US09287570B2
The present invention relates to a fuel cell device for use in planar configuration air breathing polymer electrolyte electrochemical devices and to a support plate, gas connection means and clamping means for use in the fuel cell device. The electrochemical device may be use as a fuel cell or an electrolyzer. In particular it relates to a planar configuration air breathing polymer electrolyte electrochemical device including at least two fuel cells arranged in series connection on one surface of a support plate, characterized in that the fuel cells (2′, 2″, 2′″; 943) are arranged to press against a bearing plate (218; 942), which has an area that is larger than the area of the support plate.
US09287563B2
An electrode for a lithium secondary battery includes an electrode active material, a conductive agent, and a polyurethane-based compound, and has pores having an average diameter of about 2 to about 20 nm. A lithium secondary battery includes the electrode.
US09287554B2
The present invention provides a positive electrode active material. The positive electrode active material is represented by the following formula (I) and has a BET specific surface area of larger than 5 m2/g and not larger than 15 m2/g: LixM1yM31-yO2 (I) wherein M1 is at least one transition metal element selected from Group 5 elements and Group 6 elements of the Periodic Table, M3 is at least one transition metal element other than M1 and selected from among transition metal elements excluding Fe, x is not less than 0.9 and not more than 1.3, and y is more than 0 and less than 1.
US09287553B2
A composite powder in which highly dispersed metal oxide nanoparticle precursors are supported on carbon is rapidly heated under nitrogen atmosphere, crystallization of metal oxide is allowed to progress, and highly dispersed metal oxide nanoparticles are supported by carbon. The metal oxide nanoparticle precursors and carbon nanoparticles supporting said precursors are prepared by a mechanochemical reaction that applies sheer stress and centrifugal force to a reactant in a rotating reactor. The rapid heating treatment in said nitrogen atmosphere is desirably heating to 400° C.-1000° C. By further crushing the heated composite, its aggregation is eliminated and the dispersity of metal oxide nanoparticles is made more uniform. Examples of a metal oxide that can be used are manganese oxide, lithium iron phosphate, and lithium titanate. Carbons that can be used are carbon nanofiber and Ketjen Black.
US09287539B2
Provided is a battery case lid (1) formed by working a metal plate, including: a substrate section (2) and an explosion-proof valve (4) formed in the substrate section (2), wherein the explosion-proof valve (4) has a reduced thickness section (41) thinner than the substrate section (2), and the reduced thickness section (41) is formed by extending the metal plate by applying pressure while the metal plate is kept unrestrained.
US09287538B2
An electric storage apparatus in which a first projecting portion projecting on one side and a second projecting portion projecting on the opposite side of the one side are formed at different positions in a direction orthogonal to a direction in which the first and second projecting portions project.
US09287533B2
A non-aqueous secondary battery includes: a positive-electrode collector layer; a positive-electrode layer formed on one surface of the positive-electrode collector layer; a negative-electrode collector layer; a negative-electrode layer formed on one surface of the negative-electrode collector layer so as to be opposed to the positive-electrode layer; a separator provided between the positive-electrode layer and the negative-electrode layer; and a positive-electrode-side insulating layer and a negative-electrode-side insulating layer respectively formed on another surface of the positive-electrode collector layer and another surface of the negative-electrode collector layer. Circumferential inner surfaces of peripheral edges of the positive-electrode collector layer and the negative-electrode collector layer are joined with a sealing agent including at least a positive-electrode fusion layer, a gas barrier layer, and a negative-electrode fusion layer. The positive-electrode-side insulating layer and/or the negative-electrode-side insulating layer has a battery-side recess provided on a surface.
US09287524B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a substrate, a display element on the substrate, and an encapsulation member on the substrate. The encapsulation member encapsulates the display element. The encapsulation member includes a plurality of organic layers and a plurality of inorganic layers. Each inorganic layer includes a plurality of inorganic blocks that are separate from each other. The inorganic layers are between the organic layers.
US09287519B2
An optoelectronic device, comprising: a first organic functional layer structure; a second organic functional layer structure; and a charge generating layer structure between the first organic functional layer structure and the second organic functional layer structure, wherein the charge generating layer structure comprises: a first electron-conducting charge generating layer; wherein the first electron-conducting charge generating layer comprises or is formed from an intrinsically electron-conducting substance; a second electron-conducting charge generating layer; and an interlayer between first electron-conducting charge generating layer; and second electron-conducting charge generating layer; and wherein the interlayer comprises at least one phthalocyanine derivative.
US09287518B2
The present disclosure relates to a light emitting device using a graphene quantum dot, and an organic light emitting device including the same.
US09287509B2
A quinacridone derivative may be represented by Chemical Formula 1, and a photoactive layer may include the same. A photoelectric conversion device may include a first electrode, a second electrode spaced apart from and configured to face the first electrode, and the photoactive layer including the quinacridone derivative between the first electrode and the second electrode.
US09287500B2
Some embodiments include a memory cell having an electrode and a switching material over the electrode. The electrode is a first composition which includes a first metal and a second metal. The switching material is a second composition which includes the second metal. The second composition is directly against the first composition. Some embodiments include methods of forming memory cells.
US09287469B2
An improved light emitting device, especially a phosphor-converted white light device, wherein the light extraction efficiency and the color temperature distribution uniformity are improved by the introduction of both nanoparticles and light scattering particles proximate to the light source. Nanoparticles having a high index of refraction are dispersed throughout a wavelength conversion layer to adjust the index of refraction of the layer for improved light extraction. Light scattering particles may be dispersed in the wavelength conversion layer and/or in a surrounding medium to improve the spatial correlated color temperature uniformity.
US09287462B2
An exemplary embodiment discloses a light emitting diode including a first light emitting cell and a second light emitting cell disposed on a substrate, the first light emitting cell and the second light emitting cell being spaced apart from each other. The light emitting diode also includes a first zinc oxide (ZnO) layer disposed on the first light emitting cell, the first ZnO layer being electrically connected to the first light emitting cell. The light emitting diode also includes a current blocking layer disposed between a portion of the first light emitting cell and the first ZnO layer, an interconnection electrically connecting the first light emitting cell and the second light emitting cell, and an insulation layer disposed between the interconnection and a side surface of the first light emitting cell. The current blocking layer and a first side of insulation layer are connected to each other.
US09287461B2
The disclosure provides a light-emitting diode and a method for manufacturing the same. The light-emitting diode comprises a N-type metal electrode, a N-type semiconductor layer contacted with the N-type metal electrode, a P-type semiconductor layer, a light-emitting layer interposed between the N-type semiconductor layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, a low-contact-resistance material layer positioned on the P-type semiconductor layer, a transparent conductive layer covered the low-contact-resistance material layer and the P-type semiconductor layer, and a P-type metal electrode positioned on the transparent conductive layer.
US09287450B2
The present invention provides a Group III nitride semiconductor light-emitting device which prevents an increase in driving voltage, and which has low threading dislocation density as a whole. The light-emitting device includes an embossed substrate. The substrate has, on a main surface thereof, a first region in which protrusions are arranged at a small pitch, and second regions in which protrusions are arranged at a large pitch. The second regions correspond to projection areas of a p-pad electrode and an n-pad electrode as viewed through the main surface of the substrate. The first region corresponds to a projection area, as viewed through the main surface of the substrate, of a region in which neither the p-pad electrode nor the n-pad electrode is formed.
US09287449B2
A device including a first semiconductor layer and a contact to the first semiconductor layer is disclosed. An interface between the first semiconductor layer and the contact includes a first roughness profile having a characteristic height and a characteristic width. The characteristic height can correspond to an average vertical distance between crests and adjacent valleys in the first roughness profile. The characteristic width can correspond to an average lateral distance between the crests and adjacent valleys in the first roughness profile.
US09287443B2
A nanostructured device according to the invention comprises a first group of nanowires protruding from a substrate where each nanowire of the first group of nanowires comprises at least one pn- or p-i-n-junction. A first contact, at least partially encloses and is electrically connected to a first side of the pn- or p-i-n-junction of each nanowire in the first group of nanowires. A second contacting means comprises a second group of nanowires that protrudes from the substrate, and is arranged to provide an electrical connection to a second side of the pn- or p-i-n-junction.
US09287441B2
According to one embodiment, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method can prepare a substrate unit including a base substrate, an intermediate crystal layer, and a first mask layer. The intermediate crystal layer has a major surface having a first region, a second region, and a first intermediate region. The first mask layer is provided on the first intermediate region. The method can implement a first growth to grow a first lower layer on the first region and grow a second lower layer on the second region. The first and second lower layers include a semiconductor crystal. The method can implement a second growth to grow a second upper layer while growing a first upper layer to cover the first mask layer with the first and second upper layers. The method can implement cooling to separate the first and second upper layers.
US09287439B1
The invention relates to a method for conditioning the CdTe layer of CdTe thin-film solar cells without the use of CdCl2. Calcium tetrachlorozincate (CaZnCl4) is to be used instead of CdCl2 for activation, and the process parameters that have proven themselves over time are to be kept. The method involves the activation of the CdTe layer of semi-finished thin-film CdTe solar cells; calcium tetrachlorozincate is applied to the CdTe layer (4) and the semi-finished thin-film CdTe solar cell subsequently undergoes a heat treatment. The calcium tetrachlorozincate layer is preferably applied via methods from the prior art, for instance roller coating with an aqueous or methanolic salt solution, spraying on an aqueous or methanolic salt solution, an aerosol coating or a dipping bath.
US09287430B1
A photovoltaic solar concentrator is disclosed with one or more transverse-junction solar cells (also termed point contact solar cells) and a lens located above each solar cell to concentrate sunlight onto the solar cell to generate electricity. Piezoelectric actuators tilt or translate each lens to track the sun using a feedback-control circuit which senses the electricity generated by one or more of the solar cells. The piezoelectric actuators can be coupled through a displacement-multiplier linkage to provide an increased range of movement of each lens. Each lens in the solar concentrator can be supported on a frame (also termed a tilt plate) having three legs, with the movement of the legs being controlled by the piezoelectric actuators.
US09287428B2
The one or more embodiments of the present invention propose a novel photovoltaic system. The system can include a housing and at least one layer of photovoltaic panels inside the housing. Photovoltaic cells can be arranged on the panel. Light is reflected in many ways and recycled within the housing either continuously or intermittently. This can reduce the loss of light energy back into the atmosphere due to reflections from the panel and can also improve the working efficiency of the photovoltaic cells by creating multiple passes for the light either continuously or intermittently.
US09287427B2
Apparatus comprises a solar cell arrangement comprising one or more solar cells arranged in a planar structure, the solar cell arrangement having a front surface and a rear surface, the solar cell arrangement being operable to produce electrical power in response to the incidence of light on the front surface. It includes an induction loop arrangement comprising one or more induction loops arranged in a planar structure. The induction loop arrangement is configured to produce electrical power in response to the presence of an electric or electromagnetic field extending through the plane of the induction loop arrangement, and/or is configured to generate an radiate electric or electromagnetic field through the plane of induction loop arrangement in response to being energized with alternating current electrical power. Each solar cell in the arrangement is partly or substantially transparent to electromagnetic fields, and the induction loop arrangement is supported in juxtaposition with the rear surface of the solar cell.
US09287422B2
The present invention discloses a solar cell having a multi-layered structure that is used to generate, transport, and collect electric charges. The multi-layered nanostructure comprises a cathode, a conducting metal layer, a photo-active layer, a hole-transport layer, and an anode. The photo-active layer comprises a tree-like nanostructure array and a conjugate polymer filler. The tree-like nanostructure array is used as an electron acceptor while the conjugate polymer filler is as an electron donor. The tree-like nanostructure array comprises a trunk part and a branch part. The trunk part is formed in-situ on the surface of the conducting metal layer and is used to provide a long straight transport pathway to transport electrons. The large contact area between the branch part and the conjugate polymer filler provides electron-hole separation.
US09287415B2
A Schottky barrier diode includes: an n− type epitaxial layer disposed on a first surface of an n+ type silicon carbide substrate; a first p+ region disposed on the n− type epitaxial layer; an n type epitaxial layer disposed on the n− type epitaxial layer and the first p+ region; a second p+ region disposed on the n type epitaxial layer, and being in contact with the first p+ region; a Schottky electrode disposed on the n type epitaxial layer and the second p+ region; and an ohmic electrode disposed on a second surface of the n+ type silicon carbide substrate. Also, the first p+ region has a lattice shape including a plurality of vertical portions and horizontal portions connecting both ends of the respective vertical portions to each other.
US09287398B2
A transistor device includes a gate structure disposed over a channel region of a semiconductor substrate. A source/drain recess is arranged in the semiconductor substrate alongside the gate structure. A doped silicon-germanium (SiGe) region is disposed within the source/drain recess and has a doping type which is opposite to that of the channel. An un-doped SiGe region is also disposed within the source/drain recess. The un-doped SiGe region underlies the doped SiGe region and comprises different germanium concentrations at different locations within the source/drain recess.
US09287396B2
A semiconductor device includes a fin-shaped silicon layer on a silicon substrate and a first insulating film around the fin-shaped silicon layer. A pillar-shaped silicon layer resides on the fin-shaped silicon layer. A gate electrode and gate insulating film surround the pillar-shaped silicon layer and a gate line is connected to the gate electrode and extends in a direction orthogonally intersecting the fin-shaped silicon layer. A first diffusion layer resides in an upper portion of the pillar-shaped silicon layer and a second diffusion layer resides in an upper portion of the fin-shaped silicon layer and a lower portion of the pillar-shaped silicon layer.
US09287392B2
The semiconductor device includes: a transistor having a gate electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate and first and second source/drain regions formed in portions of the semiconductor substrate on both sides of the gate electrode; a gate interconnect formed at a position opposite to the gate electrode with respect to the first source/drain region; and a first silicon-germanium layer formed on the first source/drain region to protrude above the top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The gate interconnect and the first source/drain region are connected via a local interconnect structure that includes the first silicon-germanium layer.
US09287384B2
A transistor includes a semiconductor body; a body region of a first conductivity type formed in the semiconductor body; a gate electrode formed partially overlapping the body region and insulated from the semiconductor body by a gate dielectric layer; a source diffusion region of a second conductivity type formed in the body region on a first side of the gate electrode; a trench formed in the semiconductor body on a second side, opposite the first side, of the gate electrode, the trench being lined with a sidewall dielectric layer; and a doped sidewall region of the second conductivity type formed in the semiconductor body along the sidewall of the trench where the doped sidewall region forms a vertical drain current path for the transistor.
US09287382B1
A semiconductor device and method of forming the same is disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a substrate having first and second device regions. The first device region includes a first source/drain (S/D) region and the second device region includes a plurality of second S/D regions. The semiconductor device further includes a plurality of first recesses in the first S/D region and a plurality of second recesses, one in each of the second S/D regions. The semiconductor device further includes a first epitaxial feature having bottom portions and a top portion, wherein each of the bottom portions is in one of the first recesses and the top portion is over the first S/D region. The semiconductor device further includes a plurality of second epitaxial features each having a bottom portion in one of the second recesses. The second epitaxial features separate from each other.
US09287379B2
Some embodiments include a memory array which has a stack of alternating first and second levels. Channel material pillars extend through the stack, and vertically-stacked memory cell strings are along the channel material pillars. A common source is under the stack and electrically coupled to the channel material pillars. The common source has conductive protective material over and directly against metal silicide, with the conductive protective material being a composition other than metal silicide. Some embodiments include methods of fabricating integrated structures.
US09287375B2
A transistor device may include a substrate that has a recess and a substrate surface, wherein the recess is recessed with respect to the substrate surface. The transistor device may further include a source and a drain that overlap the substrate. The transistor device may further include a gate structure that has a first gate structure portion and a second gate structure portion, wherein the first gate structure portion is positioned inside the recess, and wherein the second gate structure portion is connected to the first gate structure and is positioned outside the first recess.
US09287372B2
A method is provided for forming a trench on a FinFET. In an exemplary embodiment, a first inter-layer dielectric layer is formed between a first gate and a second gate of the FinFET in an interposed manner. A second inter-layer dielectric layer is formed above the first inter-layer dielectric layer, the first gate of the FinFET, and the second gate of the FinFET. A photoresist layer is formed above the second inter-layer dielectric layer. And part of the second inter-layer dielectric layer that is not below the photoresist layer is etched.
US09287371B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor substrate is provided having a localized superjunction structure extending from a major surface. A doped region is then formed adjacent the localized superjunction structure to create a charge imbalance therein. In one embodiment, the doped region can be an ion implanted region formed within the localized superjunction structure. In another embodiment, the doped region can be an epitaxial layer having a graded dopant profile adjoining the localized superjunction structure. The charge imbalance can improve, among other things, unclamped inductive switching (UIS) performance.
US09287370B2
A memory device consumes low power, has high capacity, and is shared by a plurality of processors. A data write transistor of a memory device is manufactured with a material capable of achieving a sufficiently low off-state current of a transistor (e.g., an oxide semiconductor material that is a wide band gap semiconductor). The memory device has a memory cell including at least one data write transistor, at least one data storage transistor, and at least two data read transistors.
US09287362B1
An approach to forming a semiconductor structure for a vertical field effect transistor with a controlled gate overlap. The approach includes forming on a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer, a third semiconductor layer, a fourth semiconductor layer, a fifth semiconductor layer, and a first dielectric layer. The etched first dielectric layer and a first drain contact are surrounded by a first spacer. The first drain contact is composed of the fifth semiconductor layer. A second drain contact composed of the fourth semiconductor layer, a channel composed of the third semiconductor layer, and a second source contact composed of the second semiconductor layer are formed. Additionally, first source contact composed of the first semiconductor is formed and a gate electrode is formed on a portion of the first source contact layer surrounding a portion of the first pillar and the second pillar.
US09287360B1
A method for fabricating a III-V nanowire. The method may include providing a semiconductor substrate, which includes an insulator, with a wide-bandgap layer on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate; etching the insulator to suspend the wide-bandgap layer; growing a compositionally-graded channel shell over the wide-bandgap layer; forming a gate structure forming spacers on the sidewalls of the gate structure; and forming a doped raised source drain region adjacent to the spacers.
US09287354B2
A semiconductor component having differently structured cell regions, and a method for producing it. For this purpose, the semiconductor component includes a semiconductor body. A first electrode on the top side of the semiconductor body is electrically connected to a first zone near the surface of the semiconductor body. A second electrode is electrically connected to a second zone of the semiconductor body. Furthermore, the semiconductor body has a drift path region, which is arranged in the semiconductor body between the first electrode and the second electrode. A cell region of the semiconductor component is subdivided into a main cell region and an auxiliary cell region, wherein the breakdown voltage of the auxiliary cells is greater than the breakdown voltage of the main cells.
US09287349B2
According to example embodiments of inventive concepts, method of forming a semiconductor memory devices includes sequentially forming a first mold layer, a first support layer, a second mold layer, and a second support layer on a substrate, forming lower electrodes penetrating the second support layer, the second mold layer, the first support layer, and the first mold layer on the substrate, patterning the second support layer to form a second support pattern including an opening, removing the second mold layer to expose portions of sidewalls of the lower electrodes, and etching the exposed sidewalls of the lower electrodes.
US09287347B2
A metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitor reduces a number of masks and processing steps compared to conventional techniques. A first conductive layer of a MIM capacitor is deposited on a semiconductor chip and patterned using a MIM conductive layer mask. A conductive redistribution layer (RDL) is patterned over the MIM dielectric layer. The conductive redistribution layer includes two RDL nodes that overlap the first conductive layer of the MIM capacitor. A conductive via or bump extends through the MIM dielectric layer and couples one of the RDL nodes to the first conductive layer of the MIM capacitor.
US09287346B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a capacitor region and a resistor region. A capacitor dielectric material and a capacitor electrode are sequentially stacked on an active region in the capacitor region of the semiconductor substrate. A resistor is provided on the resistor region of the semiconductor substrate. A protection pattern is provided on a top surface of the capacitor electrode. The protection pattern is spaced apart from the capacitor electrode. The protection pattern and the resistor include the same material and have the same thickness in a direction vertical to a surface of the semiconductor substrate.
US09287340B2
Provided is a display device (1a), including: a substrate on which a plurality of pixels are arranged in a display region; a plurality of connection pads (C) provided on one surface of the substrate; and wires connecting the plurality of pixels and the plurality of connection pads to each other, the substrate including: a panel portion in which the plurality of pixels are arranged; and a terminal portion (30) in which the plurality of connection pads are arranged, the terminal portion including: a first portion (32) continuing to a first direction side of the panel portion; and a second portion (34) opposing the first portion, the second portion being formed by bending a portion of the terminal portion, the plurality of connection pads being arranged in the first portion and the second portion.
US09287310B2
Methods for glass removal while forming CMOS image sensors. A method for forming a device is provided that includes forming a plurality of pixel arrays on a device wafer; bonding a carrier wafer to a first side of the device wafer; bonding a substrate over a second side of the device wafer; thinning the carrier wafer; forming electrical connections to the first side of the device wafer; subsequently de-bonding the substrate from the second side of the device wafer; and subsequently singulating individuals ones of the plurality of pixel arrays from the device wafer. An apparatus is disclosed.
US09287305B2
The invention describes image sensor array pixels with global and rolling shutter capabilities that utilize multiple BCMD transistors for storing and sensing charge for a single photodiode. This configuration improves the Dynamic Range (DR) of the sensor, by allowing sensing different image signals from a single pixel without saturation, a low level signal with long integration time followed by a high level signal with short integration time. Signal processing circuits can process these signals into a single Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) output. Further disclosed are pixels that use multiple-gate BCMD transistors for charge storage and sensing having multiple concentric gates, which allows changing the conversion gain of the BCMD transistors. Variable conversion gain is a useful feature when building WDR sensors since low conversion gain and high well capacity allows detection of high level signals and, at the same time, low level signals with high conversion gain and low noise.
US09287303B1
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, a logic gate structure, a photosensitive gate structure, a hard mask layer, a first spacer, a first source, a first drain, a second spacer, a second source and a second drain. The logic gate structure and the photosensitive gate structure are disposed on a surface of the substrate. The hard mask layer covers the logic gate structure, the photosensitive gate structure and the surface of the substrate. The first spacer overlies the hard mask layer conformal to a sidewall of the logic gate structure. The first source and drain are respectively disposed in the substrate at two opposite sides of the logic gate structure. The second spacer overlies the hard mask layer conformal to a sidewall of the photosensitive gate structure. The second source and drain are respectively disposed in the substrate at two opposite sides of the photosensitive gate structure.
US09287301B2
A solid-state image sensing device has a plurality of detection units periodically arranged as a two-dimensional array on a substrate. Each of the detection units includes a visible light detector and an infrared light detector arranged on the same optical axis in a vertical direction so that the visible light detector and the infrared light detector overlap with each other. Each of the detection units also includes a signal readout circuit provided in the substrate so as to output signals of the visible light detector and the infrared light detector as time-series signals.
US09287298B2
A liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate, a gate line and a data line disposed on the first substrate, a thin film transistor connected to the gate line and the data line, a first passivation layer disposed on the thin film transistor, a first electrode disposed on the first passivation layer, a second passivation layer disposed on the first electrode and a second electrode disposed on the second passivation layer. A first edge of the first electrode and a second edge of the second passivation layer have substantially the same plane shape as each other, and the second edge of the second passivation layer protrudes more than the first edge of the first electrode.
US09287296B2
Provided is a display device, in which: a plurality of spacers placed between a first substrate and a second substrate include a first spacer placed between a first thin film transistor and a second thin film transistor and a second spacer placed between the first thin film transistor and a third thin film transistor; and a distance between a center of the first spacer and a center of a line width of a first data line is smaller than a distance between a center of the second spacer and a center of a line width of a second data line.
US09287289B2
A semiconductor device includes a substrate, and a gate line, located over the substrate, which includes a first conductive layer and one or more second conductive pattern layers located in the first conductive layer. The second conductive pattern layer comprises a metal layer to thus reduce resistance of a gate line.
US09287286B2
A three-dimensional nonvolatile memory device includes a first vertical channel layer and a second vertical channel layer extending from a substrate, a plurality of memory cells, first selection transistors and second selection transistors spaced apart from each other along the first vertical channel layer and the second vertical channel layer, a pad, a contact plug and a bit line in a stacked configuration over the first vertical channel layer, and a common source line formed over the second vertical channel layer.
US09287282B2
A method includes forming a first pad oxide layer and a second pad oxide layer over a first active region and a second active region, respectively, of a semiconductor substrate, forming a dielectric protection layer overlapping the first pad oxide layer, removing the second pad oxide layer, and forming a floating gate dielectric over the second active region. A floating gate layer is then formed to include a first portion over the dielectric protection layer, and a second portion over the floating gate dielectric. A planarization is performed on the first portion and the second portion of the floating gate layer. A blocking layer, a control gate layer, and a hard mask layer are formed over the second portion of the floating gate layer. The hard mask layer, the control gate layer, and the blocking layer are patterned to form a gate stack for a flash memory cell.
US09287280B2
A semiconductor structure of a split gate flash memory cell is provided. The semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate that includes a first source/drain region and a second source/drain region. The semiconductor structure further includes an erase gate located over the first source/drain region, and a word line and a floating gate located over the semiconductor substrate between the first and second source/drain regions. The floating gate is arranged between the word line and the erase gate. Further, the floating gate includes a pair of protrusions extending vertically up from a top surface of the floating gate and arranged on opposing sides, respectively, of the floating gate. A method of manufacturing the semiconductor structure using a high selectively etch recipe, such as an etch recipe comprised of primarily hydrogen bromide (HBr) and oxygen, is also provided.
US09287279B2
Some embodiments relate to a memory cell with a charge-trapping layer of nanocrystals, comprising a tunneling oxide layer along a select gate, a control oxide layer formed between a control gate and the tunnel oxide layer, and a plurality of nanocrystals arranged between the tunneling and control oxide layers. An encapsulating layer isolates the nanocrystals from the control oxide layer. Contact formation to the select gate includes a two-step etch. A first etch includes a selectivity between oxide and the encapsulating layer, and etches away the control oxide layer while leaving the encapsulating layer intact. A second etch, which has an opposite selectivity of the first etch, then etches away the encapsulating layer while leaving the tunneling oxide layer intact. As a result, the control oxide layer and nanocrystals are etched away from a surface of the select gate, while leaving the tunneling oxide layer intact for contact isolation.
US09287260B1
In an embodiment, an array of transistors has a first line coupled to a first transistor. The first line extends over a second transistor that is successively adjacent to the first transistor and over a third transistor that is successively adjacent to the second transistor. A second line is coupled to the second transistor and extends over the third transistor. One or more first dummy lines are coupled to the first line and extend from the first transistor to the second transistor. One or more second dummy lines are coupled to the second line and extend from the second transistor to the third transistor. A collective width of the one or more first dummy lines is greater than a collective width of the one or more second dummy lines.
US09287258B2
At least one of a plurality of transistors which are highly integrated in an element is provided with a back gate without increasing the number of manufacturing steps. In an element including a plurality of transistors which are longitudinally stacked, at least a transistor in an upper portion includes a metal oxide having semiconductor characteristics, a same layer as a gate electrode of a transistor in a lower portion is provided to overlap with a channel formation region of the transistor in an upper portion, and part of the same layer as the gate electrode functions as a back gate of the transistor in an upper portion. The transistor in a lower portion which is covered with an insulating layer is subjected to planarization treatment, whereby the gate electrode is exposed and connected to a layer functioning as source and drain electrodes of the transistor in an upper portion.
US09287257B2
Embodiments of mechanisms for forming power gating cells and virtual power circuits on multiple active device layers are described in the current disclosure. Power gating cells and virtual power circuits are formed on separate active device layers to allow interconnect structure for connecting with the power source be formed on a separate level from the interconnect structure for connecting the power gating cells and the virtual power circuits. Such separation prevents these two types of interconnect structures from competing for the same space. Routings for both types of interconnect structures become easier. As a result, metal lengths of interconnect structures are reduced and the metal widths are increased. Reduced metal lengths and increased metal widths reduce resistance, improves resistance-capacitance (RC) delay and electrical performance, and improves interconnect reliability, such as reducing electro-migration.
US09287255B2
ESD protection device structures and related fabrication methods are provided. An exemplary semiconductor protection device includes a first base well region having a first conductivity type, a collector region of the opposite conductivity type, and a second base well region having a dopant concentration greater than the first base well region, and a portion of the second base well region is disposed between the first base well region and the collector region. A third base well region with a different dopant concentration is disposed between the collector region and the second base well region. At least a portion of the first base well region is disposed between a base contact region and an emitter region within the second base well region.
US09287250B2
A package substrate includes an inner interlayer, a first conductor layer on the inner interlayer, a second conductor layer on which the inner interlayer is formed, an outermost interlayer on the first conductor layer, an outermost conductor layer on the outermost interlayer and including first and second pads positioned to mount first and second electronic components on the outermost interlayer, outermost vias connecting the first and outermost conductor layers through the outermost interlayer, and skip vias connecting the outermost and second conductor layers through the outermost and inner interlayers. The first conductor layer includes a first circuit connecting two outermost vias, and the outermost conductor layer includes an outermost circuit connecting one of the two outermost vias and one skip via such that the first conductor circuit, two outermost vias, outermost circuit and one skip via form a connection path connecting one second pad and the second conductor layer.
US09287248B2
Embodiment of the present disclosure describe integrated circuit package assemblies that allow for relatively short connections between devices such as a processor and memory. In one embodiment, a package assembly includes a die embedded in a subpackage directly coupled to another die attached to the subpackage. In some embodiments the subpackage may also contain power management devices. In some embodiments the die embedded in the subpackage and/or the power management device may overlap, or be located in, a region defined by the die coupled to the subpackage such that they are located between the die coupled to the subpackage and a substrate underlying the subpackage. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09287246B2
A device includes a first package component, and a second package component underlying the first package component. The second package component includes a first electrical connector at a top surface of the second package component, wherein the first electrical connector is bonded to the first package component. The second package component further includes a second electrical connector at the top surface of the second package component, wherein no package component is overlying and bonded to the second electrical connector.
US09287237B2
Hermetically sealed semiconductor wafer packages that include a first bond ring on a first wafer facing a complementary surface of a second bond ring on a second wafer. The package includes first and second standoffs of a first material, having a first thickness, formed on a surface of the first bond ring. The package also includes a eutectic alloy (does not have to be eutectic, typically it will be an alloy not specific to the eutectic ratio of the elements) formed from a second material and the first material to create a hermetic seal between the first and second wafer, the eutectic alloy formed by heating the first and second wafers to a temperature above a reflow temperature of the second material and below a reflow temperature of the first material, wherein the eutectic alloy fills a volume between the first and second standoffs and the first and second bond rings, and wherein the standoffs maintain a prespecified distance between the first bond ring and the second bond ring.
US09287235B2
Methods for forming a stacking interposer are provided that create a more compact and/or reliable interposer cavity. According to one method, a segmentation process that partially cuts a multi-cell, multi-layer PCB panel to a controlled depth along the internal walls/edges of a cavity region with each of the interposer cell sites defined within the PCB panel is used. The material within the cavity region is then removed (by routing) to a controlled depth to form the internal cavity for each interposer cell site. Pillars may then be removed from the PCB panel. As a result of the initial partial cuts of the internal walls of the cavity region, the corners of the cavities may have a square configuration for fitting over the top of a BGA/memory device (which has very square corners).
