US09168705B2
A rotor blade and a method and a manufacturing mold for the production of a rotor blade for a wind turbine, which extends longitudinally in the operational state from a blade root area to the connection to a rotor hub of the wind turbine and which is divided into at least two segments for its production, wherein at least one subdivision is provided approximately transverse to its longitudinal extension between the blade root area and the blade tip. The method facilitates and shortens the production of the rotor blade, in particular for a series production and to still provide the completed rotor blade as a familiar uniform rotor blade. In the method, the at least two segments, preferably after they have been at least partially produced or partially produced mainly parallel in time, are interconnected in an integration device.
US09168697B2
An additive manufacturing system for printing three-dimensional parts, the system comprising a heatable chamber with a port, a print foundation, a print head configured to print a three-dimensional part onto the print foundation in a layer-by-layer manner along a printing axis, and a drive mechanism configured to index the print foundation along the printing axis such that, while the print head prints the three-dimensional part, the print foundation and at least a portion of the three-dimensional part pass through the port and out of the heated chamber.
US09168695B2
Disclosed is a biaxially stretched polyamide resin film which is a biaxially stretched film having a layer of a polyamide resin with caproamide as a repeating unit thereof and has an amount of the caprolactam monomer extracted from the biaxially stretched polyamide resin film of 0.1% by mass or less, and also disclosed is a packaging material including the biaxially stretched polyamide resin film.
US09168686B2
Apparatus 200 for forming a composite component is disclosed, the apparatus comprising: a deformable mold tool 204 that at least partially defines a mold cavity 212; an interface layer 222 formed on an external surface of the mold tool 204; and at least two peristaltic actuators 206, mounted to contact the interface layer 222 and to generate a peristaltic pressure wave in the mold tool 204. The peristaltic actuators comprise rollers 206, pistons 306 or bi-metallic blocks 406. A method of forming a composite component is also disclosed, the method employing a mold tool 204 that at least partially defines a mold cavity 212. The method comprises: placing reinforcing fibers into the mold cavity 212, forcing a matrix material into the mold cavity 212 through the reinforcing fibers, and generating a peristaltic pressure wave within the mold tool 204 during forcing of the matrix material into the mold cavity 212.
US09168684B2
The present invention relates to a method of making an elastomeric skin (1) wherein droplets of at least one first skin forming composition (2) are applied onto a mould surface to form a layer of the first skin forming composition thereon and wherein one or more second skin forming compositions (4) are applied at least partially onto the back of the layer of said first skin forming composition (2) to produce the skin (1). In order to obtain a special visual appearance when using of differently colored first and second skin forming materials, or in order to reduce the effect of the first skin forming composition (2) on the overall physical properties of the skin (1), the droplets of the first skin forming composition (2) are applied onto the mould surface and are allowed to coalesce to form a non-continuous layer of the first skin forming composition which comprises a plurality of gaps (3). The second skin forming compositions (4) are applied not only on the back of the first skin forming composition (2) but also in these gaps (3). The first skin forming composition preferably forms islands on the mould surface which are interconnected by means of the second skin forming compositions.
US09168682B2
A medium supply apparatus includes: a storage part storing, in advance, information indicating a relation between a change in the amount of medium supplied by a medium drive part and a change in a frequency obtained by conversion in an inverter in accordance with a pipe resistance in a state that an electric motor is operated in a given condition; a frequency detection part detecting the frequency of the inverter in a case that the electric motor is operated in the given condition; a medium amount calculation part, on the basis of the frequency detected by the frequency detection part and the information stored in the storage part, calculating the amount of medium to be supplied by the medium drive part; a setup part setting up a necessary amount for the medium; and a frequency control part, on the basis of the necessary amount of medium set up by the setup part, the detected frequency, and the calculated medium amount, controlling the frequency to be obtained by conversion in the inverter.
US09168672B2
A knife with disposable inserts. Either (1) a front side of the knife body has a cutting edge, the front side of the insert is removably mounted to a rear side of the knife body, and either (A) a rear side of the insert has a cutting edge, or (B) the rear side of the insert has a blunt face that forms a rear side of the knife; or (2) a rear side of the knife body has a blunt face that forms the rear side of the knife, the rear side of the insert is removably mounted to the front side of the knife body, and the front side of the insert has a cutting edge.
US09168670B2
An electric power tool (100) includes a power source (102) enclosed in a casing (104). The power source (102) is a brushless DC motor (202) which drives a drive mechanism (106) for a cutting device. Further, an oil pump is at least partly housed in the casing (104) of the electric power tool (100). The oil pump is also driven by the brushless DC motor (202).
US09168668B2
A device for assisting in cutting of a fiber texture layer wound on an impregnation mandrel of a winding machine, the device including two positioning stops each configured to be positioned on a respective side plate of the impregnation mandrel, and a plate forming a cutting jig that is configured to be positioned on the fiber texture layer that is to be cut in register with the protective film, the plate including a slot extending in position between the side plates of the impregnation mandrel and serving to guide a cutting tool.
US09168658B2
A panel pickup and placing method includes providing a liquid crystal panel, a machine table, a panel pickup device, and a vacuum suction device; coupling the panel pickup device and the vacuum suction device together; moving the panel pickup device to have the vacuum suction device engaging a surface of the liquid crystal panel; the vacuum suction device sucking and adhering to the liquid crystal panel; moving the panel pickup device to have the vacuum suction device lifting the liquid crystal panel for transfer to the machine table; the vacuum suction device releasing the liquid crystal panel; and moving the panel pickup device to have the vacuum suction device departing from the liquid crystal panel in order to position the liquid crystal panel on the machine table. The combined panel pickup device includes a panel pickup device and a vacuum suction device mounted to the panel pickup device.
US09168652B2
A hand-held power tool has a housing including at least two separate and interconnected housing parts, wherein one housing part forms a handle housing for holding and guiding the hand-held power tool. The handle housing includes a handle and a fastening component. The fastening component is connected to the other housing part and to the handle, and a vibration reduction element is arranged between the fastening component and the handle.
US09168643B2
A driving rotation tool includes a socket base, a socket clearance hole inside the socket base and surrounded by three first gripping surfaces, three second gripping surfaces and six third gripping surfaces for development of edge planes around the socket clearance hole wherein the third gripping surface is located between the first gripping surface and the second gripping surface for circular permutation of first gripping surface, third gripping surface and second gripping surface. The first gripping surface is a cambered surface. The second gripping surface is an angled surface consisting of two adjoining planes which form an obtuse angle. As such, the tool facilitates not only normally driving a nut or a bolt head but also screwing or unscrewing the nut or the bolt head with edges or corners worn out or damaged and further promotes overall convenience, practicability and market competitiveness.
US09168635B2
An abrasive blasting system includes an air subsystem being adapted to provide pressurized air, a fluid subsystem being adapted to provide fluid, a mixer being adapted to mix the fluid with the pressurized air, and a media subsystem being adapted to provide abrasive media. The method includes pressurizing the air, mixing the fluid with the air, thereby changing the relative humidity of the air, and blasting a surface of a structure with abrasive media mixed with the fluid and the pressurized air.
US09168634B1
A system for impacting a flow of fluid onto a wire, a bundle of wires, coil of wires and/or cables or other electrical/electronic materials/components that are oriented in a tangle or loose coils etc., and having one or more outer covering materials, and methodology of its use to remove the one or more outer coverings.
US09168633B2
A milling and grinding device, for machining a workpiece, includes a rack, a positioning tool, a spindle, a tool magazine, a milling cutter, a grinding wheel, and a controller. The rack defines a receiving chamber, and includes a workstation at a bottom of the receiving chamber. The positioning tool is mounted on the workstation to position the workpiece. The milling cutter and the grinding wheel are received in the tool magazine. The milling cutter is capable of milling the workpiece to form a hole. The grinding wheel is capable of grinding the hole of the workpiece. The controller is mounted on the rack, and capable of controlling the spindle to receive the milling cutter or the grinding wheel from the tool magazine, to mill or grind the workpiece. The tool setting gauge is mounted on the workstation, and capable of sharpening the grinding wheel in a different grinding precision.
US09168630B2
A method of controlling polishing includes receiving user input through a graphical user interface selecting a function, the function including at least one parameter that can be varied, polishing a substrate, monitoring a substrate during polishing with an in-situ monitoring system, generating a sequence of values from measurements from the in-situ monitoring system, fitting the function to the sequence of values, the fitting including determining a value of the at least one parameter that provides a best fit of the function to the sequence of values, determining a projected time at which the function equals a target value, and determining at least one of a polishing endpoint or an adjustment for a polishing rate based on the projected time.
US09168621B2
A pin clamp for clamping a workpiece includes a housing and a locating pin extending through the housing and having a longitudinal axis. The locating pin is sized to be positioned within an opening of the workpiece. A finger is positioned adjacent to the locating pin and movable in a transverse direction relative to the longitudinal axis to retain the workpiece on the locating pin. A linear actuator is configured to move the locating pin in opposite directions along the longitudinal axis. A locking arrangement is carried by the housing. A sequence cam is connected with the linear actuator in a manner allowing axial movement of the linear actuator to be converted into transverse movement of the sequence cam. The sequence cam includes an engagement surface which engages the locking arrangement to lock the locating pin and the finger against the workpiece upon retraction of the linear actuator.
US09168620B2
A lens module assembling device includes a platform, a deformable support member, a deformable limiting unit and a gas blowing device. The platform includes a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the platform includes a receiving recess configured for receiving the deformable support member. The platform includes a bottom surface defines a plurality of through holes. The through holes through the bottom surface and the second surface. The deformable support member is placed on the bottom surface in a way such that the through holes are exposed. The deformable limiting unit is arranged on the first surface. The deformable limiting unit defines a limiting hole limiting the lens barrel in the recess. The gas blowing device is arranged below the second surface of the platform and configured for blowing gas to the lens module through the through holes.
US09168611B2
The laser cutting method for cutting a pair of plate materials, each of which has a different thickness and melting point, by irradiating them with a laser is provided with a plate material placement process for placing the pair of plate materials side by side so that, out of the pair of plate materials, an opposite surface of a laser irradiated surface of a plate material with a lower melting point protrudes more than an opposite surface of a laser irradiated surface of a plate material with a higher melting point, a focus adjustment process for aligning a focus position of the laser with an undersurface opposite the laser irradiated surface of the plate material with a higher melting point out of the pair of plate materials, and a plate material cutting process for cutting the pair of plate materials through irradiation with the laser according to a series of operations while sustaining a focus position of the laser to the pair of plate materials.
US09168606B2
A system and method for repairing a metal substrate includes an electrospark device and an electrode removably supported in the electrode holder. The electrospark device applies a coating of a material when placed into contact with the metal substrate. A cooling device to lowers the temperature of shielding gas flow below an ambient temperature. A conduit is arranged to direct a flow of the shielding gas to the interface of the electrode and the substrate to cool the area of the substrate receiving the coating.
US09168605B2
A soldering assembly comprises a heater, a lock member, and a bias member. The lock member is moveable relative to the heater, includes a ramp feature, and is configured to receive a tip or a tip holder. The bias member is configured to urge movement of the lock member away from a distal segment of the heater.
US09168600B2
A surface shaping rasp for use in removing material to shape or smooth a substrate such as an animal's hoof. The rasp has a plurality of blades spaced sufficiently apart to provide relatively rigid surface yet providing enough open space to allow passage of removed material and placed in a holding frame. The rasp is especially useful for smoothing rough and irregularly shaped surfaces such as after trimming an animal's hoof.
US09168598B2
A power saw arrangement includes a saw blade, a base, a table and a supplemental support. The base defines a support surface and includes first and second stops. The table is movably coupled to the base and rotates about a table axis. The handle extends from the table and is movable relative to the base between first and second positions. In the first and second positions, the handle engages the first and second stops, respectively. A handle space is defined by movement of the handle between the first and second stops. The supplemental support does not provide the first or second stop. The supplemental support is movably coupled to the base and is moveable between extended and retracted positions. In the extended and retracted positions, the supplemental support is positioned within and without the handle space, respectively.
US09168597B2
Provided is a table saw assembly including a base portion, a saw blade opening, a saw assembly and a first leg assembly. The base portion includes a base work piece support surface which defines a support plane. The base portion includes a lower surface opposite the base work piece support surface. The saw blade opening is defined in the base work piece support surface. The saw assembly includes a saw blade which is positionable to extend upwardly through the saw blade opening. The first leg assembly includes a first foot portion. The first leg assembly is pivotable between a first position and a second position. In the first position, the first foot portion is positioned lower than the lower surface of the base portion. In the second position, the first foot portion is positioned above the lower surface of the base portion.
US09168596B2
A blade guard for a circular saw blade. The blade guard includes at least two pieces coupled together. The blade guard also includes at least one bottom plate having a slot formed therein for accommodating the circular saw blade and at least one top cover. Additionally, the blade guard includes a plurality of fastening rods for coupling the bottom plate with the top cover, the plurality of fastening rods further configured to secure the at least two pieces to the at least one bottom plate and the at least one top cover.
US09168595B2
The invention relates to a tool for the outside milling or for the rotary broaching of tools that rotate about the longitudinal axis thereof during machining. A disk-shaped tool carrier includes peripherally arranged cutting inserts or cartridges having cutting inserts. According to the invention, the cutting inserts or the cartridges are arranged on a ring-shaped or partially ring-shaped, segment-shaped carrier that is removably fastened to a machine spindle either directly or indirectly by an adapter.
US09168589B2
A quadrangular indexable drill insert includes: a top surface, a bottom surface, a side surface adjoining the top and bottom surfaces from four sides of the insert, four cutting edges configured at the intersection of the side surface and the top surface, and a screw hole disposed at the center of the insert. Each cutting edge includes: a first part edge; a second part edge extending from the first part edge; a third part edge extends away from a reference axis, a nose portion adjoins the first part edge with the third part edge of a succeeding cutting edge and a transitional edge joining the second and third part edges. The transitional part edge forms an angle of about 10° to about 90° with respect to the reference axis and forms a convex curve with the second part edge and a concave curve with the third part edge.
US09168586B2
Stopper rod having an elongate body with an inlet at an upper first end and an outlet at a lower second end. The second end of the body defines a nose for insertion into a tundish outlet. A continuous axial bore extends through the body from the inlet in the first end to the outlet in the second end. A restrictor having an inlet, an outlet and a passageway therebetween is positioned in the axial bore such that the inlet of the restrictor is closer to the first end than the second end. A gas supply conduit is arranged to supply gas into the axial bore above the inlet of the restrictor.
US09168581B2
A method of riveting two metal parts through a hole with an electro-hydraulic riveting tool. The electro-hydraulic riveting tool includes a tube that is inserted in the hole and an electrode that is inserted within the tube. A liquid is contained within the tube and the electrode is immersed in the liquid. A stored charge is discharged through the electrode to create a shockwave within the fluid that forms the tube into a rivet structure and creates solid state weld between the rivet flanges and the parts that are joined.
US09168577B2
A bending machine for helically bending an elongated workpiece (T) has at least three bending rollers (2) that, being rotatable integrally with respective supporting shafts (3) with parallel axes (y), co-operate in bending the elongated workpiece (T). Each bending roller (2) is arranged to shift along its own supporting shaft (3) by way of a prismatic coupling for a limited stroke and to swing with respect to the axis of the supporting shaft (3) by way of a partially spherical body (8) forming a rotary coupling with the supporting shaft (3) in a limited amount of angular displacement according to an arc of meridian of the partially spherical body (8), so that each bending roller (2) is orientated coplanar to the elongated workpiece (T) that takes an inclined position on the basis of a desired helix pitch.
US09168561B2
An apparatus for manufacturing a molded product, which has a highly homogeneous thin film, at low cost by operating an injection molding machine and a film forming device at a high rate of operation is provided. A molded product formed by an injection molding machine is conveyed to a temporary stage by a first conveying device. The molded products corresponding to several times of an injection molding step are pooled on the temporary stage by the repetition of an injection molding step. A second conveying device collectively conveys all the molded products, which are pooled on the temporary stage, to a film forming device. Films are formed on the molded products by the film forming device, and the molded products are conveyed to the outside by a third conveying device. The injection molding step is continuously performed while a film forming step is performed.
US09168559B2
A facility suitable for coating the inside of a pipe element with a mortar that comprises a transport device (32) for feeding dry matter of the mortar that includes a transport chamber (48) and a transport member (54) for transporting the dry matter arranged in the transport chamber, the transport chamber being provided with a dry matter inlet (50) and a dry matter outlet (52); a mixing and projection device (34) for mixing the dry matter with liquid matter to obtain the mortar having a mixing member (82) and a mixing chamber (74) wherein the mixing chamber has a dry matter inlet (76) fed by the dry matter outlet (52), a liquid matter inlet (78) and a mortar outlet (80).
US09168555B2
Ultrasonic nozzle devices without a central channel but employing a design of cascaded multiple Fourier horns in resonance produce micrometer-sized monodisperse or narrowly-sized droplets with greatly reduced electrical drive power requirements. The liquid to be atomized is brought externally to or adjacent to the endface of the nozzle tip. The above liquid transport method is equally applicable to the ultrasonic nozzle-array devices that are made up of a plurality of ultrasonic single-nozzle devices configured in parallel. The longitudinal length, transverse width, shape, and area of the nozzle endface of single-nozzle and nozzle-array devices may be tailored or designed (e.g. enlarged) to obtain optimum or large quantities of product droplets to achieve high throughput. By increasing the drive frequency to 8 MHz or higher, sub-micrometer-sized monodisperse or narrowly-sized droplets can be produced using the ultrasonic single-nozzle and nozzle-array devices or any solid endface.
US09168548B2
A liquid dispensing device for a trash container spray system may be provided. In accordance with at least one embodiment, the liquid dispensing device is activated upon the trash receptacle being lifted and placed back on the ground, moving a piston and actuator component of the liquid dispensing device from a first to second position, back to the first position, and providing the force needed to spray the liquid compound into the interior of the trash receptacle. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a manually activated pump feature may be provided for spraying a liquid compound into the interior of a trash receptacle via the liquid dispensing device. In accordance with at least one embodiment, a float valve feature may be provided for spraying the liquid compound into the interior of the trash receptacle via the liquid dispensing device.
US09168539B2
Apparatus and methods for applying liquid onto a substrate include a nozzle configured to be connected to a liquid source. The nozzle further includes a distribution passage with a length that can receive the liquid. A piston is positioned in the distribution passage and a slit-shaped nozzle opening is in fluid communication with the distribution passage. The piston is movable in the distribution passage so as to vary the length that can receive the liquid. The nozzle opening communicates with the distribution passage via a plurality of spaced apart outlet channels having respective outlet ends. The outlet channels are formed between first and second nozzle pieces each having a tip portion at the outlet ends. At least one of the first or second nozzle pieces is flexible at the tip such that the outlet ends open when under positive fluid pressure and close when the fluid pressure is reduced. An application valve is coupled to the nozzle for selectively interrupting or enabling a flow of liquid to the distribution passage.
US09168526B2
A hinged cap for engaging a housing of a diagnostic device comprises a central body; two arms extending from opposing sides of one end of said central body, said arms being substantially parallel; each of said arms comprising a cap hinge member for engaging a housing hinge member on said housing, wherein said cap hinge member and said housing hinge member define a hinge axis around which said cap is pivotable between an open and a closed position with respect to said housing.
US09168521B2
A microfluidic device includes a first microchannel, a second microchannel, and a valve comprising at least an input port and an output port, the ports respectively connected to the first microchannel and the second microchannel, the valve designed to control a flow of a liquid along a flow direction (z) defined by the ports; wherein the valve further comprises one or more walls joining the ports and defining a hollow chamber that is wider than each of the microchannels in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction, the walls at least partly deformable along a deformation direction (−y) intersecting the flow direction, such that the walls can be given at least a first deformation state and a second deformation state, such that the liquid can be pulled along the flow direction substantially more in the second deformation state than in the first deformation state.
US09168516B2
A solvothermal synthesis process of the SAPO molecular sieves and catalysts prepared thereby are provided. The synthesis process comprises the following steps: a) an organic amine, an aluminum source, a phosphorus source, a silicon source, and water are mixed in a molar ratio of 6-30:1:0.5-5:0.01-1.0:0.1-15, to obtain an initial mixture for preparing the SAPO molecular sieves, wherein the molar ratio of water to the organic amine is less than 2.0; b) the initial mixture obtained in the step a) is maintained at 30-60° C. to and aged with stirring for not more than 24 hours, to obtain an initial gel; c) the initial gel obtain in the step b) is crystallized at 150-250° C. for 0.5-15 days. The SAPO molecular sieves prepared thereby are used, after being calcined at 400-700° C. in air, as catalysts for acid-catalyzed reactions or for conversion reactions of oxygen-containing compounds to olefins.
US09168513B2
The present invention relates to a process for process for the preparation of a zeolitic material which process comprises (i) providing a boron-containing zeolitic material and (ii) deboronating the boron-containing zeolitic material by treating the boron-containing zeolitic material with a liquid solvent system thereby obtaining a deboronated zeolitic material, which liquid solvent system does not contain an inorganic or organic acid, or a salt thereof.
US09168506B2
An additive for hydroconversion processes includes a solid organic material having a particle size of between about 0.1 and about 2,000 μm, a bulk density of between about 500 and about 2,000 kg/m3, a skeletal density of between about 1,000 and about 2,000 kg/m3 and a humidity of between 0 and about 5 wt %. Methods for preparation and use of the additive are also provided. By the use of the additive of the present invention, the hydroconversion process can be performed at high conversion level.
US09168499B1
An arrangement for removing entrained catalyst particulates from a gas may include a pressure vessel, a filter assembly, and a dip leg. The pressure vessel may contain a fluidized bed of catalyst particulates suspended in the gas. Some of the gas and entrained catalyst particulates may be directed to the filter assembly where the entrained catalyst particulates are filtered from the gas by a filter medium. The catalyst particulates pass generally tangentially along a feed side of the filter medium, where they scour the feed side of the filter medium, and then pass into the dip tube which guides the catalyst particulates away from the filter medium.
US09168475B2
The invention is separator for separating a fluid flow of gas with droplets (G, L), comprising an inlet (10) for the gas to be separated to a rotor (4) with a mesh (5) for coalescing the droplets (L) and releasing coalesced liquid (L′) from a peripheral part (50) of the rotor (4). Novel features of the separator is that—the mesh (5) generally forms an axial passage for said gas (G) from the inlet (10), through said rotor (4), to an outlet (20) for liquid depleted gas (G′), and—the rotor (4) with the mesh (5) is arranged for transporting the coalesced liquid (L′) laterally out of the axial passage to a wall (6) arranged for receiving the coalesced liquid (L′).
US09168474B2
The inertial particle separator with heat exchange is a system for separating particulate matter from a mixture of fluid and particles, such as, for example, oil mixtures, natural gas mixtures, or combinations thereof. A rotating pipe first receives the mixture and imparts a tangential velocity thereto. A first heat exchanger is in thermal communication with the rotating pipe for decreasing the temperature of the mixture. An inlet of a convergent-divergent nozzle is connected to an outlet of the rotating pipe for receiving the mixture. The convergent-divergent nozzle accelerates the mixture to a supersonic axial velocity. The accelerated mixture flows into a temperature-controlled pipe which is in thermal communication with a second heat exchanger for further decreasing the temperature of the mixture. The mixture then flows into a concentric diffuser, such that the particulate matter of the mixture is separated from the fluid of the mixture under centrifugal force acting thereon.
US09168467B1
The invention relates to cryogenic technology, namely, to devices for obtaining components of gas mixtures by rectification method, particularly, neon isotopes. The device comprises housed in jackets rectification columns, forming connected in series head and N−1 consecutively installed sections, containing contact spaces, whose upper areas are connected with condensers, whose inner surfaces contact with the mixture to be separated in the rectification columns, and outer surfaces—with the cooling medium, which, through gas recuperative heat exchangers, are connected by the line of the working body return flow to the compressor and the working body separator with the connecting pipe of the gas phase, condensers are grouped into blocks of condensers in sections which have common cavities of the cooling medium and, at least, one of N installed sections consists of groups of nj (j=1 . . . N) rectification columns connected in parallel.
US09168466B2
A grid of pipes for conducting steam at a pressure greater than a vessels' operating pressure and delivering the steam throughout the grid forms the internals for a tailings solvent recovery unit. The delivery of steam throughout the grid aids in maintaining a relatively low partial pressure throughout the vessel to act as a driver for mass transfer. Conducting the steam at the higher pressure through the pipes in the grid permits a surface of the pipes to be heated to a temperature higher than possible in a conventional vessel, increasing the heat transfer to the feed stream which flows through the grid.
US09168459B1
One aspect of the disclosure relates to dynamically altering an in-game experience based on a user's connection to the online game. The online game may monitor connection strength of a device of the user to a network via which the user may access the online game. The online game may dynamically alter the user's experience based on the connection strength of the device. The online game may make available or remove the availability of one or more modes of game play to the user based on the connection strength of the users device.
US09168446B2
A protective padding assembly for covering a section of chain link fence of the character found in sports venues, such as baseball fields, soccer fields, football fields and the like, wherein the section of chain link fence includes a hingeably connected swinging gate. The protective padding assembly uniquely includes a fence covering section, a gate covering section and an intermediate, wedge shaped portion for covering the gate hinges in a manner that will not interfere with opening and closing the gate.
US09168444B2
A first embodiment of the invention presented herein describes a miniature golf game that has three components, a putting green, a tee base, and obstacles. The putting base comprised of a tee platform, a tee and bumps representing obstacles. The putting green has one or more depressions simulating sand trap hazards and/or water hazards and a rotatable disk having hole simulating a golf cup, the center of hole positioned away from the center of the rotatable disk By positioning the putting green in various orientations relative to the tee base, orienting the tee base in various positions relative the putting green, placing the obstacles in various positions between the putting green and the tee base, and finally rotating the rotatable disk relative to the putting position so the hole from the putting green, a virtually infinite number layouts may be created. Other embodiments are presented.
US09168432B2
A golf club head including a face portion defining a loft plane, a rear portion opposite to the face portion, a heel portion, a toe portion opposite to the heel portion, a crown portion having a crown surface extending between the face portion, the rear portion, the heel portion and the toe portion, a sole portion opposite to the crown portion and having a sole surface extending between the face portion, the rear portion, the heel portion and the toe portion, and a leading edge portion between the face portion and the crown portion, the leading edge portion defining a leading edge plane forming a leading edge angle with the loft plane; and a plurality of crown turbulators disposed on the crown surface, each crown turbulator having a front portion defining a portion of the crown turbulator being closest to the face portion, the front portion of at least one of the plurality of crown turbulators being at least partly located on the leading edge portion and between the leading edge plane and the rear portion, but not extending beyond the leading edge plane.
US09168428B2
A hollow golf club head incorporating a stress reducing feature including at least one sole located stress reducing feature located at least partially on the sole. The location and size of the sole stress reducing feature, and their relationship to one another and other club head engineering variables, play a significant role in selectively influencing deflection and performance of the face.
US09168425B2
The present invention discloses a mesh racket and its manufacturing method, comprising a handle (1), a frame (2) and a string (3), wherein the handle (1) is fixed to one end of the frame (2) along the horizontal direction of the frame (2), a plurality of holes (4) are arranged on the side wall of the frame (2) for installing the string (3), characterized in that the string (3) includes the first string set (301), the second string set (302) and the third string set (303) composed by a number of parallel strings respectively, wherein the said mesh holes formed by each string set are triangular. Such a mesh racket not only features the better face performance, but also the firmer triangular mesh holes. Therefore, it is not easily deformed, thereby reducing the string changeover frequency and maintenance costs.
US09168415B2
A foldable treadmill includes a base for running or walking, a frame set pivotally connected with the base, and a folding mechanism for folding the frame set. The folding mechanism has a control assembly and a sliding rod connected with the frame set and capable of being locked or released by the control assembly. When the control assembly locks the sliding rod at a first position, the frame set cannot be rotated, and when the control assembly releases the sliding rod, the frame set can be rotated to a storage position thus pulling the sliding rod to a second position.
US09168404B2
A barrier system including a plurality of buoyant members, at least some of the plurality of buoyant members having a heat-resistant core, a median layer thrilled on an outer surface of the heat-resistant core, and an antistatic layer formed on an outer surface of the median layer, wherein at least some of the plurality buoyant members are configured for adhering to other buoyant members.
US09168399B2
A descent device according to embodiments of the present invention includes a housing; an inlet capstan; a drive wheel coupled to a centrifugal brake, the drive wheel rotatable with respect to the housing about an axis, the drive wheel including a groove formed along its outer perimeter, the groove having a first inner side wall, a second inner side wall, and a bottom, a distance between the first and second inner side walls decreases from the outer perimeter to the bottom in a direction toward the axis, wherein at least a portion of a radial extent of the inner side walls includes a pattern of protrusions positioned between inner side walls to form an irregular rope path along the groove; an outlet capstan; and a rope extending through the rope inlet, around the inlet capstan, around the drive wheel, around the outlet capstan, and through the rope outlet.
US09168397B2
A powdery composition C1 contains for 100% of the mass: 5 to 70 mass % and more particularly 10 to 50 mass % of at least one compound of formula (I): R—O-(G)x-H, wherein R is a linear saturated aliphatic radical including 12 to 22 carbon atoms, G is the remainder of a reducing sugar selected from the group including glucose, xylose and arabinose, and x is a decimal number greater than or equal to 1 and lower than or equal to 10; 95 to 30 mass % and more particularly 90 to 50 mass % of one or more alcohols of formula (II): R′—OH, wherein R′ is a linear saturated aliphatic radical including 12 to 22 carbon atoms identical to or different from R as defined in formula (I), wherein at least 90 vol % of the particles have a diameter lower than or equal to 250 micrometers, more particularly a diameter lower than or equal to 150 micrometers.
US09168395B2
Hair treatment agents include selected aminofunctional silicones and a selected cationic keratin hydrolysate.
US09168392B1
An imaging system apparatus and method of use thereof is described in combination with a co-movable charged particle beamline apparatus element, such as one or more elements held and dynamically positioned by a gantry, where the method and apparatus are optionally elements of a positively charged particle cancer therapy system. In one embodiment, an X-ray imaging element is rigidly and semi-permanently attached to and co-moved with a proton directing element. For example, as the gantry relocates one or more elements of a proton beamline arc, the X-ray beam is mechanically forced to co-relocate with the proton directing element and/or the final proton beam path.
US09168389B2
Systems and methods for the activation of species and/or the delivery of species to a target environment using harmonic generation materials are generally described.
US09168386B2
A notebook, laptop computer, tablet PC (personal computer) or desktop computer having an automated external defibrillator (AED) capability, and methods of utilizing the notebook, laptop computer or tablet PC (personal computer) defibrillator to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest. A notebook, laptop computer or tablet PC (personal computer) having the technology to enable each to be used as an automated external defibrillator (AED). Methods and apparatuses for implementing the common notebook, laptop computer, tablet PC, common cell phone and the common personal digital assistant (PDA) as an automated external defibrillator (AED).
