US09184184B2
Disclosed are a display device and a method for manufacturing the same. The display device includes a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) substrate and a color filter substrate opposite to each other. The TFT substrate includes a first TFT element and a second TFT element and a light-transmittance region between the first and second TFT elements is a pixel region; and a pixel unit arranged on a surface of the TFT substrate facing the color filter substrate and located on a surface of the pixel region, where the pixel unit includes a transparent reference potential layer arranged on the surface of the TFT substrate facing the color filter substrate and a nontransparent deformation layer arranged over the reference potential layer, with the deformation layer being insulated from the reference potential layer.
US09184180B2
A method of manufacturing a flexible display apparatus includes: preparing a support substrate; forming a first graphene oxide layer having a first electrical charge on the support substrate; forming a second graphene oxide layer having a second electrical charge on the first graphene oxide layer; forming a flexible substrate on the second graphene oxide layer; forming a display unit on the flexible substrate; and separating the support substrate and the flexible substrate from each other.
US09184177B2
A semiconductor device according to an embodiment includes a stacked body, a second insulating film, a third insulating film and a plurality of contacts. The stacked body includes alternatively stacked electrode films and first insulating films, and has an end portion in which a terrace is formed for each pair of the electrode film and the first insulating film. The second insulating film covers the upper faces and the lower faces of the electrode films in the end portion of the stacked body. The second insulating film has a composition different from the composition of the first insulating film. The third insulating film is provided on the end portion of the stacked body. The third insulating film has a composition different from the composition of the second insulating film. The contact passes through the third insulating film and the second insulating film, and contacts the electrode film.
US09184164B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a string selection transistor, a plurality of memory cell transistors, and a ground selection transistor electrically connected in series to the string selection transistor and to the pluralities of memory cell transistors. First impurity layers are formed at boundaries of the channels and the source/drain regions of the memory cell transistors. The first impurity layers are doped with opposite conductivity type impurities relative to the source/drain regions of the memory cell transistors. Second impurity layers are formed at boundaries between a channel and a drain region of the string selection transistor and between a channel and a source region of the ground selection transistor. The second impurity layers are doped with the same conductivity type impurities as the first impurity layers and have a higher impurity concentration than the first impurity layers.
US09184163B1
An integrated circuit containing an analog MOS transistor has an implant mask for a well which blocks well dopants from two diluted regions at edges of the gate, but exposes a channel region to the well dopants. A thermal drive step diffuses the implanted well dopants across the two diluted regions to form a continuous well with lower doping densities in the two diluted regions. Source/drain regions are formed adjacent to and underlapping the gate by implanting source/drain dopants into the substrate adjacent to the gate using the gate as a blocking layer and subsequently annealing the substrate so that the implanted source/drain dopants provide a desired extent of underlap of the source/drain regions under the gate. Drain extension dopants and halo dopants are not implanted into the substrate adjacent to the gate.
US09184162B2
Fin field effect transistor integrated circuits and methods for producing the same are provided. A fin field effect transistor integrated circuit includes a plurality of fins extending from a semiconductor substrate. Each of the plurality of fins includes a fin sidewall, and each of the plurality of fins extends to a fin height such that a trough with a trough base is defined between adjacent fins. A second dielectric is positioned within the trough, where the second dielectric directly contacts the semiconductor substrate at the trough base. The second dielectric extends to a second dielectric height less than the fin height such that protruding fin portions extend above the second dielectric. A first dielectric is positioned between the fin sidewall and the second dielectric.
US09184154B2
A method includes forming a plurality of dielectric layers over a semiconductor substrate; and forming integrated passive devices in the plurality of dielectric layers. The semiconductor substrate is then removed from the plurality of dielectric layers. A dielectric substrate is bonded onto the plurality of dielectric layers.
US09184149B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device having a die attach pad, an interlocking wire bond, a semiconductor die and an adhesive material is disclosed. The adhesive material may be configured to adjoin the semiconductor die and the die attach pad. A portion of the interlocking wire bond may be submerged within the adhesive material. In another embodiment, a device having a semiconductor die, a die attach glue and a die attach pad is disclosed. The device may comprise an interlock bonding structure submerged within the adhesive material. In yet another embodiment, a light-emitting device comprising an interlock structure is disclosed.
US09184140B2
Semiconductor packages are provided. In some embodiments, the semiconductor package includes a substrate, a first ground line including a first internal ground line disposed along edges of the substrate and a plurality of first extended ground lines between the first internal ground line and sidewalls of the substrate, a chip on the substrate, a molding member disposed on the substrate to cover the chip, and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding layer covering the molding member, the EMI shielding layer extending along the sidewalls of the substrate and contacting the end portions of the plurality of first extended ground lines. The plurality of first extended ground lines include end portions that are exposed at the sidewalls of the substrate.
US09184139B2
A semiconductor device has a substrate including a base substrate material and a plurality of conductive vias formed partially though the substrate. A plurality of semiconductor die including a base semiconductor material is disposed over the substrate. A ratio of an encapsulant to a quantity of the semiconductor die is determined for providing structural support for the semiconductor die. An encapsulant is deposited over the semiconductor die and substrate. An amount of the encapsulant is selected based on the determined ratio or based on a total amount of the base substrate material and base semiconductor material. Channels are formed in the encapsulant by removing a portion of the encapsulant in a peripheral region of the semiconductor die. Alternatively, a side surface of the semiconductor die is partially exposed with respect to the encapsulant. A portion of the base substrate material is removed to expose the conductive vias.
US09184138B2
A semiconductor integrated device is provided with: a die having a body of semiconductor material with a front surface, and an active area arranged at the front surface; and a package having a support element carrying the die at a back surface of the body, and a coating material covering the die. The body includes a mechanical decoupling region, which mechanically decouples the active area from mechanical stresses induced by the package; the mechanical decoupling region is a trench arrangement within the body, which releases the active area from an external frame of the body, designed to absorb the mechanical stresses induced by the package.
US09184134B2
Embodiments of mechanisms for forming a semiconductor device structure are provided. The semiconductor device structure includes a semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure further includes a dielectric layer on the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor device structure also includes at least one conductive structure embedded in the dielectric layer. A plurality of crystal grains are composed of the conductive structure, and a ratio of an average grain size of the crystal grains to a width of the conductive structure ranges from about 0.75 to about 40.
US09184129B2
The present invention provides antifuse structures having an integrated heating element and methods of programming the same, the antifuse structures comprising first and second conductors and a dielectric layer formed between the conductors, where one or both of the conductors functions as both a conventional antifuse conductor and as a heating element for directly heating the antifuse dielectric layer during programming.
US09184123B1
Techniques and structures for achieving a more uniform current density in solder ball contact areas for a ball-grid-array semiconductor package are presented. Current density may be made more uniform by introducing electrically non-conductive regions into one or more areas that form a dedicated power rail within a package substrate that is configured to be connected with a die. Additionally or alternatively, the number of μvias that connect each solder ball contact area with conductive areas within the package substrate may be individually tailored based on the desired current density at each solder ball contact area.
US09184122B2
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing an interposer having an interposer bottom side and an interposer top side; attaching a base integrated circuit to the interposer bottom side; attaching a lead to the interposer bottom side, the lead adjacent the base integrated circuit and entirely below the interposer; and forming an encapsulation partially covering the lead and exposing the interposer top side.
US09184118B2
In one embodiment, a micro lead frame structure includes one or more stiffness reinforcing structures formed on leads and/or connecting structures. The stiffness reinforcing structures can be formed by leaving predetermined portions of the micro lead frame at full thickness including, for example, portions of an inner lead, portions of an outer lead, and portions of a connecting bar, combinations thereof, and other structures. The stiffness reinforcing structures are configured to reduce deformation defects and electrical short defects caused by assembly processes.
US09184117B2
The invention relates to a power semiconductor device and a preparation method, particularly relates to preparation of stacked dual-chip packaging structure of MOSFET (Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor) using flip chip technology with two interconnecting plates. The first chip is flipped and attached on the base such that the first chip is overlapped with the third pin; the back metal layer of the first chip is connected to the bonding strip of the first pin through a first interconnecting plate; the second chip is flipped and attached on a main plate portion of the first interconnecting plate such that the second chip is overlapped with the fourth pin; and the back metal layer of the second chip is connected to the bonding strip of the second pin through the second interconnecting plate.
US09184113B1
Methods of forming coaxial feedthroughs for 3d integrated circuits that provide excellent isolation of signal paths from the substrate and from adjacent feedthroughs. One method is to form a recess in a substrate and deposit alternate layers of insulation and conductive layers and then thin the substrate to make the layers available from both sides of the substrate, with the first metal layer forming the coaxial conductor and the second metal layer forming the central conductor. Alternatively the coaxial feedthroughs may be formed using a modified pillar process to form the coaxial conductor at the same time as the center conductor is formed so that the coaxial feedthrough is formed without requiring extra steps. Both processes are low temperature processes.
US09184105B2
Semiconductor devices may include a first semiconductor die comprising a heat-generating region located at a periphery thereof. A second semiconductor die is attached to the first semiconductor die. At least a portion of the heat-generating region is located laterally outside a footprint of the second semiconductor die. A thermally insulating material is located on a side surface of the second semiconductor die. Methods of forming semiconductor devices may involve attaching a second semiconductor die to a first semiconductor die. The first semiconductor die includes a heat-generating region at a periphery thereof. At least a portion of the heat-generating region is located laterally outside a footprint of the second semiconductor die. A thermally insulating material is located on a side surface of the second semiconductor die.
US09184102B2
A method and system are presented for determining a line profile in a patterned structure, aimed at controlling a process of manufacture of the structure. The patterned structure comprises a plurality of different layers, the pattern in the structure being formed by patterned regions and un-patterned regions. At least first and second measurements are carried out, each utilizing illumination of the structure with a broad wavelengths band of incident light directed on the structure at a certain angle of incidence, detection of spectral characteristics of light returned from the structure, and generation of measured data representative thereof. The measured data obtained with the first measurement is analyzed, and at least one parameter of the structure is thereby determined. Then, this determined parameter is utilized, while analyzing the measured data obtained with the second measurements enabling the determination of the profile of the structure.
US09184101B2
A mask set and method for forming FinFET semiconductor devices provides a complementary set of fin-cut masks that are used in DPT (double patterning technology) to remove fins from non-active areas of a semiconductor device, after the fins are formed. Adjacent fins, or adjacent groups of fins, are removed using pattern features from different ones of the multiple fin-cut masks.
US09184100B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, at least a first fin structure, at least a second fin structure, a first gate, a second gate, a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region. The semiconductor substrate has at least a first active region to dispose the first fin structure and at least a second active region to dispose the second fin structure. The first/second fin structure partially overlapped by the first/second gate has a first/second stress, and the first stress and the second stress are different from each other. The first/second source/drain region is disposed in the first/second fin structure at two sides of the first/second gate.
US09184098B2
A protection circuit including a multi-gate high electron mobility transistor (HEMT), a forward conduction control block, and a reverse conduction control block is provided between a first terminal and a second terminal. The multi-gate HEMT includes an explicit drain/source, a first depletion-mode (D-mode) gate, a first enhancement-mode (E-mode) gate, a second E-mode gate, a second D-mode gate, and an explicit source/drain. The drain/source and the first D-mode gate are connected to the first terminal and the source/drain and the second D-mode gate are connected to the second terminal. The forward conduction control block turns on the second E-mode gate when a voltage difference between the first and second terminals is greater than a forward conduction trigger voltage, and the reverse conduction control block turns on the first E-mode gate when the voltage difference is more negative than a reverse conduction trigger voltage.
US09184096B2
A semiconductor structure and a manufacturing method for the same are provided. The method includes following steps. A first gate structure is formed on a substrate in a first region. A protecting layer is formed covering the first gate structure. A second gate structure is formed on the substrate in second region exposed by the protecting layer and adjacent to the first region.
US09184095B2
In sophisticated semiconductor devices, the contact structure may be formed on the basis of contact bars formed in a lower portion of an interlayer dielectric material, which may then be contacted by contact elements having reduced lateral dimensions so as to preserve a desired low overall fringing capacitance. The concept of contact bars of reduced height level may be efficiently combined with sophisticated replacement gate approaches.
US09184092B2
A method for forming a chip package, by providing a substrate having a plurality of conducting pads below a lower surface, and a dielectric layer located between the conducting pads, forming a recess in an upper surface of the substrate, forming a hole extending through the bottom of the recess, forming an insulating layer on the sidewall of the recess and in the hole, exposing a portion of the conducting pads through the insulating layer, and forming a conducting layer on the insulating layer and through the hole to contact with the conducting pads.
US09184082B2
An adhesive composition including an acrylic polymer, an epoxy thermosetting resin having an unsaturated hydrocarbon group and a thermosetting agent. Also provided is an adhesive sheet having an adhesive layer including the above-mentioned adhesive composition.
US09184075B2
An apparatus for storing a substrate on which a pattern is formed includes a main body storing the substrate, a first pad located at the bottom of the main body and including a first groove supporting one edge of the substrate, a second pad neighboring the first pad and including a second groove supporting the center of the substrate, and a third pad spaced from the first pad, the second pad being disposed between the first and third pads, the third pad including a third groove supporting the other edge of the substrate.
US09184071B2
A treating section includes a plurality of treating blocks juxtaposed horizontally. Each treating block is vertically divided into stories. Each story includes treating units and a main transport mechanism. Substrates are transportable between the same stories of the treating blocks. Further, the substrates are transportable between different stories. Thus, the apparatus can transport the substrates flexibly between the treating blocks.
US09184069B2
A heating apparatus comprises a heating element, an inner shell for supporting the heating element, an outer shell disposed along the outer boundary of the inner shell, a cooling medium passage for conveying a cooling medium between the inner shell and the outer shell, a first opening provided in the inner shell, a second opening provided in the outer shell, and a partition arranged to extend from the first opening to the second opening for developing at least a space separated from the cooling medium passage and between the inner shell and the outer shell. The heating apparatus further comprises an insulator for shutting up a gap provided between the partition and the second opening.
US09184067B1
Semiconductor packages with multiple substrates can incorporate apertures or slots between devices to minimize or reduce formation of defects during a molding process. The apertures or slots can be formed adjacent a top substrate in alignment with removable regions adjacent a bottom substrate whereby the apertures or slots can facilitate outflow of materials from cavities between the substrates. The apertures or slots may subsequently be removed in conjunction with the removable regions during a singulation process thereby producing the desired semiconductor packages with improved device reliability and yield.
US09184065B2
A method of molding a semiconductor package includes coating liquid molding resin or disposing solid molding resin on a top surface of a semiconductor chip arranged on a substrate. The solid molding resin may include powdered molding resin or sheet-type molding resin. In a case where liquid molding resin is coated on the top surface of the semiconductor chip, the substrate is mounted between a lower molding and an upper molding, and then melted molding resin is filled in a space between the lower molding and the upper molding. In a case where the solid molding resin is disposed on the top surface of the semiconductor chip, the substrate is mounted on a lower mold and then the solid molding resin is heated and melts into liquid molding resin having flowability. An upper mold is mounted on the lower mold, and melted molding resin is filled in a space between the lower molding and the upper molding.
US09184063B2
Provided are a multi-layer interconnection structure and a manufacturing method thereof. The multi-layer interconnection structure includes a substrate; a first wiring on the substrate; an interlayer insulation layer on the first wiring; a second wiring on the interlayer insulation layer; and a via contact including at least one conductive filament penetrating through the interlayer insulation layer between the second wiring and the first wiring to be electrically connected to the first wiring and the second wiring.
US09184061B2
A method of forming (and apparatus for forming) a zirconium and/or hafnium-containing layer on a substrate, particularly a semiconductor substrate or substrate assembly, using a vapor deposition process and one or more silicon precursor compounds of the formula Si(OR)4 with one or more zirconium and/or hafnium precursor compounds of the formula M(NR′R″)4, wherein R, R′, and R″ are each independently an organic group and M is zirconium or hafnium.
US09184059B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device includes the steps of providing a hard mask cover using a patterned photoresist layer, wherein the patterned photoresist layer comprises at least four first holes arranged in two rows and two columns. Part of the hard mask is removed to form at least four second holes by taking the pattered photoresist layer as a mask. Next, each of the first holes is widened, and the widened first holes and the second holes are filled up by a filler. Later, the patterned photoresist layer is removed entirely. Part of the hard mask is removed to form at least a fourth hole by taking the filler as a mask. Finally, the filler is removed entirely.
US09184053B2
An area in a top view of a region where a low-voltage field effect transistor is formed is reduced, and an area in a top view of a region where a high-voltage field effect transistor is formed is reduced. An active region where the low-voltage field effect transistors (first nMIS and first pMIS) are formed is constituted by a first convex portion of a semiconductor substrate that projects from a surface of an element isolation portion, and an active region where the high-voltage field effect transistors (second nMIS and second pMIS) are formed is constituted by a second convex portion of the semiconductor substrate that projects from the surface of the element isolation portion, and a trench portion formed in the semiconductor substrate.
US09184050B2
A semiconductor device having an epitaxial layer a method of manufacture thereof is provided. The semiconductor device has a substrate with a trench formed therein and a recess formed below the trench. The recess has sidewalls with a (111) crystal orientation. The depth of the trench is such that the depth is greater than or equal to one-half a length of sidewalls of the recess. An epitaxial layer is formed in the recess and the trench. The depth of the trench is sufficient to cause dislocations formed between the interface of the semiconductor substrate and the epitaxial layer to terminate along sidewalls of the trench.
US09184041B2
Wafer bowing induced by deep trench capacitors is ameliorated by structures formed on the reverse side of the wafer. The structures on the reverse side include tensile films. The films can be formed within trenches on the back side of the wafer, which enhances their effect. In some embodiments, the wafers are used to form 3D-IC devices. In some embodiments, the 3D-IC device includes a high voltage or high power circuit.
US09184032B1
Power supplies and methods for regulating performance of image intensifiers are disclosed. Performance is regulated by controlling the duty factor of the image intensifiers.
US09184031B2
Plasma equipments are provided. The plasma equipment includes a chamber in which a plasma reaction occurs, a detector outputting a spectrum signal in response to light generated from the plasma reaction, and a plasma monitoring module determining whether the spectrum signal includes an arcing signal or a hunting signal. Related methods are also provided.
US09184030B2
Systems and methods for edge exclusion control are described. One of the systems includes a plasma chamber. The plasma processing chamber includes a lower electrode having a surface for supporting a substrate. The lower electrode is coupled with a radio frequency (RF) power supply. The plasma processing chamber further includes an upper electrode disposed over the lower electrode. The upper electrode is electrically grounded. The plasma processing chamber includes an upper dielectric ring surrounding the upper electrode. The upper dielectric ring is moved using a mechanism for setting a vertical position of the upper dielectric ring separate from a position of the upper electrode. The system further includes an upper electrode extension surrounding the upper dielectric ring. The upper electrode extension is electrically grounded. The system also includes a lower electrode extension surrounding the lower dielectric ring. The lower electrode extension is arranged opposite the upper electrode extension.
US09184006B2
A system for controlling a relay to reduce acoustic noise of connections and disconnections being made within the relay. An impact of closing and opening contacts in a relay may cause the acoustic noise. For instance, when a relay coil causes the contacts to come together for a connection, an acoustic noise may occur. When the relay coil causes the contacts to separate for breaking a connection, another acoustic noise may occur. Reduction of acoustic noise may be realized by controlling movement of the contacts. The present system may control current to the relay coil to slow the movement of contacts while closing and opening to reduce the acoustic noise.
US09183996B2
An actuator system for actuating a high voltage current interrupter is disclosed. The actuator system comprises a transmission link for transmitting kinetic energy from a force provision system to a moveable contact of the current interrupter. The transmission link has a first end which is mechanically connectable to the moveable contact of the current interrupter and a second end facing away from the moveable contact. The actuator system further comprises a damping system comprising a shock-absorbing mass. The shock-absorbing mass is located along the extension of the line of translational movement of the transmission link, at the farther side of the transmission link as seen from the current interrupter, so that upon an opening operation of the current interrupter, the second end of the transmission link will collide with the shock-absorbing mass.
US09183990B2
Provided is an electroconductive polymer composition with a good film forming property. Also, provided is an electroconductive polymer material with a high electroconductivity and a high transparency as well as an electroconductive substrate having the electroconductive polymer material on a substrate, and an electrode. Further, provided is an electronic device having the electrode as well as a solid electrolytic capacitor with a high capacitance and a low ESR. Disclosed is an electroconductive polymer composition, containing an electroconductive polymer in which a dopant is doped, a water-soluble polymer resin, and a solvent which contains water and an organic solvent whose dielectric constant is higher than that of water.
US09183986B2
A laminated body is divided into a large grain region and a small grain region. The large grain region is located outside the small grain region, and a boundary surface between the regions is located inside the outer surface of the laminated body while surrounding a section in which internal electrodes are present in the laminated body. To obtain the laminated body, firing is carried out with a profile in which the average rate of increase from room to the maximum temperature is 40° C./second or more.
US09183984B2
A grain oriented electrical steel sheet has a total length of cracks in a film on a steel sheet surface, of 20 μm or less per 10000 μm2 of the film, wherein magnetic domain refinement interval in a rolling direction of the steel sheet, provided in magnetic domain refinement through substantially linear introduction of thermal strain from one side of the steel sheet corresponding to a winding outer peripheral side of a coiled steel sheet at a stage of final annealing in a direction intersecting the rolling direction; and deflection of 3 mm or less per unit length: 500 mm in the rolling direction of the steel sheet.
US09183979B2
The present invention relates to a chip inductor including: a metal-polymer composite in which metal particles and polymer are mixed; a wiring pattern provided inside the metal-polymer composite to form a coil; an external electrode provided in a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the metal-polymer composite; and an insulating portion provided between the metal-polymer composite and the wiring pattern and between the metal-polymer composite and the external electrode, and a method for manufacturing the same.
US09183973B2
Devices on a diffusion barrier coated metal substrates, and methods of making the same are disclosed. The devices include a metal substrate, a diffusion barrier layer on the metal substrate, one or more insulator layers on the diffusion barrier layer, and an antenna and/or inductor on the one or more insulator layer(s). The method includes forming a diffusion barrier layer on the metal substrate, forming one or more insulator layers on the diffusion barrier layer; and forming an antenna and/or inductor on an uppermost one of the insulator layer(s). The antenna and/or inductor is electrically connected to at least one of the diffusion barrier layer and/or the metal substrate. Such diffusion barrier coated substrates prevent diffusion of metal atoms from the metal substrate into device layers formed thereon.
US09183954B2
A system and method for reducing tritium migration. In one aspect, the invention is a method of reducing tritium mitigation from a spent nuclear fuel pool containing a body of tritiated water having an exposed surface, the method comprising hermetically sealing the exposed surface of the body of tritiated water with a cover movable between an open-state and a close-state.
US09183943B2
A vertical nonvolatile memory device which includes a plurality of cell strings formed in a direction intersecting with a substrate is provided. The vertical nonvolatile memory device is configured to apply a non-selection read voltage to at least one selection line connected to a cell string from among the plurality of cell strings. The vertical nonvolatile memory device is configured to apply the non-selection read voltage to at least one unselected word line of the cell string a desired time period after the applying of the non-selection read voltage to the at least one selection line.
US09183935B2
A semiconductor memory device includes memory units, each of which includes first and second select transistors and memory cells connected in series between the first and second select transistors. A control circuit applies a first potential difference between a source and a drain of either the first or second select transistor in a first memory unit, thereby programming either the first or second select transistor. The control circuit applies a second potential difference between a source and a drain of either the first or second select transistor in a second memory unit connected in common to the same select gate line as that of the first memory unit, thereby inhibiting either the first or second select transistor from being programmed.
US09183930B2
A method for pre-programming a matrix of resistive non-volatile memory cells, the cells including a dielectric material between two conducting electrodes and being initially in an original resistive state, the dielectric material being electrically modified to bring a cell from the original state to another resistive state wherein the resistance of the cell is at least twice and preferably at least ten times lower than the resistance of the cell in the original state. The method includes, prior to mounting a component containing the matrix on a support, programming the matrix by electrically bringing cells from the original state to the other state, leaving the other cells in their original state, and after mounting the component, applying to all the cells an intermediate voltage, to keep in the original state the cells in this state and returning or keeping to/in another state the cells not in the original state.
US09183929B2
Embodiments disclosed herein may relate to programming a multi-level memory cell with programming pulse sequences that comprise forward-biased and reverse-biased programming pulses.
US09183928B2
Subject matter disclosed herein relates to a memory device, and more particularly to write performance of a phase change memory.
US09183917B1
A method of operating a memory device including a plurality of memory cells may include counting a number of times that the plurality of memory cells during a first time period, comparing the number of times to a reference number, and controlling a refresh interval of a refresh operation for the plurality of memory cells based on a result of the comparison.
US09183900B2
Data paths, memories, and methods for providing data from memory are disclosed. An example read data path includes a delay path, and a clocked data register. The data path has a data propagation delay and is configured to receive data and propagate the data therethrough. The delay path is configured to receive a clock signal and provide a delayed clock signal having a delay relative to the clock signal that models the data propagation delay. The clocked data register is configured to clock in data responsive at least in part to the delayed clock signal. The clocked data register is further configured to clock out data responsive at least in part to the clock signal.
US09183899B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit may include: a memory block partitioned into a first region and a second region; a data latch unit configured to latch data outputted from the memory block in response to a control signal; and a control circuit configured to generate a source signal separated into an odd order and an even order in response to a column access signal consecutively inputted to access the first region or the second region, and to generate the control signal in response to the source signal.
US09183891B2
Disclosed are various embodiments related to stacked memory devices, such as DRAMs, SRAMs, EEPROMs, and CAMs. For example, stack position identifiers (SPIDs) are assigned or otherwise determined, and are used by each memory device to make a number of adjustments. In one embodiment, a self-refresh rate of a DRAM is adjusted based on the SPID of that device. In another embodiment, a latency of a DRAM or SRAM is adjusted based on the SPID. In another embodiment, internal regulation signals are shared with other devices via TSVs. In another embodiment, adjustments to internally regulated signals are made based on the SPID of a particular device. In another embodiment, serially connected signals can be controlled based on a chip SPID (e.g., an even or odd stack position), and whether the signal is an upstream or a downstream type of signal.
US09183890B2
The stacked semiconductor device including a first chip, a second chip positioned on the first chip, the second chip being connected to a plurality of first penetration electrodes and including a first memory and a memory controller that are each controlled by the first chip, and a second memory positioned on the second chip and connected to a plurality of second penetration electrodes and controlled by the memory controller.
US09183884B2
A method comprising initializing playback of a video, the video comprising navigation data, at least one menu, at least one trailer, and a movie; obtaining an identifier of the video; downloading, responsive to the identifier and from a remote source, bookmark generating data that identifies a menu selection that is required to advance towards a playing of the movie; generating, responsive to the bookmark generating data, a bookmark for the movie to be utilized by a navigator, the generating enabling a user to avoid to manually navigate past a menu and a trailer provided with the video; and playing, responsive to the bookmark, the movie.
US09183878B2
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.
US09183877B1
A data storage device is disclosed wherein a first 2D data dependent noise whitening (DDNW) filter is configured to perform 2D DDNW of first and second 2D equalized samples to generate first 2D noise whitened samples. A second 2D DDNW filter is configured to perform 2D DDNW of the first and second 2D equalized samples to generate second 2D noise whitened samples. A 2D sequence detector is configured to detect a first data sequence recorded in a first data track from the first and second 2D noise whitened samples and to detect a second data sequence recorded in a second data track from the first and second 2D noise whitened samples.
US09183872B2
There is provided a recording control device including a recording control section which controls data recording to a recording medium by irradiating laser light to the recording medium, and a division section which divides the sequential recording range of a prescribed recording layer, near a boundary of two mutually adjacent sequential recording ranges of the recording layer on a back side of the prescribed recording layer when viewed from a laser incident surface of the recording medium, in a case where data is not recorded to an area of one of the two sequential recording ranges, by setting, as a division position in the prescribed recording layer, a position separated by only a prescribed distance, from a position identical to a position of the boundary, on the other side of the two sequential recording ranges in a direction connecting a center and outer peripheral of the recording medium.
US09183871B2
An optical recording device that records to a multi-layer disk having multiple recording layers includes a controller which sets a data area in which user data is recorded, and a calibration area including a main calibration area and at least one sub-calibration area which are used to calibrate the intensity of laser light for recording, with the same layout among the plurality of recording layers, conducts first calibration for performing initial recording in the data area by using the main calibration area, records dummy data in the remainder of the main calibration area, and conducts second calibration for performing additional recording in the data area by using the sub-calibration area.
US09183870B2
Methods to pattern substrates with dense periodic nanostructures that combine top-down lithographic tools and self-assembling block copolymer materials are provided. According to various embodiments, the methods involve chemically patterning a substrate, depositing a block copolymer film on the chemically patterned imaging layer, and allowing the block copolymer to self-assemble in the presence of the chemically patterned substrate, thereby producing a pattern in the block copolymer film that is improved over the substrate pattern in terms feature size, shape, and uniformity, as well as regular spacing between arrays of features and between the features within each array compared to the substrate pattern. In certain embodiments, the density and total number of pattern features in the block copolymer film is also increased. High density and quality nanoimprint templates and other nanopatterned structures are also provided.
US09183866B2
A magnetic disk substrate having a flat main surface, an end face, and a chamfered face formed between the main surface and the end face. The substrate has an offset portion, present on the main surface within a range of 92.0 to 97.0% in a radial direction from a center of the substrate. A distance from the center of the substrate to the end face of the substrate in a radial direction is 100%, the offset portion being raised or lowered with respect to a virtual straight line connecting two points on the main surface, set at positions of 92.0% and 97.0%. A maximum distance from the virtual straight line to the offset portion in a direction perpendicular to the virtual straight line is a “maximum offset value.”
US09183862B1
A load/unload ramp configured for a multiple disk-stack, shared actuator hard disk drive (HDD) includes two ramp parts configured to swivel-engage together. Each of the two ramp parts may have a sleeve configured for positioning over a swivel pin and a locking pin configured for positioning and movement within a corresponding receptacle constituent to an HDD base. Thus, each ramp part can be positioned to a respective initial locking position onto the base, a first disk stack installed, a first ramp part swiveled to a final locking position engaged with the first disk stack, and fixed to the base. Then an actuator assembly can be inserted and the corresponding actuator arms parked onto the first ramp part, a second disk stack installed, then the second ramp part swiveled to its final locking position engaged with the second disk stack, and fixed to the base.
