US09343746B2

Embodiments of the invention are directed to SOFC with a multilayer structure comprising a porous ceramic cathode, optionally a cathodic triple phase boundary layer, a bilayer electrolyte comprising a cerium oxide comprising layer and a bismuth oxide comprising layer, an anion functional layer, and a porous ceramic anode with electrical interconnects, wherein the SOFC displays a very high power density at temperatures below 700° C. with hydrogen or hydrocarbon fuels. The low temperature conversion of chemical energy to electrical energy allows the fabrication of the fuel cells using stainless steel or other metal alloys rather than ceramic conductive oxides as the interconnects.
US09343744B2

A binder, including a fluoropolymer, the fluoropolymer including a polymerization unit based on vinylidene fluoride and a polymerization unit based on a monomer having an amide group represented by —CO—NRR′ (R and R′ are the same as or different from each other and each represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group optionally having a substituent group) or an amide bond represented by —CO—NR″— (R″ represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group optionally having a substituent group, or a phenyl group optionally having a substituent group) and having a solution viscosity of 10 to 20,000 mPa·s. Also disclosed is a positive electrode mixture and a negative electrode mixture containing the binder, a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a lithium ion secondary cell.
US09343728B2

The present disclosure discloses a secondary battery and a manufacturing method thereof. According to the present disclosure, the influence of heat generated at a welding spot between an electrode tab and an electrode lead on the performance of a secondary battery may be minimized. Accordingly, in the design of a large capacity secondary battery, the battery performance may be close to an ideal condition.
US09343714B2

Disclosed herein is a secondary battery including two or more stacking-folding type cells (‘unit cells’) manufactured by winding small-sized electrode assemblies (‘bicells’) constructed in a stacking type structure in which electrodes having the same polarity are located at opposite sides of each electrode assembly and small sized electrode assemblies (‘full cells’) constructed in a stacking type structure in which electrodes having different polarities are located at opposite sides of each electrode assembly using a long separator sheet, wherein the unit cells are mounted in a battery case, each unit cell has one or more electrode terminals protruding from each end of each unit cell, and the unit cells are mounted in a receiving part of the battery case such that the unit cells are arranged in a stacking arrangement structure or a plane arrangement structure while the electrode terminals of the unit cells are connected with each other.
US09343712B2

A secondary battery is disclosed. In one aspect, the battery includes an electrode assembly including i) a positive electrode plate on which a positive active material is formed, ii) a negative electrode plate on which a negative active material is formed, and iii) a separator separating the positive and negative electrode plates. The battery also includes a can accommodating the electrode assembly, wherein the can has an inner surface facing the electrode assembly, an inner active material layer formed on the inner surface of the can and a securing layer covering the inner active material layer.
US09343707B2

An organic electroluminescent transistor is described. The organic electroluminescent transistor has a first and a second dielectric layer, a first and a second control electrode and an assembly having a source electrode, a drain electrode and an ambipolar channel. The ambipolar channel has a first layer of semiconductor material, a second layer of semiconductor material and a layer of emissive material arranged between the first layer of semiconductor material and the second layer of semiconductor material. The source electrode and the drain electrode are both in contact with only one of the two layers of semiconductor material.
US09343706B2

Provided is a device in which heat conduction from a sealant to a functional element is suppressed and whose bezel is slim. The sealing structure includes a first substrate, a second substrate whose surface over which a sealed component is provided faces the first substrate, and a frame-like sealant which seals a space between the first substrate and the second substrate with the first substrate and the second substrate. The second substrate includes a groove portion between the sealant and the sealed component. The groove portion is in a vacuum or includes a substance whose heat conductivity is lower than that of the second substrate.
US09343703B2

A method of preparing an organic light-emitting device having excellent sealing characteristics against external environment and flexibility.
US09343698B2

An organic EL display includes: a first insulating layer on a lower side as well as a second insulating layer on an upper side, the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer being provided to a display region and a peripheral region; a first separation groove provided in the first insulating layer between the display region and the peripheral region; a first conductive layer provided on the first insulating layer in the peripheral region, with a side face and a bottom of the first separation groove in between; a covering section in which at least a part of an end face of the second insulating layer is covered by the organic layer or the second electrode; and a sealing section provided on an outer edge side of the covering section, and formed by laminating the first conductive layer and the second electrode.
US09343679B2

A method for producing a multiple-surface imposition vapor deposition mask enhances definition and reduces weight even when a size is increased. Each of multiple masks in an open space in a frame is configured by a metal mask having a slit, and a resin mask that is positioned on a front surface of the metal mask and has openings corresponding to a pattern to be produced by vapor deposition arranged by lengthwise and crosswise in a plurality of rows. In formation of the plurality of masks, after each of the metal masks and a resin film material for producing the resin mask are attached to the frame, the resin film material is processed, and the openings corresponding to the pattern to be produced by vapor deposition are formed in a plurality of rows lengthwise and crosswise, whereby the multiple-surface imposition vapor deposition mask of the above described configuration is produced.
US09343669B2

Semiconductor devices and structures, such as phase change memory devices, include peripheral conductive pads coupled to peripheral conductive contacts in a peripheral region. An array region may include memory cells coupled to conductive lines. Methods of forming such semiconductor devices and structures include removing memory cell material from a peripheral region and, thereafter, selectively removing portions of the memory cell material from the array region to define individual memory cells in the array region. Additional methods include planarizing the structure using peripheral conductive pads and/or spacer material over the peripheral conductive pads as a planarization stop material. Yet further methods include partially defining memory cells in the array region, thereafter forming peripheral conductive contacts, and thereafter fully defining the memory cells.
US09343653B2

There is provided a piezoelectric element, including: a porous fluororesin film made of a first fluororesin; and a nonporous fluororesin layer stacked on at least one surface of the porous fluororesin film and made of a second fluororesin, wherein the first fluororesin is different in type from the second fluororesin, and when 50 pores are selected in descending order from a pore having the longest thickness-direction length, of pores present in a cut surface of the porous fluororesin film in a thickness direction, an average value A50 of thickness-direction lengths of the 50 pores is 3 μm or smaller.
US09343634B2

Disclosed are a light emitting device. The light emitting device comprises a board comprising a plurality of lead frames, a light emitting diode chip electrically connected to the lead frames, and a reflective member formed coupled on the board while surrounding the light emitting diode.
US09343623B2

The present invention relates to a horizontal LED device and a method of manufacturing the same. More particularly, the present invention relates to a high-power and high-efficiency horizontal LED device manufactured using the advantages of conventional horizontal and vertical LEDs, and a method of manufacturing the same.
US09343616B2

A method for forming a light emitting device includes forming a monocrystalline III-V emissive layer on a monocrystalline substrate and forming a first doped layer on the emissive layer. A first contact is deposited on the first doped layer. The monocrystalline substrate is removed from the emissive layer by a mechanical process. A second doped layer is formed on the emissive layer on a side from which the substrate has been removed. The second doped layer has a dopant conductivity opposite that of the first doped layer. A second contact is deposited on the second doped layer.
US09343610B2

The invention relates to a device for depositing a layer made of at least two components on an object, with a deposition chamber for disposing the object, at least one source with material to be deposited, as well as at least one device for controlling the deposition process, implemented such that the concentration of at least one component of the material to be deposited can be modified in its gas phase prior to deposition on the substrate by selective binding of a specified quantity of the at least one component, wherein the selectively bound quantity of the at least one component can be controlled by modifying at least one control parameter that is actively coupled to a binding rate or the component. It further relates to a device for depositing a layer made of at least two components on an object, wherein a device for controlling the deposition process has at least one gettering element made of a reactive material, wherein the reactive material includes copper and/or molybdenum. It further relates to a method for depositing a layer made of at least two components on an object, wherein a selectively bound quantity of at least one component is controlled by modifying a binding rate of a device for controlling the deposition process.
US09343602B2

The present invention provides a solar cell unit, which comprises a semiconductor plate of first-type doping or second-type doping; wherein the semiconductor plate has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; the semiconductor plate comprises a first-type doping region and second-type doping region, both the first-type doping region and the second-type doping region are located on the first surface of the semiconductor plate; a first sheet is provided on the side surface of the semiconductor plate that is adjacent to the first-type doping region, and a second sheet is provided on the side surface of the semiconductor plate that is adjacent to the second type doping region.
US09343596B2

A method for producing a radiation-emitting or radiation-receiving semiconductor component is specified. In a method step, a carrier body having a mounting surface is provided. In a further method step, a barrier frame is formed on the mounting surface, in such a way that the barrier frame laterally encloses a mounting region of the mounting surface. In a further method step, a radiation-emitting or radiation-receiving semiconductor chip is mounted within the mounting region on the mounting surface. The semiconductor chip is potted with a liquid lens material, wherein the lens material is applied to the mounting surface within the mounting region. The lens material is cured. The mounting surface, the barrier frame and the lens material are adapted to one another.
US09343593B2

An exemplary printable composition of a liquid or gel suspension of diodes comprises a plurality of diodes, a first solvent and/or a viscosity modifier. In other exemplary embodiments a second solvent is also included, and the composition has a viscosity substantially between about 100 cps and about 25,000 cps at about 25° C. In an exemplary embodiment, a composition comprises: a plurality of diodes or other two-terminal integrated circuits; one or more solvents comprising about 15% to 99.9% of any of N-propanol, isopropanol, dipropylene glycol, diethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1-methoxy-2-propanol, N-octanol, ethanol, tetrahydrofurfuryl alcohol, cyclohexanol, and mixtures thereof; a viscosity modifier comprising about 0.10% to 2.5% methoxy propyl methylcellulose resin or hydroxy propyl methylcellulose resin or mixtures thereof; and about 0.01% to 2.5% of a plurality of substantially optically transparent and chemically inert particles having a range of sizes between about 10 to about 50 microns.
US09343591B2

Silicon solar cells and contacts thereof are printed in at least a two stage printing process where the busbars and fingerlines may be printed separately. A reduction in silver content in busbars and fingerlines through use of the techniques of the invention have been realized, including the use of certain base metals, while maintaining low contact resistance similar to silve pastes.
US09343585B2

A highly reliable semiconductor device is provided. A semiconductor device is manufactured at a high yield, so that high productivity is achieved. In a semiconductor device including a transistor in which a gate electrode layer, a gate insulating film, an oxide semiconductor film containing indium, and an insulating layer provided on and in contact with the oxide semiconductor film so as to overlap with the gate electrode layer are stacked and a source electrode layer and a drain electrode layer are provided in contact with the oxide semiconductor film and the insulating layer, the chlorine concentration and the indium concentration on a surface of the insulating layer are lower than or equal to 1×1019/cm3 and lower than or equal to 2×1019/cm3, respectively.
US09343584B2

An object is to provide a semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor film, which has stable electrical characteristics and high reliability. A stack of first and second material films is formed by forming the first material film (a film having a hexagonal crystal structure) having a thickness of 1 nm to 10 nm over an insulating surface and forming the second material film having a hexagonal crystal structure (a crystalline oxide semiconductor film) using the first material film as a nucleus. As the first material film, a material film having a wurtzite crystal structure (e.g., gallium nitride or aluminum nitride) or a material film having a corundum crystal structure (α-Al2O3, α-Ga2O3, In2O3, Ti2O3, V2O3, Cr2O3, or α-Fe2O3) is used.
US09343569B2

Group IV semiconductor devices can be formed on a semiconductor-on-insulator substrate including a handle substrate containing a group IV semiconductor material. A cavity is formed to physically expose a top surface of the handle substrate through a stack, from bottom to top, of a buried insulator layer, a doped semiconductor material portion in a top semiconductor layer, and a dielectric material layer. A gate dielectric is formed around the cavity by a conformal deposition of a dielectric material layer and an anisotropic etch. A lower active region, a channel region, and an upper active region are formed by selective epitaxy processes in, and/or above, the trench and from the top surface of the handle substrate. The selective epitaxy processes deposit a compound semiconductor material. The doped semiconductor material portion functions as the gate of a vertical compound semiconductor field effect transistor.
US09343566B2

A semiconductor device including a gate insulating film; a gate electrode; a source region of a first conductivity; a drain region of the first conductivity type; a drift region of the first conductivity type formed between the channel region and the drain region; a first semiconductor region of a second conductivity type that encloses the source region, the drift region and the drain region, and includes the channel region; and a first shield wiring that encloses a portion of the source region in a plan view in conjunction with the gate electrode, the portion being not covered by the gate electrode, and is connected to the first semiconductor region, or that covers the portion and is connected to the first semiconductor region and the source region.
US09343564B2

A semiconductor device including a group III-V barrier and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device, the semiconductor device including: a substrate, insulation layers formed to be spaced apart on the substrate, a group III-V material layer for filling the space between the insulation layers and having a portion protruding higher than the insulation layers, a barrier layer for covering the side and upper surfaces of the protruding portion of the group III-V material layer and having a bandgap larger than that of the group III-V material layer, a gate insulation film for covering the surface of the barrier layer, a gate electrode formed on the gate insulation film, and source and drain electrodes formed apart from the gate electrode. The overall composition of the group III-V material layer is uniform. The barrier layer may include a group III-V material for forming a quantum well.
US09343563B2

Methods for forming a HEMT device are provided. The method includes forming an ultra-thin barrier layer on the plurality of thin film layers. A dielectric thin film layer is formed over a portion of the ultra-thin barrier layer to leave exposed areas of the ultra-thin barrier layer. A SAG S-D thin film layer is formed over the exposed areas of the ultra-thin barrier layer while leaving the dielectric thin film layer exposed. The dielectric thin film layer is then removed to expose the underlying ultra-thin barrier layer. The underlying ultra-thin barrier layer is treating with fluorine to form a treated area. A source and drain is added on the SAG S-D thin film layer, and a dielectric coating is deposited over the ultra-thin barrier layer treated with fluorine such that the dielectric coating is positioned between the source and the drain.
US09343560B2

Enhancement mode III-nitride devices are described. The 2DEG is depleted in the gate region so that the device is unable to conduct current when no bias is applied at the gate. Both gallium face and nitride face devices formed as enhancement mode devices.
US09343552B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are a semiconductor device, a FinFET device, and a method of forming a FinFET device. An embodiment is semiconductor device including a first FinFET over a substrate, wherein the first FinFET includes a first set of semiconductor fins. The semiconductor device further includes a first body contact for the first FinFET over the substrate, wherein the first body contact includes a second set of semiconductor fins, and wherein the first body contact is laterally adjacent the first FinFET.
US09343550B2

A semiconductor device includes an insulator formed within a void to electrically isolate an active fin from an underlying substrate. The void is created by removing a sacrificial portion formed between the substrate and the active fin. The sacrificial portion may be doped to allow for a greater thickness relative to an un-doped portion of substantially similar composition. The doped sacrificial portion thickness may be between 10 nm and 250 nm. The thicker sacrificial portion allows for a thicker insulator so as to provide adequate electrical isolation between the active fin and the substrate. During formation of the void, the active fin may be supported by a gate. The semiconductor structure may also include a bulk region that has at least a maintained portion of the sacrificial portion material.
US09343546B2

A semiconductor device includes a channel region extending in a vertical direction perpendicular to a substrate and having a nitrogen concentration distribution, a plurality of gate electrodes arranged on a side wall of the channel region and separated from each other in a vertical direction, and a gate dielectric layer disposed between the channel region and the gate electrodes. The nitrogen concentration distribution has a first concentration near an interface between the channel region and the gate dielectric layer.
US09343545B2

A memory array and a method for electrically coupling memory cell access devices to a word line. The memory array includes a source line electrically coupled to each source terminal of the memory cell access devices. The memory array also includes a first set of at least two vertical pillars positioned above and electrically coupled to the source line. A second set of vertical pillars electrically isolated from the source line and positioned such that the source line does not extend below the second set of vertical pillars is also included. Furthermore, gate terminals of the memory cell access devices laterally surround the first set of vertical pillars and the second set of vertical pillars. Finally, a first word line contact is positioned between two of the second set of vertical pillars. The first word line contact is electrically coupled to the gate terminals.
US09343542B2

A method for making an enhancement-mode transistor is described. The method includes forming a first III-V compound layer on a substrate and forming a second III-V compound layer on the first III-V compound layer. The second III-V compound layer is different from the first III-V compound layer. A gate stack is formed thereon. The forming of the gate stack further includes forming a diode having a pair of a n-type doped III-V compound layer and a p-type doped III-V compound layer. Source and drain features are formed on the second III-V compound layer and interposed by the gate stack.
US09343537B2

A device and method of forming the device using a split gate embedded memory technology are presented. The device includes two polysilicon layers, one for floating gate poly and the other for logic, HV and stack gate and split gate. An oxide-nitride-oxide process of the manufacturing method results in low reliability risk and good uniformity in the device. Moreover, embodiments of the manufacturing method have good controllability of the profile and critical dimension of select gates in production. Furthermore, there is no need to provide non-volatile memory and high-voltage protection for devices manufactured by embodiments of the manufacturing method of the present disclosure.
US09343533B2

The invention generally related to a method for preparing a layer of graphene directly on the surface of a semiconductor substrate. The method includes forming a carbon-containing layer on a front surface of a semiconductor substrate and depositing a metal film on the carbon layer. A thermal cycle degrades the carbon-containing layer, which forms graphene directly upon the semiconductor substrate upon cooling. In some embodiments, the carbon source is a carbon-containing gas, and the thermal cycle causes diffusion of carbon atoms into the metal film, which, upon cooling, segregate and precipitate into a layer of graphene directly on the semiconductor substrate.
US09343531B2

A field effect transistor includes a substrate, an isolation layer, a gate, a channel, drain and a source. The substrate has an active region having a rectangular area and at least one protrusion protruded from the rectangular area. The isolation layer is formed on the substrate and encircling the active region. The gate crosses the active region and is formed above a middle portion of the active region. The channel is formed in the active region directly under the gate, extends to the at least one protrusion, and divides the active region into a first section and a second section. The drain formed in the first section and the source formed in the second section.
US09343519B2

Provided is a method of manufacturing an organic light emitting display device. The method includes: providing a first substrate including: a display portion, and a non-display portion, forming a thin film transistor (TFT) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) in the display portion of the first substrate, providing a pad portion including: at least one pad contact portion at the non-display portion and electrically connected to the TFT, and a pad insulating portion between adjacent pad contact portions, providing an anti-moisture insulation layer entirely covering the first substrate, adhering an encapsulating substrate onto the anti-moisture insulation portion in correspondence with the display portion, and removing the anti-moisture insulation layer, at the pad contact portion, using a laser.
US09343512B2

A light-emitting device has a resonant structure including a reflection layer, an emitting layer and a semitransmissive reflection layer with the same optical length between the reflection layer and the semitransmissive reflection layer in all of regions from which light is emitted. The light emitting device further includes color filters through which light from the emitting layer having wavelengths of red, green and blue light is extracted, and a notch filter having the lowest transmittance for light having wavelengths in a region between red light and green light and wavelengths in a region between green light and blue light.
US09343504B2

Methods and structures of barrier detectors are described. The structure may include an absorber that is at least partially reticulated. The at least partially reticulated absorber may also include an integrated electricity conductivity structure. The structure may include at least two contact regions isolated from one another. The structure may further include a barrier layer disposed between the absorber and at least two contact regions.
US09343496B2

A solid-state imaging device and the production method capable of effectively suppressing color mixture between sensor portions, and a camera provided with the solid-state imaging device are provided: wherein the solid-state imaging device includes a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate, a second conductivity type epitaxial layer formed on the first conductivity type semiconductor substrate, a first conductivity type sensor portion formed in the epitaxial layer, and an active element formed in the epitaxial layer and for reading charges obtained by photoelectric conversion at the sensor portion.
US09343485B2

Solved is a problem of attenuation of output amplitude due to a threshold value of a TFT when manufacturing a circuit with TFTs of a single polarity. In a capacitor (105), a charge equivalent to a threshold value of a TFT (104) is stored. When a signal is inputted thereto, the threshold value stored in the capacitor (105) is added to a potential of the input signal. The thus obtained potential is applied to a gate electrode of a TFT (101). Therefore, it is possible to obtain the output having a normal amplitude from an output terminal (Out) without causing the amplitude attenuation in the TFT (101).
US09343483B2

A method for manufacturing a thin film transistor (TFT) array substrate having enhanced reliability is disclosed. The method includes forming a multilayer structure including at least one first metal layer and a second metal layer made of copper, forming a first mask layer including a first mask area corresponding to a data line and a second mask area corresponding to an electrode pattern to overlap with an active layer, patterning the multilayer structure, thereby forming the data line constituted by the multilayer structure, patterning the second metal layer, thereby forming the electrode pattern constituted by the at least one first metal layer, forming a second mask layer to expose a portion of the electrode pattern corresponding to a channel area of the active layer, patterning the at least one first metal layer, thereby forming source and drain.
US09343467B2

According to this embodiment, a semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, element formation regions that are formed in a line-and-space pattern in a surface layer portion of the semiconductor substrate to extend in a first direction, a coupling portion that is formed in the surface layer portion of the semiconductor substrate to couple the element formation regions adjacent to each other in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a source line that is disposed in an upper layer of the semiconductor substrate through an insulating film, a source line contact, having a circular shape or an elliptical shape, that is provided to electrically connect a source region pattern and the source lines by passing through the insulating film, when a region including the coupling portion and portions of the element formation regions coupled by the coupling portion is set to the source region pattern, and a bit line contact, having a circular shape or an elliptical shape, that is provided to electrically connect the element formation regions and a wiring layer located in an upper layer by passing through the insulating film.
US09343457B2

In order to provide a semiconductor device having a high ESD tolerance, a source wiring (32a) is formed on a gate (31) and a source (32) in a region of an NMOS transistor (30). The source wiring (32a) electrically connects the gate (31), the source (32), and a ground terminal. A drain wiring (33a) is formed on a drain (33) in the region of the NMOS transistor (30) . The drain wiring (33a) electrically connects the drain (33) and a pad (20) serving as an external connection electrode. Moreover, in the region of the NMOS transistor (30), the drain wiring (33a) has the same wiring width as the source wiring (32a).
US09343454B2

An electrostatic discharge protection structure includes: substrate of a first type of conductivity, well region of a second type of conductivity, substrate contact region in the substrate and of the first type of conductivity, well contact region in the well region and of the second type of conductivity, substrate counter-doped region between the substrate contact region and the well contact region and of the second type of conductivity, well counter-doped region between the substrate contact region and the well contact region and of the first type of conductivity, communication region at a lateral junction between the substrate and the well region, first isolation region between the substrate counter-doped region and the communication region, second isolation region between the well counter-doped region and the communication region, oxide layer having one end on the first isolation region and another end on the substrate, and field plate structure on the oxide layer.
US09343450B2

A wafer scale implementation of an opto-electronic transceiver assembly process utilizes a silicon wafer as an optical reference plane and platform upon which all necessary optical and electronic components are simultaneously assembled for a plurality of separate transceiver modules. In particular, a silicon wafer is utilized as a “platform” (interposer) upon which all of the components for a multiple number of transceiver modules are mounted or integrated, with the top surface of the silicon interposer used as a reference plane for defining the optical signal path between separate optical components. Indeed, by using a single silicon wafer as the platform for a large number of separate transceiver modules, one is able to use a wafer scale assembly process, as well as optical alignment and testing of these modules.
US09343447B2

An optoelectronic packaged device includes stacked components within a package including a package substrate providing side and a bottom wall. The stacked components includes a comb structure on the bottom wall formed from a material having a thermal resistance > a substrate material for the bottom die providing spaced apart teeth separated by gaps. The bottom die has a top surface including electrical trace(s) and a light source die for emitting light coupled to the electrical trace and a bottom surface on the comb structure. A first cavity die is on the top surface of the bottom die or on legs of the package which extend above the bottom wall. An optics die is on the first cavity die, a second cavity die is on a sealing die which is on the optics die, and a photodetector (PD) die is optically coupled to receive light from the light source die.
US09343441B2

Light emitter devices having improved light output and related methods are disclosed. In one embodiment, light emitter devices can include a light emission area including one or more light emitting chips. The emitter device can further include a filling material at least partially disposed over the one or more light emitting chips. The filling material can include a first discrete layer of phosphor containing material and a second discrete layer of optically clear material. The device can optionally include more than one discrete layer of optically clear material. Each of the discrete layers of material can be separately dispensed within the light emission area such that the filling material is dispensed to a level that is substantially flush with an upper surface of the emitter device.
US09343430B2

Wafer-level package devices are described that include multiple die packaged into a single wafer-level package device. In an implementation, a wafer-level package device includes a semiconductor device having at least one electrical interconnection formed therein. At least one semiconductor package device is positioned over the first surface of the semiconductor device. The semiconductor package device includes one or more micro-solder bumps. The wafer-level package device further includes an encapsulation structure disposed over and supported by the semiconductor device for encapsulating the semiconductor package device(s). When the semiconductor package device is positioned over the semiconductor device, each micro-solder bump is connected to a respective electrical interconnection that is formed in the semiconductor device.
US09343424B2

A method for forming voids corresponding to pads of SMT components is provided. The method comprises following steps: One or more condition parameters are inputted into a searching unit. The searching unit searches all of the pads with reference to the condition parameters to obtain a pre-selected group of pads. A judgment unit is provided to determine whether each pad of the pre-selected group of pads meets a pre-determined processing requirement to generate a to-be-processed group of pads. An execution unit executes a void formation step with reference to corner coordinates of each of the to-be-processed group of pads, so as to form at least a void at the portion of a contact surface corresponding to a corner of the pad. In an embodiment, four voids which are related to respective corners of each pad of the to-be-processed group are formed at the contact surface accordingly.
US09343420B2

Electronic devices including solder bumps embedded in a pre-applied coating of underfill material and/or solder resist are fabricated, thereby improving chip-package interaction reliability. Underfill can be directly applied to a wafer, enabling increased filler loadings. Passages formed in the underfill and/or solder resist coating expose electrically conductive pads or metal pillars. Such passages can be filled with molten solder to form the solder bumps.
US09343399B2

An integrated circuit device includes a substrate, and a first interlayer dielectric layer on the substrate that includes a first conductive layer and a second conductive layer. The integrated circuit device also includes a first conductive stack including a third conductive layer coupled to a portion of the second conductive layer with a first via. The integrated circuit device further includes a second conductive stack comprising a fourth conductive layer directly on a portion of the third conductive layer that is isolated from the substrate. The integrated circuit device also includes a second interlayer dielectric layer surrounding the third conductive layer and the fourth conductive layer.
US09343390B2

A device includes a semiconductor substrate having a front surface and a back surface opposite the front surface. An insulation region extends from the front surface into the semiconductor substrate. An inter-layer dielectric (ILD) is over the insulation region. A landing pad extends from a top surface of the ILD into the insulation region. A through-substrate via (TSV) extends from the back surface of the semiconductor substrate to the landing pad.
US09343385B2

A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device are disclosed. The semiconductor device includes a chip substrate, a mold, and a buffer layer. The mold is disposed over the chip substrate. The buffer layer is externally embedded between the chip substrate and the mold. The buffer layer has an elastic modulus or a coefficient of thermal expansion less than that of the mold. The method includes disposing a buffer layer at least covering scribe lines of a substrate, forming a mold over the substrate and covering the buffer layer, and cutting along the scribe lines and through the mold, the buffer layer and the substrate.
US09343377B1