US09168372B2
A method and system are provided for removing, from an implant chamber of a heart, a leadless implantable medical device (LIMD) having a distal end and a proximal end. The distal end is configured to be actively secured to tissue in the implant chamber of the heart. The proximal end is configured to be coupled to a distal end of an indwelling retrieval mechanism (IRM). The IRM extends from the heart along a vessel, the IRM having a proximal end configured to be anchored at a temporary anchor site. The method comprises detaching the IRM from the anchor site, loading a retrieval tool over the proximal end of the IRM and along the body of the IRM. The retrieval tool has a lumen therein that receives the IRM as the retrieval tool re-enters the vessel, thereby allowing the retrieval tool to engage the LIMD.
US09168369B2
A device for brain stimulation includes a lead having a longitudinal surface and a distal end. The lead includes a longitudinal rail disposed within the distal end of the lead. The longitudinal rail includes at least two prongs, each prong being configured and arranged to receive at least one segmented electrode. The lead further includes a plurality of segmented electrodes disposed along the longitudinal surface of the lead near the distal end of the lead. Each of the plurality of segmented electrodes is coupled to one of the at least two prongs of the rail.
US09168363B2
Implantable device or the treatment of hydrocephalus in a patient, comprising movement means designed to move the cerebrospinal fluid in the patient's skull to control the intracranial pressure; an assembly consisting of a rotary volumetric micropump; a catheter connected at one extremity to the micropump; and a bag fitted at the other extremity of the catheter and designed to contract and expand, wherein said assembly is filled with a given volume of a service fluid which remains constant over time, and wherein electronic monitoring and control means are designed to process the values (Pmis), as detected by a sensor of the instant pressure of cerebrospinal fluid and to generate a corresponding control signal which in turn drives the micropump and consequently controls the contraction and expansion of the bag so that the amplitude of the variable component of the intracranial pressure due to the cardiac cycle is minimized.
US09168362B2
A drug eluting angioplasty balloon (1, 101) suitable to adopt a deployed configuration and a collapsed configuration, the balloon having an outer wall (10) disposed around a core (11) defining an axis (X). The balloon (1, 101) comprising in the collapsed configuration a plurality of folds (12, 12′, 112) that are laid in a tangential direction about the core (11) and form a plurality of cavities (13a, 13b, 113) loaded with a drug (14), the cavities (13a, 13b, 113) are comprised between the folds (12, 12′, 112), wherein the folds (12, 12′, 112) originates from distinct longitudinal lines (25, 25′, 125, 125′) along the outer wall (10), are arranged in pairs and are circumferentially wrapped about the core (11) in such a way that a fold of one pair overlaps an adjacent fold of another pair and are wrapped in opposite directions.
US09168360B2
A balloon catheter assembly for delivering nano-carriers to bifurcation lesions in one or more of a main branch and a side branch of a blood vessel bifurcation within 30 to 90 seconds is provided. The balloon catheter assembly includes two or more balloons designed for use in the blood vessel bifurcation. The balloon catheter assembly may also include one or more stents. A surface of one or more of the two or more balloons is coated with the nano-carriers. Stents, when included, may also be coated with the nano-carriers. The nano-carriers include one or more drugs encapsulated with one or more biological agents.
US09168359B2
In accordance with the present invention there is provided exemplary embodiments of an introducer sheath in accordance with the present invention, wherein the introducer sheath of the present invention is formed of multiple components which are resiliently assembled to form a single introducer sheath. One embodiment of the introducer sheath includes a hub, a retaining member and an elongated tubular member. The hub has a lumen that has a groove. The elongated tubular member has a proximal end that includes a flared portion. The distal end of the retaining member is configured to be received in the groove formed in the lumen of the hub. The distal end of the retaining member contacts the flared portion of the tubular member when distal end of the retaining member is disposed in the groove such that the tubular member is retained within the lumen of the hub in a sealed engagement.
US09168345B2
A breathing device for placing on a tracheostoma of a patient comprising a cylindrical housing, an annular housing support, a flexible flat part with sealing and adhesive functions, a filter or a speech valve, and a cover plate. The housing comprises, in the wall thereof, recesses for introducing and extracting inhaled air, and on the proximal opening thereof, an outer edge comprises at least three edge segments which are on the outer wall and at least three edge recesses. Holding rods support the filter on the proximal opening, the housing support comprises an annular flange having at least three inner wall support projections and an annular outer wall base. The support projections have a receiving area, the housing support supports the housing with the filter or speech valve into which the edge segment can be introduced in a precise manner into the support projections.
US09168339B2
In an injection device a rotary indicator element (20) indexes angularly between a pre-firing position to an injection complete position to create a visual and audible/tactile signal as the drive plunger (28) arrives at or near its fired position. The indicator element (20) has a saw tooth profile which co-operates with respective abutments (34, 40) on the plunger and a housing part of the device to control and energise indicator movement.
US09168330B2
A wound therapy device is disclosed. The wound therapy device may include a housing for covering at least a portion of a wound and for sealing to a body surface of a patient. The housing may also include a liquid collector for retaining liquid therein and a vacuum connection for coupling to a vacuum source. The vacuum connection may be in gaseous communication with the liquid collector. The vacuum connection may be separated from the liquid collector by a liquid barrier.
US09168328B2
A solid freeform fabrication method of creating a three-dimensional article built at least in part from scaffolding layers, the method includes providing a scaffolding material, providing a supporting material in a shape of a foamy layer, and contacting the scaffolding material with the foamy layer to form at least one scaffolding layer and thereby creating the three dimensional article.
US09168327B2
A composition includes bone and collagen, wherein the collagen has been acid treated, and cross-linked via dehydrothermal treatment or by a cross-linking agent (e.g., a citric acid derivative) under a compressive force of at least approximately 40 MPa.
US09168324B2
The present invention provides novel polyurethane-based wound dressing foams, obtained by foaming and curing silane-terminated polyurethanes.
US09168319B2
An apparatus and procedure for efficiently sterilizing waste material or products. The apparatus includes a reactor in the form of a cylindrical container housing two cylindrical tubes, a larger first tube and a smaller second tube. A first helical blade extends inwardly from the inner surface of the second tube, and a second helical blade bridges the outer surface of the second tube to the inner surface of the first tube. As the set of tubes is rotated in unison, material flows in one direction within the second tube and in the opposite direction in the space between the tubes. This axially compact design allows non stop introduction and extraction of waste, efficient use of heat energy, provided by steam injected into the reactor through a steam port, and allows for material to be input into and extracted from the device both at one end of the reactor.
US09168315B1
A diagnostic monitoring system and method is employed for one or more vapor compression systems such as air conditioners and heat pumps having a compressor, an indoor air handler fan coil and an outdoor condensor. Temperature, voltage and current sensors are provided at the outdoor condensor to determine that at least one vapor compression system is operating properly. Data obtained from the sensors is wirelessly transmitted to a receiving-device for use by the systems' custodian or repair service provider and includes information concerning an occurrence of periods when one or more of the vapor compression systems are operating at an abnormal state.
US09168290B2
Disclosed are compositions and methods for decreasing the viscosity and/or cohesiveness of and/or increasing the liquefaction of excessively or abnormally viscous or cohesive mucus or sputum. The composition contains a protein or peptide containing a thioredoxin monocysteinic active site in a reduced state and optionally further contains a reducing system.
US09168284B2
The present invention relates to the biological and pharmacological effects of placental protein 13 (PP-13), an effect that may be used as a treatment and/or prevention of preeclampsia and placental insufficiencies, in pregnant female mammals, especially pregnant women. The invention relates to a method to treat female mammals with the purpose to precondition the uterine arteries and prevent and/or reverse the pathological conditions associated with placental insufficiency such as preeclampsia, HELLP and/or eclampsia.
US09168280B1
A botanical composition made from a plurality of plant materials selected from Gota Kola (Centella asiatica), Turmeric Root (Curcuma longa), White Willow (Salix alba), Rosehips (Rosa canina), Hibiscus (Hibiscus sabdariffa), Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis), and Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus), or phytochemicals or extracts or oils derived from the plant materials has beneficial application in addressing retinopathy and recurring peripheral neuropathy. The botanical composition can include a number of additional agents such as antioxidants, benfotiamine, thiamine (vitamin B1), and lipoic acid.
US09168278B2
The invention relates to the use of one or more cannabinoids in the manufacture of medicaments for use in the treatment of diseases and conditions benefiting from neutral antagonism of the CB, cannabinoid receptor. Preferably the cannabinoid is tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV). Preferably the diseases and conditions to be treated are taken from the group: obesity, schizophrenia, epilepsy, cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer's, bone disorders, bulimia, obesity associated with type II diabetes (non-insulin dependant diabetes) and in the treatment of drug, alcohol and nicotine abuse or dependency.
US09168277B2
Described herein is a process for producing nutraceutical compositions that includes fermenting a species of Monascus in the presence of one or more co-products produced during corn ethanol fermentation, milo ethanol fermentation, or a combination thereof. During fermentation, the Monascus species produces valuable nutraceuticals that have numerous health benefits. In one aspect, the nutraceutical composition containing the microbial cells and nutraceuticals is then processed directly into animal feed in order to improve animal health. The processes and compositions described herein represent significant savings of time and materials and optionally make use of co-products of biofuel production. In other aspects, one or more nutraceuticals can be extracted from the nutraceutical composition and used to improve human health in pharmaceutical applications.
US09168276B2
The present invention relates to formulations containing extracts of Vaccinium myrtillus or other species rich in anthocyanosides, Punica granatum, Echinacea, and optionally Krameria triandra. Said formulations are useful in the treatment of disorders of the mouth and its adnexa, the throat and respiratory tract, and in the treatment of influenza.
US09168272B2
A bioactive glass composition comprising one or more glasses comprising Si02, P205 and a fluoride, the Si02 content being less than 40 mole %, the P205 content being at least 4 mole %, and the fluoride content being greater than 1 mole %. The bioactive glass or glass-ceramic can be used in a number of medical applications, including dental applications such as toothpaste.
US09168270B2
There is provided a granular material comprising (i) at least 50% by weight based on the weight of the granular material of solid water-insoluble mixed metal compound capable of binding phosphate of formula (I): MII1-xMIIIx(OH)2An-y.ZH2O (I) where MII is at least one of magnesium, calcium, lanthanum and cerium; MIII is at least iron(III); An- is at least one n-valent anion; x=Σny; 0
US09168264B2
The present invention relates generally to benign gynecological diseases and in particular to a method and compositions for reducing heavy menstruation associated with said gynecological diseases following treatment with vascular occlusion methods or thermal related treatment methods.
US09168251B2
The present disclosure relates to a method of providing prolonged analgesia to a mammal in need thereof. Specifically, the current disclosure is directed to a method of treating pain in a mammal for a prolonged period of time using a single high dose of a buprenorphine formulation.
US09168244B2
A method for a therapeutic treatment of filariasis includes administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a compound of the general formula (1) or at least one of racemates, enantiomers, diastereomers, solvates, hydrates, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and esters of general formula (1), wherein, R is selected from the group comprising n-propyl, n-butyl, and at least one of structural elements (2a), (2b), (3a), (3b), (4), (5), (6a), (6b), (7a), and (7b):
US09168242B2
The present disclosure provides compositions and methods for alleviating inflammatory-associated diseases and conditions. These methods include administering individual and/or a mixture of multiple flavans isolated from a single or multiple Acacia genus of plants. The present disclosure also includes methods for isolating and purifying from an Acacia genus of plants a composition of flavans having dual specificity for cyclooxygenase (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) enzymes.
US09168240B2
The present invention provides food compositions and methods for companion animals that are effective in preventing or treating obesity.
US09168235B2
An aqueous patch containing diclofenac sodium, wherein the patch contains a homogeneous mixed solution of diclofenac sodium, wherein the solution is obtained by mixing crotamiton, diclofenac sodium and water in the mixture ratio of crotamiton/diclofenac sodium of 8.0 or less and the mixture ratio of (water+crotamiton)/diclofenac sodium of 3.0-20.0.
US09168233B2
Provided herein are compositions for the treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), and methods of application and use thereof. In particular, the present invention provides treatment and/or prevention of cardiovascular disease with compounds that inhibit the production of TMA in the gut, such as 3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol (DMB) or other compounds represented by Formula I or as shown in FIGS. 20-23.
US09168220B2
An eye cream comprises the following components: 2-16 parts of pearl, 0.2-2 parts of borax, 10-28 parts of VE, 0.005-0.05 parts of muscone, 0.2-3 parts of borneol, 30-90 parts of eye circles 338Y324 and 0.05-2 parts of zinc carbonate hydroxide in weight. The eye cream has good effects of increasing moisture, continuously locking water, inhibiting melanin, increasing the skin brightness and the skin texture.
US09168219B2
Provided are compositions comprising an extract of Paulownia tomentosa wood and methods of use thereof.
US09168218B2
Disclosed are cosmetic compositions and methods for making up keratinous tissue using the compositions, as well as methods of making the compositions. The compositions contain a photoluminescent polymer (PLP) which is an oligomeric polyester synthesized from a multifunctional monomer and a diol, and which has grafted thereon an amino acid or an amino acid derivative. The compositions achieve a colorizing and/or UV-protectant effect when applied to keratinous tissue.
US09168207B2
Provided are compositions comprising an extract of Paulownia tomentosa wood and methods of use thereof.
US09168204B2
A teat unit has a teat, a securing device for securing the teat on a liquid container, and an air valve, the securing device having a first securing part and a second securing part. The air valve has a first valve part, which is arranged in the first securing part, and a second valve part, which is arranged in the first or in the second securing part. The air valve opens and closes with respect to the second securing part. The valve is preferably a diaphragm valve, and the first valve part is a valve diaphragm. This teat unit functions very reliably even at very small pressure differences between the bottle and the environment. Moreover, the range of function of the various teat units of the same type is relatively narrow, such that different teat units function very similarly and the air valves are actuated at similar pressure differences.
US09168196B2
A massage device comprises a body having a body-contacting head adjacent one end and a handle adjacent the other end, the body shaped to permit the user to reach the back of his/her body with the head when the handle is at the user's front or side; and having a rest pivot extending from the body and terminating at a distal end in a support-contacting face, the rest pivot being positioned so that when the device is between a support surface and the user with the head in contact with the user's body and the handle positioned for contact by the user's hand, (a) the user's bodyweight stabilizes the rest pivot against sliding movement on the support and (b) any pivoting force about the rest pivot applied by the user's hand to the handle is substantially less than the force exerted against the user's body by the head.
US09168192B2
A pillow for the treatment and/or prevention of cranial deformities in babies and infants, of the type comprising a depression to receive the head, the depression comprising a curved inclined portion located around an opening, which is closed off by a supporting portion for the head of the baby or infant, located at an intermediate height in the pillow, in which the supporting portion comprises a deformable material and the inclined portion forms an angle of more than 130° with the supporting portion in the area where the inclined portion and the supporting portion merge.
US09168187B2
The present invention provides a fastening strap for disposable absorbing articles comprising a fabric backing and a hook strap on which a plurality of hooks are formed for releasably engaging loops on a loop strap of the disposable absorbing articles, wherein the hook strap is secured directly to the fabric backing by means of fusion bonding to form patterns on the fastening strap to thereby producing a fastening strap for disposable absorbing articles in a more simple process without using any adhesive. A method for manufacturing this fastening strap and a disposable absorbing article including this fastening strap are also provided.
US09168185B2
An absorbent article including a temperature sensor, and at least one temperature change material arranged such that it is capable of affecting a temperature change due to a supply of excrement, and such that said temperature sensor is capable of being responsive to said affected temperature change. Also disclosed is a system for detecting a supply of excrement into an absorbent article, the system including an absorbent article being arranged to generate an output signal representative of the temperature, and a processing unit adapted to process an output signal generated by the temperature sensor. The processing unit is adapted to determine a change of temperature, wherein said change of temperature is affected by the temperature change material, and to detect a supply of excrement into the absorbent article based on the change of temperature.
US09168178B2
An energy delivery system for controlling blood loss is provided. The system includes an energy-activated patch configured for placement on tissue. The patch includes an energy-delivering layer configured to deliver energy to the tissue. The system also includes an energy source in operative engagement with the energy-activated patch for energizing the energy-delivering layer.
US09168169B2
An elongated male condom is constructed with a basic latex sheath, and least partially covered by a sponge-like material for moisture absorption. The sponge-like material is covered by a smooth latex layer having multiple apertures for moisture migration.
US09168166B2
An inventive ankle-foot orthosis which transfers a portion of a wearer's weight normally applied to a wearer's foot and ankle to a wearer's calf thereby removing weight bearing stress from the wearer's foot and ankle.
US09168162B2
A repair device includes a first elongate member, a second elongate member, and a seal member. The first elongate member includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and defines a lumen therebetween. The second elongate member includes a proximal end portion and a distal end portion and is movably disposed within the lumen. The distal end portion of the second elongate member is configured to puncture an endoluminal stent graft disposed within an artery of a patient and to be inserted, at least partially, into an aneurysm sac. The seal member is releasably coupled to the distal end portion of the first elongate member. The seal member is configured to be coupled to the endoluminal stent graft to seal an opening formed by the distal end portion of the second elongate member.
US09168157B2
The sealing sheath is for use with a prosthetic socket and associated liner. The sealing sheath includes a textile tube for surrounding at least a portion of a liner that is configured to wear on a residual limb. An annular seal, e.g. an elastomeric or silicone seal, is positioned adjacent a proximal end of the textile tube and continuously extends from an inside of the textile tube configured to be adjacent the liner, through the textile tube to an outside thereof configured to be adjacent an inside of the prosthetic socket. The annular seal may include a first wing on an inside of the textile tube configured to be adjacent the liner, a second wing on an outside of the textile tube configured to be adjacent an inside of the prosthetic socket, and a base connecting lower ends of the first and second wings to define a v-shaped cross-section of the annular seal.
US09168156B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a trial coupler system for use in preparing a patient for an implant. Certain embodiments provide a system including a coupling device (20) and a trial component interface (40) that allows a trial stem (100) to be offset in relation to the respective trial components at an orientation that matches the geometry of the patient. Once the precise positioning is obtained, the trial coupler device (10) can be locked while on the patient's bone so the assembly can be removed without disturbing the desired orientation.
US09168146B2
This invention improves upon prior art total disc replacements (TDRs) by more closely replicating the kinematics of a natural disc. The preferred embodiments feature two or more fixed centers of rotation (CORs) and an optional variable COR (VCOR) as the artificial disk replacement (ADR) translates from a fixed posterior COR that lies posterior to the COR of the TDR to facilitate normal disc motion. The use of two or more CORs allows more flexion and more extension than permitted by the facet joints and the artificial facet (AF). AF joint-like components may also be incorporated into the design to restrict excessive translation, rotation, and/or lateral bending.
US09168141B2
Disclosed are medical prosthetic device or medical implants which exhibit improved biocompatibility. The devices or implants include a metal material, e.g., titanium, in which the metal surfaces are coated with a corresponding hydride material that contains one or more biomolecule substance. The biomolecule substance may contain one or more biologically active molecules, e.g., bio-adhesives, biopolymers, blood proteins, enzymes, extracellular matrix proteins, extracellular matrix biomolecules, growth factors and hormones, peptide hormones, deoxyribonucleic acids, ribonucleic acids, receptors, inhibitors, drugs, biologically active anions and cations; vitamins; adenosine monophosphate (AMP), adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or adenosine triphosphate (ATP), marker biomolecules, amino acids, fatty acids, nucleotides (RNA and DNA bases), or sugars.
US09168137B2
Aortic regurgitation can be treating by implanting in the aortic annulus a transvalvular intraannular band. The band has a first end, a first anchoring portion located proximate the first end, a second end, a second anchoring portion located proximate the second end, and a central portion. The central portion is positioned so that it extends transversely across a coaptive edge formed by the closure of the aortic valve leaflets. The band may be implanted via translumenal access or via thoracotomy.
US09168136B2
A method for delivering and implanting a prosthetic heart valve in a native aortic valve is provided. The method comprises advancing the prosthetic heart valve through a patient's vasculature while the prosthetic heart valve is coupled to a mechanical deployment mechanism along a distal end portion of a catheter shaft. The prosthetic heart valve is permitted to self-expand from a contracted configuration to an initial expanded configuration. The mechanical deployment mechanism is then actuated via an operating handle to further expand the prosthetic heart valve to a fully expanded configuration while equilibrating the rate of the expansion of the proximal and distal ends of the prosthetic heart valve. The prosthetic heart valve is locked in the fully expanded configuration via a mechanical locking device disposed on the prosthetic heart valve.
US09168126B2
A tapered sleeve is provided for implant delivery. An implant (e.g., a pre-filled silicone breast implant) is introduced into a large proximal end of the sleeve and extruded into a surgical pocket of minimal access incision size through a small-sized distal end of the device. Sized appropriately to the implant, the sleeve remains intact during implant run-through of the sleeve.
US09168119B2
Systems and surgical methods and procedures for performing transvaginal apical suspension are provided.
US09168118B2
The present invention relates to an implantable attachment device comprising an elongate element which is tubular flexible and hollow delimiting an internal volume comprising a tightening loop, having a first circumference in the inactive position, formed by the portion of said tubular element in said internal volume between intake and outlet openings distant by a length. The device comprises blocking means of said portion in the internal volume of said elongate element, which can be deactivated under the effect of manual traction exerted on the first or second end of said elongate element, said traction enabling the sliding of said elongate element between said orifices and correlatively the formation of the tightening loop having a second circumference in the active position, the second circumference being less than the first circumference.
US09168109B2
A mold for producing a coping used in a dental implant includes a male component having a protrusion and a female screw forming part. The mold further includes a female component having a recess and a male screw forming part having a different rotation direction from that of the female screw forming part. A cavity for producing the coping is formed by combining the male and female components. Since the mold includes a male component having a female screw forming part, and a female component having a male screw forming part with a different rotation direction than the female screw forming part, a produced coping may be easily separated from the male and female components.
US09168108B2
A dispensing device with at least one container for the accommodation of components to be dispensed, with an applicator that can be releasably fixed to and/or on the at least one container and with a coupling means for releasable fixing of the applicator to at least one container. The coupling means may include at least one spring arm which has a radially pivotable free end for locking the applicator in place on at least one container and may further comprise a moveable locking ring.
US09168105B2
A device for locating an operational unit within a patient's body within the framework of a minimally-invasive surgery intervention includes a shaft having a distal end carrying an operational unit. The device includes an illuminator located at the distal end of the shaft. The illuminator is selectively adjustable to provide a selectively variable lighting field in correspondence with the operational unit. The device may be, for example, a delivery system for a heart valve or a balloon device for post-dilation of such a heart valve once implanted.
US09168089B2
A control system for controlling the output of an electrosurgical generator is disclosed. The control system includes a control module configured to receive an optical signal from a surgical site, the optical signal being related to an optical tissue characteristic, the control module configured to process the optical signal using a closed loop control loop and provide continual control of the output of the electrosurgical generator in response to the optical tissue characteristic.
US09168085B2
A method is disclosed for delivering energy to a region of tissue within a patient's body using a medical treatment system. The medical treatment system comprises an energy delivery device coupled to an energy source. Energy is delivered through the energy delivery device positioned within the patient's body. An energy delivery parameter associated with the delivery of energy by the medical treatment system is monitored and if one or more values of the energy delivery parameter exceed a predetermined magnitude threshold, one or more errors are detected. The extent of the detected errors is determined or assessed and the delivery of energy is controlled if the extent of the errors detected exceeds a sensitivity threshold before the expiry of a predetermined time period.
US09168084B2
Disclosed herein is a distal end electrode assembly for use in connection with electrosurgical devices, particularly those adapted for the modification, sculpting, resection, removal, or vaporization of tissue, configured for coagulation, cauterization or hemostasis purposes, or utilized for thermal treatment of normal and tumorous tissues. In the context of the present invention, mechanical fastening means, epoxies and other high-temperature adhesives connecting electrode(s) to insulator(s) are replaced with brazed joints to yield electrosurgical devices capable of safely and reliably operating at high power densities and elevated temperatures without thermal failure of the bonds between the electrode and the insulator. The use of brazed joints further permits the construction of miniaturized, compact electrosurgical devices, of both monopolar and bipolar configurations, having utility in a number of divergent fields, from arthroscopy to otolaryngology to oncology, and applicable to both laparoscopic and open surgery techniques. Thus, active electrodes and electrosurgical devices of the present invention maximize efficiency, safety and reliability while minimizing manufacturing cost and device profile.
US09168083B2
A high-frequency surgical generator including a power supply for supplying rectified electrical energy, a power oscillator for supplying a potential-free, DC current-free and DC voltage-free high frequency voltage and a control device for controlling the high frequency voltage wherein the power supply is configured as a current source for supplying a load-independent output current, such that the load-independent output current of the power supply serves as the control variable for controlling the high-frequency voltage. The target value of the load-independent output current is pre-determined by the control device. The high-frequency surgical generators configured as such achieve improved modulation capability.
US09168079B2
A medical device comprising a shaft having a kink radius; a tube disposed within the shaft; a fluid source in fluid communication with the tube; an elongate member disposed within the tube, and the elongate member imparting a kink radius on the tube, the imparted kink radius of the tube being larger than the kink radius of the shaft.
US09168070B2
A growing spinal rod system is configured to grow in response to the growth of a patient. The growing spinal rod system includes a housing, a spacer, and a sliding spinal rod. The housing includes a stepped passage therethrough. The spacer is disposed within the stepped passage and defines a through hole. The spacer includes a plurality of ribs biased inwards and into the through hole. The sliding spinal rod is slidably inserted through the through hole of the spacer. The sliding spinal rod moves the plurality of ribs outwards. The plurality of ribs permits the sliding spinal rod to extend from the housing and inhibit the sliding spinal rod from retracting into the housing.
US09168069B2
A polyaxial bone screw assembly includes a threaded shank body having an integral upper portion receivable in an integral receiver, the receiver having an upper channel for receiving a longitudinal connecting member and a lower cavity cooperating with a lower opening. A down-loadable compression insert having a sub-structure, a down-loadable friction fit split retaining ring having inner and outer tangs and an up-loadable shank upper portion cooperate to provide for pop- or snap-on assembly of the shank with the receiver either prior to or after implantation of the shank into a vertebra. The shank and receiver once assembled cannot be disassembled.
US09168060B2
An introducer sheath and methods of making the introducer sheath are described. The introducer sheath may include a hub portion and a tubular portion. The hub portion may include a substantially non-planar valve portion in a relaxed state. The valve portion may include an aperture configured to receive a medical device. A hub portion may be formed using a forming device. An aperture may be formed through a distal surface of the valve portion.
US09168058B2
A laparoscopic scalpel includes a shaft and a recess disposed in a surface of the shaft proximal to a distal end of the shaft. A blade is attached to the shaft. The blade includes a cutting edge having a portion exposed by the recess and oriented outwardly from the recess. A proximal end of the portion of the cutting edge exposed by the recess is disposed further from the surface than is a distal end of the portion of the cutting edge exposed by the recess.
US09168057B2
A single use morcellator utilizes a disposable housing, cutting tube, battery and motor in combination with an attached and adjustable trocar to enable the surgeon to selectively utilize the cutting edge of the tube. The battery and control circuit are completely contained within the integral morcellator such that no separate components are needed.
US09168047B2
Systems and methods for minimally invasive discectomy procedures are described herein. The systems include a bendable flexible cannula may have a straight configuration suitable for insertion and withdrawal into spinal tissue, and a curved configuration suitable for accessing certain areas of a vertebral disc that may be difficult to reach in the straight configuration. A cannula is straightened by inserting a straight stylet therethrough. The straight stylet may have a deflectable region that facilitates its insertion into the cannula. Removal of a straight stylet from a cannula may allow the cannula to assume its curved configuration. The systems may be used with tissue removal devices, and certain variations of tissue removal devices may include a collector for aspiration, as well as a travel limiter to restrict inadvertent motions of the tissue removal devices within a vertebral structure.
US09168046B2
In order to improve a sliding shaft for a surgical sliding shaft instrument, wherein the sliding shaft defines a longitudinal direction and comprises a first shaft part and a second shaft part which are arranged such that they are displaceable relative to each other, wherein said first shaft part carries a first tool element and said second shaft part carries a second tool element, wherein the second shaft part has a cut material collector with an inlet opening which is bounded by the second tool part and extends therefrom in the proximal direction, such that the cut material collector can be emptied in a simple and rapid manner, it is proposed that the cut material collector should have at least one emptying opening which is formed on the proximal side of the inlet opening and that the at least one emptying opening should be open in a lateral emptying direction which is oriented perpendicularly or substantially perpendicularly with respect to the longitudinal direction and parallel or substantially parallel to a contact plane defined by a lower surface of the second shaft part.
US09168040B2
Apparatus and methods for applying fasteners during endoscopic surgery are provided. The apparatus generally comprises a handle portion, a triggering mechanism and a fastener applicator. One embodiment of the invention forms the fastener around a single focal point on an anvil. Another embodiment vertically stacks the fasteners in a fastener applicator which is readily detachable from the handle portion by virtue of a rotational locking system and which may be replaced with a new fastener applicator having a fresh load of vertically stacked fasteners. The various embodiments may be variously combined together in a single device. The methods generally include the following steps: forming a fastener by placing it over a single focal point anvil and pressing the fastener against the single focal point anvil using a slide.
US09168034B2
There is described a suture anchor with anchor members moveable as between a suture-unlocked configuration and suture-locked configuration. In one embodiment, the anchor members include an outer anchor member with features, e.g., flexible barbs, configured to secure the suture anchor in the suture-locked configuration to material proximate a pre-formed hole in bone material. The outer anchor member is also configured with a bore to receive suture material, and which is sized and shaped to receive an inner anchor member therein. The inner anchor member includes securing features such as projections that compress the suture material against the surface of the bore when the suture anchor is actuated from the suture-unlocked configuration to the suture-locked configuration.
US09168028B2
An assay device comprising a compartment adapted to receive a sealed removable cartridge, wherein said cartridge is adapted to contain a biologic sample and internally comprises two or more assay locations, wherein said cartridge is adapted to facilitate two or more assays of said biologic sample; and an actuator adapted to interface with said cartridge to transport said biologic sample towards at least one of said assay locations.
US09168025B2
An ultrasonic probe includes a substrate, a diaphragm, a thin-film piezoelectric element, a communication passage, and an air hole. The substrate has first and second cavities thereon. The diaphragm is configured at the first cavity. The thin-film piezoelectric element is configured to the diaphragms. The communicating passage is configured in the substrate and extending from the first cavity to the second cavity. The air hole extends between the communicating passage to an outside of the substrate.