US09287233B2
The present disclosure relates to an integrated chip package having a plurality of different adhesive layers that provide for a low lid induced stress good warpage control of a substrate and/or IC die, and an associated method of formation. The integrated chip package has an integrated chip (IC) die coupled to an underlying substrate by an electrically conductive interconnect structure. A first adhesive layer, having a first Young's modulus, is disposed onto the substrate at a first plurality of positions surrounding the IC die. A second adhesive layer, having a second Young's modulus different than the first Young's modulus, is disposed onto the substrate at a second plurality of positions surrounding the IC die. A lid is affixed to the substrate by the first and second adhesive layers and extends to a position overlying the IC die.
US09287232B2
The invention relates to a method for producing a connection between a semiconductor component and semiconductor component and semiconductor module resistant to high temperatures and temperature changes by means of a temperature impinging process, wherein a metal powder suspension is applied to the areas of the semiconductor module to be connected later; the suspension layer is dried, outgassing the volatile components and generating a porous layer; the porous layer is pre-sealed without complete sintering taking place throughout the suspension layer; and, in order to obtain a solid electrically and thermally conductive connection of a semiconductor module to a connection partner from the group of: substrate, further semiconductor or interconnect device, the connection is a sintered connection generated without compression by increasing the temperature and made of a dried metal powder suspension that has undergone a first transport-safe contact with the connection partner in a pre-compression step and has been solidified at zero pressure using temperature sintering.
US09287223B2
A device for insulating an electrically conducting plane having a first electric potential relatively to a second electric potential is provided. The device comprises an insulating substrate including two parallel planar surfaces, a first conducting outer layer and an electrostatic field reducer. The electrostatic field reducer reduces the value of the electrostatic field in a point of the peripheral edge, the reducer includes at least one conducting area distinct from the first outer layer, positioned on the first surface of the insulating substrate and/or in the insulating substrate. The reducer reduces the value of the electrostatic field in this point relative to the value of the electrostatic field in this point in the absence of the conducting area. The conducting area has a potential with a value strictly comprised between the values of the first and second potentials.
US09287221B2
A semiconductor structure includes a matrix, an integrated circuit and a scribe line. The matrix includes a scribe line region and a circuit region. The integrated circuit is disposed within the circuit region. The scribe line is disposed within the scribe line region and includes a crack stop trench which is disposed in the matrix and adjacent to the circuit region. The crack stop trench is parallel with one side of the circuit region and filled with a composite material in a form of a grid to form a crack stop structure.
US09287219B2
Stacked layers of non-continuous opaque layer structures are disclosed herein that may be configured to block radiation such as visible light or other forms of light, while at the same time allowing penetration of ambient gases. In one example, such non-continuous opaque layer structures may be configured as stacked non-continuous metal layer structures that together fully block penetration of radiation while at the same provide sufficient open spaces between and/or within the metal layer segments of a given integrated circuit layer to meet maximum metal spacing rules. In another example, such non-continuous opaque layer structures may be configured as capacitive structures.
US09287217B2
A dicing die-bonding film and a method of forming a groove in a dicing die-bonding film, the film including a base film; a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer stacked on the base film; and a bonding layer stacked on the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, wherein the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer includes a first region overlapping with the bonding layer, and a second region not overlapping with the bonding layer, the second region including a third region adjacent to the first region, and a fourth region adjacent to the third region and having a groove formed therein.
US09287214B2
A semiconductor device and a method of forming the same are disclosed, which forms a low-dielectric-constant oxide film only at a peripheral part of a bit line conductive material, resulting in reduction in parasitic capacitance of the bit line. The semiconductor device includes a bit line formed over a semiconductor substrate, a first spacer formed over sidewalls of the bit line, and a second spacer formed over sidewalls of the first spacer, configured to have a dielectric constant lower than that of the first spacer.
US09287212B2
A semiconductor device is disclosed. The device includes a substrate, a first dielectric layer disposed over the substrate and a metal structure disposed in the first dielectric layer and below a surface of the first dielectric layer. The metal structure has a such shape that having an upper portion with a first width and a lower portion with a second width. The second width is substantially larger than the first width. The semiconductor device also includes a sub-structure of a second dielectric positioned between the upper portion of the metal structure and the first dielectric layer.
US09287211B2
In sophisticated semiconductor devices, electronic fuses may be provided in the metallization system, wherein a superior two-dimensional configuration of the metal line, for instance as a helix-like configuration, may provide superior thermal conditions in a central line portion, which in turn may result in a more pronounced electromigration effect for a given programming current. Consequently, the size of the electronic fuse, at least in one lateral direction, and also the width of corresponding transistors connected to the electronic fuse, may be reduced.
US09287208B1
In an embodiment, an apparatus includes: a plurality of islands configured on a semiconductor die, each of the plurality of islands having a plurality of cores; and a plurality of network switches configured on the semiconductor die and each associated with one of the plurality of islands, where each network switch includes a plurality of output ports, a first set of the output ports are each to couple to the associated network switch of an island via a point-to-point interconnect and a second set of the output ports are each to couple to the associated network switches of a plurality of islands via a point-to-multipoint interconnect. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09287206B2
A method of fabricating a semiconductor device and semiconductor device is provided. The method provides a first layer. The first layer includes through-holes. At least one semiconductor chip is provided. The semiconductor chip includes contact elements. The semiconductor chip is placed onto the first layer with the contact elements being aligned with the through-holes. An encapsulant material is applied over the semiconductor chip.
US09287205B2
A fan-out high-density packaging method includes providing a packaging substrate, forming a stripping film on the packaging substrate, and forming a first protection layer on the stripping film and pre-designed photolithography pattern openings on the first protection layer. The method also includes forming a metal redistribution layer on the surface of the first protection layer and in the photolithography pattern openings, forming a second protection layer on the first protection layer and partially exposing the metal redistribution layer, and forming at least one package layer on the second protection layer. Each of at least one package layer includes a straight mounting layer, a sealant layer, and a wiring layer formed in sequence, and the package layer connects the metal redistribution layer through the wiring layer. Further, the method includes forming at least one top-level package layer on top of the at least one package layer, removing the packaging substrate and the stripping film to expose the metal redistribution layer in the first protection layer, and planting metal solder balls on the exposed metal redistribution layer.
US09287203B2
A device comprises a bottom package comprising interconnect structures, first bumps on a first side and metal bumps on a second side, a semiconductor die bonded on the bottom package, wherein the semiconductor die is electrically coupled to the first bumps through the interconnect structures. The device further comprises a top package bonded on the second side of the bottom package, wherein the top package comprises second bumps, and wherein each second bump and a corresponding metal bump form a joint structure between the top package and the bottom package and an underfill layer formed between the top package and the bottom package, wherein the metal bumps are embedded in the underfill layer.
US09287202B2
A resin-encapsulated semiconductor device having a semiconductor chip which is prevented from being damaged. The resin-encapsulated semiconductor device (100) comprises a semiconductor chip (1) including a silicon substrate, a die pad (10) to which the semiconductor chip (1) is secured through a first solder layer (2), a resin-encapsulating layer (30) encapsulating the semiconductor chip (1), and lead terminals (21) electrically connected to the semiconductor chip (1) and including inner lead portion (21b) covered with the resin-encapsulating layer (30). The lead terminals (21) are made of copper or a copper alloy. The die pad (10) is made of 42 alloy or a cover alloy and has a thickness (about 0.125 mm) less than the thickness (about 0.15 mm) of the lead terminals (21).
US09287201B2
A semiconductor device including: a semiconductor element; a lead frame connected to the semiconductor element; a metal base plate mounted on the lead frame via a first insulation layer; and a second insulation layer disposed on the opposite side of the metal base plate face on which the first insulation layer is disposed; wherein the first insulation layer is an insulation layer whose heat-dissipation performance is higher than that of the second insulation layer, and the second insulation layer is an insulation layer whose insulation performance is the same as that of the first insulation layer or higher than that of the first insulation layer.
US09287197B2
A device and methods for forming a device are disclosed. A substrate is provided and a TSV is formed in the substrate through a top surface of the substrate. The TSV and top surface of the substrate is lined with an insulation stack having a first insulation layer, a polish stop layer and a second insulation layer. A conductive layer is formed on the substrate. The TSV is filled with conductive material of the conductive layer. The substrate is planarized to remove excess conductive material of the conductive layer. The planarizing stops on the polish stop layer to form a planar top surface.
US09287182B2
Semiconductor devices and fabrication methods for simultaneously forming a 3T-FinFET and a 4T-FinFET on a same substrate are provided. A first fin and a second fin can be formed on a semiconductor substrate. The first fin has a top surface higher than the second fin. A first gate dielectric layer and a first gate can be formed across the first fin. A second gate dielectric layer and a second gate can be formed across the second fin. An interlayer dielectric layer can be formed to cover the first gate, the second gate, and the semiconductor substrate. A first portion of the interlayer dielectric layer, a portion of the first gate, and a portion of the first gate dielectric layer, over the first fin, and a second portion of the interlayer dielectric layer over the second fin can be removed to expose the second gate.
US09287154B2
Embodiments of an ultraviolet (UV) curing system for treating a semiconductor substrate such as a wafer are disclosed. The curing system generally includes a processing chamber, a wafer support for holding a wafer in the chamber, a UV radiation source disposed above the chamber, and a UV transparent window interspersed between the radiation source and wafer support. In one embodiment, the wafer support is provided by a belt conveyor operable to transport wafers through the chamber during UV curing. In another embodiment, the UV radiation source is a movable lamp unit that travels across the top of the chamber for irradiating the wafer. In another embodiment, the UV transparent window includes a UV radiation modifier that reduces the intensity of UV radiation on portions of the wafer positioned below the modifier. Various embodiments enhance wafer curing uniformity by normalizing UV intensity levels on the wafer.
US09287130B1
A method includes forming a plurality of fin elements above a substrate. A mask is formed above the substrate. The mask has an opening defined above at least one selected fin element of the plurality of fin elements. An ion species is implanted into the at least one selected fin element through the opening to increase its etch characteristics relative to the other fin elements. The at least one selected fin element is removed selectively relative to the other fin elements.
US09287128B2
A device includes a crystalline material within an area confined by an insulator. A surface of the crystalline material has a reduced roughness. One example includes obtaining a surface with reduced roughness by using a planarization process configured with a selectivity of the crystalline material to the insulator greater than one. In a preferred embodiment, the planarization process uses a composition including abrasive spherical silica, H2O2 and water. In a preferred embodiment, the area confined by the insulator is an opening in the insulator having an aspect ratio sufficient to trap defects using an ART technique.
US09287121B2
A method of manufacturing a SiC epitaxial wafer wherein a SiC epitaxial layer is provided on a SiC single crystal substrate having an off angle. The method includes determining a ratio of basal plane dislocations (BPD) which cause stacking faults in a SiC epitaxial film of a prescribed thickness, to basal plane dislocations which are present on a growth surface of the SiC single crystal substrate, determining an upper limit of surface density of basal plane dislocations, preparing a SiC single crystal substrate which has surface density equal to or less than the above upper limit, and forming a SiC epitaxial film on the SiC single crystal substrate under the same conditions as the growth conditions of the epitaxial film used in the step of determining the ratio.
US09287116B2
According to example embodiments, a method of forming a multilayer graphene structure includes forming a sacrificial layer on the growth substrate, growing a first graphene layer on the sacrificial layer using a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method, and growing at least one more graphene layer on the growth substrate. The growing at least one more graphene layer includes removing at least a part of the sacrificial layer.
US09287112B2
A slab laser and its method of use for high power applications including the manufacture of semiconductors and deposition of diamond and/or diamond-like-carbon layers, among other materials. A lamp driven slab design with a face-to-face beam propagation scheme and an end reflection that redirects the amplified radiation back out the same input surface is utilized. A side-to-side amplifier configuration permitting very high average and peak powers having scalability is also disclosed. Cavity filters adjacent to pump lamps convert the normally unusable UV portion of the pump lamp spectrum into light in the absorption band of the slab laser, thereby increasing the overall pump efficiency. The angle of the end reflecting surface is changed to cause the exit beam to be at a different angle than the inlet beam, thereby eliminating the costly need to separate the beams external to the laser with the subsequent loss of power.
US09287108B2
The present invention relates to the field of liquid crystal displaying techniques, and in particular to a preparation method of low-temperature polysilicon thin film, including: growing a buffer layer and then an amorphous silicon layer on the substrate; heating up an amorphous silicon layer to reach a temperature higher than room temperature, and performing pre-cleaning on the amorphous silicon layer; and using excimer laser annealing (ELA) to radiate on the pre-cleaned amorphous silicon layer in previous step to transform the amorphous silicon into polysilicon. The present invention further provides a manufacturing system of low-temperature polysilicon thin film. By improving the manufacturing system of the low-temperature polysilicon thin film and pre-cleaning method, the present invention improves thickness non-uniformity of the amorphous silicon layer and the uniformity of the polysilicon layer transformed in the subsequent step of ELA radiation.
US09287103B2
An ion guide is provided having an enclosure extending longitudinally around a central axis from a proximal inlet end to a distal outlet end. The proximal inlet end receives a plurality of ions entrained in a gas flow through an inlet orifice. A deflection plate is disposed within the enclosure between the proximal and distal ends and deflects at least a portion of the gas flow away from a central direction of the gas flow. A plurality of electrically conductive, elongate elements extend from the proximal end to the distal end within the enclosure and generate an electric field via a combination of RF and DC electric potentials. The electric field deflects the entrained ions away from the central direction of the gas flow proximal to the deflection plate and confines the deflected ions in proximity of the elongated elements as the ions travel downstream.
US09287100B2
According to some embodiments, systems and methods for surface impact ionization of liquid phase and aerosol samples are provided. The method includes accelerating a liquid or aerosol sample, colliding the sample with a solid collision surface thereby disintegrating the sample into both molecular ionic species (e.g., gaseous molecular ions) and molecular neutral species (e.g., gaseous sample), and transporting the disintegrated sample to an ion analyzer. Some embodiments of the method further comprise discarding the molecular neutral species. Such embodiments transport substantially only the molecular ionic species to the ion analyzer.
US09287095B2
An exemplary semiconductor processing system may include a remote plasma source coupled with a processing chamber having a top plate. An inlet assembly may be used to couple the remote plasma source with the top plate and may include a mounting assembly, which in embodiments may include at least two components. The inlet assembly may further include a precursor distribution assembly defining a plurality of distribution channels fluidly coupled with an injection port.
US09287091B2
A plasma system includes a plasma device, an ionizable media source, and a power source. The plasma device includes an inner electrode and an outer electrode coaxially disposed around the inner electrode. The inner electrode includes a distal portion and an insulative layer that covers at least a portion of the inner electrode. The ionizable media source is coupled to the plasma device and is configured to supply ionizable media thereto. The power source is coupled to the inner and outer electrodes, and is configured to ignite the ionizable media at the plasma device to form a plasma effluent having an electron sheath layer about the exposed distal portion.
US09287090B2
A multi charged particle beam writing apparatus includes a divided shot data generation unit to generate, for each shot of multi beams of charged particle beams, data for plural times of divided shots such that irradiation for one shot of each beam is divided into plural times of divided shots each having a different irradiation time, an individual blanking system to provide blanking control individually for each of multi beams, based on the data for plural times of divided shots, an elastic rate correction value acquisition unit to acquire, for each of plural times of divided shots, an elastic rate correction value for correcting an elastic rate of an image of the whole multi beams, depending upon the number of ON-beams of the multi beams, and a lens to correct, for each divided shot, the elastic rate of the image of the whole multi beams by using the correction value.
US09287086B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber are disclosed. An exemplary method includes placing a substrate in a plasma chamber, forming a plasma in the plasma chamber, controllably switching power to the substrate so as to apply a periodic voltage function to the substrate, and modulating, over multiple cycles of the periodic voltage function, the periodic voltage function responsive to a desired distribution of energies of ions at the surface of the substrate so as to effectuate the desired distribution of ion energies on a time-averaged basis.
US09287082B2
A charged particle beam apparatus includes a charged particle beam source which irradiates a sample with a charged particle beam, an electromagnetic lens, a lens control electric source for controlling strength of a convergence effect of the electromagnetic lens; and a phase compensation circuit which is connected to the lens control electric source in parallel with the electromagnetic lens, and controls a lens current at the time of switching the strength of the convergence effect of the electromagnetic lens such that the lens current monotonically increases or monotonically decreases.
US09287072B2
An electric switch is disclosed which includes a housing module housing a movable contact and a stationary contact having a contact portion to be contacted by the movable contact. The stationary contact can include a mounting portion, which mounting portion can be positioned closer to the center of the housing module than the contact portion of the stationary contact.
US09287056B2
An object of the present invention is to provide an electrolyte for a photoelectric conversion element that can achieve superior moisture resistance. The electrolyte for a photoelectric conversion element of the present invention is an electrolyte for a photoelectric conversion element which contains an organic salt compound (A) and a lamellar clay mineral (B), wherein the above-mentioned organic salt compound (A) contains more than 50 mass %, in terms of cationic weight, of an organic salt compound (a1) having a specific cation.
US09287054B2
Provided is a solid electrolytic capacitor element which is reduced in ESR deterioration due to thermal shock and suppressed in variation in ESR changes, while having good initial characteristics of ESR. This solid electrolytic capacitor element is provided, on the surface of an anode body, with at least a dielectric layer, a solid electrolyte layer, a carbon layer that contains a first resin component and a conductive layer that contains a second resin component. Both of the first resin component and the second resin component have a hydroxyl group, and the difference Δγh (=γh2−γh1) between the hydrogen-bonding component value γh1 [mN/m] of the carbon layer surface and the hydrogen-bonding component value γh2 [mN/m] of the conductive layer surface is within the range of −3≦Δγh≦3 [mN/m].
US09287046B2
A multi-layer ceramic capacitor has a structure where its dielectric layers are constituted by a sintered compact that contains a mol of ReO3/2, b mol of SiO2, c mol of MOx, d mol of ZrO2, and e mol of MgO (where Re is a rare earth element, M is a metal element (except for Ba, Ti, Re, Si, Zr, Mg, and rare earth elements), and x is a valance) per 100 mol of BaTiO3, and a, b, c, d, and e mentioned above which indicate the mol numbers of respective constituents per 100 mol of BaTiO3 are 0.1≦a≦1.0, 0.1≦b≦1.5, 0.1≦c≦0.4, 0≦d≦1.0, and 0≦e≦0.03, respectively.
US09287039B2
A wireless power transfer method for a wireless power transfer apparatus using full and half-bridge inverter topologies includes detecting whether or not a wireless power receiver is present within a range of power being transferrable in a wireless manner, transmitting a detection signal to the wireless power receiver, receiving at least one of identification information and setting information from the wireless power receiver, receiving a control error packet from the wireless power receiver, and controlling an amount of power to be transferred by using the combination of a driving frequency, a duty cycle or a power signal phase to the full or half-bridge inverter.
US09287038B2
A coupled inductor includes a ladder magnetic core including two opposing rails extending in a lengthwise direction and joined by a plurality of rungs. The coupled inductor further includes a respective winding wound around each of the plurality of rungs. The plurality of rungs are divided into at least two groups of rungs, and a lengthwise separation distance between adjacent rungs in each group of rungs is less than a lengthwise separation distance between adjacent rungs of different groups of rungs.
US09287030B2
A multi-gap inductor core includes magnetic lamination sheets made of magnetic core material arranged in a stack, and fixing layers made of a fixing material. Each fixing layer is arranged between a corresponding pair of adjacent magnetic lamination sheets. Each fixing layer also includes an embedded mechanical spacer that defines a gap having a predetermined thickness between a corresponding pair of adjacent magnetic lamination sheets.
US09287022B2
A cable for providing electric power from a power source to a mobile device, the cable having a first connector at a first end of the cable for connecting the cable to a mobile device and with a second connector at a second end for connecting the cable to the power source, wherein the cable comprises a memory module for backup and bidirectional transfer of data to and from the mobile device.
US09287020B2
An electrical cable arrangement comprises a first electrical cable (102) and a second electrical cable (202). The first electrical cable (102) comprises first and second conductor sets (104) and a first carrier film (108). The cable comprises a first pinched portion (108″) between the first and second conductor sets (104). The second electrical cable (202) comprises a third conductor set (204) and a second carrier film (208). The first and second carrier films (108, 208) include cover portions (108′″, 208′″) at least partially covering each of the first and second conductor sets (104) and the third conductor set (204), respectively, and parallel portions (108″), 208″) extending from both sides of each of the first and second conductor sets (104) and the third conductor set (204), respectively. The first electrical cable (102) and the second electrical cable (202) extend in substantially the same direction and are arranged in a nested configuration such that the insulated conductors (106) of the third conductor (204) set are disposed within the first pinched portion (108′″) of the first electrical cable (102).
US09287013B2
A moderator temperature coefficient measurement apparatus includes: an input section receiving plant data including a coolant temperature signal being time series data on a temperature of a coolant of a light water reactor, and a reactivity signal indicating time series data on a reactivity calculated based on a detection value of a neutron flux in the light water reactor; a singular value decomposition section decomposing the coolant temperature signal into N components T′1 (t) to T′N (t), and the reactivity signal into M components ρ′1 (t) to ρ′M (t) by a singular value decomposition method; a combination section generating a selected combination being a combination of T′i (t) selected from the N components T′1 (t) to T′N (t) and ρ′j (t) selected from the M components ρ′1 (t) to ρ′M (t); and a temperature coefficient calculation section calculating a moderator temperature coefficient based on auto and cross power spectral density functions obtained by applying a Fourier transformation to the selected combination. The moderator temperature coefficients can be detected at high precision without changing states of the plant.
US09287011B2
Cylindrical inertial confinement fusion reaction chambers are disclosed according to some embodiments of the invention. These chambers can include neutron moderating/absorbing material, radiation absorbing material, and debris collection material. These chambers can also include various injection ports, nozzles, beam ports, sacrificial layers, absorbers, coolant systems, etc. These chambers can be used with directional and/or omni-directional targets.
US09287008B2
A circuit and method for controlling internal test mode entry of an Asynchronous Static Random Access Memory (ASRAM) chip wherein the circuit includes an address code comparator for detecting whether address codes inputted via an address bus of the ASRAM chip match a predefined validation code; a test mode detector for determining whether to let the ASRAM chip enter into an internal test mode; a test mode clock generator for generating a clock signal for the test mode decoder; and a test mode decoder for generating a test control signal. The circuit of the present application uses the existing pins of the ASRAM chip to input a special section of codes to trigger the ASRAM to enter into its internal test mode, thereby reducing the difficulty of testing the products.
US09287005B2
Using an “optimized” test case for testing hardware and/or software of a computer. The optimized test case is designed to be run on a data storage device including multiple read locations and multiple write locations. Initialization data is written, on the data storage device, only to the write locations of the data storage device. The optimized test case is run on the data storage device in a manner so that the optimized test case will only write data to each write location after that write location has had initialization data written to that write location. The optimized test case defines read locations and write locations so that, during running of the optimized test case, all read locations which are also write locations will be written by a write instruction of the test case before being read by a read instruction of the test case.
US09286998B1
A memory array includes multiple memory cells, multiple bit lines, multiple word lines, and multiple source lines. Each memory cell includes a corresponding transistor and stores first and second data values. The transistor has corresponding first and second bit lines, and a source line for retrieving the first and second data values. The transistor has a gate terminal connected to a corresponding word line for receiving a word line enable signal, a first diffusion terminal connected to ground, and a second diffusion terminal connected to at least one of the corresponding first bit line, second bit line, and the source line for determining the first and second data values. The second diffusion terminal may be floating for determining the first and second data values.
US09286996B2
A non-volatile memory system includes a first non-volatile memory device, a second non-volatile memory device that performs a write operation more slowly than the first non-volatile memory device, where the first and second non-volatile memory devices are different types of non-volatile memory devices, and a controller that controls the first and second non-volatile memory devices to concurrently perform the write operation for data input from a host based on a write command signal and that outputs a write completion signal to the host when one of the first and second non-volatile memory devices completes the write operation.
US09286992B2
A refresh apparatus includes a flash memory and a refreshing unit. The flash memory includes a plurality of blocks, the plurality of blocks storing data. The refreshing unit sequentially refreshes the plurality of blocks in units of blocks. The refreshing unit includes a reading unit, a data deleting unit, and a data writing unit. The reading unit performs batch reading of data from the plurality of blocks. The data deleting unit deletes data stored in a target block for the refresh during the refresh in units of blocks. The data writing unit writes data corresponding to the deleted data among the plurality of read data to the target block so as to complete the refresh in units of blocks.
US09286988B2
A nonvolatile memory device includes a channel vertically extending from a substrate, a plurality of memory cells stacked along the channel; a source region connected to a first end portion of the channel, and a bit line connected to a second end portion of the channel, wherein the first end portion of the channel that adjoins the source region is formed as an undoped semiconductor layer or a semiconductor layer doped with P-type impurities.
US09286978B2
A nonvolatile semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a control circuit configured to cause data to be stored in a memory cell by setting the memory cell to be included in one of resistance value distributions. The control circuit is configured to set a first resistance value distribution and a second resistance value distribution, the second resistance value distribution having a resistance value larger than that of the first resistance value distribution, and to set a second width to be larger than a first width, the second width being a width between a second upper limit value of the second resistance value distribution and a second lower limit value of the second resistance value distribution, and the first width being a width between a first upper limit value of the first resistance value distribution and a first lower limit value of the first resistance value distribution.
US09286969B2
A low power sense amplifier for an SRAM is described. A first pass gate transistor is driven by bit line true and a second pass gate transistor is driven by bit line complement. A first pull down transistor driven by the bit line complement is coupled to the first pass gate transistor, and a second pull down transistor driven by the bit line true is coupled to the second pass gate transistor. A data line true is coupled to a node coupling the first pass gate transistor with the first pull down transistor and a data line complement is coupled to a node coupling the second pass gate transistor with the second pull down transistor. A current cut-off device cuts off parasitic current from flowing through the first pass gate transistor and the first pull down transistor and through the second pass gate transistor and the second pull down transistor.
US09286967B2
A circuit in dynamic random access memory devices includes a command extension circuit. The command extension circuit is configured to generate at least one multiple-cycle command signal by lengthening a single-cycle clock command signal from a command decoding circuit. Control logic extends and reduces the multiple-cycle command signal to provide additional functions such as burst length and burst chop. Additional control logic is configured to determine whether a clock signal is enabled in output control logic circuitry according to the multiple-cycle command and logic level generated in the output logic circuitry.
US09286966B2
A method for driving a semiconductor memory device including a transistor with low leakage current between a source and a drain in an off state and capable of storing data for a long time is provided. In a matrix including a plurality of memory cells in each of which a drain of a write transistor, a gate of an element transistor, and one electrode of a capacitor are connected, a gate of the write transistor is connected to a write word line, and the other electrode of the capacitor is connected to a read word line. The amount of charge stored in the capacitor is checked by changing the potential of the read word line, and if the amount of charge has decreased beyond a predetermined amount, the memory cell is refreshed.
US09286964B2
Techniques and mechanisms to facilitate an operational mode of a memory device to prepare for a targeted refresh of a row in memory. In an embodiment, the memory device performs one or more operations while in the mode to prepare for a future command from a memory controller, the command to implement, at least in part, a targeted refresh of a row in a first bank of the memory device. Prior to such a command, the memory device services another command from the memory controller. In another embodiment, servicing the other command includes the memory device accessing a second bank of the memory device while the memory device operates in the mode, and before completion of an expected future targeted row refresh.
US09286962B2
A magnetic memory system includes a superconductor circuit and one or more magnetic memory elements to store data. To write data, a driver circuit in the superconductor circuit generates a magnetic signal for transmission over a superconductor link extending between the superconductor circuit and the magnetic memory element. To read data, a sensing circuit in the superconductor circuit monitors a superconductor link extending from sensing circuit to the magnetic memory element. The magnetic memory element can be a spin-transfer type magnetic memory element.
US09286952B2
A programmable logic device (PLD) is provided with a two-level voltage regulator for powering SRAM cells within the device. In one example, a PLD includes a plurality of static random access memory (SRAM) cells configured to store a configuration for the programmable logic device. The PLD also includes a two-level voltage regulator configured to selectively charge a first power supply node to a reduced voltage and to an enhanced voltage that is greater than the reduced voltage. The SRAM cells are powered through a coupling to the first power supply node. The PLD also includes a control circuit configured to control the two-level voltage regulator to charge the first power supply node to the reduced voltage during a write operation for the SRAM cells and to charge the first power supply node to the enhanced voltage during normal operation of the configured programmable logic device.
US09286951B2
According to one embodiment, there are provided a memory which is provided on a circuit board, a controller which is provided on the circuit board and controls the memory, and a signal line which is formed on the circuit board and configured to perform data transmission between the controller and the memory, in which a width of the signal line in the place where the signal line is led out from the memory is large compared with a place disposed under the memory.
US09286949B2
A semiconductor memory includes a memory cell array having a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of bit line pairs which are disposed corresponding to respective columns of the memory cell array, and a sense amplifiers which are disposed in plurality corresponding to the plurality of bit line pairs for amplifying a potential difference between the bit line pair, in which the sense amplifier has precharging transistors each having a diffusion layer and precharging the bit line pair, and switching transistors having a diffusion layer formed integrally with the diffusion layer of the precharging transistors for selectively connecting the plurality of bit line pairs to a common bus line.
US09286933B2
Systems, methods, devices, circuits for data processing, and more particularly to data processing including operational marginalization capability. In one case a data processing system is disclosed that includes a loop detector circuit and a sample based noise injection circuit. The loop detector circuit applies a loop detection algorithm to a data input to yield a loop detected output, and the sample based noise injection circuit generates a noise component based at least in part on the loop detected output.
US09286922B1
A device may comprise a machine vision system in a first zone of the device. The machine vision system may be configured to provide measurements of gaps between selected portions of a head gimbal assembly (HGA) and selected portions of arms of a head stack assembly (HSA) of a data storage device. A first adhesive tacking system may be provided in a second zone of the device, and configured to sequentially apply adhesive to the gaps based upon the measurements of the gaps provided by the machine vision system. A transport mechanism may be configured to sequentially carry the HSA of the data storage device to the first zone to enable the machine vision system to measure the gaps and from the first zone to the second zone of the device to enable the first adhesive tacking system to apply the adhesive to the gaps.
US09286913B2
Disclosed is an information display system provided with: a signal analyzing unit which analyzes the audio signals obtained from a predetermined location and which generates ambient sound information regarding the sound generated at the predetermined location; and an ambient expression selection unit which selects an ambient expression which expresses the content of what a person is feeling from the sound generated at the predetermined location on the basis of the ambient sound information.
US09286909B2
Method and system for channel-invariant robust audio hashing is provided with a robust hash extraction step where a robust hash is extracted from audio content dividing the audio content in frames; applying a transformation procedure on the frames to compute, for each frame, transformed coefficients; applying a normalization procedure on the transformed coefficients to obtain normalized coefficients, where the normalization procedure computes the product of the sign of each coefficient of the transformed coefficients by an amplitude-scaling-invariant function of any combination of the transformed coefficients; applying a quantization procedure on the normalized coefficients to obtain the robust hash of the audio content; and a comparison step where the robust hash is compared with reference hashes to find a match.