US09183854B2
A method for making an interferometric taper waveguide (I-TWG) with high critical dimension uniformity and small line edge roughness for a heat assisted magnetic recording (HAMR) head, wherein the method includes creating an I-TWG film stack with two hard mask layers on top of an I-TWG core layer sandwiched between two cladding layers, defining a photoresist pattern over the I-TWG film stack using deep ultraviolet lithography, transferring the pattern to the first hard mask layer using reactive ion etching (RIE), forming a temporary I-TWG pattern on the second hard mask layer using RIE, transferring the temporary pattern to the I-TWG core using RIE, refilling the cladding layer, and planarizing using chemical mechanical planarization (CMP).
US09183853B2
Approaches for a magnetic write head having a stacked coil architecture. Embodiments utilize the better process control capability available with thin films' thicknesses, compared to the control capability of vertical gap-filling processes, which provides for better scalability to shorter yoke length magnetic write heads, which are faster at writing data bits than are magnetic write heads having a longer yoke length.
US09183849B2
System, apparatus and method for determining semantic information from audio, where incoming audio is sampled and processed to extract audio features, including temporal, spectral, harmonic and rhythmic features. The extracted audio features are compared to stored audio templates that include ranges and/or values for certain features and are tagged for specific ranges and/or values. The semantic information may be associated with audio signature dataExtracted audio features that are most similar to one or more templates from the comparison are identified according to the tagged information. The tags are used to determine the semantic audio data that includes genre, instrumentation, style, acoustical dynamics, and emotive descriptor for the audio signal.
US09183833B2
A method and system for adapting automated interactions that allows the interactive behavior of an automated system, or the nature of the interaction elements implemented thereon, to be adapted to properties and/or behaviors of users of such systems in order to enhance operating convenience. Interaction adaptation is performed with reference to user groups to which the users are allocated.
US09183830B2
A method and system is disclosed for non-parametric speech conversion. A text-to-speech (TTS) synthesis system may include hidden Markov model (HMM) HMM based speech modeling for both synthesizing output speech. A converted HMM may be initially set to a source HMM trained with a voice of a source speaker. A parametric representation of speech may be extract from speech of a target speaker to generate a set of target-speaker vectors. A matching procedure, carried out under a transform that compensates for speaker differences, may be used to match each HMM state of the source HMM to a target-speaker vector. The HMM states of the converted HMM may be replaced with the matched target-speaker vectors. Transforms may be applied to further adapt the converted HMM to the voice of target speaker. The converted HMM may be used to synthesize speech with voice characteristics of the target speaker.
US09183829B2
A system includes a processor and a phased array, coupled to the processor, having an arrayed waveguide for acoustic waves to enable directional sound communication.
US09183826B2
An apparatus comprises a substantially horn shaped structure configured to amplify sound from a speaker of a device wherein the apparatus comprises packaging of the device.
US09183825B2
The noise reduction apparatus according to the present disclosure includes a plurality of loudspeakers, control sound signal generating units, and a plurality of error microphones. Each of the control sound signal generating units generates control sound signal based on the error sound detected by a corresponding error microphone of the plurality of error microphones. The noise reduction apparatus further including an input switching unit that, when a level of the noise at a predetermined position is higher than the predetermined threshold value, feeds an error audio signal at a predetermined control point of the plurality of control points or a control point that is newly set based on the plurality of control points into each of the control sound signal generating units, the number of the newly set control point being less than the number of the plurality of control points.
US09183820B1
An electronic music instrument comprises an input device having a plurality of input elements configured for generating at least one digital signal corresponding to a particular note when activated, the input device configured to be organized in sounding input elements and non-sounding control input elements and configured for transposing a range of input elements to an intended range of notes; and a software module, wherein the software module is configured for receiving a transposition state of then input device and for remapping the control input elements according to the transposition state.
US09183818B2
A musical instrument laser tracking device comprises a musical instrument digital interface adapted to be connected to a musical instrument digital interface port of a musical instrument. A computer system electronically connected to the musical instrument digital interface and incorporating software adapted to produce electronic signals to control a laser projector. A digital-to-analog converter electronically connected to the computer system and adapted to convert the electronic signals from a digital format to an analog format, and a laser projector electronically connected to the digital-to-analog converter and adapted to receive the electronic analog signals from the digital-to-analog converter, generate laser beams accordingly, and shine the laser beams on predetermined objects in predetermined patterns.
US09183814B2
An image displaying apparatus is provided, which includes: a display unit that displays an image, and which has a horizontal width and a vertical width; an image processing unit which processes the image; and a controller which controls the image processing unit, if an aspect ratio of the image is different from an aspect ratio of the display unit, to extend the image in a first direction until a horizontal width or a vertical width of the image becomes identical to any one of the horizontal width and the vertical width of the display unit, to extend the image in a second direction to maintain the aspect ratio of the image, and to move the extended image in the second direction on the display unit.
US09183811B2
A process of correcting display unevenness of a liquid crystal panel 40 of the present invention includes following steps. (1) Supply image data to the liquid crystal panel 40 and display the liquid crystal panel 40. (2) Capture an image of a display area of the liquid crystal panel 44 with a camera 66. (3) Generate correction data for the liquid crystal panel based on a captured image result. (4) Store the correction data in a volatile storing device. (5) Generate corrected image data with using the correction data stored in the volatile storing device. (6) Supply the corrected image data to the liquid crystal panel and display the liquid crystal panel 40. (7) Executed repeatedly the processes from (2) to (6).
US09183800B2
A liquid crystal device (LCD) and a driving method thereof are disclosed. The LCD includes a display panel, a data driven circuit configured for providing data voltages to the data lines, and a power reducing module. The display panel includes data lines, scanning lines intersecting with the data lines, and a matrix of pixels arranged in intersections of rows and columns. The power reducing module is configured for storing a most-reload-image, comparing the data of the most-reload-image and the data of an input image, determining if the input image is a reload image increasing a power consumption of the data driven circuit, and changing a polarity inversion method of a timing controller. By changing the polarity inversion method of the timing controller basing on the input images, the display performance is guaranteed and the power consumption of the data driven circuit is reduced at the same time.
US09183799B2
With respect to liquid crystal display inversion schemes, a large change in voltage on a data line can affect the voltages on adjacent data lines due to capacitive coupling between data lines. The resulting change in voltage on these adjacent data lines can give rise to visual artifacts in the data lines' corresponding sub-pixels. Various embodiments of the present disclosure serve to prevent or reduce these visual artifacts by applying voltage to a data line more than once during the write sequence. Doing so can allow erroneous brightening or darkening caused by large voltage swings to be overwritten without causing additional large voltage swings on the data line.
US09183793B2
An electrophoretic display apparatus driving method that allows DC balance to be achieved and reduces variations in size and color tone of a displayed image that may occur in a partial-screen drive method and related apparatus are provided. The drive method includes a first image display step (S2) of displaying a first image in a first color on a display section, a first image adjustment step (S3) of displaying a background of the first image in a second color, a first image deletion step (S4) of displaying the background of the first image in the first color, a second image display step (S12) of displaying a background of a second image in the second color, a second image adjustment step (S13) of displaying the second image in the first color, and a second image deletion step (S14) of displaying the second image in the second color.
US09183791B2
Disclosed herein is a driving method for an image display apparatus which includes an image display panel and a signal processing section; the driving method including the steps, further carried out by the signal processing section, of calculating a third subpixel output signal to a (p,q)th first pixel, based at least on a third subpixel input signal to the (p,q)th first pixel and a third subpixel input signal to the (p,q)th second signal, and outputting the third subpixel output signal to the third subpixel of the (p,q)th first pixel; and further calculating a fourth subpixel output signal to the (p,q)th second pixel based at least on the third subpixel input signal to the (p,q)th second pixel and the third subpixel input signal to the (p+1,q)th first pixel and outputting the fourth subpixel output signal to the fourth subpixel of the (p,q)th second pixel.
US09183787B2
A module processes image data to provide gray level signals to be used for displaying an image. The module may include a scale value control member for determining a first scale value. The module may further include a brightness control member for determining a controlled brightness value using a requested brightness value, a brightness control parameter, and a baseline brightness value. The module may further include a modification member for determining a modified scale value using the first scale value and the controlled brightness value. The module may further include a scaler for generating the gray level signals using the image data and at least one of the modified scale value and a damped scale value, the damped scale value being determined using the modified scale value. The module may further include hardware circuitry for implementing at least one of the aforementioned components.
US09183785B2
An organic light emitting display device comprising a display panel and a panel driver is disclosed. The display panel includes pixels and sensing lines respectively coupled to the pixels. Each pixel includes an organic light emitting device and a driving transistor to control a current flow in the organic light emitting device. The panel driver is configured to receive an input image data, to generate a sensing data by sensing a characteristic variation of the driving transistor, to generate a peak luminance data to limit peak luminance of an input image, to generate a corrected data by correcting the input image data based on the sensing data, to convert the corrected data to a data voltage based on a plurality of reference gamma voltages set based on the peak luminance data, and to supply the data voltage to the pixels.
US09183784B2
A first reference voltage is applied to a plurality of pixels during a data writing period when data is written and a second reference voltage is applied to the plurality of pixels during a light emitting period when the plurality of pixels emit light, in which each of the plurality of pixels includes a switching transistor to transfer a data voltage applied to a data line to a first node; a driving transistor controlling a driving current flowing into an OLED according to the voltage of the first node and a first power supply voltage; and a storage capacitor including a first electrode connected to the first node and a second electrode receiving one of the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage. A difference between the first reference voltage and the second reference voltage is determined according to a threshold voltage deviation characteristic of the display unit.
US09183778B2
An organic light emitting display is driven in a simultaneous (or concurrent) emission scheme. The organic light emitting display includes: a display unit including a plurality of pixels coupled to scan lines, control lines, and data lines; a control line driver for providing control signals to the pixels through the control lines; and a power driver for applying a power at different levels to the pixels of the display unit during a plurality of periods of one frame. The control signals and the power are concurrently provided to the pixels included in the display unit.
US09183768B2
A support locator includes at least one body portion and at least one support portion, wherein the support portion is configured for engaging and retaining at least one strut member which holds a banner taught, and wherein the body portion is releasably connectable to a corner forming portion of a sheet of material forming the banner on the non-printed side of the banner, wherein the support portion projects substantially orthogonally out from a substantially planar body portion and wherein the plane of the body portion is parallel to that of the sheet material.
US09183766B2
The present invention is a metallized shrinkable label and a method for producing the same. The label of the invention is composed of a shrinkable film base and a graphic. The graphic is created by combining pigmented inks, a metallic coating and a shrink-resistant coating which is printed in a predetermined pattern with gaps so that upon exposure of the label to heat, the gaps close thereby forming a continuous graphic layer. Advantageously, the shrink-resistant coating minimizes discoloration and pleating of the metallic coating.
US09183765B2
The present invention relates to arrays of consumer products, retail displays of arrays of consumer products and methods for displaying an array of consumer products.
US09183763B2
The present invention describes a device and system for simulating normal and disease state cardiac functioning, including an anatomically accurate left cardiac simulator for training and medical device testing. The system and device uses pneumatically pressurized chambers to generate ventricle and atrium contractions. In conjunction with the interaction of synthetic mitral and aortic valves, the system is designed to generate pumping action that produces accurate volume fractions and pressure gradients of pulsatile flow, duplicating that of a human heart. Through the use of a remote handheld electronic controller and manual adjustments from a main control panel, the air pressure level, fluidic pressure, and heart rate is controlled to induce contractions that simulate a wide variety of heart conditions ranging from normal heart function to severely diseased or injured heart conditions.
US09183733B2
A low cost, robust, wireless sensor that provides an extended period of operability without maintenance is described. The wireless sensors are configured to communicate with a base unit or repeater. When the sensor unit detects an anomalous ambient condition (e.g., smoke, fire, water, etc.) the sensor communicates with the base unit and provides data regarding the anomalous condition. The sensor unit receives instructions to change operating parameters and/or control external devices.
US09183732B2
A nurse call station and system capable of scalable accommodating a plurality of wireless nodes by incorporating a dual band of 900 MHz and 2.4 GHz for use in transmission and repeating an identification signal. The nurse call system is comprised of various components that includes but is not limited to gateway nodes, transmitter nodes, repeaters, end nodes and locators. Transmitter nodes may be comprised of various transmitter styles including wireless check in stations, wireless emergency call stations and resident bed stations.
US09183730B1
A security system can mitigate invasion risk faced by a homeowner or other person responding to a stranger who is seeking to interact with the responder or to gain premises access, for example when a supposed deliveryman approaches the front door. The homeowner can make an entry into a user interface of the security system in preparation for interacting with the stranger, such as to answer the front door. If the user does not make a second entry within a specified period of time indicating that the interaction was safely completed, the security system can raise an alarm or otherwise dispatch help. If the stranger turns out to be an intruder and forces the homeowner to make the second, all-clear entry, the homeowner can make a duress entry that appears to be an all-clear entry but in fact triggers a silent alarm or otherwise summons help.
US09183728B2
Methods and apparatus are provided for self-detection of lost device status using device-to-device communications with one or more expected neighboring devices. A device can detect when the device itself is lost, by determining one or more expected neighboring devices for one or more time periods; monitoring a local environment for one or more of the expected neighboring devices using device-to-device communication; detecting when the device is lost based on device-to-device communication and whether a threshold criteria of the expected neighboring devices in proximity to the device for a given interval of time; and sending at least one relay message to notify an owner of the lost device. The threshold criteria comprises, e.g., whether a minimum number of expected neighboring devices are nearby or whether at least one fixed neighboring device is nearby. The device-to-device communications employ one or more of short range relay communications and low-power mesh communications.
US09183726B1
A digital measuring device includes a housing, at least one measuring head, at least one measuring sensor, at least one digital measurement circuit, and at least one power supply unit. The measuring head is arranged outside the housing. The measuring head functions to carry out an operation of tightening a tire valve core, connecting a valve stem, or measuring tire tread. The measuring sensor is arranged inside the housing and coupled to the measuring head to measure and detect a detection signal indicating an output of a tire valve core tightening torque, a tire pressure, or a tire tread depth. The digital measurement circuit is connected to the measuring sensor for computing, displaying, and issuing an alarm regarding the tightening torque that the measuring head applies to tighten a tire valve core, the tire pressure, or the tire tread depth. The power supply unit supplies a desired direct-current working power to the measuring sensor and the digital measurement circuit. As such, a device that is capable of digital measurement, displaying, and issuing an alarm regarding the tire valve core tightening torque, the tire pressure, or the tire tread depth is formed.
US09183724B2
A system for monitoring ingestion of medicine (21) comprises forming a digestible radio frequency identification (RFID) tag (10). The RFID tag is attached to the medicine. The RFID tag and medicine are ingested. A signal from the RFID tag is monitored.
US09183723B2
A gas filter clogging detection system for monitoring filter performance and condition based on indicators of the accumulation of dirt and other particles on a filter positioned in a gas conduit, in which a notification system provides alerts and reports when the amount of clogging reaches a pre-determined threshold.
US09183721B2
A device is provided for monitoring waters, particularly swimming pools, including at least one control unit assigned to one person which includes at least one sensor device, one analysis device and one transmitter; at least one receiving device disposed within the waters; at least one transmission device which is signal-connected to the receiving device; and at least one display unit which is signal-connected to the transmitter. The transmitter is designed such that it emits signals of a predetermined pattern in the event of an alarm, and the receiving device is designed such that it recognizes a case of alarm based on the predetermined pattern of the signal and emits an alarm signal to at least one display unit.
US09183718B2
System for detaching an electronic article surveillance (EAS) tag includes a detaching element to selectively unlock a locking element of an EAS tag when the EAS tag is placed in a detachment position. A control system is arranged to cause the detaching element to transition from a deactivated state, in which the tag in the detachment position will remain locked, to an activated state in which the tag is unlocked. This transition will result in beginning or starting a dwell time. The control system is maintains the detaching element in the activated state while awaiting receipt from a user interface of a user manually initiated termination signal. The termination signal indicates a user intention to terminate the dwell time. In response to the termination signal, the control system causes the detaching element to transition from the activated state to a deactivated state.
US09183717B1
An RFID loss-prevention system (LPS) based on synthesized-beam readers (SBRs) permits authorized items to leave a facility and may perform a security action if an unauthorized item leaves the facility. A checkout reader first authorizes an item tagged with an RFID tag to exit a facility by reading an identifier from the tag, obtaining an exit authorization, and sending the identifier to a database. An SBR configured to direct at least two beams along a facility exit path reads tagged items exiting the facility, determines at least one of a travel direction and a tag location, and uses the determination to indicate that a tag is exiting or has exited the facility. The LPS then uses the database to determine if the exiting/exited tag is authorized to leave the facility.
US09183714B2
An entrance denial security system comprises an entrance barrier closing an entrance into a secured area having a plurality of structural tubular elements with hollow cores forming a rigid integral barrier. At least one optical fiber sensor line is laced through the hollow cores of the structural elements for detecting a fault condition signifying an unauthorized intrusion attempt. A processor in communication with the fiber sensor line generates a fault signal in response to a fault signal level. A communication device operatively associated with the processor communicates the fault signal and an alarm. The system also includes a plurality of tubular elements lying a common plane and the sensor line is routed through the tubular elements. In one instance, the tubular elements are PVC pipe.
US09183712B2
A controller arms an alarm aspect of a corresponding security system. The corresponding security system is initially configured to audibly activate an alarm in response to detecting motion of free-to-roam entities in a monitored location. The free-to-roam entities can be provided unrestricted access into the monitored location. In addition to monitoring for presence of motion at the monitored location, the security system monitors the location for presence of a disarming device. At times of detecting presence of the disarming device at the monitored location, the security system prevents activation of the alarm based on detecting the motion of the free-to-roam entities.
US09183706B2
Games such as reel-type slot games may have various features, including: an attribute accumulate feature which a player attempts to form combinations of collectable special symbols; a geometric pattern feature in which symbols within a geometric pattern or area may take on special attributes or features; a moving trigger feature; a symbol-triggered game transformation feature using logical rules; a player symbol selection in which reel symbols are player selected; and a reel-locking feature.
US09183701B2
A gaming system and method of rewarding players of electronic gaming machines connected by a network to a host computer which stores player-useable points at a network-accessible location, awards a personal points multiplier to a player, and applies the personal points multiplier to at least some of the points.
US09183685B2
Methods and systems for an improved navigation environment are provided. The navigation system can route users to preferred locations based on user profile data and past experience with the present driver and other drivers. The system provides more cost-effective and time-sensitive routing by incorporating other information about destinations. Further, the navigation system provides enhanced guidance in foreign or unfamiliar locations by incorporating experience from other drivers and other data.
US09183673B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a simulation apparatus includes a two-dimensional section dividing processing unit, a two-dimensional simulator, a one-dimensional combining processing unit, and a three-dimensional shape combining processing unit. The two-dimensional section dividing processing unit divides a three-dimensional shape as a simulation target into at least one set of two-dimensional sections intersecting with each other and defines the three-dimensional shape as the two-dimensional sections. The two-dimensional simulator runs a two-dimensional shape simulation in each time step for each of the two-dimensional sections obtained by the dividing and acquires a two-dimensional shape. The one-dimensional combining processing unit extracts a film configuration for each intersection of the two-dimensional sections from the acquired two-dimensional shape and combines the film configurations to acquire one-dimensional film configurations. The three-dimensional shape combining processing unit creates a three-dimensional structure from the acquired one-dimensional film configurations on the basis of information on the intersection.
US09183647B2
The present invention is an X-ray system having a source-detector module, which includes X-ray sources and detectors, for scanning an object being inspected, a scan engine coupled to the source-detector module for collecting scan data from the source detector module, an image reconstruction engine coupled to the scan engine for converting the collected scan data into one or more X-ray images, and a scan controller coupled with at least one of the source detector module, the scan engine, and the image reconstruction engine optimize operations of the X-ray system.
US09183644B2
In an embodiment, a first individual image and a second individual image constituting an encoded stereoscopic image, for example in JPEG format with respective levels of encoding quality and united in a multiple-image file, for example of the Multiple-Picture Object (MPO) type. The second level of encoding quality is lower than the first level of encoding quality. During decoding, the first individual image encoded with a first level of encoding quality and the second individual image encoded with a second level of encoding quality lower than the first level of encoding quality are extracted from the multiple-image file, then using information of the first extracted individual image for enhancing the second extracted individual image.
US09183642B2
A method of controlling graphical data compression levels for a series of images of varying area in order to maintain a consistent image quality, irrespective of image area. An image of a first area is compressed using a first compression value. When the first image is decompressed for display, it is associated with a first image quality. When a new image with a different area is generated, it is compressed using a new compression value derived from the first compression value. The new compression value is suitable for delivering an image quality, when the new image is decompressed for display, substantially the same as the image quality of the first image.
US09183639B2
Apparatuses, methods and storage medium associated with computing, including processing of image frames, are disclosed herein. In embodiments, an apparatus may include an accelerometer and an image processing engine having an object tracking function. The object tracking function may be arranged to track an object from one image frame to another image frame. The object tracking function may use acceleration data output by the accelerometer to assist in locating the object in an image frame. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09183634B2
An image processing apparatus includes an image acquisition unit acquiring a plurality of images, a corresponding point acquisition unit, a first fundamental matrix estimation unit, an epipole coordinate deriving unit, an epipole coordinate determination unit, and a fundamental matrix determination unit. The corresponding point acquisition unit acquires first corresponding points. The first fundamental matrix estimation unit calculates first fundamental matrices based on the first corresponding points. The epipole coordinate deriving unit calculates first epipole coordinates that correspond to the first fundamental matrices. The epipole coordinate determination unit determines one of the first epipole coordinates as a second epipole coordinate. The fundamental matrix determination unit determines the first fundamental matrix corresponding to the second epipole coordinate as a second fundamental matrix.
US09183629B2
The invention relates to a method for automatically determining, on a bone comprising a head portion contiguous to a neck portion, parameters for characterizing a bump deformation on the head-neck junction of the bone from acquired 3D medical image, the method comprising the following steps: i) constructing a 3D surface model of the bone; ii) fitting a sphere on the spherical portion of the head of the bone; iii) determining a neck axis characterizing the neck portion of the bone; iv) determining from the fitted sphere and the neck axis, a clock face referential on the head of the bone rotating around the neck axis; v) determining a 3D curve on the 3D surface model characterizing the head-neck junction of the bone; vi) determining, from the 3D curve, the summit of the bump deformation of the head-neck junction of the bone; vii) determining, from said summit of the bump deformation, first and a second parameters (α3D, iMax) characterizing the maximum bump deformation of the head-neck junction of the bone.
US09183627B2
Provided is a medical imaging apparatus including: a scanner configured to obtain projection data of an object; a three-dimensional restoring module configured to restore a volume of the object based on the projection data; a volume segmentation module configured to segment a plurality of material volumes corresponding to a plurality of materials included in the object based on the volume of the object; a reprojection module configured to generate a plurality of reprojection images according to the plurality of materials by reprojecting the plurality of material volumes from a plurality of virtual viewpoints; and an image fusion module configured to generate a plurality of fusion images according to the plurality of virtual viewpoints, each of the plurality of fusion images being generated by fusing reprojection images according to plurality of materials obtained from the same virtual viewpoint.
US09183620B2
In a method for calculating corrections for tilt in an image, one or more processors receive a digitized image from a camera. The one or more processors initiate display of the digitized image in a screen on the camera, the screen having user-selectable focus points. The one or more processors receive from a user a focus point selection of an area of the displayed image to correct for tilt, and in response, the one or more processors correct the digitized image for tilt in the area such that an object is in focus in the area.
US09183612B2
Techniques are described for controlling operation of both a host device and a wearable display device connected to the host device based on a use status of the wearable display device. The techniques include automatically determining a use status of a wearable display device based on feedback from one or more touch sensors within the wearable display device that indicates whether the wearable display device is worn by a user. Based on the determined use status, the wearable display device controls its own operation (e.g., controls operation of display screens of the wearable display device, a communication session with the host device, and display processing of data received from the host device). The wearable display device also sends an indication of the use status to the host device. The host device then controls its own data processing for the wearable display device based on the indicated use status.
US09183610B2
The invention provides a method for driving a graphic processing unit (GPU), where a driver applies two threads to drive one ore more GPUs. The method includes the steps of: (a) activating a rendering thread and a displaying thread in response to invoking by an application thread of a graphics application; (b) sending according to the rendering thread a plurality of rendering instructions for enabling generation of at least a first rendered frame and a second rendered frame; and (c) sending according to the displaying thread one or more interpolating instructions and one or more displaying instructions, the one or more interpolating instructions enabling execution of interpolation according to the at least a first rendered frame and the second rendered frame to create one or more interpolated frames, and the one or more displaying instructions enabling display of the one or more interpolated frames.
US09183607B1
A method in system for latency buffered scoreboarding in a graphics pipeline of a graphics processor. The method includes receiving a graphics primitive for rasterization in a raster stage of a graphics processor and rasterizing the graphics primitive to generate a plurality pixels related to the graphics primitive. An ID stored to account for an initiation of parameter evaluation for each of the plurality of pixels as the pixels are transmitted to a subsequent stage of the graphics processor. A buffer is used to store the fragment data resulting from the parameter evaluation for each of the plurality of pixels by the subsequent stage. The ID and the fragment data from the buffering are compared to determine whether they correspond to one another. The completion of parameter evaluation for each of the plurality of pixels is accounted for when the ID and the fragment data match and as the fragment data is written to a memory.
US09183606B1
A method of extending trust from a trusted processor to a graphics processing unit to expand trusted processing in an electronic device comprises inserting a trusted kernel into the graphics processing unit, monitoring the activity level of the graphics processing unit, suspending graphics processing on at least a portion of the graphics processing unit, repurposing a portion of the graphics processing unit to perform trusted processing, and releasing the portion of the graphics processing unit from trusted processing.
US09183602B2
Methods, computer systems, and computer readable media for interfacing a medical device with an electronic medical record are provided. An image of an output of the medical device is received from a camera associated with the medical device. The image is analyzed to generate a result. The result is stored in the electronic medical record.
US09183601B2
A data capture and storage apparatus for use in confirming administration of medication in a clinical trial or other medication administration scenario is provided. The apparatus includes a data capture device for capturing one or more types of data related to administration of a medication, a storage device for storing the captured data and a processor for processing the stored captured data. The processor further includes an analysis element for performing a local analysis of the stored captured data. The processor is further adapted to identify a particular medication prescription regimen in accordance with the clinical trial or medication administration scenario, determine one or more procedures for administering such prescription regimen, identify one or more activity sequences associated with such procedures, capture activity sequences of actual administration of such prescription regimen compare the captured activity sequences to the identified activity sequences to determine differences therebetween, and providing a notice if differences are determined.
US09183598B2
Techniques, systems, and articles of manufacture for identifying event-specific social discussion threads. A method includes identifying a spatial relationship and one or more additional relationships across two or more topical clusters derived from a text source, extracting one or more temporally evolving discussion sequences across the two or more topical clusters, identifying at least one social discussion thread across the two or more topical clusters by identifying a correlation between the one or more additional relationships and the one or more temporally evolving discussion sequences, and to identifying a geographically-constrained social discussion thread among the at least one identified social discussion thread by identifying a correlation between the spatial relationship across the two or more topical clusters and the at least one identified social discussion thread.
US09183595B1
An improved technique generates questions to authenticate a user as part of a group. Along these lines, a KBA system, upon receiving a request to authenticate a particular user, collects facts having references to users of the group of users. The collected facts, however, may also include references to users not in the group of users. In building a set of questions for the particular user, the KBA system is capable of favoring facts having references to users of the group of users and few, if any, references to users not in the group of users; conversely, the KBA system is capable of discarding facts having too many references to users not in the group of users. The particular user's responses to the set of questions are indicative of whether the particular user belongs to the group.
US09183582B2
Techniques for digital image retrieval are described. In an embodiment a system stores a plurality of tiles for a plurality of versions of a particular image. Each respective image of the plurality of versions has a different resolution. Each respective tile of the plurality of tiles comprises a bounded region of the respective version of the particular image. Based on a display resolution where a portion of the particular image will be visible, the system determines a final image resolution for the particular image. The system fetches one or more tiles of the respective version of the particular image that has the final resolution. The one or more tiles include the portion of the particular image that will be displayed. The system applies the one or more tiles to a model and renders the model.
US09183580B2
Methods and arrangements involving portable devices are disclosed. One arrangement enables a content creator to select software with which that content should be rendered—assuring continuity between artistic intention and delivery. Another arrangement utilizes the camera of a smartphone to identify nearby subjects, and take actions based thereon. Others rely on near field chip (RFID) identification of objects, or on identification of audio streams (e.g., music, voice). Some of the detailed technologies concern improvements to the user interfaces associated with such devices. Others involve use of these devices in connection with shopping, text entry, sign language interpretation, and vision-based discovery. Still other improvements are architectural in nature, e.g., relating to evidence-based state machines, and blackboard systems. Yet other technologies concern use of linked data in portable devices—some of which exploit GPU capabilities. Still other technologies concern computational photography. A great variety of other features and arrangements are also detailed.
US09183576B2
A method and system for providing a content object is disclosed with an in-stream ad unit inserted into the content object for a content object player. The content object is audio and/or video. The processed content object is downloaded or streamed to the content object player. A method for content insertion is provided. In this method, a first media data is received from a server and a placement request is transmitted to a content provider service. As a result, a placement response is received from the content provider service. The placement response includes data identifying a second media data associated with the first media data. The second media data is retrieved and merged with the first media data. After the merge, the first and second media data are transmitted to the server.
US09183575B2
Methods, apparatuses and systems for calculating an amount to be billed in respect of running an out-of-home advertisement during a period of time.
US09183571B2
A mobile computing device includes a processor, a display coupled to the processor, a memory coupled to the processor and configured to store user-specific data, and a location-determining circuit configured to determine the location of the portable electronic device. The processor is configured to provide advertisement data on the display based upon the location of the portable electronic device and the user-specific data.
US09183563B2
A questionnaire is presented to a user in a more efficient manner in which the user is more likely to participate. The questionnaire is sent electronically to the user's vehicle and presented audibly to the user. The user responds audibly to the questions in the questionnaire. The user's responses are converted to text and sent back to the provider server for tallying.
