US09300084B2
An electrical connector includes a housing, a latch arranged relative to the housing in a first direction, and a securing member arranged between the housing and the latch. The latch includes an engagement element configured to be movable in the first direction when not blocked. The securing member includes a supporting surface and a counter-engagement element. The supporting surface is configured to support the latch in the first direction. The engagement and counter-engagement elements are configured such that when the engagement and counter-engagement elements are engaged with each other, a displacement of the securing element in and against a second direction relative to the housing is constrained, and when the engagement and counter-engagement elements are disengaged from each other, the securing element is adjustable relative to the housing along the second direction.
US09300081B2
Disclosed are interposer electrical connector embodiments including magnetic components used to facilitate interconnection of peripheral devices to standard input/output, or “I/O”, connectors (such as USB connectors) of devices such as mobile communications products (e.g. smart phones, tablets, and personal computers). The interposer connector embodiments disclosed include those in which a plurality of discrete permanent magnets are arranged with magnetic poles aligned in the same orientation perpendicular to and on one side of the electrical interface. Other embodiments include a plurality of bar permanent magnets located on opposite sides of the interface with all poles of the same type directed at the interface, but each one opposing a ferromagnetic element. These arrangements provide self-aligning capabilities useful for electrical connections that have restrictions on visibility or connection approach geometries. Other embodiments have a single magnet per mated connector pair and magnetic pole pieces and/or actuators to concentrate magnetic flux providing the magnetic attractive force for a plurality of electrical connections.
US09300079B2
An apparatus for electrically connecting and attaching an electrical device to a wall in a vehicle is provided. The apparatus provides a universal base plate with a first connection region with a first electrical connector arranged therein and a universal rear wall with a second connection region with a second electrical connector positioned therein. The universal base plate comprises attachment means for attachment to a wall in a vehicle, wherein the universal rear wall is designed to form part of an electrical device or to be attached thereto. The rear wall and the base plate comprise largely corresponding directions of extension and are designed to be brought into mechanical engagement with each other, wherein during mechanical engagement the first and the second connection regions are arranged adjacent to each other in such a manner that the first electrical connector and the second electrical connector establish a mutual connection.
US09300075B2
A connector includes: a terminal including a box part which covers a terminal-contact spring, a crimped part which holds a core wire, and a concave part formed between the box part and the crimped part; and a housing integrally including an insertion port from which the terminal is inserted, an accommodation chamber in which the terminal is accommodated, an band which constitute a part of the accommodation chamber and is put into a double end-supported state so that the elastic band is pressed and elastically deformed by the box part of the terminal when the terminal is inserted in the housing from the insertion port, a lance which protrudes from an intermediate part of the band to engage the concave part of the terminal, and a reinforcement part which protrudes from the lance toward a bottom side of the housing to enter in the concave part of the terminal.
US09300072B2
Full lock receiving portions (31) are provided on a widthwise central part of a housing (10), and partial lock receiving portions (28) are provided on opposite widthwise end parts of the housing (10). Full locking portions (68) configured to prevent a movement of a retainer (60) to a full locking position by coming into contact with a facing wall surface of a housing (10) at a partial locking position and prevent the retainer (60) from returning to the partial locking position by being locked to the full lock receiving portions (31) at the full locking position are provided on a widthwise central part of the retainer (60). Partial locking portions (73) configured to prevent the retainer (60) from coming out of the housing (10) by being locked to the partial lock receiving portions (28) at the partial locking position are provided on opposite widthwise end parts of the retainer (60).
US09300066B2
A device includes an electrical connector coupled to the end of a flex circuit. The connector includes interior ribs that engage slots in the flex circuit, with the ribs and slots separating adjacent contact pads on the flex circuit. The contact pads are exposed portions of conductive traces on the flex circuit. Other portions of the conductive traces may be covered by a dielectric material, such as a non-conductive ink. The ribs provide an increased isolation path between the contact pads.
US09300064B2
A connector includes a housing, contacts arranged and held in the housing, and a shell attached around the housing. The shell is made from a plate and includes an elongated part extending along a sidewall of the housing and a spring piece adapted to contact a ground contact of a mating connector. The spring piece includes a base part protruded from the elongated part in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the elongated part extends and bent so that its front end is positioned inward from the sidewall, an intermediate part extended from the front end of the base part in the direction in which the elongated part extends, and a contact tip extended from a front end of the intermediate part in the direction perpendicular to the direction in which the elongated part extends. The intermediate part is spaced away from an inner surface of the sidewall and the contact tip is positioned further inward from the inner surface than the intermediate part and a front end of the contact tip is directed to the side from which the mating connector is inserted. The spring piece of the shell can be made pliant even though the profile of the connector is low. Thus, connector profile reduction can be achieved.
US09300063B2
A connecting member for the electrically conductive connection of two components, having a (first) conductor which comprises a tubular shell which has at least one opening to reduce axial stiffness.
US09300056B2
Disclosed is an antenna in which certain radiators are shared for multiple frequency bands. The antenna may include at least one first radiator for a first frequency band; one or more second radiator for a second frequency band; and a third radiator. Here, the third radiator may be used when realizing the first frequency band and may also be used when realizing the second frequency band.
US09300054B2
A new class of feed horns is provided based on the use of metamaterial printed circuit board (PCB) liners on the walls of the feed horns. These feed horns may be implemented to achieve low cost operation. PCBs making up the metamaterial liner may be assembled together in such a manner as to form a feed horn with a square or rectangular aperture shape, although other suitable shapes are possible. These PCBs may be fabricated from standard low cost, off-the-shelf dielectric material. A conductor artwork pattern on the PCB surface forming the interior surface of the feed horn can be designed such that the PCB feed horn yields radio frequency (RF) properties similar to that of a corrugated feed horn. A simple flat plate ground plane bonded to the back side of the PCB can serve as the feed horn structure.
US09300053B2
For use with an armored vehicle, a wideband embedded armor antenna is provided. The antenna includes an armor layer mounted to the armored vehicle. A driven dipole is mounted between the armor layer and the vehicle, the dipole operating in the UHF band. A first parasitically driven dipole is mounted on the outside of the armor layer. A second parasitically driven dipole is mounted between the driven dipole and the vehicle. A feed for the driven dipole is provided which does not pierce the armor layer.
US09300050B2
This invention relates to a miniature multiband antenna, in which a substrate being the carrier of a conductive element, and the conductive element configured as a layer onto the substrate and being the radiator in form of a slot, and a conductive layer configured onto the substrate and being the antenna feed line in form of a polygon patch area. Alternative embodiments illustrate use of slot type—and meander type antennas. The invention may be applied in any kind of electronic equipment, where a high capacity wireless system is required and within a very small physical embodiment.
US09300035B2
A mobile wireless communications device may include a portable housing, a circuit board carried by the portable housing and having a ground plane thereon, wireless communications circuitry carried by the circuit board, and an antenna assembly carried by the housing. More particularly, the antenna assembly may include a flexible substrate, an electrically conductive antenna element on the flexible substrate and connected to the wireless communications circuitry and the ground plane, and a floating, electrically conductive director element on the flexible substrate for directing a beam pattern of the antenna element.
US09300032B2
The present invention provides an RFID device having a substrate body, and an IC component and antenna disposed thereon. The RFID device may further include one or more spacing elements, wherein at least a portion of the substrate body is adapted to be disposed around at least a portion the spacing element, thus reducing the overall size of the substrate body with proper impedance matching. The RFID device may further include an EAS element coupled to the substrate body and/or the spacing element in order to create a combination RFID/EAS device with the ability to reduce its overall footprint without sacrificing the ability to provide both identification and article surveillance functions.
US09300030B2
The present invention relates to a small-cell antenna arrangement. The antenna arrangement comprises an antenna mounting unit and an active antenna element. The antenna mounting unit is arranged with fastening means from which the active antenna element is detachable. Further, the antenna mounting unit is arranged with a signalling interface via which signals are arranged to be transferred between the active antenna element and a remotely located base station with which the antenna arrangement communicates. Moreover, the antenna mounting unit is arranged with an interface via which the active antenna element is powered.
US09300018B2
System are described that include an energy storage device adapted to store and release energy and an ultracapacitor. The systems include a switching device coupled to the energy storage device to selectively connect and disconnect the energy storage device to a load, and a second switching device coupled to the ultracapacitor and adapted to connect and disconnect the ultracapacitor to the load. The systems may include a sensor adapted to sense the current draw at the load. The first switching device is activated to connect the energy storage device to the load when a rate of change of the current draw at the load is below a threshold, and the second switching device is activated to connect the ultracapacitor to the load when the rate of change of the current draw at the load is greater than or equal to the threshold.
US09300015B2
Desktop power use behavior may be detected while a portable information handling system or any other type of battery powered information handling, system is operating on external power such as an AC adapter. The desktop power use behavior may be detected by monitoring one or more power usage parameters to detect usage characteristics that indicate a battery powered information handling system is being operated in a manner that is similar to operation of a desktop information handling system. Upon detection of desktop behavior, one or more processing devices of the information handling system may respond by taking one or more desktop use response actions.
US09300012B2
Provided is a solid electrolyte secondary battery with a greater capacity than previous solid electrolyte secondary batteries. Furthermore, the disclosed solid electrolyte secondary battery can obtain a high power output and improve battery function while ensuring a large capacity. The solid electrolyte secondary battery is provided with a cathode chamber, a cathode active material container that is provided independently and stores some cathode active material, and a channel medium that is provided between the two and through which the active material passes. The cathode active material is transferred by the channel medium and heterogeneity, when the active material is discharged, can be curbed. By providing a transfer medium, which transfers the cathode active material, the cathode active material can be forcibly transferred.
US09300011B2
A solid state electrolyte layer includes a sulfide solid state electrolyte material that is manufactured from a raw material composition containing Li2S and P2S5 and is substantially free of bridging sulfur, and a hydrophobic polymer for binding the sulfide solid state electrolyte material.
US09300010B2
Various embodiments of the invention disclose that the uptake of LiOiPr in Mg2(dobdc) (dobdc4−=1,4-dioxido-2,5-benzenedicarboxylate) followed by soaking in a typical electrolyte solution leads to a new solid lithium electrolyte Mg2(dobdc).0.35LiOiPr.0.25LiBF4.EC.DEC. Two-point ac impedance data show a pressed pellet of this material to have a conductivity of 3.1×10−4 S/cm at 300 K. In addition, the results from variable-temperature measurements reveal an activation energy of approximately 0.15 eV, while single-particle data suggest that intraparticle transport dominates conduction.
US09300004B2
One aspect of the present disclosure relates to a wound electromechanical storage device assembly including a negative electrode sheet, a plurality of negative electrode tabs which are integral to and extend from the negative electrode sheet, a positive electrode sheet, a plurality of positive electrode tabs which are integral to and extend from the positive electrode sheet, and a separator sheet disposed between the negative and positive electrode sheets, wherein the negative electrode sheet, positive electrode sheet, and separator sheet are wound around a common axis to form a plurality of windings, and wherein each winding includes one negative electrode tab and one positive electrode tab.
US09299999B2
Provided are a three electrode type microbial fuel cell and a method of operating the same. The fuel cell includes a sediment electrode acting as an anode and placed in sediment on the bottom of a contaminated water zone, an intermediate electrode acting as an anode or a cathode and placed in water, and an floating electrode acting as a cathode and placed adjacent to a water surface. In the three electrode type microbial fuel cell, the intermediate electrode may be used as an anode or a cathode according to the concentration of organic contaminants in water of the contaminated water zone, so that the fuel cell can continue to generate electricity in any case where the organic contaminants are present in or removed from the water.
US09299998B2
A fuel cell management method includes removing droplets remaining in a fuel cell stack using air supplied to a cathode and hydrogen supplied to an anode. Hydrogen and oxygen remaining are removed in the fuel cell stack by stopping the supply of the hydrogen and the air, and the hydrogen and the oxygen in the fuel cell stack are chemically reacted to remove residual hydrogen and oxygen. Hydrogen is generated in the cathode of the fuel cell stack after removing the residual hydrogen and oxygen. The residual oxygen is additionally removed using the generated hydrogen, the generated hydrogen is absorbed on a surface of a catalyst layer formed on the anode and cathode and accelerating the chemical reaction of hydrogen and air.
US09299993B2
A separator having planar shape may comprise a second inner wall and a third inner wall formed inside of the separator and disposed between a first hole and a plurality of first inner walls. The second inner wall and the third inner walls may comprise a plurality of first grooves formed inside of the separator and a plurality of first concaves facing the plurality of first grooves inside of the separator. Each of the plurality of first grooves extends between the first hole and the plurality of first inner walls along a first direction. Each of the plurality of first concaves curves outward from inside of the separator and extends between one of the plurality of first grooves and other of the plurality of first grooves.
US09299992B2
The invention concerns an active layer for an electrochemical reactor comprising:—a carbon electronic conductor which is not a fullerene as a support; and —a catalytic system made up of one or more metals and a fullerene. It also concerns an electrochemical reactor integrating such an active layer.
US09299991B2
A process for the electrochemical deposition of nanoscale catalyst particles using a sacrificial hydrogen anode as counter electrode for the working electrode is disclosed, whereby a concurrent development of hydrogen at the working electrode is mostly or completely avoided.
US09299988B2
Disclosed herein is an electrode sheet having an electrode active material applied to one major surface or opposite major surfaces of a current collector sheet, the electrode sheet being cut to manufacture a plurality of unit electrode plates, wherein first notch portions are formed at one side, selected from between an upper side and a lower side, of the electrode sheet such that the first notch portions are arranged at intervals corresponding to a width of each of the unit electrode plates and second notch portions corresponding to the first notch portions are formed at the other side of the electrode sheet, and wherein an upper end cut side for a cutting margin is formed at each of the second notch portions, the upper end cut side being smaller in size than a lower end cut side.
US09299987B2
The present invention relates to a cable-type secondary battery having a horizontal cross section of a predetermined shape and extending longitudinally, comprising: an inner electrode having an inner current collector and an inner electrode active material layer surrounding the outer surface of the inner current collector; a separation layer surrounding the outer surface of the inner electrode to prevent a short circuit between electrodes; and an outer electrode surrounding the outer surface of the separation layer, and having an outer electrode active material layer and an outer current collector comprising at least one of a conductive paste and a carbon fiber.In accordance with the present invention, the outer current collector which comprises a conductive paste or a carbon fiber to have good flexibility is used in a cable-type battery to improve the flexibility of the cable-type battery.
US09299985B2
Provided is a secondary battery having a good battery property at a high temperature. A secondary battery according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention comprises a negative electrode and an electrolyte liquid; wherein the negative electrode is formed by binding a negative electrode active substance on a negative electrode collector with a negative electrode binder; and wherein the electrolyte liquid comprises a compound (A) having a C═S bond. In this embodiment, the negative electrode active substance is formed by covering at least one of a metal (a) that can be alloyed with lithium and a metal oxide (b) that can absorb and desorb a lithium ion with a carbon material (c). Alternatively, the negative electrode active substance comprises a metal (a) that can be alloyed with lithium and the negative electrode binder negative electrode is a polyimide or a polyamide-imide.
US09299983B2
The invention discloses a novel method to prepare the Ni(Sn, Sb)3 skutterudite compound. Skutterudite compounds are thermoelectric materials, which can transform heat into electric energy. Besides, the Ni(Sn, Sb)3 compound is also an anode material of Li ion battery. The solid state diffusion method is used to prepare the Ni(Sn1-x, Sbx)3 compound. Compared to traditional physical or chemical processes, the method disclosed in the invention is simpler and operates at a lower temperature. By the method according to the invention, the composition of the Ni(Sn, Sb)3 compound can be adjusted to fulfill variety requirements for different applications. It is noteworthy that the invention can prepare ternary compounds. In comparison with the frequently used binary compounds such as Ni3Sn4 or Cu6Sn5, the invention can produce materials with better performance.
US09299977B2
A method of manufacturing a composite materials in which a carbon material and a metal compound can maintain a nanosized form as a final product is realized, and a method for manufacturing a superior electrode material is provided. A metal compound precursor is formed from a metal compound material source, and a mixture of the metal compound precursor and a carbon material is calcinated. In the treatment to form the precursor, a treatment of absorbing one of the metal compound material sources to the functional group of the carbon material and a treatment of producing on the carbon material a treatment of reacting the remaining material source of the adsorbed metal compound material source on the carbon material to produce a metal compound precursor are performed in separate steps.
US09299973B2
A battery module 11 is structured to include a flat-type battery 40 in which current can be taken out from both faces of an electric generation element 20 in a layered direction, flat-plate-type electrode tabs 50 and 60 having a face contact with a current-taking-out plane of the flat-type battery to take out current, and a packaging case 100 covering the flat-type battery and the electrode tab. The inner face of the packaging case and the electrode tab have therebetween an elastic member 120.
US09299972B2
A battery includes an electrode assembly, the electrode assembly including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a separator interposed between the positive electrode and the negative electrode, a current collector, the current collector being electrically and mechanically coupled to one of the electrodes, a case, the electrode assembly and the current collector being disposed within the case, a cap plate, the cap plate having a terminal protruding therefrom, the terminal being electrically coupled to the current collector, and a separating member, the separating member having a protrusion portion and a body portion, the protrusion portion being fixed to the cap plate, and the body portion extending along a length of the current collector and being interposed between the current collector and an inner wall of the case.
US09299966B2
Subassemblies for use in an electrochemical device are provided, as are processes for preparing the subassemblies and electrochemical cells incorporating the subassemblies. In some embodiments, the subassemblies include (a) a first electrode and (b) a separator or a first current collector or both. The first electrode is bonded to the separator or the first current collector or both. In some embodiments, the subassemblies further include a second electrode and a second current collector. In some embodiments, the electrodes or separators are sintered. Bipolar cells are also provided, including a plurality of stacked electrochemical cells that are joined in series. The positive electrode and the negative electrode of each stack include a sintered electrode.
US09299960B2
The electronic device manufacturing apparatus is provided with: a substrate holding member; a first supply source which is provided so as to move relative to the primary surface side of the substrate, and which forms a nitrogen-containing layer by supplying a nitrogen-containing compound towards the primary surface of the substrate; and a second supply source which is disposed downstream of the first supply source in the direction of movement relative to the substrate, which forms a transparent electrode layer by supplying towards the primary surface of the substrate an electrode material having silver as the main component thereof, and which is disposed such that, between starting formation and two minutes after finishing formation of the nitrogen-containing layer at a prescribed position on the substrate, formation of the transparent electrode layer is started at said prescribed position on the substrate.
US09299954B2
An organic light-emitting apparatus including: a substrate; an organic light-emitting device disposed on the substrate and including a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer disposed between the first electrode and the second electrode; and an encapsulation layer provided to cover the organic light-emitting device. The encapsulation layer includes a first inorganic layer including a first fracture point, and a first fracture control layer provided on the first inorganic layer to seal the first fracture point.
US09299949B2
A display panel and a display device, such as an organic light emitting panel that includes a spacer. The display panel and the display device include a semiconductor element including a first electrode; a passivation layer arranged on the semiconductor element and including a via hole exposing the first electrode; a second electrode arranged on the passivation layer and connected to the first electrode through the via hole; and a spacer arranged on the second electrode and adjacent to the via hole, wherein the spacer exposes at least a portion of a region where the via hole is formed.
US09299948B2
An organic light emitting display device includes an organic light emitting display panel including first to third pixels that emit light of different colors, a wavelength of a color light emitted from the third pixel being shorter than wavelengths of color lights emitted from the first and second pixels, a window on an upper portion of the display panel, and a light shielding pattern on the window, the light shielding pattern being adjacent to an outline of the third pixel.
US09299947B2
Provided is an organic electroluminescent device (organic EL device), which has improved luminous efficiency, shows sufficiently ensured driving stability, and has a simple construction. The organic electroluminescent device includes an anode, a cathode, and organic layers including a hole-transporting layer and a light-emitting layer, the organic layers being interposed between the anode and the cathode, in which the light-emitting layer contains a phosphorescent light-emitting material and the hole-transporting layer and the light-emitting layer have an electron- and/or exciton-blocking layer therebetween, the electron- and/or exciton-blocking layer being adjacent to the light-emitting layer and containing an indolocarbazole compound represented by the general formula (2). In the formula, a ring B represents a heterocycle represented by the formula (1c) to be fused with adjacent rings, Z represents an n-valent aromatic hydrocarbon group or an aromatic heterocyclic group, and n represents 1 or 2.
US09299945B2
The present disclosure relates to an emissive construct, which can be used in various OLED applications, for example, top-emission white organic light-emitting diodes. The emissive construct includes a fluorescent emissive layer, a partial hole-blocking layer, and a phosphorescent emissive. A recombination zone is shared between the fluorescent emissive layer and the phosphorescent emissive layer, such that the thickness of the partial hole-blocking layer is less than about one-third of the thickness of the recombination zone.
US09299930B2
Some embodiments include integrated devices, such as memory cells. The devices may include chalcogenide material, an electrically conductive material over the chalcogenide material, and a thermal sink between the electrically conductive material and the chalcogenide material. The thermal sink may be of a composition that includes an element in common with the electrically conductive material and includes an element in common with the chalcogenide material. Some embodiments include a method of forming a memory cell. Chalcogenide material may be formed over heater material. Electrically conductive material may be formed over the chalcogenide material. A thermal sink may be formed between the electrically conductive material and the chalcogenide material. The thermal sink may be of a composition that includes an element in common with the electrically conductive material and includes an element in common with the chalcogenide material.
US09299928B2
Embodiments of the invention generally include a method of forming a nonvolatile memory device that contains a resistive switching memory element that has an improved device switching performance and lifetime, due to the addition of a current limiting component disposed therein. In one embodiment, the current limiting component comprises at least one layer of resistive material that is configured to improve the switching performance and lifetime of the formed resistive switching memory element. The electrical properties of the formed current limiting layer, or resistive layer, are configured to lower the current flow through the variable resistance layer during the logic state programming steps (i.e., “set” and “reset” steps) by adding a fixed series resistance in the formed resistive switching memory element found in the nonvolatile memory device. Typically, resistive switching memory elements may be formed as part of a high-capacity nonvolatile memory integrated circuit, which can be used in various electronic devices, such as digital cameras, mobile telephones, handheld computers, and music players.
US09299925B2
A three-dimensional sensor system made from an assembly of three either semi- or fully independently oriented sensors, each of which has a working principle based on detecting the movement of a floating magnet supported by magnetic levitation. The sensor system can be used for fall detecting, tilting monitoring and vibration tracking. The volume fabrication method of making individual sensor for such as system is also given.
US09299917B2
A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device is provided that includes a MTJ element and a control wire. The MTJ element includes a top ferromagnet layer formed of a first magnetic material, a tunneling layer, and a bottom ferromagnet layer formed of a second magnetic material. The tunneling layer is mounted between the top ferromagnet layer and the bottom ferromagnet layer. The control wire is configured to conduct a charge pulse. A direction of charge flow in the control wire extends substantially perpendicular to a magnetization direction of the top ferromagnet layer. The control wire is positioned sufficiently close to the top ferromagnet layer to reverse the magnetization direction of the top ferromagnet layer when the charge pulse flows therethrough while not reversing the magnetization direction of the bottom ferromagnet layer when the charge pulse flows therethrough.
US09299914B2
A technique capable of maintaining the filter characteristics of a transmitting filter and a receiving filter by reducing the influences of heat from the power amplifier given to the transmitting filter and the receiving filter as small as possible in the case where the transmitting filter and the receiving filter are formed on the same semiconductor substrate together with the power amplifier in a mobile communication equipment typified by a mobile phone is provided. A high heat conductivity film HCF is provided on a passivation film PAS over the entire area of a semiconductor substrate 1S including an area AR1 on which an LDMOSFET is formed and an area AR2 on which a thin-film piezoelectric bulk wave resonator BAW is formed. The heat mainly generated in the LDMOSFET is efficiently dissipated in all directions by the high heat conductivity film HCF formed on the surface of the semiconductor substrate 1S.
US09299912B2
A vibration gyro-element includes a base portion, an excitation vibrating arm and a detection vibrating arm extending from the base portion, and a first adjustment vibrating arm and a second adjustment vibrating arm extending from the base portion and vibrating along with excitation vibration of the excitation vibrating arm, wherein an output signal of the first adjustment vibrating arm at least is out of phase with respect to an output signal of leakage vibration of the detection vibrating arm, and wherein an amplitude of the output signal of the first adjustment vibrating arm is larger than an amplitude of the output signal of the second adjustment vibrating arm.
US09299903B1
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting element includes a semiconductor layer, a first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer. The second conductive layer is provided between the semiconductor layer and the first conductive layer. A light transmittance of the second conductive layer is higher than a light transmittance of the first conductive layer. An extinction coefficient of the second conductive layer is 0.005 or less.
US09299901B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a metal layer, a stacked structural body, a first electrode, a pad electrode, a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer and an insulating layer. The metal layer includes a major surface having a first region, a second region, a third region and a fourth region. The stacked structural body includes a first semiconductor layer, a second semiconductor layer and a light emitting layer. The first semiconductor layer includes a first portion and a second portion. The second semiconductor layer is provided between the first region and the first portion. The first electrode is provided between the second region and the second portion. The pad electrode is provided on the third region. The first conductive layer is provided between the second region and the first electrode and between the third region and the pad electrode.
US09299900B2
An object is to provide a light-emitting device having a structure in which an external connection portion can easily be connected and a method for manufacturing the light-emitting device. A light-emitting device includes a lower support 110, a base insulating film 112 over the lower support 110 which has a through-hole 130, a light-emitting element 127 over the base insulating film 112, and an upper support 122 over the light-emitting element 127. An electrode 131 is provided in the through-hole 130, and the external connection terminal 132 electrically connected to the electrode 131 is provided below the base insulating film 112. The external connection terminal 132 is electrically connected to the external connection portion 133 and functions as a terminal that inputs a signal or a power supply into the light-emitting device. This light-emitting device has a structure in which an external connection portion can easily be connected.
US09299891B2
A light emitting device package is provided. The light emitting device package comprises a package body comprising a first cavity, and a second cavity connected to the first cavity; a first lead electrode, at least a portion of which is disposed within the second cavity; a second lead electrode, at least a portion of which is disposed within the first cavity; a light emitting device disposed within the second cavity; a first wire disposed within the second cavity, the first wire electrically connecting the light emitting device to the first lead electrode; and a second wire electrically connecting the light emitting device to the second lead electrode.
US09299890B2
In a semiconductor device 100, it is possible to prevent C from piling up at a boundary face between an epitaxial layer 22 and a group III nitride semiconductor substrate 10 by the presence of 30×1010 pieces/cm2 to 2000×1010 pieces/cm2 of sulfide in terms of S and 2 at % to 20 at % of oxide in terms of O in a surface layer 12. By thus preventing C from piling up, a high-resistivity layer is prevented from being formed on the boundary face between the epitaxial layer 22 and the group III nitride semiconductor substrate 10. Accordingly, it is possible to reduce electrical resistance at the boundary face between the epitaxial layer 22 and the group III nitride semiconductor substrate 10, and improve the crystal quality of the epitaxial layer 22. Consequently, it is possible to improve the emission intensity and yield of the semiconductor device 100.
US09299889B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor light emitting device includes a stacked structure body, a first electrode, a second electrode, and a dielectric body part. The stacked structure body includes a first semiconductor layer, having a first portion and a second portion juxtaposed with the first portion, a light emitting layer provided on the second portion, a second semiconductor layer provided on the light emitting layer. The first electrode includes a contact part provided on the first portion and contacting the first layer. The second electrode includes a first part provided on the second semiconductor layer and contacting the second layer, and a second part electrically connected with the first part and including a portion overlapping with the contact part when viewed from the first layer toward the second layer. The dielectric body part is provided between the contact part and the second part.
US09299868B2
A solar panel mounting system may include a solar panel mounting assembly for mounting to a support structure. The solar panel mounting assembly may include a restraining element, a retaining element and a biasing assembly that supports the restraining and retaining elements. The support structure may include an upper surface and a lower surface spaced from the upper surface. The biasing assembly may further include a biasing element that resiliently urges the retaining element toward a securing element for supporting a solar panel that is positioned between the retaining element and the upper surface of the support structure, and resiliently urges the restraining element toward the lower surface of the support structure. A retention device may resiliently bias the solar panels of a solar panel assembly together on a support structure.
US09299866B2
A photovoltaic device operable to convert light to electricity, comprising a substrate, a plurality of structures essentially perpendicular to the substrate, one or more recesses between the structures, each recess having a planar mirror on a bottom wall thereof and each recess filled with a transparent material. The structures have p-n or p-i-n junctions for converting light into electricity. The planar mirrors function as an electrode and can reflect light incident thereon back to the structures to be converted into electricity.
US09299859B2
A capacitor structure applied to an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The capacitor structure includes a metal-oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitor and two metal structures with different structures. The MOS capacitor has a first terminal and a second terminal. The two metal capacitors are formed above the MOS capacitor and respectively coupled between the first terminal and the second terminal. Subject to the confined chip area, the capacitance of the above-mentioned capacitor structure can still reach the design value, and the above-mentioned capacitor structure is further characterized by a large amount of current flow.
US09299854B2
To enhance the performance of a semiconductor device. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a metal film is formed over a semiconductor substrate having an insulating film formed on a surface thereof, and then the metal film is removed in a memory cell region, whereas, in a part of a peripheral circuit region, the metal film is left. Next, a silicon film is formed over the semiconductor substrate, then the silicon film is patterned in the memory cell region, and, in the peripheral circuit region, the silicon film is left so that an outer peripheral portion of the remaining metal film is covered with the silicon film. Subsequently, in the peripheral circuit region, the silicon film, the metal film, and the insulating film are patterned for forming an insulating film portion formed of the insulating film, a metal film portion formed of the metal film, and a conductive film portion formed of the silicon film.
US09299845B2
Semiconductor devices on a diffusion barrier coated metal substrates, and methods of making the same are disclosed. The semiconductor devices include a metal substrate, a diffusion barrier layer on the metal substrate, an insulator layer on the diffusion barrier layer, and a semiconductor layer on the insulator layer. The method includes forming a diffusion barrier layer on the metal substrate, forming an insulator layer on the diffusion barrier layer; and forming a semiconductor layer on the insulator layer. Such diffusion barrier coated substrates prevent diffusion of metal atoms from the metal substrate into a semiconductor device formed thereon.
US09299836B2
A semiconductor device including source drain stressors and methods of manufacturing the same are provided. The methods may include forming a recess region in the substrate at a side of a gate pattern, and an inner surface of the recess region may include a first surface of a (100) crystal plane and a second surface of one of {111} crystal planes. The method may further include performing a first selective epitaxial growth (SEG) process to form a base epitaxial pattern on the inner surface of the recess region at a process pressure in a range of about 50 Torr to about 300 Torr. The method may also include performing a second selective epitaxial growth (SEG) process to form a bulk epitaxial pattern on the base epitaxial pattern.
US09299828B2
A nitride-based transistor includes a semiconductor structure, a gate electrode and a leakage current suppression structure. The semiconductor structure includes a first nitride-based semiconductor layer doped with impurities of a first conductivity type, a second nitride-based semiconductor layer doped with impurities of a second conductivity type, and a third nitride-based semiconductor layer doped with impurities of the first conductivity type. The gate electrode overlaps the second nitride-based semiconductor layer. The leakage current suppression structure is disposed along edges of the semiconductor structure. The leakage current suppression structure includes a depletion layer in at least one of the first and third nitride-based semiconductor layers.
