines a power supply control circuit module. A first inner-layer electrode connecting an inductor element and a switching regulator element for the power supply control IC, another first inner-layer electrode connecting the inductor element and a capacitor element, and still another first inner-layer electrode connecting the switching regulator element and the capacitor element are located on upper layer regions of the multilayer body and are routed in between a mounting area of the power supply control IC and a peripheral wall of the multilayer body. The first inner-layer electrodes have widths that are wider than those of second inner-layer electrodes which are located near a center region of the multilayer body and transmit control signals.
US09161430B1

A Helical Resonator Ion Accelerator in which ions are injected into a hollow dielectric pipe forming a vacuum chamber along which the ions are accelerated. The pipe is wrapped with a coil and positioned inside a metal pipe. The dielectric pipe, the coil and the metal pipe are arranged coaxially on an axis along which ions are accelerated. The metal pipe is positioned within a high intensity 0.5-3.0 Tesla solenoid. A pulse generator is coupled to the coil to generate a voltage wave pulse. The pulse travels down the axis of the accelerator on the helix formed by the coil. An ion source injects deuteron ions along the axis of the vacuum chamber. A traveling voltage wave is accelerated by tapering the characteristic velocity of the accelerator in the direction of wave propagation by tapering the coil and the outer metal pipe together in a constant ratio.
US09161425B2

Various techniques are provided for implementing a lighting device variable control using a variable inductor. In various examples, the variable control may be implemented with a plurality of continuous or stepped settings. The variable control may be adjusted by a user-actuated movement of a part of the lighting device, such as the depression of a tail cap or another appropriate physical control to change the inductance of the variable inductor. An oscillating signal may be induced in a variable inductor circuit that includes the variable inductor. The oscillating signal may exhibit characteristics, such as frequency, that change with the inductance of the variable inductor. Such characteristics may be measured to determine a setting of the variable control and which may be used to adjust the brightness or other attributes of the lighting device.
US09161422B2

An electronic ballast for driving a gas discharge lamp includes an EMI filter, a bridge rectifier coupled to a DC bus without a conventional electrolytic capacitor, a passive valley fill circuit built as a network having 4 charge/discharge energy storage capacitors and 9 diodes (4C9C), and a resonant DC to AC high frequency inverter for powering gas discharge lamp. The 4C9D circuit divides the rectified peak voltage by four and the low output voltage of the circuit is used to provide continuous lamp operation. The result is a ballast having substantially improved power factor, total harmonic distortion, and current crest factor. The electronic ballast is provided with a dimming capability from a TRIAC based wall dimmer.
US09161420B2

A system for controlling light in a wireless manner includes a plurality of lighting installations containing a control module configured to control a lighting's status and an input module input a command to the control module, and a control device configured to controlling the lighting installations by wireless communication via a plurality of communication channels with the lighting installations, wherein the control module operates as either a first mode that it is controlled by the control device or a second mode that it is controlled by the input module, the control device controls the plurality of lighting installations in accordance with lighting patterns by an input among a plurality of the lighting patterns, and the plurality of lighting installations contains a first lighting installation and a second lighting installation, and the first lighting installation controls the second lighting installation by sending signals through the command to the control device.
US09161418B2

A two-wire load control device (such as, a dimmer switch) for controlling the amount of power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load (such as, a high-efficiency lighting load) includes a thyristor coupled between the source and the load, a gate coupling circuit coupled between a first main load terminal and the gate of the thyristor, and a control circuit coupled to a control input of the gate coupling circuit. The control circuit generates a drive voltage for causing the gate coupling circuit to conduct a gate current to thus render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle of the AC power source, and to allow the gate coupling circuit to conduct the gate current at any time from the firing time through approximately the remainder of the half cycle, where the gate coupling circuit conducts approximately no net average current to render and maintain the thyristor conductive.
US09161416B2

The present invention relates to a method for adjusting a color point (507, 509, 511) of light emitted (111) from an organic light emitting diode OLED (107) by using current (115) with a modulated waveform for driving the OLED (107), wherein the waveform is characterized by at least three different parameters, and wherein the color point (507, 509, 511) is located in a color space, the method comprising: —defining a color point target (501); —adjusting simultaneously the at least three parameters to tune the waveform such that the resulting light output of the OLED (107) is lying within a predefined area around the color point target and for which the brightness of the OLED (107) remains at a predefined level; and —employing the tuned waveform to provide the current (115) with the modulated waveform to the OLED (107).
US09161415B2

A control system is disclosed for determining an actual temperature of a light emitting diode. The control system uses conductor that supply power to the light emitting diode to supply a pulse to the light emitting diode. The pulse is determined along with a reaction caused by the pulse and the information gained is used in determination of the light emitting diode die temperature which can then be used in controlling current to the light emitting diode to control the temperature of the light emitting diode.
US09161406B2

An LED driver for powering an LED fixture is described, the LED driver comprising: an input terminal for receiving an input power; a power converter arranged to receive an input power at an input terminal of LED driver; convert the input power to an output power for powering the LED fixture a sensing device for sensing the input power received by the power converter; a control unit arranged to control an output characteristic of the power converter; a configuration terminal connected to the control unit; the control unit further being arranged to: receive, from the sensing device, a signal representing the sensed input power; receive, via the configuration terminal, a configuration signal representing a maximum wattage for the LED driver; and control the output characteristic of the power converter such that the input power as sensed does not exceed the maximum wattage.
US09161401B1

An LED lighting device includes an auxiliary power supply that supplies power to a control circuit of the LED lighting device that receives an input from a terminal of a light-emitting diode (LED) string of the lighting device that has a substantially lower voltage than the line voltage to which the lighting device is connected. The terminal may be within the LED string, or may be an end of the string. A linear regulator may be operated from the voltage drop across a number of the LEDs in the string so that the energy wasted by the auxiliary power supply is minimized. In other designs, the auxiliary power supply may be intermittently connected in series with the LED string only when needed. The intermittent connection can be used to forward bias a portion of the LED string when the voltage supplied to the LED string is low, increasing overall brightness.
US09161400B2

A device and method for reducing current ripple to a light emitting diode array having a single stage power factor correction driver with an output voltage ripple that is reduced by using a linear current regulator connected in series between the single stage power factor correction driver and the light emitting diode array, which actively adjusts an equivalent impedance of the linear current regulator in correspondence with the output voltage ripple of the single stage power factor correction driver.
US09161397B2

An organic EL device of the present invention includes: a base layer; a plurality of bottom electrodes arranged in a surface portion of the base layer at an interval in a lateral direction along a surface of the base layer; an organic layer which contains an organic light emitting material and is placed on the base layer so as to cover the plurality of bottom electrodes collectively and divided into a plurality of pixels respectively corresponding to the plurality of bottom electrodes; a top electrode opposed to the plurality of bottom electrodes with the organic layer interposed therebetween; and a gate electrode, which is placed at a region between mutually adjacent bottom electrodes in a planar view seen from the normal direction of the surface of the base layer, for turning off a parasitic transistor formed by cooperation of the top electrode and mutually adjacent bottom electrodes.
US09161393B2

The present invention provides a composite heating element suitable for heating an article when activated by a power source. The composite heating element comprises first and second dielectric layers each having an inner surface and an outer surface. The composite heating element further comprises a conductive layer formed from at least one conductive ink composition comprising a plastisol component and a conductive component. The conductive layer is disposed between the inner surfaces of the first and second dielectric layers and defines a circuit. The composite heating element further comprises an adhesive layer coupled at least one of the outer surfaces of the first and second dielectric layers opposite the conductive layer.
US09161384B2

Disclosed are channel management methods in a multicarrier structure in a mobile communication system. Uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) channel management methods in a carrier aggregation environment are used as the channel management methods. Using the channel management methods in the mobile communication system employing the multicarrier structure, an increase in the number of unnecessary retransmissions is prevented, so that unnecessary retransmission and power consumption of the terminal can be reduced and the waste of radio resources and the degradation of base station performance due to unnecessary retransmission can be prevented.
US09161383B2

A method of transmitting from a first node to a second node, said method comprising the steps of transmitting in a first mode at least one data frame from said first node to said second node; and determining if there is no data to be transmitted and if there is no data to be transmitted transmitting at least one empty frame in the first mode; and switching to a second mode in which no transmission is made in the absence of data to be transmitted at least some of the time.
US09161382B2

A method and apparatus are described for managing a communication connection by a User Equipment (UE) in a wireless communication system. In one embodiment, a first message is transmitted for requesting a Radio Resource Control (RRC) connection. The first message includes a cause of the request related with a Proximity-based Service (ProSe), and an identifier randomly generated for the communication connection by the UE and set to be effective for a predetermined time. The communication connection is established via a network path. A second message is received from a ProSe server. The second message indicates whether the communication connection is out of proximity range or not. When the second message indicates that the communication connection is out of the proximity range, a third message for requesting one of a proximity range extension and a communication connection release is transmitted to the ProSe server.
US09161377B2

Integration of a mobile hotspot into a service provider network is disclosed. A network node establishes a first wireless communication link with a mobile hotspot device. The mobile hotspot device is configured to establish a second wireless communications link with at least one client device. The network node receives an access request message from the mobile hotspot device which comprises credentials provided by the at least one client device. The network node determines that the at least one client device is authorized to access the service provider network through the mobile hotspot device based on the credentials and indicates to the mobile hotspot device that the at least one client device is authorized to access the service provider network through the mobile hotspot device.
US09161376B2

A method is provided in one example and includes determining that at least one performance characteristic of a broadband communication channel between an access point and a gateway and managing access point communication channel utilization based, at least in part, on the performance characteristic. In one or more example embodiments, the access point communication channel utilization pertains to the broadband communication channel, at least one user equipment communication channel, and/or the like.
US09161367B2

A user terminal reports a group radio quality of each of radio resource groups to a base station at a first frequence. The base station reports an allocated radio resource group to be allocated for radio communication with the user terminal to the user terminal. The user terminal reports unit radio qualities of radio resource units contained in the allocated radio resource group to the base station at a second frequence that is higher than the first frequence. The base station performs radio resource scheduling on the basis of the unit radio qualities.
US09161356B2

Operating parameters for a femto access point (FAP) are efficiently and accurately defined. During provisioning of the FAP, the system obtains operating parameters utilized by a nearby FAP expected to have a substantially similar radio environment as the provisioning FAP. Moreover, weighting is applied to the nearby FAP to determine which set of operating parameters to utilize at the provisioning FAP. Accordingly, pre-existing operating parameters, optimized by the nearby FAP are employed to augment initial network listen measurements performed at the provisioning FAP, and thus improve speed and accuracy of initial FAP parameter provisioning.
US09161354B2

Methods and apparatus are described for a base station to transmit and for a User Equipment (UE) to detect a Physical Downlink Control CHannel (PDCCH) conveying a Downlink Control Information (DCI) format scheduling data reception or data transmission by the UE. The base station transmits a PDCCH and the UE decodes candidate PDCCHs using a number of Control Channel Elements (CCEs) from a first set of CCEs for a first DCI format and using a number of CCEs from a second set of CCEs for a second DCI format depending on a maximum code rate for the DCI format transmission or on a scheduling bandwidth.
US09161345B2

The present invention provides a method for a source terminal performing client cooperation in a wireless access system, and the method includes: receiving, from a base station, first control information for performing client cooperation, wherein the first control information contains resource area information that is allocated for channel state measurement between a source terminal and a cooperative terminal and a control signal that is used for the channel state measurement; measuring a channel state with the cooperative terminal by using the resource area information and the control signal; receiving, from the base station, second control information for performing client cooperation with the cooperative terminal; and performing client cooperation by using the second control information, wherein the first control information further contains frame structure information for defining an operation for the source terminal and the cooperative terminal performing client cooperation in a client cooperation frame.
US09161341B2

Methods and apparatus for communicating and utilizing persistent allocation of resources are described herein. A base station may allocate persistent resources to a client station, and may associate the client station or persistent resource allocation with a particular shared NACK channel. The base station may monitor the NACK channel for a NACK indicating a map error. The base station may monitor the resource allocation to implicitly determine a map error. The base station may resend one or more persistent resource allocation information elements in response to the NACK or implicit error determination. A client station having a persistent resource allocation may monitor persistent resource allocation information elements in map messages and/or may indicate failure to receive a persistent resource allocation information element in a NACK message on a shared NACK channel.
US09161339B2

Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of wireless communication over non-contiguous channels. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit capable of transmitting symbols of a wireless communication packet to a wireless communication device over a plurality of non-contiguous wireless communication channels.
US09161335B2

A method selects mobile station candidates for use with virtual multiple-input multiple-output (“V-MIMO”) in a communication system. The communication system includes at least one base station and a plurality of mobile stations. At least one downlink metric is determined for a first mobile station. The at least one downlink metric is used to determine eligibility for uplink V-MIMO candidate list selection. Responsive to determining that the first mobile station is eligible for uplink V-MIMO candidate list selection, the first mobile station is paired with a second mobile station eligible for uplink V-MIMO candidate list selection.
US09161330B2

A system and method are disclosed for performing ranging operations between two wireless devices without employing cyclic shift diversity (CSD) compensation techniques. For some embodiments, a first wireless device sends a negotiation request frame requesting the second wireless device to respond to subsequently received frames of a specified type using a selected one of the transmit chains in the second wireless device. Thereafter, the first wireless device sends a data frame to the second wireless device to initiate a ranging operation. The second wireless device sends a response frame of the specified type to the first wireless device using the selected one of the transmit chains.
US09161324B2

A transmission point device, user equipment, and method of reporting phase offsets between signals received from a serving cell and neighbor cells in a communication system are disclosed. The method comprises steps of: quantizing the phase offsets using a predetermined number of bits; utilizing another bit to indicate constellation of the phase offsets; reporting the quantized phase offsets and the constellation to transmission point. The present disclosure may improve the signal combining gain from multiple transmission points with minimum overhead increasing.
US09161321B2

The present invention provides a method and associated apparatus providing a signal metric for a transmitter of a communication system including: accumulating a plurality of power terms, each power term corresponding to a product of one of symbol amplitudes and one of scaling factors; and calculating the signal metric according to the accumulated power terms.
US09161320B2

An apparatus and a method for determining a gateway using lower power are provided. The method includes setting probing transmission power for setting the gateway, transmitting a probing request message to another mobile station existing in a cluster with the set probing transmission power, when a probing response message is received from the other mobile station, generating a probing response list for the mobile station having transmitted the probing response message, determining whether a cluster list for mobile stations existing in the cluster corresponds to the probing response list, and determining a gateway mobile station according to a result of the determination as to whether the cluster list for mobile stations existing in the cluster corresponds to the probing response list.
US09161308B2

Access terminals are adapted to facilitate discontinuous transmission (DTX) employable during active transmissions. According to one example, an access terminal may be actively transmitting a plurality of frames on a reverse link channel. The access terminal can autonomously implement a DTX operation during the active reverse link transmissions, in which a transmitter circuit is powered down for periods of time less than a duration of one frame. As a result, reverse link transmissions are punctured during the powered down periods. Other aspects, embodiments, and features are also included.
US09161294B2

The disclosure is directed to using a change in motion to improve place of relevance (PoR) detection. An aspect determines whether or not a motion state of a mobile device has changed to a new motion state, determines whether or not to trigger the mobile device to scan for available local wireless networks if the motion state has changed, and identifies a PoR based on the scanning.
US09161289B2

The invention relates to the selection of at least one dynamic node, in a mobile network, as a candidate for relaying a data communication signal between a transmitting entity and a receiving entity of the network. In terms of the invention: at least one first area around at least one first entity among the transmitting and receiving entities is defined, beyond which a data communication signal is attenuated beyond a first predetermined threshold; and the selection of nodes as possible candidates for relaying the communication signal on the basis of the definition of the first area is limited.
US09161285B2

A method and wireless transmit receive unit (WTRU) are disclosed that is configured to perform cell reselection to another cell when the WTRU is in a CELL_FACH state using an Enhanced-Dedicated Channel (E-DCH). The cell reselection is based on internal measurements by the WTRU. Alternatively, the cell reselection can be WTRU based on the WTRU measurements reported to the network.
US09161276B2

A method and apparatus for providing wireless communication services, (e.g., multimedia broadcast multicast services (MBMS)), are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) detects a plurality of target cell evolved Node-Bs (eNodeBs) that neighbor a serving cell eNodeB. The WTRU evaluates cell reselection criteria and determines a neighboring target cell eNodeB to reselect. The WTRU receives and reads master information block (MIB) and system information messages of the neighboring target cell eNodeB, and confirms that the determined neighboring target cell eNodeB is not part of a multimedia broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN). The WTRU identifies the neighboring target cell eNodeB to the serving cell eNodeB. The WTRU then receives and reads MIB messages of the neighboring target cell eNodeB again to determine whether the system information has changed and, if so, the WTRU reads the system information and reselects to the neighboring target cell eNodeB, which provides the wireless communication services.
US09161267B2

Performing cell re-selection by a wireless user equipment (UE) device. A first cell on which to camp may be selected. The UE may camp on the first cell in an idle-mode. The UE may be configured to perform searches for neighboring cells according to an idle-mode timeline while camping on the first cell. The UE may transmit a connection request to the first cell in order to transition the UE from the idle-mode to a connected-mode via the first cell. One or more searches for neighboring cells may be performed according to a connected-mode timeline after transmitting the connection request, in response to transmitting the connection request. The one or more searches may be performed before the UE establishes the connected-mode with the first cell.
US09161263B2

A system may be configured to receive information regarding a quality of service (“QoS”) objective for a network. The network may include a group of nodes through which network traffic traverses. Each node, of the group of nodes, may implement one or more queues that indicate an order in which traffic is processed by the node. The system may further identify scheduling information associated with one or more nodes of the network. The queues implemented by the one or more nodes may be based on the identified scheduling information. The system may receive performance information from at least one of the nodes, of the group of nodes; and may generate new scheduling information for at least one node, of the group of nodes, based on the information regarding the QoS objective, the scheduling information associated with the one or more nodes, and the performance information.
US09161262B2

A device transmits and/or receives voice packets on a first plurality of subcarriers. There is no guard band between any two subcarriers in the first plurality of subcarriers. The device transmits and/or receives a first subset of data packets on a second plurality of subcarriers and a second subset of the data packets on a third plurality of subcarriers. The following limitations may apply: a) there is no guard band between any two subcarriers in the second plurality of subcarriers, and b) there is at least a guard band between at least two subcarriers in the third plurality of subcarriers.
US09161247B2

A method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving a signal using a channel output feedback in a wireless communication system and Hybrid-Automatic Repeat Request (ARQ) are provided. The method and apparatus include a transmitter configured to transmit to a base station and a first packet on a precoder received from the base station. A receiver configured to receive, from the base station, a Channel Output Feedback (COF) of the transmitted first packet and information for transmitting a second packet. A controller configured to prepare a variant of the second packet using the COF and the received information for transmitting the second packet, and to control to transmit the prepared variant to the base station.
US09161242B2