US09183556B2
A display control apparatus that can display a video includes an inputting unit configured to input the video, a designation unit configured to designate an area in the video, a detection unit configured to detect that a coordinate in the designated area of the video has been pointed, and a display control unit configured to control a display size of a predetermined area in the video in such a manner that the display size of the predetermined area is larger when the detection unit detects that the coordinate in the designated area has been pointed than when the detection unit does not detect any pointing of the coordinate in the designated area.
US09183547B2
A facility for replicating offline scheduling transactions directed to a server is provided. The facility is implemented as a client-side application that integrates with and utilizes components of a store-and-forward application, which is operable to execute on a client to guarantee that transactions submitted on the client are replicated and carried out on a service hosted on a remote server even in light of intermittent connectivity between the client, the server, and networks. Records describing transactions intended remote service are written to an outbox of the store-and-forward application on the client. If the item is intended for the scheduling application, the facility is invoked by the store-and-forward application to send the item to the scheduling application. Otherwise, the facility returns the item to the outbox for processing by other components of the store-and-forward application.
US09183542B2
A system may include identification of a relation between a standards-compliant groupware object and one or more sequentially-updated content items, and creation of the groupware object. The groupware object may include a first Uniform Resource Identifier for subscribing a feed reader of a client device to a channel including the one or more sequentially-updated content items, and a second Uniform Resource Identifier to access a copy of the one or more sequentially-updated content items stored on the client device.
US09183540B2
A mobile computing platform for a mobile device, which has an interface for a remote connection to a backend server, includes a mobile analytics engine. The mobile analytics engine is configured to implement a mobile analytics model, which defines data, query and report structures for analytics of business data stored on the backend server. The mobile analytics engine uses model metadata to provide a generic reporting and analytics interface to support diverse mobile business analytics applications.
US09183531B2
In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a computer-implemented method that includes at least the following steps of: periodically receiving investment transactional data identifying investment transactions of a plurality of investors; automatically determining, based on the investment transactional data, a document to be mailed to each investor of the plurality of investors; automatically generating a delivery data for each mailing to be mailed to each investor of the plurality of investors, where the delivery data includes: bucslip data or trade confirmation data, assembling data, and unique production control bar code data generated based on the assembling data and an investment transaction identifier from the investment transactional data; and printing a unique production control bar code based on the unique production control bar code data, where the unique production control bar code is configured to be used for: assembling each mailing envelope, and tracking such mailing envelope.
US09183527B1
One aspect provides a method of generating an infrastructure analysis report, including: accessing infrastructure data stored in a database relating to one or more fluid conveyance infrastructure assets, wherein the infrastructure data is one or more of sensed data, contextual data and institutional knowledge data; and generating an analysis report based on a failure risk and consequence analysis of the one or more fluid conveyance infrastructure assets. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US09183521B2
A statistical inventory management system may optimize inventory investment using historical usage and/or consumption of an inventory component by determining one or more target inventory levels (e.g., replenishment levels). Historical usage data may be summed for a plurality of at least partially non-overlapping time periods that may be each equal in duration to a supplier lead-time period for the component to create lead-time usage data. The lead-time usage data may be utilized to more accurately determine future inventory levels (e.g., target inventory levels) because the lead-time usage data may have a reduced variance compared to, for example, day-to-day usage. The inventory management system may be employable by a computing system having a display module (e.g., GUI) that allows a user to receive at least one graphical representation indicative of at least one target inventory level of at least one inventory component (e.g., by selectively interacting with the display module).
US09183518B2
Disclosed is a fault prediction system and method that uses non-fatal event data received from a terminal to make predictions concerning future fatal faults for the terminal and to schedule a predicted service call. A complex fault pattern associated with a fault is applied to the non-fatal event data to predict the fault. A corrective action is provided for each predicted fault and historical data is used to predict a time to the predicted fault to govern the type of service response to create to prevent the fault.
US09183513B2
A system and method for the aggregation, standardization and extension of social networking contacts to enhance a television consumer experience are described. An embodiment of a system includes a device connected to one or more devices with social networking technology. The device is accessed by a user to invite one or more contacts to join an aggregated social network via an aggregated social networking contact list. The aggregated social networking contact list is to include all contacts associated with the one or more social networking technology devices. The device is to receive and store aggregated social network content and to receive main content. The device is to cause the display of the stored aggregated social network content overlayed on the main content via a user interface on a display device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09183507B1
A user may store content in a data store that includes multiple repositories corresponding to one or more categories, where each of the repositories may include one or more containers for content storage. An inference application may be configured to automatically save the content to a location within the one or more containers of the repository. For example, the inference application may be configured to detect content to be saved for a user. The inference application may analyze one or more attributes of the user and the content to infer a repository category to which the content is related, and determine a confidence level associated with the inferred repository category. In response to a determination that the confidence level is above a threshold, the content may be automatically saved to a determined location within one or more containers of a repository corresponding to the inferred repository category.
US09183502B2
A rule input to generate a rule is received. The rule provides an action for an event. A content experience engine generates the rule for a set of content. The content experience engine receives an interaction input based upon the set of content from the content experience configuration. The content experience engine generates an enhanced set of content based upon the rule and the interaction input.
US09183498B2
A health and fitness management system is provided that has a health and fitness application operating, e.g., on a smart phone, that can wirelessly communicate with an activity module worn on the user which has an accelerometer. The application accepts food and weight inputs (e.g., from the smart phone) and user activity units (e.g., from the activity unit) and develops a user intrinsic metabolism. The application includes fitness arc and health quotient graphical indicators that guide the user on health and fitness activities.
US09183497B2
A recommender system uses an activity decision tree to model the changes in a user's behavior according to a plurality of time-related features. The system determines historical activities for the user, and generates a decision tree for the user's historical activities. Each leaf node of the decision tree is associated with an activity-prediction model that computes a probability for a corresponding activity. The system selects a path of the decision tree from a root node to a leaf node of the decision tree based on a target time. The selected path traverses two or more non-leaf nodes that are each associated with a temporal decision model that compares the target time against a temporal classifier. The system then determines a probability for a user activity based on an activity-prediction model of the selected path.
US09183495B2
A neural system comprises multiple neurons interconnected via synapse devices. Each neuron integrates input signals arriving on its dendrite, generates a spike in response to the integrated input signals exceeding a threshold, and sends the spike to the interconnected neurons via its axon. The system further includes multiple noruens, each noruen is interconnected via the interconnect network with those neurons that the noruen's corresponding neuron sends its axon to. Each noruen integrates input spikes from connected spiking neurons and generates a spike in response to the integrated input spikes exceeding a threshold. There can be one noruen for every corresponding neuron. For a first neuron connected via its axon via a synapse to dendrite of a second neuron, a noruen corresponding to the second neuron is connected via its axon through the same synapse to dendrite of the noruen corresponding to the first neuron.
US09183482B2
Devices, methods, and systems comprising one or more shielding elements repositionable, e.g., slidably disposed, along a structure, e.g., a stylus, the structure further comprising a set of one or more radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, where the one or more shielding elements effect the radio frequency (RF) transmissibility of the set of one or more RFID tags, and a computing device comprising a processor, where the processor is configured to determine an association of a set of received one or more RFID tags with a unique identifier.
US09183481B2
An RFID transponder in one embodiment comprises a radio frequency (RF) transceiver, processing logic coupled to the RF transceiver, a switch coupled to the processing logic, a tunneling device coupled to the switch and a differential sensing circuit having a first input coupled to the tunneling device and a second input coupled to a predetermined reference voltage. In one embodiment, the tunneling device can discharge to a voltage below the predetermined reference voltage.
US09183478B2
An image formation apparatus includes: a tray selection unit configured, based on print size information designated in print data, to select one of medium trays; an edit region setup unit configured, when the size of the print medium in the selected medium tray is different from print medium corresponding to the designated print medium size, to analyze the print data based on an orientation of the print medium in the selected medium tray and to set an edit region of the print data; a drawing unit configured, on the basis of the print data and the edit region, to create image data within the edit region; and an image formation unit configured to print the image data on the print medium fed from the selected medium tray.
US09183475B2
An image processing apparatus acquires monochrome image data and, for a pattern of each parameter, converts the acquired monochrome image data into intermediate image data. The intermediate image data is expressed in a set of signal values of a plurality of color elements.
US09183474B2
An image-forming apparatus that generates print image data for a printing apparatus including a printing unit for each color, on which, as the printing unit, at least a low-resolution printing unit having a relatively low resolution and a high-resolution printing unit having a relatively high resolution are mounted, includes: a color conversion processing unit that converts colors of an original image into color data for the printing apparatus; a rasterizing unit that generates data about a shape corresponding to a resolution of the printing unit from the original image; and an adjustment processing unit that generates overwriting image data about an overwriting-side object by synthesizing the color data generated by the color conversion processing unit and the data relating to the shape generated by the rasterizing unit, and generates the print image data by performing an overwriting process of overwriting base image data with the overwriting image data.
US09183450B2
An inspection apparatus and method are provided, wherein even when an image that cannot be processed by a current image processing algorithm is input to an image processing unit while a working line is in operation, the inspection can be continued by newly generating an image processing algorithm optimized in keeping with a particular image. The apparatus includes an erroneous recognition detector, a teacher data generator and a switching unit for switching the current image processing algorithm to a new image processing algorithm generated based on an updated teacher data group. As a result, the inspection can be continued without extremely decreasing the accuracy even when an unexpected image is input to the working line.
US09183444B2
An information processing apparatus that executes processing for creating an environmental map includes a camera that photographs an image, a self-position detecting unit that detects a position and a posture of the camera on the basis of the image, an image-recognition processing unit that detects an object from the image, a data constructing unit that is inputted with information concerning the position and the posture of the camera and information concerning the object and executes processing for creating or updating the environmental map, and a dictionary-data storing unit storing dictionary data in which object information is registered. The image-recognition processing unit executes processing for detecting an object from the image with reference to the dictionary data. The data constructing unit applies the three-dimensional shape data to the environmental map and executes object arrangement on the environmental map.
US09183440B2
The invention relates to a method for identification on the basis of biometric data of an iris of an eye to be identified, including the steps of: encoding an image of the iris to be identified and a second iris image so as to obtain binary codes that are representative of the images to be compared; determining a binary similarity code from the binary code of the image of the iris to be identified and the second binary code of the second iris image; determining a confidence score on the basis of the local densities of similarities between the two compared iris images, as well as on the basis of the binary similarity code, the local similarity densities being in turn determined on the basis of the binary similarity code; and deciding, depending on the value of the confidence score, whether or not the two iris images are from the same iris. The invention also relates to a system suitable for implementing the identification method.
US09183439B2
A method for detecting outlines for iris comparison comprises a step of selecting N candidate outlines of circular form by applying a circle search technique to an image of edges of an iris. It also comprises a step of optimizing the form and the position of the N candidate outlines, the optimized candidate outlines being determined by using parametric models, a set of parameters being determined for each candidate outline by minimizing a quantity of energy E(C). The method also comprises a step of selecting the best optimized candidate outline.
US09183424B2
An RFID reader is provided that includes an antenna array comprising multiple antenna elements circumferentially distributed around a longitudinal axis of the antenna array. Each antenna element includes multiple patch elements disposed above one or more underlying substrates, wherein the patch elements of each antenna element are disposed on an outer side of the antenna element. Further, one or more of the antenna elements is an asymmetric antenna element, wherein a first end of the asymmetric antenna element is wider than a second, opposite end of the asymmetric antenna element, wherein a first patch element disposed proximate to the first end of the asymmetric antenna element is larger than a second patch element disposed proximate to the second end of the asymmetric antenna element, and wherein a resonant frequency associated with the first patch element is approximately the same as a resonant frequency associated with the second patch element.
US09183423B2
A drive over stand for a TAG reader has a lead-on ramped surface and an exit-off ramped surface aligned and operative to intercept and engage the vehicle tire as the vehicle tire traverses over the upper surface of the stand. One or more pockets are disposed within the stand base, each receiving an antenna assembly. The antenna assembly is positioned within the pocket of the base, seated at a tilt angle operative to direct a read field toward a vehicle approach path to the stand.
US09183421B2
A testing configuration for testing a security document includes a security element, having a high-coercivity magnetic material and a low-coercivity magnetic material, a device comprising such a test configuration and to a relevant test method. The high- and low- coercivity magnetic materials of the security element are magnetized in a first direction by the interaction of first and second magnet pair units, and subsequently the low-coercivity magnetic material is remagnetized in a second magnetization direction by means of the second magnet pair unit. The magnet pair units are arranged with respect to one another in such a closely adjacent manner along the transport path of the security document that the first magnet field strength is greater than the magnet field strength provided by the first magnet pair unit alone and is greater than the magnet field strength provided by the second magnet pair unit alone.
US09183420B1
An apparatus comprises a tray and a reader. The tray is configured to hold a first card and a second card in a stacked configuration with contact pads on the first card and contact pads on the second card facing the same direction. The reader has a first set of contacts for engaging contact pads on the first card and a second set of contacts for engaging contact pads on the second card. The first set of contacts and the second set of contacts extend from a first side of the reader. A second side of the reader is mountable to a printed wire board.
US09183417B2
A system includes a security processing unit to monitor inputs from process, voltage and temperature sensors to maintain a security of the system. The security processing unit can operate at a determined clock frequency. A timing path detector can connect with the security processing unit. The timing path detector can monitor a condition near the security processing unit. The timing path detector can switch the clock frequency to a lower frequency before the security processing unit fails from the condition.
US09183412B2
A method of provisioning a subordinate trusted security zone in a processor having a trusted security zone. The method comprises receiving by a master trusted application executing in a master trusted security zone of the processor a request to provision a subordinate trusted security zone in the processor, wherein the request comprises a master trusted security zone key, wherein the request designates the subordinate trusted security zone, and wherein the request defines an independent key. The method further comprises provisioning by the master trusted application the subordinate trusted security zone to be accessible based on the independent key.
US09183411B2
A decentralized multi-authority functional encryption according to which the security of the whole system does not depend on a single party. Among a plurality of key generation devices, arbitrary one key generation device generates gparam, and each key generation device generates an authority public key and an authority secret key based on gparam. At least some key generation devices among the plurality of key generation devices generate a part of a decryption key of the user based on the authority secret key ask. The user forms one decryption by putting together the decryption keys generated by at least some of the key generation devices, and decrypts a ciphertext.
US09183408B2
The present invention provides an information monitoring apparatus and an information monitoring method which make it possible to prevent personal information from being acquired by a disclosure requester for the purpose of an unfair use thereof. The information monitoring apparatus includes: a means for storing therein acquired attribute information corresponding to at least one acquired attribute which has already been acquired by an acquisitor, a means for, on the basis of the acquired attribute information and disclosed attribute information corresponding to a disclosed attribute targeted for disclosure to the acquisitor, determining whether or not attribute synthetic information resulting from synthesizing the acquired attribute and the disclosed attribute satisfies each of predetermined one or more determination conditions, and a means for executing predetermined protection processing on an attribute on the basis of the result of the determination.
US09183405B1
A method, apparatus, and manufacture for content protection for HTML media elements is provided. A client media player is employed to determine whether media content is protected. The client media player includes an application, and further includes a media engine that is a distinct program from the application. Upon determining that the media content is protected, the application is employed to get a key and/or a license for the protected media content. The application is employed to instruct the media engine to play the media content. The key and/or the license is sent from the application to the media engine.
US09183402B2
A computing system includes a first central processing unit (CPU) and a second CPU coupled with the first CPU and with a host processor. In response to a request by the host processor to boot the second CPU, the first CPU is configured to execute secure booting of the second CPU by decrypting encrypted code to generate decrypted code executable by the second CPU but that is inaccessible by the host processor.
US09183399B2
A method and circuit arrangement utilize secure clear instructions defined in an instruction set architecture (ISA) for a processing unit to clear, overwrite or otherwise restrict unauthorized access to the internal architected state of the processing unit in association with context switch operations. The secure clear instructions are executable by a hypervisor, operating system, or other supervisory program code in connection with a context switch operation, and the processing unit includes security logic that is responsive to such instructions to restrict access by an operating system or process associated with an incoming context to architected state information associated with an operating system or process associated with an outgoing context.
US09183398B2
The disclosure relates to rendering content on a display. An embodiment creates a plurality of sessions between the display and a content delineating device, determines, by the content delineating device, a sensitivity level of content, and renders content having a first sensitivity level in a first session and content having a second sensitivity level in a second session.
US09183372B2
A mobile terminal for receiving a message and a control method thereof are provided. The mobile terminal includes: a wireless communication unit configured to receive at least one of authentication information and a message from an external electronic device; an authenticating unit configured to perform user authentication by using the authentication information received from the electronic device; and a controller configured to perform a control operation in response to a control command included in the received message when the user authentication is performed, and transmit a message indicating the result of performing the control operation to the electronic device.
US09183369B2
A method and system for managing a computer user, comprising initiating a user session for the computer user based on user data stored in one partition on a removable computer readable medium. The user data is associated with a user ID, and the user ID is stored on a second partition of the removable computer readable medium. The user ID is used to identify the user data to the computer user. The computer user is authenticated as being associated with the user data based in part on the user ID. Also described is an article of manufacture for creating a partition on a removable computer readable medium for storing user data and associating it with a second partition storing an associated user ID on the removable computer readable medium.
US09183366B2
Requests for access to Web service resources are evaluated based on the type of request that is received. Requests are not granted unless sufficient proof of authentication is provided to grant that request. An authentication service evaluates one or more factors to determine whether or not to authenticate the client. After being authenticated by the authentication service, proof of authentication is provided to the Web service, which grants access to the Web service resource.
US09183364B2
A device possessing a secure multifunctional authentication service integrated with data storage capability, wherein the device is a multifunctional intelligent peripheral or accessory device, which, upon implementation into a system, is disposed to control a set of transactions that the system is designated to perform by the device, in conjunction with a data transfer medium which is under the control of the device.
US09183361B2
Techniques for resource access authorization are described. In one or more implementations, an application identifier is used to control access to user resources by an application. A determination is made whether to allow the application to access the user resources by comparing an application identifier received from an authorization service with a system application identifier for the application obtained from a computing device on which the application is executing.
US09183356B2
A method and apparatus for providing biometric information are provided. The method includes measuring biometric information corresponding to at least one body part of a user; processing the biometric information based on at least one of a type of the biometric information and a type of the body part; and displaying the processed biometric information over at least one of image data obtained by photographing the body part and the body part.
US09183352B2
A method, a system and an arrangement for predicting at least one system event and a corresponding computer program and a corresponding computer-readable storage medium are configured so that it is possible to predict a system event based on trends in observables over a certain period of time prior to the event occurring. One example of a system event is the failure of a system because the abnormal behavior of a component is reflected in irregularities in one or a plurality of observables. Another example of a system event is the early recognition or pre-acute prediction of a specific critical condition of a patient.
US09183330B2
Aspects of the invention relate to techniques for estimating power and thermal profiles for an integrated circuit design. With various implementations of the invention, a group of devices is identified in a netlist based on information of the group of devices. The netlist may be a schematic netlist or a layout netlist extracted from a layout design. Power consumption information for the group of devices is determined based on device parameters for the group of devices and a lookup table. The determined power consumption information is then associated with layout location information. A thermal profile may then be estimated based on the power consumption information.
US09183304B2
An efficient fact checking system analyzes and determines the factual accuracy of information and/or characterizes the information by comparing the information with source information. The efficient fact checking system automatically monitors information, processes the information, fact checks the information efficiently and/or provides a status of the information.
US09183276B2
According to one embodiment, an electronics device generates first and second index information, the first index information including codes of character strings corresponding to strokes, the second index information including characteristic quantity of strokes. The device executes at least either one of a first search and a second search, according to character string likelihood of first strokes which is a search key. The first search is performed by using the second index information and characteristic quantity of the first strokes. The second search is performed by using the first index information and a code of a character string corresponding to the first strokes.
US09183271B2
Embodiments of the present invention include systems and methods for insuring better query consistency between at least two different databases, where one faster database has more up-to-date information than another slower database, and wherein updates are typically applied to the faster database first and then to the slower database. In embodiments, the systems and methods also insure that a query to the slower database is not performed until a set of one or more updates from the faster database have been applied to that slower database.
US09183269B1
Some embodiments provide a non transitory computer readable medium that stores a program, which when executed by at least one processing unit, defines a federated multidimensional data storage (MDDS) cube. The program includes sets of instructions that define (1) a first data source view (DSV) to derive data from a first data storage in an MDDS system, (2) a set of dimensions to derive data from the first DSV, (3) a second DSV to derive data from a second data storage in the MDDS system, and (4) an MDDS cube to derive data from the set of dimensions and the second DSV.
US09183253B2
A system for evolutionary analytics supports three dimensions (analytical workflows, the users, and the data) by rewriting workflows to be more efficient by using answers materialized as part of previous workflow execution runs in the system.
US09183251B1
Implementations of the present disclosure include actions of receiving authoritative user data, the authoritative user data associating one or more queries with one or more authoritative users, processing the authoritative user data to identify one or more trigger queries, each trigger query including a query that, if received, triggers a display of one or more authoritative users in response, and storing the one or more trigger queries in a trigger queries database, each trigger query being associated with a first set of authoritative users, each authoritative user in the first set of authoritative users being associated with a first score relating to a particular trigger query.
US09183250B2
A search query is resolved prior to being submitted to one or more search engines. The query is resolved such that the query unambiguously corresponds to a category included in a query ontology that relates search queries to query categories. The query may be resolved by supplementing the query with additional information corresponding to the category. For example, the query may be formatted into a canonical form of the query for the category. Alternatively or additionally, the query may be supplemented with one or more keywords that are associated with the category and that represent words or phrases that appear in a high percentage of search results for queries from the category. Resolving the query yields search results that more closely reflect search results desired by a user submitting the query.
US09183248B2
An object configuration module for configuring an object retrieves a view object associated with a user from a database. The view object may comprise a plurality of attributes. The object configuration module may further retrieve configuration information for the view object from the database. The configuration information may comprise properties of the attributes, and the properties may be customized by the user for the view object. The object configuration module may then set the properties for each of the attributes based on the retrieved configuration information.
US09183247B2
Systems and methods are provided for selecting invitational content for users based on their short-term and their long-term features. In operation, responsive to a request from a user terminal for a content package a journal of events associated with a user. Thereafter, short-term and long-term features in the journal are identified and tagged with pre-defined tags indicating a type of content associated with the patterns. The tags are then used to select invitational content by selecting content based on tags for the identified short-term features associated with a threshold level of activity or tags for the identified long-term features.
US09183234B2
At runtime first and second cost functions associated with a request for a merge of a main partition of a table with a delta partition of the table can be calculated. The first and second cost functions can respectively quantify an urgency of the merge relative to availability of system resources required to perform the merge and an urgency of the merge relative to other merges. Determining whether the merge should occur can include comparing the calculated first and second cost functions with calculations of other first and second cost functions for other merge requests of one or more other tables. If the merge should occur, a merge thread can be assigned to execute the merge, and execution of the merge by the merge thread can be commenced if at least one merge token representing system resources usable for merge operations is available.
US09183227B2
Cross-media similarity measures through trans-media pseudo-relevance feedback and document reranking
A multimedia information retrieval system includes a storage and an electronic processing device. The latter is configured to perform a process including: computing values of a pairwise similarity measure quantifying pairwise similarity of documents of a multimedia reference repository; storing the computed values in the storage; performing an initial information retrieval process respective to the multimedia reference repository to return a set of initial repository documents; and identifying a set of top ranked documents of the multimedia reference repository based at least on the stored computed values pertaining to the set of initial repository documents.
US09183213B2
Several embodiments using indirection objects to organize data in a cloud storage system are disclosed. An indirection object stores associations to different variants or segments of an object. The indirection object receives requests for the objects and responds with the appropriate variant, segment, or segments of the object. The variant, segment, or segments returned may vary from request to request.
US09183212B2
Techniques for representing directory structure in content-addressable storage systems are provided. A directory structure of a file system is represented using a plurality of chunks in a content-addressable storage system. The directory structure includes a set of objects arranged in an object hierarchy. The set of objects includes a particular directory that has, within the object hierarchy, a set of child objects. The plurality of chunks includes a directory object chunk for the particular directory. The plurality of chunks further includes a particular set of child object chunks. The particular set of child object chunks are object chunks for each child object in the set of child objects. The plurality of chunks further includes at least one hash set chunk with hash values for object chunks in the particular set of child object chunks.
US09183205B1
Various systems and methods for creating a user-based backup. For example, one method can involve receiving a request to perform a backup operation. The request includes information that identifies a user. The method also involves selecting a set of data objects based on detecting that the set of data objects is associated with the user. The set of data objects is a subset of the objects stored on one or more storage devices. The generated user-based backup will include only the data objects in the set, that is, only data objects that are associated with the user identified in the request to perform the backup operation.
US09183201B1
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for process data. In some embodiments, this includes receiving a desired sample size from a user, increasing the desired sample size based on a policy, using the increased desired sample size to determine a number of samples to take from a database segment, wherein the database segment includes a portion of a dataset, generating a sub-dataset based on the determined number of samples to take from the database segment, wherein the sub-dataset only includes identifiers, joining the generated sub-dataset with the dataset, and storing the joined dataset in a storage device.
US09183199B2
A communication device for a multiple language translation system is disclosed. The communication device allows users to communicate with others using their own preferred language and the communication device provides a translation for each user in their preferred language. The communication device comprises a wireless transceiver for communicating with other users, networks, and the Internet. Operation switches are provided for controlling operation of the communication device. Signal indicators visually show status or conditions. A user hears the translation via an earphone or sees the translation on a display. A remote control allows the communication device to be controlled remotely.
US09183196B1
A language processing system uses annotation services that are external to the language processing system to identify n-grams that identify entities in an input sentence. The n-grams are annotated by the annotation services. The annotations are used to determine which n-grams, if any, correspond to instances of an entity type (e.g., values for a variable or terminals for a non-terminal). After determining which n-grams correspond to entity types, parse initializations are generated for parsing rules and parses for each rule are attempted. The rules that successfully parse are used to determine whether the input sentence invokes a specific action, and if so, what arguments are to be passed to the invocation of the action.
US09183193B2
A system and method for representing a textual document based on the occurrence of repeats are disclosed. The system includes a sequence generator which defines a sequence representing words forming a collection of documents. A repeat calculator identifies a set of repeats within the sequence, the set of repeats comprising subsequences of the sequence which each occur more than once. A representation generator generates a representation for at least one document in the collection of documents based on occurrence, in the document, of repeats from the set of repeats.
US09183171B2
Methods and apparatus relating to fast deskew when exiting a low-power partial-width high speed link state are described. In one embodiment, an exit flit on active lanes and/or a wake signal/sequence on idle lanes may be transmitted at a first point in time to cause one or more idle lanes of a link to enter an active state. At a second point in time (following or otherwise subsequent to the first point in time), training sequences are transmitted over the one or more idle lanes of the link. And, the one or more idle lanes are deskewed in response to the training sequences and prior to a third point in time (following or otherwise subsequent to the second point in time). Other embodiments are also disclosed and claimed.
US09183165B2
A computer program product is provided and includes a tangible storage medium readable by a processing circuit and storing instructions for execution by the processing circuit for detecting connections of two or more input/output (I/O) adapters, each of the two or more I/O adapters having one or more solid state devices (SSDs) connected thereto, and presenting a storage class memory address space for all of the connected SSDs that is independent of connections and disconnections between each of the one or more SSDs and each of the two or more I/O adapters and the processing unit.
US09183160B2
An integrated circuit card including a processor unit associated with RAM and with data exchange means for exchanging data with an external device, the RAM including a memory zone dedicated to exchanged data, and the processor unit being arranged to secure the dedicated memory zone and to store the exchanged data in said zone, and a method of managing the RAM of such a card.
US09183159B2
According to one embodiment, a authentication method comprising: generating a second key by the first key, the first key being stored in a memory and being prohibited from being read from outside; generating a session key by the second key; generating first authentication information, the secret identification information stored in a memory and being prohibited from being read from outside; transmitting encrypted secret identification information to an external device and receiving second authentication information from the external device, the encrypted secret identification information stored in a memory and readable, the second authentication information generated based on the encrypted secret identification information; and determining whether the first authentication information and the second authentication information match.
US09183143B2
According to the embodiments, a memory device includes a memory to which data is written using memory cells as a write unit and a controller which controls the memory. In response to a request to write data with a logical address to the memory from a host device, the controller requests the host device to transmit a segment of the write data with a size specified by the controller. The controller writes the write data with additional data to the memory. The write-data segment has a size determined to allow the combined size of the write-data segment and corresponding additional data to be the largest while smaller than the size of the write unit or has a multiple integral of the size.
US09183139B2
A mainboard includes a selecting module, a calculating module, and a backup module. The selecting module selects a highest backup sequence group. The calculating module checks whether current backup time arrives, and calculates memory space of partitions belonging to the highest backup sequence group when the current backup time arrives. The backup module checks whether residual space in a first flash is enough according to the calculated memory space, and backs up the partitions belonging to the highest backup sequence group originally in a second flash to the first flash if the residual space in the first flash is enough. A method of the mainboard backing up of a baseboard management controller is also provided, which provides backing up for the baseboard management controller.
US09183125B2
A method is provided for sampling a data strobe signal of a memory cycle and determining a receiver enable phase based upon the data strobe signal. The method also includes performing a memory write cycle and a subsequent read cycle and training a read data strobe cycle at a one-quarter memory clock periodic offset. The method also includes determining a correct receiver enable delay in response to a successful read data strobe training cycle. Computer readable storage media are also provided. An apparatus is provided that includes a communication interface portion that is coupled to a memory portion and to a processing device. The apparatus also includes a first circuit portion, coupled to the communication interface portion. The first circuit portion monitors memory cycles on the communication interface portion, determines a receiver enable cycle phase and train a receiver enable cycle without using receiver enable seed.
US09183123B2
A method to perform performance tests on an application in a continuous deployment pipeline is provided herein. The method identifies code changes are two distinct builds in a performance test environment. The method obtains a baseline test result by executing a set of customized test scripts on a baseline build with a first code base. The method similarly tests the new build by executing the set of customized test scripts on the new build with a second code base to obtain a new test result. Performance values are determined by comparing the baseline test result and the new test result.