US09286906B2
In a voice processing apparatus, a processor is configured to adjust, a fundamental frequency of a first voice signal corresponding to a voice having target voice characteristics to a fundamental frequency of a second voice signal corresponding to a voice having initial voice characteristics different from the target voice characteristics. The processor is further configured to sequentially generate a processed spectrum based on a spectrum of the first voice signal and a spectrum of the second voice signal by: dividing the spectrum of the first voice signal into a plurality of harmonic band components after the fundamental frequency of the first voice signal has been adjusted; allocating each harmonic band component of the first voice signal to each harmonic frequency associated with the fundamental frequency of the second voice signal; and adjusting an envelope and phase of each harmonic band component according to the spectrum of the second voice signal.
US09286905B2
An audio coding terminal and method is provided. The terminal includes a coding mode setting unit to set an operation mode, from plural operation modes, for input audio coding by a codec, configured to code the input audio based on the set operation mode such that when the set operation mode is a high frame erasure rate (FER) mode the codec codes a current frame of the input audio according to a select frame erasure concealment (FEC) mode of one or more FEC modes. Upon the setting of the operation mode to be the High FER mode, the one FEC mode is selected, from the one or more FEC modes predetermined for the High FER mode, to control the codec by incorporating of redundancy within a coding of the input audio or as separate redundancy information separate from the coded input audio according to the selected one FEC mode.
US09286900B2
An audio codec in a baseband processor may be utilized for mixing audio signals received at a plurality of data sampling rates. The mixed audio signals may be up sampled to a very large sampling rate, and then down sampled to a specified sampling rate that is compatible with a Bluetooth-enabled device by utilizing an interpolator in the audio codec. The down-sampled signals may be communicated to Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as Bluetooth headsets, or Bluetooth-enabled devices with a USB interface. The interpolator may be a linear interpolator for which the audio codec may enable generation of triggering and/or coefficient signals based on the specified output sampling rate. An interpolation coefficient may be generated based on a base value associated with the specified output sampling rate. The audio codec may enable selecting the specified output sampling rate from a plurality of rates.
US09286897B2
In an automatic speech recognition (ASR) processing system, ASR processing may be configured to process speech based on multiple channels of audio received from a beamformer. The ASR processing system may include a microphone array and the beamformer to output multiple channels of audio such that each channel isolates audio in a particular direction. The multichannel audio signals may include spoken utterances/speech from one or more speakers as well as undesired audio, such as noise from a household appliance. The ASR device may simultaneously perform speech recognition on the multi-channel audio to provide more accurate speech recognition results.
US09286886B2
Techniques for predicting prosody in speech synthesis may make use of a data set of example text fragments with corresponding aligned spoken audio. To predict prosody for synthesizing an input text, the input text may be compared with the data set of example text fragments to select a best matching sequence of one or more example text fragments, each example text fragment in the sequence being paired with a portion of the input text. The selected example text fragment sequence may be aligned with the input text, e.g., at the word level, such that prosody may be extracted from the audio aligned with the example text fragments, and the extracted prosody may be applied to the synthesis of the input text using the alignment between the input text and the example text fragments.
US09286881B2
An echo canceler includes a signal-to-echo ratio calculating unit 103 and a residual echo suppressing unit 105. The signal-to-echo ratio calculating unit 103 computes a signal-to-echo ratio SE(n) indicating a ratio of an echo component to a received signal x(n) from a first residual signal and a second residual signal. The first residual signal is obtained using a filter coefficient sequence of an update filter 102, which is obtained up to the previous operation. The second residual signal is obtained using an updated filter coefficient sequence that undergoes a coefficient update which is performed, using an arbitrary update step size μ(n), on the filter coefficient sequence of the update filter 102, which is obtained up to the previous operation. The residual echo suppressing unit 105 suppresses the echo component contained in the microphone input signal in accordance with the signal-to-echo ratio the signal-to-echo ratio calculating unit 103 computes.
US09286876B1
An altered but recognizable variant of a MIDI file, music recording, or other discrete or continuous input is created by parsing the input into a plurality of original elements, using a hole-selecting algorithm to select some original elements for modification or replacement, and applying a variation method and/or substitution algorithm. Hole-selection can include an improved application of a chaotic mathematical function. Replacement elements can be taken from the input, or from another seed source, and can be identified by chaotic mapping or by scanning for a suitable match. Continuous inputs can be manually or automatically parsed into segments, or converted to MIDI files. Modifying algorithms such as scanning, inversion (dynamic), interval shift and/or insert, reversal, repetition, stenciling, repetitive beat and/or phrase structure, can be applied to pitches and rhythms to produce notes and rhythms not found in the input. Banning can prevent repeated use of a replacement element.
US09286874B1
A blend and configuration control for a string instrument connects to a pair of pickup sensors located on the string instrument and in one arrangement includes a pair of potentiometers mechanically coupled for concurrent mechanical travel to provide individual pickup sensor output selection and parallel blending of the outputs of the two sensors. A switch is also included to immediately and reversibly provide a series configuration of the two pickup sensors. In another arrangement, the blend and configuration control includes a pair of potentiometers mechanically coupled for concurrent mechanical travel to provide individual pickup sensor output selection, a series configuration of the two pickup sensors and series blending of the two pickup sensors.
US09286867B1
Apparatus and methods relating to a drum formed from a bucket, a drum head, and a drum hoop. The drum hoop has a leg that may be undersized relative to the drum head to compress the bucket, and the drum hoop includes attachment portions that may align with attachment portions of the drum head.
US09286865B2
The present invention provides an assembly and method for playing music, whereby the assembly includes a bow spline, string stretched with tension along a portion of said spline, a frame having an apex, said frame positioned between said spline and said string, at least one string retaining member disposed on said apex, and a lower frame portion configured to contact said spline.
US09286857B2
A display apparatus and a method for transforming color thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes a display panel having a red sub-pixel, a blue sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel and a white sub-pixel, a driver circuit for driving the red sub-pixel, the blue sub-pixel, the green sub-pixel and the white sub-pixel, and a data processing unit. The data processing unit receives a red original data, a blue original data and a green original data to produce a red reference data, a green reference data and a white reference data to the driver circuit as a red data, a green data and a white data, and regulate a produced blue reference data thereof according to a blue component brightness corresponding to the white reference data to provide the a blue data to the driver circuit.
US09286852B2
A method for managing wireless data communication links includes establishing first and second wireless data communication links between a host system and a wireless display adapter. The first wireless data communication link is associated with a high data rate of data traffic between the host system and the wireless display adapter, and the second wireless data communication link is associated with a low data rate of data traffic. The method further includes determining that information is to be transmitted between the host system and the wireless display adapter using the low data rate, turning off a first data radio associated with the first wireless data communication link, and transmitting the information over the second wireless data communication link.
US09286844B2
A liquid crystal panel includes a plurality of thin film transistors (TFTs), scan lines, data lines, a scan driving chip, and a data driving chip. The scan driving chip includes a compensation driving unit coupled to the scan lines. The compensation driving unit drives the TFTs corresponding to a next-row of scan line to turn on when the scan driving chip drives the TFTs corresponding to a current-row of scan line to turn on or after the scan driving chip drives the TFTs corresponding to the current-row of scan line to turn on. The compensation driving unit drives the TFTs corresponding to the next-row of scan line to turn off when the TFTs corresponding to the current-row of scan line receive a data signal of the data driving chip or before the TFTs corresponding to the current-row of scan line receive the data signal of the data driving chip.
US09286841B2
Provided are an embedded DisplayPort (eDP) system and a method for controlling a panel self refresh mode. The eDP system enters a panel self refresh (PSR) mode when an image to display is static in a general mode, and a sink device recovers a stream clock for displaying a static image in the PSR mode.
US09286828B2
A plurality of scanning periods are combined to form a composite period (2H). Within the first period of the front half, threshold value (Vth) correction is carried out all at once, and within the second period of the latter half, signal (Vsig) writing operation is carried out. High speed writing can be carried out even where the scanning period is shortened.
US09286822B2
A display device includes: an extraction unit extracting an edge component of a display data signal; an adder unit adding an edge component to the display data signal; a signal generation unit generating a control signal in accordance with the display data signal and an output signal of the adder unit; a correction unit carrying out correction processing on the edge component in accordance with the control signal and outputting the corrected edge component to the adder unit; and a display unit carrying out a display operation in accordance with the output signal of the adder unit.
US09286810B2
The invention is related to methods and apparatus that use a visual sensor and dead reckoning sensors to process Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM). These techniques can be used in robot navigation. Advantageously, such visual techniques can be used to autonomously generate and update a map. Unlike with laser rangefinders, the visual techniques are economically practical in a wide range of applications and can be used in relatively dynamic environments, such as environments in which people move. Certain embodiments contemplate improvements to the front-end processing in a SLAM-based system. Particularly, certain of these embodiments contemplate a novel landmark matching process. Certain of these embodiments also contemplate a novel landmark creation process. Certain embodiments contemplate improvements to the back-end processing in a SLAM-based system. Particularly, certain of these embodiments contemplate algorithms for modifying the SLAM graph in real-time to achieve a more efficient structure.
US09286808B1
The invention provides an electronic method for assessing student skills on a stringed musical instrument, based on comparing the digital signature of an expert template sound to the digital signature of a student's attempt to replicate the template on the stringed instrument. In particular the method employs in sequential series an audio input device, an analog-to-digital converter, an audio correlation decoder, a digital-to-analog converter, and an audio output device; in certain embodiments they are all under the control of the same central control processor, which also has access to a first addressable data memory including unprocessed emulations from a student, a logic filter circuit element, a second addressable data memory including emulations from the student that have been filtered to remove background noise and other extraneous elements, and an addressable data memory including expert templates for incremental components of stringed musical performance.
US09286803B2
An in-vehicle system and method for presenting an abstraction of available parking spaces proximate the vehicle, including information conveying the quantity and heading of the available spaces. The available parking information is presented in a format that can be understood at a glance, for use in making navigation decisions while cruising for an available parking space.
US09286799B2
A method and system include a switch to provide power to a vehicle barrier, A logic based controller is coupled to the switch, and an input device coupled to the logic based controller. A sensor is coupled to the vehicle barrier to provide vehicle barrier performance and maintenance data. The maintenance data may be used to identify maintenance activities to be performed prior to failure of the vehicle barrier.
US09286785B2
A module frame for bell system modules having a module locking means for locking modules, which are to be inserted, to the frame and having a locking canceling means for canceling locking during actuator excitation. In the process, provision is made for the locking canceling means to also exhibit actuator-independent permanent catch blocking which can be selectively activated.
US09286749B2
A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes; a cabinet; an upper image display panel which is provided on the cabinet and is a display displaying an effect image regarding a game; a lamp body which is three-dimensionally formed and is a formed object provided on the cabinet to protrude toward the front surface as compared to at least the lower end of the upper image display panel; a sensor configured to detect the player' gesture with respect to the lamp body; a controller used to start the game, and the controller detects the player's gesture by the sensor at a timing corresponding to the state of the game and displays an effect image corresponding to the detected player's gesture on the upper image display panel.
US09286726B2
A mobile information gateway comprises a wearable human interface module having an image delivery and display mechanism for presenting information overlaid upon a wide field of view, a computing and communication module adapted receive information from the human interface module and adapted to send commands and information to the human interface module including information for presentation; and a backend service server coupled for processing data from the computing and communication module including user identification and verification. The present invention also includes a method for using the mobile information gateway for augmented use by employees interacting in the back office of a financial services company and comprises capturing information with a first human interface module; processing the information captured by the first human interface module; retrieving a set of shared information based upon the processing of the information captured by the first human interface module; presenting the shared set of information overlaid upon a field of view of the first user using the first human interface module; and presenting the shared set of information overlaid upon a field of view of the second user using a second human interface module.
US09286723B2
In one exemplary embodiment, a method includes obtaining a digital image of an object. A coordinate-space position of a digital camera is defined in relation to the digital object for the digital image. A coordinate-space region around the coordinate-space position is defined. The coordinate-space region is associated with the digital image based on the coordinate-space position defined for the digital image. A digital image of a room is obtained. A three-dimensional representation of the digital image of the room is created according to the coordinate system based on the positional information of another digital camera that obtained the digital image of the room. An object proxy is located in the three-dimensional representation of the digital image. A coordinate-space region of the room of the object proxy is mapped with a substantially matching coordinate-space region of the object. The digital image of the object associated with substantially matching coordinate-space region is overlaid onto the digital image of the room.
US09286718B2
A method uses a collection of photographic images of an object taken from different viewing angles, along with a set of key geographic parameters for each frame of the photo images, to associate with the object's 3D modeling data, which can use for presenting high quality, photo-realistic 3D image in real time at a computing device. It also provides 3D geometry data for physical applications, which uses an automatic or a manual photo-taking system, and the imported 3D modeling data of the same object with the same hardware system or from an independent 3D geometry scanning system, composes these information into a complete package of files by a manual, semi-automatic or automatic software tool, and then to be presented with a viewing program with 3D environment. It can also be extended to the stereoscopic system and offers real time physical manipulation capabilities, the high quality, realistic visual effects.
US09286717B2
According to an example, 3D modeling motion parameters may be simultaneously determined for video frames according to different first and second motion estimation techniques. In response to detecting a failure of the first motion estimation technique, the 3D modeling motion parameters determined according to the second motion estimation technique may be used to re-determine the 3D modeling motion parameters according to the first motion estimation technique.
US09286713B2
In some embodiments, a system and/or method may include accessing three-dimensional (3D) imaging software on a remote server. The method may include accessing over a network a 3D imaging software package on a remote server using a first system. The method may include assessing, using the remote server, a capability of the first system to execute the 3D imaging software package. The method may include displaying an output of the 3D imaging software using the first system based upon the assessed capabilities of the first system. In some embodiments, the method may include executing a first portion of the 3D imaging software using the remote server based upon the assessed capabilities of the first system. In some embodiments, the method may include executing a second portion of the 3D imaging software using the first system based upon the assessed capabilities of the first system.
US09286699B2
The invention relates to a method for producing a series of modified images intended for forming an iridescent image, using at least one reference image, characterised by including steps of creating a color pallet (P); creating a series of at least two modified reference images (IRM0, IRM1, IRM2, IRMn, etc.), in which the colors of said at least one reference image (IR) are replaced with the colors of the pallet by applying, before or between each new modified reference image (IRM), a circular shift to the colors of the pallet. The invention also relates to the inter-laced, iridescent, 3-D images obtained using such a method, as well as to a device including such an interlaced image and an associated program.
US09286692B2
A method of book leaf tracking comprises receiving a video image comprising a book, estimating the current position and orientation of the book within the video image in response to a fiduciary marker of the book visible in the image, estimating the visibility of one or more predetermined features of the book, calculating a range of leaf turning angles that is consistent with the detected visibility of the or each predetermined feature of the book for the estimated current position and orientation of the book, and estimating the angle of a turning leaf of the book responsive to the calculated range.
US09286687B1
A system and method for image-processing that will facilitate automatically analyzing and estimating atomic force microscopy (AFM) images and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) images of fabricated nanomagnetic arrays to identify the magnetization states of the nanomagnets in the array. The system and method will automatically estimate the magnetization states of nanomagnetics disks into one of a plurality of energy minimum magnetization state configurations and provide an annotated image of the results of the estimation.
US09286679B2
A method for state of health estimation and misalignment correction in a vehicle lane management system. Two lane sensing systems onboard a vehicle provide lane information to a lane management system, where one of the lane sensing systems may be a dedicated forward-viewing lane sensing system, and the other may use images from a surround-view camera system. The lane information is stored in a fixed-length, moving-window circular data buffer. A correlation coefficient is recursively computed from the lane information from the two lane sensing systems and used to calculate a state of health of the lane management system. A linear regression relationship is also computed between the data from the two lane sensing systems, and the scale factor and offset value are applied to the lane information from the second lane sensing system before a fusion calculation is performed on the lane information from the two lane sensing systems.
US09286668B1
A panel view module receives a comic comprising one or more pages, which comprise one or more panels. The panel view module may identify candidate comic panels and determine confidence levels for the candidate comic panels. The panel view may also generate a panel view for the comic based on the confidence levels for the candidate comic panels.
US09286660B2
Embodiments provide a filtering method and device in image processing. The device includes: a dividing unit to divide a first filtering window into blocks; a determining unit to determine a filtering window area according to relevance between a central block and other non-central blocks in the blocks; and a filtering unit to perform filtering processing on an image in the determined filtering window area. With the method and device of the embodiments, a boundary of an object will not be crossed in filtering, and in removing noise, information on other objects will not be introduced to affect the result of filtering. A filtering window size may be determined while filtering is performing, which may be carried out in one path, avoiding time delay resulting from execution of two paths of a conventional method where an edge is detected and then the size of a filtering window is determined.
US09286656B2
Disclosed are a homography estimation apparatus and method. A down-sampling unit reduces the reference image and the target image to the same size to generate down-sampled images. A feature point extraction unit extracts feature points from the reference image and the target image down-sampled to the same size, respectively. An outlier removal unit matches the feature points extracted from the reference image with the feature points extracted from the target image, and detects and removes outliers, which are feature points that do not match, from the matched feature points. A homography estimation unit estimates a homography using feature points from which outliers are removed. A reference image correction unit corrects the reference image using the estimated homography.
US09286655B2
In accordance with some embodiments, jitter accompanying video resizing, can be reduced or even eliminated by analyzing the content that is to be depicted and resizing based on the nature of the content being depicted. As a result, dominant objects in one frame can be handled in a way that reduces or eliminates video jitter or sliding.
US09286651B2
An aircraft-based infrared image recognition device for a ground moving target, including an infrared non-uniformity correction module, an image rotation module, an image registration module, a multi-level filtering module, a connected domain labeling module, a target detection and feature recognition module, a process control module, and a FPGA-based interconnection module. The invention uses an ASIC/SoC chip for image processing and target recognition, the DSP processor and the FPGA processor, it is possible to enable a multi-level image processing and target recognition algorithm, to improve system parallel, and to facilitate an aircraft-based infrared image recognition method for a ground moving target. Meanwhile, embodiments of the invention effectively reduce power consumption of the device.
US09286649B2
A GPU may determine, based on a visibility stream, whether to execute instructions stored in an indirect buffer. The instructions include instructions for rendering primitives associated with a bin of a plurality of bins and include one or more secondary operations. The visibility stream indicate if one or more of the primitives associated with the bin will be visible in a finally rendered scene. The GPU may, responsive to determining not to execute the instructions stored in the indirect buffer, execute one or more secondary operations stored in a shadow indirect buffer. The GPU may, responsive to determining to execute the instructions stored in the indirect buffer, execute the instructions for rending the primitives associated with the bin of the plurality of bins and executing the one or more secondary operations stored in the indirect buffer.
US09286646B1
Value of solar (VOS) analysis begins with the observation that photovoltaic power production represents a unique form of energy resource that is indifferent to demand and price signals. Accurate VOS assessment requires consideration of technical and economic components. The technical analysis predicts future central power generation requirements, as reflected by estimated customer demand, using an energy balance approach. A customer demand forecasting equation with three unknown values, distributed photovoltaic power production, centralized power generation, and losses associated with the centralized power generation, is solved by applying key rational assumptions in combination with historical data of centralized power generation and distributed photovoltaic power production. The solution to the demand equation is then provided with economic data, such as avoided fuel cost, avoided plant operations and maintenance cost, avoided generation capacity cost, avoided reserve capacity cost, avoided transmission and distribution capacity cost, fuel price guarantee value, and avoided environmental cost.
US09286644B2
A way of sharing a set of data where each data item is stored at a different file path. The data items may be files or folders that reside on different remote storage servers or within the same file system. One or more data items in the set of data do not share a common root folder. Data items in the set of data that share a common root folder are stored amongst other data items in the common root folder that do not belonging to the set of data items to be shared. A single URL or link is generated to provide immediate access to the set of data to recipients of the URL or link.
US09286636B2
The present invention enables a user to receive a financial service anywhere through a mobile terminal equipped with a UIM (User Identification Module) electronic card. In the present invention, a user enters his or her password to a mobile terminal with a UIM card including subscriber telephone number, finance, authorization, and personal information, then, if the entered password is correct, authorization is processed with a remote authorizing server based on the authorization information. After authorization, user's requesting service, e.g., payment service, transaction particulars inquiry service, prepaid card recharging service is conducted through a mobile network.
US09286633B2
The present disclosure identifies and/or delivers tailored content based upon a service dialog. For example, the systems may receive a request for tailored content, facilitate a service dialog to obtain information related to the request, and communicate a plurality of tailored content based upon the information related to the request. Further, the systems may identify tailored content based upon a consumer profile, communicate the tailored content to a web client, and/or receive a selection of the tailored content. Further still, the systems may modify a magazine (e.g., content that is presented electronically) based upon tailored content.
US09286629B2
Provided are methods and systems for efficient matching of suppliers and customers for travel-related and other types of goods and services. These methods and systems are based on an exchange or market concept, in which a computer system performs matching between different parties. Specifically, an exchange system may compare customers' requests with suppliers' content records. In certain embodiments, an exchange system sends notifications of customers' requests to suppliers based on criteria presented by the suppliers. Users' requests and/or vendors' content records may be processed using natural language parser to determine appropriate components for searches and matches. This substantially improves efficiency of the exchange system and makes it more user friendly as users and vendors may present different terms in their respective searches and entries. An exchange system may include a pattern recognition component and semantic natural language parser to perform this function.
US09286619B2
The described implementations relate to communication platforms that are provided over computer networks. One implementation provides a system that can include a storage component configured to store a plurality of communications having a common connector. The system can also include a score computation component that is configured to compute scores reflecting semantic relationships between individual communications from the plurality of communications. The system can also include a summary generation component that is configured to select one or more of the individual communications, based on the scores, and generate a summary of the common connector. The summary can represent the selected individual communications. The system can also include at least one processor configured to execute one or more of the components.
US09286611B2
A computer implemented method providing a sequence of multimedia files in a map topology includes layers and sub-layers to enable a user to navigate and play a particular multimedia file that demonstrates a feature of a product. Each layer and sub-layer corresponds to a multimedia file that demonstrates a feature of a product. The sequence of multimedia files are stored in an application server (104). The method includes processing a selection of a layer from the user based on a preview of the layer that includes a first reveal branches field, a first hide branches field, and a first play field, displaying at least one branch of a sub-layer of said layer when the reveal branches field is selected, and playing the particular multimedia file corresponding to any of the layer, the sub-layer, or any further sublayer of the sub-layer when a play field is selected.
US09286606B2
A wireless mobile communications apparatus reads removable cards and can communicate an account corresponding to the removable card in order to conduct a wireless transaction with a merchant on the account with the wireless mobile communications apparatus. A total currency amount for the transaction, and remaining balance in the account after the transaction, can be displayed on a display screen of the wireless mobile communications apparatus. The removable card can be a gift card bearing a magnetic strip having an identifier for the account encoded thereto that will be read when inserted into the wireless mobile communications apparatus which can be a cellular telephone or Web enabled portable device. The magnetic strip gift card can be substantially composed of paper so as to be intended for disposable after use.
US09286605B2
A near field communication device included in a secure transaction card provides an addition and/or transitional communication link for communicating secure transaction information. The near field communication device may be selectively engaged or disengaged and, when engaged, either active or passive modes of operation of the near field communication device can be selected. In the active mode, secure transaction information is transmitted upon establishment of a communication link with a complementary near field communication device. In the passive mode, secure transaction information is transmitted upon interrogation from a complementary near field communication device. Secure transaction information is generated and stored for transmission in a memory and at least a portion of the memory is erased or nulled upon transmission or upon expiration of a selected period of time.
US09286598B2
Embodiments are directed towards providing a method, a system and a network device for applying a form to a media item in a media library, including enabling, by a mobile device, a contributor of media items to prepare a form, uploading, by the mobile device, the form to a server computer that manages a media library, the media library being a collection of media items and forms associated with one more of the media items, enabling a contributor to upload, from a client computer, different than said mobile device, media items to the media library and enabling, by a client computer that communicates with the server computer, the contributor to associate the form with one or more media items uploaded by the contributor.
US09286597B2
A comment infrastructure for managing co-authoring conflict resolutions is provided. During co-authoring, multiple users may make edits to a document at the same time or users may merge edits to a document. Embodiments determine if changes submitted by a user conflict with previously submitted changes. If a conflict is found, the conflicting change may be saved to the document as a comment, allowing for the user to choose when to resolve the conflict. The original content and the different co-authoring edits may be displayed side-by-side, allowing users to make an informed decision about a desired resolution of a conflict. Additional commenting functionalities may be provided for allowing users to leave comments, replies, or messages associated with a co-authoring conflict, providing communication and collaboration between users about a best way to resolve a co-authoring conflict.
US09286592B2
The present invention is related to systems and methods for providing access control to a venue or other location using a networked system. Described is a computer controlled turnstile system, comprising a turnstile, including a computer interface, and a computer system coupled to the turnstile and to user terminals. Program code is configured to receive a query from a user for a plurality of admissions to an event, wherein the query is received from a user terminal, associate the plurality of admissions with a single first token, provide a user interface via which the user can re-associate a first quantity of the plurality of admissions with a second token, store in memory information related to the re-association, at least partly in response to information obtained from the second token at a venue associated with the event, access the information and enable the turnstile to admit a number of persons that corresponds to the first quantity.
US09286583B2
Mind mapping technology is integrated with a case management solution. Business process design discussions and brainstorming details from a mind mapping tool can be captured, and key nodes that are relevant for case management can be identified in a mind mapping diagram. The key nodes can then be augmented by associating metadata therewith, enabling data associated with the nodes to be transformed for use as case management objects in the case management solution. In preferred embodiments, this transformation comprises generating a markup language document to represent the objects that correspond to the key nodes, wherein this markup language document conforms to syntax requirements of a solution definition file that is consumable by the case management system.
US09286582B2
A computer system for use with a building management system for a building includes a processing circuit configured to determine a building's baseline energy usage model. The processing circuit may be configured to determine one or more automatically selected variables for use in the baseline energy usage model for predicting energy use in a building. The processing circuit may be further configured to cause the display of the one or more automatically selected variables on a user interface device. The processing circuit may be configured to receive, from the user interface, a selection of one or more variables which differ from the one or more automatically selected variables. The processing circuit may be further configured to use the received selection to generate a new baseline energy usage model.
US09286580B2
A terminal apparatus provides a highly convenient user interface. The terminal apparatus includes a designated direction detection unit and a display control unit. The designated direction detection unit detects a designated direction, which is a direction in which the terminal apparatus is directed, with respect to a reference direction as a reference of the direction of the terminal apparatus on the basis of a signal from a sensor that outputs a signal indicating the attitude of the terminal apparatus. The display control unit displays an image, in which the direction in which the object is directed with respect to the reference direction is maintained and the object is disposed at the end of a direction corresponding to the designated direction, on a display device.
US09286573B2
Online learning of an ensemble of classifiers or regressors is performed to predict a non-stationary time-varying parameter over a time series of episodes. For an episode, an ensemble action is selected from a set of ensemble actions based on ensemble action quality values (Q values) at an error state for the episode. The selected ensemble action is executed to update the ensemble. A cost of executing the selected ensemble action is computed or retrieved, and a reward is computed indicating how well the updated ensemble predicts the non-stationary time-varying parameter over the episode. The Q value for the selected ensemble action at the error state for the episode is updated based on both the reward and the cost of executing the selected ensemble action. The cost may be based on the ensemble action alone, or on both the ensemble action and the error state for the episode.
US09286570B2
A processing device executing a Rete rule engine modifies a particular property of an object that has traversed a Rete network. The processing device associates a first data structure with the object, the first data structure indicating that the particular property of the object has been modified. The processing device then determines whether the particular property is a constraint relevant to a node of the Rete network based on comparing the first data structure to a second data structure associated with the node, wherein the second data structure identifies one or more modifiable properties that are constraints relevant to the node. If the particular property is a constraint relevant to the node, the processing device evaluates the object with the node. If the particular property is not a constraint relevant to the node, the processing device determines not to evaluate the object with the node.
US09286566B2
Provided us a visual cortical circuit apparatus comprising: a current mirror unit which uses a transistor as a current source to generate a current having the same size as that of a reaction; a transconductance unit which takes, as an input, the current generated by the current mirror unit and outputs a voltage using a transconductance; and a buffer unit for converting the voltage output from the transconductance unit into a current and buffering the current.
US09286564B2
Apparatuses and methods are provided for providing a printed radio frequency identification (RFID) tag assembly. In one exemplary embodiment, the RFID tag assembly includes a substrate including a top surface, and a receiving layer, comprising a plurality of receiving pads having conductive properties, located on the top surface of the substrate. The RFID tag assembly may further include a chip located on the top surface of the substrate. In addition, the RFID tag assembly may include an antenna printed on the receiving layer and bonded to the receiving layer using at least one of a wedge bonding technique and a ball bonding technique. The antenna may include at least one of copper, aluminum, palladium-covered copper, and aluminum-covered copper wire or ribbon.
US09286559B2
In accordance with the present disclosure a portable computing device may capture an image of a physical bar code, which may exist on some physical medium, such as paper, plastic, glass, etc. The physical bar code may be decoded to obtain decoded data, and the decoded data may subsequently be re-encoded to generate a virtual bar code. The virtual bar code may be rendered (e.g., on a display of a computing device, and/or on some type of physical medium) and read by a barcode reader.
US09286557B2
A system and methods are provided. A method includes determining a set of Grayscale bands providing an increase in a Quick Response Code data capacity that is an integer multiple of the Quick Response Code data capacity provided by a Black and White Quick Response Code that uses only Black and White to represent data. The method further includes generating, using a processor, a Grayscale Quick Response Code using the determined set of Grayscale bands to represent the data.
US09286555B2
An information processing device includes a computing unit and a display unit. The computing unit computes a power consumption per a predetermined time during a power saving mode that reduces power consumption, on the basis of a count per type of an interrupt signal produced during the power saving mode, and a power consumption pre-estimated per type of the interrupt signal. The display unit displays a power consumption computed by the computing unit using generated or stored electric power.
US09286554B1
A method of forming halftone printed images in a three-dimensional printer includes generating halftone coverage data for a region of an image receiving surface including at least one color marking agent and a color neutral marking agent. The method further includes generating halftone image data with reference to the halftone coverage data and operating a plurality of ejectors to form a printed halftone image having a uniform thickness. A first pixel location receives a first color marking agent and at least a second pixel location receives the color neutral marking agent.
US09286549B1
A linear function describing a framework for identifying an object of class k in an image sample x may be described by: wk*x+bk, where bk is the bias term. The higher the value obtained for a particular classifier, the better the match or strength of identity. A method is disclosed for classifier and/or content padding to convert dot-products to distances, applying a hashing and/or nearest neighbor technique on the resulting padded vectors, and preprocessing that may improve the hash entropy. A vector for an image, an audio, and/or a video may be received. One or more classifier vectors may be obtained. A padded image, video, and/or audio vector and classifier vector may be generated. A dot product may be approximated and a hashing and/or nearest neighbor technique may be performed on the approximated dot product to identify at least one class (or object) present in the image, video, and/or audio.
US09286548B2
Product images are used in conjunction with textual descriptions to improve classifications of product offerings. By combining cues from both text and image descriptions associated with products, implementations enhance both the precision and recall of product description classifications within the context of web-based commerce search. Several implementations are directed to improving those areas where text-only approaches are most unreliable. For example, several implementations use image signals to complement text classifiers and improve overall product classification in situations where brief textual product descriptions use vocabulary that overlaps with multiple diverse categories. Other implementations are directed to using text and images “training sets” to improve automated classifiers including text-only classifiers. Certain implementations are also directed to learning a number of three-way image classifiers focused only on “confusing categories” of the text signals to improve upon those specific areas where text-only classification is weakest.