A radio communication system (101) includes plural base stations (131) connected over a network and a mobile station (111), such that the mobile station (111) has a mobile station radio communication unit (115) and a control unit (117) that tests radio communication on each base station (131) that has transmitted a radio signal receivable by the radio communication unit (115) and controls the radio communication unit (115) to transmit silent failure information including identification information on a base station presumed to have silent failure from the test result; each base station (131) has a base station radio communication unit (135), a communication unit (137) that communicates with other base stations, and a base station control unit that controls the communication unit (137), when the identification information does not indicate the present base station, transmits the silent failure information and request for silent failure detection to the corresponding base station.
US09161241B2

A method to use RSs for per-user elevation beamforming is described. An eNB sends, to a UE, an indication of which RSs in a plurality of RSs sound in the elevation dimension and which RSs in the plurality of RSs sound in the azimuthal dimension. Then, the eNB sends, to the UE, the plurality of RSs using a plurality of antenna. The UE separates the plurality of RSs into the first portion and the second portion based at least in part on the indication and sends elevation and azimuthal feedback based on the received RSs to the eNB. The eNB determines beamforming weights for the plurality of antenna based at least in part on the elevation feedback and the azimuthal feedback. Apparatus and computer readable media are also described.
US09161240B2

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for reporting a measurement result in a wireless communication system. A terminal configures a plurality of serving cells, and performs measurement on the plurality' of serving cells. When a measurement report is triggered, the terminal determines whether or not a quality of at least one serving cell from among the plurality of serving cells is lower than an auxiliary' threshold value. The measurement report includes the quality of a best neighboring cell at a serving frequency of the serving cell the quality of which is lower than the auxiliary threshold value.
US09161236B2

A wireless communication system and, more specifically, a measurement method and apparatus for inter-cell interference coordination in a wireless communication system are disclosed. Herein, a method for supporting measurement of a User Equipment (UE) by a first base station in a wireless communication system includes the steps of acquiring information of downlink subframe configuration of a second base station, determining measurement objects of downlink resource of the first base station based on the downlink subframe configuration of the second base station; transmitting information of the measurement objects to the UE, and receiving measurement result for the measurement objects from the UE.
US09161235B2

According to one embodiment of the present invention, provided is a frequency band (FB) determination method of a wireless access device which provides an access point to enable one or more terminals to wirelessly access a network. The method may comprise the steps of receiving database-related information from database servers which have database related to unused FBs of a television broadcasting band (TVBB), determining a database server to be accessed among the database servers on the basis of the database-related information, requesting the determined database server and receiving information on available FBs, and determining FBs, among the received operating FBs, for the one or more terminals. The operating FBs are determined by the database server so that the wireless access device can coexist with a neighboring homogeneous or heterogeneous wireless access device without mutual interference within the TVBB.
US09161229B2

According to one embodiment of present invention, there is provided a method of controlling access to a communication network. The method includes receiving a request from a communication device to connect to the communication network, the request including a substantially unique identifier of the device, and determining whether the identifier is contained in a local device database of the network. Where it is determined that the identifier is not contained in the local database, the method further includes authorizing the device to connect to the network, and at a subsequent update of the local device database, determining the status of the identifier from a shared device database, and updating the status of the determined identifier in the local device database with the determined status.
US09161225B2

Methods, systems, and computer programs for managing mobile device applications are described. In some aspects, a mobile device application is prevented from accessing resources of a wireless network. For example, a wireless network operator system can determine that one or more mobile device applications are disapproved for use in the wireless network. In some implementations, the wireless network operator denies the disapproved mobile device applications access to the wireless network resources. In some implementations, mobile devices disable access to the wireless network by the disapproved mobile device applications.
US09161217B2

A method and system for authenticating in a communication system are provided. The method includes, in a first authenticator, sending an authenticator relocation request to a second authenticator transmitting a hash value for an authentication parameter of a Mobile Terminal (MT), a random parameter 1, and a random parameter 2 from the second authenticator to the first authenticator; in the first authenticator, transmitting the hash value received from the second authenticator and the random parameter 1 to an Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting (AAA) server; in the AAA server, determining a validity of the hash value received from the first authenticator, and in the AAA server, transmitting the authentication parameter ever used at the time of authenticating the MT, to the first authenticator.
US09161215B2

The present invention relates to auto-provision of wireless devices. A wireless device (1) has a device identifier and a first private key generated from the device identifier. A registration server (5) has an operator identifier and a second private key generated from the operator identifier. The wireless device (1) transmits the device identifier to the registration server (5), and the registration server (5) transmits a subscriber identifier to the wireless device (1). The wireless device (1) generates a shared key based on the operator identifier and the first private key, and the registration server (5) generates the shared key based on the device identifier and the second private key.
US09161210B2

A basestation receives a table containing information about a plurality of other basestations of the cellular communications network. The basestation and the plurality of other basestations are connected to a local area network. The operation of receiving the table includes receiving the table over the local area network from one of the other basestations. The table contains information for use by the basestation in automatically configuring itself. In the event that the basestation changes its configuration, the basestation updates said table with changed information and rebroadcasts the updated table to the other basestations.
US09161208B2

A selective cell phone text messaging function disabling system prevents a cell phone user from text messaging while within a transmission zone. The user's cell phone text messaging functionality is turned off by a signal broadcasting system as the user enters a transmission zone. When the user exits the transmission zone, the cell phone resumes its texting capability, preserving text messaging functionality while the user is not within the transmission zone.
US09161204B2

A computer-implemented mobile device locating method is provided. The method includes determining a current cell sector of a mobile device and comparing the current cell sector with a cell sector list of previously determined cell sectors. A current location of the mobile device is determined if the current cell sector is not listed in the cell sector list. The current location is compared with a last determined location. The current cell sector is added to the cell sector list if the current location is substantially the same as the last determined location. The cell sector list is cleared if the current location is not substantially the same as the last determined location.
US09161200B2

Embodiments manage data transfers using a plurality of data usage plans available to a computing device. Each of the data usage plans has data usage statistics representing an amount of network data consumed under the data usage plan. For each data transfer request received from applications executing on the computing device, a service executing on the computing device or in a cloud defines a network data transfer configuration for performing the data transfer request. The network data transfer configuration is defined based on, for example, the data usage plans, the data usage statistics, and the data transfer request to reduce transfer costs and/or provide a particular quality of service (QoS).
US09161188B2

Disclosed is a system and method for suggesting messages that are automatically learned, personalized and diversified by leveraging messages sent by a large number of users in order to provide message completions that are as engaging as possible. The disclosed systems and methods learn from recurrent messages sent to a recipient, and suggest message completions based upon user behavior. The systems and methods compute a ranked list of suggested message completions after every key stroke or character input, and if the list satisfies a given confidence threshold, it is returned and displayed to the user.
US09161184B2

Text messages with alphanumeric addresses are delivered to mobiles and external short message entities (ESMEs) which do not support alphanumeric addressing, providing meaningful fallback handling. Additionally, the invention enables delivery of SMPP messages from ESME or SMPP networks which can only originate numeric addresses, yet provide for mapping to alphanumeric addresses for delivery to the mobile. A two-way mapping is provided between alphanumeric addresses and SMS short-codes to enable delivery of text messages with alphanumeric addressing in networks which contain mobiles and/or ESME's that lack support of alphanumeric addressing. An ESME can send a text message using an alphanumeric origination address, without knowing which handsets support the capability, and which do not, or whether handsets are on CDMA, or GSM, or UMTS, or networks, or can continue to send using a numeric origination address. The SMSC provides conversions to alphanumeric addresses on behalf of the ESME and the mobile.
US09161183B2

A method for performing a handover between MBS zones of a mobile station receiving multicast and broadcast service (MBS) data in a wireless access system is disclosed. The method for performing the handover between first and second MBS zones of the mobile station in a wireless access system includes receiving the MBS from a first base station belonging to the first MBS zone which uses a first MBS zone identifier (ID), requesting the handover between the first and second MBS zones, receiving parameter information including a second MBS zone identifier (ID), from the first base station, and receiving the MBS from a second base station belonging to the second MBS zone, using the parameter information, wherein the second MBS zone uses the second MBS zone identifier (ID) which is needed to receive the MBS.
US09161181B2

In accordance with the present invention, in a case of using persistent scheduling, when detecting a transition from a talk state to a silent state, resources to be allocated during a silent state are allocated to a channel exclusive for silent period, and the resources which have been allocated to a mobile terminal during the talk spurt are released. Therefore, the useless allocation of resources can be reduced, and the throughput of the system can be improved.
US09161179B2

The disclosure is related to group communications over multimedia broadcast/multicast services (MBMS). An aspect determines whether a number of one or more user devices in an MBMS coverage area participating in a group call is less than a threshold, and delivers a media stream for the group call to a user device of the one or more user devices over a wireless local area network (WLAN) to which the user device is connected based on the number of the one or more user devices in the MBMS coverage area being less than the threshold.
US09161177B2

Disclosed is a method for transmitting and receiving multicast-data-related information by a machine-to-machine (M2M) device in a wireless communication system, and an apparatus therefor. The method for receiving multicast-data-related information by a machine-to-machine device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises the following steps: receiving a first message including multicast traffic receiving timer information from a base station; receiving a paging message from the base station; and starting a multicast traffic receiving timer from the point in time indicated by the paging message or from the point in time of receiving the paging message, in accordance with the first message and the paging message. The multicast traffic receiving timer information may include information on a time interval during which the M2M device waits to receive the M2M multicast data in an idle mode.
US09161175B1

Methods, systems, and computer program product for location transition determination are described. A mobile device can use location fingerprint data and sensor readings to determine a transition of the mobile device into or out of a portion of a venue by using particle filters. When the mobile device determines that the mobile device is located at a first portion of the venue, e.g., on a given floor, the mobile device can introduce candidate locations, or particles, on a second portion of the venue and candidate locations outside of the venue. If estimated locations at the first portion of the venue do not converge, the mobile device can increase weight of the candidate locations that are outside of the first portion of the venue to detect possible transition to the second portion of the venue or to outside of the venue.
US09161170B2

A method and system are provided for determining a magnetic field using a mobile device. The method includes determining location information of the mobile device, obtaining magnetic field data based on the location information, determining orientation information of the mobile device and applying the orientation information to the magnetic field data to compute a magnetic field corresponding to the orientation of the mobile device.
US09161165B2

A location of a client device may be obscured by using generated random offsets and/or a set of regions. In one implementation, the location of a client device may be obscured using a first random offset and a second random offset. A pseudo-location may be determined based on the location of the client device, the first random offset, and the second random offset. The pseudo-location may be transmitted to a third-party for a location-based service. In another implementation, the location of a client device may be obscured using a first random offset and a set of regions. An intermediate location may be determined based on the location of the client device and the first random offset. A region of the set of regions may be determined based on the intermediate location. A pseudo-location may be transmitted to a third-party for a location-based service based on the determined region.
US09161159B2

A system and method for connecting to a peripheral device utilizes a near field communication (“NFC”) enabled remote control to acquire a rotating access pin that is transmitted to an NFC enabled computing device in order to establish a connection between the computing device and the peripheral device.
US09161144B2

There is provided a method of determining a transmission quality when receiving audio signals which are transmitted over a frequency-modulated path in analog form. For that purpose a frequency-modulated audio signal is received and IQ demodulation of the input signal is implemented. The I- and the Q-path of the demodulated baseband signal are subjected to analog/digital conversion. Alternatively the input signal can first be digitized and then subjected to IQ demodulation. A multiplicity of N samples is detected. The amount of the N samples is formed. A reference value is determined from the amount of the N samples. Each of the N samples is standardized to the reference value. A measurement in respect of the fluctuations in the standardized amounts is determined. The measurement in respect of the fluctuations indicates the quality of the transmission path.
US09161135B2

A thermoacoustic chip includes a substrate, a sound wave generator, a first electrode, and a second electrode, and an integrated circuit chip. The substrate has a first surface. The sound wave generator is located on the first surface of the substrate. The first electrode and a second electrode are spaced from each other and electrically connected to the sound wave generator. The integrated circuit chip is located on the substrate and electrically connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.
US09161134B2

An acoustic generator according to an aspect of an embodiment includes an exciter, a vibrating body, and a damping member. The exciter receives input of an electric signal and vibrates. The exciter is attached to the vibrating body, and the vibrating body vibrates together with the exciter with vibration of the exciter. The damping member is attached so as to vibrate together with the vibrating body and the exciter and has a non-uniform thickness in a direction orthogonal to a vibration surface of the vibrating body.
US09161133B2

A method for reducing crosstalk in a headset connected to an audio device, in which the includes a left headphone, a right headphone and a common ground for the left headphone and the right headphone includes determining a frequency dependent impedance of the headset. The method also includes determining a frequency dependent impedance of the common ground, and determining a frequency dependent substantially optimum cross feed for attenuating crosstalk in at least one of the left headphone and the right headphone based on the impedance of the headset and the frequency dependent impedance of the common ground. The method further includes applying the frequency dependent substantially optimum cross feed to attenuate the crosstalk in the at least one of the left headphone and the right headphone.
US09161132B2

An audio processing section generates at least a left-front audio signal, a right-front audio signal, a second left audio signal that is the same as a left-front audio signal, and a second right audio signal that is the same as the right-front audio signal based on a left-front audio signal and a right-front audio signal supplied from an audio selector, and outputs these signals to a main output terminal, and supplies the second left audio signal and the second right audio signal also to a switch section. When a first mode is selected, the switch section selects the audio signal from the audio processing section, and supplies it to a ZONE2 output terminal. On the other hand, when modes other than the first mode are selected, the switch section selects an audio signal from the audio selector, and supplies the selected audio signal to the ZONE2 output terminal.
US09161126B2

In accordance with these and other embodiments of the present disclosure, systems and methods may include a controller configured to be coupled to an audio speaker, wherein the controller receives an audio input signal, and based on a displacement transfer function associated with the audio speaker, processes the audio input signal to generate an output audio signal communicated to the audio speaker, wherein the displacement transfer function correlates an amplitude and a frequency of the audio input signal to an expected displacement of the audio speaker in response to the amplitude and the frequency of the audio input signal.
US09161125B2

The invention is directed to systems, methods and computer program products associated with a microphone system for receiving a sound and producing an output signal representing the sound. The microphone system has a first microphone having a first dynamic range, the first microphone to receive the sound and produce a first sound signal based on the received sound. It also has a second microphone having a second dynamic range, the second microphone to receive the sound and produce a second sound signal based on the received sound, wherein the first dynamic range and the second dynamic range overlap thereby forming a transition dynamic range and processing logic operatively coupled to the first microphone and the second microphone. The processing logic is configured to receive the first sound signal from the first microphone, receive the second sound signal from the second microphone, and generate the output signal by combining the first sound signal and the second sound signal.
US09161124B2

A method and an electronic device for determining headset line sequence are disclosed in this application, where a third pin and a fourth pin on a headset plug are connected to a direct-current power supply to form a power supply branch, and a bias resistor is connected onto the power supply branch in series. This application obtains a second voltage between the third pin and the fourth pin, compares the second voltage with a preset first threshold, and according to a comparison result, determines a signal type of a signal transmitted by the third pin and a signal type of a signal transmitted by the fourth pin.
US09161119B2

A speaker system with an enclosure having a spiral pathway is presented. The speaker system includes an electro-acoustic transducer that generates sounds according to an audio input. The speaker system also includes an enclosure having an interior pathway defined by a wall that is curved substantially as a spiral. The speaker system is configured such that the sound generated by the electro-acoustic transducer travels along at least a portion of the curved pathway before leaving the enclosure.
US09161118B2

An earphone comprising an earphone housing having a body portion, the body portion having an acoustic output opening to output sound from a driver positioned therein into an ear of a user. An acoustic tuning member is positioned within the body portion. The acoustic tuning member defines a back volume chamber of the driver and includes an acoustic output port for outputting sound from the back volume chamber of the driver to improve an acoustic performance of the earphone.
US09161115B2

A headset retraction device for a portable media player generally includes a base and an arbor, wherein the arbor is configured to rotate within a cavity defined by the base, and the arbor and base are cooperatively configured to wind a cord of the headset in a single plane.
US09161111B2

Disclosed is a wireless speaker having a structure with the outer cover. The outer cover can be easily detached from the speaker body, facilitating user's mounting external electronic products as desired, for example, various types of bulbs, such as an LED or energy-saving lamp, and a wireless router or a camera. Also disclosed is a wireless speaker system, where the wireless set and the wireless speaker use wireless transmitting and receiving modules, or may use WiFi, Bluetooth or other wireless transmission modes. The wireless set supports a plurality of wireless speakers, and the wireless receiving speaker may be mounted on the ceiling, wall, or hidden place in a kitchen, living room, bedroom, bathroom or even bar, and restaurant; or even mounted on a table or floor lamp, or transportation means such as trains and planes, serving as a video and audio center for households and entertainment places by free combinations.
US09161091B2

A method for communication includes performing by one or more circuits integrated within a single chip in a first communication device, functions that include storing media and meta-data corresponding to the stored media. The storing may occur at a first location of the first communication device. A channel guide including representations of the stored media that can be selected for presentation on a television in a second location, may be caused based on the meta-data corresponding to the stored media when the first communication device is communicatively coupled to a second communication device at the second location. In response to receiving a selection via the presented channel guide, at least one media file corresponding to the received selection may be displayed based on the meta-data corresponding to the stored media, on one or both of the television and/or a media player in the second location.
US09161089B2

A method and apparatus for enabling IP service subscribers to share media contents with other IP service subscribers or Internet users in either a secured or open fashion are disclosed. In one embodiment, the present invention enables the sharing of home movies, pictures, and other media contents, where media could be stored media or media created in real-time. Namely, the present method allows IP service subscribers to effectively create their own TV station, e.g., complete with stored or live content programming and content scheduling. In turn, the method allows a viewing subscriber to select and view a shared media program created by another subscriber.
US09161087B2

A method for providing configurable access to media in a media-on-demand system also can include delivering the media to a first client device in a format compatible with the first client device; interrupting the delivery of the media; recording a bookmark specifying a position in the media where the interruption occurred; and resuming delivery of the media to a second client device, the resumed delivery beginning at a position in the media specified by the recorded bookmark. The method further can include identifying device properties for each of the first and second client devices; delivering the media to the first client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the first client device; and, delivering the media to the second client device in a format compatible with the identified device properties for the second client device.
US09161079B1