US09183120B1
A device may store dependency information for a group of software components provided by a technical computing environment. The group of software components may include a first software component and a second software component and may identify the second software component as being a dependent software component of the first software component. The device may obtain an application generated via the technical computing environment and may determine that the application invokes the first software component. The device may access the dependency information based on the application invoking the first software component and may determine that the first software component invokes the second software component based on the dependency information. The device may generate a deployable form of the application that allows the application to run in another computing environment.
US09183111B2
Provided are methods and computer program products for collecting storage resource performance data using file system hooks. Methods may include determining a location for a function dispatch table, and modifying the function dispatch table to redirect a request for an operation. In response to a received request for the operation, an intent to perform the operation is recorded to estimate an operational queue length, and data associated with the operation is recorded in a hash table. In response to recording data associated with the operation, a function corresponding to the operation to perform the operation is invoked. Elapsed time and storage size is recorded.
US09183107B2
One embodiment is directed to a method for processing a stream of tuples in a stream-based application. A stream operator may receive a stream of tuples. A stream manager may determine whether a dynamic connection exists at a first stream operator. The dynamic connection may connect the first stream operator to a second stream operator. The stream manager may poll the first stream operator and the second stream operator for a presence of the dynamic connection. The stream manager may modify processing of one or more upstream stream operators in response to a change in use of the dynamic connection.
US09183101B2
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems include a first virtual infrastructure management (VIM) server monitoring a first host device to determine if the first host device receives one or more messages within an interval of time from a first storage device indicating a failure of one or more logical disks within the first storage device. The first VIM server manages a first virtual datacenter including the first host device and the first storage device. A second VIM server manages a second virtual datacenter including a second host device and a second storage device. The logical disk is replicated on the second storage device. The first VIM server determines, that a plurality of virtual machines running on the first host device is dependent upon the logical disk(s). The first VIM server performs, in response to the dependency upon the logical disk, a failover of the virtual machines to the second host device.
US09183099B2
Exemplary methods, apparatuses, and systems include a first host system configuring storage of the first host to serve as a primary cache for a virtual machine running on the first host. A second host system configures storage of the second host to serve as a secondary cache and boots a placeholder virtual machine. The first host transmits, in response to write operations from the virtual machine directed to the primary cache, copies of the write operations to the second host to create mirrored copies on the secondary cache. The first host acknowledges each write operation from the virtual machine when the write operation is committed to both the primary cache and the secondary cache. When the virtual machine is restarted on the second host in response to a failure or migration event, the secondary cache is promoted to serve as a new primary cache for the virtual machine.
US09183091B2
According to one configuration, a memory system includes a configuration manager and multiple memory devices. The configuration manager includes status detection logic, retrieval logic, and configuration management logic. The status detection logic receives notification of a failed attempt by a first memory device to be initialized with custom configuration settings stored in the first memory device. In response to the notification, the retrieval logic retrieves a backup copy of configuration settings information from a second memory device in the memory system. The configuration management logic utilizes the backup copy of the configuration settings information retrieved from the second memory device to initialize the first memory device.
US09183090B2
In accordance with disclosed embodiments, there are provided methods, systems, and apparatuses for implementing a streaming platform IO pump and regulator including, for example, means for executing an application at the computing device; requesting data for the application from a second computing device communicably interfaced with the first computing device via a public Internet; calculating an estimated arrival time for the data to be returned from the second computing device; determining the data fails to arrive within the estimated arrival time calculated; initiating a new connection to the second computing device; and re-sending the request for the data for the application to the second computing device via the new connection. Other related embodiments are disclosed.
US09183089B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium for hybrid kernel-mode and user-mode checkpointing of multi-process applications using a character device. The computer readable medium includes computer-executable instructions for execution by a processing system. A multi-process application runs on primary hosts and is checkpointed by a checkpointer comprised of a kernel-mode checkpointer module and one or more user-space interceptors providing barrier synchronization, checkpointing thread, resource flushing, and an application virtualization space. Checkpoints may be written to storage and the application restored from said stored checkpoint at a later time. Checkpointing is transparent to the application and requires no modification to the application, operating system, networking stack or libraries. In an alternate embodiment the kernel-mode checkpointer is built into the kernel.
US09183079B2
A transmission system may include a transformer, an adder, an encoder, and a transmitter. The transformer may segment and transform a data packet into segments. The adder may add a check code to each of the segments. The encoder may encode error correction to each of the segments with the added check code. A receiving system may include a receiver, a decoder, a checker, and a selector decoder. The decoder may decode error correction in each of the encoded segments. The checker may check the check code of the error corrected segments. The selector decoder may select at least one of the valid segments based upon the check code and transform the selected segments into a data packet.
US09183070B2
In an embodiment, a block of memory cells is rested in response to the block of memory cells being deemed to fail. For some embodiments, a rested block may be selected for use in response to passing an operation. In other embodiments, a rested block may be rested again or may be permanently retired from further use in response to failing the operation.
US09183063B2
An active memory system includes a computer and an active memory device including layers of memory forming a three-dimensional memory device and individual columns of chips forming vaults in communication with a processing element and logic. The processing element is configured to communicate to the chips and other processing elements. The active memory system also includes a compiler configured to implement a method. The method includes dividing a power budget for the active memory device into a discrete number of power tokens, each of the power tokens having an equal value of units of power. The method also includes determining a power requirement for executing a code segment on the processing element of the active memory device based on characteristics of the processing element and the code segment. The method further includes allocating, to the processing element at runtime, one or more power tokens to satisfy the power requirement.
US09183049B1
A transcoding service is described that is capable of transcoding or otherwise processing content, such as video, audio or multimedia content, by utilizing one or more pipelines. A pipeline can enable a user to submit transcoding jobs (or other processing jobs) into an available pipeline, where a transcoding service (or other such service) assigns one or more computing resources to process the jobs received to each pipeline. The transcoding service and the pipelines can be provided by at least one service provider (e.g., a cloud computing provider) or other such entity to a plurality of customers. A service provider can also provide the computing resources (e.g., servers, virtual machines, etc.) used to process the transcoding jobs from the pipelines.
US09183037B2
Various techniques for automatically administering software systems using composites of atomic operations are disclosed. One method, which can be performed by an automation server, involves accessing information representing an activity that includes a first operation and a second operation. The information indicates that the second operation processes a value that is generated by the first operation. The method generates a sequence number as well as an output structure, which associates the sequence number with an output value generated by the first operation, and an input structure, which associates the sequence number with an input value consumed by the second operation. The method sends a message, via a network, to an automation agent implemented on a computing device. The computing device implements a software target of the first operation. The message includes information identifying the first operation as well as the output structure.
US09183033B2
According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for analyzing root causes applies an application-level dependency discovery and anomaly detection to find application-level dependencies in one or more virtual machines (VMs), and generate an application-level topology with anomaly, and then transfers the application-level topology with anomaly to a VM-level dependency, and transfers the VM-level dependency to a physical machine level (PM-level) dependency via a physical and virtual resource mapping, and eventually generates a group of event sets. A prioritized event list is generated by prioritizing the group of event sets.
US09183027B2
Processing within a computing environment that supports pageable guests is facilitated. Processing is facilitated in many ways, including, but not limited to, associating guest and host state information with guest blocks of storage; maintaining the state information in control blocks in host memory; enabling the changing of states; and using the state information in management decisions. In one particular example, the guest state includes an indication of usefulness and importance of memory contents to the guest, and the host state reflects the ease of access to memory contents. The host and guest state information is used in managing memory of the host and/or guests.
US09183019B2
Technologies are generally provided for optimizing virtual machine performances at a datacenter and managing sudden resource demand changes by co-residing applications on same virtual machines through a flexible resource demand certification approach. A flexible resource demand certificate may be generated for applications including predetermined operating compilation architectures that run well but have different resource demands. A Just-In-Time (JIT) compiler may be directed to selected target settings for a combination of operational parameter settings such that the co-residing applications can share resources without overloading system resources. Applications to be migrated to a new datacenter or a new virtual machine at a datacenter may be assigned and adjusted according to their and potential co-residing applications' certificates providing optimized resource usage.
US09183018B2
Systems and methods for executing non-native instructions in a computing system having a processor configured to execute native instructions are provided. A dynamic translator uses instruction code translation in parallel with just-in-time (JIT) compilation to execute the non-native instructions. Non-native instructions may be interpreted to generate instruction codes, which may be stored in a shadow memory. During a subsequent scheduling of a non-native instruction for execution, the corresponding instruction code may be retrieved from the shadow memory and executed, thereby avoiding reinterpreting the non-native instruction. In addition, the JIT compiler may compile instruction codes to generate native instructions, which may be made available for execution, further speeding up the execution process. A system implementing the aforementioned translator may improve performance and speed associated with executing non-native instructions by optimizing the use of instruction codes and JIT-compiled native instructions corresponding to the instruction codes when executing the non-native instructions.
US09183015B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs manage memory of a runtime environment executing on a virtual machine. A controller acts as an intermediary layer between the runtime environment and outside clients. The runtime environment coordinates with the controller to “hibernate” during idle periods to more efficiently utilize memory, and to quickly “refresh” state upon receiving an access attempt. A hypervisor may perform memory page compression on one or more guest “physical” memory pages utilized by an idle runtime environment. While hibernating, the runtime environment may use a listener thread to monitor for refresh requests and awaken the runtime environment when needed.
US09183008B2
A method for starting an application program in a Linux container and a corresponding Linux system are provided, where the method includes: creating, by a container start process, a container according to a command entered by a user, creating a first application start process, and putting the first application start process into the container for execution; obtaining, by the first application start process, according to the command entered by the user, the number N of application programs to be started, and creating N−1 second application start processes, where N is a positive integer not less than 2; and starting, in the container, by the first application start process and the N−1 second application start processes, the N application programs to be started. By using technical solutions of the present invention, when the container is created, a plurality of application programs can be started simultaneously.
US09183003B2
In general, a method performed on one or more computing systems includes receiving an indication that a control that affects an application has been activated, identifying, by the one or more computing systems in response to the indication, one or more active modes of the application that are not influenced by the control, and providing, on a display in response to identifying the one or more active modes, a graphical representation of the one or more active modes.
US09182995B2
A management device manages management information including a type and a version of a driver installed on each client device and an output destination, specifies client devices on which a driver corresponding in type to the peripheral device has been installed with reference to the management information when the driver to be utilized in the client devices is changed in accordance with the change in information of the peripheral device, extracts a client device in which the peripheral device is set as the output destination from among the specified client devices with reference to the management information, and transmits an instruction for installing a driver to be changed to the extracted client device.
US09182992B2
A method for improving performance of a pipelined microprocessor by utilizing pipeline virtual registers allows for either decreased register spillage or decreased area and power consumption of a microprocessor. The microprocessor takes advantage of register bypass logic to write short-lived values to virtual registers, which are discarded instead of being written to the register bank, thus reducing register pressure by avoiding short-lived values being written to the register bank.
US09182990B1
A system and method for detecting execution of unsupported instructions while testing multiversioned functions within software application code are disclosed. An example method includes annotating a software application's executable binary to distinguish functions that are directed to particular hardware variations. Functions with instructions that are unsupported by a simulated hardware platform variation on which the software application's annotated executable binary will run may then be detected. The contents of the detected functions may be rewritten with trap instructions. At runtime, when executing the software application on the simulated hardware platform variation running on a different physical hardware platform variation, responsive to execution of a function with instructions that are unsupported by the simulated hardware platform, terminating the software application based on the execution of the trap instructions. Execution of unsupported instructions may be detected based on the termination of the software application.
US09182988B2
Method, apparatus, and program means for performing bitstream buffer manipulation with a SIMD merge instruction. The method of one embodiment comprises determining whether any unprocessed data bits for a partial variable length symbol exist in a first data block is made. A shift merge operation is performed to merge the unprocessed data bits from the first data block with a second data block. A merged data block is formed. A merged variable length symbol comprised of the unprocessed data bits and a plurality of data bits from the second data block is extracted from the merged data block.
US09182976B2
A method for implementation by a network-connectable computing system is provided. The method includes receiving an indication of a service corresponding to a mobile device, the indication based on a user action, and transmitting at least one message to the mobile device responsive to the indication of the service. The at least one message includes an instruction for a particular application corresponding to the service to provide a status of the particular application and an instruction for a user of the mobile device to initiate contact with a network resource to access data corresponding to the particular application. Further provided is a system for managing client application enablement and operation.
US09182962B2
A method is disclosed for translating by a computer system of a COBOL computer program into a translated computer program in a readable and maintainable syntax in an object oriented programming language. The translated program including variable names equivalent to the original COBOL variable names and with attributes described in COBOL syntax. The translating method further providing for memory allocation in the translated computer program for storage of “COBOL” variables compatible with that of the original COBOL program; a description of program flow that is readable, and utilizing arithmetic operators to describe operations between COBOL variables. Also disclosed is a special object oriented run-time library for creating and performing operations between COBOL numeric objects, including maintaining storage of variable content in the original COBOL format, and for enabling readability of the translated source code by allowing arguments for variable type descriptions to be expressed in COBOL syntax.
US09182960B2
A loop distribution group detection program for causing a computer to execute a process including, converting a loop distribution target program into a test program having a cache miss measurement instruction, by dividing a loop in the loop distribution target program into plural distribution loops based on a loop distribution specification parameter, sequentially executing the test program while varying the loop distribution specification parameter, extracting loop distribution candidates, for which the number of cache misses exceeds a reference value, as a first loop distribution candidate group, and extracting loop distribution candidates with not exceeding the reference value, as a second loop distribution candidate group, and excluding loop distributions from execution target candidates for the test program, by comparing a loop distribution based on the loop distribution specification parameter with loop distributions of the loop distribution candidates in the first loop distribution candidate group.
US09182958B2
An on-chip function call aware software code profiling counter system and method is disclosed. When building software code a compiler/tool-chain can modify prologues and epilogues of functions to add instrumentation code which uniquely identifies the function. Each function included in the instrumented source code tree is assigned a unique identifier (ID) by the compiler/tool-chain. Writing a unique ID for a function to a register starts profiling for the function. The profiling is performed by a counter that counts the number of instruction cycles since the last unique ID was written to the register. When a unique ID for a next function to be profiled is written to the register, the old register value and the counter value are latched to one or more buffers and the counter is cleared to start the next count sequence for the next function to be profiled.
US09182956B2
A method for flattening conditional statements, the method comprises: obtaining a program code, the program code comprising a conditional control flow program construct, which conditional control flow program construct when read by a target processor, causes the target processor to select a control flow path for execution between at least a first and a second control flow paths, wherein said selection is based on an evaluation of a condition of the conditional control flow program construct; replacing the conditional control flow program construct with a transaction-based control flow program construct, which when read by the target processor is operative to cause the target processor to commence a transaction, the transaction configured to execute the first control flow path; and wherein the transaction-based control flow program construct is operative to cause the target processor to execute the conditional control flow program construct in case the transaction is rolled back.
US09182953B2
An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure illustrates a hybrid dynamic code compiling device having a parser, a native code generator, and a dynamic code rewriter, wherein the parser is coupled to the native code generator and the dynamic code rewriter. The parser receives and parses a first dynamic code to divide the first dynamic code into compilable blocks and non-compilable blocks. The native code generator generates a native code according to the compilable blocks. The dynamic code rewriter rewrites the non-compilable blocks to generate a second dynamic code, wherein the second dynamic code has function calls which communicate between the native code and the first dynamic code.
US09182952B2
A method includes capturing an image of a scene that includes a diagram. The method further includes applying functional block recognition rules to image data of the image to recognize functional blocks of the diagram. The functional blocks include at least a first functional block associated with a first computer operation. The method further includes determining whether the functional blocks comply with functional block syntax rules. A functional graph is computer-generated based on the functional blocks complying with the functional block syntax rules. The functional graph corresponds to the diagram, and the functional graph includes the functional blocks.
US09182950B2
A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium that stores a user interface program for developing application software using a graphical user interface (GUI) developing unit configured to cause a user to develop application software via a GUI. The user interface program causes a computer to function as a command-line user interface (CUI)-based GUI control unit configured to control the GUI developing unit via a CUI. The GUI developing unit is configured to operate in response to an input event generated by manipulation of an input device, and the CUI-based GUI control unit is configured to pseudo-generate the input event via the CUI.
US09182949B2
Systems and methods for controlling branch latency within computing applications including a development framework, a visual design subsystem, and a deployment subsystem, where at runtime the deployment subsystem is operable to implement out-of-band signaling mechanism such that components notify downstream components of accumulated branch latency so that downstream components can implement appropriate buffering techniques.
US09182934B2
In a data processing system, an output surface, such as frame to be displayed, is generated as a plurality of respective regions with each respective region of the output surface being generated from a respective region or regions of one or more input surfaces. When a new version of the output surface is to be generated 80, for each region of the output surface it is determined which region or regions of the input surface or surfaces contribute to the region of the output surface 84 and then checked whether the contributing region or regions of the input surface or surfaces have changed since the previous version of the output surface region was generated 85. If there has been a change in the contributing region or regions of the input surface or surfaces since the previous version of the region in the output surface was generated 86, the region of the output surface is regenerated 87.
US09182929B2
A computer readable medium has a browser-openable language file stored thereon. The language file includes a first description concerning a first object, a second description concerning a second object, the first and second descriptions being configured to set the first object with the second object specified as a link destination thereof and to display the second object in a display area of a browser in response to the first object being selected on the browser when the language file is opened with the browser, and a third description provided under the second description so as to display a third object with a vertical size substantially equal to or larger than a vertical size of the display area of the browser.
US09182927B2
Techniques for utilizing flash storage as an extension of hard disk (HDD) based storage are provided. In one embodiment, a computer system can store a first subset of blocks of a logical file in a first physical file residing on a flash storage tier, and a second subset of blocks of the logical file in a second physical file residing on an HDD storage tier. The computer system can then receive an I/O request directed to one or more blocks of the logical file and process the I/O request by accessing the flash storage tier or the HDD storage tier, the accessing being based on whether the one or more blocks are part of the first subset of blocks stored in the first physical file.
US09182924B2
Method and apparatus for managing data in a memory. In accordance with some embodiments, a control circuit monitors access operations upon a set of data blocks in a memory of a data storage device. The data blocks have a first logical address by which the data blocks are identified by a requestor coupled to the data storage device. When the monitored access operations indicate a potential data degradation condition may arise with the data blocks, the requestor assigns a different, second logical address to the data block.
US09182920B2
A channel activating method and a peripheral device are provided for activating a serial transmission channel to retrieve at least one firmware instruction from a host. The peripheral device includes a serial transmission port coupled to the host, a microprocessor coupled to the serial transmission port for performing functions of the peripheral device according to the firmware instruction, a memory for holding the firmware instruction, a trigger generator for generating a trigger signal by monitoring a control signal received from the host via the serial transmission port, and a signal generator, coupled to the trigger generator, for generating an indication signal to the host via the serial transmission port according to the trigger signal to activate the serial transmission channel.
US09182909B2
Embodiments provide methods, apparatuses, and articles of manufacture for arranging keys of a number keypad based on movement of another key. In various embodiments, a contact may be detected, and a key associated with the contact moved to a second location in accordance with movement of the contact. Based on the second location a second key may be arranged.
US09182889B1
While a computing device is in a limited-access state, the computing device may output for display a user interface element. Responsive to the computing device receiving an indication of a first user input at a region of a presence-sensitive input device that corresponds to at least a portion of the user interface element as displayed, the computing device may alter the visual appearance of the user interface element to indicate that the user interface element is selected. Responsive to the computing device determining that it has received the indication of the second user input at the region of the presence-sensitive input device within the predefined period of time subsequent to receiving the indication of the first user input, the computing device may activate the user interface element.
US09182883B2
Apparatus transmits an identifier for association with a virtual area by an administering network service, generates output data from human perceptible stimulus in a physical space, transmits the output data in connection with the virtual area, receives input data associated with the virtual area, and generates human perceptible stimulus in the physical space from the input data. A persistent association is created between the apparatus and a virtual area. A respective presence is established in the virtual area for a communicant operating a client network node connected to the virtual area. A respective connection between each active pair of complementary sources and sinks of the client network node and the apparatus are administered in association with the virtual area. A client network node displays a graphical user interface, establishes the administered connections, and presents interaction controls associated with the object for interacting with communicants in the physical space.
US09182876B2
A method of rearranging a display of at least one icon on a touch screen of a portable electronic device is provided. The method detects if the device has entered a tilted state, and automatically rearranges the display of the at least one icon according to the tilted state. In some implementations, icons are rearranged to be displayed in a lopsided manner when entering the tilted state, thereby facilitating user touch selection of the icons.
US09182874B2
A server chassis includes a server, a chassis management controller, and a local interface card. The server includes a controller that is configured to provide a remote user with access to a controller communication portal of the server via a remote access controller graphical user interface, and to send a message from the controller communication portal to a chassis management controller. The chassis management controller is configured to receive the message, to determine that the message is for a local interface card, and to send the message to the local interface card. The local interface card is configured to display the message on a screen connected to the local interface card, to detect a communication request, to display a communication interface at the screen, to receive a reply message via the communication interface, and to send the reply message to the chassis management controller.
US09182873B2
The surface of an touch-sensitive input device may act as a physical button that the user may push down to perform a click or other operation. For example, the user may push down the surface of the input device with one finger for a left click and push down the surface of the input device with two fingers for a right click. In one aspect, a system for detecting a left click or a right click when the user pushes down the surface of the input device is provided. When the system first detects that the surface of the input device is pushed down, the system may wait for a short period of time before making a determination of whether the user is pushing down the surface with one finger or two fingers. During this time, the system may collect additional information to make a more reliable determination.
US09182867B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for detecting an adjacent object, and a method of driving an electronic device. The apparatus includes a substrate, a plurality of first electrodes including a plurality of first electrodes disposed to extend in a first direction on one surface of the substrate, a plurality of second electrodes disposed alternately and in parallel with the first electrodes on the surface of the substrate to form capacitors together with the first electrodes, a signal source configured to generate electrical signals, a detector configured to detect current signals output when the electrical signals are applied to the capacitors, and a controller configured to connect the signal source to the first electrodes and the detector to the second electrodes.
US09182866B2
Provided is an electrostatic capacitance type touch panel, wherein lead lines are connected to respective end portions of at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes respectively, the touch panel further comprises an inspection electrode which is laminated to respective end portions of the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes with an insulation film sandwiched therebetween on a side where the lead lines are not connected to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes, and a voltage for inspection is supplied to the inspection electrode during an inspection time and a voltage at the same phase as the drive voltage supplied to the at least either one of the X electrodes and the Y electrodes is supplied to the inspection electrode during a usual operation time.
US09182865B2
A touch screen, a touch panel, and a driving method thereof are provided. The touch panel recognizes a user's touch, and includes a plurality of driving lines arranged in a first direction. A plurality of sensing lines are arranged in a direction crossing the first direction. Pixels are at locations where the driving lines and the sensing lines cross each other. Some of the pixels include mutual capacitance type pixels that recognize the user's touch by mutual capacitance, and at least part of the remainder of the pixels include self-capacitance type pixels that recognize the user's touch by self-capacitance.
US09182862B2
High noise immunity sensing methods and apparatus are provided for a capacitive touch device, which sense the capacitive touch device for self capacitance or mutual capacitance or both with different scan frequencies in a frame, to thereby suppress certain frequency noise interference. By combining time domain and space domain noise-eliminating approaches, probabilities of noise interference are reduced, without compromising other parameters.
US09182854B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to interacting with a touch sensitive display screen. A method may include detecting a plurality of interactions with a touch sensitive screen. A display area may be defined based on locations associated with the interactions. An action may be performed with relation to a defined display area. An action may be performed with relation to content presented in a defined display area.
US09182846B2
A touch input control method comprising steps is provided: displaying an interface comprising at least one object; gathering signals as to actual touches for calibration purposes. In use, calculating coordinates of the touch; determining whether the coordinates of the actual touch match the predetermined touch coordinates of the object; creating an adjustment signal if the coordinates of the touch is not the same as the predetermined touch coordinates of any object; determining which finger used for touch input, and retrieving a touch offset direction and a touch offset distance of the determined finger of the user from a calibration database; and applying compensation to the coordinates of the touch, so as to determine the touched object. An electronic device using the touch input control method is also provided.
US09182842B2
A mobile terminal is provided. The mobile terminal includes a window including a key button portion, a light-transmissive pattern formed at a rear surface of the window, a touch sensor disposed to cover the rear surface of the window and a metal pattern formed at one surface of the touch sensor, the metal pattern overlapping the key button portion so as to be exposed through the light-transmissive pattern.
US09182838B2
The subject disclosure is directed towards using timing and/or relative depth data to reduce false positives in gesture detection within a depth-sensed region. Depth camera data is processed to position a cursor over a displayed representation of a control. If the user's hand hovers over the control for a threshold time period, and then changes hand depth a relative amount (e.g., pushes the hand forward a delta amount), an event is fired. The displayed representation of the control may change (e.g., enlarge) upon hovering. The relative depth may be computed based upon the depth when the user hand initially enters the control area. The relative depth may remain the same if the user pulls the hand away from the camera by tracking the maximum depth and firing the event when the maximum depth value minus the current depth value reaches a delta value.
US09182836B2
A combination touch and transducer input system is provided, which facilitates user input into an electronic system with a finger and/or a transducer (e.g., a stylus). The system includes a transducer configured to generate an electric field, and a sensor including an array of electrodes and a controller. The transducer is configured to transmit digital data, such as pen pressure data and switch status data, to the sensor. The sensor controller operates both in a touch sensing mode and in a transducer sensing mode. During the touch sensing mode, the controller determines a position of a proximate object (e.g., a finger) by capacitively sensing the object with the array of electrodes. During the transducer sensing mode, the controller determines a position of the transducer based on a signal received by the array of electrodes from the transducer, and also receives and decodes the digital data encoded in the received signal.
US09182833B2
A touch sensor system includes a touch controller having a first connector and a second connector and multiple sensor zones. The touch sensor system also includes a plurality of drive lines connected to the first connector of the touch controller and to the multiple sensor zones and a plurality of sets of sense lines connected to the second connector of the touch controller. Each set of the plurality of sets of sense lines is connected to one of the multiple sensor zones.
US09182830B2
A keyboard is provided having 26 letters assigned to only 16 to 21 keys, and preferably 21 keys. This advantageous system of typing makes use of either one or two hands. The 26 letters of the English alphabet are all displayed. Five keys have two letters—those letters are PQ, JK, UW, VX and YZ for a total of ten letters. Sixteen keys have one letter assigned to each key—namely the letters A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, L, M, O, N, R, S and T for a total of sixteen letters assigned to a specific key—for a total of 26 letters.
US09182829B2
An adjustable ergonomic keyboard includes keyboard segments coupled by a joint allowing the keyboard segments to pivot relative to one another. A retainer secures a corresponding keyboard segment with respect to a base support and allows the corresponding retained keyboard segment to rotate thereabout and to travel laterally with respect to the base support. The base support may be part of a portable laptop chassis or body or may be a stand alone base for use of the keyboard as a peripheral data input device.
US09182819B2
A method and an apparatus of tracking an eye gaze to determine where a gaze point of a user is located on a display unit of a device, based on a facial pose and a position of an iris center, are provided. The method includes detecting a facial feature in a captured initial image, three-dimensionally modeling the detected facial feature, tracking the three-dimensionally modeled facial feature in consecutively captured images, detecting an iris center in the consecutively captured images, acquiring an eye gaze vector based on the tracked three-dimensionally modeled facial feature and the detected iris center, and acquiring a gaze point on a display unit based on the eye gaze vector.
US09182817B2
Various embodiments are generally directed to automatically observing reactions of viewers of 2D and 3D versions of the same visual content, and comparing aspects of those observations for indications of fatigue in the viewing of the 3D version. An apparatus includes a processor element; and logic to compare a first ROI (region of interest) data associated with a first viewer of a first visual presentation of a 2D (two-dimensional) version of visual content to a second ROI data associated with a second viewer of a second visual presentation of a 3D (three-dimensional) version of the visual content; and identify an instance of a statistically significant difference in a region of interest between the first ROI data and the second ROI data for at least one frame of the visual content indicative of an instance of viewing fatigue of the second viewer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09182814B2
A depth image of a scene may be received, observed, or captured by a device. The depth image may include a human target that may have, for example, a portion thereof non-visible or occluded. For example, a user may be turned such that a body part may not be visible to the device, may have one or more body parts partially outside a field of view of the device, may have a body part or a portion of a body part behind another body part or object, or the like such that the human target associated with the user may also have a portion body part or a body part non-visible or occluded in the depth image. A position or location of the non-visible or occluded portion or body part of the human target associated with the user may then be estimated.
US09182810B2
The aspects enable a computing device or microprocessor to determine a low-power mode that maximizes system power savings by placing selected resources in a low power mode while continuing to function reliably, depending upon the resources not in use, acceptable system latencies, dynamic operating conditions (e.g., temperature), expected idle time, and the unique electrical characteristics of the particular device. The various aspects provide mechanisms and methods for compiling a plurality of low power resource modes to generate one or more synthetic low power resources from which can be selected an optimal low-power mode configuration made up of a set of selected synthetic low power resources.
US09182809B2
An electronic device comprises a main battery used as a drive power source for driving the electronic device, a secondary battery used as a drive power source instead of the main battery when the main battery cannot be used, a battery detection unit that detects an event of removal of the main battery from the electronic device, and a power control unit that changes the drive power source from the main battery to the secondary battery and controls operation of the electronic device to reduce power consumption by the electronic device when removal of the main battery is detected by the battery detection unit.
US09182806B2
An electronic device, comprising: an execution unit which executes a predetermined function; a first control unit that has an input terminal and causes the execution unit to execute the predetermined function; a power source unit that supplies power at least to the first control unit; and a second control unit that has an output terminal connected to the input terminal of the first control unit via a signal line, operates to output a signal to the first control unit via the signal line, and causes the power source unit to cut off power supply to the first control unit, and wherein the second control unit keeps a potential of the signal line at a reference level lower than or equal to a predetermined threshold while the second control unit causes the power source unit to cut off power supply to the first control unit.
US09182795B1
A power distribution system includes two or more power components that distribute power to one or more electrical components. At least some of the power components send and receive signals over power transmission lines to upstream or downstream power components in the power distribution system. The signals include information about power components in the power distribution system.