US09299827B2
Provided are semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) devices including gate patterns having a step difference therebetween and a connection line interposed between the gate patterns. The semiconductor IC device includes a semiconductor substrate including a peripheral active region, a cell active region, and a device isolation layer. Cell gate patterns are disposed on the cell active region and the device isolation layer. A peripheral gate pattern is disposed on the peripheral active region. A cell electrical node is disposed on the cell active region adjacent to the cell gate patterns. Peripheral electrical nodes are disposed on the peripheral active region adjacent to the peripheral gate pattern. Connection lines are disposed on the cell gate patterns disposed on the device isolation layer. The connection lines are connected between the cell gate patterns and the peripheral gate pattern.
US09299823B2
To enhance the reliability of the semiconductor device using a nitride semiconductor. A channel layer is formed over a substrate, a barrier layer is formed over the channel layer, a cap layer is formed over the barrier layer, and a gate electrode is formed over the cap layer. In addition, a nitride semiconductor layer is formed in a region where the cap layer over the barrier layer is not formed, and a source electrode and a drain electrode are formed over the nitride semiconductor layer. The cap layer is a p-type semiconductor layer, and the nitride semiconductor layer includes the same type of material as the cap layer and is in an intrinsic state or an n-type state.
US09299810B2
A fin-type field effect transistor includes a first fin including a first source, a first drain, and a first channel. The fin-type field effect transistor includes a second fin including a second source, a second drain, and a second channel. The fin-type field effect transistor includes a first semiconductor region under the first fin and a second semiconductor region under the second fin. A first reacted region is adjacent the first semiconductor region while a second reacted region is adjacent the second semiconductor region. The first reacted region has a first dimension causing a first strain in the first channel. The second reacted region has a second dimension causing a second strain in the second channel. The first strain and second strain are substantially equal to one another. A method of fabricating an example fin-type field effect transistor is provided.
US09299800B2
The methods may include forming a first material layer on a substrate, increasing electric resistance of the first material layer, and forming a source pattern and a drain pattern, which are spaced apart from each other, on the first material layer, a band gap of the source and drain patterns greater than a band gap of a first material layer.
US09299799B2
Semiconductor devices are provided such as, ferroelectric transistors and floating gate transistors, that include an epitaxial perovskite/doped strontium titanate structure formed above a surface of a semiconductor substrate. The epitaxial perovskite/doped strontium titanate structure includes a stack of, in any order, a doped strontium titanate and a perovskite type oxide.
US09299796B2
A method for manufacturing a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) gate stack structure in an insta-MOS field-effect-transistor (i-MOSFET) includes the following steps of: forming a silicon nitride layer over a silicon substrate; forming a nanopillar structure including a silicon-germanium alloy layer in contact with the silicon nitride layer; and performing a thermal oxidation process on the nanopillar structure to cause germanium atoms in the silicon-germanium alloy layer to penetrate the underneath silicon nitride layer to form a silicon-germanium shell layer in contact with the silicon substrate and a germanium nanosphere located over the silicon germanium shell layer, and to form a separating layer between the silicon-germanium shell layer and the germanium nanosphere by oxidizing silicon atoms from the silicon nitride layer or the silicon substrate, thereby forming a germanium/silicon dioxide/silicon-germanium i-MOS gate stack structure capable of solving interfacial issues between silicon and germanium and between germanium and the gate dielectric.
US09299794B2
A semiconductor device with improved characteristics is provided. The semiconductor device includes a LDMOS, a source plug electrically coupled to a source region of the LDMOS, a source wiring disposed over the source plug, a drain plug electrically coupled to a drain region of the LDMOS, and a drain wiring disposed over the drain plug. The structure of the source plug of the semiconductor device is devised. The semiconductor device is structured such that the drain plug is linearly disposed to extend in a direction Y, and the source plug includes a plurality of separated source plugs arranged at predetermined intervals in the direction Y. In this way, the separation of the source plug decreases an opposed area between the source plug and the drain plug, and can thus decrease the parasitic capacitance therebetween.
US09299783B2
A transistor includes a channel forming layer on a substrate, a gate on the channel forming layer and including an electrochemically indifferent metal, a solid electrolyte layer between the channel forming layer and the gate, the solid electrolyte layer is formed as a stack structure with the gate on the channel forming layer, an active metal layer including an electrochemically active metal capable of enabling channel switching by using an oxidation-reduction reaction of the electrochemically active metal so that the active metal layer forms a metal channel in a channel region between the channel forming layer and the solid electrolyte layer, and a source and a drain electrically connected to the active metal layer.
US09299770B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes: forming a first active region, a second active region, an inactive region located between the first active region and the second active region, and a third active region, which crosses the inactive region to electrically connect the first active region to the second active region, in a semiconductor layer; forming an insulating layer on the semiconductor layer; and forming an opening selectively in the insulating layer by dry etching.
US09299764B2
An inductor layout (200, 300, 400) comprising a first inductor (210, 310, 410) and a second inductor (220, 320, 420). The first and second inductors (210, 310, 410; 220, 320, 420) are electrically and magnetically independent inductors concentrically arranged on an integrated circuit 800. At least one of the first and second inductors (210, 310, 410; 220, 320, 420) is a multi-loop inductor with a first axis (226a, 316a, 326a, 416a, 426a) of symmetry.
US09299760B2
A circuit unit is provided in which it is possible to connect circuit board to a terminal using a simple operation without removing a passivation film from above the terminal. A metal electrode which conducts with a circuit element is formed above a substrate. Multiple column shaped insulation films are each formed at a uniform pitch in two intersecting directions above the surface of the metal electrode. A metal electrode is formed above the metal electrode including the insulation film. A passivation film is formed on a surface of the metal electrode. Conductive beads are stuck between pairs of projection structured bodies formed on a surface of the passivation film, the passivation film on a side surface of the projection structure is scraped whereby the conductive beads conduct simultaneously with the metal electrode and an electrode formed on the circuit board.
US09299746B2
The present disclosure provides a memory cell that includes a resistive memory element disposed between a first conductor and a second conductor, the first conductor and the second conductor configured to activate the resistive memory element. The memory cell also includes a backward diode disposed in series with the memory element between the memory element and either the first conductor or the second conductor.
US09299735B2
Image sensor package structure and method are provided. The method includes: providing first substrate having upper surface on which image sensing areas and pads are formed; providing second substrate having through holes; forming tape film on upper surface of second substrate to seal each through hole; contacting lower surface of second substrate with upper surface of first substrate to make image sensing areas in through holes; removing portions of tape film and second substrate, wherein remained tape film and second substrate form cavities including sidewalls made of second substrate and caps sealing sidewalls and made of tape film, and remained second substrate also covers pads; removing portions of remained second substrate to expose pads; slicing first substrate to form single image sensor chips including image sensing areas and pads; and electrically connecting pads with circuits on third substrate through wires. Pollution or damage to image sensing areas may be avoided.
US09299698B2
A semiconductor structure includes first, second, and third transistor elements each having a first screening region concurrently formed therein. A second screening region is formed in the second and third transistor elements such that there is at least one characteristic of the screening region in the second transistor element that is different than the second screening region in the third transistor element. Different characteristics include doping concentration and depth of implant. In addition, a different characteristic may be achieved by concurrently implanting the second screening region in the second and third transistor element followed by implanting an additional dopant into the second screening region of the third transistor element.
US09299695B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a first main electrode, a base layer of a first conductivity type, a barrier layer of the first conductivity type, a diffusion layer of a second conductivity type, a base layer of the second conductivity type, a first conductor layer, a second conductor layer, and a second main electrode. Bottoms of the barrier layer of the first conductivity type and the diffusion layer of the second conductivity type are positioned on the first main electrode side of lower ends of the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer. The barrier layer of the first conductivity type and the diffusion layer of the second conductivity type form a super junction proximally to tips of the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer.
US09299675B2
A method of assembling a semiconductor package includes attaching a semiconductor die to a frame having a strip or panel form. The semiconductor die has at least one stud bump. The die and the stud bump are covered with a first encapsulation material, and then at least a portion of the stud bump is exposed. At least one die conductive member is formed on the first encapsulation material and electrically coupled to the stud bump. The die conductive member is covered with a second encapsulation material, and then at least a portion of the die conductive member is exposed. At least one grid array conductive member is formed on the second encapsulation material and electrically coupled to the die conductive member. Finally, at least one solder ball is attached to the at least one grid array conductive member.
US09299672B2
Disclosed herein are contact pads for use with integrated circuit (IC) packages. In some embodiments, a contact pad disclosed herein may be disposed on a substrate of an IC package, and may include a metal projection portion and a metal recess portion. Each of the metal projection portion and the metal recess portion may have a solder contact surface. The solder contact surface of the metal recess portion may be spaced away from the solder contact surface of the metal projection portion. Related devices and techniques are also disclosed herein, and other embodiments may be claimed.
US09299669B2
A transmitter, comprises: a first branch for providing a positive output having a first set of serially-connected transistors; a second branch for providing a negative output having a second set of serially-connected transistors; and a biasing circuit, wherein the biasing circuit generates a first biasing voltage and a second biasing voltage as a function of the positive output, the negative output, and a predefined threshold voltage, and wherein the first biasing voltage, the second biasing voltage, and a differential input signal drive the first set of serially-connected transistors and the second set of serially-connected transistors.
US09299664B2
In one embodiment, a semiconductor die is formed to have sloped sidewalls. A conductor is formed on the sloped sidewalls.
US09299659B2
A semiconductor device is manufactured by forming a lower structure on a substrate including first and second regions, simultaneously forming a first interconnection on the lower structure of the first region and a first portion of a second interconnection on the lower structure of the second region, forming a first interlayer insulating layer on the first interconnection and on the first portion of the second interconnection, forming a trench exposing a top surface of the first portion of the second interconnection in the first interlayer insulating layer, and forming a second portion of the second interconnection in the trench. Related structures are also disclosed.
US09299658B2
A semiconductor device with the metal fuse and a fabricating method thereof are provided. The metal fuse connects an electronic component (e.g., a transistor) and a existing dummy feature which is grounded. The protection of the metal fuse can be designed to start at the beginning of the metallization formation processes. The grounded dummy feature provides a path for the plasma charging to the ground during the entire back end of the line process. The metal fuse is a process level protection as opposed to the diode, which is a circuit level protection. As a process level protection, the metal fuse protects subsequently-formed circuitry. In addition, no additional active area is required for the metal fuse in the chip other than internal dummy patterns that are already implemented.
US09299657B2
A method for manufacturing semiconductor device is provided. The method includes the following operations: providing a first conductive portion, a second conductive portion and a third conductive portion over a substrate; forming a dielectric layer over the first conductive portion, the second conductive portion, and the third conductive portion; forming a high-resistance layer over the first conductive portion; forming an oxide layer over the high-resistance layer and the dielectric layer; patterning the dielectric layer and the oxide layer by using the high-resistance layer as a blocking layer to form a first recess to expose the second conductive portion and the third conductive portion and to prevent the first conductive portion from exposure; and forming a plug layer in the first recess to connect the second conductive portion and the third conductive portion.
US09299656B2
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a semiconductor device includes a first metal line disposed in a first insulating layer, and a via having a portion surrounding a portion of a first sidewall of the first metal line.
US09299645B2
A semiconductor device is assembled from a lead frame. The device has a semiconductor die mounted on a flag of the lead frame. A mold compound forms a housing that covers the die. Lead fingers surround the die. Each lead finger has an inner lead length that is covered by the housing and an outer lead length that protrudes from the housing. The inner lead length extends from an edge of the housing towards the die. The inner lead length has an intermediate region that has been bent to form a notch. Bond wires electrically connect electrodes of the die to respective inner lead lengths.
US09299644B1
Integrated circuit packaging system with routed circuit lead array and method of manufacture thereof
A method of manufacture of an integrated circuit packaging system includes: providing a terminal having a top with a depression; applying a dielectric material in the depression, the dielectric material having a gap formed therein and exposing a portion of the top therefrom; forming a trace within the gap and in direct contact with the top, the trace extending laterally over an upper surface of the dielectric material; and connecting an integrated circuit to the terminal through the trace.
US09299631B2
According to example embodiments, a stack-type semiconductor package includes a lower semiconductor package, an upper semiconductor package, connection pads, and a metal layer pattern. The lower semiconductor package includes a lower semiconductor chip on a top surface of a lower package substrate, lower lands on the lower package substrate, and an encapsulant on the top surface of the lower package substrate. The encapsulant defines via holes that expose the lower lands. The upper semiconductor package is on the encapsulant. Upper solder balls are connected to a bottom surface of the upper semiconductor package. The connection pads are on the via holes and the encapsulant. The connection pads electrically connect the lower semiconductor package to the upper semiconductor package. The metal layer pattern is between the lower package substrate and the upper semiconductor package. The metal layer pattern surrounds the connection pads and is isolated from the connection pads.
US09299629B2
A semiconductor device has a semiconductor substrate provided with a scribe region and an IC region. A first insulating film is disposed on the semiconductor substrate across the scribe region and the IC region. At least one separation groove is provided in the first insulating film in the scribe region. Side walls made of a plug metal film are formed only on respective lateral walls of the separation groove so that the plug metal film on the lateral walls does not extend out of the separation groove and does not exist on an upper surface of the first insulating film. A second insulating film covers at least the side walls formed on the respective lateral walls of the separation groove so that the side walls are disposed under the second insulating film.
US09299628B2
A power semiconductor module is provided which is capable of keeping low the degrees of increases in temperatures of wide bandgap semiconductor elements, reducing the degree of increase in chip's total surface area of the wide bandgap semiconductor elements, and being fabricated at low costs, when Si semiconductor elements and the wide bandgap semiconductor elements are placed within one and the same power semiconductor module. The Si semiconductor elements are placed in a central region of the power semiconductor module, and the wide bandgap semiconductor elements are placed on opposite sides relative to the central region or in edge regions surrounding the central region.
US09299619B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device may include the following steps: preparing a substrate having a PMOS region and an NMOS; forming a first gate trench on the PMOS region; forming a first high-k dielectric layer and a first high-k cap layer that cover a bottom and sides of the first gate trench; forming a second gate trench on the NMOS region; forming a second high-k dielectric layer and a second high-k cap layer that cover a bottom and sides of the second gate trench; removing a portion of the first high-k dielectric layer and a portion of the first high-k cap layer that are positioned on a side of the first gate trench; and removing a portion of the second high-k dielectric layer and a portion of the second high-k cap layer that are positioned on a side of the second gate trench.
US09299607B2
In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a dielectric layer is formed on a substrate, and a contact hole is formed from the dielectric layer to the substrate. A dielectric spacer liner is formed to cover a sidewall and a bottom of the contact hole. A portion of the dielectric spacer liner is removed to expose a portion of the substrate. A metal silicide layer is formed into the substrate through the contact hole.
US09299606B2
A substrate bonding method is able to reliably bond substrates while avoiding a reduction in yield made worse by finer pitches. The substrate bonding method can include: forming an adhesive resin layer on a surface of a first substrate on which a pad has been formed; forming an opening on the adhesive resin layer above the pad; filling the opening with molten solder to form a pillar-shaped solder bump; and applying heat and pressure to the first substrate and a second substrate while a terminal formed on the second substrate is aligned with the solder bump.
US09299596B2
A substrate treating apparatus for treating substrates includes a plurality of substrate treatment lines arranged vertically for carrying out plural types of treatment on the substrates while transporting the substrates substantially horizontally, and a controller for changing processes of treatment carried out on the substrates for each of the substrate treatment lines. By changing the processes of treatment carried out for the substrates for each substrate treatment line, the processes of treatment carried out for the substrates can be changed for each substrate conveniently. Thus, a plurality of different processes of treatment corresponding to the number of substrate treatment lines can be carried out in parallel for the respective substrates.
US09299590B1
Various particular embodiments include a method of forming an integrated circuit (IC) device including: forming at least one thermoelectric cooling device over an upper surface of a handle wafer based upon a known location of an elevated temperature region in the IC device; forming a first oxide layer over the handle wafer covering the thermoelectric cooling device; forming a second oxide layer over a donor silicon wafer to form a donor wafer; bonding the donor wafer to the handle wafer at the first oxide layer and the second oxide layer, such that the second oxide layer contacts the first oxide layer on the handle wafer; and forming at least one semiconductor device over the donor silicon wafer side of the donor wafer, wherein the at least one thermoelectric cooling device is located proximate the at least one semiconductor device.
US09299584B2
Devices and methods of forming an integrated circuit and a FinFET device with a planarized permanent layer are provided. In an embodiment, a method of forming a planarized permanent layer includes providing a base substrate that has an uneven surface topography. A permanent layer is conformally formed over the base substrate. The permanent layer includes raised portions and sunken portions that correspond to the surface topography of the base substrate. A sacrificial layer is conformally formed over the permanent layer. The sacrificial layer and the raised portions of the permanent layer are chemical-mechanical planarized to provide the planarized permanent layer. The sacrificial layer is substantially completely removed after chemical-mechanical planarizing.
US09299580B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods for forming features in a film stack that may be utilized to form stair-like structures with accurate profiles control in manufacturing three dimensional (3D) stacking of semiconductor chips. In one example, a method of etching a material layer disposed on a substrate using synchronized RF pulses includes providing an etching gas mixture into a processing chamber having a film stack disposed on a substrate, synchronously pulsing a RF source power and a RF bias power into the etching gas mixture at a ratio of less than 0.5, and etching the film stack disposed on the substrate.
US09299579B2
An etching method of selectively etching a first region formed of silicon oxide with respect to a second region formed of silicon nitride includes: a process (a) and a process (b). In the process (a), a target object is exposed to plasma of a fluorocarbon gas and a thickness of a protective film on the second region is larger than a thickness of a protective film formed on the first region. In the process (b), the first region is etched by plasma of a fluorocarbon gas. In the process (a), a temperature of the target object is set to 60° C. or more to 250° C. or less.
US09299576B2
A trench is etched in a semiconductor wafer by turning a first introduced gas introduced into a reaction chamber into plasma. A protection film is formed on a wall surface of the trench by turning a second introduced gas introduced into the reaction chamber into plasma. The protection film formed on a bottom surface of the trench is removed by turning a third introduced gas introduced into the reaction chamber into plasma. The reaction chamber is evacuated after the protection film formed on the bottom surface of the trench is removed.
US09299572B2
An apparatus relating generally to a substrate is disclosed. In such an apparatus, the substrate has formed therein a plurality of vias. A liner layer is located on the substrate, including being located in a subset of the plurality of vias. At least one of the plurality of vias does not have the liner layer located therein. A thermally conductive material is disposed in the at least one of the plurality of vias to provide a thermal via structure.
US09299568B2
A method of scaling a nonvolatile trapped-charge memory device and the device made thereby is provided. In an embodiment, the method includes forming a channel region including polysilicon electrically connecting a source region and a drain region in a substrate. A tunneling layer is formed on the substrate over the channel region by oxidizing the substrate to form an oxide film and nitridizing the oxide film. A multi-layer charge trapping layer including an oxygen-rich first layer and an oxygen-lean second layer is formed on the tunneling layer, and a blocking layer deposited on the multi-layer charge trapping layer. In one embodiment, the method further includes a dilute wet oxidation to densify a deposited blocking oxide and to oxidize a portion of the oxygen-lean second layer.
US09299566B2
A method for forming a germanium-based layer is provided. The method includes: providing a substrate having a Ge or GeSi surface layer; and implanting atoms, molecules, ions or plasmas containing an element Sn into the Ge surface layer to form a Ge-based GeSn layer, or implanting atoms, molecules, ions or plasmas containing an element Sn into the GeSi surface layer to form a Ge-based GeSnSi layer, or co-implanting atoms, molecules, ions or plasmas containing elements Sn and Si into the Ge surface layer to form a Ge-based GeSnSi layer.
US09299562B2
Materials, methods, structures and device including the same can provide a semiconductor device such as an LED using an active region corresponding to a non-polar face or surface of III-V semiconductor crystalline material. In some embodiments, an active diode region contains more non-polar III-V material oriented to a non-polar plane than III-V material oriented to a polar plane. In other embodiments, a bottom region contains more non-polar m-plane or a-plane surface area GaN than polar c-plane surface area GaN facing an active region.
US09299561B2
A method for fabricating a nitride semiconductor thin film includes preparing a first nitride single crystal layer doped with an n-type impurity. A plurality of etch pits are formed in a surface of the first nitride single crystal layer by applying an etching gas thereto. A second nitride single crystal layer is grown on the first nitride single crystal layer having the etch pits formed therein.
US09299557B2
A method for integrated circuit fabrication can include removing silicon oxide by a pre-clean process. The pre-clean process can include depositing a halogen-containing material on the surface of a substrate in a first reaction chamber, and transferring the substrate having the halogen-containing material to a second reaction chamber. Silicon oxide material can be removed from a surface of the substrate by sublimating the halogen-containing material in the second reaction chamber. A target material, such as a conductive material, may subsequently be deposited on the substrate surface in the second reaction chamber.
US09299540B2
Provided is a parallel flat-panel type plasma processing apparatus which includes a recipe storing unit storing a processing recipe for performing a plasma processing, a compensation setting unit setting an accumulation time of the plasma processing or the number of processed substrates after starting using a new second electrode and the compensation value of the set temperature of the second electrode in an input screen, and a storage unit storing the compensated set value. The plasma processing apparatus is further equipped with a program for controlling a temperature adjusting mechanism based on a set temperature after compensation by adding a set temperature of an upper electrode written in the processing recipe to the compensation value stored within the storage unit. As a result, the non-uniformity in the plasma processing between the substrates caused by the change of processing atmosphere is suppressed.
US09299539B2
A device for use in a wafer processing chamber having a plasma forming volume and a hot edge ring. The hot edge ring has a first surface and a second surface. The first surface is in contact with the plasma forming volume. The second surface is not in contact with the plasma forming volume. The device includes a detector operable to contact the second surface of the hot edge ring. The detector can detect a parameter of the hot edge ring and can provide a detected signal based on the detected parameter.
US09299538B2
A system provides post-match control of microwaves in a radial waveguide. The system includes the radial waveguide, and a signal generator that provides first and second microwave signals that have a common frequency. The signal generator adjusts a phase offset between the first and second signals in response to a correction signal. The system also includes first and second electronics sets, each of which amplifies a respective one of the first and second microwave signals. The system transmits the amplified, first and second microwave signals into the radial waveguide, and matches an impedance of the amplified microwave signals to an impedance presented by the waveguide. The system also includes at least two monitoring antennas disposed within the waveguide. A signal controller receives analog signals from the monitoring antennas, determines the digital correction signal based at least on the analog signals, and transmits the correction signal to the signal generator.
US09299533B2
A multi charged particle beam writing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of first blankers to respectively perform blanking deflection of a corresponding beam in multiple beams having passed through the plurality of openings of the aperture member, a plurality of second blankers to deflect a defective beam in the multiple beams having passed through the plurality of openings of the aperture member to be in a direction orthogonal to a deflection direction of the plurality of first blankers, a blanking aperture member to block each of beams which were deflected to be in a beam off state by at least one of the plurality of first blankers and the plurality of second blankers, and a detection processing unit to detect a defective beam in the multiple beams having passed through the plurality of openings of the aperture member.
US09299520B2
An electromagnetic relay includes a contact part including a fixed contact and a movable contact, and a drive part including a fixed core and a movable core. The movable core is connected to the movable contact via an axial core. The fixed core includes a plate member, which is positioned between the contact part and the drive part and includes a through hole through which the axial core is inserted. The movable core includes a convex part protruding in a direction opposing the plate member. The plate member includes a concave part opposing the convex part and having a shape corresponding to the convex part.
US09299516B2
A luminous keyboard device includes a keypad module, a supporting plate, a light-mixing type light-emitting element, a first light guide plate, and a second light guide plate. The supporting plate has a partition part. By the partition part, a first color light beam and a second color light beam from the light-mixing type light-emitting element are not mixed with each other. The first color light beam is guided by the first light guide plate to a first light-outputting zone and a third light-outputting zone of the keypad module. The second color light beam is guided by the second light guide plate to a second light-outputting zone and the third light-outputting zone of the keypad module. The first color light beam and the second color light beam projected on the third light-outputting zone are mixed as a third color light beam.
US09299515B2
A luminous keyboard includes plural bottom-emitting type illumination elements, a sensing module, plural keys, and plural light-transmissible elastic elements. As a key is moved toward the sensing module, the sensing module generates a corresponding non-contact key signal. Each bottom-emitting type illumination element is aligned with a key, and disposed under the corresponding key. Each light-transmissible elastic element is aligned with a bottom-emitting type illumination element, and arranged between the corresponding bottom-emitting type illumination element and the corresponding key. After the light beam provided by each bottom-emitting type illumination element is transmitted through the corresponding light-transmissible elastic element, the light beam is projected to the corresponding key.
US09299508B2
The present disclosure provides a touch device comprising at least one first conductive axis, a plurality of second conductive units, a plurality of bridging structures and an insulating layer. The first conductive axis has a plurality of openings in which the second conductive units are located respectively. There is a space existed between each of the second conductive units and the corresponding first conductive axis. Each of the majority of the bridging structures are electrically connected to every two adjacent second conductive units in two adjacent first conductive axes. The insulating layer is located between the bridging structure and the first conductive axis. The insulating layer has a plurality of holes exposing the second conductive units respectively, and the bridging structures connect to the second conductive through the holes. In addition, the disclosure also provides an electrostatic shielding method of touch device.
US09299506B2
In a linear actuator, a limit switch includes an insulation housing formed with an opening and plural slots; a press block disposed on the insulation housing and exposed outside the opening; a pair of connection pins disposed in the insulation housing and spaced with an interval, and respectively protruded from the slots; an elastic connection guiding set including an elastic unit pressed by the press block and a connection guiding sheet connected to the elastic unit, wherein the connection guiding sheet are connected to the pair of connection pins; and a diode disposed in the insulation housing and including two guide pins, wherein the two guide pins are respectively and correspondingly connected to the pair of connection pins in the insulation housing. Accordingly, the electrical connection for the limit switch is simplified thereby facilitating automatic production.
US09299504B2
Preparation method of low temperature sintering active electrode paste for dye sensitized solar cell
The present invention relates to a method for preparing titanium dioxide paste for dye sensitized solar cell, and more specifically a method for preparing titanium dioxide paste fir dye sensitized solar cell, which is curable at a low temperature and is able to form a uniform coating layer and exhibits relatively high energy conversion efficiency. The present invention also relates to a method for preparing low temperature curable paste which requires no separate dye adsorption process or can improve energy conversion efficiency by adding dye or metal precursor in advance.
US09299489B2
A micromagnetic device includes a first insulating layer formed above a substrate, a first seed layer formed above the first insulating layer, a first conductive winding layer selectively formed above the first seed layer, and a second insulating layer formed above the first conductive winding layer. The micromagnetic device also includes a first magnetic core layer formed above the second insulating layer, a third insulating layer formed above the first magnetic core layer, and a second magnetic core layer formed above the third insulating layer. The micromagnetic device still further includes a fourth insulating layer formed above the second magnetic core layer, a second seed layer formed above the fourth insulating layer, and a second conductive winding layer formed above the second seed layer and in vias to the first conductive winding layer. The first and second conductive winding layers form a winding for the micromagnetic device.
US09299488B2
A magnetic device includes an electrically insulating body and a conductor coil. The insulating body defines an internal cavity for a magnetic device core and a coolant channel routed about the internal cavity. The conductor coil extends through the insulating body and winds about the internal cavity. The electrically insulating body electrically insulates the internal cavity and coolant channel from the conductor coil.
US09299487B2
A laminated coil component that has DC superimposition characteristics improved without causing an increase in direct-current resistance, and reduces stress which can be generated in a magnetic body. A laminated coil component includes a magnetic section of magnetic layers stacked and a conductor section which has a plurality of conductor pattern layers arranged between the magnetic layers, and interconnected in a coiled shape to pass through the magnetic layers, and which is buried in the magnetic section. The conductor section is composed of a conductor containing silver. The magnetic section is of a sintered ferrite material containing Fe2O3, NiO, ZnO, and CuO. The ratio of the Cu content (in terms of CuO) in a near-conductor section region of the magnetic section to the Cu content (in terms of CuO) in a central region of the magnetic section is 0.2 to 0.5.
US09299479B2
There is provided a wire harness. The wire harness is wired in a predetermined wiring pattern with respect to an attached body. The wire harness is packaged by being held by a one-sided adhesive sheet so that the wiring pattern is kept. The one-sided adhesive sheet is formed into an external shape that fits a wiring course shape of the wire harness with respect to the attached body.
US09299473B2
An electrically conductive structure including a substrate material and graphene. A first cross-section taken along an axial direction of the electrically conductive structure includes a plurality of layers of the substrate material and at least one internal layer of the graphene alternatingly disposed between the plurality of layers of the substrate material. A method of tailoring an amount of graphene in an electrically conductive structure is also included.
US09299472B2
In various embodiments, electronic devices such as thin-film transistors incorporate electrodes featuring a conductor layer and, disposed below the conductor layer, a barrier layer comprising an alloy of Cu and one or more refractory metal elements selected from the group consisting of Ta, Nb, Mo, W, Zr, Hf, Re, Os, Ru, Rh, Ti, V, Cr, and Ni.
US09299469B2
An improved radiation window comprises a film permeable to radiation disposed on a support structure. The support structure comprises a primary transmissive area comprising a plurality of support members defining a plurality of apertures for radiation to pass through; a flange disposed around the periphery of the primary transmissive area having generally greater mechanical rigidity than the primary transmissive area; and a transition region disposed between, and contiguous with, the primary transmissive area and the flange; the transition region having generally greater mechanical rigidity than the primary transmissive area and generally lesser mechanical rigidity than the flange, thereby providing an intermediate rigidity transition between the dissimilar rigidities of the primary transmissive area and the flange. A radiation detection system comprises a sensor configured to detect radiation, disposed behind such an improved radiation window.
US09299463B2
A noble metal injection apparatus is connected to a piping of a nuclear plant at the time of stop of the nuclear plant before start of the nuclear plant. In chemical decontamination, oxidation decontamination agent decomposition, and reduction decontamination on an inner surface of the pipe system are executed. After reduction decontamination, a part of an oxalic acid included in a reduction decontamination solution is decomposed and platinum is injected into the reduction decontamination solution of pH 3.5 or higher. When the platinum concentration becomes a preset concentration, a reduction agent is injected and the reduction decontamination solution including the platinum and reduction agent is brought into contact with the inner surface of the piping. The platinum is deposited on the inner surface of the piping. The injection of the platinum and reduction agent is stopped and the platinum and reduction agent are decomposed.
US09299462B2
A nuclear fuel rod for a fast reactor is provided, in which a reactor core of the fast reactor can be designed compact-sized by reducing the length of the nuclear fuel rod to be smaller than the length of a conventional one. The nuclear fuel rod for a fast reactor includes a tubular fuel materials comprising a hollow portion formed therein, a tubular inner pipe inserted into the hollow portion of the tubular fuel materials to prevent collapse of the tubular fuel materials due to combustion of nuclear fuel, a tubular cladding pipe which surrounds the tubular fuel materials, and a liquid metal, or He gas or vacuum applied in a gap between the tubular fuel materials and the tubular cladding pipe, and the tubular inner pipe includes a collecting space formed therein to collect fission products such as fission gas which are generated due to combustion of the nuclear fuel.