An information processing method combining television viewing and shopping generally includes (i) storing commercial information in a business server, (ii) broadcasting a television program according to a television program schedule from a broadcast server to a television server thereby enabling viewing of the television program by a consumer, (iii) storing the television program schedule in one of the television server and the personal server, (iv) transmitting an information request from one of the television server and the personal server to the business server, the information request including an identification of the television program and a timestamp, (v) transmitting a portion of the commercial information to one of the personal server and the television server, wherein the commercial information portion is related to the television program and the timestamp, and (vi) displaying items of the commercial information portion and a means for purchase of said items to the consumer.
US09161068B2

An audio/video stream recording, storage, and delivery system 10 utilizes an Internet-based browser connection. The system 10 includes recording software 20, storage memory 30, a code generator 40, and a user interface 50. Preferably, the recording software 20 is located on the host back end 60 where it processes and records audio and video material that originates from the user front end 70 and is streamed to the host back end. The storage memory 30, which is also located on the host back end 60, stores the recorded audio and video material. The user interface 50 to the system provides a user located at the user front end 70 with remote access to a virtual recording room. The user interface 50 further enables the user to record audio and video material streamed from the user front end 70 by activating the recording software 20 located on the host back end 60. This is accomplished without requiring recording functionality on the user front end 70. The code generator 30 produces code associated with the recorded audio and video material. This code can be easily copied and pasted to an additional location 80, such as an auction website. Activating the code pasted at the additional location 80 provides access to the recorded audio and video material from the additional location while allowing the recorded audio and video material to remain stored at the host back end 60.
US09161062B2

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.
US09161053B2

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon an image decoding program which, when executed by a computer, implements operations including: extracting motion vector information, and rounding method information from input information to be decoded; synthesizing a prediction image by performing motion compensation using the motion vector information and a reference image which is a previously decoded image; and synthesizing a decoded image by adding the prediction image to an error image; wherein a rounding method used for pixel value interpolation in performing the motion compensation for synthesizing the prediction image is one of a positive rounding method and a negative rounding method which is different from a one of a positive rounding method and a negative rounding method used for pixel value interpolation in performing the motion compensation for synthesizing a last prediction image.
US09161042B2

A quantization control method used in a video encoding which encodes a video image and performs control for making an encoding bit rate approach a predetermined target bit rate. The quantization control method includes measuring a differential amount of code between a target amount of code and an amount of generated code; determining whether or not a predetermined condition has occurred; determining, when it is determined that the condition has occurred, a variation for an amount of feedback which increases or decreases a quantization step size, and changing the amount of feedback based on the determined variation; and increasing or decreasing the quantization step size based on the measured differential amount of code and the changed amount of feedback. If there are a plurality of the predetermined conditions, a final variation for the amount of feedback may be determined by applying a specific operation to variations for the amount of feedback, which are determined for the individual conditions.
US09161040B2

In the inventive embedded block coding (EBC) image coding system, sub-block partitioning is selected based on the image content. For example, decisions based on image content can include spatial considerations, such as differences between the right and left portions of the block, texture differences or color component differences. The inventive method then shares the available bit budget between these partitioned sub-blocks.
US09161036B2

An image decoding method includes: dividing a current block into sub-blocks; deriving, for each sub-block, one or more prediction information candidates; obtaining an index; and decoding the current block using the prediction information candidate selected by the index. The deriving includes: determining whether a neighboring block neighboring each sub-block is included in the current block, and when not included in the current block, determining the neighboring block to be a reference block available to the sub-block, and when included in the current block, determining the neighboring block not to be the reference block; and deriving a prediction information candidate of the sub-block from prediction information of the reference block; and when the number of prediction information candidates is smaller than a predetermined number, generating one or more new candidates without using the prediction information of the reference block till the number of prediction information candidates reaches the predetermined number.
US09161035B2

A Flexible Band Offset (FBO) apparatus and method of performing Sample Adaptive Offset (SAO) filtering within encoders and decoders, such as according to the High Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) standard, and similarly configured coding devices. The number of Band Offset (BO) modes and the number of necessary offsets is reduced. The invention beneficially provides simpler coding, reduces temporary buffer size requirements, and can yield a small performance gain over existing SAO techniques of HEVC test model HM 5.
US09161029B1

Systems and methods for detecting defective pixels in a video sequence having a plurality of frames, the method comprising determining one or more frames of a single scene and determining a plurality of buffers of each frame related to the single scene, detecting one or more candidate pixels for a first predefined number of frames, tracking the detected one or more candidate pixels for a second predetermined number of frames, validating the one or more candidate pixels for presence of defect and marking a candidate pixel from the one or more candidate pixels as a defective pixel based on one or more predefined conditions.
US09161023B2

An interleaved multi-view video stream is received. The interleaved multi-view video stream includes one or more first view frames, one or more second view frames, and blanking frames in a sequential pattern. The blanking frames separate the first view frames from the second view frames in the sequential pattern. The interleaved multi-view video stream is displayed in the sequential pattern. In one embodiment, the blanking frames are detected, and operation of a viewing device is synchronized based at least in part on the blanking frames being detected.
US09161015B2

An image processing apparatus includes an image obtaining unit configured to obtain a plurality of images, which are images of the same subject captured from different viewpoints; an image offset correction unit configured to modify the plurality of images obtained by the image obtaining unit on the basis of parameters for correcting image offset and generate a correction image for each of the obtained images; an evaluation value calculation unit configured to calculate, as an evaluation value, an integration value, for an entire screen, of an error amount indicating a degree at which association in a parallax direction among the plurality of correction images generated by the image offset correction unit is not possible; and an update unit configured to change a parameter that is necessary for association in the parallax direction among the parameters so as to update the parameter so that the evaluation value becomes a minimum.
US09161013B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure describe devices, methods, computer-readable media and systems configurations for monitoring and reporting quality of experience (QoE) metrics that are associated with an access method. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09161008B2

The present invention is a set top box or other content management device that can convert television programming stored in a temporary buffer into a persistent event. The present invention may also trim data from a temporary buffer, such as an input buffer, without requiring additional software, RAM and other hardware normally associated with general purpose computers.
US09161006B1

Systems and methods are provided for efficient screen capture and video recording on mobile and other devices. The video is recorded using a graphics rendering pipeline that includes a primary frame buffer, a secondary frame buffer, and a video writer module that encodes and writes data to a video file. The frame buffers include multiple textures to which graphics data can be rendered or copied, with at least the secondary frame buffer textures backed with memory that is quickly accessible by a central processing unit. In operation, a frame is rendered into a texture in the primary frame buffer, and the contents of the rendered frame are copied to a texture of the secondary frame buffer as well as to a default graphics rendering pipeline for output to a display. The contents of the rendered frame are then provided from the secondary frame buffer to the video writer for output to a video file.
US09160995B2

An image display device includes: excitation light source (5), fluorescent screen (6) provided with a plurality of phosphor regions (61, 62, 63) that are arranged periodically in the in-plane direction, the regions between phosphor regions being retroreflective regions (64) that bend incident light in the direction opposite the direction of incidence of the light; scanning means (4) that scans fluorescent screen (6) with a light beam from excitation light source (5); optical detection means (2, 3) that detects retroreflective light (7) that is reflected by retroreflective regions (64); and control means (1) that causes scanning by scanning means (4), detects boundaries between each phosphor region (61, 62, 63) and retroreflective region (64) on fluorescent screen (6) based on output of optical detection means (2, 3), and controls the light emission timing of excitation light source (5) based on the detected boundaries.
US09160988B2

Systems, methods and apparatuses are disclosed for protecting encoded media data. A minimum set of information needed to encode a single message for an encoded audio signal is loaded separately from the media data into an encoder. A media license file is generated to protect the encoded data, where the underlying information relevant to the media data may be hidden through encryption or other means in order to foster security. The algorithm(s) for encoding may be provided using a shared library, combined with an encoding payload that provides the minimum information set required to form the single message. A partial decoder may apply pattern matching information in the encoded payload in order to confirm that the encoding is actually present and is proper. Accordingly, the payload must be successfully decoded and verified before the underlying data may be decoded.
US09160984B2

Methods for automatically buffering and displaying video feeds associated with a live event are described. The video feeds displayed on the mobile device may comprise live video feeds or replays associated with the live event. A replay may comprise a playback of one or more buffered video feeds in a particular sequence and at a particular playback rate. The particular sequence may be determined based on the viewing behavior of the end user of the mobile device and/or the viewing behaviors of one or more other end users using other mobile devices at the live event. In some cases, the replay may comprise a shared replay in which a group of end users attending the live event may interact with each other while sharing a common replay.
US09160983B2

A method of controlling color lighting in a vision system is provided which is capable of rapidly searching for a voltage value which allows an optimal product image to be obtained in a vision system including a plurality of lightings. In accordance with an embodiment, a voltage value allowing an optimal product image to be obtained can rapidly searched for in a vision system including a plurality of lightings.
US09160982B1

Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for matching trajectories across disjointed video views. In a particular embodiment, a method provides identifying a first trajectory associated with an object in video captured of a first region. The method further provides identifying a plurality of alternative views of the object from the video of the first region. The method further provides generating additional views for inclusion in the plurality of alternative views by copying and horizontally flipping at least one view of the plurality of alternative views. The method further provides using the plurality of alternative views of the object, selecting a second trajectory that corresponds to the first trajectory from a plurality of trajectories associated with a plurality of objects in video captured of a second region.
US09160979B1

An image depicting an object has a center that is not on an optical axis of a camera used to capture the image. The image is on an image plane, and the object is in an object space. A method implemented for automatically determining the position of the camera relative to the object includes displaying the image via a user interface, receiving vanishing point information from the user interface, such that the vanishing point data indicates a respective location on the image plane of each of a first vanishing point, a second vanishing point, and a third vanishing point, and automatically determining the position of the camera based on the first vanishing point, the second vanishing point, and the third vanishing point.
US09160971B2

Techniques are described to provide content access. In an implementation, a determination is made at a client that a high-definition channel has content that matches content provided by a standard-definition channel. Access is provided to the content via the high-definition channel and access is restricted to the content via the standard-definition channel up the client is capable of outputting the content and high definition.
US09160969B2

A video conference system in which a plurality of users communicate video to one another over a data network in a video conference and at least one moderator that moderates the video conference. At least one conference server links users and at least one moderator over a data network so users can communicate at least one video data stream to others. A hierarchical arrangement of control parameters control communications between the users over the at least one conference server. Moderator control parameters in the hierarchical arrangement permit the at least one moderator to specify control parameters from the hierarchical arrangement for one or more of the plurality of users and/or participation rights of one or more of the plurality of users. Computer program products provide a moderator with control or participation of users in accordance with a user set of parameters.
US09160968B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, determining a latency area of a network based on latency testing, identifying a configuration of a network route of a telepresence session exchanging media content between media processors of first and second users at first and second locations based on the latency area, determining a first latency associated with a first presentation of the media content at the first location, determining a second latency associated with a second presentation of the media content at the second location, and determining one of a first delay for the first presentation, a second delay for the second presentation or both based on one of the first latency, the second latency or both. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09160967B2

A video conference session is established between a plurality of meeting clients, where each meeting client includes a computing device that communicates via a network and at least one host server with computing devices of other meeting clients. A presenter is established for the video conference session, where the presenter includes at least one of the meeting clients, and audio and video content generated from the presenter is provided to other meeting clients within a base room of the video conference session, where the presenter provides audio content to the base room in a first language. In response to at least one meeting client selecting a translation of the audio content from the presenter from the first language into a second language, audio content is provided to the at least one meeting client in the second language during the ongoing video conference session.
US09160964B2

The present disclosure discloses an online terminal comprising a wireless signal transceiver unit, a wireless signal codec unit, an audio format conversion circuit, an encoding display conversion circuit, a conversion control circuit, a man-machine interface, an audio interface, and a display interface; the wireless signal transceiver unit is configured to receive and transmit a wireless signal; the wireless signal codec unit is configured to decode the wireless signal received by the wireless signal transceiver unit, encode the wireless signal to be transmitted and modulate the encoded wireless signal into the wireless signal; the audio format conversion circuit is configured to convert an audio format supported by the online terminal to an audio format supported by a television; the encoding display conversion circuit is configured to convert an video format supported by the online terminal to an video format supported by the television; the conversion control circuit is configured to implement the switching between a television signal and the output signal of the online terminal. The online terminal provided by the present disclosure is inexpensive and has powerful online function.
US09160958B2

An image sensor includes photosensitive regions, transfer transistors, and one or more shared charge-to-voltage mechanism. A method for reading out the image sensor includes enabling a first transfer transistor to transfer photo-generated charge from a first photosensitive region to a shared charge-to-voltage mechanism. The method also includes no more than partially enabling a second transfer transistor to partially turn on the second transfer transistor to increase a capacitance of the shared charge-to-voltage mechanism while the photo-generated charge is transferred from the first photosensitive region to the shared charge-to-voltage mechanism.
US09160955B2

A solid-state imaging device which includes a plurality of pixels in an arrangement, each of the pixels including a photoelectric conversion element, pixel transistors including a transfer transistor, and a floating diffusion region, in which the channel width of transfer gate of the transfer transistor is formed to be larger on a side of the floating diffusion region than on a side of the photoelectric conversion element.
US09160943B2

There is provided an imaging apparatus including a correction section configured to amplify an addition pixel value, which is a value obtained by adding results of photoelectric conversion on a plurality of pixels, according to an amplification factor set based on a number of defective pixels included in the plurality of pixels, and output the amplified addition pixel value as a corrected addition pixel value.
US09160933B2

In embodiments, apparatuses, methods and storage media are described that are associated with content distribution. In embodiments, one or more frames may be displayed on a display, and the frame or frames with the highest luminance level of those frames may be identified. A camera may be configured to capture an image at a point in time based at least in part on display of the frame with the highest luminance level. In some embodiments, the luminance level of the frames may be identified based at least in part on analysis of the frames by a device prior to display of the frames. In other embodiments, the luminance level of the frames may be identified based at least in part on the receipt of luminance data from a server.
US09160932B2

An embodiment of the invention provides a camera comprising a photosurface having a substrate comprising photopixels and associated storage pixels and a controller that controls the photosurface to image a scene by maintaining a bias between the photopixels and their respective storage pixels at all times during an exposure period of the photosurface so that photocharge, substantially upon its generation in a photopixel by light from the scene incident on the photopixel moves towards the photopixel's storage pixel.
US09160928B2

An image capture apparatus includes an output unit, a first horizon maintaining assistance processing unit, and a second horizon maintaining assistance processing unit. The output unit sequentially outputs and displays captured images on a display screen. The first horizon maintaining assistance processing unit and the second horizon maintaining assistance processing unit determines whether it is difficult to identify a capturing condition of the captured image that is sequentially outputted and displayed by the output unit by way of the output unit. Furthermore, in a case in which it is determined that it is difficult to identify the capturing condition in the captured image by way of visual recognition of the display screen, the first horizon maintaining assistance processing unit and the second horizon maintaining assistance processing unit display a guidance relating to the capturing condition on the display screen or executes correction processing on the captured image.
US09160927B2

A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed. The present invention includes photographing a plurality of images consecutively, determining an unchangeable region having a variation equal to or smaller than a reference value and a changeable region having the variation greater than the reference value in each of a plurality of the photographed images using the variations among a plurality of the photographed images, and creating a moving image by merging an image generated from combining the changeable regions in a plurality of the photographed images with the unchangeable region. Accordingly, the present invention provides a user with a moving image created in a manner of analyzing a region having a considerable variation in a plurality of photos taken before and after a photographing timing point and using a photo at the photographing timing point and a result from editing the analyzed region separately.
US09160925B2

A driving device moves a movable lens in a plane direction intersecting at right angles with an optical axis to correct a shake. The driving device includes a movable frame which holds the movable lens, a fixed frame facing the movable frame, three balls held between the movable frame and the fixed frame, a single tension spring which pulls the movable frame toward the fixed frame to press the three balls, and VCMs which move the movable frame relative to the fixed frame. The tension spring is located inside a triangle that connects the centers of the three balls and outside a holding region where the movable frame holds the movable lens.
US09160921B2

Apparatus and method provide a hold on function in a mobile phone or other portable electronic equipment keeps the display thereof turned on in spite of a screensaver or other power saving feature while a user is reading or watching the display and allows activating of power saving facilities of the mobile phone or equipment only when a user no longer is reading or watching the display. Also, a computer program product stored in a storage medium, includes a storage medium, a computer program including face recognition software to recognize whether an input image represents that of a human face, and a control program to control operation of portable electronic equipment depending on whether or not an input image represents a human face.
US09160916B2

In a focus position control apparatus, a control unit performs, when a size changing amount of an object image is larger than a predetermined amount during control for driving a focus lens according to a distance change of an object image in an optical axis direction based on a determination result of a determination unit, a following driving operation corresponding to the distance change as a driving control, and limits the following driving operation corresponding to the distance change when the size changing amount of the object image smaller than the predetermined amount. The predetermined amount is changed according to an imaging parameter and an object status.
US09160913B2

An image matching system in which an imaging apparatus configured to capture an image and a storage unit configured to store matching information are connected to each other via a network and the imaging apparatus performs matching between the matching information and the captured image includes a selection unit configured to select, from among the matching information stored in the storage unit, matching information corresponding to predetermined time, and an updating unit configured to update the matching information to be used by the imaging apparatus to perform matching with the captured image with the matching information selected by the selection unit.
US09160900B2

Systems and methods for capturing light field information including spatial and angular information using an image pickup device that includes an image sensor and at least one spatial light modulator (SLM) take multiple captures of a scene using the at least one SLM to obtain coded projections of a light field of the scene, wherein each capture is taken using at least one pattern on the at least one SLM, and recover light field data using a reconstruction process on the obtained coded projections of the light field.
US09160889B2

A system, method and device for real-time compositing of encrypted video streams without having to decrypt each video stream is disclosed herein. A shared encryption key is derived to encrypt multiple incoming video streams to an encrypted master video stream, while retaining full interoperability with popular incumbent video encryption standards. Compositing video is then possible without having to decrypt the master video stream, thereby preserving the security of the copyrighted material. The invention preferably genlocks a digital video source to a master video stream.
US09160886B2

An image processing apparatus for forming an image with a plurality of recording element arrays, grouped together on a plurality of recording heads, on a same area of a recording medium. The image processing apparatus sets recording data of each of the recording element arrays from input image data, and a halftone processing unit generates halftone image data to be recorded by each of the recording element arrays by performing halftone processing on the recording data of each of the recording element arrays, which is set by the setting unit. Halftone image data pieces corresponding to at least a pair of recording element arrays located on a same recording head are in phase with each other in a wider frequency band than halftone image data pieces corresponding to at least a pair of recording element arrays located on different recording heads.
US09160885B2