US09182782B2
An integrated circuit includes a first pipeline with multiple stages of asynchronous circuits. Note that a stage in the first pipeline communicates with a stage in a corresponding second pipeline with multiple stages of asynchronous circuits on another integrated circuit via connectors. Furthermore, a first state wire preceding the stage in the first pipeline provides advanced notice to a first state wire preceding the stage in the second pipeline of subsequent communication between the stage in the first pipeline and the stage in the second pipeline so that the stage in the second pipeline has time to amplify a signal received from the stage in the first pipeline, thereby facilitating approximately synchronous operation of the stages in the first and second pipelines.
US09182779B1
A method for compensating NCO jitter by changing a step value used to increment an accumulator in the NCO to make up for inaccuracies, or jitters. In one approach, a remainder in the accumulator may be monitored and a compensated clock close to the current edge of an ideal clock may be generated. In another approach, a compensated clock close to the next edge of the ideal clock may be generated after the current edge of the ideal clock is missed. The step value may be stored in a memory, which may be a register. A jitter compensator may include a comparator for monitoring the remainder in the accumulator or a detector for detecting whether an ideal clock has been missed. The jitter compensator may also change the step value to a step value for a faster clock to compensate jitter.
US09182778B2
Signal processing devices and methods estimate transforms between signals using a least squares technique. From a seed set of transform candidates, a direct least squares method applies a seed transform candidate to a reference signal and then measures correlation between the transformed reference signal and a suspect signal. For each candidate, update coordinates of reference signal features are identified in the suspect signal and provided as input to a least squares method to compute an update to the transform candidate. The method iterates so long as the update of the transform provides a better correlation. At the end of the process, the method identifies a transform or set of top transforms based on a further analysis of correlation, as well as other results.
US09182777B2
A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices having independent clocking arrangements. A task distribution device is to distribute tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices to perform tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to synchrony group members over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which synchrony group members are to execute the task. Each synchrony group member periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.
US09182772B2
A power device control circuit enters a gate driving signal into a gate terminal of a power device. The power device control circuit includes: a control signal input circuit that receives a power device control signal for control of the power device; a driving system control circuit connected to the control signal input circuit; a driving circuit with a plurality of driving systems, the driving circuit driving the power device in response to a driving circuit control signal received from the driving system control circuit; and a timer circuit that makes switching between the driving systems in response to the driving circuit control signal after elapse of a given period of time from receipt of a predetermined signal, specifically the power device control signal, thereby changing the driving power of the driving system control circuit to drive the power device.
US09182771B2
A NFC enabled device to couple inductively to the H field of an RF signal and a regulator to regulate a voltage derived from an RF signal inductively coupled to the inductive coupler. The regulator has at least one voltage controlled impedance having a switch on voltage. A regulator controller provides a control voltage to each voltage controlled impedance such as that the control voltage is not less than the switch on voltage of the voltage controlled impedance.
US09182766B2
Exemplary embodiments are related to a switching voltage regulator. A switching voltage regulator may include a current limit detector configured to detect an over-current condition. The switching voltage regulator may further include a pulse-width modulation (PWM) module coupled to the current limit detector and configured to convey a PWM signal based on a programmed switching frequency and an output voltage and in response to the over-current condition.
US09182761B2
Information regarding a vehicle is acquired by a vehicle information acquisition unit provided in the vehicle, and an object to be avoided is detected by an avoidance-target object detection unit. On the basis of the vehicle information and the distance and angle of the object to be avoided, the location and amount of movement of the object to be avoided are calculated by a peripheral information recognition unit, and the calculation accuracy of the location and amount of movement of the object to be avoided are determined by a driving maneuver determination unit. On the basis of the calculation accuracy of the location and amount of movement of the object to be avoided, a driving maneuver for avoiding the object to be avoided is determined, and autonomous driving control is implemented in accordance with the driving maneuver that is determined.
US09182747B2
The present disclosure relates to a method to determine the phase of a signal when transmitter and receiver circuits use separate clocks. A discrepancy between the separate clocks is determined, as is a correction factor between the separate clocks. The phase is determined using a measured time of arrival of the signal, the determined discrepancy, and the determined correction factor. A drift factor and an expected start time of a pulse sequence may be used to determine the discrepancy. A start time of a pulse within the pulse sequence is determined and used to determine the correction factor. The method works by either absolute synchronization of the separate clocks, or by making the measurements independent of clock synchronization.
US09182739B2
An electrophotographic image forming apparatus is provided including a body including an opening and a first coupler, a photoreceptor cartridge including a second coupler connected to the first coupler, a first gear connected to the second coupler, and a mounting portion, and attached to or detached from the body through the opening; and a development cartridge including a second gear connected to the first gear and attached or detached from the mounting portion through the opening while the photoreceptor cartridge is mounted in the body.
US09182737B2
A toner storage unit provided in an image forming apparatus that enables a user to replace the toner storage unit when the user opens the door of the image forming apparatus, moves a developing cartridge in a direction corresponding to removal of the developing cartridge, and places the developing cartridge in the toner storage unit replacement position where the toner storage unit can be removed and replaced.
US09182736B2
An image forming apparatus including a body provided at one side thereof with an opening, a transfer device movably installed at the body so as to be detachable through the opening, and a locking lever rotatably installed at the transfer device, wherein the locking lever rotates between a first position at which one end of the locking lever protrudes from the transfer device and a second position at which the one end is accommodated within the transfer device, and the body includes a locking protrusion that is locked with other end of the locking lever in a state that the locking lever is at the first position, so that only in a state that a worker rotates the locking lever while gripping the transfer device, the transfer device is separated from the body, thereby separating the transfer device in a safe manner.
US09182733B2
A developer supply cartridge detachably mountable to a main assembly of an image forming apparatus includes: a developer accommodating portion; a shutter portion movable between a closed position and an open position; and a movable portion for moving the shutter portion. The movable portion is movable between a first position where the shutter portion is positioned in the closed position. When the movable portion is positioned in a position other than a first position provided in an apparatus main assembly side of an image forming apparatus before being engaged with the first engaging portion, the movable portion is moved, until being engaged with the first engaging portion, to the first position by engagement thereof with a second engaging portion provided in the accommodate main assembly side.
US09182731B2
There is provided an end-side member to be arranged at an end of a photoreceptor drum unit which is detachably attached to an image forming apparatus body, the image forming apparatus body including a drive shaft having a concave portion, the concave portion being a hole having a substantially triangular cross-sectional shape and twisted in an extending direction of an axial line of the drive shaft. The end-side member includes a convex-shaped bearing member which is engageable with and disengageable from the concave portion. A depression to be engaged with a rim of an opening of the concave portion is formed in at least a part of an outer circumferential surface of the bearing member.
US09182730B2
When an opening and closing member is being closed, urging force which a first engaged portion of the opening and closing member receives in a direction opposite to a direction to close the opening and closing member is larger than urging force which a second engaged portion of the opening and closing member receives, and a distance in which the first engaged portion moves until the first engaged portion engages with a first engaging portion is shorter than a distance in which the second engaged portion moves until the second engaged portion engages with a second engaging portion while the first engaged portion and the second engaged portion are caused to engage with the first engaging portion and the second engaging portion, respectively, by closing the opening and closing member from an opened state of the opening and closing member.
US09182727B2
There is provided an image forming apparatus including: an image data acquiring unit that acquires image data of an image formed on a sheet; an identification information acquiring unit that acquires identification information that identifies the sheet on which the image is formed; an image forming unit that forms an image based on the image data on the sheet with a decolorable colorant which becomes colorless by a predetermined chemical reaction and that forms an identification information image based on the identification information on the sheet with a non-decolorable colorant which does not become colorless by the chemical reaction; and a storage control unit that stores the identification information and the image data of the image to be formed on the sheet, on which the identification information image corresponding to the identification information is formed, in a predetermined storage region in a correlated manner.
US09182726B2
According to an embodiment, a sheet processing apparatus having a function to erase an image formed on a sheet is provided. The sheet processing apparatus has a tray, an erasing unit and a control unit. The tray houses a sheet on which an image is formed. The erasing unit erases the image formed on the sheet. The control unit controls the erasing unit so that the image formed on the sheet is erased, when an elapsed time after the tray houses the sheet exceeds a predetermined threshold value.
US09182720B2
In an image forming apparatus, a processor generates a first density variation data based on the surface potential of the pattern in relation to the rotational position of the image bearer and a second density variation data based on the first density variation data and the density of the toner pattern, stores the first density variation data and the second density variation data in a memory, makes a pattern in a predetermined timing, decides whether the first density variation data is changed or not, change the first density variation data based on the decision, controls the toner image forming condition of the toner image forming device based on the first density variation data and the second density variation data.
US09182709B2
A fixing device fixes a toner image on a recording medium transported to a fixing nip by applying pressure and heat to the recording medium. The fixing device includes an endless belt formed into a loop with both ends bonded together, the belt accommodating a heat source inside thereof, a pressing roller rotating in contact with the endless belt forming the fixing nip between the endless belt and the pressing roller, and a fixed member provided inside a loop of the endless belt to press the endless belt against a pressing roller. A reinforcing member is bonded to the fixed member inside the loop of the endless belt to reinforce the fixed member. A reflector is provided to reflect light emitted from the heat source toward the inner circumferential surface of the endless belt. The reflector is held on the reinforcing member by either plastically or elastically deforming by itself.
US09182705B2
An image forming apparatus, a process cartridge, and a developing unit includes a developer carrying member to carry developer, first and second rotary members arranged in parallel to each other and configured to rotate to agitate and convey the developer, and an enclosure having an inside space to contain the developer, the inside space being divided by a partition with communication openings formed therein at opposite ends thereof into a first chamber configured to maintain the developer above a first level and to hold the first rotary member therein which supplies the developer to the developer carrying member while agitating and conveying the developer, and a second chamber configured to communicate with the first chamber through the communication openings, to maintain the developer at a second level lower than the first level, and to hold the second rotary member therein which circulates the developer with the first chamber through the communication openings.
US09182684B2
An exposure apparatus having a projection system with a final element projects exposure light to an upper surface of a substrate through liquid between the final element and the substrate upper surface. A liquid confinement member has a recovery outlet via which the liquid is removed along with gas, the recovery outlet being arranged such that the substrate upper surface faces the recovery outlet, the recovery outlet surrounding a path of the exposure light and the liquid confinement member confining the liquid to an area that is smaller than an area of the substrate upper surface by removing the liquid from a gap between the confinement member and the substrate upper surface. A first support member supports the projection system, and a second support member supports the liquid confinement member. An anti-vibration system limits vibrations from being transmitted from the second support member to the projection system.
US09182681B2
According to one embodiment of a method for measuring a stacking overlay error, the method may use a differential interference contrast microscope system to measure a stacking overlay mark and focus on one overlay mark of a lower layer overlay mark and an upper layer overlay mark when measuring the stacking overlay mark. Then, the method uses an image analysis scheme to obtain an image of the stacking overlay mark from a photo-detector and obtains a first reference position of the lower layer overlay mark in a direction and a second reference position of the upper layer overlay mark in the direction from the image; and computes the stacking overlay error in the direction according to the first and the second reference positions.
US09182674B2
An immersion upper layer film composition includes a resin and a solvent. The resin forms a water-stable film during irradiation and is dissolved in a subsequent developer. The solvent contains a monovalent alcohol having 6 or less carbon atoms. The composition is to be applied to form a coat on a photoresist film in an immersion exposure process in which the photoresist film is irradiated through water provided between a lens and the photoresist film.
US09182668B2
A negative pattern is formed by applying a resist composition onto a substrate, prebaking, exposing to high-energy radiation, PEB, and developing the exposed resist film in an organic solvent developer to dissolve the unexposed region of resist film. The resist composition is based on a polymer comprising recurring units (a1) of formula (1) wherein R1 is H or CH3, R2 and R3 are H, F or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, R4 is H or a monovalent hydrocarbon group, R5 and R6 are a monovalent hydrocarbon group, X1 is a divalent hydrocarbon group, and k1=0 or 1. A fine hole or trench pattern can be formed therefrom.
US09182666B2
A cyclic compound of the present invention has a molecular weight of 500 to 5000, and is represented by the following formula (1):
US09182665B2
An object of the present invention is to obtain a white curable composition that can yield a highly reflective cured coating film without requiring a complicated step and show good dispersion even without being subjected to an extended dispersion treatment. Provided is a white curable composition for a printed circuit board comprising: (A) a white pigment; (B) a (meth)acrylate compound having a hydroxyl group; (C) a photopolymerization initiator; and (D) a wetting dispersant. The above-described (A) white pigment is preferably titanium oxide. Further, it is also preferred that the above-described titanium oxide be a rutile-type titanium oxide and have a maximum particle size of 1 μm or smaller.
US09182656B2
The invention provides an optical mask (1) for use in blending overlapping tiled images, the optical mask comprising a base (2); an array of elongate sliding elements (10) arranged side by side on the support, each sliding element being independently slidable along an axis and being constrained against lateral translational movement; the mask having a transmission-modifying edge (22) for positioning in a beam of light to modify transmission of the light, the transmission-modifying edge (22) having a profile which is adjustable by moving one or more of the sliding elements (10) along their axes.
US09182655B2
Image projection devices, high-speed fiber scanned displays and related methods for projecting an image onto a surface and interfacing with the projected image are provided. A method for projecting one or more images and obtaining feedback with an optical input-output assembly is provided. The input-output assembly comprising a light-scanning optical fiber and a sensor. The method includes generating a sequence of light in response to one or more image representations and a scan pattern of the optical fiber, articulating the optical fiber in the scan pattern, projecting the sequence of light from the articulated optical fiber, and generating a feedback signal with the sensor in response to reflections of the sequence of light.
US09182654B2
A hand held camera unit comprises a shoulder assembly and a platform assembly for releasably holding a camera. A connector is provided between the shoulder assembly and the platform assembly, and is movable between a locked position wherein the platform assembly is fixed relative to the shoulder assembly and an unlocked position wherein the platform assembly can be selectively moved relative to the shoulder assembly in the roll axis, the yaw axis and in a fore and aft direction.
US09182653B2
An enclosure for a surveillance camera includes a housing having front, rear, top, bottom and opposing side walls. A camera dome projects downwardly below the bottom wall. A support structure includes a vertical channel attachable to a vertical post for supporting the housing on a post. A cover is selectively attachable to both the top and bottom walls, the cover normally being attached to the bottom wall to cover and protect the camera dome during transport or when surveillance is not required and attached to said top wall to expose said camera dome when in use during surveillance. The top and bottom walls are provided with connecting members for easily removing or securing the cover by flipping it 180° when moving the cover between the top and bottom walls of the housing when mounted on the support structure and post.
US09182648B2
A large coherent two-dimensional (2D) spatial filter array (SFA), 30 by 30 or larger, is produced by coupling a 2D planar lightwave circuit (PLC) array with a pair of lenslet arrays at the input and output side. The 2D PLC array is produced by stacking a plurality of chips, each chip with a plural number of straight PLC waveguides. A pupil array is coated onto the focal plane of the lenslet array. The PLC waveguides are produced by deposition of a plural number of silica layers on the silicon wafer, followed by photolithography and reactive ion etching (RIE) processes. A plural number of mode filters are included in the silica-on-silicon waveguide such that the PLC waveguide is transparent to the fundamental mode but higher order modes are attenuated by 40 dB or more.
US09182645B2
A portable electronic device is provided, including a housing, a display module, an optical element and a switchable layer. The housing has a first surface and an opaque layer disposed under the first surface, the opaque layer having a first aperture and a second aperture. The display module is disposed under the first surface and overlapped with the first aperture. The optical element is disposed under the opaque layer. The switchable layer is disposed between the optical element and the second aperture and overlapping the second aperture, wherein the switchable layer is capable of being switched between a substantially opaque state and a substantially transparent state. The substantially opaque state prevents viewing of the optical element through the switchable layer and the substantially transparent state allows viewing of the optical element through the switchable layer.
US09182642B2
In a horizontal electric field drive type liquid crystal electro-optic device, a gate electrode, a source electrode, a drain electrode, a semiconductor film and a common electrode are formed on a glass substrate and a liquid crystal material is driven by controlling the strength of an electric field substantially parallel to the glass substrate. The electrodes and the semiconductor film are made curved, for example semi-circular or semi-elliptical, in sectional profile. These curved sectional profiles can be formed by suitably selecting and combining various patterning and etching methods.
US09182636B2
A pixel cell and an active matrix liquid crystal display are disclosed. The pixel cell includes a first scanning line, a second scanning line, and a thin film transistor set. The thin film transistor set includes a first thin film transistor and a second thin film transistor. The parasitic capacitance Cgd of the thin film transistor set satisfies the equation: Cgd=C1+C2. Wherein the change in capacitance of both c1 and c2 are inverse to each other by the same amount such that summation of a value of capacitance change in both c1 and c2 is equal to zero. In this way, the display detects result from different values of the parasitic capacitance of the pixel cells in different locations are overcome.
US09182632B2
The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that rarely causes burn-in at high throughput. The present invention provides a liquid crystal display device that includes a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal layer between the pair of substrates, wherein at least one of the pair of substrates includes an alignment layer and a polymer layer for controlling the alignment of adjacent liquid crystal molecules, the polymer layer being disposed on the alignment layer, the polymer layer has a structure containing at least three condensed benzene rings, and the alignment layer is covalently bonded to the polymer layer.
US09182629B2
An LED backlight source drive circuit, an LED backlight source and a liquid crystal display device are provided. LED backlight source drive circuit includes a voltage input terminal, a coupling module, and a rectifier module. The coupling module is connected to the voltage input terminal for receiving a current complying with a total working voltage of two power consumption modules from the voltage input terminal, and converting the current into a current complying with a working voltage of one power consumption module. The rectifier module is connected to the coupling module for inputting the current complying with the working voltage of one power consumption module into two serially-connected power consumption modules, thereby supplying power to the power consumption modules. The LED backlight source and the liquid crystal display device include two power consumption modules and the above LED backlight source drive circuit.
US09182627B2
In a liquid discharging device, an objective optical system is moved in the optical axis direction by a focus position adjusting mechanism to perform a first focusing action relative to the tip of a liquid discharging nozzle or a mirror image thereof and a second focusing action relative to the surface of a substrate facing the liquid discharging nozzle, the distance between the nozzle tip and the surface of the substrate is calculated on the basis of the resulting focus positions, and the position of the liquid discharging nozzle is adjusted by nozzle position adjusting mechanism so that the gap is appropriate. According to this configuration, the distance between the nozzle tip and the surface of the substrate can be precisely calculated and an optical unit for observation can be focused on the surface of the substrate.
US09182618B2
A method of electrophoretic movement of liquid droplets/gas bubbles through a liquid crystal utilizes a direct (DC) or alternating (AC) electric field that is applied along the liquid crystal director (for liquid crystals with a positive dielectric anisotropy) or perpendicular to the director (for liquid crystals with a negative dielectric anisotropy). A perpendicular or tilted orientation of the liquid crystal molecules at the surface of the liquid droplet/gas bubble causes distortions, such that the fore-aft (or left-right) symmetry of the liquid droplet/gas bubble is broken. The asymmetric orientation of the liquid crystal around the liquid droplet/gas bubble allows both charged and neutral particles to be transported, even when the liquid droplets/gas bubbles themselves are perfectly symmetric (spherical).
US09182613B2
This present invention provides apparatus and methods for the activation of an energized ophthalmic lens. In some embodiments, the present invention provides for activation and deactivation of one or more components via wireless communication with an activation unit external to the ophthalmic lens. In some embodiments, an energized ophthalmic lens contains components that detect external signals, process the detected signal and activate components that change optical characteristics via the control of electrical energy.
US09182612B2
The invention relates to a system for fastening the bridge (30) or the hinge elements (10, 20) connecting the temples (A) to the lenses (L) of eyeglasses, where the ends of the bridge (30), as well as each of the ends (12, 22) of the temple connecting hinge elements (10, 20) which is directed towards the respective lens is furnished with a respective fork-shaped structure, with at least one pair of prongs (33-34, 36-37, 13-14, 23-24) lying in the plane at right angles to the plane of the lenses and where each lens is provided with holes (61-62, 63-64) located at the points of connection with the ends of the bridge (30) and/or of the temple connecting hinge elements (10, 20). The holes are equal in number to the number of prongs on the respective fork-shaped structures and comprise, inside them, respective tubular sleeves (53, 54). The prongs of each fork-shaped structure are pressed into the tubular sleeves, are flat, and have lateral walls (13a-13b, 14a-14b, 23a-23b, 24a-24b, 33a-33b, 34a-34b, 36a-36b, 37a-38a) which are flat and smooth and other walls which are knurled.
US09182602B2
An imaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a lens optical system L, an imaging device N at least having a plurality of first and second pixels P1 and P2, an array optical device K, and a signal processing section C for generating an image. The lens optical system L has an optical region D1 and an optical region D2; the array optical device K causes light passing through the optical regions D1 and D2 to respective enter the plurality of first and second pixels P1 and P2; and a proportion of an amount of light exiting the optical region D2 relative to an amount of light entering the optical region D2 is smaller than a proportion of an amount of light exiting the optical region D1 relative to an amount of light entering the optical region D1.
US09182601B2
An optical device which reduces coupling loss while improving practicality is provided. A multi-core fiber coupling device is an optical device which couples a multi-core fiber to single core fibers, and includes a first optical system which is located on optical axes of a plurality of beams emitted from the multi-core fiber, and which makes the optical axes of the respective beams non-parallel to each other, thereby making the beams in a state of being separated from each other, and a second optical system S2 which makes the optical axes of the plurality of beams in a state of being non-parallel to each other on the side of the first optical system, in a state of being approximately parallel to each other.
US09182590B2
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing an electrowetting element, in which a first liquid material and a second liquid material having a surface energy which is lower than that of the first liquid material, which are not mixed together, are provided in a cell formed between a first substrate and a second substrate placed as facing; at least one of the first liquid material and the second liquid material is gelated or altered to have high viscosity; and the shape of the interface between the first liquid material and the second liquid material is changed by applying voltage in the cell. The method includes a step of stimulating at least one of the first liquid material and the second liquid material which is gelated or altered to have high viscosity, to alter one of the first liquid material and the second liquid material to have low viscosity. According to the present invention, an electrowetting element can be manufactured easily, and the electrowetting element manufactured by the present invention does not show increase of applied voltage, delay of operation and the like.
US09182584B2
A method and system to evaluate stare-time of a selected target by a pointing system is provided. In an embodiment, the method includes specifying a time period for evaluation. A processor simulates movement of selected celestial bodies during the time period and movement of the platform during the time period. The processor further simulates pointing the pointing system in each celestial direction during the time period. The method calculates stare-time in each celestial direction uninterrupted by the selected celestial bodies and the platform during the time period.
US09182577B2
A viewing instrument having a variable direction of view is disclosed generally comprising a shaft, a sensor mounted in the distal end of the shaft such that the image plane of the sensor is substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the shaft, and a reflecting element that rotates about an axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the shaft. In some embodiments, a negative lens is mounted adjacent the reflecting element, and in certain embodiments, a positive lens is positioned adjacent the image sensor.
US09182575B2
A zoom lens system having a plurality of lens units, each lens unit being composed of at least one lens element, the zoom lens system, in order from an object side to an image side, comprising: a first lens unit having negative optical power and being composed of at least two lens elements; and a second lens unit having positive optical power, wherein in zooming from a wide-angle limit to a telephoto limit at the time of image taking, the lens units are individually moved along an optical axis to vary magnification such that an interval between the first lens unit and the second lens unit decreases, and the conditions: fW/D1>7.5 and Z=fT/fW>4.0 (fW: a focal length of the entire system at a wide-angle limit, fT: a focal length of the entire system at a telephoto limit, D1: a center thickness of a lens element located on the most object side in the first lens unit) are satisfied; an imaging device; and a camera.
US09182573B1
An imaging lens includes an aperture stop and an optical assembly which includes: in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex aspheric object-side surface and a concave aspheric image-side surface; a plastic second lens element with a positive refractive power having an aspheric object-side surface and a concave aspheric image-side surface; a plastic third lens element with a positive refractive power having aspheric object-side and image-side surfaces; a fourth lens element with a negative refractive power having a concave object-side surface and a convex image-side surface; a plastic fifth lens element with a positive refractive power having a convex aspheric object-side surface, a concave aspheric image-side surface and more than one inflection point. The imaging lens satisfies the following conditions: 0.3<(R5+R6)/(R5−R6)<1.15 and 1.2
US09182569B2
There is provided a lens module including: a first lens having refractive power and having a shape in which an image-side surface is concave; a second lens having refractive power; a third lens having positive refractive power; a fourth lens having positive refractive power; a fifth lens having negative refractive power; and a sixth lens having refractive power and having a point of inflection formed on an image-side surface thereof.
US09182556B2
A coupling for the detachable connection of a fiber-optical light guide to a coupling counterpart including a coupling body that is connected to a fiber-optical light guide frame, including a gripping casing that circumferentially surrounds the coupling body at least in sections, and including at least one locking hook that is movably held in a radially resilient manner for the locking engagement behind at least one locking projection of the coupling counterpart, whereby the gripping casing is rotatably supported on the coupling body and the at least one locking hook can be lifted out of the locking engagement by a rotary movement of the gripping casing. A coupling device including a coupling and a coupling counterpart.
US09182549B2
An optical coupling system for coupling a first optical waveguide having a first core surrounded by a first sheath to a second optical waveguide having a second core surrounded by a second sheath. An end face of the first core of the first optical waveguide abuts an end face of the second core of the second optical waveguide at a coupling location and the second core is flush with the first core in the axial direction, wherein, in the region of the coupling location, over at least part of a predetermined axial portion, both the second sheath of the second optical waveguide and the first sheath of the first optical waveguide together form a cladding of the optical waveguide in the predetermined portion.
US09182545B2
Technologies are generally described for fabricating a wafer level optical device using a plurality of substrates made of materials with a substantially compatible (e.g., same or similar) thermal expansion coefficient. An example device may include a first substrate including light-receiving or light-emitting elements, and a second substrate including optical elements located within through-holes of the second substrate. The through-holes can be configured to substantially align each of the light-receiving or light-emitting elements with a corresponding one of the optical elements. A thermal expansion coefficient of the second substrate can be configured to be substantially the same to a thermal expansion coefficient of the first substrate.
US09182544B2
PLC architectures and fabrication techniques for providing electrical and photonic integration of a photonic components with a semiconductor substrate. In the exemplary embodiment, the PLC is to accommodate optical input and/or output (I/O) as well as electrically couple to a microelectronic chip. One or more photonic chip or optical fiber terminal may be coupled to an optical I/O of the PLC. In embodiments the PLC includes a light modulator, photodetector and coupling regions supporting the optical I/O. Spin-on electro-optic polymer (EOP) may be utilized for the modulator while a photodefinable material is employed for a mode expander in the coupling region.
US09182542B2
The present invention provides an image compensating device for a joint display. The image compensating device includes a light incident surface, a parallel light emitting surface, and a plurality of light guiding channels extending from the light incident surface to the light emitting surface. The light emitting surface of image compensating device is greater than the light incident surface. The section area of each light guiding channel is gradually increased from the light incident surface to the light emitting surface, by which to extend the image provided by the peripheral region of each cell of the joint display and provide a seamless joint image.
US09182540B2
A device for homogenizing a laser-beam profile and a method for focussing and homogenizing a laser beam in laser photocoagulation for coagulating organic tissue, for example in the eye of a living organism.
US09182525B2
A retroreflective article enabling to retroreflect incident light in its incident direction, and the retroreflective article including at least one retroreflective element, the retroreflective element including at least one reflecting corner comprised of a pair of corner reflecting surfaces which meet at dihedral angle of about 90 degrees; and a pair of vertical reflecting surfaces which are formed on both ends of the reflecting corner to be substantially perpendicular to a corner of the reflecting corner with a distance which is smaller than the highest vertical height and which meet at dihedral angle of about 90 degrees for the pair of corner reflecting surfaces. This retroreflective article has higher retroreflective ratio and wider available retroreflective range, and it is designed to be freely changed its main reflecting direction having the highest retroreflective ratio.
US09182521B2
The present invention relates generally to an arcuate liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall. Some specific embodiments include a liquid meniscus lens with a meniscus wall essentially in the shape of a conical frustum with multiple voltage zones that may have variable voltages applied across the zones. Embodiments may also include a lens of suitable size and shape for inclusion in a contact lens.
US09182515B2
A system and associated method for isolating intended radiation signals for determining target characteristics includes multiple detectors for detecting radiation signals having varying energies, delay modules for delaying the detected radiation signals and a discriminator associated with the multiple detectors for determining if detected radiation signals include unintended radiation signals, e.g., x-rays, and provided blanking signals to a switch in order to effectively remove the unintended radiation signals from the data that is presented to the processor for determining target characteristics.
US09182514B2
The invention relates to a shielded double-coil multilayer assembly intended to be used in an inductive detector. This multilayer assembly comprises a plurality of stacked parallel separated layers, namely: a layer (C1) comprising a first shielding element for a first coil, a layer (C2) comprising all or part of a first coil, a layer (C3) comprising all or part of a second coil, a layer (C4) comprising a first shielding element for the second coil.
US09182504B2
A radiation detector and a radiological image radiographing apparatus capable of improving the quality of an obtained radiological image without causing an additional cost are provided. A first scintillator configured to include columnar crystals generating first light corresponding to a radiation emitted through a TFT substrate is laminated on the other surface of the TFT substrate that has a first photoelectric conversion element, which has one surface from which a radiation is emitted and the other surface from which at least one of the first light and the second light is emitted and which generates electric charges corresponding to the light, and a first switching element. A second scintillator which generates second light corresponding to a radiation emitted through the first scintillator and has different energy characteristics of absorbed radiations from the first scintillator is laminated on a surface of the first scintillator not facing the TFT substrate.
US09182500B2
Disclosed are methods and systems for amplitude digitization of nuclear radiation pulses. The method includes: applying a constant fraction discrimination (CFD) timing process on a subject current signal and outputting a CFD timing signal; applying a shaping process on the subject current signal to obtain a subject shaped signal; comparing, from a time To, values taken at the same time by the subject shaped signal and a dynamic threshold signal, and taking a time Tot as an over-threshold time if the value of the dynamic threshold signal changes from less than the value of the subject shaped signal to not less than the value of the subject shaped signal at the time Tot, wherein a time length between the time To and the arrival time Td of the subject current signal is preset as ΔT; converting a time length between the time Td and the time Tot into a digital quantity as a digitized value of the amplitude of the nuclear radiation pulse; wherein for any two subject shaped signals having amplitudes Vot1 and Vot2, respectively, the dynamic threshold signal satisfies an equation Tot 2 - To Vot 2 = Tot 1 - To Vot 1 , Tot1 represents an over-threshold time for one of the subject shaped signals compared with the dynamic threshold signal, and Tot2 represents an over-threshold time for the other of the subject shaped signals compared with the dynamic threshold signal.