US09286544B2
Methods and apparatuses are provided for facilitating object recognition. A method may include accessing data for a first object and data for a second object. The method may additionally include comparing the first and second objects based at least in part upon a reference set and training results generated based at least in part upon the reference set and training data. The method may further include determining whether the first object and the second object are the same object based at least in part upon the comparison. Corresponding apparatuses are also provided.
US09286532B2
An image processing apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a processor configured to process an image according to a preset process in response to receiving the image; and a controller configured to control the processor in order to detect a figure of a human within a video frame based on a feature vector data value according to histograms of oriented gradients (HOG) algorithm of the video frame of the image input to the processor, wherein the controller divides the video frame into a foreground corresponding to a region which includes a moving object and a background corresponding to a region which excludes the foreground, removes the background, converts a target region having a preset area including at least a part of the foreground without the background into a binary image, and derives the feature vector data value from the binary image using a lookup table.
US09286525B2
For testing an object recognition device for a motor vehicle at reasonable costs for different routes, image data for testing the object recognition device may be generated with a camera simulation device. Because the image data of a camera simulation device are artificially generated, it must be made certain that they have a realistic effect on the object recognition device. Reference image data are generated with a camera and simulation image data are generated with the camera simulation device for at least one route. The simulation image data and the reference image data are compared with each other based on at least two comparison measures. A value which is independent of the object recognition device to be tested can be determined for each of the comparison measures. It is then checked if the totality of the generated comparison values satisfies a predetermined validation criterion.
US09286521B2
A vehicle-borne camera-based observation system for monitoring areas adjacent a vehicle or passenger vehicle, such as a bus or schoolbus, is disclosed, to provide safer operation for passersby, including for children, and driver convenience. The system includes several cameras, and several monitors in a driver's area displaying all of the fields of view from the cameras, such that each monitor may be controllable to show either the field of view of a first camera or a the field of view of a second camera, according to a driver selection or according to an automatic selection. Night vision, automatic tracking, and illumination systems are also provided.
US09286514B1
An image processing system or electronic device may implement processing circuitry. The processing circuitry may receive an image, such as financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the financial document image or particular portions of the financial document image without recognizing any particular character in the financial document image. In that regard, the processing circuitry may determine a top left score for pixels in the financial document, the top left score indicating or representing a likelihood that a particular pixel corresponds to a top left corner of a text character. The processing circuitry may also determine top right score for image pixels. Then, the processing circuitry may identify one or more text chunks using the top left and top rights scores for pixels in the financial document image. The processing circuitry may determine a character count for the identified text chunks.
US09286509B1
Described is a technique for optimizing an image for facial detection. More specifically, described is a process of predicting the location of a face within an image and adjusting image settings based on at least a portion of the predicted location of the face. An image may be adjusted based on the characteristics of a metering region, which may be selected prior to performing facial detection. For example, the metering region may be a specified shape with dimensions equal to a certain percentage of the input image and placed at a specified location. The result of using such a metering region is that the image adjustments may be based on a portion of the face, and therefore, may be optimized for facial detection.
US09286507B2
A method for verifying an identity attribute of a remote user includes providing pose instructions to a remote client from a host during an authentication session. The pose instructions may reference a specific physical token associated with the user, for example a government ID card, credit card, household object or printed or displayed image provided from an authentication host. The host receives an image from the client and may analyze the image to determine if the pose instructions were followed and if the physical token appears in the image. Based on this determination, and optionally using other factors, the host verifies an identity attribute of the user.
US09286506B2
A stereoscopic measurement system captures stereo images and determines measurement information for user-designated points within stereo images. The system comprises an image capture device for capturing stereo images of an object. A processing system communicates with the capture device to receive stereo images. The processing system communicates with the capture device to receive stereo images. The processing system displays the stereo images and allows a user to select one or more points within the stereo image. The processing system processes the designated points within the stereo images to determine measurement information for the designated points.
US09286495B2
Systems and methods for providing an estimate of a population of passive Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) sensors in a coverage area of an RFID reader system are disclosed. In accordance with embodiments of this invention, the contention resolutions or results of each slot in an interrogation receive frame are determined. The contention resolutions are then used to determine the probabilities of different population estimates. A population estimate is then selected as the population based on the probability of the estimate meeting predetermined criteria.
US09286492B2
Systems and methods for providing a battery module 110 with secure identity information and authentication of the identity of the battery 110 by a host 120. In one embodiment, the system for providing a battery module with secure identity information includes: (1) a tamper resistant processing environment 200 located within the battery module 110 and (2) a key generator configured to generate a key based on an identity of the battery module 110 and cause the key to be stored within the tamper resistant processing environment 200.
US09286482B1
In some examples, an electronic device may include one or more recognition devices able to be used to recognize a current user. If the electronic device recognizes that a primary user, such as an owner, is currently using the electronic device, the electronic device may allow access to all of the primary user's private information and all of the features of the electronic device. On the other hand, when the electronic device determines that the current user is an unknown user, or that the current user is a known user who is authorized to access only limited information or features of the electronic device, the electronic device may send a communication to restrict the current user from accessing private information of the primary user. In some cases, the electronic device may enable the primary user to designate which items known users and/or unknown users may access.
US09286477B2
Multiple apps of an ecosystem on a computer securely exchange encrypted data according to an information control policy of an enterprise, without allowing unauthorized access from outside of the ecosystem. An ecosystem agent creates an ecosystem directory, which contains policy information and identification information concerning each specific app in the ecosystem, including the ecosystem agent. Each ecosystem app generates an asymmetric key pair, the public key of which it shares only with apps in the ecosystem through the directory. The ecosystem agent's private key is used to encrypt the directory. Data is securely communicated between apps in the ecosystem, by encrypting and decrypting messages and data objects with the appropriate ecosystem app keys. Each specific app in the ecosystem complies with enterprise information control policy. Ecosystem apps can read a policy from the directory, and receive policy updates from the enterprise.
US09286474B2
Provided is an encoding apparatus including a communication unit configured to receive data from an outside, a memory configured to store an instruction for encoding the data, and a processor configured to encode the data according to the instruction, in which the instruction includes an instruction for encoding the data using a first table for looking up and calculating a result value obtained by encoding according to a predetermined pattern in an a-th round, and when among first to fourth data included in data obtained by encoding through the first table, an i-th bit of exclusive OR of the second to fourth data and a j-th bit of the first data are different, an instruction for encoding the data using a second table for looking up and calculating a result value calculated by performing additional encoding on exclusive OR of the first to fourth data.
US09286471B2
A system is disclosed that includes components and features for enabling enterprise users to securely access enterprise resources (documents, data, application servers, etc.) using their mobile devices. An enterprise can use some or all components of the system to, for example, securely but flexibly implement a BYOD (bring your own device) policy in which users can run both personal applications and secure enterprise applications on their mobile devices. The system may, for example, implement policies for controlling mobile device accesses to enterprise resources based on device attributes (e.g., what mobile applications are installed), user attributes (e.g., the user's position or department), behavioral attributes, and other criteria. Client-side code installed on the mobile devices may further enhance security by, for example, creating a secure container for locally storing enterprise data, creating a secure execution environment for running enterprise applications, and/or creating secure application tunnels for communicating with the enterprise system.
US09286468B2
Example embodiments disclosed herein relate to altered option read-only memory. A copy of an option read-only memory is stored. The copy is used during a boot process based on a determination that the option read-only memory has been altered.
US09286467B2
Methods and systems for evaluating customer security preferences are presented. In some embodiments, a computer system may receive, from a security dashboard computing platform, a request for a security score associated with a customer. In response to receiving the request for the security score associated with the customer, the computer system may request, from a customer portal computing platform, one or more security preferences associated with the customer. Subsequently, the computer system may receive, from the customer portal computing platform, the one or more security preferences associated with the customer. The computer system then may determine, based on at least one security score definition file and based on the one or more security preferences associated with the customer, a security score for the customer. Thereafter, the computer system may provide, to the security dashboard computing platform, the determined security score for the customer.
US09286459B2
Proposed is a concept for providing authorized remote access to an operating system hosted by a virtual machine. First and second authentication tokens are generated at a client system and communication to a server system providing the virtual machine. The validity of the first and second authentication tokens is verified at the server system. If the validity of the first authentication token is verified, the operating system is shut-down. Then, if the validity of the second authentication token is verified, the operating system is re-started.
US09286454B2
The present invention relates to a method of identifying a user, the method being implemented by means of a database containing personal data of users and containing for each user at least one unmodified biometric characteristic (E1,i), at least one biometric characteristic (E2,i) that has been modified and that is accessible from the unmodified biometric characteristic, and at least one item of identification data (D) that is accessible from a code identifying the modification that has implemented on the second biometric characteristic. The method comprises the steps of comparing first and second biometric characteristics (e1,i) read from the user with the characteristics in the database in order to determine (5) what modification has been implemented and to deduce therefrom the code identifying the modification; and extracting (6) the identification data by means of the code as deduced in this way. The invention also provides a database for implementing the method.
US09286448B2
Systems, methods, computer program product embodiments are provided for enhanced license management. An embodiment includes providing an asset management module for managing software license utilization in a computer processing environment, and allowing configuration of the asset management module to designate software license utilization based upon a containment level associated with virtualization capabilities of one or more computer processing systems within the computer processing environment.
US09286443B2
Computer-enabled systems and methods aggregate data related to a particular subject or field and present the data in a simplified display. The data is divided into predetermined categories, which are graphically displayed in a predetermined arrangement. Systems and methods differentiate and visually display critical data abnormalities separately from non-critical data. The systems and methods enable an observer to identify the critical deviations or anomalies of data with respect to a predetermined base line by an intuitive visual display of all of the data from any sized data universe on a single screen. The data is indexed at multiple display levels such as a stack of one patient's data, a stack of all patient data for the universe of patients of a single practitioner, or a group of practitioners of any size. A portion of the display preferably may be selected and expanded to show only that portion in greater detail.
US09286428B2
A method and system to obtain a physical design of an integrated circuit from a logical design are described. The system includes a memory device to store a logical design, and a processor to execute a synthesis engine. The processor performs a baseline synthesis to obtain a baseline physical design using timing constraints and an overall power budget, computes power assertions, performs a re-synthesis using the timing constraints and the power assertions to obtain a new physical design, compares the new physical design with the baseline physical design to determine a degradation of the new physical design in comparison with the baseline physical design, reduces a weighting of the power assertions relative to the timing constraints based on the degradation, and iteratively performs the re-synthesis, compares the new physical design with the baseline physical design, and reduces the weighting until the degradation is below a threshold value.
US09286427B1
Described herein are systems and methods for a partitioned extraction-simulation technique that efficiently combines a partitioned extraction technique and a partitioned simulation technique by removing and not performing particular steps of the techniques to provide a more efficient netlist extraction and circuit simulation process. In some embodiments, a plurality of circuit simulators directly receive and process a plurality of sub-region netlists that are based on a spatial partitioning of the IC layout. In further embodiments, an EDA hybrid cloud system is implemented using pipelining and serializing of memory data. In these embodiments, an overall EDA process is divided into a plurality of pipelined stages to accelerate the computational speed of the overall EDA process. In further embodiments, EDA data is transferred, over a network, from a memory of one computer system directly to a memory of another computer system by serializing the EDA data.
US09286426B2
A computer-implemented method, apparatus and computer program product for testing a design, the method comprising receiving a design; receiving a description of a scenario, wherein the scenario relates to execution of the design, wherein the scenario is used for verifying the design; translating the scenario to an input for a verification engine, wherein the verification engine is selected from the group consisting of a simulation engine and a formal analysis engine; activating the engine and providing the input to the engine, whereby the engine outputting a result; and displaying the result.
US09286422B2
Methods used in gravity loading phase of a deep drawing manufacturing simulation including effects of sheet metal blank in contact with guide pins are disclosed. Computerized models of sheet metal blank and guide pins are created. A subset of the nodes in the first computerized model is defined as parent nodes. First and second characteristic lengths are then determined. One or more child nodes are created between each pair of the parent nodes using a formula based on the ratio between the first and second characteristic lengths. Deformed configuration of the sheet metal blank is obtained under its own weight subject to the lateral constraints by conducting computer simulation of gravity loading phase, lateral constraints are created and added to at the child node's parents, when a contact between a child node and a particular finite element representing portion of outer surface of one of the guide pins is detected.
US09286414B2
The subject disclosure relates to one or more computer-implemented processes for collecting, analyzing, and employing annotations of data sources. In particular, an annotation component is configured to receive annotations of data for a data source, wherein the respective annotations comprise different associations of a global terms with the data of the data source, a data store configured to store the annotations, and an interface component configured to render the data based on the annotations in response to a request for the data. In an aspect, storing information, the data also stores descriptions of the data sources and definitions of the global terms, and the interface component determines a subset of the information in the data store based on the annotations. A method is further provided comprising receiving a global term and determining data sources that have the global term associated with the data thereof based on the information in the data store.
US09286390B2
Search results are provided with rich content in defined display areas defined via a border, background, other like graphical elements, or combinations thereof. Within the defined display area, search results content is formatted to evoke a particular theme or concept appropriate for the information identified by the search result. Additionally, within the defined display area, a graphical preview of the search result is provided in an animated manner evocative of user scrolling. Collections of search results are arranged in grids, like tiles. Search results are reviewed on a grid-by-grid basis, with small portions of prior, or subsequent, grids being displayed at the edges of the display, thereby visually indicating that further, or subsequent, grids are accessible. Alternatively, other grids can represent different types of search results. The quantity in a grid, and their size, are dynamically adjusted based on the size of the display.
US09286388B2
Methods and apparatus for generating and delivering selected primary content and contextually-related, targeted secondary content to users of a network. In an exemplary embodiment, the network comprises a packet-switched data (e.g., IP) network such as the Internet, and the primary content comprises video or media clips that are user-selectable via a network site or web page. The primary content carries with it descriptive metadata that is accessed by a distribution server and forwarded to a secondary content source. The secondary content source (or its proxy) utilizes the metadata to identify and return contextually-related secondary content such as advertising links. This secondary content is then presented to the user in conjunction with the primary content, such as in a common display window and in a seamless fashion, thereby avoiding distractions to the user associated with generating ancillary windows or other display mechanisms, and providing the user with highly relevant secondary content choices.
US09286387B1
Determining the relevance of a web node is disclosed. A seed score value of a first type is assigned to a seed set of nodes. A score value of a second type is derived for the web node based on a mapping of a reachability relationship between one or more seed nodes and the web node. A score value of the first type is derived for the web node based on a mapping of a reachability relationship between the web node and one or more evaluation nodes having derived weight values of the second type.
US09286378B1
To allow for detection of links to spam within a social networking system by identifying entities based on uniform resource locators (URLs). Identifiers that include at least one parent entity identifier representing a parent entity and at least one child entity identifier representing a child entity are extracted from URLs. An identifier sequence including the at least one parent entity identifier is designated as an attributable sequence when the child entity accounts for a value of traffic received by the parent entity that does not satisfy a threshold. In an embodiment, the child entity may be identified as an actionable target. The URLs may be classified within a hierarchical structure based on the identifiers. The hierarchical structure may comprise at least one parent node representing the parent entity and at least one child node representing the child entity. The hierarchical structure may be a tree.
US09286377B2
A system and method for identifying semantically relevant documents is provided. An index having semantic index key terms from one or more documents is maintained. A query is obtained and semantic key terms of the query are identified. Each of the query key terms are associated with information, including use of the word and a grammatical role of the word. Each of the query key terms and variants of the query key terms is looked up in the index based on the information. One or more of the documents in the index are identified as possible relevant candidates based on the look up. A potential match candidate set is generated by filtering the possible relevant candidates. At least one of the documents that match the query is identified by comparing a semantic representation for each non-filtered potential match candidate in the set with a semantic representation for the query.
US09286375B2
Information to link two attributes in a database is stored, and when one of the attributes is updated, a new value for the second attribute is computed and stored. Related systems and applications are also described.
US09286369B2
Systems and methods for synchronizing verification data in a distributed database including client and server databases. The server database may exchange verification data regarding one-time passwords to multiple client databases. An update to the server database may be initiated based on information stored in the client database by pushing updated verification information from the client database to the server database via an SSL tunnel. An update to the client database may be initiated based on information stored in the server database by pulling updated verification data from the server database to the client database via an SSL tunnel. The client database and the server database may include a two-dimensional data field including the verification data and an associated key identifier, and a site ID. The site ID may include a unique identifier to identify the respective database in which it is included. The data field may include a sequence number assigned to each row of data that increases every time the row of information is updated. The client database and the server database may also include a replication tracking table including a record of the last known update to a remote database. Data fields that require updating may be determined based on the site ID and a comparison of the sequence numbers from the replication tracking table and the server's database.
US09286360B2
An information processing device that presents at least one of data stored in memory or indexes corresponding to the data; receives a selection of the presented at least one of the data or the indexes corresponding to the data; obtains information related to the selected at least one of the data or the indexes corresponding to the data; generates at least one search key abstracted from the obtained information; searches for data within the memory based on the at least one search key; and presents at least one of the data or indexes corresponding to the data as a search result.
US09286359B2
A source server receives listing identification data for transmission of an enhanced listing comprising enhanced content to a plurality of provider servers. For each provider server of the plurality of provider servers, the source server transmits to the provider server the listing identification data. When the source server determines that an identifier corresponding to the listing identification data that indicates the listing is present on the provider server does not exist in a database associated with the source server, the source server searches the provider server for a matching listing based on the received listing identification data. When the source server determines that a matching listing exits on the provider server, the source server transmits to the provider server the enhanced listing with the identifier employed by the provider server as an indication to the provider server to update the listing on the provider server with the enhanced content.
US09286356B1
A method performed by one or more processing devices includes obtaining search results responsive to a search query submitted by a user; determining a maturity score for the user, where the maturity score represents a measure of development of a particular user attribute; determining, based on the maturity score, utility scores for the search results, where a utility score represents a measure of utility of a particular type of content to a particular type of user as defined by the measure of development of the particular user attribute; and adjusting rankings of the search results based on the utility scores.
US09286351B2
Various embodiments of the present disclosure include systems and methods for analyzing patents and prior art in a patent management system. In an example embodiment, a computer-implemented method of determining a potential point of novelty for an identified patent comprises retrieving at least one independent claim of the patent in the claim form as issued; retrieving at least one independent claim of the patent in the claim form as published; and automatically comparing the issued claim to the published claim by identifying unique keywords present in the issued claim but not present in the published claim and flagging the unique keywords to a user.
US09286342B1
A computer-implemented method for method for tracking changes in an internet-accessible document is disclosed. The method includes providing, with a presentation server system, data for producing a display of a document at a client computing device; receiving, at the presentation server system from a data server system, a timestamp that is sent by the data server system in response to an indication by a user of the client computing device to record changes to the document, wherein the timestamp indicates a time after which changes have been made to the document; and providing from the presentation server system to the data server system data indicating changes made to the document since a time corresponding to the timestamp.
US09286333B2
A method for compressing a sequence of records, each record comprising a sequence of fields, comprises steps of buffering a record in a line of a matrix, reordering the lines of the matrix according to locality sensitive hash values of the buffered records such that records with similar contents in corresponding fields are placed in proximity, and consolidating fields in columns of the matrix into a block of codes. In this, consolidating yields codes of one of a first type comprising a sequence of individual fields and a second type comprising a sequence of fields with at least one repetition. The second type of code comprises a presence field indicating repeated fields and an iteration field indicating a number of respective repetitions. Decompression of the records from the block codes compressed above is also described.
US09286331B2
Systems and methods of the present invention provide for a user uploading a file and a customized metadata about the file to a file storage system. This information may be forwarded to an application, possibly an API, which may divide the file into a plurality of file chunks if the file is greater than a predetermined file size. One or more tracker servers may check a database to locate optimal file locations for the file or file chunks to be stored within the file storage system. These optimal locations may be returned from the tracker servers to the application/API which may perform an HTTP request to write the file to the file storage system. The file write may be validated and finalized, and the successful write may be displayed to the user on a user interface on a client.
US09286330B2
A system for migrating first data objects from a first repository product to a second repository product exports the first data objects from the first repository product into a schema. The schema describes a logical model of the first data objects. The system maps the first data objects to second data objects of the second repository product. The system trims the first data objects. Trimming comprises performing data modification on the first data objects so that the first data objects can be migrated to the second repository product. The system also creates placeholders for the first data objects for later deployment binding.
US09286329B2
Analytics applications are generated using application modules. An application module stores metadata for use in an analytics application. The application module is associated with one or more data fields that correspond to data used in the analytics reports of an application module. An application module may be a composite application module that includes other application modules. An analytics application is generated from a specification including a set of fields. The set of data fields of the specification are matched against the data fields of the application modules. An application module matches the specification of the analytics application if the specification includes all the data fields of the application module. All matching application modules are selected and sent for deployment of the analytics application. The analytics application generated is configured to present information based on analytics reports.
US09286324B2
A method and a system for the operation of a geolocation database comprising a spatiotemporal spectrum map comprising of white space spectrum occupancy and/or white space spectrum underutilization data, wherein a) at least one white space spectrum sensor takes measurement data remote from the geolocation database; b) the measurement data are transmitted to the geolocation database; c) the spatio-temporal spectrum map and/or its parameters and/or decisions based on this spectrum map are modified in dependence of the measurements received by the geolocation database.
US09286315B2
Techniques are described for resolving document change conflicts based on state information. A document management system records, at a client device, changes that a user made to a root client-side instance of a document bundle to create a modified client-side instance of the document bundle, wherein the changes were made while the client device was not connected to a remote storage service. After the changes are recorded, the client device is connected to the remote storage service. In response to determining that a conflict has occurred, the document management system selects a particular resolution action, based, at least in part, on state information associated with at least one of: a user that made the changes, an instance of the document bundle, or the client device on which the changes were made. The document management system then resolves the conflict by performing the particular resolution action.
US09286313B1
This disclosure relates to lossless data reduction on large and extremely large datasets while providing high rates of data ingestion and data retrieval. Some embodiments can generate a losslessly reduced representation of a data chunk, wherein the losslessly reduced representation includes a reference to one or more prime data elements stored in a prime data store, and optionally a description of a reconstitution program which, when applied to the one or more prime data elements results in the data chunk.
US09286310B1
A host runs an operating system kernel. A plurality of virtual private servers (containers) is supported within the kernel. The containers use the same files. A template cache has pre-calculated file checksums. The checksum is calculated each time the file is created and/or modified. Each file has an inode containing an attribute indicating whether the checksum is calculated and stored along with the file. If the checksum is present, the process is redirected to access the file with the same inode in the shared disk cache.
US09286307B2
A document management apparatus which, when an instruction for collective deletion of files and folders is given, is not required to wait until a user terminates manipulation of a file or a folder, thereby making it possible to enhance working efficiency of the system administrator. A file management system manages a plurality of files. A main controller and a user interface receive an instruction for collectively deleting the files managed by the file management system. The file management system deletes the files according to the instruction. When the instruction is received, a CPU controls the file management system such that out of the plurality of files, files being accessed are deleted after files not being accessed are deleted.
US09286301B2
An approach for managing access to electronic documents uses document retention and document security policies. In response to a request to access a particular electronic document, a document retention policy and a document security policy are applied to the particular electronic document. Deletion and/or access to the electronic document are managed based upon the document retention policy and the document security policy. A content analyzer automatically analyzes the content of electronic documents and determines one or more classifications that apply to the electronic documents. The content analyzer may be configured to use one or more of semantic analysis, text analysis, video analysis, voice analysis or image analysis to analyze electronic documents. A policy verifier is configured to check one or more classifications manually assigned to electronic documents by users against one or more classifications automatically determined for the electronic documents by the content analyzer and allow mismatches to be corrected.
US09286298B1
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium, and apparatus that enhance management of backup data sets include receiving an operation on a region of a production data set. A corresponding region of a backup data set is marked as having a change state status until the received operation is completed on the region of the production data set and mirrored on a corresponding region of a backup data set.
US09286294B2
To allow a user to maximize use of a video and digital multimedia aggregator, a search suggestion engine and corresponding method may be used to provide suggestions of available content. The search suggestion engine starts by constructing a database of metadata elements or word items. The metadata element database may be constructed by using a crawler that periodically or continually crawls a content metadata database and extracts word items from the content metadata database. The word items are then processed according to a number of factors, including part-of-speech, entries in dictionaries and thesaurus and other factors. The thus-processed word items are indexed, and may be provided with a vector value. A subsequent search request submitted by the user may include search criteria that may be provided vector values. A processor within the search suggestion engine compares the vector values to determine if an indexed word item should be considered for retrieving the indexed word item's associated content. A list of suggested content is then generated. The list of suggested items may be ranked and filtered before being provided to the user.
US09286292B2
A computer retrieves profile information of a participant of a multi-party communication. The computer identifies an original jargon included in the multi-party communication based, at least in part, on the profile information. The computer generates a translated jargon by translating the original translated jargon, wherein the translated jargon can be understood by the participant of the multi-party communication. The computer sends the translated jargon to the participant of the multi-party communication.
US09286284B2
A data filtering system includes a display device and a data filtering engine coupled to the display device. The data filtering engine is configured to display a cell set containing data of a common data type on a display device with at least one cell containing a cell entry. The data filtering engine is further configured to display a filter icon within at least one cell of the cell set and apply a filter to the cell set in response to selection of the filter icon by a user.
US09286270B2
In some example embodiments, a computerized method includes receiving multiple documents from at least one machine-readable media. The multiple documents have a hierarchical relationship relative to each other. The multiple documents include a first document, wherein a second document of the multiple documents comprises an enhancement to first document. The enhancement is at least one of a replacement of part of the first document or an addition to the first document. The computerized method includes displaying the multiple documents on a display screen such that the multiple documents are arranged according to the hierarchical relationship.
US09286264B2
An electronic control unit (“ECU”) limiter is disclosed. The electronic control unit may be configured to receive a user-specified vehicle limit, such as a speed limit, from an input device, such as a gauge interface of the vehicle or a diagnostic tool. The electronic control unit is further configured to enforce the received vehicle limit, without a need to reprogram (e.g., erase and rewrite) vehicle engine control data stored by the electronic control unit, such as lookup tables or maps that are used to determine the operational parameters (e.g., ignition timing, throttle) based on sensor inputs (e.g., engine revolutions per minute, engine temperature).
US09286245B2
Embodiments of apparatuses and methods for hardware enforced memory access permissions are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes address translation hardware and memory access hardware. The address translation hardware is to support translation of a first address, used by software to access a memory, to a second address, used by the processor to access the memory. The memory access hardware is to detect an access permission violation.
US09286240B1
A computer-implemented method for storing content, the stored content being accessible by a computerized system comprising at least one central processing unit, memory, storage system and a network interface unit, computerized system being accessible by a user, the method comprising: generating first cryptographic key; encrypting the content with the first cryptographic key; storing the encrypted content in a data storage system, the data storage system comprising at least one data storage medium; a data storage controller and a network interface module, the data storage system being a part of a cloud-based distributed storage system, the cloud based storage system being connected via a data network with computerized system accessible by the user; generating a second cryptographic key; and re-encrypting the content with the second cryptographic key and storing the re-encrypted content in data storage system, wherein the re-encryption of the content is performed within cloud-based distributed storage system.
US09286239B2
Compressed data is maintained in a plurality of strides of a redundant array of independent disks, wherein a stride is configurable to store a plurality of tracks. A request is received to write one or more tracks. The one or more tracks are written to a selected stride of the plurality of strides, based on comparing the number of operations required to destage selected tracks from the selected stride to the number of operations required to defragment the compressed data in the selected stride.
US09286226B1
A method for upgrading storage processors in a storage system includes a first storage processor performing IO requests on a first one or more logical units, and a second storage processor performing IO requests on a second one or more logical units of the plurality of logical units. The method includes causing the first storage processor to stop performing the IO requests on the first one or more logical units and the second storage processor to perform the IO requests on the first one or more logical units. The method includes causing the second storage processor to stop performing the IO requests on the first one or more logical units of the plurality of logical units and a third storage processor to perform the IO requests on the first one or more logical units.
US09286224B2
In an embodiment, a processor includes at least one core having one or more execution units, a first cache memory and a first cache control logic. The first cache control logic may be configured to generate a first prefetch request to prefetch first data, where this request is to be aborted if the first data is not present in a second cache memory coupled to the first cache memory. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09286222B2
In response to a transfer stimulus, performance of a processing workload is transferred from a source processing circuitry to a destination processing circuitry, in preparation for the source processing circuitry to be placed in a power saving condition following the transfer. To reduce the number of memory fetches required by the destination processing circuitry following the transfer, a cache of the source processing circuitry is maintained in a powered state for a snooping period. During the snooping period, cache snooping circuitry snoops data values in the source cache and retrieves the snoop data values for the destination processing circuitry.
US09286220B2
In response to snooping a read-type memory access request of a requestor on a system fabric of a data processing system, a memory channel interface forwards the request to a memory buffer and starts a timer. In response to the forwarded request, the memory buffer performs a lookup of a target address of the request in a memory controller cache. In response to the target address hitting in a coherence state permitting provision of early data, the memory buffer provides a response indicating early data and provides a copy of a target memory block of the request to the memory channel interface. The memory channel interface, responsive to receipt prior to expiration of the timer of the response indicating early data, transmits the copy of the target memory block to the requestor via the system fabric prior to receiving a combined response of the data processing system to the request.
US09286219B1
A method, computer program product, and computing system for defining a portion of a frontend cache system for use as a data array cache portion. One or more cache slots included within a backend cache system are identified that are going to be overwritten with hot cache data and are currently filled with cold cache data. The cold cache data included within the one or more cache slots included within the backend cache system is written to one or more cache slots included within the data array cache portion.
US09286218B2
In a spin-torque magnetic random access memory (MRAM) that includes local source lines, auto-booting of the word line is used to conserve power consumption by reusing charge already present from driving a plurality of bit lines during writing operations. Auto-booting is accomplished by first driving the word line to a first word line voltage. After such driving, the word line isolated. Subsequent driving of the plurality of bit lines that are capacitively coupled to the word line causes the word line voltage to be increased to a level desired to allow sufficient current to flow through a selected memory cell to write information into the selected memory cell. Additional embodiments include the use of a supplemental voltage provider that is able to further boost or hold the isolated word line at the needed voltage level.
US09286215B2
According to an aspect of the embodiment, a cache controller sets, when power supply capacity information is acquired at an update period, a size of a permitted area in which the writing of dirty data is permitted and a size of an inhibited area in which the writing of the dirty data is inhibited in a cache memory, according to the power supply capacity information. The cache controller stores the dirty data or read data read out from a disk array in the permitted area, or stores only the read data in the inhibited area.
US09286209B2
A RAID storage system serializes data blocks to be stored in a RAID storage array and uses a primary map table and a number of secondary map tables to relate host addresses to logical block addresses in the storage array. Secondary map tables and other metadata can be cached from the storage array. The dual or two-tier map scheme and metadata caching promote scalability.
US09286203B2
A redundant array of independent drives controller and board controlled cache off-loading during a power failure is described. Methods associated with the use of the redundant array of independent drives controller and board for controlled cache off-loading during a power failure are also described.