A method includes forming an integrated circuit device having device circuitry disposed in a device circuitry area on a substrate and a destroyable circuit formed in a destroyable circuitry area on the substrate; testing at least one operational aspect of the device circuitry using the destroyable circuit; and destroying the destroyable circuit subsequent to testing the at least one operational aspect of the device circuitry.
US09343371B1

Methods are provided for fabricating fin structures. The methods include: fabricating at least one fin structure, the at least one fin structure having a doped middle portion separating an upper portion from a lower portion, and the fabricating comprising: providing an isolation layer in contact with the lower portion of the at least one fin structure; forming a doping layer above the isolation layer and in contact with the at least one fin structure; and annealing the doping layer to diffuse dopants therefrom into the at least one fin structure to form the doped middle portion thereof, wherein the isolation layer inhibits diffusion of dopants from the doping layer into the lower portion of the at least one fin structure.
US09343369B2

Methods for constructing three dimensional integrated circuits and related systems are disclosed. In one aspect, a first tier is constructed by creating active elements such as transistors on a holding substrate. An interconnection metal layer is created above the active elements. Metal bonding pads are created within the interconnection metal layer. A second tier is also created, either concurrently or sequentially. The second tier is created in much the same manner as the first tier and is then placed on the first tier, such that the respective metal bonding pads align and are bonded one tier to the other. The holding substrate of the second tier is then released. A back side of the second tier is then thinned, such that the back surfaces of the active elements (for example, a back of a gate in a transistor) are exposed. Additional tiers may be added if desired essentially repeating this process.
US09343363B2

Provided are methods for making a through-silicon via feature in a silicon substrate and related systems, such as by forming a noble metal structure on a silicon substrate support surface to generate silicon substrate contact regions that are in contact with or proximate to the noble metal structure; exposing at least a portion of the silicon substrate support surface and noble metal structure to an etchant to preferentially etch the silicon substrate contact regions compared to silicon substrate non-contact regions until the etch front reaches the silicon substrate bottom surface.
US09343358B1

A first stack of alternating layers including first insulating layers and first sacrificial material layers is formed on a substrate. Dielectric oxide layers applying compressive stress are formed on the top surface of the first stack and on the bottom surface of the substrate. A second stack of alternating layers including second insulating layers and second sacrificial material layers is formed over the top dielectric oxide layer. After formation of lateral recesses by removal of the first and second sacrificial material layers, a bottom dielectric oxide layer is removed. A conductive material applying a tensile stress is deposited into the backside recesses to form electrically conductive layers. The compressive stress applied by the top dielectric oxide layer partially cancels the tensile stress applied by the electrically conductive layers, and reduces the curvature of the substrate that has a concave bottom surface.
US09343355B2

A method of manufacturing a wiring structure may include forming a first conductive pattern on a substrate, forming a hardmask on the first conductive pattern, forming a first spacer on sidewalls of the first conductive pattern and the hardmask, forming a first sacrificial layer pattern on a sidewall of the first spacer, forming a second spacer on a sidewall of the first sacrificial layer pattern, removing the first sacrificial layer pattern, and forming a third spacer on the second spacer, may be provided. The third spacer may contact an upper portion of the sidewall of the first spacer and define an air gap in association with the first and second spacers. The first spacer has a top surface substantially higher than a top surface of the first conductive pattern. The second spacer has a top surface substantially lower than the top surface of the first spacer.
US09343353B2

Disclosed is a structure for improved electrical signal isolation between adjacent devices situated in a top semiconductor layer of the structure and an associated method for the structure's fabrication. The structure comprises a first portion of a trench extending through the top semiconductor layer and through a base oxide layer below the top semiconductor layer. A handle wafer is situated below the base oxide layer and a second portion of the trench, having sloped sidewalls, extends into the handle wafer. The sloped sidewalls are amorphized by an implant, for example, Xenon or Argon, to reduce carrier mobility in the handle wafer and improve electrical signal isolation between the adjacent devices situated in the top semiconductor layer.
US09343345B2

A wafer container an enclosure portion including a top wall, a bottom wall, a pair of side walls, a back wall, and a door frame opposite the back wall, the door frame defining a front opening, and a wafer support structure including two side wafer supports 5 each side wafer support including a removable backstop. The invention includes maintaining wafer containers by replacing the removable backstop. The invention includes converting shipping containers that ship large diameter wafers vertically to containers to be used in fabrication facilities that store wafers horizontally for robotic pickup for processing.
US09343344B2

The end effector device includes a hand having a storing space, and a plurality of holding portions provided to the hand and configured to respectively peripheral portions of each plate member. Each holding portion includes a plurality of receiving portions which respectively receive a plurality of plate members keeping vertical pitches among them, and a pitch changing mechanism configured to change intervals by vertically moving the plurality of receiving portions respectively. A plurality of linearly moving portions configured to respectively move linearly integrally with the plurality of receiving portions are provided to the hand being exposed outside of the hand, and a plurality of drive portions configured to drive the plurality of linearly moving portions of the pitch changing mechanism are stored in the storing space of the hand.
US09343342B2

A handler for testing a semiconductor device which is used when testing the fabricated semiconductor device. The handler for testing a semiconductor device includes a stacker to supply and accommodate a customer tray and a position selecting device to move the stacker and select a position of the stacker. By efficiently operating the stacker, the handler is able to continuously handle a large amount of semiconductor devices in a same testing process or continuously handle semiconductor devices in different lots, and equipment is prevented from becoming larger or having more complex designs so that required space, production costs and manpower are reduced and operating rates are improved.
US09343337B2

The invention relates to a device for coating a substrate using CVD, in particular for coating with diamond or silicon, wherein a neat conductor array composed of a plurality of elongated heat conductors (2) is provided in a housing (9), said heat conductors extending between a first (1) and a second electrode (6), wherein the heat conductors are held individually tensioned by a weight (4) attached to one end thereof. To increase the life of the neat conductors (2), the invention proposes that the weight (4) or the heat conductor (2) be guided at the second electrode (6), forming an electrical loop contact, in such a way that a vector of the weight force (G) produced by the weight (4) makes an angle (α) of no more than 45° with a direction of the longitudinal extension of the heat conductor (2).
US09343336B2

In a plasma processing apparatus including a processing room disposed in a vacuum vessel, a sample stage located in the processing room, a dielectric film disposed on the top surface of the sample stage and serving as the sample mounting surface of the sample stage, and a plurality of electrodes embedded in the dielectric film for chucking the sample to the dielectric film when supplied with electric power, a part of the sample is chucked by supplying electric power to at least one of the electrodes while the sample is mounted on the sample stage; the sample is heated up to a predetermined temperature; a larger part of the sample is chucked by supplying electric power to the other of the electrodes; and the processing of the sample using the plasma is initiated.
US09343323B2

In one embodiment, an aperture member producing method includes applying a charged particle beam to a plurality of chip areas on a first substrate while changing a writing condition to write a first pattern corresponding to an aperture opening, processing the first substrate based on the written first pattern to form a second pattern, cutting out a chip area provided with the second pattern having desired accuracy from the first substrate to produce a template, allowing the template to come into contact with a resist overlying a front surface of a second substrate, separating the template from the hardened resist to pattern the resist with a transfer pattern, processing the second substrate using the transfer pattern as a mask to form a first recess, and etching a rear surface of the second substrate to form a second recess communicating with the first recess.
US09343322B2

A memory device includes a plurality of stacks of alternating active strips and insulating strips. The insulating strips have effective oxide thicknesses (EOT) so that the stacks have non-simple spatial periods on a line through the alternating active strips and insulating strips. A plurality of conductive lines are arranged orthogonally over, and have surfaces conformal with, the plurality of stacks, defining a multi-layer array of interface regions at cross-points between side surfaces of the active strips in the stacks and the conductive lines. Memory elements are disposed in the interface regions, which establish a 3D array of memory cells accessible via the plurality of active strips and the plurality of conductive lines. The insulating strips in the stacks can include a first group of strips having a first EOT and a second group of strips having a second EOT that is greater than the first EOT.
US09343319B2

First, a product to be inspected is prepared. The product to be inspected includes a substrate and a first film formed on the substrate. TDS is performed while the temperature of the product to be inspected is raised to 1,000° C. or higher, and the quality of the product to be inspected is determined by checking for the presence or absence of a peak at 1,000° C. or higher. Meanwhile, the substrate is, for example, a semiconductor substrate such as a silicon substrate. In addition, the rate of temperature rise is, for example, equal to or higher than 40° C./min and equal to or lower than 80° C./min. The upper limit of the temperature of TDS is, for example, 1,300° C.
US09343317B2

A method of forming a silicon-containing dielectric material. The method includes forming a plasma comprising nitrogen radicals, absorbing the nitrogen radicals onto a substrate, and exposing the substrate to a silicon-containing precursor in a non-plasma environment to form monolayers of a silicon-containing dielectric material on the substrate. Additional methods are also described, as are semiconductor device structures including the silicon-containing dielectric material and methods of forming the semiconductor device structures.
US09343307B2

The disclosure is directed to laser spike annealing using fiber lasers. The method includes performing laser spike annealing of a surface of a wafer by: generating with a plurality of fiber laser systems respective CW output radiation beams that partially overlap at the wafer surface to form an elongate annealing image having a long axis and a length LA along the long axis; heating at least a region of the wafer to a pre-anneal temperature TPA; and scanning the elongate annealing image over the wafer surface and within the pre-heat region so that the annealing image has a dwell time tD in the range 30 ns≦tD≦10 ms and raises the wafer surface temperature to an annealing temperature TA.
US09343305B2

The invention relates to a method for the continuous coating of at least one substrate 14 with a semiconductor material e.g. CdTe. To this end a semiconductor material is sublimated in at least one crucible 30 in order to deposit it on a substrate, e.g. a glass panel. If the crucible 30 is filled with semiconductor material (16) during the deposition and/or evaporation, the set-up time required otherwise is then eliminated. Preferably used for carrying out the method is a CSS reactor comprising a crucible, a guide for substrates and at least one lock through which the crucible can be refilled during evaporation of semiconductor material from the crucible.
US09343303B2

Methods of forming strain-relaxing semiconductor layers are provided in which a porous region is formed in a surface of a semiconductor substrate. A first semiconductor layer that is lattice-matched with the semiconductor substrate is formed on the porous region. A second semiconductor layer is formed on the first semiconductor layer, the second semiconductor layer being a strained layer as formed. The second semiconductor layer is then relaxed.
US09343302B2

A method to provide a transistor or memory cell structure. The method comprises: providing a substrate including a lower Si substrate and an insulating layer on the substrate; providing a first projection extending above the insulating layer, the first projection including an Si material and a Si1−xGex material; and exposing the first projection to preferential oxidation to yield a second projection including a center region comprising Ge/Si1−yGey and a covering region comprising SiO2 and enclosing the center region.
US09343299B2

A method is provided for fabricating a semiconductor substrate by forming a porous semiconductor layer conformally on a semiconductor template and then forming a semiconductor substrate conformally on the porous semiconductor layer. An inner trench having a depth less than the thickness of the semiconductor substrate is formed on the semiconductor substrate. An outer trench providing access to the porous semiconductor layer is formed on the semiconductor substrate and is positioned between the inner trench and the edge of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor substrate is then released from the semiconductor template.
US09343295B2

A vaporizing unit, in supplying a gas material produced by vaporizing a liquid material onto a substrate to conduct a film forming process, can vaporize the liquid material with high efficiency to suppress generation of particles. With the vaporizing unit, positively or negatively charged bubbles, which have a diameter of 1000 nm or less, are produced in the liquid material, and the liquid material is atomized to form a mist of the liquid material. Further, the mist of the liquid material is heated and vaporized. The fine bubbles are uniformly dispersed in advance in the liquid material, so that very fine and uniform mist particles of the liquid material are produced when the liquid material is atomized, which makes heat exchange readily conducted. By vaporizing the mist of the liquid material, vaporization efficiency is enhanced, and generation of particles can be suppressed.
US09343292B2

Provided is a method of manufacturing a stacked semiconductor device, which includes forming a stacked film on a semiconductor substrate, the stacked film including a plurality of silicon oxide films and a plurality of silicon nitride films, which are alternately arranged on top of each other, and the stacked film being obtained by repeatedly performing a series of operations of forming the silicon oxide film on the semiconductor substrate using one of triethoxysilane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, hexamethyldisilazane and diethylsilane gases, and forming the silicon nitride film on the formed silicon oxide film; etching the silicon nitride films in the stacked film; removing carbons contained in the silicon oxide films, which are not removed in the etching, to reduce a concentration of the carbons; and forming electrodes in regions where the silicon nitride films are etched in the etching.
US09343278B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for quantitating detectable compounds of a sample. Sample product ion spectra are received for each mass selection window for each time step. The received sample product ion spectra are searched for the presence of known compounds of interest with known product ion spectra by retrieving the known product ion spectra from a library, retrieving the sample product ion spectra corresponding to the precursor mass selection window expected to contain a precursor ion corresponding to the known product ion spectra, generating product ion traces in time for the sample product ion spectra for the known product ion spectra, calculating a score for the product ion traces and product ion spectra that represents how well known product ions and sample product ions match, and calculating a quantitative value for the known compound from the product ion traces when the score exceeds a threshold value.
US09343261B2

A combined round-multipole magnetic lens comprises a coil bracket, a first pole piece and a second pole piece. At least a first pole shoe of the first pole piece on the coil support and at least a second pole shoe of the second pole piece under the coil support respectively extend towards the central axis. The first pole shoe and the second pole shoe are symmetric according to the central axis, or the first pole shoes and the second pole shoes are respectively symmetrically arranged, and the angle difference between the first pole shoe and the adjacent second pole shoes is 360/2N degrees. A magnetic circuit gap is formed between the first pole shoe and the adjacent second pole shoe, for generating a magnetic field distribution of multi-poles and reducing the volume and the number of power supplies.
US09343251B2

An electrical switching apparatus for bi-directional direct current switching and interruption includes separable contacts, an operating mechanism to open and close the contacts, and an arc chute. The arc chute includes two ferromagnetic side members each having a first side and an opposite second side, the first side of a second ferromagnetic side member facing the first side of a first ferromagnetic side member, a first permanent magnet disposed on the first side of the first side member, a second permanent magnet disposed on the first side of the second side member, and a single set of a plurality of arc splitter plates disposed between the permanent magnets. The permanent magnets are substantially smaller in size than each of the side members. The arc chute is divided into two arc chambers each of which is for a corresponding direction of DC flow through the contacts.
US09343247B2

A keyswitch includes a casing having a first magnetic area, a key cap, and a support device including first and second support members rotatably connected to the key cap and the base plate. The first support member has a receiving opening and a second magnetic area disposed within the receiving opening. When the key cap is not pressed, a magnetic attraction force between the first and second magnetic areas keeps the key cap at a non-pressed position. When the key cap is pressed by an external force, the key cap moves with the support device toward a pressed position. When the external force is removed, the second magnetic area moves toward the first magnetic area due to the magnetic attraction force such that the key cap moves with the support device from the pressed position toward the non-pressed position.
US09343242B2

A device 20 includes a substrate 22 coupled with a substrate 24 such that a volume 32 is formed between the substrates 22, 24. Contact posts 48, 50 on the substrate 22 and a cantilever beam structure 36 on the substrate 24 are located within the volume 32. The cantilever beam structure has a conductive trace 38 that is selectively contactable with the contact posts 48, 50 to yield a microelectromechanical (MEMS) switch within the volume 32. Fabrication methodology for making the contact posts 48, 50 entails forming post protrusions 68, 70 on the substrate 22 and shaping post protrusions 68, 70 so that they acquire a rounded shape. Input and output signal lines 42, 44 are constructed such that respective portions of input and output signal lines 42, 44 overly corresponding post protrusions 68, 70 and take on the shape of post protrusions 68, 70.
US09343238B2

A capacitor provides a plurality of selectable capacitance values, by selective connection of six concentrically wound capacitor sections of a capacitive element each having a capacitance value. The capacitor sections each have a respective section element terminal at a first end of the capacitive element and the capacitor sections have a common element terminal at a second end of the capacitive element. A pressure interrupter cover assembly is sealingly secured to the open end a case for the element and has a deformable cover with a centrally mounted common cover terminal and a plurality of section cover terminals mounted at spaced apart locations. A conductor frangibly connects the common element terminal of the capacitive element to the common cover terminal and conductors respectively frangibly connect the capacitor section terminals to the section cover terminals.
US09343236B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: a ceramic body; a first internal electrode is spaced apart from first and second end surfaces by a predetermined distance and includes first and second lead portions which are spaced apart from each other and exposed to a first main surface; and a second internal electrode is spaced apart from the first and second end surfaces by a predetermined distance and includes a third lead portion positioned between the first and second lead portions and exposed to the first main surface. The ceramic body may further include first and second dummy electrodes, a first dummy electrode being disposed on a dielectric layer on which the first internal electrode is disposed, and a second dummy electrode being disposed on a dielectric layer on which the second internal electrode is disposed.
US09343235B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: a ceramic body having upper and lower surfaces opposing each other in a thickness direction thereof and first and second end surfaces opposing each other in a length direction thereof, a thickness of the ceramic body being greater than a width thereof; a first external electrode disposed on the first end surface to allow a predetermined region of the first end surface adjacent to the upper surface to be exposed; a second external electrode disposed on the second end surface to allow a predetermined region of the second end surface adjacent to the upper surface to be exposed; and first and second internal electrodes disposed within the ceramic body, stacked in a width direction of the ceramic body, and connected to the first and second external electrodes, respectively.
US09343229B2

A multilayer ceramic capacitor may include: a ceramic body in which dielectric layers having an average thickness of 0.2 μm to 2.0 μm are stacked; an active layer configured to form capacitance by including first and second internal electrodes alternately exposed to both end surfaces of the ceramic body, having at least one of the dielectric layers interposed therebetween; an upper cover layer formed on the active layer; a lower cover layer formed below the active layer and being thicker than the upper cover layer; and first and second external electrodes covering the end surfaces of the ceramic body. At least one edge of the ceramic body in length, width, and thickness directions may be rounded. When a radius of curvature of the edge is defined as R and a thickness of the upper cover layer is defined as D, R/D may be in a range of 0.1 to 0.7.
US09343226B2

A wireless electronic device includes a rechargeable battery, a receiver, and a shut down module. The rechargeable battery is at least partially charged. The receiver is configured to enable wireless communications for the wireless device. The receiver is capable of receiving wireless commands configured to cause corresponding functions to be performed in the wireless electronic device, which may include test functions, calibration functions, and shut down functions. The shut down module is configured to cause the wireless electronic device to initiate a shut down protocol according to a shut down command received by the receiver.
US09343223B2

A reactor includes an annular core, coils, a sensor detecting a state of the reactor, and a connector outputting signal from the sensor. Resin-molded bodies are provided around the annular core. The resin-molded body has bobbins for the respective coils and core covering portions formed integrally with each other. An exposed area where no resin covers the bottom of the core is formed in the lower face of the covering portions. A holder to fasten the connector is formed integrally with the upper portion of the covering portion. An assembly including the resin-molded bodies in which the annular core is embedded, and the coils wound around the bobbins are retained in a metal casing. A clearance is formed between the assembly and the casing, and a filler is filled in this clearance. The filler covers the exposed area of the core bottom.
US09343217B2

An electromagnetic actuator with an armature unit (18) that can be driven relative to a stationary core unit (10) in reaction to the application of current to a stationary coil unit (14), which armature unit has a permanent magnetic agent (28) as well as a plunger unit (31), designed so as to interact with an actuation partner, guided out of a magnetically flux-conducting housing (35), wherein, on the outer surface of a shaft section (20) of the armature unit (18) a magnetically non-conducting bushing agent (32) is provided such that in a zero applied current state of the coil unit (14) a permanent magnetic flux (40) of the permanent magnetic agent (28) flows through the core unit (10) and the shaft section (20) so as to hold the armature unit (18) on the core unit (10), and in a state of the core unit (14) in which current is applied the permanent magnetic flux (40′, 40″) is displaced out of the core unit (10) into a housing section (50, 52) of the housing and a permanent magnetic flux circuit is closed by a section (54) of the plunger unit facing towards the housing.
US09343214B2

A magnetic article holder includes a first flexible panel, a second flexible panel, a plurality of pockets, a plurality of magnets, and a plate. The first flexible panel has a first outer surface and a first inner surface opposite to the first outer surface. The second flexible panel has a second outer surface and a second inner surface opposite to the second outer surface. The pockets are defined between the first inner surface and the second outer surface. The pockets are at least partially isolated from one another. The magnets are each respectively positioned in one of the plurality of pockets. The plate is spaced from the first outer surface. The plate is magnetically engaged with each of the first plurality of magnets.
US09343210B2

Three-phase magnetic cores for magnetic induction devices (e.g., transformers, coils, chokes), and methods for manufacturing them, are disclosed. The magnetic cores are generally constructed from three generally rectangular magnetic core frames having a stair-stepped configuration extending along side portions of the frames. The frames are arranged to form a triangular prism structure such that side portions of locally adjacent frames are uniformly engaged to form three core legs over which coils of a three-phase magnetic induction device may be placed.
US09343208B2

A method of manufacturing a chip resistor includes forming a resistor assembly in which a conductive member including portions separated from each other in a first direction is provided in a resistance body member; and dividing the resistor assembly into chip resistors, each including a chip-shaped resistance body formed by a part of the resistance body member, a pair of main electrodes formed by a part of the conductive member and separated from each other in the first direction, and a pair of sub-electrodes formed by a part of the conductive member, separated from each other in the first direction, and adjacent to the main electrodes in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction with concave portions recessed in the first direction interposed therebetween, by punching.
US09343199B2

An umbilical for use in the offshore production of hydrocarbons, and in particular to a power umbilical for use in deep water applications, is described comprising a plurality of longitudinal strength members, said strength members having one or more varying characteristics along the length of the umbilical. In this way, the longitudinal strength members in the umbilical can be provided to have for example a higher or greater tensile strength where required, usually nearer to the surface of the water or topside, while having lower or less tensile strength, and usually therefore lower or less weight, where higher or greater strength is not as critical.
US09343196B2

Provided is a resin composition with high dielectric insulation properties that has a dielectric constant of at least 20, a dielectric tangent of 0.1 or less, outstanding insulation properties (at least 1012 Ω·cm), and for use in electrical power, communication devices, and the like. A resin composition with high dielectric insulation properties comprises a constituent (A), which is 100 parts by mass of a polymer material that acts as a dispersion medium for constituent (B), and a constituent (B), which is 100-3000 parts by mass of a perovskite complex oxide powder comprising secondary particles formed by the mutual bonding of primary particles through sintering and represented by the formula: ABO3.
US09343187B2

In an illustrative embodiment, a pressurized water nuclear reactor (PWR) includes a pressure vessel (12, 14, 16), a nuclear reactor core (10) disposed in the pressure vessel, and a vertically oriented hollow central riser (36) disposed above the nuclear reactor core inside the pressure vessel. A once-through steam generator (OTSG) (30) disposed in the pressure vessel includes vertical tubes (32) arranged in an annular volume defined by the central riser and the pressure vessel. The OTSG further includes a fluid flow volume surrounding the vertical tubes and having a feedwater inlet (50) and a steam outlet (52). The PWR has an operating state in which feedwater injected into the fluid flow volume at the feedwater inlet is converted to steam by heat emanating from primary coolant flowing inside the tubes of the OTSG, and the steam is discharged from the fluid flow volume at the steam outlet.
US09343185B2

A memory having variable size blocks of failed memory addresses is connected to a TCAM storing data values of ranges of addresses in the memory. The ranges of addresses correspond to virtual addresses that, in combination with an offset, point away from failed memory addresses. A reduction circuit connected to the TCAM produces an output for each programmed range of addresses based on a virtual address. A priority encoder, connected to the reduction circuit, selects a first range from the reduction circuit and passes the first range to a random-access memory (RAM). Responsive to the virtual address bring an address in one of the ranges of addresses, the priority encoder passes the first range containing the virtual address to the RAM, which passes a corresponding offset value to the Adder based on the first range. The Adder calculates a physical memory address directing the virtual address to a functional memory location.
US09343184B2

Apparatus and methods for soft post package repair are disclosed. One such apparatus can include memory cells in a package, volatile memory configured to store defective address data responsive to entering a soft post-package repair mode, a match logic circuit and a decoder. The match logic circuit can generate a match signal indicating whether address data corresponding to an address to be accessed matches the defective address data stored in the volatile memory. The decoder can select a first group of the memory cells to be accessed instead of a second group of the memory cells responsive to the match signal indicating that the address data corresponding to the address to be accessed matches the defective address data stored in the volatile memory. The second group of the memory cells can correspond to a replacement address associated with other defective address data stored in non-volatile memory of the apparatus.
US09343183B2

A controller for a memory device has a power control section to control power to a memory element in an operation mode and in a retention mode. A monitoring section receives and monitors error information and a storage section stores a retention parameter. In the operation mode, the power control section causes an operation voltage to be applied to the memory element, and in the retention mode, the power control section causes a time-varying voltage to be applied to the memory. The power control section also causes the voltage across the memory element to change in the retention mode between a first retention voltage and a second retention voltage based on the retention parameter.
US09343179B2

A system and method for performing three scans for testing an address decoder and word line drive circuits is disclosed. The first scan determines whether only one word line is selected. The second scan determines whether the word line rise time to a target voltage level is within a specified time. Finally, the third scan determines whether the correct word line was selected.
US09343176B2

A low-pin-count non-volatile (NVM) memory with no more than two control signals that can at least program NVM cells, load data to be programmed into output registers, or read the NVM cells. At least one of the NVM cells has at least one NVM element coupled to at least one selector and to a first supply voltage line. The selector is coupled to a second supply voltage line and having a select signal. No more than two control signals can be used to select the at least one NVM cells in the NVM sequentially for programming the data into the at least one NVM cells or loading data into the at least one output registers. Programming into the NVM cells, or loading data into output registers, can be determined by the voltage levels of the first to the second supply voltage lines.
US09343164B2

A method and non-volatile storage system are provided in which the voltage applied to the source end of a NAND string depends on the location of the non-volatile storage element that is selected for sensing. This may be done without body-biasing the NAND string. Having the magnitude of the voltage applied to the source end of a NAND string depend on the location of the selected memory cell (without any body biasing) helps to mitigate failures that are dependent on which word line is selected during a sensing operation of one embodiment. Additionally, the magnitude of a read pass voltage may depend on either the source line voltage or the location of the selected memory cell.
US09343153B2

Data capacity efficiency is improved by de-duplicating data assigned with a code that is different for each data. A storage apparatus comprising a flash memory control device equipped with one or more flash memory modules, wherein the flash memory module comprises at least one flash memory chip for providing a storage area, and a controller for controlling writing/reading of data including user data and a guarantee code accompanying the user data to and from the storage area provided by the flash memory chip, wherein the controller respectively divides a plurality of the data having the common user data into the user data and the guarantee code, stores one of the user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area, and links and stores each of the guarantee codes accompanying the plurality of user data in an area of a predetermined unit of the storage area.
US09343151B1