US09182499B2
A radioactive waste body inspection device according to an embodiment includes a surface contamination inspecting unit configured to conduct a surface contamination inspection of a radioactive waste body while acquiring concavo-convex information on the radioactive waste body, and a dose rate inspecting unit configured to conduct a dose rate inspection of the radioactive waste body in consideration of the concavo-convex information.
US09182498B2
A method of operation of a hybrid navigation system includes: providing a peer-to-peer communication controller for communicating with a first vehicle; linking a second peer-to-peer communication controller for communicating between a second vehicle and the first vehicle; providing a communication and navigation controller for monitoring a regional network for the first vehicle or the second vehicle including storing saved route information; and preparing a first route history file for transferring from first vehicle to the second vehicle including providing the first route history file from the saved route information for displaying in the second vehicle when the regional network is not available.
US09182491B2
A method for determining a distance to an object using an amplitude modulated continuous wave range imaging device includes emitting a modulated illumination signal. The modulated illumination signal is modulated with a pseudo random code. An image sensor is modulated based on the pseudo random code to capture a plurality of samples of the modulated illumination signal reflected from the object. A phase shift between the plurality of samples and the modulated illumination signal is determined.
US09182487B2
A system for inspecting a test article incorporates a diagnostic imaging system for a test article. A command controller receives two dimensional (2D) images from the diagnostic imaging system. A three dimensional (3D) computer aided design (CAD) model visualization system and an alignment system for determining local 3D coordinates are connected to the command controller. Computer software modules incorporated in the command controller are employed, in aligning, the 2D images and 3D CAD model responsive to the local 3D coordinates. The 2D images and 3D CAD model are displayed with reciprocal registration. The alignment system is then directed to selected coordinates in the 2D images or 3D CAD model.
US09182482B2
A radar beam sharpening system for processing a radar video stream of echo return intensities, sampled in range and azimuth. The system uses a signal processor that is configured to apply beam sharpening to the radar video stream and which selectively varies the level of beam sharpening applied as a function of range and/or a land map generated from the radar video stream so as to generate an output selectively beam sharpened radar video stream.
US09182481B2
Provided are methods of using electromagnetic waves for detecting metal and/or dielectric objects. Methods include directing microwave and/or mm wave radiation in a predetermined direction using a transmission apparatus, including a transmission element; receiving radiation from an entity resulting from the transmitted radiation using a detection apparatus; and generating one or more detection signals in the frequency domain using the detection apparatus. Methods may include operating a controller, wherein operating the controller includes causing the transmitted radiation to be swept over a predetermined range of frequencies, performing a transform operation on the detection signal(s) to generate one or more transformed signals in the time domain, and determining, from one or more features of the transformed signal, one or more dimensions of a metallic or dielectric object upon which the transmitted radiation is incident. A system and method for remote detection and/or identification of a metallic threat object using late time response (LTR) signals is also disclosed.
US09182476B2
Using a radar system in a motor vehicle, high frequency individual signal pulses are transmitted from at least one transmitting antenna, and at least one receiving antenna receives reception signals formed by reflection of the transmitted signal pulses from objects in the surroundings. The reception signals are mixed with the high-frequency signal to produce low-frequency mixed signals representing the sequence of individual signal pulses. The phase angle of the mixed signals is varied over successive individual signal pulses thereof by varying the phase angle of: the successive individual transmitted signal pulses, the high-frequency signals used for the mixing, and/or the mixed signals. In further processing of the mixed signals to determine the distance and the relative velocity of detected objects, an interference component can be separated and/or suppressed from a useful signal component because the useful signal component has the known phase angle variation but the interference component does not.
US09182463B2
There is provided a technique for securing a comfortable examination space in a tunnel type MRI apparatus without increasing the manufacturing cost of the MRI apparatus and sacrificing performance thereof. In an RF coil provided with a hollow-shaped outer conductive element and a strip-shaped conductive element disposed along the outer conductive element in the axial direction, meander lines constituting the strip-shaped conductive element are disposed at uneven distances from the outer conductive element to secure an internal space. In order to obtain uniform sensitivity at the center of the RF coil, the strip-shaped conductive element is constituted with N of connected meander lines, and length of the strip-shaped conductive element is adjusted so that, in the strip-shaped conductive element resonating at resonance frequency of the antenna, nodes are formed in a number of (M+1)×N−1, wherein M is 0 or a natural number of 1 or larger.
US09182453B2
A Hall plate excitation system provides reduced offset and temperature dependence. The Hall plate excitation system includes a current source, a switching network, and a controller. The current source is configured to provide an excitation current to a Hall plate. The switching network is configured to switchably connect the current source to each of a plurality of terminals of the Hall plate. The controller is configured to adjust the excitation current no more than once during each spinning cycle; and to sequentially switch the excitation current to each of the plurality of terminals of the Hall plate during each spinning cycle.
US09182451B2
A method for estimating a state of charge in a battery includes identifying a first state of charge in the battery at a first time, identifying the first state of charge in the battery at a second time after operation of the battery, identifying an estimated state of charge at the second time with reference to a model having a plurality of model parameters, modifying at least one of the plurality of model parameters with reference to an error between the estimated state of charge and the first state of charge, and generating an output corresponding to an estimate of the state of charge of the battery using the model with the at least one modified parameter while operating the battery in the at least one operating mode after the second time.
US09182449B2
A system and method is provided for estimating the capacity of a battery element in a vehicle, such as a hybrid electric vehicle. In one embodiment, the method determines if one or more threshold conditions have been met (e.g., conditions pertaining to battery temperature or battery state-of-charge (SOC)) and calculates the internal resistance of the battery element. When the threshold conditions have been met, the method uses the calculated internal resistance to estimate the capacity of the battery element. A corresponding battery system is also provided that includes a battery element, one or more battery sensors, and a control module configured to perform the method described above.
US09182448B2
A plurality of detection units are connected respectively in parallel with a plurality of battery cells connected in series. The detection units each include an inductor and a zener diode connected in series. A battery checker includes a plurality of detection inductors and a single voltmeter that form a closed circuit. A plurality of detection inductors are arranged so that they are magnetically coupled respectively with the inductors of the plurality of detection units. Each zener diode is connected with the polarity to be reverse biased by the output voltage of the battery cell. Respective breakdown voltages of the zener diodes are set higher than the output voltage of each battery cell in normal use and different in a stepwise manner from each other.
US09182446B2
A relay detection apparatus includes at least one relay, a voltage detection module, and a voltage comparison unit. The relay has an input contact, an output normally-open contact, and an output normally-close contact. The voltage detection module has a first voltage detection unit and a second voltage detection unit. The first voltage detection unit receives a voltage of the input contact and produces a first output voltage. The second voltage detection unit receives a voltage of the output normally-close contact and produces a second output voltage. The voltage comparison unit receives the first output voltage and the second output voltage and then compares the two voltages, thus detecting normal and/or abnormal contact statuses of the input contact, the output normally-open contact, and the output normally-close contact of the relay.
US09182445B2
An integrated circuit with toggle suppression logic for built-in self-test is provided. The integrated includes a loading circuit configured to operate in a shift mode based on a first enable signal and a capture mode based on a second enable signal. The integrated circuit includes a switching element configured to receive the first enable signal and the second enable signal to generate a third enable signal. The integrated circuit includes combinational logic coupled to the loading circuit and the switching element, in which the combinational logic is configured to receive the third enable signal. The third enable signal is configured to disable toggling in the combinational logic while the loading circuit operates in the shift mode.
US09182431B2
The invention relates to a method and an apparatus for determining an actual insulation resistance RISO in IT systems grounded with a functional grounding resistance RHRG, comprising constant insulation monitoring. In one embodiment of the invention, the functional grounding resistance RHRG is determined during the initial inspection of the IT system, determining a total insulation resistance Rges is carried out during the constant insulation monitoring, and the actual insulation resistance RISO is determined during the operation of the IT system from the functional grounding resistance RHRG and the total insulation resistance Rges.
US09182424B2
A chip testing solution having two separate contacts: one to provide current and one to measure voltage. One contact acts as the force and other as sense, and with its unique short wipe stroke technology enables the electrical connection from the contact terminal of the device under test (DUT) to the loadboard without fail even after prolonged insertion/testing of the devices. The two contacts are in close proximity, but electrically isolated from each other. Each contact is made to electrically touch a single conductive lead/pad on the DUT thus forming a test connection. The two contacts; one on front and other on back, wiping on the lead/pads will generally be a “sense” probe, and a “force” used for making a Kelvin connection. The short contact is connected to the loadboard by means of an additional contact known as “interposer” extending through and top of the tall contact base body.
US09182422B2
When a flow of a liquid body around a measuring object is visualized, a first liquid body as a tracer is supplied from a nozzle hole into a flow field of a second liquid body, and a laser beam having a wavelength optically absorbed by the first liquid body is irradiated in a manner such that the laser beam traverse across the flow field. At this point, the irradiation position of the laser beam is controlled in such a manner that the flow field is scanned with the laser beam. On the other hand, the laser beam that has passed through the flow field is received and a position where the first liquid body traverses the laser beam is obtained using the scan intensity signal of the received laser beam so that the flow of the second liquid body is visualized. The position where the first liquid body traverses the laser beam can be obtained based on a position on a time axis where a value of the scan intensity signal is less than a set threshold. According to the above described visualization, the flow field can reliably be visualized even for the high-speed fluid body.
US09182419B2
A conveying system for material samples, especially medical samples, comprising a conveyor track forming at least one conveying section and at least one self-propelled sample holder displaceable along the conveying section holding a sample vessel. The holder comprises a drive motor, an energy accumulator for supplying the motor with energy and a friction wheel, drivable by the motor, for transmitting force onto the track. The track has at least one guide structure forming the conveying section. The holder has exactly one wheel on a lower side facing the track in operation, and has at least two sliding elements which rest on the track in operation and slide along the track's surface, the sliding elements and the wheel lying on the vertices of a triangle. The holder, on its lower side, has a guide element for cooperation with the guide structure in the track to guide the holder along the conveying section.
US09182417B2
The invention provides a device for detecting FABP in a blood sample from a patient, methods for analyzing blood on the presence of FABP, as well as methods and kits for the detection of FABP in a blood sample from a patient.
US09182413B2
A method for diagnosing a cardiac disorder by detecting levels of cardiac-specific membrane polypeptides in tissue samples.
US09182410B1
The present invention is directed to methods for determining the relative amount of wrongly disulphide bridged TNFR2:Fc in a sample of TNFR2:Fc, a fusion protein which is used in a variety of therapeutic applications. In addition, the invention pertains to a method for purifying TNFR2:Fc using said method for determining the percentage of wrongly disulphide bridged TNFR2:Fc, and to TNFR2:Fc compositions obtained thereby.
US09182408B2
The present invention relates to a screening technology that allows the isolation of peptides able to bind to target protein, the binding of which being sensitive to the protein conformation. The invention further provides a method to identify compounds that specifically and precisely modify the protein conformation and its biological activity. Finally, the invention relates to certain peptides obtained by the method of screening of the present invention and their use as therapeutic agent for the prevention or treatment of diseases.
US09182406B2
A system for making molecules, and proteins in particular, suitable for detection by a surface-selective nonlinear optical technique. A first use of the invention is for determining a protein's structure in real space and real time. A second use of the invention is to detect a protein or its activity (conformational change). A third use of the invention is for drug screening. A further aspect of the present invention is measuring probe tilt angle orientation in an oriented protein.
US09182405B2
The invention provides methods, compositions, kits, and systems for the sensitive detection of cardiac troponin. Such methods, compositions, kits, and systems are useful in diagnosis, prognosis, and determination of methods of treatment in conditions that involve release of cardiac troponin.
US09182404B2
The invention provides newly identified proteins as markers for the detection of tumors, or as targets for their treatment, particularly of tumors affecting lung, colon, breast, ovary; affinity ligands capable of selectively interacting with the newly identified markers; methods of screening a tissue sample for malignancy, for determining the presence of a tumor in a subject and for screening a test compound as an antitumor candidate; a diagnostic kit.
US09182397B2
The present invention relates to a device and method for detecting analytes in a sample.
US09182389B2
Detection of the presence or absence of, RH positive cells in a mixed population with Rh negative cells, as is found in a fetal maternal hemorrhage (FMH). The novel methods utilize gravitational forces or applying magnetic forces to reactive magnetic particles to isolate, distinguish and quantify cells.Particles aggregate and are pulled or settle by gravity through a transparent separating solution into a measuring zone where the volume of Rh positive cells can be measured. Rh positive cell volume is correlated to the volume of the original blood sample as an indication of the number of doses of RhIG needed to be administered to the mother to prevent subsequent Rh immunization.
US09182387B2
The present invention provides a method for diagnosing cancer, predicting a disease outcome or response to therapy in a patient sample. The method involves isolating a circulating tumor cell (CTC), for example, a viable CTC, from a sample using a parylene microfilter device comprising a membrane filter having or consisting of a parylene substrate, which has an array of holes with a predetermined shape and size; and detecting and quantifying telomerase activity in blood circulating tumor cells. The invention further provides methods of using cells live-captured in various applications.
US09182371B2
Systems and methods are provided for integrating the electrophoresis and blotting of samples. A capillary electrophoresis and blotting system allows concomitant electrophoretic separation and blotting to provide a rapid and simplified process. A microfluidic electrophoresis and blotting system provides electrophoretic separation in a microfluidic channel followed by electroblotting from the microfluidic channel to also provide a rapid and simplified process. These systems and methods can be used to assay smaller amounts of sample in less time than conventional processes, including conventional Western blotting techniques.
US09182370B2
A device for operating a gas sensor having both at least one pump cell and a measuring cell is provided. A constant current source is provided that makes available a pump current which acts upon an outer electrode of the pump cell. The constant current source provides at least two different amounts of the pump current and/or allows for an alternating operation having ON phases and OFF phases, the duration of the ON phases/OFF phases being specifiable. The device may be largely implemented in digital circuitry and adapted to different requirements.
US09182369B2
A technique is provided for manufacturing a nanogap in a nanodevice. An oxide is disposed on a wafer. A nanowire is disposed on the oxide. A helium ion beam is applied to cut the nanowire into a first nanowire part and a second nanowire part which forms the nanogap in the nanodevice. Applying the helium ion beam to cut the nanogap forms a signature of nanowire material in proximity to at least one opening of the nanogap.
US09182360B2
Microwave techniques for measuring moisture and other properties of paper and related products without requiring an independent measurement of temperature are provided. A sensor directly measures the reflection or transmission of microwaves at a number of well-chosen frequencies so as to characterize the absorption spectrum of the product. The technique of measuring the parameters of a composition includes: (a) directing incident microwave radiation over a spectrum of wavelengths from an antenna upon the composition; (b) measuring the microwave radiation over the spectrum of wavelengths that emerges from the composition; (c) determining the reflected and/or transmitted transfer function; and (d) relating the transfer function of the composition to the parameters of the composition by applying a theoretic, calibrated, or hybrid model. The product moisture and temperature are extracted from the transfer function.
US09182351B2
An optical metrology device is capable of detection of any combination of photoluminescence light, specular reflection of broadband light, and scattered light from a line across the width of a sample. The metrology device includes a first light source that produces a first illumination line on the sample. A scanning system may be used to scan an illumination spot across the sample to form the illumination line. A detector spectrally images the photoluminescence light emitted along the illumination line. Additionally, a broadband illumination source may be used to produce a second illumination line on the sample, where the detector spectrally images specular reflection of the broadband illumination along the second illumination line. The detector may also image scattered light from the first illumination line. The illumination lines may be scanned across the sample so that all positions on the sample may be measured.
US09182350B2
The present invention provides a novel category of naphthalene-based two-photon fluorescent probes having a general formula I, wherein: X is selected from the X1, X2, X3 and X4; The mentioned two-photon fluorescent probes have a low fluorescence background in the non-tumor cells and tissues, and have a strong and specific fluorescent signal in the tumor cells and tissues. These probes have a certain level of water-solubility, while having good membrane permeability. In addition, they have a bigger effective two-photon absorption cross section. The compounds of the present invention also have a lower biotoxicity, phototoxicity and photobleaching. There is sufficient difference between the spectral range thereof and that of a biological sample.
US09182331B2
A method and apparatus for measuring particle content in a stream, comprising routing the stream, via a plurality of tubes, from a plurality of sampling points where particle content concentrations are to be measured. The concentration of particle content in the stream may be measured. The measurement may be based on determination, via a sensor for example, of an electrostatic charge of the particles as the particles, and/or based on counting of a number of particles in the stream, such as using a counter tracking light emitted from a light source. The measured concentration of particle content may be analyzed to determine if it is indicative of an appropriate concentration of measured particles in the stream. The particles may comprise extinguishing and/or suppression agent particles.
US09182327B2
A flow control assembly for use in preparation of samples for analysis by solid phase extraction includes a housing assembly having a first passage communicating with a needle bore and locating a solid phase sorbent, a second fluid port, and a valve for selective aspiration or delivery of fluid across a solid phase sorbent, or bypassing the solid phase sorbent. Independent flow paths are provided for a sample via the needle, and of the elution solvent via a separate port. The valve includes relatively slideable first and second members, the second member including an elongate shank that is relatively reciprocably slideable for effecting selective aspiration or delivery of fluid between first and second relative positions. A third fluid port may be provided communicating with the elongate second passage for selective fluid communication with a port in a shank when the shank is at the second relative position.
US09182322B2
Microfluidic devices are described that include a rigid base layer, and an elastomeric layer on the base layer. The elastomeric layer may include at least part of a fluid channel for transporting a liquid reagent, and a vent channel that accepts gas diffusing through the elastomeric layer from the flow channel and vents it out of the elastomeric layer. The devices may also include a mixing chamber fluidly connected to the fluid channel, and a control channel overlapping with a deflectable membrane that defines a portion of the flow channel, where the control channel may be operable to change a rate at which the liquid reagent flows through the fluid channel. The devices may further include a rigid plastic layer on the elastomeric layer.
US09182321B2
Implementations for sampling of one or more target substances using a mobile device configured to sample mobile substances at various locations, analyze the substances, and map the substances to the sampling locations are generally disclosed.
US09182320B2
Sampling of a broad range of chemicals using a handheld sampler body, having a sample screen in a sampling cassette; where a sample screen housing further consists of a locking arm arrestor body, where, the locking arm arrestor body including a draw tube, and where the sampling screen can be positioned in either a retracted or extended positioned regarding a sample access face. When activated, the system executes collecting and sampling operations of chemicals, by exposing the extended sampling screen to a sampling environment, drawing through the draw tube, air from the sampling environment, further collecting, onto the surface of the sample screen solid particles and/or pressing the sample screen against the surface(s) of object in the sampling environment. Then, removing the sampling screen from the sampling environment and isolating the plurality of airborne chemical contaminants, by retracting a sample screen into the sample screen housing.
US09182319B2
A pressure sensor is used to automatically calculate physical parameters of a tire, for example, groove area fraction or shoulder center ratio. In one approach, a pressure sensor measures the pressure distribution produced by a tire when a known load is applied to the tire while it is resting on or traversing the pressure sensor. The resulting pressure map corresponds to tread area and features of the tread contact area.
US09182311B2
A method of balancing a physical rotor includes: determining a first balance state of the physical rotor at one or more rotational frequencies; identifying one or more balance zones on a surface of the rotor; providing a computerised simulation of the rotor having the first balance state; providing a first test mass in a first test location within one of the balance zones on the rotor simulation; determining a second balance state of the rotor simulation; providing at least one subsequent test mass in at least one subsequent test location within a balance zone on the rotor simulation and determining at least one subsequent balance state of the rotor simulation; selecting a mass and location from one of the first and subsequent test masses and test locations; and performing a material deposition process to add the selected mass of material to the selected location on the physical rotor.
US09182303B2
Strain sensor, including an elongated protective encasing (5) surrounding an inner space, and an optical fiber (3) extending through the encasing (5), the fiber (3) at least including a fiber core (3a) and a fiber cladding (3b), wherein a cured filler material fills (4) at least part of a space between the fiber (3) and the protective encasing (5), the cured filler material (4) being configured for allowing strain coupling between the protective encasing (5) and the fiber (3), wherein an outer diameter of the fiber (3) is at least about 250 μm, and wherein the cured filler material (4) is one or more of: a flexible material, a resilient material, and a material having a shore A hardness that is lower than about 50. The invention also provides a method and system for manufacturing a strain sensor.
US09182302B2
An apparatus and method for measuring a tactile sensation is provided. The tactile sensation measuring apparatus may include a plurality of pressure measuring units, each to measure a magnitude of an external pressure applied, using a variable resistance material of which a resistance changes when an external pressure is applied, and a tactile sensation measuring unit to measure a three-dimensional (3D) tactile sensation corresponding to the external pressure, based on a position of each of the plurality of pressure measuring units, and the magnitude of the external pressure measured by each of the plurality of pressure measuring units.
US09182280B1
Featured is a method for reducing frequency of taking background spectra in FTIR or FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Such a method includes determining if there is a pre-existing reference spectrum available and if such a reference spectrum is available, acquiring a present reference scan before acquiring a sample scan. The method also includes comparing the present reference scan with the pre-existing reference spectrum to determine if there is one or more non-conformities therebetween and if there is/are one or more nonconformities, determining if the one or more non-conformities are resolvable or not. If the one or more non-conformities are resolvable; resolve each non-conformity in a determined manner and thereafter acquiring a scan of the sample, and if the non-conformities are not resolvable, then acquiring a new reference sample and thereafter acquiring a scan of the sample.
US09182277B2
A light sensing apparatus includes a light sensing module, a signal conversion module and a processing module. The light sensing module is configured to output a first and second sense signals according to a light intensity emitting thereon. The signal conversion module is electrically coupled to the light sensing module and configured to receive the first and second sense signals and output a sense value according to a relative difference between the first and second sense signals, The comparison module is electrically coupled to the signal conversion module and configured to adjust a light sensing characteristic of the light sensing module according to the sense value so as to adjust a light sensing characteristic of the light sensing module. An adjustment method for a light sensing apparatus is also provided.
US09182276B2
There is provided a semiconductor integrated circuit for an optical sensor for receiving environmental light through a cover member that attenuates visible light and transmits infrared light and a collecting lens, performing luminosity factor correction based on an amount of received light, and detecting an illuminance, wherein the semiconductor integrated circuit includes a first light receiving element having a first spectral property; a second light receiving element having a second spectral property; and a luminosity factor correction unit configured to perform the luminosity factor correction according to output of the first light receiving element and output of the second light receiving element, wherein the luminosity factor correction unit includes an AD conversion unit performed by time division on the output of the first light receiving element and the output of the second light receiving element, and a calculating unit subtracting digital signals obtained by the conversion.
US09182275B2
A method for controlling a light source associated with an environment includes: receiving, over a wireless mesh network and by a control node corresponding to the light source, a first light intensity value for the environment from a first sensor node; calculating, by the control node, a resulting light intensity (RLI) value based on the first intensity value; determining, by the control node, that the RLI value exceeds a light intensity threshold; and modifying, by the control node and in response to determining the RLI value exceeds the light intensity threshold, an output of the first light source.
US09182274B2
An optical measuring apparatus for measuring optical characteristics of a stereoscopic display device includes a test image supplier for generating a 3D test signal, a 3D display for displaying left-eye image and/or right-eye image based on the 3D test signal supplied from the test image supplier, a image selection member for selectively transmitting the left-eye image and right-eye image to be displayed on the 3D display, and a light measuring device for measuring intensity or color information of the image transmitted via the image selection member.
US09182272B2
To make miniaturization of a laser module easier. In the laser block of a laser module, multiple semiconductor laser elements that each emit a beam of laser light are disposed. A collimating lens receives and collimates the individual beams of laser light emitted from the laser block, and emits collimated light. Photodiodes detect the individual beams of collimated light emitted from the collimating lens, and output signals corresponding to the intensities of the individual beams of collimated light. Additionally, the photodiodes are disposed on the propagation paths of collimated light emitted from the collimating lens, and in addition, are disposed at positions that receive a portion of collimated light for all the individual beams of collimated light which are emitted.
US09182270B2
A system and method for determining the load present in a material handling system is disclosed. A commissioning routine executing on a motor drive controls operation of a hoisting motor with a known load present. The commissioning routine stores values of current provided to the motor or torque generated by the motor at various operating speeds in memory on the motor drive. During subsequent runs of the motor drive, the value of the current/torque is monitored as a function of the speed of the motor and compared to the stored values. The resulting value of the load may be monitored and action taken if the value of the load exceeds the rated capacity of the material handling system. Optionally, the measured load may be displayed to an operator.
US09182266B2
Liquid level detectors are described. An example liquid level detector includes a housing and an arm extending through the housing. A lever assembly is coupled to the arm and the housing, and movement of the arm causes the lever assembly to open or close a switch via a magnetic field when a liquid reaches a predetermined level.
US09182265B1
A liquid level detection device includes a signal source for generating one or more unique signals on low impedance signal electrodes, a lock-in amplifier, and a reference signal directly connecting the signal source to the lock-in amplifier. The unique signals generated by the signal source are connected to one or more low impedance signal electrodes. The low impedance signal electrodes may be positioned at different levels inside the tank so that at any given level of liquid in the tank, each low impedance individual electrode may or may not be in contact with the liquid in the tank. Alternatively, the low impedance signal electrodes may be attached to the external wall of the tank at different levels. An antenna is connected to an input of the lock-in amplifier. The antenna may be placed inside the tank at the lowest level for the liquid, or the antenna may be attached to the outside wall of the tank near the bottom of the tank.
US09182262B2
A temperature sensor and a flow measuring device. The temperature sensor comprising: a housing which comprises a housing body from which at least a first shell and a second shell protrude, each of which shells comprises a first end section, a second end section and a longitudinal axis. A temperature sensor element is arranged, which has especially a thin-film resistance thermometer, wherein one of the temperature sensor elements is heatable, and which shells have outsides, which interface the housing with the environment. From each temperature sensor element at least one connection wire leads away, which is connected with a circuit board. The housing body has a housing chamber, which is connected with inner hollow spaces of the shells, wherein the circuit board is arranged in the housing chamber, and wherein the circuit board is positioned in the housing chamber by a snap-in connection.
US09182257B2
An air data sensor device using a flow around a cylinder is provided. The air data sensor device may include a sensor measurement unit which includes a sensor body provided in a cylindrical form including a hollow inside, a plurality of pressure measurement holes disposed on an outside of the sensor body, and a thermostat attached to one side of the sensor body, and a signal processing unit which includes a pressure sensor connected to the plurality of pressure measurement holes, and a microprocessor connected to the pressure sensor to perform calculation. A main pressure measurement hole having a high pressure value may be selected from the plurality of pressure measurement holes, pressure distribution may be calculated, and at least one of an angle of attack, a static pressure, and a total pressure may be calculated using the pressure distribution.
US09182254B2
The present invention relates to an indicating device, in particular for a motor vehicle, which comprises a dial, a first needle and a second needle, the first needle being rotated in front of the dial and about a rotational axis, the second needle being rotated behind the dial and about the rotational axis, the second needle comprising an end portion visible along the periphery of the dial, the end portion including at least one first marking element and one second marking element, the first marking element and the second marking element being separated along the circumference of the dial, the indicating device comprising a means of illuminating the end portion of the second needle.
US09182252B2
A probe for determining an absolute position of a rod relative to a cylinder with the rod having an associated pattern for indicating position includes a light source for emitting light. The probe further includes a light pipe for directing light emitted by the light source onto the pattern of the rod. A detector of the probe detects light and provides a signal indicative of the detected light. A lens produces an image of a portion of the pattern illuminated by the light on the detector and a controller is responsive to the signal from the detector for determining an absolute position of the rod relative to the cylinder.
US09182247B2
A network system capable of effectively managing an energy source has a first component and a second component. A first communicator is connected to the first component, and a second communicator is connected to the second component. The first communicator allows communication between the first component and the second component. Communication information between the first component and the second component has information related to energy. The first communicator has a memory that stores information received from the first component and information received from the second component. The first communicator transmits the information stored in the memory to the second communicator when the first communicator receives a message for requesting the information from the second communicator.
US09182233B2
In accordance with one embodiment, a navigation system includes a display device configured to detect user gestures, a data storage device including program instructions stored therein, a map stored within the data storage device, and a controller operatively coupled to the data storage device and the display device and configured to execute the program instructions to receive first user gesture data associated with a first portion of a first user gesture from the display device, generate a first predicted user gesture data based upon the stored map and the first user gesture data, and control the display device to render the first predicted user gesture data as the user is continuing the first user gesture.
US09182221B2
An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit configured to acquire a plurality of positions on a surface of a measurement target object using information of light reflected from the measurement target object on which structured light is projected, a position of a light source of the structured light, and a position of a light reception unit configured to receive the reflected light and acquire the information of the reflected light, a calculation unit configured to acquire at least one of a position and a direction on the surface of the measurement target object based on the plurality of the positions, and a correction unit configured to correct at least one of the plurality of the positions based on information about an error in measurement for acquiring the plurality of the positions and at least one of the position and the direction on the surface of the measurement target object.
US09182220B2
An image photographing device for three-dimensional measurement sequentially photographs a measuring object in an overlapping manner by a single camera. The image photographing device for three-dimensional measurement photographs the measuring object with marks having self-other identifiable identification codes, extracts the marks from a photographed image, identifies the identification codes of the marks, defines an area of the measuring object in the photographed image into photographed areas surrounded by the marks, counts a number of photographing times of each of the photographed areas which are involved in different photographed images, groups the photographed areas in response to the number of photographing times, inputs positions of the marks in a coordinate space of a photographing range image of the measuring object, connects the positions of the marks input in the photographing range image such that mark symbols of the marks surrounding the photographed areas correspond to each other to match the photographed areas into the photographing range image, and indicates the photographed areas matched into the photographing range image.