US09168023B2
A method and apparatus for continuously measuring the absolute intracranial pressure in a non-invasive manner is described by using an ultrasonic Doppler device which detects the pulsatility indexes of the blood flow inside the eye artery for both intracranial and extracranial eye artery portions. The eye in which the blood flow is monitored is subjected to a small pressure, sufficient to equalize the pulsatility index measurements of the internal and external portions of the eye artery. The pressure at which such equalization occurs is used as a reference for autocalibration of the apparatus so that continuous absolute intracranial pressure measurements may be taken over a particular sampling period.
US09168019B2
An ultrasonic diagnostic device is characterized by being provided with a cooling mechanism for cooling an ultrasonic vibrator by circulating a refrigerant in a cable of an ultrasonic probe in which the ultrasonic vibrator is provided, a cooling abnormality detecting means for detecting the abnormal state of the cooling mechanism, and an operating means for, when the abnormal state of the cooling mechanism is detected by the cooling abnormality detecting means, performing a degraded operation in which the transmission/reception condition of the ultrasonic vibrator is changed according to the detected abnormal state.
US09168018B2
A method and system for electronically classifying a pre-processed heart sound signal of a patient as functional (normal) or pathological is provided. The pre-processed patient heart sound signal is segmentised and features are extracted therefrom (104) to build up a feature vector which is representative of the heart sound signal. The feature vector is then fed to a diagnostic decision support network (105) comprising a plurality of artificial neural networks, each relating to a known heart pathology, which is in turn used to conduct the classification.
US09168015B2
A method for attenuation correction of a plurality of time-gated PET images of a moving structure includes establishing an ACF matrix, based on a baseline MR image of the structure; developing a plurality of image transforms, each of the image transforms registering the baseline MR image to a respective cine MR image of the moving structure; applying each of the image transforms to the ACF matrix to generate a corresponding cine ACF matrix; time-correlating each of the cine MR images, and its corresponding cine ACF matrix, to one of the plurality of time-gated PET data sets; and producing from each of the time-gated PET data sets an attenuation-corrected time-gated PET image.
US09168013B2
The present invention relates to mammography. To provide breast density assessment with improved accuracy in the results, a method (100) is proposed for providing mammography information about an object of interest, the region of interest comprising a tissue structure, with the following steps: a) acquiring (110) first image data (112) with first image acquisition parameters (114), wherein the first image parameters are adapted to a first radiation spectrum of a dual energy mode; and wherein the first image acquisition is performed with a low X-ray dosage of a pre-scan; b) acquiring (116) second image data (118) with second image acquisition parameters (120), wherein the second image parameters are adapted to a second radiation spectrum of the dual energy mode, and wherein the second image acquisition is performed with a higher X-ray dosage than the first image acquisition, and wherein the second image acquisition is a Mammography scan; c) performing (122) a dual energy basis material decomposition (124) based on the first and second image data to generate decomposed basis material image data (126); and d) deriving (128) a density information (130) of the tissue structure of the region of interest from the decomposed basis material image data; and providing (132) the density information to a user.
US09168008B2
A CT system includes a rotatable gantry having an opening to receive an object to be scanned, the rotatable gantry having a detector mounting surface, an x-ray source attached to the gantry and configured to project an x-ray beam toward the object, a plurality of detector modules each mounted within one field-of-view (FOV) and mounted directly to the detector mounting surface of the rotatable gantry, a data acquisition system (DAS) configured to receive outputs from at least one of the plurality of detector modules, and a computer programmed to acquire projections of imaging data of the object from the DAS, and generate an image of the object using the imaging data.
US09168000B2
Devices and methods for detecting meal intake are disclosed herein. In some embodiments, one or more sensors can be used to detect or monitor physiological parameters of a user (e.g., heart rate, body movements, temperature, pH, impedance, gastric stretch, sound emissions, and the like). The outputs of the sensors can be received by a computer system configured to analyze the sensor data and make a determination as to whether meal intake has occurred or is presently occurring. The computer system's determination can be used to trigger, modulate, or otherwise control one or more therapeutic devices. Other types of devices can also be controlled using this determination, such as monitoring or logging devices.
US09167988B2
A magnetic resonance imaging apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment includes a memory, a specifying unit, and a display controller. The memory stores a corresponding color table representing correspondence relationships between T1 values of which value ranges with respect to each tissue are known and colors to be assigned to pixels with the T1 values. The specifying unit analyzes a T1-valued image and specifies colors to be assigned to each pixel on the basis of T1 values converted from pixel values of each pixel and the corresponding color table. The display controller displays on a display the image color-coded with the specified colors.
US09167981B2
Embodiments of the invention disclose an ECG device, an ECG signal processing method, an ECG lead signal generating circuit, an ECG signal generating method, another ECG device, another ECG signal processing method, and an ECG electrode assembly. The ECG device has an electrode assembly and an ECG lead signal generating circuit. The electrode assembly has three cardio enclosure electrodes for acquiring three cardio enclosure voltages, respectively. The ECG lead signal generating circuit has a first precordial lead generator. The first precordial lead generator is configured to generate a first modified precordial lead according to the three cardio enclosure voltages, wherein the three cardio enclosure voltages are sufficient for generating the first modified precordial lead.
US09167977B2
Systems, methods and devices are disclosed for directing and focusing signals to the brain for neuromodulation and for directing and focusing signals or other energy from the brain for measurement, heat transfer and imaging. An aperture in the skull and/or a channel device implantable in the skull can be used to facilitate direction and focusing. Treatment and diagnosis of multiple neurological conditions may be facilitated with the disclosed systems, methods and devices.
US09167976B2
Systems, methods and devices are disclosed for directing and focusing signals to the brain for neuromodulation and for directing and focusing signals or other energy from the brain for measurement, heat transfer and imaging. An aperture in the skull and/or a channel device implantable in the skull can be used to facilitate direction and focusing. Treatment and diagnosis of multiple neurological conditions may be facilitated with the disclosed systems, methods and devices.
US09167973B2
The portable sensor device is connected with the arterial pressure measurement catheter by way of a pressure hose. The electronic pressure sensor is accommodated in the sensor housing. The analog sensor signal is output to the patient monitor by way of a cable. Aside from the channel for the analog sensor signal, additional channels are provided for communication between sensor device and patient monitor. A bidirectional channel serves for writing to and querying the memory module, in which patient data, such as age, gender, height/weight, etc., can be stored. The three-way cock possesses the settings “M” (measurement operation) and “0” (calibration measurement), in which the contactor is brought into connection with the contact. The switching contact is transmitted to the patient monitor, which thereby automatically recognizes zeroing of the sensor.
US09167968B2
In a patient monitoring system (10), shorter interval physiological parameters and longer interval clinical data are collected from a monitored patient (12). A composite acuity score generator (70) generates or updates a composite acuity score indicative of wellbeing of the patient (12) based at least on the sensed physiological parameters and the longer interval data. A monitor (22, 56) displays current values of at least one of selected sensed physiological parameters, longer interval data, and the composite acuity score.
US09167964B2
An image data set acquired by an optical coherence tomography (OCT) system is corrected for effects due to motion of the sample. A first set of A-scans is acquired within a time short enough to avoid any significant motion of the sample. A second more extensive set of A-scans is acquired over an overlapping region on the sample. Significant sample motion may occur during acquisition of the second set. A-scans from the first set are matched with A-scans from the second set, based on similarity between the longitudinal optical scattering profiles they contain. Such matched pairs of A-scans are likely to correspond to the same region in the sample. Comparison of the OCT scanner coordinates that produced each A-scan in a matching pair, in conjunction with any shift in the longitudinal scattering profiles between the pair of A-scans, reveals the displacement of the sample between acquisition of the first and second A-scans in the pair. Estimates of the sample displacement are used to correct the transverse and longitudinal coordinates of the A-scans in the second set, to form a motion-corrected OCT data set.
US09167962B2
The claimed subject matter provides systems and/or methods that facilitate improving visualization associated with intubation. A dynamical articulating laryngoscope can include a handle assembly and a blade assembly. The blade assembly can further include a main blade assembly, a proximal blade assembly, and a distal blade assembly. A medium control articulation point can couple the main blade assembly and the proximal blade assembly, and a fine control articulation point can couple the distal blade assembly and the proximal blade assembly. Further, the proximal blade assembly can pivot relative to the main blade assembly around the medium control articulation point and/or the distal blade assembly can pivot relative to the proximal blade assembly around the fine control articulation point. Pivoting about the medium control articulation point and/or the fine control articulation point can be effectuated by one or more blade control components.
US09167959B1
Light is directed between the arms of a forceps to illuminate an area under debridement of foreign material with a color selected to enhance contrast of foreign material that needs to be removed. The light comes from a multicolor source such as an LED chip having RGBW dies and is transmitted by a light transmitting element such as an elongated waveguide or a light pipe to illuminate the area under examination. The color is selectable so as to obtain a color that has good contrast for the foreign material. The apparatus has a docking station to install the forceps so that it is properly located with respect to the illumination. A camera can be part of the apparatus to transmit imagery to a display.
US09167947B2
A mobile robot configured to travel across a residential floor or other surface while cleaning the surface with a cleaning pad and cleaning solvent is disclosed. The robot includes a controller for managing the movement of the robot as well as the treatment of the surface with a cleaning solvent. The movement of the robot can be characterized by a class of trajectories that achieve effective cleaning. The trajectories include sequences of steps that are repeated, the sequences including forward and backward motion and optional left and right motion along arcuate paths.
US09167941B2
A sheet product dispenser includes a housing having a front cover, a main controller, a motor, a dispensing mechanism, a maintenance switch, and an auxiliary feed push button. The motor, main controller and dispensing mechanism are configured to dispense a length of sheet product in response to a signal representative of a request for sheet product. The maintenance switch is internally disposed within the housing and accessible for actuation when the front cover is open, in operable communication with the main controller to facilitate operation of the motor when actuated. The auxiliary feed push button is disposed in operable communication with the maintenance switch, and is disposed to be accessible and actuatable when the cover is closed. The main controller is responsive to executable instructions to facilitate actuation of the motor in response to a signal from the maintenance switch when actuated by the auxiliary feed push button.
US09167940B2
A prefabricated shower bench for installation in a tiled shower includes an upper surface having a plurality of peripheral edges, and at least three sidewalls. Each sidewall has an upper edge and a lower edge. Each upper edge is connected along a corresponding peripheral edge of the upper surface. The lower edge of each sidewall terminates in a common plane. One sidewall includes a setback area along the entire lower edge which has a height greater than the height of a sidewall of a prefabricated shower module. The upper surface is horizontal or pitched downwards toward the shower module when the shower bench is installed adjacent to the sidewall of the shower module such that the sidewall of the shower module resides within the setback area, thereby preventing the weight of the shower bench from resting on the sidewall of the shower module.
US09167938B2
A food processor attachment assembly for a stand mixer includes a coupling hub adapted to be received in an attachment hub of the stand mixer. A gear housing includes a gearing mechanism disposed therein to translate an output drive from the attachment hub to the coupling hub to drive an output shaft along a vertical rotational axis. The output drive is accessible at a coupling portion for attaching to various food processing discs as housed within a top housing assembly. The output drive is further accessible for coupling to the food processing attachment at a lower coupling portion for powering food processing attachments within a bowl assembly.
US09167923B1
A pillow and a pillow cover are provided. The pillow and pillow cover include a cover layer defining an interior volume, the cover layer having a first side facing outward substantially in a first direction, a second side facing outward substantially in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, and a perimeter formed at a boundary of the first side and the second side. The cover layer includes a body portion, a first mesh portion and a second mesh portion formed separately and spaced apart from the first mesh portion. The pillow includes a filler material disposed in the interior volume. The interior volume is in fluid communication with the external atmosphere via the first and second mesh portions.
US09167919B2
A cover for a mattress includes a lateral panel for extending across the lateral surface of the mattress and a top panel for covering the top surface of the mattress. The top panel includes a breathable inner liner made of a non-woven material, a breathable outer shell covering the inner liner, and a silk floss fill retained between the inner liner and the outer shell. A mattress also includes the inner liner, outer shell and silk floss fill. A cover having an adjustment feature which includes a channel, an elongate elastic strip extending therein, a first connector and plurality of complementary second connectors disposed along the strip.
US09167917B2
An adjustable display brochure holder component comprising opposed spaced apart front and rear surfaces, opposed spaced apart first and second side surfaces and a supporting base surface. The rear surface is formed or oriented in a single plane and the rear surface includes a plurality of attachment points therein. Each one of the attachment points is located at or near side edge portions of the rear surface. Each of the attachment points is adapted to engage with a clip, thereby enabling the display brochure holder component to be clipped to, and secured with, an adjacent like display brochure holder component.
US09167908B1
The technology of the present application provides an adjustable bed having a stationary base and a shroud. The shroud may be provided in multiple pieces or a solitary strip of material. The shroud has a height sufficient to inhibit the view of the bottom of the adjustable bed. The shroud has either a plurality of protrusions or a plurality of receptacles. The stationary base conversely has a corresponding plurality of receptacles or a plurality of protrusions. The protrusions are sized to slidingly fit into the receptacles in a telescoping fashion. In one aspect, the shroud and stationary base have both protrusions and receptacles.
US09167905B2
A tray table that facilitates consumption of entertainment and various other media via a portable electronic device is disclosed herein. The tray table includes an inner tray secures the portable electronic device for hands free operation. One or more channels at the inner tray receive at least a portion of the portable electronic device. The inner tray is capable of rotating between an open and closed position, while the tray table itself may rotate between a stowed and service position.
US09167900B2
Seat furniture includes a frame which is adjustable such that the height and inclination of the seat supported by the frame can be easily and rapidly varied. The seat furniture includes a seat platform, which is supported by an adjustable frame, in which two pairs of legs are integrated, the height-adjustment devices of which have locking devices which are operated by operating elements located near the seat platform. When the front operating device is operated, the movable locking devices of the front pair of legs are released. The height of the front pair of legs can then be varied. The set of the corresponding rear elements functions in the same manner. Articulated hinges integrated in the frame permit each adjustment while the support area on the floor does not change. The adjustable frame is configured in such a way, in particular in regard to the rear legs and the frame braces, that a cavity remains for a stacking fit which is compatible with the shape and the dimensions of the seat platform and the other structural elements and the operating elements, and consequently several units can be stacked one on top of the other.
US09167897B2
A drawer slide having first and second rails interconnected by a center rail. The center rail includes a spool configured to provide half-speed travel of the center rail relative to the travel of the first rail. The drawer slide is configured for use with a drawer assembly having a drawer and a chassis. The drawer assembly further includes a radius limiter secured to the center rail. The radius limiter travels at half-speed relative to the drawer. The radius limiter also automatically rotates relative to the travel of the drawer. The chassis includes sides including threaded backing plates, and mounting brackets. The mounting brackets include tri-lobed holes for receipt of a reciprocally shaped washer and a fastener for mounting the brackets to the chassis sides.
US09167895B2
A utility storage rack comprises a wall mount, mountable to a generally vertical wall, and a storage bed, removably and pivotally coupleable to the wall mount. The storage bed includes at least two components that are adjustable relative to one another to adjust a length of the storage bed. At least one leg is pivotally coupled to the storage bed, the at least one leg being adjustable in length to allow a height or a grade of the storage bed to be adjusted. At least one locking key is removably coupleable with the storage bed, the at least one locking key being coupleable to the storage bed to lock the at least one leg in a downwardly extending orientation, and coupleable to the storage bed to lock the at least one leg in a rotated position, nestable against the storage bed.
US09167891B2
A protective brush cover is described for use with a makeup brush. In some versions, the protective brush cover comprises a body and a closing feature. In some versions the protective brush cover comprises a body, a lid, and a securing feature. In some versions, the body is operable to hold the head of a makeup brush, and the body may further have an opening such that the handle of the makeup brush may extend through the opening.
US09167890B2
An oral car implement (100) having a decorative member (150) recessed in a handle (120) of the oral care implement and having at least a portion thereof exposed via an aperture (140), and a method of forming the same. In one aspect, the invention can be an oral care implement (120) comprising: a handle having a longitudinal axis and a head (110) connected to the handle; the handle comprising a first transverse section (122) and a second transverse section (121), the first transverse section coupled to the second transverse section; a decorative member disposed between the first transverse section and the second transverse section; and an aperture extending through the first transverse section that exposes at least a portion of the decorative member.
US09167888B2
An oral care implement having a head with a soft tissue cleaner disposed on a second side thereof. In one embodiment, the invention can be an oral care implement comprising: a handle; a head attached to the handle and having a first side and a second side; a plurality of tooth cleaning elements attached to the first side of the head; and a soft tissue cleaner disposed on the second side of the head, the soft tissue cleaner including a first portion comprising a plurality of projections and a second portion comprising a plurality of bristles.
US09167883B2
A backcarrying including a carrying portion having a top, a bottom, a front, a rear and two sides. A strap arrangement can also be included for carrying the carrying portion as a backcarrying. The strap arrangement can have a pair of carrying straps. Each carrying strap can be secured to the carrying portion at about the bottom and extend upwardly along respective sides of the carrying portion, and redirected at about the top of said respective sides to extend around to the rear of the carrying portion, and being redirected at about the top of the rear to extend downwardly for securement at about the bottom of the carrying portion at the rear. The strap arrangement can redirect forces to support a load in the carrying portion from the sides of the carrying portion.
US09167881B2
A container system includes a bottle body having an inner cavity and a threaded rim, an inner housing compatible with the inner cavity, a layer of a sample of contents placed between the inner cavity of the bottle body and the inner housing, a receptacle removeably placed within the inner housing and storing contents, and a lid to form a seal with the bottle body, when attached to the threaded rim. There can also be a brush attached to the lid to dispense the contents. The contents are protected from degradation due to environmental exposure, while the layer still displays features of the contents. The receptacle has a first portion and a second portion. The portions have different shapes, but are made integral into a single cavity. The single cavity resists settling of the contents and facilitates stirring of the contents for actual use.
US09167876B2
A waterproofing case with a first case and a second case includes a non-annular groove that has a start point side and an end point side and is arranged in parallel by a barrier rib of a certain length, in one of annular bonding portions. The waterproofing case also includes a cutout portion provided at a middle portion of the barrier rib so as to allow a groove portion at the start point side and the end point side to communicate with each other and a plastic elastomer that is disposed within the non-annular groove by curing after being coated. Furthermore, the waterproofing case includes a protrusion that bisects an exposed portion of the plastic elastomer disposed within the non-annular groove toward opposite walls of the non-annular groove at bonding two cases, in other annular bonding portion of the first case and the second case.
US09167874B2
A system and method converts a mat between a first position and a second position. A perimeter of the mat may be weighted to maintain the mat in the first position wherein the mat is substantially flat in the first position. A rope may be provided that extends around the perimeter of the mat. The rope may be pulled to move the mat into the second position wherein the mat forms a bag in the second position. A locking mechanism may slide in a first direction on the rope to secure an opening formed by the mat in the second position.
US09167873B2
A cantilever parasol has a mast, two main arms proceeding laterally from the mast and coupled to each other in a scissors-type manner, and a linkage of bars for supporting a cover. A first main arm extends from an upper mast bearing through a slit in the cover to a vertical arm of the linkage of bars. At least one sealing structure is provided for sealing the slit in the cover.
US09167870B2
A touch-and-close fastener part (32) includes a functional layer forming a backing surface and formed from a thread system with at least two line elements (12a-12d, 14a-14c) forming meshes (16a-16b″, 20a-20a″) and connected to one another. At least one further individual functional layer, formed and/or formable with connecting elements (30, 30″), is formed from a further thread system incorporated at least in individual sections into the thread system. The thread systems are connected to one another with the formation of passage sites (24a-24d) whose free cross-sectional area takes up more than 20% of the corresponding backing area.
US09167869B2
Provided are, among other things, shoes and shoe components, together with systems, methods and techniques for manufacturing the same. One representative embodiment involves a shoe that includes: a sole having a main structure; a strap anchor that has attachment points and is at least partially embedded within the main structure; and a strap that is attached to and/or looped through one or more of such attachment points and that is configured for strapping the shoe to a wearer's foot. Also, in this embodiment, the strap anchor includes a number of strap anchor components attached in a unit, each such strap anchor component including a number of the attachment points and being at least partially embedded within the main structure.
US09167868B1
Provided are, among other things, shoes, portions of shoes and processes for manufacturing the same. According to one embodiment, a shoe includes: a sole comprised of a base material and a strap anchor, the strap anchor being stronger than the base material, including a number of attachment points on opposite sides of the shoe, and being at least partially embedded within the base material; and a strap that is attached to and/or looped through at least one of the attachment points and that is configured for strapping the shoe to a wearer's foot. According to another embodiment, a shoe includes: a sole comprised of a base material and a strap anchor, the strap anchor including a number of attachment points on opposite sides of the shoe, and the base material having been injection molded around the strap anchor; and a strap that is attached to and/or looped through at least one of the attachment points and that is configured for strapping the shoe to a wearer's foot.
US09167866B2
The present invention is directed toward a device, kit, and related method for an adhesive film for application to the sole of a shoe. More specifically, the film is easily attached to the shoe sole so that a user may decorate their shoe soles and continuously change the appearance of the soles of a single pair of shoes instead of purchasing multiple shoes of a variety of styles. It also serves as a shoe sole protector, as it covers the original sole protecting it from wear and abrasion. A cutting device to trim the film to size without trimming the shoe material is also contemplated.
US09167864B1
The present invention is footwear having a convex shaped outsole with opposing wedge shaped configurations in the bottom of the front sole section and the back sole section which provide rotation of the front sole section and the back sole section in opposite directions when weight is applied. The present invention is also footwear convex shaped in the longitudinal direction with a split sole having opposing wedge shaped configurations in the bottom of the front sole section and the back sole section that provide rotation of the front sole section and the back sole section in opposite directions when weight is applied. The invention further includes footwear having at least one pair of wedges on the outsole which provide footwear having improved arch support. The invention is also footwear with a flexible, elastic, member between the front sole section and the back sole section of the sole.
US09167860B2
The disclosure relates to a protective modular helmet with an integrated lighting system, for example for use by a rider/driver of a vehicle such as a snowmobile, a motorcycle, or an all-terrain vehicle. A light source is mounted at chin level in the helmet. A moveable chin bar covers or conceals the light source when lowered. When the chin bar is raised, the light source is exposed and can be used for illumination.
US09167859B2
Systems for mounting a helmet-mounted device to a helmet are disclosed. One such system comprises a frame configured to be movably coupled to the helmet, and an interconnect mechanism rotatably coupled to the frame. The interconnect mechanism is configured to receive the helmet-mounted device. The interconnect mechanism is rotatable relative to the frame between a use position for the helmet-mounted device and a stow position for the helmet-mounted device.
US09167857B2
Provided is a waist belt for automatically measuring a waist circumference. The waist belt includes a belt part (10) and a buckle part (20). The belt part has a plurality of magnets (11) attached thereto at a predetermined interval. The buckle part includes two or more magnetic field sensors sensing the plurality of magnets attached to the belt part, an operation processor processing and analyzing signals obtained by the magnetic field sensors, and a display displaying a measurement result of a waist circumference obtained by the operation processor.
US09167844B1
A product having an internal substance protected by a rugged exterior shell is disclosed. The internal substance is reactive with the exterior shell but is separated therefrom by a coating on an interior surface of the external shell so that the product can be stored for a long period of time without the internal substance reacting with the exterior shell. The coating is meltable so that, when desired, the product may be heated (e.g. immersed in hot water or exposed to heat) in order to melt the coating so that the internal substance can react with the external shell so that the internal substance can excrete out of the exterior shell.
US09167842B2
The invention concerns a functional food preparation based on milk/dairy products added with botanical products containing various active principles. The milk/dairy products, which can be obtained from fresh or pasteurized animal milk, soy milk or rice milk, comprise Saccharum officinarum containing polycosanols, Monascus purpureus containing plant statins, and Glycine max containing isoflavones and coenzymes. Further components can be added to the preparation to improve its organoleptic properties. The invention also refers to the use of the preparation as a food with functional features which are useful to stabilize the cholesterol and triglycerides amount, having an antioxidant action and protective of arteries and the cardiocirculatory system.
US09167834B2
Compositions of ruminant feed and feed components are disclosed, as well as methods for preparing oil seeds for ruminant feed. Oil seeds may be subjected to heat and an aqueous alkaline solution until the seed coat is broken, exhibiting splits, cracks, wrinkles, and deformations. Preferably, the heat is applied until the mix of seeds and alkaline solution reach between about 160-220° F. Preferably, the heat and alkaline solution treatment is maintained for between 20 and 100 minutes, in order to thoroughly “cook” the seeds, as exhibited by swelling, splitting, cracking, wrinkling and/or deforming of the seed coat. Then, the hot, wet, treated seeds may be subjected to, for example, a screw extruder or other process for mashing, macerating, or otherwise forming the treated seeds into a damp noodle or other pasty, mashed, and/or mealy material.
US09167825B2
A method is directed to producing liquid fermented milk, suppressing an increase in acidity and a decrease in pH over time during refrigerated storage, keeping a refreshing flavor (sour taste) originating from yogurt lactic acid bacteria for a long time, and suppressing production of an acid during storage to maintain good quality, without requiring heating after a fermentation step, use of a particular additive, and the like. The method for producing liquid fermented milk which uses a rod-shaped lactic acid bacteria and a coccus-shaped lactic acid bacteria as lactic acid bacteria to be added to a raw material for fermented milk, and which includes a homogenization step of obtaining the liquid fermented milk at a homogenization pressure of from 50 MPa to 100 MPa.
US09167812B2
Suggested are biocide compositions, comprising (a) 2-Furoic and/or Tetrahydro-2-furoic acid amides; (b) Biocides and optionally (c) Oil components or co-solvents and/or (d) Emulsifiers. The compositions show high solubility for biocides and improved emulsification properties.
US09167810B2
Compounds formed by combining a carboxylic acid herbicide with N—((C1-C16)alkyl or arylalkyl) tri((C1-C16)alkyl)ammonium hydroxide have herbicidal activity on an acid equivalent basis at least as active as the commercially used carboxylic acid herbicide salts, but are less volatile.
US09167800B2
In some aspects, an animal positioning system can include a positioning member positioned relative to a datum structure, the positioning member being configured to limit an available spacing along a floor surface between the positioning member and the datum structure, the positioning member being arranged at an angular bias away from the datum structure relative to a floor surface and being configured to permit unobstructed viewing of a body of an animal positioned in the available spacing.
US09167795B2
Non-dehiscent sesame (Sesamum indicum L.) (IND) designated Sesaco 38 (S38) is herein disclosed. Its degree of shatter resistance, or seed retention, makes S38 suitable for mechanized harvesting and for selection for sesame crop growth in most geographical locations.
US09167785B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV247671. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV247671, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV247671 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV247671 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV247671.
US09167784B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV442915. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV442915, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV442915 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV442915 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV442915.
US09167777B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH185329. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH185329, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH185329 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH185329.
US09167767B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the corn variety designated CV111461. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CV111461, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CV111461 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to corn seeds and plants produced by crossing plants of variety CV111461 with plants of another variety, such as another inbred line. The invention further relates to the inbred and hybrid genetic complements of plants of variety CV111461.
US09167761B2
The invention provides seed and plants of cucumber hybrid SV5479CN and the parent lines thereof. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of cucumber hybrid SV5479CN and the parent lines thereof, and to methods for producing a cucumber plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another cucumber plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US09167740B2
In one embodiment, an agricultural row unit for use with a towing frame hitched to a tractor includes an attachment frame adapted to be rigidly connected to the towing frame. A support member is pivotably coupled to the attachment frame to permit vertical pivoting movement of the support member relative to the attachment frame, and at least one furrow-closing device is mounted on the support member. A hydraulic cylinder is coupled to the support member for urging the row unit frame downwardly toward the soil. The hydraulic cylinder includes a movable ram extending into the cylinder, and a hydraulic-fluid cavity within the cylinder for receiving pressurized hydraulic fluid for urging the ram in a first direction that pivots the support member in a first vertical direction. An accumulator has a fluid chamber containing a pressurized gas for urging the ram in a second direction that pivots the support member in a second vertical direction.
US09173334B2
Machine and insolation method for panels for turning a panel and successively insolating its first and second faces. According to the invention, this machine comprises at least one first insolation station (10), and a panel turner (30), having a first face and a second face, the latter comprising a prehension device (53, 54), configured to grip a panel (90), a displacement device, configured to displace the prehension device at least between the first and second insolation stations (10, 20), and a pivoting device, configured to pivot the prehension device (53, 54) and in this way have the panel (90) pivot about a pivoting axis (A) parallel to said panel (90), the turner (30) being configured so that it can grip the panel (90) by any one of its faces and release the panel (90) also by any one of its faces.
US09173332B2
A lightweight radio/CD player for vehicular application includes a case and frontal interface formed of polymer based material molded to provide details to accept audio devices and radio receivers, as well as the circuit boards required for electrical control and display. The case and frontal interface are of composite structure, including an insert molded electrically conductive wire mesh screen that has been pre-formed to contour with the molding operation. The wire mesh provides shielding and grounding of the circuit boards via exposed wire mesh pads and adjacent ground clips. The PCB architecture is bifurcated into a first board carrying common circuit components in a surface mount configuration suitable for high volume production, and a second board carrying application specific circuit components in a wave soldered stick mount configuration.
US09173330B2
The present invention provides a back frame of flat panel display device, which includes at least two primary assembling pieces. The at least two primary assembling pieces are joined to form a main frame structure of the back frame. According to practical needs of the main frame structure, different materials are used for primary assembling pieces at different locations. The at least two primary assembling pieces are connection through mating and joining corresponding joint sections. The joint section of at least one of the primary assembling pieces includes a reinforcement structure. The present invention also provides a backlight system. The back frame and the backlight system of the present invention have a simple back frame structure, reduce the expenditure of the back frame mold, and also save the material used for back frame so as to lower down the cost of flat panel display device and also improve the strength of a joining site of the back frame in order to have the overall strength of the back frame meeting a required strength.
US09173320B2
In one embodiment of the present invention, a system selectively cools a set of at least one rack-mounted server in a chassis. The system comprises: a chassis; a chassis manager; a set of at least one thermal sensor coupled to each rack-mounted server in a chassis; a trolley track oriented functionally proximate to the multiple rack-mounted servers; and a cold air trolley movably mounted to the trolley track. The cold air trolley moves along the trolley track in order to be selectively oriented next to a particular overheating rack-mounted server in the chassis, thus providing a fluid conduit from a cold air source to the particular overheating rack-mounted server in response to the chassis manager detecting that the particular overheating rack-mounted server is exceeding a predetermined temperature.
