US09172101B2
An attachment for a fuel tank of a fuel cell powered system is described. The attachment thermally conducts heat generated from an electronic component to the fuel tank. The attachment further affixes to the electronic component by a securing portion. In one aspect, the attachment is comprised in a fuel cell powered electronic device. In another aspect, the attachment is integral to the fuel tank.
US09172096B2
The present disclosure provides an end plate for a fuel cell including a sandwich insert, in which a metal insert has a sandwich insert structure including a plurality of stacked plates, thereby securing strength and achieving a lightweight structure. The sandwich insert is manufactured by staking two or more plates, each having a specific shape, followed by injection molding the sandwich insert with a plastic injection molded body, thereby securing strength and also achieving a lightweight structure, contrary to a conventional integral metal insert.
US09172093B2
In an aspect, an electrode active material for a lithium secondary battery, the electrode active material including a silicon-based alloy and a coating film containing a polymer that includes a 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene repeating unit and an oxyalkylene repeating unit, coated on the surface of the silicon-based alloy are provided.
US09172081B2
The invention relates to a negative active material for a rechargeable lithium battery, including an inner layer including a material being capable of doping and dedoping lithium, a carbon layer outside the inner layer, and an outer layer disposed on the carbon layer and including a material being capable of doping and dedoping lithium. The materials being capable of doping and dedoping lithium may be the same or different from each other. The invention further relates to a method of preparing the negative active material including: preparing a tube-shaped template with a hollow part; forming an outer layer including a material which can dope and dedope lithium inside the template; forming an inner precursor layer including a material which can dope and dedope lithium modified with an organic functional group inside the outer layer; annealing the template; and removing the template.
US09172079B2
A rechargeable battery includes a case having an interior and an exterior, an electrode assembly having a first electrode and a second electrode, the electrode assembly being disposed in the interior of the case, an electrode terminal, an electrode connection portion, the electrode connection portion being electrically connected to the electrode terminal through a fuse portion, the fuse portion being positioned between and extending between the electrode connection portion and the electrode terminal.
US09172069B2
An easy-to-assemble battery sealing structure is provided. A cell frame includes a battery plate-like member (bipolar plate), a pair of frames for holding a peripheral portion of bipolar plate therebetween and pressing the peripheral portion from the front and the rear, and an annular packing made of an elastic material. Frames are provided with an annular groove between respective surfaces of the frames facing each other, for accommodating the peripheral portion of bipolar plate. Packing is mounted on the peripheral portion of bipolar plate, arranged in annular groove, and press-contacted between frames and the peripheral portion of bipolar plate. Packing includes a pair of legs for holding the peripheral portion of bipolar plate therebetween, and a base connecting legs together.
US09172068B2
A battery pack including a plurality of battery units with improved insulating and cooling properties between the battery units is provided. In one embodiment, a battery unit includes a battery cell and an insulating wall including a plurality of protrusions contacting the battery cell. The protrusions extend at least partly between opposite edges of the insulating wall and define space between the battery cell and regions between the protrusions.
US09172049B2
Charge transport compounds are provided. The compounds are useful in optoelectronic devices that include the compounds incorporated as a charge-transport layer. Methods for forming films of the compounds are also provided. Additionally, methods are provided for forming films of a charge-transport layer on an active layer of an optoelectronic device. The films are formed from a solution with solubility orthogonal to the solubility of the active layer, such that the active layer is not solvated during deposition of the charge-transport layer.
US09172046B1
An organic light-emitting device includes a first electrode; a second electrode; and an organic layer between the first electrode and the second electrode and including an emission layer. The emission layer includes at least one first material represented by any one of Formulae 1-1 and 1-2 and at least one second material represented by Formula 2:
US09172043B2
Disclosed is a charge-transporting varnish containing a charge-transporting organic material, a good solvent, at least one poor solvent with high leveling properties, and at least one volatile poor solvent. The charge-transporting organic material is composed of a charge-transporting material consisting of a charge-transporting monomer or a charge-transporting oligomer having a number average molecular weight of 200 to 5000, or alternatively composed of such a charge-transporting material and an electron-accepting dopant material or a hole-accepting dopant material. This charge-transporting varnish enables to form a uniform and smooth charge-transporting thin film by a spray method or an ink jet method on an exposed electrode portion such as ITO or IZO of a substrate on which a structure of a simple or complicated pattern is formed beforehand.
US09172038B2
A variable resistance layer between a first electrode and a second electrode includes: a first variable resistance layer contacting the first electrode; and a second variable resistance layer contacting the second electrode and having a lower degree of oxygen deficiency than the first variable resistance layer. A principal face of the first variable resistance layer which is close to the second variable resistance layer is flat. The second variable resistance layer is in contact with both the first variable resistance layer and the second electrode in a polygonal region including a vertex inward of an outline of the variable resistance layer and vertices along the outline when seen from a direction perpendicular to the principal face of the variable resistance layer, and is not in contact with at least one of the first variable resistance layer and the second electrode in a region outside the region inside the polygon.
US09172032B2
A magnetic tunnel junction device with perpendicular magnetization including a reference layer, a tunneling dielectric layer, a free layer and a capping layer is provided. The tunneling dielectric layer covers on the reference layer. The free layer covers on the tunneling dielectric layer. The capping layer is consisted of magnesium, aluminum and oxygen, and disposed on the free layer.
US09172030B2
A magneto-electronic device includes a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from the first electrode, and an electric-field-controllable magnetic tunnel junction arranged between the first electrode and the second electrode. The electric-field-controllable magnetic tunnel junction includes a first ferromagnetic layer, an insulating layer formed on the first ferromagnetic layer, and a second ferromagnetic layer formed on the insulating layer. The first and second ferromagnetic layers have respective first and second magnetic anisotropies that are alignable substantially parallel to each other in a first state and substantially antiparallel in a second state of the electric-field-controllable magnetic tunnel junction.
US09172014B2
An optoelectronic semiconductor chip includes a semiconductor layer sequence having an active layer that generates an electromagnetic radiation and a light exit side, and a light coupling-out layer applied to the light exit side, wherein the light coupling-out layer includes of radiation-inactive nanocrystals composed of a material transmissive to the radiation generated, and a refractive index of the radiation-transmissive material for the radiation is at least 1.9.
US09172012B2
Light emitter packages having multiple light emitter chips, such as light emitting diode (LED) chips, and related methods are provided. In one embodiment, a light emitter package can include a ceramic submount. An array of light emitter chips can be disposed over a portion of the submount, and each light emitter chip can include a horizontal chip structure having positive and negative electrical contacts disposed on a same side. The positive and negative electrical contacts can be adapted to electrically communicate to conductive portions of the submount. Light emitter packages can further include a lens overmolded on the submount and covering a portion of the array.
US09172006B2
The invention relates to a lighting apparatus comprising a conversion material (2) for converting primary light (4) into secondary light (5), wherein the conversion material (2) comprises converting photolummescent material (15), which degrades to non-converting photolummescent material over time when the conversion material (2) is illuminated by the primary light (4). The conversion material (2) is adapted such that, when the conversion material (2) is illuminated by the primary light (4), the relative decrease in concentration of the converting photolummescent material (15) within the conversion material (2) is larger than the relative decrease in intensity of the secondary light (5). This allows the lighting apparatus to provide an only slightly reduced absorbance of the primary light, even if a large part of the photolummescent material has been bleached, and thus a longer lifetime, with the same or a slightly reduced intensity of the secondary light.
US09172005B2
A semiconductor light emitting diode of the present invention includes a semiconductor layer including a light emitting portion, and a pad electrode located on the semiconductor layer, the semiconductor light emitting diode further including, between the semiconductor layer and the pad electrode, a reflective portion including a light transmitting insulating layer serving as a current blocking layer located on the semiconductor layer, and a reflective layer located on the light transmitting insulating layer; a contact portion formed from an ohmic electrode in contact with the reflective portion, located on the semiconductor layer; and a conductive hard film between the reflective layer and the pad electrode, the conductive hard film having HV×t>630, where the Vickers hardness is HV (Hv) and the thickness is t (μm).
US09172003B2
A light emitting device includes a substrate, a laminated body formed by stacking a first cladding layer, a first active layer, a second cladding layer, a third cladding layer, a second active layer, and a fourth cladding layer on the substrate in this order, a first electrode connected to the first cladding layer, a second electrode connected to the second cladding layer and the third cladding layer, and a third electrode connected to the fourth cladding layer, the first active layer generates first light using the first electrode and the second electrode, the second active layer generates second light using the second electrode and the third electrode, and a side surface of the first active layer is provided with an emitting section for emitting the first light, and a side surface of the second active layer is provided with an emitting section for emitting the second light.
US09171997B2
A semiconductor light emitting device is provided including a first conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer including at least one quantum barrier layer made of InxGa(1-x)N, wherein 0≦x
US09171992B2
A light emitting device includes a p-side, an n-side, and an active layer between the p-side and the n-side. The p-side includes a p-side contact, an electron blocking layer, a p-side separate confinement heterostructure (p-SCH), and a p-cladding/current spreading region disposed between the p-SCH and the p-side contact. The n-side includes an n-side contact, and an n-side separate confinement heterostructure (n-SCH). The active layer is configured to emit light in a wavelength range, wherein the p-side and the n-side have asymmetrical optical transmission properties with respect to the wavelength range emitted by the active layer.
US09171991B2
Disclosed is a highly automated method of interconnecting flexible solar cells to form solar modules having a wide variety of sizes and electrical characteristics. The method is fast and economical, providing many attributes of a “pseudo monolithic integration” scheme that has previously been attainable only on rigid substrates.
US09171989B2
A method for fabricating a solar cell is disclosed. The method can include forming a dielectric region on a surface of a solar cell structure and forming a first metal layer on the dielectric region. The method can also include forming a second metal layer on the first metal layer and locally heating a particular region of the second metal layer, where heating includes forming a metal bond between the first and second metal layer and forming a contact between the first metal layer and the solar cell structure. The method can include forming an adhesive layer on the first metal layer and forming a second metal layer on the adhesive layer, where the adhesive layer mechanically couples the second metal layer to the first metal layer and allows for an electrical connection between the second metal layer to the first metal layer.
US09171980B2
A photovoltaic apparatus includes at least one photovoltaic panel, at least one frame and at least one fastener. The frame includes at least one pair of holding parts, a sidewall and at least one protrusion. The photovoltaic panel is positioned between the holding parts. Part of the sidewall connects the holding parts. The sidewall includes an outside surface opposite to the photovoltaic panel. The protrusion is connected to the outside surface of the sidewall, and includes at least one slot thereon. The fastener includes a buckle part at the top of the fastener. Portion of the buckle part is used for engaged into the slot.
US09171971B2
An encapsulated sensors and methods of manufacture are disclosed herein. The method includes forming an amorphous or polycrystalline material in contact with a layer of seed material. The method further includes forming an expansion space for the amorphous or polycrystalline material. The method further includes forming an encapsulation structure about the amorphous or polycrystalline material. The method further includes crystallizing the amorphous or polycrystalline material by a thermal anneal process such that the amorphous or polycrystalline material expands within the expansion space.
US09171969B2
A mounting member includes: an insulating substrate, a first die pad unit, first and second terminals. The insulating substrate has a rectangular first surface, a second surface, a first side surface, a second side surface, a third side surface, and a fourth side surface. A through hole is provided from the first surface to the second surface. The first die pad unit is provided on the first surface. The first terminal has a conductive region covering the first side surface, the first surface, and the second surface. The second terminal has a conductive region covering the second side surface and the second surface, connected to the first die pad unit by conductive material provided in the through hole or on a side wall of the through hole. The first die pad unit, the first terminal, and the second terminal are apart from one another.
US09171967B2
A Schottky barrier diode is provided with: an n-type semiconductor layer including Ga2O3-based compound semiconductors with n-type conductivity; and a Schottky electrode layer which is in Schottky-contact with the n-type semiconductor layer. An n− -type semiconductor layer, which has a relatively low electron carrier concentration and is brought into Schottky-contact with the Schottky electrode layer, and an n+ semiconductor layer, which has a higher electron carrier concentration than the n semiconductor layer, are formed in the n-type semiconductor layer.
US09171962B2
A semiconductor device includes a gate insulating film formed on the semiconductor substrate; a floating gate formed on the gate insulating film; a control gate formed on the floating gate and has a side coplanar with a side of the floating gate; a tunnel diffusion layer facing a portion of the floating gate; and a tunnel window formed in a portion of the gate insulating film between the floating gate and the tunnel diffusion layer, the tunnel window being formed to be thinner than a remaining peripheral portion of the gate insulating film.
US09171960B2
This disclosure provides systems, methods and apparatus for a thin film transistor (TFT) device on a substrate. In one aspect, the TFT device includes a gate electrode, an oxide semiconductor layer, and a gate insulator between the gate electrode and the oxide semiconductor layer. The oxide semiconductor layer includes at least two metal oxides, with the two metal oxides having a varying concentration relative to one another between a lower surface and an upper surface of the oxide semiconductor layer. The TFT device also includes a source metal adjacent to a portion of the oxide semiconductor layer and a drain metal adjacent to another portion of the oxide semiconductor layer. The composition of the oxide semiconductor layer can be precisely controlled by a sequential deposition technique using atomic layer deposition (ALD).
US09171951B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a drain region, a source region, a channel region, a first gate insulator film provided on the channel region, a second gate insulator film provided on the channel region to be adjacent to the first gate insulator film on the source region side of the first gate insulator film, a first gate electrode provided on the first gate insulator film, and a second gate electrode provided on the second gate insulator film. An electrical thickness of the second gate insulator film is less than an electrical thickness of the first gate insulator film. A portion of the first gate electrode is provided on the second gate insulator film. A work function of the second gate electrode is higher than a work function of the first gate electrode.
US09171944B2
The present invention provides a tunneling field effect transistor and a method for fabricating the same which refer to a field effect transistor logic device and circuit in a CMOS ultra-large integrated circuit (ULSI). The inventive concept of the invention lies in that, in a case of an N-type transistor, a side portion of a doped source region adjacent to an edge of the control gate is further implanted with P+ impurities on a basis of the doped source region being initially doped N− impurities, so that the initial N− impurities in the implanted portion are completely compensated by the P+ impurities, and in a case of a P-type transistor, a side portion of the doped source region adjacent to an edge of the control gate is implanted with N+ impurities on a basis of the doped source region being initially doped P− impurities, so that the initial P− impurities in the implanted portion are completely compensated by the N+ impurities. In the transistor, the source region is implanted twice with different doping concentrations, such that a large current characteristic of the MOSFET can be effectively combined to increase an on-state current of the transistor, and also, the threshold adjustment for the MOSFET portion and the TFET portion of the transistor can be achieved in a self-adaptive way.
US09171935B2
A FinFET semiconductor device fabrication process includes forming a plurality of FinFET fins upon a semiconductor substrate, forming a first dielectric layer upon the semiconductor substrate so that an upper surface of the first dielectric layer is coplanar with upper surfaces of the FinFET fins, forming a plurality of dummy gates upon the FinFET fins and the first dielectric layer orthogonal to the FinFET fins, revealing the FinFET fins by removing first portions of the first dielectric layer from source-drain regions, removing the dummy gates, and subsequent to the removal of the dummy gates, revealing the FinFET fins by removing second portions of the first dielectric layer from channel regions.
US09171924B2
A circuit configuration and methods for controlling parameters of a bipolar junction transistor (BJT) fabricated on a substrate. A bias voltage is electrically coupled to the substrate and can be adjusted to alter the working parameters of a target BJT.
US09171918B2
A semiconductor device includes an active device region formed in an epitaxial layer disposed on a semiconductor substrate and a buried electrode disposed below the active device region in a cavity formed within the semiconductor substrate. The buried electrode includes an electrically conductive material different than the material of the semiconductor substrate.
US09171916B1
Semiconductor devices, such as LDMOS devices, are described that include an interlayer-dielectric layer (ILD) region having a thickness of at least two and one half (2.5) microns to increase the maximum breakdown voltage. In one or more implementations, the semiconductor devices include a substrate having a source region and a drain region formed proximate to a surface of the substrate. A gate is positioned over the surface and between the source region and the drain region. An ILD region having a thickness of at least two and one half (2.5) microns is formed over the surface and the gate of the device. The device also includes one or more field plates configured to shape an electrical field generated between the source region and the drain region when a voltage is applied to the gate.
US09171914B2
A semiconductor device having small leakage current and high breakdown voltage during reverse blocking, small on-state resistance and large output current at forward conduction, short reverse recovery time at shutoff, and high peak surge current value is provided. An n-type layer is made of a group-III nitride, and a p-type layer is made of a group-IV semiconductor material having a smaller band gap than the group-III nitride. The energy level at the top of the valence band of the n-type layer is lower than the energy level at the top of the valence band of the p-type layer, so that a P-N junction semiconductor device satisfying the above requirements is obtained. Further, a combined structure of P-N junction and Schottky junction by additionally providing an anode electrode to be in Schottky contact with the n-type layer also achieves the effect of decreasing voltage at the rising edge of current resulting from the Schottky junction.
US09171904B2
A FinFET device and a method for manufacturing a FinFET device is provided. An example device may comprise a substrate including at least two fin structures. Each of the at least two fin structures may be in contact with a source and drain region and each of the at least two fin structures may include a strain relaxed buffer (SRB) overlying and in contact with the substrate and an upper layer overlying and in contact with the SRB. The composition of the upper layer and the SRB may be selected such that the upper layer of a first fin structure is subjected to a first mobility enhancing strain in the as-grown state, the first mobility enhancing strain being applied in a longitudinal direction from the source region to the drain region and where at least an upper part of the upper layer of a second fin structure is strain-relaxed.
US09171898B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a substrate having a mask layer formed thereon, providing a first photomask having a first layout pattern and a second photomask having a second layout pattern, the first layout pattern including a plurality of active area portions and at least a neck portion connecting two adjacent active area portions, transferring the first layout pattern from the first photomask to the mask layer to form a plurality of active area patterns and at least a neck pattern connecting two adjacent active area patterns in the mask layer, and transferring the second layout pattern from the second photomask to the mask layer to remove the neck pattern to form a patterned mask. The patterned mask includes the active area patterns. A slot is at least formed between the two adjacent active area patterns.
US09171893B2
A mother substrate for an organic light-emitting display device includes a base substrate, a plurality of display areas arranged in an array on the base substrate, the array having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns that are perpendicular to the plurality of rows. The mother substrate further includes a plurality of first dummy patterns formed between the plurality of rows of display areas, and a plurality of second dummy patterns formed between the plurality of columns of display areas. The plurality of first dummy patterns are spaced apart from each other by a plurality of cut portions.
US09171891B2
An Active Matrix Organic Light Emitting Diode (AMOLED) display panel is disclosed. The display panel includes first and second substrates, and a glass frit layer bonding the first and the second substrates in an edge encapsulation area of the AMOLED display panel. The second substrate includes an electrode overlapped with the glass frit layer, and the electrode is connected to a heat conduction component.
US09171888B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetic memory device includes a magnetic unit, a switching part, and a reading part. The magnetic unit includes a magnetic wire, and first and second magnetic parts. The magnetic wire includes magnetic domains and has one end and one other end. The first magnetic part is connected with the one end and has a first magnetization. The second magnetic part is connected with the one end, and has a second magnetization. The switching part includes first and second switches. The first switch is connected with the first magnetic part and flows a first current between the first magnetic part and the magnetic wire. The second switch is connected with the second magnetic part and flows a second current between the second magnetic part and the magnetic wire. The reading part is configured to read a magnetization of the magnetic domains.
US09171887B2
A semiconductor device includes: a transistor on a main surface side of a semiconductor substrate; and a resistance change element on a back-surface side of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the transistor includes a low-resistance section in the semiconductor substrate, the low-resistance section extending to the back surface of the semiconductor substrate, an insulating film is provided in contact with a back surface of the low-resistance section, the insulating film has an opening facing the low-resistance section, and the resistance change element is connected to the low-resistance section through the opening.
US09171873B2
A manufacturing method of a sensing integrated circuit including the following acts. A plurality of transistors are formed. At least one dielectric layer is formed on or above the transistors. A plurality of connecting structures are formed in the dielectric layer. The connecting structures are respectively and electrically connected to the transistors. A plurality of separated conductive wells are respectively formed in electrical contact with the connecting structures.
US09171872B2
In a method of manufacturing an offset printing substrate and a method of manufacturing a display substrate, the method includes forming a first coating layer on a base substrate on which is formed a first concave pattern having a first width. An intermediate substrate is also formed upon the first coating layer of the base substrate, the intermediate substrate having a pattern corresponding to the first concave pattern. An offset printing substrate is also formed upon the pattern of the intermediate substrate, the offset printing substrate having a second concave pattern is formed to correspond to the pattern of the intermediate substrate, and the second concave pattern has a second width smaller than the first width.
US09171871B2
An array substrate for a field switching mode liquid crystal display device and a fabrication method thereof are provided. The array substrate for an FFS mode LCD device includes: a plurality of gate lines formed on the substrate; a plurality of data lines arranged to cross the gate lines; a common line formed at the subpixel regions of the substrate; an auxiliary common line formed on the common line; TFTs formed at crossings of the gate lines and the data lines; a protective film formed on the substrate; and a pixel electrode and a common electrode formed on the protective film and connected with the TFTs and the auxiliary common line, respectively.
US09171870B2
In a light emitting device, luminance irregularities caused by fluctuation in threshold of TFTs for supplying a current to EL elements among pixels hinder the light emitting device from improving the image quality. A voltage equal to the threshold of a TFT 110 is held in capacitor means 111 in advance. When a video signal is inputted from a source signal line, the voltage held in the capacitor means is added to the signal, which is then applied to a gate electrode of the TFT 110. Even when threshold is fluctuated among pixels, each threshold is held in the capacitor means 111 of each pixel, and therefore, influence of the threshold fluctuation can be removed. Since the threshold is stored in the capacitor means 111 alone and the voltage between two electrodes is not changed while a video signal is written, fluctuation in capacitance value has no influence.
US09171867B2
A semiconductor device includes a pixel portion having a first thin film transistor and a driver circuit having a second thin film transistor. Each of the first thin film transistor and the second thin film transistor includes a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a source electrode layer, and a drain electrode layer. Each of the layers of the first thin film transistor has a light-transmitting property. Materials of the gate electrode layer, the source electrode layer and the drain electrode layer of the first thin film transistor are different from those of the second transistor, and each of the resistances of the second thin film transistor is lower than that of the first thin film transistor.
US09171860B2
A three-dimensional nonvolatile memory device and a method for fabricating the same include a semiconductor substrate, a plurality of active pillars, and a plurality of gate electrodes. The semiconductor substrate includes a memory cell region and a contact region. The active pillars extend in the memory cell region perpendicular to the semiconductor substrate. The gate electrodes include a first gate electrode and a second gate electrode. The first gate electrode is disposed on the memory cell region to intersect the active pillars. The second gate electrode is disposed on the contact region, connected to the first gate electrode and comprising metal material.
US09171857B2
There is provided a monolithic three dimensional array of charge storage devices which includes a plurality of device levels, wherein at least one surface between two successive device levels is planarized by chemical mechanical polishing.
US09171852B2
According to one embodiment, a nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes: a plurality of memory cells, each of the memory cells including a tunneling insulating film provided on a substrate including silicon, a floating gate provided on the tunneling insulating film, an inter-gate insulating film provided on the floating gate, and a control gate provided on the inter-gate insulating film; and an element separation trench provided between the plurality of memory cells, the element separation trench having a gap in an interior of the element separation trench. The inter-gate insulating film is provided also above the element separation trench. An upper end of the gap is provided in an interior of the inter-gate insulating film provided above the element separation trench.
US09171838B2
An integrated semiconductor device having a stabilization function includes a substrate layer, an insulating layer, ground plane layer formed between the substrate layer and the insulating layer and a signal plane layer formed on a surface of the insulating layer facing away from the substrate layer. An n-port, e.g. a transistor, is formed within the substrate layer on a first side of the substrate layer. A via hole is formed through the insulating layer. A resistor is formed within the ground plane layer.
US09171833B2
A semiconductor structure for enhanced ESD protection is disclosed. The semiconductor structure includes a plurality of fingers, wherein each finger of the plurality of fingers includes a plurality of voltage clamps, and each voltage clamp of the plurality of voltage clamps includes at least a first well having a first conductivity type and a second well having a second conductivity type, and a connection between a well tie of the first well of a first voltage clamp of the plurality of voltage clamps and a well tie of the first well of a second voltage clamp of the plurality of voltage clamps, wherein the connection is enabled to couple a bias voltage associated with a current flow in the first voltage clamp to the second voltage clamp, and the first voltage clamp and the second voltage clamp are thereby enabled to trigger on substantially simultaneously.
US09171828B2
A power supply system (200) has a QFN leadframe with leads and a pad (201). The pad surface facing a circuit board has a portion recessed with a depth (270) and an outline suitable for attaching side-by-side the sync (210) and the control (220) FET semiconductor chips. The input terminal (220a) of the control FET and the grounded output terminal (210a) of the sync FET are coplanar with the un-recessed portion of the pad (switch node terminal) so that all terminals can be directly attached to contacts of a circuit board. A driver-and-control chip (230) is vertically stacked to the opposite pad surface and encapsulated in a packaging compound (290).
US09171822B2
The invention concerns a method of fusing and electrically contacting a first insulating substrate (28A) having at least one first conductive layer (29A) thereon with at least one second insulating substrate (28B) having at least one second conductive layer (29B) thereon, the method comprising: stacking the first and second substrates (28A, 28B) such that an interface zone is formed between them, the interface zone comprising an electrical contacting zone where at least one first conductive layers (29A) faces and is at least partially aligned with at least one second conductive layer (29B), and a substrate fusing zone where the insulating substrates (28A, 28B) directly face each other; focusing to the interface zone of the substrates (28A, 28B) through one of the substrates (28A, 28B) a plurality of sequential focused laser pulses from a laser source, the pulse duration, pulse frequency and pulse power of the laser light being chosen to provide local melting the substrate (28A, 28B) materials and the conductive layers (29A, 29B); and moving the laser source and the substrate with respect to each other at a predetermined velocity and path so that a structurally modified zone is formed to the interface zone, the structurally modified zone overlapping with said electrical contacting zone and said substrate fusing zone. The invention provides a convenient way of manufacturing well-sealed joints and electrical contacts for multifunction electronic devices, for example.
US09171819B2
Provided is a semiconductor package that may prevent deformation of stacked semiconductor chips and minimize a semiconductor package size. The semiconductor package includes a package base substrate, a lower chip stacked on the package base substrate, an upper chip stacked on the lower chip, and a first die attach film (DAF) attached to a bottom surface of the upper chip to cover at least a portion of the lower chip. The first DAF may be a multi-layer film including a first attaching layer contacting the bottom surface of the upper chip and a second attaching layer attached to a bottom of the first attaching layer to cover at least a portion of a side surface of the lower chip.
US09171813B2
A substrate for a semiconductor package includes a substrate body having a first surface and a second surface which faces away from the first surface, and formed with at least one bump land on the first surface, and a dam formed and projected over an edge of the first surface of the substrate body, and having an underfill member discharge unit.
US09171806B2
A semiconductor chip includes a first mark for identifying a position of the chip within an exposure field. The semiconductor chip includes a first matrix in a first layer of the chip and a second mark within the first matrix identifying a position of the exposure field on a wafer.
US09171804B2
A carrier and a semiconductor chip are provided. A connection layer is applied to a first main face of the semiconductor chip. The connection layer includes a plurality of depressions. A filler is applied to the connection layer or to the carrier. The semiconductor chip is attached to the carrier so that the connection layer is disposed between the semiconductor chip and the carrier. The semiconductor chip is affixed to the carrier.
US09171802B2
A semiconductor device includes a rectangular semiconductor element mounted on a substrate formed with an external input terminal, an external output terminal, and a plurality of wiring patterns connected to each of the external input terminal and the external output terminal. The semiconductor element includes, a plurality of first electrodes formed along a first edge of a surface thereof, a plurality of second electrodes formed along an edge opposite to the first edge of the surface, a plurality of third electrodes formed in the neighborhood of a functional block, and an internal wiring for connecting the first electrodes and the third electrodes. The substrate includes, a first wiring pattern for connecting the external input terminal and the first electrodes, a second wiring pattern for connecting the external output terminal and the second electrodes, and a third wiring pattern for connecting the first electrodes and the third electrodes.
US09171796B1
A method for fabricating a plurality of conductive lines in an integrated circuit includes providing a layer of conductive metal in a multi-layer structure fabricated upon a wafer, forming a spacer in a layer of the multi-layer structure residing above the layer of conductive metal, wherein the spacer is formed from a metal-containing atomic layer deposition material, and transferring a pattern from the spacer to the layer of conductive metal using a sidewall image transfer technique, wherein the transferring results in a formation of the plurality of conductive lines in the layer of conductive material.
US09171773B2
A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a base plate, an insulating layer provided on an upper surface of the base plate, a metal pattern provided on an upper surface of the insulating layer, a semiconductor element bonded to the metal pattern, and an insulating substrate disposed to be in contact with an upper surface of the semiconductor element. An end of the insulating substrate is located outside the semiconductor element in plan view. The end of the insulating substrate and the metal pattern are directly or indirectly bonded. The semiconductor element includes an electrode on the upper surface. A portion of the insulating substrate, in which the electrode on the upper surface of the semiconductor element overlaps in plan view, is provided with a through-hole.
US09171761B2
The invention is directed to firm bonding between semiconductor dies etc bonded to a lead frame and wire-bonding portions of the lead frame by ultrasonic Al wire bonding, and the prevention of shortcircuit between the semiconductor dies etc due to a remaining portion of the outer frame of the lead frame after the outer frame is cut. By extending the wire-bonding portion etc on the lead frame in a wire-bonding direction and connecting the wire-bonding portion etc to the outer frame of the lead frame through a connection lead etc, the ultrasonic vibration force in the ultrasonic Al wire bonding is prevented from dispersing and the Al wire and the wire-bonding portion etc are firmly bonded. The outer frame is cut after a resin sealing process is completed. Even when a portion of the outer frame remains on the side surface of the resin package, connection between the connection lead etc and other hanging lead etc are prevented by providing a notch etc in the outer frame between the connection lead etc and the hanging lead etc.
US09171759B2
A semiconductor wafer having a plurality of chip die areas arranged on a wafer in an array, each chip die area including a seal ring area with one or more first sets of polygonal structures. The wafer further comprises scribe line areas between the chip die areas, the scribe line areas including one or more second sets of polygonal structures. The presence of proximate polygonal structures between the scribe line and seal ring areas balance stresses between the chip die areas during wafer dicing operation.