US09182205B2
Holders for retaining a container for ammunition can include a first portion configured for attachment to a surface, a second portion extending from the first portion, and an insertable member extending from the second portion. The insertable member can be adapted for insertion into the interior of a container for ammunition. To prevent relative movement between the container for ammunition and the first portion, friction can be created between the container and the holder through contact between the insertable member and the container or contact between the body of the holder and the container.
US09182204B2
A subsonic ammunition cartridge casing having an engineered internal volume designed to allow for the introduction of precisely the amount of propellant necessary at precisely the desired location to reproducibly produce the desired projectile velocity and internal pressure is provided. The subsonic shell casing has an engineered internal propellant cavity built into the internal body of the casing itself that does not necessarily depend on the introduction of a separate volume reducing device such as tubing, filler, foam filler and the like. This ensures the integrity of the case, does not result in anything being expelled through the muzzle of the weapon other than the projectile, does not have any burning or combusting components, allows for very precise control of the internal volume and thus chamber pressure, and is economical to produce.
US09182203B2
Firearm cartridge primer removal tools include a base configured to support a plurality of spent firearm cartridge casings, and a plurality of primer removal pins supported relative to the base and configured to be operatively translated toward and into engagement with, and to remove, primers from spent firearm cartridge casings supported by the base.
US09182202B2
This disclosure provides for payload delivery systems and cartridges and methods that incorporate these payload delivery systems. In one aspect, the payload delivery system can comprise a payload cup and a pleated cup nested within the payload cup and having a pleated side wall. The disclosed cartridges can be used to deliver payloads such as solid projectiles, shot of all sizes, powders, gels, liquids, and other payloads to exploit their specific function.
US09182199B2
The invention provides a method and a system for defeating a target containing a flammable or explosive fill and an incendiary penetrating projectile for use in the method and the system. The incendiary penetrating projectile contains a non-detonating incendiary composition that is ignited prior to penetrating a target.
US09182195B2
Embodiments described herein disclose a cylindrical housing with a compartment defining a section of the housing. The cylindrical housing being configured to rotate around an axle disposed at the center of the cylindrical housing. Embodiments may also include a frame disposed along a curved surface of the cylindrical housing configured to allow access to the compartment within an access portion, wherein the access portion projects the frame from a center of the curved surface towards an edge of the cylindrical housing.
US09182191B2
According to principles of the present inventive concepts, a mechanically-actuated pneumatic valve can comprise an input port receiving compressed gas from a compressed gas regulator and one or more output ports. A face seal can be arranged in the valve body and be configured to move between two positions. In a first position, the face seal can permit compressed gas from the input port to be supplied to a first output port. In a second position, the face seal can vent compressed gas from the valve body through an exhaust port. An actuator, such as a pin or pin-shaped actuator, for example, can be configured and arranged to move the face seal from the first position to the second position, such as during a trigger pull. A contact surface could be configured to physically contact a surface of the pin-shaped actuator (either directly from the trigger or through one or more other components or mechanisms) and drive the face seal to its second position during actuation of the trigger.
US09182186B1
A button lock for a depressible magazine release button bolt of a lower portion of a firearm of the type having a selectively removable upper portion includes a body having a top surface, a bottom surface, and at least one peripheral edge. The body includes a main aperture traversing the bottom surface and sized to accept a screw insert therein that itself includes a threaded bore for receiving the button bolt. The body includes at the top surface thereof a laterally-projecting extension terminating at a downwardly-projecting lip. The button bolt is engaged within screw insert in the main aperture. With the extension positioned over both the lower and upper portions of the firearm, the downwardly-projecting lip prevents the button bolt from being depressed when contacting the upper portion of the firearm. A permanent plug may be fixed within the main aperture to prevent removal of the screw insert after installation.
US09182184B2
The invention relates to a magazine for a handgun, comprising a chamber that accommodates the ammunition and a magazine head that is suitable for being accommodated by the magazine shaft in the breechblock housing of the gun, characterized in that according to the invention an ejector plate is arranged on the magazine head and means are provided for changing the relative position of said ejector plate in the magazine shaft when a magazine is inserted. The solution according to the invention makes it possible to change the position of the magazine head in the magazine shaft by means of an adjusting mechanism and thus to also change the relative position of the ejector plate, which is now on the magazine head, in the magazine shaft. In the process, the position of the ejector plate relative to the feeding web of the breechblock generally changes. By adjusting the position of the magazine head, the ejection angle and/or the ejection path of the cartridge case and the position of the fed cartridge relative to the cartridge chamber of the weapon can also be changed if applicable.
US09182180B2
The present invention relates to a clamping device comprising two end plates (2, 7), springs (1), and tension rods (8), wherein the springs (1) are arranged on a supporting element to distribute clamping forces on one or more flow module plates, one or more reactor plates, one or more heat exchanger plates, or combinations thereof, which plates (6) are placed between the two end plates (2, 7). The present invention relates also to a method for opening and closing a plate reactor or a flow module, and uses of the clamping device.
US09182176B2
A low cost heat exchanger exhibits high performance in relation to heat resistance, pressure resistance, prevention of fluid leakage, and heat exchange efficiency. The heat exchanger is equipped with a stacked plate assembly having a plurality of stacked plates, and a hollow tubular casing, which accommodates the stacked plate assembly and extends in the stacking direction. The stacked plate assembly includes the plurality of plates, sealing members for preventing leakage of fluid from fluid paths, and a fixing tool fastening together the plural plates at a position along the central axis thereof. In the heat exchanger, two types of fluids that undergo heat exchange flow in arcuate paths in the interior of hollow portions formed between two adjacent plates, without causing mutual mixing to occur between the two fluids. Adjacent hollow portions are connected in series through bypasses.
US09182172B2
A method is provided for operating a clothes drying appliance, wherein a moisture content of clothes is determined by measuring a current running through the clothes and wherein the determining takes into account a salt content of the moisture. The clothes drying appliance is adapted to perform the method.
US09182166B2
A climate controller device may be configured to perform operations including comparing an outside air temperature to a threshold temperature; selecting, based on the comparison, one of a function to determine target compressor off setpoint values for relatively lower temperatures and a function to determine target compressor off setpoint values for relatively higher temperatures; retrieving a value according to the selection function to determine target compressor off setpoint values, the value specifying a compressor off setpoint value corresponding to airflow configuration settings; and determining a target compressor off setpoint value based at least in part on the retrieved value.
US09182159B2
A water heater includes one or a plurality of heat pumps that heat tap water or return water from a hot water supply part, a circulation line that supplies hot water heated in the heat pumps to the hot water supply part, and introduces the return water from the hot water supply part to the heat pumps, an incoming water pipe that joins to between the hot water supply part in the circulation line and the heat pumps and supplies the tap water, a circulation pump that returns the return water to the heat pumps and circulates the return water through the circulation line, and a control unit that controls operation or stop of the circulation pump according to driving operation time or elapsed stop time by linking a combustion process of the heat pumps.
US09182150B2
A cable support structure, used in a solar application or other applications, comprising a cable structure which comprises latitudinal cables extending between two sides of an enclosure of a roof, panels or solar modules being arranged in a row on the latitudinal cables forming an array supported by the cable structure, the cable structure in turn being supported by the sides of the enclosure in such a way that weight of the array and force loads on the array are completely or partially distributed on the sides of the enclosure.
US09182140B2
An Electronically-Controlled Register vent (ECRV) that can be easily installed by a homeowner or general handyman is disclosed. The ECRV can be used to convert a non-zoned HVAC system into a zoned system. The ECRV can also be used in connection with a conventional zoned HVAC system to provide additional control and additional zones not provided by the conventional zoned HVAC system. In one embodiment, the ECRV is configured have a size and form-factor that conforms to a standard manually-controlled register vent. In one embodiment, a zone thermostat is configured to provide thermostat information to the ECRV. In one embodiment, the zone thermostat communicates with a central monitoring system that coordinates operation of the heating and cooling zones.
US09182136B2
An integrated heating and cooling system for a living space of a building connects together (a) a solar-based heating and cooling system and (b) heating and cooling systems that rely directly or indirectly on fossil fuels that are conventionally used in buildings. The system operates the solar-based heating and cooling system preferentially to heat or cool the living space. Therefore, the system minimizes the use of fossil fuels to heat and cool the living space.
US09182135B2
Technologies are generally described for a window and a method for cooling a room including a window. In some examples, the window may include a first pane and a second pane spaced from and in optical communication with the first pane defining a generator chamber. An evaporator chamber may be disposed in the window with a pressure so that the evaporator chamber is effective to receive heat from the room and boil a refrigerant to produce a first vapor. An absorber chamber may be effective to receive and condense the first vapor on an absorbent to produce a solution. The generator chamber may be effective to receive heat through the first pane, receive the solution and heat the solution to produce a second vapor. A condenser chamber may be effective to receive the second vapor and cool the second vapor to produce the refrigerant.
US09182128B2
A home appliance having a griddle cover includes an appliance body; a cooktop on the appliance body and having a griddle; a griddle cover for removable disposition on the griddle for protecting the griddle from contaminants, the griddle cover including a cover body having a plurality of support elements on the cover body; and a mounting arrangement for removably mounting the griddle cover to the griddle including a plurality of feet mounted to the support elements for supporting the griddle cover on the griddle.
US09182126B2
An oven includes a cooking chamber configured to receive a food product, a user interface configured to display information associated with processes employed for cooking, first and second energy sources, and a cooking controller. The first energy source provides primary heating and the second energy source provides secondary heating for the food product. The cooking controller executes instructions directing application of energy to the food product via the first or second energy sources. The cooking controller may include processing circuitry configured to receive an indication of cooking parameters defining at least a food product category of the food product and select a cooking signature corresponding to the food product category. The cooking signature may include information descriptive of inherent properties of the food product category and input response properties defining one or more sets of instructions associated with a cooking sequence for the food product based on the cooking parameters.
US09182120B2
The disclosure relates to a waste gas purification method, and more particularly, to a waste gas burning method of reducing CO and NOx by burning waste gases using a system for individually controlling CO and NOx. In accordance with the disclosure, there is provided a low-pollution burning method using a system for individually controlling CO and NOx including a waste gas introduction and flame injection step; a first waste gas burning step; and a second waste gas burning step.
US09182117B2
A lance of a gas turbine burner includes an inner duct having inner nozzles; an annular outer duct encircling the inner duct and having outer nozzles; and a spacer disposed between a terminal portion of the inner duct and a terminal portion of the outer duct, the spacer being fixed to both the inner duct and the outer duct.
US09182112B2
A lighting system for an appliance includes a panel having a side and an exposed edge, a light source positioned in proximity to the exposed edge of the panel, and a coating disposed over a surface of the side of the panel. The coating is configured to allow light to diffuse from the coated side of the panel and the panel is located remotely from the light source.
US09182111B2
Desk top items with LEDs also include USB-unit(s) or USB-module(s) and, optionally, additional outlet-units, to supply charging power to other electric or digital devices such as a smart phone or digital data device. The USB-unit(s) or USB-module(s) are arranged to supply power only, and do not have an additional USB data transfer function.
US09182104B2
A lighting module comprising an elliptical collector for reflecting in the direction of an optical element a beam originating from a light source. The module comprises a screen assembled along the path of the light beam so as to form a cutoff edge. In accordance with the invention, the light source, the elliptical collector and the screen are assembled on an active surface of a support, which additionally comprises a referencing wall. Means for pressing the screen against said active surface and for pushing the front face of the screen, which comprises the cutoff edge, against said referencing wall are provided.
US09182101B2
Light flux controlling member 140 includes first light flux controlling member 141 and second light flux controlling member 142. First light flux controlling member 141 includes incidence surface 143 on which a part of light emitted from light-emitting element 130 is incident, total reflection surface 144 that reflects a part of light incident on incidence surface 143 toward second light flux controlling member 142, and emission surface 145 that emits a part of light incident on incidence surface 143 and light reflected by total reflection surface 144. Second light flux controlling member 142 includes reflection surface 149 that reflects a part of light emitted from first light flux controlling member 141. Reflection surface 149 is a rotational symmetric surface with the optical axis LA of light-emitting element 130 as a rotation axis.
US09182098B2
A device for scattering light emitted from at least one light source includes, among other things, a light coupler configured for placement adjacent to the light source. The light coupler includes a first region proximal the light source where the first region has a first index of refraction and a second region abutting the first region to define a boundary therebetween. Being distal to the light source, the second region has a second index of refraction that is greater than the first index of refraction. Light emitted from the light source is scattered as a result of travelling through the first region and the second region.
US09182087B2
A light guide includes a light input surface which has two first edges, an output surface parallel to and larger than the input surface, and two connecting surfaces, each of which interconnects the light input surface and said light input surface and has an inclined segment. Relationships of θ<θT and L>(AD)/(tan θT) are satisfied, where θ is an included angle defined between extensions of the inclined segments of the connecting surfaces, θT is a critical angle for total internal reflection associated with the light guide, (L) is a distance between the light input and output surfaces, and (AD) is a distance between a location of incidence of a light beam on the light input surface and one of the first edges.
US09182082B2
The present invention provides an LED-light heatsink and a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp having the same heatsink. The LED-light heatsink comprises: a hollow heatsink body; and a heatsink baseplate for enclosing one end of the heatsink body. The present invention can significantly improve the heat-dissipation effect of an LED-light.
US09182078B1
The present creation is a video wall mount having an adjusting structure, which includes a wall fixing rack, a mounting hook, a first adjusting bolt, and a second adjusting bolt. After the mounting hook is locked to the back of a television, and is assembled to the video wall mount, when front-surface evenness needs adjustment, only the first adjusting bolt needs to be rotated. The second adjusting bolt is rotated to adjust a vertical gap. Because only the mounting hook and two adjusting bolts need to be used to adjust front-surface evenness and a vertical gap, a small number of elements are used, and the structure is very simple. In fabrication, the cost can be significantly decreased. Moreover, such an adjusting manner is intuitive and simple in operations, and adjustment operations can be performed immediately without additional reading of instructions or experiments.
US09182072B1
An hanger apparatus including one or more extension elements with each extension element including a top portion and a bottom portion with the top portion having at least one flexible connector connection with the top portion also in communication with the bottom portion and the bottom portion including apertures for connecting a pool pole-head attachment, with the apparatus additionally including a flexible connector connecting to the at least one flexible connector connection of the top portion.
US09182065B2
A calibration hose (10) for use in a device for rehabilitating pipelines (14, 16), having a main pipe calibration hose (18) and a lateral pipe calibration hose (20), the main pipe calibration hose (18) having a connecting region (90), the lateral pipe calibration hose (20) being connected in its first end region (26) to the connecting region (90) of the main pipe calibration hose (18), and the lateral pipe calibration hose (20) being closed in its second end region (28). In order to permit the air to escape via the calibration hose, the invention proposes that a valve (30) be provided in the second end region (28).
US09182057B2
A retractable elastic pressure hose 30, comprising an inlet connector 22, an outlet connector 28, an inner elastic tube 34, and an outer cover 36. Outer cover 36 is designed to expand and contract radially and longitudinally in response to internal pressure and external tensions on the hose. Internal pressure within the hose tends to extend the elastic pressure hose against the retracting force of the inner elastic tube. Outer cover 36 can have a hollow circular braid structure similar to the cover on a bungee cord and is designed to stretch beyond its fully extended length by applying external tension on the elastic pressure hose.
US09182056B2
Pipe sections and methods for forming pipe sections are disclosed. A pipe section includes a hollow body, the hollow body having an inner surface and an outer surface, the inner surface defining an interior. The pipe section further includes a barrier layer surrounding the hollow body, the barrier layer having an inner surface and an outer surface. The barrier layer is formed from a polyarylene sulfide composition. The polyarylene sulfide composition includes a polyarylene sulfide and a crosslinked impact modifier. Such pipe sections exhibit high strength characteristics and flexibility as well as resistance to degradation, even in extreme temperature environments, while maintaining desirable processing characteristics.
US09182053B2
Methods and apparatus to load a valve packing are described. An example method disclosed herein includes adjusting a packing flange nut to a position corresponding at least approximately to a free condition of a biasing assembly, coupling a first gauge member to a first flange, adjusting a first gap between a first surface of the first gauge member and a reference surface opposite the first flange to a first predetermined distance, and tightening the packing flange nut so that the first surface of the first gauge member substantially aligns with or engages the reference surface and causes a load assembly to provide a first predetermined packing stress to the valve packing when the first gauge member substantially aligns with or engages the reference surface.
US09182052B2
The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for controlling gas flow via a gas shut-off valve assembly. In at least one embodiment, the assembly is configured to drive its shut-off valve from an open position to a closed position, in response to detecting a valve closure condition. The assembly in one or more embodiments operates as an intelligent node in an AMR network, and it interprets a received closure command as a closure condition. Additionally, or alternatively, the assembly detects abnormal operating conditions as the closure condition. Advantageously, the assembly performs initial closure verification, based on detecting movement of the valve into the closed position, and performs subsequent closure verification, based on monitoring downstream gas pressure. In the same or other embodiments, the assembly provides enhanced stand-alone reliability and safety by incorporating one or more valve clearing/cleaning routines into its operations.
US09182051B2
Gas saver valves and methods for gaseous fluid pressure regulation are provided. The gas saver valve has a valve body and a regulator within the valve body for adjusting pressure of a gaseous fluid flowing through the valve body. A control member attached to the regulator allows for the adjustment of the regulator to selectively control the gas pressure of the flowing gaseous fluid. The control member is calibrated with a plurality of marked settings each of which corresponds to a value of gas pressure. The marked settings include a range of gas pressure values that are less than a reference gas pressure for the operation of a heat generating device. The reference gas pressure and the range of gas pressure generate a temperature in an operational range of the heat generating device. An indicator indicates a selected gas pressure when the indicator corresponds to a selected marked setting.
US09182049B2
A hydraulic valve for a vehicle transmission includes a housing, a valve piston, an actuating piston, and a bi-stable spring. The housing is connectable with an inlet passage and an outlet passage for the transmission. The valve piston is sealed to the housing and selectively blocks a fluid flow between the inlet passage and the outlet passage. The actuating piston is sealed to the housing and is arranged to be displaceable by a hydraulic pressure in the inlet passage. The bi-stable spring is engaged with the valve piston and the actuating piston. In some example embodiments, the bi-stable spring is axially fixed with regards to the valve piston and displaceable by the actuating piston.
US09182045B2
A diverter cartridge for a fluid mixing valve includes an inlet adapter having a first inlet port, a second inlet port, a first outlet port and a second outlet port. The cartridge further includes a diverter plate having a first inlet channel and a second inlet channel. The diverter plate is rotatable relative to the inlet adapter between a first end position, a second end position, and a neutral position between the first and second end positions. Rotation of the diverter plate from the neutral position toward the first end position increases a volume flow rate through the cartridge and diverts the fluid to the first outlet port. Rotation of the diverter plate from the neutral position toward the second end position increases a volume flow rate through the cartridge and diverts the fluid to the second outlet port.
US09182038B2
Provided is a cooker with a steam generating function without leakage of water and having excellent reliability and durability. A connecting member is formed of a soft material, and is guided by a convex-shaped guide portion having a rounded tip when it is inserted into an opening concave portion of a water tank (FIG. 4), and a convex-shaped seal portion for ensuring a seal can uniformly contact the opening concave portion. Moreover, the convex-shaped seal portion for ensuring the seal is integrally formed with a connection portion 3. Therefore, the durability and the reliability for slipping-off prevention can be enhanced, and the number of components can also be reduced.
US09182036B2
A vehicle includes an engine, a transmission having a friction clutch and a binary clutch assembly, and a controller. The controller executes a method to detect the requested shift of the transmission to neutral, and when a set of conditions are satisfied during the requested shift, to automatically decrease a pressure command to the friction clutch such that torque capacity of the friction clutch decreases from a full torque capacity and begins to slip. The controller holds the binary clutch assembly at a calibrated pressure while the friction clutch slips, disengages the binary clutch assembly only when the binary clutch assembly is released and not loaded, and increases the pressure command to the friction clutch to restore full torque capacity to the friction clutch and complete the requested shift to neutral.
US09182035B2
A shift control apparatus for a vehicle may include a GPS sensor detecting a vehicle location, a navigation device outputting short-distance road information and long-distance road information using the vehicle location, a vehicle controller restoring forward road information using the short-distance road information and the long-distance road information, and determining a degree of curve and an average degree of inclination of a road using the forward road information, and a vehicle shifting unit having a shift controller controlling a shift pattern of a transmission using the degree of curve and the average degree of inclination.
US09182032B2
A lubrication structure of a gear change mechanism includes an actuation valve, a valve body, a detent member, and an elastic contact member. The actuation valve is to set the gear change mechanism to a selected shift position status. The valve body is to house the actuation valve. The detent member is disposed in a vicinity of the valve body and is movable by an operation of the actuation valve. The valve body includes a supply port to supply a hydraulic oil to the detent member. The actuation valve is to communicate the supply port and a drain oil passage in the valve body with each other in a case where a predetermined shift position is selected. The elastic contact member is engaged to one of a plurality of groove portions provided in the detent member.
US09182028B2
A pulley assembly for an automobile auxiliary apparatus, such as an alternator, that dampens torsional impacts and reduces the stress on the auxiliary apparatus, the belt drive system and other apparatuses, by use of both wear-prone damping elements and a one-way overrunning clutch mechanism allowing for the free run of the pulley shaft.
US09182021B2
A disk brake system includes a disk, brake pads, and a linear motion actuator including an electric motor, a rotary shaft coupled to the motor through a reduction gear mechanism, planetary rollers formed with helical grooves in their outer surfaces, and an outer ring member having a helical rib engaged in the helical grooves. The outer ring is coupled to one of the brake pads. When the rotary shaft is rotated by the motor, the outer ring member is moved axially through the planetary rollers, and the brake pads are pressed against the disk. The linear motion actuator further includes a locking mechanism including engaging holes formed in an intermediate gear of the reduction gear mechanism at equal intervals, a locking pin, and a linear solenoid for moving the locking pin until the pin engages in one of the engaging holes, thus locking the motor.
US09182020B2
A wiper motor 10 has a reduction mechanism 29 for reducing the rotational speed of a motor shaft 25 and transmitting the reduced speed, and a motion conversion mechanism 31 for converting the rotational motion of the reduction mechanism 29 into a rotational motion and transmitting the motion to the output shaft 30. A pair of first connection holes 50 and a pair of second connection holes 51 are formed on a worm wheel 35 at a position deviated in a radial direction from an axial center of the worm wheel so that each of the holes is opened at the side of one axial end side. The worm wheel 35 can be used for both cases in which the output shaft 30 is swung within a first swinging region and in which the output shaft 30 is swung within a second swinging region.
US09182015B2
A tensioning device (11) for a traction mechanism drive (1) which is arranged on an internal combustion engine and includes a drive wheel (3) arranged on a drive shaft (30) of an engine (4), one or more additional driving wheels (5, 6), and a continuously revolving traction element (2), which wraps around the drive wheel and additional driving wheels. The tensioning device has two tensioning arms (13, 14) having tensioning wheels (9, 10) mounted thereon, which apply a tensioning force to the traction element in front of and behind the drive wheel in the direction of revolution, and is provided with a spring (16) generating the tensioning force, and a tensioner housing (12), which movably mounts at least one of the tensioning arms to which the force of the spring means is applied. The tensioner housing is mounted on the engine pivotably about the axis (29) of the drive shaft.
US09182010B2
Provided are a chain and a connecting pin that enable reduction in the number of components and the workload involved in chain assembly, and that enhances the strength of a connecting pin. A chain 100 has inner plates 110, outer plates 120 and connecting pins 130. Each connecting pin 130 has a pair of outer shaft sections 131 formed on both end sides of the pin and fixed into pin holes 121 of the outer plates 120; a pair of inner shaft sections 132 formed inward of the pair of outer shaft sections 131 in the pin longitudinal direction and freely fitted into pin holes 111 of the inner plates 110; and a movement restricting section 133 formed inward of the left-right pair of inner shaft sections 132 in the pin longitudinal direction and restricting the movement of the inner plates 110 in the chain width inward direction.
US09181997B2
Provided is a caliper brake including a caliper housing that constitutes an exterior of the caliper brake and has one end on which a fork is formed and is bent, a brake cylinder that is mounted on a side of the caliper housing to face the fork and generates a brake force inside the brake cylinder using an oil pressure of a damping oil transmitted from a brake line, a piston that is mounted within the brake cylinder and pressurizes a brake disc between the piston and the fork using the brake force, a pressurization rod part that is mounted within the piston on a common axis, extends in an axial direction when abrasion occurs in the fork and a frictional pad of the piston so as to compensate for abrasion, and a return spring part.
US09181989B2
A decoupler assembly that includes a hub, a pulley and a mechanism for transmitting rotary power between the hub and the pulley. The mechanism includes a torsion spring and a one-way clutch. The torsion spring is configured to dampen vibration in the rotary power that is transmitted from the pulley to the hub. The one-way clutch has a wrap spring that is smaller in diameter than the torsion spring.
US09181986B2
There is provided a constant velocity universal joint having excellent durability at high temperature while using a boot made of silicone rubber that does not include cerium oxide or other rare earth element-containing compound. The constant velocity universal joint is provided with an outer joint member (2), an inner joint member (4), a shaft (8) coupled to the inner joint member (4), and a boot (9) mounted directly or via another member to the outer joint member (2) and the shaft (8), the boot (9) being a molded article of a silicone rubber composition including silicone rubber, iron oxide, and titanium oxide and not including a rare earth element-containing compound. The silicone rubber composition furthermore includes barium zirconate as required.
US09181983B2
The invention relates to a method for lubricating and cooling a bearing that is subject to high loads and to a device for carrying out said method. The invention is characterized by dissolving a lubricant in a supercritical gas that is cooled down to a low temperature and feeding the gas/lubricant mixture to the baring. The gas/lubricant mixture is relaxed in the bearing area, thereby releasing the lubricant and lubricating the bearing. The now subcritical gas that is cooled down to a low temperature is used for cooling and is discharged to the exterior. The gas used is carbon dioxide (CO2) and the lubricant is a hydrocarbon-based lubricant.
US09181979B2
A hybrid type permanent magnet bearing system which utilizes four permanent magnet rings to replace the mechanical bearings. These rings are divided into two separated groups along an axis, where each group has an inner ring and a separated outer ring. At least one permanent magnet ring has a surface facing the gap between the two groups but being not vertical to the axis. Hence, inside the gap, the magnetic field between these permanent magnet rings is not non-uniform over different directions, and then it may behave as the axial and radical bearing simultaneously.
US09181971B2
A bus bar includes a bus bar body and a spacer provided on the bus bar body, the spacer being an insulator. The bus bar body includes a through hole portion that allows a part of a fixing member for fixing the bus bar body to be inserted therethrough. The spacer includes a head portion and a body portion extending therefrom. When the spacer is provided on the bus bar body, the head portion covers at least part of a peripheral edge region of an end opening of the through hole and the body portion covers an inner peripheral surface of the through hole portion. An outer peripheral surface of the body portion of the spacer is fixedly adhered to the inner peripheral surface of the through hole portion so that resistance occurs when the spacer moves toward the head portion side relative to the bus bar body.
US09181965B2
A hydraulic apparatus control system includes a plurality of directional control valves. Each valve serves to selectively convey pressurized fluid to a hydraulic consumer which is detachably connected to a respective hydraulic output. A plurality of user interface devices control the valves. A terminal includes a display and user input means. The display displays a graphic associated with each hydraulic output. Each graphic includes a displayed user-definable label.
US09181956B2
An example seal shaft includes a cylindrical body establishing a bore that extends axially between a first end portion of the body and a second end portion of the body. Apertures are also established in the body. The apertures extend radially between an outer surface of the body and the bore. The seal shaft further includes a first group knife edge seals and a second group of knife edge seals. The first group of knife edge seals have a diameter, and a ratio of the diameter to the total cross-sectional area of the apertures is between 58.79 and 78.77.
US09181949B2
A scroll compressor that includes a shell and scroll compressor bodies disposed in the shell. The scroll bodies include a first scroll body and a second scroll body, where the first and second scroll bodies have respective bases and respective scroll ribs that project from the respective bases. The scroll ribs are configured to mutually engage, and the second scroll body is movable relative to the first scroll body for compressing fluid. A pilot ring engages a perimeter surface of the first scroll body to limit movement of the first scroll body in the radial direction. Further, the shell includes different inner diameters to facilitate press fitting a motor into the shell where the motor includes lubricant flow passages.
US09181946B2
A lubricant pump includes a housing in which at least one pair of intermeshing gear wheels is arranged for conveying lubricant. One gear wheel is rotatably supported on a drive shaft and the other gear wheel is rotatably supported on an axially shiftable displacement unit for adjusting a variable flow volume. Axially displaceable in a housing receptacle is a control piston for hydraulically adjusting the position of the displacement unit. The control piston is configured as composite structural part and has a central longitudinal shaft and cylinder rings which include control edges for clearing or closing control channels feeding into the receptacle. The cylinder rings are made from a material which reduces friction and/or wear with respect to the receptacle, and the central longitudinal shaft has at least one section made from a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion at least substantially corresponding to the one of the receptacle.
US09181945B2
The lap shapes of a fixed scroll and an orbiting scroll are configured in an asymmetric tooth profile. In the bed plate of an orbiting scroll, a fluid effluence channel communicating with an external line side compression room of an orbiting scroll lap and another fluid effluence channel communicating with an internal line side compression room are formed, and the outlet side opening of each fluid effluence channel opens in the lap tooth bottom of the orbiting scroll, and inlet side openings are formed in a face of the bed plate that is in sliding contact with the bed plate face of the fixed scroll. In the face of the bed plate, a communicating section control groove that lets the inlet side openings of the two fluid effluence channels and the back pressure room intermittently communicate with each other.
US09181929B2
An actuator having an efficient energy accumulation with a plurality of progressively varying diameter compression spring, pre-compressed with ends connected through a telescopic arrangement. A construction having a raised boundary and a recession provided on a piston side and an actuator cover to retain the springs. The efficient energy accumulation system requires less accommodating volume and is “buckle” free.
