US09216923B2
A mold for making a fused silica crucible includes a cylindrical can having an interior bore. A graphite insert is received in the bore and has an upper surface adapted to form the lower surface of the crucible while the interior bore of the can forms the side wall of the crucible. Silica grain is deposited in the mold while it rotates. Bores formed in the can above the insert and in the insert draw air through the silica during fusion.
US09216913B2
Positive electrode active materials for lithium ion batteries having good characteristics are disclosed. In one embodiment, a positive electrode active material has a layer structure represented by the compositional formula: Lix(NiyMe1-y)Oz (wherein Me represents at least one type selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, Al, Mg, Cr, Ti, Fe, Nb, Cu and Zr, x denotes a number from 0.9 to 1.2, y denotes a number from 0.80 to 0.89, and z denotes a number of 1.9 or more), wherein the coordinates of the lattice constant a and compositional ratio (Li/M) are within the region enclosed by four lines given by the equations: y=1.01, y=1.10, x=2.8748, and x=2.87731 on a graph in which the x-axis represents a lattice constant a and the y-axis represents a compositional ratio (Li/M) of Li to M, and the lattice constant c is 14.2 to 14.25.
US09216911B2
The present invention is directed to a process for preparing CHA-type molecular sieves using a colloidal aluminosilicate composition containing a cationic structure directing agent selected from the group consisting of N-cyclohexyl-N-methylpyrrolidinium, N-cyclohexyl-N-ethylpyrrolidinium, N-methyl-N-(3-methylcyclohexyl)pyrrolidinium, N-ethyl-N-(3-methylcyclohexyl)pyrrolidinium, N-methyl-N-(2-methylcyclohexyl)-pyrrolidinium, N-ethyl-N-(2-methylcyclohexyl)pyrrolidinium, and mixtures thereof.
US09216910B2
A composition and its method of production are provided. The composition includes at least one zero-valent metal atom in complex with at least one hydride molecule. In some instances, the composition includes a first zero-valent metal atom and a second zero-valent metal atom in complex with at least one hydride molecule. The method of production includes ball-milling an elemental metal in a high-surface area form, with a hydride. The composition can be useful as a reagent for the synthesis of zero-valent metal alloy nanoparticles.
US09216907B2
A method of manufacturing a positive electrode active material for lithium ion batteries, comprising: preparing a mixture containing (A) Li3PO4, or a Li source and a phosphoric acid source, (B) at least one selected from a group of an Fe source, a Mn source, a Co source and a Ni source, water and an aqueous organic solvent having a boiling point of 150° C. or more, wherein the amounts of (A) and (B) in the mixture are adjusted to amounts necessary to manufacture therefrom LiMPO4, wherein M represents at least one selected from the group of Fe, Mn, Co and Ni, at a concentration of 0.5 to 1.5 mol/L; and generating fine particles of LiMPO4 having an average primary particle diameter of 30 to 80 nm by reacting (A) and (B) at a high temperature and high pressure.
US09216899B2
A micro-electromechanical (MEM) synthetic jet actuator includes a semiconductor substrate having a cavity extending therethrough, such that a first opening is formed in a first surface of the semiconductor substrate and such that a second opening is formed in a second surface of the semiconductor substrate. A first flexible membrane is formed on at least a portion of the front surface of the semiconductor substrate and extends over the first opening. The first flexible membrane also includes an orifice formed therein aligned with the first opening. The MEM synthetic jet actuator also includes a second flexible membrane that is formed on at least a portion of the second surface of the semiconductor substrate and that extends over the second opening, and a pair of actuator elements coupled to the flexible membranes and aligned with the cavity to selectively cause displacement of the first and second flexible membranes.
US09216897B2
A MEMS device includes a dual membrane, an electrode, and an interconnecting structure. The dual membrane has a top membrane and a bottom membrane. The bottom membrane is positioned between the top membrane and the electrode and the interconnecting structure defines a spacing between the top membrane and the bottom membrane.
US09216893B2
The present invention discloses a feed system with a constant pressure. The feed system comprises a feed container which has a depressurize port mounted on its top, a intake port mounted at its side, and a feed port mounted on its bottom, contains a liquid material being a medicine or a liquid glue mixture; a intake structure which comprises a throttle pipeline and a throttle valve; a opening controller which connects to the throttle valve and the pressure sensor, for controlling the intake structure. The advantage of the feed system is to control the feed flow rate so as to maintain a constant during the feed process, particularly in the hybrid feed system. By steadily controlling the output flow rate, the mixed proportion is controlled to generate the product with the stable quality when two or more liquid materials must be mixed according to the specific proportion.
US09216878B1
A base has a central extent with a first leg and a second leg. A cylindrical rod is removably secured to the base at any of a plurality of locations. A cylindrical aperture in the first leg is adapted to receive and guide thread fed from a spool. Supplemental apertures are provided through the base adjacent to the first and second legs. A guide rod is fabricated of a relatively stiff material. The guide rod has a looped end and a short bent end. A friction member is provided at the base adjacent to the first leg frictionally supporting the short bent end of the guide rod for rotation between a stowed inoperative orientation and an extended operative orientation with the looped end remote from the second leg of the base.
US09216874B2
A control apparatus discharges, into a stacking unit, sheets of a plurality of copies obtained by executing a first job that is set to print a plurality of copies, and discharges sheets of a plurality of copies obtained by executing a second job that is set to print a plurality of copies and follows the first job. The control apparatus carries out control so that a sheet discharge position for copies discharged by executing the first job changes from a first discharge position in the stacking unit to a second discharge position in the stacking unit between copies, and carries out control so that a sheet discharge position for the plurality of copies discharged by executing the second job changes from a third discharge position in the stacking unit to a fourth discharge position in the stacking unit between copies.
US09216872B2
A translateable media height sensor assembly for measuring a media stack height in an imaging forming device. The assembly includes a support and drive and insertion assemblies mounted thereon. The insertion assembly includes a translateable plunger having mounted thereon a sensor and a translateable probe. At a home position the sensor is actuated by a flag on the support placing sensor output in a first state. During measurement, the drive assembly translates the insertion assembly toward a media stack and the sensor output changes to a second state and a counter is started. The probe encounters the media stack and stops while the plunger and the sensor continue to translate with the probe engaging the sensor causing the sensor output to again change state and stop the counter. The insertion assembly retracts back to the home position where the flag actuates the sensor causing the sensor output to change state.
US09216868B1
A paper staging mechanism includes a picking mechanism, a separating mechanism and a detecting mechanism. The picking mechanism picks up papers and further transmits the papers rearward. The separating mechanism separates the papers from the picking mechanism and further transmits the separated paper rearward. The detecting mechanism is mounted to rear of the picking mechanism and the separating mechanism. The separated paper by the separating mechanism co-working with the picking mechanism passes rearward through the detecting mechanism. The detecting mechanism detects a relative distance between two adjacent papers which successively pass through the detecting mechanism so as to control the picking mechanism to adjust transmission speed of the papers for achieving a fixed distance between two adjacent papers.
US09216864B1
An elongate flume is provided for receiving items of produce. The flume comprises a first side and an opposite second side. A plurality of baffles are provided, each baffle having a first end at or adjacent the first side of the flume and a second end which is spaced apart from the first side of the flume and spaced apart from the second side of the flume.
US09216857B1
Some examples include an inventory system having both mobile drive units remotely controllable to transport inventory items and holders within a warehouse and automated aerial vehicles remotely controllable to identify and remove amnesty items from the storage region. In some implementations, the automated aerial vehicles are equipped with imaging components to monitor the floor of the warehouse to identify and engagement mechanisms to secure and remove the amnesty items that may otherwise impede the movement of the mobile drive units.
US09216853B2
A bushing for insertion into a cylindrical opening is disclosed having a first radius, the bushing comprising a cylindrical base having a top surface, an axial bore through the base, a plurality of walls extending axially from the top surface of the base to a first axial extent and circumscribing the bore, a plurality of locking fingers extending axially from the base and circumscribing the bore alternatingly with the plurality of walls, the plurality of locking fingers extending axially to a second axial extent less than the first axial extent and each locking finger having a tapered outer surface tapering outward from the base, wherein the plurality of locking fingers compress toward the bore when a force is applied to the tapered outer surface. A collar assembly is also disclosed utilizing the bushing to permanently lock the collar to a container such as an aerosol container.
US09216848B1
A twist tie and dispensing system provides for the dispensing of single twist ties attached together end-to-end in a semi continuous ribbon having spaced separation points that permit separation of individual twist ties at a predetermined tension. Twist ties may be dispensed through an aperture that engages with obstructions placed periodically on the ribbon to cause pulling of the twist tie through the aperture to impart the necessary separating tension when the obstruction is reached so that one twist tie at a time may be dispensed.
US09216840B2
A container including a metal sidewall is provided. The metal sidewall includes a first end; a second end; a center portion having a principal width; a first feature positioned between the center portion and the first end, the first feature extending from the sidewall such that the maximum width of the sidewall at the first feature is greater than the principal width; and a second feature positioned between the center portion and the second end, the second feature extending from the sidewall such that the maximum width of the sidewall at the second feature is greater than the principal width. The container further includes a first bead located in the center portion of the sidewall; and a second bead located in the center portion of the sidewall.
US09216829B2
A system for rigging a control surface of an aircraft, wherein the control surface is movable relative to a reference structure of the aircraft by means of at least one actuator, comprises a mobile control unit having being connectable to at least one actuator, an input means for commanding a deflection of the control surface, and an optical rigging apparatus having a first rigging component and a second rigging component. The first rigging component is adapted for being mounted on a reference structure to which the control surface is swivably attached and the second rigging component is adapted for being mounted on the control surface itself. Thereby an accurate rigging may be conducted with a clearly reduced number of personnel and a clearly reduced time for completion.
US09216822B1
A helium assisted kite system is a kite having an inflatable gas chamber that is attached to the perimeter of the kite cover fabric and outlines its shape. The cover fabric has at least one sleeve that a perimeter rail slides into to provide rigidity and shape to the kite. A frame having a spine, a top spreader, and a bottom spreader are attached to the cover fabric by a series of nocks. The inflatable gas chamber is filled with helium which provides lift for the kite on windless days and is able to lift the kite to a height where it reaches the higher elevation winds.
US09216803B2
An apparatus for inhibiting damage from impact between a marine structure and an adjacent watercraft, and a related method, are described. The apparatus includes a cushion body forming a mounting surface and a watercraft-engaging surface substantially opposing the mounting surface, at least one rigid support member, the rigid support member defined by or configured for contact with the mounting surface of the cushion body and disposed, during use, between the cushion body and the portion of the marine structure, and attachment means for detachably attaching the cushion body to the portion of the marine structure. The cushion body, when attached to the portion of the marine structure, is sized and configured to prevent destructive contact between the marine structure and a watercraft when the watercraft-engaging surface is contacted by the watercraft.
US09216802B2
The present invention provides a safety flag for a watercraft that comprises an elongated pole, a pennant flag and a connector having upper, intermediate and bottom portions. The upper portion of the connector has an aperture for receiving the bottom portion of the pole. The intermediate portion of the connector has a shoulder for abutting against the upper surface of the wall. The bottom portion of the connector is at least partially made of a flexible elastomeric material such that, in use, a user can insert the bottom portion in a watercraft aperture by rotating or pressing the connector up to a position wherein the shoulder abuts a watercraft wall and the safety flag is maintained in a stand up position.
US09216800B2
The invention relates to a float for an offshore structure such as in particular a wind turbine, characterized in that it comprises means in the form of a support beam (1) the exterior surface of which comprises means (2) of attachment for individual buoyancy tanks (3).
US09216798B2
A covering system for removably covering a vehicle, such as a boat, that includes a plurality of rotatively anchored swing arms rotatable between a covered position and an uncovered position. Each swing arm includes a mount and a pretensioner formed of one or more stays adjustably attached to part of a shaft of the arm to adjust an applied preload and transfer forces encountered during operation to part of the shaft rotatively anchored by the mount to a grounded structure such as a piling or post of a dock. The swing arms are pivotally connected to an elongate transversely extending carriage from which a cover is suspended with a boom of each arm connected to the carriage by a pivot assembly that also facilitates carriage and cover position adjustment. A pivot limiter can be included that limits or even stops pivoting of the carriage relative to the swing arm boom.
US09216786B1
An transportation cycling apparatus is provided having an inflatable seat securely retained by a seat retaining mechanism. The inflatable seat is spherical in shape and made of polymers to actively support a user. The cycling apparatus further having a frame, handlebars, brakes, pedal assembly and a sprocket and chain powering mechanism. The cycling apparatus can take the form of either a two-wheeled bicycle or a three-wheeled tricycle.
US09216785B2
An improved portable bicycle stand having an elongated rigid member with a stand head and stand foot. The head is shaped so as to positively engage a bicycle frame above its center of gravity. The foot is shaped so as to positively engage a ground surface. The elongated rigid member is formed from a plurality of interlocking tubular segments, which are collapsible for portability.
US09216784B2
A crawler track where damage to drive lugs is reduced is provided. Grooves (26) in the circumferential direction of the crawler track (10) are arranged at the roots of the drive lugs (24). Thereby, tensile strain or compressive strain occurring in the roots of the drive lugs (24) when the crawler track (10) is wrapped over a wheel (14) etc. can be alleviated. Further, when the crawler track (10) meanders, a lateral load causes lateral pressure from the wheel (14) to a drive lug (24), producing tensile strain in the root of the drive lug (24). However, such tensile strain can be alleviated because the wheel (14) does not come into contact with the drive lugs (24) in the meandering movement.
US09216782B2
A tracked running gear includes a drive sprocket having two sides and laterally projecting tooth profiles on both sides; a guide wheel, at least one track roller, at least one support roller, and an endless chain formed by ground plates interconnected in an articulated manner. The ground plates have vertically extending parallel teeth which engage the tooth profiles on both sides of the drive sprocket as the ground plates are diverted around the drive sprocket. The ground plates also include a first running surface having a substantially rectilinear form between the teeth for engaging the track roller and support roller, and second running surfaces having a curved form and arranged on opposite sides of the first running surface and between the teeth for engagement with the guide wheel and the drive sprocket.
US09216773B2
A vehicle has an operator cab with a wall defining an interior of the operator cab. An opening is formed through the wall of the operator cab, and a port is connected to the wall of the operator cab around the opening. The port includes a mounting structure connected to the wall and a tube member extending from the mounting structure and defining a passage therein, where the passage of the tube member is aligned with the opening. One or more conduits can then extend through the opening and the passage of the tube member. One or more additional openings may be formed through other portions of the wall of the cab, and each such opening may have a port and/or one or more conduits extending through.
US09216765B2
A parking assist apparatus includes a detection portion detecting a parking target position from a captured image captured by an imager or from distance information measured by a distance measuring portion, a setting portion setting the detected parking target position as a target of the parking assist, a moving amount calculation portion calculating a moving amount of the vehicle, the moving amount being calculated before the parking target position is set as the target of the parking assist, a correction portion correcting the parking target position on the basis of the calculated moving amount, and a display portion displaying a surrounding image which represents an external environment around the vehicle and a parking region image which indicates the parking-possible region at the parking target position corrected by the correction portion in a manner that the surrounding image and the parking region image are superimposed on each other.
US09216756B1
Some embodiments of the present disclosure include a wearable and steerable sled for descending a sloped surface. The wearable and steerable sled may include a wearable back sled having blades extending therefrom, a pair of wrist controls, and a pair of ankle controls. The wearable back sled may attach to a user's back. The wrist controls may strap to a user's wrists. The ankle controls may strap to a user's angles. The wearable back sled may allow a user to descend a sloped surface by laying on the sloped surface with the wearable back sled positioned between the user and the sloped surface, wherein the wrist controls and the ankle controls may aid the user in steering and controlling speed at which the user descends the sloped surface.
US09216755B2
Foldable strollers are disclosed herein. An example stroller disclosed herein includes a housing. The example stroller also includes a first pivot and a second pivot coupled to the housing, and a follower is coupled to the first pivot and the second pivot to move with the first pivot and the second pivot. The example stroller also includes a lock to selectively lock the follower in a locked state to secure the first pivot and the second pivot in a first position.
US09216754B2
A wheel brake set for a luggage case contains a covering member; a support assembly for supporting the covering member; at least one wheel mounted on one side of the support assembly, and a respective one of the at least one wheel having a plurality of hollowly concave portions defined on one side thereof; a driving assembly including a fixing pin secured on the support assembly for positioning a respective one wheel at an original position. The fixing pin is driven to extend out of the support assembly and to insert into a pushing position of one of the plurality of hollowly concave portions, thus positioning the respective one wheel.
US09216752B1
An improved cargo dolly has at least two top rail assemblies and a frame with an inner rail having mounting brackets for receiving the top rail assemblies. Each top rail assembly spans the width of the frame but not the length of the frame and can move between an attached state and an unattached state by actuating fasteners that pass through the top rail assembly to its respective mounting brackets on the frame. The movement between the attached and unattached states occurs independently of an attached or unattached state of the other top rail assembly.
US09216751B2
A cleaning cart is provided that includes a base, a plurality of wheels and a storage region depending from the base, and a bucket restraining device. The base has a first side wall, a second side wall, and a front wall, the base having at least one portion configured to receive a bucket thereon. The bucket restraining device has a lateral restraining wall and a rear restraining wall that cooperate to define a first restraining region and a second restraining region. The first restraining region is defined by the first side wall, the front wall, the lateral restraining wall, and a portion of the rear restraining wall. The second restraining region is defined by the second side wall, the front wall, the lateral restraining wall, and a different portion of rear restraining wall.
US09216749B2
An onboard system transmits a train occupancy range based on a measured train position to a ground system. The ground system provisionally detects the occupancy state of each block section based on the train occupancy range acquired from the onboard system. Exit detection points (Qh, Qr) are set at a position outside each block section. It is determined that the train has left the block section when the entirety of the train occupancy range has passed the exit detection point (Qh, Qr). When the provisional detection result indicates that the detection target block section is not occupied, and it has been determined that the train has left the detection target block section, it is determined that the detection target block section is not occupied.
US09216748B2
A side frame for a bogie. Two longitudinal sides of the side frame are respectively provided with a supporting seat for connecting an end portion of a connecting rod, and the supporting seat is integrally formed with the side frame by casting. The supporting seat includes a supporting plate, a middle rib and a first side rib. The supporting plate is provided with a through hole. The connecting rod and the supporting seat are thread-connected via a conical pole which is fixedly provided in the through hole. The side frame reduces the welding processes, ensures the installation precision of the supporting seat, and enhances the strength of the supporting seat.
US09216740B2
An electronic control unit is provided with a braking device formed of a brake pedal which exerts braking force on a vehicle, a brake actuator, braking units and the like, a vehicle speed change rate setting device which sets a target vehicle speed change rate, and a vehicle speed control device which performs vehicle speed control to realize the target vehicle speed change rate by predetermined operation to the braking device performed by a driver. The vehicle speed change rate setting device sets a target vehicle speed change rate to accelerate the vehicle when the predetermined operation is performed while the vehicle stops, for example.
US09216735B2
A hybrid vehicle control device provided with an engine idle unit for maintaining an engine rotation speed at an idle rotation speed by an engine, a motor idle unit for maintaining the engine rotation speed at the idle rotation speed by a motor generator, a switching unit for switching an idle control between execution of engine idle control and execution of motor idle control in accordance with an operation state of the hybrid vehicle, and an idle control changing unit for changing from the idle control to the engine idle control by adding a load torque portion of the motor generator having been inputted into the engine for maintaining the engine rotation speed at the idle rotation speed during the motor idle control to an output torque of the engine when the idle control is switched from the motor idle control to the engine idle control during the idle operation.
US09216734B2
A control device for a vehicle. A shift assist control section executes shift assist control of increasing a rotational speed of an input-side rotating member of the speed change mechanism. A possibility determining section that determines whether or not the rotating electrical machine can output required input torque. A mode selecting section that selects one shift mode from a first shift mode and a second shift mode that is different from the first shift mode in at least one of a condition for starting the downshift and processing. A torque compensating section that, if it is determined that the rotating electrical machine cannot output the required input torque, compensates for a shortfall in the required input torque in the shift assist control by using at least one of output torque of the internal combustion engine and torque that is transferred by the shift engagement device according to the shift mode.
US09216732B2
A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) controller configured to determine a value of driver demanded torque to be supplied to a driveline of a HEV by first and second actuators of the vehicle based on a plurality of parameters, the parameters including: (a) a speed of a first actuator; and (b) a position of a driver-operated control, the controller being configured such that when the first actuator is not connected to the driveline a value of driver demanded torque is determined based on a virtual speed of the first actuator, the virtual speed being a speed at which the first actuator would be turning if the first actuator was connected to the driveline.
US09216730B2
An ECU is mounted on a vehicle including an engine and a motor that can generate cranking torque applied to a rotation shaft of the engine. Where a request for starting the engine is not issued, the ECU determines whether the engine is during coasting or not. The ECU changes cranking target torque in accordance with engine rotation speed. In this way, engine rotation speed during cranking can be reduced to and remain in the optimum region where misfire and resonance can be avoided.
US09216723B2
A method for controlling the wheel brake pressures in wheel brake cylinders in a hydraulic vehicle braking system proposes to connect the wheel brake cylinders via wheel valves to a piston pump, the pistons of which are double-action pistons, and the two piston sides are connectable by means of pump valves. In order to increase the wheel brake pressure, the wheel valves are opened during a delivery stroke of the piston pump and the pump valves are closed, and the wheel valves are closed and the pump valves opened during a suction stroke. In order to reduce the wheel brake pressures, the valves are controlled in reverse.
US09216716B2
A wiper device includes pivot shafts to which wiper arms are secured, pivot holders, which rotationally support the pivot shafts, coupling shafts, and a pipe frame having cylindrical ends. The cylindrical ends of the pipe frame are coupled to the coupling shafts. The coupling shafts each include a swaging part, which is swaged to the corresponding cylindrical end, and a flat portion, which is located at part of the coupling shaft exposed from the pipe frame. The flat portions have a predetermined angle with respect to the swaging direction of the swaging and are parallel to the axis of the coupling shafts.
US09216708B1
A bumper assembly for a vehicle includes a bumper beam and an energy absorbing member adjacent the bumper beam. An airbag module includes an inflator coupled to the bumper beam and an airbag coupled to the inflator. The airbag is disposed between the bumper beam and the energy absorbing member. The airbag is deployed during an impact between the vehicle and an object to modify the stiffness of the bumper assembly during the impact.
US09216706B2
A network, in particular in a motor vehicle, wherein the network includes a central subscriber and at least one first subscriber, wherein the central subscriber and the at least one first subscriber are connected via at least one first cable, wherein the central subscriber has at least one signal coupling unit and at least one energy coupling unit, wherein by the signal coupling unit an AC voltage can be impressed on at least one first line of the first cable or can be tapped therefrom. Also disclosed is a method for operating a network.
US09216703B2
An arrangement for securing an inner panel to a vehicle substrate uses a securing clip mounted to a clip housing in an elongate hole with a closed end and an open end. The inner diameter of a securing region in the elongate hole is greater than the diameter of the shaft of the securing clip, allowing lateral shifting of the clip so that its shaft can realign during insertion into a corresponding mating hole in the substrate. The securing region of the elongate hole includes centering members constructed in such a manner that an inserted securing clip is retained in a centered position. Consequently, the tolerance compensation function of the clips is optimized.
US09216699B2
A bicycle fork anchor includes an anchor body which can have an interior space housing a skewer contraction device. The body can include a pair of skewer access ports. Also, the anchor body can include a pair of axially aligned elongate skewers, each extending through the access ports. The skewer contraction device can be operably coupled to the engagement portion of each of the pair of skewers. The skewer contraction device can be laterally moveable within the interior space of the anchor body so that during contractive operation of the skewer contraction device, the skewers draw together and simultaneously the skewer contraction device moves laterally within the interior space of the anchor body causing the skewers to extend different lengths outside the body and thereby accommodating reception of different thickness fork dropouts on the skewers.
US09216698B2
An auxiliary storage system for attachment to a vehicle, including a storage container and a hitch assembly for releasably connecting the storage container and the vehicle together. The hitch assembly includes a central body, a first connection subassembly for attaching the central body and the vehicle together, and a second connection subassembly connectable with the storage container and movable relative to the central body, for attaching the central body and the storage container together. When the second connection subassembly is connected with the storage container, the storage container is movable thereby between a raised position, in which the storage container is located above a ground surface, and a lowered position, in which the storage container is located on the ground surface.
US09216697B1
A vehicle vault assembly safely and discreetly stores valuables within a motor vehicle. The assembly includes a vehicle having a horizontal deck. A well extends downwardly into the deck. A vault is positionable within the well. The vault includes a housing and a lid. The housing has a bottom wall and a perimeter wall attached to and extending upwardly from the bottom wall. The bottom wall and the perimeter wall define an interior space of the housing configured to store valuables therein. An upper edge of the perimeter wall defines an access opening into the interior space of the housing. The lid is positionable over the upper edge of the perimeter wall to selectively close the access opening. A locking mechanism selectively secures the lid to the housing.
US09216696B2
A device for moving a vehicle-mounted object and a vehicle having the same are provided. The device comprises a housing with an opening, a cover frame mounted on the housing, a cover with a surface for mounting the vehicle-mounted object thereon, the cover being coupled with the cover frame and being capable of pivoting to either expose or cover at least a part of the opening, and a platform slidably fitted within the housing, being coupled with the cover and movable between a first position to cause the cover to pivot to expose at least a part of the opening, and a second position to cause the cover to pivot to cover at least a part of the opening.
US09216687B2
A vehicle turn signal system causes a turn signal to turn off when a turn is completed or nearly completed based on the orientation of the vehicle changing to turn to a certain degree in a direction indicated by the turn signal. Current heading, position, location and/or or other such information is electronically received from a compass or other device by a turn signal switch controller. When the vehicle has changed direction from the direction the vehicle was traveling at the time associated with when the turn signal was turned on, a signal is sent to turn off the turn signal and reset the manual turn signal button or lever.
US09216686B2
A lighting control system is provided with a blinker switch, a hazard switch, and a control circuit which controls the flashing of blinker lamps. The CPU of the control circuit, after detecting an input signal from one switch input port among a left side and a right side switch input port, determines that the hazard switch is switched on when an input signal from the other of the switch input ports is detected within a predetermined time, and determines that the blinker switch is switched on when no input signal from the other of the switch input ports is detected.
US09216683B2
A cover assembly for the slide out portion of a recreational vehicle or camper is provided, which is adapted to prevent water and debris from collecting along the upper surface of the slide out portion when extended. The assembly comprises a frame affixed to the vehicle and positioned above the slide out portion thereof. The frame forms a clevis that supports a hingedly attached cover. The cover extends downward and over the slide out portion when the slide out portion is retracted. When extended, the slide out portion forces the cover outward and upward. The cover is sized to rest against the slide out portion and engages its outer, upper edge when fully extended. The cover forms a slanted surface when extended, and then retracts to a substantially vertical state when retracted. A lock secures the cover to the frame between uses and while the vehicle is in motion.
US09216678B1
A heel protecting vehicle floor mat device for protecting a heel of a user's footwear from abrasion while driving. The device includes a mat having a front section, a back section, and a medial section positioned between the front section and the back section. The front section is narrower than the back section for positioning on a floor of a vehicle such that the front section extends under pedals of the vehicle. Each of a plurality of pads extends upwardly from the mat positioned in spaced relationship to a front edge of the front section of the mat wherein the pads are configured for positioning to support a heel of a driver of the vehicle.
US09216674B1
An easy-to-use seat partition unit, a kit for transporting and assembling, and a method for establishing a physical barrier in mass transit vehicles is disclosed. The seat partition unit includes a movable partition panel which is physically connected to a partition base. The movable partition panel extends from an inoperative collapsed first position vertically from the central section of the partition base to an extended second position which is the operative configuration of the seat partition unit and is slid from the central section of the partition base either in a left or right longitudinal direction on upper tracks on the partition base such that the movable panel efficiently provides a barrier between the upper and lower bodies of adjacent passengers. The panel and base are configured and adapted to be placed into and frictionally held between adjacent passenger seats to support the seat partition unit in an upright position.
US09216669B2
A fitting for a vehicle seat has a first fitting part and a second fitting part that relatively rotate about an axis. A toothed rim (17) is on the first fitting part and guide segments (14) are on the second fitting part. Bars (16) are guided by the guide segments between an unlocked state and a locked state, interacting with the toothed rim. A spring-loaded, rotatably mounted eccentric (27) urges the bars to interact with the toothed rim. A rotatable driver (21) rotates the eccentric. A fastening ring (24) is connected to the driver. A cam (24n) is formed on the fastening ring and bears in the circumferential direction against a driver cam (21 f) of the driver. The fastening ring has a collar (24b) with a passage (24d) about the axis. The cam is formed within the passage such that it is oriented in the radial direction towards the axis.
US09216665B2
Embodiments of the invention provide premium seats for aircraft and other passenger transport vehicles that provide extra seat room by providing an improved tray table configuration, which also enhances privacy for each passenger. Certain embodiments also provide an improved outer armrest configuration.
US09216659B2
The disclosure is related to providing information on a battery charge state of a parked electric vehicle through at least one of one or more light lamps and one or more speakers of the parked electric vehicle. Particularly, the disclosure may control at least one of a lamp light color, a lamp blink pattern, and a sound pattern according to the battery charge state information such that a user can recognize the battery charge state away from the electric vehicle through hearing and/or vision.
US09216653B2
A method is disclosed for charging at least one energy store of an electric vehicle via a charging point, using a first terminal having first connecting elements of a charging cable connected to the charging point. The first connecting elements are connected to corresponding second connecting elements of a second terminal on the vehicle, and the first and second connecting elements are designed to supply alternating current for charging the at least one energy store. Direct current from the charging point for charging the at least one energy store is supplied to the electric vehicle via at least two first connecting elements or at least two third connecting elements of the first terminal, wherein PLC communication between the electric vehicle and charging point in order to exchange information relating to the charging operation occurs via one or more first connecting elements on which no direct current for charging is carried.
US09216650B2
An exemplary vehicle instrument panel includes gauges for communicating various vehicle operating parameters and conditions that include self-emitting displays. The exemplary vehicle gauge includes the display that is self-emitting. The exemplary display is a self-emitting programmable display that can be operated and programmed to electronically generate text, symbols and graphics. Moreover, all of the display area making up the gauge face can be programmed and actuated to display electronically generated images to provide desired information and data.
US09216647B2
A fuel tank system which has a revised mounting system and a revised location for the fuel system and fuel tanks to improve crashworthiness of the vehicle by reducing the occurrence of tank failure, fuel spillage, fire and/or explosion during and after a collision or similar event, while still providing a sufficient range for the vehicle. The fuel tanks are protected from damage from the side, bottom and between the tanks. The fuel tank mounting system also allows the energy associated with an event to be managed, such as by allowing the fuel tanks to be pushed or moved downwardly and/or laterally by the energy of the impact of a collision or similar event to a position in which the fuel tank is either out of the path of the impact or protected by the chassis or frame of the vehicle.
US09216644B2
Car provided with: at least one radiator; a ventilation channel which houses on the inside the radiator; an aerodynamic duct, which extends between an inlet opening and an outlet opening obtained inside the ventilation channel between the inlet opening of the ventilation channel and the radiator; and a shutter, which is arranged in the area of the inlet opening of the aerodynamic duct and is mounted mobile between an engagement position, in which the shutter closes the inlet opening of the aerodynamic duct, and a disengagement position, in which the shutter leaves the inlet opening of the aerodynamic duct free.