US09171751B2
A method for fabricating an edge termination structure includes providing a substrate having a first surface and a second surface and a first conductivity type, forming a first GaN epitaxial layer of the first conductivity type coupled to the first surface of the substrate, and forming a second GaN epitaxial layer of a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type. The second GaN epitaxial layer is coupled to the first GaN epitaxial layer. The method also includes implanting ions into a first region of the second GaN epitaxial layer to electrically isolate a second region of the second GaN epitaxial layer from a third region of the second GaN epitaxial layer. The method further includes forming an active device coupled to the second region of the second GaN epitaxial layer and forming the edge termination structure coupled to the third region of the second GaN epitaxial layer.
US09171740B2
A method for fabricating a quad flat non-leaded (QFN) package includes: forming die pads and bump solder pads by pressing a metal plate, wherein each of the die pads and the bump solder pads has at least a cross-sectional area greater than another located underneath along its thickness dimension, thereby enabling the die pads and the solder pads to be securely embedded in an encapsulant. The method further includes removing the metal plate after forming the encapsulant so as to prevent the encapsulant from overflowing onto the bottom surfaces of the bump solder pads.
US09171735B2
Methods are provided for fabricating semiconductor integrated circuits including isolated trench features. In one embodiment, a method includes providing a semiconductor substrate with an overlying process layer. A trench pattern to be etched into the process layer is determined and that trench pattern is decomposed into first and second patterns, the second pattern including an isolated trench. First and second lithographic masks are formed to implement the first and second patterns, the second mask implementing the second pattern, the isolated trench, and a plurality of density balancer patterns symmetrically positioned with respect to the isolated trench. A first resist layer is patterned with the first lithographic mask and the process layer is etched with the first resist layer. A second resist layer is patterned with the second lithographic mask and the process layer is etched with the second resist layer to implement the required trench pattern in the process layer.
US09171731B2
The invention relates to microelectronic technology and, more specifically, relates to a method of forming a gate with a LELE double pattern. The method adopts an ONO structure (Oxide-SiN-Oxide). The ONO structure is exposed twice, and the advanced patterning film is used as a mask in the processing of polysilicon etching. The ONO structure is used to replace the traditional hardmask of silicon oxide, and the substructure of ODL (Organic Under Layer) which is based on the spin-on, and the middle layer structure of SHB (Si-based hardmask). The method saves cost and improves the process of advanced patterning film as a mask with the nodes in 40 nm and above which is applied to the process with the nodes in 22/20 nm and below. Consequently, the maturity and stability of the process for poly gate with the nodes in 22/20 nm and below are improved.
US09171727B2
After forming a first film over the main surface of a semiconductor substrate, the first film is patterned, thereby forming a control gate electrode for a non-volatile memory, a dummy gate electrode, and a first film pattern. Subsequently, a memory gate electrode for the non-volatile memory adjacent to the control gate electrode is formed. Then, the first film pattern is patterned thereby forming a gate electrode and a dummy gate electrode.
US09171722B2
A method of vapor-diffusing impurities into a diffusion region of a target substrate to be processed using a dummy substrate is provided. The method includes loading the target substrate and the dummy substrate in a substrate loading jig, accommodating the substrate loading jig loaded with the target substrate and the dummy substrate in a processing chamber of a processing apparatus, and vapor-diffusing impurities into the diffusion region of the target substrate in the processing chamber having the accommodated substrate loading jig. The vapor-diffused impurities are boron, an outer surface of the dummy substrate includes a material having properties not allowing boron adsorption.
US09171713B2
A device capable of controlling a supply voltage and a supply frequency using information of a manufacturing process variation includes a data storage device storing data indicating performance of the device, a decoder decoding the data stored in the data storage device and outputting decoded data, and a frequency control block outputting a frequency controlled clock signal in response to the decoded data output from the decoder. The device further includes a voltage control block outputting a level controlled supply voltage in response to the decoded data. The voltage control block outputs a body bias control voltage controlling a body bias voltage of at least one of a plurality of transistors embodied in the semiconductor device in response to the decoded data. The performance is operational speed of the device or leakage current of the semiconductor device.
US09171711B2
A mass spectrometer system and method of operating same are provided. The system comprises an ion conduit for receiving ions; a boundary member defining a curtain gas chamber containing the ion conduit; a curtain gas supply for providing a curtain gas to an inlet of the ion conduit to provide a gas flow into the conduit, and a curtain gas outflow out of a curtain gas chamber inlet; a mass spectrometer at least partially sealed to, and in fluid communication with, the conduit for receiving the ions from the conduit; a vacuum chamber surrounding the mass spectrometer operable to draw the gas flow including the ions through the conduit and into the vacuum chamber; and, a gas outlet for drawing a gas outflow from the gas flow located between the conduit and the mass spectrometer to increase the gas flow rate through the conduit.
US09171709B2
The invention relates to methods for the mass spectrometric analysis of microbes, in particular to a transfer method of microbes that are required to be identified from agar plates onto mass spectrometric sample supports and their preparation for ionization by matrix-assisted laser desorption (MALDI). Microbes from microcolonies which have grown on the agar plates after a culture time of only six to eight hours are transferred with a high transfer yield onto contact surfaces of suitable size by direct contact and cell disrupted on the contact surface; the released proteins are prepared with matrix material on the contact surface as MALDI samples. The ionization by matrix-assisted laser desorption also takes place on the contact surface.
US09171698B2
A drawing apparatus for performing drawing on a substrate with a charged particle beam, includes: a controller configured to control a dose of the charge particle beam at each of a plurality of positions of the charged particle beam on the substrate based on information of displacement of each of the plurality of positions from a target position corresponding thereto and a target dose of the charged particle beam at the target position corresponding to each of the plurality of positions.
US09171692B2
An x-ray arrangement includes a vacuum container in, which a rotary anode and a rotor of an electrical machine are disposed. The rotary anode and the rotor have a torque-proof connection to one another and are rotatably supported in the vacuum container, so that the rotary anode and the rotor are rotatable around an axis of rotation. Viewed in a direction of the axis of rotation, a laminated stator core is disposed in an area of the rotor. The area of the rotor, in relation to the axis of rotation, surrounds the vacuum container radially outwards. A stator winding system is disposed in the laminated stator core. The stator winding system has windings embodied as a yoke winding.
US09171690B2
A field emission device is configured as a heat engine, wherein the configuration of the heat engine is variable.
US09171685B2
In a power source circuit shutoff apparatus, with the lever rotated from a connector mating start position to a connector mating completion position, a pair of first signal terminals and a pair of second signal terminals are brought into on-state after a pair of first main terminals and a pair of second main terminals are brought into on-state. With the lever rotated from the connector mating completion position to the connector mating start position, a pair of first main terminals and a pair of second main terminal are brought into off-state after a pair of first signal terminals and a pair of second signal terminals are brought into off-state. The pair of first signal terminals and the pair of second signal terminals are each disposed along a straight line extending in a direction perpendicular to a rotational spindle direction of the lever.
US09171682B2
An operation switch where a switch unit can be separated from an operation unit in a simple manner even when the operation switches are densely fitted is disclosed herein. The operation switch of the invention includes an operation unit that is disposed on a front surface side of a panel and operated by external pressing force, a switch unit that can be separated from a rear surface side of the panel from the operation unit, a latching unit formed on an external circumferential surface of the operation unit along an axial center direction, a latching receiving unit which is formed along an external circumferential surface of the switch unit and to which the latching unit is latched, and a release lever that releases a latching state of the latching unit and the latching receiving unit so that the switch unit is separated from the operation unit.
US09171681B2
An electromagnetic switch is provided which includes: a coil generating magnetomotive force; a frame accommodating the coil and generating a flux path; a resin cover covering an opening of the frame; and a current-supply terminal member energizing the coil. The current-supply terminal member includes: a blade-shaped terminal whose end is connected to the coil and whose another end is drawn out of the resin cover in the axial direction of the electromagnetic switch; and a plate-shaped external connection terminal whose end is joined to an end of the blade-shaped terminal and whose another end is drawn out in the direction intersecting the axial direction. A portion between the ends of the external connection terminal is insert-molded in a terminal anchor block provided with the resin cover. A female terminal of a power supply connector provided at an electric supply line is fitted and electrically connected to the external connection terminal.
US09171678B2
A supercapattery includes at least one tank filled with a conductive material. The conductive material has an arrangement-variable crystal lattice. The conductive material is graphite, grapheme, graphene oxide, a composite of graphite, metal, and a polymer, or a composite of graphene, metal, and a polymer. A magnetic member is mounted outside of the at least one tank. The magnetic member can be supplied with electricity to create a magnetic field. A method for controlling charge/discharge of a supercapattery includes supplying electricity to a supercapattery filled with a conductive material having an arrangement-variable crystal lattice. The crystal lattice of the conductive material supplied with electricity is transformed from an isotropic phase into an electro-nematic phase and absorbs electrons. An external magnetic field is created to return the crystal lattice of the conductive material from the electro-nematic phase to the isotropic phase, releasing the electrons.
US09171675B2
An electrical storage device includes a positive electrode, and a negative electrode having a negative electrode active material layer containing a fluorine-containing acrylic binder, the negative electrode active material layer having a density of not less than 0.75 g/cc and not more than 1.10 g/cc.
US09171674B2
Technologies are generally described for an electron conductive polymer capacitor may incorporate a conductive polymer mixture embedded with carbon nanoparticles between electrodes to rapidly charge and store large amounts of charge compared to conventional electrolytic capacitors. Such a capacitor may be constructed with a laminate sheet including layers of inner and outer electrodes, an electrolyte mixture between the electrodes, a conductive polymer mixture, and a composite mixture of carbon nanoparticles embedded in the conductive polymer between the inner electrodes. The laminate sheet may be wound into a roll and the inner and outer electrodes are coupled electrically. When an electric field is applied, cations within the electrolyte mixture move towards the outer electrodes and anions towards the inner electrodes. Further, the inner conductive polymer layer is ionized causing electrons to move toward the inner electrodes to be deposited onto high surface area carbon nanoparticles where charge is stored.
US09171671B2
In a method of manufacturing a laminate type electronic component, while the distance between adjacent exposed ends of a plurality of internal electrodes is adjusted preferably to be about 50 μm or less, a plurality of conductive particles composed of Pd, Pt, Cu, Au, or Ag are provided on the surface of a component main body. The conductive particles have an average particle size of about 0.1 nm to about 100 nm, which are distributed in island-shaped configurations over the entire surface of the component main body, while the average distance between the respective conductive particles is adjusted to fall within the range of about 10 nm to about 100 nm. The component main body is subjected to electrolytic plating such that plating growth develops in and around a region including the respective exposed ends of the plurality of internal electrodes.
US09171667B2
A magnetic device is provided. The magnetic device includes a magnetic core and a conductive winding inductively coupled to the magnetic core. The conductive winding includes a first terminal segment, a second terminal segment, and an inductive segment electrically coupled in series therebetween. The first terminal segment includes a current sensing element.
US09171662B2
A dry-type transformer heater includes a closed housing, and at least one transformer winding arranged in the housing. The at least one transformer winding includes at least one corresponding winding conductor and a corresponding insulation layer surrounding the transformer winding, respectively. In addition to the respective winding conductor, at least one coil heating wire is provided in at least one of the insulation layer and on the surface of the insulation layer to input thermal power into the respective insulation layer.
US09171655B2
A solid electrolyte film including a resin having a repeating unit containing a bis(perfluoroalkanesulfonyl)methide moiety. This solid electrolyte film combines high proton conductivity with low methanol permeability for prevention of methanol crossover and can suitably be used for a direct methanol fuel cell.
US09171644B2
An electronic device having a printed circuit board is provided. In one embodiment, the printed circuit board includes a plurality of external pads to be coupled with an external device and a plurality of bypass pads for testing an electric circuit. The external pads are exposed and at least one of the plurality of bypass pads are not exposed from an outer surface of the PCB. A system using the electronic device and a method of testing an electronic device are also provided.
US09171634B2
A memory device includes an array of memory cells arranged as a plurality of rows and columns, each row being coupled to an associated read word line, and each column forming at least one column group, where the memory cells of each column group are coupled to an associated read bit line. Each column has an active mode of operation where a read operation may be performed on an activated memory cell within that column group, and a non-active mode of operation where the read operation is not performable. Precharge circuitry is used, for each column group, to precharge the associated read bit line to a first voltage level prior to the read operation. Each memory cell includes coupling circuitry connected between the associated read bit line and a reference line associated with the column group containing that memory cell.
US09171632B2
A read process for a 3D stacked memory device provides an optimum level of channel boosting for unselected memory strings, to repress both normal and weak-erase types of read disturbs. The channel is boosted by controlling of voltages of bit lines (Vbl), drain-side select gates (Vsgd_unsel), source-side select gates (Vsgs_unsel), a selected level (word line layer) of the memory device (Vcg_sel), and unselected levels of the memory device (Vcg_unsel). A channel can be boosted by initially making the drain-side and source-side select gates non-conductive, to allow capacitive coupling from an increasing Vcg_unsel. The drain-side and/or source-side select gates are then made conductive by raising Vsgd_unsel and/or Vsgs_unsel, interrupting the boosting. Additionally boosting can occur by making the drain-side and/or source-side select gates non-conductive again while Vcg_unsel is still increasing. Or, the channel can be driven at Vbl. Two-step boosting drives the channel at Vbl, then provides boosting by capacitive coupling.
US09171630B2
To read multilevel data from a memory cell having a transistor using silicon and a transistor using an oxide semiconductor, without switching a signal for reading the multilevel data in accordance with the number of the levels of the multilevel data. The electrical charge of a bit line is discharged, the potential of the bit line is charged via a transistor for writing data, and the potential of the bit line which is changed by the charging is read as multilevel data. With such a structure, the potential corresponding to data held in a gate of the transistor can be read by only one-time switching of a signal for reading data.
US09171618B2
In one embodiment, there is provided a semiconductor integrated circuit that includes: a first inverter; a second inverter; a first transistor, wherein one end of the first transistor is connected to a first bit line and the other end of the first transistor is connected to a first input terminal of the first inverter; a first element group including second transistors, wherein one end of the first element group is connected to a first output terminal of the first inverter and the other end of the first element group is connected to a second bit line; and a second element group including third transistors and a magnetoresistive element whose magnetic resistance is varied. The second element group is disposed between the second output terminal of the second inverter and a first terminal or disposed between the first transistor and the first terminal.
US09171616B2
A method for operating a memory includes receiving a command to program a data value at a memory cell, and an indication of which write mode in a plurality of write modes to use. Write modes in the plurality are characterized by different sets of resistance ranges that correspond to data values stored in the memory cell. The method includes executing a program operation according to the indicated one in the plurality of write modes to program the data value in the memory cell. The plurality of write modes includes a first write mode and a second write mode corresponding to shorter data retention than the first write mode. The first and second write modes are characterized by first and second sets of resistance ranges in the different sets of resistance ranges. The method includes periodically refreshing data values in memory cells storing data in the second write mode.
US09171614B2
A Phase-Change Memory (PCM) device and a method of writing data to the PCM device are described. The PCM device includes a multi-phase data storage cell having at least a Set state and a Reset state that may be established using a heater configured to heat the data storage cell. A memory interface may be coupled with the heater configured to write data to the data storage cell, the data being represented by the Set or the Reset states. A write Reset pulse is used to place the data storage cell in the Reset state corresponding to a read value that is less than a read threshold. A write Set pulse that is a predetermined function of the write Reset pulse is used to place the data storage cell in the Set state. The PCM device may include additional intermediate states that enable each data storage cell to store two or more bits of information. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09171601B2
One embodiment of a magnetic random access memory includes a magnetic memory cell comprising a magnetoresistive element including a free ferromagnetic layer comprising a reversible magnetization direction directed substantially perpendicular to a film plane in its equilibrium state, a pinned ferromagnetic layer comprising a fixed magnetization direction directed substantially perpendicular to the film plane, a tunnel barrier layer disposed between the free and pinned layers, and an assist ferromagnetic layer disposed adjacent to the free layer; circuitry for providing a bias magnetic field pulse along a magnetic hard axis of the free layer, circuitry for providing a spin-polarized current pulse through the magnetoresistive element in a direction perpendicular to the film plane, wherein the magnetization direction in the free layer is reversed by a collective effect of the bias magnetic field pulse and the spin-polarizing current pulse.
US09171590B2
A sensing margin expanding scheme for a memory and a method therefor is disclosed. A first terminal of a first capacitor is coupled to a bit line. A first terminal of a second capacitor is coupled to a reference voltage. In a first phase, the controller controls a first common switch and a second common switch to store the voltage difference between the bit line and the reference voltage to the first capacitor and the second capacitor. In a second phase, controlling the first common switch and the second common switch to open the first terminal of the first capacitor and the second terminal of the second capacitor and open the second terminal of the first capacitor and the first terminal of the second capacitor, and then coupling the second terminal of the first capacitor and the second terminal of the second capacitor to a common voltage.
US09171585B2
A memory circuit system and method are provided in the context of various embodiments. In one embodiment, an interface circuit remains in communication with a plurality of memory circuits and a system. The interface circuit is operable to interface the memory circuits and the system for performing various functionality (e.g. power management, simulation/emulation, etc.).
US09171576B2
Access point pictures designated as randomly accessible positions are I pictures or P pictures. Information indicating the decoding sequence (I1, P1, B1, B2, B3, B4, P2, . . . ) of pictures functioning as access points and attribute information (picture_type) indicating whether a picture functions as an access point or is necessary for decoding of the access point following a given access point are recorded on the video information recording medium. Random access is possible even if the GOP interval is lengthened.
US09171575B1
A data storage device is disclosed comprising a disk comprising a plurality of tracks, and a head actuated over the disk. A first test pattern having a first polarity is written to a target track, and the first test pattern is read to generate a first read signal. The first test pattern is overwritten with a second test pattern having a second polarity opposite the first polarity, and the second test pattern is read to generate a second read signal. A defect in the target track is detected based on the first read signal and the second read signal.
US09171573B2
A method for operating a tape storage system includes simultaneously receiving readback signals from a set of data readers reading from data tracks of a set of adjacent data tracks extending along a longitudinal extension of a tape storage medium. Each data track has a width and each data reader has a width that exceeds the width of a data track. In the readback signal, of one of the data readers of the set a simultaneous presence of two defined waveforms is detected stemming from two different servo patterns arranged in servo sections of adjacent data tracks of the set. At least one of lateral position, velocity, gain and timing information is derived from a measure of the energy of the two defined waveforms detected in the readback signal of the data reader and applying this information in the operation of the tape storage system.
US09171570B2
An information processing apparatus includes: a data processing unit which performs copy processing for recording recorded data of a first medium in a second medium, wherein the data processing unit receives playlist sequence information which represents the use sequence of a playlist applied to reproduction processing of copy data recorded in the second medium, from a management server and performs processing for generating an attribute file which stores the playlist sequence information and recording the generated attribute file in the second medium.
US09171566B2
Embodiments include systems and methods for buckling in a loader assembly of a tape storage drive. Some implementations translate driving forces of an elevator of the loader assembly into driving forces that act on a pusher plate of a buckling mechanism in both buckling and unbuckling directions. For example, a plate interface can couple the pusher plate with the elevator in a manner that translates rotational motion of the elevator's drive gear into a lateral driving force that drives the pusher plate between its home and buckling positions. Certain implementations also include a home holding mechanism for removably securing the pusher plate in the home position when the elevator is in its unloaded position.
US09171561B1
Assemblies and methods that include a flex circuit having a slider facing surface and an opposing back surface; a slider having a back surface and an opposing air bearing surface (ABS), the slider including an electrical connection region; and a through circuit electrical connection, that is in electrical connection with the electrical connection region of the slider, the back surface of the slider interfacing with the slider facing surface of the flex circuit.
US09171553B1
A clear picture of who is speaking in a setting where there are multiple input sources (e.g., a conference room with multiple microphones) can be obtained by comparing input channels against each other. The data from each channel can not only be compared, but can also be organized into portions which logically correspond to statements by a user. These statements, along with information regarding who is speaking, can be presented in a user friendly format via an interactive timeline which can be updated in real time as new audio input data is received.
US09171550B2
Disclosed are a context-based arithmetic encoding apparatus and method and a context-based arithmetic decoding apparatus and method. The context-based arithmetic decoding apparatus may determine a context of a current N-tuple to be decoded, determine a Most Significant Bit (MSB) context corresponding to an MSB symbol of the current N-tuple, and determine a probability model using the context of the N-tuple and the MSB context. Subsequently, the context-based arithmetic decoding apparatus may perform a decoding on an MSB based on the determined probability model, and perform a decoding on a Least Significant Bit (LSB) based on a bit depth of the LSB derived from a process of decoding on an escape code.
US09171549B2
An audio coding system uses mixing metadata to control the attenuation of a main audio program that is subsequently mixed with an associated audio program. The value of the attenuation is calculated by analyzing the estimated loudness of the main and associated audio programs.
US09171548B2
A system for confirming that a subject is the source of spoken audio and the identity of the subject providing the spoken audio is described. The system includes at least one motion sensor operable to capture physical motion of at least one articulator that contributes to the production of speech, at least one acoustic signal sensor to receive acoustic signals, and a processing device comprising a memory and communicatively coupled to the at least one motion sensor and the at least one acoustic signal sensor. The processing device is programmed to correlate physical motion data with acoustical signal data to uniquely characterize the subject for purposes of verifying the subject is the source of the acoustical signal data and the identity of the subject.
US09171542B2
An automatic conversational system has multiple computer-implemented dialogue components for conducting an automated dialogue process with a human user. A user client delivers dialogue output prompts to the human user and receives dialogue input responses from the human user including speech inputs. An automatic speech recognition engine processes the speech inputs to determine corresponding sequences of representative text words. A natural language understanding (NLU) processing arrangement processes the dialogue input responses and the text words to determine corresponding semantic interpretations. The NLU processing arrangement includes an anaphora processor that accesses different information sources characterizing dialogue context, linguistic features, and NLU features to identify unresolved anaphora in the text words needing resolution in order to determine a semantic interpretation. A dialogue manager manages the dialogue process with the human user based on the semantic interpretations.
US09171535B2
Provided is a waterproof sound-transmitting membrane 1 including: a solid resin film 2 having a plurality of through holes 21 formed therein; and a treatment layer 3 having water repellency and formed on at least one of two surfaces of the resin film 2 that are opposite to each other in the thickness direction. The treatment layer 3 has openings 31 at positions corresponding to the through holes 21. The air permeability of the waterproof sound-transmitting membrane 1 is 100 seconds/100 mL or less in terms of Gurley number.
US09171530B2
A method of operating a music creation system is disclosed. The method includes receiving an input of characters, executing an algorithm to transform the characters into a string of musical notes, displaying the string of musical notes in a human readable format through the at least one output device, and acoustically outputting the string of musical notes.
US09171524B2
A display device includes: a panel portion, on which a plurality of sub-pixels with a discrete bus line form each individual pixel, the plurality of sub-pixels that form the individual pixel being sequentially arranged in a horizontal and a vertical direction, the panel portion displaying a two-dimensional image or a three-dimensional image by application of a signal via the bus line; and a filter portion, provided on a front surface of the panel portion, that alternately changes, for each of predetermined horizontal regions, a polarization state of light passing through the panel portion. A boundary of each of the horizontal regions of the filter portion is positioned within a range of a first sub-pixel of each of the plurality of sub-pixels. The first sub-pixel displays a different image when the two-dimensional image is displayed on the panel portion to when the three-dimensional image is displayed on the panel portion.
US09171523B2
Disclosed is a method including converting, during a first pass, video data from a first multi-component format to an intermediate multi-component format, the intermediate multi-component format including a first video component, the intermediate multi-component format including a second video component interleaved with a third video component, and converting, during a second pass, the video data from the intermediate multi-component format to a second multi-component format by de-interleaving the second component and third component.
US09171518B2
A two-stage digital-to-analog converter for outputting an analog voltage in response to a M-bit digital input code includes a one-bit serial charge redistribution digital-to-analog converter having a high reference voltage input node for receiving a high reference voltage and a low reference voltage input node for receiving a low reference voltage, and a voltage selector. The voltage selector sets the high reference voltage and low reference voltage to selected levels depending on at least a portion of the M-bit digital input code.
US09171504B2
Systems and methods detect and compensate for process or performance-related non-uniformities and/or degradation in displays. The systems and methods can compare a device current with one or more reference currents to generate an output signal indicative of the difference between the device and reference currents. This output voltage can be amplified, and quantized and then be used to determine how the device current differs from the reference current and to adjust the programming voltage for the device of interest accordingly.
US09171503B2
An organic light emitting display, a method for driving the same, and a method for manufacturing the same are discussed. The organic light emitting display according to an embodiment includes a panel including subpixels each having a compensation circuit including a reference voltage supply transistor, which receives a reference voltage and initializes a node of a gate electrode of a driving transistor using the reference voltage, a scan driver supplying a scan signal to scan lines of the panel, a data driver supplying a data signal to data lines of the panel, a timing controller controlling the scan driver and the data driver, and a reference voltage compensation unit which varies the reference voltage on each scan line and supplies the reference voltage to the subpixels.
US09171495B2
An electronic device and a method of controlling a display lighting are disclosed. A display includes a plurality of light emitting devices. A memory unit is configured to store a message data. A control unit is configured to control to sense a user action requesting an integrated message display, access the message data from a storing device in response to the user action, determine a transmission time or a transmitting time of the accessed message data, determine an area to be turned on among a screen area in which the accessed message data to be displayed based on the determined transmission time or the determined transmitting time, display the accessed message data in a screen of the electronic device according to a result of the determination of the area.
US09171494B2
The present invention discloses an OLED display device and control method thereof. The OLED display device includes a display screen, a sensor and a timing controller, wherein the timing controller includes a detection unit, a test image generation unit, a data compensation unit and image control unit. Detection unit provides command for generating test image. Test image generation unit generates test image according to the command for generating test image. Data compensation unit obtains decayed signal corresponding to test image detected by the sensor and to generate compensation signal to transmit to image control unit according to decayed signal. Image control unit transmits test image to display screen for detecting decay of display screen when inputting test image. As such, the present invention can improve the uneven display situation caused by decay of OLED display device as time passes.
US09171492B2
To provide an active matrix display device in which power consumption of a signal line driver circuit can be suppressed, so that power consumption of the entire memory can be suppressed. A plurality of memory circuits which can write data of a video signal input to a pixel in one line period and can hold the data are provided in a signal line driver circuit of a display device. Then, the data held in each memory circuit is input to a pixel of a corresponding line as a video signal. By providing two or more memory circuits in a driver circuit, pieces of data of video signals corresponding to two or more line periods can be concurrently held in the memory circuits.
US09171488B2
A display element and a display device in which the display element is mounted. The display may be a variable message sign. The sign includes a tube-like housing in which lenses and apertures can be disposed. The light exiting a light source is emitted via an emitting surface, by way of which an illuminated traffic sign results from interacting with further display elements. The light source and the optical elements are disposed at different heights in the horizontally oriented housing. The optical axes can thereby extend horizontally, or the optical elements can lie on a main axis which is tilted downward in an radiation direction. In both cases, sunlight impinging from above at an angle advantageously falls on the LED to a slight degree, by way of which the phantom light phenomenon is minimized.
US09171487B2
A sign waving apparatus that includes a base, a housing enclosing a motor, a frame support connecting the base and the housing, and a sign mount mechanically connected to a motor. The sign or signs attach to the surfaces of the sign mount. The sign mount moves relative to the housing in a variety of different motions.
US09171484B2
Systems and methods are described in the present disclosure for determining the location and orientation of an object placed on a surface. One such system, among others, includes an optical device physically supported by an object at a fixed position with respect to a reference point of the object. The system also includes a surface upon which the object can be placed. A reference pattern, which is applied to the surface, includes an array of markings visible to the optical device. The array of markings includes encoded location information and orientation information. In addition, the system includes a processing device in communication with the optical device. The processing device is configured to calculate the location and orientation of the reference point of the object with respect to the surface.
US09171472B2
A system and method is provided for displaying information related to an in-trail procedure (ITP) on a ITP display aboard a host aircraft. Current flight status data of the host aircraft and at least a second aircraft is obtained, and a vertical traffic scenario including at least the host aircraft ant the second aircraft is rendered on the display. A textual representation of a negotiation between ATC and the host aircraft is also rendered on the ITP display.
US09171471B2
Systems, methods, apparatus, and computer program products are provided for identifying overlapping areas. For example, in one embodiment, telematics data can be collected as vehicles traverse various geographic areas. Then, the areas traversed by the vehicles can be displayed to identify overlapping areas.
US09171468B2
An in-vehicle information distribution device includes a current-status-information acquisition unit that acquires current-status information, a status-type determination unit that refers to a status-type list table, and determines to which of status types classified in the status-type list table the current-status information corresponds, a status determination unit that refers to a status-type/status-determination-information correspondence table, acquires status-determination information corresponding to the determined status type, and determines a status of a train based on the status-determination information, and a display-content decision unit that refers to a status-type/display-content-information correspondence table, which classifies a display content to be displayed on a display device (AC-drive) and a display device (DC-drive) into status types, acquires display-content information corresponding to the determined status type, and selects display data corresponding to the display-content information.
US09171462B2
Embodiments relate to traffic impact prediction in a transportation network. Link level background traffic demand in a transportation network may be estimated based on information about available routes, and based on expected background traffic volumes between origins and destinations. A background traffic flow model that optimizes a background flow of the expected background traffic volumes among the available routes to minimize a sum of background congestion costs, background path entropy, and errors between an observed background traffic flow and the optimized background flow may be applied. Alternative routes may be identified based on the available routes and event based control plans. Expected additional event based traffic volumes may be received. A link level total traffic demand in the transportation network may be estimated based on the expected additional event based traffic volumes, the identified alternative routes, and the estimated background traffic demand.
US09171459B2
A traffic monitoring and notification system for vehicles includes road devices to be spaced apart along a road, and a traffic management controller. A portion of the vehicles may carry an electronic device that transmits an electronic address associated therewith. Each road device detects vehicles traveling on the road, determines if each detected vehicle is carrying an electronic device, and if so, then detects the electronic address associated therewith. A vehicle detection signal is transmitted based on each detected vehicle, and an electronic address signal is transmitted based on each detected electronic address. The traffic management controller receives the vehicle detection signals and the electronic address signals, determines a traffic pattern of the vehicles on the road based on the vehicle detection signals, and transmits a respective travel notification signal to each electronic device transmitting the electronic address associated therewith to provide travel information to a driver.
US09171458B2
A monitoring device, system and method are provided for in-home/on-premises monitoring of usage of utilities, such as electricity and other services. The monitoring device receives information from a smart meter, and displays usage through a display, illuminating an area using a color indicative of the current cost of consumption, and varying the illuminated area at a rate indicative of a rate of consumption or other metric, the varying of the illuminated area simulating movement in the display. The display provides a consumer with “at a glance” visual information on current usage. Optionally a digital display screen provides detailed alphanumeric and graphical information, through a number of selectable display modes. One or more devices may be networked, and interface directly or indirectly with a transceiver of a smart metering system, or a retrofit transceiver for a conventional meter. Monitoring of other utilities and services may alternatively or additionally be provided.