According to another embodiment, a method of a reset operation for a RRAM is provided. The method includes the following operations: providing a first voltage to the dielectric side electrode of the resistor; and providing a second voltage to a gate of the transistor, wherein the first voltage in a second loop is lower than that in a first loop, and the second voltage in the second loop is higher than that in the first loop.
US09343141B2

Techniques are provided for programming memory cells while reducing the effects of detrapping which cause a downshift in the threshold voltage distribution. Detrapping is particularly problematic for charge-trapping memory cells such as in a 3D stacked non-volatile memory device. After completion of a full programming pass, a verify test is performed to identify cells for which reprogramming is warranted. The reprogramming includes a single program pulse for each target data state, where each program pulse is longer than in the full programming pass. The pulse widths can be optimized based on factors such as a programming speed or a threshold voltage distribution width from the full programming pass.
US09343140B2

One or more techniques or systems for boosting a read word line (RWL) or a write word line (WWL) of a two port synchronous random access memory (SRAM) bit cell array are provided herein. In some embodiments, a boosted control block is configured to generate a boosted word line signal configured to operate a RWL, a WWL, or a read write word line (RWWL). In some embodiments, the boosted word line signal includes a first stage and a second stage. For example, the first stage is associated with a first stage voltage level at a positive supply voltage (Vdd) voltage level and the second stage is associated with a second stage voltage level above the Vdd voltage level. In this manner, a read or write operation is boosted for an SRAM bit cell, because the second stage boosts a corresponding transistor in the SRAM bit cell, for example.
US09343138B2

A sense amplifier is provided which includes a first load supplied with a selection cell current from a read bit line connected to a selected memory cell; a second load supplied with a reference current from a reference read bit line connected to a reference cell, a resistance value of the second load being different from a resistance value of the first load; and a sensing unit configured to correct a level of the reference current based on a resistance ratio of the first and second loads and to compare the selection cell current and the corrected reference current.
US09343133B1

An example of a method reads a spin torque transfer (STT) memory cell, and writes the STT memory cell using information obtained during the reading of the STT memory cell to set a pulse to write the STT memory cell. An example of an apparatus includes a STT memory cell and read/write circuitry coupled to the STT memory cell to determine a read current (IREAD) through the STT memory cell and to set a pulse to write the STT memory cell using IREAD. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
US09343125B2

A memory macro includes a first data line, a second data line, a first switch and a voltage keeper. The first switch is configured between the first data line and the second data line. The voltage keeper is electrically coupled to the second data line. The voltage keeper is configured to control a voltage level at the second data line in response to the voltage level at the second data line during the first switch electrically couples the second data line to the first data line.
US09343118B2

A voltage regulator includes: a comparator configured to compare a feedback voltage with a reference voltage to output an enable signal and operate based on a bias current; a pass transistor turned on according to the enable signal and configured to output an external power voltage as an output voltage; a voltage distribution circuit configured to distribute and output the output voltage to an input terminal of the comparator; and a bias current control unit configured to control an amount of the bias current supplied to the comparator based on the output voltage.
US09343116B2

The present disclosure includes apparatuses and methods for providing power availability information to memory. A number of embodiments include a memory and a controller. The controller is configured to provide power and power availability information to the memory, and the memory is configured to determine whether to adjust its operation based, at least in part, on the power availability information.
US09343115B2

A memory array includes a resistive memory cell array having a first cell transistor and a resistance change element connected in series and a reference cell array having a second cell transistor and a resistance element connected in series. The second cell transistor of the reference cell array is connected to a reference source line, and the resistance element is connected to a reference bit line. A dummy memory cell is connected to the reference bit line in the memory cell array, and both ends of a resistance change element of the dummy memory cell are short-circuited through the reference bit line.
US09343099B2

A device including a magnetic structure, the magnetic structure having a substrate adjacent surface and a second, opposing surface, the magnetic structure having a near field transducer (NFT), wherein the NFT includes gold or an alloy thereof, and is positioned at the second surface an overcoat structure; and a film structure, the film structure positioned between the magnetic structure and the overcoat structure, the film structure having a total thickness of not greater than about 100 Å, and the film structure including: a first interfacial structure having a first and a second opposing surface; a second interfacial structure having a first and a second opposing surface; and an intermediate structure wherein the first surface of the first interfacial structure is positioned adjacent the NFT of the magnetic structure, and the second surface of the second interfacial structure is positioned adjacent the overcoat structure, and the intermediate structure is positioned between the first interfacial structure and the second interfacial structure, and wherein the first interfacial structure includes one or more rare earth elements, one or more alkaline earth metals, one or more alkali metals, or a combination thereof.
US09343097B2

A method according to one embodiment includes applying a coating to a media facing side of a module, the module having first and second transducers of different magnetic transducer types positioned towards the media facing side of the module, wherein the different transducer types are selected from a group consisting of data reader transducers, servo reader transducers, write transducers, piggyback read-write transducers and merged read-write transducers; wherein the coating forms at least a portion of a first protection structure for protecting the first transducer; and wherein the second transducer has either no protection or is protected by a second protection structure that is different than the first protection structure.
US09343076B2

Methods for generating a palette of feedback (IIR) filter coefficient sets and using the palette to configure (e.g., adaptively update) a prediction filter which includes a feedback filter, and a system for performing any of the methods. Examples of the system include an encoder, including a prediction filter and configured to encode data indicative of a waveform signal (e.g., samples of an audio signal), and a decoder. In some embodiments, the prediction filter is included in an encoder operable to generate (and assert to a decoder) encoded data including filter coefficient data indicative of the selected IIR coefficient set with which the prediction filter was configured during generation of the encoded data. In some embodiments, the timing with which adaptive updating of prediction filter configuration occurs or is allowed to occur is constrained (e.g., to optimize efficiency of prediction encoding).
US09343070B2

A sound transmission-based verification method comprises: a client receiving a data packet set generated by a server according to request information, and converting the data packet set into audio data and play the audio data; a dynamic password apparatus collecting the audio data played by the client, decoding the audio data to obtain data information, and when the information is integral, generating and outputting display information; after the client receives a dynamic password, the client sending the dynamic password to the server; and the server generating, according to the request information, a verifying dynamic password to verify whether the dynamic password is valid, and if the dynamic password is valid, performing an operation according to the request information.
US09343063B2

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for approximating an accent source. A system practicing the method collects data associated with customer specific services, generates country-specific or dialect-specific weights for each service in the customer specific services list, generates a summary weight based on an aggregation of the country-specific or dialect-specific weights, and sets an interactive voice response system language model based on the summary weight and the country-specific or dialect-specific weights. The interactive voice response system can also change the user interface based on the interactive voice response system language model. The interactive voice response system can tune a voice recognition algorithm based on the summary weight and the country-specific weights. The interactive voice response system can adjust phoneme matching in the language model based on a possibility that the speaker is using other languages.
US09343057B1

A vehicle audio quality system for suppressing sudden vehicle cabin noise is provided, as well as methods of using the system. The system includes: an arrangement of heterogeneous microphones and a noise cancellation module (NCM). The microphone arrangement includes: a first microphone and a plurality of secondary microphones. The NCM includes a controller and a non-transitory computer-readable medium for storing application software executable by the controller to improve the quality of desired cabin audio received by the first microphone, the software performing the steps of: receiving a desired audio input from the first microphone; receiving supplemental audio input via the plurality of secondary microphones that includes a sudden cabin noise input; and applying a suppression procedure to the sudden cabin noise input.
US09343040B2

A method of presenting an image on a display device having color channel dependent light emission comprising receiving an image input signal including a plurality of three-component input pixel signals; selecting a reduction color component; calculating a reduction factor for each input pixel signal dependent upon a distance metric between the input pixel signal and the selected reduction color component; selecting a respective saturation adjustment factor for each color component of each pixel signal; producing an image output signal having four color components from the image input signal using the reduction factors and saturation adjustment factors to adjust the luminance and color saturation, respectively, of the image input signal; providing a four-channel display device having color channel dependent light emission; and applying the image output signal to the display device to cause it to present an image corresponding to the image output signal.
US09343039B2

In accordance with some embodiments, a DisplayPort control plane may be supported over a Wireless Gigabit Alliance or other wireless air interface. Some embodiments may efficiently optimize the amount of wireless bandwidth needed to accomplish tasks.
US09343029B2

A gate driving circuit for an LCD device includes a shift register module for generating a plurality of scan signals corresponding to a plurality of channels according to a start signal and a clock signal, a plurality of logic circuits each corresponding to a channel of the plurality of channels, for outputting a driving signal to the channel according to a scan signal of the plurality of scan signals and a shutdown indication signal, and a plurality of shaping and delay units each coupled between two neighboring channels for outputting the shutdown indication signal to another channel after shaping and delaying the shutdown indication signal of a previous stage.
US09343024B2

A method of driving a liquid crystal display apparatus includes gamma-correcting first and second gray scale data using a first gamma value to generate first and second luminance data; generating sub luminance data based on a smaller value of the first and second luminance data; correcting the sub luminance data using a second gamma value larger than the first gamma value to generate sub correction luminance data; correcting the first luminance data using the sub or second luminance data to generate first correction luminance data; correcting the second luminance data using the sub or first luminance data to generate second correction luminance data; performing inverse gamma correction on the first, second and sub correction luminance data using the first gamma value to generate first, second and sub correction gray scale data; and providing first to third pixels with the first, second, and sub correction gray scale data.
US09343017B2

A driving method of an electrophoretic display device, where a first display state and a second display state are respectively selected as a display state of one pixel by applying a voltage with a positive polarity or a negative polarity, and a halftone between the first display state and the second display state is selected according to a total duration of the negative polarity voltage applied to a pixel in the first display state, including setting a display state of the one pixel to the first display state; applying a compensating voltage pulse with the positive polarity to the one pixel; and applying a first driving voltage pulse with the negative polarity to the one pixel; wherein, the applying of the compensating voltage pulse is executed between the setting of the display state and the applying of the first driving voltage pulse.
US09343016B2

A display device includes a plurality of common lines, a plurality of driving lines, a plurality of light emitting elements, a source driver, a sink driver, discharge devices, discharge limiting devices, and rectifying devices. The discharge devices are connected to the common lines and configured to lower voltage at the connected common lines. The discharge limiting devices are connected to the common lines and to the discharge devices, and apply a limitation so that the voltage at the connected common lines is not lowered below a prescribed value by the discharge devices. The rectifying devices are connected between the discharge devices and the discharge limiting devices, and the common lines, and pass a current from the common lines toward the discharge devices and the discharge limiting devices but do not pass a current from the discharge devices and the discharge limiting devices toward the common lines.
US09343009B2

An organic light emitting diode display device includes a display panel and a power supply. The power supply applies a first power supply voltage and a second power supply voltage to a first power supply voltage line. The first power supply voltage line includes a first extension, a second extension, and third extension. The first extension is disposed along a first direction from the first side portion to the second side portion. The first extension has a width that gradually decreases along the first direction. The second extension is disposed along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction. The third extension is disposed along a third direction that is opposite to the first direction. The third extension has a width that gradually decreases along the third direction.
US09342998B2

Techniques to annotate street level images with contextual information are described. A map application may comprise a street level component that when executed by a processor is operative to generate annotated street view images of a location. The street level component may comprise a street view component operative to generate a street view image from multiple street level images, the street view image having one or more objects located within the street view image. The street level component may further comprise a metadata component communicatively coupled to the street view component, the metadata component operative to generate a horizontal metadata panel having object metadata positioned in approximate vertical alignment with a corresponding object in the street view image, and combine the horizontal metadata panel with the street view image to form an annotated street view image. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09342988B2

A device comprising a computation unit for computing, for each of a plurality of different distances relative to a threshold of a landing runway along a lateral approach trajectory, a geometric altitude, using a measured and stored barometric altitude, a computation unit for computing a terrain height, by subtracting, from the computed geometric altitude, a measured and stored height, and a computation unit for determining a terrain profile from the set of terrain heights computed for the set of different distances.
US09342986B2

A driver assistance system takes as input a number of different types of vehicle environment inputs including positions of objects in the vehicle's environment. The system identifies possible outcomes that may occur as a result of the positions of the objects in the environment. The possible outcomes include predicted positions for the objects involved in each outcome. The system uses the inputs to determine a likelihood of occurrence of each of the possible outcomes. The system also uses the inputs to determine a current risk value for objects as well as predicted risk values for objects for the possible outcomes. A total risk value can be determined by aggregating the current and predicted risk values of an object weighted by the likelihood of occurrence. Total risk values for objects can be used to determine how the driver assistance system responds to the inputs.
US09342985B2

A traffic condition data providing method using a wireless communication device and a navigation device performing the method are disclosed. The navigation device includes a travelling path displaying unit that searches a travelling path to a destination set by a user and displays the travelling path on map data, a traffic condition data receiving unit that receives traffic condition data from a content managing server through a wireless communication device in response to a request of providing the traffic condition data over the travelling path, and a traffic condition data providing unit that provides the user with the received traffic condition data.
US09342983B1

A method, apparatus and a computer program product are described for providing visual presentation of driving related information, by detecting one or more driving events carried out by a driver of a moving vehicle; determining performance severity of the one or more driving events; classifying the one or more driving events according to pre-defined categories based on the respective performance severity of the one or more driving events; providing a visual presentation which comprises one or more concentric rings, and wherein the number of the concentric rings provides an indication that relates to recent driving performance of the driver.
US09342968B2

Systems (100) and methods (600) for detecting a location of an EAS security tag (112). The methods involve: determining a first amplitude of a response signal generated by the EAS security tag and received at a first pedestal (102a), and a second amplitude of the response signal received at a second pedestal (102b); processing the first and second amplitudes to determine whether the EAS security tag resides within a specified distance range of the first or second pedestal, a detection zone of an EAS detection system, or a backfield of the EAS detection system; issuing an alarm when the EAS security tag is determined to reside within the specified distance range of the first/second pedestal or the detection zone of the EAS detection system; and preventing issuance of the alarm when the EAS security tag is determined to reside in the backfield of the EAS detection system.
US09342960B2

Provided is a technique which can increase user utilization of an item lottery service by providing users with an intuitive screen for the item lottery service, and, at the same time, a new source of fun. A method for managing an item lottery service in accordance with one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of: displaying at least one item lottery apparatus for drawing lots for at least one item among the usable items in an online game on one part of an item lottery service screen of a user terminal; displaying an information screen with information regarding the usage of the item lottery service on one part of the item lottery service screen, other than the part where the item lottery apparatus is displayed; sensing usage input of at least one drawing of a lot from the user terminal for any one item lottery apparatus among at least one item lottery apparatus; and displaying, within the information screen, information for at least one item determined to be the winning item, according to the usage input, from among at least one winnable item from any one item lottery apparatus.
US09342956B2

A gaming system and method which maintains a plurality of progressive awards. Each progressive award is associated with a progressive award contribution rate wherein at least two of the maintained progressive awards are associated with different progressive award contribution rates. Upon an occurrence of a progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event, the gaming system shifts, modifies or changes which progressive awards are associated with which progressive award contribution rates.
US09342947B2

Systems and methods provide a game of chance based using information stream items such as items in a news ticker. Information stream items are received for display in a series of information stream items such as a news ticker. Game symbols are assigned to the information stream items based on the output of a random number generator. In response to determining that the game symbols assigned to the series of information stream items form a winning combination of game symbols, an account may be credited with cash or points.
US09342945B2

Gaming devices with virtualization managers are described herein. In one embodiment, a gaming device includes a plurality of operating systems, each of the operating systems to facilitate execution of one or more gaming applications. The gaming device also includes gaming device resources for use by ones of the plurality of operating systems and a virtualization manager to share the gaming device resources between the plurality of operating systems during virtually simultaneous execution of the plurality of operating systems.
US09342943B2

The present invention provides a banknote processing device that, even when banknotes are being processed based on commands from plural users, the banknotes that each user is responsible for handling may be easily identified. Namely, banknote processing device according to the present invention is connected with plural operation devices respectively operated by plural users and processes banknotes based on commands from the users inputted via the operation devices. The banknote processing device includes a conveyance section that conveys the banknotes and plural banknote storage sections that store the banknotes conveyed by the conveyance section. The plural banknote storage sections include: a first dedicated storage section that stores only banknotes processed based on commands from a first user among the plural users; and a second dedicated storage section that stores only banknotes processed based on commands from a second user among the plural users.
US09342941B2

A device for the acceptance of coins which allows the acceptance of individual coins as well as the acceptance of various coins for further processing of the coins, whereby the device includes a laterally moveable holding fixture. The holding fixture has both a side with a coin insertion slot, and a receptacle area for the reception of a plurality of coins.
US09342933B2

A system that enables a fleet of vehicles to be maintained is provided. The disclosed system allows a fleet operator to review the history of the vehicles in the fleet along with vehicle sensor data to identify earmarks in the vehicle sensor data that are predictive of faults that the vehicles have experienced. The operator develops statistical algorithms that can detect an earmark in vehicle sensor data. The system then collects vehicle sensor data and applies the statistical algorithms the vehicle data to determine if a potential fault is going to occur in a vehicle. In response to determining that a potential fault is going to occur, the disclosed system automatically alerts the vehicle driver, automatically schedules a maintenance visit, automatically checks the fleet inventory for components required for a maintenance visit and orders unavailable components, and automatically dispatches the components to the mechanic.
US09342928B2

Described herein are systems and methods for presenting building information. In overview, the technologies described herein provide relationships between Building Information Modeling (BIM) data (which includes building schematics defined in terms of standardized three dimensional models) and Building Management System (BMS) data (which includes data indicative of the operation of building components such as HVAC components and the like). Some embodiments use relationships between these forms of data thereby to assist technicians in identifying the physical location of particular pieces of equipment, for example in the context of performing inspections and/or maintenance. In some cases this includes the provision of 2D and/or 3D maps to portable devices, these maps including the location of equipment defined both in BIM and BMS data. In some cases, augmented reality technology is applied thereby to provide richer access to positional information.
US09342919B2

An image rendering apparatus may include a buffer memory unit and a processor. The buffer memory unit may store input ray data for image rendering according to a ray tracing scheme while shape data corresponding to the input ray data is being fetched from a cache. The processor may output the received shape data together with the input ray data to an operation apparatus.
US09342909B2

A computer-implemented system and method for grafting cluster spines is provided. Cluster spines, each having two or more clusters of documents, are obtained. A score vector is generated for each of the cluster spines based on the documents within the clusters for that spine. The score vectors of the cluster spines are compared. Those cluster spines that are sufficiently dissimilar from the other cluster spines based on the comparison are placed into a display. At least one remaining cluster spine is grafted onto one of the displayed spines such that no overlap of the placed spine and the remaining spine occurs.
US09342901B2

A method for generating a shader that is used by a rendering engine to render a visual representation of a computer model. A shader generation engine receives a set of surface data that describes a surface in view of various lighting conditions. The shader generation engine compresses the set of surface data to generate a compressed representation of the set of surface data based on a selected compression algorithm. The shader generation engine generates a shader based on the compressed representation that is configured to be implemented with a rendering engine, and generates a set of shader data based on the compressed representation that includes a set of material characteristics for coloring pixels of the visual representation. Advantageously, the shader generation process is simplified because different compression algorithm-rendering engine shader combinations can be generated without manually programming the shaders.
US09342896B2

Disclosed herein is an image processing apparatus including: a detection section configured to detect a motion area in a screen based on images taken, and output detection information; an accumulation section configured to accumulate the detection information for the past as outputted from the detection section; an area division section configured to divide the screen into an area where motions regularly occur and a motion-free area, based on the detection information for the past as accumulated in the accumulation section, and output area information; and an alarm management section configured to perform particular control based on the area information from the area division section and the detection information from the detection section.
US09342893B1

In general, embodiments of the invention comprise systems and methods for performing image segmentation from image data. According to certain aspects, methods of the invention include constructing a fragment tree representation of image data. An image is segmented into regions of pixels having similar image characteristics, called fragments, each fragment (region) is then compared to its neighbors to determine a graph or hierarchical relationship among all regions. Groups of fragments can be selected by an operator or automatically to define a signature of an object. This signature can then be used to search or traverse a fragment tree any image in order to identify similar objects either automatically or manually.
US09342848B2

The present invention includes acquiring a search word related to a product (S2), and referring to a memory means (12b) which stores position information of a store which provides a product and stock information of a product which the store has and searching for position information of a store which has a predetermined number of stocks of a product which is searched for by the acquired search word (S3 and S4). Further, the present invention includes generating map data (webpage 40) of a map on which information M1 indicating the stores is mapped in accordance with the position information of the searched store (S8), and outputting the map data (S13).
US09342846B2

Reconciling detailed transaction feedback by detecting a rating of a transaction, where the rating indicates a negative experience, mining the sentiment of words in feedback text that is included with or as part of the rating to detect whether the words indicate positive sentiment or negative sentiment, responsive to determining that the words in the feedback text indicate that the feedback text connotes a positive sentiment, adjusting the rating of the transaction. The mining may include testing words in the feedback text to detect whether the words indicate positive sentiment or negative sentiment by calculating a sentiment score.
US09342844B2

The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a method that receives at a server a first request to rebroadcast a first sponsored content item that was displayed on the social network to the first user to a second user. A second request to display at least one sponsored content item to the second user when the second user accesses an electronic document associated with the social network is received at the server. The first sponsored content item is retrieved for rebroadcast from one or more sponsored content items indicated for rebroadcast to the second user. The first sponsored content item is output to the second user of the social network in response to the second request to display and without requiring the second user to select the first sponsored content item for display.
US09342831B1

The present disclosure relates to systems, methods, and devices for sending and receiving payments using an integrated payment and messaging system. In particular, the integrated payment and messaging system allows users to send and receive electronic payments as well as exchange messages. For example, one or more implementations involve facilitating same day push-to-debit payment transactions between a user and a co-user. To illustrate, one or more implementations involve sending a push-to-debit request to credit funds for the payment amount of the payment transaction to a debit card of a co-user, the push-to-debit request being formatted for same day processing.
US09342819B1

A method for transmitting data to one or more users of a communications system by establishing a connection with one or more users; designating targeting rules applicable to online users; acquiring context information of online users; applying the targeting rules to the context information to identify targeted online users; and sending data to the targeted online users.
US09342815B2

The invention concerns a system for transmitting an electronic recommendation to members of a social network, the system having a user activity monitor (304) adapted to determine when a set of friends of a member in the social network accesses an item of media content or activity associated with at least one category and finds it of interest; a register arranged to store interest scores indicating an interest to the member of one or more items of media content or activities previously recommended to the member; and a recommendation manager (306) adapted to transmit an electronic recommendation relating to the item of media content or activity to the member based on the interest scores stored by the register relating to items of media content or activities of the at least one category previously recommended to the member by one or more of the set of friends.
US09342800B2

In an embodiment, a method is provided for storing information related to a decision making process. In this method, data items that are associated with a choice, a fact, and/or a decision are accessed. These data items are used in an application that provides a functionality associated with the decision making process. A relationship between the data items is then created based on a context in which the data items are used in the application. The data items and the relationship are stored in a common data structure that is accessible by a different application that provides a different functionality associated with the decision making process.
US09342796B1

Techniques are described for employing a crowdsourcing framework to analyze data related to the performance or operations of computing systems, or to analyze other types of data. A question is analyzed to determine data that is relevant to the question. The relevant data may be decontextualized to remove or alter contextual information included in the data, such as sensitive, personal, or business-related data. The question and the decontextualized data may then be presented to workers in a crowdsourcing framework, and the workers may determine an answer to the question based on an analysis or an examination of the decontextualized data. The answers may be combined, correlated, or otherwise processed to determine a processed answer to the question. Machine learning techniques are employed to adjust and refine the decontextualization.
US09342795B1

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for assisted learning for document classification are provided herein. A method includes analyzing a collection of documents within a document repository to identify a set of multiple documents corresponding to a sample document, presenting at least a portion of the set of multiple documents to a user for user classification, and calculating a confidence measure based on the user classification of the at least a portion of the set of multiple documents, wherein said confidence measure corresponds to a level of accuracy by which a document classification algorithm detects one or more documents related to the sample document.
US09342793B2

Embodiments relate to systems and methods for training a self-learning network using interpolated input sets based on a target output. A database management system can store sets of operational data, such as financial, medical, climate or other information. A user can input or access a set of target data, representing an output which a user wishes to be generated from an interpolated set of input data. The interpolation engine can generate a conformal interpolation function and input sets that map to the set of target output data. After interpolation, the interpolation engine can transmit the interpolated inputs, along with the set of target output data and other information, to a self-learning network such as a neural or fuzzy logic network. The self-learning network can be trained to converge to the target output based on the interpolated input results as generated by the interpolation engine, thus reproducing the desired interpolation function.
US09342792B2

For each pair of a plurality of slave lasers B for which injection synchronization is performed by a master laser M, by controlling the intensity of light exchanged between two slave lasers B and an optical path length between the two slave lasers B using a slave-to-laser intensity control unit IA and an inter-slave laser optical path length control unit IP, the magnitude and the sign of pseudo ising interaction Jij between the two slave lasers B are implemented. After the plurality of slave lasers B arrive at a steady state, by measuring relative values of the oscillation phases of the plurality of slave lasers B with respect to the oscillation phase of the master laser M by using an oscillation phase measuring unit PM, pseudo ising spins σi of the plurality of slave lasers B are measured.
US09342791B2

Methods and systems for trend aware self-correcting entity relationship extraction are disclosed. For example, a method can include receiving a selected entity, determining a plurality of entities related to the selected entity, determining a plurality of most probable entities, calculating relevance scores, and displaying a subset of the plurality of most probable entities. The selected entity can be received on a network-based transaction system. The plurality of entities related to the selected entity can be determined based on a relationship score. The relationship score can represent navigation transitions, aggregated over time, between the selected entity and each of the plurality of entities. The plurality of most probable entities can be determined based on probabilities. Relevance scores can be calculated for each of the plurality of most probable entities. Finally, the subset of the plurality of most probable entities to be displayed can be determined according to the relevance scores.
US09342789B2

A method, apparatus and product useful for classification reliability prediction. The method being a computer-implemented method performed by a processor, the method comprising: obtaining a prediction of a label for a dataset made by a classifier tool, wherein the classifier tool is aimed at predicting the label based on a classification model and in view of a set of features defining the dataset; obtaining a reliability prediction of a reliability label relating to the prediction of the classifier tool based on a reliability classifier tool, wherein the reliability classifier tool is aimed at predicting the reliability label based on a classification model and in view of a second set of features; and outputting to a user the label prediction and an associated reliability prediction.
US09342786B2

A method and system for selecting a batch of input data from available input data for parallel evaluation by a function is disclosed. The function is modeled as drawn from a Gaussian process. Observations are used to determine a mean and a variance of the modeled function. An upper confidence bound is determined from the determined mean and variance. A decision rule is applied to select input data from the available input data to add to the batch of input data. The selection of the input data is based on a domain-specific time varying parameter. Intermediate observations are hallucinated within the batch. The hallucinated observations are used with the decision rule to select subsequent input data from the available input data for the batch of input data. The input data of the batch is evaluated in parallel with the function. The resulting determined data outputs are stored.
US09342782B2