US09299461B2
A single-pass heavy-ion fusion system for power production from fusion reactions alone, power production that uses additional energy of fission reactions obtained by driving a sub-critical fission pile with the neutrons from fusion reactions, destroying high-level and/or long-lived radioactive waste by intense bombardment with fusion neutrons, or for the production of neutron beams for various applications includes a new arrangement of current multiplying processes that employs a multiplicity of isotopes to achieve the desired effect of distributing the task of amplifying the current among all the various processes, to relieve stress on any one process, and to increase the design margin for assured ICF (inertial confinement fusion) ignition for applications including but not restricted to the above list. The energy content and power of the ignition-driver pulses are greatly increased, thus increasing intensity of target heating and rendering reliable ignition readily attainable.
US09299444B1
A nonvolatile memory device includes a block switching unit which transmits an operation signal to a memory cell array, and a voltage sustaining block which provides a voltage to sustain the operation signal to an arbitrary interconnection overlapping the block switching unit.
US09299438B2
According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes a first string; a second string; and a controller. The first string is coupled with a first bit line and includes first memory cells. The second string is coupled with a second bit line and includes second memory cells. The controller executes writing first data into the first memory cells and writing second data into the second memory cells simultaneously. The controller reads data from the first and second strings after writing the first and second data.
US09299431B2
Structures and methods for a multi-bit phase change memory are disclosed herein. A method includes establishing a write-reference voltage that incrementally ramps over a write period. The increments of the write-reference voltage correspond to discrete resistance states of a storage cell of the multi-bit phase change memory.
US09299430B1
Methods for reading and programming one or more resistive change elements within a 1-R resistive change element array are disclosed. These methods include using measurement and storage elements to measure the electrical response of one or more selected cells within an array and then comparing that stored electrical response to the electrical response of a reference element within the array to determine the resistive state of the one or more selected cells. These methods also include programming methods wherein selectable current limiting elements are used to permit or inhibit programming currents from flowing through selected and unselected cells, respectively. These methods further include programming methods that use specific biasing of array lines to provide sufficient programming currents through only selected cells.
US09299428B2
A resistive memory apparatus includes a memory region including a plurality of resistive memory cells, and a controller suitable for storing a threshold number of write operations according to a data storage material of the resistive memory cells, counting numbers of write operations for the respective resistive memory cells as a write operation is performed for the memory region, and performing interrupt control when a memory cell that reaches the threshold number of write operations is detected.
US09299425B2
The embodiments herein relates to a hybrid non-volatile memory cell system and architecture for designing integrated circuits. The system comprises CMOS access transistor connected to a memristor which stores a data based on a resistance. The system has a word line for accessing the hybrid memory and two bit lines carrying data of mutually opposite values for transferring a data from the memory. The two terminals of the transistor are connected respectively to a first terminal of the memristor and to a first bit line. The gate terminals of the transistors are coupled together to form a word line. The access transistors control the two bit lines during a read and write operation. A control logic performs a read and write operation with the hybrid memory cells. The memory architecture prevents a power leakage during data storage and controls a drift in a state during a read process.
US09299422B1
A 6T static random access memory cell, array, and memory thereof are provided, in which the memory cell includes a first inverter, a second inverter, a first access transistor, and a second access transistor. A first high supply voltage and a low supply voltage are coupled to the first inverter. A second high supply voltage and the low supply voltage are coupled to the second inverter. The first access transistor has a gate terminal coupled to a first word line. The first access transistor has a source terminal coupled to the first node. The second access transistor has a gate terminal coupled to a second word line, and the second access transistor has a source terminal coupled to the second node. The first word line provides ON signals to turn on the first access transistor, and the second high supply voltage provides a first differential voltage simultaneously.
US09299421B1
A static random access memory (SRAM) includes a voltage generator coupled to receive a positive power supply voltage, and to controllably generate a first power supply voltage, which is with a reduced level and is higher than a retention voltage during a specific period. A first inverter and a second inverter each is connected between the first power supply voltage and a second power supply voltage. The first inverter and the second inverter are cross-coupled, and the output nodes of the first inverter and the second inverter act as a bit node pair.
US09299419B1
Systems and methods for optimizing a memory rail voltage are disclosed. The system may comprise a plurality of sensor cells, each sensor cell comprising at least one bitcell replica having a predefined data retention voltage higher than a data retention voltage of a similar memory bit cell. The sensor cells may be configured to provide an output based on a sensor rail voltage higher than the predefined data retention voltage. The system may further comprise a controller operably coupled to a power management circuit and configured to adjust the memory rail and the sensor rail voltages. The controller may be further configured to compare an expected value to the sensor indication. The controller may decrease the sensor rail voltage and the memory rail voltage based on the indication until a sensor indicates a bitcell replica has failed, indicating an optimum memory rail voltage has been reached.
US09299417B2
A memory includes a DRAM array having memory cells, wordlines and bitlines coupled to the memory cells, and sense amplifiers. The memory can be configured to perform a method in which a wordline of the DRAM array is set to an active state. While the wordline is active, signals develop on the respective bitlines according to the flows of charge between the memory cells coupled to the wordline and the respective bitlines. The sense amplifiers connected to the respective bitlines can remain inactive such that the sense amplifiers do not amplify the signals to storable signal levels. Then, when the wordline is set again to the inactive state, insufficient charge remains in the memory cells coupled to the wordline such that the data stored in memory cells coupled to the wordline are erased. These steps can be repeated using each of a remaining number of wordlines of all or a selected range of the DRAM array so as to erase the data stored in all of the DRAM array or a selected range.
US09299406B2
Apparatuses and methods of providing word line voltages include an example apparatus including a voltage driver and a word line driver. The voltage driver is configured to provide a word line voltage, wherein the word line voltage is a pumped supply voltage responsive to an active mode and the word line voltage is a non-zero voltage less than the pumped supply voltage during a standby mode. The word line driver is coupled to the voltage driver and is configured to drive a respective word line to the word line voltage during the active and standby modes.
US09299400B2
A memory controller issues a targeted refresh command in response to detection by a distributed detector. A memory device includes detection logic that monitors for a row hammer event, which is a threshold number of accesses to a row within a time threshold that can cause data corruption to a physically adjacent row (a “victim” row). The memory device sends an indication of the row hammer event to the memory controller. In response to the row hammer event indication, the memory controller sends one or more commands to the memory device to cause the memory device to perform a targeted refresh that will refresh the victim row.
US09299397B2
Systems and methods for reducing the power consumption of memory devices. A method of operating a memory device may include monitoring a plurality of sense amplifiers, each sense amplifier configured to evaluate a logic value stored in a memory cell, determining whether each of the plurality of sense amplifiers has completed its evaluation, and stopping a reference current from being provided to the sense amplifiers in response to all of the sense amplifiers having completed their evaluations. An electronic circuit may include memory cells, sense amplifiers coupled to the memory cells, transition detection circuits coupled to the sense amplifiers, and control circuitry coupled to the transition detection circuits, the transition detection circuits configured to stop a reference current from being provided to the sense amplifiers if each transition detection circuit determines that its respective sense amplifier has identified a logic value stored in a respective memory cell.
US09299394B2
Systems and methods are provided for reducing surge current in power gated designs. In one aspect, a storage capacitor supplies a portion of the current used to power up a circuit. The storage capacitor may be charged from a power supply or other source. When the circuit is to be powered up, the circuit is connected to the power supply and the storage capacitor. As a result, current is supplied to the circuit from the power supply and the storage capacitor to power up the circuit. Because a portion of the current used to power up the circuit is supplied from the storage capacitor, the amount of current needed from the power supply to power up the circuit can be reduced, thereby reducing current surge through the power supply. The storage capacitor may be shared by multiple circuits.
US09299390B2
The present invention discloses a discrete three-dimensional vertical memory (3D-MV). It comprises at least a 3D-array die and at least a voltage-generator die. The 3D-array die comprises a plurality of vertical memory strings. At least a voltage generator for the 3D-array die is located on the voltage-generator die instead of the 3D-array die. The 3D-array die and the voltage-generator die have substantially different back-end-of-line (BEOL) structures.
US09299375B2
In response to determining that a first write operation is to be performed on a portion of tape, writing data to a data track with a tape head element spacing at a nominal value. A tape width of one or more tape positions at which data is written is recorded. In another aspect, a tape width value associated with a tape is retrieved. A current tape width value associated with the tape is determined, and the tape head element spacing is set based on a difference between the retrieved tape width value and the determined current tape width value.
US09299373B2
A method according to one embodiment includes generating or receiving a value representative of a lateral position of a tape. The value is used to adjust a position of a coarse actuator in response to determining that the value is in a first range relative to a first threshold. An integrator center value is used to adjust the position of the coarse actuator in response to determining that the value is in a second range relative to the first threshold.
US09299364B1
Content identification methods for consumer devices determine robust audio fingerprints that are resilient to audio distortions. One method generates signatures representing audio content based on a constant Q-factor transform (CQT). A 2D spectral representation of a 1D audio signal facilitates generation of region based signatures within frequency octaves and across the entire 2D signal representation. Also, points of interest are detected within the 2D audio signal representation and interest regions are determined around selected points of interest. Another method generates audio descriptors using an accumulating filter function on bands of the audio spectrum and generates audio transform coefficients. A response of each spectral band is computed and transform coefficients are determined by filtering, by accumulating derivatives with different lags, and computing second order derivatives. Additionally, time and frequency based onset detection determines audio descriptors at events and enhances descriptors with information related to an event.
US09299348B2
An intelligent conversation system augmenting a conversation between two or more individuals uses a speech to text block configured to convert voices of the conversation into text, a determination circuit configured to determine topics from the text of the conversation, search parameters determined by the determination circuit from the topics are sent to an Internet, search results corresponding to the search parameters are received from the Internet; and a memory configured to store the search results received from the Internet. The speech to text block is configured to convert the search results to speech. An earphone is configured to transmit the speech to one of the two or more individuals. The speech is used by one of the individuals to augment the conversation.
US09299341B1
Apparatus and methods are provided for using automatic speech recognition to analyze a voice interaction and verify compliance of an agent reading a script to a client during the voice interaction. In one aspect of the invention, a communications system includes a user interface, a communications network, and a call center having an automatic speech recognition component. In other aspects of the invention, a script compliance method includes the steps of conducting a voice interaction between an agent and a client and evaluating the voice interaction with an automatic speech recognition component adapted to analyze the voice interaction and determine whether the agent has adequately followed the script. In still other aspects of the invention, respective data for specific interactions, including voice records or panels, transcribed text equivalents to such voice records or panels, and/or script text governing such voice records or panels, can be forwarded to one or more respective clients.
US09299328B2
A tilter for a stand, in particular a cymbal stand, comprises two elements being movable relative to each other, a connecting means connecting the moveable elements to each other, a locking means for reversibly fixing the position of the movable elements with respect to each other, as well as at least one friction means arranged between the movable elements. In a fixed position of the locking means, the friction means is in frictional contact with a peripheral surface of at least one of the movable elements.
US09299327B1
A removably engagable string musical instrument hand support apparatus that includes a beam having a first end portion and a second end portion, a principal surface, a minor surface, and a peripheral surface. Further included are first and second extension members that both extend from the minor surface, wherein the extension members contact a body of the musical instrument and the beam forms a non-contacting scaffold adjacent to or over a string of the musical instrument. Also included is a flexible tie having primary and secondary end portions, the primary portion is threaded therethrough the beam and removably engages the instrument, wherein the secondary portion extends from the primary portion to form a lanyard that removably engages the instrument and continues to be threaded therethrough a cinch and the beam forming a hoop assembly also removably engaged to the instrument and threaded back through the beam and cinch.
US09299325B1
An improved roller assembly that, when installed on a BIGSBY vibrato system, causes the roller to be raised, which reduces the angle of the strings. This reduces the tension on the strings, which improves the performance of the device and reduces or eliminates the instability in tuning. Two versions of the device are disclosed that can be used with both BIGSBY and BIGSBY LICENSE model vibratos.
US09299322B2
In one embodiment, dividing a set of texts into one or more text blocks, each text block including a portion of the set of texts; rendering each text block to obtain one or more rendered text blocks; determining a placement instruction for each rendered text block, the placement instruction indicating a position of the rendered text block when it is displayed; and sending the one or more rendered text blocks and their respectively associated placement instructions to an electronic device for displaying on the electronic device.
US09299316B2
The object of the present invention is to provide a display device and a driving method each of which is capable of displaying moving images without causing flicker and reducing power consumption. The display device (1) includes: a display panel (2) having a plurality of scanning signal lines (G) and a plurality of data signal lines (S); a scanning line drive circuit for scanning the plurality of scanning signal lines (G); and a signal line drive circuit (6) for supplying data signals, via the plurality of data signal lines, to pixels. In the display device 1, the plurality of scanning signal lines (G) includes a scanning signal line (Gb) for displaying a first certain color, scanning signal lines for displaying the other colors (Gr, Gg), among which the scanning signal line (Gb) is scanned least frequently than the scanning signal line (Gr) and the scanning signal line (Gg).
US09299309B2
The present invention discloses an integrated source driver for a liquid crystal display device. The integrated source driver includes a reference voltage generating circuit, for providing a plurality of adjustable voltage ranges within a supply voltage and a ground level, and a reference voltage selecting circuit, including a plurality of digital to analog converters, for selecting and generating a plurality of internal reference voltages from the plurality of adjustable voltage ranges, respectively. The plurality of adjustable voltage ranges decrease progressively.
US09299308B2
A display device includes a first-stage output circuit adapted to perform output to a first-stage output signal line as an endmost output signal line out of a plurality of output signal lines disposed in parallel to each other, and the first-stage output circuit includes a start signal line to which a start signal for applying a conducting potential sequentially to the plurality of output signal lines is applied, a first clock signal line to which a first clock signal is applied, a second clock signal line to which a second clock signal is applied, a first transistor having a source to which the first-stage output signal line is connected, and a drain to which the first clock signal line is connected, and a second transistor having a gate to which the start signal line is connected.
US09299296B2
A liquid crystal material is prevented from being degraded by a voltage to control the shift of the threshold voltage which is applied to a back gate on the same conductive film as a pixel electrode. A liquid crystal display device includes a pixel circuit including a pixel electrode which applies an electric field to a liquid crystal layer; and a driver circuit including a transistor including a first gate and a second gate with a semiconductor film interposed therebetween. The transistor overlaps with the liquid crystal layer. A signal for controlling on/off of the transistor is input to the first gate. A signal for applying a first voltage is input to the second gate in a gate line selection period. A signal for alternately applying the first voltage and a second voltage is input to the second gate in a vertical retrace period.
US09299289B2
An organic light emitting display device is capable of securing sufficient compensation period such that a threshold voltage of a driving transistor may be compensated. A pixel includes: an organic light emitting diode; a second transistor for controlling an amount of current supplied from a first power source to the organic light emitting diode; a first capacitor having a first terminal coupled to a gate electrode of the second transistor; a first transistor coupled between a second terminal of the first capacitor and a data line, and being configured to turn on when a scan signal is supplied to a scan line; and a third transistor coupled between a gate electrode and a second electrode of the second transistor and having a turning-on period that is not overlapped with that of the first transistor. The third transistor is configured to turn on for a longer time than the first transistor.
US09299288B2
A driving circuit includes a first transistor, a capacitor, a second transistor, and a charging circuit. The input terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to a voltage source. The output terminal of the first transistor is electrically connected to an organic light-emitting diode. The first terminal of the capacitor is electrically connected to the control terminal of the first transistor. The input terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the second terminal of the capacitor. The control terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to a scan line. The output terminal of the second transistor is electrically connected to the output terminal of the first transistor. The charging circuit is electrically connected to the first and second terminals of the capacitor, the scan line, and a current source.
US09299270B2
A stall structure includes a door mounted between two pilasters. The stall also includes an occupancy indicator. The occupancy indicator is engaged by the action of closing the door so that the occupancy indicator changes from indicating the stall as vacant to indicating the stall as occupied. The indicator may include a display having a VACANT indicator and an OCCUPIED indicator. An engagement element may engage the stall structure as the door is closed and move the display from the VACANT indicating position to the OCCUPIED indicating position.
US09299264B2
Generally, embodiments of the disclosure are directed to methods, computer readable medium, servers, and systems for providing sound assessment and remediation between a computing device and a user instrument. The sound assessment may be based on algorithmic composition or a threshold to remediate performance of providing a plurality of sounds.
US09299253B2
The disclosed approaches for processing traffic signal priority requests include receiving traffic signal priority requests from a vehicle. The number of stopped vehicles at the intersection and on an approach to the intersection is determined in response to receiving each priority request. An activation threshold is computed as a function of an estimated-time-of-arrival (ETA) threshold and the number of stopped vehicles. A vehicle ETA of the vehicle at the intersection is determined in response to each priority request. In response to the vehicle ETA being less than the activation threshold, the priority request is submitted for preemption service processing at the intersection. In response to the vehicle ETA being greater than the activation threshold, submission of the priority request is bypassed for preemption service processing at the intersection.
US09299241B1
An enhanced alerts server may receive alert-related and user-related information from various sources. The server may then generate various types of alerts, including alerts related to weather, crime, product recalls, etc. The server may then apply various predefined rules for associating different types of alerts with a given end user. In deciding on which alerts are transmitted to which users, the enhanced alerts server may also consider any feedback provided by the users regarding previously delivered alerts. An additional aspect of the implementation relates to an easy-to-understand, color-coded display associated with a device through which users may access received alerts.
US09299234B2
A security system includes a plurality of motion sensor units for positioning at desired locations of a building structure, in which each motion sensor unit comprises a motion sensor adapted for detecting motion external to the building structure. The system includes a mobile alarm display unit operatively connected to the plurality of motion sensor units that comprises a plurality of alarm indicators corresponding to the plurality of motion sensor units. Each alarm indicator is operatively linked to a particular one of the plurality of the motion sensor units, and detection of motion by the particular motion sensor unit activates the corresponding alarm indicator linked to the particular motion sensor unit.
US09299231B2
An image processing sensor system functions as a standalone unit to capture images and process the resulting signals to detect objects or events of interest. The processing significantly improves selectivity and specificity of detection objects and events.
US09299218B2
The invention relates to systems and methods of selecting and placing real-world wagers responsive to one or more wager triggers, obtaining outcomes of the real-world wagers, facilitating user interactions with various interactive media, and revealing the outcomes of the real-world wagers through the interactive media to give an appearance that the outcomes of the real-world wagers resulted from the user interactions even though the outcomes resulted from the real-world wagers and were determined before the user interactions. By integrating real-world wager outcomes with gameplay and other user interactions, the system may provide an engaging user experience with interactive media. For example, a game may reveal an outcome of a real-world wager (which has already occurred), in response to in-game actions such as user actions in the game, other players' actions in the game, game events (e.g., events caused by the game logic/artificial intelligence), and/or other events.
US09299216B2
A method and system for generating a current game display includes receiving data indicating the commencement of a current game, receiving data representing a random event in the current game, determining a current game state at an intermediate point in the game prior to the end of the game, generate a current game display at the intermediate point, and display the current game display at the intermediate point. In an optional embodiment, wagers may be received prior to commencement of the game and/or at the intermediate point and resolved at the end of the game.
US09299214B2
A gaming device includes a cabinet having a front surface, wherein at least a portion of the front surface includes an optically restrictive material. The gaming device also includes at least one indicator positioned with respect to the optically restrictive material, wherein the at least one indicator is configured to display an event indication through said optically restrictive material when illuminated by light.
US09299213B2
An automated pill dispensing system includes an output chute configured to hold pill-containing vials and an optical sensor located at a predetermined location in the output chute. The optical sensor includes an optical emitter and an optical detector configured to be operated cooperatively to output a detection signal indicating a presence or absence of a vial at the predetermined location of the output chute. A controller is coupled to the optical sensor and is configured to receive the detection signal therefrom, detect the presence or absence of the vial at the predetermined location of the output chute in response to the detection signal, and control a next depositing event whereby a next vial is deposited in the output chute responsive to the detection. Related methods of operation are also discussed.
US09299211B2
A tablet division feeder includes a moving unit to move a tablet T, a fixing blade located in a movement path of the tablet T, and a support plate extending from the fixing blade such that divided tablets T2 on the fixing blade are transferred and kept onto the support plate. The fixing blade divides the tablet T into upper and lower divided tablets as the tablet T is moved in such a manner that the lower divided tablet T1 is discharged and the upper divided tablet T2 is transferred from the fixing blade to the support plate by the moving unit and kept on the support plate. The upper divided tablet T2 is discharged from the support plate as the upper divided tablet T2 is further moved by the moving unit in such a manner that the upper divided tablet T2 is discharged from the moving unit.
US09299209B2
A method of dispensing bolts includes a step of forming a column of bolts on top of one another. The column includes an upper end and a lower end. A shank portion of each of the bolts is oriented toward the lower end. The method further includes steps of moving the column of bolts and dispensing a bolt at a time from the lower end. A bolt dispensing system is provided and includes a dispensing tube and a dispensing section. The dispensing section is located near an end of the dispensing tube and is configured to dispense bolts one at a time from the end.
US09299205B2
A keyless entry system including multiple portable devices and an in-vehicle device controlling smart lock and smart unlock of a vehicle door is disclosed. The in-vehicle device includes an vehicle-cabin-inside portable determination section, which when locking the vehicle door by the auto-lock function, determines whether or not there is the portable device located inside the vehicle cabin, and a disabled state release section that releases the disabled states of all of the portable devices when the vehicle-cabin-inside portable determination section determines that there is no portable device located inside the vehicle cabin.
US09299204B2
A locking system with infrared communications includes a lock (1) and a programming key (2). The lock (1) includes an interacting device (3) for interacting with the user, a first communications module (4) having an infrared sensor which receives and sends information when communications with the key (2) is established. A first control module (5) manages the received information and a mechanical device (6) opens and locks the locking system a first warning (7) and a first power supply (8). The programming key (2) includes a second communications module (10) including an infrared sensor for communicating with the lock (1), a second control module (11), a storage module (12), a second warning (13), a connector for connection externally (14) and a second power supply (15).
US09299203B2
Access level management techniques which require less manual intervention. In one example, a registration system registers an individual for an access level and receives a mobile device identifier from the individual. The registration system generates an electronic pass, which may include a mobile barcode, granting the individual access at the requested access level, and provides the electronic pass to a mobile communication device of the individual using the mobile device identifier. In one application, an individual with a mobile barcode associated with priority access level privileges may be allowed to bypass a queue by using a priority lane.
US09299201B2
Data collection and analysis processes include collecting energy consumption data from an in-vehicle energy source sensor, collecting emissions data from an in-vehicle emissions sensor, the emissions data reflecting emissions produced by a vehicle, and collecting mileage data from a mileage sensor in the vehicle. The data collection and analysis processes also include processing the energy consumption data and the emissions data as a function of the mileage data, calculating an efficiency rating from the processing, and transmitting results of the processing to a data collection system.
US09299194B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to communication technologies for securely sharing information in head worn computing.
US09299188B2
Image editing techniques are disclosed that support a number of physically-based image editing tasks, including object insertion and relighting. The techniques can be implemented, for example in an image editing application that is executable on a computing system. In one such embodiment, the editing application is configured to compute a scene from a single image, by automatically estimating dense depth and diffuse reflectance, which respectively form the geometry and surface materials of the scene. Sources of illumination are then inferred, conditioned on the estimated scene geometry and surface materials and without any user input, to form a complete 3D physical scene model corresponding to the image. The scene model may include estimates of the geometry, illumination, and material properties represented in the scene, and various camera parameters. Using this scene model, objects can be readily inserted and composited into the input image with realistic lighting, shadowing, and perspective.
US09299185B2
An enhanced system and method for rendering virtual surface is disclosed. A grid may be constructed in a world space to provide positions that facilitate the rendering of the virtual surface. The grid may be constructed by intersecting circular lines and radial lines. The distance of circular lines with respect to one another may be determined by intersecting tessellation level and binary tree. Motion caused by a viewpoint transformation may be compensated by adjusting the grid. Rotational change of the viewpoint may compensated by rotating the grid according a degree of grid edge. Translational change of the viewpoint may be compensated by moving or rotating the grid in a direction opposite to the translational change.
US09299182B2
A divided-area-based rendering device includes: a table generating unit that calculates, for each unit polygon, a first area including the unit polygon, using screen coordinates, determines, from among divided areas obtained by dividing a rendering region, a divided area including at least part of the first area, and generates an area-by-polygon table that is a table in which, for each unit polygon, the divided area including the at least part of the first area including the unit polygon is associated with the unit polygon; a determining unit that determines a rendering unit polygon that is one of the unit polygons which is associated with the divided area, by referring to the area-by-polygon table; and an area rendering unit that performs, for each divided area, vertex processing and rasterization on the rendering unit polygon.
US09299176B2
Large graph visualization embodiments are presented which generally render and display the more important elements for a current view. To this end, a measure of importance referred to as a zoom level is assigned to the vertices and rails of a graph. Each rail is a curve segment in the graph that represents an edge or a set of edges passing through it. The rendering and displaying of a graph (or a part thereof) is done quickly, even as a user moves about the graph, and the visualization of the large graph is not so dense and so full of detail that the user becomes disoriented. In general, this is accomplished by specifying a current viewport, or a current zoom level, or both. Furthermore, the visualization is stable in that the layout of vertices and rails will be the same for the same zoom level and viewport.
US09299169B2
A method includes reconstructing measured projection data using an iterative statistical reconstruction algorithm that reduces image artifact caused by differences in variances in projections of the measured projection data used to update a voxel of the image for one or more voxels of the image. A reconstructor includes a processor that reconstructs measured projection data using an iterative statistical reconstruction algorithm that reduces or mitigates image artifact caused by differences in variances in projections used to update a voxel of the image for one or more voxels of the image. A computer readable storage medium encoded with computer executable instructions, which, when executed by a processor of a computer, cause the processor to: reduce image artifact caused by differences in variances in projections used to update a voxel of an image for one or more voxels of the image using an iterative statistical reconstruction algorithm.
US09299159B2
Various embodiments are disclosed for performing object tracking. One embodiment is a method for tracking an object in a plurality of frames, comprising obtaining a reference contour of an object in a reference frame and estimating, for a current frame after the reference frame, a contour of the object. The method further comprises comparing the reference contour with the estimated contour and determining at least one local region of the reference contour in the reference frame based on a difference between the reference contour and the estimated contour. Based on the difference, at least one corresponding region of the current frame is determined. The method further comprises computing a degree of similarity between the at least one corresponding region in the current frame and the at least one local region in the reference frame, adjusting the estimated contour in the current frame according to the degree of similarity, and designating the current frame as a new reference frame and a frame after the new reference as a new current frame.
US09299157B2
Certain embodiments of the invention relate to a computer-implemented method that comprises analyzing an image over a plurality of different scales, where the analyzing includes determining spectral characteristics of the image at each of the plurality of different scales, determining spatial characteristics of the image at each of the plurality of different scales, and determining a segmentation pattern (i.e., superpixel) for the image at each of the plurality of different scales based on the spectral and spatial characteristics of that particular scale. The method further includes identifying objects in the image based on portions of the segmentation patterns that are scale-invariant over the plurality of different scales. In some cases, the method can include determining statistical, textural, and/or intensity characteristics of the image at each scale, where determining the segmentation patterns for the image at each scale is further based on one or more of these characteristics.
US09299155B2
Disclosed herein are systems and method for segmentation and identification of structured features in images. According to an aspect, a method may include representing an image as a graph of nodes connected together by edges. For example, the image may be an ocular image showing layered structures or other features of the retina. The method may also include adding, to the graph, nodes adjacent to nodes along first and second sides of the graph. The added nodes may have edge weights less than the nodes along the first and second sides of the graph. Further, the method may include assigning start and end points to any of the added nodes along the first and second sides, respectively. The method may also include graph cutting between the start and end points for identifying a feature in the image.
US09299145B2
Systems and articles of manufacture for image segmentation are provided herein, and include creating an anatomical model from training data comprising one or more imaging modalities, generating one or more simulated images in a target modality based on the anatomical model and one or more principles of physics pertaining to image contrast generation, and comparing the one or more simulated images to an unlabeled input image of a given imaging modality to determine a simulated image of the one or more simulated images to represent the unlabeled input image.
US09299137B2
An image processing device includes: a candidate abnormal region determining unit that determines a candidate abnormal region from an image using a first determination criterion; a bubble region determining unit that determines a bubble region from the image; a bubble inside determining unit that determines whether the candidate abnormal region is present inside the bubble region based on a determination result of the bubble region; and an abnormal region determining unit that determines whether the candidate abnormal region is an abnormal region using a second determination criterion different from the first determination criterion when the candidate abnormal region is determined to be present inside the bubble region.
US09299136B2
A metal element deformation state detection device is provided in which since a plurality of the metal elements are in line contact with each other via a rocking edge and are aligned in an arc shape to form a metal element row, a light source is disposed on the radially inner side or the radially outer side of the arc of the metal element row, and a deformation state of the metal element is detected by observing passed-through light that has been emitted from the light source and has passed through a gap between adjacent metal elements, slight deformation in the metal element can reliably be detected.
US09299135B2
An inspection system, and a computer program product that stores instructions for: obtaining an aerial image of an area of the mask; wherein the aerial image represents an expected image to be formed on a photoresist of an object during a lithography process that involves illuminating the area of the mask, by a lithography tool; wherein the photoresist has a printability threshold; wherein the lithography process exhibits a process window that introduces allowable changes at pixels of the expected image that do not exceed an intensity threshold; and searching for at least one weak point at the area of the mask, which is either a local extremum point of the aerial image spaced apart from the printability threshold by a distance that does not exceed the intensity threshold or a crossing point of the printability threshold and being of a slope that is below a predefined threshold.
US09299131B2
The present invention is directed to a noise reduction method, comprising: for each of multi-layer regions each containing a pixel of interest and having a successively reducing area, calculating a pixel statistic value of pixels in that region; for each of successive layers, correcting the pixel statistic value for a region at a current layer using a corrected pixel statistic value for a region at a preceding layer having a greater area than that of the region at the current layer; and correcting the pixel of interest using a corrected pixel statistic value for a region with a smallest area.
US09299130B2
Methods and apparatus to providing image fusion using a number of image processing approaches. In one embodiment, a single image is processed and image fusion is performed. In exemplary embodiments of the invention, image enhancement, denoising, edge detection, etc., can be provided.
US09299128B2
An apparatus comprising one or more processors configured to process a first image at a first resolution to generate a first solved image at the first resolution, determine a difference between the first solved image and a function of the first image, and generate a second solved image at a second resolution higher than the first resolution based at least in part on the difference between the first solved image and the function of the first image.