Presented is a skew detection apparatus. In one form, the apparatus estimates skew based on the locations of a set of foreground content pixels or a set of edge pixels that are nearest to the side of an image of a document. In another form, the apparatus includes a skew estimation unit adapted to estimate skew based on the orientation of foreground or background content in the interior of a document. In another form, the apparatus estimates skew using segments of an image of a document. Also presented is a document image processing apparatus including the skew detection apparatus.
US09160884B2

There are provided an image processing apparatus, line detection method and a computer-readable, non-transitory medium that can precisely detect boundaries of a document from a read image. The image processing apparatus includes an edge pixel extractor for extracting edge pixels from an input image, a line candidate detector for extracting a line candidate from the extracted edge pixels by using Hough transformation, and a line detector for detecting a line from edge pixels within a predetermined distance from the line candidate by using the least square method.
US09160882B2

An image forming apparatus includes a document box, a communication unit, a console unit, a referencing entity management table, and a control unit. The console unit accepts a delete operation of inputting a delete instruction to delete document data stored in the document box. The referencing entity management table allows information about another image forming apparatus referencing document data stored in the document box to be registered therein as referencing entity information. The control unit determines whether or not the document data to be deleted designated by the delete instruction input by the delete operation is referenced by another image forming apparatus, based on the referencing entity management table. The control unit, if the document data to be deleted is referenced by another image forming apparatus, causes the communication unit to transmit the document data to be deleted to the another image forming apparatus based on the referencing entity information.
US09160879B2

A light guiding body includes a long translucent body, a light incident surface formed at an end of the body in a longitudinal direction of the body, a light emitting surface formed on one side surface of the body along the longitudinal direction of the body, and a light emitting quantity adjusting portion formed on the other side surface of the body along the longitudinal direction of the body so as to be opposite to the light emitting surface. The light guiding body guides, in the body, light incident to the light incident surface, reflects the light by the light emitting quantity adjusting portion, and emits the light from the light emitting surface. A width of the light emitting quantity adjusting portion of the body in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the body is varied according to a position in the width in the longitudinal direction.
US09160878B2

An arrangement for enabling a user to easily use an image input apparatus. A server apparatus capable of communicating with an information processing apparatus creates a list of image input apparatuses found through a search by the information processing apparatus, and provides the list to the same. The server apparatus provides script information including information for configuring operation settings of an image input apparatus selected from the provided list, to the information processing apparatus, and transmits a job message to the same, for causing the image input apparatus to operate according to the operation settings, in order to cause the information processing apparatus to transfer the job message to the image input apparatus. Image data input by the operation of the image input apparatus according to the job message is acquired via the information processing apparatus, and is stored in the server apparatus.
US09160876B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a sensor section, an oscillation mechanism, a control section, and an object determination section. The sensor section has a pyroelectric infrared sensor detecting presence of an object based on an infrared ray change. The oscillation mechanism turns the sensor section. The control section, upon the detection of the object by the sensor section, makes the oscillation mechanism start the turning operation. The object determination section, after the turning operation of the sensor section starts from a predefined initial position, determines that the object exists in a case where a state in which the object is detected by the sensor section continues for a predefined first period of time, and determines that the object does not exist in a case where the state in which the object is detected does not continue for the first period of time.
US09160861B2

A method and an apparatus are disclosed that manage the held calls for an off-premises terminal at the system that extends calls to the terminal, such as a private branch exchange or other type of data-processing system, instead of at the system that is receiving the extended calls, such as a mobile switching center at which a cell phone is registered. The disclosed technique is based on the observation that the extending system knows of an incoming call to an off-premises terminal before the receiving system. As a result, the extending system can advantageously select the calls that it holds versus the calls that it sends to the receiving system. The extending system can control the routing costs and provide a consistent look-and-feel of call control to the off-premises terminal user.
US09160854B1

A real-time speech analytics system (“RSTA system”) detects speech during a call involving a contact center agent and a remote party. Upon detecting the speech, an event message is generated by the RTSA system and transmitted to a checkpoint and alert reporting module, which is configured to generate and update a checkpoint widget displayed to the agent. The checkpoint widget provides visual information regarding the status of the checkpoints encountered during the call. Checkpoint widgets may be stored for each call handled by an agent, and subsequently may be requested for display to a supervisor for reviewing of the agent's performance. Upon providing appropriate filter information, the selected widgets associated with the agent are displayed. By selecting a particular checkpoint indicator on a widget, audio from the call associated with that checkpoint is retrieved and streamed to the supervisor, thus allowing auditory review of that portion of the call.
US09160849B1

A system, method, and computer readable medium that facilitate user authentication via voice biometrics in a network system featuring interactive voice response system access is provided. The voice biometric authentication mechanisms alleviate identity theft occurring via specific interactive voice response transactions. A voice biometrics authentication system interfaces with an interactive network platform and may be hosted by a third party provider of voice biometric technologies.
US09160847B2

The invention is a method of creating a dialstring for use with mobile smartphones and other computer-enabled telephones. A software app designed to implement the method recognizes input from the user that identifies an organization to be called, and accesses a stored representation of a corresponding IVR phone tree. The app then presents a graphical representation of all or part of the phone tree on the display of the telephone in a language that is different than the language used in the phone tree. The user can then respond by providing selective inputs that cause the app to synthesize all or part of the dialstring needed to navigate the phone tree to the desired destination. Once a dialing option has been synthesized to the user's satisfaction, the user may provide additional input that the system interprets as an instruction to open a phone call and dial the synthesized number.
US09160837B2

Apparatus, methods, and systems that operate to provide interactive streaming content identification and processing are disclosed.
US09160836B2

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, having encoded thereon an app for a smartphone or mobile computer device. The app causes the device to actively control a configuration of one or more bladders, compartments, chambers or internal sipes located in a footwear sole or a removable inner sole insert of both right and left shoes or other footwear of a user of the device. One or more sensors are provided in the footwear soles or the removable inner sole insert of both of the right and left shoes or other footwear of the device user and at least one sensor including a gyroscope and/or an accelerometer in the device. Instructions of the app cause the device to process data from the sensors of the shoes or other footwear and at least one sensor in the device, and use the processed data to cause alteration of the configuration.
US09160834B2

A mobile phone case with an embedded wireless interface for enabling communications between a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor and a mobile phone is described. The mobile phone case includes an autonomous battery and an autonomous alarm speaker for enabling communication with a CGM sensor in situations where the mobile phone is unavailable.
US09160827B2

A telephone number is automatically adjusted in the context a business card or other telephone number exchange. The country code, area code, or other prefix portion is added, removed, or modified based on a location associated with the telephone number and/or a location associated with the recipient. In one example, a sending device looks up location information by contacting the service provider, using locally-stored information, or otherwise, and, based on this information, includes an appropriate prefix. The sending device can also use a location associated with the recipient in determining an appropriate prefix or adjusting a received prefix, for example, based on the recipient's own telephone number. Adjustments to telephone numbers can also be made by recipient devices, intermediary devices, and any other devices that may be involved in the exchange of telephone numbers, business card information, or related activities, and in other contexts as well.
US09160826B2

A docking station for a portable communication device includes a body portion and a guide portion which is formed to accommodate various exterior shapes of the portable communication device and detachably coupled to the portable communication device.
US09160823B2

An improved handheld electronic device is movable among a retracted configuration and a deployed configuration. Several different exemplary embodiments are described, some having two members, others having more. In one embodiment, certain features or objects are unavailable in a retracted configuration but are available in a deployed configuration or an overtravel configuration. A method of responding to predetermined events comprises detecting a movement of a handheld electronic device away from a first configuration toward a second configuration without reaching the second configuration.
US09160822B2

A device includes a first leg including a first connector. The first connector includes multiple electrical contacts. The device includes a second leg substantially parallel to the first leg and configured with a connector, a set of conductors, or both. The device includes a transverse portion connected to the first leg and to the second leg. Together, the transverse portion and the first and second legs form a substantially rigid or semi-rigid body. The transverse portion includes multiple conductors electrically coupling respective connectors on the first and second legs.
US09160821B2

There is provided a communication device performing communication by breaking up a frame into a plurality of links, the communication device includes a dividing means for dividing the frame into units of a predetermined size, a distributing means for distributing the units to a plurality of links, a plurality of storing means for storing the units distributed by the distributed means in payloads of transfer frames for the respective plurality of links, a timer means for measuring a timeout time based on a priority of the frame, and a transmission means for transmitting the transfer frames to another communication device via the plurality of links in one of a case where the units included in the payloads of the transfer frames becomes to a predetermined amount and a case where the timeout time measured by the timer becomes to a predetermined value.
US09160815B2

This disclosure relates generally to a system and method for translating between virtual machines. A network adaptor can be configured to be communicatively coupled to a server, the server comprising a first virtual machine having a first format, the network adaptor to receive input from the server. A translator can be configured to identify, from the input from the server, the first format of the first virtual machine and generate an output, compatible with a second format of a second virtual machine, based on the input from the server, the second format being incompatible with the first format.
US09160814B2

Techniques for sharing or transferring content between connected devices via dynamic collaboration user interfaces. An embodiment involves creating a first collaboration user interface between a first device and a second device. Via the first collaboration user interface, selecting content to be made available to a third device, where the selected content is currently available to the first device and not currently available to the third device. A second collaboration user interface is created between the second device and the third device. State information may be provided to a user via at least one of the first collaboration user interface and the second collaboration user interface. The second collaboration user interface causes the selected content to be available to the third device. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09160810B2

A mechanism for partitioning of a transmission control protocol (TCP) window in a virtual system is disclosed. A method includes estimating effective bandwidth of a communication link between a group of client devices at a first location and at least one host machine at a second location, wherein each client device of the groups of client devices maintains a communication session over the communication link with one of the at least one host machine, partitioning a transport control protocol (TCP) window of the communication link into portions based on quality of service (QoS) policy data of the communication sessions, where each portion is associated with one of the communication sessions, and sending, to each client device in the group of client devices, a parameter identifying the portion of the TCP window partitioned for the client device, the parameter sent to communication endpoints of each communication session.
US09160809B2

An exemplary method accelerating content delivery via DNS overriding may comprise the steps of generating a routing table for a content delivery network (CDN), the routing table map one or more edge server IP addresses to each of one or more geographic regions, transmitting the routing table to one or more DNS server computers, receiving a request from a registrant of a domain name to subscribe the domain name to the CDN, and designating said domain name as subscribed to the CDN in a DNS zone for the domain name.
US09160808B2

The present disclosure provides a method and device for transmitting recommended product information. In one embodiment, a system retrieves product evaluation records given by one or more users. Each of the product evaluation records includes an identification of the user (user ID), an identification of the product (product ID), and evaluation information. The system uses the user ID and the product ID as a primary key, and then, based on intervals of the primary key, divides the product evaluation records into several subsets of records, and assigns these subsets of records into multiple calculation nodes. The system retrieves such SVD calculation results of the multiple subsets of records from the multiple calculation nodes. The recommended product information is sent to a client terminal based on the SVD calculation results. The present disclosure implements the distribution processing of SVD calculation, reduces the calculation complexity, and saves the calculation time.
US09160807B2

Electronic devices without device names are provided with an application for retrieving a data point from the device from which a name can be deduced. A match for the data point is searched for in the contacts list in the device, and when found, the name corresponding to the contact entry, in which the data point has been found, is used to derive the device name. The derived device name (or information from which the device name may be derived) may be transmitted to a remote server which may be used for managing multiple such devices.
US09160804B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for Web storage optimization and cache management. In one embodiment, a method of client side cache management using Web storage can include first registering a client browser session in a content browser as a listener to events for Web storage for a particular domain. Subsequently, notification can be received from the content browser of an event of a different client browser session associated with the Web storage. For instance, the notification can result from the different client browser adding a new cache entry to the Web storage, or from the different client browser periodically at a specified time interval indicating a state of one or more cache entries in the Web storage. Finally, in response to the notification, a cache entry in the Web storage can be invalided such as through cache entry removal or compression.
US09160803B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method, system and computer program product for Web storage optimization and cache management. In one embodiment, a method of client side cache management using Web storage can include first registering a client browser session in a content browser as a listener to events for Web storage for a particular domain. Subsequently, notification can be received from the content browser of an event of a different client browser session associated with the Web storage. For instance, the notification can result from the different client browser adding a new cache entry to the Web storage, or from the different client browser periodically at a specified time interval indicating a state of one or more cache entries in the Web storage. Finally, in response to the notification, a cache entry in the Web storage can be invalided such as through cache entry removal or compression.
US09160798B2

Embodiments are directed towards managing within a cluster environment having a plurality of indexers for data storage using redundancy the data being managed using a generation identifier, such that a primary indexer is designated for a given generation of data. When a master device for the cluster fails, data may continue to be stored using redundancy, and data searches performed may still be performed.
US09160791B2

A method for managing communications for a group of servers is disclosed. A processor sends requests to the group of servers for connection information for generating a set of mappings for a load balancer of the group of servers to replace another set of mappings for another load balancer of the group of servers. Responsive to receiving a communication from a client device for the group of servers, the processor determines whether a route to a server in the group of servers can be identified from the set of mappings for the load balancer. If the route cannot be identified from the set of mappings for the load balancer, the processor forwards the communication to a sub-group of the group of servers that have not yet responded to the requests for connection information for generating the set of mapping so that only the one correct server responds.
US09160787B2

A technique is provided for session aggregation in a distributed architecture having a server connected to blades. A master session is generated for collaboration by user clients, and the master session corresponds to one or more terminal sessions on the distributed architecture of the server connected to the blades. The one or more terminal sessions on the distributed architecture are aggregated in the master session. A determination is made that the user clients agree for one user client of the user clients to be authorized as a current command line user name, in response to requests that are sent to the user clients. The one user client is granted authorization to the current command line user name in the master session based on an agreement by the user clients.
US09160786B1

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for sharing songs stored on a cloud music storage. One method includes identifying a first user and a second user who are connected to their respective music accounts and identifying the configuration data for each of the first and second users. The configuration data identify sharing privileges as respectively defined by the first and second users. The method also includes monitoring the location proximity between the first user and second user and initiating the sharing privileges for certain songs between the first and second users when the monitored location proximity changes to be within a distance threshold. A notification to the first user is provided when the sharing privileges of the second user identify songs that are sharable with the first user.
US09160783B2

A remote controlled robot system that includes a robot and a remote control station that communicate through a communication network. Communication with the robot is limited by a firewall coupled to the communication network. A communication server establishes communication between the robot and the remote control station so that the station can send commands to the robot through the firewall.
US09160774B1

A method for a computer system includes receiving a first user communication, determining a first group of users, determining a target number of users, determining whether the first group of users includes the target number of users, and if not, providing the communication to the first group of users, determining a hierarchal mapping of groups of users in response to user memberships, determining a second group of users from the hierarchal mapping, determining a plurality of social network relationship factors for the second group of users with respect to the first user, and providing the communication to at least a subset of users in the second group of users in response to the first plurality of social network relationship factors.
US09160770B2

A network node receives a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) or H.323 signaling packet associated with data traffic, and determines if the data traffic originated from a source node or source network as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) traffic. The network node tags a header of the SIP or H.323 signaling packet with a tag that identifies the data traffic as a VoIP originated call based on the determination, and sends the tagged SIP or H.323 signaling packet towards a destination. The network node further sends data identifying the data traffic as a VoIP originated call to an administrative system for at least one of call billing, rating, settlement or taxation purposes.
US09160767B2

The present invention relates to a system and method for device management security, and more particularly to a system and method for device management security of a trap management object (Trap MO), which can prevent a non-authorized device management server from indirectly controlling device management of a mobile terminal through use of the Trap MO defined in Open Mobile Alliance Device Management (OMA DM). To this end, when a DM client receives a request to register a notification target MO as a recipient node registration from a DM server, the DM client determines if the DM server has authority for both addition and execution and allows only an authorized DM server to register a recipient node in the Trap MO, so that only a DM server having authority for execution of an MO can execute the MO and control the device management of a mobile terminal. Accordingly, it is possible to enhance device management security of the mobile terminal against non-authorized DM servers.
US09160765B1

A method for protecting endpoints from network attacks is provided. The method includes blocking a first data unit, in response to matching a portion of the first data unit to a specified exploit pattern, the matching occurring at a layer of a communication model below an application layer. The method includes collecting attributes of the first data unit at the application layer and blocking at least one further data, in response to the at least one further data unit matching at the application layer a subset of the collected attributes of the first data unit.
US09160749B2

A system and method for providing whitelist functionality for use with a cloud computing environment. In accordance with an embodiment, software applications being deployed to the cloud are restricted from using certain classes or application program interfaces (APIs). During provisioning by, e.g., a Java cloud services (JCS) infrastructure, or another component of the cloud environment, an application's resources, such as its classes or API calls, can be matched against a whitelist of acceptable resources. If the application fails to be validated against the whitelist, it will not be deployed to the cloud, and the customer/user notified accordingly. In accordance with an embodiment, a whitelist functionality can be packaged within a software development kit (SDK), which customers/users can use during development of their applications, to verify that the applications will comply with, or successfully validate against the whitelist, prior to attempting to deploy the applications to the cloud.
US09160745B1

Techniques to block unwanted third party calls are disclosed. In various embodiments, an indication is received that third party code included on a web page is attempting to write to the web page content associated with an unauthorized third party call. The unauthorized third party call is blocked. In some embodiments, the unauthorized third party call is blocked by blocking the web page content associated with the unauthorized third party call from being written to the web page.
US09160734B2

Systems and methods for service activation using algorithmically defined keys are disclosed. A consumer who has a relationship with a first party may wish to enroll in a service provided by a third party. The first party can maintain control of such enrollments through the use of algorithmically defined keys. The algorithmically defined keys also allow the third party service provider to verify data provided by the consumer as matching data stored by the first party. The verification provides for data synchronization without requiring the third party to have access to the first parties data systems.
US09160726B1

Authentication systems are provided that select an authentication method to be applied to a given transaction from among a plurality of available authentication methods based on risk reasoning. An authentication request from an authentication requestor for a given transaction is processed by receiving the authentication request from the authentication requester and selecting an authentication method to be applied to the given transaction from among a plurality of available authentication methods based on an evaluation of one or more predefined risk reasons with respect to the available authentication methods. The predefined risk reasons associated with a given transaction comprise, for example, a set of risk reasons that contribute to a risk score that has been assigned to the given transaction. The evaluation may employ one or more of rule-based, heuristic and Bayesian techniques.
US09160724B2

Systems, devices, and methods for provisioning a device receive authentication information from a user interface; send the authentication information to an identity provider device; receive a token at the registration device from the identify provider device; send the token, device information of a new device, and a provisioning request from the registration device to a provisioning service; receive an activation code at a user interface of the new device; send the activation code and the token from the new device to the provisioning device; and receive a key from the provisioning device, the key being associated with the device identifier of the new device.
US09160703B2