A method of operating a spiking neural network having neurons coupled together with a synapse includes monitoring a timing of a presynaptic spike and monitoring a timing of a postsynaptic spike. The method also includes determining a time difference between the postsynaptic spike and the presynaptic spike. The method further includes calculating a stochastic update of a delay for the synapse based on the time difference between the postsynaptic spike and the presynaptic spike.
US09342776B2

A method for storing or reading data in a memory array of a transponder and a corresponding transponder, read/write device and program element is described. Therein, a data structure for storing data within the memory array is defined by a predetermined protocol. The data structure comprises: a header data block including predefined header data; an application data block for storing application data; a memory control data block including a reservation indicator for indicating a reserved partial memory area of the memory array where, in accordance with the predetermined protocol, application data cannot be read or written by a protocol compliant reader device. The method for storing data comprises storing additional application data in the reserved partial memory area. Thereby, memory areas which, according to the predetermined protocol, are not used can be used for new applications, data can be hidden in these areas such that they cannot be read by protocol compliant reader devices and the data structure read or written by the method of the invention is compatible with the former predetermined protocol.
US09342759B1

Described is a system for improving object recognition. Object detection results and classification results for a sequence of image frames are received as input. Each object detection result is represented by a detection box and each classification result is represented by an object label corresponding to the object detection result. A pseudo-tracklet is formed by linking object detection results representing the same object in consecutive image frames. The system determines whether there are any inconsistent object labels or missing object detection results in the pseudo-tracklet. Finally, the object detection results and the classification results are improved by correcting any inconsistent object labels and missing object detection results.
US09342757B2

When a feature vector is converted to a reduced vector, a converting unit samples N components of interest from the M components of the feature vector, executes the process of calculating one component of the reduced vector from the N components of interest by d times to create the d-dimensional reduced vector and, the converting unit (1) excludes the components within a predetermined distance D in the same row as the previous component of interest sampled at the previous sampling, (2) excludes the components in the same column as the previous component of interest including the component k rows apart and within the distance (D−k) from the component k rows apart, and (3) samples the component of interest of this time from the remaining components after exclusion when sampling the component of interest.
US09342755B2

Embodiment for detecting duplicate images include systems for determining that two or more of the images have similar key attributes such as attributes related to certain data in the images or image quality. Further, the embodiments include superimposing at least a portion of a first image of the two or more images over at least a portion of the second image of the two or more images, comparing the first image and second image; and determining whether the first image and the second image are identical.
US09342751B2

Technology for a method of detecting a user hand by a user hand detecting device. The method according to an aspect of the present invention includes extracting a first mask image from a depth image in which the user hand is imaged; extracting a second mask image having a preset skin color value among regions corresponding to the first mask image in a color image in which the user hand is imaged; generating a skin color value histogram model in a color space different from a region of the color image corresponding to a color region of the second mask image; generating a skin color probability image of the different color space from the color image using the skin color value histogram model and an algorithm for detecting a skin color region; and combining the skin color probability image with the second mask image and detecting the user's hand region.
US09342749B2

Systems, apparatus, articles, and methods are described related to a hardware-based convolution pre-filter to accelerate object detection.
US09342733B2

Methods and Apparatuses are provided for a thin high contrast optical acquisition system for fingerprint recognition. In one embodiment, a method of capturing images of a fingerprint may include emitting light from a set of light sources to generate a scattered light from the fingerprint, determining a set of sensor arrays located between an inner boundary and an outer boundary from the set of light sources based on thickness and refractive index of one or more panels between the set of light sources and the fingerprint, activating the set of sensor arrays to capture the scattered light from the fingerprint, and processing the scattered light captured by the set of sensor arrays in parallel to generate a topography of the fingerprint.
US09342732B2

Techniques are disclosed herein for artificial intelligence machine learning to increase collection of digital livescan fingerprints. According to certain embodiments of the invention, processing parameters can be automatically machine optimized for processing scan images of fingerprints (and other areas) to increase the amount of detected minutia. The processing parameters can alter and change over time to reflect historical successes and failures of particular optimizations. This allows a fingerprint collection device to learn over time and become more accurate (i.e., more successful at detecting minutia). Optimizations made by numerous fingerprint collection devices may be gathered and processed (e.g. by a central compiling server or cloud) to create the updated parameters, which can then be propagated to the numerous fingerprint collection devices. Additionally, the techniques further include receiving input from a user regarding physical traits of a scanned subject, to further customize the processing parameter optimization. Various other features are provided herein.
US09342730B2

An identification apparatus keeps the conditions for imaging uniform among successive identifications, and requires a user to perform only a series of simple maneuvers. The apparatus comprises a guide member, a light source, and an imaging unit. The guide member includes a pattern or structure for a user to position his/her finger thereon or to approach his/her specific finger region thereto. A contact member is located in the guide member where a fingertip is positioned. An optical opening is formed at a position coincident with where a finger to be imaged should be placed. The light source radiates near-infrared light through the portion of the finger to be imaged. The imaging means acquires an image of the finger, and the apparatus compares the image to previously registered images. The apparatus may also include dual light sources power saving functionality, and means for limiting the interference of external light sources.
US09342725B2

An error correction method and a mobile communication device incorporating the error correction method. The error correction method begins with receiving fingerprint image information that includes a set of swatches. A first one of the received swatches is matched to a second one of the swatches at an edge. A measure of fingerprint image manipulation is determined responsive to an amount of processing to perform and an amount of fingerprint image error. Then the fingerprint image information is manipulated in response to an optimum value of the measure.
US09342724B2

Generally discussed herein are techniques, software, apparatuses, and systems configured for variable depth of field scanners. In one or more embodiments, a method can include exposing a light sensor of a barcode scanner for a specified time, altering a focal point of a variable focus element situated in the light path of the light sensor from a first focal point to a second focal point in the specified time, and processing an image of a barcode produced by the light sensor to deblur the image.
US09342723B2

An encoded information reading (EIR) terminal can comprise a microprocessor, a communication interface, an image processing circuit communicatively coupled to the microprocessor, a plurality of imaging assemblies communicatively coupled to the image processing circuit, and one or more memory blocks communicatively coupled to the image processing circuit. Each imaging assembly of the plurality of imaging assemblies can be configured to output image frame data. The image processing circuit can be configured to receive the image frame data from at least one imaging assembly, buffer the image frame data received from at least one imaging assembly in at least one memory block, and/or process the image frame data received from at least one imaging assembly. The EIR terminal can be configured to output image frame data comprising decodable indicia and/or decoded message data corresponding to the decodable indicia.
US09342719B2

The present invention provides a method and system for verifying and tracking identification information. In an embodiment of the invention, a system for delivering security solutions is provided that includes at least one of the following: a radio frequency (RF) identification device, an identification mechanism (e.g., a card, sticker), and an RF reader.
US09342712B2

A method, an apparatus, and a non-transitory computer readable medium for accelerating cryptographic processing are presented. A cryptographic algorithm is parallelized, which includes breaking the cryptographic algorithm into components, parallelizing an entire component if the component is fully parallelizable, parallelizing part of a component if the component is partially parallelizable, and sequentially executing a component if the component is not parallelizable. Processing of the parallelizable component or the partially parallelizable component is distributed to one or more parallelized devices. The parallelized devices include at least one of: a graphics processing unit or a cryptographic processing device, which may include an integrated cryptographic processor or a cryptographic co-processor.
US09342710B2

An apparatus, method and package for electronic tamper detection. In one example, an apparatus, device or package for electronic tamper detection includes: a first inductor positioned at a first distance from a first conductive surface; a first oscillator generating a first frequency in dependence upon the first inductor; and a comparator setting a tamper detected status if the generated first frequency is not within an error tolerance to a pre-stored first frequency. One example of a method for fabricating an electronic tamper detection apparatus, device, or package is also provided.
US09342706B2

Example secure desktop applications for an open computing platform are disclosed. An example secure desktop method for a computing platform disclosed herein comprises establishing a secure communication connection between a secure desktop provided by the computing platform and a trusted entity, the secure communication connection being accessible to a trusted application authenticated with the secure desktop, the secure communication connection being inaccessible to an untrusted application not authenticated with the secure desktop, and securing data that is stored by the secure desktop in local storage associated with the computing platform, the stored data being accessible to the trusted application and inaccessible to the untrusted application.
US09342702B2

A method for controlling an analysis system is presented. The method comprises receiving, by an encryption unit, authentication data of a user. In the case of a successful authentication, a user-specific security code is generated by the encryption unit. The security code is outputted by the encryption unit to the authenticated user. The security code and the user-ID are received by an authentication unit coupled to the analysis system via a user-interface coupled to the authentication unit. The security code is decrypted by the authentication unit. If the decrypted security code matches with the user-ID, the user is authenticated at the authentication unit and an authentication signal is generated by the authentication unit for permitting the user to initialize at least one function of the analysis system.
US09342701B1

The present invention relates to digital rights management (DRM) for content that downloaded and saved to a storage device. The storage may be a disk drive, or network attached storage. In addition, the storage device performs cryptographic operations and provides a root of trust. The DRM employs a binding key, a content key, and an access key. The binding key binds the content to a specific storage and is based on a key that is concealed on the storage. The binding key is not stored on the storage device with the content. The content key is a key that has been assigned to the content. The access key is determined based on a cryptographic combination of the content key and the binding key. In one embodiment, the content is provisioned based on the access key and stored in encrypted form in the storage device.
US09342688B2

Disclosed is a method for inheriting a non-secure thread context. In the method, a first secure monitor call associated with a first non-secure thread of a non-secure environment of a processing system is received. A first secure thread is created, in response to the first secure monitor call, that inherits a first interrupt state of the first non-secure thread.
US09342684B2

Systems and methods for authenticating access to multiple data stores substantially in real-time are disclosed. The system may include a server coupled to a network, a client device in communication with the server via the network and a plurality of data stores. The server may authenticate access to the data stores and forward information from those stores to the client device. An exemplary authentication method may include receipt of a request for access to data. Information concerning access to that data is stored and associated with an identifier assigned to a client device. If the identifier is found to correspond to the stored information during a future request for access to the store, access to that store is granted.
US09342682B2

A portable electronic device includes a display unit; an input detection unit that detects an input to the display unit, and a lock control unit that sets or releases a locked state for a part or all of functions of the portable electronic device when a predetermined input is detected by the input detection unit, wherein the predetermined input includes inputs, in which a preset screen operation is continuously performed by a predetermined number of times in an area of the display unit.
US09342671B2

A device and method to use a password by touch-less gesture are described. The device includes two or more ambient light sensors arranged at respective surface locations of the device, each of the two or more ambient light sensors measuring light intensity at the respective surface location. The device also includes a first processor to execute a password application on the device, and a second processor to detect two or more gestures performed by an object in touch-less communication with the device and define or verify a password based on the two or more gestures.
US09342664B2

A system, method and mobile application for conducting financial transactions wherein a mobile device operated by a user is operably coupled to a server over a mobile communication network. Both the server and the user's mobile device store a user encryption key (UEK) and a user access key (UAK). A software application stored on the user's mobile device and the server are configured to conduct a transaction wherein a session key (SK) specific to the transaction is exchanged in an encrypted form based upon the UEK. The software application is further configured to i) generate transaction data, ii) access the UAK stored on the mobile device, iii) encrypt the UAK and transaction data into an encrypted form based upon the SK, and iv) send the UAK and transaction data in encrypted form from the mobile device to the server over the mobile communication network in order to conduct the transaction.
US09342659B2

The present invention provides a method and a system for controlling the dispensation of medications from a medication dispenser, which includes medication packages containing medications to be taken at predetermined taking times. The method comprises several steps, including providing the medication dispenser with a medication profile of a patient and notifying the medication dispenser of a period of absence of the patient. Thereafter, the medications that should be taken by the patient during the period of absence are determined and the appropriate medications delivered to the patient.
US09342652B2

A system, method and apparatus for executing a sequence analysis pipeline on genetic sequence data includes a structured ASIC formed of a set of hardwired digital logic circuits that are interconnected by physical electrical interconnects. One of the physical electrical interconnects forms an input to the structured ASIC connected with an electronic data source for receiving reads of genomic data. The hardwired digital logic circuits are arranged as a set of processing engines, each processing engine being formed of a subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits to perform one or more steps in the sequence analysis pipeline on the reads of genomic data. Each subset of the hardwired digital logic circuits is formed in a wired configuration to perform the one or more steps in the sequence analysis pipeline.
US09342651B2

Disclosed are systems and methods for resequencing using color calls. A DNA sample is encoded and sequenced according to a multi-base code producing a string of read color calls for a fragment of the sample. A reference sequence is obtained. The string of read color calls is mapped to the reference sequence. A base sequence is extracted from the reference sequence. The base sequence is encoded as a string of reference color codes according to the multi-base code. The string of read color calls is aligned with the string of reference color codes and mismatches in the alignment are detected. One or more mismatches of the string of read color calls are annotated as inconsistent. The one or more inconsistent mismatches of the string of read color calls are corrected. The string of corrected read color calls is decoded to bases producing a read sequence.
US09342636B2

One embodiment of the invention provides a computer-implemented simulation system for discrete element modeling. The system comprises discrete elements corresponding to objects or particles, each particle having a predefined set of properties. The system further has an interface for receiving at least one behaviour model for applying to the particles, and for receiving from the at least one model, one or more custom properties for the particles. In response to receiving a custom property, the system extends the discrete elements to contain both the predefined set of properties and the custom property for the particles. The system performs a simulation by applying the at least one behaviour model to the particles and updating values of the predefined and custom properties. The values of the custom particle properties are stored with the default particle property values and can be analysed and visualised in the same way as the default property values.
US09342630B2

A system and method for monitoring and analyzing social network databases to determine actual key influencers is disclosed. Inputs are received from the user, which includes search keyword(s), time, date, language, area and country. Content corresponding to the user inputs is fetched from the social network databases. The fetched content is analyzed to identify a list of probable key influencers. Among the probable key influencers, actual key influencers are determined based on parameters associated with the probable key influencer. Reports may be generated based on the actual key influencers and the content they posted on the social network.
US09342629B2

A content searching chip and system based on a peripheral component interconnect (PCI) bus. The content searching chip includes a peripheral component interconnect interface module, a protocol conversion module, and a content storage module. The content storage module is connected to the protocol conversion module using an instruction bus and a data bus. The peripheral component interconnect interface module acquires a first processing layer data packet using the peripheral component interconnect bus; the protocol conversion module acquires the first processing layer data packet from a parallel bus provided between the protocol conversion module and the peripheral component interconnect interface module, parses and converts the first processing layer data packet to an operation request and data; the content storage module stores content, performs an operation according to the operation request, and returns operation response data; the instruction bus transmits the operation request, and the data bus transmits the data.
US09342626B1

Methods and apparatus for providing query suggestions to a user based on one or more past queries submitted by the user. Candidate query suggestions responsive to a current query may be identified. A candidate query similarity measure may be determined for a given candidate query suggestion based on matching entities related to the given candidate query suggestion and the one or more past queries. In some implementations, the similarity measure of the given candidate query suggestion may be based on a comparison of current entities of the given candidate query suggestion that match entities of one or more past queries, to a group of the current entities that includes entities that do not match the entities of one or more past queries. In some implementations a ranking of the candidate query suggestions may be determined based on the similarity measure.
US09342618B2

According to some embodiments, a method and apparatus are provided to receive a request to view a web page from a mobile device, determine characteristics associated with the user, select a web page layout based on the determined characteristics, and provide the web page based on the selected web page layout to the mobile device.
US09342614B2

Techniques are described for identifying one or more “interest twins” of a user. An interest twin of a user in another user that has demonstrated interests in items that are the same as or similar to the items in which the user has demonstrated an interest. Various techniques are described for reducing the overhead in interest twin determination operations. Once the interest twins for a user have been identified, the knowledge of the interest twins may be used in a variety of ways to enhance to experience of the user. For example, a mechanism may be provided which allows the user to see a list of items in which the user's interest twins have indicated an interest.
US09342611B2

Methods and systems for sending personal data using a symbology are disclosed. An entity computing device transmits a request to a remote computing device to define a transaction code and an associated symbology used to request personal data, which are returned to the requesting entity computing device. The entity displays the symbology in a manner accessible by a user. When a user scans the symbology using a user electronic device, the user electronic device determines the transaction code based on the symbology and transmits the transaction code to the remote computing device. The remote computing device identifies the user of the user electronic device and the personal data to transmit for the user with the user electronic device and transmits the personal data to the entity computing device, which uses the personal data to populate an online form or other construct.
US09342606B2

A computer system determines a category of users to which a user of a computer belongs. The computer system determines a relationship between the category of users and at least one program available for installation from the computer system. Based on the determined relationship, the computer system determines that at least one feature of the at least one program are of potential interest to the user of the computer. The computer system notifies the user of the at least one feature of the at least one program of potential interest.
US09342604B2

A collaborative search is disclosed. The collaborative search includes receiving a search request of a mobile terminal. Searching based on the search request to obtain search results. Obtaining a relationship list associated with an identifier of the mobile terminal. Obtaining search history information associated with members in the relationship list based on the relationship list and ranking the search results based on the search history information.
US09342598B1

An apparatus may include a memory device configured to store instructions, and a processing device that, in response to executing the instructions stored in the memory device, may be configured to perform operations. The operations may include identifying a first set of search results associated with a first user and identifying a second set of search results associated with a second user. The first set of search results may be compared with the second set of search results, and the second set of search results may be modified based, at least in part, on the comparison. The processing device may be configured to generate a modified version of the second set of search results that is displayed to the second user.
US09342597B1

Methods and apparatus related to associating an event attribute with a user based on a group of electronic messages associated with the user. An event may be associated with the group of electronic messages. One or more event attributes of the event may be determined, including an event location identifier that identifies a physical event location. One or more of the event attributes may be determined based on the group of electronic messages. Location data of the user may be identified and a likelihood that the user interacted with the physical event location may be determined based on comparing the location data of the user to the event location identifier. The likelihood that the user interacted with the physical event location and at least one of the event attributes determined based on the group of electronic messages may be associated with the user.
US09342594B2

An approach that indexes and searches according to a set of attributes of a person is provided. In one embodiment, there is an extensible indexing and search tool, including an extraction component configured to extract a set of attributes of a person monitored by a set of sensors in a zone of interest. An index component is configured to index each of the set of attributes of the person within an index of an extensible indexing and search tool. A search component is configured to enable a search of the index of the extensible indexing and search tool according to at least one of the set of attributes of the person.
US09342583B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products are provided for ranking distinct book content items based on implicit links to other distinct book content items. The implicit links are defined based on the identification of matching features in the distinct book content items. In some implementations, the matching features are uncommon phrases in textual content of the distinct book content items. Edges representing implicit links are generated between distinct nodes representing distinct book content items in a weighted graph. Search results for distinct book content items can be ordered based on the edges connected to the distinct nodes in the weighted graph that represent the distinct book content items.
US09342580B2

Techniques for analyzing media content are described. One technique generally comprises performing a regression analysis for characters in a plurality of media content based on user demographics, content outcome measure, and character models. The technique determines an attribute of significance. In some embodiments, the technique selects media content for display that depicts a character having at least a threshold value of the attribute of significance. In some embodiments, the technique displays media analytics for the attribute of significance determined based on a value of the attribute of significance exceeding a threshold significance value.
US09342579B2

Visualization techniques are provided for a clustered multidimensional dataset. A data set is visualized by obtaining a clustering of a multidimensional dataset comprising a plurality of entities, wherein the entities are instances of a particular concept and wherein each entity comprises a plurality of features; and generating an icon for at least one of the entities, the icon having a plurality of regions, wherein each region corresponds to one of the features of the at least one entity, and wherein a size of each region is based on a value of the corresponding feature. Each icon can convey statistical measures. A stabilized Voronoi-based icon layout algorithm is optionally employed. Icons can be embedded in a visualization of the multidimensional dataset. A hierarchical encoding scheme can be employed to encode a data cluster into the icon, such as a hierarchy of cluster, feature type and entity.
US09342575B2

A method routes data to an appliance in a high-availability active/active appliance cluster. Messages received by appliances are assigned by a self-balancing module to balance a load of appliances in the appliance cluster, which includes a persistent storing standby group and a transaction processing standby group. Persistent storing data, which is generated by processing the messages, are stored in a virtual persistent storage, which provides an interface between a persistent storage of a primary database appliance and an application for processing the messages. The virtual persistent storage is linked to the persistent storage of the primary database appliance in response to an appliance that receives the messages not being the primary database appliance, thereby sending persistent storing data to the persistent storage of the primary database appliance.
US09342551B2

Temporal qualities of electronic documents are verified using a variety of techniques, including human based feedback. The invention can be used in environments such as automated news aggregators, search engines, and other electronic systems which compile information having temporal qualities.
US09342550B1

A computer-implemented method for preventing data loss via temporary-file generating applications may include (1) identifying an application that is configured to update a file by generating a temporary file that includes updated content of the file and replacing the file with the temporary file, (2) detecting an attempt by the application to update the file by detecting an attempt by the application to generate the temporary file and/or an attempt by the application to replace the file with the temporary file, and (3) performing, in response to detecting the attempt by the application to update the file, a data-loss-prevention action on the file instead of the temporary file. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09342546B2

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, from a user, a search query requesting objects of a first object type. The search query includes an inner query requesting objects of a second object type. The method includes identifying objects of the second object type requested by the inner query using an inverted index of a data store corresponding to the second object type; identifying objects of the first object type requested by the search query using the identified objects of the second object type and a forward index of the data store corresponding to the second object type; and sending search results to the user responsive to the search query, each search result corresponding to an identified object of the first object type.
US09342543B2

A system, device, computer program product, and/or method generates display data that allows a user to ascertain relationship between related electronic information from among sent and received electronic information. The three-dimensional time series data processing system selects one electronic information, extracts electronic information relating to the selected electronic information from the electronic information database, calculates relevance between the sender of the selected electronic information and the sender of the extracted electronic information, and generates three-dimensional time series data for three-dimensionally rendering a relationship between the selected electronic information and the extracted electronic information as positional information of the respective extracted electronic information in a virtual three-dimensional space, where the sender, the send time and the relevance are axes. In addition, the three-dimensional time series data processing system renders three-dimensional time series data for relevance of electronic information in cylindrical coordinates and displays the data while modifying a viewing angle.
US09342540B2

In accordance with the disclosure, there is provided a system and method for creating and maintaining unique data repository comprising a matching process based on a set of predefined matching conditions and thereon performing an action type corresponding to the outcome of matching process. The present disclosure provides for real time data de-duplication and updation of unique data repository to obtain a unified view of unique and matching records.
US09342528B2

A system for storing file data and directory data received over a network includes a network interface in communication with the network which receives NAS requests containing data to be written to files from the network. The system includes a first type of storage. The system includes a second type of storage different from the first type of storage. The system includes a policy specification n which specifies a first portion of one or more files' data which is less than all of the files' data is stored in the first type of storage and a second portion of the data which is less than all of the data of the files is stored in the second type of store. The system comprises a processing unit which executes the policy and causes the first portion to be stored in the first type of storage and a second portion to be stored in the second type of storage. A method for storing file data and directory data received over a network.
US09342526B2

A mechanism is provided for providing storage resources of a storage management system. A storage service request is received comprising an indication of a service class. A determination is made of all resource managers mapped to the indicated service class according to a first mapping. For each of the determined resource managers: a determination is made of selected ones of all the storage resources controllable by the determined resource manager; monitoring data of the selected storage resources is gathered; the gathered monitoring data is compared for calculating a score for each one of the selected storage resources; and at least one function of the determined resource manager operable to control the storage resource having an optimum score is called.
US09342524B1

A method and apparatus for single instance indexing of backup images is provided. In one example, a content identifier is established for a file in the backup images. An index database associated with the backup images is queried with the content identifier. Content and metadata of the file is indexed if the content identifier is not in the index database. Only the metadata for the file is indexed if the content identifier is not in the index database. In one example, the content identifier comprises a file identifier defined by the metadata for the file. In another example, the content identifier comprises a checksum computed for the file.
US09342523B2

An object of the present invention is to enable a storage location for data, such as a file, to be specified by a simple operation using an identifier such as a two-dimensional code. A data storage device of the present invention is provided with a selecting section which selects arbitrary data, a reading section which reads an identifier, a recognizing section which recognizes a storage destination for the data from a result of reading by the reading section, and a storing section which stores the data in the storage destination recognized by the recognizing section.
US09342522B2

The invention relates to a computer-implemented system for analyzing an instance of a process in a network environment, wherein the instance of the process includes a screen-based user session (1000), the system including a screen process extractor (1005) adapted to extract during runtime of the instance of the process at least a part of the screen-based user session (1000) and to store it in a recording repository (1030), a source code repository (1050) adapted to store at least a part of the source code underlying the process corresponding at least in part to the instance of the process, and a mapping unit for mapping at least a part of the stored screen-based user session (1000) to the source code.
US09342517B2

A method is disclosed that includes receiving, from a device of a user, a request to transmit a multimedia file. The method also includes automatically generating a generated content descriptor based on an analysis of the multimedia file using at least one analysis parameter. The method includes determining whether the generated content descriptor satisfies filter criteria of a profile associated with the user. The method further includes rejecting the request to transmit the multimedia file when the generated content descriptor does not satisfy the filter criteria of the profile. The method includes transmitting the multimedia file along with the generated content descriptor when the generated content descriptor satisfies the filter criteria of the profile.
US09342516B2

Annotations can be automatically added to a media presentation during playback of the presentation without a user having to manually interact with the playback device. The playback device determines whether an annotation is to be added to the media presentation based on characteristics of voice input received at the device, such as voice input signal strength or variances in the voice input signal strength. Characteristics of video input received at the device can be used to determine whether a user is speaking to the computing device as well. The device can handle a new annotation overlapping an existing annotation by either removing the existing annotation or by shifting the existing annotation until there is no more overlap. A media presentation can comprise multiple annotation tracks.
US09342508B2

Localization techniques are described. In an implementation, data is parsed from a feed of data that is public and not localized. A template is formed from the data for each locale that is to be supported. The data that is localized for a particular locale is presented is based on a particular template for the particular locale.
US09342507B1

Some embodiments relate to identifying grammatical errors in text that has been automatically generated from a template. The text may be scanned to identify, for example, errors in punctuation, spacing, and capitalization. When an error in the text is identified, it may be corrected. Some embodiments relate to automatically formatting lists in text that is generated from a template. For example, a template may include a tag that specifies a list of elements. A formatting parameter may be determined that specifies whether to format the list as an enumerated list or a textual sentence. Output text may then be generated that includes the list in the proper format.
US09342506B2

Methods, systems and program product are disclosed for determining matching level of a text lookup segment with a plurality of source texts in a translation memory in terms of context. The invention determines exact matches for the lookup segment in the plurality of source texts, and determines, in the case that at least one exact match is determined, that a respective exact match is an in-context exact match for the lookup segment in the case that a context of the lookup segment matches that of the respective exact match. Degree of context matching required can be predetermined, and results prioritized. The invention also includes methods, systems and program products for storing a translation pair of source text and target text in a translation memory including context, and the translation memory so formed. The invention ensures that content is translated the same as previously translated content and reduces translator intervention.
US09342504B2