US09299120B2
Implementations may relate to various aspects of modifying, or using, a coded bitstream, or to recovering watermarking information from data. In one implementation, a coded bitstream is modified to allow for the application of a watermark to the coded bitstream without changing the coding of any other syntax elements in the bitstream. This is performed by identifying conditions necessary to change a coded syntax element without disrupting the interpretation of subsequent coded elements. The coded syntax element is replaced with another coded value if the modified value generates the same decoding variables as the original value would have generated. Particular implementations focus on syntax elements coded using entropy coding, including, for example, Context-based Adaptive Binary Arithmetic Coding (CABAC). Regardless of the type of coding or watermarking, various implementations may provide for recovering watermarking information. Particular implementations recover watermarking information using detection data and feature information.
US09299111B2
A method implemented in a network component, the method comprising receiving a presence information message from a presence server in a ring of a plurality of presence servers, removing content in the presence information message that is previously originated by the network component and previously sent on the ring, copying the presence information message locally for subsequent processing, appending to the presence information message buffered presence information from a local client coupled to the network component, and forwarding the presence information message to a second presence server in the ring.
US09299110B2
Client devices periodically capture ambient audio waveforms and modify their own device configuration based on the captured audio waveform. In particular embodiments, client devices generate waveform fingerprints and upload the fingerprints to a server for analysis. The server compares the waveform fingerprints to a database of stored waveform fingerprints, and upon finding a match, pushes content or other information to the client device. The fingerprints in the database may be uploaded by other users, and compared to the received client waveform fingerprint based on common location or other social factors. Thus a client's location may be enhanced if the location of users whose fingerprints match the client's is known, and, based upon this enhanced location, the server may transmit an instruction to the device to modify its device configuration.
US09299109B2
A motor vehicle monitoring method for determining driver negligence is carried out by a company in order to determine a final assessment for the vehicle. The present invention enables the company to calculate an average revolutions per initial odometer value and an average revolutions per secondary odometer value, where the average revolutions per secondary odometer value is a direct indication about operating state of the vehicle or an action of an end user during a designated time period. Then the company is able to adjust the contact agreement for the designated time period upon the final assessment, wherein the responsible party that violates the contact agreement is only liable for the respective damages.
US09299106B2
In one example, a method includes: receiving a first input value associated with a first data field; responsive to determining the first data field is associated with a delta operation, selecting a second input value associated with a corresponding second data field of a previously transmitted message; comparing the first input and second input values to determine if the first and second input values are equivalent; when the first and second input values are not equivalent, generating a message, wherein the first data field includes only data of the first input value not included in data of the second input value, and providing an operator symbol indicating the delta operation to specify that the first data field of the message includes only data of the first input value that is not included in data of the second input value associated with the second data field of the previously transmitted message.
US09299101B2
A universal user interaction module for web transactions with user controlled conditions. A request is received from a user to begin an order. User information is collected from one or more data repositories. The user information is consolidated and a determination is made as to what additional data is required to complete the order. The additional data is requested from the user and is received from the user. The additional data includes one or more user conditions for placing the order. The order is then stored. The order for the product includes the one or more user conditions, and the order is placed only after all of the one or more user conditions have been met.
US09299095B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for balancing a business margin against a target customer value to fulfill a request to purchase a plurality of items. An initial sale price for a request to purchase the items is calculated, the initial sale price based on a sum of retail prices for the items, discounted by a predetermined target customer value. An initial business margin for the request is determined, the initial business margin based on the sum of the retail prices for the items minus a sum of predetermined net prices for the items. The initial sale price is adjusted to create an intermediate sale price, responsive to the initial business margin being outside a range defined by a lower business margin threshold and an upper business margin threshold, and the intermediate sale price is compared to the initial sale price to create a final sale price.
US09299093B2
A method for charging a plug-in electric vehicle with an external power source. In an exemplary embodiment, the method receives one or more utility rate preferences from a user, determines the utility rates of a local utility company, determines the total charging time needed to charge the plug-in electric vehicle, uses the utility rate preferences, the utility rates and the total charging time to develop several charging options that are presented to a user, and charges the plug-in electric vehicle according to the charging option selection made by the user.
US09299089B2
A device is configured to receive scheduling information associated with a program. The device is configured to determine a time break, corresponding to an advertisement, associated with the program. The device is configured to receive guide information associated with the program. The device is configured to identify the program based on the guide information and the scheduling information, and generate an advertisement map based on identifying the program and based on the time break. The advertisement map may include information that identifies the time break and the program. The device is configured to provide the advertisement map to a dynamic advertisement insertion system to permit the dynamic advertisement insertion system to replace the advertisement during a subsequent playing of the program.
US09299084B2
Systems and methods are disclosed herein for improving customer service. A video feed of a camera viewing a POS queue is analyzed to identify customers and measure customer biometric data. The biometric data is analyzed and used to generate customer service actions such as alerting a representative or calling in additional staff if the data indicates customer dissatisfaction. The biometric data of a customer may be correlated to transaction data of the customer in order to detect changes of the purchase habits of the customer due to dissatisfaction. Changes in purchase habits, such as a loss of a customer, may be used in combination with the biometric data to establish thresholds of biometric data used to generate customer service actions.
US09299078B2
The invention generally relates to systems and methods for directing information to people and/or households likely to be receptive to the information. Systems and methods according to the invention can be used to target one or more marketing messages, such as various types of offers, to one or more consumers determined likely to be receptive to the message(s).
US09299074B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for one button-based heterogeneous barcode integration authentication/approval which is capable of providing a one-button integration authentication/approval service for a heterogeneous barcode with existing barcode authentication affiliated stores infrastructures utilized as they are, and exchanging barcodes of existing gift certificates, coupons, pre-paid cards, credit cards, etc. possessed by a user for heterogeneous barcodes through a gateway operator server.
US09299072B2
Methods for operating a portable electronic device to conduct a mobile payment transaction at a merchant terminal are provided. The electronic device may verify that the current user of the device is indeed the authorized owner by requiring the current user to enter a passcode. If the user is able to provide the correct passcode, the device is only partly ready to conduct a mobile payment. In order for the user to fully activate the payment function, the user may have to supply a predetermined payment activation input such as a double button press that notifies the device that the user intends to perform a financial transaction in the immediate future. The device may subsequently activate a payment applet for a predetermined period of time during which the user may hold the device within a field of the merchant terminal to complete a near field communications based mobile payment transaction.
US09299068B2
A method for performing transactions comprises receiving registration information and money transfer transaction specifications, generating a distribution profile based on the registration information, and storing the money transfer transaction specifications in the distribution profile. The distribution profile is identified based on an initiation instruction and associated user authentication data, and one of the money transfer transaction specifications in the distribution profile is identified based on the initiation instruction. Payment source status is verified according to the identified money transfer transaction specification, and a staged send transaction is initiated, based on the payment source status at the time the send transaction is initiated.
US09299065B2
A method of downloading data to a mobile device, the method comprising receiving a message at the mobile device, the message including an indication that there is an attachment to the message that is available for downloading to the mobile device, determining if the attachment relates to a calendar event, determining if a user of the mobile device requires the attachment for participating in the calendar event, and automatically downloading the attachment to the mobile device in response to the mobile device determining that the attachment is required for participation in the calendar event.
US09299063B2
A computer implemented method, a computer program product, and a data processing system display a user-defined email preview within a mail folder of an email client. A user can enter a user-defined preview text into a preview field associated with a particular email. When a preview of the email is shown in a mail folder, the user-defined preview text is shown as the email preview instead of a truncated portion of the email body.
US09299056B2
A Peer-to-Peer (“P2P”) email and social networking system for use by plural users to exchange emails and attachments includes a mesh network that includes plural node computers, each running a P2P email client, and each constructed to transmit and receive emails. The emails are stored in mailboxes residing on each node computer, and may be encrypted during transmission, and may remain encrypted while stored at each node computer.
US09299053B2
A mobile user apparatus useful for obtaining services wirelessly, such as for transfer of items or transport modalities to a prescribed location. In one embodiment, the mobile user apparatus is a wireless-enabled device which can cause transmission of a message to a third party to provide the desired service at a location previous specified by a global positioning system (GPS) or similar position determining apparatus of the user apparatus. In one variant, the user apparatus can communicate wirelessly with other user mobile devices to receive location information, and cause provision of the desired services at the received location.
US09299047B2
In some embodiments, the presentation manager is configured to provide an interface requesting information regarding a proposal from a digital device over a network and receive the information from the digital device. The business object manager is configured to instantiate a business object based on the received information and store the instantiated business object within a data structure residing in a computer readable medium. The business rule manager is configured to generate a business rule associated with the business object, the business rule comprising instructions to perform an operation, the instructions being conditional based on the instantiated business object. The metadata manager is configured to generate metadata associated with the instantiated business object, store the generated metadata in the computer readable medium, perform the operation based on the business rule and the generated metadata, and instruct the presentation manager to provide a second interface indicating a status of the proposal.
US09299044B2
Communication from enterprise servers to handheld devices in the field supports dispatch, data synchronization, logistics and personnel. Bi-directional data delivery from enterprise-based servers over wireless data networks is enabled using wireless capabilities resident in handheld personal computing devices. Real time communications facilitates real-time access to remote programs, assistance and/or information related to the field operations and asset (personnel and inventory) resource management. Management is facilitated for at least one of: construction industry project analysis, HVAC system analysis, project management, equipment readiness inspection, troubleshooting, inventory tracking, inventory ordering, sales (e.g., providing cost estimates to customers), customer invoicing, conducting legal investigations, field data collection, and multi-user remote function coordination.
US09299041B2
Techniques for obtaining data from unstructured data for a structured data collection include receiving unstructured data that includes text; identifying an attribute associated with a structured data collection; obtaining at least one of historical data associated with the attribute or additional data associated with a user of the computing system; identifying one or more terms from the unstructured data as being associated with the attribute based on at least one of the historical data or the additional data; and storing the identified one or more terms in a data record of the unstructured data collection.
US09299038B2
A method for evaluating the benefit of a remediation system, the method comprising calculating plume stability characteristics, determining a mass indicator trend line; determining a contaminant removed trend line, graphically displaying the mass indicator trend line and the contaminant removed trend line, and determining a remediation system benefit trend based on a graphical relationship of the mass indicator trend line and the contaminant removed trend line shown on the graphical display. Also, a method for analyzing a remediation system, the method comprising determining a remediation system benefit trend, determining a relative cost trend, determining a cost/benefit indicator, and categorizing the remediation system according to the remediation system benefit trend, the relative cost trend, and the cost/benefit indicator.
US09299016B2
A misregistration correcting apparatus form an edge list showing information of edges of one scan line from stored drawing objects, updates the formed edge list, and converts the formed edge list into a bit map of one scan line. The updating comprises a first edge list updating that updates the formed edge list on the basis of setting information of a trapping based on characteristics of a printing apparatus and an edge list of a one-line preceding line of the one scan line, and a second edge list updating that updates the edge list on the basis of the trapping setting information and a span showing an outline of the drawing object on the edge list.
US09299009B1
Various embodiments provide a method for determining color information for an image. For example, a color descriptor for an image can be determined and compared against color descriptors stored for each of a number of sample images, which each represent a color in a color space. Upon comparison, matching scores can be generated for a color match between the image and each respective sample image. In this example, the number of sample images with a matching score above a threshold value can be summed and the image can be assigned to a color associated with a highest frequency of the number of sample images. Accordingly, the assigned color of the image can then be used in a “query by color” search or a browse-by-color capability.
US09299002B2
A method for extracting an epitome from an image Y is described. The method comprises: searching, for each block, a list of patches in the image Y with similar content; determining, for each patch of said lists, the set of blocks able to be represented by the patch; constructing, from the sets of blocks, epitome charts comprising, for each epitome chart, initializing said epitome chart with one patch and extending said epitome chart with at least one candidate region contained in a patch overlapping said epitome chart; said method being characterized in that said candidate region is selected by taking into account the blocks represented by said patch overlapping said epitome chart and by any other patch contained in said epitome chart enlarged by said selected candidate region.
US09298999B2
A method of capturing biometric data is provided that includes activating a security application in a device. The security application is activated by an operator of the device and is configured to cause the device to display an outline image. Moreover, the method includes displaying the outline image in a stationary position on a display of the device, positioning desired biometric data proximate the device such that the desired biometric data appears as a biometric image on the device display, and monitoring the outline and biometric images shown on the device display. Furthermore, the method includes positioning the device and the desired biometric data to better align the outline and biometric images when the outline and biometric images do not align and capturing the desired biometric data from an individual after approximately aligning the outline image with the biometric image.
US09298994B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for detecting when a user is not being attentive based on eye convergence. The technique includes determining a first distance from the user to a first object. The first distance may be determined using a depth sensor. The technique further includes determining a first vergence angle associated with a left eye of the user and determining a second vergence angle associated with a right eye of the user. The technique further includes determining a first eye convergence distance based on the first vergence angle, the second vergence angle, and an interocular distance between the left eye and the right eye. The technique further includes comparing the first distance to the first eye convergence distance to generate a first result. An inattention alert may be generated based on the first result.
US09298989B2
An information processing apparatus obtains a picture containing an image of a person from an imaging device. Also obtained are first data indicating distance of the person and other subjects seen in the picture from the imaging device, second data indicating distance of a wrist of the person from the imaging device, and third data indicating a coordinate position of the wrist in the picture. The information processing apparatus extracts a set of pixels whose coordinates fall within a specified coordinate range defined around the coordinate position of the wrist and whose distances from the imaging device fall within a specified distance range defined around the distance of the wrist. Then based on a ratio representing how many of the extracted pixels have a distinctive color tone, the information processing apparatus determines whether the person has picked up an object.
US09298986B2
A system and method for processing video is disclosed. The method includes receiving video of an area; determining a movement profile for each of a plurality of movable objects in the video; determining an interest-rating for each movable object of the plurality of movable objects based on a correlation between the movement profile of that object and a template; and identifying a sub-portion of the video based upon the interest-ratings.
US09298981B1
A computer-implemented system and method for controlling document image capture are provided. The method includes identifying a categorization model for categorizing image frames and configuring an image capture device, based on the identified categorization model. A flow of frames of a same document captured with the configured image capture device is received and an image representation generated for each of a plurality of frames within the flow of frames. With the identified categorization model, for each of the plurality of frames, a confidence for at least one category is assigned to the frame based on the image representation. A category is assigned to the document when a threshold confidence for one of the at least one categories is assigned. An automatic capture of an image of the document is triggered based on the assigned category.
US09298980B1
Various embodiments provide an image pre-processing method to accelerate image computing tasks. For example, an image is obtained from a camera of a portable computing device. Salient features of the image are identified by a number of techniques, such as identifying feature points, identifying gradients within the image, and other techniques and methods discussed herein. Based at least in part on the identified salient features, a saliency map of the image is computed. The saliency map includes a saliency value for each of at least a portion of the plurality of pixels. In this example pixels above a threshold saliency value are processed with an optical character recognition engine.
US09298979B2
Systems and methods are provided for processing and extracting content from an image of a driver's license captured using a mobile device. In one embodiment, an image of a driver's license (DL) is captured by a mobile device and corrected to improve the quality of the image. The corrected image is then further processed by cropping the image, identifying the format and layout of the DL, binarizing the image and extracting the content using optical character recognition (OCR). Multiple methods of image cropping may be implemented to accurately assess the borders of the DL, and a secondary layout identification process may be performed to ensure that the content being extracted is properly classified.
US09298970B2
A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided to facilitate interaction with a computing device, such as interaction with an object viewable via a display of a computing device. In the context of a method, an object viewable via a display is identified, such as by facial recognition. The method also includes determining that the object has become aligned with an operation indicator as a result of movement of the display relative to the object. In response to determining that the object is aligned with the operation indicator, the method also performs an operation associated with the operation indicator. In this regard, a method may perform the operation upon at least one aspect associated with the object. Corresponding apparatus and computer program products are also provided.
US09298966B2
Electronic device including sub-array based deblurring of a blurred finger image and related methods
An electronic device may include a finger biometric sensor that includes an array of electric field sensing pixels and image data output circuitry coupled thereto and capable of processing the image data from each of sub-arrays of the array of electric field sensing pixels. The electronic device may also include a dielectric layer over the array of electric field sensing pixels and causing electric field diffusion so that the image data output circuitry generates image data corresponding to a blurred finger image. The electronic device also includes deblurring circuitry coupled to the image data output circuitry and capable of processing the image data from each of the plurality of sub-arrays of the array of electric field sensing pixels to produce processed image data representative of a deblurred finger image.
US09298963B2
Systems and methods for use with a handheld mark reader that reduce the time between activation of the reader's trigger and the reader returning a successful decode response. Image processing may be performed prior to the user actuating the trigger and thus obtaining a decodable image with reduced delay. Separate pre-trigger and post-trigger parameters may be used for image decoding. A feedback loop may be incorporated for repeated parameter updates. An adjustable lens may be utilized either with illumination OFF or ON.
US09298958B1
A wireless active RFID tag, system and method, the system including: a plurality of access points, wherein each access point is groupable by a characteristic in common with another access point; a system controller communicatively coupled to a system memory and to the plurality of access points; and an active RFID tag, the tag comprising: a transmitter module configured to transmit, to access points in the system, request for an acknowledgement from any member of a predetermined group of access points. The acknowledgement may further include one or more of a time reference used by the system; and an identification of secondary technologies used by the system.
US09298939B2
A method is performed at a computer system having one or more processors and memory storing one or more programs executed by the one or more processors. The method includes generating a document, including marking one or more portions of the document as private; and sending the document to an intermediary system for transmission to a destination system. Prior to the document being transmitted to the destination system, the marked portions of the document are encrypted by the intermediary system using a key that is unavailable to the destination system.
US09298935B1
An apparatus, program product and method for managing access to a secure, encrypted webserver. A user computer may communicate through a cloud server with the secure webserver via an End-To-End encrypted connection. The webserver being able to run applications, receive and distribute data with similarly secured webservers and receive and distribute data between the webserver and the client computer. The End-To-End Encrypted connection may remain open until the client computer disconnects and the identity of the user is authenticated by a cloud server.
US09298928B2
A computer processor receives rules associated with applications installed on a mobile device, and collects declared intents of the applications prior to execution of the applications. The computer processor generates possible combinations of declared intents of the applications and collects, by an intent proxy during execution, information associated with intercepted intents. The computer processor compares the information associated with each of the intercepted intents to the rules, wherein a match results in a first violation. The computer processor compares the intercepted intents to the possible combinations of the declared intents, wherein the intercepted intents other than the possible combinations of the declared intents results in a second violation. The computer processor displays a risk alert for the applications associated with either or both of the first violation and the second violation.
US09298926B2
Processing a downgrader specification by constructing a set of candidate downgrader placement locations found within a computer software application, where each of the candidate downgrader placement locations corresponds to a transition between a different pair of instructions within the computer software application, and where each of the transitions participates in any of a plurality of data flows in a set of security-sensitive data flows within the computer software application, applying a downgrader specification to the set of candidate downgrader placement locations, and determining that the downgrader specification provides full coverage of the set of security-sensitive data flows within the computer software application if at least one candidate downgrader placement location within each of the security-sensitive data flows is a member of the set of candidate downgrader placement locations.
US09298925B1
Software patch information is received from an entity. Supplier information is also received from the entity. The entity is directly or indirectly associated with a supply chain based upon the supplier information. A metric of cyber preparedness in the supply chain is identified based upon the software patch management information. The metric of cyber preparedness is communicated to a member of the supply chain (i.e., an entity in the supply chain). Related systems, methods and computer program products as described.
US09298923B2
In one implementation, software components include an identity of a revocation authority. Prior to loading of the software in a given platform, the revocation authority is checked for any revocation messages. The revocation authority creates software component specific messages for any software components to be revoked, rather than using certificate revocation or individual licenses. The messages include mitigation information, such as instructions for automatically configuring already installed software without requiring an update or change in code.
US09298920B1
An improved approach for classifying computer files as malicious (malware) or benign (whiteware) is disclosed. The invention classifies any computer file as malware or whiteware after using Bayes Theorem to evaluate each observable feature of each file with respect to other observable features of the same computer file with reference to statistical information gathered from repositories of known whiteware and malware files.
US09298908B1
A method of operating a module is disclosed. The method includes determining if a voltage between a power connection and a ground connection exceeds a predetermined threshold and if so determined then setting a module communication address to a first address, responding to a first serial communication received via the serial communication connection addressed to the module communication address, and not responding to a second serial communication received via the serial communication connection addressed to a different address than the module communication address. Other methods and devices are disclosed.
US09298906B2
In validation of an analyzing apparatus, in the case where the system configuration is not standard or where a reference value required for the validation is different from a standard value, the validation work cannot be automatically performed, which requires time and effort. For a validation target analyzing apparatus system, first, a parameter acquiring unit acquires parameters for qualification implementation of the analyzing apparatus system on a basis of an electronically supplied qualification plan document and an electronically supplied qualification implementation procedure manual. Then, a validation executing unit executes validation of the analyzing apparatus system using the acquired parameters for qualification implementation.
US09298898B2
Concepts and technologies are disclosed herein for event-based security challenges. A computer can execute a security application. The computer can receive a request for authentication information associated with a user device. The computer can access event data corresponding to the user device. The computer can generate, based upon the event data, a challenge question and a response to the challenge question. The computer can provide data indicating the challenge question and the response to a requestor associated with the request.
US09298896B2
A web application user is authenticated directly upon selecting a link in a notification email. In this approach, the user's web browser stores a first data string provided by the web application (e.g., in a cookie) during a prior session. The first data string encodes first data about the user that can be verified by the application. Later, the user receives the notification email that includes the link. The link encodes a second data string from which second data about the user can be verified by the application. When the end user selects the link, an authentication request is transmitted to the application. The authentication request includes both the first and second data strings. If both the first data and the second data (as obtained from their respective data strings) can be verified, the user is authenticated without having to perform any additional steps (e.g., manual entry of credentials).
US09298894B2
A method (and structure) of enhancing efficiency in processing using a secure environment on a computer, includes, for each line of a cache, providing an associated object identification label field associated with the line of cache, the object identification label field storing a value that identifies an owner of data currently stored in the line of cache.
US09298889B2
A portable health data tool permits a health care provider to assimilate and display a plurality of health care data from a patient and to associate the data with patient identifying information all stored in a memory contained in the tool. The tool includes a code reader for reading patient information into the tool from a bar code or other coded tag. The tool is associated with a plurality of different data assimilation devices stored with the tool's housing, including but not limited to, instruments for measuring, temperature, blood pressure, two-finger or lead wire ECG data, pulse oximetry data, sound data and picture data obtained from an optional digital camera integrated within the housing. The tool further includes data receiver and/or transmitter ports, which may be wireless or cable ports, for transferring data between the health data tool and a separate computer system that stores patient records.
US09298886B2
Systems and techniques relating to evaluating performance characteristics are provided. One or more fitness devices, for example, a ball and/or a mat, may have sensors for measuring a user's actions during an activity protocol, such as a testing drill. Sensors configured to detect if the fitness device meets operational criteria are disclosed. In one embodiment, the fitness device may comprise a ball and the operational criteria may relate to the weight, dimensions, and/or internal pressure of the ball. In one embodiment, data from fitness device(s) may be used to calculate a score. In other embodiments, a score may be calculated; however, it may not be associated with credentials or certified if an operational criteria is not met.
US09298884B1
Remote instruction and monitoring of health care may be facilitated by transmitting and processing image data of a patient, image data demonstrating a medical procedure, and image data of performance of the medical procedure. Image data of a patient may be transmitted to a remote doctor. Remote doctor may view the image data of the patient and provide a demonstration of a medical procedure. Image data of the demonstration may be provided to a local doctor who may perform the medical procedure. Image data of the performance of the procedure may be compared with image data of the demonstration of the procedure, and a result of the comparison may be transmitted to local doctor or remote doctor.
US09298872B2
Timing for a critical path of a circuit design is optimized by splitting up the path so the synthesis effort to solve the path is appropriately apportioned. Selected nodes of the path are made visible, and internal timing constraints are applied to gates at the visible nodes. The internal timing constraints are translated into physical locations, and placement constraints are applied to the gates based on the physical locations, followed by timing-driven placement. The internal timing constraints can be required arrival times computed using a linear delay model. The placement constraints can include an attractive force between a given one of the selected gates and a corresponding one of the physical locations. The results are better stability control from run to run, and significant savings in power consumption due to less buffering and better gate sizing, with an optimum partition of the path for better routing.
US09298869B2
A method for showing hierarchical structure for a given power intent described in a power intent description language (e.g. a formal power intent description language) with a design described in a hardware design description language, an associated apparatus, and an associated computer program product are provided, where the method includes: retrieving hardware design description contents written in the hardware design description language from a hardware design description file, and retrieving power intent description contents written in the power intent description language from a power intent description file; and controlling a display module to display a power domain hierarchy associated with the power intent description contents and the hardware design description contents respectively retrieved from the power intent description file and the hardware design description file, wherein the power domain hierarchy includes at least one power domain. For example, the power intent description language is the unified power format (UPF) language.
US09298866B1
The present patent document relates to a method and apparatus for modeling a flip-flop of a user's circuit design when that circuit design is mapped in a hardware functional verification system including a plurality of interconnected emulation chips, or in a single emulation chip. The flip flop can be modeled in the emulation chip as two stages using only a single instruction, and may be configured by programming a register set. A data block, enable block, and LUT block are provided to model the flip flop, and may operate in one of several modes, including combined and uncombined modes. The data block includes a data array to store and provide previous data inputs and previous states of the modeled flip flop. The disclosed embodiments allow a more efficient use of LUTs for modeling flip flops, including options for resets and global enables, operating in several modes.
US09298859B2
Apparatus, computer readable medium, program code, and methods for performing a parameter recalibration on parameters for an electrical submersible pump application model, are provided. An example of a method can include generating a data set containing a plurality of winning data sets or rows containing ESP application model input parameters and associated theoretical output parameters for an ESP application model substantially matching a corresponding set of measured ESP output parameters, through application of a self-organizing map analysis on a substantial number of training data sets. An averaging analysis is performed on the plurality of winning data sets or rows to obtain a set of ESP application model input parameters that can be used to recalibrate the ESP application model.
US09298854B2
Disclosed is a time-series management device capable of filtering time-series data having a possibility of matching a specified search pattern and reading in the data from a storage device when performing a time-series analysis. A data accumulation unit (120) creates a time-series index having a feature value of a data series calculated at a specific regular time interval. In addition, a data search unit (130) makes a decision as to the feature value for each regular time interval included in the time-series index using an evaluation formula of a specified search condition, identifies a time period of a complying data series group, and performs a time-series analysis for only the data series of the identified time period.
US09298847B1
Systems and methods for configuring software systems help guarantee correctness while providing operational flexibility and minimal time to recover. A configuration system uses a un-typed syntax tree with transactional semantics layered under a set of late-bound semantic constraints. Configuration settings are defined in property flies which are parsed into a syntax tree during startup and which can be safely reloaded. Semantic constraints are dynamically specified by software components. The system maintains a transactional history to enable rollback and inspection.
US09298846B2
The present invention is directed towards systems and methods for efficient Xpath matching of a document comprising Extensible Markup Language (XML) or JavaScript Object Notation (JSON). A Xpath engine identifies an Xpath expression for processing values in the document, which is represented by a stack of nodes. The device may traverse the stack from top to bottom to match each step of the Xpath expression to a type and name of one or more nodes in the stack. The device may store a flag in each node that matches a step of the Xpath expression. Responsive to encountering a leaf node, the device may trace bottom to top from the leaf node to one or more flagged nodes in the stack and compare each flagged node against a corresponding step of the path expression. Responsive to the tracing of the flagged nodes, the device determines if the path expression is matched.
US09298840B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media exposing video user interface elements associated with search engine homepages are provided. Upon receiving a request for presentation of a search engine homepage, a video file is transmitted for presentation as the background for the search engine homepage. The video file includes a plurality of sequentially-arranged frames, a portion of which contain the same content, making such portion appear as a static image upon play of the video file, and a portion of which contain content which differs, such that such portion has visually discernable movement upon play of the video file. After a predetermined amount of time, play of the video file is initiated. As only portions of the background content include visually discernable movement, a user's attention is attracted to such portions of the background. Upon user interaction with such portions, additional information about the background content may be presented.
US09298839B2
A method of resolving a dead shortened Uniform Resource Locator (URL) comprising, with a processor, recognizing that a shortened link is a dead link, gathering data associated with the dead link, comparing data associated with the dead link with a number of potential live links, and generating a ranked list of potential live links that have been compared with the associated data. A system for resolving a dead shortened Uniform Resource Locator (URL) posted within a status update of a social networking site, comprising, a processor and a discovery module, in which the discovery module, upon selection of a shortened URL by a user of the social networking site, recognizes that the shortened URL is a dead shortened URL, gathers data associated with the status update, and redirects the user to a live URL based on the data associated with the status update.
US09298836B1
A source system searches a provider system for one or more listings. The source system receives a plurality of potential matching listings. The source system designates a representative listing of the entity located on a provider system from among the plurality of potential matching listings. The source system designates one or more remaining potential matching listings of the plurality of potential matching listings as one or more duplicate listings. The source system transmits, to the provider system, a request to synchronize the representative listing as the only representative listing of the entity on the provider system, the request comprising a first provider-supplied external identifier of the representative listing. The source system transmits, to the provider system, a request to suppress the one or more remaining potential matching listings as one or more duplicate listings, the request to suppress comprising one or more provider-supplied external identifiers of the one or more remaining potential matching listings.
US09298833B1
A system, method, and computer program product for a search engine of Boolean nature wherein a multiplicity of key words are searched through a database. The results of each key word search become the database for searching with the next key word. In a normal Boolean search documents not found to contain a searched key word are immediately disposed of. In this method documents not containing the key word being searched are held until it has been determined if other documents containing the key word have been found. If so then the documents not containing the key word are disposed of; if not, all the documents of the database being searched are retained and become the database to be searched by the next word. Every key word is searched through the database resulting from the previous search. There are no search failures and results are always generated.
US09298817B2
An approach for building an ontology is provided. Syntactically transformed complex triples whose core terms are identified are semantically transformed into simplified triples referring to new conceptualized core terms formed by user selections from a lexical database or by adding a suffix to core terms. The core terms are assigned to respective definitions and keys in a reference ontology, thereby retaining the semantics of the complex triples. Based on the reference ontology, an enrichment transformation of the simplified triples is performed to create simplified and enriched triples by adding relations derived from a correspondence each term in the simplified triples has with the reference ontology and by adding representations of semantics of reference ontology definitions of the terms. The simplified and enriched triples are stored as an ontology representing knowledge in an application providing the free-form text from which the complex triples were extracted.
US09298812B1
A real-time messaging platform and method is disclosed which classifies messages in accordance with a combination of user engagement events as modified to reflect the temporal structure of the user engagement events. A message can be assigned a metric based, for example, on a weighted combination of user engagement rates, decayed with time to reflect an intuition that recent interactions by one or more users with the message will have a greater impact than older interactions with the message. Different types of interaction by one or more users with the message can be assigned different weights when the different engagement events are combined and, also, can be assigned different temporal characteristics.
US09298803B2
In a method for asset management, a transmission of information is received from a first reporting source about an asset and a transmission of information from is received from a second reporting source about the asset. The second reporting source uses a different means of transmission than the first reporting source. A database is populated with the information from the first reporting source and the information from the second reporting source such that information from the first reporting source and information from the second reporting source can be collected from the database. A computer system, accessing the database, generates an asset information report comprising at least a portion of information from the first reporting source and at least a portion of information from the second reporting source.