US09216641B2
A driving device for a hybrid vehicle including a power transmission mechanism (10) that is connected to an engine (1) and transmits a rotation of the engine; a differential mechanism (20) that connects the power transmission mechanism to driving wheels (32); and a switching device (CL1, BK1) that performs speed change of the power transmission mechanism, wherein the differential mechanism includes a first rotary element (24) that is connected to an output element (13) of the power transmission mechanism, a second rotary element (21) that is connected to a first rotating electrical machine (MG1) and a third rotary element (23) that is connected to the second rotating electrical machine (MG2) and the driving wheels, and wherein the rotation of the output element of the power transmission mechanism is limited by the switching device.
US09216638B2
In a structure for mounting a battery pack on a vehicle, even if a battery case housing a plurality of batteries is disposed beneath a floor panel, due to an internal cable within the battery case being disposed above the batteries, it is possible to prevent the internal cable from becoming wet. Furthermore, if the internal cable disposed above the batteries were connected to an external cable via a high voltage connector without changing the height, the height of the floor panel would increase to thus constrain the vehicle compartment space, but since the high voltage connector is disposed at a position that is lower than the upper end of the battery, it is possible to decrease the height of the floor panel by disposing the external cable at a low position, thereby ensuring the vehicle compartment space.
US09216637B2
A utility vehicle is disclosed having an electric drive. The drivetrain is comprised of batteries, a motor, a transaxle driven by the motor, a rear differential driven by the transaxle, and a prop shaft which is driven by the transaxle and drives a front differential. The batteries are provided in two groups and are supported on the frame of the vehicle.
US09216633B2
A vehicle includes a rear window having an outside surface, an inside surface, and a lower edge that connects the outside surface and the inside surface. The vehicle also includes a rear decklid that is selectively movable with respect to the rear window between an open position and a closed position. The rear decklid and the rear window define a gap therebetween. The vehicle further includes a close-out seal that is operatively connected to the inside surface of the rear window and that contacts the rear decklid when the decklid is in the closed position. The close-out seal is configured such that the lower edge and outside surface of the rear window are unobstructed and uncontacted by the close-out seal.
US09216626B2
The present invention relates to a vehicle provided with a sprung mass, including a vehicle frame, at least one axle provided with first and second ends, and a suspension system provided with a mechanical springs and leveling springs. The mechanical springs connect the axle ends to the frame and are provided with a spring rate in a rebound direction that is greater than or substantially equal to a spring rate in a jounce direction. The leveling springs are configured to support the sprung mass at one or more sprung mass load points, whereby the first and second mechanical springs may become substantially unloaded by the sprung mass of the vehicle at the one or more sprung mass load points.
US09216619B2
An air maintenance tire and pump assembly includes a tire having a tire cavity, first and second sidewalls extending from first and second tire bead regions, respectively, to a tire tread region, an elongate substantially annular air passageway enclosed within a bending region of the sidewalls, the air passageway operatively closing and opening, segment by segment, as the bending region of the sidewalls passes adjacent a rolling tire footprint to pump air along the air passageway, an air inlet port assembly coupled to, and in air flow communication with, the air passageway at an inlet air passageway junction, the air inlet port assembly being operable to channel inlet air from outside of the tire into the air passageway, the air inlet port assembly including an inlet control valve and an outlet tee structure positioned 180° opposite the inlet control valve in the air passageway for moving air into the tire cavity, the inlet control valve including two inlet check valves for ensuring air flow only into, and not out of, the inlet control valve, the air passageway, a corresponding plain tee inlet structure, and the tire cavity.
US09216616B2
A self-orienting twin castor with a braking assembly is provided. A main body of the castor rotatably mates with a base of an installation device. The body has a through hole for rotatably accommodating a shaft having two coupling ends for respective wheels, with play along a vertical direction. Elastic means are arranged within a transverse channel of the through hole of the body. The main body has two tubular lateral portions, which are coaxial with the through hole and adapted to accommodate a sleeve of a respective wheel fitted on a coupling end of the shaft. A portion of the castor has, along its inner surface, at least one radially protruding slider parallel to the axis of the shaft.
US09216615B2
A wheel mounting bolt includes a male thread portion, a collar portion, an engagement portion, and a protruding shaft portion. The male thread portion has a first end portion and a second end portion opposite to the first end portion in an axial direction of the male thread portion to be threadedly engaged, from the first end portion, with a female thread portion of a hub. The collar portion is provided between the first end portion and the second end portion of the male thread portion to fit into a bolt insertion hole of a wheel. The engagement portion is provided at the second end portion of the male thread portion integrally with the male thread portion to be gripped by a fastening tool. The protruding shaft portion protrudes from the engagement portion toward a direction opposite to the first end portion and is provided with male threads.
US09216612B2
A Mecanum wheel having a first wheel rim (2) which bears a multiplicity of rollers (4) which are arranged adjacent to one another in a circumferential direction and which are in each case mounted so as to be rotatable about a roller axis of rotation (38) arranged at an angle with respect to a first wheel rim axis of rotation (24), wherein said Mecanum wheel is characterized by a second wheel rim (3) which can be driven together with the first wheel rim (2) by means of a common drive shaft (33) and which bears a multiplicity of rollers (4) which are arranged adjacent to one another in a circumferential direction and which are in each case mounted so as to be rotatable about a roller axis of rotation (38) arranged at an angle with respect to a second wheel rim axis of rotation (25), which second wheel rim is connected to the first wheel rim (2) via damping means (7) formed so as to permit a limited relative movement of the first and the second rim (3) relative to one another. It is provided according to the invention that the damping means (7) are formed so as to permit a damped, limited relative movement between the first and the second wheel rim (2, 3) in the circumferential direction and/or perpendicular to a Mecanum wheel axis of rotation (9) and/or perpendicular to the first and/or to the second wheel rim axis of rotation (25) and/or at a tilt angle relative to one another.
US09216606B2
A recording medium includes a support and an ink-receiving layer. The ink-receiving layer contains alumina particles, silica particles and a binder. A composition analysis of the recording medium performed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy while etching is performed from a surface side to a support side provides a ratio of the amount of Si element to the total amount of Al element and Si element at an etching time of 0 minutes of 10 atomic percent or more and 90 atomic percent or less and a ratio of the amount of Si element to the total amount of Al element and Si element at an etching time of 5 minutes of 50 atomic percent or more.
US09216604B2
A container system for containing a plurality of ink pads, comprising a cover defining and at least one base. The cover defines at least first and second cover curved portions that intersect at a cover intersection portion, and the at least one base defines at least first and second base curved portions that intersect at a base intersection portion. The cover allows first and second cover mounting projections to enter first and second base mounting notches, respectively, to form an interference fit that detachably attaches the cover to the base. The second wall allows first and second base mounting projections to enter first and second base mounting notches to form an interference fit capable of detachably attaching the base to another identical base.
US09216602B2
A method includes determining, if power to an apparatus is turned on, whether a state of a sheet has been changed while the power is off, based on a change of the sheet state before turn-off and after turn-on of the power, and performing control to perform initializing operations according to a result of the determination.
US09216592B2
A method of preparing reusable paper, including receiving at an erasing device an enhanced paper with less than 5% cellulose fibers and with images embedded thereon, illuminating the images on the paper with a light beam until ablating the images to form an erased paper, wherein the light beam illuminates the paper with a fluence that would damage paper made with a higher percentage of cellulose fibers, and outputting the erased paper.
US09216586B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a head unit that ejects a liquid onto a medium; a first liquid accommodation unit that accommodates the liquid; a second liquid accommodation unit that is different from the first liquid accommodation unit; a first flow channel that communicates with the first liquid accommodation unit and the head unit; a second flow channel that communicates with the first flow channel and the second liquid accommodation unit; and a liquid supply unit that delivers the liquid from the first liquid accommodation unit to the second liquid accommodation unit through the first flow channel and the second flow channel and that returns the liquid from the second liquid accommodation unit to the first liquid accommodation unit through the second flow channel and the first flow channel.
US09216583B2
A liquid container is configured to be detachably attached to a liquid container storage section having a liquid supply section, and a damping section including a movement section that seals off one end of a recess space and is movable in a direction of compression in which air of the recess space is compressed, and an urging section that urges the movement section in a direction opposite to the direction of compression. The liquid container includes a liquid lead-out section configured to be connected to the liquid supply section, and an abutment section arranged on a same side as a side section to which the liquid lead-out section is provided, and abuttable against the movement section in a direction of mounting that matches the direction of compression when the liquid container moves in the direction of mounting with respect to the liquid container storage section.
US09216577B2
A droplet ejection device includes a pressure chamber; a nozzle orifice arranged in fluid connection with the pressure chamber; an actuator system for generating a pressure wave in a liquid present in the pressure chamber; and an obstruction member arranged in the pressure chamber in a position opposite to the nozzle orifice. The obstruction member comprises a first surface facing the nozzle orifice and rigidly coupled to a wall of the pressure chamber via a support. The support is arranged near the first surface of the obstruction member. The droplet ejection device according to the present invention may further comprise a structured nozzle inflow means which provides a gradual transition from the hollow shaped liquid passage to the nozzle orifice. The droplet ejection device prevents or at least mitigates air entrapment in dead volumes present in the interior of the droplet ejection device.
US09216575B2
A recording-element substrate includes an ejection port configured to eject liquid; a heating resistance element configured to generate thermal energy for ejecting the liquid from the ejection port; and a drive circuit configured to drive the heating resistance element. The heating resistance element includes a heating resistor layer and three pairs of electrodes provided for the heating resistor layer. The drive circuit forms a heating area that generates thermal energy in the heating resistor layer by selectively using two or more of the electrodes.
US09216552B2
An image displaying device includes a background layer and a display layer. The display layer includes an inner surface and an outer surface. The inner surface is substantially smooth, and the outer surface includes a plurality of raised areas and recessed areas. The display layer has a first zone with a first thickness measured between the inner surface and a raised area and a second zone with a second thickness measured between the inner surface and a recessed area. The display layer also includes a coloring agent having a higher concentration in the first zone as compared to the second zone. The display layer has increased light transmissivity through the recessed areas and decreased light transmissivity through the raised areas such that a contrast of light transmissivity between the raised and recessed areas generates an image.
US09216533B2
An energy saving device for accelerated pressurization in an injection molding machine includes a mold needing vapor and cooled water or oil in an injection molding process. The cooled water or oil is provided by a pump, followed by connecting to the mold through a water or oil supply pipeline. The interior of the accelerated pressurization energy saving pipe is a through hole. Three or more spiral grooves are provided on the inner peripheral surface of the through hole and having an angle rotated in a front direction, with the lateral direction of each spiral groove having an inclined angle. The vapor or water or oil enforces angle rotation and inclined angle accelerated pressurization.
US09216530B2
A seal for a cable and connector interconnection includes a unitary elastic primary body with a primary bore therethrough. The primary bore is provided with a primary cable outer diameter seal portion at a cable end, the cable outer diameter seal portion adjacent a primary connector cavity portion, the primary connector cavity portion adjacent a coupling nut cavity portion, and the coupling nut cavity portion adjacent a connector neck seal portion at a connector end. The coupling nut cavity portion is longitudinally aligned with a coupling nut of the connector and is provided with a greater inner diameter than the cable outer diameter seal portion and the connector neck seal portion.
US09216527B2
A solid-dielectric switch including a visible disconnect assembly having an open state and a closed state, a molded housing at least partially encasing the visible disconnect assembly, a viewing window molded into the molded housing, wherein the visible disconnect is visible through the viewing window. The invention also provides a method of molding the housing of the solid-dielectric switch. The method includes providing a mold including an external shell and an internal mandrel. The external shell defines external dimensions of a housing of the switch, and the internal mandrel defines internal dimensions of the housing. The method also includes providing a lens for a viewing window, sealing the lens between the external shell and the inner mandrel, and filling the mold with epoxy to mold the viewing window into the housing of the switch.
US09216524B1
The present invention relates to both a material construction and manufacturing method resulting in low density materials, especially for use as subsea buoyancy and insulation. The products are made by an additive manufacturing process, printing thin layers of a polymer material while leaving voids of precisely predetermined shapes, sizes and distribution, with precisely predetermined thicknesses between the voids. The resulting products provide optimized strength, buoyancy and insulative value with minimal material usage and density.
US09216519B2
Epitaxial formation support structures and associated methods of manufacturing epitaxial formation support structures and solid state lighting devices are disclosed herein. In several embodiments, a method of manufacturing an epitaxial formation support substrate can include forming an uncured support substrate that has a first side, a second side opposite the first side, and coefficient of thermal expansion substantially similar to N-type gallium nitride. The method can further include positioning the first side of the uncured support substrate on a first surface of a first reference plate and positioning a second surface of a second reference plate on the second side to form a stack. The first and second surfaces can include uniformly flat portions. The method can also include firing the stack to sinter the uncured support substrate. At least side of the support substrate can form a planar surface that is substantially uniformly flat.
US09216515B1
A shaving device comprising a head assembly having a support member and a blade cartridge. The support member is configured to be detachably coupled to a handle. The blade cartridge has a first and a second face wherein at least one of the first or second faces comprises at least one razor blade. The blade cartridge is configured to be rotatably coupled to the support member about a pivot axis such that the blade cartridge is pivotable by a user to select one of the first or second faces.
US09216498B2
A tube clamp detaching tool comprising a base, a movable member, a screw stem, a fixed jaw is formed at one end of the base, a holding block protrudes from the other end, and an elongated guide groove, the movable member is pivotal inserted into the guide groove, the movable member is provided with a movable jaw, the movable jaw is positioned relative to the fixed jaw, the screw stem is screwed into the holding block, and one end of the screw stem is pivotal joined to the movable member, the movable jaw is indented with a first inserting groove, the first inserting groove of the movable jaw is further indented with a cavity, the fixed jaw is indented with a second inserting groove to correspond to one side of the movable jaw, a first bolt is screwed into one side of the movable jaw and enters the cavity.
US09216495B2
A spacer for holding an alignment of two concentric cylinders including at least two arcuate spacer segments, each of the at least two arcuate spacer segments having at least one spacer passage for receiving a part of a coupling bolt, each of the at least two arcuate spacer segments fitting between each of two respective end surfaces of two concentric cylinders, each end surface having a cylindrical seat; and a ring with an outer surface adjoining an inner surface of each of the at least two arcuate spacer segments.
US09216494B2
A pincer structure includes a first body having an immovable palate and an immovable stem, a second body having a movable palate and a movable stem, a clipping space defined by the movable palate and the immovable palate, the movable stem pivoted on the movable palate, an elastomer elastically connected between the movable palate and the immovable stem, a limiting member extruded from the movable stem, the limiting member having an abutting unit, a pivoting member pivoted on the movable stem, the pivoting member having an abutting portion, the abutting portion being movable between the movable stem and the abutting unit, a connecting member having one end and another end, said one end pivotally assembled to the pivoting member and said another end movably assembled to the immovable stem. Therefore, a recovery force of the elastomer makes the operation smooth.
US09216482B2
A method and apparatus for marking positions for burglar alarm sensor elements on a door, the door attached to a frame having a header including comprising the steps of providing a marking apparatus the marking apparatus including an arm, a positioning member with a longitudinal centerline attached to the arm, and punch point attached to the positioning member, the punch point being aligned with the longitudinal centerline of the positioning member; at least partially opening the door; placing the positioning member in a hole in the header and closing the door; while the door is closed causing the positioning member to make a mark on the top of the door; and opening the door and removing the positioning member from the hole in the header; and causing an opening to be made in the door at the location of the mark.
US09216464B2
A rotary milling tool body includes a circumferential clamping portion with opposite first and second side surfaces and a plurality of insert pockets and integral clamping jaws arranged therealong. Each clamping jaw includes opposite forward and rearward abutment surfaces which extend between the first and second side surfaces. Each clamping jaw further includes a throughgoing pressure hole which opens out only to the first and second side surfaces. Each clamping jaw further includes a pressure member which is located in the pressure hole and transferable between disengaged and engaged positions.
US09216447B2
A formation and rotation apparatus for use in forming and rotating interconnected sections of a cylindrical workpiece, including a frame and a head arranged within the frame, the head defining two slots and being operatively rotated via an integral drive assembly. A first slide block is slidably disposed within one of the two slots, and a second slide block is disposed within another of the two slots, each of the first and the second slide blocks include a cutting wheel and a beading wheel for successively forming each of the interconnected sections. An armature having an axis of rotation is also provided, along with a gripping mechanism being operatively connected to the armature. A drive mechanism selectively rotates the armature about the axis of rotation after the gripping means has closed about one of the interconnected sections.
US09216446B2
Provided is a descaling nozzle that can efficiently remove scale from a steel sheet. A discharge section at an end of a descaling nozzle includes a discharge hole (main flow orifice) and a branch hole (branch flow orifice) that are connected to a large diameter portion that forms a cylindrical channel. The branch flow orifice discharges a part of water flow in the large diameter portion so that cavitation occurs at a boundary between the part of water flow discharged from the branch flow orifice and water flow that is discharged from the discharge hole.
US09216444B2
In a reactor cleaning apparatus 1 which cleans an inner wall surface 72 of a reactor 70 which generates polycrystalline silicon, a bell jar of the reactor 70 has a dual structure, a through hole 11 is formed along a vertical direction at a central portion of a substantially disc-like tray 10 placed in a horizontal state, a flange portion 13 in which an opening edge of the reactor 70 is placed is formed at an outer peripheral portion of the tray 10, a shaft 20 is provided through the through hole 11 of the tray 10 so as to be rotatable and movable in the vertical direction, a nozzle device 50 which sprays a cleaning water at high pressure in three-dimensional directions is provided at an upper end of the shaft 20, a drive mechanism 30 which rotates the shaft 20 and moves the shaft in the vertical direction is provided at a base end of the shaft 20, and steam piping 62 capable of supplying the steam within the bell jar of the reactor 70 is provided.
US09216440B2
A device and method for disinfecting a needleless connector, the device including a housing comprising a hub rotationally coupled to a motor, the motor being operably connected to a power source, the hub further comprising a receptacle configured to receive a cleaning head, wherein the device is configured to detect achievement of one or more minimum thresholds which are recommended to achieve proper disinfection of the needleless connector. Various devices and methods are further provided to permit tracking and reporting of disinfection events.
US09216431B2
A satellite spray bottle use and refill system includes a spray bottle and a refill station. The spray bottle includes a container housing that defines an internal reservoir space, a spray head connected to an upper margin of the container housing, a mounting structure connected to the container housing, and a refill inlet in fluid connection with the internal reservoir space. The refill station has a support structure for supporting the mounting structure of the spray bottle, and a discharge outlet for refilling the internal reservoir space of the spray bottle. Upon engagement of the mounting structure of the spray bottle with the support structure of the refill station, the refill inlet of the spray bottle and the discharge outlet of the refill station are automatically docked establishing a fluid connection. In some cases, the refill station is vertically invertible.
US09216422B2
A vertical separator has a bowl which is supported for rotation about a vertical axis and from beneath, providing an unobstructed inlet to the bowl. Conveyor flighting, located concentrically for independent co-rotation within the bowl, directs solids to the bottom of the bowl while the liquids flow along an annular clearance along the bowl wall to an upper end of the bowl. A feedstream, such as drilling mud shaker solids, which may otherwise require augers or the like to feed the feedstream through a conventional horizontal centrifuge, can be received at the inlet by gravity feed and residual liquids stripped therefrom.
US09216406B2
A nano-particle comprising: an interior region comprising a mixed-metal oxide; and an exterior surface comprising a pure metal. In some embodiments, the mixed-metal oxide comprises aluminum oxide and a metallic pinning agent, such as palladium, copper, molybdenum, or cobalt. In some embodiments, the pure metal at the exterior surface is the same as the metallic pinning agent in the mixed-metal oxide in the interior region. In some embodiments, a catalytic nano-particle is bonded to the pure metal at the exterior surface. In some embodiments, the interior region and the exterior surface are formed using a plasma gun. In some embodiments, the interior region and the exterior surface are formed using a wet chemistry process. In some embodiments, the catalytic nano-particle is bonded to the pure metal using a plasma gun. In some embodiments, the catalytic nano-particle is bonded to the pure metal using a wet chemistry process.
US09216400B2
Methods of increasing the total power of non-thermal plasma power systems are described. Various embodiments of the present invention provide non-thermal plasma reactor assemblies and methods of operating said assemblies, each assembly comprising: (a) at least two non-thermal plasma reactors, each reactor comprising at least one inlet circumferential gas flow inlet apparatus, an electrode, and a flow restricted exit portal, said reactor configured to eject a jet of non-thermal plasma external to said reactor; (b) said at least two non-thermal plasma reactors configured to work in tandem with one another such that a first reactor electrode can be maintained at a high voltage electric potential relative to a second reactor electrode, said first and second reactor electrodes forming an electrode pair able to maintain a non-thermal plasma discharge between the first and second reactor electrodes.
US09216382B2
Methods for variation of support oxide materials for ZPGM oxidation catalysts and systems using same
Disclosed here are methods of preparing zero platinum group metal catalysts systems with different support oxide material. A ZPGM catalyst system may include a substrate and a washcoat and an impregnation layer, wherein said impregnation layer may include the ZPGM pervoskite catalyst and the washcoat layer may include the support oxides material. Suitable support oxides material may include ZrO2, ZrO2 doped with lanthanide group metals, Nb2O5, Nb2O5—ZrO2, Al2O3 and Al2O3 doped with lanthanide group metals, TiO2 and doped TiO2 or mixtures thereof.
US09216370B2
A film using fullerene derivatives, a method for producing such films, and use of same are provided. In the film formed of hemispherical particles according to the present invention, the hemispherical particles are organized like a hexagonal close-packed structure, and are formed by specific fullerene derivatives. The hemispherical particles preferably have a bilayer membrane structure assembled to provide a flake-like surface for the hemispherical particles.
US09216369B2
In at least one embodiment, a filter device for filtering out of solid substance from a solid-liquid-mixture where the filter device includes a bearing shaft; a rotation body attached to the bearing shaft and supported by the bearing shaft to be rotatable; a single filter cell formed on the rotation body with a filter structure attached to the rotation body for filtering out the solid substance and a connection channel formed in the rotation body that extends from a filter structure outlet side to an outlet opening formed adjacent to the bearing shaft and via which the connection channel is permanently connected with an intermediate connection channel formed in the bearing shaft; a liquid discharge line connected with or formed by the intermediate connection channel; a plurality of branch-off lines which are branched-off from the liquid discharge line; and a control device having a valve assembly.
US09216366B2
The present invention aims to provide a liquid chromatography component including a column and a prefilter, which is hard to cause an increase of supplied liquid pressure even when the measurement of a sample is repeated. The present invention is a liquid chromatography component, which includes: a column with filler particles filled therein; and a prefilter, the filler particles having an average particle size in the range of 2 to 20 μm, the prefilter having a filtering particle size in the range of ⅙ to ⅓ of the average particle size of the filler particles.
US09216364B2
An onsite purification plant/system to delivery high and ultra high purity product, such as, process chemicals, industrial and specialty gases to manufacturing processes within the onsite plant turndown ratio from 0% to 100% while preserving the predetermined purity of the supplied substances within a predefined specification range is provided. Preserving liquid/vapor ratio in at least one of the purification means/units ensuring that product purity range stays unchanged is achieved by redirecting the product back into the onsite purification plant/system.
US09216363B2
A flying toy figurine includes a main body having an upper body portion, a lower body portion and a middle body portion, the middle body portion including a waist portion and a hip portion. A center shaft connects the upper body portion to the lower body portion, and the waist portion and the hip portion are mounted for independent rotation about the center shaft. A motor drives a rotor assembly, including at least two main propeller blades, located in the waist portion in one direction for imparting vertical aerodynamic lift to the figurine. Rotation of the waist portion in one direction causes the hip portion to counter-rotate in the opposite direction. The center shaft is not connected to the waist portion or the hip portion and therefore rotation of the upper body portion and lower body portion remains independent of the rotation of the waist portion and the hip portion.
US09216362B2
A water frolic apparatus is provided comprising a power supply; a controller electrically connected to the power supply, the controller capable of operating a valve; the valve having an inlet and an outlet, the inlet attachable to a water supply from a hose and the outlet attachable to plastic tubing, wherein operation of the valve controls flow of water; and a plurality of pods, each of the pods having a first hole that accepts entry of the tubing and a second hole allowing water from the tubing to spurt through. The pods are connected in series, wherein, except for the last pod in the series, the tubing extends through the entire length of each of the pods to the next pod. In an embodiment, the controller is configured to open the valve at a set interval or a pseudo-random interval.
US09216358B2
Software displays a virtual game space for an online game. The virtual game space is associated with a first player of the online game and includes at least one terraformed feature created by a first player. The software receives a modification from a second player of the online game. The modification changes one of the at least one terraformed features into another terraformed feature. Then the software displays the virtual game space with the modification. At least one virtual object is associated with each of the at least one terraformed features.
US09216352B2
In an image display apparatus for outputting a vibration with a sense of realism and an realistic sense and a method for adjusting an intensity of vibration for implementing a vibration with sense of realism and an realistic sense, a user of the image display apparatus can directly recognize (experience) a situation happened on a space formed by a screen by virtue of the vibration with the sense or presence and the realistic sense, output in association with an effect of a displayed image, and also can feel more the sense of realism and the realistic sense from the situation in the game or a virtual reality.
US09216348B2
The present invention relates to the domain of control devices for virtual games, and more specifically to a control device to control the displacement of a virtual player and of a virtual ball in the scope of a football video game. According to the invention, the control device is in the form of a ball connected to a pedestal. This ball is equipped with accelerometers able to detect a displacement force on the ball as a result of a strike exerted on said ball, pressure sensors able to detect a pressure force exerted on the surface of the ball and a processing module. The processor module generates using information from the accelerometers and pressure sensors control signals to control the displacement of the virtual ball in the video game and control signals to control the displacement of the virtual player in the video game.
US09216346B2
A workflow for 3D content authoring, delivery, and rendering is facilitated based on pre-authored image projections to obtain improvements in authoring efficiency. Additionally, a content delivery platform centered on such pre-authored image projections provides a mechanism for significantly improving streaming efficiency for 3D worlds. Multiple images encode primary surface detail of 3D worlds in real-time applications. Examples of such projections include images that can be as rich as film frames, feature animation frames, high end digital renders, concept paintings, or any suitable combination thereof. An algorithm for improved image projection camera path trajectories, sampling selection, and blending may be implemented by various systems and methods to facilitate smooth transitions during movements of a player within a game set in the 3D space. In addition, a back-projection technique may be implemented by various systems and methods to propagate revisions of one or more projections.
US09216343B2
A snow sliding board (1) includes a tip (8), a center area (13) and a tail (9) and with a sliding surface (10) with a concave tip uptilt (21), a convex center area (22) and a concave end uptilt (23), wherein the concave tip uptilt (21) in an area of a front saddle point (6) terminates in the convex center area (22) in the area of the front saddle point (6), wherein the sliding surface (10) has a concave roll-up surface (17) in an area of the tip uptilt (21), which makes possible a load-dependent shifting of the edge pressure.
US09216339B2
A ball net structure includes: a base; two tilted metallic pipes flanking the base and having front ends receiving two resilient rods, respectively, with the tilted metallic pipes longer than the resilient rods, allowing the resilient rods to bend and achieve optimal curvature and produce the evenest and largest tensile force; a net body stretched by and between the resilient rods to keep being flat and tight; a plastic sheet edge-binder disposed at each of four edges of the net body; clamping elements for clamping first and second edges of the net body; two net-clamping shells for clamping the clamping elements, the plastic sheet edge-binder, and the first and second edges of the net body; and at least two nails disposed on each of the net-clamping shells to fix the net-clamping shells in place, achieving uniform distribution of stress and extending the service life of the net body.
US09216338B1
Disclosed is a golf tee foldable, through rotation, in a direction of a drive swing to prevent breakage and loss and increase the drive shot distance. The golf tee comprises a ball platform; a supporting pillar; a coupling ball; and a ball coupling portion having a fixation pin. The ball coupling portion has two quarter-spherical shells symmetrically facing each other, separated by a contoured crevice of a uniform width defined by two opposing top edges of the shells. The two shells define a generally hemispherical receptacle for holding the coupling ball therein, which is open partially through the crevice and through a horseshoe-shaped bottom opening formed by two bottom edges of the shells. The crevice is sized and configured such that at a drive swing, the supporting pillar, being restricted by the two shells, moves only along the crevice, and thereby rotates and folds only in a single plane.
US09216335B2
The present invention provides a detachable golf bag, which is characterized by that: the support bars plugged between the upper frame and base of the golf bag comprise separately a first bar body, a second bar body and a coupling device; of which the coupling device can easily connect or disengage the first and second bar bodies to reduce the transportation space for the golf bag and also facilitate disassembly and assembly.
US09216325B2
Embodiments of shaft plugs for golf clubs and methods to manufacture golf clubs with shaft plugs are generally described herein. Other embodiments of shaft plugs may be described and claimed.
US09216320B2
In a portable exercise tracking system, a method and apparatus for measuring power output of exercise motion by a user. The system includes a wireless motion sensor and a wireless central mass unit. The wireless motion sensor detects, measures and transmits motion data associated with a first motion by the user. The central mass unit detects and measures motion data associated with a second motion by the user. The central mass unit also computes the power output of the first motion and the second motion as a function of the first motion data and the second motion data. The disclosed method and apparatus provides a more effective means of computing total power output of a user performing free body exercises.
US09216307B2
An anti-falling device contains: a support rod including a hanging seat and ratchet teeth; two locking jaws, and each locking jaw having a fixing mount, a controlling member, and a spring; the fixing mount having a fitting orifice, an arcuate orifice, a receiving orifice, and a clamping hook. The fitting orifice is fitted with the support rod, the arcuate orifice passes through the fixing mount, the receiving orifice passes through the fixing mount, two clamping hooks of the two locking jaws are clamped on two end portions of an extending plate of a H beam. The controlling member is connected with the fixing mount and swings between a locking position and an unlocking position. The controlling member has a lock bolt and two apertures, and the two inserting bolts are inserted into the two apertures and the receiving orifice so as to limit the controlling member at the locking position.
US09216298B2
A cardiac pacing system comprises multiple leadless cardiac pacemakers configured for implantation in electrical contact with a cardiac chamber and configured for multi-chamber cardiac pacing. The individual leadless cardiac pacemakers comprise at least two leadless electrodes configured for delivering cardiac pacing pulses, sensing evoked and/or natural cardiac electrical signals, and communicating bidirectionally among the leadless cardiac pacemaker plurality.
US09216297B2
Techniques adapted for use with recharging a rechargeable power source of an implantable device. One aspect relates to providing a flexible primary coil that can be transcutaneously coupled to a secondary coil of the implantable device. Multiple adjacent turns of the coil are grouped via lacing to form bundles. The bundles have at least one dimension that is selected to be a same size as a predetermined thickness of the coil. In one embodiment, the dimension is a diameter of the bundle. In another embodiment, the dimension is at least one of a length or width of the bundle. Insulating overmolding may be provided over the coil. In one embodiment, the resulting antenna structure is bidirectional such that substantially the same performance characteristics are obtained during recharge regardless of which of two major surfaces of the antenna is placed in proximity to the patient.
US09216286B2
Implantable medical leads include a shield that is guarded at a termination by having a first portion and second portion of the shield, where the first portion is between a termination of the shield at the second portion and an inner insulation layer surrounding the filars. The first portion may reduce the coupling of RF energy from the termination of the shield at the second portion to the filars. The first and second portions may be part of a continuous shield, where the first and second portions are separated by an inversion of the shield. The first and second portions may instead be separate pieces. The first portion may be noninverted residing between the termination at the second portion and inner layers, or the first portion may be inverted to create first and second sub-portions. The shield termination at the second portion is between the first and second sub-portions.