US09171457B2
Systems and methods which utilize low performance circuitry to provide received signal power detection without unacceptably impacting operation of a receiver circuit are shown. Circuitry utilized to provide received signal power detection according to embodiments comprises circuitry dedicated for use with respect to received signal power detection. Performance of the circuitry of the detection path may be lower than that required of circuitry of the signal processing path. However, performance parameters are selected to provide power detection of desired accuracy (e.g., flat gain) and to meet other performance metrics. Embodiments provide a low performance power detection circuit comprising a low performance tuner configuration. Further embodiments provide a low performance power detection circuit comprising a low performance data converter configuration.
US09171456B2
A dongle for programming a replacement key fob transmitter to a vehicle. The dongle mates to the vehicle's on-board electronics through the Data Link Connector. A diagnostic circuit in the dongle determines a communications protocol for programming a key fob transmitter to the vehicle. Audio and visual indicators are provided to indicate that communications are established and to indicate the successful programming of the key fob transmitter to the vehicle.
US09171454B2
The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can facilitate rich interaction with and/or management of environmental components included in an environment. The architecture can exist in whole or in part in a housing that can resemble a wand or similar object. The architecture can utilize one or more sensor from a collection of sensors to determine an orientation or gesture in connection with the wand, and can further issue an instruction to update a state of an environmental component based upon the orientation. In addition, the architecture can include an advisor component to provide contextual and/or comprehensive guidance in an intuitive manner.
US09171447B2
In an approach to analyzing audible alerts, one or more computer processors receive an audible alert originating external to a user. The one or more computer processors retrieve data related to the audible alert. The one or more computer processors analyze the data related to the audible alert. The one or more computer processors determine, based, at least in part, on the data related to the audible alert, a cause of the audible alert.
US09171445B2
A network of interreporting participant stations configured to monitor and analyze station movement such that activity levels of the individual stations can be determined and reported across the network to alert participant stations whenever the activity level of any one of the participant stations has dropped to a pre-determined level.
US09171431B2
An apparatus and method for feeding documents within a document processing machine. The feeder apparatus includes a first feeder paddle and a second feeder paddle, each capable of linear translatory motion within the document feed path, the first paddle being outwardly displaceable with respect to the document feed path, each paddle having a document support surface and a plurality of cutout features along the document surface that allow either paddle to singularly support the document stack, and that allow both the first and second paddle document surfaces to simultaneously occupy a common level plane within the document feed path. The method uses a first feeder paddle to feed a first stack of documents and a second feeder paddle to add a second stack of documents to the first stack without interrupting the feeding of the first stack, and using the first feeder paddle to feed the combined stack of documents.
US09171424B2
Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems, apparatuses and methods for providing game features. In a game of chance involving at least one outcome, a plurality of alternative outcomes can be derived for a gaming event, such as when one of the outcomes will provide a payout at or above a certain level. The player is presented with an opportunity to select among the alternative outcomes, without being aware of the particular characteristics or values associated with the outcomes. While the player will only select the outcome having the payout at/above the threshold level a certain percentage of the time, the opportunity can be presented to the player more often, while keeping the mathematical probabilities the same or similar if desired, thereby providing the player with the feeling of getting higher value opportunities more often.
US09171420B2
A slot management system including a download and configuration server-based sub-system and method is disclosed for use with non-gaming devices to enable users to monitor, control, and modify game devices and other related activities. An assignment-creator/modifier is provided for creating and modifying assignment templates for assignments that include at least one job to modify a non-gaming device. A user graphical interface is provided to control and monitor execution of the download and configuration and to present a graphical image at least indicative of the temporal periods for execution of a download executable assignment.
US09171413B2
A paper processing apparatus includes a discriminating unit. The discriminating unit can discriminate papers inserted into the papers processing apparatus. Discriminated papers are ejected to storage compartments based on discrimination results. Only papers that are discriminated as counterfeit are ejected to one of the storage compartments.
US09171411B2
A method for the compensation of disturbances upon magnetic measurements on value documents, in which a sensor having several measuring tracks for generating measurement signals is employed, in which for each value document a specified number of data records is generated, the value document not being captured by at least one of the measuring tracks during the measurement, wherein from the measurement signal of the at least one measuring track there is ascertained a value for the quantity of a disturbance present in the region of the sensor during the measurement on the value document, and a compensation of the deviations of the measurement signals of the measuring tracks capturing the value document, which deviations are caused by the disturbance present during the measurement, is carried out by means of said ascertained value for the quantity of the disturbance.
US09171410B2
A mobile terminal device which a user carries includes: an entry determining unit for determining entry of the mobile terminal device in a residential area; an authentication information storage unit for storing authentication information indicating multiple authentication actions performed by the user carrying the mobile terminal device and an authentication order indicating an order of the authentication actions to be performed; an authentication processing unit for processing for authentication of the user by determining, based on the authentication information, whether or not the user has performed the authentication actions in the authentication order after the mobile terminal device enters the residential area; and an alarm processing unit for indicating a failure of the authentication when the result of the processing for the authentication is the failure.
US09171409B2
In one embodiment, a system and method may collect acceleration data for a driver for a vehicle, compare the acceleration data for the driver to a set of acceleration data representing a plurality of sample drivers driving in the same type of vehicle as the vehicle, and based on the comparison, determining a driving style rating for the driver.
US09171402B1
Systems and methods for rendering a view-dependent texture in conjunction with a polygon mesh to provide a textured three-dimensional model of a geographic area are provided. The view-dependent texture can be optimized for viewing the three-dimensional model from a single reference direction. When a user navigates to a camera viewpoint of the three-dimensional model associated with the single reference direction, the view-dependent texture can be rendered in conjunction with the three-dimensional model to provide a more realistic representation of the geographic area to the user. When a user navigates to a camera viewpoint of the three-dimensional model that is not associated with the single reference direction, a base texture can be rendered in conjunction with the three-dimensional model. The base texture can be optimized based on viewing the three-dimensional model from a plurality of differing viewpoints.
US09171398B2
The invention relates to a method of rendering caustics in a computer graphics scene. The method comprises obtaining a photon map of said scene, redistributing photons from said photon map into an arrangement with a blue noise spectral signature by performing a relaxation step in respect of each of a number of photons, determining a constraining vector for each of a number of photons and rendering said scene using results from the redistributing photons and/or from determining a constraining vector.
US09171396B2
A system includes a server and a client computer device. The server determines a graphical object visible from a view region and determines one or more parameters defining the graphical object visible from the view region. The server further transmits the determined one or more parameters to a client computing device. The client computing device includes a processor to generate the graphical object using the determined one or more parameters received from the server. The client computing device further includes a display device to display the generated graphical object within a computer generated modeled environment.
US09171395B2
Disclosed are a system and a method of displaying a guidance symbol. The guidance symbol displaying system may include a distance difference calculator to calculate a distance difference between a user location and a guidance symbol location, and a symbol display controller to control display of the guidance symbol by calculating a size of the guidance symbol based on the distance difference.
US09171387B2
Apparatus and methods of generating a display representing a number of interactions occurring over a period of time is disclosed. Data defining a set of interactions is processed to determine an ordering for the interacting elements identified by the data based on calculated distance values for relative positions of pairs of interacting elements corresponding to interactions in the set. The determined ordering can then be used to generate display data where individual interactions are displayed as lines connecting co-ordinates corresponding to the positions in the determined ordering of interacting elements and the time value associated with the interaction. The visual clarity of such a display can be enhanced by selecting the criteria for ordering the elements.
US09171382B2
Tracking speeding violations and the use of at least one destination location are disclosed. Initially, two or more first images are received from a first camera, two or more second images are received from a second camera having a different field of view, and two or more third images are received from a third camera having a field of view overlapping with the field of the view of the second camera. Next, a speed of the first vehicle at a first time is determined. It is determined that the first vehicle exceeded a first predetermined speed limit at the first time. A unique identifier of the first vehicle and the speed of the first vehicle at the first time are then indicated. Next, it is determined that the second vehicle is stopped in the at least one destination location at a second time and that the second vehicle has left the at least one destination location at a third time that is after the second time. Finally, a unique identifier of the second vehicle, the second time, and the third time are indicated.
US09171377B2
A system for validating motion estimation comprising a field unit (110) for obtaining a deformation vector field (DVF) estimating the motion by transforming a first image at a first phase of the motion into a second image at a second phase of the motion, a metric unit (120) for computing a metric of a local volume change at a plurality of locations, and a conformity unit (130) for computing a conformity measure based on the computed metric of the local volume change at the plurality of locations and a local property of the first or second image defined at the plurality of locations. Based on the value of the conformity measure, the DFV estimating the motion is validated. Experiments show that the conformity measure based on the computed metric of a local volume change at a plurality of locations and the local property of the first or second image, defined at the plurality of locations, does not necessarily favor a large weight for the outer force to provide a more accurate registration. One reason for this observation may be that large deformations providing more accurate alignment often lead to deformations resulting in unreasonably large volume changes. DVFs comprising such deformations thus are more likely to be discarded by the system of the invention.
US09171376B2
Disclosed is a 3D video motion estimating apparatus and method. The 3D video motion estimating apparatus may enable a motion vector of a color image and a motion vector of a depth image refer to each other, thereby increasing a compression rate.
US09171373B2
A system of image stereo matching includes at least one stereo matching unit (SMU) each receives a first view and a second view of a view pair, according to which the SMU generates a first depth map for the first view. The system also includes a backward tracer operable to receive the first depth map, according to which a second depth map for the second view is derived.
US09171370B2
According to example embodiments, a method for deinterlacing an image having a plurality of pixels, the method comprising: calculating a difference between a first pixel of the image and each pixel of at least one pixel pair, each pixel pair comprising one pixel being positioned above the first pixel and another pixel being positioned below the first pixel; and deinterlacing the first pixel only if at least one difference corresponding to a pixel pair exceeds a predefined threshold. A corresponding apparatus and computer program product are also provided.
US09171365B2
Methods for improving the processing time, scalability, and resource usage for three-dimensional projecting-backprojecting rays with respect to voxels (pixels) and detector bins are provided. Specifically, improvements to a distance-driven technique, wherein the pixels and detector edges are projected on to a predetermined reference plane are disclosed. The methods balance the computational load of a system of parallel processors, which results in a balanced memory and cache access operations, while reducing the computational complexity of projection-backprojection techniques in scanning systems.
US09171356B2
A method for removing cyclic noise from a borehole image includes transforming the image into the frequency domain using a two-dimensional (2-D) transform (e.g., using a discrete cosine transform). The cyclic noise components (peaks) are removed from the transformed image which is then inverse transformed back into the spatial domain using an inverse 2-D transform to obtain a corrected image. An automated method enables the cyclic peaks to be identified and removed from the borehole image via downhole processing.
US09171353B2
Computer-implemented methods of reconstructing an image object for a measured object in object space from image data in data space cause a computer system to execute instructions for providing zonal information separating the object space into at least two zones, providing at least two zonal image objects, each zonal image object being associated with one of the at least two zones, performing a zonal smoothing operation on at least one of the zonal image objects, thereby generating at least one smoothed zonal image object, reconstructing the image object on the basis of the at least one smoothed zonal image object, and outputting the image object.
US09171346B2
Provided is a method for the movement of an image object. In the method: A. determining the direction of movement of an image object to be moved, and a module X corresponding to same; B. moving the module X along the direction of movement by one unit; determining whether or not an overlap exists between the module X and another module; if not, terminating the process; otherwise, determining the module having the overlap with the module X as a blocking module; restoring the module X to the original position before swapping locations with the blocking module; determining whether or not all other modules apart from the module X and the blocking module can be properly placed; if yes, terminating the process; otherwise, executing step C; C. determining whether or not the module X can continue to move along the direction of movement; if not, terminating the process; otherwise, moving the module X by one unit; determining whether or not all other modules apart from the module X can be properly placed; if yes, terminating the process; otherwise, repeat step C. Employment of the solution provided in the present invention allows for an improved success rate for the movement of the image object.
US09171337B2
A method, computer program product, and computer system for providing, using a processor of a computer, at least a portion of text that includes a link for use by a website. A plurality of posts associated with an online social network is monitored using the processor of the computer to determine whether the link is present in at least one post of the plurality of posts. A first user of the online social network that has the link included in the at least one post is identified using the processor of the computer, where the at least one post of the first user identifies a second user of the online social network. Information associated with the first user is recorded in a data store using the processor of the computer in response to identifying that the first user has the link posted in the at least one post.
US09171333B2
A system for performing due diligence on electronically stored documents is provided. A dynamic due diligence item (DDDI) is created by one user and associated with a particular document or piece of information by the system. The created DDDI is assigned to another user. The created DDDI is then routed by the system over a computer network to another user for review of the DDDI and the associated particular document or piece of information. In certain instances, after receiving the notification and opening the document, the system may enforce upon the second user a required action when the DDDI is presented.
US09171332B2
The present invention provides a method and system for determining hedging transactions to meet required characteristics of risks associated with an insurance instrument, and mitigating the risks associated with the insurance instrument by executing hedging transactions. The hedging transactions utilize hybrid derivatives. In general, the equity/interest rate hybrid derivative concept encapsulates any derivative, or any investment vehicle with an embedded derivative, that contains a payoff formula(s). At a minimum the formula(s), is/are a function of two items: equities, and any interest rates.
US09171325B2
Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a cross channel fulfillment system that enables consumers to purchase and receive items using different transmission mediums. The fulfillment system is a centralized distribution system that maintains information relating to consumers and has access to multiple transmission mediums. Specifically, the fulfillment system contains a database of consumer contact information relating to each transmission medium. The fulfillment system uses a remote device to provide information to consumers. The remote device transmits and receives broadcast messages including information relating to purchasable items. The fulfillment system may deliver a purchased item to the consumer using a medium different from that used to purchase the item.
US09171324B2
The hybrid virtual account and token-based digital cash protocols provide a user with many pairs of secret and public keys. One of the pairs is the master pair, which consists of one master user private key and one master user public key. Other pairs are pseudonym pairs, wherein each consists of one pseudonym user private key and one pseudonym user public key. The use of a master key pair and pseudonym key pairs circumvents the need for blind signatures. None of the invention's protocols require blind signatures. The protocols comprise public key protocols, digital signatures and symmetric key protocols.
US09171321B1
Techniques are described for using sensor data derived from a monitoring system to drive personalized content. Sensor data captured by a monitoring system may be used to determine attributes of users of the monitoring system and/or attributes of a property monitored by the monitoring system. The determined attributes may be used to select content to present to users of the monitoring system. Content presentation may be made through the monitoring system and may be triggered based on events detected by the monitoring system.
US09171317B2
A back-channel media delivery system that may be used for tracking the number and type of human impressions of media content rendered by the system during the time the media was rendered is provided. The back-channel media delivery system includes a rendering device for rendering media, an environmental sensor for sensing impressions and other environmental variables and a computing device configured to play media on the rendering device, and gather data related to the external states detected by the environmental sensor. The system may include rules that interpret that data and may cause the system to custom select, tailor or control future playback of media on the system.
US09171315B1
A system and machine-implemented method for providing a user participating in an online shopping environment with a negotiated price for an item, the method comprising receiving a request to negotiate a price of an item being posted to an online shopping environment and offered at a first price, identify purchase context information corresponding to the item in response to receiving the request, wherein the purchase context information include information regarding the item and information regarding the online shopping environment, determining a negotiated price for the online item based on the purchase context information and providing the negotiated price for display to one or more users.
US09171310B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products for improved electronic discovery. More specifically, embodiments relate to managing the process for creating search term sets to be applied to electronic data sets associated with a case in an electronic discovery system. A search term management application is provided that allows for multiple users to work collaboratively to define the final search term set that is subsequently applied to the corpus of electronic data for the case. In addition, the application provides for tracking the overall search term creation process. In addition, embodiments provide for a search term hit count engine that is configured to determine search term hit counts for data as a means of predicting the volume of data needed to review.
US09171307B2
A method comprising performing following acts on a network server: receiving a communication from a client terminal operated by a client; performing a first authentication of the client terminal or client; in response to the first authentication, delivering a first service to the client; after delivering the first service, sending an offer for a second service to the client terminal; receiving an acceptance message for the second service from the client terminal; performing a second authentication of the client terminal and/or the client; in response to receiving the acceptance message for the second service from the client terminal and to the second authentication being successful, delivering a second service to the client; wherein the first authentication and the second authentication use different authentication techniques. Other aspects include a programmed data processing apparatus for carrying out the method and a tangible program carrier instructing the apparatus to perform the acts.
US09171297B2
A staged bill payment transaction method comprises receiving transaction information from a user, building a staging record at a data center, and providing a retrieval key to the sender. The staging record comprises the transaction information and the retrieval key identifies the staging record for finalizing the transaction.
US09171292B1
A method, system, and computer program product for electronic delivery of regulated shareholder communications to registered electronic mail client accounts. A signed regulated shareholder communication electronic mail is generated by a proxy platform server computer and the electronic mail is transmitted to an electronic mail address inbox of a client computer. An active content associated with the shareholder communication is delivered by the proxy platform server computer when the shareholder communication is opened by a user on the client computer. The user is authenticated by the proxy platform server computer. A voting ballot is delivered by the platform server computer to the authenticated user's opened shareholder communication. The ballot votes submitted from the opened shareholder communication by the user are recorded in a proxy platform server computer voting database.
US09171291B2
A method, device and system are provided for automated insertion of message conversation or thread participant changes in a message body prior to receipt of the message by a recipient of the reply message. Once a reply message is initiated at a first device and an initial recipient set defined for the reply message based on the participants of a previous message of the thread, one or more changes may be made to the recipients specified for the message. In response to a trigger detected at the device, changes to the initial recipient set are identified and indicated by a textual or other notification within the body of the reply message, rather than merely in a header or addressing portion of the reply message. The indication may then be viewable using a recipient messaging client even if header information reflecting the change in recipients is not displayed by the client.
US09171288B2
Systems and methods for predicting an identity of a person are provided. In some aspects, a list of subject activities accessed by a subject person is received. For each of a plurality of stored persons, a stored list of activities accessed with by the stored person is accessed in one or more data repositories. An intersection is calculated between the list of subject activities and the stored list of activities for at least one stored person from the plurality of stored persons. That the subject person is likely to correspond to the at least one stored person from among the plurality of stored persons is predicted, based on the calculated intersection. An indication that the subject person is likely to correspond to the at least one stored person from among the plurality of stored persons is provided.
US09171287B2
A social networking system analyzes a user's interactions with objects linked to bookmarks associated with the user to generate a score for each bookmark. The score represents or is based on the probability that the user will access the bookmark or the linked object. For example, the score is a predicted click-through rate for the bookmark. Based on the scores, a subset of the bookmarks is selected for presentation to the user. Additionally, the scores may be used to order the selected subset of the bookmarks. Hence, the bookmarks that the user is most likely to access are presented while the bookmarks the user is less likely to access may be hidden.
US09171283B2
Techniques are disclosed for capturing and visualizing data lineage in content management systems. For example, a method comprises the following steps. A plurality of data sets is received. Each of the data sets is associated with a party and comprises a plurality of information. A set of lineage data about one or more of the data sets is received. The lineage data comprises information about the history of a particular data set. A user interface is presented that conveys a representation of one or more of the plurality of received data sets and at least a portion of the lineage data about the history of one or more of the data sets. A command is received at the user interface to merge or unmerge two data sets in the plurality of data sets. Two or more data sets in the plurality of data sets are merged or unmerged based on the received command.
US09171280B2
A system and method is described for printing a label with an RFID tag. The system includes an RFID reader that queries a first RFID tag coupled to a first medicinal container that includes a medication. In response, the system receives a first unique identifier and uses the first unique identifier to determine a status of the medication, associate the first medicinal container with a medical provider and print a second label that includes a second RFID tag for a second medicinal container.
US09171279B2
A system and method for tracking items, such as receptacles, during a process employs a rack configured to hold one or more receptacles. Each receptacle includes a machine-readable label providing information regarding the receptacle, such as contents thereof and process(es) to be performed thereon, and each receptacle-receiving position of the rack has associated therewith a machine-readable label identifying the receptacle receiving location. The rack also includes a memory element to which electronic data may be written. A label reading device reads the machine-readable label on each receptacle and the position-indicating, machine-readable labels on the rack. Information obtained from the machine-readable labels is written to the memory element, so that for subsequent processing of the receptacles carried on the rack, information relating to each of the receptacles can be obtained by reading the information written to the memory element. A tamper prevention element provides an indication of whether the rack may have been tampered with after data is written to the memory element.
US09171277B2
Generation of a plan for loading or unloading a variety of objects into a container. Such objects can comprise irregularly-shaped objects, regularly-shaped object, or a combination thereof. In one embodiment, a method enables such generation, wherein the method can comprise the steps of storing a model for each object of a plurality of objects, each model comprising a weight, a center of gravity, and a shape of the associated object, and storing a plurality of parameters associated with the container. The method can comprise the steps of selecting a set of one or more objects, from the plurality of objects, to be loaded into the container, and generating an optimized sequence for loading the set of one or more objects into the container, based on at least the weight, the center of gravity, the shape of each of the one or more objects, and the parameters associated with the container.
US09171276B2
The disclosure facilitates generation of energy-related revenue for an energy customer of an electricity supplier. The disclosure herein can be implemented to generate suggested operating schedules for energy assets that include a controllable energy asset, using an objective function. The objective function is determined based on a dynamic simulation model of the energy profile of the energy assets. The dynamic simulation model is adaptive to physical changes in the energy assets based at least in part on a physical model of the thermodynamic property of the at least one energy asset and at least in part on data representative of an operation characteristic of the controllable energy asset, a thermodynamic property of the energy assets, and/or a projected environmental condition. Energy-related revenue available to the energy customer is based at least in part on a wholesale electricity market or on a regulation market.
US09171274B2
A method (300) of managing energy consumption associated with premises includes firstly generating (302) and storing an initial energy profile (304) of the premises. The profile (304) includes information characterizing the premises, such as occupancy patterns, function of the premises, geographical location, installed appliances (108), and so forth. An expected energy usage (308) associated with the premises is computed over a predetermined time period based upon the information in the initial energy profile (304). Actual energy usage (312) associated with the premises is then recorded over the predetermined time period and the energy profile (304) is adaptively updated based upon the recorded energy usage (312). The energy profile (304) and the actual energy usage (312) are used to manage energy consumption associated with the premises. An installable system (100) and apparatus (102) for implementing the method at premises are also provided.
US09171264B2
Embodiments are disclosed herein that relate to generating a decision tree through graphical processing unit (GPU) based machine learning. For example, one embodiment provides a method including, for each level of the decision tree: performing, at each GPU of the parallel processing pipeline, a feature test for a feature in a feature set on every example in an example set. The method further includes accumulating results of the feature tests in local memory blocks. The method further includes writing the accumulated results from each local memory block to global memory to generate a histogram of features for every node in the level, and for each node in the level, assigning a feature having a lowest entropy in accordance with the histograms to the node.
US09171260B2
Data-driven rules are eliminated from an application, and replaced with goal-driven rules that formally and completely characterize high-level business concepts, while enabling the resulting goal-driven rules to be executed eagerly using a forward chaining rule engine in a way that preserves the data-driven behavior of the original rules. A computer-implemented method for executing business rules provides a unified rule that encapsulates a goal-oriented rule with triggering information selected from dependencies of the goal-oriented rule. The unified rule may be eagerly executed in response to changes in data specified by the dependencies, or lazily executed in response to a request for the value computed by the rule.
US09171257B2
A machine may implement a recommender that provides recommendations to users. The machine may be configured to present a first version of the recommender configured by various parameters. A user may submit a message to the machine, and the machine may identify a parameter among the various parameters by tokenizing the message and identifying the parameter among the tokens. The machine may then generate a second version of the recommender by modifying the parameter and configuring the second version according to the modified parameter. The machine may then present the first and second versions of the recommender contemporaneously two different portions of the users. By tokenizing a further message received from the users, the machine may evaluate the first and second versions and determine whether the second version is a replacement of the first version.
US09171252B2
A complex event processing system comprises one or more rule engines configured to receive information from a source system via a message broker. Multiple rule engines may be used in parallel, with the same/different rules deployed. According to an embodiment, a rule engine may include a manager component, a proxy component, a reasoner component, and a working memory. The manager and proxy serve as interfaces with the message broker to allow asynchronous communication with a provider storing state information. The reasoner is configured to execute rules based upon occurrence of events in the source system. Embodiments may be particularly suited to implementing a gamification platform including a business entity provider, with an existing business source system (e.g. CRM, ERP).
US09171249B2
Techniques for the identification of a spike-processing circuit are provided. An exemplary method includes receiving spike trains corresponding to a circuit input over a time period, and selecting a number of spikes for each of input spike trains over a predetermined time window. Each of the selected spikes can be replaced with a sampled reproducing kernel to obtain a plurality of signals, and each obtained signal can correspond to one of the input spike trains. Each of the obtained signals can be passed through a plurality of receptive fields or filters to obtain an aggregate filter output signal. The filter output signal can be encoded into an output spike train, and the output spike train can correspond to a response of the circuit to the plurality of input spike trains.
US09171244B2
Provided is an RFID tag, wherein a communication distance of several centimeter or more can be secured and the cost of which can be reduced in comparison to conventional on-chip antennas, even when being compact in size (square shaped with a side of 1.9 to 13 mm). The RFID tag (80) comprises an antenna (20), an IC chip (30) connected to the antenna (20), and a sealing material (10) that seals the IC chip (30) and the antenna (20). The antenna (20) is a coil antenna or a loop antenna, and the resonance frequency (f0) of an electric circuit constituted by the inductance (L) of the antenna (20) and the capacitance (C) of the IC chip (30) is equal to the operation frequency of the IC chip (30), or in the vicinity thereof.
US09171239B2
An apparatus and methods for processing image data in which an image pipeline serially processes columnar regions of a multi-row strip of the image data.
US09171237B2
A printing controlling terminal apparatus, an image forming apparatus, and a printing controlling method thereof are provided. The printing controlling terminal apparatus includes a user interface that receives a command to print regarding a document, a determiner that determines if the document intended by the command to print is printed in color, a print data generator that generates print data regarding the document according to a result of the determining, and a communicator that transmits the generated print data to an image forming apparatus. The determiner divides each page of the document into a plurality of blocks, extracts color information from each of the plurality of blocks by applying weighted values to color values of the plurality of divided blocks, and determines whether to print the document in color based on the color information.
US09171236B1
Methods and systems monitor print data being retrieved by a dedicated spooler of a printing device, and monitor the quantity of print data within the print queue to be printed by a printing engine of the printing device. The dedicated spooler and the printing engine share computing resources and, therefore, the processing activities of the dedicated spooler slow processing activities of the printing engine. These methods and systems dynamically reduce the rate at which the print data is retrieved by the dedicated spooler based on the quantity of documents within the print queue to increase printing speed (for example, these methods and systems can reduce the rate at which the print data is retrieved by the dedicated spooler based on the quantity of print data within the print queue being above a threshold amount).
US09171201B2
A personal computing device comprising: a processor, an onboard memory, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a display; a computer program to create an exercise analysis application comprising: a software module configured to receive data from the accelerometer and the gyroscope that are associated with the bodily motion of a user in three dimensions; a software module configured to place the device in a learning mode, the learning mode comprising recording the data of the user performing a defined exercise to generate a statistical model for the exercise; a software module configured to place the device in a normal mode, the normal mode comprising applying a probabilistic analysis to the bodily motion data to identify an exercise event, classify the exercise by comparison to a recorded model; and a software module configured to apply an analysis to the bodily motion data to score the user's exercise form.
US09171199B2
An information processing apparatus may include a user recognition unit to recognize a user in a captured image, and a behavior recognition unit to recognize a behavior of a user. In addition, the apparatus may include a generation unit to generate user behavior information including information of the recognized user and the recognized behavior of the recognized user. Further, the apparatus may include a communication unit to transmit the user behavior information to an external apparatus.
US09171198B1
This disclosure relates to winking to capture image data using an image capture device that is associated with a head-mountable device (HMD). An illustrative method includes detecting a wink gesture at an HMD. The method also includes causing an image capture device to capture image data, in response to detecting the wink gesture at the HMD.
US09171186B2
The invention describes a method for executing an application (A) which comprises executable native or interpretable code and calls functions of an operating system (BS), whereby the operating system (BS) transmits a result of the respective function call (f1) to the application (A). The method according to the invention is characterized by the fact that the application (A) checks the result of a respective function call for a falsification, so as to detect an attack.
US09171183B2
A computer device and method are provided to handle COM objects. A COM creating unit intercepts a request for creation of an elevated COM object by a first user process, determines whether the first user process is entitled to access the COM object, and creates the COM object without elevated privileges. A COM implementing unit intercepts a second user process that implements the COM object, confirms that the second user process is entitled to access the COM object and elevates the privilege level of the second user process to implement the elevated COM object.
US09171179B2
A method for enabling the storage, distribution, and use of associated text and media files comprises a webpage interface coupled to an information and support system, an account creation and login system, a user media storage system, a solicitation assistance and user matching system, a solicitation and collaboration agreement system, a media collaboration and project creation system, and a product gallery and sales system. Means are provided for a user to gain access to the inventive systems through an Internet connection on a local user computing device. In accordance with the invention, information is input into a database storage medium coupled to an operator system computing device which then combines the information into an augmented text-media file output. The inventive systems also distribute augmented text-media file output products to users of the inventive systems through a webpage interface system.
US09171175B2
A method of operation of a data programming control system includes: providing a secure data management host server coupled to a network; encrypting a contract manufacturer job by the secure data management host server, including: providing a memory image file, creating a programmer encrypted file from the memory image file, and encrypting permissions and the programmer encrypted file to form the contract manufacturer job; decrypting the contract manufacturer job transmitted through the network by a secure data management local server; transmitting the programmer encrypted file by the secure data management local server to a device programmer; and programming a device with the memory image file decrypted by the device programmer.
US09171173B1
A protected querying technique involves creating shingles from a query and then fingerprinting the shingles. The documents to be queried are also shingled and then fingerprinted. The overlap between adjacent shingles for the query and the documents to be queried is different, there being less, or no overlap for the query shingles. The query fingerprint is compared to the fingerprints of the documents to be queried to determine whether there are any matches.
US09171169B2
Systems and methods are provided for dynamic analysis wrapper objects for application dataflow. A system creates a wrapper object that points to a data object received from a data source, creates a source tracking object for the wrapper object, and records information associated with the data source into the source tracking object. The system creates a copy of the wrapper object for a tracking event in an application program, creates a flow tracking object for the tracking event, and records information associated with the tracking event into the flow tracking object as the tracking event processes the copy of the wrapper object. The system outputs the copy of the wrapper object to a data sink for the application program, creates a sink tracking object for the data sink, and records information associated with the data sink into the sink tracking object. The system outputs the source tracking object, the flow tracking object, and the sink tracking object as dynamic analysis of dataflow in the application program.