US09173317B2
A USB flash disk includes a metal head with a cavity, a support received in the cavity and a USB flash disk chip disposed on the support. The support includes an upper support and a lower support. One end of the upper support is connected to an end of the lower support. The upper support and the lower support form a receiving cavity therebetween to receive the USB flash disk chip. The upper support is provided with a latching structure with an opening on an outer surface thereof. The opening is defined at one end of the upper support connected to the lower support. The latching structure includes an inclined block located in a middle portion thereof and a latching groove defined on the latching structure away from the end of the upper support connecting to the lower support. An inner wall of the cavity is provided with a latching block latched in the latching groove. The USB flash disk chip includes an integrated circuit packaged inside configured for storing, the USB flash disk chip is provided with a first set of metal contacts on a surface thereof compliant with the USB interface protocol. The users can independently choose the characteristics of each component of the USB flash disk and then complete the USB flash disk assembly according to their own preferences.
US09173311B2
A power supply apparatus for sliding structure includes a wiring harness having an exterior member wired from a fixed structure-side power supply device to the sliding structure side, the fixed structure-side power supply device including an outer member fixed to the fixed structure, an inner member supported to the outer member so as to rotate in a horizontal direction and configured to support one end portion of the exterior member, and a harness trajectory regulation wall configured to rotate integrally with the inner member. When the sliding structure is fully-opened, the harness trajectory regulation wall projects outward from the outer member in a thickness direction of the sliding structure, such that the exterior member arranged along the harness trajectory regulation wall is moved away from the fixed structure toward the sliding structure side, preventing interference between the exterior member and the fixed structure.
US09173310B2
A latch comprises a frame securable to a device enclosure, and a handle slidably secured to the frame, wherein the handle can slide between an inward position and an outward position, and wherein the distal end of the handle has a drive pin. The latch further comprises a rigid pawl having a latch key, a distal end pivotally secured to the frame, and a slot that receives the drive pin. Inserting the handle causes the drive pin to move within the slot, push the pawl toward a side of a chassis bay, and deploy the latch key into engagement with a slot in the side of the chassis bay. Withdrawing the handle causes the drive pin to move within the slot, pull the pawl away from a side of the chassis bay, and withdraw the latch key out of engagement with the slot in the side of the chassis bay.
US09173301B2
A wiring cover layer is formed on a base insulating layer with a conductor trace sandwiched therebetween. A cover insulating layer is formed on the base insulating layer to cover the wiring cover layer. A terminal cover layer is formed to cover a terminal portion of the conductor trace. A projection of the wiring cover layer projects from an upper surface of the wiring portion to a position above the terminal portion. An end surface of the projection is positioned inward from an end of the cover insulating layer. An insert portion of the terminal cover layer is formed between an upper surface of the terminal portion and a lower surface of the end of the cover insulating layer. A projection of the terminal cover layer is formed between the upper surface of the terminal portion and a lower surface of the projection of the wiring cover layer.
US09173296B2
An information processing apparatus is configured to compute the shape of a conductive pattern to be formed on a board by a drawing apparatus that performs drawing on the board using conductive liquid droplets. The information processing apparatus includes an image data generation unit configured to generate image data in which dots each having a diameter determined according to a drawing condition of a conductive pattern by the drawing apparatus are arranged at respective positions which are indicated by data of a conductive pattern and at which conductive liquid droplets are to be landed.
US09173294B2
A multilayer ceramic electronic component to be embedded in a board includes: a ceramic body including dielectric layers; first and second internal electrodes formed in the ceramic body; and first-polarity external electrodes connected to the first internal electrodes, and second-polarity external electrodes connected to the second internal electrodes, wherein the number of the first-polarity external electrodes and the number of the second-polarity external electrodes may be two or more, the first-polarity and second-polarity external electrodes may include first-polarity and second-polarity base electrodes and first-polarity and second-polarity terminal electrodes formed on the first-polarity and second-polarity base electrodes, respectively, when L denotes a length of the ceramic body and W denotes a width thereof, W/L≧0.6 may be satisfied, and a width BW of each of the first-polarity and second-polarity external electrodes formed on the first and second main surfaces of the ceramic body may satisfy 150 μm≦BW≦350 μm.
US09173291B2
The present invention relates to a circuit board. A circuit board in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention includes a base substrate; an interlayer insulating layer covering the base substrate; a via structure passing through at least the interlayer insulating layer of the base substrate and the interlayer insulating layer in the vertical direction; and an etch stop pattern disposed on the interlayer insulating layer in the horizontal direction to surround the via structure and made of an insulating material.
US09173286B2
A flexible circuit board for producing a flexible-rigid circuit board composite made of at least one flexible circuit board and at least one rigid circuit board, the at least one flexible circuit board having at least one first planar segment, which interacts as intended in the installed state with at least one second planar segment of the at least one rigid circuit board, wherein the at least one first planar segment comprises at least one flexible connecting element, which is elastically connected to a face of the at least one first planar segment. Furthermore, a flexible-rigid circuit board composite is provided having at least one flexible circuit board, a flexible-rigid circuit board arrangement, and a method and a device for producing a flexible-rigid circuit board composite.
US09173285B2
An input device includes a flexible base, a sensor member that is provided on the surface of the flexible base and can detect the operation position of a finger, connection portions that are provided on a back of the flexible base, a printed circuit board of which an area is smaller than the area of the flexible base and which includes terminal portions on the surface thereof facing the back, and an electronic component that is mounted on a surface of the printed circuit board opposite to the surface of the printed circuit board on which the terminal portions are provided and is electrically connected to the terminal portions. The flexible base and the printed circuit board are bonded to each other with an adhesion layer interposed therebetween so that the connection portions come into contact with the terminal portions.
US09173275B2
Provided is an alarm clock integrated with a lamp and a method for controlling an operation of a lamp by the same, and the alarm clock integrated with the lamp further includes a luminance sensor (181) and a sensor connection unit (182), the microcomputer (120) outputs a sensor operation control signal to a sensor connection unit (182) at a lamp operation time set by a lamp operation time setting unit (111), compares a current luminance value input from a luminance sensor (110) and an initial operation luminance value of a lamp (140) stored therein after a luminance sensor (181) is operated, and outputs a pulse control signal to the lamp current adjustment unit (150) so as to change an output of the lamp (140) so that a luminance value of the lamp (140) is changed to a set luminance value when the initial operation luminance value is smaller than the current luminance value.
US09173273B2
In order to control of dimming of solid state lighting devices (SSL) a driver circuit drives the SSL subject to an input voltage using a phase-cut dimmer. The driver circuit comprises a transistor operable in two modes, either alternating between on/off states or continuously controlling a current through the transistor. A power converter network provides a switched-mode power converter in conjunction with the transistor when operated in the first mode generating a drive voltage for the SSL. The control unit controls the transistor to selectively operate in one of the two modes; to control the transistor to determine that the input voltage exceeds an input voltage threshold; and to control a drive current through the SSL based on a measurement of a phase-cut angle thereby controlling an illumination level of the SSL device.
US09173272B2
An organic electroluminescent display device includes an organic electroluminescent display panel including top emission pixels to emit light toward a top side of a substrate and bottom emission pixels to emit light toward a bottom side of the substrate, the top emission pixels and the bottom emission pixels being formed such that corresponding ones thereof share a common transparent area, a scan driver for supplying a scan signal to scan lines each connected to selected ones of the top and bottom emission pixels, and a data driver for supplying a data voltage to data lines each connected to selected ones of the top and bottom emission pixels. The top emission pixels and the bottom emission pixels are formed on the substrate to alternate with each other on a pixel basis, on a scan line basis, or a data line basis.
US09173269B2
A lighting system for accenting a region of a target surface comprising a color matching engine, a plurality of light sources, a color capture device configured to measure light reflected by a target surface, and a computerized device configured to operate the plurality of light sources to emit an analysis light so as to be incident upon the target surface and identify a region of the target surface that reflects two or more wavelength ranges of light using a pattern recognition algorithm, defining a detected pattern having wavelength ranges. The color matching engine is configured to perform a matching operation that operates to determine dominant wavelength(s) of the wavelength ranges and polychromatic lights including or excluding dominant wavelength(s). The computerized device operates the light sources to emit a combined light being sequentially each of the polychromatic lights.
US09173266B2
An illumination apparatus includes a first light-emitting device, a second light-emitting device, and a third light-emitting device. The light emitted from the third light-emitting device is selectively mixed with the light emitted from the first light-emitting device or the second light-emitting device to form a white light having a chromaticity coordinate point substantially located on a Black Body Locus. A color of the light emitted from the third light-emitting device is determined by linear relationships between chromaticity coordinate points corresponding to wavelengths of the lights emitted form the first light-emitting device and the second light-emitting device and corresponding to a color temperature of the white light. A method for generating a white light is also disclosed herein.
US09173261B2
A single magnetic storage element is used to provide power to multiple lighting devices, which may be strings of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of different color. A switching circuit controls alternating application of energy among the multiple lighting devices and another switching circuit may charge the primary winding to different energy levels to control the intensity of the multiple lighting devices. In particular, the multiple lighting devices may be controlled to provide a desired color profile while dimming the lighting devices, while requiring only a single magnetic storage element for supplying energy to the lighting devices.
US09173258B2
A lighting apparatus includes an input power terminal, a light source element coupled to the input power terminal, and a current bleeder module that is connected to the input power terminal and is configured to draw a current from the input power terminal responsive to a phase cut input power signal received at the input power terminal during a first portion of a period of the phase cut input power signal and is configured as an open circuit so as not to draw current from the input power terminal during a second portion of the period of the phase cut input power signal.
US09173253B2
A method for RF dielectric heating an object having a variable weight including a medium is provided The method comprises: (A) placing the object having the variable weight including the medium into an enclosure; (B) adding an ionic substance to the medium; (C) initiating a heating process by subjecting the medium including the object to a variable AC electrical field; and (D) controlling the heating process. The method further comprises using an air flow having an ambient temperature, or being heated before getting into the enclosure, to carry away the evaporated medium from the enclosure.
US09173243B2
A wireless communication system is provided in which a relay station relays wireless communication between a base station and a mobile station. The relay station includes an acquiring unit and a notifying unit. The acquiring unit acquires, from the base station that retains information on the mobile station used for the wireless communication, identification information on the base station. The notifying unit notifies the mobile station of the identification information acquired by the acquiring unit. Furthermore, the mobile station includes a reconnecting unit. When connection with the relay station is released, the reconnecting unit performs a reconnection request with respect to the base station that is identified by the identification information that is notified by the relay station.
US09173237B2
A relay, a terminal, and a communication method of the same are provided. The terminal acting as a relay receives a message including scan duration information from a superordinate HR-BS, and the terminal transmits a message including the scan duration information to a subordinate HR-MS. The terminal receives an A-preamble from the superordinate HR-BS according to the scan duration information.
US09173234B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure relate to techniques for medium reservation in the case of multi-user (MU) communications. Multiple mechanisms are supported for protecting MU transmissions, wherein appropriate control messages can be exchanged between an access point and served user stations before transmitting downlink data packets.
US09173232B2
The present invention, relates to a method of a terminal transmitting/receiving data to/from first base stations for supporting a first radio access technology (RAT) and second base stations for supporting a second RAT in a wireless access system, includes performing a scanning process for at least one second base station; receiving a first message for reordering the scanning process for the at least one second base station after predetermined time; transmitting a first scanning report message indicating the result of the scanning process for the at least one second base station based on the first message; receiving a second message for ordering the connection with one second base station of the at least one second base station; performing a connecting process for the at least one second base station based on the second message; and simultaneously transmitting/receiving the data to/from the first base stations and the second base stations.
US09173225B2
Method and arrangement in a base station for scheduling physical resources in a transmission bandwidth to a user equipment served by the base station. The physical resources may be physical channels or radio resource blocks. Some physical resources within the transmission bandwidth are subjected to a performance requirement power restriction value. The method comprises scheduling physical resources based on the performance requirement power restriction value of the physical resources to be scheduled. Also, a method and arrangement in a user equipment for assisting a base station in scheduling physical resources in a transmission bandwidth to the user equipment is described.
US09173223B2
A method of transferring data in a wireless communication system is disclosed. A method of transferring data in a transmitting side of a wireless communication system includes checking whether at least one priority change condition is satisfied, changing a previously set priority of a plurality of upper layer channels if the at least one priority change condition is satisfied, and allocating radio resources of a lower layer channel to data of each of the plurality of upper layer channels in accordance with the changed priority.
US09173220B2
A wireless communication terminal apparatus wherein even when a SC-FDMA signal is divided into a plurality of clusters and the plurality of clusters are then mapped to respective discontinuous frequency bands (when C-SC-FDMA is used), the improvement effect of system throughput can be maintained, while the user throughput can be improved. In the apparatus, a DFT unit (210) subjects a symbol sequence of time domain to a DFT process, thereby generating signals of frequency domain. A setting unit (211) divides the signals input from the DFT unit (210) into a plurality of clusters according to a cluster pattern that is in accordance with an MCS set, an encoding size, or the number of Ranks occurring during MIMO transmissions, which is indicated in those signal input, and then maps the plurality of clusters to the respective ones of a plurality of discontinuous frequency resources, thereby setting a constellation of the plurality of clusters in the frequency domain.
US09173209B2
A method, an apparatus, and a computer program product for wireless communication where a macro eNB or similar device may be configured to adjust an ABS configuration that is used for designating ABS subframes are provided to provide a VoLTE service to a UE. The ABS configuration may be adjusted by imposing one or more restrictions, such as alignment of the DRX OnDuration of a UE with some offset to the serving cell non-ABS subframes, and imposing restrictions on the ABS subframe settings at the macro eNB. The method or apparatus may initiate or terminate a wireless communication feature for a UE, and may adjust an ABS configuration based on the wireless communication feature, such that a maximum limit is set on a number of ABS subframes or a minimum limit is set on a number of non-ABS subframes based on the wireless communication feature.
US09173201B2
The invention pertains to a method for providing access to a mobile communication network comprising at least one base transceiver station, wherein the communication network is being visited by a piece of user equipment having a home operator in a home network. The method comprises at the base transceiver station: receiving a channel request from said user equipment, creating a virtual machine associated with said home operator of said user equipment, establishing a channel using said virtual machine, and allocating channel resources of said at least one base station to accommodate said channel. The invention also pertains to a base station system to carry out the method of the invention.
US09173190B2
The disclosure relates to systems and methods for controlling a delay probability distribution associated with receiving a response to a page. The method entails performing a series of page operations, wherein each page operation entails transmitting a page and scanning for a page response. The method further entails adjusting at least one timing parameter associated with performing the series of page operations based on a characteristic of one or more scans for the page performed by the at least one remote device. The characteristic may be the period of periodic page scans performed by the at least one remote device.
US09173179B2
There is provided a method for synchronization between one or more base stations to provide broadcast multicast service, including: receiving a session start request message, and extracting a service start setting time set to start broadcast service from the session start request message; comparing the service start setting time to a modification check time being a check time which is later than and closest to the service start setting time, among check times at which it is determined whether or not broadcast service has changed, the check times having a predetermined time interval; deciding, when the modification check time is later than the service start setting time by a predetermined internal slack time period or more, the modification check time as a service start time at which broadcast service starts; and transmitting information indicating the service start time to the base stations.
US09173177B2
A satellite transmission system comprises at least: one satellite and two stations comprising transmission means transmitting simultaneously and in the same frequency band a first, high-bit-rate signal and a second, low-bit-rate signal, the second signal allowing changing of frequency of the carrier signal. The station(s) include reception means for receiving simultaneously and in the same frequency band the first and second signal. The system includes means for detecting interference on the frequency band. The transmission means and reception means respectively switch the transmission and reception of the second signal from a low bit rate to a medium bit rate and deactivate the transmission of the first signal in presence of interference, and the transmission means and reception means respectively switch the transmission and reception of the second signal from a medium bit rate to a low bit rate and activate transmission of the first signal in absence of interference.
US09173175B2
An information processing apparatus and a communication apparatus for accurately recognizing at the base station the current receiving quality of the mobile terminals for improving the throughput of the base station. A mobile terminal determines its own receiving quality based on the signal received from the base station for generating the receiving quality message indicating the receiving quality and generates the power control information requesting the transmission power of the base station. The receiving quality message is transmitted at a frame rate and power control information is transmitted at the slot rate to the base station. Based on both the receiving quality message and power control information, the base station estimates the current receiving quality of the mobile terminal and adaptive modulation and coding is performed based on the estimated value. The present invention may be applied to cellular phones and base stations.
US09173159B2
The disclosure provides an X2 handover method and device, the method comprises: after sending a Handover Request Acknowledge message, a target eNB sets, for handed-over UE, a flag for indicating whether or not a Sequence Number Status Transfer message is received and sets the flag to be ‘not received’; and after receiving an RRC Connection Reconfiguration Complete message, the target eNB directly sends a Path Switch Request message to a core network without determining whether or not the Sequence Number Status Transfer message is received. With the technical scheme provided in the disclosure, the problem in the current X2 handover is solved that handover delay is increased as an RRC Connection Reconfiguration completion message is received by a target side prior to a Sequence Number Status Transfer message, thus simplifying the processing of a target eNB and increasing handover speed.
US09173154B2
A wireless device can initiate a network connection without using a network operator's home location register. The wireless device sends data to a server that defines a call request;and the server decides on the appropriate routing over all available networks for that call request. But, unlike a conventional HLR, the server can receive communications from the device using any one of several different protocols, and is not limited to the MAP (mobile application part) protocol. For example, the wireless device can use SMS or HTTP over the internet to communicate with the server. The server then determines the appropriate least cost routing.
US09173153B2
The present disclosure relates to a technique for maintaining communication established between a mobile node (20) and a home network (100) of the mobile node (20). A method embodiment comprises the step of: determining whether the mobile node 20 has moved to a foreign network (120) different from the home network (100); wherein, when it is determined in the step of determining that the mobile node (20) has moved to the foreign network (120), the method embodiment further comprises the steps of: signalling, by the mobile node (20), a foreign address assigned by the foreign network (120), to a home agent (10) of the home network (100); and maintaining the communication between the mobile node (20) and the home network (100) by establishing communication between the mobile node (20) and the home agent (10) of the home network (10) for transmission of Data Link Layer (“DLL”) frames through an Internet Protocol (“IP”) based network (140), wherein the mobile node (20) is addressed by the home agent (10) by means of the foreign address assigned by the foreign network (120).
US09173150B2
A user equipment for handling a cell change from a first cell to a second cell in a wireless communications network alters a duration of a measurement time over which at least one measurement is performed and alters a measurement bandwidth of the at least one measurement. The alterations may be performed based on associated bandwidths of the first and second cells. A network node sends, to the user equipment, a notification of a cell change and information associated with the cell change and also receives measurement data of at least one measurement performed over an altered measurement bandwidth and an altered duration of measurement time where the alterations are based on the information associated with the cell change.
US09173145B2
A method and apparatus for handling a call transfer from a circuit switched access network to a packet switched access network. A Mobile Switching Center Server receives a notification that a call for a terminal requires handover from a circuit switched access network to a packet switched access network. The MSC Server determines whether the terminal is currently registered in an IMS network and/or whether the MSC Server is registered such that it can perform handover from the circuit switched access network to the packet switched access network. If so, then return Single Radio Voice Call Continuity is invoked to perform a handover of the call from the circuit switched access network to the packet switched access network. If not then the MSC Server invokes error handling procedures.
US09173144B2
Presented is a method for controlling network access for the mobile device. The method includes analyzing a first plurality of network parameters, collected by the mobile device, based on one or more local network policies. The method further includes receiving an update for the one or more local network policies from a policy server based on a second plurality of network parameters received by the policy server from a plurality of mobile devices. The method also includes rerouting data traffic for the mobile device from a first wireless network configuration to a second wireless network configuration based on the analyzing of the second plurality of network parameters and the update from the policy server. Rerouting data traffic for the mobile device may include maintaining a constant IP address utilizing a virtual network adapter within the mobile device to provide split tunneling over two or more network connections of the second wireless network configuration.
US09173138B2
Methods for handoff of a multimode mobile station (MS). The MS, in connected mode, moves from a cell of a legacy base station to a cell of an ABS and scans base stations from a list of neighboring base stations, wherein at least the ABS is listed as another legacy base station in the list of neighboring base stations. The MS performs the handoff to connect to a legacy zone of the ABS. Further, the multimode MS switching from the legacy zone of the ABS to a advanced zone of the ABS based on a Zone Switch request or command is triggered by either the multimode MS or the ABS. The Zone Switch request is triggered after detecting capabilities of either the multimode MS or the ABS that they support advanced zone. The capabilities are detected by using MAC versions of the multimode MS and the ABS or an indicator for the advanced zone. The multimode MS can also performs handoff to the advanced zone from the cell of the legacy base station by receiving one or more information for ranging in the advanced zone from the ABS during the handoff.
US09173132B2
A method for configuring a wireless communication resource set, a resource set configuration apparatus, a method and system of wireless communication resource management, and a base station with the system of wireless communication resource management are provided, wherein the method for configuring wireless communication resource sets includes: ordering the resource sets according to the preset mode; dividing the ordered resource sets into segments, wherein the segments include segments with different types and different functions; and further dividing the segments into sections, wherein every section is used for a corresponding type of service.
US09173124B2
Systems and methods for wireless signal measurement and reporting for device to-device communication
Methods, systems, and devices for configuration and reporting of proximity detection measurements are disclosed herein. User equipment (UE) is configured to receive and store a PD-RS list from an evolved universal terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN) node B (eNB). The PD-RS list includes a radio resource configuration for at least a first proximity discovery reference signal (PD-RS). The UE is configured to measure at least the first PD-RS to determine a signal parameter for the first PD-RS. The UE reports the signal parameter for the first PD-RS to the eNB.
US09173106B2
To efficiently mitigate cell coverage disruptions caused by either unplanned equipment failures or planned outages during maintenance activities, an efficient cell site outage mitigation system is provided to calculate an optimal configuration for neighboring cell site devices before adjusting the cell site configuration settings to cover the coverage gap. The optimal configuration is determined using an offline model learner. Radio frequency propagation models and user demand and distribution models can be used to determine the offline solution. The optimal configuration setting learnt using an offline model is then implemented when an outage is determined to have occurred in the operational field.
US09173105B2
A method includes preventing fraudulent use of a security module in a device, and the security module is designed to perform the following steps of: retrieving a device identifier of the device from the device; checking whether negative allowance information is stored in the security module for the retrieved device identifier and transmit a security module identifier of the security module and the retrieved device identifier to a server; and receiving a response from the server regarding whether the security module is allowed to operate with the identified device and store negative allowance information in the security module for the retrieved device identifier, if the security module is not allowed to operate with the identified device according to the server response. A security module may execute the method, and a system may include the device and the server.
US09173104B2
An end-user mobile device has a cellular network modem that is capable of communication over multiple carrier access networks. Prior to activation of the device with any cellular carrier, a secure credential memory stores a set of pre-activation credentials. One or more device agents detect an attempt by a user to use the device in a manner that would require a cellular connection to communicate Internet data, where such attempt is not allowed by a pre-activation service policy. Such an occurrence triggers the device agents to guide a device activation sequence that uses the pre-activation credentials to connect via a carrier access network to an activation server, which downloads service options to the device for multiple cellular service carriers. When the user selects one of the options, the activation sequence further guides the device to receive and securely store permanent credentials. The device subsequently uses the permanent credentials to access the network of the selected service carrier.
US09173101B1
In one implementation, a processing system receives a request from a client device to access a user account of the user. In response to receiving the request, the processing system transmits credential data, which corresponds to a credential and which indicates client device data to transmit in response to receiving the credential data. The processing system receives the client device data from the client device, identifies an issuer of the credential, and transmits the client device data to the issuer of the credential.
US09173094B2
A method and device for performing handover is provided. A terminal acquires information related to a target base station (BS) through scanning, transmits a ranging request message to the target BS, the ranging request message including authentication information used for a connection with a serving BS and indication information indicating direct handover to the target BS, receives a ranging response message including a handover procedure optimization flag from the target BS and performs a network entry procedure to the target BS according to the handover procedure optimization flag.
US09173090B2
A service center receives a request for activating a subscribed service on a first device that has been registered with the service center, where the service center provides services to a plurality of products on behalf of a plurality of product providers. In response to the request, device information about the registered first device is retrieved from an internal database, where the device information was collected when the first device was registered with the service center. Subscription information including credentials of a user who has subscribed the subscribed service is obtained for authentication. The device information and the credentials are transmitted to a service provider that provides the subscribed service to allow the service provider to activate the subscribed service on the first device, without having the user to directly contact the service provider for activating the subscribed service.
US09173081B2
A system and method for telecommunications operators to enable group based dynamic policy controls for both pre-paid and post-paid subscribers, who are typically not managed in an Online Charging System (OCS), but rather in an Charging System or a Billing System. Examples of policy controls that may be enabled by this invention include tracking spending for post-paid subscribers, managing subscriber usage across fixed-line and mobile networks, and so on. This is achieved by introducing a new component called the Enhanced Charging System (ECS) and creating a new reference point and interface between the Policy Management System and the ECS.
US09173080B2
A method of handling notification message transmission for a network of a wireless warning communication system includes when content of a notification message comprising a message identity is changed, modifying the message identity, wherein the message identity is included in a system information block, hereinafter called SIB, and indicates which notification message a notification message content in the SIB belongs to; and sending the SIB and a paging message comprising at least one of a flag and an element, wherein the flag is used to notify a user equipment of a change of the SIB, and the element is a notification indication used to notify the user equipment to acquire the SIB when the element is found in the received paging message.
US09173078B2
Management of multiple subscriber identity modules by server is disclosed. Instructions, when executed by one or more processors, cause a server, for a plurality of users of mobile terminals, to: cause an analysis on use of each subscriber identity module belonging to a set; cause a prediction of a future use of the each subscriber identity module belonging to the set on the basis of the analysis; cause a selection of at least one optimal subscriber identity module for use by the mobile terminal on the basis of the prediction such that the use of the subscriber identity modules is optimized for the plurality of the users of the mobile terminals; and cause a transmission of the selection of at least one optimal subscriber identity module for use by the mobile terminal.
US09173073B2
A group event processing entity receives and processes a group event notification wherein a set of policy rules is determined that controls the performance of an action as relates to at least one of a member user equipment of a group session or an access network resource for the group session. Additionally, a group policy decision entity receives a request to establish a group access network resource for a group of user equipment and determines a set of applicable policy rules for establishing the group access network resource, wherein the set includes a policy rule that controls performance of an action when a base station in a wireless access network is unable to provide resources to support the requested group access network resource. The group policy decision entity provides the set of applicable policy rules to a group policy enforcement entity.
US09173058B2
A system and method for estimating a location of a subscriber station receiving a first signal from a first base station and receiving a second signal from a second base station where the first and second base stations are nodes in a WiMAX or LTE network. A message may be received from the subscriber station containing first and second information, and a range ring determined from the first base station using the first information. A location hyperbola may be determined using the second information wherein the location hyperbola has the first and second base stations as foci. A location of the subscriber station may be estimated using the range ring and the location hyperbola.
US09173055B2
A method of managing place data for a mobile device, the method comprising storing place data for a place in a centralized place database and receiving input to specify which one or more applications on the mobile device are to have access to the place data for the place. In response to a place data request from a data-requesting application executing on the mobile device, the device determines if the data-requesting application has access to the place data for the place and provides the place data to the data-requesting application only if the data-requesting application has access. This technology enables the device to control the sharing of place data among applications on the device.
US09173053B2
Computationally implemented methods and systems include detecting presence of one or more electronic devices near a wearable computing device, the wearable computing device being a computing device designed to be worn by a user; determining which of the one or more electronic devices that are detected as being near the wearable computing device are at least designed to provide one or more specific functionalities that are being sought by the wearable computing device; and acquiring, by the wearable computing device based at least, in part, on said detecting and said determining, one or more specific functionalities that are available through at least one electronic device that was detected as being near the wearable computing device and that was determined to provide the one or more specific functionalities. In addition to the foregoing, other aspects are described in the claims, drawings, and text.
US09173050B2
The disclosure discloses an application store system and a development method using the application store system. The application store includes a developer community function entity, an application network store function entity and a telecommunication capability resource function entity. The telecommunication capability resource function entity includes a service execution module, configured to call, through an interface, a telecommunication capability in an integrated service access gateway to execute a service with the telecommunication capability, wherein the service is configured to be embedded in an application; the service with the telecommunication capability executed by the service execution module of the telecommunication capability resource function entity is embedded in the application uploaded in the developer community function entity. With the disclosure, development of the application with the telecommunication capability is accomplished, thereby the profit of operator is guaranteed and the viability of operator in the future is enhanced.
US09173042B2
A screw-shaped anchoring fixture for anchoring a prosthesis in the skull bone. The anchoring fixture comprises a main body configured to be implanted into the bone and a flange configured to function as a stop to prevent the main body from completely penetrating through the bone. The main body comprises a distal tapered apical portion, a first portion, and a second portion. The inner diameter of the second portion is greater than the inner diameter of the first portion. The method for inserting the anchoring fixture includes providing the anchoring fixture, drilling a hole, and inserting the anchoring fixture into the hole until the flange contacts the skull bone, wherein the hole has a diameter that is greater than the inner diameter of the first portion and less than the outer diameter of the second portion.
US09173037B2
A vibrating body for an acoustic transducer is provided, in which the high resonance frequency associated with inverse resonance can be outside the audible range and which can improve the acoustic characteristic of a speaker device. The vibrating body 1 for an acoustic transducer includes: a diaphragm 2 including a first vibrating part 2a and a second vibrating part 2b formed in proximity of the outer circumferential edge of the first vibrating part 2a; and an edge portion 3 formed in proximity of the outer circumferential edge of the diaphragm 2. In the vibrating body 1 for an acoustic transducer, first reinforcing portions 6a and 6b are formed so as to extend from the second vibrating part 2b to the edge portion 3 in a radial direction.
US09173034B2
Ring-shaped membrane for an electro-acoustical loudspeaker, where said membrane comprises two or more dome-shaped annulus concentrically arranged around a central portion through which an imaginary axis of symmetry passes, where an outer periphery of said membrane is suitable to be attached to a surround; where the central portion is attached to a tower, which again is fastened to the loudspeakers driver, wherein the angle between a plane being perpendicular to the axis of symmetry and the attachment of the membrane to the surround resp. the tower is in the interval 0° to 40°, most preferred around 30°.
US09173022B2
An acoustic transducer (104) is shown, which may be configured as either a loudspeaker or a microphone. The acoustic transducer includes a magnet system (401), and a diaphragm (303) having a conductive element (402) disposed on it. The conductive element has a first outer conductive portion (405) and a second outer conductive portion (407) for generating force parallel to the magnet system. It also has a central conductive portion (406) for generating force normal to the magnet system. In this way, application of an audio frequency signal to the conductive element, possibly via positive and negative input terminals (202, 203), causes oscillation of the diaphragm.