Systems and methods for managing requesting routing functionality associated with resource requests for one or more resources associated with a content provider are provided. A content delivery network (“CDN”) service provider, on behalf of a content provider, can process domain name service (“DNS”) requests for resources by computing devices and resolve the DNS requests by the identification of a network address of a computing device that will provide the requested resources. Based on the processing of DNS queries initiated by a client computing device, the CDN service provider can measure CDN service provider latencies associated with the generation of DNS requests by network components associated with the client computing devices. Examples of the network components can include DNS resolvers associated with the client computing device.
US09160699B2

A method of distributing messages from a server system to a plurality of client systems comprises defining a quality of service (QoS) level for messages provided by the messaging system to the client system, defining a message processing capacity provided by a client to the messaging system, and degrading the QoS level of messages in the event that the client system does not provide the defined message processing capacity to the messaging system.
US09160695B2

A first computer receives a first message that includes an electronic attachment from a second computer over a communications network. The first computer saves the electronic attachment in a storage device. The first computer removes the electronic attachment from the first message. The first computer adds a link to the first message; wherein the link permits access to download the saved electronic attachment. The first computer sends to a third computer the first message including the link that permits access to download the saved electronic attachment.
US09160688B2

A method of selective direct memory access (DMA) in a computer system having a network interface card (NIC), a processor subsystem, and a memory accessible to the subsystem, including the steps of the NIC receiving a plurality of packets from an external source; the NIC decoding a portion of each packet and determining whether the packet should be accepted by the computer system based on a predefined rule; and if the packet is accepted, selectively truncating the packet based on the predefined rule, and storing the truncated packet in the memory.
US09160685B2

In one embodiment, a network switch includes multiple chips communicably coupled together and a buffered crossbar. Each chip is coupled to every other chip with two bi-directional serial channels and includes a slice of the buffered crossbar. One or more input ports, one or more output ports, and an input logic module are coupled to the plurality of chips, and the input logic module is configured to receive a packet of data, allocate the packet of data into one or more data fragments, and distribute the packet of data to the buffered crossbar. An output logic module is coupled to the chips and configured to retrieve the packet of data from the buffered crossbar, reconstruct the packet of data from the data fragments according to a gather scheme, and transmit the packet of data.
US09160678B2

In one embodiment, a system includes an initiator port adapted to receive a traffic flow having a plurality of packets and a hardware processor and logic integrated with and/or executable by the processor, the logic being adapted to classify the traffic flow into a traffic class based on at least one criteria related to the traffic flow, the traffic class being selected from a plurality of traffic classes and transmit one or more packets of the traffic flow to a target port designated by the one or more packets of the traffic flow until an amount of flow credits allocated to the target port is insufficient to service additional packets. Other systems, methods, and computer program products for providing credit-based flow control are described in more embodiments.
US09160664B1

A method of controlling transmission of data units in a network node includes receiving a current fragment of a data unit at the network node, the data unit having been fragmented into an ordered sequence of fragments prior to the current fragment being received at the network node. The method also includes determining, at the network node, whether the current fragment is expected. Determining whether the current fragment is expected includes determining a position of the current fragment within the ordered sequence of fragments. The method also includes, in response to determining that the current fragment is expected based on the determined position of the current fragment within the ordered sequence of fragments, transmitting the current fragment via a network link.
US09160662B2

The present disclosure is directed to a method for reporting uplink buffer status of a relay station to a base station in a wireless network. The method includes monitoring an uplink buffer of the relay station communicating with the base station, where the uplink buffer comprises data to be transmitted from one or more user terminals to the base station. The method further includes sending an uplink buffer status report from the relay station to the base station, where the uplink buffer status report includes occupancy status information of the monitored uplink buffer and a number of user terminals having data queued up at the relay station to be transmitted to the base station.
US09160660B2

A router apparatus connecting a first network and a second network including a storage unit which stores association information associating an address of one of a plurality of second router apparatuses with an address of a corresponding one of a plurality of server apparatuses with an identical address, each of the plurality of second router apparatus connecting the first network to each of a plurality of third networks to which the respective plurality of server apparatuses is connected, a receiving unit which receives a packet transmitted from a terminal apparatus and transferred via the second network, an encapsulating unit which encapsulates the packet received into a packet with a destination address corresponding to the address of the second router apparatus associated with an address of the packet based on the association information, and a transmitting unit which transmits the packet encapsulated by the encapsulating unit to the first network.
US09160657B2

Systems and methods are described that instruct routers having constrained hardware/memory to redirect all outbound traffic to a helper router. The helper router contains a full routing table that can forward any packet to its destination. In a large service provider network, helper routers may be distributed at multiple locations across the network. Since packets must detour through the helper router, the distributed helper routers minimize latency.
US09160655B2

A method, a system, and a device for establishing a pseudo wire are disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a switching provider edge at a bifurcation position, a label mapping message, obtaining information of the switching provider edge at the bifurcation position and information of at least two next hops or outgoing interfaces of the switching provider edge through parsing, comparing the information of the switching provider edge at the bifurcation position with information of a local device, and if the information of the switching provider edge at the bifurcation position matches with the information of the local device, establishing at least two pseudo wires from the switching provider edge according to the information of at least two next hops or outgoing interfaces.
US09160653B2

Redirecting network traffic within a system under test (SUT) can include receiving, within a proxy included within the SUT, a request sent from an upstream component that is directed to a downstream component, wherein the upstream component is configured to direct communications through the proxy. Within the proxy, the request can be redirected from the downstream component to a simulation component according to a routing rule within the proxy using a processor. A response can be received, within the proxy, from the simulation component and sent to the upstream component.
US09160643B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for generating a statistical profile of a MIMO channel. Packets of information may be transmitted over an interval of time to a plurality of stations using a plurality of MIMO modes. Each packet may be binned and a goodput value corresponding to the bin, the station and the MIMO mode may be determined stored.
US09160642B2

Methods, systems, devices, and software are disclosed for generating a network usage profile. Certain embodiments of the network usage profile include a devices-by-node profile, indicating the set of customer devices available for use in communicating with a customer-side network node located at a customer side of an access network over a period of time, where some of the customer devices are not in operative communication with the customer-side network node during a portion of that time. Other embodiments associate the network usage profile with customer information to generate device-by-customer profiles. Still other embodiments associate the network usage profile with network traffic information to generate traffic-by-device profiles. Even other embodiments associate the multiple sources and types of information to generate traffic-by-customer profiles and/or traffic-by-device-by-customer profiles. Any of the profiles may then be accessed by one or more parties for use in affecting various network services, including targeting content delivery.
US09160641B2

Systems and methods for monitoring the performance associated with fulfilling resource requests and determining optimizations for improving such performance are provided. A processing device obtains and processes performance metric information associated with processing a request corresponding to two or more embedded resources. The processing device uses the processed performance metric information to determine an allocation of one or more domains to be associated with the two or more embedded resources. In some embodiments, in making such a determination, the processing device assesses performance metric information collected and associated with subsequent requests for the two or more embedded resources using each of a variety of alternative allocations of domains associated with the two or more embedded resources. The processing device may also consider a number of factors, including domain selection criteria obtained from an original content provider. Aspects of systems and methods for generating recommendations to use a particular allocation of domains to process a subsequent request corresponding to the two or more embedded resources are also provided.
US09160632B2

A mechanism controls global synchronization, or registration floods, that may result when a large number of endpoints in a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) network such as an Internet Protocol Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) come online simultaneously after a catastrophic failure. The mechanism allows the Domain Name System (DNS) infrastructure to efficiently control the overload condition by registering user end points with backup border elements, and by staggering and by randomizing the time-to-live (TTL) parameter in registrations with backup border elements.
US09160626B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to an operational group in a network element of a communication network, where the operational group is associated with monitored objects and monitoring client objects such that the status of the operational group is a function of the operational status of the monitored objects or services. Monitoring client objects can monitor the status of the operational group such that the status of each of the monitoring client objects reflects the status of the operational group.
US09160624B2

A system and a method are creating a linked list scripts for a networking device. The system receives a set of nodes defining script functionality and generates a script by coupling the nodes in a nodal structure based on desired order of execution, wherein a leaf node is an standalone node with no child node, and wherein a nugget node includes one or more child nodes, each child node being a nugget or leaf node. The system then determines an execution path through a subset of nodes in the nodal tree structure based on one or more input values. The system also compiles the subset of nodes into a linked list of operations, which follows the execution path, and executes the path of operations within the compiled linked list of operations.
US09160618B2

In one embodiment, a method for managing virtual link aggregation (vLAG) includes coupling a first networking switch with a second networking switch using an interswitch link (ISL), wherein the first networking switch is positioned at a boundary between Layer-2 (L2) and Layer-3 (L3), and wherein the second networking switch is positioned at the boundary between L2 and L3; creating a virtual link aggregation (vLAG) comprising connections between the first and second networking switches and an access switch in L2, wherein each networking switch comprises a virtual router redundancy protocol (VRRP) module; and interacting and modifying a VRRP state machine to perform active internet protocol (IP) forwarding when a connection between one of the networking switches and the access switch fails or one of the networking switches does not function properly.
US09160617B2

Embodiments of the invention relate to faulty recovery mechanisms for a three-dimensional (3-D) network on a processor array. One embodiment comprises a multidimensional switch network for a processor array. The switch network comprises multiple switches for routing packets between multiple core circuits of the processor array. The switches are organized into multiple planes. The switch network further comprises a redundant plane including multiple redundant switches. Multiple data paths interconnect the switches. The redundant plane is used to facilitate full operation of the processor array in the event of one or more component failures.
US09160616B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a multicast packet transmission method, and also a related device and system. A multicast packet transmission method may include receiving a first Protocol Independent Multicast (PIM) protocol packet; creating an active multicast topology according to the first PIM protocol packet; receiving a second PIM protocol packet; creating a standby multicast topology according to the second PIM protocol packet, where the second PIM protocol packet carries a standby multicast identifier; setting the standby multicast topology to a disabled state; determining the active multicast topology as faulty; and enabling the standby multicast topology after the active topology is determined as faulty.
US09160613B1

A system and machine-implemented method for ranking cookies. A plurality of cookies associated with accessing web content is identified. For each cookie of the identified plurality of cookies, one or more attributes of the cookie are determined, and a weight is assigned to the cookie based on the determined one or more attributes of the cookie. The plurality of cookies are ranked relative to each other based on the their respective assigned weights.
US09160606B2

A remote access system for processing local data with a computing algorithm stores information on various computing algorithms available via the system. A remote user at a user system selects an algorithm, which is then encrypted and downloaded to the user system. The downloaded algorithm is decrypted and stored in host memory in a controlled manner. Alternatively, the selected algorithm may be offered through cloud processing, in which case the user uploads local data for cloud processing. In this case, the system manages the cloud processing at remote providers and tracks heuristic, caching, and performance. In either case, the local data is processed with input parameters from the user, and visual results are provided to the user along with a cost for storing final results of the processing. Once the user makes the required payment, the final results can be stored locally at the user system.
US09160604B2

Methods and systems to explicitly realign packets are described. The system includes a first communications device that receives a first stream of bytes comprising a first packet and generates realignment information for the first packet based on an alignment restriction. The first communications device further transmits a second stream of bytes over the data path comprising the first packet and the realignment information. The transmitting of the first byte of the first packet over the data path being in accordance with the alignment restriction that is associated with an interface. The realignment information identifies a difference between a time that the first byte of the first packet would have been transmitted by the first communications device without the alignment restriction and a time of transmission of the first byte of the first packet by the first communications device in accordance with the alignment restriction.
US09160603B2

A method for reducing hexavalent chromium in cement comprising the addition, to said cement, of antimony(III) compounds as reducing agents.
US09160594B1

An apparatus for peak detection includes a peak identification unit configured to determine an identifier of a peak location; a first differential filter configured to provide coefficients for a first polynomial; a fractional locater configured to determine a fractional location of a peak based on the coefficients for the first polynomial and the identifier of the peak location; and a first fractional interpolator to determine a first peak amplitude based on the fractional location of the peak and the coefficients for the first polynomial.
US09160593B2

A method for controlling a combined waveform, representing a combination of at least two signals having orthogonal frequency multiplexed signal components, comprising: receiving information defining the at least two signals; transforming the information defining each signal to a representation having orthogonal frequency multiplexed signal components, such that at least one signal has at least two alternate representations of the same information, and combining the transformed information using the at least two alternate representations, in at least two different ways, to define respectively different combinations; analyzing the respectively different combinations with respect to at least one criterion; and outputting a respective combined waveform or information defining the waveform, representing a selected combination of the transformed information from each of the at least two signals selected based on the analysis.
US09160590B2

A communications device configured to generate a first diversity signal comprising: a first single coded signal spanning a first frequency sub-band, and a second single coded signal contemporaneous with the first single coded signal spanning a second frequency sub-band offset from the first frequency sub-band such that the total bandwidth of the first diversity signal is greater than the bandwidths of either of the first and second frequency sub-bands alone; and a signal transmitter configured to transmit the first diversity signal to a first counterpart communications device; the first and second single coded signals each having properties such that, after undergoing a procedure comprising being: transmitted, received, shifted into a receiver frequency sub-band spanning a narrower bandwidth than the total bandwidth of the first diversity signal, and cross-correlated with a replica signal based on the transmitted signal, a single significant peak corresponding to the most direct transmission path is produced.
US09160582B1

A system and method are provided for phase recovery of a signal received by a receiver having digital equalization. A sample acquisition unit periodically acquires a plurality of I and Q samples of the received signal. The sample acquisition unit includes a delay portion to enable selective mutual comparisons between a current I sample ID0, a first preceding I samples ID1, and a second preceding I sample ID2. A transition detection unit generates at least one transition detect signal responsive to the ID1, ID0, and Q samples. The transition detect signal indicates a logic state transition in the received signal between the ID1 and ID0 samples. A transition filtering unit generates an equalization detect signal indicative of excessive equalizing correction of the received signal at the ID0 sample, and selectively passes in response the transition detect signal as a timing output signal.
US09160577B2

Systems and methods of receiving data in a communication system are disclosed. The methods include equalizing a plurality of samples to suppress intersymbol interference and provide a first set of detected bits based on a first set of reference bits comprising a training sequence on a first iteration. The methods further include suppressing co-channel interference in the plurality of input samples and provide a set of suppressed samples based on a second set of reference bits comprising the first set of detected bits on a second iteration. The methods further include equalizing the set of suppressed samples to suppress intersymbol interference and provide a second set of detected bits based on the second set of reference bits on the second iteration.
US09160568B2

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method is provided for generating a reputation record and filtering electronic messages, each reputation record including a reputation score and a reputation key. The method includes receiving at least one incoming event notification, including a reputation key; determining, based on the reputation key, whether a corresponding reputation record exists; creating a new reputation record if the corresponding reputation record does not exist; determining a trust determination function based on the incoming event notification; calculating a reputation score based on the determined trust determination function, the incoming event notification, and an attribute associated with the reputation key; storing the calculated reputation score along with the reputation key in either the new reputation record or the corresponding reputation record; and filtering one or more electronic messages based on the calculated reputation score.
US09160567B2

A method for establishing a Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN) connection is provided, which includes: receiving a first signaling message, in which the first signaling message includes an unused VLAN ID and explicit routing information; registering the VLAN ID by using the at least one unused VLAN ID; and sending the first signaling message according to the explicit routing information. Several node apparatuses and several systems are also provided in the present invention. Therefore, automatic VLAN configuration is performed in an environment without a spanning tree protocol, and traffic engineering is supported simultaneously.
US09160552B2

A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request for a service that involves phasor measurement unit (PMU) data; identifying a service device in a network to perform the service; and multicasting one or more results of the service to a group of subscribers identified by a multicast group address. In more particular embodiments, particular PMU data is redirected to the service device via a service insertion architecture (SIA) protocol. In addition, the service can include replicating packets and masking a subset of traffic for forwarding to a first hop router of the network. In certain example instances, metadata is used in order to apply the service to certain traffic propagating in the network.
US09160550B1

An electronic communication system, such as a question-and-answer service, is provided in which a user submitting a question specifies one or more recipients of the question. Authenticated responses by a recipient are published to the asker and other recipients. Responses may be made available to external users, with content contributors being either publicly identified or anonymous.
US09160549B2

A system and method for making a VoIP-based and other types of group calls includes a user interface adapted for use by a group call administrator via the Internet, a database manager connected to the user interface, and a database connected to the database manager. In one embodiment of the invention, the group call administrator identifier and one or more group call invitee identifiers is a telephone number. A method includes using call information from the database to initiate conference call connections and an administrator call connection to facilitate a conference call in which the administrators call connections and the participants connections are joined to allow communications between the participants and the administrator.
US09160547B2

A method is provided for managing a transfer of a data stream received by a mobile terminal of a first network to a second network, the terminal having subscribed to at least one multicasting group receiving the data stream, and being connected to the first network by way of an access router for the first network, termed the first router. The method comprises: detecting, by an access router for the second network, termed the second router, an arrival of the terminal in the second network; obtaining, by the second router, information relating to at least one multicasting group to which the terminal has subscribed, on the basis of a reading of a subscription table; and receiving the data stream by the second router, on the basis of the information obtained, and retransmission to the terminal.
US09160544B2

A security device may receive a request, associated with a user, to access a particular device. The security device may authenticate the user based on the request. The security device may determine a key, from a set of keys stored by the security device, that is unassigned, and may assign the key to the user. The security device may mark the key as assigned. The security device may provide the key to the particular device, which may cause the particular device to validate the key by comparing the key to a set of valid keys. The set of valid keys may be stored in a memory accessible by the particular device based on having been previously provided to the particular device by the security device. The security device may establish a session with the particular device, and may provide the user with access to the particular device via the session.
US09160540B2

A digitally signed manifest file includes metadata that specifies whether a policy regarding the digital signature should be enforced. The policy is then used to generate additional metadata associated with the program and ad content of the video stream. The metadata is tamper resistant so that any modification or removal of the metadata will prevent the video stream from playing. If the metadata indicates that the policy should be enforced, the digital signature of the manifest is verified by the client, and an invalid or missing signature prevents the video stream from being played back. The metadata defines which media players are allowed and/or not allowed to play back a video stream, including media players that are configured to skip or remove ads, and/or includes an encryption key identifier for verifying the digital signature. The ad content is digitally signed to prevent modification or replacement of the ad content.
US09160535B2

Embodiments of systems and methods for providing anonymous cloud encryption are provided. One embodiment of a method for providing anonymous cloud encryption includes communicating an anonymizing token to a key broker. Additionally, the method may include communicating at least one encryption key associated with the anonymizing token to the key broker. The method may also include conducting a secure anonymous transaction with a cloud service using at least one of the encryption keys associated with the anonymizing token.
US09160534B2