US09216275B2
An adjustable height tool for locating a magnetically readable and settable valve implanted in a living being. The locator can include a wall having a first perimeter. A platform can be disposed within the first perimeter. A valve cut-out can disposed within the platform and can approximate at least a portion of the shape of the valve. A movable foot can be disposed below the platform by which a displacement element moves the foot at least one of toward or away from the platform. This movement increases or decreases the distance between the platform and the skin/valve. Two or more recesses can be disposed in the foot and the recesses can be aligned with the valve cut-out. The displacement element can maintain the alignment of the recesses and the cut-out while moving the foot.
US09216274B2
Balloon catheter includes an elongate tubular shaft having an outer tubular member having proximal and distal portions, and an inner tubular member having a distal length extending distally from the distal portion of the outer tubular member. The elongate tubular shaft has an inflation lumen and a guidewire lumen defined therein. The guidewire lumen extends along at least the distal length of inner tubular member. The balloon catheter also includes a distal end section coupled to a distal end of the inner tubular member and having a proximal end and a distal end. The balloon catheter also includes a balloon having a proximal portion sealingly coupled to the distal portion of the outer tubular member, a distal portion sealingly coupled to the distal end section, and a working length therebetween. The balloon defines an inner chamber. The proximal end of the distal end section is disposed within the inner chamber.
US09216271B2
A catheter configured for delivering an agent to a patient's vessel wall is described. The catheter includes an inflatable balloon substantially covered by a expandable cage such that when the inflatable balloon is inflated the expandable cage substantially surrounds an outer surface of the inflated balloon. The inflatable balloon is configured to be deployed within a lumen against a lumen wall and separated from the lumen wall by the expandable cage in an expanded state, and is adapted to provide an agent delivery to a treatment site, and the expandable cage is further collapsible and is removable from said lumen.
US09216270B2
A removable, resilient atraumatic sheath for arthroscopic instruments. The sheath covers sharp edges on the arthroscopic instrument, particularly the distal tip of the rigid cannula, and thereby protects tissue and objects near a surgical site from accidental trauma. The sheath may be provided in the form of an inflow/outflow sheath that allows a surgeon to irrigate and drain a surgical field without the use of a separate irrigation instrument.
US09216268B2
Described are methods for modifying a substrate by exposing the substrate to a densified fluid. The substrate may be a polymer or a metal alloy, and the densified fluid may be carbon dioxide. Uses of such substrate modification include impregnation of the substrate with one or more drugs, impregnation of microcellular particles, and formation of microcellular compositions.
US09216266B2
A respiration appliance (10), system (40), and method (62, 72, 86) for supporting the airway of a subject (12) as the subject (12) breaths. The flow of gas from the lungs of the subject (12) during exhalation is leveraged to provide support to the airway. In particular, a body (14) that encloses one or more external orifices of the subject (12) provides a resistance differential between inhaled gas flows and exhaled gas flows that supports the subject's airway.
US09216264B2
A portable patient interface system (2) includes a frame (16), a cushion (14) coupled to a first side of the frame, a collapsible faceplate (18) coupled to a second side of the frame opposite the first side, and a longitudinally collapsible hose (56) structured to be in fluid communication with the collapsible faceplate and the cushion.
US09216254B2
An easy to use medical tape may have multiple layers including a first layer made of pressure absorbing materials such as flexible foam, and a needle resistant layer. The medical tape may further have a third layer made preferably of non-stick paper and a covering layer made preferably of vinyl. A medical professional making injections or performing an operation may cover his/her body or a patient's body with the medical tape to prevent needlestick injuries. Moreover, the medical tape may come in various shapes and sizes and may be cut into suitable pieces for different procedures.
US09216252B2
An applicator comprising a transmission member, a housing guiding a reciprocation of the transmission member, and a cap covering the housing. The transmission member is provided with a stopper extending in a direction orthogonal to an axial direction thereof. An upper end of the housing is formed with a projection sliding the stopper. The inside of the cap is formed with a lead part. The stopper is slid by the lead part to an end part of the projection when the cap is pushed and thereafter disengages from the projection when the cap is further pushed, so that the transmission member transmits the biasing force of an elastic member to a microneedle. This enables the microneedle to be applied to skin.
US09216230B2
There is provided an apparatus for assisting hygienization of organic waste. The apparatus comprises at least one reception means for receiving organic solid matter and organic waste, mixing means for mixing the organic waste and the organic solid matter together into an organic mixture, selecting means for selecting whether to expose the organic mixture in the mixing means to either: aeration in order to create a homogenized and internally oxygenous organic mixture, thereby accelerating the hygienization of the organic mixture, or a heat treatment, wherein the heat treatment performs the hygienization of the organic mixture, or to neither the aeration nor the heat treatment. The mixing means may then expose the organic mixture to the aeration, or to the heat treatment, or to neither of the aeration nor the heat treatment on the basis of the selection. The apparatus may further comprise delivery means for passing the organic mixture to either aerobic biodegradation or an end user.
US09216224B2
The invention relates to fatty acid COX inhibitor derivatives; compositions comprising an effective amount of a fatty acid COX inhibitor derivative; and methods for treating or preventing a metabolic, autoimmune, inflammatory, or neurodegenerative disorder comprising the administration of an effective amount of a fatty acid COX inhibitor derivative.
US09216223B2
The invention relates to vaccine compositions having a carrier protein and an antigen of interest entrapped in a complex, methods of making such vaccines, and methods of vaccine administration.
US09216219B2
Anti-BAFFR antibodies are formulated as liquid formulation comprising a high concentration of the antibody active ingredient for delivery to a patient without high levels of antibody aggregation. The aqueous pharmaceutical composition may include one or more sugars, a buffering agent, a surfactant, and/or a free amino acid.
US09216215B2
The present invention provides adjuvant compositions that have improved stability, increased potency and which provide an enhanced Th1 response. The present invention also provides methods of making those compositions and administration of the improved adjuvant compositions.
US09216208B2
A topical ophthalmic formulation of peptides and their use for the treatment and/or local prevention of ocular diseases, preferably posterior segment eye diseases.
US09216205B2
The invention relates to compositions and methods for the preparation, manufacture and therapeutic use of oncology-related polynucleotides, oncology-related primary transcripts and oncology-related mmRNA molecules.
US09216203B1
A natural antibiotic health supplement, having garlic, onion, horseradish root, cayenne or habanero peppers, ginger, organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar, unfiltered raw honey, cinnamon, echinacea, and monolaurin. The natural antibiotic health supplement is effective to support a person's immune system, and especially when it detects various common strains of viruses, bad bacteria, and infections.
US09216194B2
The present disclosure provides a biocompatible composite and method for its use in repairing tissue defects, including defects in cartilage. The biocompatible composite includes a fibrous polymeric component and a polymerizable agent, which is capable of forming the biocompatible composite in situ at the site of a tissue defect. In embodiments, the repair site at which the biocompatible composite is to be applied may be treated with a priming agent, permitting polymerization of the polymerizable agent to the tissue located at the repair site.
US09216190B2
An analgesic medication includes an oligonucleotide being a double strand RNA comprising 18 to 70 base pairs, and a pharmaceutical acceptable vehicle for delivering the said oligonucleotide into cells, wherein a dosage of the oligonucleotide in the analgesic is 50 μg to 200 μg/kg per time, and the pharmaceutical acceptable vehicle is selected from a group of polyethyleneimine, lipofectamine and iFect.
US09216189B2
Compounds and compositions useful for the treatment of liver diseases and methods of treating liver diseases are disclosed. The compounds of the invention specifically interact with heteromers of cannabinoid receptors as compared to monomers or homodimers. The invention also relates to methods of screening for compounds useful for the treatment of liver diseases and to methods of screening for diacylglycerol lipase inhibitors.
US09216187B2
A soy saponin composition is provided high bodily absorption characteristics. In an embodiment, a soyasapogenol composition comprises soyasapogenol B and 3-O-D-glucuronopyranosyl soyasapogenol B. The weight ratio (B/A) of the 3-O-D-glucuronopyranosyl soyasapogenol B to the soyasapogenol B is in the range of 0.001-10. The composition can be produced by partial decomposition of a sugar chain residue of a soy saponin B group glycoside utilizing an acid.
US09216176B2
A pharmaceutical composition may include a coated particulate which may include at least one active pharmaceutical ingredient, particularly one susceptible to abuse by an individual. The coated particles may include a fat/wax and have improved controlled release and/or crush resistance. Method of making these coated particulate and dosage forms therewith are also described.
US09216174B2
The present invention provides compounds having formula (I): and pharmaceutically acceptable derivatives thereof, wherein R1-R4, n, p, A, B, D, E, L and AR1 are as described generally and in classes and subclasses herein, and additionally provides pharmaceutical compositions thereof, and methods for the use thereof for the treatment of disorders mediated by the CD11/CD18 family of cellular adhesion molecules (e.g., LFA-1).
US09216173B2
The invention provides certain 2-pyridyl carboxamide-containing compounds of the Formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein A and B are as defined herein. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and methods of using the compounds for treating diseases or conditions mediated by Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk) kinase.
US09216172B2
In order to identify a gene that can serve as an indicator for predicting the effectiveness of a drug treatment of cancer and to provide a novel method for predicting the effectiveness of a drug treatment targeting said gene, lung adenocarcinomas were subjected to whole-transcriptome sequencing. As a result, in-frame fusion transcripts between the KIF5B gene and the RET gene were identified. The KIF5B-RET gene fusions were detected in 6 out of 319 (2%) LADC specimens from Japanese individuals and 1 out of 80 (1%) LADC specimens from U.S.A. individuals. None of the seven subjects revealed known activating mutations such as EGFR, KRAS or ALK oncogenes; thus, said gene fusions were found to be responsible mutations (driver mutations) for oncogenesis. Since said gene fusions are considered to induce constitutive activation of RET tyrosine kinase protein, it was found that treatments with RET tyrosine kinase inhibitors are effective in patients with detection of said gene fusions.
US09216170B2
Treatment of proliferative diseases with a combination of a b-Raf inhibitor and MDM2 inhibitor.
US09216139B2
The essence of the invention is that an aqueous medium is mixed with a lipid component (lipid solution in an organic solvent) by the ejecting introduction (suction) of the lipid component (lipid solution in an organic solvent) into an ejector mixing chamber in the form of a de Laval nozzle by means of the energy from a pressurized jet of the aqueous medium flowing out of the inlet nozzle of the ejector, which jet creates a pressure drop in the convergent part (confuser) of the mixing chamber, wherein an aerosol stream of liposome is formed at the outlet of the divergent part (diffuser) of the mixing chamber.
US09216131B2
To provide a walking assist device which can apply torque to a knee joint at a suitable timing. A walking assist device includes an actuator, a reaction force sensor and an angle sensor. The walking assist device is fitted to a user's leg. The actuator is able to apply torque to a knee joint of one leg of the user. The reaction force sensor detects a reaction force that the foot of the one leg receives from the floor. The angle sensor detects a hip joint angle of the one leg around a pitch axis. The walking assist device specifies a timing to start applying the torque to the knee joint in a direction that swings the lower leg backward, based on the detected reaction force and the detected hip joint angle.
US09216130B2
A support device (5) arranged to be removably secured to a user and having vertical (16) and horizontal (18) members. In one arrangement, a lower support assembly is arranged for attachment to the user's leg so that the support device assists the user in lifting the leg while taking a step. In an alternative arrangement, the lower support assembly is attached to the lower trunk of the user so that the support device assists in straightening the user's spine. The spring assembly (10) can be arranged to apply forward torque to the lower support assembly (8) relative to the upper support assembly (6), for leg lift assist, or backward torque to the lower support assembly for spine straightening assist.
US09216128B2
The present invention is directed to a closeable container for storing a cadaver where the container has a passthrough unit that may allow for filtration and includes an opeanable one-way flow valve that allows for fluids such as gas to travel only from inside the container to the exterior of the container. The passthrough unit includes a coupling for mating with an air purifying canister or cartridge.
US09216125B2
A surgical head holder and accessories for use with the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a horseshoe shaped head support includes two wings pivotally coupled that adjust the angle therebetween. Arcuate base members are coupled to the wings to accept a plurality of placement subassemblies, which are circumferentially adjustably positioned and secured within the channels. Each placement subassembly is configured to receive a skull pin and provide adjustable horizontal, vertical, and angular positioning of the skull pin with respect to the arcuate base. A table attachment supports the horseshoe shaped head support and is adapted to be selectively and rigidly coupled to an operating table. The table attachment includes a vertical body, a horizontal generally u-shaped bar adjustably intersecting therewith, and an attachment member extending therefrom for coupling to the operating table. Various neurosurgical accessories may be rigidly coupled to the table attachment.
US09216121B2
A support and containment structure for persons comprises at least one support member which extends mainly along a longitudinal axis, and at least one containment element. The at least one containment element is assembled transversely on the at least one support member and is able to contain the trunk of the person. The at least one support member consists of a plurality of modular elements adjacent to each other, selectively adjustable in height and able to be clamped in a stable position by means of relative clamping means. The modular elements assume, in their entirety during use, a position substantially adapted to the trunk of the person in correspondence with his spine.
US09216118B2
The present disclosure is directed, in part, to an absorbent article comprising an absorbent core enclosing an absorbent material comprising superabsorbent polymers. The absorbent core comprises a first channel and a second channel, both of which are substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers and are at least partially oriented in a longitudinal direction of the article. The first and second channels each have lateral widths taken parallel to a lateral axis. The absorbent core comprises a pocket that is substantially free of the superabsorbent polymers and that has a portion on a longitudinal axis of the article. The pocket has lateral widths taken parallel to the lateral axis. A profile of the sum of the lateral widths of the first and second channels and the lateral widths of the pocket over a longitudinal length of at least 50 mm taken along the longitudinal axis has two separate substantially constant portions.
US09216115B2
Disclosed are a surgical towel and a method for producing the same. The production method includes the following steps: blowing: removing impurities from a pure-cotton raw material; carding: loosening and combing the blown pure-cotton raw material; lapping: spreading cotton-webs, which are formed after the carding, back and forth in the direction of cotton fiber in a staggered overlapping manner; water jetting: water-jet entangling the lapped cotton-webs by using a high-pressure water flow; degreasing: removing wax or grease from cotton fibers of an all-cotton non-woven fabric; bleaching: bleaching the degreased all-cotton non-woven fabric; softening and finishing: softening and finishing the all-cotton non-woven fabric to enhance its softness; and cutting and folding: cutting and folding the softened and finished all-cotton non-woven fabric according to a required specification and packaging the same into a finished product. The surgical towel disclosed in the present application has a strong liquid-absorption capability and soft and comfortable hand-feel, does not easily become fuzzy after rubbing, and can improve safety of a medical surgery.
US09216114B2
A head-mounted support device for carrying at least one un-inflated inflatable or expandable inner portion of an in-ear device thereon includes a main body adjustably mountable on a user's head, with at least one settable compound delivery device mounted thereon, and a at least one receptacle to receive an inflatable in-ear device inner portion. The invention also refers to a head-mounted settable compound delivery system kit, along with the earphone wire assembly that receives the customized in-ear device inner portions thereon.
US09216105B2
A recto-cystocele device to address rectocele and cystocele disorder is described. The device generally comprise a handle and a paddle that are distinguished from one another by a bend in the recto-cystocele device which forms essentially an L-shaped unit, the bend possessing a sufficient radius to avoid contact with a pelvic region of the woman and the recto-cystocele device. The device further comprises an expandable sheath located on the paddle that after being inserted in a vagina of the woman and is expanded therein is in contact with at least an upper portion of the vagina that includes a posterior fornix of the vagina and a lower portion of the vagina that does not include the posterior fornix. The handle, which does not go into the vagina, is adapted to be manually manipulated by the woman to translate directional pressure against the posterior fornix and the lower portion of the vagina via the expandable sheath when expanded.
US09216097B2
A ligament-tensioning device for activation of the ligament and/or capsule system in the implantation of a joint implant, comprising a distal bearing plate for bearing against a distal skeletal part and comprising first and second proximal bearing plates, each of which partially overlaps the distal bearing plate in a first in-use position, for bearing against a proximal skeletal part, and comprising means for relative displacement of the proximal bearing plates to increase their spacing from the distal bearing plate. The displacement means comprise a scissor-type guide means that supports the respective proximal bearing plate in the ventral-dorsal as well as the medial-lateral parallel position with respect to the distal bearing plate.
US09216092B2
A tissue prosthesis 100 comprises an envelope 38 of a biologically inert, elastically deformable material capable of being expanded to conform to an interior surface of a cavity 36 formed at a site 10 in a patient's body. A filler material 60 is received in a fluent state in the envelope 38. The filler material 60 is of the same class of material as the envelope 38 to form, when cured, together with the envelope 38, a unified structure.
US09216082B2
Stent-valves (e.g., single-stent-valves and double-stent-valves), associated methods and systems for their delivery via minimally-invasive surgery, and guide-wire compatible closure devices for sealing access orifices are provided.
US09216074B2
A cleaning or care device for cleaning or care of at least one medical instrument, in particular a dental instrument having a cleaning chamber to receive the at least one instrument to be cleaned and having a media feed, through which a cleaning or care agent can be delivered into the cleaning chamber, wherein the cleaning chamber is bordered by a flexible outer shell, so that the volume of the cleaning chamber is variable. The duration of cleaning or care of the instrument is thus shortened, and the quantity of resources required for this, such as cleaning or care agent or energy, is reduced.
US09216061B2
A medical device used in a medical robotic system has a conduit and an orientable tip. An optical fiber coupled to a laser source and/or a catheter coupled to one or more biomaterial sources extends through the conduit and tip so that the tip of the medical device may be robotically directed towards a target tissue for laser and/or biomaterial application as part of a medical procedure performed at a surgical site within a patient. A protective sheath covers the fiber as it extends through the conduit and tip. A first coupler adjustably secures at least the sheath to the medical device and a second coupler adjustably secures the fiber to at least the sheath. A similar dual coupler mechanism may be used to secure the sheathed catheter to the medical device.
US09216060B2
A steerable laser probe may include a handle having a handle, a housing sleeve, a first portion of the housing sleeve having a first stiffness, a second portion of the housing sleeve having a second stiffness, an actuation control of the handle, an optic fiber disposed in an inner bore of the handle and the housing sleeve, and a shape memory wire having a pre-formed curve. An actuation of the actuation control may be configured to gradually curve the housing sleeve and the optic fiber. An actuation of the actuation control may be configured to gradually straighten the housing sleeve and the optic fiber.
US09216059B2
Apparatus and methods are described for laser ablation of tissue. The apparatus and methods utilize a laser source coupled to a fiberoptic laser delivery device and a laser driver and control system with features for protection of the laser delivery device, the patient, the operator and other components of the laser treatment system. Advantageously, the laser source may utilize laser diodes operating at approximately 975 nm, 1470 nm, 1535 nm or 1870 nm wavelengths with a laser power output of at least 60 watts, preferably greater than 80 watts and most preferably 120-150 watts or higher. The invention, which has broad medical and industrial applications, is described in relation to a method for treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by contact laser ablation of the prostate (C-LAP).
US09216058B2
A system and method for treating subcutaneous histological features without affecting adjacent tissues adversely employs microwave energy of selected power, frequency and duration to penetrate subcutaneous tissue and heat target areas with optimum doses to permanently affect the undesirable features. The frequency chosen preferentially interacts with the target as opposed to adjacent tissue, and the microwave energy is delivered as a short pulse causing minimal discomfort and side effects. By distributing microwave energy at the skin over an area and adjusting power and frequency, different conditions, such as hirsuitism and telangiectasia, can be effectively treated.
US09216056B2
A catheter and method for the treatment of a patient having atrial flutter or other arrhythmia comprises an elongated catheter body having an outer wall, proximal and distal ends, and at least one lumen extending therethrough. Further it has a distal tip section comprising a flexible tubing having a proximal end and a distal end and a plurality of lumens extending therethrough. The proximal end of the tip section is fixedly attached to the distal end of the catheter body. The tip section further comprises a nitinol tube having slots formed therein which causes the distal tip section to deflect using the same puller-wire action used to cause the deflectable catheter to deflect at a point proximal to the distal tip section.
US09216044B2
A pedicle screw driver bit includes an elongated shank and a head. The shank includes a plurality of threads. The head is connected to one end of and configured to rotate relative to the shank. The head is configured to be received by a tulip connected to a pedicle screw. The threads of the shank are configured to engage a plurality of threads of the tulip such that when the shank is rotated the tulip is drawn into engagement with the head such that the shank, the head, the tulip, and the pedicle screw are substantially prevented from rotating relative to one another.
US09216027B2
Systems, devices and methods for eluting an agent at a treatment site are disclosed. The devices include an expandable frame and at least one membrane. The membrane may carry an agent to elute at the treatment site. The membrane may allow blood flow at the treatment site during agent delivery.
US09216017B2
A suture anchor and kit for anchoring a suture member to human bone in an interference fit. A suture anchor includes a threaded portion and has a head at the proximal end thereof, the head being generally circular. A tip is located at a distal end of the shank. The shank is at least partially threaded and includes walls defining a reel portion. The shank also includes walls for engaging a suture, the walls for engaging the suture typically adjacent walls defining the reel portion. The head typically includes walls for engaging a drive tool. The kit includes a drive tool for rotating the suture anchor when a suture member is engaged with the walls for engaging the suture such that rotation of the anchor causes the suture material to wrap around the reel portion of the shank.
US09216016B2
A surgical device is disclosed which may advantageously perform the functions of both a retractor and a distractor. The device has two retractor blades facing each other and held in a common frame, the retractor blades are insertable into a surgical incision in a patient and moveable away from each other along a main axis (x) so as to widen the surgical incision; and a connecting pin attached at a distal end of each retractor blade. Each connecting pin is attachable to a pedicle screw anchored to respective vertebrae of the patient, so that moving away the two retractor blades along the main axis (x) determines a distraction of the vertebrae.
US09216015B2
Less invasive surgical techniques for performing brain surgery are disclosed in which a dilating obturator and cannula assembly is inserted into brain tissue until the obturator tip and cannula are adjacent to the target tissue. The obturator is removed and surgery is performed through the cannula. In preferred embodiments the obturator and cannula are placed using image guidance techniques and systems to coordinate placement with pre-operative surgical planning. A stylet with associated image guidance may be inserted prior to insertion of the obturator and cannula assembly to guide insertion of the obturator and cannula assembly. Surgery preferably is performed using an endoscope partially inserted into the cannula with an image of the target tissue projected onto a monitor. Dilating obturator structures having a rounded or semi-spherical tip and/or an optical window for visualizing brain tissue during expansion are contemplated.
US09216009B2
A catheter includes a sheath insertable inside a body lumen and provided with a window portion permeable to inspection waves, a detection unit movable in the axial direction of the sheath inside the sheath and which detects the inspection waves, and a reinforcement tube positionable to cover the inner surface or the outer surface of the window portion and movable in the axial direction of the sheath.
US09216008B2
Systems and methods using contrast enhanced ultrasound imaging for quantitative assessment of neovascularization, such as within a tumor or a plaque. The contrast agent moves in small blotches rather than in continuous flow, but image processing methods enable the detection and quantification of the blood flow, even in the tiny blood vessels of the vasculature tree. The image processing includes compensation for motion of the tissue arising from body movement. The position and extent of the discrete positions of contrast material may be accumulating during a complete heart cycle onto a single 2D image, to enable an indication of a vascular tree based on this local accumulated image. Dynamic processing (DP) of the discrete positions of contrast material enables a complete vascular tree to be obtained. The neovascularization is quantified by the ratio of its total area to that of the plaque in which the neovascularization has grown.
US09216006B2
The disclosed radiograph acquisition device has: a selection unit that selects one radiation detection device from among a plurality of radiation detection devices that can convert radiation to radiographs; and an acquisition unit that acquires the radiograph of one radiation detection device when radiation is radiated at a subject, and the radiograph of at least one other radiation detection device aside from the one radiation device among the plurality of radiation detection devices.
US09216005B2
A control circuit for a computer-aided tomography (CT) system includes an input that receives a master timing signal and an input that receives a first timing signal. The control circuit includes a mode detection circuit that determines the scan mode of the CT system based on the master timing signal and a first timing signal, where the frequency of the first time signal is lower than the frequency of the master timing signal. The control circuit also includes a circuit that generates a second timing signal based on the master timing signal and the scan mode, where the second timing signal that has a lower frequency than the master timing frequency but a higher frequency than the frequency of the first timing signal.
US09215996B2
An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes a media analysis apparatus and method in which human mental response to media is objectively determined.
US09215994B2
Provided is a method of detecting infection in a wound caused by an infecting organism at a wound site. Also provided is a system for detecting an infection in a wound at a wound site. Additionally, a porous pad comprising luciferase is provided.
US09215992B2
An apparatus including a sheath defining a distal surface for placement on a skin surface, a device support movable between a proximal and distal position, and adapted to support a medical device, a sharp support movable between a proximal position and a distal position and adapted to support a sharp for inserting the medical device under the skin surface and extending through a portion of the device support, a handle movable between a proximal position and a distal position relative to the sheath and adapted to urge the device support and the sharp support from a proximal to a distal position to insert the sharp under the skin surface, and a driver for advancing the sharp support towards the proximal position when the sharp support reaches the distal position.
US09215987B2
A method of predicting ventricular arrhythmias includes receiving an electrical signal from a subject's heart for a plurality of heart beats, identifying characteristic intervals and heart beat durations of the electrical signal corresponding to each of the plurality of heart beats to provide a plurality of characteristic intervals with corresponding heart beat durations, representing dynamics of the plurality of characteristic intervals as a function of a plurality of preceding characteristic intervals and durations of corresponding heart beats over a chosen period time, assessing a stability of the function over the chosen period of time, and predicting ventricular arrhythmias based on detected instabilities in the dynamics of the characteristic intervals.
US09215986B2
The present invention provides a technique for continuous measurement of blood pressure based on pulse transit time and which does not require any external calibration. This technique, referred to herein as the ‘Composite Method’, is carried out with a body-worn monitor that measures blood pressure and other vital signs, and wirelessly transmits them to a remote monitor. A network of body-worn sensors, typically placed on the patient's right arm and chest, connect to the body-worn monitor and measure time-dependent ECG, PPG, accelerometer, and pressure waveforms. The disposable sensors can include a cuff that features an inflatable bladder coupled to a pressure sensor, three or more electrical sensors (e.g. electrodes), three or more accelerometers, a temperature sensor, and an optical sensor (e.g., a light source and photodiode) attached to the patient's thumb.
US09215982B2
A non-invasive measurement of biological tissue reveals information about the function of that tissue. Polarized light is directed onto the tissue, stimulating the emission of fluorescence, due to one or more endogenous fluorophors in the tissue. Fluorescence anisotropy is then calculated. Such measurements of fluorescence anisotropy are then used to assess the functional status of the tissue, and to identify the existence and severity of disease states. Such assessment can be made by comparing a fluorescence anisotropy profile with a known profile of a control.
US09215981B2
The present invention provides a device for collecting information from face and the tongue for Chinese medicine, which includes a tank, a light source and a shooting structure. The light source and the shooting structure are positioned inside the tank, the shooting structure contains a guide column, a lifting component, a shooting component and an electrical component. The guide column and the electrical component are fixed in the tank, the shooting component fixed on the lifting component, the lifting component fixed on the guide column, which can achieve adjustment of the relative to the guide column by the electrical component. The present invention also provides a method for collecting information collection from face and tongue for Chinese medicine, which includes: 1. collect the information of the face with the camera lens perpendicular to the face plane; 2. tilt forward the camera's position while raising to the vertical plane with the tongue, collect the further information of the tongue. The present invention can solve the disadvantage in the existing technology that the information collection from the tongue and face can not be achieved at the same time, and collecting process done automatically by the electric machine control, easy to operate.
US09215978B2
Example methods are described herein that include obtaining electroencephalographic data from an example device worn by a subject. The device includes a central body portion and a plurality of extensions extending from the central body portion. Respective ones of the extension have ends carrying an electrode. The example device includes an adjustment band disposed along a longitudinal axis of the central body portion to adjust a position of the extensions. The example method also includes analyzing the data to determine a mental state of the subject.
US09215973B2
An in-vivo imaging device including a camera may include a frame storage device. Systems and methods which vary the frame capture rate of the camera and/or frame display rate of the display unit of in-vivo camera systems are discussed. The capture rate is varied based on for example, a physical quantity experienced by the camera system, or physical measurements related to the motion of the camera. Alternatively, the frame capture rate is varied based on comparative image processing of a plurality of frames. The frame display rate of the system may be varied based on comparative image processing of a multiplicity of frames. Both the frame capture and the frame display rates of such systems can be varied concurrently.
US09215971B2
An insertion portion includes a holding member that holds an observation portion, and a tubular bending portion. A small-diameter portion of the holding member is fitted into an inside surface of a distal end side portion of the bending portion. A hole portion is provided in the bending portion. A concave portion is provided at the small-diameter portion. A screw member penetrates the hole portion by screw-fastening, and a distal end side thereof is housed in the concave portion. A diameter of the concave portion is larger than an outside diameter of the screw member. A length obtained by adding a depth of the concave portion and a thickness of the distal end side portion of the bending portion is greater than an axial direction length of the screw member. The screw member is held in a non-contacting state with respect to the concave portion in the hole portion.
US09215965B2
An endoscope is provided, with a first tube, a cover glass arranged at the distal end of the first tube, as well as with imaging optics, arranged in the first tube, which image an object located in front of the cover glass as an image, wherein the cover glass has a spherically curved, concave inside, a spherically curved, convex outside, and a constant thickness.
US09215963B2
A method for filling a hollow space in an autoclavable medical instrument with an adhesive containing a filler has the steps of providing an adhesive with a low viscosity allowing the adhesive to enter into a hollow space in a medical instrument, providing a filler of solid particles within said low viscosity adhesive, density of said solid particles differ from a density of said low viscosity adhesive, filling that hollow space in said medical instrument with that low viscosity adhesive containing said solid particles, allowing said particles a period of time for crowding together into a minimum of space, and curing said adhesive after said period of time.
US09215960B2
A surface cleaning apparatus comprises a first flexible electrified air flow conduit having an air inlet end that is electrified.
US09215955B1
A puller, preferably made of bent metal wire, for removing pickles and the like from a jar in which the pickles are tightly packed is preferably made of bent wire, has a handle end, a hook end, and a shank connecting them. The hook of the puller faces in generally the same lateral direction relative to the shank axis as does the handle. And the hook has a jog, comprising two portions which are differently angled relative to the plane in which lies the handle of the puller; and outer portion angles upwardly in the shank-direction where lies the handle.
US09215945B2
A removable cover is provided for a decorated Christmas tree to prevent house pets from getting into the tree or playing with ornaments and lights on the tree. The cover wraps at least partially around the tree, with the top edge being hooked to tree branches with the top of the tree extending above the cover. Preferably, the bottom edge of the cover drapes onto the floor. The cover may partially or fully enclose the tree from the floor up to a desired height. The tree cover can be quickly and easily placed on the tree when people are sleeping or out of the house, and easily removed and stored when display of the tree is desired. The cover is a sheer material so that ornaments and lights are visible through the material when the cover is on the tree.