US09173015B2
A microphone module has a substrate with an aperture to allow sound waves to pass through the substrate, a lid mounted to the substrate to define a first interior volume, a microphone mounted to the substrate within the first interior volume, and a housing coupled to the substrate and covering the aperture. The housing forms a second interior volume and includes an acoustic port configured to allow sound to enter the second interior volume. The module further includes a pipe extending from the acoustic port in the housing, and at least one exterior interface pad outside of the second interior volume. The pipe has an open end to receive sound waves and direct them toward the acoustic port in the housing. Moreover, the at least one exterior interface pad electrically couples to the microphone.
US09173014B2
A speaker apparatus having a video screen function is disclosed, in which a cone paper of a conventional speaker is substituted with a flexible OLED for thereby displaying various images and video sources in sync with an audio source. A flexible OLED is provided for displaying a video source and an externally upgraded video source in a speaker apparatus which comprises a sound output apparatus having a sound coil, a magnet, and a damper, and an electric circuit apparatus of the sound output apparatus.
US09173012B2
An exemplary apparatus is provided for a high capacity switching system for use in a transport network, which contains a number of input and output subsystems and a central interconnection means configurably interconnecting the input and output subsystems. The subsystems have input and output line modules for receiving and transmitting data signals to and from transmission lines of the network, one or more link modules connecting the subsystems to the interconnection means, and local switching means switching data signals in time and space domain between the input and output modules and the one or more link modules within one subsystems. The link modules are adapted to aggregate data signals from different input and output line modules of the same input and output subsystems and destined to input and output line modules of another one of the input and output subsystems into signal bursts and add a payload gap to each signal burst.
US09173010B2
A television advertisement system whereby a viewer retrieves product placement contact information for a product, that has been promoted on the viewer's television by using a wireless remote control device. The invention provides the means for a viewer to easily obtain in-hand product contact and detailed information which can then be used at-will. Teletext data, which contains product information, is associated with a product's video signal and is automatically decoded and stored in the television's or TV set-top box's memory. The viewer retrieves on demand the product's teletext data stored in memory by using a remote control device. The product data is transferred to and stored in a remote control device's memory. The data is displayed on the remote's screen. The data stored in the remote control can be used to contact an advertiser for further information, or to purchase a product or service. This is achieved by wirelessly transferring pertinent contact information from the remote control to various communication devices, such as a computer, a telephone, a television set-top box, an electronic game console, etc.
US09173005B1
A handheld screen is used as a supplement to a television screen. Specifically, messages are displayed on a handheld screen to supplement a video displayed on a television (TV) screen. Display of social media messages and/or promotional messages on a handheld screen is coordinated with the display of video on the television screen. The social media messages on the handheld screen are selected by a computer system to match a specific video being displayed on the TV screen. The display of social media messages occurs simultaneously or contemporaneously relative to the video display e.g. the two displays are made to overlap in time by the computer system transmitting the social media messages within a predetermined duration of transmission of the video to the television. Display of supplementary information on a handheld screen in a timely manner relative to video display on the TV screen provides a richer viewing experience.
US09173001B1
In one of many possible embodiments, a system includes a media content processing subsystem configured to process a flagging request, which designates a scene within the media content instance as a flagged scene. The processing subsystem is further configured to generate an actionable data module containing additional content corresponding to the flagged scene.
US09172999B2
A method, performed by a computer device, may include obtaining a viewing history, associated with a customer, from a set-top box associated with the customer, wherein the viewing history relates a particular television channel to a duration time associated with the particular television channel. The method may further include determining a keyword, associated with the customer, based on the obtained viewing history; calculating a keyword score for the keyword based on the obtained viewing history; selecting an advertisement, associated with the keyword, based on the calculated keyword score; and providing the selected advertisement to the set-top box associated with the customer, based on selecting the advertisement.
US09172990B2
A method of managing video programs and associated program components on a storage unit of an electronic device is provided. A total number of playbacks of each video program stored in the storage unit and a total number of playbacks of each program component stored in the storage unit for each of the video programs are tracked. A percentage of playbacks of each program component stored on the storage unit relative to the total number of playbacks of its corresponding video program is determined. From this, candidates of program components for deletion from the storage unit are identified based on the values of the determined percentages. The tracking, determining and identifying steps of the method are performed by electronic components of the electronic device. A device is also disclosed.
US09172989B2
Of the types of content included in a broadcast signal, a type of content different from broadcast content is selectively stored. A broadcast signal reception block receives a broadcast signal of a selected channel. A display control block controls such that broadcast content included in the broadcast signal received by the broadcast signal reception block is displayed on a display block. If storage content that is content identified to be stored is included in the broadcast signal received by the broadcast signal reception block, then a storage content output block outputs this storage content to a storage block.
US09172988B2
Provided is an analog front end of a digital TV, a digital TV system having the same, and a method of operating the same. The analog front end includes: a first selection circuit which selectively outputs differential sound intermediate frequency signals or differential TV broadcast signals in response to a first selection signal; a second selection circuit which outputs a clock signal among a plurality of clock signals having a different sampling frequencies, in response to a second selection signal; and an analog-to-digital converter which converts output signals output from the first selection circuit to a digital code, according to a sampling frequency of a clock signal output from the second selection circuit.
US09172982B1
A method and system for audio selection is disclosed. Multiple active videos are rendered in a single video stream and the multiple active videos are simultaneously displayed on a client machine. A user selects a video from among the multiple active videos for which associated audio is presented. As the user selects different videos the previous audio is stopped and the new audio is played. The new audio is synchronized to the selected video.
US09172976B2
A reduction in the number of binarizations and/or contexts used in context adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC) for video coding is proposed. In particular, this disclosure proposes techniques that may lower the number contexts used in CABAC by up to 56.
US09172975B2
One particular implementation of the present invention may take the form of a method and system for encoding and/or transmitting high definition 3-D multimedia content. In one embodiment, the frames for each eye of a viewer may be transmitted in a frame sequential manner to a display device, with an occasional null frame included in the frame stream. The null frame may be ignored by the display device and not presented to the viewer. In another embodiment, a synchronization signal may be presented to the display device to instruct the display device on how to display the frame-sequenced frames such that the 3-D effect of the content may be achieved. The synchronization signal may be presented to the display device embedded within the frames of the content or embedded within the null frames. The synchronization signal may also be provided out of band, such as on a high definition multimedia interface (HDMI) cable.
US09172974B2
Provided is method and apparatus of compressing and restoring an image using filter information. The image compression apparatus may generate a reduced image by sampling an input image, determine filter information based on the input image and a decoded reduced image, and code the filter information and the decoded reduced image. Accordingly, a deterioration in an image quality may be prevented in transmitting the image using a limited bandwidth.
US09172968B2
In one example, an apparatus for encoding video data includes a video encoder configured to calculate a residual block for a block of video data based on a predicted block formed using an intra-prediction mode, and transform the residual block using a transform mapped from the intra-prediction mode. In another example, an apparatus includes video encoder configured to receive an indication of a first intra-prediction mode in a first set of intra-prediction modes for a block of video data, determine a second intra-prediction mode from a second set of intra-prediction modes, smaller than the first set of intra-prediction modes, to which the first intra-prediction mode is mapped, determine a directional transform to which the second intra-prediction mode is mapped, and apply the directional transform to residual data of the block.
US09172957B2
Implementations of the teachings herein include coding video data with an alternate reference frame generated using a temporal filter. The alternate reference frame is generated by determining a first weighting factor, for each corresponding block of a respective frame of a filter set, that represents a temporal correlation of the block with the corresponding block, determining a second weighting factor, for each pixel for each corresponding block of the respective frame of the filter set, that represents a temporal correlation of the pixel to a spatially-correspondent pixel in the block, determining a filter weight for each pixel in the block and for each spatially-correspondent pixel is each corresponding block based on the first weighting factor and the second weighting factor, and generating a weighted average pixel value for each pixel position in the block to form a block of the alternate reference frame based on the filter weights.
US09172942B2
A method and apparatus for using header information of stereoscopic image data is provided. The method includes using three-dimensional reproduction period information related to three-dimensionally reproduced stereoscopic image data of image data recorded in a payload region of the stereoscopic image bitstream, in a header region of the stereoscopic image bitstream; recording camera information related to cameras used for obtaining a stereoscopic image, in the header region; recording parallax information between base and additional images of the stereoscopic image in the header region; and recording the image data in the payload region of the stereoscopic image bitstream.
US09172940B2
A method for converting two-dimensional video to three-dimensional video. The method includes the steps of comparing at least part of video frame x to a corresponding at least part of video frame y to determine movement therebetween, calculating a movement direction and movement extent based on the determined movement, determining viewing frame L and viewing frame R based on the movement direction, and modifying viewing frame R based on the movement direction and the movement extent to create modified viewing frame R′. One alternative embodiment is a video display device for converting two-dimensional video to three-dimensional video. Another alternative embodiment includes one or more device-readable media storing executable instructions that, when executed, configure a video display device to convert two-dimensional video to three-dimensional video.
US09172937B2
A system and method are provided for providing a timed event to a user viewing recorded media content at a defined time interval. The recorded media content may be any media viewed on a time-shifted basis. For example, the recorded media may be television content recorded by a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), media content recorded on a Digital Video Disc (DVD), streaming media content providing by a network such as the Internet, or the like. In general, the timed event may be, for example, presenting audio, visual, or audio-visual content and is configured to occur periodically at a time interval such as, but not limited to, every half-hour, every hour, or once a day. Once the timed event is configured, the timed event is periodically effected at the time interval to provide an indication of time while the user is viewing recorded media content.
US09172936B2
To enable a utilization frequency of each segment in a source video to be readily assessed between videos in a corresponding relationship during a creation process. Relationship information that is information indicating a segment in a corresponding relationship between a source video and a plurality of derived videos created using at least a part of segments of the source video is stored in a relationship information storing unit, and a corresponding relationship of the segment between the source video and the plurality of derived videos and a utilization frequency of each segment of the source video by the plurality of derived videos are displayed based on the relationship information stored in the relationship information storing unit.
US09172934B2
A white balance adjustment method includes capturing a raw image by an image capturing device where an arrangement format of the raw image is BGb/GrR, a predetermined sampling width is used to sample RGB pixels, and obtaining color scale values of each channel. Each channel includes a first buffer space and a second buffer space, the first buffer space storing smaller color scale values, the second buffer storing larger color scale values, an average value of the minimum color scale values stored in the first buffer space is calculated to obtain a reference black, an average value of the maximum color scale values stored in the second buffer space is calculated to obtain a reference white. A color histogram stretching method using the obtained reference black and white adjusts the white balance of the raw image.
US09172927B2
According to the present invention, since a color image for a moving image including that for live view display includes image data on pixel lines including first and second phase difference pixels, phase difference AF can be accurately performed during the moving image taking. A color image for the moving image includes not only the image data on the pixel lines including the first and second phase difference pixels, but also image data on pixel lines that do not include the first and second phase difference pixels and only include normal pixels. Accordingly, the image quality of the color image for the moving image is improved, an image interpolation process can be accurately performed, and reduction in image quality of a taken image (still image and moving image) through the phase difference pixels can be prevented or alleviated.
US09172926B2
One aspect of the present invention thinning-reads pixel signals from the multiple pixels according to a thinning pattern from an image pickup element, or extracts pixel signals from the multiple pixels according to the thinning pattern from a color image that is read from the image pickup element and corresponds to the color filter array, and acquires a thinned color image. Then, moving image data is generated on the basis of the thinned color image. Adoption of the thinned color image as a target image to be subjected to moving image processing can facilitate reduction in processing time per frame, and prevent the frame rate from decreasing. Furthermore, thinning-reading pixels from the image pickup element can facilitate reduction in time of reading an image from the image pickup element.
US09172918B2
Described herein are systems and methods for managing live video data. These include the likes of video management systems, camera servers, methods for providing access to video data, methods of operating camera servers, and software for allowing the implementation of such methods in a computer system. In overview, a video management system is configured such that, upon the failure of a camera server, cameras assigned to that server are automatically reassigned to a backup camera server.
US09172915B2
The invention provides a method of operating a channel recommendation system, including, providing a channel recommendation bid interface, receiving a bid request on the interface, and displaying a recommendation link to the channel on at least one user recommendation display device based on the bid request. Real time viewership information may also be used in the operation of the channel recommendation system.The invention further provides a method of operating a shared information system, including, receiving a recorded clip recommendation request, determining a recipient based on the recommendation request, wherein the recipient is a user different from the recommendation source, determining a recorded video clip based on the recommendation request, determining an ad based on a profile associated with the recipient, and associating the determined clip and the determined ad with the recipient. Real time viewership information may also be used in the operation of the shared information system.
US09172913B1
A counter-surveillance detection system includes a camera with an integrated illumination source and a processor for performing analytic software algorithms. The counter-surveillance detection system and method is configured to detect foreign objects within a defined field of view (FOV) using an analytic software method operating on imagery data from the camera that is synchronized with the illuminator source. In some applications, the system is used to detect a human performing remote observation of snooping.
US09172907B2
A method and apparatus for dynamically adjusting an aspect ratio of an image during a video call is described herein. Specifically, a method for dynamically adjusting the aspect ratio of an image during a video call may include obtaining at least one display parameter of a display device, performing a comparison of the at least one display parameter to at least one image capture parameter of a capture device, capturing an original image, modifying the original image based on the comparison performed, wherein the modified image has an adjusted aspect ratio different from an aspect ratio of the original image, and sending the modified image to the display device.
US09172904B2
In order to quicken switching of indices and reduce the time required for display after switching, a mobile phone includes a video content specifying portion to specify at least one video content, an index element generating portion to generate a thumbnail for a video content when accepting a generation instruction and to stop generation of the thumbnail when accepting a cancellation instruction, an index element generation requesting portion, in response to the event that a video content is specified by the video content specifying portion, to output a generation instruction including identification information identifying the specified video content to the index element generating portion, and a cancellation instructing portion to output a cancellation instruction to stop generation of the thumbnail for the already specified video content when a new video content is specified before completion of generation of the thumbnail for the already specified video content.
US09172892B2
An image sensor may have an array of image sensor pixels having varying light collecting areas. The light collecting area of each image pixel may vary with respect to other image pixels due to varied microlens sizes and varied color filter element sizes throughout the array. The light collecting area may vary within unit pixel cells and the variability of the light collecting areas of pixels within each pixel cell may depend on the location of the pixel cell in the pixel array. Each unit pixel cell may include at least one clear pixel having a light collecting area that is smaller than the light collecting areas of other single color pixels in the unit pixel cell.
US09172891B2
A display device including a display section configured to display an image; a display control section configured to arrange a plurality of display areas in a display range of the display section and display an image in each of the display areas; an image selection section configured to select the image to be displayed in each of the display areas from a plurality of input images; and a multi-screen display control section configured to display an image designation panel designating an image of a display object out of the plurality of input images on the display section, determine the images to be displayed in all of the display areas in a lump if the images to be displayed in all of the display areas are designated during display of the image designation panel and a determination operation is performed, and make the image selection section select the images determined.
US09172890B2
A method, apparatus, and manufacture for generating an HDR image is provided. An original image is received from an HDR interlaced sensor that includes at least two fields captured with different exposures. The fields are separated from each other to provide separate images, and each of the separate images is upscaled. Next, blending is performed on each of the upscaled separate images to generate a high-dynamic range image, and ghost identification is performed on the high-dynamic range image. Subsequently, detail identification is performed on the high-dynamic range image. The detail identification includes identifying areas in the non-ghost areas of the high-dynamic range image that have details, and modifying the high-dynamic image by replacing each of the areas identified to have details with the corresponding area from the original image.
US09172879B2
An image display control apparatus includes a memory, a determination unit, and a display controller. The memory stores plural sets of information each set including image information indicating an image to be displayed on a display and at least one attribute concerning the image information, which are associated with each other. When one of plural images displayed on the display is selected, the determination unit determines whether or not the image information stored in the memory includes image information stored in association with an attribute relevant to an attribute associated with the selected image. The display controller performs display control to display a mark for a relevant image when displaying the plural images on the display in accordance with the image information stored in the memory and displaying on the display a relevant image based on the image information included in the stored image information.
US09172877B2
There is provided an image pickup unit capable of suppressing occurrence of false color and color mixture and acquiring a color image with high image quality. The image pickup unit includes: an image sensor including a plurality of pixels and acquiring an image pickup data; a variable filter provided on a light receiving face of the image sensor, and transmitting a selective wavelength; and a filter drive section (a wavelength selection circuit and a system control section) driving the variable filter and thereby setting its transmission wavelength. By acquiring the image pickup data while time-divisionally switching the transmission wavelength of the variable filter, pixel data corresponding to the transmission wavelength of the variable filter are acquired in a temporally-successive manner.
US09172862B2
An information processing device includes a detecting unit configured to detect a motion of a subject included in an image generated by an imaging device including multiple phase difference detecting pixels which generate a signal arranged to perform focus determination by phase difference detection, and multiple image generating pixels which generate a signal arranged to generate an image; and a determining unit configured to determine thinning-out processing when reading out a signal from the imaging device, according to the detected motion of a subject.
US09172858B2
An information processing apparatus includes a control unit configured to perform control for selecting settings for an imaging operation of an imaging unit based on surrounding sound obtained by a sound obtaining unit and an image generated by the imaging unit.
US09172855B1
A pendant housing for a camera. The housing comprises a substantially cylindrical casing. The substantially cylindrical casing further includes a top end portion that may be removeably mounted to a tube without a tool, a dome structure that may house at least a lens portion of a camera, a bottom end portion that may be removeably mounted to the dome structure without a tool, and a waterproof seal positioned between the bottom end portion and the dome structure.
US09172848B2
Provided is an image reader, including a reading unit that reads an image of a read body, an optical unit that forms the image of the read body on the reading unit, a filter unit that is disposed in the optical unit and eliminates infrared light by an interference film, a calculating unit that calculates a coefficient matrix during a color correction based on a reading position of the reading unit and spectral field angle characteristics of the filter unit in the reading position, and a correction unit that performs the color correction with respect to the image read by the reading unit using the coefficient matrix.
US09172846B2
A scanning device includes: a reading unit; a communication unit; a storage unit configured to store identification information for identifying a external apparatus; an operation unit, and a controller configured to perform operations comprising: generating an image file from read signal received from the reading unit, transmitting the image file generated to the external apparatus through the communication unit, and determining whether a size of the document on which the image read by the reading unit is recorded is equal to or smaller than a preset setting size. When the controller receives a signal corresponding to a scan command from the operation unit, the controller, in the generating, generates an image file having a password added, in a case where it is determined that a size of the document is equal to or smaller than the setting size.
US09172845B2
A management apparatus connected to an image forming apparatus for managing usage of the image forming apparatus is disclosed. The management apparatus includes a user data storage part for storing user identification data and use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data, and a use restriction data acquiring part for acquiring the use restriction data corresponding to the user identification data.
US09172842B2
Systems and methods convert to binary an input image having pixels defining text and background. Thresholds are determined by which pixels in the input image and a corresponding blurred image will be defined as either binary black or binary white. Thresholds derive from grouped together neighboring pixels having pixels separated out that correspond to the background. For pixels of the input image defined as binary black and having corresponding pixels in the blurred image defined as binary black relative to their thresholds, those are set to black in the binary image, else they are set white. Techniques for devising thresholds, blurring images, grouping together pixels, statistical analysis, etc., typify the embodiments.
US09172840B2
An image processing apparatus includes an image processing unit configured to perform image processing, a storage unit configured to be capable of storing an application program installed in the image processing apparatus, a first determination unit configured to determine whether the application program had ever been installed in the image processing apparatus, and a control unit configured to selectively control the image processing unit to be operable and control the image processing unit not to operate according to the determination by the first determination unit if an error has occurred in the storage unit.
US09172835B2
An information processing apparatus includes: an information storage that stores information; a request accepting section that accepts a predetermined request for the information; a setting section that, for each of the information, sets whether the predetermined request is allowed; a setting storage that stores a setting by the setting section; a determining section that, with respect to the information corresponding to a request accepted by the request accepting section, reads out a corresponding setting from the setting storage, and that determines allowance/non-allowance of the predetermined request; and a process executing section that, in a case where the determining section determines allowance of the predetermined request, executes a process corresponding to the predetermined request on the information.
US09172834B2
An image forming apparatus has the following three power saving modes: (1) a first power saving mode for cutting off power supply to the load; (2) a second power saving mode for cutting off power supply to the load and setting at least the CPU of the controller to STR state; and (3) a third power saving mode for providing power supply only to a wireless LAN module and the power supply cutoff controller, wherein to recover the image forming apparatus from the power saving mode, an external terminal implements both a second method of transmitting a certain type of packet to the wired LAN module and a third method of transmitting a certain type of packet to the wireless LAN module when the external terminal accesses the image forming apparatus at the application level.
US09172833B2
A multifunction device includes a case having a document tray provided in an upper part, a cover section provided above the case and covering the document tray, a reading section held in an inside part of the case and scanning a document that is placed in the document tray, a recording section held in the inside of the case and recording on a paper as a recoding medium, an inserting section inserting the document between the document tray and the cover section, and an opening section for discharging a recording medium provided in the case and discharging the paper recorded by the recording section. The inserting section functions as an exit that discharges the document from between the document tray and the cover section.
US09172832B2
An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the image forming apparatus are provided. The method includes detecting a conflicting option that is impossible to be set simultaneously with a plurality of options selected for a job of the image forming apparatus, reflecting the detected conflicting option to display an option setting screen for the job of the image forming apparatus, and if a conflicting option is selected on the displayed option setting screen, displaying an option list user interface (UI) window in an area of the displayed option setting screen, wherein the option list UI window includes a replaceable option that replaces an option that is impossible to be set simultaneously with the conflicting option.
US09172831B2
An image handling apparatus is disclosed, including an operation panel, hardware resources, a transferring part, and an image generation controlling part. The transferring part transfers image handle information input at the input screen to an external apparatus. The image generation controlling part receives and parses image generation information for at least one of the hardware resources to execute an image generation based on the image handle information, from the external apparatus in response to an instruction of the image generation, so that at least one of the hardware resources executes the image generation.
US09172826B2
This invention provides a technique in which even if a job by a processing apparatus is interrupted during execution, another apparatus continues the processing using completely the same function without further billing the user. Upon receiving a print job, a printing apparatus executes billing processing for the job, in which the printing apparatus communicates with a billing server. The printing apparatus writes, in the memory of an NFC unit, setting values about the received print job, the identification information of the printing apparatus itself, and the identification information of another alternative processing apparatus. While executing the print job, the printing apparatus writes progress information about an unprocessed portion of the job in the memory of the NFC unit every time a preset processing unit is executed during execution of the job.
US09172822B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing a user record deletion notification are disclosed. In one example, the method comprises determining, at a subscriber data management (SDM) node, that a service subscription to an access network is to be terminated, wherein the service subscription is associated with a subscriber user, generating, at the SDM node, a notification message that includes a deletion notification attribute, and sending the Diameter notification message to an application server associated with the access network. The method further includes terminating, at the application server, a communication service connection established between the subscriber user and the access network in response to detecting the deletion notification attribute in the notification message and deleting, in the SDM node, a user record associated with the service subscription after receiving notification of the connection termination.
US09172819B2
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to file transfers based on telephone numbers. In example embodiments, a request to transfer a file from a first user (305) associated with a first telephone number (309) to a second user associated (310) with a second telephone number (314) is received. In example embodiments, the second telephone number (314) is determined based on access to call records. In example embodiments, the file is then stored in or transferred to a location identified using the second telephone number (314).
US09172812B2
Systems and methods are disclosed to assist a caller and a callee in establishing successful telephonic communications. In embodiments of the systems and methods, a telephonic call set-up network node or a callee user device of the callee may receive a call set-up request to establish a telephonic call between the caller user device of the caller and the callee user device. If the call-set up request is determined to be unsuccessful, one or more proximate user devices nearby the callee user device may be identified. Another telephonic call may be induced, this time between the caller user device and one of the proximate user devices identified to be nearby the callee user device. In this manner, success telephonic communications may be established despite the callee not being able to answer the callee user device during the original telephonic call set-up request.
US09172811B2
This provides for controlling mobile device functions and features. For example, it limits or disables the use of some of mobile device features which could cause distraction to the user, when the user is engaged in another activity. In an example, it enables other mobile device features based on occurrence of events related to the user or environment. Another example addresses controlling the mobile device features, such as SMS, while the user is in a vehicle or driving. Another example restricts the ability of the driver of a vehicle to text, while the vehicle is in motion, by automatically disabling the texting ability of mobile device within and around the perimeter of the driver's seat. Other variations, examples, improvements, detection mechanisms, models, techniques, calculations, verification mechanisms, and features are also described in details.
US09172805B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for receiving an input from an agent during a call with a caller where the input directs one or more processors to inject a recorded statement in the agent's voice into the call, and where the recorded statement in the agent's voice is stored in a computer-readable file. Obtaining the recorded statement in the agent's voice based on data associated with the input and in response to receiving the input. And causing the recorded statement in the agent's voice to be inserted into a media stream of the call.
US09172801B2
A method (300) and apparatus are disclosed for event notification. An apparatus that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a presence services system (PSS) (102) can have a controller (104) that manages operations of a communications interface (110). The controller can be programmed to monitor (302) presence information of a plurality of communication devices of an end user operating in a communications system, and receive (316) a request from a calendar reminder system (CRS) for access to the presence information. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09172800B2
A computer implemented method includes outputting a dial tone from a call block system. The dial tone indicates to a calling party that a call block feature is enabled for a party. The computer implemented method includes storing messages for the party when the call block feature is enabled.
US09172784B2
A hands-free system for a vehicle is provided, where the hands-free system sends and receives communication from a personal electronic device. The hands-free system includes a vehicle control module that is in communication with at least one vehicle system for determining if the vehicle is in a condition to receive input regarding operation, a display, and a hands-free control module. The hands-free control module is in communication with the display and the vehicle control module. The hands-free control module is in communication with the personal electronic device for sending and receiving an external communication from the personal electronic device. The hands-free control module has a memory and a message delivery filter algorithm.
US09172781B1
A waterproof acoustic chamber that is adapted to hold and protect a smartphone is disclosed. The chamber includes a body portion that is configured to encapsulate a smartphone, which exhibits an internal dimension that accommodates, at a user's option, a smartphone with (or without) its own protective casing. The body portion is configured to prevent water from entering an internal area of the body portion when exposed to water. The body portion includes at least one speaker area that includes a material through which audio content that is generated by the smartphone may leave the body portion. The chamber further includes a compartment having an open side that is configured to receive and attach to the backside of the body portion. The compartment includes two sides that each extend beyond a parallel side of the body portion, with the speaker area and compartment being effective to amplify and channel the audio content that is generated by the smartphone.
US09172779B1
A cellular modem device that is integrated with a proprietary dock connector of a mobile device, such as the proprietary 30 pin dock connector of an iPod Touch or iPad, permits the mobile device to connect for Internet access to the associated cellular carrier. The device is usable in circumstances where the mobile device does not contain internal cellular modem circuitry, and/or the device is unable to use WiFi-based Internet and/or the device's internal cellular circuits are out of range of cellular service of the carrier for which those circuits are designed, and/or the internal cellular circuits are not activated on the associated cellular network.
US09172775B2
A method for reducing a network addressing header is executable by a network communication device. Upon receiving a network packet, a first address in an IPv4 header of the packet is converted to a mapping index. A least significant segment of an address field of an IPv6 header of the packet is generated based on the mapping index, and the IPv6 header is utilized to encapsulate the packet. The IPv4 header is recoverable via the least significant segment of the IPv6 header, so that the IPv4 header may be optionally omitted in transmission of the packet.
US09172764B2
The disclosure includes a system and method for identifying discussion groups related to a video that a user would find to be interesting. A recognition application receives a captured image from a user, identifies an indexed image that matches the captured image, identifies a timestamp for the indexed image, determines a segment in the video that encompasses the timestamp, determines whether the user is interested in the segment of the video based on the timestamp and a user profile and provides suggested discussion groups to the user that are ranked based on what the user is interested in.
US09172757B2
One example procedure of managing agents via a session client may include selecting multiple endpoint devices to manage, establishing a connection to a server, and identifying at least two agent identifiers identifying multiple agents corresponding to the multiple endpoint devices. The procedure may also include transmitting a session setup command to the server including the at least two agent identifiers and receiving a confirmation that a session has been established between the session client and the multiple agents of the multiple endpoint devices.
US09172755B2
A building-facility information storage stores data sizes of process data to be collected from building-side communicating devices. A schedule generating unit generates a collection schedule of the process data from the building-side communicating devices so that, in a collection period including a plurality of unit periods continuous in terms of time, a first communication load representing a total data volume received from the building-side communicating devices per unit period and second communication loads each representing a data volume transmitted from each of the building-side communicating devices per unit period are balanced among the unit periods. A network communicating unit collects the process data from the building-side communicating devices in accordance with the collection schedule.
US09172746B2
An information processing system includes multiple network segments to which one or more information processors are connectable. The network segments includes a first network segment to which at least one first information processor configured to store predetermined information is connected, a second network segment to which at least one second information processor is connected, and a third network segment to which at least one third information processor is connected. The second network segment includes multiple predefined application programming interface (API)s, and the at least one second information processor executes a process corresponding to a called one of the APIs using the predetermined information stored in the at least one first information processor. In response to receiving a request from outside the information processing system, the at least one third information processor controls a process corresponding to the request by calling one of the APIs which corresponds to the request.
US09172744B2
Described is a technology by which a scalable distributed file system is provided by deploying intelligent storage devices that are directly connected to the network. A server receives a request for data from a requester, and sends corresponding requests to the storage devices. The storage devices send data blocks directly to the requester instead of back to the server, while identifying the server as the sender, e.g., by programming a switch to participate in such an operation.
US09172740B1
A method and apparatus for adjustable buffer remote access is provided. Adjustable buffer remote access may include generating, at a client device, a client display buffer request indicating a portion of a display area of an operating environment of a host device, transmitting the client display buffer request to the host device receiving a rendering of a representation of the portion of the display area of the host device, presenting a client display portion of the rendered buffer portion as a window into the display area of the operating environment of the host device, receiving an indication of a client display portion change presenting an updated client display portion based on the rendered buffer portion and the client display portion change, transmitting an updated client display buffer request to the host device, receiving an updated rendered buffer portion, and presenting the updated client display portion.
US09172738B1
The system describes a collaborative machine social network system with several elements. There is at least one system participant which communicates with the network. The participant's communications include short bursts of information not directed to a particular recipient but rather the network as a whole. The network further includes propagator nodes and integrator nodes to process communications from participants.