US09298800B2
A method, system, and computer program product for discovering relationships between data processing environment components are provided in the illustrative embodiments. Whether a log entry in a set of log entries references a combination of the data processing environment components is detected. The combination of components includes a first component and a second component present in the data processing environment. A type of the log entry is determined. A weight is assigned to the log entry according to the determined type. The weight of the log entry is combined with a second weight of a second log entry to form a cumulative weight. A strength level for which the cumulative weight qualifies is determined. The strength level is assigned to a relationship between the combination of components.
US09298798B2
A first database implemented on a remote device such as a handheld computer may be reconciled with a corresponding second database implemented on a host computer during execution of an application program on the handheld device. In addition, the application program may be executed according to program instructions stored in an application program file located in the remote device. The databases may be reconciled by first commencing execution of the application program. Then, during the course of program execution, a synchronization instruction located in said application program file is retrieved. The synchronization instruction is executed by establishing a communications link between the handheld computer and the host computer. Subsequently, any difference between the first database and the second database are reconciled. Furthermore embodiments of the invention contemplate that in addition to reconciling all of the databases located on the handheld and host computers, less than all of the databases may be reconciled to reduce the amount of time required to execute the reconciliation process. In addition, after reconciliation control may be returned to the calling application program, or to another application, as determined by the application designer.
US09298790B2
The replication of an asset from a source cluster in a source data center to multiple target clusters in multiple destination data centers. The replication occurs by first estimating or determining a cost parameter associated with copying of the asset from the source cluster to each of at least some of the target clusters. As an example, the cost parameter might be a geographical parameter, but might also be any cost parameter such as a channel bandwidth, channel cost, utilization ratio or the like. Based on the cost parameters, an order of replication priority is determined. Then, the replication is initiated in accordance with the prioritization. The replication may occur in multiple phases, and replication prioritization may occur on a per phase basis.
US09298787B2
A computer-implemented method, computer program product and a system for supporting star and snowflake data schemas for use with an Extract, Transform, Load (ETL) process, comprising selecting a data source comprising dimensional data, where the dimensional data comprises at least one source table comprising at least one source column, importing a data model for the dimensional data into a data integration system, analyzing the imported data model to select a star or snowflake target data schema comprising target dimensions and target facts, generating a meta-model representation by mapping at least one source table or source column to each target fact and target dimension, automatically converting the meta-model representation into one or more ETL jobs, and executing the ETL jobs to extract the dimensional data from the data source and loading the dimensional data into the selected target data schema in a target data system.
US09298782B2
A method of managing a database system that receives N number of requests from one or more nodes in the database system. The N requests are combined before initiating operations to attend to the requests. The number of operations to attend to the requests is reduced and this reduced number of operations is executed.
US09298776B2
In various example embodiments, systems and methods for providing category aspect information by mining historical data is provided. In example embodiments, historical data is compiled. The historical data comprises user behavior data based on actions performed with past queries by users. Listing data is accessed. The listing data includes aspect data for each listing. The historical data is then joined with the listing data and a determined category of the listing to create joined data. Demand scores based on the joined data are determined. The determined demand scores is then sorted to determine at least one relevant aspect name for a category.
US09298775B2
In an embodiment, a query plan is compressed to data in a cache at a high compression level if a runtime of a query that the query plan implements is greater than a high time threshold. The query plan is compressed to the data in the cache at a medium compression level if the runtime of the query that the query plan implements is less than the high time threshold and greater than a low time threshold. The query plan is stored to the data in the cache at an uncompressed level if the runtime of the query that the query plan implements is less than the low time threshold.
US09298771B2
Disclosed herein are system, method, and computer program product embodiments for performing resource estimation for query optimization. An embodiment operates by generating a subplan for which an optimization process may be invoked, predicting performance and resource consumption for optimizing the subplan by measuring similarity between a hypergraph of the subplan and one or more etalon queries having known performance and resource consumption properties, selecting an algorithm for optimizing the subplan from a plurality of optimization algorithms based on the performance and resource consumption properties, and generating an optimized access plan using the selected algorithm.
US09298757B1
A computer-implemented system for searching includes a data store accessible via a network for storing a data set; an indexing system coupled to the network and indexing the data set, the indexing system configured to generate content vectors for terms in the data set; generate index vectors for terms in the data set; and generate a bitset signature from the index vector. The system further includes a search module coupled to the network and configured to receive a search query and perform a search on one or more terms in the search query by accessing a bitset signature and content vector corresponding to the term; retrieving bitset signatures that are within a predetermined closeness to the bitset signature; selecting content vectors corresponding to retrieved bitset signatures; and selecting content vectors that are within a predetermined similarity to the term content vector; and return the terms corresponding to the content vectors.
US09298754B2
A database system maintains a feature set of a modern database system while operating directly on raw data files. Systems may use an adaptive indexing mechanism that maintains positional information to provide efficient access to raw data files, a flexible caching structure, and techniques for selective parsing and selective tokenizing. In doing so, possible performance bottlenecks associated with repeated parsing, tokenizing, and expensive data type conversion costs can be overcome.
US09298752B2
A system for migrating data items from a source cluster to a destination cluster in a database system. During operation, while the database continues to process live database traffic, the system records a current position in an operation log for the database, wherein the operation log comprises a sequential record of operations applied to the database. Next, the system retrieves data items from the source cluster, and inserts the copies of the retrieved data items into the destination cluster. The system also applies a sequence of updates, starting from the recorded position in the operation log, to the copies of the data items in the destination cluster. Finally, after the sequence of updates is applied, the system performs a cut-over operation that diverts the live database traffic from the data items on the source cluster to the copies of the data items on the destination cluster.
US09298744B2
A computer implemented method and apparatus for ordering images in an image set based on social interactions and viewer preferences. The method comprises ordering the images in an image set based on social interactions with the image set and viewer preferences; and providing for display, the ordered images.
US09298739B2
A position information providing apparatus includes a sensor data acquiring unit acquiring sensor data, a feature amount calculating unit calculating a feature amount from the sensor data, and a confidence level calculating unit calculating a confidence level using the feature amount, wherein the sensor data is more than one, and the feature amount includes a statistical amount of more than one piece of the sensor data and an amount showing a form of the sensor data.
US09298736B2
A method allocates object replicas in a distributed storage system. The method identifies a plurality of objects in the distributed storage system. Each object has an associated storage policy that specifies a target number of object replicas stored at distinct instances of the distributed storage system. The method identifies an object of the plurality of objects whose number of object replicas exceeds the target number of object replicas specified by the storage policy associated with the object. The method selects a first replica of the object for removal based on last access times for replicas of the object, and transmits a request to a first instance of the distributed storage system that stores the first replica. The request instructs the first instance to remove the first replica of the object.
US09298731B2
A technique for efficiently scanning various datasets in a storage system to generate metadata for shared data blocks is provided. In one embodiment, data containers in an active file system of a storage object are first scanned. Remaining images (e.g., snapshots of the file system) are arranged in a chronological order based on the age of such images in the storage object. In some instances, to perform a metadata scan of a given image, the storage server compares each data container in the given image to a corresponding data container in a prior image (from the chronological order) to identify any non-identical data blocks (i.e., blocks that are not common between the data containers of the two images) in each data container. The metadata scanner then generates metadata only for the non-identical data blocks in each data container and skips metadata generation for any remaining data blocks.
US09298721B2
The usage of applications in a computing environment is monitored to generate data that is indicative of the application usage. The data is used to select or prioritize applications (or data items of a data type of the applications) over other applications (or data items) when a search operation is performed.
US09298717B2
Technologies are generally described for a data deduplication management scheme for media files uploaded or to be uploaded to a server. In some examples, a method may include identifying, by a server, a creation time of a media file based at least in part on metadata of the media file; identifying, by the server, an uploading time of the media file; calculating, by the server, a difference between the creation time and the uploading time; and performing, by the server, a data deduplication process when the difference is greater than a predetermined value.
US09298710B2
A document search system includes a plurality of computers in a network having a router, and an email software program on each of the computers. A database stores attachment files and email documents. A search program on at least one of the computers initiating storage of email documents and attachment files. A mail journal database stores email data extracted by the search program from the email. A message identification (ID) identifying the email document, and the ID being generated by the search program and associating an email document with corresponding email data, and the ID associating the email document with an attachment file when an attachment file is sent. A file loader replacing an attachment file with a file link and storing the attachment file in the database. The file link provides access to the attachment file in the database.
US09298691B2
A system can receive raw log data from log-producing devices. The system can parse the raw log data to generate parsed log data, including extracting fields from the raw log data, generating structured query language (SQL) statements from the extracted fields, and inserting the SQL statements in a database. The system can summarize the parsed log data, including identifying one or more SQL statements based on fields of commonality and fields of uniqueness, and creating summarized data that include a new statement condensed from the identified SQL statements. The system can then generate a report based on the summarized data.
US09298685B2
A system and method for creating a table including multiple rows to accommodate redundant field information is described. A table creation module receives a completed form, generates field images, determines a set of unique field images, redundant fields and associated fields in the completed form, populates a first row of the table in a first column with a first unique field image, adds remaining field images from the set of unique field images to the first row, populates the first row with a first redundant field image and remaining field images from a first set of associated fields. The tables can be used to create an organized report.
US09298679B2
Systems and methods for providing a binary representation of a web page. A server may compile a source page, such as a hypertext markup language (“HTML”) document, to create a compiled representation of the source page. Creation of a compiled representation may include generating a document object model (“DOM”) for the content associated with the source page. The compiled page may be transmitted to a client as a random-access file or flat file, where the data is encoded in one or more data types other than a string representation. The client may receive the compiled page and load the compiled page directly as a DOM for the page without the need to parse HTML text strings. The server and client may reconcile the data format of the compiled page, such as by exchanging or verifying a compiler dictionary associated with the page.
US09298675B2
Legacy documents may be imported into online electronic document systems in a form in which the document is broken up into a collection discrete sub-documents. Styles are read from the legacy document and analyzed according to one or a number of factors, such as number of instances, combinations with other styles, and the like. Based on the analysis of the various styles, a set of styles is presented to a user to select style-based breakpoints to use in dividing the legacy document. As the system converts the legacy document from its source format into a designated target format, document managing functionality applies the selected breakpoints in the target formatted document according to the designated breakpoints. The system then generates a style sheet for the converted document including the style information for that document.
US09298674B2
The present invention generally relates to a method for computing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT). In one embodiment, the present invention relates to an interleaved method for computing a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT).
US09298652B2
The moderation of event notifications from a network interface card. The network interface card has multiple completion queues that queue of completed work. The moderation batches up this completed work such that potentially multiple work requests are aggregated into a single event notification. This moderation reduces processing overhead since it spreads the overhead associated with a single interrupt to multiple event notifications The decision on moderation may be performed per connection, or even per constituent queue of the connection. The principles herein allow moderation to reduce overhead without slowing network throughput.
US09298636B1
A method and a system for use in managing data storage is disclosed. Data storage is managed in a data storage system comprising a first and a second storage processor and a plurality of data storage devices. The first and the second storage processor having respective caches configured to mirror each other. A write I/O is received in the data storage system, wherein the write I/O is an operation for updating data storage in the data storage system. Load associated with the first and second storage processor in the data storage system is determined. The cache is bypassed and write I/O is delivered to the plurality of data storage devices in the data storage system in response to determining a heavy load associated with the first and second storage processor in the data storage system.
US09298634B2
A memory request optimizer includes a memory tracker for receiving a read request from client devices and for determining whether the request address matches any of the virtual request trackers. If the request address does not match any virtual request tracker, an allocation logic allocates a next available virtual request tracker to track the request address. When the request address matches a virtual request tracker, a prefetch logic increments a current tracker match count for the virtual request tracker and determines whether a linear history of tracker match counts indicates a prefetch of a next request data is appropriate based on one or more predetermined criteria. If the linear history indicates the prefetch is appropriate, the prefetch logic obtains the next request data at an address equal to the request address plus a preconfigured request offset from the memory sub-system and stores the next request data in a cache.
US09298630B2
A computer processor collects information for a dominant data access loop and reference code patterns based on data reference pattern analysis, and for pointer aliasing and data shape based on pointer escape analysis. The computer processor selects a candidate array for data splitting wherein the candidate array is referenced by a dominant data access loop. The computer processor determines a data splitting mode by which to split the data of the candidate array, based on the reference code patterns, the pointer aliasing, and the data shape information, and splits the data into two or more split arrays. The computer processor creates a software cache that includes a portion of the data of the two or more split arrays in a transposed format, and maintains the portion of the transposed data within the software cache and consults the software cache during an access of the split arrays.
US09298627B2
Embodiments include multi-processor systems, including multi-core processor systems, as well as methods for operating the same, in which at least one processor or processor core is configured to receive an instruction directing the at least one processor core to read a value associated with a memory address. In response to receiving the instruction and before execution of the instruction, the at least one processor or processor core causes ones of the plurality of mutually communicatively inter-coupled processor cores to provide a plurality of locally stored values that are stored individually in the respective processor cores and that are associated with the memory address.
US09298622B2
A method, system, and computer readable medium to share data on a global basis within a symmetric multiprocessor (SMP) computer system are disclosed. The method may include grouping a plurality of processor cores into a plurality of affinity groups. Global data may be copied into a plurality of group data structures. Each group data structure may correspond to an affinity group. The method may read a first group data structure by a thread executing on a processor core associated with a first affinity group.
US09298608B2
The various implementations described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to enable biasing for wear leveling in storage systems. In one aspect, the method includes (1) determining, for each erase unit of a plurality of erase units in the storage medium, an age metric, (2) determining a representative age metric of the plurality of erase units, (3) for each respective erase unit of the plurality of erase units, biasing a respective garbage collection control metric for the respective erase unit in accordance with the age metric of the respective erase unit in relation to the representative age metric of the plurality of erase units to generate an adjusted garbage collection control metric for the respective erase unit, and (4) performing garbage collection for the storage medium in accordance with the adjusted garbage collection control metrics of the plurality of erase units.
US09298601B2
A conditional processing method and apparatus for efficient memory management are provided. A conditional processing method includes receiving a data stream including a plurality of elements; decoding the received data stream; generating a parse tree by loading the decoded data stream; determining whether a parsingSwitch element is detected while generating the parse tree; and if the parsingSwitch element is detected, loading at least one child element of the detected parsingSwitch element in a memory, based on at least one attribute of the detected parsingSwitch element.
US09298598B2
Some embodiments of a system and a method to automate visual testing of an application have been presented. For instance, images generated by the application under test can be automatically captured. To reduce false positives in the automated visual testing, masks are applied onto the images to filter out some predetermined parts of the images. Then the masked images are compared with a set of predetermined patterns. Differences between the masked images and the predetermined patterns may be reported.
US09298587B2
An integrated circuit includes a processor core, a clock control circuit and a debugging circuit. The processor core processes target software. The clock control circuit determines whether an electrical connection exists between the processor core and an external debugger and generates a determination result. The clock control circuit generates an output clock signal based on the determination result. The external debugger performs a debugging operation for the target software. The output clock signal is selectively activated based on the determination result and an input clock signal. The debugging circuit provides information with respect to the debugging operation for the target software to the external debugger based on the output clock signal.
US09298586B2
Debugging a graphics application executing on a target device. The graphics application may execute CPU instructions to generate graphics commands to graphics hardware for generation of graphics on a display. A breakpoint for the graphics application may be detected at a first time. In response to detecting the breakpoint, one or more graphics commands which were executed by the graphics hardware proximate to the first time may be displayed. Additionally, source code corresponding to CPU instructions which generated the one or more graphics commands may be displayed.
US09298564B2
In an approach, a database server maintains a container database which comprises: one or more pluggable databases, a root database that stores an undo log for rolling back transactions on the consolidated database, and a redo log for replaying modifications to the container database. The database server restores a particular pluggable with a backup version that corresponds to a first point in time. The database server generates a clone database loaded with a backup version of the root database that corresponds to the first point in time. The database server applies the redo log to recover the particular pluggable database and the clone database to a second point in time that is later than the first point in time. The database server identifies, based on the clone database, one or more active transactions on the particular pluggable database. The database server rolls back the one or more active transactions.
US09298560B2
A method for monitoring GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP) sessions in a mobile communication network having a monitoring module. The method includes the steps of monitoring, by the monitoring module, a plurality of subscriber GTP sessions, and storing recovery parameters related to the subscriber GTP sessions and subscribers associated therewith in records in a database in the monitoring module, wherein the recovery parameters are associated with initial session data for each subscriber GTP session. Upon an outage in monitoring, the method restarts the monitoring module to determine restart parameters associated with existing subscriber GTP sessions and subscribers associated therewith in the records in the database wherein the restart parameters are associated with subsequent session data for each subscriber GTP session. Before attempting to process any packets, the method associates the subsequent session data with the initial session data based upon comparing the recovery parameters with the restart parameters.
US09298536B2
Creating an operating system dump. A main memory of a computer system is divided into at least three contiguous memory areas, comprising a primary memory area, a secondary memory area and a data memory area. A first instance of an OS (operating system) is booted into the main memory, a second instance of the operating system is loaded into the secondary memory area using the active first instance of the operating system, execution of the first active instance of the OS is stopped if a critical execution error occurs, and the computer system is re-started using the loaded second instance of the operating system which becomes the active instance of the OS. A dump of the primary memory area is created, and a third instance of the operating system is loaded into the primary memory area.
US09298528B2
A method of tracking repeated performance problems in a machine is disclosed. The method comprises storing the faults in a computer memory, and assigning a classification value to the machine based on the frequency and number of the faults. Based on the classification value of the cash handing device it is determined whether the cash handing device needs to be serviced. The faults can be related to one of the hardware, the cash reject rate, image handling, crash rate, user claim rate, and check handling accuracy of the machine.
US09298524B2
A system firmware agent providing the capabilities of a Baseboard Management Controller (BMC) from within System Management Mode (SMM) is discussed. A virtual BMC provides dedicated communication channels for system firmware, other BMCs in the platform and remote management agents. The virtual BMC may monitor the status of the system, record system events, and control the system state.
US09298521B1
Systems and methods are disclosed for command sets and functions for communication between and operation of devices, especially data storage devices. In an embodiment, an apparatus may comprise a data storage device configured to store data as objects, each object including a tracking indicator to identify the object, and a data field with a variable size to store user data. The data storage device may further be configured to receive a command including an operation directed to an object and an indicator that specifies a variation of the operation to be performed. In another embodiment, a memory device may store instructions that cause a processor to perform a method comprising storing data as objects to a nonvolatile media, and receiving a command including an operation directed to an object and an indicator that specifies a variation of the operation to be performed.
US09298515B2
The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing virtualized Diameter network architecture and for routing traffic to dynamically instantiated Diameter resource instances. A system for providing virtualized Diameter resources and for routing traffic to dynamically instantiated Diameter resource instances includes a cloud virtualizer for virtualizing a hardware pool and for supporting dynamically instantiated Diameter resource instances. The system further includes a cloud orchestrator for monitoring network and hardware events and for instructing the cloud virtualizer to instantiate Diameter resource instances or to reallocate hardware from the hardware pool among instantiated Diameter resource instances in response to the network or hardware conditions. The system further includes a cloud flow manager for dynamically configuring at least one network element for routing traffic to the dynamically instantiated Diameter resource instances or the allocated hardware.
US09298514B2
A disclosed system receives a request for resources, generates a credential map for each credential associated with the request, the credential map including a first type of resource mapping and a second type of resource mapping. The system generates a resource availability map, generates a first composite intersecting map that intersects the resource availability map with a first type of resource mapping of all the generated credential maps and generates a second composite intersecting map that intersects the resource availability map and a second type of resource mapping of all the generated credential maps. With the first and second composite intersecting maps, the system can allocate resources within the compute environment for the request based on at least one of the first composite intersecting map and the second composite intersecting map.
US09298513B2
A method (and structure) of at least one of implementing, for deploying, an enterprise application, includes, for the set of instructions defining the enterprise application, a mechanism that allows the enterprise application to autonomously exercise at least one of a node differentiation and a task specialization.
US09298512B2
A system and method for placing a client in a computer network system uses continuously variable weights to resource utilization metrics for each candidate device, e.g., a host computer. The weighted resource utilization metrics are used to compute selection scores for various candidate devices to select a target candidate device for placement of the client.
US09298511B2
Techniques are disclosed for managing deployment conflicts between applications executing in one or more processing environments. A first application is executed in a first processing environment and responsive to a request to execute the first application. During execution of the first application, a determination is made to redeploy the first application for execution partially in time on a second processing environment providing a higher capability than the first processing environment in terms of at least a first resource type. A deployment conflict is resolved between the first application and at least a second application.
US09298498B2
Techniques for minimizing coprocessor “starvation,” and for effectively scheduling processing in a coprocessor for greater efficiency and power. A run list is provided allowing a coprocessor to switch from one task to the next, without waiting for CPU intervention. A method called “surface faulting” allows a coprocessor to fault at the beginning of a large task rather than somewhere in the middle of the task. DMA control instructions, namely a “fence,” a “trap” and a “enable/disable context switching,” can be inserted into a processing stream to cause a coprocessor to perform tasks that enhance coprocessor efficiency and power. These instructions can also be used to build high-level synchronization objects. Finally, a “flip” technique is described that can switch a base reference for a display from one location to another, thereby changing the entire display surface.
US09298477B2
Embodiments of the invention provide a navigation list allowing a user to quickly navigate to any desired panel of an application wizard. In one embodiment, the navigation list may be displayed with the application wizard. The navigation list may include links to each panel included in the application wizard. The user may select the link to a particular panel to navigate to that panel, without also having to pass through any intervening panels. Further, the navigation list may display names and settings for parameters included in each panel, thus allowing the user to quickly locate and evaluate each parameter setting included in the application wizard.
US09298474B2
A method and system for managing overlapping windows on a computer screen of a computer system. A hook filter intercepts an event that has occurred. An association of the hook filter with the event was established prior to the occurrence of the event. The event is characterized by an overlapping condition in which a floating window partially or totally overlaps an active window on the computer screen. A software application is associated with the active window. Response to intercepting the event, the hook filter detects the overlapping condition. Response to detecting the overlapping condition, the hook filter eliminates the overlapping condition to make the active window totally visible.
US09298473B2
An object access interface is described that effectively decouples a functional layer from a user interface (UI) layer. In the context of pre-existing functional objects that are specifically tailored to a pre-existing UI, a single entry point access-interface may define generic and object-specific functions. The function may be used to collect input routed to the associated function object, compile an input set in a form similar to how the pre-existing UI provided input sets, and process the compiled input and any resulting outputs from the function object.
US09298467B2
Methods and branch predictors for predicting a target location of a jump table switch statement in a program. The method includes continuously monitoring instructions at the branch predictor to determine if they write to registers used to store an input variable to a jump table switch statement. Any update to a monitored register is stored in a register table maintained by the branch predictor. Then when it comes time to make a prediction for a jump table switch statement instruction the branch predictor uses the register value stored in the table is used to predict where the jump table switch statement will branch to.
US09298464B2
A computer-implemented method includes determining that two or more instructions of an instruction stream are eligible for optimization. Eligibility is based on a first instruction specifying a first target register and a second instruction specifying the first target register as a source register and a target register. The method includes merging the two or more machine instructions into a single optimized internal instruction that is configured to perform first and second functions of two or more machine instructions employing operands specified by the two or more machine instructions. The single optimized internal instruction specifies the first target register only as a single target register and the single optimized internal instruction specifies the first and second functions to be performed. The method includes executing the single optimized internal instruction to perform the first and second functions of the two or more instructions.
US09298463B2
A processing apparatus supports execution of executable computer program code, wherein non-instruction data is read from and written to a first address space, while executable instructions are fetched from a second address space. Preferably, the processing apparatus supports execution of a modified or enhanced computer program. The programs and user interfaces in the first address space see only the unmodified first program in the first address space and cannot detect the modified or enhanced program in the second address space.
US09298460B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for enhancing the throughput of a processor by minimizing the number of transfers of data associated with data transfer between a register file and a memory stack. The register file used by a processor running an application is partitioned into a number of blocks. A subset of the blocks of the register file is defined in an application binary interface enabling the subset to be pre-allocated and exposed to the application binary interface. Optionally, blocks other than the subset are not exposed to the application binary interface so that the data relating to application function switch or a context switch is not transferred between the unexposed blocks and a memory stack.
US09298458B2
A method, system and computer-usable medium are disclosed for managing transient instruction streams. Transient flags are defined in Branch-and-Link (BRL) instructions that are known to be infrequently executed. A bit is likewise set in a Special Purpose Register (SPR) of the hardware (e.g., a core) that is executing an instruction request thread. Subsequent fetches or prefetches in the request thread are treated as transient and are not written to lower-level caches. If an instruction is non-transient, and if a lower-level cache is non-inclusive of the L1 instruction cache, a fetch or prefetch miss that is obtained from memory may be written in both the L1 and the lower-level cache. If it is not inclusive, a cast-out from the L1 instruction cache may be written in the lower-level cache.
US09298447B2
The management of software updates of a set of equipment of an aircraft system on the basis of instructions in a service bulletin, accessible in the form of commands. A command directed to at least one instruction in said service bulletin and being directed to the modification of the configuration of an item of equipment of said system is selected and executed. If the result of executing said selected command conforms to an expected result, at least one restore command allowing the reconfiguration of said equipment to its configuration preceding the execution of said command is selected. If the result of executing said selected command does not conform to an expected result, at least one previously generated restore command is executed.
US09298445B1
A method for correlating software inventory information with delivered software. The method may include delivering a software application to a first client system. The method may also include receiving, from an agent that monitors installations on the first client system, application registration information written to the client system during installation of the software application. The method may further include identifying delivery information that corresponds to the software application and associating the application registration information with the delivery information. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09298443B2
A method (and structure) for providing a computing infrastructure based on virtual machines. A virtual machine provisioning system, as executed by a processor on a network, receives a virtual machine request, as an input; retrieves a virtual machine image from a library of virtual machine images, to accommodate the virtual machine request; constructs an instantiated virtual machine from the selected virtual machine image by provisioning the selected virtual machine image to accommodate the virtual machine request; and outputs the instantiated virtual machine. An image update system determines an update timing for updating at least one of the virtual machine image and the virtual machine as instantiated, based on update costs.
US09298431B2
The method includes:—pre-compiling a source code including determining (212), in the source code, the presence of one or a plurality of array computations on one or a plurality of arrays, referred to as input arrays, the result whereof is assigned to an array, referred to as a result array, and modifying (214) the source code according to the array computation(s) for which the presence has been determined; and—compiling (238) the modified source in machine code intended to be executed by a computer system, referred to as a target computer system, having a processor, the compiling (238) of the modified source code including compiling the command instructions in instructions which, when executed by the processor of the target computer system, command a specialized electronic device, different from the processor, to carry out each array computation detected.
US09298429B2
In a system and method for recalling a state in an application, a processor may store in a memory data representing a first set of previously executed commands, the first set representing a current application state, and, for recalling a previously extant application state different than the current application state, the processor may modify the data to represent a second set of commands and may execute in sequence the second set of commands.
US09298421B2
The disclosed embodiments disclose techniques for performing quotient selection in an iterative carry-save division operation that divides a dividend, R, by a divisor, D, to produce an approximation of a quotient, Q=R/D. During a divide operation, a divider approximates Q by iteratively selecting an operation to perform for each iteration of the carry-save division operation and then performing the selected operation. The operation for each iteration is selected based on the current partial sum bits of a partial remainder in carry-save form (rs) and the current partial carry bits of a partial remainder in carry-save form (rc). More specifically, the operation is selected from a set of operations that includes: (1) a 2X* operation; (2) an S1 & 2X* operation; (3) an S2 & 2X* operation; (4) an A1 & 2X* operation; and (5) an A2 & 2X* operation.
US09298417B1
A system for facilitating management of content data contained in a plurality of files is disclosed. The system may include a data discovery program configured to scan context data pertaining to the content data. The system may also include logic (or a service profile program) configured to determine one or more service profiles. The one or more service profiles may be selected and/or determined by a user or determined based on one or more rules and the current state of the context data. The one or more service profiles may define one or more services to be performed on at least one of one or more files among the plurality of files and at least a portion of the content data and/or the context data.
US09298412B2
The conferencing system is composed of computers, a moderator's computer, and a projector connected on a network. The moderator's computer receives image data from the computers, and generates synthesized image data therefrom, which is transmitted to the projector for display of the synthesized image. The moderator's computer has the capability to switch the image being projected by the projector from the synthesized image to an image handled by one of the computers or by the moderator's computer. With such an arrangement, utilizing existing hardware resources it will be possible to display in a single split-screen display the images handled by the terminals connected on the network. Additionally, it will be possible to switch smoothly between on-screen displays, and to reduce the burden on the on-screen display operator in a networked conferencing system.
US09298407B2
A mobile information apparatus comprising of an information Pad with a touch sensitive screen includes a digital camera, and one or more wireless communication units compatible with Bluetooth® and IEEE 802.11. The information apparatus is configured for subscribing to a wireless data network for accessing the Internet and is enabled for the user to install additional software applications. The information apparatus may obtain authentication information and payment or subscription information for accessing a digital content service for receiving a selected digital content. The information apparatus may send, to a server, a pointer or reference to the selected digital content stored at a content server, and, subsequent to verifying authentication information and payment or subscription information, receive the selected digital content from the server. The digital content may be any combination of a video, an audio and/or digital document suitable for rendering at an output device.
US09298406B2
A printing apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store print data including a password upon receipt of the print data, a receiving unit configured to receive a print instruction for the stored print data from a user, an authentication unit capable of performing user authentication, and a printing unit configured to perform printing without causing an authenticated user to enter a password in a case where an owner of the print-instructed print data matches the authenticated user, and to perform printing in response to a match between a password received from a user and the password included in the print data in a case where the owner of the print-instructed print data differs from the authenticated user, or in a case where a print instruction is received without user authentication by the authentication unit.
US09298404B2
A method for manufacturing printed page products includes defining a plurality of subbatches each comprising one or more of the pages, creating layouts for the pages in the plurality of subbatches, separating the plurality of subbatches into N groups each comprising a total number of pages equal or less than M, minimizing the difference between the total pages in the N groups and M×N, and printing the layouts of the pages on a stack of sheets each configured to contain layouts for N pages. The layouts of the pages in the stack of sheets are positioned in N columns.
US09298397B2
Embodiments for efficient thresholding of nonvolatile storage (NVS) for a plurality of types of storage rank groups by a processor. Target storage devices are determined in a pool of target storage devices as one of a hard disk drive (HDD) and a solid-state drive (SSD) device. Each target storage device classified into an SSD rank group, a Nearline rank group, an Enterprise rank group, and an Ultra-SSD rank group in the pool of target storage devices. The Nearline rank group and the Enterprise rank group comprise a HDD rank group, and the Nearline rank group, the Enterprise rank group, and the SSD rank group comprise the Non-Ultra-SSD rank group. Thresholds are adjusted for preventing space allocation in the NVS for at least one of the classified target storage devices based on one of the presence and absence of identified types of the classified target storage devices.