According to one embodiment, an authenticatee includes a memory configured to store a plurality of pieces of secret information XY and a plurality of pieces of secret information XYE which are created by encrypting the plurality of pieces of secret information XY, a generation module configured to generate a random number A, a generation module configured to generate a random number D which is composed of at least a part of the generated random number A and a random number B which is received, a calculating module configured to generate data C by executing a compression operation with respect to at least the random number D and the secret information XY loaded from the memory, a generation module configured to generate data ν, and a bit-by-bit addition module configured to calculate an result Z from the data ν to the data C.
US09160533B2

A system for random number generation may include non-volatile memory, and a random number stored on the non-volatile memory. The system may also include a key linked to the random number. The system may further include a computer-apparatus designed to use the random number based upon the key.
US09160522B2

The invention relates to a system for verifying the identity of an individual by employing biometric data features associated with the individual, which system comprises at least one or more hardware components, an enrollment means, and a verifying means, wherein said enrollment means are arranged in deriving a first biometric template data, said first biometric template data being secret and associated with a first set of first biometric data features of said individual, and in receiving a further set of first biometric data features of said individual, and in deriving a further biometric template data associated with said further set of first biometric data, and wherein said verifying means are arranged in comparing the first biometric template data with the further biometric template data to check for correspondence, wherein the identity of the individual is verified if correspondence exists. The invention aims to provide a solution to the above identified drawbacks and thereto at least one of said hardware components is provided with at least one component specific data feature associated therewith and wherein said enrollment means are arranged in associating at least one of said component specific data features with said biometric template data.
US09160506B2

A method and apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving an uplink Sounding Reference Signal (SRS). The method includes determining a number of single-carrier frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) symbols in an uplink pilot time slot (UpPTS); receiving index information for a sounding reference signal (SRS); determining an SRS offset, based on the index information; and transmitting the SRS, based on the SRS offset. If the index information includes an integer from 0 to 9, if the UpPTS includes two SC-FDMA symbols, a first symbol is indicated by SRS offset 0 and a second symbol is indicated by SRS offset 1, and if UpPTS includes one SC-FDMA symbol, the first symbol is indicated by the SRS offset 1. If the index information includes the integer from 0 to 9, the SRS offset indicated by the index information is based on: IndexOffset 00, 1 10, 2 21, 2 30, 3 41, 3 50, 4 61, 4 72, 3 82, 4 9 3, 4.
US09160503B2

A method for transmitting information in a wireless system is provided. In this method, the traffic on a plurality of channels can be determined. A bandwidth for a packet can be selected based on the traffic and available channel bandwidths. A modulation and a coding rate can be selected from a plurality of modulations and associated coding rates. The modulation and coding rate can be applied to a segment of the packet, wherein each segment includes one or more bandwidth units. The packet including the selected modulation and coding rate therein can be transmitted on at least one channel.
US09160480B2

A method by an optical network unit ONU includes, for downstream transmission, using a first tunable laser for coherent detection on a sub-band basis to increase receiver sensitivity and reduce analog-to-digital conversion ADC and digital signal processor DSP requirements within the ONU, and for upstream transmission, using a second tunable laser and using an optical signal beating between the first and second tunable lasers to generate a tunable radio frequency RF signal source for upstream multi-band OFDMA signal generation thereby avoiding need for an otherwise more costly RF clock source within the ONU, enabling low-speed digital-to-analog conversion DAC operation and rendering the ONU colorless in both optical and radio frequency RF domains.
US09160472B2

Devices and methods for synchronizing devices over a switched fabric. A master device maintains a global time, determines a mapping between the global time and a counter of a switch over a memory-mapped fabric, and sends the mapping to a slave device. A slave device maintains a local time, determines a first mapping between the local time and a counter of a switch, receives a second mapping between the counter and a global time of the master device, and synchronizes its local time to the global time based on the first and second mappings. The master and slave device may map their times to the counter by sending respective request packets to the switch and receiving respective completion packets including respective counter values from the switch. The master and slave device may determine respective time values corresponding to the respective counter values based on in-switch delays of the packets.
US09160467B2

An approach for assigning definitions to media network channels is described. A demand for program content of a media network channel associated with a first definition relating to resolution of the program content is determined. A second definition is assigned to the media network channel for the program content in response to the demand, wherein the second definition relates to the resolution of the program content and is higher in resolution than the first definition.
US09160461B2

A frequency source, such as for a wireless communications device, configured to have a duty cycle adjustment. A selected harmonic spur resulting from operation of the frequency source at one duty cycle may be avoided or minimized by operating the frequency source at a second duty cycle. Determination of the appropriate duty cycle may be based on measuring the amplitude of the harmonic spur as it appears in the output of a receive chain of the wireless device. Alternatively, the duty cycle may be set to desired value to avoid or minimize a given harmonic.
US09160459B2

It becomes difficult to perform the optimum equalization signal processing in coherent receiving systems if a channel response in an optical fiber transmission line includes a factor without temporal centrosymmetry, therefore, an equalization signal processor according to an exemplary aspect of the invention includes an equalization filter means configured to receive digital signals by coherent receiving systems; a coefficient control means configured to control coefficients defining characteristics of the equalization filter means; a significant coefficient holding means configured to hold significant coefficients of significant values among initial values of the coefficients; a significant coefficient positioning means configured to determine a significant coefficient position, a position of the significant coefficients in the initial values, so that equalization characteristics of the equalization filter means may be optimized; and a significant coefficient setting means configured to allocate the significant coefficients to the significant coefficient position.
US09160458B2

An optical signal detection circuit (10) includes an amplification circuit (11) that differentially amplifies an electrical signal (Tout) corresponding to the pulse train of an optical signal (Pin) and outputs a differential output signal (Aout), and a comparator (12) that compares the voltage value of the positive-phase signal of the differential output signal (Aout) with the voltage value of the negative-phase signal and outputs a pulsed comparison output signal (Cout) corresponding to the comparison result. The amplification circuit (11) includes a current addition circuit (11E) that adjusts a DC load current to generate a positive-phase signal (Aout+) and a negative-phase signal (Aout−) of the differential output signal (Aout) in accordance with an adjusted voltage value from an external adjusted voltage source (Vadj) and adjusts the DC bias of the positive-phase signal (Aout+) and the DC bias of the negative-phase signal (Aout−).
US09160457B2

A distortion compensation circuit compensates for the distortions generated by the dispersion-slope of an optical component and the frequency chirp of an optical transmitter. The dispersion compensation circuitry can be utilized in the optical transmitter, the optical receiver and/or at some intermediate point in a fiber-optic network. One embodiment of the compensation circuit utilizes a primary electrical signal path that receives at least a portion of the input signal and a delay line; and a secondary signal path in parallel to the primary path that receives at least a portion of the input signal and including: an amplifier with an electrical current gain that is proportional to the dispersion-slope of the optical component, an optional RF attenuator, an optional delay line, a “squarer” circuit, and a “differentiator” circuit. Another embodiment of the disclosure performs simultaneous, and independent, compensation of second-order distortions generated by both the dispersion-slope of a first optical component and the dispersion of a second optical component. Other embodiments of the disclosure perform adaptive predistortion for compensation of distortions generated by the dispersion-slope of a first optical component and the dispersion of a second optical component to maintain optimum compensation even if the dispersion properties of the optical components change with time.
US09160455B2

An external cavity laser array system may be used in a WDM optical system, such as a WDM-PON, for transmitting optical signals at multiple channel wavelengths. The system generally includes a plurality of laser emitters (e.g., gain chips) optically coupled to and separated from respective exit reflectors (e.g., tunable narrow-band reflectors), thereby forming an array of external cavity lasers with extended lasing cavities. The exit reflectors may be distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs) located in the waveguides in an arrayed waveguide grating (AWG). The laser emitters emit a range of wavelengths including multiple channel wavelengths and the DBRs reflect a subset of channel wavelengths including at least a channel wavelength associated with the laser emitter such that lasing occurs at the subset of channel wavelengths. The AWG then filters the emitted laser light at the associated channel wavelengths.
US09160454B2

An optical system may include a digital signal processor (DSP) to receive first samples of a digital signal. The first samples may be Hamming encoded. The DSP may correlate the first samples to multiple groups of second samples to determine multiple correlation values. Each of the multiple groups of second samples may correspond to respective code words. Each of the multiple correlation values may correspond to a correlation measurement between the first samples and each of the multiple groups of second samples. The DSP may determine a particular code word, of the multiple code words, corresponding to one of the correlation values of the multiple correlation values; determine output bits based on bits of the particular code word and the one of the correlation values; and provide the output bits. The output bits may include data associated with the digital signal.
US09160449B2

Power management for a remote antenna unit(s) (RAUs) in a distributed antenna system. Power can be managed for an RAU configured to power modules and devices that may require more power to operate than power available to the RAU. For example, the RAU may be configured to include power-consuming RAU modules to provide distributed antenna system-related services. As another example, the RAU may be configured to provide power through powered ports in the RAU to external power-consuming devices. Depending on the configuration of the RAU, the power-consuming RAU modules and/or external power-consuming devices may demand more power than is available at the RAU. In this instance, the power available at the RAU can be distributed to the power-consuming modules and devices based on the priority of services desired to be provided by the RAU.
US09160443B2

A multi-beam telecommunications satellite, intended to be placed in orbit around the earth, and adapted to relay data between terrestrial terminals and at least one ground station and to form beams on a user link between the satellite and terrestrial terminals, includes a module for forming beams on board in the satellite, a module for processing beams in the ground station, and a module for routing signals received from the ground station and/or from terrestrial terminals, signals of beams formed on board being routed towards the on-board beam forming module, and signals of ground-formed beams being routed towards the ground-formed beam processing module. A telecommunications system including the multi-beam satellite, a ground station and a beam management center adapted to divide the beams into one group of ground-formed beams and one group of beams formed on board, as well as a method for forming beams are disclosed.
US09160441B2

An apparatus and method for combining signals received from a direct broadcast satellite system with signals received from a wireless network, includes a satellite antenna for receiving the signals from the direct broadcast satellite system; and a wireless network antenna, co-located with the satellite antenna, for receiving the signals from the wireless network. The wireless network antenna includes an antenna assembly that is rotated by a controller based on characteristics of the signals received from the wireless network. The controller energizes and de-energizes a motor to mechanically rotate the antenna assembly to properly align the wireless network antenna to communicate with the wireless network. The wireless network antenna comprises a closed cylinder, wherein the antenna assembly is rotatably mounted within the closed cylinder, such that, upon command from the controller, the motor engages the antenna assembly to mechanically rotate the antenna about a central axis of the closed cylinder.
US09160439B2

A method, a base station, and a system of configuring relay link resources are provided. The method of configuring relay link resources includes: receiving an orthogonal frequency division multiplexing OFDM symbol number reported by a relay node RN, in which the OFDM symbol is used by a physical downlink control channel PDCCH of a multimedia multicast broadcast single frequency network MBSFN subframe where a relay link of the RN is located; and configuring relay link resources according to the OFDM symbol number, an offset, and a length of a PDCCH in an eNB subframe, in which the offset is an offset of an RN frame relative to the time when the RN frame is initially synchronized with an eNB frame, and is smaller than a sum of a length of the PDCCH of the MBSFN subframe where the relay link of the RN is located and a first idle time.
US09160430B2

Embodiments of millimeter-wave transceivers with coarse and fine beam steering with interference suppression are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a millimeter-wave transceiver configured for multipath reception of multicarrier signals and includes RF circuitry to receive multicarrier signals through at least two independently controllable sub-arrays from first and second directions, a channel-estimation block to generate a set of weighting coefficients for each sub-array based on channel characteristics determined from each sub-array, the weighting coefficients generated for inter-channel interference (ICI) suppression, and maximum-ratio combining (MRC) circuitry to apply a set of the weighting coefficients to baseband signals from each sub-array and to combine the weighted baseband signals from each sub-array to generate combined baseband signals that represent a single data stream.
US09160427B1

A method and apparatus are provided that allows beamforming to be used on a user-specific signal together with a sector-wide pilot signal in a communication system, such as a CDMA system. In one embodiment, the invention includes transmitting a pilot signal with a wide beamwidth to a remote terminal from a first array, transmitting a first traffic signal with a narrow beamwidth directed to the remote terminal from the first array, and transmitting a second diversity traffic signal with a second narrow beamwidth directed to the remote terminal from a second array. In some examples, the invention may also include transmitting a second pilot signal from the second antenna array.
US09160424B2

Disclosed are a method and a system for Bluetooth communication. In the Bluetooth system, a Bluetooth device includes: a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) reader for reading out RFID information from the RFID Tag within an effective transmission and receiving range and outputting the RFID information; a control unit for activating the RFID reader when a request for Bluetooth connection using the RFID is inputted by a user in a Bluetooth communication mode, extracting the bonding information from the RFID information inputted from the RFID reader, and outputting the bonding information; and a Bluetooth module for receiving the bonding information outputted from the control unit, pairing the first Bluetooth device using the bonding information, and performing Bluetooth communication.
US09160423B2

Embodiments of inductive communication devices include first and second IC die and an inductive coupling substrate. The first IC die has a first coil. The inductive coupling substrate has a second coil and a first signal communication interface (e.g., a third coil or a contact). The second IC die has a second signal communication interface (e.g., a fourth coil or a contact). The first IC die and the inductive coupling substrate are arranged so that the first and second coils are aligned across a gap between the first IC die and the inductive coupling substrate. A dielectric component is positioned within the gap between the first and second coils to galvanically isolate the first IC die and the inductive coupling substrate. During operation, signals are conveyed between the first and second IC die through inductive coupling between the coils and communication through the signal communication interfaces.
US09160421B2

Provided are a transmission system and a wireless power transmission and reception controlling method. According to an embodiment, a wireless power receiver may include: a target communication unit configured to receive, from a wireless power transmitter, a wake-up request signal and synchronization information with respect to wireless power transmission, and to transmit a response signal with respect to the wake-up request signal to the wireless power transmitter; a load path switch configured to activate based on timing information included in the synchronization information; and a target resonator configured to receive wireless power from a source resonator of the wireless power transmitter, when the load path switch is activated.
US09160418B2

A method for facilitating a secured data transmission in near field communication is provided. The method includes dynamically interleaving data to be transmitted, using randomization and transmitting the dynamically interleaved data and the interleaved settings/parameters to the destination. Further, a receiver device performs dynamic de-interleaving of received data using the received interleaved settings/parameters. Further, in order to ensure security to the data transmission, the system may use Random Skip Count (RSC) values. If necessary, new dynamic interleaving settings/parameters are calculated based on an RSC value and the new settings/parameters are used to dynamically interleave the data. The process of interleaving can be performed in 2-dimensional or 3-dimensional formats. Further, in the 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional interleaving schemes, data can be first dynamically interleaved in the form of sub matrices and the sub matrices can be further dynamically interleaved to form the final dynamically interleaved data matrix.
US09160409B2

A charging system supplies charging power from a charging station to an in-vehicle system through a power line. The charging station and the in-vehicle system further include communication devices, which communicate through the power line. The in-vehicle system includes a detecting circuit for detecting impedance of the power line. The in-vehicle system includes a control circuit, which controls switching-over of the communication device between a waiting state and an operating state based on the impedance detected by the detecting circuit. For example, the control circuit detects connection of the cable based on the impedance change of the power line. The control circuit switches the communication device from the waiting state to the operating state in response to the connection of the cable.
US09160407B2

In a method for detecting leakage in a digital cable system, at least one first signal is inserted on the cable system. The at least one first signal has an amplitude multiple tens of dB below the digital channel power of the digital channels carried on the cable system. A second signal containing the first signal is received. The second signal is converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The IF signal is digitized and samples of the digitized IF signal are obtained. Digitized samples of a third signal at the nominal frequency of the first signal at maximum amplitude converted to the IF are provided. The digitized IF signal and the digitized samples of a third signal at the nominal frequency of the first signal at maximum amplitude converted to the IF are correlated. The presence of the inserted first signal is detected based upon the result of the correlation. In another method, a pair of first signals are inserted on the cable system. The pair of first signals are spaced apart a fixed frequency and with amplitudes multiple tens of dB below the digital channel power of the digital channels carried on the cable system. A second signal containing the first signal is received and converted to an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The IF signal is digitized, samples of the digitized IF signal are obtained, and a large scale Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) is applied to the samples to generate an FFT output. The FFT output is examined for generally equally sized signals separated from each other by the fixed frequency in the FFT output. If generally equally sized signals separated from each other by the fixed frequency are detected in the FFT output, a decision is made that the second signal represents detected leakage from the digital cable system.
US09160403B2

A signal transmission circuit includes a driver circuit that includes complementary inverters, each of the complementary inverters including a plurality of transistor switches, each of the plurality of transistor switches including a pair of transistors, one of the pair of transistors operating in a saturation region and another of the pair of transistors operating in a triode region to cause a certain impedance, and that drives each of the plurality of transistor switches in accordance with complementary signals so as to output complementary voltages to a transmission line; and first voltage sources that supply operating voltages to the driver circuit so as to adjust amplitudes of the complementary voltages output from the driver circuit to the transmission line.
US09160401B2

A method and an apparatus are provided for transmitting and receiving uplink data in a wireless communication system. The method includes transmitting an uplink grant including resource allocation information and frequency hopping information; determining a resource for the uplink data based on the resource allocation information and a packet transmission number, if the frequency hopping information indicates that a predefined hopping pattern is enabled; and receiving the uplink data mapped on the determined resource. Mirroring is alternatively applied for determining the resource based on the packet transmission number.
US09160397B2

A compact high-frequency module that increases isolation between a transmission-side circuit and a reception-side circuit of a duplexer includes a switch element and duplexers. The duplexers include transmission-side SAW filters and reception-side SAW filters. The transmission-side SAW filters are mounted near one edge of a multilayer body. The reception-side SAW filters are mounted near another edge opposite to the one edge of the multilayer body. The switch element is mounted at the center of the multilayer body.
US09160391B2

A mobile phone and a data processing method thereof are disclosed. The method comprises: reading an ID of a secondary SIM card and determining whether the secondary SIM card is locked out if the secondary SIM card is locked out, then determining whether to copy data of the secondary SIM card according to a user's choice; and if the user chooses to copy the data of the secondary SIM card, then copying the data of the secondary SIM card to the mobile phone or to the primary SIM card of the mobile phone, or to both the mobile phone and the primary SIM card of the mobile phone.
US09160390B2