US09172734B2
Managing and delivering media content are provided. A device includes a media recording structure for capturing a live data stream. The device further includes a media management application executable by a processor. The media management application provides a graphical user interface via an input/output component, the graphical user interface including a user-selectable option for managing the network-based storage of media files captured by the media recording structure. When selected, the user-selectable option generates an alert indicating an amount of recording time remaining for the live data stream before a storage capacity of the network-based storage is reached. The recording time is determined as a function of an encoding rate at which the live data stream is being captured. Consumption of the network-based storage is monitored for the live data stream, and an alert is generated pursuant the encoding rate.
US09172731B2
A call processing system and method based on an answer mode of a Push-to-Talk over Cellular (PoC) user are provided. A data format is defined, which inserts an indicator indicating a manual answer override into a payload of a Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) in a format of a new data field. When a PoC communication requester instructs the MAO to perform PoC communication regardless of an answer mode of a reception side PoC user, an auto-answer mode is immediately executed without any procedure of checking the instruction. In addition, when the reception side PoC user establishes an early session with a home PoC server in its own PoC terminal, the call processing can be performed at a quicker speed.
US09172722B2
A method of providing access of a mobile terminal to an IP network includes establishing a security association between the mobile terminal and a first security gateway of a first router in said plurality of routers. The mobile terminal is provided access to the IP network via the first router, and the data exchanged between the mobile terminal and the first router is encapsulated by using the security association. The security association is made available to at least one second router having a second security gateway. The mobile terminal is provided access to the IP network via said the second router, and data exchanged between the mobile terminal and the second router is encapsulated by using the same security association. Establishing the security association includes assigning a Security Parameter Index that identifies univocally the first security gateway and the security association. Making the security association available to the second router includes making available to the second router the Security Parameter Index. The second router may thus have access to the security association either by requesting it from the first router or by identifying it in a set of security associations sent from the first router to a set of routers candidate to become the second router as result of the mobility of the mobile terminal.
US09172721B2
Methods and systems for a scalable solution to behavioral Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks targeting a network are provided. According to one embodiment, a method to determine the scaling treatment is provided for various granular layer parameters of the Open System Interconnection (OSI) model for communication systems. A hardware-based apparatus helps identify packet rates and determine packet rate thresholds through continuous and adaptive learning with multiple DDoS attack mitigation components. The system can be scaled up by stacking multiple DDoS attack mitigation components to provide protection against large scale DDoS attacks by distributing load across these stacked components.
US09172720B2
Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for detecting malware using revision control logs are presented. In some embodiments, a computing device may gather one or more revision control logs, and the one or more revision control logs may identify one or more code changes. Subsequently, the computing device may determine, based on one or more risk factors, that at least one code change identified in the one or more revision control logs is potentially malicious. Based on determining that the at least one code change is potentially malicious, the computing device may generate a notification indicating that the at least one code change is potentially malicious.
US09172719B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to implementation of an intermediate trusted state of an electronic account based upon questionable account communication(s). A profile of malicious or unauthorized activity is created, and a profile of account activity is created. As account activity takes place, the activity is assessed against one or both of the profiles to statistically determine if the activity resembles that associated with malicious or unauthorized intent. The state of the account is placed in the intermediate trusted state if the activity statistically matches the unauthorized activity profile. An authentication activity enables the trusted state to be removed and for the account activity to resume.
US09172717B2
Systems and articles of manufacture for security-aware admission control of requests in a distributed system include identifying a request dropped by a first application component in a distributed system, determining one or more actions to take with respect to the dropped request, said determining comprises identifying one or more policies of the first application component responsible for the dropped request and identifying one or more additional application components in the distributed system to be affected based on the identified one or more policies, and executing said one or more actions to control admission of one or more requests associated with the dropped request at the one or more additional application components.
US09172715B2
A particular failed connection attempt initiated by a particular source asset in a network is identified and subsequent failed connection attempts initiated by the particular source asset in the network during a time period are tracked. A low frequency sequence of failed connection attempts involving the particular source asset is detected during the time period and the source asset is designated as a potential security risk based on the detected low frequency sequence of failed connection attempts.
US09172706B2
A negotiation-based mechanism enables a user to share personally identifiable information with a requesting website, for example, a third party website such as an aggregator website that might be gathering information about the user. The user, rather than being limited to a pre-set collection of privacy options, is free to negotiate with the requesting website and agree to share more or less information with based on the user's trust of the requesting website.
US09172701B2
Techniques for secure debugging and monitoring are presented. An end user requests a secure token for logging information with a remote service. A secure monitoring and debugging token service provides the secure token. The remote service validates the secure token and configures itself for capturing information and reporting the captured information based on the secure token.
US09172691B2
A system and method for providing, as a service over a computer network (especially a packet-switched computer network) to a body of merchants connected to the computer network, verification of consumer identification based on data provided over the computer network by scanning devices attached to the computers operated by consumers.
US09172690B2
A method includes receiving at a host device a first communication associated with a transaction from at least one electronic device included in a set of electronic devices. The host device includes at least a memory, a processor, and a database. The first communication received at a first time and via a first communication mode. The method includes sending a response to the first communication at a second time after the first time and independent of the first time. The host devices receives a second communication associated with the transaction from the at least one electronic device at a third time. The first communication, the response to the first communication, and the second communication are displayable in a persistent record of the transaction regardless of a difference between the first time and the third time.
US09172689B2
An image processing apparatus that communicates with a server that has a microblogging function performs user authentication processing and follows a user authenticated by the user authentication processing in accordance with the performing user authentication processing succeeding.
US09172687B2
A system, apparatus, method, and machine readable medium are described for determining the authentication capabilities. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: receiving a policy identifying a set of acceptable authentication capabilities; determining a set of client authentication capabilities; and filtering the set of acceptable authentication capabilities based on the determined set of client authentication capabilities to arrive at a filtered set of one or more authentication capabilities for authenticating a user of the client.
US09172686B2
A method comprises an operation for facilitating authentication of a client device attempting to connect to a port of a network element. Facilitating authentication includes determining whether the client device is configured for being authenticated using a first authentication mechanism and, in response to determining that the client device is not configured for being authenticated using the first authentication mechanism, determining whether the client device is configured for being authenticated using at least one other authentication mechanism. For each one of the authentication mechanisms, an operation is provided for providing the client device with network connectivity dependent upon a respective first classification policy structure in response to the client device being successfully authenticated and an operation is provided for providing the client device with network connectivity dependent upon a respective second classification policy structure different that the first classification policy structure in response to the client device failing to be successfully authenticated.
US09172673B2
A system, method, and computer-readable medium, is described that enables a domain name registrant the ability to exchange their existing domain in favor of a new domain without incurring additional domain registration fees and without affecting the other data fields of the existing domain. Once the domain exchange service is added to the domain registration, the registrant can exchange the domain name as often as it likes in accordance with the business rules of the registry until the domain exchange service expires.
US09172670B1
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for providing fault tolerant processing of events. The system includes multiple consensus computers configured to communicate with one another and multiple event processors configured to process data such as events. Each consensus computer is further configured to receive a request to process a unit of data from an event processor. A consensus computer communicates with at least one other consensus computer to reach consensus as to whether the unit of data has previously been assigned to an event processor for processing. Then, a consensus computer sends a message to the event processor that sent the inquiry including instructions to either process the unit of data or not process the unit of data. Because the consensus computers determine whether a unit of data has previously been assigned to an event processor, the system ensures that an event is not processed more than once.
US09172666B2
A user submitting a query from a computer at an unknown location is located using a language model. The language model is derived from an aggregation of tweets that were sent from known locations.
US09172665B2
A system for minimizing the time required to initiate and terminate an instant messaging session. An initial message in an instant messaging session is checked to determine whether it has any significant content. If the received initial message has insignificant content, then a non-intrusive notification is provided to the user, without changing the current focus in the user interface. A pre-composed response message may also be automatically transmitted to the initiating user, requesting that a more significant message be sent. When an initial message in an instant messaging session is received that is determined to have significant content, the user is promptly notified in a different manner, which may be intrusive such that the current focus of the user interface is changed to a new window or the like containing the newly initiated instant messaging session.
US09172655B1
System and methods for providing quality of service (QOS) in networks. The method includes determining whether a transmit segment of a port of a network device has received a grant from a scheduler to transmit a packet. The port includes a plurality of sub-ports that share the transmit segment to transmit packets and a receive segment to receive packets. When the transmit buffer has received the grant, a virtual queue associated with the grant is mapped to a QOS bin that includes a minimum bandwidth limit threshold value, a maximum bandwidth threshold value, and a counter for counting actual bandwidth consumed. The QOS bin monitors bandwidth consumed by a source traffic group for adjusting QOS priority and the source traffic group includes the virtual queue.
US09172653B2
Techniques are provided for sending request messages to destination nodes. Destination nodes may be indicated as unresolved. Request messages are sent to destination nodes indicated as unresolved.
US09172642B2
To provide a stable high speed wireless network, the relay process is solved at the lower layers (PHY layer, MAC layer) without depending on upper layers to reduce the load of the upper layers to the utmost. Discrimination is made between a packet of one's own station and a relay packet to process the presence and absence of the relay packet without using a CPU to construct a wireless network executing the relay processing at a high speed. Further, the retransmission is executed without using a CPU to provide a stable wireless network. In addition, the table for relay process (routing table) is constantly updated to add to the table the information of the packets of which processes are not executed to eventually suppress unnecessary processes.
US09172641B2
A server interconnection system includes three switches each having n downlink ports and an uplink port, wherein n is an integer equal to or larger than 2; and m servers each having at least two network interface cards respectively connected to downlink ports of different switches, wherein m=3p/2, p is an even number equal to or larger than 2 but equal to or less than n, wherein every three servers form a group. A first server connects to a downlink port of a first switch and a downlink port of a second switch via two network interface cards. A second server connects to a downlink port of the first switch and a downlink port of a third switch via two network interface cards. A third server connects to a downlink port of the second switch and a downlink port of the third switch via two network interface cards.
US09172633B2
Exemplary traffic engineering solutions are described herein. According to exemplary embodiments, multiple tiered thresholds representing allocatable capacities of links in the network may be provided. The tiered thresholds may effectively limit the amount of data that a traffic engineering system is permitted to allocate on links in the network. The traffic engineering system may attempt to allocate data flows in the network according to the smallest threshold. If the network cannot accommodate the data flows according to the smallest threshold, then the next-smallest threshold may be attempted. The thresholds may be sequentially tested in increasing order until the largest threshold is attempted. If a workable threshold is found, then the data flow may be allocated to a path in the network. If the traffic engineering system is unable to accommodate the data flows at any of the tiered thresholds, then the traffic engineering system may report a failure.
US09172631B2
A method includes identifying, by a first router, a number of label switched paths from the first router to a destination router, wherein each of the label switched paths includes less than a predetermined number of routers. The method may also include storing, for each of the label switched paths, information identifying each router in the label switched path. The method may further include identifying a least cost label switched path based on the stored information.
US09172630B2
In order to provide a redundancy mechanism in a packet switched provider network, which allows faster recovery from a failure, it is proposed that in case of a failure, a redundancy mechanism is initiated to reroute packet transmission through the provider network via an alternate path and an address withdrawal message is sent to network nodes along the failed path using data plane protocol. A network node receiving the address withdrawal message will flush MAC addresses it had learned before.
US09172626B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media for preventing traffic congestion in a long term evolution (LTE) multi-user equipment (multi-UE) simulator device are disclosed. In one example, a method includes transmitting, from a first module to a second module over a shared bus, one of a plurality of LTE subframe signal portions at the beginning of a first transmission interval. The method further includes sending, from the first module to a third module over the shared bus, a trigger signal upon completing the transmission of the LTE signal portion. The method also includes forwarding, from the third module to the second module over the shared bus, decoded control information associated with at least one of the plurality of LTE subframe signal portions during an idle time period defined by the receipt of the trigger signal and the beginning of a second transmission interval.
US09172620B2
In a network supporting transactions between clients and servers and proxies that are interposable in a network path, a pair of proxies can modify a packet stream such that packet data from client to server is transformed at a client-side proxy of the pair and untransformed at a server-side of the pair and packet data from server to client is transformed at the server-side proxy and untransformed at the client-side proxy. A discovering proxy transparently discovers its position in a proxy pair by using proxy signals. A discovering proxy might determine that it is a client-side proxy by receipt of a packet from client without a proxy signal, or that it is a server-side proxy by receipt of a packet from server without a return proxy signal. Once a proxy pair is discovered, it might transform traffic from server to client or vice versa, transforming and untransforming the traffic.
US09172611B2
A discovery system (and corresponding method and computer program product) for automatically discovering assets and their roles and functional relationships in a network system is described. In one aspect, the discovery system interrogates known assets through protocol messages, normalizes response messages, and contextually analyzes the normalized response message to identify additional assets and their roles and functional relationships with the interrogated assets. The discovery system can recursively interrogate newly discovered assets to discover additional assets. In another aspect of the present invention, the discovery system is scheduled to periodically interrogate known assets for up-to-date information of the assets and their roles and functional relationships. Such information can be used to provide various services.
US09172607B2
A method, system and program product for transmitting configuration item data by a network object within a network. The steps include the network object detecting a change; the network object detecting an amount of traffic within the network; the network object transmitting configuration item data to the network at a level based on the amount of traffic present within the network. If all of the configuration item data was not sent and the network object detects that the amount of network traffic within the network is below a determined amount, the network object transmits remaining configuration item data to the network; and if all configuration item data was sent, returns to the step of the network object detecting a change.
US09172602B1
Methods and systems for negotiating between a first network device and a second network device connected to a network, is provided. The method determining if a first port of the first network device having a plurality of Sub-Ports, is auto-negotiation enabled; wherein the plurality of Sub-Ports can be configured to operate independently as a port for sending and receiving information using one of a plurality of network links at a plurality of rates complying with a plurality of protocols; configuring any one or more of the Sub-Ports as one quad lane, two dual lane, one dual lane and two single lane, or four single lane ports; determining if lanes of the first port are physically swapped by identifying which one or more of the Sub-Ports will operate as a lane 0 for communicating with a particular lane 0 of the second network device; and processing auto-negotiation on all lanes.
US09172601B2
A system including a plurality of remotely configurable telephone network communication terminals (102) is adapted to communicate with a programming terminal (134) over a data network (222) by adding a remote interface means (RIM) (202) for each terminal to convert communications between the terminal to or from a format adapted for transmission over the data network, the programming terminal having a modem emulator (202) having communication and programming capabilities to interface the programming terminal with the network; by converting the programming terminal data to a network compatible format, obtaining an address for the RIM, connecting the programming terminal and the RIM via the data network, connecting the RIM and the communication terminal, transmitting the converted programming terminal data to the RIM, reconstituting the converted data to a format suitable for the communication terminal, and transmitting the reconstituted data to the communication terminal.
US09172598B2
A method is provided for establishing a reliable communication channel between an encapsulation node and a cluster of decapsulation nodes across a communication network. The method is implemented at the encapsulation node and comprises the following steps. A primary session is initialized with a primary decapsulation node in the cluster of decapsulation nodes during which an assigned address is received. A redundant session is initialized with a redundant decapsulation node in the cluster of decapsulation nodes. Data is transmitted to and received from the decapsulation node until a failure is detected. Once the failure is detected, data is transmitted to and received from the redundant decapsulation node instead of the primary decapsulation node.
US09172596B2
Various embodiments herein include at least one of systems, methods, and software of a cross-network listening agent for network entity monitoring. In some such embodiments, the cross-network listening agent is an element of software or a hardware device connected to a network and listens for metric data broadcast by other entities of the network. The cross-network listening agent receives the broadcast metric data and transmits the metric data to a network and system management system resident on another network. The network entities are generally any device that reports status with regard to metrics the network entity monitors with regard to its own state. In some embodiments, the network entities report their status in Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) messages that are broadcast on the network, but are unable to reach the network and system management system resident on the other network.
US09172591B2
System and method for reporting usage of a network infrastructure includes obtaining a map that includes at least one flow-mapping that correlates a flow feature with a service and that correlates a flow feature with an endpoint type, wherein the endpoint types include at least a subscriber type and a service type; at a first computer, receiving flow telemetry of a network infrastructure, the flow telemetry representing at least the destination and source attributes for network traffic in the flow telemetry; categorizing the flow telemetry into at least a subscriber flow category based on the source and destination endpoint types of the traffic; for subscriber flow telemetry of a subscriber, processing the subscriber flow telemetry into at least one flow feature; identifying at least one service to attribute to at least a portion of the subscriber flow telemetry, the service identified through the processed flow feature and a flow-mapping.
US09172588B2
Providing automated quality-of-service (‘QoS’) for virtual machine migration across a shared data center network, including: identifying, by a virtual machine migration module, a virtual machine to migrate from a source host to a destination host; determining a migration cost for migrating the virtual machine from the source host to the destination host; identifying based on the migration cost a least congested network path between the source host and the destination host and a bandwidth to be used for migration such that migration completes within a user specified time limit; and initiating transmission of the virtual machine from the source host to the destination host over the least congested network path, including reserving bandwidth across the shared data center network for transferring the virtual machine from the source host to the destination host in dependence upon the migration cost.
US09172573B2
Systems and methods are presented for controlling the peak-to-average-power of a baseband orthogonal-frequency-domain multiplexing (OFDM) signal by designating a subset of the available subcarriers as information-bearing data-subcarriers, and loading remaining subcarriers by symbols that are a function of the symbols loading the data-subcarriers. At the receiver, the data-dependent subcarriers are optionally combined with data-subcarriers to increase error protection.
US09172572B2
A Digital Video Broadcasting-Cable (DVB-C) system and a processing method for reserved tones are provided. A transmitter determines a position of broadcast data and a position of reserved tones in a frame and sends a broadcast signal into which the broadcast data and the reserved tones are inserted. A receiver determines the position of reserved tones in a received broadcast signal and extracts broadcast data from the broadcast signal in consideration of the determined position of the reserved tones. The system and method may compensate for the peak power of broadcast data to be transmitted through a multi-channel bundle, by inserting reserved tones into the whole multi-channel bundle with combined channel bands. This may reduce the Peak to Average Power Ratio (PAPR) of broadcast signals in the DVB-C system and thereby improve the performance of the DVB-C system while still adopting Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM).
US09172569B2
A phased array transmitter is disclosed comprising a vector modulator, a true time delay block coupled to the vector modulator, a local oscillator phase shifter and RF-converter block coupled to the true time delay block, and an antenna. The vector modulator applies vector modulation to a baseband signal and provides an intermediate frequency signal to the true time delay block. The true time delay block applies a true time delay to the intermediate frequency signal and provides a delayed intermediate frequency signal to the local oscillator phase shifter and RF-converter block. The local oscillator phase shifter and RF-converter block multiplies the delayed intermediate frequency signal by a local oscillator signal and applies a phase shift to the delayed intermediate frequency signal to provide a radio frequency signal to the antenna for onwards transmission.
US09172567B2
System, methods and apparatus are described that reduce the power consumed by a multi-level encoded communications link. In one example, different logic states of a 4-level pulse amplitude modulation encoded transmission consume greater power than other logic states. The fraction of primary bits in a first logic state in multi-bit data symbols may determine whether the primary bits are inverted prior to transmission. The fraction of secondary bits in the first logic state in the multi-bit data symbols may determine whether the secondary bits are inverted prior to transmission. The primary bits may be swapped with the secondary bits is more secondary bits are in the first logic state than primary bits in the first logic state.
US09172563B2
A circuit can include multiple data input ports and data output ports, pickoff tees coupled therebetween, and a resistive network coupled between the pickoff tees. A differential signal generator can be coupled with the resistive network and the pickoff tees. Resistances of the pickoff tees and resistive network can be selected such that impedances looking into the data input ports and data output ports are matched to a desired system impedance.
US09172556B2
An interfabric link between two separate Fiber Channel fabrics so that devices in one fabric can communicate with devices in another fabric without requiring the merger of the two fabrics. The interfabric switch performs a conversion or a translation of device addresses in each fabric so that they are accessible to the other fabric. In a first embodiment the external ports of the interfabric switch are configured as E_ports. A series of internal ports in each interfabric switch are joined together forming a series of virtual or logical switches. In a second embodiment the external ports are configured as NL_ports and the connections between the virtual switches are E_ports. The virtual switches in the interfabric switch match domains with their external counterparts so that the virtual switches effectively form their own fabric.
US09172551B2
A form of multicast, referred to as “on-demand multicast,” provides a methodology that allows for “on demand” multicasting of data. On-demand multicast allows clients to join or leave a transmission at any point. There is no transmission session start or end time—the session is continuously available, although data is not necessarily continuously transmitted. Data blocks missed by late-joining clients are retransmitted per amalgamated client requests through multiple transmission cycles until all clients that have joined the transmission session receive all content. Once a client has received all data blocks comprising the content for the session, the client may exit the ongoing session.
US09172541B2
A computer-implemented system and method for pool-based identity generation and use for service access is disclosed. The method in an example embodiment includes seeding an identity generator with a private key; retrieving independently verifiable data corresponding to a service consumer; using the independently verifiable data to create signed assertions corresponding to the service consumer; generating a non-portable identity document associated with the service consumer, the identity document including the signed assertions; signing the identity document with the private key; and conveying the signed identity document to the service consumer via a secure link.
US09172531B2
To limit use of content, when a source receives a request for transmitting content from a sink, the source performs an authentication process. When the authentication is successful, the source transmits to the sink key information necessary for decrypting the encryption applied to the content. The sink can receive the content by receiving the key information and by decrypting the encryption applied to the content by using the key information.
US09172526B1
Described embodiments provide for, in a receiver circuit, an adaptation process that adjusts the IQ-skew automatically to obtain proper eye centering in a data eye, thereby maximizing horizontal margin of the eye. The IQ-skew adaptation algorithm is realized with a ‘biased’ bang-bang phase detector (BBPD) oof a clock and data recovery circuit (CDR) that biases the weights applied to UP and DOWN outputs of the phase detector, rather than treating them equally. By weighting the BBPD UPs and DOWNs differently, the system locks to the left and right inner corners, and thereby is able to locate the center of the inner eye.
US09172523B2
A lens apparatus is detachable from an image pickup apparatus. The lens apparatus includes a controller configured to communicate with the image pickup apparatus in synchronization with a first signal. A communication contains a plurality of blocks in the same cycle of the first signal. The controller transmits information of a first time period to the image pickup apparatus, and prohibits a communication of an m-th block from starting before the first time period passes after a communication of an n-th block starts or ends where n is an integer equal to or larger than 1 and m is an integer larger than n.
US09172522B2
A data transmitter for transmitting a data packet to a data receiver via a communication channel includes a generator for generating the data packet and a transmitter for transmitting the data packet. The generator for generating the data packet is configured to generate a data packet having a first data block and a second data block and a predefined first reference sequence and second reference sequence for synchronizing the data receiver, wherein the first reference sequence is longer than the second reference sequence, and wherein in the data packet, the second data block is located between the first reference sequence and the second reference sequence, and the first reference sequence is located between the first data block and the second data block. The transmitter for transmitting the data packet is configured to transmit the data packet to the data receiver via the communication channel.
US09172516B2
A method, apparatus and system for downlink pilot transmission solve the problem of power differences among OFDM symbols caused by Walsh Codes. The transmission method is that dedicated pilots are transmitted in the manner of code division multiplexing (CDM) or hybrid of CDM and frequency division multiplexing (FDM), wherein the dedicated pilots are configured with orthogonal sequence sets according to a preset frequency-domain granularity and rules on the resources for transmitting the dedicated pilots, and the same orthogonal sequence set is employed for the dedicated pilots in each frequency-domain granularity.
US09172509B2
A method and apparatus for supporting uplink Transmission Time Interval (TTI) bundling in Long Term Evolution (LTE) is provided. Described are related method and apparatus for signaling, activation/deactivation and wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) behavior.
US09172505B1
One embodiment relates to a frame detection circuit for detecting a frame boundary. The circuit includes at least two frame buffers and a staged-parallel structure of syndrome computation circuits that computes a number of syndromes in one cycle. The two frame buffers are each one word in width. The number of syndromes computed in one cycle by the cascaded series is a fraction of a number of bits in one word. Another embodiment relates to a method for detecting a frame boundary. Another embodiment relates to a method for computing a current syndrome. Other embodiments, aspects, and features are also disclosed.
US09172499B2
In various embodiments, a system comprising a network interface, a processor, and a non-transient memory medium operatively coupled to the processor is disclosed. The memory medium is configured to store a plurality of instructions configured to program the processor to receive a digital bit stream, transform the digital bit stream to an encoded digital bit stream. The encoded digital bit stream comprises at least one of a gateway channel, a composite channel, or a data channel, and any combination thereof, and provides the encoded digital bit stream to the network interface for transmission. A non-transitory computer-readable memory medium and a computer-implemented method also are disclosed.
US09172482B2
A method and system for recommending multimedia content includes collecting consumption information for a plurality of users. The consumption information, along with real-time contextual information, may be used to generate collections of recommended multimedia content, including obtainable multimedia assets. The collections may be offered to a user for purchase. The user may be provided access to the multimedia assets. A unified storefront application, providing access to multimedia content via an Internet-protocol television portal, a web portal, and a mobile portal, may be used to offer and provide access to the multimedia assets.
US09172477B2
A system comprising one or more interior antenna(s) positioned within an at least partially enclosed operator area of a human operated machine and one or more exterior antenna(s) positioned on an external portion of the human operated machine, with a radio frequency shield positioned between the interior antenna(s) and the exterior antenna(s), is usable with a processing module electrically connected with the antennas for analyzing signals received from the antennas to determine whether a radio frequency generating device is active within the at least partially enclosed operator area.
US09172476B2
A method and system for reception of electromagnetic waves in which interference with radio frequencies of other electronics devices occurs comprising; at least one transmitter for transmitting electromagnetic radiation at a wide range of frequencies; at least one receiver fix receiving the received signal comprising the first electromagnetic radiation and RF interfering signal data; a first memory portion for storing transmitted signal waveforms; a second memory portion for storing RF interfering signal data; a switch for periodically allowing the RF interfering signal data to enter the second memory portion from the receiver; the at least one processor operating to process and compare the received signal containing RE signal data and first electromagnetic radiation by matching the received signal against data relating to the transmitted signal waveforms from the first memory portion and RF interfering signal data from the second memory portion, and extract the RF interfering signal data.
US09172475B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and an apparatus for equalizing link performance, and relate to the field of optical wavelength division multiplexing. In the present invention, target input power spectra and target output power spectra in all OMS sections in a network and single wave attenuation at a power adjusting point may be concurrently calculated based on link information of the OMS sections, fast adjustment may also be implemented for a complex network topology, and the adjustment may be implemented in a one-off manner to avoid a problem that iteration adjustment is caused by mutual impact of power adjusting points during serial adjustment in a ring network. In addition, it is not required to connect an optical path in the calculation phase, thereby eliminating reliance on a connected optical path in a process for equalizing link performance.
US09172465B2
The present invention relates to an optical device, including: an optical module, configured to implement an optical function of the optical device and including several outlet ports; and an identification module, containing identification information for identifying the optical device. The present invention further relates to a system and method for managing an optical device, where the system includes: an interface apparatus, configured to couple multiple optical devices; an identification information obtaining apparatus, configured to obtain identification information of the optical devices and/or identification information of outlet ports of the multiple optical devices through the interface apparatus; and a control apparatus, configured to manage the optical devices according to the obtained identification information.
US09172463B2
Systems, devices and methods provide feedback about the quality of communication between a device and a remote control. A wireless signal is sent between a controlled device and the remote control. The quality of the signal can be measured and reported to a user, installer, troubleshooter, customer service agent or other person in any manner. Quality may be determined based upon the strength of the received signal as well as the amount of noise that is present. The quality measurements provide feedback that allows a user, installer, customer service representative or other person to change the positions of the device or the remote control, or to take other actions based upon the quality of the wireless signal that is received.
US09172459B2
A method for clearing a fault condition at a target device is disclosed herein. In selected embodiments, such a method includes detecting a fault condition at a target device and receiving N instructions before the fault condition is cleared, where the N instructions are unexecutable due to the fault condition. N fault condition indicators are transmitted in response to the N instructions. Clearing of the fault condition is detected when the fault condition no longer exists. Acknowledgments corresponding to the fault condition indicators are received, where each acknowledgment indicates that one of the fault condition indicators has been received. A fault clear indicator is transmitted only after both all N fault condition indicators have been received and clearing of the fault condition has been detected. A corresponding system and computer program product are also disclosed herein.
US09172458B2
A method of providing a high symbol rate communication system with reduced overhead bandwidth includes calculating a minimum feasible aperture length at a network operations center, setting a hub demodulator subsystem to use an aperture length calculated from the minimum feasible aperture length, broadcasting the aperture length to a VSAT, and receiving an inroute data stream from the VSAT utilizing the aperture length.
US09172455B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to communication, and more specifically to distributed multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. For certain aspects, methods and apparatus are provided for transmitting a start frame containing information regarding parallel MIMO transmissions in a transmit opportunity and transmitting one or more parallel MIMO streams in accordance with the information contained in the start frame. For certain aspects, methods and apparatus are provided for receiving a start frame containing information regarding parallel MIMO transmissions in a transmit opportunity and transmitting one or more parallel MIMO streams in accordance with the information contained in the start frame. For certain aspects, methods and apparatus are provided for receiving a start frame containing information regarding parallel MIMO transmissions in a transmit opportunity and receiving one or more parallel MIMO streams in accordance with the information contained in the start frame.
US09172440B2
An antenna device of a mobile terminal for enabling to receive a wireless signal of a new frequency band by appropriately connecting a plurality of antennas through a switch is provided. The antenna device includes a plurality of communication units for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal of a plurality of frequency bands through a plurality of antennas, a plurality of switches for turning on/off an electrical connection between the plurality of antennas and the plurality of communication units, and a controller for controlling the plurality of switches to turn off an electrical connection between the plurality of antennas and the plurality of communication units.
US09172438B2
To control UE assumption of interference there is a controller module to control a plurality of transmission points, each constituted by a set of at least one transmit antenna, to transmit data to another device in a coordinated transmission from at least a subset of the plurality of transmission points. The controller module is configured to allocate, to each resource linked to the subset of the plurality of transmission points, an interference contribution parameter that is indicative of an expected interference contribution originating from said transmission point, and to inform said another device of those resources to which the subset of the plurality of transmission points is linked, together with the respective interference contribution parameter allocated to each resource. Another device reports feedback based on signals which are scaled with the respective interference contribution parameter.
US09172433B2
A power line communication apparatus (200) includes a mains power connector assembly (210) with three or more first connectors (211) connectable to a mains distribution network. A mains filter (220) provides a filter path between each of its first ports (221) and a corresponding one of second ports (222), wherein each first port (221) is connected to one of the first connectors (211). Each second port (222) is connected to one of three or more second connectors (282) of an AC power socket (280). A power line communication unit (250) is connected with each of the first ports (221) and transmits and/or receives data according to a transmission method using more than one transmission channel between two devices connected via the mains distribution network. The mains filter (220) improves PLC transmission quality by suppressing disturbances generated by the appliances and reduces PLC stray radiation.