The invention enables creation of grammar networks that can regulate, control, and define the content and scope of human-machine interaction in natural language voice user interfaces (NLVUI). The invention enables phrase-based modeling of generic structures of verbal interaction to be used for the purpose of automating part of the design of such grammar networks. Most particularly, the invention enables such grammar networks to be used in providing a voice-controlled user interface to human readable text data that is also machine-readable (such as a Web page, a word processing document, a PDF document, or a spreadsheet).
US09342502B2

Embodiments described herein provide approaches for validating synonyms in ontology driven natural language processing. Specifically, an approach is provided for receiving a user input containing a token, structuring the user input into a semantic model comprising a set of classes each containing a set of related permutations of the token, designating the token as a synonym of one of the set of related permutations, annotating the token with a class from the set of classes corresponding to the one of the set of related permutations, and validating the annotation of the token by determining an accuracy of the designation of the token as a synonym of the one of the set of related permutations. In one embodiment, the accuracy is determined by quantifying a linear distance between the token and a contextual token also within the user input, and comparing the linear distance to a pre-specified linear distance limit.
US09342499B2

Systems and methods are provided for correcting a grammatical error in a text sequence. A first text sequence in a first language is received. The first text sequence is translated to a second language to provide a first translated text. The first text sequence is translated to a third language to provide a second translated text. The third language is different from the second language. The first translated text is translated to the first language to provide a first back translation. The second translated text is translated to the first language to provide a second back translation. A plurality of candidate text sequences that include features of the first back translation and the second back translation are determined. The plurality of candidate text sequences include alternative grammatical options for the first text sequence. The plurality of candidate text sequences are scored with the processing system.
US09342497B1

In an embodiment, a hierarchical user interface replaces a native one-dimensional horizontal navigation system with a multi-dimensional hierarchical tree structure for organizing and navigating spreadsheet workbooks. The interface allows users to visualize the full structure and content of workbooks, quickly navigate to and select sheets, and organize workbooks in a more logical manner than sequential tabs allow.
US09342496B2

Automatically completing a remainder portion of a name as it is being entered is disclosed. In some embodiments, in response to receiving at least a prescribed number of starting characters of a name being entered into a first cell as a reference name to refer to one or more other cells, a set of one or more valid reference names that begin with the received starting characters is determined and provided as auto-completion options. In such cases, a valid reference name is one that identifies using a supported syntax a spreadsheet document or a portion of a spreadsheet document.
US09342494B2

A user provides an annotation, such as text or graphics, in relation to a resource available on a computer network. The annotation is automatically stored and/or retrieved without requiring separate action from the user to accomplish the storage or retrieval. An annotation interface may receive the annotation from the user. The annotation is then stored in association with the user and the network address of the resource. The user's annotation may be later retrieved and displayed to the user based on the network address of the resource. In one specific embodiment, a browser toolbar receives and displays user annotations associated with Web sites or Web pages to which the user has navigated. Preferably, the annotation interface remains available to the user throughout the time in which the resource is provided. Further controls may enable the user to make an annotation publicly available to others, and to receive annotations from others.
US09342491B2

A method for enriching contents of a website includes obtaining a corpus from the current website and other websites, and extracting object features from the corpus, wherein the corpus comprises specifications of the object and user reviews about the object; according to the corpus, constructing multi-dimensional vectors for the extracted features; for a specified feature, making similarity comparison of its multi-dimensional vector and multi-dimensional vectors of other extracted features; determining features with similarities higher than a predetermined threshold as the same features, and reinforcing the current website with features different from that of the object on the current website and their corresponding attributes.
US09342483B2

Apparatus for and a method of processing sensor data, the method including: using a sensor, measuring values of a parameter over a region of interest to produce an image of the region of interest, the image having a plurality of pixels; for each pixel, determining an orientation of a gradient of the parameter, at that pixel, using the measured parameter values; for each of a plurality of predetermined ranges of gradient orientation values, determining a number of pixels that have a gradient orientation value within that range; identifying the predetermined ranges that correspond to a number of pixels above a threshold value; and for each identified predetermined range, identifying as corresponding to a feature of an object, pixels that have gradient orientation values within that predetermined range.
US09342479B2

Systems and methods of data extraction in a vector processor are disclosed. In a particular embodiment a method of data extraction in a vector processor includes copying at least one data element to a source register of a permutation network. The method includes reordering multiple data elements of the source register, populating a destination register of the permutation network with the reordered data elements, and copying the reordered data elements from the destination register to a memory.
US09342475B2

A system and a method are disclosed for generating an infrared signal on a mobile device. The infrared signal is generated on a mobile device by generating a bitstream based on information to be transmitted as an infrared signal. The bitstream is modulated and output on a bus to an infrared-emitting diode. The bitstream is processed in a software layer configured on the computing device, enabling the computing device to generate and process signals without additional hardware configured on the device.
US09342473B2

A parallel computer system includes a plurality of processors including a first processor and a plurality of second processors; and a crossbar switch provided with a plurality of ports; wherein the first processor transmits data to a first port among the plurality of ports, and transmits standby time information to the first port in the case where the plurality of second processors are unable to transmit data to the first port despite receiving a communication authorization notification from the first port, and the first port receives the standby time information, and after the standby time elapses, selects one of the plurality of second processors.
US09342459B2

A user visiting a space is equipped with a mobile device in communication with a service system. Media items held by the service system are associated with various locations around the space and a user arriving at such a location is presented with the corresponding item or items. Preferably, these media items are pre-emptively loaded into a cache of the user's mobile device in dependence on the user's progress around the space. Items can also be flushed from cache on this basis. Instead of, or as a precursor to, flushing an item from cache to free up space, the cache space occupied by an item is reduced by degrading it.
US09342454B2

In a multiprocessor data processing system having a distributed shared memory system, first and second nested memory transactions are executed, where the first memory transaction is a rewind-only transaction (ROT) and the second memory transaction is a non-ROT memory transaction. The first memory transaction has a transaction body including the second memory transaction and an additional plurality of transactional memory access instructions. In response to execution of the transactional memory access instructions, memory accesses are performed to the distributed shared memory system. Conflicts between memory accesses not within the first memory transaction and at least a load footprint of any of the transactional memory access instructions preceding the second memory transaction are not tracked. However, conflicts between memory accesses not within the first memory transaction and store and load footprints of any of the transactional memory access instructions that follow initiation the second memory transaction are tracked.
US09342442B2

A method of inputting data for a testing system is disclosed. The method includes coupling an information buffer to a device to be tested, transferring the device to be tested to a plurality of test stations in the testing system in turn, and obtaining the plurality of product identifications stored in the information buffer in each of the plurality of test stations.
US09342437B2

A method finds an error in a computer program. A plurality of execution breakpoints are set in the computer program. A portion of the execution of the computer program is simulated as recorded in the trace data in the reverse order until one a plurality of conditions is met, wherein one of the plurality of conditions is an attempt to execute a machine instruction associated with one of the plurality of execution breakpoints.
US09342436B2

A program code execution is monitored. Variable type and value information the one or more variables in the program code take during the execution of the program code are stored, and compiled over multiple execution of the program code as historical run-time execution traces. A code editor user interface may present the historical run-time execution traces for inspection, whether or not the program code is currently executing. Statistical properties associated with the variable type and value information may be computed. Future variable type and value the one or more variables might take during future execution of the program code may be predicted.
US09342434B2

Under the present invention, a first (e.g., unedited) set of code will be compiled and analyzed to produce a first set of results that includes a set of errors. A second set of code, which represent an edited version of the first set of code will be compiled and analyzed to produce a set of results that includes another set of errors. Thereafter, the second set of errors will be filters so that errors appearing from the compilation and analysis of the first set of code are excluded. This filtered set of errors can than be presented to the user. The present invention will leverage, among other things, a static code analyzer and a filtering tool to achieve these results.
US09342433B2

A processing device implementing an elapsed cycle timer in last branch records (LBRs) is disclosed. A processing device of the disclosure includes a last branch record (LBR) counter to iterate with each cycle of the processing device and an LBR structure communicably coupled to the LBR counter. The LBR structure comprises a plurality of LBR entries. Furthermore, an LBR entry of the plurality of LBR entries comprises an address instruction pointer (IP) of a branch instruction executed by the processing device, an address IP of a target of the branch instruction, and an elapsed time field that stores a value of the LBR counter when the LBR entry is created.
US09342430B2

Methods and apparatus for determining the state of a tile based deferred rendering processor are described. The method and apparatus include generating information indicating the state of the tile based deferred rendering processor when processing a unit of data during the geometry phase; generating an identifier that identifies the unit of data being processed during the geometry phase; storing the identifier identifying the unit of data processed during the geometry phase in association with the state of the tile based deferred rendering processor when processing the identified unit of data; generating information indicating the state of the tile based deferred rendering processor when processing the identified unit of data during the rasterisation phase; and outputting the stored identifier and the stored state information relating to the processing of the unit of data when the state of the tile based deferred rendering processor meets a condition.
US09342422B2

Instead of disabling PCI communication between system resources in a host computing device and I/O devices when a PCI Host Bridge (PHB) is reset, the host computing device may include a PCI communication path for maintaining communication between the system resources and the I/O devices. In one embodiment, the redundant PCI communication path includes a second PHB that is maintained in a standby state. The host may monitor the errors generated by a plurality of master PHBs and select a master PHB that satisfies an error threshold. The second PHB (i.e., a servant PHB) and the selected master PHB are synchronized, and the second PHB is coupled to the PCI communication path between the master PHB and a PCI switch. The master PHB can then be reset while the second PHB maintains PCI communication between the host and the I/O devices.
US09342420B2

A primary storage controller is maintained in a copy relationship with a secondary storage controller, wherein the primary and secondary storage controllers are coupled to a host that is configurable to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller determines occurrence of at least one condition in the primary storage controller, wherein the at least one condition occurs prior to a failure of the host to perform an Input/Output (I/O) operation with respect to at least one storage volume of the primary storage controller. The primary storage controller communicates the occurrence of the at least one condition to the host, wherein in response to the communicating the host is configured to determine whether to use the secondary storage controller instead of the primary storage controller based on the occurrence of the at least one condition.
US09342419B2

A method comprising using at least one hardware processor for managing persistent messaging data in a volatile memory, writing the persistent messaging data to a first section of a Fast Persistent Memory (FPM), responsive to the first section of the FPM approaching a full state, offloading the persistent messaging data from the first section of the FPM to a hard disk device (HDD), and erasing the persistent messaging data from the first section of the FPM, recording, in a second section of the FPM, an identifier of said offloading, responsive to receiving a request to erase or modify at least some of the persistent messaging data in the HDD, updating the identifier of the offloading in the second section of the FPM while leaving the persistent messaging data in the HDD intact, and responsive to a server failure, selectively reading at least some of the persistent messaging data from the HDD to the volatile memory, wherein the selective reading is based on the identifier of the offloading in the second section of the FPM.
US09342418B2

When a redundancy failures occurs in sequentiality-guaranteed data transfer, data transfer in a short period of time is resumed such that wherein when a factor by which the second storage device stops processing of the storage system is multiple failures of the two or more redundant control devices during a process of developing data to a storage medium in the second storage device, a session managing unit sets inconsistency as the copy session state, and a buffer managing unit sets the buffer data lost state, and when a data transfer process is resumed between the first storage device and the second storage device, the session managing unit sets consistency as the copy session state when the buffer data lost state is set by the buffer managing unit.
US09342407B2

A storage control apparatus includes a detection unit that detects a soft error of a memory for setting information included in a programmable logic circuit, when the soft error is detected, a communication control unit that changes a state of a communication path between the communication device and an upper device to a busy state, and a recovery processing unit that performs recovery processing of the memory for setting information of the programmable logic circuit, thereby efficiently resolving a soft error of the programmable logic circuit.
US09342405B2

A hierarchical compression tester and associated method employs a grid-based storage capacity wherein a storage unit is defined by a grouping of data blocks. Each data block is stored in one of a plurality of storage devices. Each stored data block has a data portion and a data integrity field (DIF) including a data reliability qualifier (DRQ) indicating whether the respective data portion is valid. The tester also has a logical device allocation map that includes a storage unit descriptor array that identifies one or more storage units corresponding to a selected logical address. The logical device allocation map has a DIF array that identifies whether any of the data blocks in the one or more storage units corresponding to the selected logical address includes invalid data.
US09342404B2

A decoding method, a memory storage device and a memory controlling circuit unit are provided. First, memory cells are read to obtain verification bits. A first hard bit mode decoding procedure is performed according to the verification bits and whether the first hard bit mode decoding procedure generates a first valid codeword is determined by a first correcting circuit. If the first valid codeword is generated, the first valid codeword is outputted. If the first valid codeword is not generated, a second hard bit mode decoding procedure is performed, and whether the second hard bit mode decoding procedure generates a second valid codeword is determined by a second correcting circuit. A precision of the first correcting circuit is less than a precision of the second correcting circuit. Accordingly, the speed of decoding is increased.
US09342399B2

A memory controller identifies a predominant type of error of a memory unit of solid state memory cells. An error type differential is calculated. The error type differential is a difference between a number of charge loss errors and a number of charge gain errors of the memory unit. A VT offset error differential is calculated. The VT offset error differential is a difference between a number of errors of the predominant type at a first VT offset and a number of errors of the predominant type at a second VT offset. A VT offset is determined using a ratio of the error type differential and the VT offset error differential.
US09342392B2

An image forming apparatus configured to operate in a first power state and a second power state that uses less power than the first power state, in which error information for identifying processing that resolves an error detected during initialization processing is associated and registered in a storage unit, and processing for resolving the detected error is executed based on the error information registered in the storage unit.
US09342384B1

Generally, this disclosure provides systems, devices, methods and computer readable media for implementing function callback requests between a first processor (e.g., a GPU) and a second processor (e.g., a CPU). The system may include a shared virtual memory (SVM) coupled to the first and second processors, the SVM configured to store at least one double-ended queue (Deque). An execution unit (EU) of the first processor may be associated with a first of the Deques and configured to push the callback requests to that first Deque. A request handler thread executing on the second processor may be configured to: pop one of the callback requests from the first Deque; execute a function specified by the popped callback request; and generate a completion signal to the EU in response to completion of the function.
US09342369B2

Systems and methods are disclosed for managing the throughput of a platform as a service (PaaS) system. A plurality of PaaS nodes receives deployment jobs, such as from an interface by way of a load balancer. The PaaS nodes extract deployment actions and an action count and post the deployment actions to a queue. The PaaS nodes also initiate, in a coordinator, a counter for the deployment job. The PaaS nodes retrieve deployment actions from the queue and execute them, such as in one of a plurality of threads in a flexible thread pool. Upon completing the action, the PaaS nodes report update the counter corresponding to the deployment job of the action. When a counter for a deployment jobs reaches the action count for the job, completion is reported.
US09342362B2

A computer system and a method of operating a service-processor-centric computer system. In one embodiment, the computer system includes: (1) a CPU configured to issue control signals and (2) a service processor configured for intercepting and handling the control signals, the handling including delaying, modifying or ignoring the control signals, the service processor further configuring for issuing highest-priority control signals.
US09342361B2

For achieving a coordinated and opportunistic actuator control a method for controlling physical actuators in pervasive computing environments is claimed, wherein an entity—actuation space—is provided, the actuation space being configured to manage actuation requests and actuation status information, wherein at least one resource user sends one or more actuation requests to the actuation space that stores the one or more actuation requests, wherein at least one actuator resource controls at least one physical actuator on the basis of one or more of the actuation requests stored in the actuation space, wherein the at least one actuator resource sends actuation status information corresponding to one or more of the actuation requests to the actuation space, and wherein the at least one resource user and the at least one actuator resource share the actuation space. Furthermore, a corresponding system is disclosed.
US09342356B2

A task execution controller includes a context generating unit that generates context information concerning a user and a surrounding situation of the user; a task managing unit that stores multiple tasks the user attempts to execute, selects a task according to the context information and a predetermined task selection rule, and controls execution of the task; and a service managing unit that confirms services executed by a device used for execution of the task, gives notification of a service corresponding to the execution of the task selected by the task managing unit, to the device and causes the device to perform the service. The task managing unit selects a task by using, as the task selection rule, information of priority levels of tasks and an execution-related dependency relation between tasks preset among the tasks.
US09342353B2

A technique for selecting an information service implementation includes receiving a service request that includes a tenant identifier that uniquely identifies a calling tenant. Transformation logic to service the service request is selected based on the received tenant identifier. One or more data sources and one or more data targets are selected for the service request based on the received tenant identifier. Data from the selected data sources is processed using the selected transformation logic and the processed data is stored at the selected data targets.
US09342348B2

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system. The system includes a high availability module and a data transformation module. During operation, the high availability module identifies a modified object belonging to an application in a second system. A modification to the modified object is associated with a transaction identifier. The high availability module also identifies a local object corresponding to the modified object associated with a standby application corresponding to the application in the second system. The data transformation module automatically transforms the value of the modified object to a value assignable to the local object, including pointer conversion to point to equivalent object of the second system. The high availability module updates the current value of the local object with the transformed value.
US09342347B1

A system and method for implementing direct attachment of VMs, implemented on a computer system, to hardware devices attached to the computer system. Direct attachment architecture is implemented. The direct attachment is an exclusive dedication of a hardware device to a VM, where a particular hardware device is assigned to a particular VM. When the VM is not activated, the hardware device can be re-assigned to another VM. At system start up, hardware devices are masked from a host OS of a computer system and are automatically attached to the assigned VMs.
US09342345B2

Determination and indication of operational performance of deployments in an expert integrated system that has multiple deployments, with each deployment having multiple patterns. The determination is based upon pipe analytics, with the pipe analytics being performed over a common subnet that includes both the analytics platform and the management nodes of each deployment of the multiple deployments.
US09342344B2

Techniques for building a list of swap candidate pages for host swapping are provided. In one embodiment, a host system can determine a swap target virtual machine (VM) and a target number of swap candidate pages. The host system can further select a memory page from a memory space of the swap target VM and can check whether the memory page is sharable or compressible. If the memory page is sharable or compressible, the host system can add the memory page to the list of swap candidate pages.
US09342339B2

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates congestion management in a Fibre Channel (FC) network. During operation, the system determines a threshold data rate on an outgoing link coupled to an FC switch. The system further determines the number of sources that send data to the outgoing link and an aggregate arrival rate of data for the outgoing link. Next, the system determines an injection data rate for a respective source based on the threshold data rate on the outgoing link, the number of sources transmitting data to the outgoing link, and the aggregate arrival data rate for the outgoing link. Subsequently, the system communicates the injection data rate to the source, thereby allowing the source to throttle its data injection in the FC network to prevent network congestion.
US09342336B2

Memory page de-duplication in a computer system that includes a plurality of virtual machine partitions managed by a hypervisor, where each virtual machine is assigned a different dedicated memory partition, may include: identifying, by the hypervisor, a plurality of identical memory pages in memory of one or more dedicated memory partitions; assigning, by the hypervisor, one of the identical memory pages as a master page; mapping, for each virtual machine having an identical memory page, each of the identical memory pages to the master page; and directing, by the hypervisor, reads of the memory page to the master page.
US09342332B2

Building binary packages for software products, particularly large-scale software products, is a highly computation intensive process. Thus, it is desirable to distribute the workload over a large number of computing nodes so as to have the build process complete in an optimal period of time. One environment providing compute resources that can be utilized for a highly available and dynamically scalable distributed build process is an elastic compute cloud. In such an environment, virtual machines can be instantiated and destroyed as the resource requirements of the build process dictate. This has the advantage that dedicated hardware is unneeded, and excess capacity on the hardware employed can be employed for other computation tasks when the build process is idle. Presented herein are systems, methods and computer storage media for distributing a highly available and scalable build service, suitable for use in an elastic compute environment or other distributed environment.
US09342327B1

A service description associated with a service is received. An input data mapping rule from a first caller context to a service context associated with the service is automatically determined at least in part by transforming the service description. A service binding data consumer based at least in part on the service description is created. The service and the input data mapping rule between the first caller context and the service context is automatically executed.
US09342326B2

A system in which a virtual machine manager determines tasks that are to be performed on virtual machines executing on a host computing system. The host computing system further executes an intermediary virtual machine task management module that receives virtual machine tasks from the virtual machine manager. Upon request from the virtual machines, the intermediary module identifies the tasks that are to be performed on the requesting virtual machine to the requesting virtual machine. The virtual machines may perhaps also initiate the performance of such identified tasks. Since the virtual machine itself is initiating contact with the intermediary module, and is not interacting directly with the virtual machine manager, the virtual machine manager need not be in the same sphere of trust as the virtual machine.
US09342317B2

According to a present invention embodiment, a system imports information from a source profile into a target profile. The system maps one or more entities within the source profile to one or more entities of the target profile pertaining to configuring a system including a plurality of system components. Properties of the one or more entities within the source profile are compared to properties of corresponding mapped entities in the target profile. The values of the properties of the one or more entities within the target profile are set to the property values of the corresponding one or more mapped entities within the source profile in response to the comparison indicating the properties correspond. Embodiments of the present invention further include a method and computer program product for importing information from a source profile into a target profile in substantially the same manner described above.
US09342300B2

According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a process for analyzing components related to a software application in a software development environment is disclosed. The process includes obtaining metadata information for each of a plurality of components from the software development environment, and generating an entry including extracting attribute information from the obtained metadata information for each component for use by a developer of the software application.
US09342288B2

A utility application store may be configured to present an interface displaying multiple applications that are available from the utility application store. By accessing the interface of the utility application store, a utility supplier may, with a single request, initiate installation or activation of an application on multiple utility meters or other smart sensors in a utility communication network. The utility application store may be configured to provide notification of the availability of applications for utility meters or other smart sensors, consumer computing devices, and/or utility supplier back office computing devices. The utility application store may include one or more distributed applications that include a first portion configured for execution by a utility meter and one or more other portions configured for execution by another computing device (e.g., a personal computer, mobile device, utility supplier back office server, cloud service, or the like).
US09342282B2

A method and apparatus for configuring dynamic data are provided. A compilation apparatus may select a data format showing an optimum performance when a binary code is executed, from among a plurality of data formats supported by an execution apparatus used to execute a binary code, and may generate a binary code that uses the selected data format. The execution apparatus may execute a binary code provided by the compilation apparatus.
US09342281B2

Method for allowing distributed running of an application between a device and a server connected via a network. The method includes the following steps carried out by a pre-processing unit: analyzing a code of the application for identifying parts that satisfy or are assumed to satisfy at least one first criterion based on resource consumption; transmitting only the identified application code parts to the server; generating from the application code an enriched application code arranged to call for the execution of one of the identified application code parts on the server only if at least one second criterion based on resource overload is satisfied at the time the application code part is to be run; and transmitting the enriched application code to the device.
US09342274B2

Dynamic code generation and memory management techniques are provided for component object model (COM) objects with corresponding representations in script code and native code. A browser component can receive script code including the code representing the COM object and a marshaling component is provided that marshals, based on a request for native code representing the COM object, the code representing the COM object to the native code based on a pre-constructed intermediate data structure. The pre-constructed intermediate data structure, such as a virtual table, is pre-constructed based on a dynamic type representation associated with a prototype of the COM object and cached for re-use by the marshaling component. Other embodiments provide finalizer support for memory management of COM objects having script and native world representations including an implementation of a two-phase commit protocol that enables efficient and conservative recycling of objects and associated memory.
US09342269B2

An atomic oscillator includes: a gas cell which houses metal atoms; a heater which adjusts a temperature of the gas cell; and a package which houses the gas cell and the heater. The package includes a non-magnetic metal layer.
US09342263B2

An information processing apparatus which creates rendering data using a print job including print data and a setting information set is disclosed, including a conversion unit which converts the setting information set to an apparatus setting information set by multiple schemes, the apparatus setting information set to be handled by the information processing apparatus; an evaluation value determination unit which determines an evaluation value of the apparatus setting information set for the respective schemes based on results of comparing the setting information set and the apparatus setting information set; and a rendering data creation unit which creates rendering data using the printing data and the apparatus setting information set converted by the scheme with the evaluation value higher than the other evaluation values.
US09342260B2

Methods of operating a non-volatile solid state memory-based mass storage device having at least one non-volatile memory component. In one aspect of the invention, the one or more memory components define a memory space partitioned into user memory and over-provisioning pools based on a P/E cycle count stored in a block information record. The storage device transfers the P/E cycle count of erased blocks to a host and the host stores the P/E cycle count in a content addressable memory. During a host write to the storage device, the host issues a low P/E cycle count number as a primary address to the content addressable memory, which returns available block addresses of blocks within the over-provisioning pool as a first dimension in a multidimensional address space. Changed files are preferably updated in append mode and the previous version can be maintained for version control.
US09342256B2

Techniques are disclosed relating to handling snapshot data for a storage device. In one embodiment, a computing system maintains information that indicates the state of data associated with an application at a particular point in time. In this embodiment, the computing system assigns an epoch number to a current epoch, where the current epoch is an interval between the particular point in time and a future point in time. In this embodiment, the computing system writes, during the current epoch, a block of data to the storage device. In this embodiment, the writing the block of data includes storing the epoch number with the block of data.
US09342253B1

The present application provides an improved approach for managing performance tier de-duplication in a virtualization environment. A content cache is implemented on high performance tiers of storage in order to maintain a working set for the user virtual machines accessing the system, and associates fingerprints with data stored therein. During write requests from the user virtual machines, fingerprints are calculated for the data to be written. However, no de-duplication is performed during the write. During read requests, fingerprints corresponding to the data to be read are retrieved and matched with the fingerprints associated with the data in the content cache. Thus, while multiple pieces of data having the same fingerprints may be written to the lower performance tiers of storage, only one of those pieces of data having that fingerprint will be stored in the content cache for fulfilling read requests.
US09342252B2

Described is a technology by which a virtual hard disk is able to continue servicing virtual disk I/O (reads and writes) while a meta-operation (e.g., copying, moving, deleting, merging, compressing, defragmenting, cryptographic signing, lifting, dropping, converting, or compacting virtual disk data) is performed on the virtual disk. The servicing of virtual disk I/Os may be coordinated with meta-operation performance, such as by throttling and/or prioritizing the virtual disk I/Os. Also described is performing a meta-operation by manipulating one or more de-duplication data structures.
US09342251B2

A plurality of logical volumes are stored at a plurality of sites. A command to execute an operation on a logical volume is received. A determination is made as to whether a rule associated with the logical volume permits execution of the operation on the logical volume. In response to determining that the rule associated with the logical volume permits execution of the operation on the logical volume, the operation is executed on the logical volume.
US09342250B1

A system and method for data storage. The method can include: identifying, by a computer processor, a cluster map representing a set of storage resources; for each storage resource of the set of storage resources: traversing, by the computer processor, the cluster map to map the storage resource to a candidate resource set including at least one other storage resource of the set of storage resources; identifying a first data object associated with a storage request; identifying a first candidate resource set based on the first data object; and selecting a first final resource set based at least on the first candidate resource set, where the first data object is sent to storage resources of the first final resource set for storage.
US09342248B2

A computer implemented method for reducing the latency of an anticipated read of disk blocks from a swap file in a virtualized environment. The environment includes a host swap file maintained by a host operating system and a guest swap file maintained but a guest operating system. First, the method identifies a sequence of disk blocks that was written in the guest swap file. The method then detects within the sequence of blocks a first disk block that contains a reference to a second disk block that is stored in the host swap file. The method then replaces the first disk block in the guest swap file with the second disk block.
US09342246B2