US09298395B2
According to one embodiment a memory system includes a circuit card and a separable area array connector on the circuit card. The system also includes a memory device positioned on the circuit card, wherein the memory device is configured to communicate with a main processor of a computer system via the area array connector.
US09298387B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for recovering from a pending uncompleted reorganization of a data set managing data sets in a storage. In response an initiation of an operation to access a data set, an operation is initiated to complete a pending uncompleted reorganization of the data set in response to the data set being in a pending uncompleted reorganization state and no other process currently accessing the data set.
US09298381B2
System and method embodiments for monitoring data integrity among multiple sysplexes that share data sets on a DASD are provided. The virtual volume record (VVR) for each data set on DASD is configured with additional access fields that provide such information as the access mode (serial or multi-access), whether multiple systems have opened the data set, the names of an original sysplex and any additional sysplexes to open the data set, the names of the opening systems in each sysplex, job name and time stamp and a usage counter for each sysplex. Additional access logic in the OS on each system defines specific actions to be taken by the system OS when executing an “open” or “close” including reading and updating information in the additional access fields and generating error, warning or information messages to diagnostic logs. This allows serialization to be enforced among the sysplexes and for error messages to be issued for any system outside the original sysplex that tries to open the data set. This also enables allowing multiple sysplexes to have a data set open at the same time and to issue messages to that effect.
US09298378B2
A logic device for communicating with a memory package with a first protocol, communicating with a memory controller with a second protocol, and for performing a protocol conversion between the first and the second protocol.
US09298375B2
Techniques are disclosed for reducing perceived read latency. Upon receiving a read request with a scatter-gather array from a guest operating system running on a virtual machine (VM), an early read return virtualization (ERRV) component of a virtual machine monitor fills the scatter-gather array with data from a cache and data retrieved via input-output requests (IOs) to media. The ERRV component is configured to return the read request before all IOs have completed based on a predefined policy. Prior to returning the read, the ERRV component may unmap unfilled pages of the scatter-gather array until data for the unmapped pages becomes available when IOs to the external media complete. Later accesses to unmapped pages will generate page faults, which are handled by stunning the VMs from which the access requests originated until, e.g., all elements of the SG array are filled and all pages of the SG array are mapped.
US09298368B2
A computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a computing device with a touch screen display comprises displaying a first soft keyboard. While displaying the first soft keyboard, a key for selecting a second soft keyboard different from the first soft keyboard is displayed. A first contact is detected on the key for selecting the second soft keyboard. In response to detecting the first contact, the second soft keyboard is displayed. Movement of the first contact is detected to a character-insertion key in the second soft keyboard. Lift off of the first contact is detected at the character-insertion key in the second soft keyboard to which the first contact moved. In response to detecting the lift off, a character is inserted that corresponds to the character-insertion key in the second soft keyboard to which the first contact moved and the display of the second soft keyboard is ceased.
US09298356B2
An image processing method includes: defining a selection area in a first still image according to a user input; extracting image data that correspond to the selected area from a second still image; combining the image data extracted from the second still image on the selection area of the first still image to create a composite image; and sequentially displaying the first still image and the composite image.
US09298352B2
Systems and methods for display of hierarchy tree movement using multiple display areas are presented. In an example method, nodes in one or more levels of a first hierarchy tree are displayed in a first area on a display. User input is received of a selected node of the nodes in the one or more levels of the first hierarchy tree to display a level below the one or more levels of the first hierarchy tree. In response to receiving the user input, a parent node of the selected node is displayed in a second area on the display. Nodes in a level of the one or more levels of the first hierarchy tree above the level that includes the selected node are removed from the first area, and nodes in the level below the one or more levels of the first hierarchy tree are displayed in the first area.
US09298350B2
A menu search system allows a user to search through a menu structure, rather than only navigate hierarchically through the menu structure. When a user selects a menu search mode, the menu search system allows the user to enter text and, as the text is entered, searches the menu hierarchy for menu items with names that match the text. The menu search system then displays the matching menu items so that the user can select a displayed menu item of interest.
US09298347B2
A mobile terminal and an application icon moving method thereof are provided. When a predetermined application icon is selected from a menu screen including a plurality of application icons and moved to a control region, a default home screen or the whole home screen stored in a memory may be selectively displayed according to a moved position of the corresponding icon, and also an icon-insertable position may be visually guided on the displayed home screen. This may allow a user to execute the movement of the application icon in an easy, convenient manner.
US09298345B2
Various embodiments provide techniques for geographic navigation via one or more block views. According to some embodiments, a block view can include a visual image of a geographic location that is visually similar to a panoramic image. In some example implementations, a block view can be scrolled to navigate images of a geographic location. In one or more embodiments, a bubble view can be displayed of one or more locations within the block view. The bubble view can include a zoomed image of one or more aspects of a block view. Further to some embodiments, a map view can be utilized along with the block view and/or the bubble view. The map view can include a two-dimensional representation of the geographic location from an aerial perspective, and can include a more general level of detail concerning the geographic location, such as streets, cities, states, bodies of water, and so on.
US09298339B2
Architecture that implements fact interactive elements and list interactive elements in a user interface (UI) to assist in obtaining user feedback on entity attributes for semantic web and structured data searches to ensure data correctness, freshness, and user relevance. The fact interactive element enables user interaction with the attribute data of the corresponding attribute. The user interaction then provides feedback as to correctness of the attribute data for the given attribute. Each state has a corresponding visual state which has a clear visual distinction from other states. The interactive elements enable the use of standard user inputs such as with input devices, as well as interaction using gestures such as associated with natural user interface (NUI) gestures.
US09298332B2
A touch screen panel provided in an image display device. The touch screen panel includes: a transparent substrate; a plurality of first sensing patterns on the transparent substrate and coupled to each other along a first direction; a first insulating film on the first sensing patterns; a plurality of second sensing patterns on the first insulating film and coupled to each other along a second direction, the first and second sensing patterns being alternately arranged not to overlap with each other; and a second insulating film on the second sensing patterns, wherein the first insulating film and the second insulating film are composed of materials having different optical refractive indexes.
US09298329B2
The display device includes a panel comprising driving electrodes and receiving electrodes, and a touch sensing unit comprising a driver supplying a common voltage to the driving electrodes and the receiving electrodes during an image display period, and sequentially supplying a driving voltage to the driving electrodes to determine whether the panel is touched, during a touch sensing period, and a receiver determining whether there is a touch on the panel based on comparison of a sensing signal induced through the receiving electrodes by the driving voltage with a reference voltage applied to the receiving electrodes. The reference voltage is different from an intermediate level of the driving voltage corresponding to an average of a maximum level and a minimum level of the driving voltage. A root mean square value of the reference voltage is substantially equal to a root mean square value of the driving voltage.
US09298328B2
According to an aspect, a display device with a touch detection function includes a display area and a touch detection electrode that includes thin wire segments having first and second ends. Thin wire segments include a thin wire segment extending in a direction different from a pixel arrangement direction in which color regions having the highest human visibility are arranged. The second end is located away from the first end in a direction toward a target position that is distant from the first end in a pixel orthogonal direction by N times of a maximum length of one of the pixels in the pixel orthogonal direction, and in the pixel arrangement direction by M times of a maximum length of one of the pixels in the pixel arrangement direction. Each of N and M is an integer of 2 or larger. N and M are different from each other.
US09298318B2
An interactive input system comprises a display panel; a first illumination source providing illumination across an outer surface of the display panel such that when a pointer is brought into proximity with the outer surface, the pointer reflects illumination from the first illumination source through the display panel; at least one imaging device having a field of view aimed at an opposite outer surface of the display panel, the at least one imaging device capturing images including illumination reflected by the pointer through the display panel; and processing structure in communication with the at least one imaging device, said processing structure processing the captured images to determine a location of the pointer relative to the outer surface.
US09298315B2
Provided is a display device including a photo sensor and a driving method. The display device includes a first sensing unit and a second sensing unit that sense light, at least one sensing signal line that is connected with the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit and transmits a reference voltage for resetting the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit, a sensing signal processor that processes a sensing signal from the sensing signal line, and a backlight that irradiates internal light toward the first sensing unit and the second sensing unit during an internal light irradiation period which is repeated per frame, in which the first sensing unit is reset once and the second sensing unit is reset at least three times during each frame.
US09298310B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for simultaneously tracking multiple finger and palm contacts as hands approach, touch, and slide across a proximity-sensing, multi-touch surface. Identification and classification of intuitive hand configurations and motions enables unprecedented integration of typing, resting, pointing, scrolling, 3D manipulation, and handwriting into a versatile, ergonomic computer input device.
US09298309B2
Various embodiments enable driving one or more sub-pixels with a source voltage while concurrently modulating the voltage of one or more common electrodes coupled to the sub-pixels to perform input sensing with the common electrodes. The voltage driven onto the sub-pixel may be shifted while the common electrode is modulated by a value about equal to about the amplitude of the modulation applied to the common electrode. Thus, the potential difference between the source line and common electrode remains substantially unchanged so that display asperities are not introduced while input sensing while concurrently updating a sub-pixel with display information. Thus, the common electrode(s) may be modulated for input sensing without interfering with display updating of the one or more sub-pixels, greatly increasing the amount of time available for performing input sensing and/or display updating.
US09298303B2
Methods, systems and apparatus are provided that implement duty cycle modulation of periodic time-synchronous (PTS) receivers for noise reduction. For instance, when a composite signal is received at a PTS receiver, the composite signal includes an input signal and a noise signal. The composite signal is input to a transmission gate of the PTS receiver. The PTS receiver also receives a gating control input signal that turns the transmission gate on and off. A duty cycle controller adjusts a variable duty cycle of the gating control input signal applied to the transmission gate to output an output signal from the transmission gate such that one or more components of the noise signal present in the composite signal is/are reduced in the output signal that is output by the transmission gate.
US09298302B2
A user validation system including an object including an embedded RFID chip, the chip storing a validation code, a housing, a touch screen in the housing for displaying keypad characters for entering a validation code, and for detecting a sequence of keypad characters tapped by the object on the touch screen, an RFID reader in the housing configured to read the stored validation code from the embedded RFID chip when the object taps the screen, and a processor in the housing, connected to the touch screen and to the RFID reader, configured to determine if the detected sequence of keyboard characters matches the stored validation code.
US09298300B2
A display may be provided with integral touch functionality. The display may include a common electrode layer having row electrodes arranged in rows and column electrodes interposed between the row electrodes of each row. The row electrodes may be electrically coupled by conductive paths. The row and column electrodes may be coupled to touch sensor circuitry that uses the row and column electrodes to detect touch events. Each electrode of the common electrode layer may cover a respective portion of an array of pixels. Each pixel of the display may have a respective aperture. The conductive paths that electrically couple row electrodes of the common electrode layer may cover or otherwise block some light from passing through pixels, resulting in reduced apertures. Dummy structures may be provided for other pixels that modify the apertures of the other pixels to match the reduced apertures associated with the conductive paths.
US09298299B2
Embodiments of the disclosure generally provide an integrated control system having an integrated controller that is configured to provide both display updating signals to a display device and a capacitive sensing signal to a sensor electrode that is disposed within the integrated input device. The internal and/or external signal routing configurations described herein can be adapted to reduce signal routing complexity typically found in conventional devices and reduce the effect of electrical interference created by the capacitive coupling formed between the display routing, capacitive sensing routing and/or other components within the integrated control system. Embodiments can also be used to reduce electromagnetic interference (EMI) on the display and touch sensing signals received, transmitted and processed within the integrated control system.
US09298292B2
Provided are a method and an apparatus for moving an object in a terminal having a touch screen. The method of moving an object in a terminal having a touch screen, includes detecting a first touch on the touch screen, determining whether a contact time of multi-touch exceeds a threshold time when the first touch is the multi-touch, changing an operation mode of the terminal from a standby mode to a moving mode when the contact time of the multi-touch exceeds the threshold time, and moving an object in response to motion of second touch when the operation mode of the terminal is the moving mode.
US09298288B2
A driving apparatus of a display panel comprises a display panel for displaying an image according to an image signal; a DC-DC converter configured to output a voltage supplied from an external power source as a driving power source voltage for driving the display panel; a signal controller configured to generate a power supply enable signal for controlling an operation of the DC-DC converter and transfer it to the DC-DC converter; and a driving controller configured to determine an operation of the DC-DC converter according to a state of the driving power source voltage by receiving the driving power source voltage and comparing the received driving power source voltage with a pulse voltage of the power supply enable signal, and drive the DC-DC converter by adjusting the power supply enable signal in case the DC-DC converter is not operated.
US09298271B2
A mounting device includes a base member, an attaching mechanism disposed on the base member and configured to detachably attach the base member to a first electronic apparatus, and an accommodating part disposed on the base member and configured to hold a second electronic apparatus placed therein.
US09298268B2
An electronic device and an operating method thereof are provided. The operating method includes the following steps: setting whether a near index is valid or invalid in response to a near event or a far event of the device; setting a first tilting angle index valid in response to a tilting angle of the device staying within a first tilting angle range for a first predetermined time period; setting a first angular velocity index valid in response to an angular velocity of the device staying within a first angular velocity range for a second time period; setting a second tilting angle index valid in response to the tilting angle of the device staying within a second tilting angle range for a third predetermined time period and activating a function based on the near index, the first tilting angle index, the first angular velocity index and the second tilting angle index.
US09298266B2
Systems and methods in accordance with embodiments of the invention implement three-dimensional (3D) gesture based graphical user interfaces (GUI) using gesture reactive interface objects. One embodiment includes using a computing device to render an initial user interface comprising a set of interface objects, detect a targeting 3D gesture in captured image data that identifies a targeted interface object within the user interface, change the rendering of at least the targeted interface object within the user interface in response to the targeting 3D gesture that targets the interface object, detect an interaction 3D gesture in additional captured image data that identifies a specific interaction with a targeted interface object, modify the user interface in response to the interaction with the targeted interface object identified by the interaction 3D gesture, and render the modified user interface.
US09298265B2
According to an aspect, a device includes a touch screen display and a controller. When a predetermined gesture is detected through the touch screen display, a controller displays a paused application which is pausing an editing process.
US09298255B2
A transmissive display apparatus includes an operation section that detects an operational input issued through an operation surface, an image output section for the left eye and an image output section for the right eye that output predetermined image light, an image pickup section that visually presents the predetermined image light in an image pickup area that transmits externally incident light, a sensor that outputs a signal according to a positional relationship between the operation surface and the image pickup area, and a determination section that detects overlap between an optical image of the operation surface that has passed through the image pickup area and the predetermined image in the image pickup area based on the signal according to the positional relationship and receives the operational input when the optical image of the operation surface overlaps with the predetermined image.
US09298253B2
A mechanism is provided for an integrated circuit with power gating. A power header switch is configured to connect and disconnect any one of multiple circuits to a common voltage source, where a powered off circuit is disconnected from the common voltage source. A power-up sequencer includes an initial stages power-up component and a final stages power-up component. The final stages power-up component is configured to execute final stages of a power-up process for the powered off circuit, and the initial stages power-up component is configured to execute initial stages of the power-up process for the powered off circuit. The initial stages power-up component is activated in response to a predictive power-up request.
US09298251B2
In a method of power control for a system-on-chip, output of at least one of a first wakeup request signal and a second wakeup request signal is controlled such that a time interval between the output of the first wakeup request signal and the output of the second wakeup request signal is greater than or equal to a time interval threshold. The first wakeup request signal and the second wakeup request signal are one of concurrent and consecutive wakeup request signals.
US09298250B2
A circuit for monitoring and controlling a clock signal generated by a clock source in a microprocessor device may include a voltage divider network that provides a plurality of voltages, a selector device that receives the plurality of voltages and provides a scaled supply voltage and a scaled ground voltage from the plurality of voltages, and at least one delay element that receives the scaled supply voltage and the scaled ground voltage and generates a delayed pulse signal by applying a delay to each pulse of the clock signal. The delayed pulse signal may include a delay magnitude that is controllable by the scaled supply voltage and the scaled ground voltage, such that the delayed pulse signal is used to generate a frequency correction signal based on a variation to a supply voltage of the microprocessor. The frequency correction signal may then be applied to the clock source.
US09298248B2
A semiconductor device includes a moving state determining unit for obtaining first sensor data from a first sensor for detecting a moving state of a user who possesses an electrical terminal so that the moving state determining unit performs a determination process of the moving state of the electrical terminal; a reliability information determining unit for determining reliability information indicating reliability of a determination result of the determination process; and a transmission processing unit for transmitting the determination result and the reliability information to a main control unit that controls the electrical terminal.
US09298247B2
A distributed power management computer program product is configured to collect power consumption data that indicates power consumption by at least a plurality of the components of a node. The program code can be configured to provide, to each of a plurality of controllers associated with a respective one of the plurality of components, the power consumption data. The program code can be configured to determine a node power consumption. The program code can be configured to determine a power differential as a difference between the node power consumption and an upper power consumption threshold of the node. The program code can be configured to determine a proportion of the node power consumption consumed by a first component. The program code can be configured to compute a local power budget for the first component.
US09298245B2
An information processing apparatus performing a plurality of processes in parallel includes a plurality of processing units and an adjusting unit configured to determine processing intervals of the processing units on a processing-unit-specific basis to gradually align periods in which the processing units operate.
US09298235B2
An electronic device includes a power supply, a power consuming module, and a power control module. The power control module includes a capacitor, a detecting unit, and a control unit. A first end of the capacitor is connected to the power supply. Another end of the capacitor is grounded. The control unit includes a switching element. When the electronic device is powered on, the detecting unit controls the switching element to turn off, and the power supply supplies power to the power consuming module to charge the capacitor. When the electronic device is powered off, the capacitor discharges to supply power to the power consuming module. The detecting unit detects whether data storage of the electronic device is completed. When the data storage is completed, the detecting unit controls the switching element to turn on, causing the capacitor to discharge to ground. A power control module is also provided.
US09298231B2
Methods of fabricating cooling apparatuses and coolant-cooled electronic assemblies are provided, which include providing a thermal transfer structure configured to couple to one or more sides of an electronics card having one or more electronic components to be cooled. The thermal transfer structure includes a thermal spreader and at least one coolant-carrying channel associated with the thermal spreader to facilitate removal of heat from the thermal spreader to coolant flowing through the coolant-carrying channel(s). The method further includes providing a coolant manifold structure disposed adjacent to a socket of the electronic system within which the electronics card operatively docks, and providing a fluidic and mechanical attachment mechanism which facilitates selective, fluidic and mechanical coupling or decoupling the thermal transfer structure and coolant manifold structure, the attachment mechanism facilitating the flow of coolant between the coolant manifold structure and the coolant-carrying channel(s) of the thermal transfer structure.
US09298229B2
A flow-guiding hood that guides a flow of air in a computer or an electronic device includes a plurality of individual parts which includes a first flow-guiding element made of a substantially planar first material that channels the flow and at least one second flow-guiding element made of a different, second material and likewise channels the flow, wherein the second flow-guiding element rests on and/or is attached to the first flow-guiding element.
US09298227B2
An expansion card includes a mounting bracket with a full height I/O panel with a top mounting panel attached thereto extending orthogonally away. A low profile printed circuit board assembly (PCBA) is physically attached to at least one of the top mounting panel and the full height I/O panel, and the mounting bracket and low profile PCBA define a full height expansion card. The low profile PCBA has a card edge that is insertably connectable to an I/O connector of an information handling system (IHS) to communicate with other components of the IHS. A full height heat sink is attached to the low profile PCBA and extends across a portion of the top mounting panel, providing increased heat dissipation for functional components of the low profile PCBA during operation of the low profile PCBA. A battery compartment is mounted on the mounting panel and supplies power to the functional components.
US09298224B2
Electronic device enclosure includes a base plate, a bracket, and a sliding pole slidably mounted to the bracket. The base plate includes a number of protrusion portions. A locking hole is defined in each of the number of protrusion portions. The locking hole includes two opposite first sides and two opposite second sides. A resisting block extends from the sliding pole. The resisting block includes two opposite third sides and two opposite fourth sides. The third sides are aligned to the corresponding first sides. The resisting block is passed through and rotated in the locking hole. The third sides are misaligned to the corresponding first sides. The resisting block is locked in the locking hole to mount the bracket to the base plate.
US09298220B2
A curved display including an external protective layer with an edge at least a part of which has a certain curvature, an opaque layer disposed at the edge of the external protective layer, and a panel module layer including an electrode trace area aligned under the opaque layer.
US09298217B2
A system comprises three major components including a portable monitor, a housing, and a removable shelf. The portable monitor is suitable to display HDMI data coming from mobiles devices. The portable monitor also includes an electrical source to charge mobile devices, such as smartphones, while HDMI data is displayed.
US09298206B2
An operator control element with magnetic return for a number of switching and/or control functions: includes an abutment part; an actuating part which can be moved, for example displaced and/or pivoted, by hand from an inoperative position in at least two opposite directions with respect to the abutment part; magnetic return means for returning the actuating part into the inoperative position; and detection means for producing an electrical signal corresponding in each case at least to the maximum positions and the inoperative position of the actuating part. The magnetic return means include at least one actuating part-side ring magnets and one abutment part-side ring magnet arranged in the inoperative position such that the end faces thereof face one another and are spaced apart. They are arranged so as to pull the actuating part towards the abutment part and that they are concentric.
US09298201B2
The present disclosure includes a three dimensional (3D) integrated device comprising a first die having a first supply line and a second die having a second supply line, a power header, and voltage selection logic. The power header is connected to the first die and the second die and configured to generate a first voltage on a first voltage line and a second voltage on a second voltage line. The voltage selection logic is connected to the first supply line and the second supply line and configured to select between the first voltage line and the second voltage line for each of the first supply line and the second supply line.
US09298197B2
Apparatus, systems, methods, and related computer program products for optimizing a schedule of setpoint temperatures used in the control of an HVAC system. The systems disclosed include an energy management system in operation with an intelligent, network-connected thermostat located at a structure. The thermostat includes a schedule of setpoint temperatures that is used to control an HVAC system associated with a structure in which the thermostat is located. The schedule of setpoint temperatures is continually adjusted by small, unnoticeable amounts so that the schedule migrates from the original schedule to an optimal schedule. The optimal schedule may be optimal in terms of energy consumption or some other terms.
US09298193B2
A probe for measuring oxygen, temperature, and pressure in a space to be monitored, comprising: a housing, comprising a thermally conductive material; an oxygen sensor disposed within the housing, comprising: a first end having coated thereon a coating which fluoresces at a fluorescent frequency when exposed to light having an excitation frequency in the absence of associated oxygen, and which undergoes a dampening of said fluorescence in the presence of associated oxygen; and a second end operatively connected to an optical fiber that extends through the housing; wherein the first end extends through the housing and is adapted to be exposed to the space to be monitored; a temperature sensor disposed within the housing adjacent to the thermally conductive material, comprising a fiber Bragg grating, or a semiconductor material, such as a GaAS material, wherein the temperature sensor does not extend through the housing and is not exposed to the space to be monitored; a pressure sensor disposed within the housing, comprising a fiber Bragg grating or a Fabry-Pérot white light interferometry sensor having a first end which extends through the housing and is adapted to be exposed to the space to be monitored.
US09298177B2
A machine tool according to an embodiment includes a drive mechanism configured to move a control target; a motor configured to operate the drive mechanism; a first encoder configured to detect a position of the control target; a second encoder configured to detect a position of the motor; a servo control unit configured to control the motor; and a numerical control unit configured to receive or calculate an error between the position of the control target obtained from a detection result of the first encoder and a position of the control target obtained from a detection result of the second encoder from the servo control unit, and to estimate a transmission error of the drive mechanism based on a change amount of the error between before and after inversion of a moving direction of the control target.
US09298174B2
System and method for determining total inventory of batch and continuous biomass inventories in a biofuel production process. Measured biomass inventory values are received, including batch inventories from multiple batch fermenters and at least one continuous beer well inventory. The values are premised on a controlled vapor pressure of the batch fermenters and beer well(s), where the pressure fluctuates in an uncontrolled manner. A measured vapor pressure for the batch fermenters and beerwell(s) is received, and pressure compensated inventory values determined based on the measured inventory and pressure values. Measured biomass input flow to the batch fermenters and output flow from the beerwell(s) are received, and are premised on a constant biomass temperature and density, where biomass temperature and density fluctuate in an uncontrolled manner. The total inventory of batch and continuous inventories is determined based on the measured flows and the pressure compensated inventory values, and stored.
US09298173B2
A system to performance tune a site system includes one or more controllers each controlling a subsystem of the site system by changing values of a set of parameters. The system also includes a site reference model configured to indicate a target performance of the site system, and a processor configured to instruct the one or more controllers based on the target performance for the site system.
US09298172B2
The present invention is a method and an apparatus for reward-based learning of policies for managing or controlling a system or plant. In one embodiment, a method for reward-based learning includes receiving a set of one or more exemplars, where at least two of the exemplars comprise a (state, action) pair for a system, and at least one of the exemplars includes an immediate reward responsive to a (state, action) pair. A distance metric and a distance-based function approximator estimating long-range expected value are then initialized, where the distance metric computes a distance between two (state, action) pairs, and the distance metric and function approximator are adjusted such that a Bellman error measure of the function approximator on the set of exemplars is minimized. A management policy is then derived based on the trained distance metric and function approximator.
US09298160B1
An image forming apparatus of an embodiment has a printer portion, a fan motor, a counter, a timer, and a control unit. The control unit calculates a time interval between print jobs from the difference between a printing completion time of a first print job and a printing start time of a second print job based on the value which is measured by the timer when the print jobs are continuously performed. Furthermore, the control unit starts driving of the fan motor when the operation time of the printer portion which is counted by the counter or a value replaced with the operation time of the printer portion is greater than or equal to a second threshold value.
US09298151B2
A sheet conveyer including a body, a conveyer to convey the sheet into a conveyer path formed in the body, a conveyer-supporting frame to support the conveyer, a first placement unit including a lifting plate movable between a separated position and an approximate position, and a lateral guide arranged on the lifting plate to be movable integrally with the lifting plate and slidably along a widthwise direction and configured to restrict a widthwise position of the sheet placed on the lifting plate and, is provided. The conveyer contacts the sheet placed on the first placement unit, when the lifting plate is in the approximate position, and conveys the contacting sheet into the conveyer path. The conveyer-supporting frame is formed to have an interference-avoidable dented section, in which the side guide on the lifting plate placed in the approximate position enters partly to avoid interference with the conveyer-supporting frame.
US09298149B2
An image forming apparatus includes a process unit configured to act on a photosensitive member, detecting unit configured to detect a latent image formed on the photosensitive member, and a color misalignment correcting unit configured to perform color misalignment correction based on time information obtained by detecting, by the detecting unit, a detection pattern including a plurality of latent image marks for color misalignment correction. In addition, a storage unit stores a weighting coefficient of each latent image mark. The color misalignment correcting unit is further configured to weight the time information by using the corresponding weighting coefficient and perform color misalignment correction.
US09298148B2
To convey a sheet to a sheet processing device among multiple sheet processing devices configured to perform different types of sheet processing on a sheet to be output, a printing apparatus includes an acquisition unit, a generation unit, and a printing unit. The acquisition unit acquires information from the multiple sheet processing devices to identify sheet processing. The generation unit generates an adjustment test image containing indications for adjusting respective sheet processing amounts from a shared reference line based on the information on each of the multiple sheet processing devices that is acquired by the acquisition unit. The printing unit prints the adjustment test image generated by the generation unit.
US09298145B2
A fuser device disclosed in the application, which fuses a developer to a medium, includes a first carrying part that contacts a surface of the medium on which the developer is transferred and carries the medium, a second carrying part that is positioned facing the first carrying part and carries the medium. A surface resistivity of the first carrying part is higher than a surface resistivity of the second carrying part.
US09298143B2
According to one embodiment, a method for erasing an image includes erasing an image formed using a toner containing at least a binder resin, an electron donating color developable agent, and an electron accepting color developing agent by heating for 10 seconds or less. A color difference ΔE between a region where the image is erased and a paper is 5 or less.
US09298142B2
The image forming apparatus can be used in areas having different power supply voltages, in which a failure of the apparatus can be detected so that reliability of the apparatus is improved. The apparatus includes a connection state switching part which switches connection of a first heat generating member and a second heat generating member, which generate heat by electric power supplied from a commercial power supply through a power supply path, between a serial connection state and a parallel connection state, and a current detection part which detects current flowing in the power supply path. The current detection part is disposed in the power supply path after branching toward the first heat generating member and the second heat generating member in the parallel connection state.
US09298137B2
A liquid development device includes a storage section storing a liquid developer in which toner is dispersed, a development member to which the liquid developer stored in the storage section is applied using an application unit, a removing device that, after an electrostatic latent image in a latent image-holding member is developed, removes the liquid developer remaining in the development member, and a shearing device that is provided in a path through which the liquid developer removed using the removing device is returned to the storage section, and applies a shear force to the liquid developer by making the liquid developer pass through a contact section of two members either or both of which rotate and that have different circumferential velocities from each other.
US09298132B2
A supplying apparatus includes a supply container including an accommodating portion configured to accommodate a developer, a discharge opening configured to discharge the developer out of the accommodating portion, and an expansion-and-contraction portion having a variable inside volume. The developer is supplied from the supply container through the discharge opening using an inside pressure variation of the supply container caused by expansion and contraction of the expansion-and-contraction portion. In addition, a receiving portion receives the developer supplied from the supply container and forms a feeding path along which the developer is fed, and a decomposing member is non-rotatably fixed at a position opposing, in a vertical direction, the discharge opening in the receiving portion and collides with free falling developer through the discharge opening to decompose the developer.
US09298127B2
A developing device includes a developer bearer and a regulation member. The developer bearer bears developer on a surface thereof. The developer bearer is rotatable forward and in reverse. The regulation member is disposed in contact or non-contact with the surface of the developer bearer to regulate amount of the developer on the developer bearer. In a non-development period, when the developer bearer rotates in a direction of reverse rotation opposite to a direction of forward rotation in which the developer bearer rotates in a development period, the developer bearer stops a series of rotating operations after the developer bearer rotates in the direction of forward rotation as a last rotating operation. A total rotation amount of forward rotation is set to be greater than a total rotation amount of reverse rotation in the series of rotating operations.
US09298123B2
The device comprises: a light emission control unit forming an latent image on a photoconductor; a correction value calculation unit calculating a correction pattern for correcting a transfer position where a developer image of the latent image transfers to a conveying member; and an angle adjustment processing unit that determines an angle of an oblique line pattern included in the correction pattern on the basis of a detection signal of an angle adjustment pattern including a plurality of continuous oblique line patterns, wherein the light emission control unit controls a light to emit so that a plurality of oblique line patterns having different inclinations relative to a conveying direction of the conveying member are continuously formed to draw the angle adjustment pattern, and controls the light to emit so that an oblique line pattern having the determined angle is formed in the correction pattern to draw the correction pattern.