US09171167B2
Methods and systems for use in in analyzing cyber-security threats for an aircraft are described herein. One example method includes generating an interconnection graph for a plurality of interconnected aircraft systems. The interconnection graph includes a plurality of nodes and a plurality of links. The method also includes defining a cost function for a cyber-security threat to traverse each link and defining a requirements function for a cyber-security threat to exploit each node. The method further includes generating a set of threat traversal graphs for each cyber-security threat of a plurality of cyber-security threats.
US09171159B2
In an embodiment, a processor includes a binary translation engine to receive a code segment, to generate a binary translation of the code segment, and to store the binary translation in a translation cache, where the binary translation includes at least one policy check routine to be executed during execution of the binary translation on behalf of a security agent. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09171157B2
Provided are a method and system for tracking access to application data and preventing data exploitation by malicious programs. In one example, the method includes shimming into a running process of the system to create at least one monitoring hook to monitor a program, building an execution path of the monitored program, and monitoring a behavior of the execution path for malicious behavior using the monitoring hook.
US09171156B1
A computer-implemented method for managing malware signatures. The method may include maintaining a set of active malware signatures and maintaining a set of dormant malware signatures. The method may also include providing the set of active malware signatures for use in malware detection more frequently than the set of dormant malware signatures and determining that a first malware signature from the set of dormant malware signatures triggers one or more positive malware detection responses. The method may further include, in response to the determination, moving the first malware signature from the set of dormant malware signatures to the set of active malware signatures. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09171150B2
Systems and methods are provided for dynamic analysis tracking objects for application dataflow. A system receives a data object from a data source, creates a source tracking object for the data object, and records information associated with the data source into the source tracking object. The system creates a copy of the data object for a tracking event in the application program, creates a flow tracking object for the tracking event, and records information associated with the tracking event into the flow tracking object as the tracking event processes the copy of the data object. The system outputs the copy of the data object to a data sink, creates a sink tracking object for the data sink, and records information associated with the data sink into the sink tracking object. The system outputs the source tracking object, the flow tracking object, and the sink tracking object as dynamic analysis of dataflow in the application program.
US09171145B2
Techniques are disclosed for protecting cryptographic secrets stored locally in a device, such as a mobile phone. A client device creates or downloads a shared secret to be used in a server transaction. To protect this shared secret locally, the client device encrypts the shared secret using a key generated a file system attributes value, along with other sources of entropy. The file system attributes value may correspond to the inode of a file in a UNIX-based file system. Thereafter, when the shared secret is required for logical computation, the client device reconstructs the key using the file system attributes value and the other previous sources of entropy. The client device may use the key to decrypt the information and use the shared secret for its required purpose, e.g., in generating a one-time password for a login session.
US09171138B1
Software activation and revalidation. For example, a method for software activation and revalidation may include collecting machine configuration information from a machine on which a software application has been at least partially installed, sending the machine configuration information and a product key to an activation server, applying activation rules to determine whether the product key is valid for the machine configuration information, if the product key is valid for the machine configuration information, activating the software application by sending, from the activation server to the machine, license data that authorizes access to the software application and that contains the activation rules, periodically applying, at the machine, the activation rules to newly-collected machine configuration information to determine whether the product key remains valid for the newly-collected machine configuration information, and if the product key remains valid, revalidating, at the machine, the license data to authorize continued access to the software application.
US09171134B2
A secure switch module to allow only authorized keyholders to power on an electronic device includes a lock, a key matching the lock, and a power switch. The lock includes a first lock pin electrically connected to a ground pin of a motherboard of the electronic device, and a second lock pin. The power switch includes a button, a first elastic conductive sheet electrically connected to the second lock pin, and a second elastic conductive sheet electrically connected to a power on pin of the motherboard. When the key is engaged with the lock and the button is pressed, the first lock pin is electrically connected to the second lock pin, the first elastic conductive sheet is electrically connected to the second elastic conductive sheet, the power on pin receives a low level signal, and the electronic device is turned on.
US09171132B1
An electronic note management system is provides that includes a storage component, a user-interface, and one or more navigation features. The storage component maintains a plurality of records, and the user-interface component renders a plurality of electronic notes from the plurality of records. The user-interface is configured to display a given group of two or more notes in the plurality of notes as a sequenced series while the two or more notes are in a rendered state. One or more navigation features provided with the user-interface to enable a user to navigate (i) from a first note in the group to a next note in the group that is adjacent to the first note in the sequenced series (ii) while the first note and the next note are in the rendered state.
US09171128B2
The present disclosure is directed at a system and method for analyzing clinical trial data over a network. The system and method specifics image protocols, encodes a number of protocols and communicates that information to an acquisition unit that appends the protocols to a digital image. When the image needs to be analyzed to gather clinical trial data, the encoded information is extracted and the correct software application is initialized and used to analyze the image.
US09171127B1
A design layout generating method is provided. A design layout including a first pattern and a second pattern is provided to a computer system, wherein the first pattern and the second pattern meet a design rule of an integrated circuit, respectively. The first pattern and the second pattern are combined into a third pattern. Next, the third pattern is checked if it meets a definition of a weak pattern, wherein the weak pattern is a pattern that meets the design rule but still forms defects. Then, the third pattern is modified and a new design layout is generated.
US09171122B2
Techniques and systems are described for improving the efficiency of timing calculations in numerical sequential cell sizing and for improving the efficiency of incremental slack margin propagation. Some embodiments cache timing-related information associated with a source driver that drives an input of a sequential cell that is being sized, and/or timing-related information for each output of the sequential cell that is being sized. The cached timing-related information for the source driver can be reused when sizing a different sequential cell. The cached timing-related information for the outputs of the sequential cell can be reused when evaluating alternatives for replacing the sequential cell. Some embodiments incrementally propagate slack margins in a lazy fashion (i.e., only when it is necessary to do so for correctness or accuracy reasons) while sizing gates in the circuit design in a reverse-levelized processing order.
US09171118B2
Apparatus and method for designing an electrical component including a processor and a user interface, enabling a user to input a desired characteristic of the electrical component, such as inductance or quality factor at an operating frequency for an integrated spiral inductor. The processor is configured to determine sufficiently optimal characteristics of the electrical component, combining the user desired characteristic with other preset characteristics of the electrical component, to define a first model of the electrical component, to simulate the model having the combined characteristics to determine performance, and to draw on a rule-set of expert knowledge relating to the general dependency of at least one design criterion, such as a physical, geometrical or performance characteristic, with another design criterion in order to enable modification of the model, thereby iteratively to determine a design solution for the electrical component through one or more simulations and modifications using the rule-set.
US09171116B1
An apparatus and method are provided for removing redundant logic in a logic design of an integrated circuit (IC) design. The apparatus and method optimizes the integrated circuit by selecting stuck-at constant registers in the logic design, propagating a constant output value of the stuck-at constant registers across output nets of the stuck-at constant registers, identifying redundant logic in the logic design based on the propagation of the constant input value across the output net of the stuck-at constant register, and removing the redundant logic in the logic design.
US09171109B2
Coupling fluid-flow model and geomechanical model for integrated petroleum systems, in one aspect, may comprise analyzing historical data associated with a reservoir to determine one or more triggering events that trigger abrupt changes in the state of stress of the reservoir solid framework and in the pore pressure. One or more time steps are defined based on the determined triggering events. The fluid-flow model and the geomechanical model are coupled at the one or more defined time steps, e.g., one-way or two-way. Number of iterations may be calculated automatically for the two-way coupling to converge.
US09171102B1
The disclosed embodiments included a system, apparatus, method, and computer program product for performing a topological sort of a directed graph that comprises a cyclic component or subcomponent. The apparatus comprises a processor configured to execute computer-readable program code embodied on a computer program product. And executing the computer-readable program code comprises identifying a plurality of vertices in a directed graph that depend upon each other in a cyclic manner and removing those vertices and all of the vertices in the same component from a topology object. The topology object then may be utilized to sort the acyclic components and/or subcomponents of the directed graph based the dependencies between the remaining vertices.
US09171099B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method and system for providing additional functionality, including web functionality, to one or more online documents. Specifically, embodiments described herein include receiving a selection of a range of data to be used in a web extension and binding the selection of the range of data to the web extension. Once the data is bound, the binding is stored in a remote computing device. In response to the detection of the interaction with the bound range of data, the bound range of data is sent to the remote computing device where the bound range of data is updated based on the interaction. The updated data is then sent to the web extension to enable the web extension to be updated with the newly received data.
US09171097B2
Methods and devices for accelerating webpage rendering by a browser store document object model (DOM) tree structures and computations of rendered pages, and compare portions of a DOM tree of pages being render to determining if portions of the DOM tree structures match. If a DOM tree of a webpage to be rendered matches a DOM tree stored in memory, the computations associated with the match DOM tree may be recalled from memory, obviating the need to perform the calculations to render the page. A tree isomorphism algorithm may be used to recognize DOM trees stored in memory that match the DOM tree of the webpage to be rendered. Reusing rendering computations may significantly reducing the time and resources required for rendering web pages. Identifying reusable portions of calculation results based on DOM tree isomorphism enables the browser to reuse stored webpage rendering calculations even when URLs do not match.
US09171092B2
Technologies related to personal assistant context building are generally described. In some examples, network service communications, such as network traffic resulting from the use of mobile applications or “apps” on a mobile device, may be captured, parsed, and included in personal assistant context databases for use in configuring automated personal assistant user interaction operations. In some examples, parsing services may be provided to parse forwarded network service communications and generate converted data for inclusion in personal assistant context databases.
US09171088B2
A product search engine uses web-crawling software to index textual webpage content from multiple internet sources. The product data obtained from the web-crawling process is then granulized by parsing methods into key words, such as, words and/or phrases. These components are compared with existing key words from search queries or webpage content. Each key word includes component tags, where the component tags map each component to product classification information in the form of structural parameters; and other product information such as, URLs, product images and product descriptions. When at least one matching key word is found, structural parameters are extracted from the matching components and assigned to the received key words. A search results webpage including product information grouped by associated structural parameter may be provided.
US09171085B2
A personalized content recommendation system includes a client interface configured to automatically monitor a user's information data stream transmitted on the Internet. A hybrid contextual behavioral and collaborative personal interest inference engine resident to a non-transient media generates automatic predictions about the interests of individual users of the system. A database server retains the user's personal interest profile based on a plurality of monitored information. The system also includes a server programmed to filter items in an incoming information stream with the personal interest profile and is further programmed to identify only those items of the incoming information stream that substantially match the personal interest profile.
US09171077B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for processing a query is provided. The method includes generating a set of pre-computed materialized sub-graphs from a dataset and receiving a search query having one or more search query terms. A particular one of the pre-computed materialized sub-graphs is accessed and a dynamic authority-based keyword search is executed on the particular one of the pre-computed materialized sub-graphs. Nodes in the dataset are then retrieved based on the executing, and a response to the search query is provided which includes the retrieved nodes.
US09171072B2
A system, method and computer program product for validating a document classification process, including a document collection; a document classification process performed on the document collection; a random selection module configured to automatically generate a random validation set of documents from the document collection; and a document review process performed on the random validation set of documents to validate results of the document classification process. The system, method and computer program product are configured to dynamically and in real-time measure and display on a computer display device a best case estimate of a quality of the results of the document classification process based on the documents that are validated, and given a size of a total data set of the document collection.
US09171070B2
A classification system includes a signature-based duplicate detector and an inductive classifier that share attribute information. To perform the duplicate detection and the classification, the duplicate detector and inductive classifier are first initialized by generating a lexicon of attributes for the duplicate detector and a classification model for the classifier. To develop a classification model, a training set of documents of known class are used by the classifier to determine the attributes of the documents that are most useful in classifying an unknown document. The model is developed from these attributes. Attribute information containing the attributes determined by the classifier is then passed to the duplicate detector and the duplicate detector uses the attribute information to generate the lexicon of attributes.
US09171063B2
In one embodiment, a server receives a search query; the server determines search terms based on the received search query, each search term including a prefix and a suffix; for each of the search term, the server generates a first binary number based on the each search term's prefix and suffix, and accesses and retrieves search results of the each search term from data stores by hashing the first binary number; the server also aggregates search results of the respective search terms.
US09171054B1
A data structure comprises a clump header table, an inline tree data structure, and one or more auxiliary data structures. Each clump header record includes an indicator of a location in the inline tree data structure of corresponding binary string segments. Clump header records or auxiliary header records include indicators of corresponding locations in the corresponding auxiliary data structure. Each auxiliary data structure can be altered without necessarily altering the inline tree or clump header table. A dedicated, specifically adapted conversion program generates the clump header file, the inline tree data structure, and the one or more auxiliary data structures. The data structure can be stored on any computer-readable medium, and can be read entirely into RAM to be searched (with or without filtering on one or more filter data fields). A dedicated, specifically adapted search and filter program is employed, which can list or enumerate the retrieved data records.
US09171053B2
A method and a device for migrating a source system configuration item: collecting through a telnet/ssh protocol channel established with a source system and a predefined shell script corresponding to the source system, a source system configuration item corresponding to a system configuration item identifier, wherein the system configuration item identifier is a predefined system configuration item identifier corresponding to the source system; comparing the collected source system configuration item with a preset default system configuration item to obtain a non-default system configuration item, wherein the non-default system configuration item is regarded as a system configuration item that needs to be migrated; querying a mapping relationship among a pre-system: the system configuration item and a key parameter value to obtain a destination system configuration item and the key parameter value; and performing migration configuration on a destination system through the telnet/ssh protocol channel established with the destination system.
US09171048B2
Systems and methods for implementing and performing goal-based workflows to assist a human user with achieving a goal or set of goals are described. In one example, a goal-based workflow includes operations for obtaining information from the human user relevant to a goal, performing a psychological and psychological assessment of the human user, selecting and providing goal-based content to the human user, and obtaining and processing a response to the goal-based content from the human user. The operations may be conducted in connection with a subscription or membership to an information service. In further examples, the information service may integrate the content delivery with a social network of “supporter” human users, used to provide encouragement and motivation to the human user for achieving the goal. In other further examples, rewards and adjustments may be provided to the human user based on previous responses to the goal-based content.
US09171047B2
A method for a computer system includes receiving a first user communication, determining a first group of users, determining a target number of users, determining whether the first group of users includes the target number of users, and if not, providing the communication to the first group of users, determining a hierarchal mapping of groups of users in response to user memberships, determining a second group of users from the hierarchal mapping, determining a plurality of social network relationship factors for the second group of users with respect to the first user, and providing the communication to at least a subset of users in the second group of users in response to the first plurality of social network relationship factors.
US09171037B2
To retrieve a sequence of associated events in log data, a request expression is parsed to retrieve types of dependencies between events which are searched, and the constraints (e.g., keywords) which characterize each event. Based on the parsing results, query components can be formed, expressing the constraints for individual events and interrelations (e.g., time spans) between events. A resultant span query comprising the query components can then be run against an index of events, which encodes a mutual location of associated events in storage.
US09171036B2
Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for batching heterogeneous database commands. The heterogeneous database commands may include at least two database command types. Further, at least two of the heterogeneous database commands may include host variables. A request to execute the heterogeneous database commands may be received. The heterogeneous database commands may be sent to a database system for execution, responsive to the request.
US09171027B2
Managing different versions of a data record is provided. A mapping is maintained between a version-independent logical record identifier and a version-dependent physical record row identifier that correspond to each data record within a plurality of data records of a data table using a logical record identifier to physical record row identifier indirection mapping table. Entries within leaf pages of an index associated with the data table are updated to point to the version-independent logical record identifier corresponding to a data record instead of pointing to the version-dependent physical record row identifier corresponding to the data record. The logical record identifier to physical record row identifier indirection mapping table is updated in response to performing an operation on the data record instead of updating the entries within the leaf pages of the index associated with the data table.
US09171018B2
A system and computer-implemented method for associating images with semantic entities and providing search results using the semantic entities. An image database contains one or more source images associated with one or more images labels. A computer may generate one or more documents containing the labels associated with each image. Analysis may be performed on the one or more documents to associate the source images with semantic entities. The semantic entities may be used to provide search results. In response to receiving a target image as a search query, the target image may be compared with the source images to identify similar images. The semantic entities associated with the similar images may be used to determine a semantic entity for the target image. The semantic entity for the target image may be used to provide search results in response to the search initiated by the target image.
US09171014B2
There is provided an information processing device including an event cluster creation unit configured to create an event cluster including, among a plurality of types of content, reference content serving as a reference and related content, the related content having a different type from the reference content and indicating the same event as the reference content, and a meta information appending unit configured to create meta information about the event on the basis of the event cluster and append the meta information to the event cluster.
US09171013B2
An embodiment provides for enabling retrieval of a collection of captured images that form at least a portion of a library of images. For each image in the collection, a captured image may be analyzed to recognize information from image data contained in the captured image, and an index may be generated, where the index data is based on the recognized information. Using the index, functionality such as search and retrieval is enabled. Various recognition techniques, including those that use the face, clothing, apparel, and combinations of characteristics may be utilized. Recognition may be performed on, among other things, persons and text carried on objects.
US09171012B2
According to one embodiment, a facial image search system including, search module configured to calculate degree of similarity between facial features extracted by feature extraction module and facial features contained in database and output search result based on calculated degree of similarity, measuring module configured to measure amount of search result output by search module, and selection module configured to sort out search result output by search module if amount of search result measured by measuring module is equal to or more than preset threshold.
US09171008B2
Various systems and methods may be used for performing data storage operations, including content-indexing, containerized deduplication, and policy-driven storage, within a cloud environment. The systems support a variety of clients and cloud storage sites that may connect to the system in a cloud environment that requires data transfer over wide area networks, such as the Internet, which may have appreciable latency and/or packet loss, using various network protocols, including HTTP and FTP. Methods for content indexing data stored within a cloud environment may facilitate later searching, including collaborative searching. Methods for performing containerized deduplication may reduce the strain on a system namespace, effectuate cost savings, etc. Methods may identify suitable storage locations, including suitable cloud storage sites, for data files subject to a storage policy. Further, the systems and methods may be used for providing a cloud gateway and a scalable data object store within a cloud environment.
US09171006B2
Disclosed is a mobile station having an expanded storage space, and a method of retrieving a file stored in a remote storage server. The method may include determining whether the file is locally stored or remotely stored, deleting files in a local storage to provide space if the file is determined to reside in a remote storage server, downloading the file from a remote storage server over the Internet by prefetching a portion of the file from the remote storage server, and opening the prefetched portion of the file while concurrently downloading a remaining portion of the file from the remote storage server.
US09170998B2
A content management system (CMS) uses a simulated containment report generation mechanism to generate a simulated containment report for elements in the repository based on logged properties that represent potential use of the element during dynamic content delivery that are not represented in formal relationships in the content management system. Properties such as probability, popularity, and recent usage that are not explicit relationships between parent documents and child elements are logged and used to determine which document maps may potentially reuse a selected element. In this manner a simulated containment report can be created for an element that allows the user to see the document maps that are most likely to include the element.
US09170991B2
A system and method for editing a table within a hypertext markup language (HTML) editor is described, the method comprising analyzing code representing the table to determine dimension parameters based on content of the table, storing the dimension parameters in a memory, receiving edit indications from a user, concurrently comparing the edit indications against the dimension parameters, wherein edit indications that exceed the dimension parameters are rejected, and updating each instance of the dimension parameters within the code with the edit indications.
US09170988B2
A simple and easy-to-use method is provided for dividing an html page at positions intended by the designer in accordance with the type of display device on which the page is to be displayed. A controller searches an html page for comment statements that have been formed according to predetermined grammatical rules and inserted in advance into the html page coding, divides the html page at positions at which the comment statements are found to have been inserted, restores to each divided html page the attribute data lost due to the division process, and generates the new html pages.
US09170987B2
Style extensibility is provided to shapes in a diagram by editing text files. A structured data model is used to render the diagram representing items provided by the user in a text-based format such as a bulleted list. A style engine determines style properties for style labels assigned to key shapes of the diagram. Style properties include features associated with the shapes and their content that preserve an overall look-and-feel of the diagram. Color scheme(s) are also provided through the style labels. A layout engine uses layout definitions based on user input and default parameters along with style label assignments to render a presentation model. Style properties may be modified and new styles added after the diagram is rendered.
US09170986B2
A method for waveform analysis and compression includes determining harmonic components of a waveform, subtracting the harmonic components from the waveform, leaving a residual waveform, and compressing the residual waveform. Information about the harmonic components and the compressed residual transform can be transmitted across a network for analysis or reconstruction of the waveform in another device. The method is used in a low cost power quality meter, which can form part of a smart metering scheme.
US09170983B2
A digital audio synthesizer is provided that includes the following: an input memory, a computer, a combiner, and an adder. The combiner is set up to calculate an auxiliary digital data set by taking an active set of estimated digital data divided by a window function on each time window. The adder is set up to add the active set of estimated digital data multiplied by the window function having the preceding value from an accumulated total. The digital audio synthesizer also includes an extrapolator that is set up to calculate the draft digital data set for an active window from the auxiliary digital data set for the preceding window, and the auxiliary digital data set is selectively multiplied by the square of the window function.
US09170982B2
Disclosed are various embodiments for a fingerprinting application. Data and optionally additional metadata for an operational automobile are captured by an application executed on a mobile device inside the automobile. An fingerprinting application matches the data to known data profiles to confirm the identity or type of the automobile. Diagnostics of the automobile can be determined by variations in the data with respect to a defined standard. The data can include one or more of audio data, accelerometer data, vibration, data and orientation data.
US09170977B2
Systems and methods are provided for managing server information data An information data management system obtains position information of each server baseboard from a controller storing the position information of the server baseboard, and establishes a corresponding relationship between the position information and an information data index of a rack server. The position information comprises slot information and rack information of the server baseboard. An information data configuring system obtains the position information, the information data index and the corresponding relationship between the position information and the information data index from the information data management system.
US09170975B2
High-speed serial communications between programmable devices connected to an I2C bus that includes a serial clock channel (SCL) and a serial data channel (SDA), having at least a logical low state and a logical high state. The programmable device determines if the SCL channel is idle, indicated by a logical high state. Determining the SCL to be idle, the programmable device holds the SCL to a logical low state. The programmable device operates high-speed serial communications using the SDA channel while holding the SCL to the low logical state. In response to completion of the high-speed communications, the programmable device releases the SCL channel and the SCL channel returns to the logical high state.
US09170964B2
A method and system for sending an interrupt signal is described herein. The method may include detecting sensor data in a sensor controller and detecting a powered down port between the sensor controller and an operating system. The method may also include sending the interrupt signal from the sensor controller to the operating system. In addition, the method may include detecting the operating system has provided power to the powered down port. Furthermore, the method may include sending the sensor data from the sensor controller to the operating system.
US09170962B2
A method, system and processing device for retiring data entries held within a store queue (STQ). The STQ of a processor cache is modified to receive and process several types of data entries including: non-synchronized (non-sync), thread of execution synchronized (thread-sync), and all thread of execution synchronized (all-thread-sync). The task of storing data entries, from the STQ out to memory or an input/output device, is modified to increase the effectiveness of the cache. The modified STQ allows non-sync, thread-sync, and all-thread-sync instructions to coexist in the STQ regardless of the thread of execution. Stored data entries, or stores are deterministically selected for retirement, according to the data entry type.
US09170956B2
A memory protection unit including hardware logic. The hardware logic receives a transaction from a virtual central processing unit (CPU) directed at a bus slave, the transaction being associated with a virtual CPU identification (ID), wherein the virtual CPU is implemented on a physical CPU. The hardware logic also determines whether to grant or deny access to the bus slave based on the virtual CPU ID. The virtual CPU ID is different than an ID of the physical CPU on which the virtual CPU is implemented.
US09170948B2
A die-stacked memory device implements an integrated coherency manager to offload cache coherency protocol operations for the devices of a processing system. The die-stacked memory device includes a set of one or more stacked memory dies and a set of one or more logic dies. The one or more logic dies implement hardware logic providing a memory interface and the coherency manager. The memory interface operates to perform memory accesses in response to memory access requests from the coherency manager and the one or more external devices. The coherency manager comprises logic to perform coherency operations for shared data stored at the stacked memory dies. Due to the integration of the logic dies and the memory dies, the coherency manager can access shared data stored in the memory dies and perform related coherency operations with higher bandwidth and lower latency and power consumption compared to the external devices.
US09170945B2
According to an embodiment, a communication management apparatus mediates data between an information processing terminal having a temporary memory and an external memory device that is installed outside the information processing terminal. The apparatus includes a receiving unit configured to receive a write request issued by a device other than the information processing terminal for writing the data in the external memory device; a reading-writing unit configured to control reading of the data from the external memory device and control writing of the data in the external memory device; and a delete command issuing unit configured to, when the write request with respect to the external memory device is received, issue a delete command to the information processing terminal for deleting temporary data that is stored in the temporary memory.
US09170941B2
A storage system, and a method of data hardening in the storage system, including: a de-glitch module configured for a detection of a power failure event; a write page module, coupled to the de-glitch module, the write page module configured for an execution of a cache write command based on the power failure event to send a cache page from a cache memory to a storage channel controller, wherein the cache memory is a volatile memory; and a signal empty module, coupled to the write page module, the signal empty module configured for a generation of a sleep signal to shut down a host bus adapter, wherein the host bus adapter interfaces with the storage channel controller to write the cache page back to the cache memory upon a power up of the host bus adapter and the storage channel controller.
US09170940B2
Techniques to prelink software to improve memory de-duplication in a virtual system are described. An apparatus may comprise a processor circuit, a memory unit coupled to the processor circuit to store private memory pages for multiple virtual machines, and a dynamic linker application operative on the processor circuit to link a binary version of a software program with associated program modules at run-time of the binary version on a virtual machine. The dynamic linker application may comprise a master prelink component operative on the processor circuit to relocate a first set of program modules for a first binary version of the software program for a first virtual machine using a first set of virtual memory addresses from a first private memory page allocated to the first virtual machine, and store relocation information for the first set of program modules in a global prelink layout map for use by a second virtual machine. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09170938B1
Disclosed herein are several methods and systems for handling atomic write commands that reach scattered address ranges. One embodiment includes a method of performing an operation in a data storage device, the method comprising: receiving an atomic write command; obtaining a plurality of ranges of logical addresses affected by the atomic write command; for each of the plurality of affected ranges, assigning metadata information to track completion of a write operation performed at that range; performing the write operations in the ranges of logical addresses; updating the metadata information upon completion of the write operations in the ranges; and deferring an update to a translation map of the data storage device until the metadata information has been updated.
US09170930B1
Methods, computer media encoding instructions, and that receive write requests directed to non-sequential logical block addresses and writing the write requests to sequential disk block addresses in a storage system include an overprovision of a storage system to include an increment of additional storage space such that it is more likely a large enough sequential block of storage will be available to accommodate incoming write requests.
US09170929B2
A data storage temporarily stores an address conversion table associating the sector numbers with the physical addresses for each file. A conversion table memory allocator allocates a memory region for the address conversion table corresponding to a file when a request is made to open the file. A file system manager releases the allocated memory region at a given time. The file system manager stores sector numbers of one or multiple sectors constituting a file in each record of the address conversion table for which the memory region is allocated in sequence. Then, a memory control section searches the flash memory to acquire a physical address corresponding to a sector number in the each record of the address conversion table, and stores each acquired physical address in the corresponding record.
US09170927B1
A mechanism is provided for automatic testing a software product comprising a plurality of software packages that are to be installed or de-installed in defined order. Software package dependency and prerequisite information is analyzed for each software package and a dependency abstraction level matrix is created for the software packages. The dependency abstraction level matrix is reduced by searching for software packages assigned to more than one abstraction level, determining the highest abstraction level the software package is assigned to, and deleting the software package from lower abstraction levels that the software package is assigned to. Possible software package test combinations of the software product are determined based on the reduced dependency abstraction level matrix. An installation or de-installation procedure of software packages is performed based on the software package test combinations to test installation or de-installation order of the software packages.
US09170926B1
System, method, and non-transitory medium for selecting a test scenario template useful for testing a configuration change involves execution of the following: identifying runs of test scenarios run by users belonging to different organizations implementing configuration changes on software systems; identifying first connections between configuration changes and the runs; clustering the runs into clusters of similar runs; identifying, from the first connections and the clustering, second connections between configuration changes and the clusters; receiving a certain configuration change of a certain user; identifying a certain cluster of similar runs which correspond to the certain configuration change by comparing the certain configuration change with configuration changes that take part in the second connections; generating test scenario templates based on runs belonging to the certain cluster; and selecting, based on number of different organizations associated with the templates, a representative test scenario template to represent the certain cluster.
US09170925B1
System, method, and non-transitory medium for generating a test scenario template from runs of test scenarios that include a subset of test steps. Executing the method involves the steps of identifying runs of test scenarios run by users on software systems that belong to different organizations; identifying subsets of test steps that are frequently described in the runs; receiving a profile of a user and selecting, based on the profile, a certain subset, from among the subsets, which is appropriate for the user; selecting, from among the identified runs, a first run and a second run; the first and second runs include test steps that are essentially identical to the test steps in the certain subset; and generating a test scenario template based on the first and second subsets of test steps.
US09170922B1
Techniques are described for debugging an application executing on a remote host device. A daemon executing on the host device is instructed, from a server device, to install an application to be debugged and to launch a remote debug module on the host device. A communication session is established between the remote debug module and a local debug module executing on the server device. Debug commands received at the local debug module are communicated to the remote debug module and employed during the debugging of the application. Debug output from the debugging session may be provided to the server device via a mount point into shared memory on the host device.
US09170920B2
A processor stores an address of a first instruction of a first instruction set into a first register. The processor determines that a first instruction set location of the first instruction address matches a breakpoint instruction set location of a breakpoint instruction address stored in a second register, wherein the second register includes a state bit. The processor retrieves the first instruction. The processor determines that a breakpoint instruction offset of the breakpoint instruction address identifies the first instruction as the breakpoint. The processor sets the state bit of the second register. The processor removes the first instruction based on the state bit being set and then re-retrieves the first instruction. The processor tags the first instruction and generates an interrupt based on either the tagged first instruction being next to completion or the tagged first instruction being completed.
US09170919B2
An apparatus for detecting a source code error location in a mixed-mode program is disclosed. The apparatus may include a compiler, a mapping table generator, a simulator, a comparison data generator and an error location detector. The apparatus extracts low-level data while simulating a verification program and while simulating a reference program. The low-level data is mapped to mapping tables for a verification program and a reference program, and by comparing the tables it is determined if there is an error in the mixed-mode program and if so, where.
US09170916B2
Systems and methods for estimating power consumption in a network of computing devices are described. Operational information of a target server is periodically received and compared to benchmark data of a model of the target server. The operational information comprises performance data of the target server during a predefined time interval. Power consumption of the target server is estimated using the performance and benchmark data. The benchmark data is recalibrated if an error in the estimated power consumption is detected. An agent installed on the target server for collecting performance data is described. The target server can be a virtualized server, in which case, the agent acquires at least some of the performance data from a hypervisor of a physical server that hosts the target server.