An apparatus comprising an interface and a control circuit. The interface may be configured to process a plurality of read/write operations to/from a memory. The control circuit may be configured to determine if a read disturb has occurred. If the read disturb has occurred, the control circuit may (a) determine a size of a group of the read/write operations and (b) write all of the group of the read/write operations to one of a plurality of memory modules of the memory.
US09342245B2

Allocating a resource of a storage device to a storage optimization operation. An available resource of the storage device is monitored. Determining an allocation proportion of the resource allocated to the storage optimization operation, based on at least one of historical running information and a predicted value of a performance improvement caused by the storage optimization operation. Allocating the resource of the storage device to the storage optimization operation based on the available resource and the allocation proportion.
US09342243B2

A method for implementing multi-operating system, applied to an electronic apparatus in which a Solid State Disk, SSD, is provided, the SSD including a plurality of partitions each of which corresponding to a unique logical snapshot table, and a plurality of operating systems being installed in different partitions respectively, wherein the method includes: determining a logical snapshot table corresponding to an operating system to be loaded currently as a first logical snapshot table during a Power On Self Test process of a basic input/output system; and determining a position of a partition in the SSD which corresponds to a reading/writing operation based on the first logical snapshot table if the reading/writing operation is performed on the SSD in a manner of Logical Block Addressing.
US09342242B2

An input device includes an operation unit that is held by a user and operated in a three-dimensional free space to remotely operate an information processing device, a directional button that is provided on the operation unit and operated by the user to point in a direction, and a transmission unit that, when the directional button is operated while the operation unit is being operated in the free space, transmits information corresponding to the operation in the free space and information corresponding to the operated directional button to the information processing device so that an object image linearly moves by only an amount corresponding to a directional component of the directional button out of an operation amount in the free space after the operation of the directional button.
US09342233B1

In some implementations, a user of an electronic device may select a term of one or more words from the text of a displayed digital work. In response, a dictionary module may select a particular dictionary to access from among a plurality of dictionaries available on the electronic device. For example, based at least in part on metadata corresponding to the displayed digital work, the dictionary module may select a dictionary to access from a hierarchy of dictionaries. The dictionary module may present a definition obtained from the selected dictionary in a dictionary interface displayed over the presentation of the digital work. Further, the dictionary module may identify a location of at least one other occurrence of the selected term in the digital work or in a different digital work, and may display an excerpt of text including the at least one other occurrence of the selected term.
US09342232B2

An information-processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention allows the user to select one of a plurality of input operation modes of the absolute coordinate input unit. One of the input operation modes is a specific mode allowing a display range to be moved to a desired position in a state where the highest resolution of a display unit integrated with the absolute coordinate input unit is lower than the resolution of an entire screen. The information-processing apparatus has a configuration in which, when an operation face of the absolute coordinate input unit is touched to carry out a drag operation in this specific mode, the distance of a movement made in the drag operation is detected, and the position of the display range is then changed by moving the display range by the detected distance.
US09342228B2

A device and method for filtering messages using sliding touch input are provided. The device comprises a processor; a memory storing messages of different types, at least a subset of the messages designated as unread messages; and a touchscreen including a display. A sliding touch input is detected at the touchscreen, the sliding touch input comprising a first portion in a first direction and a second portion in a second direction such that the sliding touch input includes a change in direction. In response, the messages are filtered according to one or more of a first filtering condition associated with the first portion and a second filtering condition associated with the second portion, to filter the messages according to one or more of type and a read status.
US09342227B2

Architecture that enables a card interaction model that can present cards in different ways. When a user performs tasks, new stacked cards (one card on top of another card) corresponding to those tasks open in a left pane over the top of a background canvas (a card overlay of the underlying canvas). Users can scroll through the card stack of the card overlay to retrieve previous cards. Additionally, in an alternative viewing mode, a user can interact with the card overlay via an interactive affordance (an interactive object made available to facilitate a potential action) to enable viewing (e.g., an overview) of the cards in a side-by-side card overlay manner to further enable the opening and quick navigation to one of the previous cards. The architecture has applicability to mapping systems where searches range over many different geographical sites.
US09342221B2

A system and method for controlling a media generation system where a media event may be selected via a stateless software module, the system receiving a media event protocol file corresponding to the selected media event. The media generation system generates the media event based on the received media event protocol file.
US09342218B2

Systems and methods for multi-directional visual browsing on an electronic device are described. In example embodiments, a primary result and a peripheral result are determined. A display layout based on attributes associated with the primary result and the peripheral result is generated. The display layout is then formatted into instructions, which will cause a device to render the display layout. The instructions are transmitted to the client device.
US09342211B2

Systems, methods and articles of manufacture are disclosed for managing relationship information across virtual worlds. In one embodiment, information about avatars in virtual worlds may be received. A correlation may be derived between two avatars based on the received information. The derived correlation between the two avatars may be stored. Applications may query for derived correlations.
US09342203B2

A disclosed input apparatus includes an operating part pressed by a user; a first resistance film and a second resistance film facing each other; a measuring unit configured to measure a difference between a first electric potential of a first end of a contact resistance and a second electric potential of a second end of the contact resistance; and a detecting unit configured to obtain pressure information indicative of a pressure load caused by the pressing of the operating part based on the difference in electric potential.
US09342201B2

A capacitive touch input device capable of detecting two or more different input positions and detecting each input position within a short period of time is provided. One of two or more drive electrodes respectively belonging to drive electrode group DV(n) and a drive electrode group DV(n′) adjacent to each other is a common drive electrode arranged therebetween. A pitch between the drive electrodes arranged at equal intervals is set so that a change in a detection voltage level R(m,n) appears at a detection electrode S(m) arranged in the vicinity of an input operator when a drive control unit performs drive control of the drive electrode group DV(n) and the input operator is at a position distant from the drive electrode group DV(n) up to an intermediate position of the adjacent drive electrode group DV(n′).
US09342198B2

Electronic device operating technology based on touch pressure is provided. A method for operating an electronic device includes determining touch pressure caused by a touch occurring on a display unit, comparing the touch pressure with predefined damage data, and performing a predefined specific process when the touch pressure is determined as abnormal touch pressure as a result of the comparison.
US09342189B2

A designation position by an operation object is specified based on a captured image that is captured by a capturing unit and reflects distance information between the capturing unit and the operation object. The direction of the operation object is specified based on the captured image. It is determined, based on the image information of a portion corresponding to the designation position out of the captured image and the direction of the operation object, that the distance between the operation object and the target surface is smaller than a predetermined value.
US09342184B2

For managing multiple touch sources with palm rejection, a method is disclosed that includes detecting an instrument touch on a touch screen of a computing device, the instrument touch performed by a handheld instrument, disabling user touch for a portion of the touch screen, the disabled portion selected in accordance with a usage pattern, and accepting a user touch of the touch screen outside of the disabled portion.
US09342183B2

A touch panel includes a plurality of drive lines and a plurality of sense lines, a sampling switch connected to the sense lines, and an integral circuit connected to the sense lines through the sampling switch. The sampling switch is arranged to keep an on- or off-state for a certain time from a moment at which a voltage of a source bus line is changed.
US09342175B2

Disclosed is the structure of a touch window. The touch window includes a transparent window, a touch sensor module on one surface of the transparent window, and a transfer film layer between the transparent window and the touch sensor module. The transfer film layer is provided in the touch sensor module to remove the structure of a printed pattern, so that the conventional problems related to the flatness caused by a printing step are solved, thereby improving the adhesive efficiency and expanding the realization range of various colors.
US09342172B2

A method for controlling an electronic device is provided. The method includes detecting at least one conductive materials attached to a protection case, identifying a combination of the detected at least one conductive material corresponding to an arrangement of the at least one conductive material, mapping the combination of the detected at least one conductive material to an operational function of the electronic device according to user control, and storing a mapping result.
US09342167B2

Provided is an information processing apparatus including an operation amount acquiring unit that acquires an operation amount of an operation input on a display screen; a depth position computing unit that computes a depth position of a three-dimensionally viewable operation object, on the basis of the operation amount; and a display processing unit that executes processing for adjusting the depth position of the operation object on the basis of the depth position and displaying the operation object on the display screen.
US09342164B2

A motion detecting device and the method for dynamically adjusting image sensing area is disclosed. The motion detecting device includes a light source, an image capture unit and a processing unit. The image capture unit is used to capture reference image according to fixed sampling period. The processing unit is used to calculate exposure reference value of the light source and image characteristic value of reference image. The processing unit according to the exposure reference value and the image characteristic value to determine whether the surface is in first rough coefficient range or second rough coefficient range. If rough coefficient of the surface is in the first rough coefficient range, the processing unit defines first search radius or second search radius to increase or decrease the image sensing area. Otherwise, the processing unit defines third search radius or fourth search radius to increase or decrease the image sensing area.
US09342160B2

Users move their hands in a three dimensional (“3D”) physical interaction zone (“PHIZ”) to control a cursor in a user interface (“UI”) shown on a computer-coupled 2D display such as a television or monitor. The PHIZ is shaped, sized, and positioned relative to the user to ergonomically match the user's natural range of motions so that cursor control is intuitive and comfortable over the entire region on the UI that supports cursor interaction. A motion capture system tracks the user's hand so that the user's 3D motions within the PHIZ can be mapped to the 2D UI. Accordingly, when the user moves his or her hands in the PHIZ, the cursor correspondingly moves on the display. Movement in the z direction (i.e., back and forth) in the PHIZ allows for additional interactions to be performed such as pressing, zooming, 3D manipulations, or other forms of input to the UI.
US09342145B2

Certain embodiments provide a computer system for controlling the movement of a displayed cursor, the computer system comprising: a first display region; a second display region; a user input unit configured to measure movements made by a user in association with the user input unit and to output corresponding movement signaling; a vision tracking unit configured to determine a direction in which a user is looking and to output corresponding view-direction signaling; and a cursor control unit arranged to select one of the first display region and the second display region as a selected display region based on the view-direction signaling associated with the vision tracking unit and to control a cursor to move within the selected display region based on the movement signaling associated with the user input unit.
US09342141B2

Disclosed is an apparatus for controlling an AV device, comprising a web browser receiving a structured document to contain a script from the AV device, and providing the same to a user, and a first program module including a function called by the script and transmitting information on a device control command to the AV device through a protocol previously defined by use of the function, wherein the AV device comprises a web server module transmitting the structured document and a second program module receiving the device control command information from the first program module through the protocol and controlling the AV device in response to the command information.
US09342135B2

A temperature sensor may sense the temperature of a multi-core processor. In response to the temperature of the multi-core processor exceeding a temperature threshold for the multi-core processor, one or more busy processor cores of the multi-core processor may be power collapsed without reducing clock speed of the multi-core processor.
US09342134B2

Various techniques for reducing power consumption of a computing device are described herein. In one example, a method includes detecting that the computing device is to execute a first operation for a first hardware component. The method can also include determining that the computing device is not to execute a second operation for a second hardware component during a period of time. Furthermore, the method can include loading operation data corresponding to the first operation into a processor cache from a non-volatile storage device and detecting that the first operation is not to request memory data from a volatile storage device. The method can also include removing power from at least one storage device.
US09342124B2

A power delivery and control device that includes a voltage input line, a voltage output line, a control logic unit coupled to the voltage input and voltage output line to control a voltage being delivered by the voltage output line based on a programmable behavior parameter, a voltage output register accessible to the control logic unit to define the programmable behavior parameter, a control register accessible to the control logic unit to activate and deactivate the voltage output line, and a control line coupled to the control logic unit to receive commands to change content of the voltage output register.
US09342122B2

In one embodiment, the present invention includes a processor having a first domain with a first compute engine and a second domain with a second compute engine, where each of these domains can operate at an independent voltage and frequency. A first logic may be present to update a power bias value used to control dynamic allocation of power between the first and second domains based at least in part on a busyness of the second domain. In turn, a second logic may dynamically allocate at least a portion of a power budget for the processor between the domains based at least in part on this power bias value. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09342121B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide for non interruptive fluid cooling of an electronic enclosure. One or more electronic component packages may be removable from a circuit card having a fluid flow system. When installed, the electronic component packages are coincident to and in a thermal relationship with the fluid flow system. If a particular electronic component package becomes non-functional, it may be removed from the electronic enclosure without affecting either the fluid flow system or other neighboring electronic component packages.
US09342114B2

An apparatus comprises at least a first display, an end-user input interface, and a control circuit that operably couples to both this first display and this end-user input interface. The apparatus can further comprise a housing that houses these components. By one approach this housing also has a basin formed therein. This basin is of sufficient size to at least substantially fully receive a portable cellular-telephony transceiver (where, for example, this portable cellular-telephony transceiver has its own display and its own end-user input interface).
US09342113B2

In one embodiment, a method includes, by a computing device, receiving sensor data from a sensor on the computing device indicating physical movement of the computing device. The method also includes determining a motion-trigger signal of the sensor data corresponding to a first characteristic of the physical movement of the computing device and a motion-confirm signal of the sensor data corresponding to a second characteristic of the physical movement of the computing device. The method further includes determining whether the motion-trigger signal includes a transition from within a pre-defined threshold band to outside of the pre-defined threshold band and whether the motion-confirm signal is within the pre-defined threshold band. The method also includes initiating a pre-defined action of the computing device when the motion-trigger signal includes the transition from within the pre-defined threshold band to outside the pre-defined threshold band and the motion-confirm signal is within the pre-defined threshold band.
US09342107B2

Particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that could include a keyboard portion, an attachment mechanism, and a pump located in the keyboard portion that creates a pressure differential in the attachment mechanism such that a display portion can be attached to the keyboard portion. Other particular embodiments described herein provide for an electronic device that could include a display portion, an attachment mechanism located on the display portion, and a pump located in the display portion that can create a pressure differential in the attachment mechanism such that the display portion can be attached to a surface or device.
US09342106B2

An apparatus comprises a foldable body and a flexible cover coupled to the foldable body. A first edge of the cover is configured to slide from a first position on the foldable body to a second position on the foldable body while transitioning to a folded configuration.
US09342095B2

Integrated circuit devices that operate in different modes. In a low data rate mode, data is transferred between the integrated circuit devices at a low data rate, or no data is transferred at all. In a high data rate mode, data is transferred between integrated circuit devices at a high data rate. A transition mode facilitates the transition from the low data rate mode to the high data rate mode. During the transition mode data is transferred between the integrated circuit devices at an intermediate data rate greater than the low data rate but lower than the high data rate. Also during the transition mode, parameters affecting the transmission of data between the integrated circuit devices are calibrated at the high data rate.
US09342094B2

Embodiments of a multi-processor system and method for synchronization and event scheduling of multiple processing elements are generally described herein. In some embodiments, timing marks are provided to the processing elements and a start-timer command is broadcasted to the processing elements after an initial timing mark. The start-timer command instructs the processing elements to initiate an internal time reference after receipt of a next timing mark. Each of the processing elements maintains a copy of the internal time reference which may be used for synchronized event scheduling.
US09342092B2

A method for operating a vehicle that can be operated in a manual driving mode and in an automatic driving mode and has at least one foot actuation device, which in the manual driving mode projects from a plane of a resting surface and can be actuated by a vehicle driver, wherein a switch from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode is detected and thereupon the at least one foot actuation device and/or the resting surface are moved relative to one another in such a way that the at least one foot actuation device and the resting surface form a substantially continuous plane or the resting surface forms a substantially continuous plane and the foot actuation device is covered by the plane of the resting surface.
US09342091B2

A control grip is disclosed for off-road vehicles that functions as a combined stabilizing support and multi-function implement control device for the vehicle operator. The control grip includes a structural frame providing a mounting base with upright supports for a grab bar. The control grip mounts various control switches, which can vary in quantity, configuration, position and function depending on the work vehicle type. In one configuration, a pair of control switches are mounted at the distal end of the control grip, one switch positioned for manipulation by the operator's thumb for controlling a first range of motion of the implement, and a second switch positioned to be manipulated by the operator's thumb and/or index finger for controlling the implement's second range of motion. The control switch placement enables the operator to actuate one or both of the switches while maintaining a firm grip on the grab bar during operation.
US09342087B2

A voltage regulator circuit is provided, which includes a main regulator and at least one auxiliary regulator. The main regulator provides an output voltage and regulates the output voltage according to the output voltage and a reference voltage. Each auxiliary regulator is coupled to the main regulator. Each auxiliary regulator also provides the output voltage and regulates the output voltage according to the output voltage and the reference voltage. Each of the main regulator and the at least one auxiliary regulator provides a branch current of the same magnitude. An output current of the voltage regulator circuit includes the branch currents provided by the main regulator and the at least one auxiliary regulator.
US09342083B2

A driving device includes a switching regulator and a timing controller. The switching regulator includes a switching element, a smoothing circuit including an inductor connected to the switching element, and a controller that turns on/off the switching element. The switching regulator converts input voltage to output voltage as output of the smoothing circuit by turning on/off the switching element. The timing controller controls the controller to operate and stop operating. The controller performs constant current control by feeding back inductor current, generating a PWM signal based on the fed-back current and a target value, and outputting the PWM signal to the switching element so that the inductor current approximates to the target value. When performing the constant current control, the controller sets the target value to a value different from a reference target value for a steady period.
US09342069B2

An article processing apparatus having a movable member for processing an article, includes an information processor configured to generate a transition order of states of the movable member. The information processor is configured to respectively set a plurality of clusters each including, as a plurality of nodes, a plurality of states that the movable member may take, with respect to a plurality of regions of the article, respectively set a plurality of costs with respect to a plurality of combinations of two nodes respectively belonging to two clusters different from each other of the plurality of clusters, and generate the transition order by obtaining, based on the plurality of clusters and the plurality of costs, as a solution of a traveling salesman problem, an order of traveling a plurality of nodes obtained by selecting one node from each of the plurality of clusters.
US09342062B2

A method, device, and system for controlling power delivered to a power-consuming device. The device can receive a control signal from a thermostat, where the control signal activates the device. The device can then determine when a control event is to occur. At such time, the device terminates power delivered to the power-consuming device and continues to withhold the power until the control event expires. When the control event has ended, the device allows power to flow to the power-consuming device. The device uses a timer and a communication component to send and receives signals associated with a control event to a user.
US09342059B2

A security and economy coordinated automatic voltage control method based on a cooperative game theory is provided. The method includes: establishing a multi-objective reactive voltage optimizing model of a power system; resolving the multi-objective reactive voltage optimizing model into an economy model and a security model; solving the economy model and the security model based on the cooperative game theory to obtain the automatic voltage control instruction; and performing an automatic voltage control for the power system according to the automatic voltage control instruction.
US09342058B2

A first entity communicates with a second entity over a shared power bus by switching the bus to a high-impedance state and modifying the voltage on the power bus, in accordance with an outgoing communication, such that the modified voltage is detected by the second entity and the communication is received thereto.
US09342046B2

A process cartridge and an image forming apparatus are provided. The process cartridge is detachably mountable in an apparatus body of the image forming apparatus, and includes a plurality of photosensitive drums, a first outer side plate which is provided on one side of the photosensitive drums in an axial direction of the photosensitive drum, a second outer side plate which is provided on the other side of the photosensitive drums in the axial direction, and opposes the first outer side plate with the photosensitive drums interposed therebetween, and a plurality of input parts which are provided on ends of the photosensitive drums at the one side, respectively. An end face of each of the input parts being provided inward with respect to the outer surface of the first outer side plate.
US09342040B2

An image forming apparatus for forming an image on a recording material includes a mounting portion to which a cartridge is detachably mounted and a drive transmission member for transmitting a driving force by being engaged with a drive-transmitted member provided on the cartridge when the cartridge is mounted to the mounting portion. In addition, a protecting member is movable between a protecting position where the drive transmission member is prevented from being exposed toward the mounting portion and an open position where the protecting member is retracted from the protecting position to expose the drive transmission member to the mounting portion thereby to permit engagement of the drive transmission member with the drive-transmitted member.
US09342018B2

An image forming apparatus includes a medium storing portion storing a recording medium, and a storage unit that stores first size information indicating a size of the stored recording medium. A receiving unit receives print data containing image data and second size information indicating a size relating to the image data. A feeding unit feeds the recording medium from the medium storage portion. An image forming unit forms an image on the recording medium. A detection unit detects a size of the recording medium fed by the feeding unit to obtain third size information. A first determining unit determines whether the first size information corresponds to the second size information. A second determining unit determines whether the third size information corresponds to the second size information. An acquiring unit acquires determination instruction information. A determination control unit causes only the second determining unit to perform determination according to the determination instruction information.
US09342017B2

When a detection signal indicates that a switch has switched off, a first relay cuts off the supply of alternating current from a commercial alternating-current source to a third DC power source and terminates a first load such as a motor and a high-voltage power source. When the detection signal indicates that the switch has switched off, a control circuit executes shutdown processing for safely terminating an operation of a second load such as a hard disk drive. When the shutdown processing is complete, the control circuit outputs a signal for terminating an operation of a second DC power source. When the shutdown signal is input, a second relay terminates the operation of the second load by cutting off the supply of the alternating current from the commercial alternating-current source to a second DC power source.
US09342013B2

According to the present disclosure, a fixing device includes a belt member and a heating device. The heating device is configured to heat the belt member. The fixing device further includes two terminal portions. The two terminal portions are electrically connected to a detector configured to detect a resistance value of the belt member, a value of a current that flows when a predetermined voltage is applied to the belt member, or a potential difference that occurs when a predetermined current is made to flow in the belt member. The two terminal portions are also contacted, on a one-to-one basis, by end-portion regions at both ends of an inner circumferential surface of the belt member in a belt-width direction of the belt member.
US09342010B2

An image heating apparatus includes: a heater including a substrate and a heat generating element; a supporting member; and a high heat-conductive member. The recording material on which an image is formed is heated by heat from the heater. The supporting member has a bottom region, where the supporting member supports the heater, including a first region where the supporting member contacts the high heat-conductive member so as to apply pressure between the heater and the high heat-conductive member and including a second region where the supporting member is recessed from the high heat-conductive member relative to the first region. At least a part of the first region overlaps, with respect to a movement direction of the recording material, with a region where the heat generating element is provided.
US09341992B2

An image forming apparatus includes first and second forming units that form first and second to-be-transferred images and first and second not-to-be-transferred images with first and second toners, respectively, the first toner containing a metal pigment; a transfer body to which the first and second to-be-transferred and not-to-be-transferred images are to be transferred; a transfer member that transfers the first and second to-be-transferred images to a recording medium at a transfer nip between the transfer member and the transfer body; and a removing member that removes, with an electrostatic force, the first and second toners forming the first and second not-to-be-transferred images from the transfer member. In a transfer mode, the first not-to-be-transferred image is transferred to a position that do not overlap the recording medium to be introduced into the transfer nip after the first not-to-be-transferred image when seen in a direction of introduction of the recording medium.
US09341985B2

A developing device includes a developer bearing member. A lubricant is applied to a surface of the developer bearing member. In an axial direction of the developer bearing member, an end of the developer bearing member is located further outward than an outer end of a seal member, and an end of a cleaning member is located further outward than the end of the developer bearing member. In the axial direction of the developer bearing member, a first application quantity of the lubricant applied to the surface of the developer bearing member at a position further outward than the outer end of the seal member is larger than a second application quantity of the lubricant applied to the surface of the developer bearing member at a position corresponding to an opening.
US09341981B2

In one example, a printer includes a printer housing, a photoconductor to apply toner to a print substrate, a developer to apply toner to the photoconductor, a light source to expose parts of the photoconductor to light, and a toner container to supply toner to the developer. The toner container housing is integrated into the printer housing as a load bearing structure or as an exterior feature, and/or the light source is integrated into the toner container as a single sub-assembly within the printer housing.
US09341980B2

A process unit includes a latent image bearer, a developer bearer, a regulator, a supplier, and at least one voltage applicator. The latent image bearer bears a latent image on a surface thereof. The developer bearer supplies a developer onto the latent image bearer to make the latent image a visible image. The regulator regulates a thickness of a layer of the developer on the surface of the developer bearer. The supplier supplies the developer to the developer bearer. At least one voltage applicator applies a voltage to the developer bearer and the latent image bearer. After the developer bearer rotates with no voltage or a same amount of voltage applied to the developer bearer and the regulator in a non-image-formation period, to perform a removal operation to remove a residual developer from the developer bearer, the developer bearer rotates with a voltage applied to the developer bearer and a latent image bearer rotates with the latent image bearer applied with a voltage and exposed with an irradiator, to perform a delivery operation to deliver the residual developer.
US09341970B2

The toner includes a resin component containing a crystalline polyester resin and a polyester-type resin that has a long-chain monomer bonded by condensation at a terminal, the toner having, in a total heat flow measured by a temperature-modulated differential scanning calorimeter, an endothermic peak resulting from the crystalline polyester resin in a specific temperature range, and the percentage of the endothermic quantity of the endothermic peak in a reversing heat flow with respect to the endothermic quantity of the endothermic peak in the total heat flow being at least 20.0%.
US09341965B2

A photosensitive layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a hydroxygallium phthalocyanine crystal of a crystalline form having peaks at Bragg angles 2θ±0.2° of 7.0°, 16.6°, 20.8°, and 26.9° in X-ray diffraction with CuKα radiation.
US09341956B2

According to one embodiment, a spatial light modulator unit is used in the illumination optical system for illuminating an illumination target surface with light from a light source and comprises: a spatial light modulator with a plurality of optical elements arrayed in a predetermined plane and controlled individually; a spatial light modulation element which applies spatial light modulation to the incident light from the light source and which makes rays of intensity levels according to positions of the respective optical elements, incident on the plurality of optical elements; and a control unit which individually controls the plurality of optical elements on the basis of information about the intensity levels of the rays incident on the respective optical elements.
US09341938B2

The invention is directed to a mask plate, an exposure system comprising a mask plate and an exposing method. The mask plate comprises a light transmitting region, a light shielding region, and a light reflecting region for reflecting exposure light to the light shielding region, with the pattern of the light from the transmitting region and reflecting region corresponding to the pattern of the region exposed to a first and a second substrate respectively. When exposure light irradiates on the mask plate, it passes through the light transmitting region and exposes the first substrate. The light reflecting region reflects the exposure light to a principal reflection structure which further reflects the light for exposing the second substrate. The first and second substrate may be exposed via the same mask plate to minimize waste of exposure light to save production time and efficiency.
US09341937B2

A lithography system for an extreme ultra violet (EUV) mask is provided. The lithography system includes a coupling module. The coupling module includes at least one mask contact element configured to touch a peripheral area of the EUV mask. The lithography system also includes an ammeter having an end electrically connected to the EUV mask through the at least one mask contact element and another end connected to a ground potential. The ammeter includes a sensor configured to measure a current conducting from the EUV mask to the ground potential and a compensation circuit configured to provide a compensation current that is opposite to the current measured by the sensor.
US09341931B2

A projector includes a plurality of light sources, an integrator lens and an overlapping lens, a light guide optical system, a light control device, a light modulation device, and a projection optical system, the light control device includes a pair of light-blocking members opposed to each other across a light path of the light emitted from the light sources in one direction in which the plurality of partial areas is arranged on the integrator lens, and a control device adapted to move the light-blocking members into and out of the light path, and the control device moves the pair of light-blocking members into and out of the light path so that the light entering the overlapping lens has a shape with a symmetric property in accordance with lighting and extinction states of the plurality of light sources.
US09341930B2