US09298114B2
Oxotitanium phthalocyanine nanoparticles in the crystal form of phase-Y (Y-TiOPc) having particle diameters of 2˜4 nm, preparation, and applications thereof are disclosed. The preparation method comprises the following steps: mixing a concentrated sulfuric acid solution of TiOPc with water or dilute sulfuric acid, or water or dilute sulfuric acid with a surfactant dissolved therein, or an aqueous solution of a low molecular weight organic compound to form a suspension or hydrosol; adding into the resulting suspension or hydrosol chlorinated hydrocarbons to extract TiOPc into an organic phase, so as to form a colloidal solution of Y-TiOPc nanoparticles; and then, washing and drying the above nanoparticles to give rise to a powder of the Y-TiOPc nanoparticles. Such a nanoparticle powder can disperse in chlorinated hydrocarbons to form stable colloidal solutions, thereby providing an alternative approach for solving the problem of poor dispersibility for Y-type TiOPc.
US09298107B2
A substrate table to support a substrate on a substrate supporting area, the substrate table having a heat transfer fluid channel at least under the substrate supporting area, and a plurality of heaters and/or coolers to thermally control the heat transfer fluid in the channel at a location under the substrate supporting area.
US09298104B2
A substrate holder for use in a lithographic apparatus. The substrate holder comprises a main body, a plurality of burls and a heater and/or a temperature sensor. The main body has a surface. The plurality of burls project from the surface and have end surfaces to support a substrate. The heater and/or temperature sensor is provided on the main body surface. The substrate holder is configured such that when a substrate is supported on the end surfaces, a thermal conductance between the heater and/or temperature sensor and the substrate is greater than a thermal conductance between the heater and/or temperature sensor and the main body surface.
US09298103B2
An exposure apparatus is provided for performing a unidirectional scan-exposure. The exposure apparatus includes a base and a plurality of wafer stages on the base for loading/unloading wafers and successively moving from a first position to a second position of the base cyclically. The exposure apparatus also includes alignment detection units above the first position of the base for detecting alignment marks on the wafer and aligning the wafers and a cylindrical reticle system above the second position of the base. Further, the exposure apparatus includes an optical projection unit between the cylindrical reticle system and the base for projecting light onto the wafers for an exposure. Further, the exposure apparatus also includes an illuminator box and a main control unit.
US09298099B2
An exposure apparatus is provided for performing an unidirectional scan-exposure. The exposure apparatus includes a base and a wafer stage group having a plurality of wafer stages on the base for holding wafers and successively moving from a first position to a second position of the base cyclically. The exposure apparatus also includes an alignment detection unit above the first position for detecting wafer stage fiducials at the first position and alignment marks on a wafer on the wafer stage to align the wafer. Further, the exposure apparatus includes a reticle stage on the second position for loading a cylindrical reticle and causing the cylindrical reticle to rotate around the center axis of the reticle stage and an optical projection unit between the reticle stage and the base for projecting light passing through the cylindrical reticle onto exposure regions on a wafer on the wafer stage.
US09298095B2
The present invention provides a rinse solution for lithography and a pattern formation method using the solution. They can improve the pattern collapse, surface roughness and surface defects. The solution contains at least a sulfonic acid a nonionic surfactant having an alkyleneoxy group and water.
US09298092B2
A method of making a relief image printing element from a photosensitive printing blank is provided. The method comprising the steps of: 1) providing a photosensitive printing blank comprising a backing layer, at least one layer of photoresin on top of the backing layer and a removable coversheet on top of the at least one layer of photoresin; 2) imaging the photosensitive printing blank through the removable coversheet using a laser to create a relief image therein; and 3) removing the removable coversheet.
US09298086B2
The invention relates to a method for forming a relief layer (216) employing a stamp (206) having a stamping surface (208) including a template relief pattern. A solution comprising a siliconoxide compound (200) is sandwiched between a substrate surface (202) and the stamp surface (208) and dried while sandwiched. After removal of the template relief pattern the relief layer obtained has a high inorganic mass content making it robust and directly usable for a number of applications such as semiconductor, optical or micromechanical.
US09298082B2
The present disclosure relates to a mask plate, an exposure method thereof, and a liquid crystal display panel including the mask plate. On the mask plate, a plurality of pattern regions is arranged in a gradient variation from the center of the mask plate to the edges thereof according to the deformation degree of the exposure mask. The method for exposing the mask plate comprises the following steps of, (a) providing an exposure mask in a horizontal state, and measuring the deformation degree of the exposure mask; (b) arranging, on the mask plate, a plurality of pattern regions, the dimensions of which change in a gradient manner from the center of the mask plate to the edges thereof according to the deformation degree of the exposure mask; and (c) completing the exposure of the mask plate. The mask plate according to the present disclosure can compensate the effect of deformation of the exposure mask on the exposure area of the mask plate.
US09298081B2
A scattering enhanced thin absorber for a EUV reticle and a method of making thereof is disclosed. Embodiments include forming a multilayer on the upper surface of a substrate, forming a capping layer over the multilayer, forming one or more diffuse scattering layers over the capping layer, and etching the diffuse scattering layers to form a stack.
US09298077B2
A reaction assembly 18 for a stage assembly 10 that moves a device 26 along a first axis includes a base countermass 40 and a first transverse countermass 42. The stage assembly 10 includes a stage 14 and a stage mover 16 that includes a moving component 38 that is coupled to the stage 14 and a reaction component 36 that is secured to the base countermass 40. The first transverse countermass 42 is guided to allow for movement along a first transverse axis 50 and the first transverse countermass 42 is coupled to the base countermass 40 so that movement of the base countermass 40 along the first axis causes the first transverse countermass 42 to move along the first transverse axis 50.
US09298076B2
An image projector for augmenting the appearance of a physical object is disclosed, also known as an augmented reality projector. The augmented reality projector comprises an optical arrangement to provide the possibility of precise matching of a projected image of the physical object back onto the object itself, instead of using digital image processing to do so. Digital image processing may be used to enhance features of the image and is not required for resizing or orienting the image to the object. This reduces the need for computational power to process the image and spares processing resources to refresh the image in real time. Accordingly, the processed image can be refreshed to change the appearance of a moving object. Furthermore, the precise matching provides the possibility of using projected images a graphical use interface, as movements of a user's fingers on the interface can be determined accurately.
US09298069B2
A camera mounting assembly includes a base member or plate for holding a camera and a side member or plate. In an exemplary embodiment, lower slots on the base plate or side slots on the side plate are gripped by a vertical support's quick-release mechanism to mount the camera in a landscape or portrait orientation, respectively, the camera being generally centered and evenly balanced over the support in either case. The side member is detachably fastened to the base member, which modular construction permits separately timed purchase of the base member and side member as allowed by the user's budget and further permits breakdown of the assembly for ease of transport. The side member may be generally L-shaped with a lower arm length less than the side arm length, which also facilitates transport. Other components may be detachably added such as a hand grip facilitating freehand shooting with the camera.
US09298065B1
A hidden camera system for a vehicle includes a housing having first and second openings. A displaceable cover closes the first opening. A camera is received in the housing. That camera is deployable with respect to the first opening. A flexible seal closes the second opening.
US09298061B2
A shutter device includes a leading drive lever configured to move leading blades to a closed position at which the leading blades cover an opening and to move the leading blades to an open position at which the leading blades open the opening; a leading charge mechanism configured to rotate a leading charge lever in a charge direction to generate biasing force and to rotate, using the biasing force of the leading drive spring, the leading charge lever in a drive direction to rotate the leading drive lever in an opening direction; a leading lock lever configured to lock the leading charge lever having rotated in the charge direction; a leading attractive unit configured to hold, using electromagnetic force, the leading lock lever locking the leading charge lever; and a leading biasing mechanism configured to bias the leading lock lever in a release direction.
US09298045B2
A liquid crystal panel and a cross-shaped spacer structure. The liquid crystal panel includes an array substrate, a color filter substrate, and a cross-shaped spacer structures sandwiched between the array substrate and the color filter substrate. The cross-shaped spacer structures includes strip-like first spacers disposed on the upper surface of the array substrate, and strip-like second spacers disposed on the lower surface of the color filter substrate. The end surfaces of each three of the strip-like first spacers and the end surface of each one of the strip-like second spacers are abutted against each other in a cross manner. Thus, when the liquid crystal panel is impacted by external force, the strip-like first spacers and the strip-like second spacers can keep a tight abutment therebetween, so as to ensure the display quality of the liquid crystal panel.
US09298043B2
A liquid crystal display includes: a first substrate, a plurality of pixel electrodes disposed on the first substrate and including a first subpixel electrode and a second subpixel electrode including a cross stem and a plurality of minute branches extending from the cross stem; a second substrate facing the first substrate; a first alignment layer disposed on the first substrate and the pixel electrode; a second alignment layer disposed on an inner surface of the second substrate; and a liquid crystal layer injected between the first substrate and the second substrate and including a prepolymer, a reaction initiator, and a polymerization reactor, of which a content of the reaction initiator is higher than a content of the polymerization reactor.
US09298039B2
A backlight unit includes a light source which generates a first light; a quantum dots member which is spaced apart from the light source by a first distance and converts the first light into a second light; a guide member which lengthwise extends in a first direction and fixes positions of the light source and the quantum dots member; and an optical member which reflects the second light. The guide member guides the first light from the light source to the quantum dots member and guides the second light from the quantum dots member to the optical member.
US09298029B2
A display apparatus includes a substrate that includes a plurality of pixel areas, a display area including first and second non-pixel areas extending to cross each other, and a non-display area adjacent to the display area, a plurality of first electrodes on the substrate in the pixel areas, a plurality of second electrodes extending in a first direction and upwardly spaced apart from the substrate in the pixel areas to form first tunnel-shaped cavities, an image display area in each of the first tunnel-shaped cavities, and a plurality of dummy electrodes in first cross areas defined by an intersection of the first and second non-pixel areas adjacent to boundaries of the display area in the first direction. The dummy electrodes are upwardly spaced apart from the substrate in the first cross areas by a predetermined distance to form dummy tunnel-shaped cavities.
US09298022B2
A machine is presented for the cleaning of eyewear. The machine allows the manual or automatic cleaning of eyewear. Under both modes of operation, the eyewear is secured by a user to a support bracket inside a transparent, water-tight cylindrical wash chamber. When in manual mode, the user can direct the spray of wash fluid onto the eyewear by rotating the eyewear using a trackball. When used in automatic mode, the machine washes the eyewear during a preset washing cycle. For both modes, the washing cycle is followed by the drying cycle where a blower directs air onto the lenses for a set time period to blow off excess moisture. The drying cycle concludes with a blower venting the cylindrical wash chamber to remove residual moisture from the wash chamber and the eyewear. After the cleaning, the user removes the eyewear from the machine.
US09298017B2
A lens holder driving device includes an auto-focusing lens holder driving portion moving a lens holder holding a lens barrel along an optical axis, and an image stabilizer portion stabilizing image blurred by moving the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion in first and second directions which are orthogonal to the optical axis and which are perpendicular to each other. The image stabilizer portion includes: a fixed portion disposed apart from the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion in the direction of the optical axis; a plurality of suspension wires having first end portions fixed to the fixed portion at outer regions thereof, extending along the optical axis, having second end portions fixed to the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion, and swingably supporting the auto-focusing lens holder driving portion in the first direction and the second direction; and a fracture preventing member preventing the suspension wires from fracturing.
US09298015B2
An image blur correction apparatus includes a lens unit configured to include at least one lens, and configured to be turnable in two different directions using, as supporting points, two axes that are orthogonal to an outer housing. The image blur correction apparatus also includes a fixed member configured to turnably support the lens unit in the two directions, a first drive unit configured to be attached to the fixed member, and configured to turn the lens unit in one of the two directions. The image blur correction apparatus further includes a second drive unit configured to be attached to the fixed member, and configured to turn the lens unit in another of the two directions.
US09298012B2
In embodiments of eyebox adjustment for interpupillary distance, a first optical lens receives light of an image at a projected orientation of the light, and deviates the light by a deviation angle from the projected orientation of the light. A second optical lens receives the deviated light of the image from the first optical lens at the deviation angle, and alters the deviated light back to the projected orientation of the light for viewing the image. Left and right eyeboxes align with respective left and right eyes that view the image, and a distance between the left and right eyeboxes approximately correlates to an interpupillary distance between the left and right eyes. The light of the image can be laterally shifted to increase or decrease the distance between the left and right eyeboxes.
US09298008B2
A method and device is disclosed for converting a picture or a video located in front of a user into an immersive picture or video in real time. The picture can be a picture located in a book or newspaper. The video can be a movie presented on a computer display, TV screen or a theatre screen. The method and the device are also utilized for virtual reality applications presented on a computer display to convert the virtual reality into. The invention can be utilized in various educational, training, entertainment, and gaming applications.
US09298006B2
An algorithm may reconstruct defocus blur from a sparsely sampled light field. Light field samples are generated, using stochastic rasterization or ray tracing as examples. Then the samples are partitioned into depth layers. These depth layers are filtered independently and then combined together, taking into account inter-layer visibility. Since each layer corresponds to a smaller depth range, it results in more effective reconstruction filters than previous approaches.
US09298001B2
Aspects of the present invention relate to optical systems in head worn computing.
US09298000B2
Aspects of the disclosure provide an apparatus. The apparatus includes a mirror module having a plurality of individually controllable mirror segments to reflect an incident beam having a variable incidence angle, and a controller configured to determine deflection profiles of the individually controllable mirror segments, and provide control signals to the individually-controllable mirror segments to adjust the deflection profiles, such that the individually controllable mirror segments collectively reflect the incident beam in a predetermined direction.
US09297995B2
Systems and methods are provided for automatic determination of slice thickness of an image stack in a computerized stereology system, as well as automatic quantification of biological objects of interest within an identified slice of the image stack. Top and bottom boundaries of a slice can be identified by applying a thresholded focus function to determine just-out-of-focus focal planes. Objects within an identified slice can be quantified by performing a color processing segmentation followed by a gray-level processing segmentation. The two segmentation processes generate unique identifiers for features in an image that can then be used to produce a count of the features.
US09297987B2
A wide field optically athermalized orthoscopic lens system includes, in order from object to image, a first lens having a negative power, a second lens having a positive power, a third lens group having a positive power, a fourth lens having a positive power and a fifth lens having a negative power. The third lens group includes two lenses having, in order, a first lens with positive power and a second lens with negative power. The powers, shapes, Abbe dispersion values and temperature coefficients of refractive indices of the lenses are selected such that the lens system is athermalized, orthoscopic and achromatized over a wide (e.g. >140° C.) temperature range.
US09297986B2
A wide angle lens system and an electronic apparatus including the same are provided. The wide angle lens system includes a first lens group having a negative refractive power, and a second lens group having a positive refractive power. The second lens group is spaced apart from the first lens group by a maximum air gap. The first lens group and the second lens group are sequentially arranged from an object side toward an image side. The second lens group includes a positive 2-1 lens group, a negative 2-2 lens group, and a positive 2-3 lens group, and focusing is performed by moving the 2-2 lens group along an optical axis.
US09297982B2
A lens barrel of the present invention includes a first barrel member on which a first cam groove is formed and which is provided with a first cam follower, and a second barrel member on which a second cam follower to engage with first cam groove is formed, and which is provided with a second cam groove to engage with first cam follower, the second barrel member performing relative rotation and relative movement in an axis direction of the rotation with respect to the first barrel member.
US09297974B2
Fiber optic modules having pigtails and related strain relief constructions for the fiber optic harness are disclosed. The fiber optic module assembly has a fiber pigtail exiting module, the assembly includes a main body of the module defining an internal chamber disposed between a first side and a second side, a plurality of fiber optic components disposed at the first side of the module, and a fiber optic harness including the fiber pigtail. The fiber optic harness includes a plurality of optical fibers within a portion of a protective tube on the pigtail portion and a strain-relief assembly for inhibiting movement between the optical fibers and protective tube. Consequently, the strain-relief assembly secures the plurality of optical fibers and the protective tube to the main body of the module.
US09297971B2
A chip package includes an optical integrated circuit (such as a hybrid integrated circuit) and an integrated circuit that are proximate to each other in the chip package. The integrated circuit includes electrical circuits, such as memory or a processor, and the optical integrated circuit communicates optical signals with very high bandwidth. Moreover, a front surface of the integrated circuit is electrically coupled to a top surface of an interposer, and this top surface is in turn electrically coupled to a front surface of an input/output (I/O) integrated circuit that faces the top surface. Furthermore, the front surface of the I/O integrated circuit is electrically coupled to a top surface of the optical integrated circuit, where the top surface of the optical integrated circuit faces the front surface of the I/O integrated circuit.
US09297967B2
A device for converting and optionally processing an optical signal comprises an optical cable having an optical-electrical conversion device at one end, the optical-electrical conversion device to convert the optical signal to an electrical signal or an electrical signal into an optical signal; a electrical package to removably receive the optical-electrical conversion device and generate processed signal; and a general circuit board attached to the electrical package and operable to receive the processed signal.
US09297965B2
A plug-in connection system for a two-piece plug-in connection, comprising a plug-in connector and a matching mating connector, wherein the plug-in connector includes a latching unit with latching hooks provided thereon, which engage in groove areas on the mating connector. Here, a plurality of groove areas is circumferentially provided on the mating connector implemented in a sleeve-type way, which are offset relative to each other by a certain distance ds in relation to the plug-in edge of the mating connector. In the case of groove areas which are arranged in multiple pairs on the external side of the plug-in sleeve, only one latching hook pair engages at any one time during the plug-in operation into a latching groove in the groove area, whereas the other latching hooks respectively remain on a sawtooth flank before or after the one occupied latching groove.Thus, a very sensitive slide-on latching up to the mutual stop of any desired contacts becomes possible and a complex reception of the contacts is no longer necessary.Unlatching is carried out by lifting the latching hooks engaging in the latching grooves while withdrawing the external sleeve of the plug-in connector out of the latching grooves by means of opening hooks.
US09297960B2
A tunable multiport optical filter includes various types of arrays of optical ports. The tunable filter also includes a light dispersion element (e.g., a grating) and a reflective beam steering element (e.g., a tilting mirror). An optical signal exits an optical (input) port, is dispersed by the light dispersion element, reflects off the reflective beam steering element back to the light dispersion element, and on to another optical (output) port. The reflective beam steering element can be steered such that a wavelength portion of the dispersed optical signal can be coupled to the optical output port. For example, the input optical signal may be a wavelength division multiplexed signal carrying multiple channels on different wavelengths, and the tunable multiport optical filter directs one of the channels to the output optical port. Additionally, the tunable filter may be incorporated into a device acting as a wavelength reference.
US09297959B2
Disclosed herein is a method for fabricating an optical device that includes depositing an etch stop material to form an etch stop layer, wherein the etch stop material has a refractive index in the infrared wavelength range, n1; depositing a core material to form a core layer, wherein the core material has a refractive index in the infrared wavelength range, n2; and etching the core layer using a halide based etch process, wherein the etch stop material has an etch rate in the halide based etch process and the core material has an etch rate in the halide based etch process, wherein the etch rate of the core material is at least about five times higher than the etch rate of the etch stop material, and wherein n1 is not greater than n2.
US09297951B2
A core layer (13) of an optical waveguide (1) includes a plurality of core groups (140) disposed so as to mutually intersect on the same plane, each core group (140) being an assembly of a plurality of core portions (14), at least some of which are arranged in parallel, and side cladding portions (15) provided so as to adjoin the side surfaces of each core portion (14). A transverse cross-section of the optical waveguide (1) includes a high refractive index region (WH) in a position corresponding with each core portion (14) and having a relatively high refractive index, and a low refractive index region (WL) in a position corresponding with each side cladding portion (15) and having a lower refractive index than the high refractive index region (WH), and a refractive index distribution is formed in which the refractive index varies continuously across the entire distribution.
US09297948B1
A display device includes a backlight module positioning adhesive structure and a liquid crystal panel that includes a bezel zone and a light transmitting zone. A backlight module includes a reflector plate, a light guide plate, and the optic film that are sequentially stacked on each other and surrounded by a mold frame. The backlight module further includes a double-sided adhesive tape that includes first and second layers stacked on each other. The second layer includes a light shielding section and a light transmitting section connected to the light shielding section. The double-sided adhesive tape is adhesively bonded between the bezel zone of the liquid crystal panel and the backlight module. The light shielding section is located on an edge portion of the optic film and the mold frame. The light transmitting section extends towards the light transmitting section of the optic film.
US09297943B2
The absorptive wire-grid polarizer includes a periodic structure formed on a substrate surface of a dielectric substrate and constituted by a metal and one or more dielectric materials. The periodic structure has a one-dimensional grating structure in which, in a sectional plane orthogonal to a normal to the substrate surface, grating portions of a metal grating formed of the metal and grating portions of dielectric gratings formed of the one or more dielectric materials are one-dimensionally arranged with a grating period P. The Conditions of nm≧1.0, km≧2.0, 0.01≦FF≦0.25, Nb≧1.40, and h≧250 [nm] are satisfied where h represents an entire height of the metal and dielectric gratings, nm represents a refractive index of a real part of a complex refractive index of the metal, km represents an extinction coefficient of an imaginary part of the complex refractive index, and nb represents an average refractive index of the dielectric grating.
US09297935B2
Devices and methods for providing sensor indication and enhancing sensor indication are disclosed. In one embodiment, a sensor indication is provided by sensing an operational status at a sensor circuit, generating a signal at the sensor circuit based on the sensed operational status, utilizing the signal to activate a light source, transmitting light into a first indicator layer with the light source, wherein the first indicator layer includes a fluorophore embedded within a substrate, and wherein the one or more fluorophores modify at least one characteristic of the transmitted light from the light source, and emitting the modified transmitted light from an end wall of the first indicator layer.
US09297934B2
An optical film, a polarizing plate, a liquid crystal panel, and an image display apparatus are provided, wherein interference fringes can be made to be invisible, and cloudiness can be reduced. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an optical film is provided, including a light transmissive substrate, and a functional layer disposed on the light transmissive substrate, wherein the functional layer has a concavo-convex surface forming a surface of the optical film. Assuming that a slope angle of the concavo-convex surface with respect to a film plane of the optical film in a cross section along a direction normal to the film plane is a surface angle, a percentage of a region in which the surface angle is 0.05° or more is 50 % or more in the concavo-convex surface, and the root mean square slope RΔq of a roughness curve on the concavo-convex surface is 0.003 or less.
US09297922B2
A method and apparatus is provided for bucking a magnetic field of known geometry and time variation by means of a plurality of bucking loops. It utilizes multiple loops, each of which is energized by an electric current that creates a magnetic field of the known time variation. The multi-loop field forms a bucking magnetic field that better opposes the spatial variation in the known magnetic field over a volume than can the magnetic field from a single loop. The present invention is useful in electromagnetic measurements, where the magnetic field of a controlled source transmitter must be annulled at a magnetic field sensor. It is particularly useful for cases where the magnetic sensor may move relative to the transmitter, such as in certain airborne electromagnetic measurements.
US09297919B2
A method and apparatus are provided for estimating an inter-node distance between a sender node and a receiver node belonging to a network comprising a plurality of nodes arranged along towed acoustic linear antennas. An acoustic signal is transmitted from the sender node to the receiver node through an underwater acoustic channel. The method includes estimating the inter-node distance as a function of an estimate of a sound speed profile of the underwater acoustic channel, the sound speed profile depending on depth.
US09297914B2
A method for detecting a neutron includes providing a first voltage to an input electrode of a microchannel plate, providing a second voltage to an output electrode of the microchannel plate, the second voltage being more positive than the first voltage, measuring a signal on the output electrode, and detecting a neutron based on a comparison of the signal at the output electrode with a baseline value.
US09297912B2
The present invention relates to a pixel detector (10), comprising a semiconductor sensor layer (12), in which charges can be generated upon interaction with particles to be detected. The semiconductor layer defines an X-Y-plane and has a thickness extending in Z-direction. The detector further comprises a read-out electronics layer (14) connected to said semiconductor layer (12), said read-out electronics layer (14) comprising an array of read-out circuits (20) for detecting signals indicative of charges generated in a corresponding volume of said semiconductor sensor layer (12). The neighboring read-out circuits (20) are connected by a relative timing circuit configured to determine time difference information between signals detected at said neighboring read-out circuits (20). The time difference information is indicative of a difference in the Z-components of the locations of charge generations in the corresponding neighboring sensor volumes caused by a particle trajectory that is inclined with respect to the X-Y-plane.
US09297903B2
Assisted-GPS for a portable biometric monitoring device is provided. The portable biometric monitoring device may obtain updated ephemeris data from an associated secondary device via a short-range, low-power communication protocol. The secondary device may be a computing device such as a smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Various rules may control when the ephemeris data is updated. The ephemeris data may be used in the calculation of the global position of the portable biometric monitoring device. Additionally, the portable biometric monitoring device may communicate downloaded position fixing data to the associated secondary device. The associated secondary device may then calculate the global position from the position fixing data.
US09297902B2
It is disclosed to keep a track of quality information of at least one assistance data, the track of quality information being associated with a current version and at least one previous version of the at least one assistance data, and to determine whether to provide assistance data information associated with at least one assistance data of the at least one assistance data to a mobile device based on tracked quality information of the at least one assistance data of the at least one assistance and based on assistance data handling parameters associated with the mobile device.
US09297899B2
A method of determining extrinsic calibration parameters for at least one sensor (102, 104, 106) mounted on transportable apparatus (100). The method includes receiving (202) data representing pose history of the transportable apparatus and receiving (202) sensor data from at least one sensor mounted on transportable apparatus. The method generates (204) at least one point cloud data using the sensor data received from the at least one sensor, each point in a said point cloud having a point covariance derived from the pose history data. The method then maximizes (206) a value of a quality function for the at least one point cloud, and uses (208) the maximized quality function to determine extrinsic calibration parameters for the at least one sensor.
US09297892B2
A method for operating a radar system on a vehicle to reduce nuisance alerts caused by a stationary structure proximate to the vehicle. The method includes determining a stationary count indicative of the number of targets detected by the radar system that are within a travel path of the vehicle and are classified by the radar system as stationary, and indicating that the vehicle is proximate to a stationary structure if the stationary count is greater than a count threshold.
US09297880B2
An interferometric tracking device includes image dividers arranged to form an optical cascade, with one of the image dividers being an incident image divider for the optical cascade and one or more of the image dividers being one or more exit image dividers for the optical cascade. Each of the image dividers splits incident light into a plurality of non-parallel orthogonally polarized beams, the beams from the incident image divider cascading through the other image dividers in the cascade. One of a plurality of shearing interferometers is optically coupled between optically adjacent image dividers in the cascade. The orthogonally polarized beams from the one or more exit image dividers are imaged onto one or more focal plane arrays.
US09297868B2
The present embodiments include an antenna circuit that is adapted to supply and/or read out a plurality of antenna elements of an antenna assembly of a magnetic resonance imaging system. The antenna elements are decoupled by phase shifter elements and supplied with signals by the phase shifter elements. The antenna circuit may also be used to detect signals that are received by the antenna elements.
US09297856B2
A method and circuits for implementing multiple input signature register (MISR) compression for test time reduction, and a design structure on which the subject circuits reside are provided. The MISR compression circuit includes a first MISR, a second MISR provided with the first MISR, and a compressor to compress MISR data positioned in one of between the first MISR and second MISR and after the second MISR.
US09297849B2
A wafer test system includes an input device configured to transmit a test signal, a wafer including an optical port, an input port configured to receive the test signal, and an output port configured to output a result signal based on the test signal, a measuring device configured to measure the result signal, and an alignment device configured to align an optical fiber port of an optical probe with an alignment port based on the result signal and then align the optical fiber port with the optical port. The alignment port is the input port or the output port. The optical probe is configured to be the input device when the input port is the alignment port and the optical probe is configured to be the measuring device when the output port is the alignment port.
US09297845B2
Medical devices and methods for making and using the same are disclosed. An example medical device may include a control unit for determining an electrical leakage between a first electrode pad and a second electrode pad of an in vivo medical device. The first electrode pad may be spaced from the second electrode pad. The first electrode pad may have an active electrode and a spaced ground electrode. The second electrode pad may have an active electrode and a ground electrode. The ground electrode of the first electrode pad may be electrically connected to the ground electrode of the second electrode pad.
US09297839B2
The disclosure extends to apparatuses, methods, systems, and computer program products for generating and optimizing irrigation protocols. The disclosure also extends to a system and method for detecting an expansion module in an irrigation system in accordance with the disclosed methods, systems, and computer program products for optimizing water usage in growing plants for yard and crops.
US09297830B2
A high voltage connector assembly includes a plurality of pin assemblies, each of the plurality of pin assemblies having a first end and a second end. The first end of each of the plurality of pin assemblies is configured to releasably electrically engage a load board. A plurality of pin pads, wherein the second end of each of the plurality of pin assemblies is configured to electrically engage a pin pad included within the plurality of pin pads. A plurality of connector pads are electrically coupled to the plurality of pin pads, wherein each of the plurality of connector pads is configured to be electrically coupled to a wire-based conductor included within a plurality of wire-based conductors. A potting compound is configured to encapsulate the plurality of connector pads.
US09297824B2
An accelerometer includes a mass, suspended by a beam, and associated conductive paths. Each conductive path is subjected to a magnetic field, such that, when a time varying signal is applied to the conductive paths, a characteristic resonant frequency is produced, and when the mass experiences an acceleration, a respective change in the resonant frequency is produced that may be interpreted as acceleration data. Embodiments include methods of manufacturing an accelerometer and systems and devices incorporating the accelerometer.
US09297821B2
A method and system for testing the functional capability of an analytical instrument uses first and second blind samples. Each blind sample is a test substance with an amount of a parameter to be tested that is unknown to the user. Each blind sample is provided with an identification means with a unique identification. When the blind samples are tested by the user in the instrument being tested, the measurement values obtained and the unique identifications read are compared against predetermined values that are accessible to a test program configured as software on the analytical instrument. By comparison of the measurement values and the predetermined values, the functional capability of the analytical instrument is determined and the result is transmitted to an output unit of the analytical instrument.
US09297818B2
A sample analyzer is disclosed that includes: a memory configured to store a record of maintenance already performed on the sample analyzer; a display; and a display control configured to control the display to display a first table which chronologically shows the record of maintenance already performed, wherein the first table is assigned a predetermined term, in the table the term is divided into a plurality of sections.
US09297814B2
Methods of screening human female subject for a risk of ovarian cancer are described. High levels of calcium in serum are shown to be significantly positively associated with the risk of ovarian cancer and can advantageously be used to triage women into risk categories for more intensive testing. Also included are preoperative methods of determining if an adnexal mass is likely to be malignant or benign.
US09297807B2
A kit for optically detecting proteins, in particular lipoproteins, in a sample, the kit comprising: a chip for performing a separation of the proteins, in particular of the lipoproteins, wherein the chip comprises at least one well for receiving the sample, and a separation channel coupled to the at least one well and being adapted for separating different compounds and a marker dye which contains a polymethine of the general formula (I) wherein Z is a substituted derivative of benzooxazole, benzodiazole, 2,3,3-trimethylindolinine, 2,3,3-trimethyl-4,5-benzo-3H-indolinine, 3- and 4-picoline, lipidine, chinadine and 9-methylacridine derivatives with the general formula IIa or IIb or IIc and wherein X is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Si, N-alkyl and C(alkyl)2, n is 0, 1 , 2 or 3, R1 to R14 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, alkoxy, cycloalkyl, linear or branched alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, heteroaryl, heterocycle, hydroxy, carboxy, amine, alkyl-substituted amine and cyclic amine and/or two or more fragments in ortho-position to each other, for example R10 and R11 or R4, R5 and R6, together form another cycloalkyl ring or ring system, heterocyclic ring or ring system, heteroaryl ring system or aromatic ring or ring system.