Methods and systems for impairment shifting may comprise receiving radio frequency (RF) signals in a receiver, downconverting the signals to baseband frequencies, and synchronizing the receiver to received signals. The frequency of a local oscillator (LO) may be adjusted to shift residual impairments to fall between desired baseband signals where they are least visible. The received RF signals may comprise analog, satellite, or cable, television signals. The LO frequency may be adjusted to configure the DC offset impairments to fall between luminance and chrominance harmonics. The LO frequency may be adjusted to configure I/Q imbalanced impairments from residual in-phase and quadrature mismatch of a picture carrier signal to fall about 300 kHz from a sound carrier signal in the analog television signals. The LO frequency may be adjusted to configure the I/Q imbalanced impairments from residual I/Q mismatch of a sound carrier signal to fall between luminance and chrominance harmonics.
US09160388B2

A circuit for a low-power and blocker-tolerant mixer-amplifier stage may include a complementary mixer formed by transmission gates having complementary structures. The complementary mixer may be configured to receive one or more radio-frequency (RF) signals and to convert the one or more RF signals to intermediate frequency (IF) current signals. A complementary TIA may be coupled to the complementary mixer and may be configured to receive the IF current signals and provide IF voltage signals. The complementary TIA may be formed by coupling an NMOS-TIA and a PMOS-TIA to a common load. A first portion of the complementary mixer may be coupled to the NMOS-TIA and a second portion of the complementary mixer may be coupled to the PMOS-TIA.
US09160379B2

A transmitter according to the present invention includes a level detector that detects the level value of an input signal, from among a predetermined number of level values; an upstream-side signal adjusting unit that amplifies the input signal and shifts the input signal for an offset amount based on an output signal of the level detector; a digital-sigma modulator having a quantizer that quantizes an output signal of the upstream-side signal adjusting unit with a predetermined number of bits, and a downstream-side signal adjusting unit that amplifies an output signal of the delta-sigma modulator and shifts the output signal of the delta-sigma modulator for an offset amount based on the output signal of the level detector.
US09160378B2

The present invention describes a RF signal control method and device that changes the gain attenuation in real time and uses the changed gain attenuation to adjust the RF input signal. The RF signal control method and device also uses determined linear filter parameters for linearity improvement on the digital signal that results from a down-conversion and analog-to-digital converter on the RF input signal. The adjusted and improved signal is output after a digital pre-distortion and power amplification operation. In comparison with existing technologies, the adjusted gain attenuation is used to make adjustment on the RF input signal and improve linearity the RF input signal such that the resulting RF signal has better quality. Thus, the current application improves the linearity effect of a digital pre-distorter and the dynamic effect of a power amplifier for the RF signal, thereby enhancing coverage of the RF output signal.
US09160373B1

Systems and methods are provided for decoding data stored on a storage device. A decoding method is described for retrieving data from the storage device, wherein the retrieved data are encoded using a product code having a first dimension and a second dimension. The decoding method includes processing at least one codeword from the first dimension to form detector soft information, decoding the at least one codeword from the first dimension based on the detector soft information to form a first decoder soft information, and decoding at least one codeword from the second dimension based on the first decoder soft information to form a second decoder soft information.
US09160368B1

Systems and methods are provided for enhancing the performance and throughput of a low-density parity check (LDPC) decoder. In some embodiments, the enhanced performance and throughput may be achieved by detecting and correcting near-codewords before the decoder iterates up to a predetermined number of iterations. In some embodiments, a corrector runs concurrently with the decoder to correct a near-codeword when the near-codeword is detected. In alternate embodiments, the corrector is active while the decoder is not active. Both embodiments allow for on-the-fly codeword error corrections that improve the performance (e.g., reducing the number of errors) without decreasing the throughput of the decoder.
US09160363B2

A method for updating a run length encoded (RLE) stream includes: receiving an element having an insertion value to be inserted into the RLE stream at an insertion position, the insertion value having one of a plurality of values, the RLE stream having elements arranged in runs, and each of the elements having one of the values; identifying a run containing the insertion position; determining whether the insertion value is the same as the value of the element at the insertion position; when the insertion value is different from the value of the element at the insertion position: determining whether the insertion position is adjacent to one or more matching runs of the runs, each element of the matching runs having a same value as the insertion value; and extending one of the matching runs when the insertion position is adjacent to only one of the matching runs.
US09160347B1

A method and apparatus for operating an electronic device is provided. The electronic device, which includes a phase lock loop (PLL) receives sensor indicators from at least one sensor. Upon receiving sensor indicators, the device identifies a motion indicator based on the sensor indicators. A parameter of the PLL is adjusted based on the motion indicator, the PLL having at least one component susceptible to microphonics. When the PLL includes a charge pump, a parameter that may be adjusted is a pump current of the charge pump. When the PLL further comprises an oscillator for generating a reference signal, the parameter that may be adjusted is a trim of the oscillator.
US09160325B2

Various of the disclosed embodiments contemplate systems and methods in an X-ray imaging system, such as a CT system, facilitating more crisp switching between high and low voltages at an X-ray tube. Certain embodiments circuits which store and discharge energy to improve voltage rise and fall times. These circuits may mitigate the effects of losses, hysteresis cycles, and leakage currents. More controlled voltage rise and fall times may improve X-ray emission and detection synchronization.
US09160318B2

A data processing circuit that holds a state of a clock signal of each phase of an input multi-phase clock at a timing of an input latch clock, the multi-phase clock including clock signals of a plurality of phases sequentially shifted at certain intervals determined in advance, and generates a digital signal obtained by digitizing the states of the phases of the multi-phase clock at a timing at which the latch clock is input, the data processing circuit including: a latch portion including n latch unit groups (n is an integer of a power of 2) including the same number and a plurality of latch units, each latch unit holding the state of the clock signal of the corresponding phase of the multi-phase clock and outputting an output signal indicating the held state of the clock signal.
US09160315B2

There are provided a ring oscillator having a plurality of delay circuits to be ring-connected. At least one of the plurality of delay circuits has a delay element formed in a layout region including the same layout shape as the layout shape of an SRAM cell, and a path circuit connected in parallel to the delay element. The delay element outputs an output signal to a delay circuit in the next stage within the plurality of delay circuits in response to one of rise transition and fall transition of a signal input to the input terminal of the delay element from a delay circuit in the previous stage within the plurality of delay circuits. The path circuit outputs an output signal to the delay circuit in the next stage in response to the transition other than the one transition.
US09160313B2

A front-end circuit for measurement devices, for example oscilloscopes or digitizers, may implement DC gain compensation using a programmable variable resistance. A MOS transistor may be configured and operated as a linear resistor with the ability to self-calibrate quickly, while compensating for temperature variations. An integrated CMOS-based variable resistor may be thereby used for an analog adjustable attenuator. Master and slave CMOS transistors may be operated in linear mode, and temperature effects on the linear transistors may be compensated for by using an integral loop controller (current controller) configured around the master MOS transistor. Circuits implemented with the compensated variable resistance have a wide range of adjustment with a control voltage, and may be used in the front-end (circuits) of an oscilloscope or digitizer, or in any other circuit and/or instrumentation benefitting from an adjustable attenuator.
US09160311B2

The present invention is directed to solve a problem that, in a semiconductor device capable of generating a clock signal by coupling a quartz oscillator to an external terminal to which an I/O port is coupled, leak current of the I/O port which is in the inactive state disturbs activation of a clock. The semiconductor device has a first terminal, an amplification circuit coupled to the first terminal, and an output buffer whose output terminal is coupled to the first terminal. The output buffer has first and second transistors of a first conduction type coupled in series via a first node between a first power supply line and an output terminal, and the conduction states of the first and second transistors of the first conduction state are controlled in response to a first control signal which is applied commonly to the gate of each of the first and second transistors.
US09160310B2

The present invention is an improved linearizer that implements more complex transfer functions to provide the necessary linearization performance with a reasonable amount of signal processing resources. Particularly, the linearizer operates on an analog-to-digital converter and comprises a distortion compensator and one or more factored Volterra compensators, which may include a second-order factored Volterra compensator, a third-order factored Volterra compensator, and additional higher-order factored Volterra compensators. Inclusion of factored Volterra distortion compensators improves linearization processing performance while significantly reducing the computational complexity compared to a traditional Volterra-based compensator.
US09160308B2

A signal processing device has a first discrete time analog signal processing section, which has an input, an output, a plurality of charge storage elements, and plurality of switch elements coupling the charge storage elements. The device has a controller coupled to the first signal processing section configured to couple different subsets of the charge elements of the first signal processing section in successive operating phases to apply a signal processing function to an analog signal presented at the input of the first signal processing section and provide a result of the applying of the signal processing function as an analog signal to the output of first signal processing section. The signal processing function of the first signal processing section comprises a combination of a filtering function operating at a first sampling rate and one or more modulation functions operating at corresponding modulation rates lower than the first sampling rate.
US09160306B2

A duplexer includes an antenna terminal, a transmission amplifier terminal and a reception amplifier terminal. The transmission amplifier terminal is coupled to the antenna terminal via a transmission filter. The reception amplifier terminal is coupled to a reception filter and the reception filter is coupled to the antenna terminal via a band-stop filter.
US09160298B2

An acoustic wave device includes: a substrate; a lower electrode that is located on the substrate; a piezoelectric film that is located on the lower electrode and made of aluminum nitride of which a ratio of a lattice constant in a c-axis direction to a lattice constant in an a-axis direction is smaller than 1.6; and an upper electrode that is located on the piezoelectric film and faces the lower electrode across the piezoelectric film.
US09160294B2

The technology in one embodiment includes an audio-processing unit, for processing an input audio signal using a pre-established audio feature. The unit includes a processor, an audio-device input in operative communication with the processor, and a system-user interface being in operative communication with the processor. The unit also includes a computer-readable medium being in operative communication with the processor and comprising a tone-manipulation component and computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform various operations. The operations include presenting, using the system-user interface, a graphical-user-interface (GUI) display including an identifier associated with the tone-manipulation component, receiving, from the system-user interface, a user signal indicating a user selection of the tone-manipulation component from the GUI display, receiving the input audio signal from the audio-device input, and manipulating, using the tone-manipulation component, the input audio signal, yielding a manipulated signal.
US09160292B2

Methods and systems for reducing parasitic loading on a power supply output in RF amplifier arrangements used in multiband and/or multitude RF circuits are presented. Such RF circuits can comprise a plurality of RF amplifiers of which only one is activated for a given desired transmission mode and/or band.
US09160282B2

Radio frequency (RF) power amplifier (PA) circuitry and a PA envelope power supply are disclosed. The RF PA circuitry receives and amplifies an RF input signal to provide an RF output signal using an envelope power supply signal, which is provided by the PA envelope power supply. The RF PA circuitry operates in either a normal RF spectral emissions mode or a reduced RF spectral emissions mode. When reduced RF spectral emissions are required, the RF PA circuitry operates in the reduced RF spectral emissions mode. As such, at a given RF output power, during the reduced RF spectral emissions mode, RF spectral emissions of the RF output signal are less than during the normal RF spectral emissions mode. As a result, the reduced RF spectral emissions mode may be used to reduce interference between RF communications bands.
US09160274B2

The present disclosure relates to a FinFET varactor circuit having one or more control elements that control a relationship between capacitance and voltage of a FinFET MOS varactor without introducing changes to process parameters used in fabrication of the FinFET MOS varactor. In some embodiments, the FinFET varactor circuit has a FinFET MOS varactor with a first terminal connected to a gate terminal of the FinFET MOS varactor and a second terminal connected to connected source and drain terminals of the FinFET MOS varactor. One or more control elements are connected to the first or second terminals of the FinFET MOS varactor and vary one or more operating characteristics of the FinFET MOS varactor. Using the control elements to vary the operating characteristics of the FinFET MOS varactor, allows for the characteristics to be adjusted without making changes to process parameters used in the fabrication of the FinFET MOS varactor.
US09160268B2

A system for controlling a voltage inverter, or supplying power to a multiphase electric motor of an automobile vehicle, including: a mechanism generating values of power supply voltages for each phase of the electric motor, together with an amplitude value of the power supply voltages; a phase-splicing determination mechanism; and a controller controlling the phase splicing cooperating to control transmission to the voltage inverter of duty cycles generated by determining the duty cycles, as a function of values of power supply voltages for each phase of the electric motor, and also of the amplitude value of the power supply voltages.
US09160264B2

A method for detecting an initial rotor angular position and starting a dynamoelectric machine having a stator and a rotor includes the steps of driving the dynamoelectric machine into partial magnetic saturation to determine the initial rotor angular position of the dynamoelectric machine, and starting the dynamoelectric machine utilizing the initial rotor angular position previously determined.
US09160258B2

A cooling system is disclosed. The cooling system may have an evaporator, an evaporator fan, a condenser, and at least one compressor. The compressor may be either a single speed or a variable speed compressor. In addition, the system can use a mechanical or electrical pulsed operation refrigerant flow control valve for controlling refrigerant flow to the evaporator.
US09160257B2

A system and method for automatically defining and tuning operating parameters for a motor control device with minimal or no operator input is disclosed. The system includes a motor control device electrically connectable to an AC motor and a controller that is programmed to define a motor start-up function based on a rated current of the motor, the motor start-up function comprising an initial torque factor and an initial ramp time. The controller also triggers switching devices of the motor according to the motor start-up function to inject current into the motor during a first trial run, monitors operating conditions of the motor and motor control device during the first trial run, modifies the motor start-up function based on the monitored operating conditions, and triggers the plurality of switching devices according to the modified motor start-up function to inject current into the motor during a subsequent trial run.
US09160254B2

A piezoelectric device includes an insulating substrate, a piezoelectric vibration device that is mounted on a device mounting pad, a metal lid member that seals the piezoelectric vibration device in an airtight manner, an external pad that is arranged outside the insulating substrate, an oscillation circuit, a temperature compensation circuit, and a temperature sensor. The lid member and the temperature sensor or the lid member and the IC component are connected to each other so as to be heat-transferable, and a heat transfer member having thermal conductivity higher than that of the material of the insulating substrate is additionally included.
US09160252B1

A system is disclosed which utilizes a non-pulse width modulated signal, which provides a fully rectified sinusoidal modulated DC link to a single phase AC motor to emulate a variable single phase AC power line. The system provides for reduced EMI and reduced size when compared to a controller with a PWM drive signal.
US09160248B2

A voltage multiplier 10 comprises a series of multiplier stages 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d. Each multiplier stage, for example 12b, comprises a first input 16b, a second input 14b, a first output 16c and second output 14c. The first and second outputs of a preceding multiplier stage are interconnected with first and second inputs of a subsequent multiplier stage. Furthermore, each multiplier stages, for example 12b, comprises two series connected diode elements D5, D6 having the same current conducting direction. The two series connected diode elements D5, D6 interconnect the first input 16b and the first output 16c. The second output 14c is coupled between the two series connected diode elements D5, D6. Each multiplier stage, for example 12b, comprises a buffer capacitor C6 interconnecting the respective first input 16b and the respective first output 16c. At least some multiplier stages, for example 12b, comprise a push-pull capacitor C4 interconnecting the respective second input 14b and the respective second output 14c. The first input 16a of a first multiplier stage 12a and the first output 16e of a last multiplier stage 12d provide outputs for a load 42. The second input 14a of the first multiplier stage 12a provides an input for an AC voltage source. The buffer capacitor C3 of the first multiplier stage 12a comprises two series connected buffer capacitor parts C3a, C3b. An input 20 for the AC voltage source 34 is provided between the two buffer capacitor parts C3a, C3b.
US09160244B2

A magnetic integration double-ended converter with an integrated function of a transformer and an inductor includes an integrated magnetic member having a magnetic core with three magnetic columns having at least three windings (NP, NS1, NS2) and at least one energy storage air gap, where a primary winding (NP) and a first secondary winding (NS1) are both wound around a first magnetic column or are both wound around a second magnetic column and a third magnetic column, and a second secondary winding (NS2) is wound around the second magnetic column; an inverter circuit with double ends symmetrically working, acting on the primary winding (NP); and a group of synchronous rectifiers (SR1, SR2), gate electrode driving signals of which and gate electrode driving signals of a group of power switch diodes (S1, S2) of the inverter circuit with the double ends symmetrically working complement each other.
US09160234B2

In a switching power supply apparatus, a low-side switching device is connected in series with a primary winding. A high-side switching device and the primary winding define a closed loop. A voltage induced in a high-side drive winding is applied to the high-side switching device to turn on the high-side switching device. A transistor, which is turned on/off in accordance with the voltage across a capacitor charged by the voltage induced in the high-side drive winding, is connected to the gate terminal of the high-side switching device. When the capacitor is charged and the transistor is turned on, the high-side switching device is turned off. The capacitor is discharged by the voltage induced in the high-side drive winding, during the ON period of the low-side switching device.
US09160227B2

An electronic apparatus is removed from a power supply apparatus and that can be certified by detecting a secondary-side transformer coil by a no-load detecting unit. The no-load detecting unit is configured to turn off an output switch unit and a power factor correction and pulse width modulation controller. An intermittent driving unit is configured to drive a start unit once a pre-determined time. The start unit is configured to drive the power factor correction and pulse width modulation controller. A load detecting unit is configured to detect that the electronic apparatus is connected to the power supply apparatus. The load detecting unit is configured to drive the intermittent driving unit. The intermittent driving unit is configured to drive the start unit. The start unit is configured to drive the power factor correction and pulse width modulation controller.
US09160225B2

A high voltage inverter device uses, as an input voltage (Vin), a DC voltage or a voltage composed of a DC component with a pulsating current superposed thereon, switches the input voltage by a switching element (Qsw) to apply an exciting current to an excitation winding (NP) of a resonant transformer (10) and output an alternating-current high voltage (Vout) from an output winding (NS) of the resonant transformer. An abnormal voltage detection circuit (7) including a varistor (12) detects an abnormal voltage generated in the excitation winding (NP) of the resonant transformer (10), and when the abnormal voltage is detected, its signal is transmitted by a photocoupler (11) to a control circuit (20), thereby causing the control circuit (20) to stop its oscillation operation to stop a switching operation of the switching element (Qsw).
US09160214B2

Provided is an electric motorcycle including a traveling motor, and a power supply circuit of an inverter and the like, in which a non-conducting cooling oil is supplied to be brought into direct contact with at least one of an electromagnetic coil of the traveling motor and a circuit board of the inverter. A radiator is disposed outside cases of a power plant and a power control controller so as to allow a traveling wind to pass by. Cooling oil is circulated between the radiator and a case of at least one of the power plant and power control controller. A cooling structure for an electric motor and the like that can obtain a higher cooling efficiency than a conventional art while having a simple structure which hardly causes increases in size, weight, cost, and the like can be provided.
US09160206B2