US09172430B2
A device comprises a power input for supplying an external AC power to the device via a power cord, a filter for filtering noise from the outside out of the supplied external AC power and for thereby generating a filtered AC power, at least one power socket for supplying the filtered AC power to at least one other device, a PLC modem configured to be connected to the at least one power socket and to transmit data to or receive data from the at least one other device via power line communication using the filtered AC power, and a managing means configured to establish a data connection with the at least one other device and to detect whether the at least one other device is capable of PLC functionality. A respective power line communication system and a respective power line communication method are also proposed.
US09172429B2
A broadband powerline communication system makes use of knowledge of the spectrum characteristics of a local radio environment in order to improve system performance. A determination is made of the spectrum characteristics of a radio environment in the vicinity of the broadband powerline communication system that is transmitting data on modulated carrier frequencies. In order to avoid interference, certain ones of the carrier frequencies otherwise used by the broadband powerline communication system may be selectively masked based on the determination. The spectrum characteristics may be determined 1) in advance and used to compile a configuration database comprising frequency masking parameters; 2) by monitoring the local radio environment using the transmitter/receiver nodes of the system; or 3) based upon receipt of an indication from a conflicting user that the user is experiencing interference. Various combinations of these spectrum characteristic determination techniques may also be used.
US09172426B2
System, methods and apparatus are described that facilitate transmission of data, particularly between two devices within electronic equipment. Transmission lines are selectively terminated in an N-phase polarity encoded transmitter when the transmission lines would otherwise be undriven. Data is mapped to a sequence of symbols to be transmitted on a plurality of wires. The sequence of symbols is encoded in three signals. Each of the three terminals may be driven such that transistors are activated to couple a terminal to first and second voltage levels through a pair of impedances when the terminal would otherwise be undriven. The terminal is then pulled toward an intermediate voltage level while the terminal presents a desired impedance level to a transmission line.
US09172413B2
A method for performing wireless communications and an associated apparatus are provided, where the method is applied to an electronic device. The method includes the steps of: receiving at least one data stream, wherein each data stream from the at least one data stream is transmitted from a wireless channel; in a first iteration, utilizing a Maximum Likelihood (ML) estimator to perform demapping processing on at least one portion of the at least one data stream to obtain Log-Likelihood Ratios (LLRs) of the first iteration and performing Turbo decoding according to the LLRs of the first iteration to generate resultant LLRs of the first Iteration; and in at least one following iteration, utilizing a Max A Posterior (MAP) estimator to perform demapping processing on at least one portion of the at least one data stream and performing Turbo decoding, successively, in order to cancel interference due to the wireless channel.
US09172410B2
A transmitter includes a first wireless communication module, a second wireless communication module, a multiplexer, a digital-to-analog converter and a filter. The multiplexer selectively outputs a first digital signal derived from a digital output of the first wireless communication module or a second digital signal derived from a digital output of the second wireless communication module as a selected output. The digital-to-analog converter converts the selected output into an analog signal. The filter processes the analog signal and includes an adjustable resistive element. When the multiplexer selects the first digital signal as the selected output, the adjustable resistive element is adjusted to have a first resistance value such that the filter has a first bandwidth. When the multiplexer selects the second digital signal as the selected output, the adjustable resistive element is adjusted to have a second resistance value such that the filter has a second bandwidth.
US09172398B2
Disclosed is a vehicle data abnormality determination device including a storage unit for pre-storing a 2-byte remainder term which is a result of a CRC arithmetic operation on a target area for arithmetic operations in a predetermined memory area, and an arithmetic operation unit for performing a CRC arithmetic operation while including the 2-byte remainder term in this CRC arithmetic operation. Because when performing the CRC arithmetic operation, the vehicle data abnormality determination device performs the CRC arithmetic operation while including the 2-byte remainder term in this CRC arithmetic operation after performing an arithmetic operation on the target area, the vehicle data abnormality determination device always makes the computed result be zero when the data has not been falsified, and can detect whether or not the data has been falsified easily and properly.
US09172389B2
A successive approximation register analog-to-digital converter (SAR ADC) for high-speed applications. The SAR ADC uses at least one set of capacitors. Each set of capacitors is formed by 2M capacitor cells. The set of 2M capacitor cells is allocated into p capacitors C(p−1) to C0 decreasing in capacitance. C(p−1)
US09172387B2
An analog input stage has m differential input channels, wherein m>1. The analog input stage is configured to select one of the m differential input channels and provide an output signal. The analog input stage has n identical selection units each having m differential channel inputs and one differential output, wherein n is at least 2m−1. Each selection unit is operable to be coupled to any of the differential input channels through respective differential multiplexer units, wherein the multiplexor units are driven to select one of the differential input channels and couple the selected differential channel input through a butterfly switch unit with the differential output of the selection unit. The differential output signals of the n selection units are combined whereby unwanted crosstalk from channels other than a selected channel are removed by cancellation.
US09172385B2
A timing adjustment circuit includes a voltage-controlled delay line, a phase detector, a control voltage generation circuit, and a startup circuit. The voltage-controlled delay line receives an input clock signal and generates multi-phase clocks, a delay amount of each of the multi-phase clocks is changed according to a control voltage. The phase detector detects a phase difference between a first clock and a second clock, the first clock is a reference, the second clock is generated from the voltage-controlled delay line. The control voltage generation circuit generates the control voltage on the basis of the detected phase difference. The startup circuit operates for a certain period after activation, and continuously changes the control voltage between a first voltage and a second voltage.
US09172381B2
A fast turn on compensation system for a synthesized signal source includes a synthesized signal source coupled to a power supply and configured to generate a phase stable radio frequency (RF) output signal. A mute amplifier is coupled to the synthesized signal source and the power supply. A dummy amplifier is coupled to the mute amplifier and the power supply. A mute controller is coupled to the mute amplifier and the dummy amplifier, the mute controller is responsive to an enable signal and configured to enable the dummy amplifier and disable the mute amplifier when no RF output signal is being generated and disable the dummy amplifier and enable the mute amplifier when the RF output signal is being generated such that total power supply current delivered to the synthesized signal source and the dummy amplifier or mute amplifier is approximately constant before, during, and after enabling the mute amplifier to reduce phase disturbance of the RF output signals.
US09172378B1
A programmable logic device architecture having logic elements with dedicated hardware to configure the look up tables of the logic element to either perform logic functions or to operate as a register for pipelining. The programmable logic device includes a general interconnect and a plurality of logic array blocks interconnected by the general interconnect. Each of the plurality of logic blocks further includes one or more logic elements. The logic elements each include a first look up table, a second look up table, and dedicated hardware within the logic element to configure the first look table and the second look up table as a register without having to use the general interconnect. In one embodiment, the dedicated hardware includes a plurality of dedicated interconnects within the logic element to configure the two look up tables as a pair of cross coupled muxes or latches when configured as a register.
US09172376B2
One or more systems and techniques for communicating a signal between a first chip and a second chip using one or more circuits are provided. If the signal corresponds to a first voltage, one or more voltages are provided to one or more locations and a capacitive load is charged using a pull-up driver that is connected to a power supply. If the signal corresponds to a second voltage, one or more voltages are provided to one or more locations and the capacitive load is discharged using a pull-down driver that is connected to ground. When the first chip is powered off, a fail-safe mode is provided by configuring a cross control circuit to generate a bias to control one or more transistors.
US09172373B2
Structures, methods, and systems for designing and verifying integrated circuits including redundant logic blocks are provided. An integrated circuit includes selection logic and selectable logic blocks that are individually controllable by the selection logic. The selectable logic blocks include respective instances of a redundant logic block, and respective instances of an interface logic block that selectively disable the redundant logic blocks in the integrated circuit.
US09172371B2
Methods and structures for configuring an integrated circuit including repeated cells that are divided into banks having a respective power assist and a respective operational assist are provided. A method includes configuring the banks without power assist and operational assist. The method further includes selecting the power assist for a bank based on a determination that a weak cell remains in the bank after configuring the bank with the respective operational assist.
US09172363B2
A drive circuit may be configured to switch on an MOS transistor by precharging an input capacitance of the MOS transistor with a substantially constant amount of charge in a precharging phase, and charging the input capacitance with a controlled charging current after the precharging phase.
US09172357B2
A pulse generator circuit is disclosed that is optimized for printed, solution-processed thin film transistor processing. In certain embodiments, the circuit comprises dual thin film transistors that operate as a diode and resistor, respectively. Optionally, a third thin film transistor may be provided to operate as a pass transistor in response to an enable signal. The elements of the circuit are configured such that a rising pulse on an input node triggers an output pulse on an output node in the manner of a monostable multivibrator.
US09172347B2
To provide a wafer, a method of manufacturing a package, and a piezoelectric oscillator in which warping of a wafer body is reduced to improve the yields. A wafer for lid substrate has a product region in which a number of recess portions for cavities are formed and a non-forming region of the recess portions set in the product region in the form of a straight line extending along a diameter direction of the product region.
US09172346B2
A method for configuring an electronic device having an equalizer suited for processing a numeric audio signal according to an objective equalization improves the equalization of the numeric audio signal. The equalizer has a transfer function that implements a set of band-pass filters having a constant band-pass and a configurable weight in the transfer function. The method provides a set of objective gains representing the objective equalization, with each objective gain corresponding to a respective frequency. The method also determines values of the weights of the band-pass filters that minimize an error evaluated by comparing the set of objective gains to the transfer function. The set of band-pass filters includes at least one pair of band-pass filters having a common central frequency and distinct band-passes. The method also sets the weights of the band-pass filters to the determined values.
US09172338B2
Various embodiments include a power amplifier having power amplifier cells located in a die, conductive contacts overlying a surface of the die and coupled to the amplifier cells, and conductive lines overlying a surface of the die between the conductive contacts and coupled to the power amplifier cells. Additional apparatus are described.
US09172331B2
A power supply circuit includes: a push-pull amplifier unit which amplifies an input signal with a push-pull amplification protocol; a variable power supply unit which varies, with a control signal, the voltage level of a power supply voltage which is supplied to the push-pull amplifier; a switch control unit which, on the basis of the input signal, outputs the control signal which controls the voltage level of the power supply voltage; and a timing control unit which applies a specified time delay to the input signal. When the control signal rises, the switch control unit causes the control signal to rise at a faster timing, according to the voltage level switch transition timing, than a delay time upon the timing control unit, and when the control signal falls, the switch control unit causes the control signal to fall at the timing of the delay time.
US09172328B2
A voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) includes an oscillation frequency signal generation circuit and a transconductance control circuit. The oscillation frequency signal generation circuit has a first transconductance and generates a first oscillation frequency signal and a second oscillation frequency signal based on a voltage control signal and a power supply voltage. The first and second oscillation frequency signals are a pair of differential signals. The oscillation frequency signal generation circuit is configured to output the first oscillation frequency signal from a first output node. The oscillation frequency signal generation circuit is configured to output the second oscillation frequency signal from a second output node. The transconductance control circuit is connected to the first and second output nodes and has a second transconductance. The transconductance control circuit is configured to adjust the second transconductance based on a digital control signal.
US09172321B2
An electrical yaw drive for a wind turbine is described, wherein the wind turbine includes a wind turbine nacelle and a wind turbine tower. The electrical yaw drive has an asynchronous motor, an excitation capacitor bank and dump loads, wherein the excitation capacitor bank and the dump loads are electrically connectable to windings of the asynchronous motor. Furthermore, a wind turbine with such an electrical yaw drive and a method for operating such a wind turbine are described.
US09172320B2
A motor control circuit and associated techniques can drive an electric motor in a start-up mode of operation followed by a normal mode of operation. The motor control circuit and techniques can receive a selection signal provided by a user that can select one of a plurality of sets of parameter values that determine characteristics of drive signals applied to the motor during the start-up mode of operation. The motor control circuit and associated techniques can synchronize operation between the start-up mode of operation and the normal mode of operation.
US09172309B2
A switching mode power supply and a method of supplying power by using the same. The switching mode power supply includes a converting unit to convert an alternating current (AC) voltage input to the switching mode power supply to at least one direct current (DC) voltage by using at least one transformer, and a voltage controller to control a voltage level of an output voltage to be output to a system controller of the image forming apparatus from among the at least one DC voltage, where the system controller controls operations of the image forming apparatus. The voltage controller includes a switching unit to switch the voltage level of the output voltage from a first voltage level to a second voltage level when the image forming apparatus enters a power saving mode, where the second voltage level is lower than the first voltage level.
US09172306B2
A driver circuitry includes a capacitor, a first switch, and a second switch. The capacitor includes a first node and a second node. The first switch is electrically coupled to the first node of the capacitor. The second switch is electrically coupled to the second node of the capacitor. Additionally, the second node of the capacitor and the second switch are electrically coupled to an output pin of the driver circuitry operable to drive an external switch. As discussed herein, settings of the first switch and the second switch control a voltage outputted from the output pin and charging of the capacitor.
US09172302B2
The present invention includes: an ON-timer configured to control a period of time in which a main switching element is on; a voltage detecting circuit configured to detect an output voltage of a filter circuit; a triangular wave generator; a feed-forward circuit configured to generate a feed-forward output whose value decreases as a value of a DC voltage from a DC power supply increases; and a comparator configured to compare a second reference voltage generated by adding together a first reference voltage, a triangular wave signal from the triangular wave generator, and the feed-forward output from the feed-forward circuit, with the output voltage of the voltage detecting circuit, and based on a result of the comparison, output an ON-trigger signal for turning on the main switch element to the ON-timer.
US09172297B2
The present disclosure provides a method, includes: a first stepped-impedance transmission line configured to receive a first signal of a first differential signal; a second stepped-impedance transmission line configured to receive a second signal of the first differential signal, where the first stepped-impedance transmission line and the second stepped-impedance transmission line superpose the first signal of the first differential signal on the second signal of the first differential signal to obtain a first frequency multiplied signal; a first inverse stepped-impedance transmission line configured to be inversely ground-coupled with the first stepped-impedance transmission line and grounded at an end near an output end of the first stepped-impedance transmission line; a second inverse stepped-impedance transmission line configured to be inversely ground-coupled with the second stepped-impedance transmission line and grounded at an end near an output end of the second stepped-impedance transmission line.
US09172294B2
A motor includes a stator including a plurality of stator poles arranged in a repetitive arrangement with a first pitch, the stator poles facing a first side of a plane of movement, and a mover including a plurality of mover poles arranged in a repetitive arrangement with a second pitch, the mover poles facing a second, opposite side of the plane of movement. The poles of the stator and/or the mover are provided with a winding to alter a magnetic field in the respective ones of the stator poles and the mover poles in response to an electric current through the respective winding. At least one of the stator and the mover includes a permanent magnet for generating a magnetic field extending from the permanent magnet via at least one respective pole of the stator and the mover to the other one of the stator and the mover and back.
US09172289B2
A wire assembly for use in an electric machine is provided. The assembly includes a member and a wire. The wire conducts electrical current. At least a portion of the wire is adapted to be wrapped at least partially around the member. The member defines a periphery of the member. At least a portion of the periphery of the member is conformable when the wire is wrapped at least partially around the member.
US09172288B2
A stator winding temperature sensor including at least one sensing wire for connecting to a stator. The sensor also includes a body, including a core material comprising a polyimide substrate having an acrylic adhesive surrounding at least a portion of the sensing wire, and a laminate material over the core material. The body has a thickness adapted to protect the sensing wire. The sensor includes a lead wire for connecting to an external monitoring device. The sensing wire is electrically connected to the lead wire at a lead step portion of the sensor. The sensor further includes a tab extending from the lead wire and encompassing the lead step, the tab including a flexible zone where the tab is surrounded by a polyimide and an adhesive but is not surrounded by fiberglass.
US09172281B2
The disclosure discloses a motor including a stator and a mover. The stator and the mover are arranged facing each other so as to be relatively movable via a magnetic air gap. Any one of the stator and the mover includes a yoke, a plurality of teeth, and a plurality of coils. The plurality of teeth are disposed protruding from the yoke to the magnetic air gap side. The plurality of coils are wound around the plurality of teeth. The plurality of coils include, for each phase, coil groups. Each of the coil groups includes a plurality of the coils. The coils are continuously arranged along the relative movement direction and are in-phase with each other and have the same wire diameter with each other. The coil group includes at least one the coil in which a coil width is larger than a teeth pitch.
US09172277B2
An actuator includes an electrically conductive coil defining a longitudinal axis (L) and having a plurality of winding turns. A magnet is spaced from the winding turns in radial direction. A first conductive element has a mid region covering the coil on a side thereof facing away from the magnet. A second conductive element has a mid region covering the magnet on a side thereof facing away from the winding turns of the coil. The first conductive element projects beyond the coil in axial direction and the second conductive element projects beyond the magnet also in axial direction. The first and second conductive elements have respective collar-shaped projections whereat the first and second conductive elements project beyond the coil and the magnet, respectively. At least one of the first and second conductive elements is made of soft-magnetic powder composite material.
US09172276B2
A power transmission device that includes a high-frequency high-voltage generating circuit which applies a high voltage of high frequency between a power transmission device side active electrode and a power transmission device side passive electrode, the power transmission device side passive electrode being disposed in a manner to surround the power transmission device side active electrode and the high-frequency high-voltage generating circuit. An auxiliary high-frequency high-voltage generating circuit is provided between a ground of the power transmission device having a potential substantially equal to the ground potential and the power transmission device side passive electrode. The auxiliary high-frequency high-voltage generating circuit suppresses a potential change of the power reception device side passive electrode relative to the ground potential.
US09172275B2
A system includes a first controller carried by a first electrical outlet, and a management system in communication with the first controller through a first communication link. A second controller is carried by a second electrical outlet, and an electrical load operates in response to receiving power from the second electrical outlet. The management system determines a performance parameter of the electrical load in response to receiving information corresponding to the operation of the electrical load from the first controller.
US09172270B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed for solar power generation when irradiance is low and unstable due to sunrise, sunset, clouding, partial shading, warped solar module surfaces, moving solar modules, and other low or varying irradiance conditions. A multi-channel solar power inverter connected to multiple solar modules can work in a “Lunar Power Mode”, inverting DC power induced from the sky, street lights, or surrounding environment to AC power by using a unique rotating power pulling technology. This allows the inverter to dynamically adapt to irradiance variations and generate AC power under complex irradiance conditions. A UPS (uninterruptible power supply) works with a DC power supply to provide DC power to the internal electronic circuits of the inverter allowing it to run in normal power, low power, or lunar power modes.
US09172266B2
Electronic dispensers and refill units for electronic dispensers. An exemplary electronic dispenser includes a housing, a processor and a first battery secured to the dispenser. The first battery provides power to the processor. The dispenser further includes actuator drive circuitry for causing the dispenser to move an actuator to dispense fluid from a refill unit. In addition, the dispenser includes a rechargeable energy storage device for providing power to the actuator drive circuitry. Circuitry for charging the rechargeable energy storage device is also provided. The dispenser includes a holder for holding a refill unit and a connector for releasably connecting to a second battery that is provided with the refill unit. The second battery is installed in the connector when a refill unit is installed in the dispenser and removed from the connector when the refill unit is removed from the dispenser.
US09172261B2
A battery pack includes a secondary battery including a plurality of cell blocks, a measuring section, a charge and discharge control switch, a protection circuit, and a memory. The measuring section detects a voltage, a current, and an internal resistance, of the secondary battery. The controller monitors the voltage and the current of the secondary battery and outputs a request signal indicative of a charge condition to charge the secondary battery in accordance with the charge condition which is set. The protection circuit monitors voltages of the plurality of cell blocks. The memory registers an initial internal resistance of the secondary battery. The controller calculates a deterioration coefficient by a ratio of the internal resistance detected by the measuring section to the initial internal resistance registered in the memory, and changes the charge condition in accordance with the deterioration coefficient.
US09172238B2
A mobile environment-controlled unit, such as an over-the-road compartment trailer, having an environmental-control system, such as a refrigeration unit, powered by an alternator and having a high-voltage alternating current (AC) bus. The unit incorporates a high resistance ground scheme and can incorporate a solid-state input module to detect phase-chassis faults. This combination provides an improvement in protection for mobile applications that cannot have a voltage reference (or neutral point) solidly connected to earth ground.
US09172237B2
A power source circuit includes a voltage converter circuit and a control circuit that includes a voltage divider circuit and a protective circuit. The protective circuit includes a first oxide semiconductor transistor in which an off-state current is increased as temperature is increased, a capacitor that accumulates the off-state current as electric charge, a second oxide semiconductor transistor, and an operational amplifier including a non-inverting input terminal to which a reference voltage is input. The first oxide semiconductor transistor is provided near the voltage converter circuit or an element that generates heat in the control circuit.
US09172229B2
A wire harness securing structure secures a wire harness to a panel using a wire harness clip having a plate portion and a latch portion provided at the plate portion to be press-fitted to a hole of the panel. The latch portion includes a post extending from the plate portion and a pair of latch pieces extending from an end of the post toward the plate portion and having an end which engages with an edge of the hole. The plate portion and the wire harness are covered and secured by the self-adhesive sheet. A surface of the self-adhesive sheet facing the panel contacts with the end of the latch piece before the latch portion is press-fitted. When the latch portion is press-fitted and latched to the hole, the adhesive sheet between the plate portion and the panel is compressed and contacts firmly with an outer periphery of the hole.
US09172227B2
Forward and backward movement of a wire guide member in an axial direction of the wire guide member is restricted, by the wire guide member abuts on a distal end portion holding member and a proximal end portion holding member. The wire guide member is held by an intermediate holding member, the distal end portion holding member, and the proximal end portion holding member to allow insertion and forward and backward movement in the intermediate holding member, the distal end portion holding member, and the proximal end portion holding member. The wire guide member has elasticity.
US09172226B2
One aspect of the invention relates to a multi-core cable in which a cable sheath covers plural electronic wires in each of which a central conductor is covered with a covering. In the multi-core cable, the electronic wires are exposed from a longitudinal end of the cable sheath, and distal ends of exposed portions of the plural electronic wires are parallel aligned, and the exposed portions of the plural electronic wires are fixed by a resin in a place within a range from the end of the cable sheath to a parallel aligned place.
US09172225B2
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, an induction-based reference point locator is provided. The locator includes transmitter locatable at a position on a first side of a structure, the transmitter configured to generate an alternating magnetic field at a desired frequency; and a receiver locatable on a second side of the structure opposite the first side, the receiver configured to detect the magnetic field and provide a directional indication to the position of the transmitter relative to the second side of the structure.
US09172223B2
A cable manipulator includes a base and a plurality of plates attached to the base, each of the plurality of plates including a pair of cams attached to each plate. Each cam of the pair of cams is spaced from each other such that a length of cable can be inserted therebetween. At least one of the plurality of plates is a rotatable plate such that rotation of the rotatable plate causes an end of the cable to be moved closer to the cable manipulator.
US09172222B2
A voltage switchgear assembly is disclosed, which includes a short-circuiting unit having short-circuiting devices arranged as a three-phase unit. A support is configured to receive the short-circuiting unit and is configured to be inserted into and withdrawn from an openable section of a switchgear assembly housing.
US09172209B2
Heating resistor used to control laser operation. A laser package, such as a Transmitter Optical Subassembly (TOSA) includes a substrate. A laser is disposed on the substrate. A resistive heating element is disposed on the substrate with the laser. Control circuitry is connected to the resistive heating element. The control circuitry is configured to cause current flow through the resistive heating element based on temperature conditions. Current flow through the resistive heating element causes an increase in the operating temperature of the laser. This can be used to increase the effective operating temperature range of a laser.
US09172191B2
A housing having an electrical connection between a conductor and a foil conductor is described. An inlet opening (8) of the housing is rounded off at entry edges thereof on at least one side for the foil conductor, such that the inlet opening increasingly expands in an outward direction.
US09172186B2
An anti-misinsertion structure of a socket connector includes a pivot clasped to both sides of the top of an insulating base of the socket connector and two connecting arms extended horizontally from both sides of the pivot. Each connecting arm has a guide piece extended horizontally from an end of each connecting arm, a stop piece formed at the bottom of the connecting arm and proximate to the guide piece of the connecting arm, a downwardly tilted first guide bevel formed at the bottom of the guide piece, a position limit surface defined on a side of the guide piece and proximate to the stop piece, an upwardly tilted second guide bevel formed at the bottom of the stop piece, and a stop surface defined on a side of the stop piece and proximate to the guide piece and perpendicular to the position limit surface of the guide piece.
US09172185B2
According to one embodiment, a card connector for receiving digital broadcasting includes a store portion into which a card for receiving digital broadcasting is inserted so as to be ejectable, and an ejection prevention mechanism configured to prevent the card stored in the store portion from being ejected. The card connector can automatically release the ejection prevention mechanism when the card is inserted into the store portion, and can automatically actuate the ejection prevention mechanism after the card is inserted into the store portion.
US09172177B2
The invention relates to a strain relief/bending protection apparatus for a cable, in particular a high speed cable, connected to a plug connector, comprising a base section which can be fastened to a housing of the plug connector and a sleeve section projecting from the base section for surrounding the cable in a region disposed outside the housing, wherein the sleeve section continuously has a round cross-section and the cross-sectional area of the sleeve section reduces as the spacing from the base section increases.
US09172167B2
An electrical connector for connecting wires including dissimilar electrical conductors such as copper and aluminum conductors with the electrical connector including failure inhibiting features that can include an oxidation inhibiting coating and a sealant. To ensure that a minimum pressure contact has been achieved at the interface between the electrical connector a shearable fastener can be used to secure an electrical conductor in the electrical connector.
US09172159B2
A process for the production of a plug, in which a circuit board panel with openings is provided for forming a circuit board. A plug insert, having a plurality of pins and a plurality of plug contact surfaces, is then placed in one of the openings, by means of an automatic SMD fitment device, in such a way that at least one pin of the plug rests on the circuit board panel, and at least two plug contact surfaces, which are electrically connected to the pins, rest on the circuit board, with the contact surfaces of the plug being on one plane. The plug contact surfaces are then automatically soldered to at least one of the contact surfaces of the circuit board.
US09172145B2
A mixed-signal, multilayer printed wiring board fabricated in a single lamination step is described. The PWB includes one or more radio frequency (RF) interconnects between different circuit layers on different circuit boards which make up the PWB. The PWB includes a number of unit cells with radiating elements and an RF cage disposed around each unit cell to isolate the unit cell. A plurality of flip-chip circuits are disposed on an external surface of the PWB and a heat sink can be disposed over the flip chip components.
US09172143B2
An electronic device module as described herein includes an electronic device package having device contacts. The electronic device package is fixed within encapsulating material, along with an electrically conductive ground layer. The ground layer has a device opening in which the electronic device package resides, and the ground layer also has an antenna opening spaced apart from the device opening. The device contacts and one side of the ground layer correspond to a first surface, and a patch antenna element overlies the first surface. The antenna element is coupled to the electronic device package, and a projection of the patch antenna element onto the first surface resides within the antenna opening. Also provided are methods for manufacturing such an electronic device module.
US09172142B2
This disclosure provides a horizontal radiation antenna. The antenna includes a back-surface-side grounded conductor plate on a back surface of a substrate, a radiation element to which a coplanar line is connected on the front surface of the substrate, and a passive element closer to an end portion side of the substrate than the radiation element. A front-surface-side grounded conductor plate is provided at a substantially same height as the radiation element with respect to a thickness direction of the substrate, and a conductive wall surface capable of reflecting a high-frequency signal radiated from the radiation element is provided between the front-surface-side grounded conductor plate and the back-surface-side grounded conductor plate.
US09172141B2
The claimed invention discloses an antenna including: a magnetic core (11); a coil winding section (14a, 14b) in which a conductive wiring line is wound around the magnetic core; and an adjustment section (13) connected to one end of the coil winding section. The adjustment section (13) is disposed at an end part of the magnetic core (11) and includes a plurality of adjustable conductive wiring lines (13b-13d) formed by dividing a conductive wiring line connected to one end of the coil winding section (14a, 14b) into multiple conductive wiring lines in a direction intersecting with a winding axis direction of the coil winding section (14a, 14b).
US09172139B2
Electronic devices are provided that contain wireless communications circuitry. The wireless communications circuitry may include radio-frequency transceiver circuitry and antenna structures. A parallel-fed loop antenna may be formed from portions of an electronic device bezel and a ground plane. The antenna may operate in multiple communications bands. An impedance matching circuit for the antenna may be formed from a parallel-connected inductive element and a series-connected capacitive element. The bezel may surround a peripheral portion of a display that is mounted to the front of an electronic device. The bezel may contain a gap. Antenna feed terminals for the antenna may be located on opposing sides of the gap. The inductive element may bridge the gap and the antenna feed terminals. The capacitive element may be connected in series between one of the antenna feed terminals and a conductor in a transmission line located between the transceiver circuitry and the antenna.
US09172134B2
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a protective cover configured to attach to a wireless device having a surface including a first portion and a second portion mutually exclusive from the first portion. The second portion of the surface is associated with a proximity sensor of the wireless device. The protective cover is configured to cover the first portion of the surface when the protective cover is attached to the wireless device. The protective cover is configured to not cover the second portion of the surface when the protective cover is attached to the wireless device such that the proximity sensor is not triggered by the protective cover when the protective cover is attached to the wireless device and when the wireless device is operational.
US09172132B2
A chip package includes a set of layers including conductive planes connected by vias. A first portion has at least one antenna, antenna ground plane, and first grounded vias. A second portion has a conductive plane parallel to the ground plane that forms an interface for connecting to at least one integrated circuit device. A third portion between the first and the second portion has a vertical transmission line that includes a signal via connecting the antenna feed line to the at least one integrated circuit and a parallel-plate mode suppression mechanism. The parallel-plate mode suppression mechanism includes a grounded reflector that forms a cage with the grounded vias around an antenna region and further includes second ground vias surrounding the signal via.
US09172131B2
The semiconductor package includes a first substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface. A circuit portion is formed on the first surface of the substrate, wherein the circuit portion includes a wave guiding slot and a microstrip line overlapping the wave guiding slot. A chip is disposed on the circuit portion. An antenna is formed on the second surface of the substrate, wherein the antenna overlaps the wave guiding slot.
US09172130B2
An RFID inlay. The RFID inlay can include a substrate having a first area and a second area, a conductive structure having a first part disposed over at least a portion of the first area and a second part disposed over at least a portion of the second area, and a dielectric material disposed over at least a portion of the conductive structure, wherein the substrate is adapted to be folded such that the first part of the conductive structure is disposed over the second part of the conductive structure and the dielectric material is disposed between the first part and the second part.