A light source device includes a plurality of solid-state light sources, and a base member on which the plurality of solid-state light sources are provided, wherein each of the solid-state light sources includes a stem on which a light-emitting element is provided and terminals connected to the light-emitting element, and the base member includes a hole portion into which one of the terminals is inserted and a planar portion that is in contact with the stem.
US09341928B2

With a view to providing a light source device and a projector which can rearrange the light collection balance even in the event that the number of illuminated light emitting elements changes as a result of a change in the environment where they are used or in the specifications thereof, a light source device includes a holder 79 having element accommodating portions 79a which each accommodate one of a plurality of light emitting elements and an adjusting portion for moving mechanisms including an optical system such as reflection mirrors and the holder 79 which translate in parallel a center of a whole of optical axes of pencils of light emitted from the plurality of light emitting elements when light is not emitted from part of the plurality of light emitting elements.
US09341924B2

An electronic apparatus includes a first unit, a second unit held by the first unit, and a third unit held by the first unit via the second unit. The first unit has a first rotation regulating portion that regulates the rotation of the second unit in a first direction, a second rotation regulating portion that regulates the rotation of the third unit in the first direction, and a third rotation regulating portion that regulates the rotation of the second unit and the third unit in a second direction opposite to the first direction.
US09341917B1

An electronic ink display of a device has a set of charged pigment particles suspended within a fluid. The charged pigment particles and the fluid are positioned between a first surface and a second surface of the display. An electrical charge is able to be applied that causes the charged pigment particles to move within the fluid. Movement of the charged particles results in the charged pigment particles being rearranged to form text or images viewable through the first surface. A luminescent substance is positioned between the first surface and the second surface. When activated, the luminescent substance emits visible light that is transmitted through the first surface.
US09341914B2

A variable reflectance mirror reflective element for a vehicular exterior rearview mirror assembly includes a front substrate and a rear substrate, with an electrochromic medium disposed therebetween. A mirror reflector is disposed at a third surface of the rear substrate and includes a stack of thin films and has a sheet resistance of less than about 5 ohms per square. Light that reflects off of the mirror reflector and passes through the electrochromic medium and the front substrate exhibits a substantially non-spectrally selective reflectance characteristic to a person viewing the exterior mirror reflective element when no voltage is applied to the electrochromic medium. At least a portion of the mirror reflector extends out under the seal towards a perimeter edge of the rear substrate. An electrical connection, which may include a conductive epoxy, is made to the portion of the mirror reflector outboard of the perimeter seal.
US09341913B2

The embodiments described herein provide an electrochromic device. In an exemplary embodiment, the electrochromic device includes (1) a substrate and (2) a film supported by the substrate, where the film includes transparent conducting oxide (TCO) nanostructures. In a further embodiment, the electrochromic device further includes (a) an electrolyte, where the nanostructures are embedded in the electrolyte, resulting in an electrolyte, nanostructure mixture positioned above the substrate and (b) a counter electrode positioned above the mixture. In a further embodiment, the electrochromic device further includes a conductive coating deposited on the substrate between the substrate and the mixture. In a further embodiment, the electrochromic device further includes a second substrate positioned above the mixture.
US09341910B2

Multi-layer electrochromic structures comprising an anodic electrochromic layer comprising a lithium nickel oxide composition on a first substrate, the anodic electrochromic layer comprising lithium, nickel and a Group 5 metal selected from niobium, tantalum and a combination thereof, wherein (i) the atomic ratio of lithium to the combined amount of nickel, niobium and tantalum in the anodic electrochromic layer is at least 0.4:1, respectively, (ii) the atomic ratio of the combined amount of niobium and tantalum to the combined amount of nickel, niobium and tantalum in the anodic electrochromic layer is at least about 0.025:1, respectively, and (iii) the anodic electrochromic layer exhibits an interplanar distance (d-spacing) of at least 2.5 Å as measured by X-ray diffraction (XRD), comprises at least 0.05 wt. % carbon, and/or has a coloration efficiency absolute value of at least 19 cm2/C.
US09341903B2

An auxiliary capacitor (6) of each of sub-pixels (P) includes a transparent electrode, a pixel electrode, and a capacitor insulating film between the transparent electrode and the pixel electrode. Switching elements (5a) are connected, for every predetermined sub-pixel(s) (P) along a column direction of the sub-pixels (P) arranged in rows and columns, to the source lines (15a) different from each other. A plurality of transparent electrodes are each shared by a pair of the sub-pixels (P) which are adjacent to each other in a predetermined direction and are arranged in a corresponding one of the wide spaces each provided between adjacent two of gate lines (13). The transparent electrodes adjacent to each other in the row direction receive different signals.
US09341898B2

According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including a cross-shaped pixel electrode which includes a main pixel electrode and a sub-pixel electrode, and a second substrate including a common electrode which includes main common electrodes and sub-common electrodes. A first horizontal inter-electrode distance between the main pixel electrode and the main common electrode is less than a second horizontal inter-electrode distance between the sub-pixel electrode and the sub-common electrode and is greater than a vertical inter-electrode distance between the main pixel electrode and the main common electrode.
US09341895B2

A liquid crystal display includes a first substrate and a second substrate facing each other, a plurality of first electrodes on the first substrate, a first vertical alignment layer on the first electrodes, a second electrode on the second substrate, a second vertical alignment layer on the second electrode, and a liquid crystal layer between the first substrate and the second substrate, wherein the liquid crystal layer includes liquid crystal molecules having negative dielectric anisotropy, a chiral dopant, and an alignment aiding agent.
US09341893B2

A liquid crystal display device includes an illuminator and a liquid crystal panel for performing displaying by using light which is emitted from the illuminator. The liquid crystal panel includes a pair of substrates, a liquid crystal layer provided between the pair of substrates, and a pair of alignment films provided on sides of the pair of substrates facing the liquid crystal layer. At least one of the alignment films is a photo-alignment film which is imparted with an orientation regulating force through a photo-alignment treatment, and the illuminator includes a light source causing primary generation of at least blue light, among other light which is used for displaying.
US09341885B2

Disclosed is a dual-view display system. The dual-view display system includes a liquid crystal display panel, a backlight unit outputting a light to the liquid crystal display panel, and an optical device alternately guiding image lights output from the backlight unit in left and right directions of the liquid crystal display panel.
US09341883B2

A display module is provided. A light source is configured to provide an illumination beam. A light guide plate has a first surface, a second surface opposite to the first surface, and an incident surface connecting the first surface and the second surface. The illumination beam enters the light guide plate through the incident surface. A reflective element is connected to the light guide plate and has a plurality of first reflective surfaces inclined with respect to the second surface. A reflective display unit is capable of modulating a polarization state of the illumination beam to form a modulated beam. The second surface is disposed between the reflective display unit and the first surface. The first surface is disposed between the second surface and a reflective polarizer, and the reflective polarizer filters the modulated beam into an image beam.
US09341881B2

Device for generating polarized electromagnetic radiation has a diffuser and a polarizer. The diffuser is arranged in a beam path of the electromagnetic radiation. The polarizer is arranged in the beam path of the electromagnetic radiation, to be precise downstream of the diffuser in the direction of propagation of the electromagnetic radiation. The polarizer has a reflective side facing the diffuser, said reflective side being at least partly reflective to the electromagnetic radiation. The polarizer transmits electromagnetic radiation having a predefined polarization and reflects electromagnetic radiation not having the predefined polarization back to the diffuser. The diffuser scatters, in a non-polarization-maintaining manner, at least one portion of the reflected-back electromagnetic radiation not having the predefined polarization.
US09341877B2

A liquid crystal display includes a thin film transistor disposed on a substrate, a pixel electrode connected to the thin film transistor, a lower insulating layer disposed facing the pixel electrode, a roof layer disposed on the lower insulating layer, and a microcavity formed between the pixel electrode and the lower insulating layer. The microcavity includes a liquid crystal layer including a liquid crystal material. The liquid crystal display further includes a first groove formed between a first pixel area and a second pixel area, a second groove formed between the first pixel area and a third pixel area, wherein the first groove is covered by the roof layer, the second groove is exposed at a portion where the roof layer is removed, the first pixel area corresponds to the pixel electrode, and the first pixel area is disposed between the second pixel area and the third pixel area.
US09341875B2

A mold frame 5 includes a flange part 5b that is formed to expand outward on a peripheral edge of a frame opening, and that holds an outer peripheral part 3b of a protection plate 3 from a rear surface side thereof.
US09341868B2

In a region in which silicon semiconductor layers having first and second conductive types are stacked, a concavoconvex structure including a Si1-xGex (x=0.01 to 0.9) layer is formed on a surface of the first silicon semiconductor layer, a relatively thin dielectric is formed on the concavoconvex structure, and a silicon semiconductor layer having the second conductive type is further stacked.
US09341860B2

An elastic supporting structure for an optical image stabilizer is provided. The optical image stabilizer includes a movable portion, a compensation module, and a plurality of suspension wires. The movable portion is provided therein with a lens. The compensation module corresponds to the movable portion, and both are located on the same image-capturing optical axis. Each suspension wire has two ends respectively connected to the movable portion and the compensation module. The movable portion is provided with an upper spring plate. One end of each suspension wire is connected to a length-increased outer line element and at least one additional auxiliary line element of the upper spring plate, and the other end of each suspension wire is connected to the compensation module, such that the movable portion corresponds to the compensation module and is spaced therefrom by a predetermined distance. Also, anti-shake function performs well with suspension wires.
US09341858B2

Embodiments described herein provide apparatus and methods for processing semiconductor substrates with uniform laser energy. A laser pulse or beam is directed to a spatial homogenizer, which may be a plurality of lenses arranged along a plane perpendicular to the optical path of the laser energy, an example being a microlens array. The spatially uniformized energy produced by the spatial homogenizer is then directed to a refractive medium that has a plurality of thicknesses. Each thickness of the plurality of thicknesses is different from the other thicknesses by at least the coherence length of the laser energy.
US09341850B1

An optical apparatus for a see-through near-to-eye display includes a diffractive optical combiner, one or more refractive correction lenses, and a diffractive correction element. The diffractive optical combiner has an eye-ward side and an external scene side and includes a reflective diffraction grating that is at least partially reflective to image light incident through the eye-ward side and at least partially transmissive to external scene light incident through the external scene side. The one or more refractive correction lenses are disposed in an optical path of the image light to aid in pre-correcting aberrations induced in the image light after reflection off of the diffractive optical combiner. The diffractive correction element is disposed in the optical path of the image light to pre-compensate for lateral color aberrations induced in the image light after reflection off of the diffractive optical combiner.
US09341847B2

Disclosed is a head mount display including: a user operation section configured to determine one or more coordinates based on a first operation performed by a user via the user operation section while receiving content via the head-mount device; and a controller configured to: superpose, in response to detection of the first operation by the user, upon at least one of one or more display sections of the head-mount device, a screen including one or more items, each of the one or more items of the superposed screen being selectable by the user to control the content being received by the user; and highlight, based on the one or more coordinates determined upon detection of the first operation, at least one of the one or more selectable items of the superposed screen in comparison to other selectable items of the superposed screen.
US09341846B2

An apparatus for displaying an image, including: an input image node configured to provide at least a first and a second image modulated lights; and a holographic waveguide device configured to propagate the at least one of the first and second image modulated lights in at least a first direction. The holographic waveguide device includes: at least a first and second interspersed multiplicities of grating elements disposed in at least one layer, the first and second grating elements having respectively a first and a second prescriptions. The first and second multiplicity of grating elements are configured to deflect respectively the first and second image modulated lights out of the at least one layer into respectively a first and a second multiplicities of output rays forming respectively a first and second FOV tiles.
US09341844B2

A method for validating a control operation to be performed by a target device through a virtual control interface. The virtual control interface is displayed by a head mounted device. A selection instruction of a first area is detected, delivering a first area. A position of gaze is detected, delivering a second area within the virtual control interface. It is detected if the first area and the second area are at least partially overlapping a same dedicated area associated to a control operation to be performed by the target device. In case of detection of an occurrence of the first area and the second area at least partially overlapping, the control operation is validated.
US09341843B2

An interactive head-mounted eyepiece with an integrated processor for handling content for display and an integrated image source for introducing the content to an optical assembly through which the user views a surrounding environment and the displayed content, wherein the height of the image source is at least 80% of a display active area width of the optical assembly.
US09341841B2

An optical scanner includes: a base portion; a light reflecting portion that reflects light; a connection portion that connects the base portion and the light reflecting portion; and a shaft portion that supports the base portion in a swingable manner about a swing axis, wherein the light reflecting portion is disposed so that a geometrical center of the light reflecting portion is separated from the swing axis in a plan view seen in a direction in which the light reflecting portion and the base portion are lined up, and wherein a geometrical center of at least one of the base portion and the connection portion is positioned on an opposite side of the geometrical center of the light reflecting portion with respect to the swing axis in the plan view.
US09341835B2

The virtual telemicroscope system (VTS) of the present invention captures an entire image of a specimen on a test slide as an original high power image, signal processes the original high power image to generate a low power background image, generates an initial virtual slide based on the low power background image and posts and/or transmits the initial virtual slide to a remote user enabling the remote user to view the low power background image on a remote user's computer screen. While viewing the initial virtual slide, the remote user may identify (i.e., select) one or more specific areas on the background image and request the service provider to provide detailed images (e.g., higher magnified image than the background image) at the defined locations. In response, the VTS provides the remote user with the requested partial high power image by simply signal processing the original high power image and generating a secondary virtual slide based on the newly processed image. This process can be repeated until the remote user is satisfied with the viewing.
US09341833B2

A device for increasing the depth discrimination of optical imaging systems includes elements for structuring illumination light in an illumination beam of the optical imaging system by application of a grating-like pattern in a conjugate object plane of the optical imaging system. The device further elements for varying the position of the grating-like patterns along an optical axis of the illuminating beam, and elements that vary the position of an image of the grating-like pattern on a specimen in an object plane. The invention may include a grating changer connected to an electronic control system or to a control program of the optical imaging system for automatically changing the grating-like pattern to at least one further grating-like pattern and/or for removing the grating like pattern from the illuminating beam path.
US09341830B2

A lens system, from an object side to an image side in the following order, at least includes: a fixed object-side lens group that is disposed closest to the object side; a first focusing lens group that moves during a focusing operation and includes a plurality of lenses; a second focusing lens group that moves during a focusing operation and includes a plurality of lenses; a wobbling lens group that has a smaller thickness on an optical axis than the thickness on the optical axis of the first focusing lens group and the thickness on the optical axis of the second focusing lens group, and vibrates in an optical-axis direction; and a fixed image-side lens group that is disposed closest to the image side.
US09341813B1

An imaging lens module includes an imaging lens assembly and a first optical component. The imaging lens assembly has an optical axis and includes a lens element. The lens element includes an effective optical portion, which is non-circular and disposed on a center of the lens element. The first optical component has a non-circular opening hole. The effective optical portion of the lens element of the imaging lens assembly is corresponded to the non-circular opening hole of the first optical component.
US09341798B2

A housing including a plurality of openings for receiving fiber optic connectors and protecting the polished end face of the connectors from damage while the connectors are stored within a telecommunications connection cabinet. A module with a plurality of optical fiber cables connected to a first optical fiber cable and terminated by a fiber optic connector. Each of the connectors are inserted within openings in a connector holder for storage and protection until the cables need to be connected to a customer equipment cable.
US09341789B2

An optical coupling lens includes a first reference portion, a second reference portion and a main portion sandwiched between the first reference portion and the second reference portion. The main portion includes a first surface having at least one first converging lens, a second surface having at least one second converging lenses, and a reflecting surface. The second surface is substantially perpendicular to the first surface forming intersection line. An angle between the reflecting surface and the first surface is about 45 degrees. Each reference portion includes a reference member. The reference member includes a reference point. A connecting line of the reference points of the reference portions is substantially parallel to the intersection line.
US09341777B2

An optical fiber fusion splicer includes a base having a fiber groove for containing an optical fiber, a fiber clamp for pressing the optical fiber contained in the fiber groove against the base and load changing means for changing a load for the fiber clamp to press the optical fiber.
US09341776B2

An optical interconnection device includes a light-emitting element, a light-receiving element, and an optical waveguide. Both the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element have a layered structure and are formed on a silicon substrate. At least a portion of the light-emitting element is embedded in an insulator. At least a portion of the light-receiving element is embedded in the insulator. The optical waveguide is formed over the insulator, and is optically coupled to the light-emitting element and the light-receiving element by distributed coupling.
US09341770B2

An optical fiber connector embedded with a Bragg grating includes: a ferrule formed with a reception unit for inserting and fixing a temperature compensation connection port from one end, a space unit extended from the reception unit toward inside, and an optical fiber insertion hole penetrating a side surface of the other end along a center of an axial direction from an inclined surface gradually narrowed toward inside of the space unit; the temperature compensation connection port formed with a connection unit contacting with the reception unit of the ferrule, an optical fiber support unit having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the space unit of the ferrule from the connection unit and protruding to be spaced apart from an inlet of the ferrule by a predetermined distance to form a space for accommodating the Bragg grating and support an optical fiber, and the optical fiber insertion hole penetrating both ends along the center of the axial direction to insert the optical fiber; an optical fiber cable having the optical fiber inserted into the optical fiber insertion hole of the temperature compensation connection port and the optical fiber insertion hole of the ferrule and the Bragg grating placed in the space unit of the ferrule; and a socket, one end of which is fixed to the ferrule, and the other end of which is fixed to an optical fiber cladding of the optical fiber cable.
US09341764B2

Provided are a backlight unit and a liquid crystal display including the backlight unit. The backlight unit includes a light emitting package, and a light guide plate disposed at one side of the light emitting package. The light emitting package includes a printed circuit board including first regions that are spaced an interval apart from each other and second regions defined between the first regions, light source units disposed on the first regions of the printed circuit board, dummy wiring patterns disposed on the second regions of the printed circuit board, and wiring patterns disposed on the printed circuit board and electrically connected to the light source units.
US09341761B2

Systems and methods for providing laser sustained plasma light sources are disclosed. Different from conventional laser sustained plasma light sources where one fiber size and one wavelength combination is used in the lamphouse to generate light for different bands and pixel sizes, switchable fiber sizes and wavelength combinations are provided for optimal power output in different wavelength bands and pixel sizes. More specifically, switchable fiber configurations are provided where larger fibers with higher pump powers are used for bigger pixel sizes and higher wavelength bands while smaller fibers are used for smaller pixel size and shorter wavelength bands. Additionally and/or alternatively, pumping schemes are provided where pump wavelengths close to the absorption peak of the gas fill are used for bigger pixel sizes while pump wavelengths away from the gas fill absorption peak are used for smaller pixel sizes.
US09341759B2

A method for manufacturing a polarizer may include forming a first barrier and a second barrier on a surface of a metal layer. The method may further include providing a copolymer layer between the first barrier and the second barrier. The method may further include processing the copolymer layer to form a processed polymer layer that includes first-polymer portions and second-polymer portions that are alternately disposed. The method may further include removing the second-polymer portions from the processed polymer layer to form polymer members that are spaced from each other. The method may further include etching the metal layer, using at least the polymer members, the first barrier, and the second barrier as a mask, to form a plurality of first-type wires and a plurality of second-type wires.
US09341754B2

In a direct type point light source backlight using point light sources, a light diffuser is provided that can achieve coexistence of superior luminance, luminance uniformity (front and oblique views), and a color unevenness characteristic even with a desired backlight thickness and a few number of point light sources without using a number of optical films together.Specifically, provided is a light diffuser for point light sources, the light diffuser having a plurality of convex portions formed on a surface thereof, wherein the convex portion has a substantially triangular pyramid shape whose bottom surface is a triangle, and an inclined angle θ with respect to a bottom surface of a side surface of the substantially triangular pyramid shape and a refractive index A of a material forming the convex portion satisfy the following equations (1) and (2). θ≧−40A°+115.2°  (1) θ≦25A°+22.25°  (2)
US09341748B2

Certain example embodiments of this invention relate to sputtered aluminum second surface mirrors with tapes optionally provided thereto, and/or methods of making the same. The tape replaces the paint backing that conventionally is used in the mirror industry to help protect the reflecting member of the mirror from the ingress of moisture. The final layer of the thin film layer stack is selected so as to help make its interface with the tape less sensitive to moisture. Because the safety tape can remain adhered to the layer stack even in high humidity environments, such minors may be used in a potentially broader array of applications and/or environments such as, for example, bathrooms, interior and/or exterior applications in areas where there are humid climates, etc. In one of the example embodiments, the tape is a safety tape.
US09341745B2

A 3D network-structured silicon-containing preploymer and a method for fabricating the same are disclosed. The method of the present invention undertakes a hydrolytic condensation/polymerization reaction of penta(alkanol)alkoxy disiloxane, a reactive silicon-containing polymer and a reactive hydrophilic monomer to form a silicon-containing preploymer featuring a 3D network structure and having superior mechanical strength. The method further undertakes a copolymerization reaction of the silicon-containing preploymer, a hydrophilic monomer and a silicon-containing hydrophobic monomer to fabricate a silicone hydrogel-containing mixture having high oxygen permeability and high hydrophilicity. The silicone hydrogel-containing mixture can be used to fabricate contact lenses that the users wear comfortably.
US09341744B2

The present invention provides an amphiphilic polysiloxane prepolymer which comprises hydrophilic monomeric units derived from at least one hydrophilic vinylic monomer, polysiloxane crosslinking units derived from at least one polysiloxane crosslinker having at least two terminal ethylenically-unsaturated groups, dangling polysiloxane chains each of which is terminated with one ethylenically unsaturated group, and chain-transfer units derived from a chain transfer agent other than a RAFT agent. A prepolymer of the invention is suitable for making hydrogel contact lenses. The present invention is also related to hydrogel contact lenses made from an amphiphilic polysiloxane prepolymer of the invention and to processes for preparing an amphiphilic polysiloxane prepolymer of the invention and for making silicone hydrogel contact lenses.
US09341743B2

The present invention relates to a phthalocyanine compound represented by Formula 1, a dye including the same, a photosensitive resin composition including the same, and a color filter prepared using the same. In Formula 1, Z1 to Z16 and M1 are the same as defined in the specification, wherein 1 to 8 of Z1 to Z16 are substituted with one of Formulae 2 to 5, as also defined in the specification. The phthalocyanine compound can have high luminance, high contrast, and excellent heat resistance.
US09341742B2

A method of forming colloidal photonic crystal structures, which diffract light to create color, which includes dispersing solid particles within a magnetic liquid media, and magnetically organizing the solid particles within the magnetic liquid media into colloidal photonic crystal structures.
US09341739B2

A method of estimating a geology of an earth formation includes: receiving gravity measurements from each of a plurality of gravity sensors nsj arrayed along a length of a borehole in an earth formation, each of the sensors nsj generating a gravity measurement gj associated with a location zsj, each of the plurality of sensors separated by a distance h; generating a model of the earth formation that includes approximate geological boundaries Nm having an approximate depth zmk, the geological boundaries defining a number of geologic layers therebetween; assuming that each geological boundary is represented by a minimum density change and each of the geologic layers has a thickness that encompasses two or more of the plurality of sensors nsj; and estimating a location and a density change Δρ of a geologic boundary z between locations zsj and zsj+1 based on the gravity measurements gj and the distance h.
US09341727B2

Systems, methods, and software can be used to analyze microseismic data from a fracture treatment. In some aspects, fracture planes are identified based on microseismic event data from a fracture treatment of a subterranean zone. Each fracture plane is associated with a subset of the microseismic event data. Confidence level groups are identified from the fracture planes. Each confidence level group includes fracture planes that have an accuracy confidence value within a respective range. A graphical representation of the fracture planes is generated. The graphical representation includes a distinct plot for each confidence level group.
US09341723B2

A radiographic image capturing apparatus includes: a readout IC equipped with a plurality of readout circuits connected to signal lines, respectively; a power source circuit which supplies a power to the readout IC; and a discharge circuit disposed on a path through which the power source circuit supplies the power to the readout IC, the discharge circuit being is capable of connecting the path and a GND to each other. The discharge circuit connects the path and the GND during a sleep mode.
US09341719B2

GNSS receivers and methods of determining a current receiver state of a GNSS receiver are provided. The method includes receiving positioning signals from a plurality of satellites; generating a plurality of correlation grids from the received positioning signals, where each correlation grid is associated with a respective one of the plurality of satellites; estimating a probability distribution of the current receiver state from the plurality of correlation grids; and determining a maximum likelihood estimate of the current receiver state from the estimated probability distribution.
US09341718B2

One embodiment is directed towards a method for providing integrity for a hybrid navigation system using a Kalman filter. The method includes determining a main navigation solution for one or more of roll, pitch, platform heading, or true heading for the vehicle using signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites and inertial measurements. Solution separation is used to determine a plurality of sub-solutions for the main navigation solution. The method also includes determining a separation between the main navigation solution and each of the sub-solutions, and a discriminator for each of the separations. The method also includes determining a separation variance between the main navigation solution and each of the sub-solutions, a threshold for detection of a satellite failure based on the separation variances; and a protection limit that bounds error in the main navigation solution based on the threshold.
US09341717B2

A vehicle position notification apparatus include a main body unit which includes at least a detection unit, an attachment unit and a communication unit; wherein the detection unit detects a body under detection; the attachment unit makes the main body unit adhere to the body under detection detected; and the communication unit transmits position information of the main body unit.
US09341708B2

A radio waves receiving unit receives horizontally polarized waves and vertically polarized waves of radio waves radiated from an object at a radiation angle. An image generation unit generates a horizontally polarized waves image and a vertically polarized waves image based on the horizontally polarized waves and the vertically polarized waves, respectively. A polarization ratio calculation unit calculates, for each radiation angle, a polarization ratio which is a ratio of intensity of the horizontally polarized waves to the vertically polarized waves based on the horizontally polarized waves image and the vertically polarized waves image. A refractive index calculation unit calculates a refractive index of the object based on a change between polarization ratios of two different radiation angles. A road surface condition recognition unit recognizes a condition of a road surface based on the refractive index.
US09341707B2

A method for classifying vehicles in which an angle-resolving radar device yields measurement signals which have frequencies corresponding to a Doppler shift and which originate from measured vehicles and from which radial distances, object angles and radial velocities can be derived. The frequencies of the acquired measurement signals are stored as functions over the measurement time period, and a spectrogram is formed for every vehicle therefrom. Subsequently, the spectrograms are checked for assessment regions with maximum bandwidth of the frequency. These assessment regions are compared with assessment regions of stored spectrograms for different vehicle classes and associated with the most similar such that the measured vehicles are classified.
US09341702B2

A method, device, system and use for determining a distance, location and/or orientation including the at least relative determination of a position of at least one object using at least two active anchors. A first signal is emitted by a first of the two anchors and is received at the object and by a second of said two anchors. A phase measurement is performed at said second anchor and wherein a distance determination with respect to said first anchor is performed and/or the distance from said first anchor to said second anchor is known. A second, particularly electromagnetic, signal is emitted from said second anchor, and information on phase measurement and distance between said first and second anchors is made available to a computation unit and at least one phase measurement respectively of said first and second signal is performed at said object and made available to said computation unit.
US09341699B2