US09181925B2
The invention concerns a method for the determination of an azimuth angle for servicing purposes (αw) of a wind power plant with a machinery housing that is rotatable on a tower through an azimuth angle (α) and a rotor that is rotatable on a machinery housing through a rotor angle (δ) such that a plurality of combinations of rotor angles (δ) and azimuth angles (α) is adjusted, that are determined at the rotor subject to the influence of a turbulent wind field, which is effecting torques, for the adjusted combinations of rotor angles (δ) and azimuth angles (α) and the associated azimuth angle (α), a torque envelope of the torque-azimuth angle associations is determined, surrounding areas (U(α)) with comparable sector sizes of the azimuth angle (α) are generated and associated magnitude values of the torque envelope are determined, a surrounding area (U(αw)) with magnitude-wise smaller torque envelope values than the neighboring surrounding areas is selected and the azimuth angle for servicing purposes (αw) is determined within the selected surrounding area (U(aw)).
US09181924B2
An exchange of momentum wind turbine vane having a large area for exchange of momentum which is made rigid with buckleable wing columns capable of automatic self-feathering the vane to protect it from damaging high-speed wind. The large vane area provides very low windspeed startup. In the preferred embodiment the vane is plastic and very inexpensive to manufacture. Four embodiments are described and shown.
US09181922B2
A mechanism for capturing wave energy includes a structure and a set of vertical buoys with support portions for supporting the structure. The structure is rectangular and includes rails that are oriented parallel to a direction of waves of water, and a movable tank holder carriage that runs along the rails perpendicularly to the direction of the waves. The movable tank holder carriage includes buoyancy tanks for floatation, with the buoyancy tanks having faces configured to maximize contact with the water. The buoyancy tanks are encased in a structural cage attached to the movable tank holder carriage. Wheels of the buoyancy tanks run along the structural cage to keep a position of the buoyancy tanks fixed relative to a level of the water, allowing the buoyancy tanks to rise and fall with movement of the waves.
US09181920B2
A system and method for detecting arc formation in a corona discharge ignition system is provided. The system includes a driver circuit conveying energy oscillating at a resonant frequency; a corona igniter for receiving the energy and providing a corona discharge; and a frequency monitor for identifying a variation in an oscillation period of the resonant frequency, wherein the variation in the oscillation period indicates the onset of arc formation. The method includes supplying the energy to the driver circuit and to the corona igniter; obtaining the resonant frequency of the energy in the oscillating driver circuit; and identifying a variation in the oscillation period of the resonant frequency.
US09181909B2
A fuel pump is disclosed. The fuel pump includes a housing. Further, the fuel pump includes a rotatable pump shaft disposed within the housing. One end of the rotatable pump shaft is attachable to a gear. The housing also includes a retainer disposed within the housing and located about the pump shaft. The retainer includes a first rim and a second rim that are spaced apart from each other. The retainer also includes a side wall extending between the first and the second rims. Further, the side wall of the retainer defines a first volume and a second volume within the housing. The side wall of the retainer has a plurality of apertures configured to allow a fluid flow from the first volume to the second volume while retaining particulate contaminants larger than a size of the apertures within the first volume.
US09181907B2
A separator has a first inlet arranged to receive a fluid stream, and first and second separation stages coupled together in series; A pump coupled to the second separation stage generates an area of reduced pressure to draw the fluid stream through the first and second separation stages. One of the stages includes a variable impactor separator comprising a first chamber arranged to receive the fluid stream, and a second chamber coupled to the first chamber through an aperture to accelerate the first fluid stream. The stream is incident upon an impaction surface to separate contaminants from the fluid stream. An actuator adjusts the open area of the aperture according to a pressure differential between fluid pressure in the first chamber and a reference fluid pressure in a third chamber. The other of the separation stages is a second variable impactor separator or a filter media.
US09181906B2
A fuel vapor processing system includes a canister, a tank passage communicating between the canister and the fuel tank, and a purge passage communicating between the canister and the intake air passage. Fuel vapor adsorbed by the canister can be desorbed and purged into the intake air passage via the purge passage due to a negative pressure produced in the intake air passage. A desorption promoting device can promote desorption of fuel vapor from the canister. A control unit controls the desorption device, so that the desorption promoting device promotes desorption of fuel vapor from the canister during desorption through the purge passage due to the negative pressure.
US09181902B2
An object of the invention is to increase efficiency in an operation of joining an upper shell and a lower shell and to enhance reliability of a fuel tank against leakage.The fuel tank according to the present invention includes: a fuel tank body (10m) which is constituted by an upper shell (12) and a lower shell (14); a fuel supply device (30) which is installed in the fuel tank body (10m) and pressure-feeds fuel in the fuel tank body (10m) to an internal combustion engine (E) of a vehicle; and a fuel vapor treating apparatus (20) which is configured to enable adsorption of fuel vapor, wherein the fuel supply device (30) and the fuel vapor treating apparatus (20) are mounted to the upper shell (12), and pipe (20a), (20p), (20t), (43), and (31) and wires (44) and (32) of the fuel supply device (30) and the fuel vapor treating apparatus (20) are configured to penetrate a wall of the upper shell (12).
US09181893B2
An electronically controlled fuel injection valve can control the time to inject fuel and the amount of fuel to be injected in response to a control signal independently from the operating condition of an engine unlike a traditional mechanical fuel injection valve. The electronically controlled fuel injection valve employs a control method for fuel injection that increases the force of lifting up a cutoff needle of an injection controller by delivering high-pressure fuel to a lower pressure chamber via a control needle, thereby rapidly controlling fuel injection, has a simple structure making it easy to assemble, replace and precisely machine parts, and has a simple flow path structure which facilitates fabrication.
US09181881B2
A dual fuel common rail engine supplies pressurized natural gas and liquid diesel fuel at different pressures through a co-axial quill assembly for direct injection from a single fuel injector into an engine cylinder. Each coaxial quill assembly includes a matched pair of inner and outer quills that are chosen to have dimensions that allow both quills to sealingly engage each fuel injector at a common conical seat responsive to a clamping force applied along an axis. Matched pairs of inner and outer quills are retained together during pre-installation handling with a retainer that is left between the inner and outer quills after installation in an engine.
US09181863B2
An internal combustion engine with rotatable bodies each received in a respective internal cavity. The engine includes at least one inlet port for each internal cavity in fluid communication with the combustion chamber(s) thereof at least during their intake phase and a beginning of their compression phase. The bodies are angularly offset with the beginning of the compression phase of the combustion chamber(s) defined by each body being simultaneous with at least a beginning of the intake phase of the combustion chamber(s) defined by a different one of the bodies. A respective conduit provides a fluid communication between an inlet port for each body and an inlet port for the different one of the bodies, with each conduit being in fluid communication with a plenum for receiving pressurized air. A method of feeding air to an internal combustion engine is also provided.
US09181861B2
An internal combustion engine control apparatus includes a turbocharger, an intake air quantity detecting section, an intake air pressure detecting section, a turbine rotational speed limit determining section and a turbine control section. The turbine rotational speed limit determining section determines a turbine rotational speed limit pressure ratio between the upstream-side intake air pressure and a downstream-side intake air pressure in the air intake passage at a downstream side of the compressor for a turbine rotational speed limit that corresponds to the intake air quantity detected by the intake air quantity detecting section. The turbine rotational speed limit determining section further calculates a turbine over rotation suppressing boost pressure of the turbine compressor using the upstream-side intake air pressure and the turbine rotational speed limit pressure ratio. The turbine control section controls the turbocharger based on the turbine over rotation suppressing boost pressure.
US09181860B2
Provided are a control device and a control method for an internal combustion engine, which enable a throttle-valve upstream pressure through simple calculation processing without being affected by a state of an opening degree of a wastegate valve (WGV). When a wastegate (WG) command value to a WGV driving section (212) for driving a WGV (33a) provided in a bypass passage (33) which bypasses a turbocharger (32) is to control supercharging to be weakened to the lowest level, the throttle-valve upstream pressure is estimated from an exhaust-gas amount. Otherwise, a value obtained by adding a preset value to an intake-manifold pressure is used as a throttle-valve upstream pressure estimate value. As a result, the throttle-valve upstream pressure is estimated with high accuracy by an inexpensive configuration without mounting a throttle-valve upstream pressure sensor, and then engine control is performed.
US09181858B2
A turbocharger for use in an internal combustion engine has at least one turbocharger housing, at least one compressor situated inside the turbocharger housing, and at least one turbine situated inside the turbocharger housing. In addition, the turbocharger has at least one sensor device for detecting at least a portion of a gas component of an exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine. The sensor device is at least partially integrated into the turbocharger housing.
US09181856B2
One exemplary embodiment may include an engine breathing system including an exhaust driven auxiliary air pump to flow air directly into the exhaust side of the breathing system.
US09181840B2
A method is provided to operate a diesel particulate filter of a Diesel engine equipped with a soot-sensor located in an outlet of the diesel particulate filter, the soot-sensor operating according to a succession of soot loading phases mutually separated by a regeneration phase. The method includes, but is not limited to setting a borderline value of the efficiency of the diesel particulate filter, resetting a value of a counter, during a regeneration phase of the soot-sensor, this value representing a soot loading level of the soot-sensor, iteratively increasing the value of this counter, during a next soot loading phase of the soot-sensor, at least until the value reaches a predetermined threshold value of the counter, and detecting an unsuited efficiency of the diesel particulate filter, if a next regeneration phase of the soot-sensor begins when the value of the counter is below the predetermined threshold value of the counter.
US09181838B2
A vehicle exhaust system is provided and comprises a catalyst positioned in an exhaust passage of a vehicle. The catalyst is in the form of a washcoat supported on a substrate. The system includes a phase change material located adjacent to the catalyst to maintain the temperature of the catalyst between engine shut-down and subsequent start-up as well as to regulate the temperature during engine operation. In some embodiments, the phase change material comprises particles of a metal or metal alloy encapsulated in a ceramic material. The metal or metal alloy is adapted to have a phase change that occurs within a temperature range wherein the catalyst is active.
US09181835B2
A method of controlling an aftertreatment system having a SCR catalyst and communicating with an engine electronic control module (ECM) is provided. The method may receive a plurality of system values corresponding to NH3 and NOx emissions of the aftertreatment system; determine an optimal urea dosing target value based on the system values and one of a target NH3 storage value and an estimated NH3 storage value; and determine an optimal engine NOx output target value based on the system values and a measured NOx conversion efficiency value.
US09181818B2
A disclosed probe assembly includes a sensor member and an outer holder including a main bore for the sensor member, the outer holder including a first coefficient of thermal expansion. The sensor member is held within a sensor bore of an inner holder. The inner holder is held within the main bore of the outer holder by an interference fit. The inner holder includes a second coefficient of thermal expansion greater than the first coefficient of thermal expansion. Expansion of the inner holder is constrained by the outer holder to maintain the sensor member within the probe bore of the inner holder at elevated temperatures.
US09181815B2
A shaped rim cavity wing includes an upper surface and a lower surface. The lower surface has a geometric shape to control the separation of airflow as it passes around the lower surface to the top surface. A point of maximum extent defines the boundary between the upper surface and the lower surface, wherein the point of maximum extent defines a corner that that separates airflow from the shaped rim cavity rim and creates a flow re-circulation adjacent to the top surface of the shaped rim cavity wing.
US09181806B2
An airfoil includes an airfoil body that defines a longitudinal axis. The airfoil body includes a leading edge and a trailing edge and a first sidewall and a second sidewall that is spaced apart from the first sidewall. The first sidewall and the second sidewall join the leading edge and the trailing edge and at least partially define at least one longitudinally elongated cavity in the airfoil body. A plurality of loose particles is enclosed in the at least one longitudinally elongated cavity.
US09181801B2
A pumpable crib bag assembly includes a containment bag having a body and a supporting member. The containment bag is configured to contain a cementitious material therein and has a first end, a second end, and an outer surface. The pumpable crib bag assembly further includes a reinforcing layer positioned adjacent to the outer surface of the containment bag.
US09181795B2
The invention relates to a method of managing ground water resources, where bores are used to extract ground water such as for agricultural, mining and town water supply purposes. It involves a method for managing a groundwater resource including, providing at least one production bore that is adapted to extract groundwater from an aquifer, providing at least one monitoring bore that provides a measure of the extraction capability of removing water from the aquifer, measuring the hydraulic head of groundwater in the aquifer by means of the monitoring bore, and monitoring at least one indicator of the capability of extracting groundwater from the bores. The method involves determining at least one trigger point at which further monitoring of, or action in respect of, the groundwater extraction is to be undertaken, and intervening when this trigger point is reached during groundwater extraction. Preferably there are at least two trigger points; one to trigger a review and another that triggers management action.
US09181793B2
A system including, a first component of a mineral extraction system, and a first radio frequency identification (RFID) module coupled to the first component, wherein the first RFID module comprises first component data relating to the first component, and first location data relating to a first location of the first component.
US09181791B2
Disclosed is a system and method for horizontal directional drilling (HDD). The system and method utilize predictive algorithms to both characterize the soil within the borehole and to quantify instability within the drillstring. The soil characteristics are represented by a soil coefficient (α), which relates the curvature of the borehole with the length of thrust of the drill rig as well as by comparison of thrust while thrusting with torque while drilling. The value of (α) is obtained by comparison of the historical orientation of the drilling head over the length of the borehole and the borehole shape as determined by an arbitrary navigation sensor. Drillstring instability is determined as a function of historical thrust and torque efficiencies and windup over the length of the borehole.
US09181785B2
A subterranean pump is delivered on coiled tubing with power and control cables running inside. The pump suction has a tubular inlet that seals in a polished bore in the surrounding tubular. A diverter opens a lateral port and closes entry to the pump suction when the pump is not running and the formation pressure is high enough to bring production to the surface. This configuration prevents the pump from turning while the formation pressure allows production to the surface. If the pump is started it reduces pressure ahead of a movable plug to draw it toward the pump against a spring bias. The lateral ports close and an inline flow path opens to allow the pump to draw through the diverter and discharge into the annular space around the coiled tubing on the way to the surface.
US09181774B2
Method and device for zonal isolation and management of recovery of horizontal well drained reserves
The invention relates to the oil and gas production industry, in particular, to development and production of oil reservoirs with various permeability zones, specifically, with lateral/lateral horizontal holes, drilled from the production casing. The method described includes running into the well of a tubing string with a cable, control devices in form of electrical valves, measurement pressure and temperature sensors, and one or more packers for isolation of the downhole space, in which information from the sensors is passed to the measurement unit at the wellhead, and signals for opening/closing of the control devices are transferred from the wellhead control unit by the cable. A device for carrying out this method is also described.
US09181771B2
A packer assembly with an enhanced sealing layer is provided. The packer assembly may have an outer bladder with drains. The packer assembly may further have an inflatable inner packer disposed inside the outer bladder such that inflation of the inner packer causes the outer bladder to expand. End pieces may be coupled to the inner bladder and the outer bladder, and flowlines may be in fluid communication with the drains and the end pieces. A piston ring may reinforce the packer assembly. The piston ring may have three or more passive pistons which expand with the packer assembly during testing.
US09181767B2
A downhole bypass tool that includes an inlet for receiving fluid into a housing of the bypass tool is described herein. The bypass tool also includes a flow directing apparatus disposed in the housing for directing fluid to flow into an operational flow path of a vibratory tool. The vibratory tool is at least partially disposed within the hosing of the bypass tool. The flow directing apparatus operates to selectively bypass the operational flow path of the vibratory tool such that the fluid bypasses the operational flow path of the vibratory tool and flows out of an outlet of the bypass tool.
US09181765B2
Parking and automatic handling equipment of drilling rods (10) includes a carousel (20) of containers (30) of drilling rods (40); and a rod handling system (100), positioned on a drilling machine. A handling arm (101) transfers the drilling rods (40) out of the carousel (20). The carousel (20) defines a closed path around which are arranged the containers (30) of drilling rods (40); the carousel (20) includes an internal structure (22) for supporting the containers (30) movable on a closed path.
US09181763B2
A method and apparatus for facilitating running or pulling tubulars from a well bore whereby the functions of a surface mounted traditional spider/elevator are replaced by an FMS which may also be remotely controlled. The FMS comprises a main body consisting of upper and lower plates assembled in a bolted and welded configuration, a slip assembly each said slip assembly comprising a slip back, a slip, one or more die inserts, a hydraulic or pneumatic cylinder and multiple sized die blocks to conform to the tubular OCTG diameter.
US09181751B1
A control assembly includes a control box mounted to a rail on a top of a Venetian blind. A longitudinal shaft is mounted in a box body of the control box and is rotatable along a longitudinal axis. An actuation string is wound around a friction wheel on the longitudinal shaft and can be operated to adjust an inclination angle of slats of the Venetian blind. A transverse shaft is mounted in the box body and extends perpendicularly to the longitudinal shaft. A direction-changing gear unit is mounted between the longitudinal shaft and the transverse shaft. The transverse shaft includes two string winding grooves each having increasing depths from two sides thereof towards a center thereof. The box body includes a bottom having a central string hole between two side string holes. The central string hole is divided by a transverse support and a longitudinal support.
US09181748B2
An air and/or debris dam for moving coil balance assembly for a hung window is disclosed. The air and/or debris dam is located between the carrier and a mounting location of a moving coil window balance assembly. The air and/or debris dam can travel within the jamb channel of a window frame assembly to inhibit airflow and/or the deposition of dust and/or debris in the jamb channel.
US09181745B1
A cushion member assembly includes an attachment fastener having deflecting first and second arms curving toward a planar flange, and a neck region connecting the first and second arms to the planar flange. A cushion member includes a slot in a body first portion first end and a body second portion having a hollow chamber. A first bore extends into the body first portion from the slot. A second bore has a diameter larger than a first bore diameter and substantially equal to a first and second arm spaced width. A surface separates a cavity defined by the second bore from the first bore. The arms initially deflect toward each other during entrance into the first bore and outwardly rebound in the second bore directly contacting the surface. The first and second arms in contact with the surface resist removal of the attachment fastener from the cushion member.
US09181742B2
An articulated device is adapted to hold a shutter in different open positions, without the need for the user to lean out of the window.
US09181739B2
A three-dimensional adjustable door mounting system and method for aligning and installing a hinged door within a frame. In one embodiment, the mounting system includes one or more captive nuts mounted to the door. The captive nut includes a movable adjusting plate retained by a stationary holding bracket mounted to the door. A threaded fastener inserted through a hinge door leaf and into the adjusting plate allows an installer to move and adjust the position of the hinge relative to the door in a first plane. In other embodiments, captive nuts may further be affixed to the door frame. A threaded fastener inserted through a hinge frame leaf and into the adjusting plate allows an installer to move and adjust the position of the hinge and door relative to the frame in a second plane different than the first plane.
US09181738B2
The present invention provides for a robust one-piece hinge body which is suitable to withstand strain of rough handling. The novel one-piece hinge body includes a first profile portion which is configured to at least partially enclose a first profile. The hinge body also includes a second profile portion which is configured to at least partially enclose a second profile which is parallel to the first profile. The hinge body further has an outer portion which connects the first and second profile portions and which is located on the outside of the hinge joint of the pivoted profiles. The body also includes an inner portion which opposes the outer portion and connects the first and second profile portions while being located on the inside of the hinge joint of the pivoted profiles. According to the invention the inner portion consists of joinable terminal ends of the first and second profile portions, wherein a mating surface is formed between said joined terminal ends. Accordingly, the outer portion is solid for withstanding retraction upon closing movement of the hinge.
US09181737B1
A hinge for rotatably coupling an appliance door with an appliance body includes a housing affixable within the door. An input arm is rotatably coupled to the housing and is affixable with the appliance body. A spring is operably engaged between the housing and the input arm to apply a balancing torque to the input arm relative to the housing. A first magnet is fixed relative to the housing and a second magnet is operatively coupled with the input arm such that rotation of the input arm with respect to the housing moves the second magnet axially with respect to the first magnet. The magnets have a mutual attraction between each other that is operable to apply a closing torque to the input arm relative to the housing. The balancing force decreases with movement of the input arm from the second position toward the first position.
US09181735B2
A forced entry practice device for a door includes a housing assembly configured to be installed in a cutout of a door and defining a cavity. A support arm extends outwardly from a side portion of the housing assembly and across a major surface of the door. A casing is coupleable to a door jamb of a door frame associated with the door. A first engagement portion is coupled to the casing, and a second engagement portion is coupled to the housing assembly. A retaining member includes a first section receivable in the first engagement portion and a second section receivable in the second engagement portion. The edge of the door is maintained proximate to the door jamb when the retaining member is received in the engagement portions.
US09181728B2
A torque augmentor operatively associated with the cylinder assembly and the plug assembly of a pin tumbler lock cylinder increases the threshold torque required to rotate the plug assembly in the cylinder assembly, thereby hampering an attacker's “feel” for the relationship of the cylinder pins to the shear line, and of the plug assembly to the cylinder. One embodiment of the pick-resistant lock cylinder includes a spring-biased ball normally disposed across the shear line. Another embodiment has a cam normally biased into engagement with a cam follower, the cam being disposed on one of the cylinder assembly and the plug assembly, and the cam follower being disposed on the other. Another embodiment includes an hourglass-shaped false shear line creator operatively associated with the cylinder assembly and plug assembly. The coaction of the torque augmentor and false shear line creator of the lock cylinder of the present invention also hampers an attack by bumping.
US09181726B2
A device for lifting a post out of the ground, including a part for engaging the post and an elongate body having a handle for applying a lever action to the part in order to lift the post from the ground, wherein the part is coupled to a stand and the stand is moveable relative to the body from a stowed condition to a deployed condition whereat the body is pivotally supported above the ground for rotation about the stand in order to effect the lever action.
US09181724B2
The present invention relates to an automatic tent frame capable of preventing an upper coupler and a lower coupler from being rotated with respect to each other or preventing given gaps from being generated on the coupled portions of the upper coupler and the lower coupler even in a case where an automatic tent is not unfolded to its original shape by the reduction of the restoring force of an extension spring and thus falls down due to external impacts like wind, thus preventing support poles supporting main poles from being damaged to extend the life span of the automatic tent frame, and capable of reducing the length of a pipe module, while allowing the pipe module to have the same functions as in conventional one, thus upwardly lifting an outer surface of the automatic tent by the reduced length to increase the interior of the automatic tent by a maximum height.
US09181715B2
A Π-shaped clip with a top horizontal portion and a pair of integrally formed spaced apart vertical legs underneath. The legs define a spacing distance across their span and are inwardly compressible toward each other in response to a side force. The top portion has raised gripping means for frictional engagement. The clip is inserted into grooves of adjacent structural members secure them to a supporting structure.
US09181712B2
A modular building panel assembly which is assembled with other similar panels to form a building structure includes spaced apart inner and outer wall portions joined to one another at opposing first and second end portions. The first end portion includes a first flange portion defining a male connector. The second end portion includes a second flange portion which partially defines a female connector together with the inner wall portion so as to receive the male connector of an adjacent assembly therein. The inner wall portion overlaps the second flange portion of the second end portion in the lateral direction so as to be arranged to receive a common fastener penetrated collectively through the inner wall portion, the second flange portion, and the first flange portion of said adjacent assembly in the assembly building structure.
US09181711B2
An assembly for securing a panel to a wall surface, including an elongated rail adapted to being secured in extending fashion along the wall surface and a clip adapted to being secured to a rear surface of the panel. The rail and clip each exhibit a similar cross sectional profile, with each including at least one mating and inclined support surface for redirecting a weight of the panel inwards toward the wall surface.
US09181699B2
The invention comprises a method of forming a concrete structure. The method comprises placing plastic concrete in a form of a desired shape, encasing the concrete in insulating material having insulating properties equivalent to at least 1 inch of expanded polystyrene and allowing the plastic concrete to at least partially cure inside the insulating material. An insulated concrete form and a method of using the insulated concrete form are also disclosed.
US09181698B2
A method of producing a building panel (1), including: providing a core (2), applying a balancing layer (6) having a first moisture content on a first surface (3) of the core (2), the balancing layer (6) comprising a sheet impregnated with a thermosetting binder, applying a surface layer (12) having a second moisture content on a second surface (4) of the core (2), the surface layer (12) comprising a thermosetting binder, adjusting the first moisture content of the balancing layer (6) such that the first moisture content of the balancing layer (6) is higher than the second moisture content of the surface layer (12) prior to curing, and curing the surface layer (12) and the balancing layer (6) by applying heat and pressure. Also, a semi-finished product adapted to be cured for forming a building panel (1).
US09181689B2
Providing a toilet apparatus which can reduce an amount of water discharged into a waste collection tub. The toilet apparatus includes a toilet body (10) equipped with a toilet bowl (11) having a drain outlet (11A) in its lower part, a discharge part (20) communicating between the drain outlet (11A) and a waste collection tub (90) located below the toilet body (10), a drainage channel (30) branched from the discharge part (20), and a private parts cleaning device (50) assembled to the toilet body (10) and having a cleaning nozzle (51). When the private parts cleaning device (50) is actuated and an amount of cleaning water ejected from the cleaning nozzle (51) equals or exceeds a set amount, the cleaning water flowing into the toilet bowl (11) is caused to flow into the drainage channel (30) without being discharged via the discharge part (20) into the waste collection tub (90).
US09181684B2
During a swing start, a pump torque calculating section associated with pump delivery pressure, a pump torque calculating section associated with swing operation pressure, and a maximum value selecting section of a controller perform control to change a maximum absorption torque of a second hydraulic pump between Tb and Tc in accordance with a delivery pressure of the second hydraulic pump. In an operation combining swing with other motion, a subtraction section performs a calculation to subtract a maximum absorption torque Tp2 of the second hydraulic pump from a total pump torque Tr0 to thereby distribute an amount of torque reduced in the second hydraulic pump to a first hydraulic pump associated with an actuator other than a swing motor. Further, a required flow rate can be supplied to the swing motor, thus achieving a smooth shift to a constant speed swing.
US09181678B2
A backhoe loader includes cab, a loader, an engine, and a backhoe. The loader includes a pair of loader arms sandwiching the engine from the side, a loader bucket, and a loader bucket cylinder. There is provided a foot mount member attached at the outer side of the loader arm to be horizontal relative to the ground in a state where the bottom of the loader bucket is in contact with the ground. Thus, a backhoe loader of favorable workability in the maintenance service of engine can be obtained.
US09181660B2
A civil engineering machine and a method of controlling the machine are based on the position of at least one reference point which is relevant to the control of the civil engineering machine being changed, as the civil engineering machine moves, as a function of a relative position of the at least one reference point relative to a desired path of travel.
US09181658B2
A basecoat including a pigment blend including a calcined clay component and a hyper-platy clay component, wherein the hyper-platy clay component has a shape factor of at least about 40:1, and wherein the pigment blend has a sediment void volume of at least about 50 percent.
US09181653B2
The present invention provides a method for producing modified nanofibrillated cellulose characterized by bringing cellulosic material into a fiber suspension, adsorbing a cellulose derivative or polysaccharide or polysaccharide derivative onto fibers in said fiber suspension under special conditions and subjecting the obtained fiber suspension derivative to mechanical disintegration. A modified nanofibrillated cellulose obtainable by a method of the present invention is provided. Furthermore, the invention relates to the use of said modified nanofibrillated cellulose.
US09181652B2
A bedding product having a colored hem and methods of making the same are disclosed. The bedding product can have a plain body attached to a colored hem which is made color fast so as to inhibit fading of the colored hem and/or prevent bleeding, crocking, and/or running of color from the colored hem onto the plain body during the useful life of the bedding product. The colored hem can be made color fast by a method including selecting a fabric, selecting dyes based on the fabric, preparing the fabric such as by mercerizing, applying the dyes, and treating the dyed fabric to remove unfixed dyes contained in the fabric to improve subsequent colorfastness.
US09181649B2
A washing method and a washing machine are provided. Wash water is drained from a tub prior to initiating a main spinning process, and wash water is supplied into a drum to decrease the volume of the laundry which is increased by the draining. Therefore, it is possible to effectively reduce the volume of laundry and thus to improve the mobility of the laundry. Then, a main spinning process is performed by spinning the drum at high speed.
US09181644B2
A buttonhole presser device includes a fabric presser unit; a fabric feed frame unit including a start position detecting member and an immovable receiving portion, the fabric feed frame unit being slidable relative to the fabric presser unit between a start position and an end position of the buttonhole; a button-diameter measuring unit including an end position detecting member and a movable receiving portion, the button-diameter measuring unit being configured to grip a button by being slid relative to the fabric feed frame unit; and a fixing unit that fixes the button-diameter measuring unit to the fabric feed frame unit when the button-diameter measuring unit is gripping the button between the immovable receiving portion and the movable receiving portion and that allows the button to be removed after the button-diameter measuring unit has been fixed to the fabric feed frame unit.
US09181637B2
A method for producing a long fiber nonwoven fabric includes (a) melting resin containing polyphenylene sulfide as main component, discharging it from a spinneret, solidifying resulting filaments by cooling and stretching the filaments by pulling them out of an ejector at a spinning speed of 3,000 m/min or more while heat-treating as the filaments travel to the ejector outlet to provide a long fiber; (b) collecting the long fiber on a moving net to form a nonwoven web; and (c) subjecting the nonwoven web to thermal bonding.
US09181631B2
Provided is a silicon crystalline material, which is manufactured by a CZ method to be used as a material bar for manufacturing a silicon single crystal by an FZ method and has a grasping section for being loaded in a crystal growing furnace employing the FZ method without requiring mechanical processing. A method for manufacturing such silicon crystalline material is also provided. The silicon crystalline material is manufactured by the silicon crystal manufacturing method employing the CZ method and is provided with the grasping section, which is manufactured in a similar way as a shoulder portion, a straight body portion and a tail portion in a silicon crystal growing step employing the CZ method, and is loaded in a single crystal manufacturing apparatus employing the FZ method to grow single crystals. A seed-crystal used in the silicon crystal manufacture employing the CZ method is used as the grasping section. The grasping section is manufactured by temporarily changing crystal growing conditions to form a protruding section or a recessed section on the outer circumference surface of the straight body section or by forming a dent on the shoulder portion of the straight body portion, at the time of manufacturing the silicon crystal by the CZ method.
US09181623B2
A solution and a process are used for activating the surface of a substrate comprising at least one area formed from a polymer, for the purpose of subsequently covering it with a metallic layer deposited via an electroless process. The composition contains: A) an activator formed from one or more palladium complexes; B) a binder formed from one or more organic compounds chosen from compounds comprising at least two glycidyl functions and at least two isocyanate functions; and C) a solvent system formed from one or more solvents capable of dissolving said activator and said binder. The solution and process may be applied for the manufacture of electronic devices such as integrated circuits, especially in three dimensions.