US09297800B2
A biomaterial structure containing a larger amount of biomaterial than the conventional art with maintaining the reactivity of the biomaterial is provided by linking particulate lumps in which the biomaterial is bound with a compound capable of binding to the biomaterial, wherein the particle diameter of the particulate lumps is 10 μm or smaller.
US09297794B2
A sorption exothermicity measurement device (1) mainly includes: an air pump (2) that supplies dry air; a bubbling instrument (3) that humidifies dry air and supplies humidified air; a reaction measuring instrument (4) into which air flows so that the dry air or the humidified air comes in contact with a sample (10) to be measured; and a flow rate measuring instrument (5) that measures the flow rate of at least the humidified air flowing into the reaction measuring instrument (4). The reaction instruments are connected by flow paths through which the dry air or the humidified air flows. Furthermore, at least a humidified air supply system needle valve (13) that regulates the flow rate of the humidified air is included.
US09297783B2
To provide a reagent applying device and a reagent applying method for electrophoresis analysis which make it possible to apply a reagent with a simple configuration at low cost. A reagent supplying device for supplying a reagent to the surface of a gel in electrophoresis analysis includes a reagent applying tool which is a plate-shaped body. The reagent applying tool includes at least one reagent holding section which penetrates the reagent applying tool in a thickness direction and which holds a reagent by capillary action, and a reagent spreading section for spreading, on the surface of the gel, a reagent supplied from a lower-side opening of the reagent holding section when the reagent applying tool is placed on the gel.
US09297770B2
A calorie estimating device for measuring a calorie content of a food item is provided. The device comprises a holder substrate, a transmitter antenna configured to transmit ultra-wide band (UWB) signals to at least a portion of the food item disposed on a side of the holder substrate, wherein the transmitter antenna comprises a planar antenna, a first receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals reflected by the food item, wherein the first receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna, and a second receiver antenna configured to receive at least a portion of UWB signals propagated through the food item, wherein the second receiver antenna comprises a planar antenna.
US09297764B2
The invention relates to a method for determining the maximum open circuit voltage and the power that can be output by a photoconverter material subject to a measurement light intensity, the method including the following steps: measuring the photoluminescent intensity of the material, measuring the absorption rate of the photoconverter material at a second wavelength substantially equal to the photoluminescent wavelength of the photoconverter material, determining the maximum open circuit voltage of the photoconverter material with the measurement light intensity by means of the absorption rate and the photoluminescent intensity measured at substantially the same wavelength; said invention being characterized in that the light source and the photoconverter material are arranged such that the angular distributions of the rays incident on and emitted by the lit surface of the material and collected by the detector are substantially identical.
US09297757B2
The invention relates to a device for measuring the concentration of a molecule, such as CO, NO or NO2, in a gaseous atmosphere at a temperature above 1200° C. in a chamber, said molecule having an absorption line at a wavelength between 4 and 8 μm, said device comprising an emitter that emits laser radiation with a wavelength corresponding to that of the absorption line, said emitter emitting the laser radiation through a first window and then through said atmosphere, said window being made of a solid material having, for a material thickness of 1 mm, a transmittance greater than 50% at the wavelength of the laser radiation, the laser radiation being analyzed after having passed through said atmosphere by an analyzer that determines the absorption of the laser radiation by the molecule in the gaseous atmosphere, the window being placed on or in a wall of the chamber, where appropriate via an insert, in order to prevent the hot atmosphere of the chamber escaping therefrom. The invention provides a continuous measurement during normal operation of the installation on which it is mounted. The device according to the invention may equip a glass furnace and continuously measure the concentration of gaseous species in the hot atmosphere during normal operation of the furnace. This allows the burners of the furnace to be adjusted during operation.
US09297752B2
In order to solve a problem that a local optical characteristic-changed region inside an object cannot be accurately estimated, an object observing apparatus includes: a light intensity information acquiring unit that acquires light intensity information received by each light-receiving probe; a light intensity change information acquiring unit that acquires, for each probe set, light intensity change information, from reference light intensity information and light intensity information; an estimating unit that acquires three-dimensional optical characteristic-changed region information, using the light intensity change information; and an output unit that outputs the optical characteristic-changed region information; the estimating unit including a correcting part that performs correction according to sensitivity attenuation in accordance with a depth; and a sparseness applying part that introduces sparseness for improving a space resolution, thereby acquiring the optical characteristic-changed region information. Accordingly, it is possible to accurately estimate a local optical characteristic-changed region inside an object.
US09297746B2
A reaction characteristic detector comprising a ladder assembly including a plurality of rungs, where each rung in the plurality of rungs comprises a reaction passage determiner spaced a distance from a point of an energetic material reaction initiation. Each reaction passage determiner has at least one characteristic that is configured to change in response to the reaction occurring proximate to the reaction passage determiner.
US09297741B2
A sensor device includes first and second electrodes, a coating film and a functional element. The first electrode includes a first metallic material in which either a first passivation film forms on a surface thereof or the first passivation film present on the surface thereof is lost, in association with changes in the pH of a measurement site. The second electrode includes a second metallic material different from the first metallic material, and is spaced apart from the first electrode. The coating film includes a third metallic material different from the first and second metallic materials. The coating film covers at least the first or second electrode. The functional element is configured to measure a difference in electric potential between the first and second electrodes that changes depending on presence or absence of each of the first passivation film and the coating film in association with the changes in pH.
US09297740B2
A particle detecting device includes a frame, a chamber that is disposed within the frame, a sample injection flow path for injecting, into the chamber, a fluid that includes particles, from a first inlet opening that is provided in the frame, an adjusting mechanism that adjusts a state of the fluid within the chamber by supplying a fluid, from which the particles have been removed, into the chamber through an adjusting flow path that connects to the chamber from a second inlet opening that is separate from the first inlet opening that is provided in the frame, and a detecting mechanism that detects particles included within the fluid, by shining a light into the fluid within the chamber.
US09297739B2
A method and device for estimating a porosity ratio of a sample of material from at least one gray-scale coded image. The method includes: evaluating an intermediate ratio of a sample for each value of a plurality of gray-scale threshold values lying between two determined limit values, the intermediate ratio being equal to a ratio of a number of pixels of the at least one image having a gray-scale value bounded by the threshold value to a total number of pixels of the at least one image; and estimating the porosity ratio of the sample by analyzing variations in the intermediate ratio as a function of the threshold value.
US09297736B2
To facilitate evaluation of a measurement condition in order to set an optimum measurement condition for each sample. A particle size distribution measuring device is provided with: an device main body that measures a particle size distribution of a sample; and an interface device that receives an input from an operator to perform drive control of the device main body, and receives a measurement result from the device main body to display the measurement result, wherein the interface device displays, in a graph, a relationship between values of operational parameters, which are to be set to measure the particle size distribution, and values of evaluation parameters obtained by using the measurement result from the device main body, which correspond to each of the values of the operational parameters.
US09297726B2
Disclosed is an exhaust sampling system including a plurality of exhaust sampling system zones. The zones are, at least, a sampling conduit, a fill circuit, and a read circuit. A controller is programmed to predict a minimum dilution ratio to avoid condensation in one of the exhaust sampling system zones. The controller is further programmed to run a test procedure in which a sample of exhaust is diluted with a make-up gas at a selected minimum dilution ratio that is greater than or equal to the predicted minimum dilution ratio. Further disclosed are methods of predicting whether condensation occurs during a test procedure.
US09297708B1
Methods and systems for use in monitoring a physical interface between a structural opening and a medium. A system is provided comprising a medium operable to pass through a plurality of structural openings and a sensing system associated with the medium. The sensing system includes at least one physical interface positioned at locations where the medium passes through one of the plurality of structural openings. The at least one physical interface includes at least one waveguide for monitoring changes to the at least one physical interface.
US09297704B2
A method and circuit for determining a working temperature of a device, the method comprising: providing a first signal to a device having a temperature-sensitive characteristic; performing a function on the first signal by the device; demodulating a second signal output by the device to obtain a third signal thus generating a signal having reduced 1/f noise component; and based upon the first signal and the second signal, determining a working temperature of the device.
US09297692B2
An evaluation system that includes a miniature module that comprises a miniature objective lens and a miniature supporting module; wherein the miniature supporting module is arranged, when placed on a sample, to position the miniature objective lens at working distance from the sample; wherein the miniature objective lens is arranged to gather radiation from an area of the sample when positioned at the working distance from the sample; a sensor arranged to detect radiation that is gathered by the miniature objective lens to provide detection signals indicative of the area of the sample.
US09297691B2
A fiber Bragg grating (FBG) interrogation method allows for high frequency dynamic measurement. The method may utilize a broad band light source connected to the sensing elements. Each sensing element may comprise two wavelength matching FBGs, a coupler, and a photodiode. The FBG closest to the light source may attenuate the central wavelength in the transmission spectrum and thus the reflection spectrum of the second FBG. Variations in intensity of the second FBG may be measured by the photodiode and can be calibrated to the desired measurands.
US09297690B2
The invention relates to a method in the check weighing of a weighing system. In the method, a hoist (15) equipped with a weighing system (14) is used to lift a load (27), which is weighed, and the value measured by the weighing system (14) is recorded. In the method, the weighing system (14) is adjusted as required, on the basis of the recorded values. A real load (28), which is weighed when not moving, is used as the load (27). The same real load (28) is also weighed during a normal movement while moving. A reference value is defined from these two weighings of the same real load (28), on the basis of which the weighing system (14) is adjusted if necessary and/or the precision probably achieved by the weighing system (14) is estimated. The invention also relates to a software product and an arrangement in the check weighing of a weighing system, and materials handling equipment.
US09297685B2
An oil level sensor comprises a body having a probe extending away from a nominal body portion. The probe receives a resistance thermal device and extends for a height away from the nominal surface. The probe has an outer dimension. The ratio of the outer dimension to the height is between 0.1 and 0.2. The RTD is connected to lead wires through splices, the lead wires leaving the nominal housing. A fastener tab extends away from the nominal body, and generally perpendicularly to the probe. The lead wires are anchored within a chamber, which is filled with a potting material.
US09297683B2
A portion distribution device for portioning substances from a container in pre-defined increments is disclosed. The portion distribution device includes a portion divider having a portion opening, and a measurement chamber body rotatively coupled to the portion divider. The measurement chamber body includes a plurality of chambers equal in volume and a base joined to the plurality of chambers, with the base constructed to be selectively connected to the container. The portion distribution device also includes a lid rotatively coupled to the measurement chamber body, with the lid further including a top surface having at least one lid opening formed therethrough, at least one flap operative to close the at least one lid opening, and a rod extending downward from the top surface, through the measurement chamber body, and coupled to the portion divider.
US09297671B2
A device and method for area sensing and actuation comprises highly scalable sensing and actuation network that can control a high density of sensing and actuation elements over a physical area. The device comprises a matrix of CMOS sensing chips that each comprise a plurality of sensing electrodes arranged in a matrix of columns and rows along horizontal wires and vertical wires. The vertical wires carry an activation signal to activate a column of sensing electrodes, and the vertical wires carry sensing and actuation signals between the column of sensing electrodes and a processing chip. The signals may be amplified by CMOS sensing chips between the source and destination of the signals. In this way, signals may be received from and sent to a dense matrix of sensing electrodes spanning a large geographic area with little or no degradation.
US09297670B2
A steering angle sensor comprising an annular drive gear, which rotates in accompaniment with rotation of a steering wheel, and further comprising a first driven gear and a second driven gear, which have magnets disposed therein and rotate in a driven manner in accordance with rotation of the annular drive gear, the steering angle sensor generating angle-of-rotation information of the steering wheel utilizing changes in magnetic fields based on rotation of the first driven gear and the second driven gear, wherein an intermediate gear that meshes with the annular drive gear, the first driven gear, and the second driven gear is interposed between the annular drive gear and the first driven gear and the second driven gear.
US09297668B2
An apparatus and method are provided for displaying a predicted image for rotocraft flight in consideration of data associated with a selected flight procedure and a current image.
US09297660B2
A system determines parameters representing the orientation of a solid in movement within a first vector field and a second vector field. A first triaxial sensor and a second triaxial sensor are connected to the solid and measure the components of the respective vector fields along the axes of the sensors, obtaining corresponding first and second vectors. A processor determines the rotation matrix of the solid, using a correction module for delivering a first corrected vector, and calculating a third vector which is not coplanar to the plane formed by the first corrected vector and the second vector, such that the angles of the axis system formed by the third vector and the first corrected vector and the second vector remain constant.
US09297659B2
A composite navigation system includes a first RFID apparatus, a GPS receiver, and a signal processing system. The first RFID apparatus includes an RFID chip and an antenna, a plurality of inclinometers, a plurality of linear accelerometers, and a plurality of angular accelerometers. The processing system includes a first RFID reader and a Kalman filter. The first RFID apparatus can communicate with the first RFID reader. The Kalman filter connects to the GPS receiver and the first RFID reader.
US09297654B2
Generally discussed herein are systems and apparatuses that are configured to and techniques for associating a SIGnal INTelligence (SIGINT) signal with an object or tracklet. According to an example a technique can include estimating Times of Arrival (ToAs) at each of a plurality of collectors of a first signal from each of a plurality of moving transmitters, each first signal transmitted from a transmitter on a tracklet extracted from video data and received at the plurality of collectors, wherein a location of each of the plurality of collectors is known, comparing each estimated ToA to a respective actual ToA of a SIGINT signal received at each of the collectors, or determining a likelihood that the signal corresponds to the SIGINT signal to determine whether the SIGINT signal was transmitted from a transmitter on the corresponding tracklet.
US09297653B2
Disclosed herein is a location correction apparatus and method. The location correction apparatus includes a reference object search unit for searching a pre-stored geographic object database (DB) for one or more objects corresponding to objects included in a captured image and setting a reference object to be used to correct a location among the one or more objects that have been found. A reference point extraction unit sets reference points from the set reference object. A location determination unit obtains an actual distance between the reference points and calculates a location using the actual distance, a distance between the reference points included in the captured image, and metadata of the captured image. Therefore, the present invention can improve positioning accuracy and can be applied to high-quality location-based services or space information services thanks to the improved accuracy.
US09297645B2
An apparatus and method for determining a depth of a region having a high aspect ratio that protrudes into a surface of a semiconductor wafer are provided. The apparatus comprises a multi-wavelength light source, a semiconductor wafer holder for holding a semiconductor wafer, a head for directing the light source onto the semiconductor wafer, a spectrometer for collecting light comprising multiple wavelengths reflected from the semiconductor wafer and analysis means for determining a depth of the region from an interference pattern of light reflected from the semiconductor wafer by performing Fourier domain optical coherence tomography.
US09297639B2
A mechanism that allows for precise motion of the optics of an interferometer is comprised by two or more diaphragm flexures having high lateral stiffness, creating a superior performing Michelson interferometer. When coupled with precise precision control of a mirror surface and a reference laser, the above creates a superior performing Fourier transform spectrometer.
US09297637B2
A sensor assembly for sensing a movable object which, in one embodiment, includes a housing defining an interior cavity. A rotor is retained in the cavity. The rotor defines a central bore and a magnet is mounted in an off-center pocket defined by the rotor. The rotor is coupled to the shaft of the movable object whose position is to be measured. A sensor is also retained in the cavity in a relationship at least partially overlying the magnet and adapted to sense at least the direction of the magnetic field generated by the magnet to generate an electrical signal indicative of the position of the movable object. In another embodiment, the rotor and sensor are mounted in separate interior housing cavities separated by an interior housing wall.
US09297636B2
The present invention relates to a resolver of an electric driving motor for vehicle which comprises a rotor, a stator comprising a stator main body which encircles the rotor and teeth which extend from the stator main body to be wound by a coil, a terminal module comprising a terminal end which contacts the coil for an electric connection and a terminal main body which supports the terminal end, and a connector module comprising a connector main body which is detachably coupled to the terminal main body and a lead line which is connected to an outer device and supported by the connector main body and which contacts the terminal end for an electric connection if the connector main body is coupled to the terminal main body, thus simplifying manufacturing process and repairing process and reducing cost.
US09297631B2
A spherical-form measuring apparatus includes a turntable 5, a holding unit 10 for holding the sphere 20, and a probe 6 for measuring a contour of a sphere part 22 of the sphere 20. The holding unit 10 includes a base part 12, a vertical holding part 14 and an inclined holding part 16 which are placed at separate positions on the base part 12. The vertical holding part 14 holds the stem part 24 of the sphere 20 with it set in a direction perpendicular to the turntable 5. The inclined holding part 16 holds the stem part 24 with it set in a direction at an angle. The vertical and inclined holding part 14, 16 are disposed such that their axial lines meet at an intersection point P and such that the distance from the point P to the vertical holding part 14 agrees with the distance from the point P to the inclined holding part 16.
US09297627B2
An ordnance firing system is disclosed that includes a reusable electronics module and an ordnance module, each enclosed in a separate, sealed housing. The electronics module housing encloses firing electronics for electrically triggering initiation of a detonator in the ordnance module. The electronics module detachably connects to the ordnance modules via a connector which extends away from the electronics module housing. The housing of the ordnance module is constructed to be blast-resistant to prevent detonation of the detonator from rendering the electronics module inoperable.
US09297626B2
Disclosed is a communication network for aquatic vessels. The network comprises an unmanned aquatic vehicle (UAQV) having a warhead. A fiber optic cable is bi-directional and in a closed ring configuration enabling communication within the network and to the UAQV. A power grid cable is in a closed ring configuration and coupled to a generator providing power. A node is coupled to the fiber optic cable and to the power grid cable. A relay station is coupled to the node and in communication with the UAQV. A control center is in communication with the UAQV and facilitates remote control of the UAQV, and programming of a navigational plan for the remote control of the UAQV prior to launch. The fiber optic cable, power grid cable, node and relay station are capable of being located underwater during operation. The UAQV is capable of being launched underwater from open water.
US09297624B2
A device and method introduces the use of conventional ammunitions to the archery/bow hunting industry. The device achieves stealthy delivery of firearm munitions and increases the firepower of standard arrows resulting in deeper penetration into a target. The device consists generally of a cylindrical housing threaded internally on one end for attachment to a firing pin assembly. A firing pin is slideably attached to the firing pin assembly. A cartridge is loaded into the housing until the flange on the cartridge casing abuts an interior shoulder. In an alternate embodiment, the interior of the housing further includes an annular retaining tab. The retaining tab separates the cartridge from the firing pin to prevent inadvertent discharge. A cap or nosepiece may be included to further protect the device from accidental discharge of the cartridge and to provide aerodynamic advantages. The housing further includes a set of stabilizing vanes.
US09297615B2
A riflescope aiming system that includes a telescopic sight, a multiple-zero-point elevation turret and an aiming reference system. The multiple-zero-point elevation turret includes a rotatable indicator carrier and a plurality of indicator pins secured to the indicator carrier, each indicator pin corresponding to a predetermined target distance. The aiming reference system is operably coupled to the objective housing of the telescopic sight and displays aiming reference data.
US09297614B2
A master module incorporates a laser, a power source, a control unit and a laser adjustment mechanism. The module is a single, compact unit designed to fit into a small casing.
US09297609B2
A hand guard attachment system for releasably attaching a hand guard to a firearm is disclosed herein. The system includes the hand guard having a proximal end configured to engage a forward end of a receiver of the firearm. The system further includes a tensioning assembly configured to interface between the hand guard and the forward end of the firearm. The tensioning assembly is further configured to selectively maintain an engaged position between the hand guard and the firearm such that the hand guard is releasably attached to the firearm without interfering with, or requiring removal of, the barrel and/or barrel nut connected to the receiver.
US09297606B2
An air supply system for use with an airsoft gun to power a pneumatic engine contained within a receiver of the airsoft gun. The air supply system includes a bottle of pressurized air that supplies the pressurized air at a first pressure to the pneumatic drive engine. A pressure regulator is located between the supply of pressurized air and the pneumatic drive engine and operates to reduce the pressure of the air from the first pressure to a second pressure. The pressure regulator is supported on the airsoft gun and allows the pressure of air supplied to the pneumatic engine of the airsoft gun to be selectively regulated. The pressure regulator includes an adjustment dial that allows an operator to change the pressure of air supplied to the airsoft gun. The pressure regulator can be located either on a stock of the airsoft gun, within a pistol grip of the airsoft gun or between the bottle of pressurized air and the receiver.
US09297598B2
The invention relates to a heat exchange laminate for use as a heat exchange member in a heat exchange unit, comprising a base layer extending substantially planar, said base layer being bilaterally coated with a contact layer. The contact layer is electrical conductive and is substantially non-metallic. At least one of the contact layers has an embossed contact surface. The invention further relates to the use of the heat exchange laminate and to a heat exchange unit and a printing system comprising such a heat exchange laminate.
US09297594B2
The invention relates to a collector plate (10) for a heat exchanger comprising a web (12) equipped with openings for the passage of tubes of the heat exchanger and a groove (14), known as a receiving groove, to accept a header tank cover, able to accept a gasket (104) and part of the cover and having a base (18) and two flanges, respectively an inner flange (16) and an outer flange (20) which are connected to the base (18). The inner flange (16) is connected to the web (12) and is subdivided into at least two disjointed portions, the two disjointed portions are separated by at least one recess (30), and the recess (30) between the two disjointed portions of the inner flange (16) is at least in the region of a site of the collector plate (10) that is intended to accept a bent part of the gasket (104). The invention also relates to a heat exchanger comprising the collector plate (10).
US09297585B2
A hood-type annealing furnace for the thermal treatment of cold-rolled steel strip includes a base, a protective hood which can be placed on the latter and under which a protective gas heated by a gas burner is circulated by a blower, to heat the steel strip, rolled up particularly into a coil, under the protective hood to a temperature of at least 500° C. in a protective gas atmosphere. An electric heater fed by the public power network has a heating capacity correspondingly substantially to the heating capacity of the gas burner. The protective gas can be independently heated with the electric heater, alternatively to the gas burner, with the gas burner switched off, to a temperature above the recrystallization annealing temperature. A method for operating a hood-type annealing furnace is also provided.
US09297584B2
A vessel used for containing molten metal, e.g. a trough section for conveying molten metal from one location to another. In some embodiments, the vessel employs refractory liner units of different thermal conductivity to maximize heat penetration into the molten metal from heaters in the gap, but to minimize heat loss at the inlet and outlet of the vessel where the end units contact the housing.
US09297573B2
An appliance includes a main body defining an access opening; a door movably attached to the main body and configured to close the access opening in a closed position, the door comprising a front, a back, a side surface extending from the front to the back, and a recess formed in the side surface, the back facing the main body when the door is in the closed position; and a water filtration system comprising a filter disposed in the recess.
US09297572B2
An appliance is provided. The appliance includes a cabinet, a door mounted to the cabinet and a handle. The appliance also includes features for pivotally mounting the handle to the door and for urging the door away from the cabinet when the handle pivots. The features can also assist with limiting or reducing a gap between the handle and the door.
US09297569B2
A system and method for cooling an environmental test chamber is described where a controller is in communication with an auxiliary cooling unit and the primary refrigeration unit. A first chamber temperature measurement associated with the environmental test chamber is received, and the heat load associated with a target temperature is determined. Based on the first chamber temperature measurement and the heat load, it is determined that the auxiliary cooling unit can sustain the target temperature. In response to the determination, the controller is used to transmit a signal to power on the auxiliary cooling unit and a signal to time out the primary refrigeration unit.
US09297567B2
A condenser assembly through which a refrigerant is circulated to transfer heat from the refrigerant to ambient air in which the condenser assembly is at least partially disposed. The condenser assembly includes a compressor, a crankcase heater energizable via a crankcase heater control circuit, a condenser, a condenser fan, and an electronically commutated condenser fan motor. The condenser assembly also includes an ambient temperature sensor for sensing at least one temperature of the ambient air, to provide a sensed temperature. The condenser assembly includes a condenser switch subassembly configured to control energization of the crankcase heater and the condenser fan motor. The condenser switch subassembly is controlled by the ambient temperature sensor. The condenser fan motor is controlled by a condenser fan controller that applies a first voltage or a second voltage to the condenser fan motor depending on whether a third conductor attached to the motor is energized.
US09297565B2
In various implementations, an air conditioning system may automatically adjust an amount of refrigerant using an accumulator. The air conditioning system may operate in at least two operation modes including a cooling operation and a reheat operation. The amount of refrigerant allowed to flow to a condenser of the system may be based at least partially on the operating mode of the air conditioning system.
US09297562B2
An electronic expansion valve includes a drive component including a screw rod which reciprocates axially and a nut which cooperates with the screw rod by screw threads, and a lower end of the screw rod forms the valve needle component. A sleeve is fixed in the main valve cavity, an upper portion of the sleeve cooperates with the nut, and a lower end of the sleeve is supported by the valve seat and surrounds the main valve port. The valve core seat is axially movably arranged in the sleeve, and the lower end of the screw rod extends into the sleeve to open and close the valve core valve port. The structural design of the electronic expansion valve prevents an excessive impact on a valve core seat caused by the refrigerant with high pressure when the refrigerant flows forward, thereby preventing the eccentricity of the valve core seat.
US09297542B2
A wall-mounted type air conditioner allows attachment and detachment of a fan without depending on a shape of a heat exchanger and without moving the heat exchanger. The air conditioner includes: a main body housing a fan; and a drain pan assembly. The drain pan assembly has: a peripheral part forming an outlet port to expel air from the fan; and a drain pan and is detachably attached to the main body. The main body includes, an opening part for withdrawing the fan. The drain pan assembly is attached to the main body with the outlet port facing the opening part. The outlet port peripheral part includes: an upper wall part located above the outlet port; and another outlet port.
US09297539B2
A sliding rack assembly includes an rack, a pair of retention members supporting the rack, and a pair of rear wall retainers. Each retention member includes a slide assembly and a retention plate fixed to the slide assembly. Each retention plate includes a front end for being toward an opening of the cavity and a rear end for being disposed toward a rear wall of the cavity. The rear end of the retention plate includes a holding feature. The rear wall retainers are for being fixed to the rear wall of the cavity. Each rear wall retainer includes a plurality of vertically spaced retention features. Each retention feature is for connecting with a holding feature of a retention member to prevent the retention members from tipping inwardly and separating from the rear wall retainers.
US09297538B2
Lighting for an oven door includes a light source and a design that is selectively illuminated by the light source. The light source is located in the oven door, and the design is etched in an oven door window.
US09297536B2
A combustor assembly for a gas turbine engine includes a static structure and an annular combustor extending around a central axis and located radially inwards of the static structure. The annular combustor includes an annular outer shell and an annular inner shell that define an annular combustion chamber there between. The annular combustor is free of any rigid attachments directly between the static structure and the annular outer shell. The annular outer shell includes a radially-outwardly extending flange. A stop member is rigidly connected with the static structure and is located adjacent the radially-outwardly extending flange such that axial-forward movement of the annular combustor is limited.
US09297530B2
Techniques, systems, apparatus and material are disclosed for generating oxygenated fuel. In one aspect, a method of producing an oxygenated fuel from biomass waste for use in a combustion system includes dissociating the biomass waste to produce one or more carbon donors. The biomass waste produced carbon donors are reacted with an oxygen donor to produce the oxygenated fuel comprising oxygenated carbon. Reacting the carbon donors with the oxygen donors includes applying waste heat recovered from an external heat source to the reaction of carbon donors and oxygen donor. The oxygenated fuel is combusted in the combustion system.
US09297525B2
The present invention is an LED module for channel letter illumination utilizing multiple through-hole LEDs in a pixel formation as a light source where one surface mounted LED or other forms of LEDs were previously used. The use of a number of small through-hole LEDs ideally requires that a beam angle between and including 15° and 180° in vertical and horizontal directions, respectively, be utilized. When multiple light sources are used on a module, the distance between light sources is to be between 20 mm and 1 cm. The use of several smaller LEDs reduces the current needed to generate light of appropriate intensity and, thus reduces energy cost and heat generation. The use of smaller LEDs also assists in excess heat dissipation.
US09297514B2
A lighting system having a reflector with a plurality of reflecting surfaces. The plurality of reflecting surfaces have at least one optical axis, and the reflecting surfaces further include a linearly projected cross-section along a respective linear axis. A plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) are positioned in a line generally parallel to the linearly projected cross-section of the plurality of reflecting surfaces. The LEDs are oriented relative to an associated reflecting surface such that a central light-emitting axis of the plurality of LEDs is angled relative to the at least one optical axis of the associated reflecting surface at about 45°. The reflecting surfaces redirect and collimate a light output of the plurality of LEDs at an angle of about 45° with respect to the central light emitting axis of the plurality of LEDs.
US09297506B2
LED-based light fixtures are presented that are configured for attachment to a substrate to advantageously function without a reflector and without a backing plate. A light fixture according to an embodiment includes a waveguide having a front surface and a rear surface for emitting light, the waveguide configured to optically couple to a surface of a substrate. The light fixture also includes at least one LED light source disposed on an edge of the waveguide to emit light into the waveguide. The waveguide is configured to emit a first portion of the light above the rear surface for reflection by the surface of the substrate back into the waveguide and through the front surface of the waveguide, and to emit a second portion of the light through the front surface.
US09297504B2
A luminaire for general lighting includes an illuminant having a first light emission surface and a second light emission surface. The illuminant includes an organic, light-generating region. The first light emission surface and the second light emission surface are arranged at two mutually opposite main surfaces of the illuminant. A first light emerges at the first light emission surface during the operation of the illuminant, and a second light emerges at the second light emission surface during the operation of the illuminant. The first light and the second light differ from one another with regard to color and/or color temperature. The first light and the second light leave the luminaire in mutually different emission directions.
US09297488B2
The invention relates to a hose guiding device in which a hose (203) that is filled with a gaseous medium is guided through a liquid (201) in horizontal sections. The horizontal sections are supported on a gripping device. The movement of the gripping device is transmitted to a sprocket (214) via chains (207) in order to introduce or discharge the kinetic energy.
US09297485B2
A connecting device for a washing machine or other apparatuses that connect to a water conduit includes a main body configured to connect to a water supply hose, having a passage through which water passes; a sealing unit in the main body, configured to contact the water conduit; a fixing unit in the main body, fixed to or in contact with an outer surface of the water conduit; and a tightening unit that screws onto the main body, configured to press and/or fix the fixing unit to the water conduit when the tightening unit is tightened. There is no need for a separate tool, because the connecting device is easily and conveniently connected by hand tightening the tightening unit.
US09297473B2
A coil (96) attracting an armature (80) is housed in a main body part (70). A valve part (82) adapted to rest on and move off a valve seat (74) is formed integral with the armature (80). The valve seat (74) is disposed at a location between a high-pressure path (78) and a low-pressure path (83). When the valve part (82) rests on the valve seat (74), the high-pressure path (78) and the low-pressure path (83) are disconnected from each other, while, when the valve part (82) moves off the valve seat (74), the high-pressure path (78) and the low-pressure path (83) communicate with each other. A through-hole (86) is formed in a portion of the armature (80) through which a smaller amount of magnetic flux from the coil (96) passes. A guide pin (102) secured to the main body part (70) engages with the through-hole (86).