US09215942B2
A closure for a beverage container is disclosed. Said closure comprises an inserted element (2) and a closing member (3) which can be inserted into a mouth of the inserted element (2). A first engaging structure (22) mounted on the internal face of the inserted element (2) can be connected to a second engaging structure (36) arranged on the external face of the closing member (3). The inserted element (2) further has a funnel section (25) above the first engaging structure (22). The closing member (3) has a closed top surface (32), a handle element (31), and an apron (35) with outlets (33). The engaging structures (22, 36) are designed such that the closing member (3) can be moved relative to the inserted element in a vertical direction between a first position in which the closing member (3) seals the mouth and a second position in which the outlets (33) open passages for a liquid.
US09215933B2
An elastomeric load bearing surface with different load support characteristics in different directions. In one embodiment, the surface includes an elastomeric membrane that is oriented in only a single direction, for example, by compression or stretching. In another embodiment, the surface includes mechanical structures, such as connectors and variations in thickness that vary the load support characteristics in different directions. In another embodiment, a surface is both oriented and includes mechanical structures.
US09215932B2
A chair action features a movable seat frame (11), a drive frame (12) for effecting seat frame movement, and an underpinning yoke frame (13), intervening pivot slides operative between frames, with guideway slots (14, 14, 16) and followers (19) variously in frames, to contrive a combined pivot swing and translational slide action, and free-floating seat frame mobility, while conforming to virtual pivot geometry; operable under a potential energy function in an inter-relationship between back recline and seat movement, for a common or harmonious experience between different occupancy weights.
US09215928B2
An expandable podium has a first part (2) which includes a supporting base panel (7) and a rear panel (8) rising from the base panel, a second part (3) which includes a top panel (9) and a front panel (10) depending from the top panel, wherein in expanded mode of the podium a lower hinge (5) links a bottom corner (10′) of the front panel to the nearest forward corner of the base panel and an upper hinge links a top corner (8′) of the rear panel to the nearest rearward corner of the top panel, each of the upper and lower hinges forming an elongate element the ends of which are connected pivotally to the appertaining base, top, front and rear panels about a respective pivot axis. The pivot axes extend at converging directions that intersect in a common point of intersection, beyond the rear panel.
US09215922B2
The invention relates to a device for packaging a cosmetic product, comprising a container (10) having an opening defined by a neck (12) of the container, and a cap (20) for closing the container (10). The cap (20) comprises a cover element (22), a closing-off element (40) for the opening, connected to the cover element (22), a spring member (39) located between the cover element (22) and the closing-off element (40), and a mechanism (30) for locking the cap on the container (10). According to the invention, the locking mechanism (30) comprises a means (25) for retaining the cover element on the container and a means (31) for actuating the retaining VIII means (25) so as to selectively enable the cover element (22) to move with respect to the container (10) from a locked position of the cover element to an unlocked position of the cover element (22) in which the cap (20) can be separated freely from the container (10).
US09215921B2
A packaging and applicator device for applying at least one cosmetic, makeup, or care product composition, the device comprising: a container containing the composition; and an applicator member that is secured to the container and that defines an application surface, the applicator member being made, at least in part, out of an inorganic material, and having at least one channel passing therethrough so as to enable the composition to pass from the container to the application surface; the application surface having a surface area lying in the range 50 mm2 to 200 mm2, better in the range 70 mm2 to 150 mm2, better still in the range 80 mm2 to 100 mm2, and the applicator member having a weight that is greater than 4 g.
US09215914B2
A system and method for increasing customer interest in articles of manufacture, including hand-held portable canopies, such as umbrellas and parasols. A set of actuating components are coupled to moveable elements of the article of manufacture, the moveable elements respond to operation of an user-controlled actuating mechanism.
US09215906B2
A waterproof and vapor-permeable shoe, including an upper that is lined at least partially by an upper membrane impermeable to water in a liquid state and permeable to water vapor. The upper membrane is connected hermetically to a sole which is impermeable to water in the liquid state. The hermetic connection is provided by a sealing element included in an assembly insole. The sealing element is permeable with respect to sealing material, or a glue, sealing adhesive, or polymeric material for providing the sole, and is impregnated with the sealing material, which grips the upper membrane and is connected to the sole or forms a single body therewith, sealing it to the upper membrane.
US09215905B2
A heat-generating shoe comprises a power generation device. When applying a force to the heat-generating shoe, the power generation device with applied force produces electrical energy by electromagnetic induction or piezoelectric effect without external power supply or replacing the battery, so as to generate power automatically during the user walking. More particularly, the present invention can increase the temperature inside the shoe body for preventing users from frostbite in cryogenic environment. Additionally, the present invention provides a variety of types of power generation devices, so a suitable power generation device can be adopted depending on the power demand, thickness of heat-generating shoe, and/or costs.
US09215894B2
Organic porous masses may be used in flavored smoke filters. Production of organic porous masses may involve introducing a matrix material into a mold cavity, the matrix material comprising a plurality of binder particles, a plurality of organic particles, and a microwave enhancement additive; heating at least a portion of the matrix material so as to bind the matrix material at a plurality of contact points, thereby forming an organic porous mass length, wherein heating involves irradiating with microwave radiation the at least a portion of the matrix material; and cutting the organic porous mass length radially thereby yielding an organic porous mass.
US09215885B2
The specification provides methods for extracting proanthocyanidins, especially from firm fruit such as cranberries, through a sequential extraction procedure, and producing infused fruit products.
US09215881B2
The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technique whereby the flavor of products such as fermented milk that use the Bifidobacterium bacteria can be improved while maintaining the effect of the Rubus suavissimus S. Lee for improving the viability of the Bifidobacterium bacteria. Provided is a fermented food that includes: a Rubus suavissimus S. Lee essence obtained as a concentrate through electrodialyzing a Rubus suavissimus S. Lee extract added with an inorganic salt; and bacteria of the genus Bifidobacterium. Also provided is a method for producing such fermented foods.
US09215868B2
Alkyl ether sulfates having 1 to 9 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain and 1 to 20 alkyleneoxy units in the ether moiety are suitable for use as low-foam additives for enhancing the activity of water-soluble or partially water-soluble agrochemicals. They can be used to produce low-foam preparations for crop protection.
US09215861B2
A milking box comprises a stall portion and a backplane positioned in the stall portion. The backplane moves toward the rear of the stall portion in response to pressure applied to a contact surface of the backplane. The backplane moves toward the front of stall portion in response to pressure removed from the contact surface.
US09215841B2
A particulate material delivery system for an agricultural implement including, an inductor box configured to receive particulate material from a tank, the inductor box including, an inductor segment comprising an air bypass channel extending through a particulate material supply chamber, wherein the particulate material supply chamber is configured to receive the particulate material for distribution to at least one row unit, and the air bypass channel is configured to guide airflow through the particulate material supply chamber without interacting with a flow of the particulate material through the particulate material supply chamber, and an airflow control device in communication with the inductor segment and configured to control the airflow through the air bypass channel.
US09215838B2
An agricultural row unit assembly includes an attachment frame configured for attachment to a tow bar that is movable in a direction of travel. A proximal end of a swing-arm is coupled to the attachment frame, and an opener disk is mounted to and offset from a distal end of the swing-arm for forming a furrow. The opener disk is configured to rotate about a first axis relative to the direction of travel. A deflecting disk is mounted to the distal end for deflecting debris from entering the furrow, and is mounted between the distal end of the swing-arm and the opener disk. The deflecting disk is configured to rotate about a second axis, which is different than the first axis, relative to the direction of travel. A closing wheel is coupled to the attachment frame for closing the furrow.
US09220178B2
A support structure includes a groove and a channel. The grove can be defined by a wall and a lip. An energy consumption device includes a housing that supports a magnet and a first and second terminal and the magnet helps couple the energy consumption device to the support structure. The housing is positioned in the groove and the groove helps retain the housing in the support structure while the channel allows the energy consumption device to be visible. To help secure the energy consuming device, a header can be provided on both ends of the support structure so that the housing can be translated along the groove but cannot be removed from the support structure.
US09220174B2
The present disclosure relates to a pedestal for a flat panel display device. The pedestal comprises: a supporting frame, comprising a horizontally arranged base plate and a framework vertically fixed on the base plate, the framework having a supporting plate on its top, and the supporting plate being configured to support an underside of a display panel of the flat panel display device; at least one circuit board, vertically disposed on the framework; a front shell and a rear shell, fixedly connected with the framework, and wherein the front shell and the rear shell have strip-type notches on their tops respectively, opening directions of the strip-type notches facing to each other and configured to horizontally limit a position of the display panel. An embodiment of the present invention further discloses a flat panel display device including such pedestal.
US09220164B2
A high frequency module includes a ground mounting electrode connected to a ground terminal of a component, a first ground in-plane conductor in a multilayer substrate on a portion under the component and connected to the ground mounting electrode with a first ground interlayer connecting conductor, a signal mounting electrode connected to a signal terminal of the component, and a signal in-plane conductor provided in the multilayer substrate on a portion under the first ground in-plane conductor and connected to the specific signal mounting electrode with a signal interlayer connecting conductor. The first ground in-plane conductor is between the component and the signal in-plane conductor, and the signal interlayer connecting conductor is on an outer side portion of the first ground in-plane conductor when seen from above.
US09220157B2
A two-wire load control device (such as, a dimmer switch or an electronic switch) for controlling power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor for controlling the power to the load, a gate coupling circuit electrically coupled to a gate terminal of the thyristor, a control circuit configured to control the thyristor to turn the load on or off, and a power supply configured to conduct current through the electrical load to generate a supply voltage across a capacitor when the thyristor is non-conductive. When the electrical lead is on, the control circuit is configured to maintain the thyristor non-conductive after a beginning of each half-cycle until the magnitude of the supply voltage exceeds a predetermined threshold.
US09220154B2
The present invention refers to a lighting system comprising ambient light sources and task light sources, and occupancy sensors for detecting occupancy in a number of occupancy zones and for controlling the ambient light sources and task light sources. Each occupancy sensor is provided to communicate wirelessly with other occupancy sensors. On the detection of occupancy of at least one zone, the occupancy sensors detecting the occupancy active at least one ambient light source and send a control signal to other occupancy sensors to active other ambient light sources, and the intensity of a group of task light sources illuminating the occupied zone is set to a level higher than the intensity of the remaining task light sources. The invention also refers to a respective method for controlling a lighting system of this kind.
US09220151B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling a lighting system, said lighting system comprising a plurality of luminaires (10, 12, 14, 16, 18), a plurality of sensors (24, 26), a central control unit (22) and a network (20) comprising networking devices for establishing a communication between the luminaires, the sensors and the central control unit. These luminaires, sensors and networking devices represent local units of the lighting system. In a standard operation mode, the luminaires (10, 12, 14, 16, 18) are controlled by the central control unit (22) on the basis of sensor data transmitted to the central control unit (22). In case of failure of operation of the central control unit (22), the lighting systems switches into a fallback mode, wherein each luminare (10, 12, 14, 16, 18) is controlled by a local unit associated to or represented by this luminaire (10, 12, 14, 16, 18).
US09220142B2
A light-emitting device includes a mounting area that includes a first end and a second end opposite to the first end, a first electrode group disposed adjacent to the first end of the mounting area, a second electrode group disposed adjacent to the second end of the mounting area, a plurality of files each in that a plurality of light-emitting elements are arranged in the mounting area to extend from a vicinity of the first end of the light-emitting area to a vicinity of the second end of the mounting area and electrically connected in series with each other of the light-emitting elements in each file. Light-emitting elements included in two or more files can be a light-emitting block to be lighted together through electrodes of the first electrode group and the second electrode group.
US09220141B2
A driver circuit for programmable solid state light bulb assemblies including light emitting diodes is operable to provide a drive current to a light source of the light bulb assembly. The controller comprises a data storage unit storing a test scenario for calibration of the light bulb assembly; wherein the test scenario indicates a sequence of states of the light source; wherein a state of the light source is associated with settings of the driver circuit; a data input unit receiving a command signal via a modulated electricity supply signal; and a data processing unit retrieving the test scenario from the data storage unit; in dependence of the received command signal, generating a control signal for operating the light source in at least one state of the sequence of states of the test scenario; and to output the control signal.
US09220138B1
Power lighting control methods and systems for solid state lighting are disclosed. For example, a power control system includes a transformer that includes a primary coil configured to receive a first voltage based on an output of a switching circuit, a secondary coil configured to generate a first current based on the first voltage to power a solid-state load, and a bleeder coil coupled to a bleeder switch, and a control module that causes the bleeder switch to turn on incrementally during a dimming event over M power cycles, where M is a positive integer, so as to eliminate or reduce a current step in the first current provided to the solid state load.
US09220132B2
The invention contained herein provides solid-state breakover conduction illumination devices, displays and driving methods. Illumination devices may be fabricated as co-packaged devices or integrated devices using in-organic or organic illumination elements. AC breakover conduction displays are embodied in both small, tightly-integrated configurations as well as, large area discrete implementations. Driving methods employ initialization and resetting methods for subfield based operation; taking advantage of the stable high speed characteristics of solid-state breakover devices such as DIACs. A full-color high-resolution DIAC based display is presented.
US09220129B2
A method of sending information from a first base station to other base stations including sending information to a first plurality of the base stations at a first time; and sending said information to a different plurality of the base stations at a later time according to a predetermined sending pattern for timing sending of said information to different pluralities of the base stations at different times.
US09220104B2
A serving base station transmits to a target base station a first message comprising a parameter indicating whether a wireless device supports an enhanced physical downlink control channel (ePDCCH). The serving base station receives from the target base station a second message comprising parameters indicating: a configuration of a subset of subframes in which first radio resources of a first ePDCCH are configured; and a starting OFDM symbol of the first ePDCCH in the subset of subframes. The serving base station transmits a third message to the wireless device comprising the configuration information of the first ePDCCH.
US09220097B2
The present invention provides a method for sending and receiving control information, an apparatus and a communication system. The method for sending control information includes: setting respective control bits in a downlink control information (DCI) format to generate control information applied by a network side to a terminal, wherein indication information indicating whether to swap a corresponding relationship between a transmission block and a codeword is not carried in a control bit in the DCI format, if a dedicated demodulation reference signal used to demodulate data is preconfigured by the network side for the terminal and respective codewords correspond to the same number of layers; and the indication information is carried in a control bit in the DCI format, if the dedicated demodulation reference signal used to demodulate data is not preconfigured by the network side for the terminal; and sending the generated control information to the terminal.
US09220095B2
A base station device uses a downlink control channel and instructs a mobile station device to perform a random access procedure. The mobile station device switches, according to whether or not random access parameters are included in parameters of a secondary cell that has been allocated to the mobile station device, between a first random access procedure in which information in a carrier indicator field included in the downlink control channel is not used for selection of a cell in which a random access procedure is performed, and a second random access procedure in which information in the carrier indicator field included in the downlink control channel is used for selection of a cell in which a random access procedure is performed.
US09220090B2
Disclosed is a base station apparatus in which a configuration section (102) configures, within a data assignable region for a terminal apparatus (200), a first search space and a second search space each being a candidate to which control information is assigned, each of the first search space and the second search space including a plurality of control channel elements, and a signal assignment section (105) assigns control information to each of the first search space and the second search space. In addition, the configuration section (102) allocates numbers to a plurality of first control channel elements included in the first search space in an ascending order, and allocates numbers larger than or identical with the numbers allocated to the first control channel elements to a plurality of second control channel elements included in the second search space.
US09220087B1
A method includes receiving in a mobile communication terminal signals from multiple cells that coordinate transmission of the signals with one another in a Cooperative Multipoint (CoMP) scheme. A respective channel feedback for each of the multiple cells, and a single additional rich channel feedback having a higher information content than the channel feedback computed for the multiple cells, are calculated in the terminal based on the received signals. The channel feedback for the multiple cells is transmitted on a periodic uplink control channel, and the single rich channel feedback is transmitted on an a-periodic uplink channel.
US09220076B2
The present invention discloses a radio base station and a method for clock synchronization of the radio base station. The radio base station may include a base station outdoor apparatus including an adapter, a ground service antenna, and a satellite antenna. A base station indoor apparatus includes a satellite signal processing module configured to perform decoding processing on a satellite radio frequency signal received by the satellite antenna to obtain a satellite service signal. The satellite antenna and the ground service antenna are connected to the adapter. The adapter is configured to couple the signals received by the satellite antenna and ground service antenna, and transmit a coupled signal to the base station indoor apparatus through a first data cable.
US09220074B2
A device is configured to store target location information indicating an acceptable signal strength at a target location. The device may receive a signal emitted from a base station. The signal may be received at the target location. The device may measure the signal strength of the signal at the target location. The device may transmit a signal strength message including information based on the signal strength. The signal strength message may cause the base station to adjust a power with which signals are emitted from the base station such that the signals satisfy the acceptable signal strength at the target location.
US09220069B2
An apparatus including a processing system configured to determine an energy consumption on the mobile device during sleep and active modes of the mobile device; determine an energy consumption on the sensor during sleep and active modes of the sensor; determine energy levels of the mobile device and the sensor, and; set sleep durations of the mobile device based on the sleep duration of the sensor while meeting an end-to-end delay constraint for a service related to the sensor. A method is also disclosed.
US09220058B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, for wirelessly controlling electrical loads. In an aspect, a system include a wireless controller with a communication subsystem that communicates with a plurality of power control devices over a first network, communicates with a wireless smart metering device over a second network, communicates with a system controller over a third network. The system receives an event message from one or more of the wireless smart metering device over the second network or the system controller over the third network, generates one or more power commands for the power control devices, the one or more power commands configured to cause the power control devices to adjust one or more power loads in response to the event message, and transmits the one or more power commands to the power control devices over the first network.
US09220056B2
When a network is in a state of requiring any sort of access barring, determining whether a special type access class is included as an access class to which an own device belongs, determining appropriateness of an access by referring to, from barring information, a first barring information for designating whether a mobile device belonging to each access class is subject to access barring when having determined that the special type access class is included, and determining the appropriateness of an access by referring to, from the barring information, second barring information indicating a value serving as a reference for determining the appropriateness of an access according to a relationship between a numerical value generated by each mobile device and the reference indicated by the second barring information when having determined that the special type access class is included.
US09220051B2
System and method for providing DNS redirection in mobile telecommunication network. The system includes a functionality that is capable of intercepting a DNS reply from a content delivery provider, extracting a token, comparing the token with a stored token and replacing an IP address associated with the content delivery provider with an IP address of a resource of the mobile telecommunication network.
US09220039B2
In one of its aspects the technology concerns a method of operating a telecommunications system comprising a serving radio base station and a candidate radio base station. The serving radio base station comprises a radio base station to which a wireless mobile station provides measurement reports. The serving radio base station and the candidate radio base station are different with respect to at least one of frequency and radio access technology. The method comprises the serving radio base station allowing the mobile station to obtain information broadcasted by the candidate radio base station. The information is either information for locating Cell Global Identity (CGI) of the candidate radio base station or the Cell Global Identity (CGI) itself of the radio base station. The mobile station obtains the information from the candidate radio base station during at least one reading gap. The reading gap is a time period in which the mobile station does not receive information from the serving radio base station.
US09220035B2
A radio control base station connected to a plurality of switching centers includes a capacity information receiving unit configured to receive capacity information from at least one of the plurality of switching centers, a load information receiving unit configured to receive load information from at least one of the plurality of switching centers, a selection ratio calculating unit configured to calculate a selection ratio for selecting a connection-target switching center to which a call from a mobile station is to be connected based on the received capacity information and the received load information, and a connection-target switching center determining unit configured to determine the connection-target switching center based on the calculated selection ratio.
US09220034B2
A network component comprising a plurality of encoders, a plurality of rate-matching modules coupled to the encoders, and a channel interleaver coupled to the rate-matching modules, wherein the rate-matching modules calculate the number of bits for rate matching a plurality of feedback control information based on a total number of bits allocated to a channel traffic without a traffic data. Included is a network component comprising at least one processor configured to encode a plurality of feedback control information, calculate the number of bits for rate-matching the feedback control information based on a total number of bits allocated to a channel traffic without a traffic data. Included is a method comprising receiving a downlink traffic, detecting a request to transmit uplink data in the downlink traffic, and transmitting feedback control information with or without data based on the request.
US09220031B2
Disclosed is an access control method, for use in implementing improved access control. The method comprises: during a random access process, on the basis of a current load of a random access network (RAN) and a core network (CN) and of terminal or service information reported by a user equipment (UE), the RAN judging whether or not access to the RAN and to the CN is allowed; when access is denied by at least one network between the RAN and the CN, the RAN transmitting to the UE an instruction message having attached therein a backoff time corresponding to the access denying network. Also disclosed is a device for implementing the method.
US09220028B2
Methods and apparatus to perform measurements are disclosed. An example method disclosed herein for a user equipment (UE) to perform measurements in a mobile communication network comprises receiving configuration information comprising at least one of a validity state, a measurement activation criterion, a measurement deactivation criterion, a reporting criterion or a location request criterion to configure a measurement, and performing the measurement based on the configuration information.
US09220025B2
A system for managing wireless devices in a wireless network comprising: a processor; and a memory coupled with the processor, wherein the memory is configured to provide the processor with instructions which when executed cause the processor to: receive a diagnostic request to analyze a problem associated with a wireless device operating in the wireless network; retrieve diagnostic information associated with the wireless device from the wireless network; retrieve diagnostic information associated with the wireless device from the wireless device; determine at least one solution for the problem associated with the wireless device based on the retrieved diagnostic information from the wireless network and the wireless device; transmit the at least one solution; and receive a confirmation that the problem has been resolved.
US09220020B2
A user apparatus transmits an uplink control signal to a base station apparatus using a single carrier scheme. The user apparatus includes: a unit configured to prepare acknowledgement information indicating positive acknowledgement or negative acknowledgement for a downlink data signal based on a result of demodulation of the downlink data signal; a unit configured to prepare channel state information indicating reception quality of a downlink reference signal; a unit configured to channel-code multiplexed control information in which the acknowledgement information and the channel state information are multiplexed to prepare the uplink control signal; and a unit configured to transmit the uplink control signal using dedicated resources different from resources for an uplink data signal.
US09220019B2
Provided is a communication system for allowing a user to feel the presence of other users existing in the same daily living area without using short-distance wireless communication. The system includes a position coordinate receiving section (80) for obtaining positions from a plurality of user terminals, and a nearby user distributing section (94) for selecting, under the condition that the nearby user distributing section (94) obtains a position of a specified user terminal, one or more of the plurality of user terminals corresponding to the position obtained from the specified user terminal and the positions obtained from the plurality of user terminals and providing the specified user terminal with information on the selected one or more of the plurality of user terminals.
US09220018B1
A system and method for analyzing a scenario, such as a communications scenario in which the end-to-end quality of communications between end nodes of a communications link may be affected by various factors and conditions. Such factors and conditions may include performance parameters of the end nodes and intermediate nodes, human operational performance, and external conditions, such as weather. Qualitative and quantitative representations of the end-to-end quality of communications are presented simultaneously and in a time-synchronized manner with displays of the relevant performance parameters, indications of human operational actions, and locations of nodes of the communications link and external conditions.
US09220017B2
A radio parameter control apparatus (1) includes a measurement report collection unit (10) and a radio parameter determination unit (11). The measurement report collection unit (10) collects a plurality of measurement reports generated by at least one mobile station (5), each of the measurement reports containing a measurement result of radio quality of a first cell (62) managed by a base station (4). The radio parameter determination unit (11) determines, based on the plurality of measurement reports so as to reduce the number of cell-edge mobile stations deemed to be located at a cell edge between the first cell (62) and a neighboring cell (61), an updated value of a radio parameter capable of changing coverage of the first cell (62).
US09220010B2
An intelligent messaging network provides multiple software development kits (SDKs) to assist, e.g., engineers in developing client and server applications. The SDKs can contain a consistent set of application program interfaces (APIs) and a set of platform specific libraries for all intelligent messaging network supported platforms and networks. In addition to the SDKs, the intelligent messaging network can provide developers a resource kit including a set of tools to assist the developers when designing, implementing, and testing their client and server applications. The intelligent messaging network can provide a mobile client and server SDK environment to assist engineers developing client applications and servers. The SDKs can provide an easy to use APIs and a set of platform specific libraries to perform, e.g., compression, network management services, server-to-server communication, server registration/de-registration, and reliable message transport services.
US09220006B1
A computer-implemented technique is presented. The technique includes determining, at a server including one or more processors, one or more phones associated with a virtual phone number associated with a user. The technique includes determining, at the server, a location for each of the one or more phones. The technique includes receiving, at the server, position information from a mobile phone associated with the user indicating the user crossed a geo-fence corresponding to a specific location of a specific one of the one or more phones. The technique includes determining, at the server, a status of the specific phone associated with the geo-fence based on a previous status of the specific phone and the position information. The technique further includes selectively forwarding, from the server, an incoming phone call to the virtual phone number to the one or more phones based on their respective statuses.
US09219998B2
Representative embodiments of a method for grouping participants in an activity include the steps of: (i) defining a grouping policy; (ii) storing, in a database, participant records that include a participant identifier, a characteristic associated with the participant, and/or an identifier for a participant's handheld device; (iii) defining groupings based on the policy and characteristics of the participants relating to the policy and to the activity; and (iv) communicating the groupings to the handheld devices to establish the groups.
US09219994B2
A method for receiving a downlink signal from a base station (BS) in a multicast broadcast single frequency network (MBSFN) subframe is disclosed. The method is performed by a user equipment (UE) and includes receiving information indicating an MBSFN subframe configured as an almost blank subframe (ABS) (ABS MBSFN subframe) among MBSFN subframes of which a data region is allocated a reduced transmission power lower than a transmission power in a data region of a normal subframe, and demodulating the downlink signal received in the data region of the ABS MBSFN subframe based on a cell-specific reference signal (CRS) in a control region of the ABS MBSFN subframe according to the information.
US09219991B2
A data expansion system that provides continuum of discrete wireless small cell coverage areas for mobile terminals includes a set of roadway reflectors configured to provide wireless broadband data services to a mobile terminal. Each reflector includes processing circuitry configured to establish communications between the mobile terminal and a backhaul network. Each reflector includes a wireless transceiver configured to transmit and receive data. Each reflector includes a power source that converts solar energy into electricity. Each reflector includes a housing configured to contain the processing circuitry, the transceiver, and the power source. The housing has a raised reflective surface.
US09219982B2
Methods and apparatus for refreshing a display of a telephone. A telephone apparatus includes a telephone having a display panel and function by which a user can access a plurality of communication services provided over a communication network. The function may represent a given set of conditions associated with a user, such as static and variable conditions. The function is typically associated with one or more commonly used communication services that would be used by a user under a given set of conditions. A method for automatically refreshing a screen on a display panel of a telephone based on a function change includes displaying on a telephone display a first screen based on a function, the display representing a commonly used communication service associated with the function, and selecting a function based on information.
US09219977B2
Wireless communications services on a wireless communications device are selectively restricted in accordance with a location of the wireless device and specific permission and/or restrictions assigned to the wireless device while within/at the location. Services can be selectively blocked (denied), selectively modified, or selectively allowed on a wireless device based on lists indicating permissibility for specific services for specific devices at/within specific locations. A location can be a zone of coverage of a cellular tower, micro/pico/Femto cell or wireless access point, a sector of a zone of coverage, a geographic region within a zone of coverage, or any appropriate combination thereof.
US09219972B2
An apparatus creates first data stream(s) by processing first audio signal(s) and creates second data stream(s) by processing second audio signal(s). The processing includes detecting phase information from at least one of the second audio signal(s) so as to eliminate the phase information. The second data stream(s) are created without the phase information from the at least one second audio signal. The first and second data streams are output. Another apparatus receives first data stream(s) including first audio signal(s) and receives second data stream(s) including second audio signal(s). The second audio signal(s) include at least one second audio signal where phase information has been eliminated. Phase information is detected from one of a selected first audio signal or a selected second audio signal and is added into the at least one second audio signal. Output audio is rendered using the first and second audio signal(s).
US09219971B2
A method of manufacturing a piezoelectric speaker comprises forming a piezoelectric thin film and then forming an upper electrode and a lower electrode on and beneath the piezoelectric thin film, respectively, forming a damping material layer for attachment of the piezoelectric thin film below the piezoelectric thin film with the upper and lower electrodes formed thereon and therebeneath, attaching the piezoelectric thin film to an acoustic diaphragm in an inclined structure in which the piezoelectric thin film is horizontally turned from the acoustic diaphragm, and performing drying at room temperature; and fixing the acoustic diaphragm to a frame using an adhesive material with high elasticity.
US09219970B2
The present disclosure relates to a method and apparatus for manufacturing a passive component for an acoustic transducer, wherein a mixture of metal oxide filler with an epoxy resin is subjected to ultrasonic wave generated and followed by an addition of a hardener to cast the passive component for the acoustic transducer. Mixing the materials with the ultrasonic wave improves the dispersion of the metal oxide filler over conventional passive components, thus enabling the passive component to have uniform surfaces, resulting in improved sound velocity and attenuation characteristics with acoustic transducers that use the passive component manufactured by the present disclosure.
US09219967B2
Various audiovisual presentation arrangements are described. In some embodiments, a headset is configured to output audio to a user. A television receiver may be configured to output a plurality of video feeds for simultaneous presentation by a display device. Each video feed of the plurality of video feeds may be displayed in a different display region of the display device. The television receiver may receive a command indicative of a video feed of the plurality of videos feeds that the user is viewing on the display device. Based on the command, the television receiver may output, to the headset, an audio feed that corresponds to the video feed the user is viewing.
US09219956B2
A contactless, electromagnetic (EM) replacement for cabled Standards-based interfaces (such as USB, I2S) which handles data transfer requirements associated with the Standard, and capable of measuring and replicating relevant physical conditions on data lines so as to function compatibly and transparently with the Standard. A contactless link between devices having transceivers. A non-conducting housing enclosing the devices. A dielectric coupler facilitating communication between communications chips. Conductive paths or an inductive link providing power between devices. An audio adapter communicates over a contactless link with a source device, and via a physical link with a destination device such as a conventional headset. Power may be provided to the adapter from the source device, and by the adapter to the destination device.
US09219952B2
The invention provides a method and system for signaling asynchronous supplementary services in a telephony network. The method comprises initiating a call between a sender and a recipient on a telephony network including generating a telephony request and disconnecting the call prior to completion of a connection. Concomitantly, an asynchronous communication is initiated between the sender and the recipient using information in the telephony request. The call may be disconnected prior to allocation of a traffic channel or prior to generating a ring at a device of the recipient. In one embodiment the call is disconnected after receipt of the telephony request by an originating mobile switching center but before continuing set-up of the call. Calls aborted in this way can be used to initiate messaging or other services without utilizing voice circuits in a network.
US09219946B2
Embodiments provide a method that allows users for easily acquire contents information by receiving and displaying only providable contents lists without connecting to servers of a plurality of contents providers, in a network TV that can receive and play contents while being connected with the contents providers.
US09219943B2
A broadcast receiving apparatus which accumulates and stores a status value of a broadcast signal is provided. The broadcast receiving apparatus includes a signal receiver which receives a broadcast signal, a decoder which decodes the received broadcast signal, a signal detector which detects a signal status of at least one of the received broadcast signal and the decoded broadcast signal, and a storage unit which accumulates and stores a status value of the broadcast signal detected by the signal detector. Accordingly, the past signal status of the broadcast receiving apparatus can be easily recognized.
US09219941B2
A secondary stream of rich media packets defining scene states of a sub-portion of a scene representable by a primary stream or rich media packets. Local random access data defining instructions for enabling creation, when being processed, of a starting state of the scene sub-portion without affecting the scene state of scene portions is provided. The local random access data is packed into at least one rich media packet, which is inserted into the secondary stream and transmitted to at least one user terminal. The local random access data can be used by terminals for tuning-in to the secondary stream and/or for error recovery relating to the secondary stream.