US09286193B2
A method of prioritizing and assigning test scripts is provided in a testing platform configured to organize, manage, and facilitate the debugging of test scripts. The test scripts are used in testing software modules. The method includes receiving a plurality of test scripts, applying a predetermined set of factors to each test script, and assigning a weight value to each factor based on a relative importance of the factor. A priority value is set for each test script based on the weighted factors, and the test script is assigned to a queue position for execution based on the corresponding priority value, where the assigned test script is associated with one or more bias factors. The test script is then selected from the testing queue and forwarded if the bias factors indicate that requirements of the test script match corresponding bias factors of the testing individual.
US09286191B2
A method for diagnosing an error associated with a software is provided. The method may include receiving a stack trace associated with the error. The method may also include fetching a source code associated with the received stack trace. The method may further include parsing the fetched source code associated with the received stack trace. The method may also include generating an abstract syntax tree (AST) based on the parsed fetched source code. Additionally, the method may include inserting at least one logging call into the generated abstract tree. The method may include recompiling the captured code based on the generated abstract tree with the at least one inserted logging call. The method may also include uploading the recompiled code onto at least one deployment server.
US09286187B2
Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to statically checking conformance of a computer-implemented service at a source code level to requirements specified at a process level and include actions of receiving source code of the computer-implemented service, receiving one or more rules, the one or more rules being generated based on a mapping and including a set of technical requirements that can be checked on the source code level, the mapping associating the requirements with the source code, and processing the source code and the one or more rules using static code analysis (SCA) to generate a result, the result indicating whether the computer-implemented service conforms to the requirements.
US09286184B1
A method and system for associating system events with program instructions in a computer system are disclosed. A program is executed or manually processed to identify instructions which cause system events. Then, markers are inserted into the program, each marker being associated with at least one of the identified instructions. When the program is executed, system events which occur during the execution are associated with program instructions using the markers.
US09286178B2
A controller includes an address generator that sets a plurality of different paths, each connecting an information processing apparatus connected to a storage apparatus via a network, first and second storage mediums, and the controller, and generates a second address that is different from a first address used for a communication with the information processing apparatus via the network; an access monitor that determines that no access has been issued for a certain time duration from the information processing apparatus to the first or second storage medium; an access issuing unit that issues a test access to the first and second storage mediums on one of the paths, using the second address; and an access decoder that converts the test access to an access including the first address, receives a result of the access including the first address from the first or second storage mediums, and checks for an error.
US09286176B1
A solid state drive (SSD), includes: a plurality of solid state memory devices, each solid state memory device including a plurality of memory blocks arranged in a plurality of planes; a storage; and an SSD controller configured to: write data to memory blocks in a predefined sequence, detect a defective memory block in the plurality of solid state memory devices, mark the detected memory block as defective and store an address of a next non-defective memory block, and in response to data to be written to the marked memory block, the controller skips the marked memory block and writes the data to the next non-marked memory block.
US09286175B2
The disclosure is directed to preserving data consistency in a multiple-node data storage system. According to various embodiments, a write log is maintained including log entries for data transfer requests being served by a respective node of the multiple-node data storage system. Rather than maintaining a full write journal of data and parity associated with each data transfer request, the log entries only need to identify portions of the virtual volume being updated according to the data transfer requests served by each node. When a first node fails, a second node takes over administration of a virtual volume for the failed node. Upon taking over for the first (failed) node, the second node resolves any inconsistencies between data and parity in portions of the virtual volume identified the respective log entries. Accordingly, write holes are prevented without substantially increasing memory usage or system complexity.
US09286174B2
One aspect includes a disk array having a mirror configuration to rebuild. The disk array includes a buffer to temporarily store data (data X) in a read or write request from a host (read/write request), a redundant first disk and second disk having a mirror configuration, and an auxiliary disk. A redundancy management table logs disk locations of data stored in the first disk and copied to the auxiliary disk. A controller controls reading and writing of data X between the buffer and two redundant disks in response to a request. The controller is configured to: (a) copy to the auxiliary disk, data X stored in the buffer for rebuilding, in parallel with reading and writing data X, when the second disk fails; (b) log, in the redundancy management table, copied disk locations of data X copied in (a); and (c) return a response to the host after copying completion.
US09286164B2
An electronic device includes a storage unit to store a master boot record (MBR) and an operating system, a control unit to boot the electronic device using the stored MBR and operating system, to generate and store backup data of the MBR in the storage unit when the electronic device is booted, a validity determination unit to determine validity of the MBR when a predetermined event has occurred, and a restoration unit to restore the MBR using the backup data stored in the storage unit if the MBR is not valid.
US09286155B1
Systems and methods are provided for generating a soft information metric corresponding to a bit stored in a memory. The systems and methods include comparing a symbol value associated with the stored bit to a plurality of decision thresholds to obtain a plurality of binary values. One of the plurality of binary values is selected to obtain a reference value. Further, a frequency metric is computed, which corresponds to the number of times each of the plurality of binary values equals a predefined value. The soft information metric is then determined based on the frequency metric and the reference value.
US09286150B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for dynamic band boundaries in data storage devices, particularly devices employing shingled magnetic recording. Band boundaries may be modified to include spare sectors from guard areas between bands to achieve field defect-slipping. Band boundaries can also be shifted to migrate spare sectors from one guard area to another in order to dynamically distribute spare sectors. In one embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a data storage medium and a controller. The data storage medium may have a first and second sequence of circumferentially adjacent data sectors, and a first guard area disposed between the first and second sequence such that no sector of the first sequence is directly adjacent to a sector of the second sequence. The controller may be configured to restructure the first sequence to include a sector from the first guard area to produce a shifted first sequence.
US09286143B2
Methods, systems, and computer program products for flexible event data content management for relevant event and alert analysis within a distributed processing system are provided. Embodiments include capturing, by an interface connector, an event from a resource of the distributed processing system; inserting, by the interface connector, the event into an event database; receiving from the interface connector, by a notifier, a notification of insertion of the event into the event database; based on the received notification, tracking, by the notifier, the number of events indicated as inserted into the event database; receiving from the notifier, by a monitor, a cumulative notification indicating the number of events that have been inserted into the event database; in response to receiving the cumulative notification, retrieving, by the monitor, from the event database, events inserted into the event database; and processing, by the monitor, the retrieved events.
US09286128B2
A processor is described having an out-of-order core to execute a first thread and a non-out-of-order core to execute a second thread. The processor also includes statistics collection circuitry to support calculation of the following: the first thread's performance on the out-of-order core; an estimate of the first thread's performance on the non-out-of-order core; the second thread's performance on the non-out-of-order core; an estimate of the second thread's performance on the out-of-order core.
US09286123B2
An apparatus and method for managing stream processing tasks are disclosed. The apparatus includes a task management unit and a task execution unit. The task management unit controls and manages the execution of assigned tasks. The task execution unit executes the tasks in response to a request from the task management unit, collects a memory load state and task execution frequency characteristics based on the execution of the tasks, detects low-frequency tasks based on the execution frequency characteristics if it is determined that a shortage of memory has occurred based on the memory load state, assigns rearrangement priorities to the low-frequency tasks, and rearranges the tasks based on the assigned rearrangement priorities.
US09286122B2
Virtual surface techniques are described. These techniques include support of initialization and batching of updates, use of updates and lookaside lists, the use of gutters, the use of blending and BLT operations, surface optimization techniques such as push down as well as enumeration and clumping, mesh usage, and occlusion management techniques.
US09286119B2
A system, method, and computer program product for management of dynamic task-dependency graphs. The method includes the steps of generating a first task data structure in a memory for a first task, generating a second task data structure in the memory, storing a pointer to the second task data structure in a first output dependence field of the first task data structure, setting a reference counter field of the second task data structure to a threshold value that indicates a number of dependent events associated with the second task, and launching the second task when the reference counter field stores a particular value. The second task data structure is a placeholder for a second task that is dependent on the first task.
US09286118B2
A method of processing a job is presented. A packet selector determines a candidate job list including an ordered listing of candidate jobs. Each candidate job in the ordered listing belongs to a communication stream. One or more shared resources required for execution of a first job in the candidate job list are identified. Whether the first job is eligible for execution is determined by determining an availability of the one or more shared resources required for the first job, and, when the one or more shared resource required for the first job are unavailable and no jobs executing within the data processor are from the same communication stream as the first job, determining that the first job is not eligible for execution.
US09286115B2
Some computing devices have limited resources such as, for example, battery power. When a user ceases to interact with an application, execution of the application can be moved to background and the application can be paused. During the time period in which the application is paused, the application consumes no CPU cycles because executing managed threads of the paused application are stopped, and native threads are prevented from running using asynchronous procedure calls.
US09286111B2
The described embodiments include a processor that handles operations during transactions. In these embodiments, the processor comprises one or more cores. During operation, at least one core is configured to monitor the acquisition of time stamps during transactions. The at least one core is further configured to prevent the acquisition of time stamps that meet predetermined conditions.
US09286103B2
A method and structure for a cloud service includes an API (application programming interface) as tangibly embodied in a set of computer-executable instructions and selectively executable on a computer on a network. The API provides a user interface for a cloud environment comprising one or more virtual machines to be selectively instantiated on at least one computer in the network upon a user request. A library is accessible via the API, the library providing definitions of components available to be instantiated in the cloud environment. The API automatically instantiates an image of a virtual network of components, as defined by a user input request and provides at least one cloud portal providing the user an access to exercise the instantiated virtual network image.
US09286102B1
A desktop image management system is described that can be used to efficiently manage desktops and desktop image data in hosted hypervisor environments. The efficiency of backing up data and otherwise managing desktops that are running on virtual machines in a hosted hypervisor environment can be improved by utilizing an image management client installed in the host operating system and individual drivers installed on each virtual machine running on the hosted hypervisor. The image management client may also simplify and improve the process of distributing software updates from the central server to target virtual machines running on the hosted hypervisor environment.
US09286092B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for storing images of virtual machine virtual disks. One of the methods includes receiving a request from a first user to save a first virtual machine (VM) disk image, wherein the first VM disk image is an image of a virtual disk of a first VM instance and captures an application and operating system configuration of the first VM instance; in response to the request, providing data identifying a plurality of image tracks to the first user, wherein each image track is a collection of VM disk images; receiving data from the first user identifying a first image track of the plurality of image tracks; and adding the first VM disk image to the first image track, comprising associating data identifying the first VM disk image with data identifying the first image track.
US09286091B2
A semiconductor device includes an instruction decoder that decodes an instruction code and thereby generates instruction information, an execution unit that performs an operation based on the instruction information through pipeline processing, and a pipeline control unit that controls an order of the instruction code to be processed in the pipeline processing, in which the pipeline control unit includes a register for defining presence/absence of an authority to execute a first privilege program for each virtual machine, the first privilege program being to be executed on one virtual machine, refers to the register, and when the virtual machine that has issued the instruction code relating to the first privilege program has an authority to execute the first privilege program, instructs the execution unit to execute a process based on the instruction code relating to a second privilege program, based on an operation of the first privilege program.
US09286080B2
Techniques related to personal computers and devices sharing similar architectures are disclosed. Particularly shown is a system and method for enabling improved performance and security in hypervisor programs and related applications programs achieved through the use of multiple non-volatile memories.
US09286078B2
In an apparatus which includes a plurality of processing modules connected via a ring-shape bus, if a plurality pieces of pipeline processing to be processed in a different order is allocated to a plurality of processing modules, the transfer efficiency may decrease when an amount of data transferred from one of the processing modules to a post-stage module exceeds a processing capacity of the post-stage module. Accordingly, a module positioned on the preceding side in the pipeline processing controls a transmission interval of processed data so that the post-stage module can receive the data processed by the preceding module.
US09286067B2
A hierarchical barrier synchronization of cores and nodes on a multiprocessor system, in one aspect, may include providing by each of a plurality of threads on a chip, input bit signal to a respective bit in a register, in response to reaching a barrier; determining whether all of the plurality of threads reached the barrier by electrically tying bits of the register together and “AND”ing the input bit signals; determining whether only on-chip synchronization is needed or whether inter-node synchronization is needed; in response to determining that all of the plurality of threads on the chip reached the barrier, notifying the plurality of threads on the chip, if it is determined that only on-chip synchronization is needed; and after all of the plurality of threads on the chip reached the barrier, communicating the synchronization signal to outside of the chip, if it is determined that inter-node synchronization is needed.
US09286065B2
The length of character data having a termination character is determined. The character data for which the length is to be determined is loaded, in parallel, within one or more vector registers. An instruction is used that loads data in a vector register to a specified boundary, and provides a way to determine the number of characters loaded, using, for instance, another instruction. Further, an instruction is used to find the index of the first termination character, e.g., the first zero or null character. This instruction searches the data in parallel for the termination character. By using these instructions, the length of the character data is determined using only one branch instruction.
US09286064B2
Copying characters of a set of terminated character data from one memory location to another memory location using parallel processing and without causing unwarranted exceptions. The character data to be copied is loaded within one or more vector registers. In particular, in one embodiment, an instruction (e.g., a Vector Load to block Boundary instruction) is used that loads data in parallel in a vector register to a specified boundary, and provides a way to determine the number of characters loaded. To determine the number of characters loaded (a count), another instruction (e.g., a Load Count to Block Boundary instruction) is used. Further, an instruction (e.g., a Vector Find Element Not Equal instruction) is used to find the index of the first delimiter character, i.e., the first termination character, such as a zero or null character within the character data. This instruction checks a plurality of bytes of data in parallel.
US09286055B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for aggregating fragments of data objects from a plurality of devices. In use, a first data fragment associated with a first data object to be migrated from at least one first device associated with a legacy code to a second device associated with a target code is received, the first data fragment including at least a first portion of the first data object. Additionally, it is determined that the first data fragment is one of a plurality of data fragments that comprise the first data object. In response to determining that the first data fragment is one of a plurality of data fragments that comprise the first data object, the first data fragment is stored in a memory. Further, the memory is monitored to determine whether all of the plurality of data fragments that comprise the first data object are present in the memory. In response to determining that all of the plurality of data fragments that comprise the first data object are present in the memory, the first data object is assembled from the plurality of data fragments. Moreover, the first data object is automatically migrated to the second device associated with the target code.
US09286045B2
A method for providing applications to one or more requesting devices is provided. The method comprises a step of first receiving an application request from the one or more requesting devices. The method includes extracting details of the request. Further markup language structure for corresponding page of the application is generated. The markup language structure is generated based by invoking page handlers which includes contacting business logic layer to get information required to be embedded in the corresponding page. The output page is then provided to the requesting device.
US09286044B2
Hybrid parallelization strategies for machine learning programs on top of MapReduce are provided. In one embodiment, a method of and computer program product for parallel execution of machine learning programs are provided. Program code is received. The program code contains at least one parallel for statement having a plurality of iterations. A parallel execution plan is determined for the program code. According to the parallel execution plan, the plurality of iterations is partitioned into a plurality of tasks. Each task comprises at least one iteration. The iterations of each task are independent.
US09286043B2
A method for optimization of a software build includes collecting first data representative of inputs for a build process obtained by a set of data accessing operations implemented during a first execution of the build process, the set including a file accessing operation and a non-file accessing operation. A redirection routine embedded within the build process captures the inputs. The first data is compared with second data representative of the inputs obtained in connection with a second execution of the build process. If the first and second data do not match, the second data is recorded in a data store and output data generated by the second execution of the build process is stored. If the first and second data match, output data generated by the first execution of the build process is used as an output for the second execution of the build process.
US09286042B2
An operating system may be configured using a control flow graph that defines relationships between each executable module. The operating system may be configured by analyzing an application and identifying the operating system modules called from the application, then building a control flow graph for the configuration. The operating system may be deployed to a server or other computer containing only those components identified in the control flow graph. Such a lightweight deployment may be used on a large scale for datacenter servers as well as for small scale deployments on sensors and other devices with little processing power.
US09286038B2
Some implementations provide techniques and arrangements for interactive user interface operation and development. For instance, some implementations may generate a user interface data structure representing a user interface, the user interface data structure being generated based at least in part on state data and imperative programming code. Then, in response to a change in one of the imperative programming code or the state data, some implementations may update the user interface data structure and render an updated interactive graphical user interface based on the updated user interface data structure.
US09286034B2
In one embodiment, a non-transitory computer-readable medium stores instructions for implementing an application dataflow aware property and bindings system that implements two-way binding via a unidirectional directed acyclic graph and propagates data through the graph based on the connections between the graph nodes. In one embodiment, properties in a binding relationship are arranged in an upstream and downstream manner. Each property has an upstream node and a downstream node to send and receive messages from other properties. Where a first property is arranged upstream of a second property in the binding graph, the first property is more authoritative than the second property. The most upstream property is the truth for the binding. Requests to update the value of the property are propagated upstream via the upstream nodes and notifications of changes in the value of the property are propagated downstream via the downstream nodes.
US09286031B2
A hardware circuit for returning single precision denormal results to double precision. A hardware circuit component configured to count leading zeros of an unrounded single precision denormal result. A hardware circuit component configured to pre-compute a first exponent and a second exponent for the unrounded single precision denormal result. A hardware circuit component configured to perform a second normalization of the rounded single precision denormal result back to architected format.
US09286027B2
A digital display device for displaying content associated with multiple sets of sources of content is described herein. The digital display device includes a display configured to provide at least a first display region and a second display region. The digital display device further includes a communication component configured to transmit and receive signals to and from a telecommunications network and a storage component configured to store a mapping of sources of content to the first and second display regions. The digital display device also includes a routing component that automatically routes content associated with the first and second sets of sources for display on at least one of the first and second display regions. The first and second display regions display the content substantially simultaneously.
US09286024B2
A housing for a handheld computing device can include a metallic outer shell having a substantially flat base and a sidewall connected to a periphery of the base, the metallic outer shell having an inner surface and an outer surface and a polymeric portion nanomolded on the inner surface of the metallic outer shell in a predetermined location to provide rigidity to the metallic outer shell.
US09286014B2
An information processing apparatus for creating drawing data based on a printing job, includes a plurality of drawing data creating units configured to create respective drawing data based on the printing job; a determining unit configured to determine, through an analysis of the printing job, a drawing data creating unit from the drawing data creating units to create a drawing datum based on the printing job; and a screen displaying unit configured to display, in respective manners, a content of the printing job with a plurality of display screens associated with the respective drawing data creating units, in a case where the determining unit fails to select any one of the drawing data creating units.
US09286004B1
A technique for managing I/O operations in data storage systems having one or more multi-core processors is provided. A first variable stored in shared memory is configured to simultaneously store a counter associated with a number of I/O operations outstanding and a gate bit value associated with a gate condition. I/O operations are tracked by incrementing the counter value when an I/O operation is received and decrementing the counter value when an I/O operation is processed. If a storage object is identified as requiring a state change, the gate bit is set to queue any subsequent I/O operations. Outstanding I/O operations are drained by processing I/Os until the counter reaches zero. Any necessary operations are performed during the state change condition. The gate bit is cleared and I/O processing resumes. Atomic increment, decrement, OR and AND instructions provide synchronization across the multiple cores.
US09286000B2
Various embodiments are provided for saving a log data in a hierarchical storage management system using a disk system as a primary cache with a tape library as a secondary cache. The user data is stored in the primary cache and written into the secondary cache at a subsequent period of time. Blank tapes in the secondary cache are prepared for storing the user data and the log data, based on priorities. At least one of the blank tapes is selected for copying the log data and the user data from the primary cache to the secondary cache based on priorities. The log data is stored in the primary cache.
US09285997B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure include data structuring techniques and configurations for memory access. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a plurality of tiles, a plurality of blocks, wherein individual tiles of the plurality of tiles and individual blocks of the plurality of blocks each include a plurality of tile blocks having memory elements and wherein the plurality of tile blocks are accessible for read or write according to a tile address to identify a tile of the plurality of tiles and a block address to identify a block of the plurality of blocks and a data restructuring module configured to modify, based on the tile address, an order of data to be read from or written to the tile blocks. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09285991B2
Scheduling a proposed additional data transfer from one or more source storage devices to one or more target storage devices. A computer receives a request for the proposed additional data transfer, and in response, determines a measure of the proposed additional data transfer. The computer determines a measure of recent actual data transfers. The recent actual data transfers involve one or more of the source storage devices and one or more of the target storage devices. In response to the request for the proposed additional data transfer, the computer estimates performance of one or more of the source storage devices and one or more of the target storage devices that would occur during the proposed additional data transfer based on the measure of recent actual data transfers combined with the measure of the proposed additional data transfer. The computer compares the estimated performance to a corresponding performance threshold, and if less, the computer postpones execution of the proposed additional data transfer.
US09285990B2
A system and method of receiving various types of gestures and displays corresponding keypads on the mobile device are provided. The method includes receiving a keypad calling command, and arranging and displaying one or more keypad blocks on the screen of the mobile device, according to a track of the keypad calling command. The keypad display system includes an input unit for receiving a user's input, and a controller for determining whether the user's input is a keypad calling command, and for arranging and displaying one or more keypad blocks on the screen, according to a track of the keypad calling command.
US09285981B1
Screen capture mitigation is disclosed. The presence of a first finger is detected in a first area of a display. In response to the detection, content id displayed. A determination is made that the position of the first finger has changed. A determination is made that the distance by which the first finger has changed position exceeds a tolerance. The content is ceased to be displayed in response to the determination that the tolerance has been exceed.
US09285977B1
A variety of data structures, components, runtime viewers and methods are described for defining, delivering and rendering wrapped packages of cards in a manner that is particularly well suited, but not limited to, display on mobile devices. Each card may selectively include media content, and a palette of application functionality and/or supporting e-commerce related services. The cards of the wrap packages are ideally threaded together into one or more linear sequences, and authored to convey a book-like narrative that unfolds as the cards are sequentially browsed. In addition, the wrap packages are portable objects that are readily distributed, similar to other electronic messages, through e-mail, messaging, social-media, or via a variety of other electronic communication platforms. As a result, wrap packages are consumable, sharable and savable objects.
US09285972B2
A knob element associated with a user interface element in a graphical user interface can be translated in response to a rotational user input motion. As the knob element is translated around the user interface element, a change in the size of the user interface element can occur that is at least in part based on amount of rotational distance.
US09285970B2
A portable device (100) includes an orientation engine (118) and a display controller (106). The display controller displays a navigational view on a first display (102). Upon detecting a reorientation of the device (610), the display control displays a second navigational view (204). The second navigational view is related to the first navigational view by a relationship dictated by the direction of orientation change, and may be displayed on the first display or on a second display (104), depending on the manner of reorientation.
US09285968B2
A user interface displayed by an electronic device can include a first user-interface portion generated by the electronic device and a second user interface portion generated by a remote device. The electronic device can detect received input and determine whether the input corresponds to an interactive element in the first user-interface portion or an interactive element in the second user interface portion. If the input corresponds to an interactive element in the first user-interface portion, the electronic device can generate a response to the input. If the input corresponds to an interactive element in the second user-interface portion, the electronic device can transmit information indicative of the input to the remote device.
US09285967B2
A computing device having a display portion for displaying information and a user input portion for receiving an input from a user. The device is operable to display a first set of user-selectable function elements in a first format and is responsive to an input from a user corresponding to a user-selected portion of the display portion to display a second set of function elements that include one or more function elements of the first set of user-selectable function elements that are associated with the selected portion of the display portion in a second format different from the first format. The device is operable to allow a function element displayed in the second format to be selected by the user thereby to execute a function associated with the element.
US09285966B2
A method and system may for notifying a user of an incoming message may include a message server configured to apply a filter to a message header of a received message. A message program may be configured to filter the message based on at least one filter, the filter being established via a filter interface and including a plurality of filter options. The message program may be configured to display at least one message indicator in a message interface in response to applying the filter options of the filter to the message.
US09285965B1
A system, method, and computer readable medium comprises displaying a panel associated with at least one script, presenting a branching logic associated with the panel and creating a graphical map of the panel and the branching logic where the graphical map allows zooming in to show panel logic associated with the panel, and the graphical map allows zooming out to show the branching logic associated with the panel.
US09285964B2
Disclosed are methods that may include determining that a focus setting of a first web page interaction state is an invalid focus setting. A navigation history log may be accessed that includes an indication of a second web page interaction state accessed by a user prior to the user accessing the first web page interaction state. Based upon the navigation history log, a third web page interaction state that includes an interactive element with a valid focus setting may be identified. The third web page interaction state may be presented to the user in which the interactive element with the valid focus setting having focus in the presented third web page interaction state.
US09285963B2
An in-car information system includes a portable information terminal and an in-car device. The information terminal identifies a specific application being executed in the foreground and transmits restriction information pertaining to the particular application to the in-car device. The in-car device either allows or disallows, based upon the restriction information transmitted from the information terminal, image display corresponding to the application being executed in the foreground and transmission of operation information corresponding to an input operation.
US09285959B2
A given page of an e-book is displayed when an input is detected that is sustained for an amount of time that exceeds a threshold. After the amount of time exceeding the threshold, the pages of the e-book are transitioned by clusters or chapters. The transitioning by clusters or chapters can be sustained for some duration that is determined by, for example, the duration of time during which the input is sustained.
US09285952B2
A method and computing device are provided for showing affordance of list scroll-ability within a display of a computing device. As part of the rendering process of the graphical user interface a user is prompted through the provision of additional data to that ultimately displayed to consider that the final displayed list is a subset of data which may be accessed through the graphical user interface.
US09285951B2
Techniques are disclosed to facilitate avatar personalization in a virtual environment. A request to generate an avatar in the virtual environment to represent a requesting entity is received. Data pertaining to the requesting entity is retrieved, the data not specifying any visual appearance of the avatar. A proposed avatar is generated based on the retrieved data. The proposed avatar is output to the requesting entity.
US09285936B2
A display apparatus is disclosed. In one aspect the apparatus includes a touch panel, an information processor, a memory and a display panel. The touch panel generates a current touch signal including a current touch position of a touch. The information processor receives the current touch signal from the touch panel and a stored touch signal to compare the stored touch signal with the current touch signal to generate dynamic luminance information. The memory receives the current touch signal from the information processor to store the current touch signal as the stored touch signal. The display panel receives the dynamic luminance information from the information processor to display an image having different luminances in an emphasizing region corresponding to the current touch signal and the stored touch signal and a background region surrounding the emphasizing region, respectively.
US09285928B2
An optical touch system includes a touch screen; a plurality of light sources for periodically emitting light; a light-emitting element for periodically emitting light when the plurality of light sources are not emitting light; a light-reflecting element, for reflecting light emitted by the plurality of light sources; a plurality of lenses, for capturing a first image during a period when the plurality of light sources are emitting light and capturing a second image during a period when the plurality of light sources are not emitting light; and a processing unit. The processing unit includes a control unit for controlling the plurality of light sources and the light-emitting element; and a computation unit for computing a first location in which the light-emitting element is located and a second location in which the light-reflecting element is located on the touch screen according to the first image and the second image.
US09285924B2
An information processing method and an electronic device are disclosed. The method is applied to an electronic device, the electronic device includes a display unit and a detection unit, and the detection unit can detect at least an operating body having a distance from a surface of the display unit within a predetermined space range. The method includes: detecting whether there is a first operating body within a predetermined space range, and generating a detection result; acquiring first operating information corresponding to the first operating body if the detection result indicates that there is the first operating body within the predetermined space range; generating an adjustment instruction based on the first operating information; and adjusting a display parameter of the first display object based on the adjustment instruction.
US09285917B2
A liquid crystal display having photo-sensing input mechanism includes a first gate line for transmitting a first gate signal, a second gate line for transmitting a second gate signal, a data line for transmitting a data signal, a pixel unit for outputting an image signal according to the first gate signal and the data signal, a readout line for transmitting a readout signal, a photo-sensing input unit and a driving adjustment unit. The photo-sensing input unit is utilized for generating a sensing voltage according to a driving voltage and an incident light signal, and is further utilized for outputting the readout signal according to the sensing voltage and the first gate signal. The driving adjustment unit is employed to provide the driving voltage according to the second gate signal and the incident light signal.
US09285897B2
A method for controlling a computer display cursor in an interaction region includes projecting an image of the computer display to create the interaction region. A distance is established between a first point and a second point. The first point has a predetermined relation to the projection device, and the second point has a predetermined relation to the interaction region. At least one of an orientation and a position of a pointing line is measured. The pointing line has a predetermined relation to a pointing device. The established distance and the at least one of measured position and orientation are used to control the cursor position on the interaction region.
US09285896B2
An information processing apparatus includes an obtaining unit, a specifying unit, a calculating unit, and an evaluating unit. The obtaining unit obtains position information and time information. The position information indicates a position at which a writing action has been performed and which is specified in accordance with code information formed on a medium to which an operation result for operation items is input. The time information indicates a time at which the writing action was performed. The specifying unit specifies an operation item for which the writing action has been performed. The calculating unit calculates an operation time taken to perform an operation of the operation item for which the writing action has been performed. The evaluating unit detects an operation item in which a time difference between the calculated operation time and a predetermined standard operation time is longer than or equal to a predetermined time.
US09285895B1
A transmissive element including a diffractive and/or refractive pattern can be used with a display screen of a computing device to allow the display screen to function as a near field optical sensor (NFOS). The NFOS can be used to detect shadows cast on the display screen, and/or bright objects detected near the display screen, which can be used to determine the relative position of one or more features with respect to the device. These features can be, for example, the fingers or thumbs of a user attempting to provide input to the computing device. The device can support motion or gesture detection using cameras of the device, and touch input using touch screen functionality, but the NFOS can enable the device to also track motion in the dead zone between the field of view of the cameras and the touch screen.
US09285894B1
Described herein are systems and devices for mitigating multi-path interference in optical time-of-flight systems. An input surface is configured with a pattern comprising predominately low albedo material and a plurality of decimated high albedo features. The low albedo material is configured to minimize reflectance of light emitted by an emitter. The high albedo material is configured to reflect more of the light than the low albedo material. The low and high albedo materials, or an additional material, may be used to provide a high albedo material in visible light wavelengths, configured for use as a projection surface.
US09285889B2
A keyboard assembly includes a transmitter electrode and one or more receiver electrodes that are used to generate an electric field above one or more keys of the assembly. The first electrode is located on a first level of a keyboard assembly and the second electrode is located on a second level of the keyboard assembly. The first level may correspond to a support plate of the assembly and the second level may correspond to a surface of a printed circuit board to which the second electrode is coupled. Alternatively, the first and second levels may correspond to different sides of a frame of the keyboard assembly. Disturbances in the electric field may be detected to perform a control operation of a host device that includes or is coupled to the keyboard assembly.
US09285885B2
A gesture recognition module, for recognizing a gesture of a user, includes a detecting unit, for capturing at least one hand image of a hand of the user, so as to sequentially acquire a first coordinate and a second coordinate; a computing unit, coupled to the detecting unit for defining a first zone and a second zone according to the first coordinate and the second coordinate, respectively, and calculating a first area and a second area according to the first zone and the second zone; and a determining unit, coupled to the detecting unit and the computing unit for recognizing the gesture according to the first coordinate, the second coordinate, the first area and the second area.
US09285880B2
An apparatus including: a panel; actuators; a movement input determining unit which calculates movement directions and distances of touch positions, based on time-series information of the touch positions; a display unit; a direction determining unit which determines a direction of an object included in the content item with respect to the display unit; a vibration position determining unit which determines a first touch position closer/closest to the object and one or more second touch positions detected simultaneously; a vibration determining unit which determines a tactile feedback signal presenting a vibration for the first touch position, based on the object direction; a multi-point simultaneous vibration control unit which performs control for presenting the vibration at the first touch position and not presenting the vibration at the second touch positions; and a content control unit which enables display of the content item by scrolling it based on the movement directions and distances.