US09170914B2
An interface monitoring apparatus for an interface port for connecting a peripheral device to an interface chip by at least one first data line includes a capacitive element arranged between the interface chip and the interface port and which capacitively couples the first data line to the interface chip, a first monitoring circuit coupled to the first data line at the interface port and which monitors at least one device-end termination of the first data line and provides a first control signal in the event of it being identified that a termination for the first data line is not present, and a first deactivation circuit that permanently stops data traffic via the first data line of the interface port until the interface monitoring apparatus is reset when the first control signal has been provided by the first monitoring circuit.
US09170912B1
A method for generating a power consumption and energy usage model for a computing device includes monitoring of the power consumption of the computing device with an external power monitor when the computing device is in a base power state, monitoring of the power consumption of the computing device during execution of a system call with a processor that interacts with a component in the computing device, and monitoring the power state of the computing device before the computing device returns to the base power state. The method further includes generating a finite state machine model of the power states and transitions between power states to model the power activities and energy consumption of the computing device in the absence of an external power monitor.
US09170908B2
Bytecode is injected to create a source tracking object for a data object received from a data source and to record information associated with the data source into the source tracking object. Bytecode is injected to create a copy of the data object for a tracking event in an application program, to create a flow tracking object for the tracking event, and to record information associated with the tracking event into the flow tracking object as the tracking event processes the copy of the data object. Bytecode is injected to create a sink tracking object for outputting the copy of the data object to a data sink and to record information associated with the data sink into the sink tracking object. Bytecode is injected to output the source tracking object, the flow tracking object, and the sink tracking object as dynamic analysis of dataflow in the application program.
US09170904B1
A system for injecting I/O faults into a closed system, for example, the injection of link level I/O faults, involves the use of a simulated computing environment. In an embodiment, the system provides for fault injection using an emulated IBM System z environment and including the use of FICON and/or other suitable communication channel protocols. The emulated System z environment may include a simulated z/OS and/or emulated System z hardware and software components.
US09170895B2
According to an example, data for a memcached server is replicated to a memcached replication server. Data operations for the memcached server may be filtered for backing up data to the memcached replication server.
US09170891B1
A snapshot of a volume is taken by proactive uploading of scheduled snapshot data before the scheduled snapshot time has arrived. A volume snapshot schedule of once a day may be set up to a service provider using a speed-limited network connection. Using a determined upload speed of the network connection and a list of changes to the volume since a prior snapshot, a snapshot system may determine an appropriate time to start uploading volume data so that the snapshot may be completed at or after the scheduled snapshot time. By using the list of changes and available bandwidth of the network connection, the snapshot may be completed earlier than had it been started at the time of the snapshot and the available bandwidth of the network connection may be more efficiently used.
US09170885B2
A data storage method includes identifying, in a set of data items associated with respective logical addresses for storage in a memory, a first subset of the logical addresses associated with the data items containing application data, and a second subset of the logical addresses associated with the data items containing parity information that has been calculated over the application data. The data items associated with the first identified subset are stored in one or more first physical memory areas of the memory, and the data items associated with the second identified subset are stored in one or more second physical memory areas of the memory, different from the first physical memory areas. A memory management task is performed independently in the first physical memory areas and in the second physical memory areas.
US09170881B2
A first decoder performs decoding on each data set in a first plurality of data sets using a first code; each data set in the first plurality is stored on a different chip. It is determined if the first decoding is successful; if not, a second decoder performs a second decoding on each data set in a second plurality of data sets using a second code; each data set in the second plurality includes at least some data, after the first decoding using the first code, from each data set in the first plurality. The first decoder performs a third decoding on each data set in the first plurality using the first code, where each data set in the first plurality includes at least some data, after the second decoding using the second code, from each data set in the second plurality.
US09170879B2
A data scrubbing apparatus corrects disturb data errors occurring in an array of memory cells such as SMT MRAM cells. The data scrubbing apparatus receives an error indication that an error has occurred during a read operation of a grouping of memory cells within the array of memory cells. The data scrubbing apparatus may generate an address describing the location of the memory cells to be scrubbed. The data scrubbing apparatus then commands the array of memory cells to write back the corrected data. Based on a scrub threshold value, the data scrubbing apparatus writes the corrected data back after a specific number of errors. The data scrubbing apparatus may further suspend writing back during a writing of data. The data scrubbing apparatus provides a busy indicator externally during a write back of corrected data.
US09170877B2
Apparatuses and methods for resolving trapping sets are provided. One example method can include attempting to decode a codeword using initial values for confidence levels associated with digits of the codeword. For a trapping set, the confidence levels associated with the digits corresponding to a failed parity check are adjusted. The method further includes attempting to decode a codeword using the adjusted value for the confidence levels of the digits corresponding to the failed parity check.
US09170869B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for error checking are disclosed. In one embodiment, an error checking system is used on a device that has a plurality of parallel data lanes as inputs. It may be desired to provide an error checking system with sufficient resolution to detect single-bit errors, determine how many bits are in error, and/or determine which bit(s) of a parallel data lane are in error. In one embodiment, the present disclosure provides for switchable error checking through the use of a multiplexor configured to select a particular data lane for error checking. This switchable error checking may provide benefits such as low cost, low power consumption, and/or low size.
US09170863B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for retrieving local information on a user device include detecting itinerary information stored by a first application on a user device, and identifying a travel destination based on the detected itinerary information. The travel destination is communicated to a second application executable on a user device, and the travel destination is stored in association with the second application. The second application is adapted to retrieve local information based on an identified geographic location, and local information for the travel destination is provided through the second application in response to a user interaction with the second application and based on a triggering threshold associated with the itinerary information.
US09170862B2
A converting apparatus includes a storage configured to store correspondence information that indicates correspondence relations between logical addresses accessed by a processor for booting and physical addresses converted from the logical addresses, the correspondence information being correlated with each type of an event booting the processor; and an address converter configured to select correspondence information related to the type of the event, specify a physical address converted from the logical address accessed by the processor in case of the processor accessing a logical address in response to the event, and control the processor to get a program stored in the storage, the program indicated by the specified physical address.
US09170860B2
Methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for parallel incident processing are provided. Embodiments include an incident analyzer identifying a pool of incidents and distributing the incidents across a plurality of threads of the incident analyzer. One or more threads of the plurality of threads of the incident analyzer generate a tuple indicating a rule identification and a rule state. The incident analyzer also identifies from the generated tuples, tuples that have the same rule identification and generates a merged tuple by merging the rule state of each of the identified tuples that have the same rule identification.
US09170858B2
The subject of the present invention is a method for processing alerts by an avionic system FWS that makes it possible to optimize the processing of these alerts without unnecessarily consuming “processor time”. The method according to the invention is characterized in that it consists in having processed, on each processing cycle of the processor of the FWS, only the operations relating to alerts for which the result has been modified since the preceding processing cycle.
US09170855B2
A virtual application may be configured with several extension points within a host operating system. The virtual application may be configured with a private namespace in which various components, such as registry settings, dynamic linked libraries, and other components may reside. During configuration, links may be placed in the host operating system that may point to objects in the virtual application's private namespace so that the operating system and other applications may launch, control, or otherwise interact with the virtual application. The links may be located in a file system, registry, or other locations and may be available to other applications, including other virtual applications. A configuration routine may place the links into the host operating system at the time the application may be configured.
US09170854B2
A method is performed in a computing system that includes a plurality of processing nodes of multiple types configurable to run in multiple performance states. In the method, an application executes on a thread assigned to a first processing node. Power and performance of the application on the first processing node is estimated. Power and performance of the application in multiple performance states on other processing nodes of the plurality of processing nodes besides the first processing node is also estimated. It is determined that the estimated power and performance of the application on a second processing node in a respective performance state of the multiple performance states is preferable to the power and performance of the application on the first processing node. The thread is reassigned to the second processing node, with the second processing node in the respective performance state.
US09170853B2
A stop unit stops transmitting data to a plurality of nodes for every predetermined period. An acquisition unit acquires versions of routing tables, which are updated in accordance with movement of a query, from the plurality of nodes when the transmission of the data is stopped. A comparison unit compares the versions of the routing tables of the plurality of nodes that are acquired. When there is a node in which the routing table of an old version is stored as a result of the comparison, an update unit updates the routing table of the node.
US09170851B2
An information processing system includes a number of database servers deployed onto a number of physical nodes in a distributed manner. Among the database servers, at least two servers taking care of data different from one another are deployed onto the same physical node and at least one server taking care of the same data as any of the at least two servers are deployed onto at least one other physical node. A distribution section distributes connections by monitoring load on each of the physical nodes and moving a connection with a client from a database server on a physical node with load heavier than a target to a database server on a physical node with load lighter than the target so that the connections are distributed to balance the load.
US09170845B2
A method and apparatus for integrating a converged infrastructure platform in a data center is provided. The described apparatus configures the physical and virtual resources that run on the converged infrastructure to communicate with the rest of the data center. The described apparatus further enables a system administrator to rollback configurations of the physical and virtual resources of the converged infrastructure to restore the converged infrastructure to a factory state.
US09170841B2
A multiprocessor system includes a plurality of processors, each including a task scheduler that determines a task execution order of tasks in a task set to be executed by the processors within a task period which is defined as a period in repeated execution of the task sets; and a scheduler management device having a command unit configured to issue a command for at least one of the task schedulers to change the task execution order, wherein each of the at least one of the task schedulers, when receiving the command from the command unit, changes the task execution order of the corresponding processor.
US09170840B2
Duration sensitive scheduling in a computing environment, the computing environment including a computer configured to support a virtual machine, including: identifying, by a duration sensitive scheduler, a processing job to be executed by the virtual machine, wherein the virtual machine includes an entitlement specification that identifies physical resources of the computer that are designated for exclusive use by the virtual machine; determining, by the duration sensitive scheduler, a duration required to complete the processing job; identifying, by the duration sensitive scheduler, a time slot at which the physical resources of the computer that are identified in the entitlement specification are available for use by the virtual machine; scheduling, by the duration sensitive scheduler, the processing job for execution on the virtual machine during the time slot at which the physical resources of the computer that are identified in the entitlement specification are available for use by the virtual machine.
US09170832B2
A virtual machine control apparatus 100 controls execution of a first type virtual machine A210 and a second type virtual machine 220. The first type virtual machine A210 includes a start detection unit 261 which detects an operation in the first type virtual machine A210 to start usage of a device (external storage device 160). The first type virtual machine A210 also includes a start signal output unit 262 which outputs a start signal when the start detection unit 261 detects the operation to start usage of the device. The second type virtual machine 220 includes a control unit (external storage device driver 272) which, when the start signal output unit 262 outputs the start signal while the device is in set in a low power mode (electrical power set to off), sets the device in a normal mode (electrical power set to on).
US09170829B2
A data structure including simple and complex objects. Each simple object includes a content type indicator, a size indicator, and one or more simple data types. Each complex object includes a content type indicator, a size indicator, and one or more child objects. The complex objects include a layer object having first and second child objects. The first child object is a collection of complex objects storing information for configuring a virtual filesystem of a virtual application at application startup. The second child object is a collection of complex objects storing information for configuring a virtual registry of the virtual application at application startup. Reading of selected simple and complex objects may be deferred at startup based on the content type indicator. Deferred objects may be read after startup when access to information stored by the deferred object is request by the virtual application.
US09170822B1
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage media, for entering a limited functionality mode on a mobile device. In one aspect, a method includes receiving, at a portable electronic device, a first signal instructing the portable electronic device to enter a limited functionality mode, in which one or more transmission functionalities associated with the portable electronic device are disabled, determining whether the portable electronic device has received a second signal instructing the device to immediately enter the limited functionality mode, in response to receiving the first signal, waiting until one or more tasks that use the transmission functionalities are completed or until the second signal is determined to have been received, and entering the limited functionality mode after waiting until the one or more tasks that use the transmission functionalities are completed or until the second signal is determined to have been received.
US09170818B2
A data processing device maintains register map information that maps accesses to architectural registers, as identified by instructions being executed, to physical registers of the data processing device. In response to determining that an instruction, such as a speculatively-executing conditional branch, indicates a checkpoint, the data processing device stores the register map information for subsequent retrieval depending on the resolution of the instruction. In addition, in response to the checkpoint indication the data processing device generates new register map information such that accesses to the architectural registers are mapped to different physical registers. The data processing device maintains a list, referred to as a free register list, of physical registers available to be mapped to an architectural registers.
US09170808B2
In an example embodiment, a container is downloaded, the container being an application natively executable by a first operating system of the user device, the container including: a container service including one or more libraries of functions designed by a container designer to natively operate on the first operating system; a browser; container metadata defining functions of the application, the functions compatible with the container service for the first operating system and also compatible with a container service for a second operating system; and a plug-in including one or more additional libraries of functions designed by an entity other than the container designer to perform additional native operations on the first operating system. Then, the container metadata can be executed using the browser, causing function calls to the container service and plug-in and thus controlling native functions of the user device.
US09170806B2
A method for performing software discovery by an installer controller is provided and may include detecting, at a computer, an attempt by a software installer to execute on the computer, wherein during execution, the software installer modifies software on the computer. A Software Asset Management (SAM) computer server may be queried for an approval status corresponding to a software package provided by the software installer. The installer controller executes the software installer upon receiving on the returned approval status; aggregates a result from the execution of the software installer based on the software installer modifying the software on the computer; and updates a discovery software signature on the computer when the returned approval status is marked as known.
US09170801B2
The technical solutions disclose a data card software updating method, a data card, and a personal computer. In the method, a mapped interface is switched first, and then an existing data card updating method is adopted to update a data card that provides only a remote network driver interface specification (RNDIS) interface through mapping. The technical solutions can conveniently achieve compatibility with the existing data card updating method, and can be implemented simply and efficiently.
US09170800B2
Methods and systems for developing, modifying, and distributing software applications for enterprise systems are described herein. A software component, such as a native mobile application or a template application, may be modified into a managed mobile application, and metadata associated with the managed mobile application may be generated. The managed application and associated metadata may be provided to one or more application stores, such as public application stores and/or enterprise application stores. Managed applications and/or associated metadata may be retrieved by computing devices from public application stores and/or enterprise application stores, and may be executed as managed applications in an enterprise system.
US09170794B2
An embodiment of the invention provides a method for exploiting stateless and stateful data parallelism in a streaming application, wherein a compiler determines whether an operator of the streaming application is safe to parallelize based on a definition of the operator and an instance of the definition. The operator is not safe to parallelize when the operator has selectivity greater than 1, wherein the selectivity is the number of output tuples generated for each input tuple. Parallel regions are formed within the streaming application with the compiler when the operator is safe to parallelize. Synchronization strategies for the parallel regions are determined with the compiler, wherein the synchronization strategies are determined based on the definition of the operator and the instance of the definition. The synchronization strategies of the parallel regions are enforced with a runtime system.
US09170793B2
A computing device is connected to a measurement machine. The measurement machine measures an object to obtain images of measured elements of the object by using a measurement program. The computing device divides the measurement program into two or more program segments. An icon for each program segment is generated according to a type of the program segment. The computing device generates a title state and an opened state for each program segment. If a program segment is in the title state, the icon, a name, and a first line of program codes of the program segment is displayed on an interface provided by the electronic device. If the program segment is in the opened state, the computing device displays all program codes of the program segment on the interface.
US09170790B2
An approach for replacing one program code library (or method(s) thereof) with another program code library (or method(s) thereof) during execution is provided. Specifically, an annotation (e.g., comprising a runtime optimization request and associated performance/measurement criteria) within a program code file will be detected, analyzed, and used to monitor/assess the performance of a running set of methods of the program code file or the like (e.g., a set of initial/original methods). As this is occurring, a set of substitute methods will be identified from a program code library (e.g., based on similarities to the original set of methods) and likewise monitored/assessed. Based on the monitored performance, one or more alternate method(s) may be substituted for the original method(s) in the program code file. Such a capability allows for methods to be evaluated during runtime, and for performance to be optimized by utilizing the highest performing methods.
US09170789B2
Embodiments of computer-implemented methods, systems, computing devices, and computer-readable media (transitory and non-transitory) are described herein for analyzing execution of a plurality of executable instructions and, based on the analysis, providing an indication of a benefit to be obtained by vectorization of at least a subset of the plurality of executable instructions. In various embodiments, the analysis may include identification of the subset of the plurality of executable instructions suitable for conversion to one or more single-instruction multiple-data (“SIMD”) instructions.
US09170788B2
A code analysis system is described herein that provides code completion for programming languages that include elements that are not statically discoverable and that provides results in a predictable period that is acceptable for an interactive user interface. The system compiles each file into an intermediate state that can be stored and cached to speed later analysis of files. In addition, when executing a particular file, the system monitors a time-based threshold and/or a recursion depth so that if the compilation time is exceeding the threshold or a function is exceeding the recursion depth the system can stop the execution and use the intermediate results obtained up to that point to provide as much information as possible within a bounded execution time. When dynamic analysis fails, the system falls back to static analysis.
US09170778B2
Embodiments include a computer-readable medium embodying program code comprising code for receiving input defining a plurality of cells and a logical relationship between the cells, each cell representing a master screen of an application under development. Additional code for associating an asset with a cell, and code for storing a hyper-wireframe data structure identifying the plurality of cells, the logical relationship between the cells, and the asset may be included. The cells may be part of a hyper-wireframe embodied in a data structure alongside a plurality of assets and a target characteristic value of an intended target of the application under development. An application may determine whether to enable or disable an editing feature of an editing application based on the asset and the target characteristic value. Additionally or alternatively, permission data associated with assets may be used to enable or disable the editing feature.
US09170775B2
A multiplier-accumulator (MAC) block can be programmed to operate in one or more modes. When the MAC block implements at least one multiply-and-accumulate operation, the accumulator value can be zeroed without introducing clock latency or initialized in one clock cycle. To zero the accumulator value, the most significant bits (MSBs) of data representing zero can be input to the MAC block and sent directly to the add-subtract-accumulate unit. Alternatively, dedicated configuration bits can be set to clear the contents of a pipeline register for input to the add-subtract-accumulate unit.
US09170768B2
Systems and methods for managing fast to slow links in a bus fabric. A pair of link interface units connect agents with a clock mismatch. Each link interface unit includes an asynchronous FIFO for storing transactions that are sent over the clock domain crossing. When the command for a new transaction is ready to be sent while data for the previous transaction is still being sent, the link interface unit prevents the last data beat of the previous transaction from being sent. Instead, after a delay of one or more clock cycles, the last data beat overlaps with the command of the new transaction.
US09170766B2
A method of displaying virtual information in a view of a real environment comprising the following steps: providing a system for displaying of virtual information in a view of a real environment, determining a current pose of at least one part of the system relative to at least one part of the real environment and providing accuracy information of the current pose, providing multiple pieces of virtual information, and assigning a respective one of the pieces of virtual information to one of different parameters indicative of different pose accuracy information, and displaying at least one of the pieces of virtual information in the view of the real environment according to the accuracy information of the current pose in relation to the assigned parameter of the at least one of the pieces of virtual information.
US09170760B2
A device generating a drawing to be output determines a scale of the drawing based on a size of an output area and generates a drawing to be output based on the determined scale. In this way, a drawing with an appropriate scale can be generated.
US09170745B2
Systems, methods and computer software utilized in the implementation of tamper protection, where unique information associated with data storage tapes and with particular revisions of these tapes is stored on the storage medium itself and on a memory of the tape cartridge, so that the data can be compared to determine whether unauthorized modifications have been made to the tapes. One embodiment is a system which includes an archive node appliance coupled between a set of hosts and a tape media library. The archive node appliance presents files stored on a tape of a media library as a directory. The archive node appliance maintains tamper prevention data on the tape and on an auxiliary memory on the cartridge of the tape, and determines from this data whether the tape has been altered by an authorized system.
US09170742B2
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for reducing write operations in memory. In use, write operations to be performed on data stored in memory are identified. A difference is then determined between results of the write operations and the data stored in the memory. Difference information associated with the difference is stored in the memory. To this end, the write operations may be reduced, utilizing the difference information.
US09170735B2
A method and system are disclosed for implementing touch screen text entry on a screen in a first orientation. A web page is used for presenting a touch screen display, which allows text selection via a virtual keyboard. Selected alphanumeric characters are displayed on the screen in an orientation matching the first orientation of the screen.
US09170734B2
Disclosed is a handwriting recognition system with a plurality of input modes, including a storage unit, a touch screen display unit, and a processing unit. The storage unit stores character fonts; each of the character fonts corresponds to at least one of the input modes. The touch screen display unit includes an input panel having at least two input areas located thereon; each of the areas inputs data in one of the input modes. The processing unit judges an input set of touch signals to recognize a character input by handwriting in one of the input modes, according to a position on which one of the input areas, which position corresponds to at least one of the set of touch signals. The character is represented by the set of touch signals. A handwriting recognition method applicable to an electronic apparatus with a plurality of input modes is also provided.
US09170729B2
The invention relates to a method of controlling a touch-surface control device characterized in that it comprises a step of shape recognition of a control trajectory on a touch surface from among at least two predefined shapes of trajectory, in which in the course of a predetermined duration (dT): the control trajectory is sampled in order to determine a sampled angle (dθ) of the control trajectory for each sampling period (Te), a parameter representative of the evolution of at least two sampled angles (dθ) is compared with a predetermined threshold, and a predefined trajectory shape is assigned to the control trajectory as a function of the result of the comparison. The invention also relates to a control device comprising a tough surface characterized in that it comprises a processing unit for implementing a control method as described above.
US09170724B2
The invention is a control and display system. A system can be controlled either by a user's gestures, a remote control or voice control. The image from a rear facing camera can be displayed either on a vehicle's windshield by using a head up display. Alternatively, an image from a camera can be displayed on a head unit, which is located under the vehicle console between a driver seat and a front passenger seat.
US09170722B2
Provided is a display control device including an operation display unit for detecting operation positions, on a display screen, in accordance with a user operation on the display screen, a state determination unit for determining, based on a detection result of the operation positions, a first operation state where two operation positions are detected, a process determination unit for determining, based on a change in the operation positions in the first operation state, a process related to display that is to be performed, and a display control unit for performing, based on a determination result of a process, a process which has been determined to be performed, and causing the display screen to perform display corresponding to the process. The display control unit continues the display corresponding to the process which has been determined to be performed, according to a duration of determination for the process which has been determined.
US09170721B2
A method and a mobile terminal for scrolling data on a screen. The method includes storing scroll bar information, displaying at least one data file and a scroll bar for scrolling a screen displaying the data file, and selectively changing a characteristic of the scroll bar. Changing the characteristic of the scroll bar includes changing at least one of the scroll bar size, shape, display location, and color.
US09170719B2
A display device (1) includes: a sensor section (11) detecting a hover state; a position detecting section (33) for specifying a position in the hover state; a selection guide creating section (34) for detecting objects within a predetermined range from the position thus specified; a selection guide display processing section (35) for displaying pieces of object information corresponding to the objects thus detected; and an object processing section (36) for carrying out, when any of the pieces of object information is selected, the same process(es) as a process(es) that is/are to be carried out if an object(s) corresponding to the any of the pieces of object information is/are selected.
US09170717B2
Techniques for graphically managing interactive analytic data include presenting a virtual workspace to a user that includes a visual representation of a simulation analysis that includes a plurality of graphical analytic data modules, each graphical analytic data module including a plurality of variables that define a business process; identifying a change to a particular variable of a particular graphical analytic data module, the change defined by a user interface (UI) adjustment of a dimension of the particular graphical analytic data module that represents the particular variable; based on the identified change to the particular variable of the particular graphical analytic data module, adjusting at least one business process output of the simulation analysis; and presenting a revised virtual workspace to the user, the revised virtual workspace including the particular graphical analytic data module and at least one business process output of the simulation analysis.
US09170715B1
The invention relates to a method of assessing real estate properties comprising: (a) obtaining geocodes for the real estate properties based on the addresses or assessor parcel numbers; (b) obtaining at least two images of the real estate properties from an aerial vendor; (c) inputting the list of real estate properties, the addresses or assessor parcel numbers of the real estate properties, the geocodes for the real estate properties, and detailed images of the real estate properties into a database; (d) providing a computer having access to the database via a graphical user interface; (e) displaying the images of the real estate properties; and (f) rating the real estate properties. The described method of assessing real estate properties may further include steps of receiving a list of real estate properties; and obtaining the addresses or assessor parcel numbers for the real estate properties included in the list.
US09170711B2
An audio processing device includes: a display control unit, configured to control display of a plurality of audio gears, which are gears movable within a screen, each audio gear corresponding to predetermined audio data; and a playback control unit configured to control synchronized playback of a plurality of audio data; wherein, in the event that a plurality of the audio gears are directly or indirectly meshed, the display control unit rotates the plurality of audio gears, and the playback control unit performs synchronized playback of the plurality of audio data corresponding to the plurality of audio gears.
US09170706B2
Tools and techniques for a polymorphic query box operating on a computing device are described herein. The polymorphic query box application provides an adaptive query box via a single graphical user interface that detects an input scenario based on the type of input received via the polymorphic query box. In accordance with the detected scenario, the polymorphic query box dynamically changes appearance and function. In some implementations, the techniques include the polymorphic application ordering web search and/or translation based on the input being received. In some implementations, the techniques include providing context sensitive controls for input editing before completing the query.
US09170703B2
An application's users are divided into two groups: administrative users and end-users. Each type of region, produced on an application's screen, is assigned a class. Each actual occurrence, of a region type, is called an instance. An end-user invokes a user-added feature by indicating a screen location and inputting a unique signal. The classes, of the screen-region instances present at the indicated location, determine whether one or more rules are activated. The rules are written by an administrative user. If activated, a rule produces a URL in accordance with an administrative-user-defined template. A value stored in the instances present, at the location indicated when the unique signal occurred, are accessed in a template by including the name of the value as a parameter. Each parameter is substituted by the text-equivalent of its current value. The URL produced can be used to provide the information desired by the end-user.
US09170698B2
A method of controlling the operation of a mobile terminal is provided. By dynamically selecting or setting a specific function of a mobile terminal according to a change in pressure or contact areas sensed by a plurality of touch sensors which cover the mobile terminal, a user can easily select or set a specific function of the mobile terminal according to his or her intention, and easily recognize information displayed on a screen of the mobile terminal.
US09170696B2
According to an aspect, a display device with a touch detecting function includes: a display area in which pixels each composed of a plurality of color areas are arranged in a matrix; a touch detection electrode including a first conductive thin wire extending in a first direction; and a dummy electrode including a plurality of second conductive thin wires; a drive electrode having capacitance for the touch detection electrode. Each of the second conductive thin wires includes a plurality of thin wire pieces extending in a direction different from the first direction and is divided by a slit between the thin wire pieces. A color area in the display area with which the slit overlaps has a different color from a color area in the display area with which a slit closest to the slit in a second direction orthogonal to the first direction overlaps.
US09170694B2
Disclosed is a touch sensor integrated type display device, that includes a plurality of gate lines and data lines which cross each other and form a plurality of pixel areas, a plurality of first electrodes arranged in parallel with one another in a first direction, a plurality of second electrodes which are formed on the same layer as the first electrodes and are arranged in parallel with one another in the first direction and a second direction crossing the first direction, and a plurality of pixel electrodes which are formed on a layer different from the first and second electrodes in the pixel areas and are positioned opposite the first and second electrodes. The first electrodes and the second electrodes arranged in parallel with one another in the first direction are alternately disposed every m electrode lines, where m is a natural number.
US09170693B2
There is provided a capacitive touch system including a gain control unit sequentially receiving a plurality of digital detected signals of a detection frame. The gain control unit includes a gain buffer and a control circuit. The gain buffer is configured to store a current gain sheet. The control circuit calculates a first gain sheet according to a setpoint and the digital detected signals of the detection frame, compares a current roughness of the current gain sheet with a first roughness of the first gain sheet and replaces the current gain sheet in the gain buffer by the first gain sheet when the first roughness is flatter than the current roughness.
US09170687B2
A display device includes: a first display panel; a second display panel opposite to the first display panel; and an electro-optical active layer between the first display panel and the second display panel, wherein the first display panel includes a thin film transistor including a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode and a semiconductor layer, a gate line configured to transmit a gate signal to the gate electrode of the transistor and extending in a first direction, and a sensing electrode extending in the first direction and overlapping the gate line, where the sensing electrode and the gate electrode define a capacitor.
US09170685B2
An apparatus for determining a position of an object on a planar surface is provided. The apparatus includes a conical mirror having an axis that is perpendicular to the planar surface and a time-of-flight sensor array having a spatial relationship to the conical mirror such that a field of view of the time of flight sensor array is reflected radially from the conical mirror in a plurality of directions across the planar surface. The apparatus also includes electrical circuitry configured to receive a ranged image captured by the time-of-flight sensor array through the conical mirror, process the ranged image to determine the position of the object on the planar surface by determining an angle and a radius of the object relative to the axis of the conical mirror, and transmit the position of the object to a display system.
US09170684B2
An optical navigation device may include an image sensor with an imaging surface, a laser, and an optical waveguide layer having an exposed user surface and a total internal reflection (TIR) surface on the underside of the exposed user surface. The waveguide layer, the laser, and the image sensor may be together arranged to direct radiation emitted by the laser onto the imaging surface at least partly by total internal reflection by the TIR surface.
US09170683B2
An optical touch-sensitive device is able to determine the locations of multiple simultaneous touch events. The optical touch-sensitive device includes multiple emitters and detectors coupled with an optical coupler assembly through a waveguide on the surface on the optical-touch sensitive device. The coupler may be side coupled or edge coupled to the waveguide. For both the side coupled or edge coupled cases, the coupler may also be configured to reorient beams to accommodate any orientation of emitters and detectors with respect to the waveguide. The coupler may also be configured to translate beams laterally or vertically to accommodate any position of emitters and detectors. The coupler, and touch-sensitive device more generally, are also configured to prevent ambient light entering the waveguide from hitting the emitters and detectors. Each emitter produces optical beams which are received by the detectors. Touch events disturb the optical beams.
US09170682B2
An image processing method for an optical touch system includes the steps of obtaining an image and generating a light distribution curve pattern from the image, selecting a target signal of the light distribution curve pattern in accordance with light intensity information of the light distribution curve pattern, determining at least one rising slope and at least one falling slope of the target signal, and selecting the target signal as an object signal when the absolute values of the at least one rising slope and at least one falling slope are greater than a threshold.
US09170672B2
A method includes detecting a touch at a location on a touch-sensitive display, receiving an input by a navigation device, and performing a function associated with at least one of the touch and the input in response to elapsing of a time period between detecting the touch and receiving the input.
US09170664B2
An information processing system, including: a portable communication device including a sensor that measures predetermined information and outputs a measurement result, the sensor having output characteristics varying depending on a place of use; and a information processing device for indoor use, which is communicatively connectable to the portable communication device, the information processing device being configured to: acquire the measurement result of the sensor from the communicatively-connected portable communication device; execute calibration of the sensor by using the acquired measurement result; execute an application program that uses the measurement result of the sensor; and performs determination as to whether or not the calibration has been executed for the communicatively-connected portable communication device when the application program is executed.