US09219939B1
Methods and devices for presenting an interactive media guidance application are provided in accordance with various embodiments. In some embodiments, the methods comprise: determining that a first portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a first amount of time has been displayed on the user equipment device; automatically requesting a second portion of guide listings corresponding to guidance information for a second amount of time from a database having guidance information in response to determining that the first portion of guide listings has been displayed, wherein the second amount of time succeeds the first amount of time in time order and wherein the second portion of guide listings is stored in a cache located between the database and the user equipment device; receiving an indication that a user has requested at least one guide listing within the second portion of guide listings; and receiving the second portion of guide listings from the cache in response to receiving the indication from the user.
US09219934B2
A method of controlling data transfer in a data transmission system which includes a plurality of video and/or audio data sources, a single transmitter operable to transmit data from the data sources over at least one transmission channel, a plurality of client receivers operable to receive transmitted data, the method comprising estimating available channel capacity for each client receiver, using parameters relating to the at least one transmission channel, and using information from the transmitter and receiver, and using information relating to queuing of data between the data sources and the transmitter; determining a target bit transmit rate for each client receiver in dependence upon the estimated channel capacity, a quality parameter, and an activity parameter for the client receiver concerned; and controlling the data sources and transmitter in dependence upon the determined bit transmit rate.
US09219930B1
A system and method for triggering media stream modifications and for modifying media streams accordingly. The method includes a first step of determining, by an apparatus, an opportunity to modify a compressed media stream, by a media stream modifier, to provide a modified media stream that includes additional video content; and a second step of generating modification information representative of said determination, to be further transmitted to the media stream modifier.
US09219928B2
Methods, apparatus, systems and articles of manufacture are disclosed to characterize households with media meter data. An example method includes identifying, with a processor, a household minute credited to a station in a household by a first media meter (MM) device, the first MM device collecting only audio data, determining whether a panelist audience meter device is crediting the station at the same time in the household, when the panelist audience meter device is crediting the same station, associating the household minute with an ambient tuning status, identifying a first automatic gain control (AGC) value and a first code status of the household minute, calculating model coefficients based on the ambient tuning status, the first AGC value and the first code status, and calculating a probability of ambient tuning based on the model coefficients.
US09219926B2
An image processing apparatus according to the present invention includes, a division unit configured to divide an image to generate a first block group including one or more blocks and a second block group adjacent to the first block group, a first encoding unit to encode the first block group in units of block, a second encoding unit to encode the second block group in units of block, and a storage unit to store encoded information after the first encoding unit processes a block at a predetermined position, in which the storage unit, when the first block group does not include a block at the predetermined position, sets the predetermined position to a block in the first block group and stores the encoded information based on the set position, and wherein the second encoding unit starts encoding based on the encoded information.
US09219922B2
A system method and computer program product for creating a composited video frame sequence for an application. A current scene graph state for the application is compared to a previous scene graph state wherein each scene graph state includes a plurality of hierarchical nodes that represent one or more objects at each node. A video construction engine determines if one or more objects have moved based upon a comparison of the scene graph states. If one or more objects have moved based upon the scene graph comparison, motion information about the objects is determined and the motion information is forwarded to a stitcher module. The motion information is used to define motion vectors for use by the stitcher module in construction of the composited video frame sequence.
US09219915B1
Blocks of a frame of a video stream can be encoded using various prediction modes followed by transforming the predicted blocks. Increasing coding efficiency may be achieved by indicating a default transform mode for a frame in a frame header. The default transform mode can be used to encode blocks of the frame. When the default transform mode is a per-block transform mode, the transform size can be determined on a per-block basis and may be included in block headers. When all available transform sizes are not tested for a current block, estimates of a rate distortion value can be performed for the current block using its prediction mode and the remaining transform sizes. Using these estimates and the actual calculated rate distortion values for blocks of the current frame, the default transform mode can be updated for the next frame.
US09219913B2
An apparatus for coding video data using a single-loop decoding approach may include a memory unit and a processor in communication with the memory unit. In an example, the memory unit stores the video data, the video data including a base layer and an enhancement layer. The base layer includes a base layer block, a non-constrained INTRA mode block, and an INTER mode block. The base layer block includes a sub-block located at least partially within one of the non-constrained INTRA mode block or the INTER mode block. The enhancement layer includes an enhancement layer block located at a position in the enhancement layer corresponding to a position of the base layer block in the base layer. The processor approximates pixel values of the sub-block and determines, based at least in part on the approximated pixel values, pixel values of the enhancement layer block.
US09219910B2
A method for creating a volumetric display. The method includes projecting a first light type onto a planar projection surface to display first content and, concurrently with projection of the first light type, first projecting a second light type onto the planar projection surface to display second content that at least partially overlays the displayed first content. The method includes second projecting the second light type onto a three dimensional (3D) set of reflective elements, whereby the second content moves between the planar projection surface and the 3D set. The first light type may be non-coherent light and the second light type may be laser light (or coherent light). While projected on the planar projection surface, the coherent light is at a first illumination level that matches or is somewhat greater than the non-coherent light, and a second much higher illumination level is used when projecting onto the 3D set.
US09219899B2
In the present signal processing device, a recording unit is configured to record an inputted signal into a recording medium. A switch input unit is configured to input signal selection information for selecting any one of a plurality of signals. A meta-input unit is provided independently from the switch input unit. The meta-input unit is configured to input metadata. A switch list managing unit is configured to associate the signal selection information and the metadata and manage the signal selection information and the metadata as a switch metadata information every time the signal selection information is inputted into the switch input unit. A playlist recording unit is configured to determine a reproduction duration of each clip and generate a playlist including the metadata based on the switch metadata information. The playlist recording unit is configured to output the playlist to the recording medium.
US09219898B2
A technique for enabling display of a source color space on a display color space commences by first receiving source color space information. The source color space information undergoes a conversion into a device independent color space. Once converted into the device independent color space, a LUT or other matrix assigns output colors for the input colors corresponding to the specific display device color space. The LUT or other matrix can be generated with the source material and transmitted to the source display device.
US09219895B2
A projection device includes: a plate shaped member that is thermally conductive; a light emitting element that is disposed upon the plate shaped member and emits light; a bending member that bends light from the light emitting element into an orientation parallel to the plate shaped member; a modulation element that modulates light bent by the bending member; and a polarized light separation element that bends light modulated by the modulation element into an orientation going away from the plate shaped member.
US09219891B2
Identification apparatus is capable of automatically performing processing for separation of objects from background to definitively extract objects to be identified. Backlighting is used to cause illumination from behind a tray on which pastry serving as object has been placed, and while in this state an image of the pastry and the tray are captured. The captured image is converted into an L image representing the L-axis component in Lab color space (S11). The L image is used to create a Canny edge image (S12), and contour extraction is carried out (S13). Pastry region(s) are extracted from background region(s), and a mask image is output (S14, S15). The extracted pastry region(s) are used to carry out identification of pastry type by comparison with registered characteristic quantities. Determination of pastry region(s) is carried out based on magnitude of chromatic dispersion and distance between colors in Lab color space.
US09219882B2
A GUI (graphical user interface) apparatus for connecting with a location of a participant by a two-way communication system such as a video conference system. The apparatus includes a display processing device for arranging a plurality of display frames to display still pictures representing specific nominated connection destinations on a screen of display device, a plurality of operation devices arranged on the display frames in a one-to-one relation and a connection processing device for connecting with a particular nominated participant through the network when the operation device arranged corresponding to the display frame, on which the still picture representing the particular nominated participant is displayed, is operated.
US09219875B2
A method for operating an image display apparatus having a first display and a second display different from the first display includes displaying an image on the first display, displaying a search window on the second display, and displaying search results matching a search term entered in the search window.
US09219872B2
In an image pickup apparatus, a counter configured to output a count signal to a second AD conversion unit starts, with a delay, counting clock signals as compared with a counter configured to output a count signal to a first AD conversion unit by a time period corresponding to a delay of a reference signal output to a comparator of the second AD conversion unit with respect to a reference signal output to the comparator of the first AD conversion unit.
US09219860B1
A fixed surround imaging component (SiC) can capture a field of view (FOV) of between 270° to 360° of a horizontal plane. A movable second camera (SC) component can include a FOV less than the FOV of the SiC and having a resolution or imaging capability greater than that of the SiC. The SC can physically move to change its field of view. Coverage of the movement of the movable SC can enable coverage with movement of the entire FOV of the SiC. An image aggregator can aggregating images from the SiC and SC. The movement of the SC can be linked to a portion of the SiC that is indicated by a human/program as being a segment of the FOV of the SiC of interest, which results in movement of the movable SC to provide higher resolution or greater imaging capability to that segment.
US09219859B2
Disclosed is a camera assembly having a wide viewing angle using a variable mirror. The camera assembly includes a variable mirror located in front of an image sensor, a variable mirror controller to switch a mode of the variable mirror to one of a reflection mode to reflect light incident upon the variable mirror and a transmission mode to transmit light incident upon the variable mirror, an image sensor to sense the light reflected by the variable mirror to acquire first image data and to sense the light transmitted through the variable mirror to acquire second image data, and an image processing unit to register the first image data and the second image data acquired by the image sensor to generate a third image.
US09219851B2
A lens barrel (3) includes a local maximum outer diameter section (3e) and a maximum outer diameter section (3a). The maximum outer diameter section (3a) is provided in a portion of an area of the local maximum outer diameter section (3e) which portion includes an area corresponding to an outer periphery of an image pickup lens (2m) which is the largest in lens diameter. This achieves a further size reduction while achieving a high-accuracy installation of a lens barrel.
US09219845B2
An information storage system including information processing devices; an information storage device connected to the information processing devices; an access information generating unit configured to generate, based on a request from a first information processing device, access information for accessing a storage area in the information storage device to which access is restricted from the information processing devices other than the first information processing device; a display unit configured to cause the first information processing device to display the access information; a sending unit configured to cause a second information processing device to acquire the access information displayed on the first information processing device and to send the access information to the information storage device; and an access unit configured to cause the information storage device to allow the second information processing device to access the storage area based on the access information that has been sent.
US09219844B2
Described herein is a fax processing system for the improvement of efficiency and reliability of fax transmissions over any communications network, specifically for retransmitting an incomplete transmission. Fax images are encoded with an embedded digital bit signal by a fax software program on the originating fax that indicates the number of pages in the document where such bit signal is recognized by fax software at a fax service for the purpose of monitoring the page count of the transmission, and in the case of a failed transmission, using the embedded digital data to notify the recipient that more pages will be transmitted, and further transmitting the remaining pages on the next facsimile phone call.
US09219843B2
A communication terminal that includes a first communication unit that is coupled to an IP (Internet Protocol) network and conducts a facsimile transmission through the IP network; a second communication unit that is coupled to a public telephone network and conducts a facsimile transmission through the public telephone network; a control unit that, in a case that a communication error is detected when the first communication unit calls to the IP network and that the address information used for calling to the IP network is the address information corresponding to the destination which is converted from the telephone number received by a reception unit, controls the second communication to call to public telephone network by using the telephone number received by a reception unit.
US09219839B2
An image forming apparatus, including: an apparatus main body including an image forming portion configured to form an image on a sheet; an image reading apparatus provided on an upper portion of the apparatus main body; a document feeding apparatus located on the image reading apparatus and configured to feed a document to the image reading apparatus; and a support portion configured to support the document feeding apparatus on the apparatus main body without the image reading apparatus in a state in which the document feeding apparatus is openable and closable with respect to the image reading apparatus.
US09219834B2
An image forming apparatus that prompts, when instructed by a user to transmit a repair request, the user to perform repair work before it actually transmits the repair request to an external apparatus. A console section receives an instruction for transmitting a repair request for repairing the image forming apparatus to the external apparatus from a user. Upon receipt of the instruction, the console section displays an operation screen indicating a repair operation that the user should perform. When the display unit displays the operation screen and the console section receives from the user the instruction for transmitting the repair request to the external apparatus again, a CPU causes the repair request to be transmitted to the external apparatus.
US09219831B2
An image forming apparatus capable of executing functions thereof corresponding to operation setting requests in the order of receptions of the requests, while taking into account of the presence/absence of conflict between the operation setting requests, even when receiving a plurality of operation setting requests from an operation unit of the image forming apparatus and/or an external operation unit such as a portable terminal. When operation setting requests are respectively received from the operation unit of the image forming apparatus and the portable terminal, it is determined whether there is a conflict between resources used by the image forming apparatus to execute jobs and whether a user who operates the operation unit and a user who operates the portable terminal are the same as each other. Only the operation setting request permitted based on results of the determinations is received.
US09219820B2
A method and apparatus for providing access to teleconference services using voice recognition technology to receive information on packet networks such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Service over Internet Protocol (SoIP) networks are disclosed. In one embodiment, the service provider enables a caller to enter access information for accessing a conference service using at least one natural language response.
US09219816B2
System and method for automated whitelist management in an enterprise small cell network environment
A method is provided in one embodiment and includes receiving a network address associated with a wireless device at a first network element in which the network address identifies the wireless device on a first network, and receiving user credentials from a directory service associated with a second network. The user credentials identify a user associated with the wireless device on the second network. The method further includes associating the user credentials with the network address, and communicating a request message to a second network element. The request message includes a request for a user identifier identifying the user on a third network. The method further includes receiving a response message from the second network element including the user identifier, associating the user credentials with the user identifier, and storing the association of the user credentials and the user identifier in a whitelist.
US09219815B2
A method and a communication interchange enhancement system for implementing an enhanced user interface for a communication interchange includes but is not limited to a method including to providing an identifier associated with a third-party participant related to the communication interchange; matching the identifier with the third-party participant in a database storing one or more lists of possible third-party participants; obtaining context data associated with the identifier regarding a group-type characteristic of the third-party participant for purposes of communication interchange with at least another participant; and enabling a user interface to display the group-type characteristic.
US09219814B2
This invention provides a communication apparatus, which suppresses abrupt changes of a current and voltage generated in a communication line upon connecting an external telephone to the communication line, and a control method thereof. To accomplish this, in a communication apparatus of this invention, when an off-hook state of an external telephone is detected upon connecting the external telephone to a communication line, an SOC captures a line using a first line capture means having an impedance lower than the external telephone side, and then switches an H-relay to connect the external telephone to the communication line. Furthermore, the SOC temporarily switches a line capture state to a second line capture means having an impedance higher than the first line capture means after the H-relay is switched and before the line is released.
US09219811B2
A driver of a vehicle is identified and a command is sent to a mobile communications device that is associated with the identified driver and that is in proximity of the vehicle to force the mobile communications device to change modes such as to enter a hands-free or other suitable mode. The driver may be identified through one or more techniques including biometric sensing, key detection, switch controls, and so forth. Additionally, the driver and/or feature settings preferred by the current driver may be identified by receiving data from the mobile communications device. The data may identify the driver ID with preferred feature settings, the mobile communications device which has an association to a driver ID with preferred feature settings, or the data may specify the preferred feature settings.
US09219809B2
A system for auto-sorting of lists based on most frequent component access or partner collaboration. The elements in the lists may represent collaboration partners (e.g. instant messaging contacts), and/or collaboration components such as Web addresses, events, collaborative documents, activity objects, and/or desktop applications. The system monitors component accesses and/or partner collaborations over a configurable time period to determine the frequency of collaborations with specific collaboration partners, and/or the frequency of accesses to collaboration components. The disclosed system then determines a set of collaboration partners and/or components that are most frequently collaborated with and/or accessed, and moves the list elements representing those collaboration partners and/or components into a top-located sub-list within a list of elements representing a larger number of collaboration partners and/or components in a user interface provided to a local user.
US09219808B2
A method for synchronizing between a first address book on a user terminal and a second address book on an SNS network includes determining a synchronization target and, when the synchronization target is determined as the first address book, downloading contact information from the second address book to the user terminal. The method also includes, when the synchronization target is determined as the second address book, uploading contact information from the first address book to the SNS network, and matching the contact information in the first address book against the contact information in the second address book. Further, the method includes identifying a contact person having same contact information based on the matching and synchronizing information of the contact person in the first address book and information of the contact person in the second address book.
US09219801B2
A system and method are provided that allow WiGig protocol adaptation layers (PALs) to operate differently from the proposed WiGig standard on top of an Internet protocol (IP) layer in order to enhance routing options for communication of the data traffic between a transmitting (source) device and a receiving (sink) device. A layering architecture is provided that allows WiGig PALs, such as WDE, to operate on top of an IP layer. A signaling mechanism is also provided that allows a negotiation, or at least an indication, of the underlying layering structure for specific data communications. Recognizing that the next generation wireless display requires technology such as WiGig WDE to support the driving demand for a cable replacement user experience and richer wireless display use cases, this PAL over IP architecture optimizes alignment of the WiGig data communication technology with other data communication technologies.
US09219799B2
A system and a method of operating the system comprising a media provider comprising a first user interface and a controller comprising a second user interface, the method comprising the user browsing the network using the controller and viewing media information on the controller, such as an iPad. The user may control the controller to stream the media information to a media provider, which may be a TV and so that the media information is then provided on both the TV and iPad in a synchronized manner. Subsequent to that, the TV may receive the media information directly from the network so that the controller may be used for other purposes.
US09219798B2
Client and server terminals and method for controlling the same are disclosed, by which a use of a terminal is facilitated in further consideration of user's convenience. According to at least one of embodiments of the present invention, a specific folder (or all folders) storing files of the server terminal can be recognized as a folder in the corresponding client terminal to facilitate the files of the server terminal to be used by a user of the client terminal more conveniently.
US09219796B2
A method and an apparatus for obtaining information of a user equipment in a communication system are provided. The method includes registering schedule information containing place information by the user equipment, adding service information to the schedule information by the user equipment when a peripheral service server receives service information corresponding to the place information, and displaying the service information by the user equipment when the schedule information is searched. A user of the UE may automatically add the location based information to the UE corresponding to schedule information to manage it without separately searching information or recording the information, thus improving convenience.
US09219795B2
A moving picture suitable for display on a mobile telephone is displayed comparatively quickly. When a moving picture is requested, a leading segment of the moving picture is converted. The leading segment has an amount of data which, after the conversion, is less than the amount of data that is displayable on the mobile telephone that issued the request. A succeeding segment, which can be converted while the leading segment is being transmitted to the mobile telephone and viewed by the user of the mobile telephone, is converted. If there is a request for the succeeding segment after the leading segment is viewed, the conversion of the succeeding segment will be finished by the time of the request for succeeding segment. As a result, the succeeding segment can be transmitted to the mobile telephone quickly, and it can be viewed rapidly.
US09219792B2
A system, a computer readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method of pre-fetching in a network, are provided. In an example embodiment, computer-implemented method of pre-fetching in a network comprises receiving a request from a user device for a first network-accessible data item in the plurality of network-accessible data items; transmitting the first network-accessible data item to the user device; identifying a second network-accessible data item in the plurality of network-accessible data items; and transmitting the second network-accessible data item to the user device, the second network-accessible data item being transmitted before receiving a request for the second network-accessible data item from the user device. Pre-fetch logic may be embedded in the first network-accessible data item.
US09219787B1
A stateless cookie operations server machine can provide real-time, actionable, user-specific tracking abilities in the collection of impressions and user interactions with a company's digital properties. The client-side code (e.g., in a web browser) may load an image element configured with parameters and a hyperlink (e.g., URL) that causes name-value pairs to be sent as parameters, along with a cookie data file, to a remote server. The remote server may process the parameters and perform operations based on both the value and the name of the name-value pairs. Mathematical and/or other operations may be performed on the parameters and the results saved into the appropriate cookie data file. The server sends the update cookie data file and any requested content (e.g., a transparent image pixel, or other information) back to the client-side device. As a result, the client-side application may use the information in the updated cookie data file to perform one or more web analytics and personalization functions on a real-time, user-specific, actionable basis.
US09219786B2
Embodiments for server connection optimization in a persistently connected publish/subscribe environment are provided. A computer assigns an initial activity category for a client. The computer logs, into a log file, one or more select operations of a connection between a client and a first server. The computer calculates a ratio of a number of the select operations to a check time of the first server, wherein the check time is a period of time that has elapsed since a previous review of logged data. The computer sets a second activity category for the client based on a look-up of the ratio in a schedule of ratio ranges in a control file, wherein the second activity category is not the initial activity category. The computer transfers the client from the first server to a second server, in response to setting the second activity category.
US09219779B1
A server computing system in a client-server computing environment includes a virtual display driver that marshals and transmits graphics application programming interface (API) functions to a client via a network. The server may receive capability information from the client, allowing the virtual display driver to resolve differences between the APIs supported on the server and the client.
US09219778B2
A method, system and program for uploading a resource from remote storage to a remote service. The method comprises the steps of connecting to the remote service, initiating an upload of the resource to the remote service, selecting the remote storage as a source of the resource, acquiring the resource from the remote storage, and uploading the resource to the remote service. In one embodiment, at least part of the method is executed by a proxy server and the step of acquiring the resource from the remote storage comprises downloading the resource to the proxy server. In another embodiment, the remote service communicates directly with the remote storage. In this further embodiment, a client device acquires authentication data for the resource from the remote storage and the step of acquiring the resource from the remote storage includes providing the authentication data to the remote storage.
US09219758B2
In an embodiment, a server registers each of the plurality of client applications on the same client device. The server receives a given registration request message from the client device that includes a request for renewing a registration for a first of the plurality of client applications with the server, and the server renews the first client application's registration in response to the given registration request message. The server also determines, in response to the given registration request message, whether to preemptively renew registrations for one or more other client applications from the plurality of client applications. The server selectively renews the registrations for the one or more other client applications based on the determination.
US09219748B2
Circuits and methods for detecting, identifying and/or removing undesired content are provided. According to one embodiment, a method for virus processing is provided. A virus signature file that includes multiple virus signatures capable of detecting and identifying a variety of known viruses is downloaded by a general purpose processor. It is determined by the general purpose processor whether a virus co-processor is coupled to the general purpose processor. When the virus co-processor is determined to be coupled to the general purpose processor, then it is further determined by the general purpose processor which virus signatures are supported by the virus co-processor (“CP-supported virus signatures”). The CP-supported virus signatures are transferred to a memory associated with the virus co-processor. The virus co-processor is directed by the general purpose processor to perform a virus scan based on the supported virus signatures.
US09219740B2
Certain embodiments of the invention relate to an access control system defining one or more compartments and providing rules, which are applied to the compartment(s), to control access to network services by entities that are associated with a said compartment, the rules comprising at least a first kind of rule for controlling access to network services that use dynamically-assigned communications ports.
US09219735B2
Access to online collaborative resources such as an online meeting, web conference, online chat room, an online video conference, an online audio conference, a collaboratively edited document, a collaborative browsing session, an online social networking group, or a web site is secured by providing a first user-specific URL to a first user for addressing collaborative resource; responsive to the first user accessing the first user-specific URL, granting by a computing system access to the collaborative event to the first user; and responsive to a second user accessing the first user-specific URL, preventing by a computing system access to the collaborative event to the second user. Optionally, time criteria for accessing the first user-specific URL may be used to invalidating the first user-specific URL, wherein access to the collaborative resource is disabled.
US09219733B2
In order to allow a single user registered on a single local host or other machine to access multiple shared resources on a remote host, an aliasing mechanism is employed so that multiple concurrent connections can be established by the user to a single remote host, with each connection using a different identity. Each connection can therefore be used to access a different shared resource on the remote host. In some illustrative examples, a user's identifier such as his or her machine log-in identification may be associated with two or more resource sharing aliases. As a result, two or more resource sharing sessions can be established by the user with a single remote host, with each of the sessions using a different one of the aliases. The resource sharing sessions are usually established in accordance with a resource sharing protocol such as the Server Block Message (SBM) protocol.
US09219726B2
A print system includes a print service system, an information processing apparatus, and an image forming apparatus. The print service system includes a holding unit associated with a user and holding print data instructed by the user, a providing unit that provides access authorization information for the holding unit, to the information processing apparatus upon a request thereof, and an access authorizing unit that authorizes an access to the holding unit if receives the access authorization information. The information processing apparatus includes a transmitting unit that transmits the access authorization information to the image forming apparatus by proximity communication. The image forming apparatus includes an authorization information acquiring unit that acquires the access authorization information by the proximity communication, and a print data acquiring unit that sends the acquired access authorization information to the print service system, is authorized to access the holding unit, and acquires the print data.
US09219723B1
A source device for systems and methods of verifying an authentication based on dynamic scoring is disclosed, wherein the source device is configured to receive at least one identification feature from a user, and to communicate the identification feature to a verification unit. The verification unit is configured to generate a base verification score associated with the user based on at least one identification input, the identification input comprising the identification feature, a feature validity rating, and a source device validity rating, to receive a request to access a service, wherein the verification unit compares the base verification score with a service authorization threshold associated with the service, and to grant access to the service when the base verification score meets the service authorization threshold.
US09219721B2
A device newly introduced to a network is automatically credentialed to be able to communicate over a network before the device first communicates with the network. For example, at a point of purchase, a user can provide network identification information to a merchant computing device that effects transfer of that information to the new device such that the new device can communicate directly with the network without initial credentialing directly between the unique device and the local network. In another example, the merchant computing device communicates with the local network to register a newly purchased device with the local network before the newly purchased device is introduced to the network. Accordingly, the network is configured to begin communications with the unique device without initial credentialing directly between the unique device and the local network.
US09219708B2
A method of authenticating, using an authentication server, the use of an authentication device over a communication network via an intermediate communication device, comprising: receiving an authentication datagram by the intermediate device; protecting the datagram by the intermediate device, by at least one of changing, adding to, encrypting and signing of the datagram; and forwarding the datagram to the authentication server for authentication.
US09219698B2
Providing a VLAN virtual interface of a default VLAN as a VLAN virtual interface of a layer-3 Ethernet interface provided on an apparatus, assigning an interface MAC address for the layer-3 Ethernet interface, setting a layer-3 interface entry including at least the interface MAC address of the layer-3 Ethernet interface and a VLAN ID of the default VLAN, providing a VLAN virtual interface of a layer-3 Ethernet sub-interface provided on the apparatus based on a binding VLAN of the layer-3 Ethernet sub-interface, assigning an interface MAC address to the layer-3 Ethernet sub-interface, setting a layer-3 sub-interface entry including at least the interface MAC address of the layer-3 Ethernet sub-interface and a VLAN ID of the binding VLAN, receiving a packet from one interface of the apparatus, and performing layer-3 forwarding for the packet if the layer-3 interface entry or the layer-3 interface entry matching with a destination MAC address and a VLAN ID of the packet.
US09219696B2
A system and method for efficient transfer of data from a controlling bridge to a register of a distributed bridge element. A Load Store over Ethernet (LSoE) frame processing engine (FPE) is equipped with a repeat and a repeat with strobe function that, when coupled with an auto-increment function of an indirect register facility, allows a distributed virtual bridge to move data payload more efficiently which decreases the data loading on the computers data paths used for other data transfers.
US09219693B2
A network device includes a memory, a MAC module, a host control module, and a selector module. The memory stores frames and timestamps corresponding to the frames. The MAC module receives the frames and the timestamps and forwards the frames to a physical layer device. The MAC module includes queues that store the frames received from the memory, and shaping modules that receive the frames from the queues and spread data in the frames over time to generate blocking signals. The host control module transfers ownership of the frames to the MAC module. The host control module or the MAC module masks the transfer of the ownership of first frames including gating the first frames based on the timestamps to delay reception of the first frames in the queues. The selector module selects one of the blocking signals, and forwards the selected blocking signal to the physical layer device.
US09219691B2
Embodiments relate to proactively probing the packet queues of elements in a physical or virtual network to predict and prevent the occurrence of congestion points. An aspect includes receiving a first feedback request at a central controller connected to a plurality of switches in a network. The first feedback request includes a request to periodically probe a status of queues of switches in the network. A second feedback request is then transmitted to one or all the switches in a path leading to a designated destination. Responses to the second feedback request are received at the central controller from a designated proxy switch, which aggregated the responses into a single data packet. Accordingly, the responses extracted from the single data packet at the central controller are used to preventing future congestion points.
US09219683B2
Systems and methods that provide a unified infrastructure over layer-2 networks are provided. A first frame is generated by an end point. The first frame comprises a proxy payload, a proxy association header and a frame header relating to a control proxy element. The first frame is sent over a first network to the control proxy element. A second frame is generated by the control proxy element. The second frame comprises the proxy payload and a proxy header. The first and second frames correspond to different layer-2 protocols. The control proxy element sends the second frame over a second network employing the layer-2 protocol of the second frame.
US09219682B2
In one embodiment, a capable node in a computer network may host a path computation element, receive one or more neighborhood discovery messages including neighborhood information from a plurality of nodes in the computer network, and compute a minimum spanning tree (MinTree) for the computer network based on the neighborhood information. The MinTree may divide the plurality of nodes in the computer network into a first subset of routing nodes and a second subset of host nodes. The first subset of routing nodes may form one or more interconnected paths of routing nodes within the MinTree, and each host node within the second subset of host nodes may be located within one hop of at least one routing node. The capable node may then communicate a MinTree message to the plurality of nodes in the computer network to build the MinTree by enabling routing on each routing node.
US09219647B2
A gateway provides duplex-directional, multimedia ad hoc mesh networking, peer-to-peer direct communications, power optimization, dynamic configuration, and data management, while operating within various devices and network topologies. A multitasking virtual machine monitor for mobile networked devices, that is capable of functional expandability and portability to various operating environments, interoperability with a variety of operating systems, the Gateway Control System (GCS) performs functional capabilities in both a local and a networked topology using local and remote hardware and software. Software within the GCS is partitioned into sequentially, autonomous code, referred to herein as “modules,” each module being configured to communicate with hardware and other gateway modules. Collectively, all gateway modules are referred to herein as the gateway stack (GS). Each member of the GS can be turned on or off, downloaded from a remote site, and dynamically configured.
US09219643B2
Example embodiments presented herein are directed towards improved handling during Serving Gateway (SGW) partial failures. Some of the example embodiments are directed towards a Mobility Management Entity (MME) configured to alter a S4 Serving General Packet Radio Service Support Node (S4-SGSN) that a SGW partial failure has occurred. Some of the example embodiments are directed towards a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW) being informed that ISR for a user equipment is activated, this the PGW will save any MME related identification information for a user equipment undergoing a mobility procedure when ISR is activated.
US09219640B2
A system and computer program product for performing failover in a redundancy group, where the redundancy group comprises a plurality of routers including an active router and a standby router, the failover being characterized by zero black hole or significantly reduced black hole conditions versus a conventional failover system. The system comprises a processing unit connected to the memory and adapted to execute the plurality of instructions, which cause an information appliance to: receive an incoming message at a switch; send a request of identification to the plurality of routers to identify a current active router, where the current active router represents a virtual router of the redundancy group; and in response to receiving a reply containing an identification from the current active router within a predetermined time, forward the incoming message to the current active router.
US09219637B2
A method and system are provided that enhance human/machine communication so as to more closely approximate natural human/human communication by more effectively establishing communications links for human-interactive media. Specifically, the speed and quality of the connection are improved by the method and system, resulting in a more natural user experience. The method includes receiving a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call request from an Endpoint (EP). The method determines an external address based on an internal address of the EP uniquely mapped to the external address and pre-distributed to SIP internal routers. The method includes modifying the SIP call request to replace the EP internal address with the EP external address. The method includes forwarding the EP external address to the EP. The method includes establishing a communication link for human-interactive media between the EP and the call provider, the EP using the EP external address, and the communication link not including the SIP Internal Router.