US09285878B2
A tactile display comprises a contact pad, operable to engage a target area of a user's skin. A restraining system is operable to restrain a portion of the user's skin distal from the target area of the skin. An actuation system is operably coupled to one of: i) the contact pad and the ii) restraining system. The actuation system is capable of moving the contact pad and the restraining system relative to one another to create a shear force across the target area of the user's skin to thereby provide tactile information to the user.
US09285874B2
A method, including receiving a three-dimensional (3D) map of at least a part of a body of a user (22) of a computerized system, and receiving a two dimensional (2D) image of the user, the image including an eye (34) of the user. 3D coordinates of a head (32) of the user are extracted from the 3D map and the 2D image, and a direction of a gaze performed by the user is identified based on the 3D coordinates of the head and the image of the eye.
US09285871B2
A system for generating an augmented reality environment in association with one or more attractions or exhibits is described. In some cases, a see-through head-mounted display device (HMD) may acquire one or more virtual objects from a supplemental information provider associated with a particular attraction. The one or more virtual objects may be based on whether an end user of the HMD is waiting in line for the particular attraction or is on (or in) the particular attraction. The supplemental information provider may vary the one or more virtual objects based on the end user's previous experiences with the particular attraction. The HMD may adapt the one or more virtual objects based on physiological feedback from the end user (e.g., if a child is scared). The supplemental information provider may also provide and automatically update a task list associated with the particular attraction.
US09285869B2
When a user clicks a widget, such as a button, to invoke a widget behavior in a web page, an overlay module may delay the invoking of the widget behavior while executing a stimulatory effect. The stimulatory effect may be a visual effect, such as a gradual fill of the button, that stimulates the user to provide a re-click. A re-click can cause the stimulatory effect to conclude and to invoke the widget behavior. The re-click event, based on human impatience, may be determined to be an indicator of a human user.
US09285868B2
An example camera device includes an image capturing unit configured to capture an image, and a storage unit configured to store first attribute information of a target object used for identifying the target object from the image. The camera device also includes an identification unit, a requesting unit, and a storage control unit. The identification unit is configured to identify the target object in the image captured by the image capturing unit based on the first attribute information. The requesting unit is configured to request an external device to identify the target object when the identification unit is not able to identify the target object. The storage control unit is configured to receive second attribute information of the target object from the external device that is requested to identify the target object, and control the storage unit to store the second received attribute information.
US09285864B2
A mobile terminal device includes a first processor that processes data acquired by a sensor, and a second processor that transmits the data acquired by the sensor to the first processor. The first processor acquires a transmission condition corresponding to state information of the mobile terminal with reference to association information and transmits the transmission condition to the second processor. The association information associates a transmission condition with state information. The transmission condition is a condition for transmitting the data acquired by the sensor from the second processor to the first processor. The second processor transmits the data acquired by the sensor to the first processor in accordance with the transmission condition transmitted by the first processor.
US09285857B2
A device may identify an exhibited idle mode current draw according to test results representative of measured current usage associated with execution of an application under test on a test mobile device in communication with a live communications network of a network service provider; determine a battery consumption rating associated with the application under test according to the idle mode current draw and predetermined rating criteria; and update a listing of application ratings based on the determined battery consumption rating of the application under test.
US09285845B2
In some embodiments, cooling devices with metal hydrides are disclosed.
US09285843B2
An electronic device includes a housing defining an exterior of the electronic device, the housing accommodating a main board, a metal plate coupled to the housing, and a battery attached to the metal plate, the battery being electrically connected to the main board.
US09285840B2
A system and method that utilizes a protective sensor-interface apparatus, which removably connects and interfaces to a mobile electronic device, enabling users to more readily access and engage mobile content and data. The present invention provides a method and device wherein the user interfaces with digital content by using touch-sensitive areas on the back and sides of a protective case that interfaces with the mobile device, the software application and other users. This enables additional features that can be customized by users and developers for enhanced sensory experiences and digital rights management by creating components of a separate environment that exists in the case.
US09285837B2
A physical keyboard having a plurality of individual keys temporarily overlays a touch-sensitive display. Each individual key selectively provides either of a first level of capacitive coupling and a second, different level of capacitive coupling to the touch-sensitive display. By one approach the key provides that first level of capacitive coupling to the touch-sensitive display when a user asserts the key (for example, by pressing upon the key) to thereby communicate to the touch-sensitive display a selection of that individual key. The key can provide that second level of capacitive coupling when a user touches, but does not assert, the individual key. So configured, this second level of capacitive coupling serves to communicate to the touch-sensitive display an input instruction other than a selection of that individual key.
US09285832B2
A security system for securing a component, the security system comprising: a security device securing the component; and a pivot assembly securing the security device to a support, the pivot assembly comprising an alignment mechanism enabling the security device to rotate between at least a first orientation and a second orientation.
US09285827B2
A solid state storage device includes an interface system configured to communicate with an external host system over an aggregated multi-channel interface to receive data for storage by the solid state storage device. The solid state storage device also includes a storage processing system configured to communicate with the interface system to receive the data, process the data against storage allocation information to parallelize the data among a plurality of solid state memory subsystems, and transfer the parallelized data. The interface system is configured to receive the parallelized data, apportion the parallelized data among the plurality of solid state memory subsystems, and transfer the parallelized data for storage in the plurality of solid state memory subsystems, where each of the plurality of solid state memory subsystems is configured to receive the associated portion of the parallelized data and store the associated portion on a solid state storage medium.
US09285823B2
Provided is a structure for installing a shift knob to a shift lever in which a rod is provided in an upwardly and downwardly movable manner. The shift knob comprises: a button capable of being manually pushed to allow the rod to be moved downwardly from a lock position to a lock release position; a core installing the button and having a lower tubular portion; and a cover ring covering the lower tubular portion of the core. The structure is configured to allow the cover ring to be fitted onto the lower tubular portion of the core, and thereby locked by the lower tubular portion of the core in a snap fit manner, and to allow the shift lever to be inserted into the lower tubular portion of the core, and thereby locked by the lower tubular portion of the core in a snap fit manner.
US09285820B2
A voltage reference circuit comprises a plurality of ΔVBE cells, each comprising four bipolar junction transistors (BJTs) connected in a cross-quad configuration and arranged to generate a ΔVBE voltage. The plurality of ΔVBE cells are stacked such that their ΔVBE voltages are summed. A last stage is coupled to the summed ΔVBE voltages and arranged to generate one or more VBE voltages which are summed with the ΔVBE voltages to provide a reference voltage. This arrangement serves to cancel out first-order noise and mismatch associated with the two current sources present in each ΔVBE cell, such that the voltage reference circuit provides ultra-low 1/f noise in the bandgap voltage output.
US09285813B2
A supply voltage regulation system for an IC including a temperature sensor that detects temperature of the IC, a scaling resistor coupled between a power grid and a feedback node of the IC, a regulator amplifier that compares a voltage of the feedback node with a reference voltage for developing a supply voltage for the IC, and a temperature scaling circuit that drives a scaling current to the scaling resistor via the feedback node to adjust the supply voltage based on temperature. The temperature scaling circuit may include one or more comparators that compare a temperature signal with corresponding temperature thresholds for selectively applying one or more bias currents to the scaling resistor. The scaling resistor may be coupled to a hot point of the power grid. A voltage difference between a hot point of a ground grid may be converted to a bias current applied to the scaling resistor.
US09285810B2
The performance, thermal and power management system is configured to perform DVFS calibration, temperature compensation adjustment, aging calibration, and DC offset calibration in an IC. The initial voltage supplied to the IC may be set to an initial value which takes chip-to-chip process variations into account and then dynamically adjusted according to temperature variations, DC offset and/or aging effects. Therefore, the performance, thermal and power management system may achieve optimized thermal and power performance of the IC.
US09285800B2
An automation control and monitoring system includes a server configured to receive a subscription request from a client component. The subscription request provides one or more criteria to the server. The server is configured to provide a set of data, via a first notification, to the client component based upon the one or more criteria in the subscription request. The server is configured to provide, via additional notifications based on the subscription request, additional sets of data, modifications to the set of data, or both, when additional data or modifications corresponding to the one or more criteria are available.
US09285795B2
A common process control graphical user interface plant operators, plant maintenance personnel, and management is disclosed which provides a real-time interface to both the process and the plant. The common interface is modular in design and is capable of supporting various specializations for each user type. Operator consoles are dedicated to each section of the plant and include additional functions such as maintenance, configuration, simulation and supervisory information. The unified for common graphical interface replaces control room displays filled with single case analog controllers, meters, and digital indicators. The common interface addresses the functions that previously were provided by the panel motor start/stop buttons and status indications, chart recorders, annunciator panels and subsystem interfaces. From a console, operators manage alarms, adjust the process by entering new setpoints or other parameters, “zoom in” on particular portions of the process for details, and utilize other specialized applications to work with their batch, advanced control, or business applications. The interface will run in both dedicated and non-dedicated modes, will run as a rich client or as part of a browser style interface utilizing web services and will run on workstations, laptops, tablet PC's, handhelds, and smart phones.
US09285788B2
A body garment including sensors distributed throughout the garment, each sensor senses body state information from a local surface area of a body; and sensor nodes in proximity to the plurality of sensors, each sensor node including a processor to receive sensing body state information from at least one of the plurality of sensors. Each processor is configured to receive body state information locally from sensors, to utilize the information to determine a local surface shape of the surface of a portion of the body part; and to exchange local surface shape information with neighboring sensor nodes. At least one processor of utilizes the local surface shape information received from the sensor nodes to generate one overall model of a surface shape of the entire surface of the body part covered by the garment.
US09285781B2
A timepiece includes a case; a movement that is housed in the case and has multiple motors that drive respective staffs disposed at different locations; a patch antenna that is disposed inside the case and at the back side of the dial; and a battery that supplies power to the motors and is disposed at a position in the case that does not overlap the patch antenna in plan view. The position at which the battery is disposed overlaps at least one of the motors in plan view.
US09285777B2
Embodiments relate to method for authenticating timepiece comprising measuring acoustic vibrations emitted by timepiece to obtain electrical signal, which indicates variation of magnitude of measured acoustic vibrations as function of time. The method includes processing electrical signal to attenuate plurality of acoustic events in said electrical signal, performing transform of processed electrical signal into a frequency domain to obtain frequency-domain power spectrum indicating variation of power of processed electrical signal as a function of frequency, identifying at least one narrow peak in frequency-domain power spectrum corresponding to at least one resonance frequency of a part of timepiece resonating in a quiet zone. The method also includes extracting at least one resonance frequency corresponding to at least one narrow peak, comparing extracted at least one resonance frequency with at least one reference resonance frequency, and deriving information on an authenticity of said timepiece based on the comparing.
US09285776B1
The present disclosure generally relates to a tightening apparatus, a wristband having the same, and a wristwatch having the same. In one embodiment, a plurality of pieces are coupled together and to a housing, and have one or more wires running through at least a first piece and a second piece of the plurality of pieces. The first and second pieces of the plurality of pieces are spaced a distance apart. The housing partially encloses at least a ratchet having a center axis, and a spool coupled to the ratchet, the spool being rotatable about an axis that is collinear with the center axis. The one or more wires are coupled to the spool, and are configured to wind around the spool when the spool rotates. As the spool rotates, the distance between at least the first and second pieces of the plurality of pieces is reduced.
US09285768B2
There is disclosed an apparatus which may comprise a transfer member and a photoconductor. The apparatus may be operable to apply a potential difference between the transfer member and the photoconductor and the photoconductor may be operable to transfer a layer of electrostatic printing material from the photoconductor to the transfer member at a transfer region under the action of the applied potential difference. According to the present disclosure, the apparatus may further comprise a humidity raising device which may be operable to raise the relative humidity of the transfer region above an ambient level. A printer and a method of facilitating transfer of electrostatic printing material are also disclosed.
US09285755B2
An image forming apparatus includes a first process unit and a second process unit. The first process unit includes: a first photosensitive member configured to carry a first developer image to be transferred onto a transfer medium; and a blade member configured to scrape substances attached to a surface of the first photosensitive member off the surface of the first photosensitive member. The second process unit includes: a second photosensitive member configured to carry a second developer image to be transferred onto the transfer medium having the first developer image transferred thereon; and a holding member configured to remove substances attached to a surface of the second photosensitive member from the surface of the second photosensitive member, temporarily hold the substances and return the substances to the surface of the second photosensitive member.
US09285749B2
Image forming apparatus which receives an instruction to take out sheets stored in a storage portion
An image forming apparatus that executes image forming processing and stores sheets in a sheet storage location of the image forming apparatus even when the image forming processing results in needing to store more sheets that the amount of sheets storable in the sheet storage location.
US09285748B2
An image forming apparatus includes a toner container; a developing unit; a detection unit detecting toner in the developing unit; a measurement unit measuring as to whether there is a full amount of toner or no toner in the developing unit by using a detection history of the detection unit with regard to the toner; a supplying unit supplying the toner from the toner container to the developing unit; a toner-amount calculation unit calculating, using image data to be printed, an amount of toner consumption needed during printing; an accumulation unit calculating an accumulated amount of toner consumption by accumulating the amount of toner consumption every time printing is conducted; and a fault determination unit determining, using the accumulated amount of toner consumption, whether a measurement result by the measurement unit is normal or not as to whether there is a full amount of toner or no toner.
US09285745B2
An image forming apparatus arranged to produce groups of printed sheets. Each group includes a plurality of sequential sheets. The image forming apparatus includes a plurality of storage units each configured to store the printed sheets produced by an image forming unit, a sorter unit configured to sort the printed sheets of a group into a plurality of portions, wherein the sheets in each portion are in sequential order, and to output each of the portions to a different storage unit, and a display unit configured to display an indication of the storage unit storing the portion including the first or the last sheet of the group such that a user is directed to collect the portion including the first or the last sheet of the group from the indicated storage unit first.
US09285738B1
A fixing device includes first and second contact bodies that apply a pressure to a recording medium to fix an unfixed image on the recording medium; a pressing member that is movable between a first position at which the pressing member is in contact with the first contact body and a second position at which the pressing member is separated from the first contact body; a first urging member that urges the pressing member to apply a force to the first contact body; a guide member that controls a direction in which the first contact body moves; a second urging member that is interposed between the pressing member and the guide member and that urges the guide member to apply a force to the first contact body; and a changer that selectively changes a position of the pressing member between the first and second positions.
US09285729B2
An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit having a heater, and a fixing member, the fixing unit configured to fix an image onto a recording material, a film configured to increase its temperature by absorbing infrared rays, a first sensor configured to measure a temperature of the film, a holding member configured to hold the film, a second sensor configured to measure a temperature of the holding member, a storage unit for storing a plurality of temperature determination information, a selection unit configured to select temperature determination information to interest, based on the measurement results of the first and the second sensor, from among the plurality of the stored temperature determination information, and a determination unit configured to determine a temperature of the fixing unit using the temperature determination information to interest selected by the selection unit, based on the measurement results of the first and the second sensor.
US09285725B2
An image forming apparatus includes a toner image former; a fixing portion including a fixing roller and a pressing roller to fix the image; a feeder for reversing a facing orientation of the paper and refeed it to the image former; an executing portion for executing a cleaning mode in which a predetermined toner image is fixed on one side of paper, and the paper is refed to the image former with the reversed orientation to clean the pressing roller; a first integrator for integrating a number of the simplex mode executions; a notifying portion for prompting the cleaning mode operation upon a predetermined first integrated value; a second integrator for integrating a number of executions of a duplex mode in which toner images are formed on both sides of paper, wherein a corrector corrects the integrated value of the first integrator depending on the integrated value of the second integrator.
US09285724B2
A fixing device includes a rotary endless fixing belt; a nip forming member disposed in an interior of the fixing belt; a rotary opposed member to contact the nip forming member via the fixing belt to form a nip together with the fixing belt; a heat source to directly heat the fixing belt at a portion other than the nip, including at lease one heat-generation part disposed outside lateral ends of a maximum area of the fixing belt where a recording medium passes through, wherein a recording medium carrying an unfixed image is conveyed to the nip and the fixing device fixes the unfixed image onto the recording medium; and a shielding member disposed between the fixing belt and the heat generation part of the heat source and configured to shield heat from the heat source at least at an area outside the maximum passing area of the recording medium.
US09285719B2
The image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; an endless and rotatable intermediate transfer member including a primary transfer portion and a secondary transfer portion; a first current supplying member to which voltage is applied, the first current supplying member being held in contact with the intermediate transfer member to supply current in a peripheral direction of the intermediate transfer member; and a second current supplying member to which voltage is applied, the second current supplying member being held in contact with the intermediate transfer member to supply current in the peripheral direction of the intermediate transfer member. By providing one common power supply for the primary transfer and the secondary transfer power, the intermediate transfer member and the second current supplying member can be cleaned stably and efficiently.
US09285715B2
A method for the reduction of caking of excess liquid developer dispersion that remains present on the surface of a member after transfer of liquid developer dispersion from one member to another member in a digital printing apparatus, comprising the step of adding a dispersing composition to the excess liquid developer dispersion, wherein the dispersing composition comprises a dispersing agent.
US09285708B2
An image forming apparatus includes a toner case, an opening/closing member, a lever member, a drive transmission mechanism, and a biasing member. The toner case is attached to an apparatus main body. The opening/closing member opens and closes a toner discharge outlet formed in the toner case. The lever member is operated between a first operation position and a second operation position for the opening/closing member to be moved to a closing position corresponding to the first operation position or to an opening position corresponding to the second operation position. The drive transmission mechanism transmits, to the opening/closing member, a driving force input by operation of the lever member. The biasing member biases the opening/closing member toward the closing position when the lever member is at the first operation position, and biases the opening/closing member toward the opening position when the lever member is at the second operation position.
US09285707B2
A developer accommodating unit includes: a flexible container, provided with an opening for permitting discharge of a developer, for accommodating the developer; a frame for accommodating the flexible container and for accommodating the developer discharged from the flexible container; and an urging member, provided inside the frame, for urging the flexible container to deform the flexible container. The flexible container has a plurality of sides including an opening-containing side and another side having stiffness lower than that of the opening-containing side.
US09285704B2
An image forming apparatus, which prohibits an image forming operation based on a detection result of a remaining amount detecting unit, thereafter immediately allows the image forming operation based on a detection result of a replacement detecting unit, performs a supply restriction mode which restricts a toner supply amount such that a toner supply amount in a predetermined initial period after allowing the image forming is smaller than that in a normal mode in a case where a detection result of a toner density detecting unit and a target value are under the same conditions, respectively.
US09285701B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image carrier, a charging member, a voltage applying part, a current measuring part and a controlling part. The image carrier carries a toner image. The charging member electrically charges the image carrier. The voltage applying part applies voltage to the charging member. The current measuring part measures current flowing into the charging member. The controlling part controls applied voltage of the voltage applying part. The controlling part decides, when a predetermined voltage is applied to the charging member for a predetermined time by the voltage applying part, if an increase quantity of the current measured by the current measuring part exceeds a predetermined threshold value, that at least one of the image carrier and the charging member is in an abnormal state.
US09285699B2
Disclosed is a carrier suitable for use with an electrophotographic developer and an electrophotographic developer containing the carrier. In particular, the carrier is powder coated and comprises a copolymer of cyclohexylmethacrylate and dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate.
US09285697B2
Provided is a toner has toner particle containing a crystalline polyester resin A, an amorphous resin B and a colorant, wherein (1) the crystalline polyester resin A is a resin that has a crystal nucleating agent segment (D) on the end of a polyester molecular chain (C), (2) the amorphous resin (B) is a hybrid resin in which a polyester unit (E) and a vinyl polymer unit (F) are chemically bonded, and (3) the SP value of the polyester molecular chain (C) (Sc), the SP value of the crystal nucleating agent segment (D) (Sd), the SP value of the polyester unit (E) (Se) and the SP value of the vinyl polymer unit (F) (Sf) satisfy specific relationships.
US09285694B2
A toner includes a polymeric resin, a colorant, and a small molecule crystalline aromatic monoester having a molecular weight less than 1,000 g/mol. The polymeric resin may be an amorphous resin and a mixture of the amorphous resin and the crystalline aromatic monoester may be characterized by a reduction in glass transition temperature from that of the resin and by the lack of a melting point for the crystalline aromatic monoester as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, the enthalpy of fusion for the crystalline aromatic monoester in the mixture being measured to be less than 10% of the enthalpy of fusion of the crystalline aromatic monoester in pure form. Furthermore, the toner may be configured to have a crease fix minimum fusing temperature (MFT) less than or equal to the crease fix MFT of a benchmark ultra-low-melt emulsion aggregation toner. Suitable crystalline aromatic monoesters may include 2-Naphthyl benzoate.
US09285692B2
Disclosed is a positively-charged single-layer electrophotographic photoreceptor in which a photosensitive layer containing at least a binding resin and a charge transporting material is provided on a photosensitive layer support base with a wall thickness of 0.7 mm or less, wherein when the charge transporting material is solely constituted by a hole transporting material, a content of the hole transporting material is 110 parts by mass or less with respect to 100 parts by mass of the binding resin, and when the charge transporting material is constituted by a hole transporting material and an electron transporting material, a content of the hole transporting material is 130 parts by mass or less and a content of the electron transporting material is 5 parts by mass or more with respect to 100 parts by mass of the binding resin.
US09285690B2
Embodiments of the invention relate to a mirror (30). The mirror includes a mirroring surface and a profiled coating layer (32a) having an outer surface, wherein one or more wedged elements are formed by the outer surface with respect to the mirroring surface, and wherein the one or more wedged elements having a wedge angle (ø) in a range of approximately 10-200 mrad. The profiled coating layer may have a curved outer surface. The profiled coating layer may be formed from at least one of the following materials: Be, B, C, P, K, Ca, Sc, Br, Rb, Sr, Y, Zr, Ru, Nb, Mo, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pa and U.
US09285689B2
A lithographic apparatus includes an illumination system to provide a beam of radiation, a support to support a patterning devices, the patterning devices configured to impart the beam with a pattern in its cross-section, a substrate table to hold a substrate, a projection system to project the patterned beam onto a target portion of the substrate, and a conditioning system to condition the substrate. The conditioning system conditions a non-target portion of the substrate with a conditioning fluid. A method of manufacturing a device includes conditioning a non-target portion of a substrate.
US09285687B2
An inspection apparatus includes an illumination system that receives a first beam and produces second and third beams from the first beam and a catadioptric objective that directs the second beam to reflect from a wafer. A first sensor detects a first image created by the reflected second beam. A refractive objective directs the third beam to reflect from the wafer, and a second sensor detects a second image created by the reflected third beam. The first and second images can be used for CD measurements. The second beam can have a spectral range from about 200 nm to about 425 nm, and the third beam can have a spectral range from about 425 nm to about 850 nm. A third sensor may be provide that detects a third image created by the third beam reflected from the wafer. The third image can be used for OV measurements.
US09285677B2
A method includes forming a first photo resist layer over a base structure and a target feature over the base structure, performing an un-patterned exposure on the first photo resist layer, and developing the first photo resist layer. After the step of developing, a corner portion of the first photo resist layer remains at a corner between a top surface of the base structure and an edge of the target feature. A second photo resist layer is formed over the target feature, the base structure, and the corner portion of the first photo resist layer. The second photo resist layer is exposed using a patterned lithography mask. The second photo resist layer is patterned to form a patterned photo resist.
US09285675B2
An imprint apparatus includes a deforming unit configured to deform the mold held by the mold holding unit into a convex shape toward the substrate; a driving unit configured to change an attitude of the mold or the substrate during a pressing in which the mold deformed is pressed against the uncured resin to thereby make a position of a contact region at which the mold is brought into contact with the uncured resin movable; a control unit configured to calculate a plane coordinates of a centroid of the contact region based on an image information of the contact region acquired by a measuring unit and to control an operation of the driving unit such that the plane coordinates position of the centroid is directed toward the plane coordinates position of the centroid of a pattern-forming region on the substrate, which has been calculated or has been acquired in advance.
US09285672B2
A reflective mask having a light-shielding frame with high light-shielding performance, and a method for manufacturing thereof. In a reflective mask having a light-shielding frame dug into a multilayered reflective layer, when side etching is performed or processing to obtain a reverse tapered shape is performed only on the multilayered reflective layer, it becomes possible to suppress reflection of EUV light (extreme ultraviolet light) in the vicinity of the edge of the light-shielding frame, provide a reflective mask having high light-shielding ability, and form a transcription pattern with high accuracy.
US09285671B2
A mask, or photomask, is used in lithography systems and processes. The mask includes a first polygon of a first state and a second polygon of a second state. The mask also includes a field of the first state and a third polygon of the second state, and in the field. The first and second states are different, and the first and second polygons are located outside of the field.
US09285669B2
A reflection screen includes: a reflection layer provided on the back side and adapted to reflect light; and a surface shape layer provided on the reflection layer, at the image source side relative to the reflection screen, the surface shape layer having a plurality of unit optical shapes arrayed and deflecting image light toward the reflection layer side. The unit optical shape satisfies, in a section along the array direction of the unit optical shapes and orthogonal to a screen plane, the relationship of α+2φ−θ>90°, where θ is an angle that a total reflection surface makes with a plane parallel to the screen plane, φ is an angle that an incidence surface makes with a normal direction to the screen plane, and α is an angle that light incident on the incidence surface makes with the normal direction to the screen plane.
US09285668B2
A MEMS micro-mirror device includes, a single package; a first mirror and second mirror, wherein at least one of the mirrors is configured to oscillate along an oscillation axis; wherein both mirrors are located within the single package and are arranged such that as the at least one mirror oscillates, the light incident on the first micro-mirror can be deflected to the second mirror.
US09285643B2
A liquid crystal display includes pixels which is disposed in row and column directions, respectively includes pixel electrodes, and arranged along a first pixel column to a sixth pixel column, gate lines including pairs of two adjacent gate lines for each pixel row in the row direction, data lines including a first data line at a left side of the first pixel column, a second data line between the second and third pixel columns, a third data line between the fourth and fifth pixel columns, and a fourth data line at a right side of the sixth pixel column; and common voltage lines including a first common voltage line between the first and second pixel columns, a second common voltage line between the third and fourth pixel columns, and a third common voltage line between the fifth and sixth pixel columns.
US09285642B2
A pixel array includes pixel units. A gate of a sharing switch device is electrically connected to a signal line. A source of the sharing switch device is electrically connected to an active device and a sub-pixel electrode. A terminal of a first capacitance Cpp is electrically connected to the source of the sharing switch device and the sub-pixel electrode. Another terminal of the first capacitance Cpp is electrically connected to a main pixel electrode of the next pixel unit. A terminal of a second capacitance Ccc is electrically connected to a drain of the sharing switch device. Another terminal of the second capacitance Ccc is electrically connected to the main pixel electrode of the next pixel unit. 5%≦(Ccc/Cpp)≦25%.
US09285613B2
A semiconductor Mach-Zehnder modulator includes a substrate having a main surface including first, second and third regions sequentially arranged along a direction; a waveguide mesa including first and second waveguide arms provided on the second region, first and second optical couplers provided on the first and third regions, respectively; a first semiconductor protective layer provided on side surfaces of the first and second waveguide arms; a buried layer provided on side surfaces of the waveguide mesa and on the main surface, the buried layer including a material having a dielectric constant lower than that of the first protective layer; and first and second upper electrodes provided on the first and second waveguide arms, respectively. The first and second optical couplers are connected to the first and second waveguide arms. Above the second region, the buried layer is provided on the first protective layer.
US09285597B2
A light source device includes: a light guide plate having first and second internal reflection planes facing each other; a first light source applying first illumination light from a side surface of the light guide plate into an interior thereof; a second light source facing the second internal reflection plane, and applying second illumination light to the second internal reflection plane; and a reflective member between the second internal reflection plane and the second light source. The second internal reflection plane is provided with a total-reflection region allowing the first illumination light to be reflected in a total-internal-reflection manner whereas allowing the second illumination light to pass therethrough, and a scattering region allowing the first illumination light to be reflected and scattered. The reflective member is disposed in a position corresponding to the scattering region, and reflects light having passed through the scattering region, toward the first internal reflection plane.
US09285590B2
An optical guidance device for optical guidance of a light beam has a first part, in a transparent material, adapted for propagating the light beam by successive reflections. This first part comprises an extraction section comprising at least one microstructure comprising a plane surface adapted to enable the rays of the light beam striking the plane surface to emerge from the guidance device. The device also comprises a second part, in a material substantially identical to that of the first part, comprising a section comprising at least one microstructure with a shape complementary to that or those of the extraction section. The device also has a layer of adhesive assembling the first and second parts in such a way that any microstructure of the extraction section is separated from its complementary microstructure by a transparent medium of substantially constant thickness.
US09285586B2
A device may determine a first distance between a viewer and a display of a device. The display may include a first parallax barrier including a plurality of parallax barrier clusters. Each of the parallax barrier clusters includes a plurality of parallax barrier elements that are parallel to one another and parallel to the parallax barrier clusters. The device may also determine a second distance between a right eye of the viewer and a left eye of the viewer, and move parallax barrier elements to control spacing between the parallax barrier clusters based on the first distance and the second distance. Furthermore, the device may send, from the display, light rays of a right-eye image of a stereoscopic image and a left-eye image of the stereoscopic image to a right eye of the viewer and a left eye of the viewer, respectively, through the spacing between the parallax barrier clusters.
US09285582B2
An optical scanning endoscope with an optical fiber, and a fiber driving unit with a plurality of actuators which bend side surfaces of the optical fiber by applying a pressing force. A mounting member is a substantially cylindrical molded interconnect device (MID) component which supports the fiber driving unit. A control circuit supplies driving signals to each of the actuators to control the bending amount and direction of the optical fiber. A wiring member electrically connects wiring patterns on the mounting member with the control circuit. The mounting member has a planar surface section at one proximal-end-surface side of the cylindrical outer-peripheral surface. The wiring patterns include at least first patterns having one end portion disposed on the planar surface section to form soldering lands. The other end portions are electrically connected to the actuators on the proximal-end surface of the mounting member. The wiring member is connected to the soldering lands.
US09285581B2
Optical scanning devices and systems are disclosed. In one aspect, an optical scanning device comprises a first rotatable optical component and a second rotatable optical component. The first and second optical components are configured to rotate about a common optical axis and further configured to deflect an optical path of light transmitted or received through the optical scanning device. The device further comprises a mounting bracket positioned between the first and second optical components and comprises first and second motor assemblies configured to rotate the corresponding first and second optical components about the optical axis independently of each other. An inner portion of each of the first and second optical components is mounted to an outer portion of the corresponding first and second motor assemblies such that the optical axis is configured to extend through the center of the first and second optical components and tubes.
US09285572B2
A zoom lens substantially consists of, in order from the object side, a positive first lens group, a negative second lens group, a positive third lens group, and a positive fourth lens group. During magnification change from the wide-angle end to the telephoto end, the first and third lens groups are fixed in the optical axis direction, the second lens group is moved toward the image side, and the fourth lens group is moved along the optical axis. The second lens group includes an air space formed between a convex surface and a concave surface, and a cemented surface between a negative lens and a positive lens. The third lens group consists of, in order from the object side, a fixed front group, and a positive rear group being able to be shifted in directions intersecting with the optical axis to shift the image formed on the reduced side.