The aim of the invention is to provide an electric motor which has a high torque at low rotation speeds and a high power at high rotation speeds. The invention therefore proposes an electric motor with permanent-magnet excitation having a first active part (10), which is fitted with permanent magnets (11), and a second active part (10), which can be moved in relation to the first active part (10) by magnetic force of the permanent magnets (11). The electric motor also has a heating device (12) with which the magnetic field of at least one of the permanent magnets (11) can be weakened by heating the permanent magnets as a function of a speed of the first active part (10) in relation to the second active part (8).
US09160204B2

The present invention relates to a bidirectional wireless power transfer device, which includes: a first transfer unit; a second transfer unit; a selector that includes a first signal terminal, a second signal terminal, and a power input terminal; a power supply unit, which is electrically connected to the power input terminal of the selector and is also electrically connected to the first transfer unit and the second transfer unit; and a circuit board, on which the first transfer unit, the second transfer unit, the selector, and the power supply unit are mounted.
US09160199B2

A system for cutting off standby power of the present invention comprises: a plurality of electronic products that are controlled devices; and a main system commonly controlling the same, wherein each of the plurality of electronic products is equipped with a standby power cut-off unit, which is controlled by the main system to open or cut off the power supply path of the power input of a corresponding electronic product, thereby cutting off standby power, and wherein the main system is equipped with a device selection and actuation unit which controls the action of the standby power cut-off unit of each of the electronic products to supply or cut off power to each of the plurality of electronic products.
US09160196B2

A communication apparatus includes a communication coil, a power receiving portion, a charge control portion, a first switch portion, a second switch portion, a communication circuit, and a processor. A voltage detection circuit of the power receiving portion generates first control signal of first state when a terminal voltage of the communication coil exceeds power supply threshold voltage. The first switch portion is controlled to turn on between first terminal and third terminal in response to first control signal. The voltage detection circuit generates second control signal of third state when a terminal voltage of the communication coil exceeds first and second charge threshold voltages during a period to charge the secondary cell. The second switch portion is controlled to turn off in response to second control signal.
US09160195B2

A charging device used for charging a storage battery includes a first circuit that generates a current which depends on a charging current of the storage battery; a second circuit in which charge is accumulated by periodical supply of the current which depends on the charging current; and a third circuit that outputs a signal indicating completion of charge of the storage battery when the potential of the second circuit reaches a reference potential. The second circuit includes a capacitor and a transistor in which an oxide semiconductor is used for a channel formation region. The transistor is turned on or off in response to a pulse signal input to a gate of the transistor. The capacitor accumulates charge when the current depending on the charging current flows through the transistor.
US09160191B2

In one aspect, a battery pack and a method of minimizing voltage deviations between battery cells within the battery pack is disclosed. The battery pack comprises a plurality of battery racks where each of the battery racks in turn comprises a plurality of battery cells. The battery pack also comprises a bidirectional inverter and a plurality of switch sets, where each of the switch sets are connected to one of the battery racks and is configured to electrically connect the bidirectional inverter and the battery racks. The battery pack additionally comprises a plurality of battery rack management systems, where each of the battery rack management systems is electrically connected to one of the battery racks and is configured to minimize voltage deviations between the battery cells. The battery rack management systems are also connected to a main battery management system configured to minimize voltage deviations between the battery racks.
US09160190B2

Systems and methods for assessing operation of analog digital converters (ADCs) of a battery pack supplying power to a vehicle are disclosed. One example system comprises, a first ADC for determining a voltage of at least one battery cell; a second ADC for determining a voltage of a plurality of battery cells; and a controller performing an action in response to comparing an output of said first ADC to an output of said second ADC.
US09160182B2

Exemplary embodiments are directed to timing and control of wireless power transfer. A wireless power charging device includes at least one transmitter and a processor in communication with the at least one transmitter. The transmitter is configured for transmitting wireless power to one or more electronic devices, and the processor is configured to deactivate the transmitter during a pre-determined time interval. The charging device may include charging modes that a user may select between from an interface of the charging device. Charging modes may be related to times of operation such as those based on a user schedule, based on energy rates, or with modes programmed by a user. A charging schedule may be created by a user through the interface of the charging device or from an external device in communication with the charging device.
US09160173B2

The invention is a high efficiency single-phase or poly-phase DC-to-AC power converter apparatus and power conversion method which includes a line filter inductor or line filter inductors to integrate or filter pulse modulated waveforms into substantially sinusoidal waveforms wherein (i) the line filter inductor or inductors have inductance values that swing substantially from zero current to peak rated current and (ii) a pulse width modulation technique is used that varies both pulse width modulation duty cycles and periods as a function of the predicted instantaneous line filter inductance and the predicted di/dt across the line filter inductor or inductors in order to minimize power converter switching losses while maintaining AC power quality. With the invention, substantial CEC power conversion efficiency enhancements should be achievable and with an overall reduction in power converter parts cost.
US09160167B2

A power supply device includes a fuel-cell power device which supplies a direct current (DC) power to one or more load devices using fuel cells as an input source; and a control unit which controls an output from the fuel-cell power device. In the power supply device, when a load current supplied to the load device is changed, an output characteristic of the fuel-cell power device is shifted so that a rate of change in an output current of the fuel-cell power device becomes lower than a preset value. With the power supply device, even though the fuel-cell is used as a power source, a DC power supplied to the load devices can be gradually changed and therefore reduce environmental load.
US09160165B2

A semiconductor device includes a load current path operable to carry a load current from a supply terminal having a supply voltage to an output circuit node. The device further includes a voltage comparator configured to compare the supply voltage with a voltage threshold and to signal a low supply voltage when the supply voltage reaches or falls below the voltage threshold. An over-current detector is configured to compare a load current signal that represents the load current with an over-current threshold and to signal an over-current when the load current signal reaches or exceeds the over-current threshold. Furthermore, the semiconductor device includes a control logic unit that is configured to deactivate the load current flow when an over-current is signalled and to reduce the over-current threshold from a first value to a lower second value as long as the voltage comparator signals a low supply voltage.
US09160160B2

The present invention relates to a power supply with output protection and a control method of the power supply. The invention mainly provides a pre-protection value lower than a default over-current protection value. When a present output current of the power supply is higher than or equal to the pre-protection value and is lower than the over-current protection value, the method firstly determines whether the power supply has abnormal conditions. When the power supply has abnormal conditions, the method can automatically provide or stop providing a working voltage to a load. When the present output current is further higher than or equal to the over-current protection value, the method takes an over-current protection action. By multi-level monitoring of the current values, the invention properly provides an over-current protection.
US09160157B2

An electronic circuit is provided that has a function of protecting an IC element (10) from excess current cause by latch-up. The electronic circuit includes an IC element (10) having a terminal (N1) connecting to power voltage (VCC) and a terminal (N2) connecting to ground voltage, and an automatic reset fuse (11) that is connected to either of the terminals.
US09160155B2

A bus bar module includes a holding member for holding the plural bus bars with a mutual distance between the bus bars maintained. The holding member includes a first holding member for holding the plural bus bars in one electrode line of the plural battery cells, a second holding member for holding the plural bus bars in the other electrode line of the plural battery cells, and a joining member for structurally joining the first holding member to the second holding member. The joining member is formed in an arch shape upwardly projected from inside ends of the first holding member and the second holding member. The joining member has a rigid part adapted to maintain the arch shape and a flexible part adapted to vertically bend by a load from above.
US09160154B2

A bus bar is made by punching a single metal plate and by folding two-dot chain line portions. The bus bar includes: a power input portion into which the power is inputted; a tuning-fork-shaped terminal into which a relay terminal is inserted; a plurality of substrate connecting portions soldered to a printed circuit board; and a routing portion. The routing portion includes: a trunk portion extended in a band shape from the power input portion; a plurality of branch portions branching off from the trunk portion to the tuning-fork-shaped terminal and the substrate connecting portions. A width of the trunk portion is formed gradually narrower as extending away from the power input portion. Namely, widths of the trunk portion further away from the power input portion than the branch portion are formed narrower than a width from the power input portion to the branch portion.
US09160153B2

An electrical box includes a back wall and a front wall, configured to be essentially parallel to a mounting surface when the base is installed to the mounting surface, and a pair of interchangeable top and bottom walls. Each interchangeable top and bottom wall is connected to the back wall and the front wall. The electrical box includes a side wall connected to each of the other walls and an open end opposite the side wall that is configured to receive an electrical device therein. A standoff extends laterally from the back wall. The standoff is configured to provide a mounting structure and to position the electrical box away from the mounting surface. The electrical box is configured to receive a top-mounted hood to cover the open end when the base is installed with the open end positioned to face either of the right side or the left side.
US09160152B2

A transmission cable installation device is provided, which includes a protective sheath surrounding at least one transmission cable and having at least one longitudinal recess. A rigid element is inserted in one of said at least one recess. Also provided are a protective sheath and a profiled support suitable for being inserted in a recess in the protective sheath.
US09160146B2

A spark plug includes an electrode wherein a plurality of fusion regions are formed by melting to each other a circular noble metal tip having a diameter of not less than 2 mm and a base material disposed around an outer periphery of the noble metal tip. In a particular tip cross section, a total length of the portions passing the fusion region on the circumference of a circle A concentric to an outline of the tip and having a diameter of 90% of the length of the tip is not less than 30% of the length of the circumference of the concentric circle A, and a total length of the portions on which a circumference of a concentric circle B, having the same diameter as that of the outline passes, is not less than 30% of the length of the circumference of the concentric circle B.
US09160145B2

An insulator for spark plug with a main constituent of alumina and containing silicon includes a grain boundary phase positioned between alumina particles. The grain boundary phase contains: a group 2A element; a rare earth element; and at least one kind of zirconium, titanium, chrome, niobium, manganese, and iron (a first element). Assuming that a total amount of the rare earth element is X (mass %), a total amount of the group 2A element is Y (mass %), and a total amount of the first element is Z (mass %), the following are met: 0.40≦Y/X≦2.00 0.10≦Z/X≦0.40.
US09160141B2

The method for controlling a wavelength-tunable laser comprises a first step of acquiring a driving condition of the wavelength-tunable laser for laser oscillation at a first wavelength, and a second step of calculating according to the driving condition of the first wavelength and a wavelength difference between the first wavelength and a second wavelength different from the first wavelength a control value or target value of a wavelength characteristic of the second wavelength in the wavelength detection unit, so as to calculate a driving condition for driving the wavelength-tunable laser, the second step including a step of selecting according to the wavelength difference one of etalon slopes having respective gradients identical and opposite to a gradient of an etalon slope used for controlling the first wavelength.
US09160137B1

A method of spectrally broadening light pulses includes the steps of providing the light pulses with a laser source, said light pulses having a pulse duration below 1 ps, in-coupling the light pulses into a hollow optical waveguide device, and spectrally broadening the light pulses propagating along the pulse guiding medium by subjecting them to a Raman nonlinearity via excitation of a Raman polarization having a first Raman period, wherein the optical waveguide device subjects the light pulses to anomalous group velocity dispersion which combines with the spectral broadening of the light pulses to result in a Raman-enhanced self-compression of the light pulses, and the light pulses further propagate along the optical waveguide device such that the Raman-enhanced self compression results in a further excitation of a Raman polarization having a second Raman period which is faster than the first Raman period.
US09160130B2

In an optical/electrical composite connector including a male connector and a female connector, the male connector includes a ferrule provided at an end portion of an optical fiber on a side of the male connector which is connected to the female connector, and an electrode terminal. The female connector includes a core to transmit an optical signal, a cladding to cover the core, an electric wiring provided on an outer wall surface of the cladding, a sleeve in which the ferrule is fitted, the sleeve provided at an end portion of the cladding on a side of the female connector which is connected to the male connector, and a lens provided in the sleeve. When the ferrule and the sleeve are fitted together, the electrode terminal and the electric wiring are electrically connected and the optical fiber and the core are optically connected through the lens.
US09160126B2

An apparatus and method for shorting together a plurality of electrical leads. The apparatus includes an electrical conductor that extends between first and second ends and a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface. The electrical conductor includes a central bight that is disposed between the first and second ends and has a concave contour that defines a portion of the first surface. The electrical conductor also includes first and second bights that have convex contours that define portions of the first surface. The first bight is disposed between the central bight and the first end and the second bight is disposed between the central bight and the second end. The electrical conductor also includes a first and second contact segments that are respectively disposed between the first and second bights and the first and second ends.
US09160120B2

A spark plug connector (1) including a connector body (21) formed as an insulator having a spark plug high voltage contact (35) for producing a connection to and with a spark plug (6). The connector body (21) has a connection point (23) for receiving, mounting and/or connection of a spark plug connector (1) extending structural element (22). The structural element (22) is arranged at the junction (23) in such a manner such that the structural element (22) lengthens the connector body (21) on the side remote from the spark plug high voltage contact. The ignition cable (3) is held or guided along the length of the structural element (22) and the material of the structural element has a higher rigidity and strength and/or a lower density with at the same time less material than the material of the connector body (21).
US09160119B2

An improved apparatus for charging a cell phone battery in the dark. An LED and its control circuitry including a control switch are included in a USB connector to automatically illuminate a cell phone and its charging port or receptacle or jack, which happen to be located in an unlit or pitch black space, when a user attempts to insert a USB connector plug into the charging port for purposes of charging the battery. The LED is automatically energized by the user's mere touching of the overmold of the USB connector at its flat or bottom side, without otherwise manually operating the control switch, and thereby eliminating hunting in the dark for a control switch on the USB connector. This apparatus is useful with both standard charging equipment and with dongle charging equipment.
US09160113B2

An electrical connector includes an insulative housing, a number of contacts retained in the insulative housing and a cover shielding the insulative housing. The insulative housing includes a top wall, a pair of side walls and a plug-receiving cavity formed thereby. Each contact includes a resilient contacting portion extending into the plug-receiving cavity. The cover includes a top plate covering the top wall and a pair of side plates respectively covering the pair of side walls. Each side plate includes an engaging arm extending inwardly therefrom. The insulative housing defines a pair of cutouts formed at boundaries of the top wall and the pair of side walls. The pair of engaging arms extend into the plug-receiving cavity through the pair of cutouts, respectively.
US09160108B2

A fitting lever (30) includes a pair of lever bodies (31), shaft fitting holes (32) which are formed on opposed inner surface (31a) of a pair of lever bodies (31) and in which lever supporting shafts (11) of a firs connector housing (10) are pivotably fitted, cam grooves (34) which are formed to open at the end edges of the lever bodies (31) at the side of a second connector housing (20) and which act a moving force in a fitting direction on action receiving shafts (23) with the pivoting of the lever bodies (31) when the fitting lever (30) is pivoted while the connector housings are aligned at a fitting start position.
US09160096B2

A connector assembly includes a shell, an insulator held by the shell and a center contact held by the insulator. The center contact has a terminating segment. The connector assembly also includes a compound dielectric surrounding the terminating segment. The compound dielectric is positioned between the terminating segment and the shell. The compound dielectric includes a first dielectric layer that at least partially surrounds the center contact. The compound dielectric also includes a second dielectric layer at least partially surrounding the first dielectric layer. The second dielectric layer has a different dielectric constant than the dielectric constant of the first layer.
US09160090B2

An electrical connector module for electrically connecting at least one connector to a printed circuit board of an electronic device includes at least one shielding jack having a top wall, two opposite side walls and at least one common wall. The walls of the shielding jack collectively define at least a slot therewithin for receiving the connectors and a front end and an opposite rear end. The slot is divided by the common wall. The side walls and the common wall have a plurality of press fit terminals extending toward the circuit board. The common wall has a plurality of offset latch arms engaged with different connectors. When the connectors are inserted to the slots, the offset latch arms respectively secure the connectors in the corresponding slots.
US09160087B2

A board connecting terminal includes a contact which comes into contact with a mate side terminal, and a solder part soldered to a pad part formed in a circuit board and connected to the contact. The solder part includes a solder part main body soldered to the pad part, a first engaging piece extended from the solder part main body and a second engaging piece extended from the solder part main body. The solder part main body is soldered to the pad part under a state that the first engaging piece and the second engaging piece are engaged with the circuit board.
US09160061B2

Embodiments of systems and methods for providing in-mold laminate antennas are generally described herein. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09160057B2

An unsymmetrical dipole antenna includes a grounding element, a radiating element, and a feed-in wire. The grounding element includes a first short side metal plane and a first long side metal plane. The radiating element includes a second short side metal plane and a second long side metal plane. The feed-in wire includes a metal wire, coupled to the second short side metal plane for transmitting a feed-in signal; an insulation layer, covering the metal wire; a metal weave, covering the insulation layer, having one terminal coupled to the first short side metal plane of the grounding element, and another terminal coupled to a system ground of the wireless communication device; and a protective layer, covering the metal weave. A size of the grounding element and a size of the radiating element are irrelative.
US09160054B2

A radio frequency (RF) identification tag including a substrate, a planar antenna, an RF chip, a plurality of signal conductors and a plurality of ground conductors is provided. The RF chip receives an RF signal from the planar antenna to generate an identification code. The signal conductors are coupled to the planar antenna. The ground conductors, interlaced on two opposite sides of the signal conductors, and the signal conductors are adjacent to each other and disposed on the substrate to form a coplanar waveguide structure which includes an impedance match portion and a transmission portion. The impedance match portion has an input end coupled to the signal conductors and a ground plane coupled to the ground conductors. The RF chip is disposed between the input end and the ground plane. The transmission portion is connected between the impedance match portion and the planar antenna.
US09160052B2

A Lange coupler comprises an unbroken peripheral ground conductor surrounding input, through, coupled and isolated conductor strips coupled to input, through, coupled and isolated ports of the Lange coupler respectively, wherein the peripheral ground conductor and input and through conductor strips are arranged on a first metal layer.
US09160047B2

The present invention is directed to a coupling apparatus for dividing a radio frequency (RF) transmitting signal and an RF receiving signal in a transceiver with a transmitting unit and a receiving unit sharing an antenna, comprising: a four-port circuit having ports 1-4; a through path formed between the port 1 and the port 2; a first signal input to the port 1 being coupled to the port 4; a second signal input to the port 2 being coupled to the port 3; an isolation path formed between the port 1 and the port 3 and between the port 2 and the port 4; an attenuator attenuating a signal output from the port 4; and wherein the RF transmitting signal is input to the port 1, the RF receiving signal is input to the port 2, and outputs of the port 3 are provided to the receiving unit.
US09160045B2

A reconfigurable bandpass filter including at least a tunable planar combline filter including varactor diodes arranged on a carrier board. For automatic calibration of adjustment of blocking voltage during operation, the reconfigurable bandpass filter includes a filter control offering an external abstracted interface. A memory is connected with the filter control. The memory stores calibration data. For approximating of the best possible filter characteristic, the filter control determines, based on memorized data, the best configuration of tuning voltages.The reconfigurable bandpass filter can be used in the field of secondary radar systems.
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