US09170644B2
A method and system controls a mobile device by tracking the movement of a finger. A finger mode in which the mobile device is controlled by tracking a movement of a finger is activated. The finger is detected and the movement of the detected finger is tracked via a camera. And when the tracked movement of the detected finger corresponds to a preset motion, a function corresponding to the preset motion pattern is performed. A number of application programs can be controlled respectively by tracking the movement of fingers, via one of a number of input means.
US09170635B2
Methods, devices, and systems for a memory management system within an electronic device are disclosed, such as those wherein the memory management system is external to and compatible with architectures of currently existing operating systems. One such memory management system may include a power savings manager configured to be invoked by a memory allocation manager. The power savings manager may also be configured to determine whether physical memory blocks should be active or inactive. Furthermore, the memory management system may include a driver configured to activate or deactivate a memory block in response to a system call from the power savings manager.
US09170632B2
An electronic device (100) includes a network interface controller (102) and an input/output controller (110, 202) having a link layer. A portion of the input/output controller is configured to be powered off during a lower power mode of the electronic device, where the first portion contains the link layer. Wakeup logic (108) separate from the input/output controller receives a wake indication from the network interface controller in response to the physical layer receiving a wake message on the network while the electronic device is in the lower power mode. The wakeup logic activates an indication to awaken the electronic device from the lower power mode in response to the wake indication from the network interface controller.
US09170630B2
The present invention provides a service processing method and a server, which belong to the field of mobile terminals. The method includes: installing, on a server, a service application same as that of a mobile terminal; running the service application on the server, and executing, in place of the mobile terminal, a service corresponding to the service application; determining, by the server according to a result of executing the service, whether the mobile terminal needs to be woken up; and when the service needs to wake up the mobile terminal, instructing the mobile terminal to process the service. The server executes a service in place of a mobile terminal, and when the mobile terminal needs to be woken up, instructs the mobile terminal to process the service, thereby reducing the power consumption of the mobile terminal, and extending the standby time and service life of the mobile terminal.
US09170627B2
A method for managing the power of a chassis includes receiving a plurality of modular information handling systems into the chassis, receiving a plurality of information handling resources into the chassis, virtualizing access of one of the modular information handling resources to two or more of the plurality of modular information handling systems, the modular information handling systems sharing the modular information handling resource, and, upon initialization of one of the information handling systems, determining power requirements of the shared information handling resource, receiving power requirements from the information handling systems, determining whether the power requirements from the information handling system includes power requirements of the shared information handling resource, subtracting the power requirements of the shared information handling resource from the power requirements of the information handling system to determine resultant power requirements, comparing the resultant power requirements with available power, and allowing operation of the information handling system.
US09170623B2
An electronic device is provided, including an input output expander, at least one electronic device and a control module. The input output expander outputs a power source to a peripheral device by at least one output terminal The electronic device is coupled to the input output expander in a daisy chain configuration. The control module adjusts current powers of the electronic device and the peripheral device according to real time powers of the electronic device and the peripheral device, a maximum output power and parameters, thereby preventing power outputted by the input output expander from being larger than the maximum output power.
US09170622B2
A system for supply of power source currents, the system includes: a power source input terminal configured to be supplied with a power source current; a plurality of power source output terminals, coupled to the power source input terminal in parallel, configured to output a power source current; a protecting circuit configured to protect a supply of a excessive power source current to the power source input terminal; a plurality of data signal terminals each corresponding to one of the plurality of power source output terminals; and a connector coupled to at least one pair of one of the plurality of power source output terminals and one of the plurality of data signal terminals.
US09170621B2
A power supply device is provided. The power supply device provides a maintenance voltage at an output terminal to a system chip of a system and includes a first battery, a capacitor, a charging circuit, and a monitoring circuit. The first battery provides a battery voltage. The capacitor stores a capacitor voltage. The charging circuit is coupled to the capacitor. The monitoring circuit detects whether the battery voltage is less than a first threshold and whether the capacitor voltage is larger than a second threshold and generates a control signal according to the determination result. When the monitoring circuit detects that the battery voltage is less than the first threshold and the capacitor voltage is not larger than the second threshold, the monitoring circuit asserts the control signal to control the charging circuit to charge the capacitor.
US09170617B2
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an information processing apparatus including: a first processor; a second processor that has an information processing capability and a power consumption higher than those of the first processor; a temperature monitoring module configured to acquire an operating temperature of the second processor; a throttle number determination module configured to determine whether the throttling control is performed a given number of times or more within a given time interval; and a processor switching control module configured to perform, when the operating temperature of the second processor is equal to or higher than a given temperature: stopping an operation of the second processor; causing the first processor to perform an information process; and prohibiting the operation of the second processor.
US09170603B2
Test and measurement instrumentation collects time information independently in each clock domain using a device that monotonically changes state with the passage of time according to a local clock domain. The device under test therefore has a unique state for each synchronous time period. The instrumentation periodically samples the devices under test, collects the state of each device, and records the state of the devices in conjunction with any data collected in clock domains that are synchronous with the devices. The periodic samples are transformed into numeric values using an isomorphic or linear model. These values are then fitted to an assumed frequency model that relates the state of devices in otherwise unrelated clock domains.
US09170600B2
An audio processing device comprising: a network interface configured to connect the audio processing device to a network; an audio information channelization device connected to the network interface and configured to receive audio via the network interface; an audio reproduction device interface configured to output audio to a playback device; a user interface module interface configured to transmit, via the network interface to a user interface module, status information pertaining to the status of a synchrony group, wherein the audio processing device is a member of the synchrony group with at least one additional audio processing device.
US09170599B2
A method utilizes an optical image processing system. The method includes calculating a product of (i) a measured magnitude of a Fourier transform of a complex transmission function of an object or optical image and (ii) an estimated phase term of the Fourier transform of the complex transmission function. The method further includes calculating an inverse Fourier transform of the product, wherein the inverse Fourier transform is a spatial function. The method further includes calculating an estimated complex transmission function by applying at least one constraint to the inverse Fourier transform.
US09170590B2
An adaptive low dropout (LDO) regulator includes a load-based bias controller that generates a bias control signal based on the output load current, and has a differential amplifier with a bias adjustment that receives the bias control signal and responds by adjusting a bias of a transistor within the adaptive LOD regulator. Optionally, the bias control signal is generated according to a hysteresis rule. Optionally, the adaptive LOD regulator includes an adaptive load-based compensation network having a zero, the zero having a location based, at least in part, one more of an adjustable resistance or capacitance value controlled by the load-based bias controller.
US09170588B2
Disclosed are compensation circuits for a switching power supply. In one embodiment, a compensation circuit can include: (i) a transconductance amplifier configured to receive a reference signal and a feedback signal, and to generate an amplifier output signal according to a difference between the reference signal and the feedback signal; (ii) a switching circuit configured to receive the amplifier output signal, where the switching circuit is controllable by a control signal from a switch control circuit; and (iii) a charging circuit coupled to the switching circuit, where the charging circuit is configured to be charged by the amplifier output signal in response to the control signal, and to generate a compensation signal therefrom.
US09170586B2
Computer device and method for dissipating heat from a discrete graphics processing unit in the same
A computer device and a method for dissipating heat from a discrete graphics processing unit therein are provided. The method thereof includes determining whether the discrete graphics processing is in an operating state. If the discrete graphics processing unit is in an operating state, a determination is made as to whether a current temperature of the discrete graphics processing unit can be obtained. If the current temperature of the discrete graphics processing unit cannot be obtained, the discrete graphics processing unit is cooled so as to lower the current temperature thereof.
US09170583B2
A firefighting monitor system includes a monitor, a controller selectively generating signals to the monitor for controlling the monitor, and a computer. The computer is configured to receive input from a user relative to the monitor or the controller. The computer generates an output based on the input, and the output is transmitted to the controller for controlling the monitor or the controller in accordance with the output.
US09170580B2
A method determines trajectories of redundant actuators of a machine including a first actuator and a second actuator. The method determines a first trajectory of the first actuator tracking a reference trajectory with an error tolerance, wherein the error tolerance is a function of a constraint of the second actuator, and determines a second trajectory of the second actuator based on a difference between the reference trajectory and the first trajectory.
US09170577B2
It is intended to reduce the amount of computation to be performed by CPU or the required amount of storage space in a built-in memory for timing adjustment of a pulse output signal. A digital multiplying circuit in the phase arithmetic circuit of the pulse generating circuit generates a multiplication output signal by multiplying a phase angle change value in the phase adjustment data register and a count maximum value Nmax in the cycle data register. A digital dividing circuit generates a division output signal by dividing the multiplication output signal by 360 degrees of phase angle for one cycle. A digital adding circuit adds the division output signal and rise setting/fall setting count values and a subtracting circuit subtracts the division output signal from these values. The addition and subtraction generate new rise setting/fall setting count values required to delay/advance the phase by the phase angle change value.
US09170574B2
Described herein are systems and methods for configuring a BMS. In general terms, the present technology is focused on approaches for arranging and modeling building information data, particularly in terms of equipment categories and relationships between pieces of equipment, for example in the context of an HVAC system. This is advantageous in the sense that the likes of visualization, application creation, and reporting are able to be significantly streamlined. Various embodiments make use of an “equipment model”, being a model which defines items for each piece of equipment in a building system based on predefined standards, thus allowing for predictable descriptions (for example in terms of data points and relationships). Some embodiments combine this with a facility model, which describes a building in spatial terms.
US09170572B2
A method of dynamic model selection for hybrid linear/non-linear process control includes developing a plurality of process models including at least one linear process model and at least one non-linear process model from inputs including dynamic process data from a processing system that runs a physical process. At least two of the plurality of process models are selected based on a performance comparison based on at least one metric, wherein the selected process models number less than a number of the plurality of process models received. A multi-model controller is generated that includes the selected process models. The physical process is simulated using the multi-model controller by applying the selected process models to obtain closed loop performance test data for each of the selected models. The performance test data is compared. A selected process model is then selected.
US09170571B2
A position controller sets a variable friction compensation value which varies in accordance with a change in sliding characteristics by providing a variable friction compensation value calculation unit that includes a sliding torque normalization calculation unit that normalizes a sliding torque at a predefined speed; a compensation value amplifying ratio calculation unit that calculates a compensation value amplifying ratio based on the sliding torque at the normalized speed; and multipliers.
US09170565B2
A structure includes a wristwatch case; an inner frame arranged inside the wristwatch case and having an upper surface provided with a positioning fitting recess; a timepiece module arranged as being positioned inside the inner frame; and a parting plate which is provided with a positioning pin that is provided on a lower surface of the parting plate facing the upper surface of the inner frame, and that is fitted into the positioning fitting recess of the inner frame, thereby positioning the parting plate with respect to respect to the inner frame. As a result, in a state where the timepiece module is arranged and positioned inside the inner frame arranged in the wristwatch case, the positioning pin of the parting plate can be fitted into the positioning fitting recess of the inner frame. Accordingly, the parting plate can be accurately positioned with respect to the inner frame.
US09170561B2
A cooling device, which is included in an image forming apparatus, includes multiple air blowers to cool a cooling target provided to the image forming apparatus and a duct to connect with the multiple air blowers and to flow airflow generated by the multiple air blowers therethrough and to have an opening formed thereon and disposed at a position shifted to a part of the multiple air blowers. Respective outputs of the multiple air blowers are different from each other according to respective positions of the multiple air blowers with respect to the opening.
US09170559B2
A replaceable unit for an electrophotographic image forming device according to one embodiment includes a housing having an internal toner reservoir. A circuit board is mounted within a pocket on an exterior of the housing. An outer ramp is positioned outside the pocket and ahead of the pocket with respect to a direction of insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device. The outer ramp is angled to direct the electrical connector of the image forming device toward a plane of the circuit board during insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device. An inner ramp inside the pocket is angled to direct the electrical connector of the image forming device toward the plane of the circuit board during insertion of the replaceable unit into the image forming device.
US09170548B2
A sheet discharge device includes a sheet discharge path, a discharge portion for discharging the sheet, and a pressing member. The pressing member is shiftable between a hanging posture, in which the pressing member hangs from an axis of pivotal movement thereof above the discharge path in such a manner as to block the discharge path, and a retracted posture, in which the pressing member is pivotally moved about the axis of pivotal movement in the sheet discharge direction for opening the discharge path. The pressing member has a side portion protruding into the discharge path in the hanging posture thereof, and a bottom portion continuing to a lower end of the side portion and extending toward downstream in the sheet discharge direction. The bottom portion includes an inclined surface inclined upwardly toward a middle part of the sheet in the sheet width direction in the hanging posture.
US09170546B2
Image forming apparatus includes a movable image bearing member, a first image forming unit, a second image forming unit, a detection member, an execution unit and an adjustment unit. A toner image for adjustment formed on an upstream photoreceptor is made to pass a photoreceptor while facing an area exposed by a downstream image forming unit and is detected by a detection unit.
US09170543B2
An inspection apparatus inspects a printed product by positioning a reading target image of the printed product relative to a reference image and collating the reading target image with the reference image includes a positioning unit configured to perform positioning processing for the reference image and the reading target image with a first precision, and a detection unit configured to detect an image defect candidate area by collating the reading target image with the reference image, which have been positioned by the positioning unit. The positioning unit newly performs the positioning processing for the reference image and the reading target image in the image defect candidate area with a second precision that is higher than the first precision. The detection unit detects an image defect by collating the reading target image with the reference image in an area having been newly subjected to the positioning processing using the second precision.
US09170540B2
An image forming apparatus and a method of controlling the image forming apparatus are provided. An image forming apparatus may determine the operation start time point of a photoconductor based on ready times of the photoconductor and devices used in image forming processes so as to minimize idling of the photoconductor.
US09170536B2
A fixing device is configured to move the pressure release member in predetermined movement directions relative to the support member such that the biasing member can function. The support member has a first retaining part. The pressure release member has a retention element to be held in the first retaining part of the support member. When the retention element is held in the first retaining part of the support member, the pressure release member is configured to apply a biasing force of the biasing member to the support member and thereby to cause the second fixing member to be pressed against the first fixing member. When the retention element is released from the first retaining part of the support member, the pressure release member is configured to stay at a release position in the movement directions at which position the biasing member ceases to apply the biasing force to the support member, and thereby to release the pressure contact state where the second fixing member is pressed against the first fixing member.
US09170533B2
A belt driving device includes an endless belt; support members that extend in a width direction of the endless belt and support the endless belt, the support members including a control member that controls the widthwise position of the endless belt; a support body that supports the support members; and a driving mechanism that drives one end of the control member to cause the control member to pivot about a pivot axis in a direction in which stretching of the endless belt is prevented. A portion of the control member shifted from the midpoint toward an edge of the endless belt is pivotably supported by the support member to serve as the pivot axis, so that the moving distances of two points on the control member aligned with the edges of the endless belt when the control member is driven by the driving mechanism are close to each other.
US09170530B2
A powder container includes a cylindrical container body to contain a powder, having an opening in one end thereof, to convey the powder contained in the container body to the opening with rotation of the container body, and having a container-body projection provided on an outer circumferential surface of the container body; and a cylindrical holder, into which the end of the container body having the opening is inserted, to hold the container body rotatably, having a powder outlet through which the powder is discharged from the holder and a holder projection provided on an inner circumferential surface thereof. The container-body projection repetitively contacts and separates from the holder projection with rotation of the container body to vibrate the container body and the holder.
US09170524B2
The image forming apparatus includes a determination unit configured to determine whether or not a polygon mirror has converged to the number of rotations that allows image formation to be performed, and the determination unit is capable of detecting a first timing and a second timing and determines that the polygon mirror has converged to a number of rotations that allows the image formation to be performed based on an earlier one of the first timing and the second timing.
US09170523B2
An optical scanning apparatus for optically scanning at least one scanning target surface, the optical scanning apparatus including: a light source; a light-flux dividing unit disposed on a main optical path of a main light flux emitted from the light source, and the light-flux dividing unit configured to spatially divide the main light flux; an optical deflector disposed on a divided optical path of the divided light flux, and the optical deflector configured to deflect the divided optical path; an optical path opening/closing switch unit disposed on the divided optical path between the light-flux dividing unit and the optical deflector, and the optical path opening/closing switch unit configured to interrupt or pass at least one of the divided optical path; and a controller configured to control operation of interrupting or passing the at least one of the divided optical path by the optical path opening/closing switch unit.
US09170515B2
This invention is related to a liquid developer dispersion for use in a digital printing apparatus comprising a non volatile carrier liquid, a marking particle and a dispersing compounds, wherein the marking particle in the liquid developer dispersion is stabilized during storage and wherein at fusing two phases are formed. The invention is also related to the use of the developer in a digital printing apparatus and to a method for preparing the liquid developer dispersion.
US09170513B2
The present invention provides a yellow toner having high compatibility of a colorant with a binder resin, having good chroma, and being useful for broadening the green color gamut. The yellow toner contains the binder resin and the colorant, wherein the colorant contains a compound represented by the general formula (1).
US09170507B2
Provided is a method of producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member including a support and a surface layer formed on the support, the method including the steps of forming a coat of a surface-layer coating solution, and drying the coat to form the surface layer, in which the surface-layer coating solution includes resin α, resin β, solvent γ, and compound δ.
US09170505B2
The invention is directed to an arrangement for generating EUV radiation particularly for source modules in exposure installations for EUV lithography for semiconductor chip fabrication. The object of the invention, to find a novel possibility for realizing an EUV source module which appreciably improves the ratio of resources to results in the transfer of radiation from the primary source location (plasma 3) to the secondary source location (output opening (6) of the source module (1)/intermediate focus plane (62)), is met according to the invention in that the plasma (3) is formed as a volume emitter for direct illumination of the output opening (6) without collector optics (5), and the transverse dimension (d) of the plasma (3) is greater than the diameter (D) of the output opening (6), wherein the extent to which the diameter is exceeded depends on the distance (L) between the plasma (3) and the output opening (6) and on the numerical aperture (NA) of the illumination system downstream.
US09170503B2
A method and apparatus for inspection and review of defects is disclosed wherein data gathering is improved. In one embodiment, multiple or segmented detectors are used in a particle beam system.
US09170497B2
A projection exposure apparatus for microlithography includes a projection lens which includes a plurality of optical elements for imaging mask structures onto a substrate during an exposure process. The projection exposure apparatus also includes at least one manipulator configured to change, as part of a manipulator actuation, the optical effects of at least one of the optical elements within the projection lens by changing a state variable of the optical element along a predetermined travel. The projection exposure apparatus further includes an algorithm generator configured to generate a travel generating optimization algorithm, adapted to at least one predetermined imaging parameter, on the basis of the at least one predetermined imaging parameter.
US09170493B2
A resist underlayer film-forming composition includes a polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) of 0 to 180° C. The resist underlayer film-forming composition is used for a multilayer resist process. The multilayer resist process includes forming a silicon-based oxide film on a surface of a resist underlayer film, and subjecting the silicon-based oxide film to wet etching.
US09170485B2
Methods and systems are provided for fabricating polymer-based imprint lithography templates having thin metallic or oxide coated patterning surfaces. Such templates show enhanced fluid spreading and filling (even in absence of purging gases), good release properties, and longevity of use. Methods and systems for fabricating oxide coated versions, in particular, can be performed under atmospheric pressure conditions, allowing for lower cost processing and enhanced throughput.
US09170482B2
Near-neighbor trimming of dummy fill shapes with built-in optical proximity corrections (OPCs) for semiconductor applications is provided. A method for the near-neighbor trimming includes adding one or more hole shapes onto a semiconductor design layout comprising a plurality of design shapes. The method further includes trimming adjacent ones of the plurality of which are covered by the one or more hole shapes.
US09170456B2
The present invention provides a direct backlight module and a liquid crystal display module using the backlight module. The backlight module includes a backplane, a diffusion platen arranged inside the backplane, and backlight sources mounted to the backplane and located under the diffusion plate. The backplane includes a bottom board and side boards connected to the bottom board. The bottom board forms receiving openings. The backlight sources are mounted to a side of the bottom board that is distant from the diffusion plate to correspond to the receiving openings. With the backplane having a bottom board that includes a circumferential frame and braces collectively defining receiving openings and backlight sources being mounted to a side of the bottom board that is distant from a diffusion plate to correspond to the receiving openings, it only need to remove the backlight sources in maintaining or replacing the backlight sources.
US09170451B2
An image display apparatus including an image display panel that includes: a first color filter for passing light of a first primary and first auxiliary pixels for displaying the first primary; a second color filter for passing light of a second primary and second auxiliary pixels for displaying the second primary; a third color filter for passing light of a third primary and third auxiliary pixels for displaying the third primary; and fourth auxiliary pixels for displaying a fourth color; the first auxiliary pixels, the second auxiliary pixels, the third auxiliary pixels, and the fourth auxiliary pixels being arranged in a two-dimensional matrix, and a light shielding region disposed at least partly around the peripheral edge of each of the fourth auxiliary pixels.
US09170449B2
Touch-related information which cannot be acquired by the naked eye (dubbed here as sub-optical pattern information) has its corresponding sub-optical patterns respectively positioned within the aperture areas of respective domains such that the displayed image, as viewed from different viewing angles is not adversely affected by the embedded sub-optical patterns. One type of touch-related information which can be conveyed is that of touch location of a sub-optical pattern sensing pen positioned over one or more of the sub-optical patterns.
US09170439B2
A method for controlling an electro-optic modulator device includes measuring a performance metric of the device to define a first measured performance value, and changing a state of a first tuning portion of the device to connect the first tuning portion to ground.
US09170429B2
An optical apparatus includes an imaging optical system, an image capturing unit, a focal length detection unit, an object distance detection unit, a walking shooting determination unit, a sensitivity generation unit configured to generate sensitivity of the correction optical system, a correction amount calculation unit configured to calculate a correction amount of the correction optical system based on the shake amount and the sensitivity, and a control unit configured to drive the correction optical system based on the correction amount. The sensitivity generation unit generates the sensitivity by limiting the object distance or the focal length, or a range of the sensitivity when it is determined that the user of an image capturing apparatus is walking.
US09170419B2
The present invention provides a reversible piezochromic system that changes appearance upon application of a mechanical force. The reversible piezochromic system includes a cavity defined by a first substrate and a second substrate. The cavity includes at least a first fluid. The first fluid spreads when a mechanical force is applied to the system. The relaxation time of the first fluid depends upon the internal forces of the system. These internal forces at least include the surface energy differences between the substrates and the fluid or fluids, and the rheological properties of the fluid or fluids.
US09170418B2
A variable wavelength interference filter includes a first substrate having a fixed mirror, a second substrate bonded to the first substrate and having a movable portion and a movable mirror fixed to the movable portion, a third substrate bonded to the second substrate on the side opposite to the first substrate, and an electrostatic actuator which displaces the movable portion in a substrate thickness direction, wherein a penetration hole connecting a light exiting-side space between the first substrate and the second substrate and a light incident-side space between the second substrate and the third substrate to a space outside the filter is formed, and the penetration hole is sealed with a sealant which tightly closes each space in a reduced-pressure state.
US09170414B2
A wide-field optical microscope and method capable of resolving images down to 0.1 {acute over (Å)} with a magnification range in excess of 250 million power includes an objective having a primary and a secondary element. A sample is held so that the area of interest is at a location that is closer to the primary element than the focal length of the primary element. The primary element collects and collimates light reflected from the sample. The secondary element then focuses the collimated light onto a pinhole aperture, which blocks all light rays that were not parallel, thus producing a non-focused reflected pattern. The non-focused reflected pattern passes through a field stop and is then magnified by one or more negative optical elements and additional field stops to produce an enlarged pattern.
US09170411B2
A scanning optical microscope includes a light source; a first beam splitter that splits light into irradiation light and reference light; a first objective lens that converges the irradiation light on a sample and receives signal light; a second beam splitter that splits the signal light off from an optical path; a pin hole positioned on an optical path of the split signal light at a position optically conjugate with an image-forming point of the first objective lens; a condenser lens that converges the split signal light on the pin hole; a phase plate that outputs first light including at least four firstly-split beams having different phases; a third beam splitter that multiplexes the first light and second light to generate interfering light including at least four secondly-split beams having different phases; and a light detecting element that receives the interfering light and outputs at least four electric signals.
US09170410B2
A laser microscope (10) having a laser light source (22) which generates laser light pulses (23) for the purpose of examining a sample (16). An optical element (25) is arranged in the beam path of the laser light pulses (23). The optical element (25) disperses the wavelength spectrum of the laser light pulses (23). Fractions (46, 48, 60, 62) of the broad-band laser light pulses (32) having different wavelengths travel different path lengths upon passing through a compensation device (30), such that the different fractions (46, 48, 60, 62) arrive at the sample (16) at the same time.
US09170399B2
An imaging lens substantially consists of a first-lens-group, a stop and a second-lens-group in this order from object-side. The first-lens-group has a 1-1st-lens having negative-refractive-power and a meniscus-shape with its convex-surface facing object-side and a 1-2nd-lens having positive-refractive-power, and an object-side-lens-surface of which has a convex-shape facing object-side. The second-lens-group has a 2-1st-lens having positive-refractive-power and a meniscus-shape with its convex-surface facing image-side, a 2-2nd-lens having negative-refractive-power, and an object-side-lens-surface of which has a concave-shape facing object-side, and the absolute-value of a curvature-radius of the object-side-lens-surface is less than the absolute-value of a curvature-radius of an image-side-lens-surface thereof, and a 2-3rd-lens having positive-refractive-power, and an object-side-lens-surface of which has a convex-shape facing object-side, in this order from object-side.
US09170398B2
An imaging lens system and an imaging system that includes the imaging lens system are provided. The imaging lens system includes an aperture stop, a first lens group with positive refractive power, and a second lens group with positive refractive power, arranged in that order from an object side to an image side. The first lens group includes a positive lens L11, and a negative meniscus lens L12 that has a convex surface on the object side. The second lens group includes a negative lens L21 that has a concave surface on the object side, a positive lens L22 and a positive lens L23 each of which has a convex surface on the image side, a negative meniscus lens L24 that has a convex surface on the object side, and a positive lens L25 that has a convex surface on the object side.
US09170396B2
An appropriate operation angle (actuation angle) corresponding to a use is obtained by a relatively simple structure.A focus ring 20 is mounted around a focus cam 10. When the focus ring 20 is moved to a front end side, a gear formed in the focus ring 20 meshes with a gear 17 of the focus cam 10 and the rotation of the focus ring 20 is directly transmitted to the focus cam 10. When the focus ring 20 is moved to a rear end side, the gear formed in the focus ring 20 meshes with pinions 15 mounted on the focus cam 10 and the rotation of the focus ring 20 is directly transmitted to the focus cam 10 through the pinions 15. A half of the rotation angle of the focus ring 20 is the same as the rotation angle of the focus cam 10.
US09170395B2
The lens apparatus allows adjustment of lens tilt due to component variation caused by tolerance. The lens barrel includes a straight guiding barrel having a straight groove portion, a cam barrel having a cam groove portion, a straight movable barrel disposed outside the straight guiding and cam barrels, holding a lens and being movable in an optical axis direction by a relative movement of the straight guiding and cam barrels. A cam follower includes first and second cylindrical portions that respectively engage with the straight groove and cam groove portions. The first and second cylindrical portions have central axes decentered from each other. The cam follower includes an operation portion allowing rotational operation of the first and second cylindrical portions from outside of the straight movable barrel. A connecting member connects the cam follower and the straight movable barrel with each other.
US09170391B2
A fiber optic telecommunications device includes a frame and a fiber optic module. The fiber optic module includes a main housing portion defining fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the frame and a cable management portion for guiding cables between the main housing portion and the frame. The main housing portion of the fiber optic module is slidably mounted to the frame, the main housing portion slidable between a retracted position and an extended position in a sliding direction. The cable management portion of the fiber optic module includes a radius limiter slidably coupled to both the main housing portion and the frame, wherein movement of the main housing portion with respect to the frame slidably moves the radius limiter with respect to the main housing portion along the sliding direction.
US09170387B2
In one embodiment, an optical component assembly includes an active component substrate, an active component positioned on the active component substrate, a collar and a fiber securing device. The collar is coupled to the active component substrate, and the fiber securing device is configured to mate with the collar such that a signal surface of the fiber securing device is located at a predetermined distance from the surface of the active component substrate, and a signal aperture of the fiber securing device is substantially located at a predetermined optical coupling location with respect to the active optical component. In another embodiment, an optical transceiver assembly includes an optically transmissive fiber securing device coupled to and aligned with a surface of the active component substrate using first and second alignment apertures that are aligned with first and second alignment locations of the active component substrate, respectively.
US09170386B2
An AOC assembly comprising two printed circuit boards (PCB) (63), a board holder (61) and two heat conducting covers (64) with integrated head spreader. Each of the two PC boards has a lower edge (632) extending in a longitudinal direction with circuit pads on opposite sides of PCB thereof. The board holder has two opposite vertical datum faces with two of said PC boards respectively positioned thereon. The two heat conducting covers oppositely fixed to the holder in a transverse direction perpendicular to the PC boards. When assembled, the integrated heat spreader of heat conducting shell would dissipate heat from the active electronic components on the PCB.
US09170384B2
An optical coupling lens includes a main body and two plugs. The main body includes a front surface, a back surface opposite to the front surface, a first optical surface, a second optical surface perpendicular to the first optical surface, a reflecting surface obliquely facing the two optical surfaces, first converging lenses formed on the first optical surface, and second converging lenses formed on the second optical surface. The plugs extend from the front surface and sandwich the first converging portions. Each plug includes a cylindrical body portion having a flat end surface, a bowl-shaped protruding portion extending from the end surface and having a top surface away from the end surface, and a buffering portion formed in the top surface. The diameter of the protruding portion decreases from the end surface to the top surface.
US09170380B2
A ferrule for a multilayer waveguide connector includes a face having mechanical alignment slots arranged in a bidirectional lattice structure, the mechanical alignment slots including first slots disposed in a first direction, the first slots configured to respectively receive one end of waveguide layers, and second slots disposed in a second direction different from the first direction, the second slots configured to respectively receive protrusions transverse from a main surface of the waveguide layers.
US09170365B2
An illumination apparatus includes: a light guiding plate; a plurality of light-emitting elements disposed along a side-end surface of the light guiding plate that serves as a light-entry portion, each of the plurality of light-emitting elements having a light-emitting surface facing toward the side-end surface; a light source substrate that extends along the light-entry portion and has the plurality of light-emitting elements disposed thereon on one surface side that faces the light-entry portion; and a connector member, held on another surface side of the light source substrate that opposes the one surface side, for supplying power to the plurality of light-emitting elements.
US09170357B2
An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.