US09285571B2
Provided are: a zoom lens which exhibits a large variable-power ratio, an increased degree of freedom with respect to aberration correction, and which has been achieved having a sufficient reduction in size in the optical axis direction; and an imaging device equipped therewith. The zoom lens includes at least, from the object side, a first lens group having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having positive refractive power, a fourth lens group, and a fifth lens group, in that order. In the zoom lens, prescribed conditions are satisfied.
US09285569B2
The invention provides an optical imaging lens assembly comprising, in order from an object-side to an image side, a first aspherical positive lens element and a second aspherical negative lens element, each comprising an object-side surface and an image-side surface. Elements of the optical imaging lens assembly may be configured to satisfy the relations (i) T<1.2 f, (ii) 1.1
US09285567B2
An imaging lens consisting of a front group, a stop, and a rear group. The first and the second lenses from the object side in the front group are a negative meniscus lens with a convex surface on the object side and a negative lens respectively. The first and the second lenses from the image side in the front group are both positive lenses. The rear group is composed of a positive lens, a negative lens, and one or more positive lenses disposed in order from the object side. If the maximum total angle of view when an object at infinity is in focus is taken as 2ω, the imaging lens satisfies a conditional expression, 2ω>130°.
US09285566B2
Some embodiments include an image sensor and a zoom lens assembly including a plurality of movable lens elements arranged to be moved independent of one another. In some embodiments, the plurality of movable lens elements share an optical axis. Some embodiments include a lens and mirror assembly for admitting light to the miniature camera. The lens and mirror assembly includes a folded optics arrangement such that light enters the lens and mirror assembly through a first lens with an optical axis of the first lens orthogonal to the plurality of moveable lens elements. The lens and mirror assembly includes a mirror for folding the path of light from the optical axis of the first lens to the optical axis of the plurality of movable lens elements, and the lens and mirror assembly further includes an actuator for tilting the mirror.
US09285554B2
An optoelectronic integrated circuit for coupling light to or from an optical waveguide formed in an optical device layer in a near-normal angle to that layer. In an embodiment, the integrated circuit comprises a semiconductor body including a metal-dielectric stack, an optical device layer, a buried oxide layer and a semiconductor substrate arranged in series between first and second opposite sides of the semiconductor body. At least one optical waveguide is formed in the optical device layer for guiding light in a defined plane in that device layer. Diffractive coupling elements are disposed in the optical device layer to couple light from the waveguide toward the second surface of the semiconductor body at a near-normal angle to the defined plane in the optical device layer. In an embodiment, an optical fiber is positioned against the semiconductor body for receiving the light from the coupling elements.
US09285544B2
An optical power splitter includes a zig-zag and a reflector element associated with the zig-zag. The zig-zag is to split an input signal based on the reflector element, and output a plurality of split signals.
US09285543B2
A fiber optic connector has a mechanical splice assembly and a mechanical splice assembly holder. The mechanical splice assembly holder includes a body section and a cable retention section. The cable retention section includes a pair of cable retention arms extending from the body section and a guiding groove that is extended out from the body section. The guiding groove is located between the two cable retention arms.
US09285537B2
An optical wiring substrate includes an insulation layer including a resin, an conductor layer formed on the insulation layer and including a metal, and an optical fiber accommodating part configured to accommodate an end part of an optical fiber. The conductor layer further includes a reflecting surface configured to be inclined relative to the insulation layer so as to reflect a light that propagates through the optical fiber. The optical fiber accommodating part includes at one end part thereof an abutting surface configured such that a tip of optical fiber inserted is abutted thereon.
US09285531B2
Disclosed herein is an optical device including a light source and an optical article. The optical article includes a lightguide and a viscoelastic layer disposed on the lightguide. Light emitted by the light source enters the lightguide and is transported within the lightguide by total internal reflection. The viscoelastic layer manages light, for example, at least about 50%, or less than about 10%, of light that enters the lightguide may be extracted. The optical device can be used in a variety of constructions for signs, markings, display devices, keypad assemblies, tail light assemblies and illumination devices.
US09285529B2
A backlight module includes a back plate, an optical film, a light source and optical microstructures. The back plate has a supporting surface. The optical film is disposed on the back plate. The supporting surface and the optical film have a gap therebetween. The light source disposed on the supporting surface is adapted to emit light toward the optical microstructures. Each optical microstructure includes first and second transparent structures. The first transparent structure connected to the supporting surface has front and rear ends. The front end facing toward the light source has a first concave surface. The rear end facing away from the light source has a convex surface. The second transparent structure connected to the first transparent structure has front and rear surfaces tilted in relative to the supporting surface. The front surface faces toward the light source, and the rear surface faces away from the light source.
US09285522B2
A tilt structure includes a shaft section formed on a substrate section, a tilt structure film having one end formed on an upper surface of the shaft section, and the other end bonded to the substrate section, and a thin film section provided to the tilt structure film, located on a corner section composed of the upper surface of the shaft section and a side surface of the shaft section, and having a film thickness thinner than the tilt structure film, the tilt structure film is bent in the thin film section, and an acute angle is formed by the substrate section and the tilt structure film.
US09285514B2
A prism optical system including at least four optical surfaces, each having optical functions. At least two of the four optical surfaces are each a rotationally asymmetric surface, and one of two surfaces on which light is incident or from which light exits out is capable of one transmission and two internal reflections.
US09285504B2
A method of predicting weather-exacerbated threats, said method comprising inputting localized weather measurement data into a weather threat prediction system; predicting future localized weather conditions based on said localized weather measurement data combined with modeling from large scale weather data including National Weather Service Data; inputting natural environment and infrastructure data into said weather threat prediction system; correlating said infrastructure data with said predicted future localized weather conditions; and determining a threat level index over a region, a threat level indicating an area having a certain probabilistic likelihood of being harmed by said future weather conditions.
US09285498B2
The present specification discloses a readily relocatable X-ray imaging system for inspecting the contents of vehicles and containers, and a method for using the same. The system is relatively small in size, and is used for inspecting commercial vehicles, cargo containers, and other large objects. The X-ray imaging system has a substantially arch-shaped collapsible frame with an X-ray source and detectors disposed thereon. The frame is preferably collapsible via a plurality of hinges and may be deployed into an X-ray imaging position, and collapsed into a transport position.
US09285481B2
An object locator system for locating an object of interest in a scene. The locator system includes: a) a body mounted pedestrian localization unit worn by an operator; b) a hand-held rangefinder configured to be grasped by the operator; c) a pose sensor for estimating relative position and orientation of the hand-held rangefinder relative to the localization device; and d) a computer control system coupled to the pedestrian localization unit, the rangefinder, and the pose sensor, the computer control system being programmed to compute a relative location of the object with respect to the body worn localization unit using range data from the rangefinder and relative pose from the pose sensor, and transform the relative location to a global location using data from the pedestrian localization unit.
US09285479B2
An optimum measurement subset with a specified number of elements is generated from a set of input global navigation satellite system (GNSS) measurements. A design matrix and a weight matrix are generated. Values of a set of coefficients corresponding to the set of input GNSS measurements are calculated. The value of a specific coefficient is calculated as the ratio of the change in value of the at least one target parameter resulting from the change in value of the specific input GNSS measurement to the change in value of the sum of squared residuals resulting from the change in value of the specific input GNSS measurement. The optimum measurement subset is selected based at least in part on the values of the set of coefficients.
US09285474B2
In some applications, it may be desirable to position multiple photodetectors at precise locations on a curved focal surface defined by an optical system. To achieve this positioning, the photodetectors may be mounted at desired locations on a flexible substrate that is in a flat configuration. The flexible substrate with mounted photodetectors can then be shaped to substantially conform to the shape of the curved focal surface. This shaping can be accomplished by clamping the flexible substrate between at least two clamping pieces. The curved flexible substrate clamped between the at least two clamping pieces can be positioned relative to the optical system such that the photodetectors are positioned at desired three-dimensional locations on the curved focal surface.
US09285465B2
An analog-digital conversion circuit (ADC1) includes: a capacitor (C1); a charge and discharge control section (6) that puts, into the capacitor (C1), an electric charge corresponding to an input current of a first period and that causes an electric charge corresponding to an input current of a second period to be discharged from the capacitor (C1); and a digital conversion section (5) that converts an amount of electric charge of the capacitor (C1) into a digital signal.
US09285463B1
A method for assessing results from application of energy onto one or more electric or electronic devices includes the steps of acquiring an electromagnetic emission from the one or more devices, directing energy onto the one or more devices, acquiring another electromagnetic emission from the one or more devices having the energy directed thereonto and determining, in accordance with at least one logic algorithm state and/or change in state of the one or more devices. There is also a microprocessor based apparatus that is employed for acquiring the electromagnetic emissions and executing the at least one logic algorithm. Energy is directed by either a weapon or electromagnetic phenomena.
US09285454B2
Example embodiments are directed to various aspects of processing received signals for determining a location of a source of the signals. An example method may include generating signal timing information, and determining times for a plurality of window periods for the signal of interest based on the signal timing information. The example method may also include retrieving, from a memory device that stores the signal stream, symbols of the signal of interest based on the window periods, and formatting the symbols of the signal of interest in preparation for determining a location of a source of the signal of interest. Additional and alternative methods and apparatuses are also provided.
US09285450B2
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a balloon-based positioning system and method. In one example embodiment, a system includes at least three balloons, with each balloon including a position-determining module (PDM) and a position-broadcasting module (PBM). Each PDM is configured for determining a position of the respective balloon and each PBM is configured for broadcasting a balloon signal containing balloon-positioning data of the respective balloon. The balloon-positioning data includes the determined position of the respective balloon and a corresponding time of broadcast.
US09285439B2
A vertical Hall sensor includes first and second vertical Hall effect regions formed in a semiconductor substrate and of the same doping type, with first and second pluralities of contacts arranged at one side of the first or second vertical Hall effect regions, respectively. The second vertical Hall effect region is connected in series with the first vertical Hall effect region regarding a power supply to the first and second vertical Hall effect regions. The vertical Hall sensor further includes first and second layers adjacent to the first and second vertical Hall effect regions at a side other than a side of the first or second pluralities of contacts. The first and second layers have different doping properties than the first and second vertical Hall effect regions and insulate the first and second vertical Hall effect regions from a bulk of the semiconductor substrate by at least one reverse-biased p-n junction per vertical Hall effect region during an operation of the vertical Hall sensor.
US09285436B2
A magnetic sensor comprises an orthogonal flux-gate magnetometer having a first sensor head comprising a first magnetic core at least parallel portions of which are formed of magnetic material, and a first detection coil wound around said first magnetic core, said parallel portions of said first magnetic core being placed closely to each other. The magnetic sensor comprises a search-coil magnetometer having a second sensor head comprising a second magnetic core having a central axis placed coaxially with a central axis of the first magnetic core of said orthogonal flux-gate magnetometer, and a second detection coil wound around said second magnetic core. The first sensor head of said orthogonal flux-gate magnetometer is placed in a region in which magnetic flux density is increased through a magnet collection effect by the second magnetic core of said search-coil magnetometer.
US09285428B2
The invention relates to a method for determining a correction parameter for a measurement channel (6) which is connected to a connection terminal (3) of an electric motor (2) in order to measure a terminal voltage (U1, U2), characterized in that the connection terminal (3) is connected to a first potential via switching elements (T1, T2, T3, T4) for driving the electric motor (2), after a steady state of the measurement channel (6) has been reached, the connection terminal (3) is connected to a second potential, which differs from the first, by changing over at least one switching element (T1, T2, T3, T4), the dynamic response of the measurement channel (6) is detected following connection to the second potential, and the correction parameter for the dynamic response of the measurement channel (6) is determined on the basis of the detected dynamic response of the latter.
US09285418B2
Apparatus and methods are described herein for emulating the hot spot distribution of a functional test by applying vectors for structural test to an integrated circuit (IC). The affects of the hot spots can then be tested and characterized. The vectors may be generated on the IC, or may be fed to the IC via an external source.
US09285417B2
System and method using low voltage current measurements to measure voltage network currents in an integrated circuit (IC). In one aspect, a low voltage current leakage test is applied voltage networks for the IC or microchip via one or more IC chip connectors. One or multiple specifications are developed based on chip's circuit delay wherein a chip is aborted or sorted into a lesser reliability sort depending whether the chip fails specification. Alternately, a low voltage current leakage test begins an integrated circuit test flow. Then there is run a high voltage stress, and a second low voltage current leakage test is thereafter added. Then, there is compared the second low voltage test to the first low V test, and if the measured current is less on second test, this is indicative of a defect present which may result in either a scrap or downgrade reliability of chip.
US09285400B2
In a method for determining current in a polyphase machine connected to a DC voltage source, a DC link is provided with a DC-link capacitor and, per phase, a high-side switch and a low-side switch. A measurement of the voltage curve across the DC-link capacitor is undertaken. The current of the DC voltage source and/or one or a plurality of phase currents are/is determined from the measured voltage curve.
US09285397B2
The present document relates to a current sensing circuit. In particular, the present document relates to a current sensing circuit which provides reliable indications of the current through a transistor. A current sensing circuit configured to provide an indication of a load current through a pass device is described. The current sensing circuit comprises a sensing replica of the pass device and a sensing resistor arranged in series with the sensing replica. The sensing resistor is arranged such that a voltage drop at the sensing resistor provides an indication of the load current through the pass device.
US09285395B2
A data acquisition system is provided that in one example comprises a sensor electrically coupled to a data acquisition unit via a signal splitter. In use, the sensor senses one or more signals transmitted over a “live” power cable carrying, for example, 50 Hz or 60 Hz, medium voltage power. The one or more signals are then transmitted to the data acquisition unit to be stored, displayed, and/or analyzed. The data acquisition system includes a synchronizer that allows the data acquisition unit to synchronize the storage of the sensed signals to the frequency of the power transmitted over the tested power cable or system. In one embodiment, the synchronizer provides an accurate phase angle reference or trigger signal for accurate phase resolved data acquisition and testing.
US09285387B2
A GPS-based pitot-static calibration system uses global output-error optimization. High data rate measurements of static and total pressure, ambient air conditions, and GPS-based ground speed measurements are used to compute pitot-static pressure errors over a range of airspeed. System identification methods rapidly compute optimal pressure error models with defined confidence intervals.
US09285371B2
Provided is a method of screening a target-specific antibody for an antigen that undergoes structural change in a particular physiological condition.
US09285369B2
The present invention provides antibody-based arrays for detecting the activation state and/or total amount of a plurality of signal transduction molecules in rare circulating cells and methods of use thereof for facilitating cancer prognosis and diagnosis and the design of personalized, targeted therapies.
US09285366B2
The present invention provides devices and systems for use at the point of care. The methods devices of the invention are directed toward automatic detection of analytes in a bodily fluid. The components of the device are modular to allow for flexibility and robustness of use with the disclosed methods for a variety of medical applications.
US09285365B2
A method for the enumeration of micronucleated erythrocyte populations while distinguishing platelet and platelet-associated aggregates involves the use of a first fluorescent labeled antibody having binding specificity for a surface marker for reticulocytes, a second fluorescent labeled antibody having binding specificity for a surface marker for platelets, and a nucleic acid staining dye that stains DNA (micronuclei) in erythrocyte populations. Because the fluorescent emission spectra of the first and second fluorescent labeled antibodies do not substantially overlap with one another or with the emission spectra of the nucleic acid staining dye, upon excitation of the labels and dye it is possible to detect the fluorescent emission and light scatter produced by the erythrocyte populations and platelets, and count the number of cells from one or more erythrocyte populations in said sample. In particular, the use of the second antibody prevents interference by platelet-associated aggregates in the scoring procedures.
US09285362B2
Methods, devices, and kits for measuring multiple analytes in a sample having a broad range of concentrations using optical diffraction are disclosed. Devices, methods, and kits useful for monitoring and diagnosing diabetes, cardiovascular disease, thyroid disease, hormone-related conditions, and sepsis are also described.
US09285361B2
There is provided a method for the analysis of circulating antibodies comprising the steps: a) providing an analysis device comprising a substrate, and provided on said substrate at least one sample addition zone, at least one retaining zone, at least one sink, and at least one flow path connecting the sample addition zone, the retaining zone and the sink, wherein the flow path is open and comprises projections substantially vertical to the surface of said substrate and having a height (H), diameter (D) and reciprocal spacing (t1, t2) such that lateral capillary flow of said sample is achieved and such that cells can flow through the projections, wherein said retaining zone comprises at least one affinity binding means to which cell structures are bound, b) adding at least one sample to a sample addition zone, and c) reading a result, wherein circulating antibodies directed against cell structures are determined.
US09285353B1
Apparatus and method for dissolution testing of active substances in various dosage forms is provided. The apparatus has filtration cells equipped and configured to simulate bodily functions, operate continuously and facilitate testing various types of dosage forms including, but not limited to, tablets, capsules and those having non-disintegrating substrates.
US09285347B2
A bubble reduction device, chromatography device, bubble reduction method and bubble reduction program capable of reducing bubbles in an eluent. Included are a liquid accommodation portion, a liquid supply apparatus, an air layer formation apparatus, a first channel and an evacuation portion. The liquid accommodation portion accommodates a liquid that is to elute an analysis component from a specimen adsorbed to an adsorption portion. The liquid supply apparatus, by operation of a rod pushing up and polling down, sucks and discharges the liquid through an aperture portion of a tube portion, the aperture portion being oriented upward. The air layer formation apparatus forms an air layer in the tube portion. The first channel connects the liquid supply apparatus with the liquid accommodation portion. The evacuation portion is connected to the first channel via a first switching valve and evacuates the air layer through the first channel.
US09285342B2
An ion mobility spectrometer system is disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes a gas chromatograph, first and second ion mobility spectrometers, and a sample feed device that feeds a sample from the gas chromatograph to the first and second ion mobility spectrometers. The sample feed device includes an inner chamber, first and second sample outlets for outputting the sample from the gas chromatograph to the first and second ion mobility spectrometers, respectively, and a gas inlet for inputting a gas into the sample feed device. The system detects and identifies molecules at improved resolution and enhanced molecule information. The system detects positive and negative ions, interrelates positive-mode and negative-mode spectrums, and separates substances.
US09285337B2
A technique includes providing a nanodevice. A gate electrode structure has nanochannels with a first end connected to a first common trench and a second end connected to a second common trench. A gate electrode extends laterally as a continuous line on the gate electrode structure and is formed in each of the nanochannels. The gate electrode forms a separate nano-ring electrode around a partial circumference inside each of the nanochannels. The gate electrode is parallel to the first and second common trenches and is perpendicular to the nanochannels.
US09285331B2
A device, method and system for measuring analytes in a solution or suspension. The device includes a housing, a sample chamber, one or more pumps, one or more detectors, one or more stirrers, electrical contacts, a magnetic manipulator and a lid. A sample cartridge for a device that measures analytes, the cartridge comprising a first outer compartment, a second outer compartment, and a middle compartment, wherein the first outer compartment and the second outer compartment are interconnected to the middle compartment by channels.
US09285329B2
A method for analyzing a sample by diffractometry and a diffractometer, where the diffractometer includes a collimated source, a detection collimator, and a spectrometric detector, the detection axis of the detector and the collimator form a diffraction angle with the central axis of an incident beam and an energy spectrum is established for each pixel of the detector. The measured spectra are readjusted by a change in variable that takes into account the energy of the scattered radiation and the angle of observation. The measured are combined and a check is made on the implementation of at least one multi-material criterion representative of the presence of a plurality of layers of materials and groups of pixels are formed according to the results of this check, where each group corresponds to a single layer of material and the measured spectra obtained for the pixels of the group are combined.
US09285322B2
Methods and systems for detecting binding between first and second molecules using a pH-sensitive fluorophore. A change in fluorescence emission intensity of the fluorophore is indicative of binding.
US09285317B2
An apparatus for determining the total amount of two or more substances in a liquid, at least one of said substances comprising a fluorescent substance, said apparatus comprising: a mass spectrometer device; a fluorometer device; and a processing means; wherein said mass spectrometer device is adapted to obtain a periodic measurement of the total amount of said two or more substances in the liquid, said fluorometer device being adapted to detect the fluorescent response of said at least one fluorescent substance in said liquid to an excitation signal, said processing means being programmed to determine a calibration factor by comparing a measurement obtained by the fluorometer device with said periodic measurement of the total amount of said two or more substances present obtained by the mass spectrometer device, the processing means subsequently using said calibration factor to determine measurements representative of the total amount of both fluorescent and non-fluorescent substances present in the liquid based upon the fluorescent response detected by the fluorometer device.
US09285315B2
A method and apparatus to calculate the optical density of a fluid (110) traveling through a narrow gap (30) with a set width. Typically, a densitometer employs a light source (10) that is configured to transmit light across the gap and a detector, opposite the light source (10), configured to detect light transmitted from the light source, across the gap, for calculating the optical density of the fluid. The apparatus and method further include a transparent element (120), the transparent element part of a set of replaceable transparent elements, each replaceable transparent element having a particular width, the width less than the width of the gap. Typically, the transparent element is moved into the gap between the light source and the detector to narrow the effective sampling width of the gap for calculating the optical density of the fluid. In some examples, the transparent element is further configured to rotate in the gap to enhance the flow of the fluid through the gap.
US09285306B2
An optical absorption gas sensor has an LED light source and a photodiode light detector, a temperature measuring device for measuring the LED temperature and a temperature measuring device for measuring the photodiode temperature. The sensor is calibrated by measuring the response of photodiode current at zero analyte gas concentration and at a reference analyte gas concentration. From these measurement, calibration data taking into account the effect of photodiode temperature on the sensitivity of the photodiode and, independently, the effect of changes in the spectrum of light output by the LED on the light detected by the photodiode with LED temperature can be obtained. Calibration data is written to memory in the gas sensor and in operation of the gas sensor, the output is compensated for both LED and photodiode temperature. The LED and photodiode can therefore be relatively far apart and operate at significantly different temperatures allowing greater freedom of optical pathway design.
US09285302B2
A method for determining the time dependent effective permeability and the uptake kinetics of hydrogel-forming superabsorbent polymer particles under pressure.
US09285294B2
An acceleration-based mobile asset data recorder and transmitter equipped with a wireless processing unit, an event recorder, a digital video recorder, a fuel level sensor, and an inertial navigation sensor board. The inertial navigation sensor board includes a 3-axis gyroscope, a 3-axis accelerometer, a 3-axis magnetometer, and a microcontroller. The data recorder and transmitter allows for automatic orientation, automatic compass calibration, fuel compensation with pitch and roll, emergency brake application with impact detection, rough operating condition detection, engine running detection, and inertial navigation of a mobile asset. Users can use the normal operation of their mobile assets to locate and alert, in real-time, areas where their assets are encountering rough operating environments, to provide for quicker emergency response, and to validate the effectiveness of repairs and rerouting.
US09285283B2
An adaptive wireless torque measurement system includes a rotor, a rotor antenna, a stator antenna, stator electronics, and rotor electronics. The rotor antenna is attached to the rotor. The stator antenna is configured to be inductively coupled to the rotor antenna. The stator electronics are coupled to receive, via the stator antenna, feedback data and are configured, in response thereto, to generate and transmit, via the stator antenna, power signals at a power level magnitude based in part on the feedback data. The rotor electronics are attached to the rotor and are coupled to receive, via the rotor antenna, the power signals transmitted by the stator electronics. The rotor electronics are configured to determine the power level magnitude of the power signals, generate the feedback data, the feedback data at least including information representative of the determined power level magnitude, and transmit, via the rotor antenna, the feedback data.
US09285275B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for measuring the spectral intensity and phase of a light pulse having an arbitrary time duration. The apparatus includes: a nonlinear mixing means for generating a signal light pulse expressed by the following Formula (★ denotes an operator representing general nonlinear mixing, and α denotes a coefficient which is proportional to a nonlinear susceptibility in the nonlinear mixing) by nonlinearly mixing a reference light pulse having an electric field Er(t−τ) delayed by an optical delay means and a measurement target light pulse having an electric field E0(t); and Er(t−τ)+αEr(t−τ)★E0(t) an imaging spectrum device for spectrally splitting the signal light pulse and outputting a Fourier transform signal expressed by the following Formula (F denotes a symbol indicating Fourier transform, * denotes a complex conjugate, and R denotes a symbol indicating a real part), |F[Er(t−τ)]|2+|αF[Er(t−τ)★E0(t)]|2+2R{αF[Er(t−τ)]*·F[Er(t−τ)★E0(t)]}.
US09285274B2
The infrared detecting element has a first base plate that has a first front surface, a first back surface, a first recessed portion, and an infrared detecting section for detecting infrared rays provided in an area of the first front surface that opposes the first recessed portion; a second base plate that has a second front surface, a second back surface on the opposite side of the second front surface, and a second recessed portion provided in an area of the second back surface that faces the first recessed portion; and an adhesion film that bonds the first back surface and the second back surface, wherein a second outer peripheral portion where the second recessed portion intersects with the second back surface surrounds a first outer peripheral portion where the first recessed portion intersects with the first back surface.
US09285269B2
A light receiving circuit includes first, second, and third resistors, a photodiode that is connected in series with the first resistor between first and second potential lines, and a first MOS transistor of a first conductivity type having a source connected to a second node, a drain connected to an output, and a gate connected to a first node that is between the first resistor and the photodiode. The light receiving circuit also includes a capacitor which is connected in parallel to the second resistor between the first potential line and the second node. The third resistor is connected between the output and the second potential line.
US09285268B2
Provided herein are a wearable radiation detector and a method of controlling thereof, the detector including: the radiation collection unit operable to collect light and output a signal corresponding to the light collected; a memory; a display unit; a processor operable to receive the signal output by the radiation collection unit, to store a value in the memory corresponding to the signal output by the radiation collection unit, to output an output signal based at least on the signal corresponding to the light collected by the radiation collection unit and to control the display unit to display an indication corresponding to the output signal, wherein the determining includes continually calculating the maximum exposure level based on the light being received by the radiation collection unit.
US09285264B2
A vibration measuring apparatus for nuclear reactor internal structure includes a holder which has an opening contact on a surface of a pressure vessel of a nuclear reactor; a vibrator accommodated in the holder so as to transmit or receive an ultrasonic wave; a couplant with which the holder is filled up; and, a bias component applies a biasing force to the vibrator in the direction of the opening; The couplant is a solid state of metal material at normal temperature and change to liquid stage by heat transfer from the pressure vessel.
US09285259B1
A dipstick adapter assembly for use with an oil pan includes a front fixture, a clamping means coupled the front fixture, the clamping means being moveable through the hole to arrange the assembly between a free condition and an applied condition, in which the clamping means is inside the oil pan and the front fixture encircles a hole in the oil in direct contact against an outer surface of the oil pan and is sealed around the hole. The front fixture carries a gasket which is compressed against the outer surface, and first and second fasteners couple the clamping means to the front fixture and are adjusted through the hole from outside of the oil pan.
US09285248B2
A device is described that includes sensors that are sensitive to displacement damage, and can be configured to display a characteristic damage curve. The sensors, or diodes, can be made of one or more semiconductor materials that are sensitive to displacement damage, and can be operated in dark illumination conditions. The sensors can have multiple shields of a specific or varied thickness. The shields can be formed in different configurations, though the shielding thickness can be designed to change the level of displacement damage absorbed by the sensors. The characteristic damage curve can provide a sensor response variable that displays a functional dependence on displacement damage. For example, the characteristic damage curve can provide a sensor response variable that is one or more currents measured at one or more fixed voltages, or one or more voltages measured at one or more fixed currents.
US09285246B2
Method and system for absolute three-dimensional measurements using a twist-insensitive shape sensor
An apparatus includes a reference fixture. The reference fixture includes a joint, and a joint tracker to track motion of the joint. The apparatus also includes a surgical instrument. A tether is connected between the joint and the surgical instrument. A shape sensor extends from the reference fixture through the joint, through the tether, and into the surgical instrument. The shape sensor is substantially free of twist. The joint tracker measures the motion of the joint. Information from the shape sensor in combination with information from the joint tracker provides absolute three-dimensional information relative to the reference fixture, i.e., provides absolute three-dimensional information in a fixed world reference frame.
US09285232B2
A method of determining a path comprises obtaining a path in a road net, the road net comprising a plurality of nodes; calculating, with a processing device, an event displacement probability within coverage of the path, wherein the event displacement probability is used to describe a possibility of displacement of an event that could have occurred within the coverage of the path, to outside the coverage of the path to occur; and changing the path based on the event displacement probability.
US09285225B2
Implementations are disclosed for using magnetometer measurements to estimate bias for angular rate measurements provided by an angular rate sensor (e.g., a gyro sensor). In some implementations, a bias estimator running on a device is configured to determine if the device is rotating based on the magnetometer measurements. If the device is not rotating, a dynamic bias is calculated and added to a temperature compensated static bias to provide a total angular rate measurement bias. The total angular rate measurement bias can be provided to an attitude estimation system where it is used to update an attitude (orientation) of the device. In some implementations, the angular rate measurements are used to determine if the device is oscillating according to a threshold value. If the device is not rotating and the device is oscillating according to a threshold value, the static bias is updated in a calibration table.
US09285216B2
A method for determining characteristics of an axle geometry of a vehicle including the following: steering a wheel mounted on an axle of the vehicle to various steering positions having different steering angles; determining the spatial position of the wheel at the different steering positions; determining the particular axis of rotation of the wheel in the different steering positions from the results of the determination of the spatial position; modeling a parametric model of the steering axis; adapting the parametric model of the steering axis to the axes of rotation of the wheel determined from the measurement of the spatial position; and determining characteristics of the axle geometry from the adapted parametric model of the steering axis.
US09285204B2
To measure a film thickness of a coating film (25a) of a flux (25) serving as a bonding paste formed on a transfer stage (24) of a paste transfer unit (7), the film thickness of the coating film (25a) in a transfer area (26) is measured through a light-transmitting member (51) by a light interference method and by an optical type film thickness measuring sensor (53) which is arranged below the transfer stage (24). Thus, it is possible to automatically and accurately measure the film thickness of the flux (25) in the transfer area (26) without requiring any complicated measurement work.
US09285201B2
A form measuring instrument includes: a body; a movable member including: a stylus holder being rotatably supported by the body; a stylus being held by the stylus holder; and a tip being provided at an end of the stylus and being contactable with a workpiece surface; a measurement-force-applying unit being adapted to generate a rotation force acting on the stylus holder to bring the tip of the stylus into contact with the workpiece surface; a displacement detector being provided to a portion of the stylus holder to detect a displacement of the stylus holder resulting from a rotation thereof; and a vibration generator being adapted to apply vibration to the stylus holder.
US09285197B2
A method is described for safely opening the shell of a munition (10) having an inner chamber containing an explosive material. The method comprises the steps of machining a groove (20) into the shell along a parting line that encircles the outer surface of the munition and divides the shell into two parts. The groove (20) is of sufficient depth to weaken the shell but not to penetrate into the inner chamber of the munition. After machining the groove (20), the shell is cracked open by prising the two parts of the shell apart by inserting a suitable implement into the groove.
US09285194B2
A dart is disclosed that may comprise an elongate dart body, a base, and a cap. The elongate dart body may have a first end, a second end, and an interior cavity, which can be a bore. The base may include a mount and a stem inserted into the interior bore of the dart body at the first end of the dart. The cap may be attached to the base and may have a flexible, substantially bulbous-shaped head portion and an interior post so that the head portion may be configured to deform upon an impact.