US09219633B2
A recipe exchange and management system is provided for a group of related restaurants. The system may be implemented as a network service that provides a series of interfaces or web pages to implement recipe creation, recipe sharing, and recipe and menu management. Users of the system may login with a username and password to access recipe data and menu data of any of two or more restaurants supported by the network service. A recipe may be created by a first user and reviewed by one or more second users of the service. A user associated with a first restaurant of the group of restaurants may access a recipe associated with a second restaurant of the group of restaurants.
US09219632B2
A system may comprise a symbol mapper circuit that outputs C′ quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) symbols per orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbol. The system may also comprise circuitry operable to process said C′ QAM symbols using a circulant matrix to generate a particular OFDM symbol consisting of C+Δ subcarriers, where C′ is a first integer, C is a second integer less than C′, and Δ is an integer equal to the number of non-data-carrying subcarriers in the particular OFDM symbol. The circulant matrix may be a P×P matrix, where P is an integer less than C′. The system may comprise a nonlinear circuit that introduces nonlinear distortion to said particular OFDM symbol.
US09219620B2
This invention provides an enhancement to messaging systems by providing a message notification feature which allows a user to manage only new messages for which a notification has not yet been cleared without having to access or download the entire set of messages. This management may be performed in single window that operates in conjunction with an application associated with the messaging system. The notification management permits manipulation of the message notifications without influencing the status of the messages themselves, while providing access to the data contained in these messages. This addresses the needs of those users who frequently check their incoming communications queues and need to determine very quickly which items need urgent attention and which ones can be deferred. The present invention further provides specific functionalities for handling a particular message when it does need urgent attention.
US09219614B2
An apparatus comprising a memory, and a processor coupled to the memory and configured to transmit a multicast Resource Reservation Protocol-Traffic Engineering (mRSVP-TE) path request (PATH) message upstream, wherein the PATH message requests reservation of a backup Label Switched Path (LSP) to protect an active LSP configured to transmit multicast data. The disclosure also includes a computer program product comprising computer executable instructions stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium such that when executed by a processor cause a network element (NE) to receive a multicast PATH message from a downstream node, wherein the NE acts as a Point of Local Repair (PLR) along an active LSP, wherein the active LSP is configured to transmit multicast data, and wherein the PATH message requests reservation of a backup LSP to protect the active LSP.
US09219607B2
A method for providing identity data to network-enabled devices includes receiving a request for identity data from a network-enabled device that is deployed to an end-user. The network-enabled device is pre-provisioned with a PIN, a global key pair, a user-accessible first device identifier, and a second device identifier usable by a service provider delivering a service to the device. The identity data request includes the first and second identifiers, a protected rendition of the PIN, and an encryption key or other data from which an encryption key is derivable. The identifiers, the protected rendition of the PIN, and the encryption key or the other data are signed by a private key in the global key pair. The validity of the PIN included in the request is verified to authenticate the device. If the PIN is valid, identity data for the device is generated, encrypted and sent to the network-enabled device.
US09219606B2
Method and System for encrypting plaintext digital data divided into a sequence comprising successive plaintext blocks of a same length of bits each and a residual plaintext block having a length of bits lower than the length of one of the successive plaintext blocks. The successive plaintext blocks are ciphered with the main encryption key by using a ciphering algorithm based on a cipher block chaining mode to obtain a sequence of successive ciphered blocks having the same length as the successive plaintext blocks. A set of round keys having a same length, are generated by applying a key schedule function on a string obtained by adding the last ciphered block to the main encryption key. The round keys of the set are added together to obtain a resulting string having a length equal to the length of a block of the sequence. The residual plaintext block is then added to the most left bits of the resulting string forming a string) having a length equal to the length of the residual block to obtain a residual ciphered block. The method and the system apply also to decipher a sequence of successive ciphered blocks followed by a residual ciphered block.
US09219602B2
A method and system computes a basepoint for use in a signing operation of a direct anonymous attestation scheme. The method and system includes computing a basepoint at a host computing device and verifying the base point at a trusted platform module (TPM) device.
US09219600B1
Detecting timing of a synchronization sequence included in a data stream transmitted in a noisy channel. The synchronization sequence is a known data sequence purposely injected into the data stream for synchronization. A data stream waveform, is obtained from a noisy communication channel. The data stream waveform includes an instance of a synchronization sequence waveform. One or more samples of the synchronization sequence waveform are obtained. One or more samples of a model synchronization sequence waveform are obtained. The model synchronization sequence waveform models an expected waveform for the synchronization sequence being transmitted on the communication channel by applying the synchronization sequence to a model of the communication channel. The instance of the synchronization sequence waveform is correlated with the model synchronization sequence waveform by correlating one or more samples of the synchronization sequence waveform with the one or more samples of the model synchronization sequence waveform.
US09219599B2
A clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit employing zero-crossing linearizing (ZCL) technique. The circuit including a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO), an inject-locked divider (ILD), a variable delay unit, a linearized loop, a bang-bang loop, and a loop filter (LP). The differential clock generated by VCO passes through ILD for frequency dividing and variable delay unit to generate 8-phase clocks. Then using these clocks, the PDs over-sample the input data, followed by synchronization and logic operation to control the CPs output current pulses. These currents filtered by LP control the VCO to finish the loop. The circuit recovers 4 channel data and corresponding clocks of the input with low power broken-down and preferable jitter performance and locking property.
US09219590B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting effective channel status information (CSI) in a wireless communication system supporting multiple carriers are disclosed. The method for indicating CSI transmission in a wireless communication system supporting multiple carriers includes transmitting downlink control information (DCI) including a channel quality information (CQI) request field to a UE over a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH), and receiving CSI reporting of a single downlink carrier or multiple downlink carriers from the UE over a physical uplink shared channel (PUSCH) without receiving uplink data. If the CSI for the single downlink carrier is reported, the number (NPRB) of resource blocks (RBs) established for the CSI reporting is identical to or less than X (NPRB≦X), and if the CSI for the multiple downlink carriers is reported, NPRB is identical to or less than M (where M>X).
US09219585B2
In conditions of low data traffic, such as during the night, when transmitting pilots in a downlink radio transmission zone, sub frames are divided into (1) first sub frames that transmit common pilots over a whole transmission band, and (2) second sub frames that transmit common pilots over a specified narrow band of a whole transmission band, where first sub frames are transmitted at a specified period, and second sub frames are transmitted for period of time except the specified period.
US09219578B2
Some demonstrative embodiments include devices, systems and/or methods of communicating aggregate data units. For example, a device may include a wireless communication unit to communicate an aggregate data unit including a plurality of data units in an increasing order of sequence numbers assigned to the data units, such that a first data unit having a first sequence number always precedes a second data unit having a second sequence number, greater than the first sequence number.
US09219573B2
A method and apparatus are provided for recovering audio packet location fields and/or frame boundary information from a received digital radio broadcast signal frame in which there are detected errors in the signal frame header by using selected header elements and/or protocol data unit (PDU) structured data block parameters relating to minimum, maximum, and average packet length or PDU length in a scalable recovery process that may be throttled dynamically or configured statically based on available computation resources within a specific implementation and/or at a specific time.
US09219571B2
According to certain aspects, techniques for aperiodically reporting channel state information (CSI) on protected and unprotected resources are provided. The protected resources may include resources in which transmissions in a first cell are protected by restricting transmissions in a second cell. According to certain aspects, a request for channel quality indicator (CQI) may be sent in a first subframe, CQI may be measured for a second subframe having a first offset from the first subframe, and a corresponding CQI report sent in a third subframe having a second offset from the first subframe.
US09219570B2
Various example embodiments are disclosed relating to feedback and link adaptation techniques for wireless networks. According to an example embodiment, an apparatus may include a processor or controller. The controller may be configured to determine a channel quality indication (CQI) value for each of a plurality of wireless sub-channels, discard any of the CQI values older than a threshold time, leaving a set of current CQI values, determine a percentile CQI value based on the set of current CQI values, and transmit the percentile CQI value to an infrastructure node. The infrastructure node, may, for example, determine or select one or more data transmission parameters, such as a modulation scheme and/or coding rate, based at least in part on the received percentile CQI value.
US09219569B2
Various aspects of the disclosure described herein provide for optimizing rate control during a selection of a communications profile from a set of communications profiles by taking into account effective frame aggregation size as a function of packet error rate (PER). An expected throughput may also be determined for each communications profile and updated after each transmission so that a communications profile having the highest expected throughput may be chosen for a particular frame transmission.
US09219562B2
Systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer program products for dynamically redistributing timing and synchronization in a packet switched network are provided. One method includes creating, by a slave node, a peer list comprising an identifier of at least one peer slave node that shares a same master node as the slave node or that has a certain predefined affinity with the slave node. The method may also include announcing a holdover time of the slave node to the at least one peer slave node, and, when a predefined event occurs, announcing to the at least one peer slave node that the slave node is taking on a mini-master role for at least the announced holdover time.
US09219557B2
Circuits, systems, and methods for assembling a composite signal include a frequency translation circuit coupled to receive an input signal and operable to generate a plurality of frequency-translated versions of the input signal at a respective plurality of different frequencies, the plurality of frequency-translated input signals defining a group of frequency translated signals. The plurality of frequency translated signals may each be processed to provide a composite signal.
US09219550B2
A system receive, from an optical receiver, a signal derived from a first optical signal and a second optical signal generated by a local oscillator, that includes a first component that is an in-phase component and a second component that is a quadrature phase component; filter the signal, using a filter, set to one or more configurations, to obtain one or more recovered signals, where each of the recovered signals includes a respective quantity of noise; perform forward error correction, on the recovered signals, to obtain one or more quantities of bit errors that correspond to the recovered signals; and process the signal using the filter set to a particular configuration, of the one or more configurations, that corresponds to a lowest quantity of bit errors of the one or more quantities of bit error.
US09219538B2
A system, method and network device for covering a plurality of areas by one cell are disclosed. The system includes: a plurality of radio frequency groups and at least one base band unit. One radio frequency group corresponds to one area of the cell, one radio frequency group corresponds to one date channel, and one base band unit is connected to a plurality of radio frequency groups through a plurality of date channels. The embodiment of the invention reduces the signal interference among each area of the same cell, increases the system capacity, and benefits cell splitting, i.e., benefits increasing the capacity and upgrading during network enhancement.
US09219534B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for transmitting a signal of a multi-node system employing a plurality of nodes distributed geographically and a base station that can be controlled by being connected with each of the plurality of nodes. The method includes: mapping a plurality of codewords to a plurality of streams; mapping the plurality of streams to at least one node among the plurality of nodes; performing multiple input multiple output (MIMO) precoding to map the streams mapped to the at least one node to at least one transmit antennas; and transmitting a signal subjected to the MIMO precoding to a user equipment.
US09219516B2
A stretchable strap cover for a handheld electronic device has a flexible and elastic pad with four apertures formed in the pad and extending through the thickness of the pad, and four straps defined between the four apertures and the perimeter of the pad. The pad has at least two configurations, including: 1) an initial configuration in which the pad is separate from the handheld electronic device, an in which the pad is unstretched with an initial unstretched perimeter, length and width, and in which the pad is flat and disposed in a flat layer having a thickness the same as the thickness of the pad, with the straps and the apertures disposed in the flat layer; and 2) an installed configuration in which the pad is coupled to the handheld electronic device, the pad being stretched and under tension, and the straps being disposed out of the flat layer.
US09219515B2
A protective film configured to protect a substrate such as a glass panel for a display is provided. The protective film may include a discontinuous outer layer including a multitude of panels and gaps positioned therebetween. Further, the protective film may include a flexible layer positioned between the discontinuous outer layer and the substrate. When panels of the discontinuous outer layer are impacted by a foreign object, the force may be transferred to the flexible layer, rather than propagating through the outer layer. In this regard, the gaps between the panels of the discontinuous outer layer may prevent the formation of cracks that may otherwise occur. Related assemblies and methods are also provided.
US09219500B2
This invention concerns a method of determining a route using map data comprising a plurality of navigable paths, the map data divided into a plurality of regions. The method comprises using at least one processing apparatus to: receive an origin and a destination on the map data and a travel time, determine a route from the origin to the destination using the map data and minimum cost data that identifies minimum cost paths between regions of the map data. The minimum cost data identifies more than one minimum cost path between a pair of the regions if different minimum cost paths exist between the pair of regions at different times and determining a route comprises identifying from the minimum cost paths for the pair of regions comprising the origin and destination, the minimum cost path having a lowest cost at the travel time.
US09219484B2
In one embodiment, a method includes determining a phase difference between a reference clock and a feedback clock in even and odd cycles for a phase lock loop (PLL). The even and odd cycles are alternating clock periods. A delta value based on the phase difference is determined. The method then adjusts a division value used by a divider to generate the feedback clock during the even cycle based on the delta value where the delta value is of a first polarity. Also, the method adjusts the division value used by the divider to generate the feedback clock during the odd cycle based on the delta value where the delta value is of a second polarity.
US09219482B2
A high voltage switch circuit includes a high voltage switch suitable for transferring a voltage of an input terminal to an output terminal in response to a voltage of a control node; a first transistor suitable for electrically connecting a first node and the control node in response to an inverted activation signal; a second transistor suitable for supplying a first high voltage to the first node in response to an activation signal; a third transistor connected in parallel to the second transistor, and operable in response to the control node; a discharge transistor suitable for discharging the control node; and a first level shifter suitable for changing a swing level of a preliminary activation signal, and generating the activation signal and the inverted activation signal.
US09219480B2
Low tau synchronizer flip-flop with dual loop feedback approach to improve mean time between failure
A flip-flop and a method of receiving a digital signal from an asynchronous domain. In one embodiment, the flip-flop includes: (1) a first loop coupled to a flip-flop input and having first and second stable states and (2) a second loop coupled to the first loop and having the first and second stable states, properties of cross-coupled inverters in the first and second loops creating a metastable state skewed toward the first stable state in the first loop and skewed toward the second stable state in the second loop. Certain embodiments of the flip-flop have lower time constant and thus a higher Mean Time Between Failure (MTBF).
US09219477B2
The present disclosure relates to a non-contact switch. More particularly, the non-contact switch includes a button which is disposed at a predetermined position of a housing and operated by an external pressure while being formed, at one end portion thereof, with a magnetic substance; a magnetic field sensor device which is accommodated in the housing to face the magnetic substance and generates an induced voltage depending on an interval between the magnetic field sensor device and the magnetic substance; and a semiconductor device which is driven by the induced voltage generated at the magnetic field sensor device to switch power supplied from a separate battery to a separate load.
US09219473B2
Universal Serial Bus (USB) protection circuits are provided. A circuit includes a plurality of first transistors connected in series between a pad and ground. The circuit also includes a plurality of second transistors connected in series between the pad and a supply voltage. The circuit further includes a control circuit that applies respective bias voltages to each one of the plurality of first transistors and to each one of the plurality of second transistors. The bias voltages are configured to: turn off the plurality of first transistors and turn off the plurality of second transistors when a pad voltage of the pad is within a nominal voltage range; sequentially turn on the plurality of first transistors when the pad voltage increases above the nominal voltage range; and sequentially turn on the plurality of second transistors when the pad voltage decreases below the nominal voltage range.
US09219465B2
Provided is a bulk acoustic wave resonator (BAWR). The BAWR may include a bulk acoustic wave resonance unit and an anti-resonant frequency modifying unit to modify an anti-resonant frequency generated from the bulk acoustic wave resonance unit.
US09219458B2
Methods and apparatus for automatic gain control (AGC) and DC calibration for orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) or orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) systems are provided in an effort to avoid saturation of the analog-to-digital converter (ADC) in a radio frequency (RF) front end of a receiver, to handle dynamic received signal power, or to avoid interruptions in a communication link for DC calibration. For certain embodiments, the quantization error in the RF front end may also be decreased.
US09219453B2
Embodiments of circuits for use with an amplifier that includes multiple amplifier paths include a first series circuit and a second series circuit in parallel with the first series circuit. The first series circuit includes a first input coupled to a first power divider output, a first output coupled to a first amplifier path of the multiple amplifier paths, and a first adjustable phase shifter and a first adjustable attenuator series coupled between the first input and the first output. The second series circuit includes a second input coupled to a second power divider output, a second output coupled to a second amplifier path of the multiple amplifier paths, and a second adjustable phase shifter and a second adjustable attenuator series coupled between the second input and the second output.
US09219434B2
A motor control device according to the present invention includes: a boost converter circuit 30 that boosts a direct-current voltage; an inverter 40 that generates a drive pulse for a motor 50 from the direct-current voltage of the boost converter circuit 30; and a control section 60 that presets a set value Id_hold obtained by multiplying a set value Id_max by an intermediate current threshold coefficient α, controls a pulse width of the drive pulse of the inverter 40 based on a speed deviation, controls a d-axis current in the motor 50 based on the speed deviation so that the pulse width of the drive pulse of the inverter 40 does not exceed a threshold value, and controls the direct-current voltage of the boost converter circuit 30 based on the speed deviation so that the d-axis current in the motor 50 does not exceed the set value Id_hold.
US09219427B2
The final cell or cells in a cascade or ladder of voltage elevator cells may be exposed to significant overvoltages from electrostatic discharge originating in off-chip loads. In such conditions, the final cell or cells may be damaged or destroyed by such overvoltages. Protective circuitry may be added to one or more of the final voltage elevator cells to reduce or eliminate such damage or destruction by distributing the overvoltage among two or more cells. Such protective circuitry may include a capacitor coupled in parallel with the input and output node of one or more of the final voltage elevator cells. The protective circuitry may also include a resistor coupled in series between the final voltage elevator cell and the load.
US09219426B2
A switching element of a power converter generates a low voltage, using a current flowing in the power converter, and supplies a power to drive itself. A switching element of a power converter for conversion from direct current into alternate current or from alternate current into direct current includes: a terminal and a terminal which are used in building the switching element itself in the power converter; a capacitor, a high-side controllable switch and a low-side controllable switch enabling outputting the voltage of the capacitor, the voltage being output between the terminal and the terminal, and a self-supply power source for supplying a power to drive the bi-directional chopper switching element itself, using a current flowing in the capacitor.
US09219422B1
A DC-DC converter includes power-switching phases which each include a high-side and low-side switch. The high-side switch is coupled to the low-side switch at a connection node. The converter also includes a coupled inductor formed of a magnetic core and a conductive sheet. The sheet is formed of a comb structure having a tab and teeth extending from the tab. The conductive sheet is inserted into a slot defined by the magnetic core and extends through the magnetic core with a portion of the tab protruding from the back and a portion of each tooth protruding from the front of the core. Each tooth is coupled to a connection node of a phase and the tab extending through the core forms a toroidal inductor with a single loop coil for each phase, and for all the phases, a directly coupled inductor.
US09219414B2
A switching regulator or other apparatus or techniques can include load current monitoring to provide a digital representation of an estimated load current. Load current monitoring can be performed by a circuit including a counter circuit, a comparator circuit, and a digitally-controlled source coupled to the counter circuit and configured to adjust a bias condition of a sensing device in response to a count provided by the counter circuit in order to establish a proportional relationship between a current conducted by the sensing device and a corresponding current conducted by a power switching device. The counter circuit is configured to increment and decrement the count in response to information provided by the comparator output and the count is generally indicative of the estimated load current, such as an average load current.
US09219408B2
A transition mode power factor correction converter comprising a boost inductor, a switch, a diode, and output tank capacitor, has circuit means of limitation of the off-time interval of the switch to a fraction of the off-time interval, “complementary” to the on-time interval that is normally controlled for regulating the output voltage, during part of a cycle of a rectified sinusoidal voltage waveform input to the converter, when the current flowing in the inductor reaches a maximum threshold, causing the mode of operation of the device to switch from transition mode to continuous current mode for a middle phase angle region of a rectified sinusoidal input voltage waveform, under high load conditions, defined by said maximum current threshold. Current peaks amplitude and ripple are effectively reduced for same output power.
US09219401B2
There are provided a vibrator and an electronic device including the same, the vibrator including a housing having an internal space; a shaft included in the internal space; a vibrating part suspended in the internal space by elastic members at both ends thereof, including a magnetic field part, and having a bearing member slidably and movably installed on the shaft; and a coil generating vibrations of the vibrating part through electromagnetic interaction with the magnetic field part and provided on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft while facing the magnetic field part.
US09219398B2
A blower motor assembly having a variable speed motor that is suitable for replacing a PSC motor in a residential HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) system. The blower motor assembly includes a variable speed motor and motor controller; a first power input for receiving a plurality of AC power signals from a control device for use in determining an operating parameter for the motor; and a second power input for receiving AC power from an AC power source for powering the motor controller even when no AC power signals are received by the first power input.
US09219394B2
An actuator arrangement having a rotational output includes a power input, a motor, at least an intermediate gear, a solenoid and an output. The power input connects to a source of electrical power. The motor has an output shaft including a worm gear. The motor is operably connected to the power input. The motor and output shaft are rotatably connected to a housing of the actuator. The output gear generates a rotational output at an axis thereof, and is operably coupled to be driven by the at least one intermediate gear. The solenoid is operably connected to the power input, and includes a piston member. The piston member has an actuated and a non-actuated position. The piston member in the actuated position urges the worm gear and the at least one intermediate gear into meshing connection.
US09219386B2
A motor's stator unit includes a base and a stator. The base has a shaft tube. The stator has a silicon steel plate unit, an insulation sleeve unit and a coil unit. The silicon steel plate unit has an inner circumferential wall forming a through-hole. The insulation sleeve unit has an engagement hole. The silicon steel plate unit and the insulation sleeve unit are stacked together. The through-hole and the engagement hole are aligned with each other to allow the shaft tube to extend through the through-hole and the engagement hole. An enameled copper wire is wound around a predetermined part of the insulation sleeve unit to form the coil unit. The insulation sleeve unit is press fitted around an outer circumferential wall of the shaft tube via at least one buffering member, so as to prevent the silicon steel plate unit from excessively compressing the shaft tube.
US09219384B2
A method, apparatus, and system in which one or more instances of a same modular power skid are assembled with main and backup uninterruptible power supplies and multiple power distribution cabinets arranged in different electrical configurations and control sequences to meet two or more different datacenter tier ratings with a built-in fault tolerance via a programmable logic controller housed in one of the cabinets on the skid as well as built-in autonomous responses to equipment failures programmed into the programmable logic controller.
US09219381B2
A power generating unit generates electric power using natural energy, plural secondary battery packs are charged with the electric power generated by the power generating unit, and the secondary battery pack as a power source to be used for an operation control of a control unit controlling the operation of a charging system is selected on the basis of a state of charge of the corresponding secondary battery pack.
US09219377B2
A battery charging apparatus is configured to charge a battery with at least one of charging current and charging power set to a predetermined setpoint, wherein the battery includes a lithium secondary cell. The battery charging apparatus calculates a lithium deposition threshold voltage value based on the setpoint, wherein lithium is assumed to be deposited in the lithium secondary cell when a terminal voltage of the lithium secondary cell is above the lithium deposition threshold voltage value. Then, the battery charging apparatus compares the terminal voltage with the calculated lithium deposition threshold voltage value, and controls the at least one of charging current and charging power depending on the comparison.
US09219370B2
A method and system of performing charging processing for a mobile device is disclosed. The method includes: obtaining a non-linear equation related to a charging time variable and a charge percentage variable, and obtaining a current charge percentage; calculating remaining charging time according to the current charge percentage and the non-linear equation; and displaying the remaining charging time. By the solution of the present invention, the remaining charging time of the mobile device can be displayed accurately.
US09219364B2
A public power supply system makes it possible to use power in a public location both conveniently and safely without erroneous operations. An outlet, to which power is supplied from a distribution line, is installed in advance in a predetermined public location and a communication terminal requesting the outlet to supply power and a center server are connected in advance via an Internet and when there is a request to the outlet to supply power, the center server outputs a current supply command to a current control unit via a communication network (Internet or telephone network) and the current control unit permits supply of a current to be supplied to the outlet when there is a current supply command and there is information to allow supply of a current to the outlet generated using a remote control prevention device installed near the outlet.
US09219363B2
A photovoltaic system includes a photovoltaic array and a DC/AC inverter. The photovoltaic array includes an output, a plurality of photovoltaic strings each including a plurality of photovoltaic modules electrically connected in series to form an output having a first direct current voltage, and a plurality of DC/DC converters each including a first maximum power point tracking mechanism for a corresponding one of the photovoltaic strings, an input of the output of the corresponding one of the photovoltaic strings, and an output having a second direct current voltage. Each output of the DC/DC converters is electrically connected in parallel or series to form the output of the photovoltaic array having a direct current voltage. The DC/AC inverter includes a second maximum power point tracking mechanism for the photovoltaic array, an input of the output of the photovoltaic array, and an output having an alternating current voltage.
US09219361B1
An apparatus may comprise a first controller configured to identify a power requirement associated with an electrical device, and a transmitter configured to communicate the power requirement to a second controller. The second controller may be associated with an electrical circuit configured to provide power to a plurality of electrical devices including the electrical device. Additionally, the apparatus may comprise a receiver configured to receive a response from the second controller. The response may identify an available power associated with the electrical circuit, and the first controller may be configured to enable operation of the electrical device based, at least in part, on a comparison of the power requirement and the available power.
US09219357B1
A kit for covering electrical devices includes a housing having a rear panel which receives adapter plates. An opening in an adapter plate is defined by a forwardly tapered chamfered wall. A frustum insert having a chamfered wall opening may be received in the adapter plate opening and successive frustum inserts, each having a smaller chamfered wall opening, may be inserted within the opening of the prior insert. Each of the openings is dimensioned to receive the face of a different electrical device. A frustum plug having a rectangular toggle switch opening can be received in one of the chamfered openings. The top and side of the housing include arrays of hinge pins and a lid includes mating arrays of hinge knuckles. The lid is mounted to either array of pins. Selected pins have enlarged heads to prevent inadvertent disengagement.
US09219352B2
A power off delay circuit includes a switch connected between an external power input terminal and an internal power supply terminal, a capacitor connected to the internal power supply terminal, and a hysteresis comparator to switch the switch according to the voltages of the external power input terminal and the internal power supply terminal. During on-time of the switch, the external power input terminal is connected to the internal power supply terminal and the capacitor can be charged by the external power source. When the switch is off, the capacitor provides electric power for an internal circuit. Application of the power off delay circuit to an audio system may eliminate the turn-off pops of the audio system.
US09219349B2
A surface emitting semiconductor laser includes: a substrate; a first semiconductor multilayer reflector on the substrate including laminated pairs of a high refractive index layer relatively high in refractive index and a low refractive index layer relatively low in refractive index; an active region on or above the first reflector; a second semiconductor multilayer reflector on or above the active region including laminated pairs of a high refractive index layer relatively high in refractive index and a low refractive index layer relatively low in refractive index; and a cavity extending region formed between the first reflector and the active region or between the second reflector and the active region, having an optical film thickness greater than an oscillation wavelength, extending a cavity length, including a conductive semiconductor material, and including an optical loss causing layer at at least one node of a standing wave of a selected longitudinal mode.
US09219347B2
An optical semiconductor device includes a ring laser including a ring resonator in which an optical gain element having an optical gain by current injection is provided, a waveguide optically coupled to the ring laser, and a reflector provided at an end portion of the waveguide and configured to reverse the advancing direction of light outputted from the ring laser and propagating in the waveguide.
US09219344B2
Techniques and devices for producing short laser pulses, including generating ultrashort laser pulses by separating a nonlinear processing of laser pulses via nonlinear self-phase modulation (SPM) in a nonlinear optical medium from a subsequent linear processing of the laser pulses to achieve ultrashort laser pulses.
US09219332B2
A connecting terminal includes a receptacle body and a clamping element configured to clamp a conductor inserted into the connecting terminal against a current rail arranged in the connecting terminal in order to form a contact in a contacting state. The connecting terminal also includes a first lever arm rotatably mounted on the clamping element, a compression spring, and a second lever arm rotatably mounted on the compression spring. The second lever arm is configured to engage the first lever arm in the contacting state such that the first and second lever arms are guided together to tension the compression spring and transfer a spring force from the compression spring to the clamping element via the first and second lever arms.
US09219329B2
A sealed electrical receptacle connector, either male or female, includes, in combination, a bushing and a shell threadably coupled together in an end-to-end manner. The bushing is adapted to receive a cable having plural conductors arranged in a spaced manner and separated from another along their respective lengths by an elongated nonconductive insert having plural radially extending spaced members, each disposed between a pair of adjacent conductors. A split washer is disposed between and in abutting contact with adjacent inner end portions of the receptacle and the shell and includes a slot extending therethrough. The split washer facilitates receptacle connector assembly and its slot is adapted to receive the plural conductors and an elongated axial strength member, such as a multi-strand steel cable, disposed within and along the length of the nonconductive insert to provide the receptacle connector and cable combination with high strength.
US09219328B2
Terminal fittings (11, 12) are connected to a side surface side of a housing (24) of a terminal block (20). A protection cover (50) covers the side surface side of the housing (24) and includes an upper surface cover (51) for covering an upper surface (24T) of the housing (24). The upper surface cover (51) includes an upper surface proximate portion (51P) to be arranged proximate to the upper surface (24T) of the housing (24). A step is formed between an outer edge (51E) of the upper surface cover (51) and the housing (24), the upper surface proximate portion (51P) is rearward than the outer edge (51E) of the upper surface cover (51) and a clearance larger than the one between the upper surface proximate portion (51P) and the upper surface (24T) of the housing (24) is formed below the outer edge (51E) of the upper surface cover (51).
US09219322B1
An apparatus includes a support structure and a leaf spring connector coupled to the support structure. The leaf spring connector has a working height measured from a first surface of the two-sided support structure to a mating surface of the leaf spring connector when the leaf spring connector is in a compressed position. The leaf spring connector is mounted below the first surface of the support structure in order to reduce the working height of the leaf spring connector by at least a portion of a thickness of the support structure.
US09219310B2
An antenna device which includes a coil conductor and a booster conductor. The coil conductor is defined by wound loop-shaped conductors and includes a first opening at a winding center and two ends connected to a feeding circuit. The booster conductor includes a coupling conductor portion and a frame-shaped radiation conductor portion. The coupling conductor portion includes a second opening overlapped at least partially by the first opening, is split in a portion thereof by a slit, and is electromagnetically coupled to the coil conductor. The frame-shaped radiation conductor portion includes a third opening and is connected to the coupling conductor portion.
US09219307B2
A wireless communication device transmits and receives a signal by a wireless communication using a millimeter wave frequency band. The wireless communication device includes an antenna section having directivities in a plurality of different directions, an antenna control section adapted to form a directivity in a prescribed direction among the plurality of directivities of the antenna section, a direction and position estimation section adapted to estimate direction and position information of a wireless communication device to be communicated with, which is a target for the wireless communication, in accordance with a receiving signal received by the antenna section having the directivity formed, and a display section adapted to display the estimated direction and position information of the wireless communication device to be communicated with.
US09219302B2
The various embodiments include multiple antenna system designs for use in smaller sized mobile computing devices where spatial isolation of antennas may not be feasible. The various embodiments include at least an embodiment first antenna having a first arm and a second arm. The first arm and the second arm are positioned proximate to one another in an intersecting perpendicular configuration. The at least first arm and second arm may be formed a plane that is laterally offset from a plane containing a printed circuit board operating as a ground plane. The at least first arm and second arm may also be positioned in a corner of the printed circuit board. Additional embodiments include a second monopole antenna formed in the same plane as the printed circuit board and having a feed contact positioned proximate to a feed and ground contact of the first antenna.