US09172126B2
The application concerns a surface mount module adapted for transfer of a microwave signal between the module and a motherboard, the module comprising a substrate with a first microstrip conductor and a second microstrip conductor, wherein the two conductors are connected with a connection through the module. The module is distinguished in that the connection comprises the first microstrip conductor connected to a foil of electrically conducting material coated on the first side, the foil being surrounded by electrically conducting trenches running through the substrate from the first side to the second side forming a substrate integrated waveguide, wherein the trenches on the second side surrounds a second foil of electrically conducting material coated on the second side of the substrate and connected the second microstrip conductor. The application also concerns a coupling arrangement.
US09172122B2
A battery module includes a first battery cell having a first housing and first and second electrical terminals. The first housing has first, second, third and fourth ends. The first and second electrical terminals extend outwardly from the third and fourth ends, respectively. A distance from the second end of the first housing to a second edge of the first electrical terminal is greater than a distance from the first end of the first housing to a first edge of the first electrical terminal. A distance from the second end of the first housing to a second edge of the second electrical terminal is greater than a distance from the first end of the first housing to a first edge of the second electrical terminal. The battery module further includes a cooling fin disposed adjacent to the first battery cell, and a cooling plate coupled to the cooling fin.
US09172103B2
An apparatus and method to determine the relative humidity of a fuel cell system. A controller is cooperative with a first device and a second device to receive a valve signal and a high frequency resistance value. The controller controls the relative humidity of a fuel cell stack based on the estimation of the relative humidity of the fuel cell stack based on one or more algorithms. The controller modifies the relative humidity of the fuel cell stack through changes in the position of a valve based on at least one of the valve signal and the high frequency resistance value. In one form, the relative humidity of the fuel cell system is determined without the need of a humidity sensor.
US09172099B2
A fibrous sheet for fuel cell or battery applications is formed by electrospinning a fluorinated ion-conducting polymer solution to form an agglomeration of fibers.
US09172098B2
The present invention provides a fuel cell stack with improved corrosion resistance, in which the outer edge of the fuel cell stack including an outer cut portion of each metallic bipolar plate can be effectively prevented from being corroded. For this purpose, the present invention provides a fuel cell stack including a waterproof member which is formed at an outer edge of a metallic bipolar plate to seal a gap between joined surfaces of the metallic bipolar plate, a membrane-electrode assembly, a gas diffusion layer, and a gasket from the outside thereof such that water vapor and moisture from the fuel cell stack are prevented from being brought into contact with an outer cut portion of each metallic bipolar plate by the waterproof member.
US09172097B2
An electrode assembly for a solid oxide fuel cell, the electrode assembly including a porous ceramic oxide matrix and an array of fluid conduits. The porous ceramic oxide matrix includes a labyrinth of reinforcing walls interconnected to one another. Each of the fluid conduits is formed from the porous ceramic oxide matrix and has an external surface with a plurality of struts projecting outwardly therefrom and an internal surface defining a first passage for flowing a first fluid therethrough. The struts are configured to connect the fluid conduits to one another and the external surfaces and the struts define a second passage around the fluid conduits for flowing a second fluid therethrough.
US09172095B2
The present subject matter provides a method of manufacturing an electrode for a fuel cell, in which nanocarbons are grown on the surface of a substrate for a fuel cell using a process of simultaneously gasifying a platinum precursor and a carbon precursor, and simultaneously core-shell-structured platinum-carbon composite catalyst particles are highly dispersed between nanocarbons The subject matter also provides an electrode for a fuel cell, manufactured by the method. This method is advantageous in that an electrode for a fuel cell having remarkably improved electrochemical performance and durability can be manufactured by a simple process.
US09172091B2
Provided are a core-shell type anode active material for lithium secondary batteries including a carbonaceous material core; and a shell formed outside the carbonaceous material core, the shell including a PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) medium. The core-shell type anode active material for lithium secondary batteries has the shell including the PTC medium, and thus has the improved conductivity and high output density, exhibiting excellent electrical characteristics. And, a lithium secondary battery manufactured using the anode active material has excellent safety, in particular safety against overcharge and external short circuit.
US09172087B2
An electrode material contains an agglomerate formed by agglomerating a plurality of agglomerated particles formed by agglomerating a plurality of particles of a carbonaceous coated electrode active material having a carbonaceous coat formed on a surface, the agglomerate is made up of hollow-structured particles and solid-structured particles, the average particle diameter of the agglomerate is in a range of 0.5 μm to 100 μm, the volume density of the agglomerate is in a range of 50% by volume to 80% by volume, the micropore distribution of micropores present in the agglomerate is monomodal, the average micropore diameter in the micropore distribution is 0.3 μm or less, and the NMP oil absorption amount of the agglomerate is in a range of 40 g/100 g to 100 g/100 g.
US09172082B2
The present disclosure relates to an electrode composite material. The electrode composite material includes a number of electrode composite material particles. Each of the plurality of electrode composite material particles includes an electrode active material particle and a doped aluminum phosphate layer coated on a surface of the electrode active material particle. A material of the doped aluminum phosphate layer is a semiconducting doped aluminum phosphate.
US09172080B2
An electrode production system is configured so that a metal foil is folded back a plurality of times and conveyed by a plurality of rollers that are disposed for a coating device, a drying device and a pressing device. A coating process, a drying process and a pressing process are serially performed by the coating device, the drying device and the pressing device, respectively, by using the rollers. This makes it possible to unwind the rolled metal foil and convey the metal foil in the up-and-down direction. The coating device, the drying device and the pressing device can be integrated and thus the size of the electrode production system can be reduced. Furthermore, since a small-size electrode production system can be configured, it is easy to install the electrode production system in a clean and dry environment.
US09172076B2
Disclosed are membranes suitable for use as separators in electrochemical cells as well as electrochemical cells, where the membranes are configured to substantially reduce the passage of multivalent ions therethrough without substantially reducing the permeability of the membranes to lithium ions.
US09172074B2
A ply includes a fibrous nonwoven web fabric forming a foundational structure, wherein the foundational structure includes fibers forming first pores and is partially filled with particles, wherein the particles at least partially fill the first pores so as to form regions filled with particles, wherein the particles in the filled regions form second pores, and wherein an average diameter of the particles is greater than an average pore size of more than 50% of the second pores.
US09172072B2
[PROBLEM] In space-conservative fashion, at low cost, and with high efficiency, to carry out absorption of gas produced at the interior of a battery.[SOLUTION MEANS] Secondary battery 21 is provided with case 3 in which positive electrode 10 and negative electrode 11 are sealed together with electrolyte, and with explosion prevention valve 4 for allowing escape of high-pressure gas present at the interior of case 3 when pressure within case 3 rises; and is further provided with gas absorber 13 or 14 for absorbing high-pressure gas. Gas absorber 13, includes gas-absorbent material 6 and capsule 5, which comprises hot-melt material, and is provided within case 3, this capsule 5 including, at the interior thereof, gas-absorbent material 6. Furthermore, gas absorber 14, which may be provided outside case 3, may include gas-absorbent material 6; cartridge case 14a which houses, at the interior thereof, gas-absorbent material 6; gas inlet valve 14b for causing high-pressure gas to flow thereinto; and gas outlet valve 14c for causing high-pressure gas to flow out therefrom.
US09172066B2
A protection circuit board resulting in a compact battery pack having a higher capacity than a conventional battery pack of the same size, a battery pack including the protection circuit board and a method of fabricating the protection circuit board includes: a first lead terminal disposed on a first side of the protection circuit board; and a first aperture for exposing the first lead terminal to a second side of the protection circuit board. The battery pack also includes: a bare cell including an electrode terminal; a second lead terminal arranged over the electrode terminal; and a protection circuit board electrically connected to the second lead terminal and the bare cell, and having an aperture for exposing the second lead terminal arranged the first side of the protection circuit board to the second side of the protection circuit board.
US09172065B2
An organic electroluminescence display panel includes a thin-film transistor layer above a substrate. A planarizing film is above the thin-film transistor layer with contact holes being formed in the planarizing film. A bank is above the planarizing film. The bank includes openings arranged in rows and columns that define regions for forming organic electroluminescence elements. Each opening is between a pair of adjacent concaves in one of the columns. The concaves are formed in an upper surface of the bank and sunken into the contact holes. The upper surface of the bank has repellency. A light-emitting layer is formed in each opening by ejecting drops of an ink from nozzles of an inkjet head into the openings while moving the inkjet head relative to the substrate. The nozzles further eject drops of the ink into the concaves when above the concaves for ejecting the drops of the ink through every nozzle.
US09172061B2
An organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display panel comprises: a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array, in which each pixel unit includes an organic light-emitting element provided with a first light-emitting surface and a second light-emitting surface; and light shield layers configured to shield at least the first light-emitting surfaces of organic light-emitting elements of a portion of the pixel units. The OLED display panel combines the double-faced organic light-emitting elements and the light shield layers to simply achieve double emission display.
US09172058B2
A light emitting structure includes a first hole injection layer, a first organic light emitting layer, a charge generation layer, a second hole injection layer, a second organic light emitting layer, an electron transfer layer, and a blocking member. The light emitting structure has first, second, and third sub-pixel regions. The first organic light emitting layer may be on the first hole injection layer. The charge generation layer may be on the first organic light emitting layer. The second hole injection layer may be on the charge generation layer. The second organic light emitting layer may be on the second hole injection layer. The electron transfer layer may be on the second organic light emitting layer. The blocking member may be at at least one of the first to the third sub-pixel regions.
US09172054B2
Provided is an organic light emitting display device. The organic light emitting display device comprises a substrate; a first electrode formed on the substrate and including a first sub-electrode and a second sub-electrode which have different reflectivities with respect to light wavelengths and are mutually stacked; an organic layer formed on the first electrode and including an organic light emitting layer; and a second electrode formed on the organic layer.
US09172052B2
An organic light emitting device having a phase-separated light-emissive layer comprising: a charge transport phase comprising a charge transport material; and an emitting phase, the emitting phase comprising a plurality of discrete emissive domains dispersed in the charge transport phase, each emitting domain comprising a host material and one or more metal complexes for emitting light by phosphorescence; wherein the charge transport material has a T1 energy level lower than the T1 energy level of the metal complexes and the host material has a T1 energy level higher than the T1 energy level of the metal complexes.
US09172048B2
A varnish containing a charge-transporting organic material and a solvent is used as a charge-transporting varnish. The charge-transporting organic material is composed of a charge-transporting substance comprising a charge-transporting monomer, or charge-transporting oligomer or polymer having a number average molecular weight of 200 to 500,000, or is composed of such a charge-transporting substance and an electron- or hole-accepting dopant substance. The solvent contains at least one type of high-viscosity solvent having a viscosity of 10 to 200 mPa·s at 20° C. The charge-transporting substance or the charge-transporting organic material is dissolved or uniformly dispersed in the solvent. The varnish has a high uniform film forming capability even in a system using a charge-transporting substance of low molecular weight and a charge-accepting dopant substance. When the varnish is used in, particularly an OLED device or PLED device, excellent EL device characteristics, namely a low drive voltage, a high luminance efficiency, and a long life are realized.
US09172041B2
An integrated graphene-based structure comprises an N-dimensional array of elements formed on a surface of a substrate. The N-dimensional array of elements includes a plurality of rows. Each respective row in the plurality of rows comprises a corresponding plurality of elements formed along a first dimension. Each element in the corresponding plurality of elements comprising at least one graphene stack and separated from an adjacent element along the first dimension by a first average spatial separation thereby resulting in a first periodicity in lateral spacing along the first dimension. Each respective row in the plurality of rows is separated from an adjacent row along a second dimension by a second average spatial separation, thereby resulting in a second periodicity in lateral spacing along the second dimension. The N-dimensional array exhibits a set of characteristic electromagnetic interference properties in response to electromagnetic radiation incident on the N-dimensional array.
US09172031B2
A resistive memory device includes: a resistive layer which includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, and a tunnel insulating layer interposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and is switched between different resistance states; and a strained film formed over a sidewall of the resistive layer and applying a strain to the resistive layer, wherein the strained film includes a semiconductor material containing ions implanted therein
US09172026B2
A piezoceramic composition comprises, as the main phase, a crystalline phase of a perovskite structure signified as formula ABO3, with Element A consisting of one or more elements selected from among K (potassium), Na (sodium) and Li (lithium) and with Element B consisting of one or more elements selected from among Nb (niobium), Ta (tantalum) and Sb (antimony), with Elements A and B comprising other elements as additives. An X-ray diffraction profile of crushed particles of the piezoceramic composition that are 10 μm or less in diameter has a diffraction peak indicating the presence of the main (single) phase as well as a heterogeneous phase of a crystalline structure signified as formula AsBtOu (s
US09172022B2
A composite structure of graphene and polymer and a method of manufacturing the complex. The composite structure of graphene and polymer includes: at least one polymer structure having a three-dimensional shape; and a graphene layer formed on the at least one polymer structure.
US09172019B2
A light emitting device package includes a frame unit including at least two lead frames spaced apart from one another and a light emitting region defined by a distance between the two lead frames; a light emitting device mounted on a surface of the frame unit such that the light emitting device is positioned across the light emitting region, and electrically connected to the lead frames; a wavelength conversion unit provided in the light emitting region, and configured to convert a wavelength of light emitted from the light emitting device and emit the light having the converted wavelength; and a reflective molding unit formed on the surface of the frame unit to cover the light emitting device.
US09172011B2
A composition for an encapsulant, an encapsulant, and an electronic device, the composition including an adhesion-promoting agent, the adhesion-promoting agent including an epoxy group in an amount of about 2.0 to about 5.0 mmol/g, at least one first polysiloxane that includes a hydrogen bound to a silicon at a terminal end thereof, and at least one second polysiloxane that includes an alkenyl group bound to a silicon at a terminal end thereof.
US09172002B2
A light-emitting diode device and a manufacturing method thereof. The light-emitting diode device includes: a substrate (1); an epitaxial layer at one side of the substrate (1) and including an N-type layer (2), a P-type layer (4), and an active layer (3) between the N-type layer (2) and the P-type layer (4); an N-type electrode (5); a P-type electrode (7); an adhesive layer (8); and a patterned substrate (9). The light-emitting diode device further includes an insulating layer (6) between the N-type electrode (5) and the P-type electrode (7), the insulating layer (6) electrically insulating the N-type electrode (5) and the P-type electrode (7). In the light-emitting diode device and the manufacturing method thereof, light-emitting efficiency and luminous efficiency of the light-emitting diode device can be improved, wiring is easier as compared with conventional chips, and the manufacturing process can be optimized.
US09171986B2
A photo-detecting device includes a first nitride layer, a low-current blocking layer disposed on the first nitride layer, a light absorption layer disposed on the low-current blocking layer, and a Schottky junction layer disposed on the light-absorption layer. The low-current blocking layer includes a multilayer structure.
US09171982B2
Provided are novel building integrable photovoltaic (BIPV) modules having integrated jumpers for interconnecting similar modules in adjacent rows. An integrated jumper is provided on a back side of the photovoltaic portion of the module and includes at least two interconnected jumper contact points. The module also has two connectors provided on the front side of its flap portion. Each connector has at least one connector contact point connected to one or more photovoltaic cells of the module. When a module is positioned over flap portions of two other modules previously installed in an adjacent row, the two jumper contact points on the back side of this new module make electrical connections to the two connector contact points on the front side of the installed modules. In turn, these connections interconnect the photovoltaic cells of the two modules without any need for additional connectors or operations.
US09171978B2
A method for producing an epitaxial wafer includes a step of growing an epitaxial layer structure on a III-V semiconductor substrate, the epitaxial layer structure including a III-V semiconductor multiple-quantum well and a III-V semiconductor surface layer, wherein the step of growing the epitaxial layer structure on the substrate is performed such that a lattice mismatch Δω of the multiple-quantum well with respect to the substrate satisfies a range of −0.13%≦Δω<0% or 0%<Δω≦+0.13%, the range having a center displaced from zero, and an X-ray rocking curve in a zero-order diffraction peak derived from the multiple-quantum well has a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 30 seconds or less.
US09171976B2
A light detection device includes a substrate, a buffer layer disposed on the substrate, a first band gap change layer disposed on a portion of the buffer layer, a light absorption layer disposed on the first band gap change layer, a Schottky layer disposed on a portion of the light absorption layer, and a first electrode layer disposed on a portion of the Schottky layer.
US09171968B2
There is provided a solid-state imaging device including a wafer in which a guard ring with conductivity in an insulation film layered on a first conductivity type substrate is formed between an edge portion of at least a first chip, out of the first chip and a second chip of a layered chip, and a scribe line region, at least two second conductivity type layers are formed at an interval within a region corresponding to the guard ring, in the first conductivity type substrate, and the guard ring includes a first guard ring part connected to one of the second conductivity type layers on a chip edge portion side, and a second guard ring part connected to another one of the second conductivity type layers on a scribe line side.
US09171959B2
Provided is a miniaturized transistor with stable and high electrical characteristics with high yield. In a semiconductor device including the transistor in which an oxide semiconductor film, a gate insulating film, and a gate electrode layer are stacked in this order, a first sidewall insulating layer is provided in contact with a side surface of the gate electrode layer, and a second sidewall insulating layer is provided to cover a side surface of the first sidewall insulating layer. The first sidewall insulating layer is an aluminum oxide film in which a crevice with an even shape is formed on its side surface. The second sidewall insulating layer is provided to cover the crevice. A source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are provided in contact with the oxide semiconductor film and the second sidewall insulating layer.
US09171956B2
In a thin film transistor and a display device provided with the same, a thin film transistor according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a semiconductor layer including a channel region, a source region, a drain region, a light-doped source region, and a light-doped drain region; a gate electrode overlapping the channel region; a source electrode contacting the source region; and a drain electrode contacting the drain region. The channel region includes a main channel portion, a source channel portion, and a drain channel portion, and the source channel portion and the drain channel portion are extended from the main channel portion and separated from each other. The light-doped source region is disposed between the source channel portion and the source region and the light-doped drain region is disposed between the drain channel portion and the drain region.
US09171955B2
The present invention provides a structure of the TFT in which a current-voltage characteristic can be improved. The present invention refers to a thin film transistor comprising a lamination layer wherein a first conductive film, a first insulating film and a second conductive film are sequentially laminated, a semiconductor film formed so as to be in contact with the side surface of the lamination layer, and a third conductive film covering the semiconductor film through a second insulating film. The first conductive film and the second conductive film are a source electrode and a drain electrode, and a region which is in contact with the first insulating film and the third conductive film is a channel forming region in semiconductor film, and the third conductive film is a gate electrode.
US09171952B2
A low gate-to-drain capacitance merged finFET and methods of manufacture are disclosed. The method includes forming a plurality of fins on a substrate. The method further includes forming at least one dummy gate structure intersecting the plurality of fins. The method further includes forming a gap between sidewalls of the fins and an insulator material, which exposes portions of the substrate. The method further includes merging the fins together with semiconductor material formed within the gaps and over the insulator material.
US09171950B2
A semiconductor component is produced by forming a trench in a semiconductor region. The trench has an upper trench region and a lower trench region. The upper trench region is wider than the lower trench region such that a step is formed in the semiconductor region. A dopant is introduced into the step to form a locally delimited dopant region in the semiconductor region.
US09171939B2
The present invention provides a method for manufacturing a thin-film transistor and a thin-film transistor manufactured with same. The method includes (1) providing a substrate; (2) forming a first metal layer on the substrate and applying a masking operation to form a gate terminal; (3) forming a gate insulation layer on the gate terminal; (4) forming an oxide semiconductor layer on the gate insulation layer and forming a second metal layer on the oxide semiconductor layer, wherein the second metal layer includes a titanium layer formed on the oxide semiconductor layer and a copper layer formed on the titanium layer and is subjected to a masking operation to form a data line and source/drain terminal; and (5) forming a transparent conductive layer on the second metal layer and applying a masking operation to patternize the transparent conductive layer to form the thin-film transistor.
US09171936B2
One embodiment of the present invention relates to a memory cell. The memory cell comprises a substrate and a stacked gate structure disposed on the substrate, wherein the stacked gate structure comprises a charge trapping dielectric layer that is adapted to store at least one bit of data. The memory cell further includes a source and drain in the substrate, wherein the source and drain are disposed at opposite sides of the stacked gate structure. A barrier region is disposed substantially beneath the source or the drain and comprises an inert species. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US09171931B2
A device includes a semiconductor region of a first conductivity type, a trench extending into the semiconductor region, and a conductive field plate in the trench. A first dielectric layer separates a bottom and sidewalls of the field plate from the semiconductor region. A main gate is disposed in the trench and overlapping the field plate. A second dielectric layer is disposed between and separating the main gate and the field plate from each other. A Doped Drain (DD) region of the first conductivity type is under the second dielectric layer, wherein an edge portion of the main gate overlaps the DD region. A body region includes a first portion at a same level as a portion of the main gate, and a second portion at a same level as, and contacting, the DD region, wherein the body region is of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type.
US09171929B2
An exemplary structure for a field effect transistor (FET) comprises a silicon substrate comprising a first surface; a channel portion over the first surface, wherein the channel portion has a second surface at a first height above the first surface, and a length parallel to first surface; and two source/drain (S/D) regions on the first surface and surrounding the channel portion along the length of the channel portion, wherein the two S/D regions comprise SiGe, Ge, Si, SiC, GeSn, SiGeSn, SiSn, or III-V material.
US09171923B2
A semiconductor structure includes a III-nitride substrate with a first side and a second side opposing the first side. The III-nitride substrate is characterized by a first conductivity type and a first dopant concentration. The semiconductor structure also includes a III-nitride epitaxial structure including a first III-nitride epitaxial layer coupled to the first side of the III-nitride substrate and a plurality of III-nitride regions of a second conductivity type. The plurality of III-nitride regions have at least one III-nitride epitaxial region of the first conductivity type between each of the plurality of III-nitride regions. The semiconductor structure further includes a first metallic structure electrically coupled to one or more of the plurality of III-nitride regions and the at least one III-nitride epitaxial region. A Schottky contact is created between the first metallic structure and the at least one III-nitride epitaxial region.
US09171920B2
The present invention discloses a gate structure, which is applied for an electronic component comprising a substrate and an active region defined thereon, and such the gate structure is disposed in the active region and is a T-shaped gate having a stem with a height of 250 nm. Preferably, the gate structure has a gate length of 60 nm.
US09171912B2
A p-type group II-VI semiconductor may include a group IV element as a dopant. The group II-IV semiconductor may be Zn1-a-b-cMgaCdbBecO1-p-qSpSeq, wherein a=0˜1, b=0˜1, c=0˜1, p=0˜1 and q=0˜1.
US09171876B2
A method of preparing self-aligned isolation regions between two neighboring sensor elements on a substrate. The method includes patterning an oxide layer to form an opening between the two neighboring sensor elements on the substrate. The method further includes performing a first implant to form a deep doped region between the two neighboring sensor elements and starting at a distance below a top surface of the substrate. The method further includes performing a second implant to form a shallow doped region between the two neighboring sensor elements, wherein a bottom portion of the shallow doped region overlaps with a top portion of the deep doped region.
US09171866B2
An array substrate for a narrow bezel type liquid crystal display device and method of manufacturing the same are provided. The array substrate includes: gate lines (GLs) on a substrate, the substrate including a display area and first to fourth non-display areas at respective sides, pixel regions, a gate insulating layer (GIL) on the GLs, a plurality of data lines on the GIL and crossing the GLs, a plurality of gate auxiliary lines parallel to the data lines and connected to respective GLs, an auxiliary line in the third non-display area with a first layer under the GIL and a second layer on the GIL, the first layer contacting the second layer through a first auxiliary contact hole in the GIL, a thin film transistor in each pixel region and connected to the GLs and data lines, and a pixel electrode connected to each thin film transistor.
US09171859B2
A semiconductor device may include interlayer insulating patterns and local word lines which are alternately stacked to form a stepped structure, and a first insulating layer formed on a surface of the stepped structure. The semiconductor device may also include a word line selection gate formed along a surface of the first insulating layer, and active patterns passing through the word line selection gate and the first insulating layer, and connected to the local word lines, respectively.
US09171856B2
A bias voltage generator for providing a control voltage and a source line voltage to a memory array includes a reference voltage generating circuit and a voltage converting circuit. The reference voltage generating circuit receives a program signal or an erase signal, and generates a reference voltage. If the program signal is received by the reference voltage generating circuit, the reference voltage has a positive temperature coefficient. If the erase signal is received by the reference voltage generating circuit, the reference voltage has a negative temperature coefficient. The voltage converting circuit converts the reference voltage into the control voltage and the source line voltage. The voltage converting circuit enlarges the reference voltage by a first magnification so as to produce the source line voltage, and enlarges the reference voltage by a second magnification so as to produce the control voltage.
US09171855B2
A three-dimensional one-transistor non-volatile memory device and a manufacturing method thereof are provided. The memory device includes a primary fin disposed on a substrate along a first direction, first and second secondary fins disposed on the substrate along a second direction, and a first gate of a first memory cell disposed on the substrate in a gate region thereof. The first gate includes a program gate, a floating gate and a control gate.
US09171846B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a memory configuration on a chip containing multiple memory segments having different memory grades. In a typical embodiment, a single chip will be provided on which the memory segments are positioned. A memory grade may include low performance (low leakage), medium performance (medium leakage), and high performance (high leakage). Each memory segment or group of memory segments may have a separate power supply and/or controller. In one example, memory segments may be stacked in a through-silicon via configuration.
US09171845B2
Semiconductor devices including a first transistor and a second transistor are integrated on a substrate. Each of the first and second transistors include a nano-sized active region including source and drain regions provided in respective end portions of the nano-sized active region and a channel forming region provided between the source and drain regions. The source and drain regions of the first transistor have the same conductivity type as those of the second transistor, and the second transistor has a threshold voltage lower than that of the first transistor. The channel forming region of the second transistor may include a homogeneously doped region, whose conductivity type is the same as the source and drain regions of the second transistor and is different from the channel forming region of the first transistor.
US09171827B2
A stack type semiconductor package includes a lower semiconductor package including a lower package substrate and at least one lower semiconductor chip disposed on the lower package substrate; an upper semiconductor package including an upper package substrate larger than the lower package substrate and at least one upper semiconductor chip disposed on the upper package substrate; an inter-package connector connecting an upper surface of the lower package substrate to a lower surface of the upper package substrate; and a filler filling in between the lower package substrate and the upper package substrate while substantially surrounding the inter-package connector.
US09171826B2
Solid-state transducer (“SST”) dies and SST arrays having electrical cross-connections are disclosed herein. An array of SST dies in accordance with a particular embodiment can include a first terminal, a second terminal and a plurality of SST dies coupled between the first and second terminals with at least a pair of the SST dies being coupled in parallel. The plurality of SST dies can individually include a plurality of junctions coupled in series with an interconnection between each individual junction. Additionally, the individual SST dies can have a cross-connection contact coupled to the interconnection. In one embodiment, the array can further include a cross-connection between the cross-connection contacts on the pair of the SST dies.
US09171812B1
Methods and devices for a semiconductor device having conductive pads to prevent solder reflow are disclosed and may include a substrate comprising conductive pads of rectangular shape and neck-down portions on opposite sides of the rectangular shape, a semiconductor die comprising conductive pillars, and a solder electrically coupling the conductive pillars to the conductive pads. The neck-down portions may comprise a solder mask for the conductive pads to prevent solder from flowing in an unwanted direction on the conductive pads. The conductive pillars may comprise an elliptical cross-section with a minor axis length X and a major axis length Y. The major axis of the elliptical cross-section may be parallel to a long axis of the rectangular shape of the conductive pads. A decrease (W) in width of the conductive pads from the rectangular shape to the neck-down portions may be defined by X/5≦W≦X/2.
US09171811B2
An embodiment is a bump bond pad structure that comprises a substrate comprising a top layer, a reinforcement pad disposed on the top layer, an intermediate layer above the top layer, an intermediate connection pad disposed on the intermediate layer, an outer layer above the intermediate layer, and an under bump metal (UBM) connected to the intermediate connection pad through an opening in the outer layer. Further embodiments may comprise a via mechanically coupling the intermediate connection pad to the reinforcement pad. The via may comprise a feature selected from the group consisting of a solid via, a substantially ring-shaped via, or a five by five array of vias. Yet, a further embodiment may comprise a secondary reinforcement pad, and a second via mechanically coupling the reinforcement pad to the secondary reinforcement pad.
US09171810B2
An electronic device incorporating a randomized interconnection layer. In one example, the device includes a randomized interconnection layer having a randomized conductive pattern formed by etching of a heterogeneous layer; and a sensing circuit, electrically coupled to the randomized interconnection layer to detect the randomized conductive pattern. In another example, a method of fabricating the device includes forming a set of electrodes proximate to a silicon substrate; depositing a heterogeneous layer of elements onto the substrate; etching the heterogeneous layer to form a randomized conductive pattern; and electrically coupling the electrodes to a sensing circuit and the randomized conductive pattern.
US09171803B2
To improve the reliability of a semiconductor device including a low-resistance material such as copper, aluminum, gold, or silver as a wiring. Provided is a semiconductor device including a pair of electrodes electrically connected to a semiconductor layer which has a stacked-layer structure including a first protective layer in contact with the semiconductor layer and a conductive layer containing the low-resistance material and being over and in contact with the first protective layer. The top surface of the conductive layer is covered with a second protective layer functioning as a mask for processing the conductive layer. The side surface of the conductive layer is covered with a third protective layer. With this structure, entry or diffusion of the constituent element of the pair of conductive layers containing the low-resistance material into the semiconductor layer is suppressed.
US09171799B2
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate on which a photoelectric conversion element and a transistor are arranged and a plurality of wiring layers including a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer above the first wiring layer, in which a connection between the semiconductor substrate and any of the plurality of wiring layers, between a gate electrode of the transistor and any of the plurality of wiring layers, or between the first wiring layer and the second wiring layer, has a stacked contact structure.
US09171795B2
An integrated circuit packaging system, and a method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system thereof, including: an embedding material on a component; a mask layer on the embedding material; a buried pattern in the mask layer, the outer surface of the buried pattern coplanar with the outer surface of the mask layer, the buried pattern electrically connected to the component; a patterned dielectric on a portion of the buried pattern; and an integrated circuit die on the buried pattern.
US09171794B2
Systems and methods are provided for the embedding of thin chips. A well region is generated in a substrate that includes a conductive material disposed on a flexible polymer. The standoff well region can be generated by pattern the conductive material, where the thin chip is embedded in the standoff well region. A cavity can be generated in the polymer layer to form a polymer well region, where the thin chip is embedded in the polymer well region.
US09171792B2
A semiconductor device package including a substrate, a first device module, a second device module, and an package body. The first device module and the second device module are disposed side-by-side on a carrier surface of the substrate. The first device module includes first connecting elements provided with a first pitch. The second device module includes second connecting elements provided with a second pitch. The first pitch is different from the second pitch. The package body is disposed on the carrier surface and covers the first chip module and the second chip module. The package body includes first openings exposing the first connecting elements and second openings exposing the second connecting elements.