US09285193B2
The invention relates to a vehicle seat comprising a base portion for attachment in a vehicle; a seat bottom part, with a top side and an underside, which seat bottom part is attached to the base portion; a waist belt, which extends between the seat bottom part's sides. At least one hinge mechanism that is adjustable between a first and a second position is arranged at the base portion. The waist belt is attached to the hinge mechanism, so that the waist belts position in relation to the seat bottom part changes when one on the seat bottom part acting force reaches a predetermined value, which force leads the hinge mechanism from the first to the second position.
US09285192B2
A ballistic strike plate assembly comprises a first plate formed from aluminum alloy and having a first surface and a second surface. A titanium plate is has a first surface and a second surface. A sheet of ballistic gap foam is adhered to the first surface of the first plate and the first surface of the titanium plate. A multilayer ballistic fabric plate is adhered to the second surface of the titanium plate. A first sheet of ballistic wrap is disposed over the multilayer ballistic fabric plate, and has edges extending beyond edges of the multilayer ballistic fabric plate that are folded over the edges of the multilayer ballistic fabric plate. A second smaller sheet of ballistic wrap is adhered to the portion of the second surface of the first plate not covered by the folded over edges of the first sheet of ballistic wrap.
US09285178B2
A method is shown for increasing rifle accuracy. The rifle component parts are tuned for hitting a target at the same spot for a given fixed distance. The characteristics of the rifle barrel design give it an infinitely tunable positive compensation. The positive compensation characteristics of the rifle can be varied by adjusting a tensioning bar welded to the rifle recoil lug and an associated adjustment knob extending from the action to the exterior of the rifle stock. Increasing the tension on the tensioning bar reduces the upswing of the rifle barrel from the stock under the force of recoil.
US09285177B1
RCWS (Remote Controlled Weapon System or Station) of the deck-penetrator type and a method for protected reloading of a weapon system that is fed by belt of rounds from an ammunition container that is positioned in the RCWS, wherein the RWCS includes a system for protected reloading of the weapons system, that comprises—a bracket, that on it the ammunition container is mounted, and the bracket is amenable to be propelled via an opening in the deck of the vehicle upon which the RCWS is positioned, unto an inner space of the carrier vehicle and back from this space to the RCWS; and means for movably positioning the bracket, in at least two states—a first state wherein the bracket is positioned inside the inner space of the carrier vehicle and for reloading anew the weapons system; and a second state wherein the bracket is a least substantially embedded in the RCWS for feeding the weapons system by a belt of rounds from inside of the ammunition container that is positioned on the bracket.
US09285175B2
An ammunition magazine contains an ammunition belt of linked ammunition cartridges to be fed into a machine gun, the magazine including a front opening, enabling a leading end of the ammunition belt to be accessible for feeding the machine gun and for linking with a trailing end of another ammunition belt, and a rear opening, enabling a trailing end of the ammunition belt to be accessible for linking with a leading end of another ammunition belt. An arrangement of consecutive and adjacent ammunition magazines allows movement of an ammunition belt from the distal magazine into the proximal magazine towards the machine gun during operation, enabling continuous feeding of ammunition belts into the machine gun. An ammunition loading system for conveying ammunition between a magazine platform and a hull region, including a lifting mechanism to lift an ammunition magazine into the magazine platform from the hull region.
US09285167B2
A clothes dryer capable of providing a dry course suitable for functional clothes, and a control method thereof, the control method including selecting functional clothes as a substance accommodated in a dry tub to be dried; performing a first dry process to dry the functional clothes at a first dry temperature; and performing a second dry process to dry the functional clothes at a second dry temperature higher than the first dry temperature.
US09285165B2
A method for controlling a dryer includes putting a brush driving unit into operation, after putting the brush driving unit into operation, gathering information related to the operation of the brush driving unit, and controlling operation of the dryer based on the gathered information related to the operation of the brush driving unit. The brush driving unit being is configured to drive a brush that separates foreign matter from a filter portion of a filter assembly positioned to contact air that has exited from a drum of the dryer.
US09285162B2
A refrigerator is provided. The refrigerator may include a main body having a storage compartment, a first door rotatably installed at a first side of the main body to open and close a first portion of the storage compartment, and a second door rotatably installed at a second side of the main body to open and close a second portion of the storage compartment. A first camera may be installed at the first door to take a picture of an interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the first door, and a second camera may be installed at the second door to take a picture of the interior of the first storage compartment during rotation of the second door. A controller may combine plural pictures taken by the first camera and the second camera into a single corrected image of a region of the first compartment spanning from the first door to the second door.
US09285150B2
A refrigerator according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a driving assembly that is mounted on the case and an underside of the agitating assembly to generate a driving force for swinging the agitating assembly, and a refrigeration cycle for producing cold air to be supplied to the storage chamber and the cooling device. The cooling device further includes a starting torque supply mechanism supplying mechanical or electric energy to the agitating assembly, to initiate a swinging motion of the agitating assembly.
US09285146B2
An ejector (200; 300; 320; 340; 400; 430; 460; 480) has a primary inlet (40), a secondary inlet (42), and an outlet (44). A primary flowpath extends from the primary inlet (40) to the outlet (44) and a secondary flowpath extends from the secondary inlet (42) to the outlet (44), merging with the primary flowpath. A motive nozzle (100) surrounds the primary flowpath upstream of a junction with the secondary flowpath. The motive nozzle (100) has a throat (106) and an exit (110). The ejector (200; 300; 320; 340; 400; 430; 460; 480) further has a means (204, 210; 304; 322; 342; 402; 432; 462; 482) for varying an effective area of the exit (110) or simultaneously varying the effective area of the exit (110) and an effective area of the throat (106).
US09285144B2
An economizer for a solar powered intermittent absorption refrigeration system improves the coefficient of performance of the refrigeration system. The economizer recovers waste energy rejected by an absorber during an absorption process, stores the waste energy, and supplies the waste energy to a generator during a generation process, thereby reducing the amount of energy input needed to operate the system.
US09285137B2
An arrangement for heating a medical fluid includes at least one electrically operated first heating device including at least one first warm section heating during operation of the first heating device and at least one first cold section cooling during operation of the first heating device; a first area for receiving the medical fluid to be heated, in which the first area is in heat exchange relation with the first warm section of the first heating device; and a second area that is in heat exchange relation with the first cold section of the first heating device. A medical functional device, a medical treatment apparatus as well as methods for setting and/or maintaining the temperature of a medical fluid are also described.
US09285131B2
A dwelling venting and cooling system that includes a set of side-by-side conduits wherein first and third conduits utilize a fan assembly that is actuated by wind power in order to vent hot air from an attic. The second conduit provides an electric fan that actuates the fan assemblies of the first and third conduits at times when wind is not sufficient to actuate the fan assemblies. The system further has attic air ducts that are in communication with vents in rooms within the dwelling in order to convey all hot air to the attic and out of the dwelling. In addition a cooling system that utilizes a water-to-air exchanger provides cool air into air ducts within the dwelling in order to replace the hot air with cool air.
US09285122B2
A fuel injector comprising: a prefilmer; a plurality of discrete fuel sources each arranged to supply fuel to a surface of the prefilmer; wherein the prefilmer comprises circumferential dispersion structure which, in use, spreads the fuel in a circumferential direction as it passes from an impingement point on the surface of the prefilmer to a downstream edge of the prefilmer.
US09285094B2
There is provided a lamp unit which is to be installed in a vehicle. The lamp unit includes a light source; a projector lens; a rotary shade that is disposed behind the projector lens so as to block a portion of the light emitted from the light source and that has a rotation axis; and a drive mechanism that rotates the rotary shade about the rotation axis. The rotary shade includes: a first end edge; a second end edge; and a twisted end edge that extends around the rotation axis so as to intersect with the first end edge and the second end edge. A first inclination angle is formed between the rotation axis and a first imaginary plane that is orthogonal to an optical axis of the projector lens.
US09285092B2
A projector type headlight can include a projection lens arranged on an optical axis extending in a longitudinal direction of a vehicle, and a light source unit arranged on a more rear side than a back side focal plane of the projection lens, the projection lens including resin lenses which are arranged on the optical axis. A resin lens out of the resin lenses arranged closer to the light source unit includes a diffraction grating provided on a lens face in a side opposite to a light source, the resin lens out of the resin lenses arranged closer to the light source unit has a lens face having a positive power, which is arranged in a light source side, and the diffraction grating is designed so as to cancel chromatic aberration of light emitted from the light source unit and emitted forward through the resin lenses.
US09285091B2
The invention relates to a vehicle headlamp (1) for producing a main light distribution and an auxiliary light distribution, wherein the vehicle headlamp (1) comprises two or more LED light modules (10), wherein each of the LED light modules (10) comprises one or more primary LED light sources (11), wherein a primary LED light source (11′) comprises at least one light-emitting diode, comprises two or more secondary LED light sources (12, 12a), wherein a secondary LED light source (12, 12a) comprises at least one light-emitting diode (12′), and comprises a lens (13), wherein the light emitted by the at least one primary LED light source (11) is radiated directly onto the lens (13) and projected by the lens into the exterior space, wherein the light emitted by the primary LED light sources (11) of a all LED modules (10) forms the main light distribution, and wherein the light emitted by the secondary LED light sources (12, 12a) of an LED modules (10) is radiated onto the lens (13) of the LED module (10) by means of an optical waveguide (14), which lens (13) projects the light into the exterior space, and wherein the light emitted by the secondary LED light sources (12, 12a) of all LED modules (10) forms the auxiliary light distribution, wherein preferably at least one of the secondary LED light sources (12a) shines directly through the optical waveguide (14) in order to achieve a homogeneous light distribution contribution to the auxiliary light distribution, and wherein light is coupled by at least one of the secondary LED light sources (12) into the optical waveguide (14) via at least one light incoupling point (140) and exits directed substantially parallel via at least one light decoupling point (141) in order to produce a maximum contribution to the auxiliary light distribution.
US09285081B2
A lighting device includes a housing having an inner surface and outer surface and a plurality of LEDs mounted at the inner surface, the LEDs mounted in a radially symmetrical configuration. The inner surface may be made of or coated with reflective material. The lighting system may further include, individually or in any combination, following: heat sink fins mounted on the outer surface; a reflective plate for reflecting light in a desired direction; a reflective tube for redirecting light from the LEDs. The housing may include a cylindrical section and a conic section.
US09285080B2
A method and composition for reducing drag, reducing friction, reducing viscosity, and/or improving flow of viscous hydrocarbons including adding an effective amount of a drag-reducing composition containing a blend of turpentine liquids to a viscous hydrocarbon storage or pipeline operation and forming a drag-reducing mixture of viscous hydrocarbons and the blend of turpentine liquids.
US09285078B2
A gas cylinder for the storage of compressed gas includes a shut-off valve in engagement with a mouth of the cylinder; an external pressure sensor device for sensing pressure in the cylinder, the pressure sensor device being in continuous communication with the interior of the cylinder; a temperature sensor device for sensing temperature of the gas in the cylinder, the temperature sensor device being in thermal communication with the interior of the cylinder; a programmable computing device for calculating information from the temperature and pressure signals concerning the amount of contents in the cylinder; and a display screen operatively associated with the programmable computing device for displaying said information.
US09285072B1
This invention relates to a jackshaft mounting plate for connection to a motor that forms part of a jackshaft plate mounting kit. The mounting plate includes a flat base plate operably securable to a bottom surface of the motor and a pair of supports connected to the base plate to rotatably support a jackshaft therebetween. The jackshaft is operably connected to the output shaft of the motor such that the output of the motor can be translated by the jackshaft to operate an attachment operably connected to the jackshaft opposite the motor.
US09285068B2
A retention system includes a base supporting a wing spar and a post extending through the base from a first side of the base to a second side of the base. The post inserts through an aperture in the spar. A stop is selectively securable to the post over the second side of the base. A locking member engages the post on the first side of the base. The locking member is configured to selectively move the post from an unlocked position to a locked position in which the post is withdrawn toward the first side relative to the unlocked position. A biasing member encircles the post and is positioned between the stop and the second side. When the locking member is in a closed position the biasing member expands to engage the aperture and resist movement of the wing spar. A plurality of cradles may support the wing.
US09285052B2
The invention refers to a valve, in particular a pressure valve, comprising a feed area provided in front of a globe valve in flow direction of the medium, wherein the globe valve can be sealed by a loose closing element provided in the feed area, and wherein an activation rod angles the closing element against the flow direction of the medium with reference to the globe valve. The invention is characterized in that in the feed area a flow guiding device is provided, wherein the flow guiding device has several channel areas, so that the medium flowing through the channel areas is set in a helical twist.
US09285050B2
Methods are presented for facilitating dissipation of heat generated by one or more electronic components. The methods include providing a coolant-cooled heat sink and a thermostat-controlled valve. The heat sink includes one or more coolant-carrying channels and one or more valve wells intersecting the channels. The thermostat-controlled valve is disposed, at least partially, within a respective valve well so as to intersect a respective coolant-carrying channel, and includes a valve disk and a thermal-sensitive actuator mechanically coupled to rotate the valve disk. The valve disk is rotatable between an open position where coolant is allowed to flow through the respective coolant-carrying channel, and a closed position where coolant is blocked from flowing through the respective channel. The actuator rotates the valve disk between the open position and the closed position, dependent on heating of the thermal-sensitive actuator by the electronic component(s).
US09285049B2
A thermostat device having a first coolant flow path; a second coolant flow path; a casing including a thermostat container portion that communicates with the first and second coolant flow paths; a third coolant flow path that communicates with the thermostat container portion; a cap that covers the thermostat container portion; a thermostat including a thermo-element that advances and retreats in response to changes in temperature of a coolant that flows through the thermostat container portion; a temperature sensor disposed within the thermostat container portion and which detects the temperature of the coolant; a sensor mount in which the temperature sensor is embedded, integrated into an inside end of the cap; and a lead connector extending from the temperature sensor and integrated into an outside end of the cap.
US09285047B2
A regulator valve contain: a housing, a left end cap, a right end cap, and a valve core assembly. The housing includes a left cavity, a right cavity, a valve hole, a left opening, and a right opening. The right cavity has an inlet, the valve hole has an outlet, and between the right cavity and the valve hole is defined a seat portion, the seat portion has an inwardly conical fence, a diameter of which decreases from the right cavity to the valve hole. The left end cap is connected with and closes the left opening. The right end cap is coupled with and closes the right opening. The valve core assembly is inserted through the valve hole and includes a piston portion and a closing portion.
US09285044B2
This invention concerns relievable normally closed check valves for use in conjunction with fluid delivery systems for medical patients, as well as methods for making and using valves. In the medical context, such valves function at very low fluid pressures, and include a multi-part valve body made from upper and lower housings capable of movement relative to each other that, when operably connected, dispose between them a compliant or deformable, resilient valve element normally biased in the closed position against a valve seat present on the inner surface of the upper housing. The upper housing also includes a lower housing seat. The inside surface of the lower housing contains or supports a structure that positions the valve element to engage the valve seat in the absence of fluid pressure above the valve's pre-determined cracking pressure. The valve's flow prevention function may be relieved in the absence of sufficiently pressurized fluid by causing the valve element to disengage from the valve seat, for example, by adjusting the valve body to distance the valve element from the valve seat.
US09285043B2
A flow channel switching valve is provided that includes a stator and a rotor inside a housing, and rotates the rotor by a rotor drive portion while sliding the rotor on the stator, wherein the stator is fixed to a housing top by a stator fixing member. The stator fixing member is configured so as to have a portion detachably mounted on the housing top from a stator side, and a portion holding the stator.
US09285019B2
A timing chain is looped over a driving sprocket attached to a crankshaft and driven sprockets attached to camshafts. A pivotable chain guide having a plurality of rotatable rollers for guiding movements of a timing chain is provided on one side of a slack side of the timing chain. Adjustment force of a chain tensioner is applied to a remote end of the pivotable chain guide remote from a center of pivoting movement of the pivotable chain guide, thereby pressing the plurality of rotatable rollers against the timing chain. The ratio (D1/D2) between a pitch circle diameter D1 of the driving sprocket and an outer diameter D2 of the plurality of rotatable rollers is determined within a range of 5/3 to 5/1.
US09285008B2
A damping valve includes a piston with a one-side disk and an other-side disk, a port configured to include through holes, a piston rod, and a nut. A plurality of the through holes of the other-side disk are formed along between the inner peripheral seat surface and the outer peripheral seat surface. Elastic deforming portions are formed between the through holes of the other-side disk. A clearance is formed between the inner peripheral seat surface of the one-side disk and that of the other-side disk in a state where the nut is not tightened and the outer peripheral seat surface of the one-side disk and that of the other-side disk are in contact. The elastic deforming portions of the other-side disk are strained and the respective inner peripheral seat surfaces come into contact in a state where the nut is tightened.
US09285007B2
A method and system of monitoring condition of a shock strut senses gas temperature, gas pressure, and stroke of the strut during a landing event. Oil loss is determined based upon a deviation of a transient pressure coefficient derived from transient gas pressures at two different strokes from a nominal coefficient value. Gas loss is determined based upon a temperature adjusted transient gas pressure at a selected stroke and a nominal gas pressure value at the selected stroke.
US09285003B2
Disc brake calipers with a piston roll-back device capable of allowing accurate and repeatable roll-back of pistons and which are easy to construct and assemble are provided.
US09284984B2
A rolling-element bearing cage section for a rolling-element bearing is configured to guide at least one rolling element between a first and a second rolling-element bearing ring of the rolling-element bearing. The rolling-element bearing cage section is configured to partially or completely receive the at least one rolling element prior to installation in the rolling-element bearing. The rolling-element bearing cage section includes a porous material adapted to absorb a lubricant and release the lubricant as a result of a centrifugal force acting on the lubricant during rotation of the rolling-element bearing cage section, thus allowing a liquid lubricant to be used in a rolling-element bearing without the need for complex seals.
US09284979B2
A system and method for mounting a bearing assembly on a shaft includes an internal flange, external flange, and a sleeve. The internal flange is securable to the bearing assembly and has a displacement pin extending outward that defines an initial position of the bearing assembly relative to the shaft. The external flange is secured to the internal flange via fasteners passing through elongated holes. The external flange has an opening configured to receive the displacement pin. The external flange may be rotated when coupled to the internal flange with the fasteners between a first position where the external flange opening is not in register with the displacement pin and a second position where the external flange opening is in register with the displacement pin. A sleeve has a tapered outside diameter and is engageable with the external flange.
US09284977B2
The front bearing (110) of a heat engine starter having an output pinion starter drive (120) comprises, in the front, a transverse wall (111) having an opening (112), for passing a body (122) of the starter drive (120) there through, and a cavity (200) for mounting a sealing joint (240). The cavity is set up on the inner periphery of the rear surface (400) of the front bearing. The rear surface is configured so as to form a bearing abutment for the outer ring (231) of a rolling bearing (230) and moreover has at least one hollowed-out area (300) intended to be filled with grease so as to form a grease supply. The hollowed-out area is mostly set up outside the cavity. A heat engine starter having an output pinion is characterized in that it comprises one such front bearing.
US09284974B2
In a clip that copes with pitches of a plurality of types of screw grooves, force to support the engaged screw members is increased at low cost. The clip includes opposite elastic locking pieces. Each elastic locking piece extends from a first side to a second side opposite to the first side, in the direction of the axis of the screw member such that its leading end approaches the screw member within the insertion hole of a tubular body part. Each elastic locking piece is elastically deformable such that its leading end is separated from the screw member. Each locking piece has at its leading end a locking claw that engages with the screw groove of the screw member. The first side of the locking claw has a straight section extending straight, and the second side opposite to the first side has a helical section extending helically along the groove.
US09284965B2
An in-line water hammer arrester comprises a housing connectable at each end to a piping system, a fluid channel disposed within the housing to permit fluid to flow from the piping system through the housing and back into the piping system, a piston and a pressurized gas chamber. When a pressure spike occurs, the piston is pushed against the pressurized gas chamber allowing an expanded area for water flow until the pressure spike is dissipated and the piston returns to its resting position. When used with flexible hoses and tubing typically found with household appliance water supply lines, the in-line arrester is easily installed by a crimping or clamping type connector and takes up little space.
US09284959B2
A turbine creating fluid displacement or thrust having an outer frame superstructure comprised of opposed disk assemblies extending parallel, each joined concentrically to a central sun gear and central drive shaft housing, each spaced apart along a central axis defining an interior operating space to support a motor driven driveshaft joined to a rotatable interplanetary assembly that secures two or more orbiting evenly spaced planetary turbines by bearing means each having a pivoting wing/s which presents a maximum contact surface profile in drive maximally impinging on air or water and pivoting back to a position of least resistance in glide thereby creating current or thrust, each made to counter rotate, once around its axis as the interplanetary assembly rotates once around the propulsion turbine's central axis, each maintaining a transverse planetary turbine and wing orientation relative to the direction of created thrust or fluid displacement.
US09284958B2
A rotary compressor includes a cylinder with a cylinder chamber, a piston, a blade and a pair of bushes. The piston is movable-within the cylinder chamber. The blade is integrally formed with the cylinder or piston and penetrates a groove formed in the other to segment the cylinder chamber into high and low pressure chambers. The bushes are provided at the groove and sandwich the blade from both sides of the blade. At least one of the pair of bushes includes an oil supply passage formed from a blade-side sliding surface to a groove-side sliding surface, a blade-side oil reservoir formed on the blade-side sliding surface, and a groove-side oil reservoir on the groove-side sliding surface. Ends of the oil supply passage open to the blade-side and groove-side oil reservoirs. The groove-side oil reservoir being wider than the blade-side oil reservoir.
US09284946B2
A windmill is disclosed having over speed protection. In a preferred embodiment, the vanes are symmetric, curved metal sheets, with each vane's shape having a circular arc corresponding to its portion of the cylindrical support structure. Each vane is mounted with a large leading portion exposed to the wind. The imbalance of surface area causes the wind to push the vane open when moving downwind and push the vane closed when moving upwind. During periods of high rotational speed, the off-axis centers of mass cause each vane to rotate towards a closed position under centrifugal force. Once the critical speed is reached, the vanes fully close as they pass through the upwind side.
US09284945B2
The disclosed wind turbine utilizes adjustable blades, forcing wind into channels away from the rotational axis. These channels direct wind to conversion surfaces a desirable distance from the rotational axis of the turbine, producing more torque. The channels feature independent exhaust points and intake points, minimizing vortices within the blades that can reduce torque. The blades of the disclosed turbine overlap, creating a larger constant percentage of air flow into the turbine channel. A modular tower for mounting a wind turbine is also disclosed. Finally, a wind directional amplifier for use with a wind turbine is disclosed. The wind directional amplifier directs the flow of wind to the optimum location for capture surfaces. When used with multiple wind turbines, the wind directional amplifier may be used to focus more or less air flow to one or more turbines, thereby selectively controlling the output of all the turbines collectively.
US09284942B2
The present invention relates to a subassembly for forming a hydraulic motor after assembly onto an assembly including a shaft, said subassembly including a cover forming a housing element, a multilobe cam, a cylinder block opposite the cam, pistons guided so as to slide radially within the respective cylinders of the cylinder block and bearing on the lobes of the cam, and a valve intended to apply pressurized fluid to said pistons in series, wherein said subassembly includes means for temporarily attaching the cylinder block to the cover and means for accessing an element of the valve through the cover in order to enable, during installation, the angular positioning of said element with respect to the shaft, followed by the attachment thereof to the shaft. The present invention also relates to a method for assembling such a hydrobase.
US09284941B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a natural energy extraction apparatus which can extract kinetic energies of river water currents or tidal water currents at various depth layers, and which is easy to attach to the fixed structure above water current. A natural energy extraction apparatus comprises a float, a vertical-axis water turbine fixed to the float and extending downward, a power transmission device engaging an upper end of the float and converting rotational kinetic energy of the float to driving torque for driven equipment, and arm members supporting the power transmission device rotatably around a horizontal axis at one ends and supported by a fixed structure above a water current rotatably around a horizontal axis at the other ends, wherein the float and the vertical-axis water turbine are located in a river water current or tidal water current.
US09284933B2
A fuel nozzle includes an axial fuel circuit having a converging front surface with an axial fuel outlet formed therein, an air swirler surrounding the axial fuel circuit and having a converging front wall, a swirl chamber bounded by the converging front surface of the axial fuel circuit and the converging front wall of the air swirler, and an air cap surrounding the air swirler, such that an air circuit is defined between the air cap and the air swirler. A plurality of circumferentially disposed discrete jet passages extend through the converging front wall of the air swirler for directing atomizing air from the air circuit to the swirl chamber.
US09284912B2
A cover structure of a plug hole provided to a cylinder head cover of an engine includes: a plug cap detachably attached to the plug hole; an outer cover covering at least an upper side of the plug cap; and a seal member provided on an upper face of the cylinder head cover and surrounding a periphery of the plug hole. In the cover structure, the outer cover has a projection portion projected toward the cylinder head cover, and the seal member is pressed to the upper face of the cylinder head cover by the projection portion.
US09284901B2
In a method and a device for operating an internal combustion engine, with at least one cylinder (Z1-Z4) having a combustion chamber (26), fuel is injected into the cylinder and a logic value (LV_FCUT) is set, in particular for stopping the injection of fuel into the cylinder, The method furthermore has the following steps: depending on a course of the highly time-resolved measurement signal of a rotational speed (N_FAST) of the internal combustion engine, a local maximum value (N_FAST_MAX) of the rotational speed is determined, a rotational speed difference (N_FAST_DIF) between the local maximum value (N_FAST_MAX) and a current measured value (N_FAST_MES) of the rotational speed is determined, and, depending on the determined rotational speed difference (N_FAST_DIF), the logic value (LV_FCUT) is set.
US09284892B2
A six-stroke cycle engine includes an intake passage including a downstream end connected to a combustion chamber and no throttle valve therein, and an exhaust passage including a catalyst and an upstream end connected to the combustion chamber. The six-stroke cycle engine includes a first valve configured to open and close the intake passage, a second valve configured to open and close the exhaust passage, a valve gear configured to operate the first valve and the second valve so that an intake stroke, a compression stroke, an expansion stroke, and an exhaust stroke are executed, in this order, and to operate only the first valve so that a scavenging intake stroke and a scavenging exhaust stroke are executed, in this order, following the exhaust stroke. The valve gear includes a variable valve mechanism configured to continuously change an opening and closing timing and a lift amount of the first valve.
US09284861B2
A variable cam timing phaser (10) includes a fluid transfer assembly with at least one of a fluid transfer sleeve (72) having a plurality of pressurized fluid passages (74a, 74b, 74c, 74d), and a fluid transfer plate (60) having a plurality of pressurized fluid passages (62a, 62b, 62c, 62d). Each passage (74a, 74b, 74c, 74d) extends in fluid communication with a corresponding circumferentially spaced annular groove segment portion (74f, 74g, 74h, 74i) for selective communication with first and second vane-type hydraulic couplings (40, 50) depending on an angular orientation of the fluid transfer sleeve (72) during rotation. Each passage (62a, 62b, 62c, 62d) extending from a corresponding centrally located port (64a, 64b, 64c, 64d) in fluid communication with a radially extending passage portion (66a, 66b, 66c, 66d) and with an arcuately extending passage portion (68a, 68b, 68c, 68d).
US09284853B2
A system and method for integrating sections of a turbine are provided. In one system, a turbine includes a last stage bucket section with a first annular outer wall that is angled with respect to a centerline of the turbine at a first angle average. The turbine also includes a diffuser section having a second annular outer wall that is angled with respect to the centerline of the turbine at a second angle average for improving radial swirl. The first angle average is greater than the second angle average.
US09284849B2
The present invention relates to a rotorcraft rotor (1) having a plurality of blades (3) movably mounted on a hub (2) via blade roots (4) that are respectively associated therewith. The rotor (1) is fitted with an information capture appliance having at least one measurement assembly (E1) comprising a flexible bar (11) interposed in engagement at its respective ends between the hub (2) and a blade root (4) that is allocated thereto. A strain gauge (7, 8) formed of a SAW transducer is implanted on the bar (11) and generates information relative to the bending of the bar (11) following tilting orientations of the blade root (4) in flapping (B) and/or in lag (T).
US09284846B2
A Pt—Al—Hf/Zr aluminide coating that can be used as a bond coat for TBC and improve TBC spallation life in service at elevated temperatures is provided. The aluminide coating can include a metastable ternary or higher X—Pt/Pd—Ni phase where the phase and other elements in the alloy system are present in a NiAl β phase of the coating. The metastable phase can be present and observable in the as-deposited condition of the bond coating; e.g. in an as-CVD deposited condition of the bond coating.
US09284844B2
A component for a gas turbine engine includes a wall and a cooling hole extending through the wall. The wall has a first surface and a second surface. The cooling hole includes a metering section that extends from an inlet in the first surface of the wall to a transition, a diffusing section that extends from the transition to an outlet in the second surface of the wall, and a cusp on the transition.
US09284843B2
A method and apparatus for safely handling an undesired blade event in an open rotor engine system. In one illustrative embodiment, an occurrence of an undesired blade event in an open rotor engine system is detected. Electrical energy is allowed to flow into a conductor embedded in the blade in response to the undesired blade event. The conductor is vaporized when the electrical energy flowing through the conductor heats the conductor to a temperature above a selected threshold.
US09284842B2
A link part for a turbine engine which mounted between a fan cone and a fan disk supporting fan blades is provided. The link part includes an annular wall pierced by a plurality of orifices, each orifice for receiving a fastener member and terminated by a substantially perpendicular rim having an outer surface that provides an aerodynamic extension of the fan between an outer surface of the fan cone and an outer surface of a fan blade platform. The annular wall is made of a first material that is composite and is provided on an inner surface of the rim with a ring made of a second material that is different from the first and that is suitable for radially retaining the fan blade platform.
US09284841B1
A disposable heat exchanger system including a sterile disposable bag assembly and sets of modular stainless steel heating/cooling plate assemblies is disclosed. The sterile disposable bags are manifolded together via disposable tubing and are installed and filled in place with cell culture or protein containing process fluid between the stainless steel heating/cooling plates. The stainless steel heating/cooling plates are manifolded together in a modular fashion with stainless steel tubing. Both the sterile disposable bag assembly and the heating/cooling plates are configured to have a serpentine flow pattern. The process fluid within the sterile disposable bag assembly and heating/cooling fluid within the modular stainless steel heating/cooling plates flow in opposite directions in order to provide counter-current flow for efficient heating or cooling.
US09284840B2
A personal safety system in the form of a refuge chamber with at least one main room and a carbon dioxide absorber (10) provided for absorbing carbon dioxide out of the ambient air of the main room. The carbon dioxide absorber (10) has a body (14) and a basket (12) that can be inserted into the body (14) for receiving loose soda lime. With this, any static charges of previously used soda lime cartridges are avoided and dangers arising therefrom, in potentially explosive areas, are ruled out.
US09284839B2
A rock drilling and bolting system comprises a drill feed slidable on a drill feed rail for drilling a hole, a bolter feed slidable on a bolter feed rail, the bolter feed having a main bolt driver for driving a rock bolt, a side-mounted bolt driver mounted to the bolter feed rail, the side-mounted bolt driver being disposed rearwardly of the main bolt driver to receive the rock bolt when there is insufficient space to load the rock bolt in the main bolt driver and to drive the rock bolt partially into the hole, and an indexing mechanism for rotating the main bolt driver into alignment with the rock bolt that is partially driven into the hole, wherein the main bolt driver drives the rock bolt fully into the hole.