US09219291B2
The present invention provides a cable-type secondary battery comprising an inner electrode which includes at least one first polarity electrode having a first polarity current collector with a long and thin shape, whose cross-section perpendicular to its longitudinal direction is a circular, oval or polygonal form; a first polarity electrode active material layer formed on an outer surface of the first polarity current collector; and an electrolyte layer filled to surround the first polarity electrode active material layer, and at least one wire-type second polarity electrode which wholly surrounds the inner electrode and is winding around the exterior thereof.Thus, the inventive cable-type secondary battery provided with an outer winding electrode has excellent flexibility to prevent the release of the active material.
US09219285B2
A method for the early detection of liquid water formation in a fuel cell (1), in which a fuel gas and an oxidant gas flow, delivered by a gas supply circuit (50) that has a control module (110). According to the invention, the method includes: monitoring the temperature change in one of said gases over time, detecting a variation in said temperature by measuring a temperature differential by unit of time and comparing it to a threshold value, and generating a signal representative of said detection via said control module (110).
US09219284B2
A controller in a fuel cell system operates a fuel cell in a normal mode or in a special mode. In the normal mode, the fuel cell is operated to satisfy at least one of a first operation condition and a second operation condition, under the first operation condition an operation time of the fuel cell per unit period is equal to or shorter than a unit allowable operation time, under the second operation condition the number of times of operation of the fuel cell per unit time is equal to or less than a unit allowable number of times of operation, and in the special mode, the fuel cell is operated without being limited by at least one of the first operation condition and the second operation condition.
US09219277B2
A hydrogen storage alloy is provided which has an extremely low Co content, and can maintain the drain (power) performance (especially pulse discharge characteristics), activity (degree of activity), and life performance at high levels. The hydrogen storage alloy is manufactured by weighing and mixing every material for the hydrogen storage alloy so as to provide an alloy composition represented by the general formula MmNiaMnbAlcCod or MmNiaMnbAlcCodFee, and controlling the manufacturing method and manufacturing conditions so that both the a-axis length and the c-axis length of the crystal lattice are in a predetermined range. Although it is sufficient if the a-axis length of the crystal lattice is 499 pm or more and the c-axis length is 405 pm or more, by further specifying the a-axis length and c-axis length depending on the values of ABx, a hydrogen storage alloy having high durability can be provided.
US09219275B2
An active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery includes a lithium transition metal composite oxide which has an α-NaFeO2-type crystal structure, is represented by the compositional formula Li1+αMe1−αO2 (Me is a transition metal element containing Mn, Ni and Co; and 0<α<1) and satisfies the requirement of 1.250 ≦(1+α)/(1−α)≦1.425. The half-width of a diffraction peak at 2θ=18.6°±1° is 0.20° to 0.27° and/or the half-width of a diffraction peak at 2θ=44.1°±1° is 0.26° to 0.39° in X-ray diffraction measurement using a CuKα radiation. The lithium transition metal composite oxide is observed as a single phase indexed a hexagonal crystal (space group R3-m) on the X-ray diffraction patterns when electrochemically oxidized to a potential of 5.0 V (vs. Li/Li+).
US09219273B2
[Object]; There is provided an active material for a lithium secondary battery, which has a high initial efficiency and a high discharge capacity, and particularly has a high discharge capacity at a low temperature (excellent low-temperature characteristic), and a lithium secondary battery using the active material. [Solution]; An active material for a lithium secondary battery, which contains a solid solution of a lithium transition metal composite oxide having an α-NaFeO2 crystal structure, wherein the composition ratio of metal elements contained in the solid solution satisfies, Li1+x−yNayCoaNibMncO2+d (0
US09219272B2
A secondary particle and a lithium battery including the same are provided wherein the secondary particle includes a plurality of primary particles and each primary particle contains n polycyclic nano-sheets disposed upon one another. The polycyclic nano-sheets include hexagonal rings of six carbon atoms linked to each other, wherein a first carbon and a second carbon have a distance therebetween of L1. L2 is a distance between a third carbon and a fourth carbon, and the arrangement of the polycyclic nano-sheets is such that L1≧L2. The secondary particle is used as a negative active material in the lithium battery, and the secondary particle contains pores, thereby allowing for effective intercalating and deintercalating of the lithium ions into the secondary particle to impart improved capacity and cycle lifespan.
US09219266B2
Disclosed is a secondary battery pack including an anode terminal and a cathode terminal of a battery cell, and being made of a plate-shaped conductive member, the anode terminal and the cathode terminal being electrically connected to a protection circuit module (PCM), a battery cell having the anode terminal and the cathode terminal formed at one end thereof, the battery cell being provided at the end thereof with a thermally welded surplus portion, and a PCM including a printed circuit board (PCB) having a protection circuit formed thereon, the PCB being provided at one side thereof with a cathode terminal connection portion and an anode terminal connection portion and at the other side thereof with an external input and output terminal connection portion, an external input and output terminal electrically connected to the protection circuit of the PCB via the external input and output terminal connection portion of the PCB.
US09219264B2
A separator for a rechargeable lithium battery including a tungsten-doped vanadium oxide (VO2) phase transition material and the rechargeable lithium battery including the separator. Here, an explosion possibility of the rechargeable lithium battery including the separator may be prevented and delayed when the battery is excessively heated.
US09219245B2
An organic light emitting diode (OLED) display comprises: a thin film transistor substrate including an organic light emitting element; and a sealing substrate attached to the thin film transistor substrate, thereby sealing the thin film transistor substrate. The sealing substrate has a folded portion enclosing a side surface and a bottom surface of an edge portion of the thin film transistor substrate.
US09219240B1
The present disclosure relates to an organic image sensor and an associated method. By inserting an inorganic protective layer between an electrode and an organic photo active region of the image sensor, the organic photo active region is protected from moisture, oxygen or following process damage. The inorganic protective layers also help to suppress the leakage in the dark. In some embodiments, the organic image sensor comprises a first electrode, an organic photoelectrical conversion structure disposed over the first electrode and a second electrode disposed over the organic photoelectrical conversion structure. The organic image sensor further comprises a first protective structure covering a top surface and a sidewall of the organic photoelectrical conversion structure.
US09219224B2
The method for manufacturing a piezoelectric substrate includes a process of forming a material having composition M1−y/2+x(N1−yNby)O3+x (where 0≦y≦0.045, M represents Pb1−pSrp with 0≦p≦0.03, and N represents Ti1−qZrq with 0.45≦q≦0.60) into a sheet form, and a process of burning the material formed into the sheet form while mounted on a setter to obtain a piezoelectric substrate. A thickness of the piezoelectric substrate is 30 μm or less, and a surface area/thickness ratio of the piezoelectric substrate is 1×107 μm or more. The variable x has a value within or on a boundary of a region R shown by hatching in FIG. 1.
US09219220B2
An ultrasonic transducer, an ultrasonic probe, and an image diagnosis apparatus perform an ultrasonic procedure. The ultrasonic transducer includes: a piezoelectric layer; an acoustic matching layer disposed on an upper surface of the piezoelectric layer; and a plurality of back efficiency layers that are disposed on a lower surface of the piezoelectric layer and have different acoustic impedances. The sensitivity, bandwidth, and pulse length of the ultrasonic transducer may be controlled by appropriately changing acoustic impedances and thicknesses of the back efficiency layers.
US09219219B2
An oscillation structure of micro actuator is described. In the oscillation structure, a pair of torsion bars is disposed along a first axis perpendicular to a second axis. The first frame is connected to the pair of torsion bars wherein the torsion bars are disposed on the outer periphery of a first frame along the first axis and a second frame is disposed inside the first frame. Each of the first connection members connects the first frame to the second frame therebetween, and each of the second connection members connects the second frame to the oscillation body therebetween such that the first frame, the second frame and the oscillation body are allowed to rotate about the first axis by the torsion bars as a structure assemblies at an identical angle. The oscillation structure effectively reduces the dynamic deformation of micro actuator.
US09219211B1
A method for manufacturing a light emitting unit is provided. A semiconductor structure including a plurality of light emitting dice separated from each other is provided. A molding compound is formed to encapsulate the light emitting dice. Each of the light emitting dice includes a light emitting element, a first electrode and a second electrode. A patterned metal layer is formed on the first electrodes and the second electrodes of the light emitting dice. A substrate is provided, where the molding compound is located between the substrate and the light emitting elements of the light emitting dice. A cutting process is performed to cut the semiconductor structure, the patterned metal layer, the molding compound and the substrate so as to define a light emitting unit with a series connection loop, a parallel connection loop or a series-parallel connection loop.
US09219210B2
A method serves to produce optoelectronic semiconductor components. A leadframe assemblage includes a number of leadframes. The leadframes each comprise at least two leadframe parts and are connected together at least in part via connecting webs. Electrical connections are attached between neighboring leadframes. A potting body connects the leadframes and the leadframe parts mechanically together. At least some of the connecting webs are removed and/or interrupted, the resulting structure is singulated into the semiconductor components.
US09219194B2
A flip-chip LED includes a substrate, having a surface with a p-region metal portion and an n-region metal portion separated from each other; a p-type epitaxial layer, an active layer and an n-type epitaxial layer successively laminated on the substrate; a reflection layer between the substrate and the p-type epitaxial layer; a current blocking layer between the reflection layer and the p-type epitaxial layer and positioned to prevent the current from concentrating on the edge of the LED; an insulating protection layer cladding the LED side wall and exposing part of the side wall of the n-type epitaxial layer; a P electrode connecting the metal reflection layer and the p-region metal portion of the substrate; and an N electrode connecting the side wall of the n-type epitaxial layer and n-region metal portion of the substrate.
US09219191B2
A photon source comprising a semiconductor heterostructure, said semiconductor heterostructure comprising a quantum well, a barrier region adjacent said quantum well and a quantum dot provided in said quantum well, the photon source further comprising electrical contacts and a power supply coupled to first and second electrical contacts configured to apply a tuneable electric field across said quantum dot to control the emission energy of said quantum dot, said electric field being tuneable across an operating range an wherein the tunneling time of carriers from said quantum dot to said first electrical contact and the tunneling time of carriers from said quantum dot to said second electrical contact are greater than the radiative decay time of an exciton in said quantum dot over said operating range for controlling the emission energy, said photon source being configured such that emission from a single quantum dot exits said photon source.
US09219182B2
The fluoropolymer compositions of the present invention generally incorporate ingredients comprising one or more fluoropolymers, an ultraviolet light protection component (hereinafter UV protection component), and optionally one or more additional ingredients if desired. The UV protection component includes a combination of at least one hindered tertiary amine (HTA) compound having a certain structure and a weight average molecular weight of at least 1000. This tertiary amine is used in combination with at least one organic, UV light absorbing compound (UVLA compound) having a weight average molecular weight greater than 500. When the HTA compound and the UVLA compound are selected according to principles of the present invention, the UV protection component provides fluoropolymer compositions with significantly improved weatherability characteristics for protecting underlying materials, features, structures, components, and/or the like. In particular, fluoropolymer compositions incorporating the UV protection component of the present invention have unexpectedly improved ability to resist blackening, coloration, or other de gradation that may be caused by UV exposure. As a consequence, devices protected by these compositions would be expected to have dramatically improved service life. The compositions have a wide range of uses but are particularly useful for forming protective layers in optoelectronic devices.
US09219181B2
An apparatus for generating electricity using an optical fiber cable light source and for directing the electricity to an electrical circuit configured to be coupled with an electric utility's electric grid. The apparatus includes an enclosure having an input configured to be coupled with the light source for directing light into the enclosure. The apparatus further includes a photovoltaic module contained within the enclosure and configured to generate electricity from the light. The apparatus further includes an electrical output cable coupled with the photovoltaic module and configured to be coupled with the electrical circuit.
US09219180B2
The optoelectronic arrangement comprises a semiconductor nanowire intended to participate in the processing, notably in a reception and/or an emission, of a light concerned and a mirror reflecting the light concerned. The semiconductor nanowire comprises a first section and a second section, and the mirror surrounds, at least longitudinally, the first section of the semiconductor nanowire, said second section extending out of the mirror.
US09219170B2
A trench Schottky rectifier device includes a substrate having a first conductivity type, a plurality of trenches formed in the substrate, and an insulating layer formed on sidewalls of the trenches. The trenches are filled with conductive structure. There is an electrode overlying the conductive structure and the substrate, and thus a Schottky contact forms between the electrode and the substrate. A plurality of embedded doped regions having a second conductivity type are formed in the substrate and located under the trenches. Each doped region and the substrate form a PN junction to pinch off current flowing toward the Schottky contact so as to suppress current leakage.
US09219163B2
The display device includes a gate electrode, a gate insulating film provided over the gate electrode, a semiconductor film provided over the gate insulating film to overlap with the gate electrode, an island-shaped first insulating film provided over the semiconductor film to overlap with the gate electrode, a first conductive film provided over the semiconductor film, a pair of second conductive films which is provided over the semiconductor film and between which the first insulating film is sandwiched, and a second insulating film provided over the first insulating film, the first conductive film, and the pair of second conductive films. In the second insulating film and the semiconductor film, an opening portion which is positioned between the first conductive film and the one or the other of the pair of second conductive films is provided.
US09219154B1
Non-planar semiconductor devices including semiconductor fins or stacked semiconductor nanowires that are electrostatically enhanced are provided. The electrostatic enhancement is achieved in the present application by epitaxially growing a semiconductor material protruding portion on exposed sidewalls of alternating semiconductor material portions of at least one hard mask capped semiconductor-containing fin structure that is formed on a substrate.
US09219150B1
Methods of forming a semiconductor structure include providing a multi-layer substrate having an epitaxial base layer overlying a strained primary semiconductor layer above a buried oxide layer. Elements within the epitaxial base layer are used to alter a strain state in the primary semiconductor layer within a first region of the multi-layer substrate without altering a strain state in the primary semiconductor layer within a second region of the multi-layer substrate. A first plurality of transistor channel structures are formed that each comprise a portion of the primary semiconductor layer within the first region of the multi-layer substrate, and a second plurality of transistor channel structures are formed that each comprise a portion of the primary semiconductor layer within the second region of the multi-layer substrate. Semiconductor structures fabricated by such methods may include transistor channel structures having differing strain states.
US09219148B2
A semiconductor device and a fabricating method thereof are provided, in which the semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate with a trench formed therein, a bottom electrode placed at a lower inner portion of the trench, the bottom electrode having an uneven upper surface, an insulating layer formed on an upper portion of the bottom electrode and on a sidewall of the trench, and a top electrode placed at an upper portion of the bottom electrode inside the trench, the top electrode having a top electrode which is uneven, in which the top electrode is so configured that the top electrode is inclined toward a center portion.
US09219140B2
The present invention provides a MOS transistor, including a substrate, a gate oxide, a gate, a source/drain region and a silicide layer. The gate oxide is disposed on the substrate and the gate is disposed on the gate oxide. The source/drain region is disposed in the substrate at two sides of the gate. The silicide layer is disposed on the source/drain region, wherein the silicide layer includes a curved bottom surface and a curved top surface, both the curved top surface and the curved bottom surface bend toward the substrate and the curved top surface is sunken from two sides thereof, two ends of the silicide layer point tips raised up over the source/drain region and the silicide layer in the middle is thicker than the silicide layer in the peripheral, thereby forming a crescent structure. The present invention further provides a manufacturing method of the MOS transistor.
US09219138B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor device has a superjunction structure formed adjoining a low-doped n-type region. A low-doped p-type region is formed adjoining the superjunction structure above the low-doped n-type region and is configured to improve Eas characteristics. A body region is formed adjacent the low-doped p-type region and a control electrode structure is formed adjacent the body region for controlling a channel region within the body region.
US09219132B2
Some embodiments include a transistor having a first electrically conductive gate portion along a first segment of a channel region and a second electrically conductive gate portion along a second segment of the channel region. The second electrically conductive gate portion is a different composition than the first electrically conductive gate portion. Some embodiments include a method of forming a semiconductor construction. First semiconductor material and metal-containing material are formed over a NAND string. An opening is formed through the metal-containing material and the first semiconductor material, and is lined with gate dielectric. Second semiconductor material is provided within the opening to form a channel region of a transistor. The transistor is a select device electrically coupled to the NAND string.
US09219124B2
A semiconductor device including a first gate structure associated with a first type of transistor and a second gate structure of a second type of transistor. The first gate structure includes a capping layer, a first metal layer having a first type of work function on the capping layer, and a second metal layer having a second type of work function, overlying the first metal layer and a fill layer on the second metal layer. The second type of work function is different than the first type of work function. The second gate structure includes the gate dielectric and the second metal layer formed on the gate dielectric, and the fill layer on the second metal layer.
US09219122B2
Methods, systems, and devices are disclosed for thermal processing of silicon carbide semiconductor devices. In one aspect, a method for fabricating a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes forming a thin epitaxial layer of a nitrogen and phosphorous co-doped SiC material on a SiC epitaxial layer formed on a SiC substrate, and thermally growing an oxide layer to form an insulator material on the nitrogen and phosphorous co-doped SiC epitaxial layer, in which the thermally growing the oxide layer results in at least partially consuming the nitrogen and phosphorous co-doped SiC epitaxial layer in the oxide layer to produce an interface including nitrogen and phosphorous between the SiC epitaxial layer and the oxide layer.
US09219120B2
Presented herein is a method for forming a semiconductor film using an adhesion layer, comprising providing an oxide layer disposed over a substrate, forming at least one adhesion layer over the oxide layer, and forming a film layer over the at least one adhesion layer in a same process step as the forming the at least one adhesion layer. Forming the at least one adhesion layer further comprises at least forming a first adhesion layer over the oxide layer and forming a second adhesion layer over the first adhesion layer. Forming the first adhesion layer comprises providing the terminating gas at a substantially constant first flow rate, and wherein the forming the second adhesion layer comprises ramping a flow rate of the terminating gas to a zero flow rate from the first flow rate.
US09219113B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate of a first conductivity type, a first impurity region of a second conductivity type formed on a top surface side of the substrate, a second impurity region of the second conductivity type formed on the top surface side of the substrate and in contact with the first impurity region, the second impurity region laterally surrounding the first impurity region and having a greater depth than the first impurity region, as viewed in cross-section, and a breakdown voltage enhancing structure of the second conductivity type formed to laterally surround the second impurity region. A boundary between the first and second impurity regions has a maximum impurity concentration equal to or less than that of the second impurity region, and a current is applied between a top surface and a bottom surface of the substrate.
US09219112B2
Fabrication of monolithic lattice-mismatched semiconductor heterostructures with limited area regions having upper portions substantially exhausted of threading dislocations, as well as fabrication of semiconductor devices based on such lattice-mismatched heterostructures.
US09219110B2
The present disclosure relates to a MIM capacitor, and an associated method of formation. In some embodiments, the MIM capacitor has a first electrode having a bottom capacitor metal layer disposed over a semiconductor substrate. A second electrode having a middle capacitor metal layer overlies the bottom capacitor metal layer. A third electrode having a top capacitor metal layer has a stepped structure is laterally and vertically separated from the middle capacitor metal layer by a capacitor dielectric layer continuously extends from a first position between the bottom capacitor metal layer and the middle capacitor metal layer, to a second position between the middle capacitor metal layer and the top capacitor metal layer. The capacitor dielectric layer allows for the MIM capacitor to have a structure that improves fabrication of the capacitor.
US09219096B2
According to one embodiment, a photoelectric converting layer, a charge accumulating layer, and a light collecting unit are provided. The photoelectric converting layer is formed at a back surface side of a semiconductor substrate. The charge accumulating layer is formed at a front surface side of the semiconductor substrate, and accumulates charges photoelectric-converted by the photoelectric converting layer. The light collecting unit makes light incident to the back surface side of the semiconductor substrate to be collected on the photoelectric converting layer not to be incident to the charge accumulating layer.
US09219090B2
A solid-state image capturing device including: a semiconductor substrate having a photosensitive surface including a matrix of pixels as respective photoelectric converters; and a photochromic film disposed in a light path through which light is applied to each of the photoelectric converters, the photochromic film being made of a photochromic material having a light transmittance variable depending on the intensity of applied light in a predetermined wavelength range; wherein the light transmittance has a half-value period shorter than one frame during which pixel signals generated by the pixels are read from all the pixels.
US09219088B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide an array substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display device. The array substrate comprises: a pixel region, a data-line pad region and a gate-line pad region; the pixel region comprises: a pixel electrode, a gate electrode of a TFT, source and drain electrodes of the TFT, a connection electrode, and a common electrode; the data-line pad region comprises: an insulating layer, a semiconductor layer, a data line, and a data-line connection pad; the data line and the source and drain electrodes are of a same layer and a same material; and the gate-line pad region comprises: a gate line, an insulating layer, and a gate-line connection pad; the gate line and the gate electrode are of a same layer and a same material; and the gate-line connection pad and the source and drain electrodes are of a same layer and a same material. The array substrate can reduce the number of masks and exposure times, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and improving production efficiency.
US09219081B2
A display unit includes: a display layer including a pixel electrode; a semiconductor layer provided in a layer below the display layer, the semiconductor layer including a wiring layer that includes a material removable by an etchant by which the pixel electrode is also removable; and a terminal section configured to electrically connect the semiconductor layer to an external circuit, the terminal section including a first electrically-conductive layer made of a material same as a material of the wiring layer.
US09219076B2
On a silicon substrate is formed a stacked body by alternately stacking a plurality of silicon oxide films and silicon films, a trench is formed in the stacked body, an alumina film, a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film are formed in this order on an inner surface of the trench, and a channel silicon crystalline film is formed on the silicon oxide film. Next, a silicon oxide layer is formed at an interface between the silicon oxide film and the channel silicon crystalline film by performing thermal treatment in an oxygen gas atmosphere.
US09219074B2
A 3D semiconductor device is provided, comprising plural memory layers vertically stacked on a substrate and parallel to each other; plural selection lines disposed on the memory layers and parallel to each other; plural bit lines disposed on the selection lines, and the bit lines arranged in parallel to each other and in perpendicular to the selection lines; plural strings formed vertically to the memory layers and the selection lines, and the strings electrically connected to the corresponding selection lines; a plurality of cells respectively defined by the strings, the selection lines and the bit lines correspondingly, and the cells arranged in a plurality of rows and columns, wherein a column direction is parallel to the bit lines while a row direction is parallel to the selection lines. The adjacent cells in the same column are electrically connected to the different bit lines.
US09219071B1
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a plurality of element regions that are partitioned in a line-and-space shape and extend in a first direction in the substrate, a plurality of selection gates that are formed on the substrate to extend in a second direction intersecting the first direction. In addition, the semiconductor device includes a contact region that includes a plurality of contact plugs which are provided between two selection gates adjacent to each other and are connected to the respective element regions in the substrate. Further, the contact plug includes an upper portion and a lower portion. The upper portion has a first width and is formed of a first conductive film and a second conductive film. The lower portion has a second width smaller than the first width and is formed of the first conductive film.
US09219065B2
A method of fabricating a circuit comprising an nMOSFET includes providing a substrate, depositing a strain-inducing material comprising germanium over the substrate, and integrating a pMOSFET on the substrate, the pMOSFET comprising a strained channel having a surface roughness of less than 1 nm. The strain-inducing material is proximate to and in contact with the pMOSFET channel, the strain in the pMOSFET channel is induced by the strain-inducing material, and a source and a drain of the pMOSFET are at least partially formed in the strain-inducing material.
US09219061B2
A semiconductor device capable of reducing an inter-source electrode resistance RSS(on) and reducing a chip size is provided. A semiconductor device according to the present invention includes a chip partitioned into three areas including a first area, a second area, and a third area, and a common drain electrode provided on a back surface of the chip, in which the second area is formed between the first and third areas, a first MOSFET is formed in the first area and the third area, and a second MOSFET is formed in the second area.
US09219056B2
Device structures, design structures, and fabrication methods for passive devices that may be used as electrostatic discharge protection devices in fin-type field-effect transistor integrated circuit technologies. A portion of a device layer of a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate is patterned to form a device region. A well of a first conductivity type is formed in the epitaxial layer and the device region. A doped region of a second conductivity type is formed in the well and defines a junction with a portion of the well. The epitaxial layer includes an exterior sidewall spaced from an exterior sidewall of the device region. Another portion of the device layer may be patterned to form fins for fin-type field-effect transistors.
US09219055B2
An integrated circuit having a CML driver including a driver biasing network. A first output pad and a second output pad are connected to a voltage pad. A first driver is connected to the first output pad and the voltage pad. A second driver is connected to the second output pad and the voltage pad. A first ESD circuit is connected to the voltage pad, the first output pad, and the first driver. A second ESD circuit is connected to the voltage pad, the second output pad, and the second driver. The first ESD circuit biases the first driver toward a voltage of the voltage pad when an ESD event occurs at the first output pad, and the second ESD circuit biases the second driver toward the voltage of the voltage pad when an ESD event occurs at the second output pad.
US09219050B2
A semiconductor unit includes a chip having left and right columns of contacts at its front surface. Interconnect pads are provided overlying the front surface of the chip and connected to at least some of the contacts as, for example, by traces or by arrangements including wire bonds. The interconnect pads alone, or the interconnect pads and some of the contacts, provide an array of external connection elements. This array includes some reversal pairs of external connection elements in which the external connection element connected to or incorporating the right contact is disposed to the left of the external connection element incorporating or connected to the left contact. Such a unit may be used in a multi-chip package such as a two-chip package having a first chip facing upwardly and a second chip facing downwardly towards a package substrate, disposed below the chips. The reversed connections simplify routing, particularly where corresponding contacts of the two chips are to be connected to common terminals on the package substrate.
US09219047B2
A stacked device encompasses a lower chip including a plurality of wiring lands and a plurality of wall-block patterns, each of the wall-block patterns is allocated at a position except locations where the wiring lands are disposed, each of the wall-block patterns has a inclined plane, a height of each of the wall-block patterns measured from a reference plane of the array of the wiring lands is higher than the wiring lands, and an upper chip including a plurality of wiring bumps assigned correspondingly to the positions of the wiring lands, respectively, and a plurality of cone bumps assigned correspondingly to the positions of the wall-block patterns, respectively.
US09219046B2
A device includes a work piece including a metal bump; and a dielectric layer having a portion directly over the metal bump. The metal bump and a surface of the portion of the dielectric layer form an interface. A metal finish is formed over and contacting the metal bump. The metal finish extends from over the dielectric layer to below the interface.
US09219038B2
3D integrated circuit devices include first and second semiconductor bodies. The first semiconductor body has an active area, a through-silicon-via outside the active area, and two or more disjoint guard rings. The first guard ring encircles the via. The second guard ring encircles the active area, but not the via. The guard rings can reduce the noise coupling coefficient between the via and the active area to −60 dB or less at 3 GHz and 20 μm spacing.
US09219019B2
A semiconductor device has a leadframe with a pad and a row of elongated leads with a solderable surfaces in a common plane; a package encapsulating the leadframe with an assembled semiconductor device, leaving the common-plane lead surfaces un-encapsulated and coplanar with the package material between adjacent leads, the row of aligned leads positioned along a package edge; and grooves in the package material cut in the common-plane surface, the grooves extend along a portion of each lead length, have a width and a depth about twice the width, and expose solderable lead surfaces.
US09219016B2
A work piece includes a first copper-containing pillar having a top surface and sidewalls, and a first protection layer on the sidewalls, and not over the top surface, of the first copper-containing pillar. A test pad includes a second copper-containing pillar having a top surface and sidewalls. The test pad is electrically coupled to the first copper-containing pillar. A second protection layer is disposed on the sidewalls, and not over the top surface, of the second copper-containing pillar. The first and the second protection layers include a compound of copper and a polymer, and are dielectric layers.
US09219007B2
A method including forming a penta-layer hardmask above a substrate, the penta-layer hardmask comprising a first hardmask layer above a second hardmask layer; forming a trench pattern in the first hardmask layer; transferring a first via bar pattern from a first photo-resist layer above the penta-layer hardmask into the second hardmask layer resulting in a first via pattern, the first via pattern in the second hardmask layer overlapping the trench pattern and being self-aligned on two sides by the trench pattern in the first hardmask layer; and transferring the first via pattern from the second hardmask layer into the substrate resulting in a self-aligned via opening, the self-aligned via opening being self-aligned on all sides by the first via pattern in the second hardmask layer.
US09219006B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to methods for forming a flowable carbon-containing film on a substrate. In one embodiment, an oxygen-containing gas is flowed into a remote plasma region to produce oxygen-containing plasma effluents, and a carbon-containing gas is combined with the oxygen-containing plasma effluents in a substrate processing region which contains the substrate. A carbon-containing film is formed in trenches which are formed on the substrate and a low K dielectric material is deposited on the carbon-containing film in the trenches. The carbon-containing film is decomposed by an UV treatment and airgaps are formed in the trenches under the low K dielectric material.
US09219004B2
A method for obtaining a film made out of a first material on a polymer support, said method comprising bonding a first wafer to a second wafer, thereby defining a bonding interface between said first wafer and said second wafer, at least one of said first and second wafers comprising a layer of said first material situated in proximity to said bonding interface, in said first wafer, hollowing out a cavity, said cavity comprising a bottom parallel to said bonding interface that defines, in said first wafer, a bottom zone at a controlled distance relative to said second wafer, forming, in said cavity, a polymer layer on a thickness controlled from a bottom thereof to obtain a combined wafer portion, said combined wafer portion comprising a bottom zone formed by said polymer layer on said bottom and a peripheral zone, and eliminating said second wafer on a major portion of a thickness thereof, thereby releasing, beneath said polymer layer, a film comprising said layer of said first material.
US09218995B2
A transfer apparatus for transferring electronic devices from a wafer to a test handler. The transfer apparatus comprises: i) a rotary device rotatable about an axis; and ii) a plurality of holders configured to hold the electronic devices for transfer from the wafer to the test handler. The plurality of holders are coupled to, and extendable from, the rotary device to pick the electronic devices from the wafer. Specifically, the plurality of holders are arranged circumferentially around, and inclined with respect to, the axis of the rotary device, so as to change an orientation of the electronic devices on the wafer to a desired orientation of the electronic devices on the test handler.
US09218990B2
A substrate carrier includes a carrier plate, a cover plate and a plurality of substrate support slots. The carrier plate has recesses for receiving substrates. A sidewall of each recess includes protrusions for engaging the OD of a substrate. The cover plate is rotatable and has a cam on an undersurface. The cam is enagageable with a lateral slot in each of a plurality of substrate supports of the carrier plate. Rotating the cover plate causes the cam to move the substrate supports, one by one, so a substrate engaging end of the substrate support moves away from an associated substrate recess. A substrate is loaded into the recess, whereupon the cover plate is rotated further so the cam disengages from the lateral slot. The substrate supports are biased to engage the OD of the substrate to lock the substrate within the recess. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09218988B2
A method of making a microelectronic assembly can include molding a dielectric material around at least two conductive elements which project above a height of a substrate having a microelectronic element mounted thereon, so that remote surfaces of the conductive elements remain accessible and exposed within openings extending from an exterior surface of the molded dielectric material. The remote surfaces can be disposed at heights from said surface of said substrate which are lower or higher than a height of the exterior surface of the molded dielectric material from the substrate surface. The conductive elements can be arranged to simultaneously carry first and second different electric potentials: e.g., power, ground or signal potentials.
US09218981B2
An integrated circuit with a passivation trapping layer. An integrated circuit with a hydrogen or deuterium releasing layer underlying a passivation trapping layer. Method for forming an integrated circuit having a hydrogen or deuterium releasing layer. Method for forming an integrated circuit having a passivation trapping layer.