US09170349B2
The present invention relates to ionic silicone hydrogel polymers displaying improved lysozyme uptake, low contact angle and reduced water soluble polymeric ammonium salt uptake.
US09170344B2
A system and method for deployment of a plurality of seismic recorder assemblies from a survey vessel on the ocean bottom is disclosed. The seismic recorder assemblies are self contained, autonomous nodal devices which are capable of receiving and recording reflected seismic energy and storing the data locally while operating for an extended period of time. The assemblies each have two or more attachment points for the connection of separate connecting cable segments.
US09170343B2
The invention is an electric seismic vibrator source of the type used in seismic prospecting for hydrocarbons that creates a quasi-impulsive burst of seismic energy onto the ground and into the earth. The source uses an engine and generator combination to create electric power for all systems on the source such as driving a frame of linear electric motors that direct a rod or piston to contact the ground. All of the linear electric motors are driven against the ground in a high power pulse that delivers a band-limited spectrum of seismic energy over a very brief period of time that would like a “pop” and be measured in milliseconds. A quasi-impulsive seismic pulse would create a wave field that resembles the seismic data acquired using dynamite or other explosive seismic systems without the ultrahigh frequencies of a true explosive pulse. The quick burst or several quick bursts may further speed up the survey by minimizing the time that a vibe spends on a source point.
US09170342B2
The invention is an electric sweep type seismic vibrator source of the type used in seismic prospecting for hydrocarbons. The source uses an engine and generator combination to create electric power for all systems on the source such as driving a frame of linear electric motors that direct a rod or piston to contact the ground in a recurring fashion along with driving the source from location to location through a survey area. The seismic source further includes an active isolation system that provides for significant weight on the ground through the rods of the linear electric motors, but protects the vehicle body and the remainder of the systems on the seismic source to be insulated from the harshest vibration related to the acoustic energy being applied to the ground. The active isolation system may include reactive elements such as pneumatic and hydraulic shock absorbers, but also includes active elements such as linear motors operated to counteract the impulsive forces from conveying through the frame of the seismic source.
US09170334B2
A method of localizing transportable apparatus (100) within an environment including receiving (402) data obtained from a ranging sensor device (102) of the transportable apparatus configured to collect information relating to at least a surface (120) over which the transportable apparatus is moving in an environment, and using (404) the ranging sensor device data to generate a new 3D point cloud (110) of the environment. The method further obtains (406) data representing an existing 3D point cloud (114) of at least part of the environment, and seeks to match (408) the new 3D point cloud with, or within, the existing 3D point cloud in order to localize the transportable apparatus with respect to the existing point cloud.
US09170332B2
A moving object risk calculation unit calculates the total value at all points of intersection of a mesh M for the risk due to moving objects at each point of intersection on the basis of the risk due to objects at each point of intersection in the plurality of meshes set in the vicinity of a host vehicle. In this manner, it is possible to acquire the risk due to moving objects, such as another vehicle that is traveling or is stationary or a pedestrian who is walking or is stationary. In addition, a moving object risk calculation unit calculates the total value of the risk due to moving objects at all points of intersection of the mesh by subtracting the total value of the risk due to immovable objects, which is fixed at each point of intersection, at all points of intersection of the mesh from the total value of the risk due to objects. Therefore, since it is not necessary to distinguish between movable objects and immovable objects at each point of intersection of the mesh, the moving object risk calculation unit can calculate the total value of the risk due to moving objects with less computational load.
US09170329B2
A roadside object present at the side of a subject vehicle travel path and a preceding vehicle at a speed equal to or greater than a predetermined speed are detected based on points derived by transmitting an electromagnetic beam forward of the subject vehicle and projecting reflection points obtained onto a two-dimensional plane, a determination is made when the preceding vehicle passes near the roadside object as to whether it moved toward the travel path within a predetermined time before and after the passage, and the roadside object is not determined to be the obstacle when it is determined to have moved toward the travel path, thereby preventing the roadside object from being misidentified as the obstacle owing to erroneous recognition of it having intruded into the travel path of the subject vehicle when detecting the object using an electromagnetic beam.
US09170326B2
A method and system (10) are provided for monitoring a restricted area (12) below a temporarily elevated worker (14) working on an elevated power transmission line (16). The method and system (10) utilize a Doppler radar module (40) that is temporarily elevated to a location (32) adjacent the worker (14) and that is configured to detect the presence of personnel (34) who enter the restricted area (12). The system (10) is configured to automatically alert personnel (34) at the worksite (17) who enter the restricted area (12) in response to detection of the personnel (34) by the Doppler radar module (40).
US09170322B1
An embodiment of a method for detecting noise for a capacitance sensing panel may comprise generating an input signal based on a noise signal, performing a series of measurements for measuring capacitances from a capacitive sensor sensitive to the noise signal, and controlling timing for at least one of the subconversions based on the input signal.
US09170317B1
Processes for determining imperfection offsets between an antenna and the platform to which the antenna is coupled, where the imperfection offsets are unknown offsets due to imperfections such as manufacturing imperfections. The platform can include an orientation mechanism that provides the orientation of the platform, and the imperfection offsets can be between the antenna and the orientation mechanism. The processes can include determining two different relative pointing vectors that correspond to a detected peak strength of a test signal transmitted between one or more targets and the antenna. The processes can further include utilizing an optimization process to determine the heading, pitch, and roll of the imperfection offsets from the two different relative pointing vectors.
US09170316B2
Systems and methods for improving bearing availability and accuracy in a traffic collision-avoidance system (TCAS). In an exemplary method, if only a single phase-difference value is received for one of two two-element antennas, a processor determines an expected maximum antenna element phase-difference value for the elements of the two-element antenna that did not receive a phase-difference value for a target signal source; estimates a phase-difference value for the two-element antenna that did not include a phase-difference value, based on the expected maximum antenna element phase-difference value and a previously determined predicted bearing value; and calculates bearing based on the estimated phase-difference value and a phase-difference value received from the other two-element antenna. The determination is based on previously received signals associated with the target signal source and based on elevation information of the target signal source and a predefined maximum antenna element phase-difference value for the respective antenna element pair. An output device outputs information associated with the calculated bearing.
US09170315B2
Disclosed are a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) apparatus and method. The MRI apparatus includes a data acquirer, which performs under-sampling of MR signals, respectively received from a plurality of channel coils included in a radio frequency (RF) multi-coil, at non-uniform intervals to acquire a plurality of pieces of line data, and an image processor that restores a plurality of pieces of K-space data respectively corresponding to the plurality of channel coils by using a relationship between the acquired plurality of pieces of line data, thereby restoring an MR image with reduced aliasing artifacts.
US09170286B2
A real-time spectrum analyzer for measuring time domain data sampled from an input signal includes a processing unit and a density histogram memory unit. The processing unit includes an FFT engine, a frequency mask detector and a frequency mask gate. The FFT engine performs FFTs on the sampled time domain data to provide FFT spectra, each FFT spectrum including multiple FFT points. The frequency mask detector determines whether each FFT point in each spectrum meets a trigger condition, and generates gate control signals corresponding to the FFT spectra based on the determinations. The frequency mask gate receives the FFT spectra and the gate control signals, and outputs only select FFT spectra that contain at least one FFT point that meets the trigger condition in response to the corresponding gate control signal. The density histogram memory unit stores the select FFT spectra for generating in a density histogram.
US09170282B2
An integrated circuit has voltage generating circuitry for generating an on-chip voltage from a supply voltage in response to clock pulses. Clock control circuitry controls transmission of the clock pulses to the voltage generating circuitry. The clock control circuitry receives a reference voltage and a digital offset value comprising a binary numeric value identifying an offset. The clock control circuitry suppresses transmission of the clock pulses if the on-chip voltage is greater than the sum of the reference voltage and the offset identified by the digital offset value, to reduce power consumption. The offset can be tuned digitally to vary the average level of the on-chip voltage. A similar digital tuning mechanism may be used in a clocked comparator to compare a first voltage with a digitally tunable threshold voltage.
US09170278B2
A system may include first and second qubits that cross one another and a first coupler having a perimeter that encompasses at least a part of the portions of the first and second qubits, the first coupler being operable to ferromagnetically or anti-ferromagnetically couple the first and the second qubits together. A multi-layered computer chip may include a first plurality N of qubits laid out in a first metal layer, a second plurality M of qubits laid out at least partially in a second metal layer that cross each of the qubits of the first plurality of qubits, and a first plurality N times M of coupling devices that at least partially encompasses an area where a respective pair of the qubits from the first and the second plurality of qubits cross each other.
US09170273B2
A method of generating a capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristic for a discrete device formed within a semiconductor structure may include exposing first and second contact regions associated with the discrete device, coupling a high-frequency impedance probe having a frequency range of about 5 Mhz to about 110 Mhz to an impedance analyzer, and coupling the high-frequency impedance probe to a first and a second atomic force probe tip. Using an atomic force microscope, the first atomic force probe tip is coupled to the exposed first contact region and the second atomic force probe tip is coupled to the exposed second contact region. The C-V characteristic for the discrete device is then measured on the impedance analyzer, whereby the impedance analyzer applies an operating frequency corresponding to the frequency range of about 5 Mhz to about 110 Mhz to the first and second contact regions of the discrete device using the high-frequency impedance probe.
US09170270B2
Disclosed herein is an inertial sensor, including: a membrane; a mass body disposed under the membrane; a sensing unit formed on the membrane and including a piezoelectric body; and a spring constant control unit formed to be spaced apart from the sensing unit and including a piezoelectric body. According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the DC acceleration (in particular, gravity acceleration) can be measured by using the change in the spring constant without changing the structure of the inertial sensor including the piezoelectric material of the prior art.
US09170265B2
A method for amperometric detection of proteins, especially haemoglobin in faeces, using an electrochemical sensor. The electrochemical sensor includes: a working electrode having an electrically conductive matrix holding a first reagent and/or a second reagent, the second reagent being an oxidizing agent, or a precursor thereof, for the first reagent; a counter electrode and optionally a reference electrode; wherein a reaction between the first reagent and the oxidizing agent is catalyzed by the protein to provide a detectable signal at the working electrode. The electrically conductive matrix is an electrically conductive carbon- or graphite-containing matrix or an electrically conductive porous matrix.
US09170263B2
The present invention relates to a method for the quantitative detection of a target protein in a sample, in which the second-generation fragment ions are detected for providing a series of quantitative measurements, at least one of which is correlated to the amount of proteotypic peptide generated and to the amount of target protein in the sample, characterized in that the selected first-generation fragment ion having a mass (m/z)2 is a doubly-charged peptide having a proline and/or a histidine in position 1.
US09170253B2
A method of analyzing cells disposed in media within a vessel includes the steps of providing a vessel having an original volume of media about the cells, reducing the original volume of media about at least a portion of the cells to define a reduced volume of media, and analyzing a constituent related to the cells within the reduced volume of media. An apparatus for analyzing cells includes a stage adapted to receive a vessel holding cells and a volume of media, a plunger adapted to receive a barrier to create a reduced volume of media within the vessel including at least a portion of the cells, the barrier adapted for insertion into the vessel by relative movement of the stage and the plunger, and a sensor in sensing communication with the reduced volume of media, wherein the sensor is configured to analyze a constituent disposed within the reduced volume.
US09170252B2
The invention provides an assay and corresponding kit for assessing the delivery efficiency of a molecule into a eukaryotic cell (basic assay). The present invention also provides an assay and corresponding kit for assessing the inhibitory effect of a test molecule in relation to the before-mentioned basic assay.
US09170251B2
An instrument configured to determine the concentration of at least one analyte in a fluid is disclosed. The instrument comprises a display, a user-interface mechanism, and a body portion. The body portion houses a test-sensor cartridge and includes an opening configured to receive a test sensor from the test-sensor cartridge. The body portion further includes an indexer and an excise mechanism positioned within the body portion. The indexer includes an indexer face, a retention pin, a flexible pawl, and a user-accessible tab. The indexer is configured to rotate about the retention pin, which extends through a first aperture in the indexer face. The excise mechanism includes a push rod configured to extend through a second aperture in the indexer face and a bar coupled with and generally parallel to the push rod.
US09170240B2
An ultrasonic particle measuring system having an ultrasonic transducer with at least one ultrasonic transducer element and at least one coupling element, wherein, during operation, acoustic signals are transmittable and receivable by the ultrasonic transducer element via the coupling element, wherein the coupling element is embodied as an acoustic lens, and the ultrasonic, particle measuring system has an evaluation unit suitable for amplitude analysis of reflection signals of acoustic signals reflected from particles to the ultrasonic transducer, and wherein, with the evaluation unit, amplitudes of reflection signals in a predetermined time interval are countable, which are greater than a predetermined threshold value.
US09170238B2
Methods and apparatus for acoustic fluid valve calibration are disclosed herein. An example method involves rotating a closure member of a valve to a involves rotating a closure member of a valve to a plurality of positions along a valve stroke, obtaining acoustic emission signals generated by a fluid passing through the valve using a sensor when the closure member is in the positions, and identifying, using a processor, a zero position of the closure member based on the acoustic emission signals.
US09170236B2
A scanning acoustic microscope comprises a structure including a loading portion and a scanning portion, a transducer disposed in the scanning portion and operable to develop ultrasonic energy, and a controller. A driver is responsive to the controller and is capable of moving the transducer along a scan path with respect to a first plurality of parts disposed in the scanning portion as a second plurality of parts are being loaded into the loading portion.
US09170233B2
A magnetic permeability detector includes an LC oscillator circuit including a coil and a capacitor; and a resistor connected in series with the coil.
US09170228B2
A solid-state field-effect transistor sensor for detecting chemical and biological species and for detecting changes in radiation is disclosed. The device includes a porous or structured channel section to improve device sensitivity. The device is operated in a fully depleted mode such that a sensed biological, chemical or radiation change causes an exponential change in channel conductance.
US09170224B2
A method for operating a sensor, including simultaneously exciting a first set of electrodes and sensing an output of each electrode of a second set of electrodes, storing output data corresponding to the output of each electrode of the second set of electrodes in a memory storage device, shifting at least one electrode from the first set of electrodes to the second set of electrodes and at least one electrode from the second set of electrodes to the first set of electrodes, and repeating the simultaneously exciting and sensing, the storing, and the shifting until an output data has been stored for each possible pair of electrodes in the first and second set of electrodes.
US09170221B2
The invention relates to new uses of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) crystallography methods to determine and/or characterize the three-dimensional structure of compounds of interest.
US09170220B2
The X-ray analyzer repeats scanning of a sample by an electron beam from an electron gun (beam source), detects a characteristic X-ray from the sample by an X-ray detector, generates an element distribution image of the sample by a signal processor every scanning, and stores a plurality of element distribution images in a sequential order. Temporal changes of the element distribution image of the sample are obtained. Moreover, by moving a stage by a moving unit concurrently with the scanning, an element distribution image of the sample where the scanning position is varied is obtained. By generating the element distribution image while varying the scanning position, positioning of the range where the element distribution image is to be obtained on the sample can be quickly performed based on the element distribution image itself.
US09170210B2
A system and method for inspecting inner surfaces (22) of cylindrical parts (20) includes a line scan camera (30), a pair of light emitting diodes each directing light toward the inner surface (22), and a mirror (36) disposed in the cylindrical part (20) at a 45 degree angle relative to the inner surface (22). The camera (30) and mirror (36) remain in a fixed position while the cylindrical part (20) rotates continuously about a center axis (A) and the images are acquired. The cylindrical part (20) is then moved laterally along the center axis (A) and the images are again acquired as the cylindrical part (20) rotates about the center axis (A). An unwrapped display of the inner surface (22) is generated and used to automatically identify defects (24) on the inner surface (22).
US09170209B1
Inspection guided overlay metrology may include performing a pattern search in order to identify a predetermined pattern on a semiconductor wafer, generating a care area for all instances of the predetermined pattern on the semiconductor wafer, identifying defects within generated care areas by performing an inspection scan of each of the generated care areas, wherein the inspection scan includes a low-threshold or a high sensitivity inspection scan, identifying overlay sites of the predetermined pattern of the semiconductor wafer having a measured overlay error larger than a selected overlay specification utilizing a defect inspection technique, comparing location data of the identified defects of a generated care area to location data of the identified overlay sites within the generated care area in order to identify one or more locations wherein the defects are proximate to the identified overlay sites, and generating a metrology sampling plan based on the identified locations.
US09170208B2
Disclosed is a portable handheld characteristic analyzer used to analyze chemical compositions in or near real-time. One method of using the analyzer to determine a characteristic of a sample includes directing the handheld characteristic analyzer at the sample, the handheld characteristic analyzer having at least one integrated computational element arranged therein, activating the handheld characteristic analyzer, thereby optically interacting the at least one integrated computational element with the sample and generating optically interacted light, receiving the optically interacted light with at least one detector arranged within the handheld characteristic analyzer, generating an output signal corresponding to the characteristic of the sample with the at least one detector, receiving the output signal with a signal processor communicably coupled to the at least one detector, and determining the characteristic of the sample with the signal processor.
US09170205B2
An indicator kit for detecting the presence of a quaternary ammonium compound disinfectant is provided. The kit includes an indicator composition that includes an azo dye material and water; an extraction composition that includes water, and at least one of a C1-C7 alcohol or a glycol ether; and an acidic compound present in at least one of the indicator composition, the extraction composition, or an acidic developer solution packaged separately from the indicator composition and the extraction composition. A method of detecting a quaternary ammonium compound disinfectant on a surface is also provided.
US09170203B2
Raman emissions from a sample may be enhanced by using a microsphere to confine the impinging radiation into a photonic nanojet and thereby increase the intensity of the radiation that is striking the sample. The amount of enhancement may be improved by configuring the diameter and refractive index of the microspheres in conjunction with the dispersion and the wavelength of the radiation to increase the intensity of the beam of radiation in the photonic nanojet.
US09170200B2
Various improvements to inflatable membranes are disclosed. These improvements include, among other things, features on the membrane that can mitigate hazards such as bubble formation or frictional damage during inflation of the membrane.
US09170191B2
The present invention is thus directed to an automated system and method of varying the optical path length in a sample that a light from a spectrophotometer must travel through. Such arrangements allow a user to easily vary the optical path length while also providing the user with an easy way to clean and prepare a transmission cell for optical interrogation. Such path length control can be automatically controlled by a programmable control system to quickly collect and stores data from different path lengths as needed for different spectrographic analysis. Such a methodology and system, as presented herein, is able to return best-match spectra with far fewer computational steps and greater speed than if all possible combinations of reference spectra are considered.
US09170190B2
A sensor device is disclosed, including a database, and a processing apparatus. The database includes, for multiple different first types of objects, a first output data which are output data of an optical system acquired beforehand for each of the first objects in a case in which a surface of one side of the first object is set as the detection surface; and a second output data which are output data of the optical detection system acquired beforehand for each of the first objects in a case in which a surface of an other side opposite to the one side of the first object is set as the detection surface. The processing apparatus matches measurement data with the database, the measurement data being the output data of the optical detection system which is acquired with respect to a second object, and determines a type of the second object.
US09170179B2
A method of removing a floatation liquid from between a microscope slide and a paraffin embedded biological specimen including position the microscope slide with the paraffin embedded biological specimen floated thereon onto a slide support element. The slide support element is rotated to cause the microscope slide and the paraffin embedded biological specimen to turn in a way that causes the floatation liquid disposed between the microscope slide and the paraffin embedded biological specimen to be drawn from between the microscope slide and the paraffin embedded biological specimen.
US09170178B2
The present invention generally relates to air sampling of biological compounds. Specifically, the present invention relates to a device and method for sampling the ambient air for detecting microbial propagules, microbial propagules being any spore, vegetative cell, or virion of microbiological origin including all bacteria, fungi, viruses, protozoans, molds, slime molds, chlamydospores, hyphae, and cysts.
US09170176B2
A method for detecting rotational speeds (n) of an internal combustion engine having a signal wheel having marks (M1 through M7) for signaling on a crankshaft of the internal combustion engine is described. The marks (M1 through M7) on the signal wheel are detected with the aid of a sensor and evaluated by a detection and evaluation device. To implement high-precision detection of a rotational speed, the rotational speeds (n) are evaluated using a sector section of approximately 6° to 35° to increase the accuracy on the basis of a reduced sector section of the signal wheel.
US09170170B2
In order to determine the focus position of a laser beam (60, 60a) in an ophthalmological laser projection system (1), at least one measurement marking (3) applied to a reference area (20) is passed over by means of the laser beam (60, 60a) along a scanning path. A measurement signal created by passing over the measurement marking (3) is captured. Time values from at least one signal edge created in the measurement signal when passing over edges of the measurement marking (3) are determined and the focus position is established on the basis of the time values. By scanning defined measurement markings (3) and establishing time values of signal edges created when edges of the measurement marking (3) are passed over, it is possible to determine the focus position of the laser beam (60, 60a) without focusing movements being required for this during the measurement.
US09170166B2
A pressure sensing apparatus which utilizes an electrolytic droplet retained between a first and second sensing electrode within a housing. Contact between the electrolyte droplet and the electrodes form electric double layers (EDL) having interfacial EDL capacitance proportional to interface contact area which varies in response to mechanical pressure applied to deform exterior portions of the housing. The electrolyte contains a sufficient percentage of glycerol to prevent evaporative effects. Preferably, the sensing electrodes are modified with depressions, hydrophilic and/or hydrophobic portions to increase central anchoring of the electrolyte droplet within the housing. The inventive pressure sensor provides high sensitivity and resolution which is beneficial to numerous applications, and is particularly well-suited for medical sensing applications.
US09170165B2
A workfunction modulation-based sensor comprising a field-effect transistor (FET). The FET comprises a substrate, a gate dielectric, a metal gate, a source, a drain, and a layer of sensing material that is electrically connected to the metal gate. An electrical connection that connects to the source of the FET. An electrical connection that connects to the drain of the FET. An electrical connection that connects to the layer of sensing material. An environment that includes an adsorbate gas surrounding, at least a portion of, the layer of sensing material. Wherein the sensing material is adapted to adsorb, at least in part, the adsorbate gas. The amount of adsorbate gas adsorbed on the layer of sensing material modulates the workfunction of the FET such that the degree of adsorbate gas adsorption corresponds to one of the temperature or pressure associated with the environment of the FET.
US09170163B2
A probe for measuring oxygen, temperature, and pressure having a housing, made of a thermally conductive material; an oxygen sensor within the housing, a temperature sensor disposed within the housing adjacent to the thermally conductive material, comprising a fiber Bragg grating, a pressure sensor disposed within the housing, comprising a fiber Bragg grating.
US09170151B2
Provided is a photodetector including a light receiving portion that accumulates and outputs the amount of received observation light as electric charges; an offset portion that adds an offset signal to an output signal from the light receiving portion; an AD conversion portion that AD-converts the sum of the output signal and the offset signal obtained by the offset portion; a control unit that controls the AD conversion portion such that it A-D converts said sum when the light receiving portion is charged and discharged; and an offset correcting portion that corrects the offset signal by adjusting the value of the offset signal contained in the black level value such that the black level value obtained by the AD conversion portion from said sum when the capacitor is discharged becomes equal to a predetermined target value.
US09170147B2
A sensor for a fill level measuring device for determining the fill level in a container by determining the delay time of high-frequency signals, comprising a main reflector having an edge region and an inner region, a sub reflector, which is connected to the edge region of the main reflector via a radome, an inner space, which is encompassed by the radome and the main reflector, and a hollow waveguide which is connected to the main reflector and has a front end, which is oriented toward the sub reflector for coupling electromagnetic waves in and/or out, wherein the radome and the sub reflector are embodied as integral or unitary in formation.
US09170145B2
A method for monitoring the functioning of a field device, wherein the field device provides a complex measurement signal, which is produced from a number of individual measurements following one another in time, comprising method steps as follows: the complex measurement signals are stored within a predetermined time window; the occurrence of a predetermined event is monitored in the field device; the stored complex measurement signals are overwritten for the case, in which the predetermined event does not occur within the predetermined time window; for the case, in which the predetermined event occurs within the predetermined time window, both a first defined number of complex measurement signals, which were ascertained in time directly before the occurrence of the event, are frozen, as well as a second defined number of complex measurement signals, which were ascertained in time directly after the occurrence of the predetermined event, are stored.
US09170141B2
A technology to measure the mass flux distribution of liquid spray to evaluate droplet dispersion of a spray device for liquids such as fuel, paints, or coating agents, is provided. The apparatus for measuring spray mass flux to evaluate the droplet dispersion of the spray device includes a liquid spraying part including a spray nozzle to spray liquid, a spray collecting part to collect the liquid sprayed from the liquid spraying part, a transfer tube to transfer the liquid collected in the spray collecting part, a multi-cylinder part including a plurality of cylinders to receive the liquid collected in the spray collecting part, a movable mass measurement part to measure a mass of each cylinder of the multi-cylinder part, and a mass flux calculating part to calculate a distribution graph of mass flux of the sprayed liquid.
US09170135B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methodology for measuring gas flow using a modular unit as a gas measurement module. The modular unit can be made of molded plastic, cast metal, or other material. A gas meter can include the gas measurement module. The gas measurement module includes a chamber with an inlet and an outlet. An obstacle in the chamber is configured to generate an oscillating gas jet when gas flow into the chamber is at or above a threshold flow rate. The gas measurement module includes a dual sensing assembly with one or more first sensors using a first gas flow sensing technology and one or more second sensors using a second gas flow sensing technology.
US09170133B2
A guide section of a housing for a sensor, in particular for a vehicle transmission, is proposed, whereas the guide section for guiding a movable sensor element of the sensor is formed along a guide axis and has a first guide area, a second guide area, and a third guide area connected to the first guide area and the second guide area. Thereby, a guide surface of the first guide area and a guide surface of the second guide area are arranged opposite to each other. The guide section is characterized in that the second guide area along the guide axis has a plural number of alternately arranged recesses and guide parts.
US09170129B2
A system for sensing the position of a movable object includes a polarization maintaining fiber configured to receive light from a light source; an optical system configured to rotate an angle of polarization of the light by a first predetermined angle; a low birefringence fiber connected to the optical system at a first end and having a mirror connected to a second end configured to reflect the light and rotate the angle of polarization at a second predetermined angle, the second end being configured to overlap a magnetic field of the a magnet attached to the object. The angle of polarization is rotated to a third predetermined angle proportional to at least one of the strength of the magnetic field and an amount of the overlap. The optical system is configured to decompose the third predetermined angle into a first component and a second component. A detector is configured to detect a differential between the first and second components indicative of the amount of the overlap.
US09170126B2
An electronic device is described that includes a range indicator for conveying a range of travel until the electronic device ceases operation due to loss of power. In implementations, the electronic device includes a display device, a memory operable to store one or more modules, and at least one processor coupled to the display device and the memory. The processor is operable to execute the one or more modules to cause display of navigation information at the display device. The navigation information includes a map graphic representing an area an aircraft is traversing. The navigation information also includes an end of use situation that represents a range of travel for the aircraft until the electronic device ceases operation due to a loss of power.
US09170121B2
A motor vehicle navigation system and method uses an output device for the acoustic output of driving maneuver information and a processor device which is equipped such that a route to be traveled is determined. Driving maneuver information is determined based on the route to be traveled and on an actual position. An alternate route is computed, assuming that the determined driving maneuver information is not observed. As a function of the difference between the route and the alternate route, particularly with respect to the expected driving time, driving distance and/or driving cost, the driving maneuver information is either acoustically emitted or not.
US09170120B2
An automotive vehicle navigation method includes obtaining electronic textual navigation information and converting the textual navigation information into audio data. The audio data is stored within the vehicle and is played back within the vehicle in sequential increments that correspond to respective legs of a trip being made by the vehicle.
US09170117B1
In an approach to providing navigation assistance, one or more computer processors receive a request for navigation assistance to a destination from a first user. The one or more computer processors locate a navigation assistance UAV near a location of the first user. The one or more computer processors dispatch the navigation assistance UAV to the location of the first user. The one or more computer processors notify the first user of the navigation assistance UAV associated with the request for navigation assistance. The one or more computer processors determine a route for the navigation assistance UAV to follow from the location of the first user to the destination. The one or more computer processors provide navigation assistance for the route to the first user.
US09170115B2
A method and a system for generating a map using data of a position sensor of a vehicle are provided which are used to generate a map by collecting data of a position sensor disposed within a vehicle. The method includes collecting, by a controller, data from the position sensor disposed within the vehicle to sense the position of the vehicle and analyzing the collected data of the position sensor. In addition, the method includes automatically generating, by the controller, the map using the analyzed data.
US09170100B2
An image pickup apparatus is disclosed which provides an appropriate inclination guide display in accordance with an aspect ratio of a picked-up image and the like. The image pickup apparatus includes an inclination detector which detects an inclination of the image pickup apparatus, a display device capable of superimposedly showing an inclination guide display corresponding to a detection output from the inclination detector, on a picked-up image, and an aspect ratio setter which sets the aspect ratio of a picked-up image. The apparatus includes a display controller which controls whether or not to show the inclination guide display on the display device on the basis of the aspect ratio set by the aspect ratio setter.
US09170095B1
A device including an emitter that transmits light in a series of frames, wherein each frame in the series includes at least one pulse. The device includes a receiver that receives, for each frame in the series, the at least one pulse reflected from a target, and generates, in response to receiving the at least one pulse in a current frame, an output for calculating a distance between the target and the device for the current frame. The device includes circuitry that calculates, for each frame in the series, the distance between the target and the device based on the receiver output. The circuitry dynamically controls a frame rate for each frame in the series based on the distance calculated in a frame immediately preceding the current frame, and controls the emitter such that the at least one pulse is emitted in the current frame at the calculated frame rate.
US09170085B2
A device for detecting the position of an actuator has a conductor arrangement, which detects magnetic fluxes flowing therethrough and converts same into a voltage signal that is dependent on the position, at which the magnetic flux penetrates the conductor arrangement. The induced voltage signal is proportional to the position of the magnetic flux, measured along a predetermined axis starting from a predetermined starting point. A position-determining unit is connected to the conductor arrangement for determining the position of a magnetic flux generated by the actuator and passing though the conductor arrangement. A transmission unit, by way of which the determined position is transmitted to a receiver, is arranged downstream of the position-determining unit.
US09170081B2
There is provided an all-electric powered ANFO vehicle. The all-electric powered ANFO vehicle includes a support structure. This support structure includes a first and second section and a steering section. The support structure also includes a lift apparatus configured to deliver explosives to a mine face in a mine tunnel. A self-contained battery module is removably mounted on the support structure. A pair of wheel sets is coupled to the support structure, with each wheel set including two wheels. One wheel of each wheel set is rotably coupled on each side of the support structure. A motor is mounted on the support structure and is coupled to at least one wheel and the battery module. A motor controller, including a DC/AC inverter is coupled to the motor and the battery module.
US09170074B2
Ballistic projectile protection devices, and methods for their use, are provided. In a preferred embodiment, a gun-mounted ballistic protection device is provided, comprising multiple interception media launchers that cover and protect a user's vital organs from incoming projectiles. In some aspects of the invention, a control system using a microphone or other sensors, with multiple sampling points in a forward location, determine the location and trajectory of an incoming projectile, and deploy interception media to intercept the incoming projectile. In a preferred embodiment, a user may activate the projectile protection device with a partial trigger pull, or a button placed within reach of a user's trigger finger.
US09170073B2
A rifle or pistol mounted pepper spray device has a slide activation. The device has a housing that attaches to a picatinny rail of a modern sporting rifle. The housing receives a can of pepper spray. The housing and pepper spray slip into a grip. The grip activates the pepper spray when it is pulled toward the user. The device has a lock system as well as a buffer spring to prevent inadvertent spraying of the pepper spray.
US09170070B2
Embodiments include active protection systems and methods for an aerial platform. An onboard system includes one or more radar modules, detects aerial vehicles within a threat range of the aerial platform, and determines if any of the plurality of aerial vehicles are an aerial threat. The onboard system also determines an intercept vector to the aerial threat, communicates the intercept vector to an eject vehicle, and causes the eject vehicle to be ejected from the aerial platform to intercept the aerial threat. The eject vehicle includes a rocket motor to accelerate the eject vehicle along an intercept vector, alignment thrusters to rotate a longitudinal axis of the eject vehicle to substantially align with the intercept vector, and divert thrusters to divert the eject vehicle in a direction substantially perpendicular to the intercept vector. The eject vehicle activates at least one of the alignment thrusters responsive to the intercept vector.
US09170067B2
A device comprised of bubble level embedded into a solid block of material and located above the rifle grip and behind the barrel to facilitate the measurement and compensation of the rifle's cant while lining up the rifle's sights. The device is precision machined to allow the bubble to be aligned with the axis of the barrel to produce a true “zero-cant” condition. Graduation markings are placed on either left or right of the bubble level to allow the user to judge the relative degree of cant. The location allows cant adjustment without having to change the shooter's position.
US09170063B2
Provided are systems and methods related to firearm trigger assemblies. An open design trigger assembly is provided to allow easier access to the trigger action. The trigger assembly is preferably an override trigger assembly, which may include adjustable trigger travel limiter and trigger bias force. Methods according to the present invention include a first step of removing either a direct-pull or a closed design trigger assembly from a firearm and replacing such removed assembly with an open design override trigger assembly.
US09170054B2
A fill sheet for use in a fill arrangement in a direct heat exchange section of a cooling tower is provided. Each fill sheet includes ridges, grooves, separators, that improve the performance of the fill sheet arrangement when installed as a direct heat exchange section of a cooling tower. The separators are located in minor air paths between the fill sheet to improve the air flow capabilities and performance of the direct heat exchange section.
US09170052B2
A bottom part refractory includes a center part refractory, an arrangement refractory which is arranged contiguously with the center part refractory, and a connection refractory which is arranged at a position where at least a portion of the connection refractory overlaps with a vertically downward projection view of a side wall refractory. The connection refractory which is contiguously arranged with the arrangement refractory is constituted of two or more force transmission refractories arranged in the direction toward the arrangement refractory from the side-wall refractory. Opposedly facing surfaces between the force transmission refractories at least at a position among the force transmission refractories are inclined such that upper portions of the opposedly facing surfaces are positioned on a more inner side of a bottom portion than lower portions of the opposedly facing surfaces are positioned.
US09170049B2
A freeze-drying process includes a primary drying phase. Within this phase, a test is performed for causing a variation of partial pressure of solvent inside a drying chamber. At the beginning of the test, a product sublimation flux, a total pressure and a partial pressure of the solvent in the drying chamber are measured. A product temperature is estimated at the interface of sublimation at the beginning of the test. The solvent vapor pressure at the interface of sublimation is calculated as is a resistance of a dried layer of the product to the vapor flow of the solvent. Next, a thickness of a frozen layer of the product is calculated and a coefficient of heat transfer between heating surface and product is also calculated. An initial temperature profile of the frozen product is then calculated as is a total pressure in the drying chamber. A value of the product temperature at the interface of sublimation at the beginning of test is determined and a time constant of the freeze-drying process is calculated.
US09170047B2
A storage container with a sensor device to detect a state of food contained in the storage container and a refrigerator having the same. The sensor device is separably mounted to the storage container. The sensor device includes an electrode terminal usable not only to achieve a charging operation, but also to achieve a salinity measuring operation. Thus, the sensor device has user convenience while having a compact size.
US09170038B2
An air conditioning unit for a combined refrigeration plant and heat pump mode of operation for vehicles is disclosed, wherein the air conditioning unit includes a primary circuit and a secondary passage, and a power consumption required by the air conditioning unit to heat the passenger compartment is minimized.
US09170031B2
An energy transfer module coupled to a thermal solar module includes a body having a first end member, a second end member, and four side members configured to enclose a first spatial region within a vicinity of the first end member and a second spatial region within a vicinity of the second end member. The first spatial region is in communication with the second spatial region. The module further includes one or more inlet openings provided at the first end member for inputting fluid flow from the thermal solar module. The module also includes an air filter disposed within the first spatial region to remove one or more impurities from the fluid flow. Additionally, the module includes a fan disposed between the first spatial region and the second spatial region to draw the fluid flow through the air filter. The fan is coupled to a drive motor. The module further includes a heat exchanger disposed in the first spatial region and an outlet provided on the second end member. Furthermore, the module includes an electrical source coupled to the fan. The electrical source is configured to power the drive motor to draw fluid flow through the heat exchanger.
US09170024B2
A system for supplying a working fluid to a combustor includes a fuel nozzle and a combustion chamber downstream from the fuel nozzle. A flow sleeve circumferentially surrounds the combustion chamber, and a plurality of fuel injectors are circumferentially arranged around the flow sleeve to provide fluid communication through the flow sleeve to the combustion chamber. A distribution manifold circumferentially surrounds the plurality of fuel injectors, and a fluid passage through the distribution manifold provides fluid communication through the distribution manifold to the plurality of fuel injectors. A method for supplying a working fluid to a combustor includes flowing a working fluid from a compressor through a combustion chamber and diverting a portion of the working fluid through a distribution manifold that circumferentially surrounds a plurality of fuel injectors circumferentially arranged around the combustion chamber.
US09170023B2
Provided is a control method for a gas turbine plant having a first and a second combustors in series, such that combustion gases produced in the first combustor flows into the second combustor. The second combustor having a fuel lance with internal partitions, for injecting at least one fuel and a gas having a mixture of inert gas and support air into the second combustor. The partitions enable the gas to carry, and/or veil, at least one of the fuels as the fuel exits the lance. A variable of the second combustor is measured and the inert gas to support air mixture varies in response to variations of the variable so as to at least partially compensate for the operational effects of the variable on the operation of the second combustor.
US09170021B2
The valve assembly includes a tubular rigid body that can be arranged in the upper wall of a lighter gas reservoir and a hollow rod extending along a central axis from a lower end located within the tubular body to an upper end located outside the tubular body. A retaining member (R), on which the upper end of the tubular body is crimped, surrounds a cylindrical portion of the hollow rod. Movement of the hollow rod through the retaining member from a closed position to an opened position enables gas to flow from a lower hole of the valve assembly to the upper end of the hollow rod. The retaining member (R) made of synthetic resin has an annular shape with a slit that can be circumferentially expanded. This member has a reduced thickness at a contact area with crimped portion of the tubular body.
US09170018B2
The present invention provides a top-feeding double-swirl type gasifier: a feed line through which pulverized coal is supplied by nitrogen; a distributor for dividing the pulverized coal supplied; a plurality of burner nozzles for supplying the pulverized coal, divided in the distributor, and an oxidizer; a pressure reactor in which the pulverized coal and the oxidizer react with each other to produce a flow of synthesis gas; and a swirl generator for imparting a swirling force to the oxidizer which is fed into the pressure reactor, the gasifier further comprising a slag cooling and storing container placed beneath the pressure reactor. Each of the burner nozzles consists of a triple tube having a circular cross section. The pulverized coal and carrier gas are supplied to the most central region of the burner nozzle, and an oxidizer is supplied to an annular region 34 surrounding the central region.
US09170010B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a lighting apparatus comprising a housing for maintaining a lighting frame. The housing comprises at least one supporting wall, a first side wall, and a second side wall that is substantially parallel to the first side wall. The side walls are transverse to a supporting wall of the housing. The first side wall includes at least one input socket for receiving input electronic signals. The second side wall includes at least one output socket for transmitting output electronic signals.
US09170001B2
A household appliance light emitting device has a light diode that emits a light beam having a cross-section area and a light deflection device through which the light beam travels and that deflects the entering light beam such that the light beam exits asymmetrically to the optical axis of the household appliance light emitting device from the light deflection device. The light deflection device is designed integrally with a housing where the light diode is arranged.
US09169997B2
There is provided an arrangement for spot illumination (14). The arrangement provides an improved collimation and color mixing unit comprising a LED array (1), a convex shaped reflector (15a), a field lens (21) and an additional cylindrical reflector (15b) at the exit aperture of the system. In combination with an optical projection system which may comprise at least two additional zoom lenses and a gate (in which several maskers, gobos or shutters could be inserted) the system allows color mixing in an extended operational range including out of focus zoom settings often used to get soft edge spots.
US09169996B2
A luminaire comprising lamellae holding means, a light source, and a set of lamellae comprising a plurality of (inclined) lamellae. The set of lamellae extends at least partially over a light emission window. The lamellae have a reflective front surface facing towards the light source, said front surface being designed to partially reflect light to the exterior and partially transmit light, for example in that the lamellae are diffusely translucent or have a perforated surface. The set of lamellae is provided with light converging means, for example a Fresnel lens, which optionally are integrated in the lamellae to prevent the luminaire becoming too bulky.
US09169995B2
The present invention relates to a device to convert the blue light from solid-state sources into white light, and includes a transparent polymer matrix with a laminar structure, diffusing particles and phosphors.
US09169992B2
A lens includes a light incident face, a light exit face opposite to the light incident face and a plurality of micro dot patterns formed on the light exit face. The light incident face is a concave face and the light exit face is a convex face. The plurality of micro dot patterns are positioned at a central portion of the light exit face. A light source module incorporating the lens is also provided. The light source module includes a light emitting diode emitting light into the lens through the light incident face. The micro dot patterns direct the light from the light emitting diode and through the central portion of the light exit face toward a peripheral side of the lens.
US09169990B2
A loupe light that is compact and lightweight is described. The loupe light includes an adhesive that is electrically insulating and thermally conducting to help secure a wire supplying power to a light source. The loupe light also includes an end piece configured to help secure the wire as well.
US09169988B2
Disclosed herein is a light emitting module. The light emitting module according to an exemplary embodiment includes a circuit board which has a cavity and includes a metal board, an insulation layer, and a circuit pattern, an insulation board disposed in the cavity, at least one light emitting device disposed on the insulation board, first and second pads disposed on the insulation board to be electrically connected with the light emitting device, and a conductive pad for electrically connecting the second pad and the circuit pattern.
US09169982B2
A lamp includes a first housing, a second housing, a bulb base and a positioning part. The first housing has a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The first sidewall is perpendicularly connected to the second sidewall and has a first surface and a first assembling tank penetrating through the first surface. The second sidewall has a first cave. The second housing is detachably assembled to the first housing and has a second cave. These two caves form a first opening. The bulb base is embedded into the first opening. The bulb base has a base opening and multiple slots. The slots are disposed on an inner sidewall of the base opening along a circular direction. The positioning part is disposed in the first assembling tank and suitable to move along a normal direction of the first surface. The positioning part has a first push button and a latch hook.
US09169974B2
An apparatus includes a vapor cell having multiple cavities fluidly connected by one or more channels. At least one of the cavities is configured to receive a first material able to dissociate into one or more gases that are contained within the vapor cell. At least one of the cavities is configured to receive a second material able to absorb at least a portion of the one or more gases. The vapor cell could include a first cavity configured to receive the first material and a second cavity fluidly connected to the first cavity by at least one first channel, where the second cavity is configured to receive the gas(es). The vapor cell could also include a third cavity fluidly connected to at least one of the first and second cavities by at least one second channel, where the third cavity is configured to receive the second material.
US09169970B2
A lubrication system for a vehicle (100) is provided with a blade element (1) movable between a first position (2) and a second position (3); the lubrication system comprises a pump (4) connected to a reservoir of lubricant and an actuation element or striker (6) acting on the pump (4), the actuation element (6) being activated in response to the blade element (1) when displaced between the first (2) and the second (3) position.
US09169959B2
A universal tablet and smart phone holder includes an enlarged soft core, an upper tip section; an elongate spine element extending at least partially through the soft core and to the tip section. A flexible cover is disposed about the soft core, spine element and tip section. The spine element and tip section are operable to bend and rotate such that when a tablet or smartphone is placed into the novel holder, a bottom edge of the tablet is supported by the soft core, and an upper edge of the media device held by the tip section such that the media device is firmly secured thereto.
US09169956B2
An isolation tool is adapted for location in a pipe and includes a first plug module and a second plug module. The first plug module is configurable to grip the pipe and permit fluid bypass, to prevent fluid bypass without gripping the pipe, and to isolate the pipeline with gripping and leak tight sealing allowing a section to be fully de-pressurised. In use, the first and second plug modules are inserted into opposite ends of the pipe. The first plug module is pigged to a location in the second mode with a seal against the pipe but no grip then is configured in the fluid bypass mode when the second plug module is travelling through the pipe so that fluid displaced by the second plug module bypasses the first plug module. The second plug module and first plug module are then sealingly secured to the pipe to isolate a section of the pipe wall having a restriction.
US09169952B2
A coupling for coupling pipe segments (2,4). The coupling includes a first housing component (12), a second housing component (14), and a fastener coupling the first and second components together. The fastener (22) has an aligned configuration defining an axis of alignment such that first and second housing components are in a closed configuration to define a central axis of the coupling. The fastener has a skewed configuration to define a pivot axis of the fastener such that the first and second housing components are in an open configuration. The pivot axis is substantially parallel to the central axis and substantially perpendicular to the axis of alignment.
US09169948B2
A support apparatus configured to support free lengths of parallel components in residential implementations comprising a rectangular section and connection flaps. The rectangular section defines support holes and includes a rectangular section width that matches a width of two standard adjacent studs in a residential implementation. The support holes are configured to support and to separate free lengths of multiple, substantially parallel components. A first connection flap extends from a first end of the rectangular section. A second connection flap extends from a second end of the rectangular section. The rectangular section includes a first length between the first connection flap and the second connection flap configured to match a first standard distance between the two adjacent studs. The support apparatus includes a second length inclusive of the first connection flap and the second connection flap configured to match a second standard distance between two adjacent studs.
US09169946B2
A pull back system to install or replace underground utilities that is used with a hammer used in horizontal directional drilling operations. The system comprises a drill bit attached to the hammer. The drill bit comprises a cutting face comprising a first and second passage. The system further comprises a pull back adapter comprising an attachment member, a first member, and a second member. The attachment member may be secured to the cutting face of the drill bit by inserting the first member of the pull back adapter through the first passage of the cutting face and inserting the second member of the pull back adapter through the second passage of the cutting face. The first member secures to the second member within an internal cavity of the drill bit to hold the attachment member for movement with the drill bit. A new pipe may be secured to a shackle on the pull back adapter. The drilling machine will then pull the hammer rearwardly through the borehole which in turn pulls the new pipe into the borehole.
US09169945B2
A condensate trap is provided for a housing of a motor vehicle that is sealed off from the environment, wherein the housing is provided for accommodating a technical component, in particular a power storage module. A reservoir for accommodating the condensate is formed in or on the floor of the housing. The reservoir forms the lowest point of the floor in a predefined installation situation of the housing. The reservoir is separated from the interior of the housing by a cover, which is provided with at least one breakthrough as an inlet for the condensate, accumulating in the interior. An outlet opening of the reservoir is coupled to an actively actuable element for discharging the condensate.
US09169939B2
This disclosure is related to a non-electronic pressure control system for a pressurized system that receives fluid from a fluid supply. The pressure control system includes a control module, an actuator and a flow control device. The control module monitors the pressure of fluid either upstream or downstream of the flow control device. The control module can send a pneumatic signal to the actuator to open or close the flow control device responsive to the pressure monitored by the control module and the pressure required for the pressurized system.
US09169931B2
An aspect of the invention provides a sliding component in which a phase made of liquid and a phase made of gas, which are formed in a sliding portion, are stabilized. A sliding component constitutes one of two sliding components that rotate relatively, and planar end faces of the two sliding component slide on each other. In the sliding component, a plurality of dimples is arrayed in a sliding surface such that, in a phase made of liquid and a phase made of gas, the phase made of the gas is positioned when the two components rotate relatively. The phase made of the liquid and the phase made of the gas are formed so as to revolve about rotation centers of sliding portions of the two components.
US09169917B2
A planet gear carrier (1) for an automotive vehicle having a plurality of mounting regions (2), mounting a respective planet gear (4), and between the mounting regions (2), at least one aperture (5) such as a through-hole (6) that weakens the planet gear carrier (1), and when filled by a stiffening element (7) reinforces the planet gear carrier (1). A planet gear carrier having installed planet gears, a spur gear differential comprising such a planet gear carrier as well as a spur gear differential comprising two planet gear carriers of the aforesaid type.
US09169914B2
An isolator decoupler comprising a shaft, a pulley journalled to the shaft, a torsion spring engaged between the pulley and a carrier, the torsion spring loaded in an unwinding direction, the carrier engaged with a first spring ring, the first spring ring engaged in series with a second spring ring, the second spring ring engaged in series with a wrap spring, the wrap spring frictionally engagable with a shaft surface, the first spring ring, the second spring ring and wrap spring each loaded in an unwinding direction, and a sealing member radially expands under acceleration to sealingly engage the pulley, the sealing member engaged with the shaft when not under acceleration.
US09169896B2
A system, method and apparatus for making endless belts having a profile layer, a fully embedded, helically wound, cord layer, and a top layer. The apparatus has a rotatable mandrel with a profile complementary to the belt profile, two or one engagement rolls adjacent the mandrel to maintain forced, wrapped engagement of the profile layer on a portion thereof; a cord applicator which may include a heated blade that plows a groove in the profile layer into which the cord is laid and fused thereto. A laminator applies the top layer onto the reinforced carcass. A system of buffer rolls handles the loose portion of the profile layer or carcass guiding it.
US09169895B2
A vehicle wheel weight has a mass portion of nonlead material having a first side for juxtaposition against a wheel rim and an opposite second side, one of which defines a clip groove. The weight further includes a clip having an extended portion for engaging the wheel rim. The clip further has an attachment portion seated in the clip groove such that the clip is fixed to the mass portion. In this regard, the clip groove has an attachment member receiving hole defined therein. The attachment portion of the clip defines at least one securement hole in register with the attachment member receiving hole of the mass portion when the attachment portion of the clip is positioned in the clip groove. An attachment member extends through the securement hole and into the attachment member receiving hole such that the clip is fixed to the mass portion.
US09169888B2
A shock absorber includes a cylinder sealingly containing oil, and a piston coupled with a piston rod and inserted in the cylinder. The shock absorber generates a damping force by controlling an oil flow generated according to a movement of the piston with use of a damping force generation mechanism. A separator tube is externally disposed around the cylinder. The oil is transmitted into the damping force generation mechanism via a branch tube integrally formed on a cylindrical sidewall of the separator tube. The branch tube is formed on the cylindrical sidewall of the separator tube by burring processing. Both sides of a proximal portion of the branch tube in a circumferential direction of the cylindrical sidewall of the separator tube are pressed from an interior to concave an inner circumferential surface radially outwardly, thereby forming recesses.
US09169887B2
A brake disk includes an annular body, a plurality of first heat dissipation holes and a plurality of second heat dissipation holes. The annular body has two opposite side surfaces, an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall. The first heat dissipation holes are formed on at least one of the two side surfaces. The second heat dissipation holes penetrate through the annular body between the inner circumferential wall and the outer circumferential wall. A surface within any of the second heat dissipation holes is formed with irregular structures.
US09169886B2
A brake disc for a railway vehicle, including a ring-shaped plate portion with a front side serving as a frictional surface and a plurality of fins being projected and disposed radially on the back side of the plate portion, the plate portion being fixed to a wheel, wherein a rib is provided between fins adjacent to each other, and a slit developing in the direction from a wheel-side face of the rib toward the back side of the plate portion is disposed in a circumferentially intermediate portion of the rib, thereby making it possible to suppress the deformation caused by frictional heat.
US09169884B2
A brake assembly for a mobile machine is disclosed. The brake assembly may have a stationary housing forming a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet, a rotatable member, and a disc stack disposed within a cavity at least partially formed by the stationary housing and the rotatable member. The disc stack may have a plurality of friction plates operatively coupled to the rotatable member and a plurality of separator plates interleaved with the plurality of friction plates and operatively coupled to the stationary housing. The brake assembly may also have a piston disposed within the cavity and configured to compress the disc stack, and a seal located at an axial interface between the stationary housing and the rotatable member and downstream of the disc stack relative a flow of coolant from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.
US09169881B2
A double clutch which has two friction clutches, a central pressure-exerting plate and two pressure plates that are axially movable relative to the pressure-exerting plate with the interposition of friction linings of two clutch disks, which mesh with each transmission input shaft, of actuating devices. Here, the pressure plates are acted on by transmission elements by the actuating devices directly without a lever action. Furthermore, for cooling and lubrication of actuating devices and transmission elements, an annular chamber with an increase in fluid volume can be formed.
US09169873B2
A rolling bearing unit includes: a rolling bearing including an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of rolling elements disposed between the inner ring and the outer ring; an annular outer ring spacer disposed adjacent to one axial end of the rolling bearing, the outer ring spacer having a grease reservoir in the form of a groove extending along the circumferential direction of the outer ring spacer, and an opening that provides communication between the grease reservoir and the inside of the rolling bearing; and grease retained in the grease reservoir. Channels are formed in the grease to extend from the opening along the axial direction of the outer ring spacer.
US09169870B2
A gear system is provided. The gear system includes a driven gear, which is rotated by driving force from a driving gear, a base member to support the driven gear, and a bearing structure, including a shaft and a shaft hole to rotatably support the shaft, by which the driven gear is rotatably attached to the base member. One of the shaft and the shaft hole is provided to the driven gear, and the other of the shaft and the shaft hole is provided to the base member. The bearing structure has a lubricant reservoir in a slidable section, in which the shaft and the shaft hole are slidably in contact with each other when the driven gear is rotated by the driving force from the driving gear, the lubricant reservoir containing lubricant to lubricate the slidable section.
US09169865B2
A thrust bearing device is constituted by a turbine-side thrust collar and a compressor-side thrust collar that are fixed to a rotary shaft; and a thrust bearing that is arranged between the thrust collars. The thrust bearing is provided with an oil passage that supplies lubricating oil r to sliding-contact surfaces formed between the thrust bearing and the thrust collars. The outsides of the thrust collars in a radial direction incline toward the thrust bearing side. A gap c between the sliding-contact surfaces is narrowed as the gap goes outward in the radial direction, and establishes a basic region gap (c1)>an outer peripheral end gap (c2). The lubricating oil outflow resistance of a radial outer region of the gap c becomes larger than that of a radial inner region. Therefore, the lubricating oil r can be kept from flowing out from a radial outer outlet.
US09169863B2
A latching apparatus for sequentially latching and unlatching two objects is provided. The latching apparatus includes a cylinder attached to the first object and including a first opening, and a second opening laterally disposed to the first opening, a spring loaded piston including a circumferential wall disposed in the first opening, a shank axially extending from the piston and defining a transverse latch pin at an end thereof, and a spring loaded plunger disposed within the second opening. The wall defines a contiguous cam-groove thereon. The cam-groove includes alternating upper and lower nodal points with straight and inclined segments therebetween. The plunger slidably engages the cam-groove to co-operatively execute one or more of a translation, and a rotation of the shank such that the latch pin rotatably extends or retracts into or out of the slotted opening on the locking plate of the second object.
US09169858B2
A fastening structure is provided for fastening a thermal module to a mainboard, and includes a main body having at least one elastic press portion, a fastening portion, and an insertion unit. The fastening portion is provided on an end of the main body and the insertion unit is outward extended from another opposite end of the main body. The elastic press portion is provided on the main body and located between the insertion unit and the fastening portion, and a flexible space is defined between the elastic press portion and the main body. With these arrangements, the fastening structure can be quickly assembled to the thermal module without the need of welding and can therefore be conveniently separated therefrom whenever reworking is necessary.
US09169855B1
A flow diode configured to permit fluid flow in a first direction while preventing fluid flow in a second direction opposite the first direction is disclosed. The flow diode prevents fluid flow without use of mechanical closures or moving parts. The flow diode utilizes a bypass flowline whereby all fluid flow in the second direction moves into the bypass flowline having a plurality of tortuous portions providing high fluidic resistance. The portions decrease in diameter such that debris in the fluid is trapped. As fluid only travels in one direction through the portions, the debris remains trapped in the portions.
US09169848B2
An apparatus, system and method for sealing an electrical submersible pump assembly are described. An electric submersible pump (ESP) system for pumping solid-laden fluid comprises a thrust chamber of an ESP seal section, the thrust chamber sealed from well fluid on a downstream side by a stationary sand barrier and on an upstream side by a mechanical seal, the thrust chamber further comprising, a rotatable shaft extending axially through the thrust chamber, a head tubularly encasing the thrust chamber and threadedly coupled to a centrifugal pump intake, and a diamond-coated hydrodynamic bearing set inside the thrust chamber, wherein well fluid enters and exits the chamber through cross-drilled apertures in the head of the chamber, and wherein the well fluid forms a hydrodynamic film between the bearing set.
US09169845B2
A fan plate system can include a fan plate and may or may not include the fan. The fan plate can include one or more surfaces. The fan plate can also include a grill configured to allow air to flow into or from a fan through the grill. The one or more surfaces can be configured to connect to a first end of an outer housing of the fan. The one or more surfaces can also provide a gap between the first end of the fan outer housing and the grill when the fan outer housing is connected to the fan plate. In some embodiments, an electronic device can include a fan plate system.
US09169840B2
A screw compressor includes a valve hole formed at a discharge side end surface of a discharge casing and at a position opening to a compression work chamber; a bypass flow path having the valve hole and a discharge chamber communicate with each other; and a valve body arranged in the valve hole. The screw compressor also includes cylinder chambers provided on a rear surface side of the valve body; a piston reciprocally moving in the cylinder chambers; a rod connecting the piston and the valve body; communication paths for introducing a fluid on a discharge side into the cylinder chamber on a side opposite to a valve body side of the piston and on the valve body side; a pressure discharge path; a plurality of valve means; and a controller controlling the plurality of valves means.
US09169839B2
A scroll compressor has an electric motor portion, a compression mechanism portion connected to the electric motor portion, and an oil sump for lubricating oil in a sealed container and compresses a refrigerant in the compression mechanism portion. A used refrigerant is a halogenated hydrocarbon or a hydrocarbon having a carbon double bond in the composition or is a mixture containing one of the same. A sliding surface of at least one of two components constituting a sliding portion having a relation of sliding to each other in a sealed container is structured in such a way that an iron metal or an aluminum metal is not directly exposed.
US09169835B2
Provided is a piston type compressor which can enhance cooling of internal parts housed in a crank chamber, while effectively reducing an outflow of oil to the outside of a compressor by effectively performing a centrifugal separating operation due to the rotation of a shaft. The compressor includes: a first suction path which directly introduces a working fluid flowed from a suction port 30 into suction chambers 27a, 27b without via the crank chamber 7; and a second suction path which introduces the working fluid flowed from the suction port 30 into the suction chambers 27a, 27b via the crank chamber 7, and the second suction path includes: an oil separation passage 32 where a working fluid is introduced into the suction chambers 27a, 27b from the crank chamber 7 via holes formed in the shaft; and a bypass passage 33 where the working fluid is introduced into the suction chambers 27a, 27b from the crank chamber 7 through the cylinder blocks 1, 2 without via the shaft 12.
US09169832B2
A ground high-temperature high-efficiency solar steam electricity-generating device includes a light convergence assembly (1), a heat exchanger assembly (3), a heat storage chamber assembly (5), a base assembly (2), an oil pump (15), a temperature-controlling valve (16), a steam turbine (13), temperature-controlling valve (16), a steam turbine (13), an electricity-generator (12), a system control circuit, a water pump (9) and a water tank assembly (10). The light convergence assembly (1) includes a glass plate (1-1), Fresnel lenses, a U-shaped groove (1-3), a thermal insulating material, a heat collecting pipe (1-5), high temperature heat conducting oil (6-6), a frame (1-7), a rib-plate and a spindle sleeve. The high temperature heat conducting oil (6-6) in the heat collecting pipe (1-5) is communicated with the heat exchanger assembly (3) and the heat storage chamber assembly (5), so that the warm water in the heat exchanger assembly (3) is quickly converted into high temperature steam which drives the steam turbine (13) and the electricity-generator (15) to generate electrical energy. The device can realize high solar utilization, high automaticity, simple structure, lower cost, small size, and is safe and reliable.
US09169825B2
A device for assembling sections of wind-turbine blades provided with casings, including at least one tie including a first portion and a second portion, the first portion being a portion for assembly with a casing of a first section and the second portion being a portion for mounting with a complementary tie supported by a casing of a second section, wherein the first portion includes at least one composite/metal shear link provided with a continuous fitting element on at least one surface of the casing which receives one end of the aformentioned surface of the casing, provided with attachment pins passing through the fitting and the end of the surface. According to a preferred embodiment, the composite/metal link has at least double shear and is additionally provided with a back-fitting element, the end of the aforementioned surface of the casing being received between the fitting and the back fitting, the attachment pins passing through the fitting, the end of the surface and the back fitting, the link also being provided with a means for attaching the back fitting to the fitting.
US09169821B2
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for delivery a fluidic substance using Lorentz forces. In one aspect, a method to accelerate particles into a chamber includes distributing a fluidic substance between electrodes configured at a location proximate a chamber, in which electrodes include a low work function material, generating a current of ionized particles by applying an electric field between the electrodes to ionize at least some of the fluidic substance, and producing a Lorentz force to accelerate the ionized particles into the chamber. In some implementations, the method further includes applying an electric potential on an antenna electrode interfaced at the port to induce a corona discharge into the chamber, in which the corona discharge ignites the ionized particles within the chamber.
US09169820B2
An ignition system wherein creation of misfires is suppressed and excellent ignition ability is realized. The ignition system includes a spark plug; a discharge power source applying a voltage in order to generate a spark discharge at the spark plug; an AC power source supplying AC power to a spark generated by the spark discharge; and an ignition cable electrically connecting the spark plug, the discharge power source and the AC power source. The ignition cable includes a discharge electrode connecting the discharge power source and the spark plug, an AC electrode transmitting AC power from the AC power source to the spark plug, and an insulator interposed between the discharge and AC electrodes.