US09218980B2
Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to a method of forming a cobalt layer on a dielectric material without incubation delay. Prior to depositing the cobalt layer using CVD, the surface of the dielectric material is pretreated at a temperature between 100° C. and 250° C. Since the subsequent CVD cobalt process is also performed at between 100° C. and 250° C., one processing chamber is used for pretreating the dielectric material and forming of the cobalt layer. The combination of processing steps enables use of two processing chambers to deposit cobalt.
US09218979B2
Embodiments of a low resistivity ohmic contact are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of fabricating a low resistivity ohmic contact includes providing a semiconductor material layer and intentionally roughening the semiconductor material layer to create a characteristic surface roughness. The method also includes providing an ohmic contact metal layer on a surface of the semiconductor material layer and providing a diffusion barrier metal layer on a surface of the ohmic contact metal layer opposite the semiconductor material layer. In this way, the adhesive force between the semiconductor material layer and the ohmic contact metal layer may be increased.
US09218969B2
An example embodiment relates to a patterning process including forming a photoresist pattern on a structure. The photoresist pattern includes a cross-linked surface that is insoluble in an organic solvent. The process also includes spin-on coating a dielectric layer on the photoresist pattern, partially removing the dielectric layer to form a plurality of dielectric spacers surrounding the photoresist pattern, and removing the photoresist pattern.
US09218965B2
By using a nano-scale patterning process, a dislocation defect density of a GaN epitaxy layer can be further reduced. This is because the nano-scale epitaxy structure dimension is advantageous to the reduction of the strain energy accumulated by mismatched lattices, thereby decreasing the possibility of generating defects. It is verified that the nano-scale patterning process can effectively decrease the dislocation defect density of the GaN epitaxial layer on a sapphire substrate. Considering uniformity and reproducibility on the application of the large-size wafer, the invention has utilized the soft mask NIL patterning technology to successfully implement the uniform deposition and position control of the InAs quantum dot on a GaAs substrate. This further utilizes the NIL technology in conjunction with dry-etching to perform the nano-scale patterning on a heterogeneous substrate, such as Si, sapphire or the like.
US09218958B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device includes carrying out an anodic oxidation of a surface region of a semiconductor substrate to form an oxide layer at a surface of the semiconductor substrate by generating an attracting electrical field between the semiconductor substrate and an external electrode within an electrolyte to attract oxidizing ions of the electrolyte, causing an oxidation of the surface region of the semiconductor substrate. Further, the method includes reducing the number of remaining oxidizing ions within the oxide layer, while the semiconductor substrate is within an electrolyte.
US09218948B2
The larger an m/z to be adjusted, the wider a peak width which represents change in intensity in relation to change in voltage. This allows voltage step size to be increased during a search for an optimum voltage without overlooking a maximum intensity. Thus, a relational expression which gives a narrow voltage step size for a low m/z and gives a wide voltage step size for a high m/z is prestored in a voltage step information storage unit (32), an optimum voltage adjustment controller (31) finds an optimum voltage step size for the m/z to be adjusted, during automatic voltage adjustment using the stored information, and controls a power supply unit 21 so as to change a voltage applied to a first ion guide (8) stepwise. Ion intensity obtained each time the applied voltage changes is determined, and a voltage value which gives a maximum ion intensity is found and stored in an optimum voltage information storage unit (33). Consequently, during automatic adjustment of a voltage applied to an ion transport optical element such as an ion guide, the time required for the adjustment can be reduced without overlooking an optimum voltage value which gives a maximum ion intensity.
US09218943B2
There is provided an inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus capable of reducing a RF power loss within a high frequency power supply unit (particularly, a matching unit) and capable of enhancing a plasma generation efficiency. In this inductively coupled plasma processing apparatus, a multiple number of closed-loop secondary circuits 96, 98 independent from each other are formed between a coaxial antenna group 54 and a transformer 68. Further, by varying electrostatic capacitances of variable capacitors 64 and 66, secondary currents I2A and I2B flowing through an inner antenna 58 and an outer antenna 60, respectively, of the coaxial antenna group 54 are independently controlled. Accordingly, it is possible to readily control a plasma density distribution on a semiconductor wafer W in a diametrical direction.
US09218936B2
A vaporizing device is provided, wherein an elongated pot having material to be vaporized is impinged upon by an electron beam, preferably via several electron guns. Each electron gun is responsible for a certain section of the pot. The electron beam is guided over the melt in a pendular manner. For this purpose, a first magnetic deflecting unit is provided, which produces a variable parallel displacement of the electron beam. In order to achieve this, two magnetic fields are provided, the magnetic field boundaries of which form a type of lens system, wherein the outlet side of the first magnetic field is convex and the inlet side of the second magnetic field is concave. In order to deflect the electron beam into the pot, a second magnetic deflecting unit is provided, the magnetic field of which can be moved synchronously with the beam displacement parallel to the pot.
US09218933B2
An inspection system for scanning cargo and vehicles is described which employs an X-ray source that includes an electron beam generator, for generating an electron beam; an accelerator for accelerating said electron beam in a first direction; and, a first set of magnetic elements for transporting said electron beam into a magnetic field created by a second set of magnetic elements, wherein the magnetic field created by said second set of magnetic elements causes said electron beam to strike a target such that the target substantially only generates X-rays focused toward a high density section in the scanned object, which is estimated in a second pulse using image data captured by a detector array in a first pulse. The electron beam direction is optimized by said X-ray source during said second pulse to focus X-rays towards said high density section based on said image data in said first pulse.
US09218931B2
An electromagnetic force driving device having reduced size and weight, and easily changeable electromagnetic characteristics and holding force, is provided. The device includes: a first housing; a second housing installed under the first housing; a partitioning wall partitioning the first and second housings; a first mover installed on a top of the first housing; a coil unit installed at a lower portion of the second housing to be movable according to a direction of current supplied; a second mover including one end combined with the coil unit, and another end passing through the partitioning wall and connected to the first mover to operate the first mover according to a movement of the coil unit; an upper magnet installed in the first housing to maintain a predetermined position of the first mover; and a lower magnet arranged in the second housing to form a magnetic field at the coil unit.
US09218922B2
A fuse assembly structured for use with a power circuit includes: a fuse holder defining a space and including first and second terminals structured to electrically connect to the power circuit; a fuse disposed in the space defined by the fuse holder; and a relay disposed in the space defined by the fuse holder. The relay includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism structured to open and close said separable contacts, and a control circuit cooperating with said operating mechanism to cause said operating mechanism to open or close said separable contacts. Current flowing between the first and second terminals flows through the separable contacts and the fuse and opening the separable contacts interrupts said current flowing between said first and second terminals.
US09218919B2
An electrical contactor has a pair of first terminals and a pair of second terminals. Each first terminal has a fixed member with at least one fixed electrical contact facing the other fixed member. The second terminals having back-to-back electrically-conductive movable arms with an electrically-insulating partitioning element there between. Each second terminal is associated with a different one of the first terminals, and has a movable electrical contact on the associated movable arm which faces the corresponding fixed contact. When the contacts close, contra-flowing current through the back-to-back movable arms produces a repulsive force between the movable arms increasing a force between the fixed and movable contacts.
US09218916B2
An object is to provide graphene which has high conductivity and is permeable to ions of lithium or the like. Another object is to provide, with use of the graphene, a power storage device with excellent charging and discharging characteristics. Graphene having a hole inside a ring-like structure formed by carbon and nitrogen has conductivity and is permeable to ions of lithium or the like. The nitrogen concentration in graphene is preferably higher than or equal to 0.4 at. % and lower than or equal to 40 at. %. With use of such graphene, ions of lithium or the like can be preferably made to pass; thus, a power storage device with excellent charging and discharging characteristics can be provided.
US09218911B2
A silver paste layer constituting a collector layer in a solid electrolytic capacitor includes first silver particles having a peak particle size of 150 nm or less, second silver particles having a peak particle size of 500 nm or more, inorganic particles composed of material different from silver, and resin material. The inorganic particles are included at a volume ratio of 15% or more and 50% or less with respect to the total of the first silver particles and the second silver particles.
US09218906B1
Methods and apparatus for storing information or energy. An array of nano-capacitors is provided, where each nano-capacitor has a cathodic electrode and an anode separated by a dielectric. The thickness of the intervening solid dielectric is in the range between 0.1 nanometers and 1000 nanometers and is shorter than an electron mean free path within the dielectric. The cathodic electrode is at least 100 times larger than the thickness of the intervening dielectric in every direction transverse to the thickness of the intervening dielectric. An excess of electrons is stored on the cathodic electrode. The dielectric may be a metal oxide, particularly a native oxide of the cathode material.
US09218903B2
A reconfigurable multi-stack inductor formed within a semiconductor structure may include a first inductor structure located within a first metal layer of the semiconductor structure, a first ground shielding structure located within the first metal layer that is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the first inductor structure, and a second inductor structure located within a second metal layer of the semiconductor structure, whereby the second inductor structure is electrically coupled to the first inductor structure. A second ground shielding structure located within the second metal layer is electrically isolated from and circumferentially bounds the second inductor structure, whereby the first and second inductor generate a first inductance value based on the first ground shielding structure and second ground shielding structure being coupled to ground, and the first and second inductor generate a second inductance value based on the first ground shielding structure and second ground shielding structure electrically floating.
US09218902B2
The invention relates to a power transformer with electronic components. The aim of the invention is to arrange the energy supply of the electronic components of a power transformer closer to the components and thus eliminate the disadvantages of the prior art. According to the invention, a stray field collector is brought into a stray field of the power transformer, whereby a voltage is generated.
US09218898B2
A conductive paste including a conductive powder, a metallic glass including aluminum (Al) and a first element which forms a solid solution with the aluminum (Al), and an organic vehicle.
US09218894B2
A device for repairing a memory device using a test-bypass register associated with the memory device may include a comparator configured to compare a current address of the memory device with a faulty address and to generate a match signal when the current address matches the faulty address. A logic block may be coupled to the comparator and configured to generate one or more output signals in response to the match signal. The faulty address may be associated with a non-operational cell of the memory device. The one or more output signals may be coupled to one or more memory-bypass inputs of the test-bypass register. The one or more output signals may be configured to enable use of the test-bypass register instead of the non-operational cell of the memory device.
US09218893B2
In a method of memory testing in a data processing system, in response to receiving a request for a hardware memory test during boot process of the data processing system, a controller accesses a stored past memory test result. The past memory test result includes at least a first number of test loops used in a past memory test, an identification of a first test pattern, and an error that occurred in the past memory test. The controller adjusts a second number of test loops and a second test pattern to be used in the hardware memory test according to the past memory test result. The controller then performs the hardware memory test according to the adjusted second number of test loops and the second test pattern.
US09218888B2
A non-volatile semiconductor memory includes a memory array, a selecting device selecting a page according to addresses, a data storage device, storing page data, and an output device outputting the stored data. The data storage device includes a first data storage device receiving data from a selected page of the memory array, a second data storage device receiving data from the first data storage device, and a data transmission device configured between the first and the second data storage device. The data transmission device transmits data in a second part of the first data storage device to the second data storage device when data in a first part of the second data storage device is output, and transmits data in a first part of the first data storage device to the second data storage device when data in a second part of the second data storage device is output.
US09218886B2
In a three-dimensional NAND memory in which a block contains multiple separately-selectable sets of strings connected to the same set of bit lines, sets of strings are zoned, and different operating parameters applied to different zones. Operating parameters for a zone are obtained from characterizing a reference set of strings in the zone.
US09218882B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device includes a first memory string including memory cell transistors and a first select transistor that are connected in series, a second memory string including memory cell transistors and a second select transistor that are connected in series, a bit line that is electrically connected to a first end of the first memory string and a first end of the second memory string, a first transistor having a gate that is connected to a second end of the first memory string, a source line that is electrically connected to a first end of the first transistor, and a second transistor having a gate that is connected to a second end of the second memory string, a first end that is electrically connected to a second end of the first transistor, and a second end that is electrically connected to the bit line.
US09218880B2
A TCAM may have a plurality of rows of cells. Each row may have a match line. Each cell may have elements for storing first and second bits, and compare circuitry associated to determine matches between a bit of a search word and data stored in the cell. For at least one first row of the rows, the TCAM includes a valid row cell having at least one element to store a partial update indication. The valid row cell may cause the match line associated with the first row to signal that the first row does not match a search word when the partial update indication associated with the first row is enabled. When the partial update indication associated with the first row is disabled, the determination of matches with a search word is performed solely by the compare circuitry without influence of the valid row cell.
US09218875B2
A multi-bit NVM cell includes a storage unit having resistive elements, such as phase change resistive elements. The NVM cell may be configured as a single port or dual port multi-bit cell. The NVM cell includes primary and secondary cell selectors. The primary selector selects the multi-bit cell while the secondary selector selects a bit within the multi-bit cell. A plurality of storage units can be commonly coupled to a primary selector, facilitating high density applications.
US09218868B2
A magnetic memory according to an embodiment includes: a plurality of memory cells, each memory cell including a first MTJ element and a first selection unit; a pair of a first and second bit lines provided to each column of the memory cells; a word line provided to each row of the memory cells; an equalizer circuit provided to each column of the memory cells, and to connect between the first and second bit lines; and a control circuit that sets the first and second bit lines connected to a selected memory cell to be a first and second potentials to conduct a write operation, and after the write operation, transmits a control signal to the equalizer circuit between the first and second bit lines to activate the equalizer circuit to equalize potentials of the first bit line and the second bit line, thereby bringing into floating states.
US09218851B2
A data storage device includes a non-volatile memory. A method includes programming a first page at a word line of the non-volatile memory. While programming a second page at the word line, first storage elements of the word line are selectively programmed in response to a power drop at the data storage device to increase a state separation that separates data values of the first page.
US09218846B2
A demodulation method of magnetic data may include a first data creating step which creates a preliminary data string for creating the demodulation data on a basis of an interval that is a time interval between peaks of a read signal of an analog-shaped magnetic data, and a second data creating step which creates a demodulation data creating data for creating the demodulation data on a basis of the preliminary data string created in the first data creating step. When a peak of the read signal is not detected for a predetermined time, a pseudo-peak is generated and a pseudo-interval is stored in a data storage section, and steps similar to the first data creating step and the second data creating step are executed, and the pseudo-peak is generated until the demodulation data creating data corresponding to a final interval is created.
US09218844B2
An apparatus for signal processing, wherein a disc is placed on a turntable and is provided with a groove which can be followed by the pick-up element, and employing a time-code signal wherein during use of the disc the said time-code signal controls the digital audio source.
US09218826B1
A data storage device may be constructed as a data reader in various embodiments with a magnetic stack that has a barrier layer disposed between first and second magnetically free layers. The magnetic stack may have a horizontally symmetrical configuration that provides negative exchange coupling between the magnetically free layers.
US09218823B2
A read head includes a bottom shield and a bottom isolation layer that electrically isolates the bottom shield. The read head includes left and right reader stacks having respective bottom layers disposed on at least a portion of the bottom isolation layer. The left and right reader stacks are cross-track adjacent to one another. The read head also includes left and right bottom contacts electrically coupled to respective left and right bottom layers. A top shield is configured as a common top contact electrically coupled to respective top layers of the left and right reader stacks.
US09218822B1
Interconnect and preamplifier designs are described for use in a disk drive with a common signal return lead system that interconnects a plurality of read transducers (readers) in a slider through the suspension to the preamplifier mounted on the actuator. Preamplifier embodiments have an isolated differential amplifier for each of the plurality of readers in the slider. The set of signal traces in the suspension include a common signal return lead for the plurality of readers in the slider. A preamplifier circuit design according to an embodiment of the invention includes isolated amplifiers for each reader with a separate bias source and power supply isolation elements for both power supply polarities for reduced crosstalk signal and noise between amplifiers.
US09218810B2
Disclosed herein is a system, method and computer readable medium storing instructions related to semantic and syntactic information in a language understanding system. The method embodiment of the invention is a method for classifying utterances during a natural language dialog between a human and a computing device. The method comprises receiving a user utterance; generating a semantic and syntactic graph associated with the received utterance, extracting all n-grams as features from the generated semantic and syntactic graph and classifying the utterance. Classifying the utterance may be performed any number of ways such as using the extracted n-grams, a syntactic and semantic graphs or writing rules.
US09218805B2
A system includes a processor configured to receive a verbal request to active an audio playback application on a remote device wirelessly connected to the processor. The processor is also configured to relay the request to the remote device for handling. The processor is further configured to receive a request from the remote device for audio playback. The processor is also configured to select a source channel for incoming audio. The processor is additionally configured to receive incoming audio from the remote device over the selected source channel and playback the incoming audio over a vehicle output.
US09218792B2
A mechanism for enabling a user to vary the scale or zoom of image data for aspect ratio conversion using a graphical user interface is disclosed. A user may move a selector of the graphical user interface to one end for selecting a linear scaling, to the other end for selecting a parabolic scaling or in between for selecting a scaling associated with another function, thereby enabling a user to vary the magnitude of the scaling across the image data. A parametric function with a single parameter may be used to scale the image data, where the movement of the selector may change the parameter and consequently vary the scaling of the image data. In this manner, a user may efficiently vary or select the scaling of the image data using a graphical user interface to reduce objectionable distortion associated with changing the aspect ratio of the image data.
US09218783B2
A display apparatus transmits a picture acquisition request for getting picture information to an external image apparatus connected through a predetermined interface to the display apparatus from the external image apparatus at predetermined intervals and gets a plurality of pieces of picture information from the external image apparatus to be displayed. The plurality of pictures may be switched at predetermined intervals, for example, to be displayed, so that the plurality of pictures may be displayed in a so-called slide show manner. A plurality of pictures for thumbnail may be produced from the plurality of pieces of picture information and be arranged together to be displayed in one picture screen of a display device.
US09218775B2
A display device employing CC driving switches from (i) a first mode in which to carry out a display by converting resolution of a video signal by a factor of 2 in a column-wise direction to (ii) a second mode in which to carry out a display at the resolution of the video signal. During the first mode, signal potentials having the same polarity and the same gray scale are supplied to pixel electrodes included in respective two pixels that correspond to two adjacent scanning signal lines and that are adjacent to each other in the column-wise direction, and a direction of change in the signal potentials written to the pixel electrodes varies every two adjacent rows (2-line inversion driving). During the second mode, the direction of change in the signal potentials written to the pixel electrodes lines varies every single row (1-line inversion driving).
US09218762B2
This describes power saving techniques for emissive displays. In one example, the outputs of emissive elements in an emissive display are selectively reduced in order to save power when the emissive display does not change its output imagery for a defined period. The techniques of this disclosure may achieve effects in emissive displays that appear visually similar to, or better than, the effects in conventional transmissive displays when the backlight dims over time.
US09218755B2
A directionally active projection device is described that includes a planar display providing a pattern of information. The planar display includes regions of light transparency and regions for blocking light transmittance. The directionally active projection device also includes a lens arranged adjacent to the planar display, and a collection of light sources arranged as an array in a focal plane of the lens. Also described are methods of controlling directionally active projection devices.
US09218751B2
A dental simulator includes a base and a platform connected to the base. The base has a first end, an opposing second end, and a longitudinal axis extending from the first end toward the second end. The platform has at least a first portion which is movably connected to the base. The first portion of the base also includes at least one actuator. The simulator further includes a torso support movably connected to the base and at least a first instrument holder movably connected to the base. At least the first portion of the platform, the torso support, and the first instrument holder are configured to move in unison with respect to the base along the longitudinal axis thereof.
US09218749B2
Provided is a system and method for monitoring a student behavior in a field trip. The system may include: a plurality of member terminals held respectively by a plurality of members conducting a group activity and provided with a plurality of sensors, an imaging device, and a data storage device to collect and store behavior information of the members to match time information, the behavior information including location information, orientation information, view information, and motion information; at least one leader terminal held by a leader and configured to receive and store the behavior information of the members collected by the plurality of member terminals; and an analysis terminal configured to receive the behavior information from the at least one leader terminal and the plurality of member terminals.
US09218740B2
Described is a technology by which driver safety technology such as collision detection is implemented via mobile device (e.g., smartphone) sensors and a cloud service that processes data received from vehicles associated with the devices. Trajectory-related data is received at the cloud service and used to predict collisions between vehicles and/or lane departures of vehicles. To operate the service in real-time with low latency, also described is dividing driving areas into grids, e.g., based upon traffic density, having parallel grid servers each responsible for only vehicles in or approaching its own grid, and other parallel/distributed mechanisms of the cloud service.
US09218738B2
Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to obtain an image of a consumer electronic device, the image comprising at least one visual indication of a first operating state of the consumer electronic device, and to transmit one or more commands to the consumer electronic device to change to a second operating state different from the first operating state, responsive to determining the first operating state by extracting information associated with the at least one visual indication from the image. The commands may be determined by accessing a database having control instructions associated with the consumer electronic device. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09218736B2
Apparatuses, sensor nodes, systems and methods for modulating and transmitting sensor data wirelessly to an existing power line network are described. An apparatus may include a microcontroller having an oscillator and an input/output buffer. The microcontroller may process an electrical signal and the input/output buffer may drive a digital signal. The apparatus may include a transmitter utilizing the oscillator and the input/output buffer of the microcontroller. The transmitter may include a resonator coupled to the oscillator and modulation circuitry coupled to the oscillator and resonator. The resonator may modulate a frequency of the oscillator responsive to a modulation signal based on the processed electrical signal. The transmitter may further include an antenna coupled to the input/output buffer of the microcontroller for transmission of the data, and a resonant tank coupled to an output of the input/output buffer to provide an analog signal to the antenna.
US09218735B2
The invention relates to a patient monitoring system comprising at least one monitoring unit (24) for monitoring the physiological status of a patient and a host system (14) comprising a network of access points (16, 18, 20) for wireless reception of physiological status data. Each monitoring unit (24) is provided to transmit physiological status data to the access points at selected points of time, together with time related data indicating the expected point of time of the next data transmission. The invention further relates to a respective method for monitoring the physiological status of a patient.
US09218732B2
Methods and systems for an integrated flood and temperature sensor may comprise sensing a presence of water in a premises by measuring a resistance between at least one pair of metal probes in an integrated flood and temperature sensor, sensing a temperature utilizing one or more temperature sensors, and sensing an orientation of the integrated flood and temperature sensor with respect to gravity utilizing one or more level sensors. The metal probes may be extendable. The metal probes may be gold plated. A tamper sensor may sense whether an enclosure for the integrated flood and temperature sensor has been tampered with. The presence of water may be sensed utilizing a remote probe. The integrated water and temperature sensor may communicate wirelessly with one or more external devices utilizing a wireless transceiver.
US09218731B2
An electronic device may include a smoke detector. The electronic device may use the smoke detector to monitor for the presence of smoke. In response to detecting smoke with the smoke detector, the electronic device may issue an alert or take other suitable action. The electronic device may transmit alerts to nearby electronic devices and to remote electronic devices such as electronic devices at emergency services facilities. Alerts may contain maps and graphical representations of buildings in which smoke has been detected. Motion detectors and other sensors and circuitry may be used in determining whether electronic devices are being used by users and may be used in determining where the electronic devices are located. Alerts may contain information on the location of detected smoke and building occupants.
US09218729B2
A method and apparatus. The method includes the steps of an activity analysis processor monitoring the activities of a security system protecting a secured area and a human operator of the security system and evaluating the system's and operator's activities, the activity analysis processor detecting an event and saving a summary of the event to a cloud server, a user interface of the cloud server detecting a request from a user for a report of activities and the cloud server downloading the activity report to the user, the activity report displayed to the user including playback features controlling playback of the summary, the playback features further including provision to accept requests for additional data from the user and the playback features downloading and displaying the additional data in response to the requests.
US09218719B2
An electronic gaming machine includes an electronic game controller and a display where game symbols are arranged in an array of predetermined game positions. The appearance of a first special symbol causes a group of predetermined game positions to be selected where each game symbol occupying a predetermined game position in the group is changed into a second special symbol either during a play of a game or at the completion of the play, the change into the second special symbol being visible to the player. A gaming method is also provided.
US09218717B2
Aspects of the present invention provide a gaming method, system and game controller for a game of skill. The result of the game of skill is evaluated to determine whether any potential award value for the game of skill is lost based on the player's skill based result. Potential award value for the game of skill may be lost as a result of application of the player's skill based result. Any lost potential award value is applied to a prize pool.
US09218715B2
A gaming system compatible with patron-controlled portable electronic devices, such as smart phones or tablet computers, is described. The gaming system is configured to establish a secure communication session between an electronic gaming machine and a portable electronic device. The system can confirm that a communication session is secure by displaying pre-selected content unique to the portable electronic device. The content can be continuously displayed on the EGM during the active communication session to indicate that the session is secure.
US09218704B2
A dispensing system may be configured to dispense a custom product based on a user selection. The user selection may be provided via a user interface of the dispensing system. The user interface may simultaneously display selectable icons for the available types of products (e.g., types of beverages) and other icons for modifying a chosen product (e.g., a flavoring or additive to a beverage, such as a sweetener or a cherry flavoring). The user interface may receive input from a user in order for the user to select a custom product (e.g., a custom drink) and the dispensing system may dispense the custom product to the user.
US09218703B2
A vending machine system for dispensing goods or services. The vending machine system may include a vending machine with a vending mechanism, a data processing device remote from the vending machine, and a vending bridge. The vending bridge is in communication with the data processing device and the vending mechanism of the vending machine so as to instruct the vending mechanism to dispense the goods or the services.
US09218699B1
A firearm safe is described which may provide a firearm in a state for ready access such that release of the firearm from the safe is performed when a user's hand is in position to readily accept and use the firearm with no or minimal avoidance of obstructions. The firearm safe may maintain the firearm in a locked and protected position when access is not desired and may carry the firearm on a carriage assembly. The firearm safe may provide the firearm only upon activation by a user, such as by biometric or RFID readers. Upon such activation, the firearm safe may provide the firearm to the user. The biometric readers may be positioned such that, upon release of the firearm, the user's hand may be in position to receive the firearm with minimal or no obstructions and may readily grasp the firearm for use.
US09218698B2
Methods and systems for vehicle damage detection, identification and communication are disclosed. Specifically, a method to detect damage to a vehicle, identify the extent and location of the damage, and communicate the damage event is provided. In the event of damage to a vehicle, the system may take a number of actions. In one embodiment, the actions comprise notifying authorized users of the vehicle, a maintenance provider, an insurance provider and/or an emergency agency, disabling the vehicle, and emitting a visual or audio alarm.
US09218683B2
Collection rearrangement animation techniques are described herein, which can be employed to represent changes made by a rearrangement in a manner that reduces or eliminates visual confusion. A collection of items arranged at initial positions can be displayed. Various interaction can initiate a rearrangement of the collection of items, such as to sort the items, add or remove an item, or reposition an item. An animation of the rearrangement is depicted that omits at least a portion of the spatial travel along pathways from the initial positions to destination positions in the rearranged collection. In one approach, items can be animated to disappear from the initial positions and reappear at destination positions. This can occur by applying visual transitions that are bound to dimensional footprints of the items in the collection. Additionally or alternatively, intermediate and overlapping positions can be omitted by the animation.
US09218651B2
An image processing method for adjusting the luminance and contrast of an input image comprises the following steps. First, local spatial luminance statistics is performed on the first pixels of the input image to generate a luminance image including a plurality of second pixels. Then, from a preset mapping curve group comprising a plurality of smooth mapping curves, a corresponding smooth mapping curve is selected for each of the second pixels according to an adjusting function. Next, the pixel values of the second pixels are adjusted according to the corresponding smooth mapping curves to generate an adjusted image.
US09218628B2
A method and system for generating a digital profile defined by digital behavior expressed by a device includes receiving digital behavior data and identifying information defined by a device in communication with a content server, generating a device profile for the device, associating the device with at least one device population, and generating a population profile defined by the device population. The device profiles and population profiles may be made accessible to users of a social network. Related contents, including identifying information, device behavior analysis, comparative ratings, service and diagnostic information, messages and alerts may be associated with a device profile or population profile and published to the social network. A population profile may define normal digital behavior of the population, such that the population profile may be compared with the device profile of a device, to determine whether the device operation is abnormal with respect to the population profile.
US09218619B2
A user account including a personal profile is stored by a server for subsequent use. The user is provided a list of displayable entries sortable using specified criteria in a manner that allows the user to review a selection of entries and to make a change to the selection prior to submitting a transaction for processing. Responsive to a request to log into the user account, the identity of the user is verified. Once verified, the transaction is facilitated between a vendor and the user pursuant to instructions from the user. The instructions are generated based on a shopping cart screen rendered by a client device of the user. The user is sent a confirmation message regarding the transaction while the user is logged in the server. The user can be provided an account screen allowing access to information relating to user transactions and information relating to an account balance.
US09218599B1
A method for processing an automatic chargeback request includes: storing, in an account database, a plurality of account profiles, wherein each account profile includes data related to a payment account including at least an account identifier; receiving, by a receiving device, an indication of a product return, wherein the indication includes at least a specific account identifier, a product amount, and a merchant identifier; identifying, in the account database, a specific account profile where the included account identifier corresponds to the specific account identifier; generating, by a processing device, a chargeback request for a chargeback to be initiated against a merchant associated with the merchant identifier for the product amount for benefit to the payment account related to the specific account profile; and transmitting, by a transmitting device, the generated chargeback request.
US09218597B2
A system and method for enabling a wireless device to use card data during a transaction are provided. The method is performed by one or more processors configured to receive first financial card data, associate a first transaction type with the first financial card data, receive second financial card data, and associate a second transaction type with the second financial card data. The method further comprises receiving transaction type data, automatically selecting the first financial card data or the second financial card data based on the received transaction type data, and communicating the automatically selected financial card data for use in the transaction.
US09218596B2
A method for using a smartcard is provided. The smartcard may include a microprocessor chip, a button, a dynamic transaction authorization number, a Bluetooth low energy (“BLE”) device, and a battery. The battery may power the BLE and the microprocessor chip. The smartcard may also include memory. The memory may store the dynamic transaction authorization number. The smartcard may also include a dynamic magnetic strip. The dynamic magnetic strip may include a digital representation of the dynamic transaction authorization number. The method may include pressing the button. The method may also include transmitting an instruction to a smartphone for a request for a dynamic transaction authorization number. The transmission of an instruction may be in response to the pressing of the button. The method may also include receiving a dynamic transaction authorization number from a smartphone.
US09218590B2
A system and method of managing time and, more particularly, to a system and method for automatically tracking time in an electronic system. The system includes a time tracking tool is configured to be integrated with an instant messaging system. The time tracking tool is configured to associate a received instant message with one or more projects and track a session time in which the received instant message is active.
US09218589B2
Systems and methods for the issuance, management and conveyance of endorsements to authorities, the system comprising an endorsement issuance module configured to issue an endorsement associated with an endorsee, wherein the endorsement prescribes to specified endorsement issuance rules, an endorsement conveyance module configured to validate the endorsement according to the specified endorsement conveyance rules, and an endorsement management module configured to maintain the specified rules according to an authority.
US09218587B2
An information-providing method provides a notification relating to an item owned by a user in accordance with change in condition of the item. The information-providing method is implemented on a computer system that stores therein notifications that are each linked to one of a plurality of levels expressing possible conditions of the item. In the information-providing method, condition information is acquired which indicates change in condition of the item resulting from aging or use. Judgment is performed as to whether a current time is a provision time at which a notification is to be provided to the user. Upon judging affirmatively, a level matching condition of the item at the provision time is selected from among the levels, based on the condition information, and a notification linked to the selected level is determined to be the notification that is provided.
US09218584B2
A method is proposed for determining clinical study compliance. The method includes obtaining criteria for the clinical study and accessing stored clinical data relating to the clinical study. Thereafter, the criteria and clinical data are correlated to determine a measure of compliance with the criteria of the clinical study.