A method of controlling a mobile information terminal including a positioning sensor includes creating a speed profile to a destination location based on a distance to the destination location, information on a speed of a mode of travel to the destination location, and information on stopping before the destination location, and calculating a crock time to cause the positioning sensor to perform positioning based on the speed profile.
US09341686B2

A single-package power meter is disclosed for measuring the power consumed by a load connected to an electrical conductor. The power meter is galvanically isolated from the electrical conductor through the use of magnetic sensors or through the combination of magnetic sensors and capacitors. Instantaneous power consumed at the load and other desired parameters are determined by measuring the voltage of the load and current flowing through the electrical conductor. Current is measured using a magnetic sensor to detect the magnetic field associated with the current flowing through the electrical conductor. Voltage is measured by one of two possible techniques involving magnetic sensors to measure the current flowing through a coil connected in parallel with a load, or through the use of a capacitively coupled voltage divider connected in parallel with the load. An application specific integrated circuit is further disclosed that controls the bias currents of the sensors for autoranging purposes and also for computing desired parameters, such as power consumption.
US09341660B2

The present invention provides a load impedance estimation and repetitive control method capable of allowing inductance variation for an inverter, wherein the method is applied for predicting corresponding next-period switching duty cycles for four switching member sets of the inverter by way of sampling three phase voltages and calculating next-period voltage compensations based on the previous line-period voltage compensations. Moreover, during the calculation and prediction, the method also involves the inductance variations of the output inductors of the inverter into the load impedance estimation matrix equation. Therefore, the three phases four wires inverter with the presented load impedance estimation and repetitive control method can provide a steady output voltage to the loads even if the originally-connected loads are replaced with other different loads. Thus, this load impedance estimation and repetitive control method can indeed improve the drawbacks of the inverter controller based on conventional DQ transformation method.
US09341657B2

A printed circuit includes a hole, a stack, one or more first coils, a magnetic core, and a pad. The hole passes through the vertically through the board to receive a conducting wire. The stack comprises metallization layers vertically stacked and separated mechanically from one another by electrically insulating layers. The first coils fulfill functions of a measurement coil and of an excitation coil. Each first coil has turns wound solely around the magnetic core. The magnetic core forms a first magnetic ring surrounding the hole and extending horizontally between metallization layers. Each turn of each first coil is formed by two conducting tracks produced, respectively, in metallization layers situated above and below the first magnetic ring. The pad passes through an insulating layer and passes through an interior of the magnetic ring, electrically linking the two conducting tracks.
US09341656B2

Nanosensors including graphene and methods of manufacturing the same. A nanosensor includes a first insulating layer in which a first nanopore is formed; a graphene layer that is disposed on the first insulating layer and having a second nanopore or a nanogap formed therein adjacent to the first nanopore; and a marker element that is disposed adjacent to the graphene layer and identifies a position of the graphene layer.
US09341655B2

A method for operating a charge pump that supplies switching current for a plurality of transistors includes a capacitor generating a pumped voltage. A comparator generates a pump control signal for turning on and off charging of the pump capacitor based on a difference between a comparison voltage and a reference voltage. A direct voltage sensor receives a feedback signal reflecting the pumped voltage and generates the comparison voltage in response to the feedback signal. The sensor includes a sensor resistor, a current source configured to drive a sensor current through the sensor resistor, and a differential op-amp that drives the sensor current to cause the voltage drop across the sensor resistor to remain constant as the pumped voltage experiences the voltage drop. The charge pump may include two similar direct voltage sensor controlling positive and negative pumped voltages.
US09341650B2

A space transformer includes: a ceramic substrate that contains enstatite and boron nitride as components; a through hole running through in a thickness direction with respect to a sintered body in which the boron nitride is oriented in one direction; conductive material provided inside the through hole; and a wiring pattern including a plurality of electrodes provided on each of two principal surfaces, wherein a wiring pitch in the wiring pattern on one principal surface is different from a wiring pitch in the wiring pattern on the other principal surface.
US09341638B2

An automatic analyzer enables users to perform working steps easily and reliably by switching a display screen irrespective of a skill level of the user. The automatic analyzer, which determines a consistency of a test item, includes a display/input section to display a plurality of working steps relating to necessary work flow for measurement. The display/input section is adapted to selectively present a maximized workflow display and a reduced workflow display. The maximized workflow display shows a series of operations and works, and further shows a plurality of operations and works in an order that the plurality of operations and works are processed. In a reduced display of the work flow, the reduced workflow display shows details of a specific operation or work, and a position of the specific operation or work in a sequence that the entire series of operations and works are processed.
US09341632B1

Systems and related methods are provided for measuring a ketone in the fluid of a patient or other user. The systems include a portable measurement device for analyzing a plurality of fluid samples and for generating a corresponding plurality of ketone measurement results. The systems also include an electronic or communications device, for example, such as a cell phone or smartphone, configured to communicate with the measurement device. The system further includes a software application. The systems and related methods according to one aspect provide reminders, preferably interactive reminders that facilitate user compliance with a weight management or diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) monitoring or prevention program. The systems and related methods according to another aspect incorporate ketone tags and/or trigger points to improve accuracy of results and to advance user compliance.
US09341630B2

Novel fluorogenic compounds designed such that upon a chemical event, compounds capable of emitting NIR light are generated, are disclosed. The compounds comprise two or more acceptor-containing moieties and a cleavable donor-containing moiety, being in complete pi-electrons conjugation and being such that no delocalization of pi-electrons is enabled. Also disclosed are fluorescent compounds generated upon subjecting the fluorogenic compounds to a chemical event (e.g., deprotonation). Also disclosed are uses of the fluorogenic compounds as NIR probed with a Turn-ON mechanism in monitoring presence and/or level of various analytes.
US09341629B2

The present disclosure relates to compounds that are useful as near-infrared fluorescence probes, wherein the compounds include i) a pteroyl ligand that binds to a target receptor protein, ii) a dye molecule, and iii) a linker molecule that comprises an amino acid or derivative thereof. The disclosure further describes methods and compositions for making and using the compounds, methods incorporating the compounds, and kits incorporating the compounds.
US09341622B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a hydrophilic cellulose derivative fine particle having a small particle size, a dispersion liquid thereof and a dispersion body thereof; and provide a diagnostic reagent composed of the hydrophilic particle, which is excellent in storage stability and does not require excess components, such as an emulsifier or surfactant. The cellulose derivative fine particle of the present invention is a cellulose derivative fine particle comprising a cellulose derivative with a part of hydroxyl groups of cellulose being substituted with a substituent, wherein the average particle diameter is from 9 to 1,000 nm; and the diagnostic reagent of the present invention is a diagnostic reagent obtained by loading a substance differentially interacting with a test object substance on the above-described cellulose derivative fine particle.
US09341615B2

Using NMR/MS based metabonomics and targeted lipidomics approaches the inventors have explored the metabolic phenotypes of aging and longevity in a cohort including centenarians, elderly and young adults. The inventors have identified biomarkers for a reduced risk of developing ageing related chronic inflammatory disorders and propose a method of diagnosing a lifestyle that allows delaying and/or avoiding ageing related chronic inflammatory disorders using PC-O 40:1 as biomarker.
US09341614B2

The present disclosure related to an apparatus that may be used for taking blood glucose measurements and providing individualized insulin dose recommendations wherein the apparatus is easy to use and facilitates improved diabetes control in patients. Also disclosed are related methods.
US09341610B1

Systems, methods, and apparatuses for triggering electrical arcs are disclosed. Such arcs are useful for testing combustible fluids and equipment operating near ignition hazards. In some embodiments, arcs are produced with a defined energy at a defined time with little variation in arc energy. Consistent production of arcs is facilitated by one or more of conditioned electrodes, control and/or reduction of parasitic capacitance, avoidance of corona sources, and non-interfering arc triggers. In some embodiments, electrodes are conditioned by repeated application of conditioning arcs. Conditioned electrodes have relatively physically consistent and chemically consistent tips. In some embodiments, arc triggers are charged particle sources such as light sources operating in cooperation with a target to produce free electrons proximate the electrodes.
US09341600B2

A deflection gauge configured for use with a floor test apparatus is provided. The gauge includes a housing, a string potentiometer mounted on the housing, and a channel extending from the housing and pivotably supporting a pivot beam. The pivot beam has a contact button at one end and an attachment point on an opposite end configured for receiving a string of the potentiometer. Deflection of the contact button due to floor sample weight stresses causes the attachment point to pivot and cause linear extension of the string, which is measured by the potentiometer.
US09341597B2

In general, the present disclosure is directed toward a novel hybrid spintronic device for converting chemical absorption into a change in magnetoresistance. This device uses a novel magnetic material which depends on the attachment of an organic structure to a metallic film for its magnetism. Changes in the chemical environment lead to absorption on the surface of this organometallic bilayer and thus modify its magnetic properties. The change in magnetic properties, in turn, leads to a change in the resistance of a magnetoresistive structure or a spin transistor structure, allowing a standard electrical detection of the chemical change in the sensor surface.
US09341577B2

The present invention relates to an examination element that includes an antenna; a hygroscopic portion that absorbs a specimen; a reagent portion that reacts with the specimen; and a chip including a semiconductor device capable of wireless communication and a photo sensor that detects a change in a color of the reagent portion. A change in the reagent portion is detected by the photo sensor, the detected data is stored in the semiconductor device capable of wireless communication, and the data is transmitted to an external database.
US09341564B2

A high-throughput optical suspension characterization instrument is disclosed, which can include hydraulically separate and at least partially transparent sample containers. A selection mechanism is operative to selectively direct light from a light source (12) through different ones of the sample containers along an optical axis, and an off-axis scattering detector (38,24) is responsive to scattered light from the light source after it has interacted with a sample. Phase analysis light scattering is used to determine the electrophoretic mobility and zeta potential of samples. A second instrument is disclosed, wherein all sample containers are illuminated simultaneously. Transmitted light is collected by a camera. The electrophoretic mobility and hydrodynamic size of the samples may be determined.
US09341551B2

A tissue handling device is disclosed. A tissue collecting device is disclosed. A cassette for handling biological tissues is disclosed. A tissue dyeing device is disclosed. A method for handling biological tissues is disclosed. A method for dyeing biological tissues is disclosed.
US09341546B2

An apparatus for materials testing of test objects using X-rays, the apparatus comprising an X-ray device, comprising: an X-ray source for irradiating a test object held in a test position; an X-ray linear diode array detector comprising at least two detection sections and configured to acquire a complete radial cross-section of the test object; and an electronic control device configured to control the X-ray device, wherein during X-ray testing the test object and the X-ray device are rotatable relative to each other only around an essentially vertical axis of rotation.
US09341544B2

An abnormality detecting device of an internal combustion engine according to the present invention includes a sensor nick abnormality detecting unit configured to detect a nick abnormality in a detecting element of a downstream side sensor which is provided in a downstream side of an exhaust gas purifying catalyst in an exhaust passage and generates an output corresponding to an oxygen concentration in exhaust gas, on the basis of a matter that a distribution of an output of the downstream side sensor is biased to an area in which the air-fuel ratio is leaner than a theoretical air-fuel ratio, and an inhibiting unit configured to inhibit detection of the nick abnormality of the detecting element by the sensor nick abnormality detecting unit in the case that an intake air amount exceeds a predetermined amount.
US09341541B2

An apparatus for measuring the optical performance characteristics and dimensions of an optical element comprising a low coherence interferometer and a Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor comprising a light source, a plurality of lenslets, and a sensor array is disclosed. The low coherence interferometer is configured to direct a measurement beam along a central axis of the optical element, and to measure the thickness of the center of the optical element. The light source of the Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor is configured to emit a waveform directed parallel to and surrounding the measurement beam of the interferometer, through the plurality of lenslets, and to the sensor array. A method for measuring the optical performance characteristics and dimensions of a lens using the apparatus is also disclosed.
US09341527B2

The present invention is directed to an impact absorption and detection system, including: one or more deflectable arch springs, having at least one leg with proximal and distal ends; and one or more bases, each of the proximal and distal ends attached to a base. Some embodiments may include: a plurality of arch spring assemblies, including: a deflectable arch spring having at least one leg with proximal and distal ends; one or more bases, each of the proximal and distal ends attached to a base; at least one sensor attached to the arch spring assembly; wherein the plurality of arch spring assemblies is configured in a chainmail arrangement and a base of one arch spring assembly is connected with a base of another arch spring assembly; a processor electrically connected to the sensors attached to the plurality of arch spring assemblies; and a data store in communication with the processor.
US09341522B2

A temperature sensor includes a temperature probe, an adapter, a resilient device, and a visual indicator. The temperature probe includes a temperature sensing device disposed at a temperature probe tip. The adapter surrounds a portion of the temperature probe such that the temperature probe is movable within the adapter in a lengthwise direction. The adapter includes a physical reference. The resilient device is adapted to produce a force between the adapter and the temperature probe. The force being variable based on a position of the temperature probe within the adapter. The visual indicator is disposed on a surface of the temperature probe. Alignment of the visual indicator with the physical reference corresponds to a desired force produced by the resilient device.
US09341521B2

A composite material 1 for temperature measurement is specified, as is a temperature sensor 10 formed from the composite material 1. Additionally specified are processes for producing the composite material 1 and for producing the temperature sensor 10.
US09341519B2

A temperature measurement device includes a first surface temperature measurement part performing a measurement to be used as a first surface temperature; a first reference temperature measurement part performing a measurement to be used as a first reference temperature; a first external air temperature measurement part performing a measurement to be used as a first external air temperature: a second surface temperature measurement part performing a measurement to be used as a second surface temperature; a second reference temperature measurement part performing a measurement to be used as a second reference temperature; a second external air temperature measurement part performing a measurement to be used as a second external air temperature; a deep-part temperature computation part computing the deep-part temperature of a subject to be measured; and an external air temperature computation part computing the external air temperature of the external air.
US09341516B2

A system for performing optical spectroscopy measurements includes a light source for generating an input optical beam and an interferometer. The interferometer includes a beam splitter that splits the input optical beam into first and second light beams; a first light path that directs the first light beam through a sample containing an analyte to a first output port; and a second light path that directs the second light beam to the first output port. At least one of the first and second light paths adjusts a relative phase of a corresponding one of the first and second light beams, so that the first and second light beams are out of phase at the first output port, substantially canceling background light and outputting sample light corresponding to a portion of the first light signal absorbed by the sample in the sample cell. A detection system detects the output sample light.
US09341515B2

Apparatus and method to measure optical absorption spectra with spatial resolution on the micron scale. An exemplary setup combines a continuous white light excitation beam in transmission geometry with a confocal microscope. Spatial resolution better than 1.4 μm in the lateral and 3.6 μm in the axial, directions was obtained. The detection and measurement of the absorption spectrum of hemoglobin in a single red blood cell under physiological conditions on the timescale of seconds was realized. The apparatus and method enables the investigation of spatial variations in the optical density of small samples on the micron scale and the study of biological assemblies at the single cell level, leading to applications in optical diagnostics, microfluidics, and other areas.
US09341513B2

To provide both a photodetecting element and a photodetecting device which can prevent generating of a plurality of current paths, and can detect with stability and high sensitivity regardless of a surface state instability of an optical absorption layer. The photodetecting element includes an optically transparent substrate, an optical absorption layer, an electrode, an electrode, an adhesive layer, an insulating film, and a package. The optical absorption layer is formed on the optically transparent substrate, and a part of each the electrodes is embedded in the optical absorption layer. The photodetecting unit is bonded junction down with the adhesive layer on the package. The optical absorption layer absorbs light of a specified wavelength selectively to be converted into an electric signal. The light to be measured is irradiated from a back side surface of the optically transparent substrate.
US09341510B2

A chair-based scale for weighing a person in a seated position is disclosed. The scale includes a system for electronically displaying data and other information. In one embodiment, the chair-based scale is a stand-alone scale, and in other embodiments, it communicates with a remote computer. According to one embodiment, the chair comprises a collapsible chair. A collapsible chair provides certain advantages, such as lower manufacturing and shipping costs, and ease of shipping to and storage and use at a user location (e.g., a patient's home or apartments), or a health care facility. According to an embodiment of the invention, the collapsible chair may be a folding chair, e.g., of the deck chair or director chair type. According to one embodiment, the chair comprises a protective cover that is movable to prevent loading of a load sensor in a non-weighing condition of the chair. In another embodiment, the chair is provided with wheels and e.g., is of the transport type.
US09341508B2

The disclosure provides a volumetric measurement device that includes of a vessel into which contents to be measured are placed. The device has a target operational range of measurement volumes. The shape of the vessel has the property that the ratio of the surface area of contents in the vessel to the volume of those contents is constant across the operational range. For any source of error in the estimation of vertical height of contents, the constant ratio of surface area to volume prevents the error from having a larger negative impact on overall measurement error as the volume being measured decreases. In other words, the vessel is just at good at measuring small volumes of contents as large volumes of contents.
US09341496B2

Disclosed is a navigation device which extracts an entrance and exit section which exists ahead of a vehicle and in which a vehicle is permitted to make a lane change between an HOV lane and a normal lane on the basis of position information about the position of the vehicle and map data in which the HOV lane and the normal lane are defined by a single link, extracts a branch point on the HOV lane which exists ahead of the vehicle on the basis of the map data and the position information about the position of the vehicle, determines a guidance time for a lane changing permitted section defined by the extracted entrance and exit section, and another guidance time for the branch point on the HOV lane, and provides exit guidance notifying that the vehicle can exit the HOV lane or entrance guidance notifying that the vehicle can enter the HOV lane at the determined guidance time, or provides branch guidance on the branch on the HOV lane at the determined other guidance time.
US09341494B2

Apparatuses and methods for managing route navigation via mobile devices. A route is calculated between a starting point and a destination point. The route is divided into multiple segments based on the complexity of the calculated route, and navigation features are controlled as a function of the segment that corresponds to the user's current location. The user may opt to identify one or more segments, or one or more route portions independent of whether or not segmentation has occurred, in order to specify a portion(s) of the route where navigation support is not needed.
US09341493B2

The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for providing a user interface, particularly in a vehicle, in which a structured volume of data is stored which relates to the scope of functions of at least one function. At least two hierarchically related modes of operation are predetermined which each produce and each at least partially display a user menu with controllable graphic objects on the basis of a predetermined subset of the structured volume of data, wherein a hierarchically higher mode of operation is based on a hierarchically higher subset of the structured volume of data.
US09341489B2

An object of the present invention is to perform continuous guidance in which guidance on a first guidance point which is a guidance point subsequent to a current position and guidance on a second guidance point which is a subsequent guidance point are continuously performed at one time in a navigation apparatus in more suitable circumstances. The navigation apparatus includes continuous a guidance determination part that determines whether or not to cause a display part and an audio guidance part serving as a guidance part to perform the continuous guidance on the first guidance point and the second guidance point based on a distance between the first guidance point and the second guidance point and current date and time acquired by a current date and time acquisition part.
US09341486B2

Technology for generating geotemporal graphs is disclosed where geotemporal graphs provide representations of areas based on an expected travel time between points, instead of the geographical distance between points. Travel times may vary based on travel conditions, and geotemporal maps may be generated that show travel times that account for travel conditions. Generating geotemporal maps may include obtaining a graph, determining for several points a warp vector indicating graph how each point should be moved to represent a travel time to that point, and warping the graph according to the determined warp vectors.
US09341483B2

Systems, apparatus and methods disclosed herein facilitate mobile station (MS) location determination using MS captured images of known points of interest (POIs). In some embodiments, each POI is associated with a corresponding visibility map comprising a set of grid points, and a subset of the POIs may be identified from the MS captured images by matching the MS captured images of each POI in the subset with corresponding stored images. A cumulative grid point weight for a plurality of grid points in the visibility maps associated with the POIs in the subset may be computed. The cumulative grid point weight for each grid point represents the probability that the MS is located at that grid point. The location of the MS may be estimated based on the cumulative grid point weights of the plurality of grid points.
US09341477B2

A vibrator element including: a base portion; vibrating arms which extend from the base portion; a first drive section and a second drive section, and a first detecting section and a second detecting sensor which are respectively provided in the vibrating arms; adjusting arms which extend from the base portion in parallel to the vibrating arms; and a first adjusting section and a second adjusting section which are respectively provided on a principal surface of the adjusting arms, wherein, in the first adjusting section and the second adjusting section, a first electrode, piezoelectric layers, and adjustment electrodes are laminated on the first principal surface to be formed, and output signals of the first adjusting section and the second adjusting section are in antiphase to charges generated by the first detecting section and the second detecting section when no angular velocity is added to the vibrating arms.
US09341473B2

A survey system including a target unit that has a survey stick having a high-precision localizable target and a hand-held remote control unit. The remote control unit has an electronic graphical display and can be mounted on a holder on the survey stick such that the remote control unit is in a fixed position relative to the target fitted to the survey stick. The remote control comprises a camera for taking a camera image in a defined shooting direction. In addition, an image processing and evaluation unit with a data link to the position-finding unit and to the camera is provided which, from knowledge of the fixed relative position and of a defined shooting direction and also on the basis of the determined target position, can spatially relate image data from the camera to the targets in the coordinate system.
US09341472B2

A device for measuring the level of the end surface of a pipe, comprising a body, a planar reference surface, and a retractable spring-loaded finger extendable through and below the planar reference surface to engage the inside surface of the pipe and secure the level in place. The level body may comprise an elongated body having an elongated chamber and an elongated reference plane, said plane comprising at least one reference surface and at least one opening to the chamber.
US09341467B2

A method for verifying a position of an energy beam spot, said method comprising the steps of: providing a calibrated energy beam having a first focus in a at least two positions at a work table, detecting said at least two positions of said energy beam spot on said work table created with said energy beam having said first focus, providing said calibrated energy beam having a second focus in said at least two positions at a work table, detecting said at least two positions of said energy beam spot on said work table created with said energy beam having said second focus, comparing said at least two positions created with said first and second focus, wherein said position of the energy beam is verified if said positions created with said first focus are deviating less than a predetermined distance from said positions created with said second focus.
US09341464B2

A system for sizing and fitting an individual for apparel, accessories, or prosthetics includes at least one energy emitter configured to emit energy onto a field-of-view that contains an individual, and at least one energy sensor configured to capture reflected energy from within the field-of-view. A spatial measurement module calculates spatial measurements of a surface portion of the body of the individual when the individual is either stationary or moving about in real-time, based on data from the energy sensor.
US09341462B2

Determining a distance between stationary and moving portions of a turbo machine including generating, by a fixed gap capacitive probe, a first output signal based on a characteristic of a gas in a gas flow path of the turbo machine, wherein the fixed gap capacitive probe is located in the stationary portion and is configured to sense a characteristic of a gas flowing through the gas flow path. Also, a variable gap capacitive probe, located adjacent the fixed gap capacitive probe, is used to generate a second output signal based on a distance between the variable gap capacitive probe and the moving portion, wherein the variable gap probe is configured to capacitively couple to the moving portion of the turbo machine. Afterwards, the value of the second output signal can be adjusted based on the first output signal to produce an adjusted output signal.
US09341460B2

A double cone stylus includes a shank and a double cone-shaped tip attached to the tip end of the shank, the double cone-shaped tip being a rotationally symmetric body obtained by rotating a triangle having a base extending along the shank around the shank as the symmetric rotation axis. The double cone stylus allows the shape of an inner wall surface of a measurement object with the inner wall surface retracted from an upper reference plane to be measured from above.
US09341458B2

A method for providing electrical energy to a self-destruct fuze for submunitions contained in a projectile. The method including: using a firing acceleration of the projectile to deform at least one elastic element to store mechanical energy in the elastic element; converting the stored mechanical energy to electrical energy; and providing the electrical energy at least indirectly to the self destruct fuze for detonation of the self destruct fuze.
US09341454B1

Directed fragmentation weapon including a housing having front, back, top edge, bottom edge and side edge walls defining a closed chamber therein. The front wall is formed as a pellet matrix construction including a plurality of compartments formed as recesses on the surface facing the inside of the chamber. The compartments are substantially similar in shape and size to each other and a plurality of pellets of fixed diameter within the matrix. Each compartment contains one pellet therein. Explosive material is placed into the chamber, which is sufficient to propel the pellets from the matrix, and a detonator arrangement for exploding the material. Depths of a part or all of the compartments measured perpendicularly to the front wall and from the inner surface of the front wall are defined by equation h=C×A  (I) wherein equation coefficient C is 0.1-3, and A is the pellet diameter.
US09341442B1

A mount for securing a knife to a firearm rail for use of the knife, e.g., to engage a target at close range.
US09341434B2

In some embodiments, a crossbow crank comprises a housing and a shaft rotatable with respect to the housing. A one-way mechanism is arranged to prevent rotation of the shaft in a first rotational direction, but allow rotation in a second direction. A release mechanism is arranged to disengage the one-way mechanism from the shaft. The release mechanism has a first position and a second position, wherein the release mechanism moves along a length of the shaft between the first position and the second position.
US09341428B2

Disclosed herein is an automatic cleaning apparatus for a gun barrel having cleaning means, wherein the cleaning means includes: a cylindrical tube having a plurality of insertion holes along the circumference thereof; a rotary gear connected to and driven by a motor; and cleaning members each of which includes a rotary shaft inserted into the insertion hole and a bevel gear joined to the lower portion of the rotary shaft and interlocking with the rotary gear, wherein the insertion hole includes a small hole and a large hole communicating laterally with the small hole, and wherein a fixing member fixes the cleaning member by making the cleaning member come into contact with the small hole when the cleaning member is fixed and does not prevent that the cleaning member is separated to the outside of the cylindrical tube through the large hole when the fixed cleaning member is released.
US09341410B1

An apparatus for removing liquid from a suspension comprises: one or more drying chambers; a conveyor system for transporting the suspension through the drying chambers at a substantially continuous speed, including a semi-permeable conveyor belt; a blower for injecting air into the drying chambers; a vacuum pipe and one or more vacuum pipe segments that extend from the vacuum pipe into each of the drying chambers for drawing saturated air out of each of the drying chambers, and wherein the vacuum pipe is operably connected to an intake of the blower. The apparatus may further comprise a condenser receiving the saturated air from the vacuum pipe, cooling the saturated air, and collecting liquid from the saturated air before returning it to the blower. The apparatus may further comprise a preheating arrangement in which cooled air exiting the condenser is passed through the drying chambers before returning it to the blower.
US09341408B2

A regenerative carbon dioxide removal system (38) is provided onboard the container (10) through which air from within the cargo box (12) may be circulated for removing at least a portion of the carbon dioxide present in the air. The regenerative carbon dioxide removal system (38) includes a scrubber module (40) containing a carbon dioxide absorbent material (42), and an actuator (50) for moving the scrubber module (40) to pass the carbon dioxide absorbent material (42) alternately between a first flow of air (32) to be cleaned drawn by the evaporator fan (30) from within the cargo box (12), and a second flow of air (44) drawn from an environment outside the cargo box for regenerating the carbon dioxide adsorbent material (42) by removing collected carbon dioxide from the carbon dioxide adsorbent material (42).
US09341402B1

A household refrigerator includes an icemaker in the cabinet and an ice storage area on a door. An ice flow passage extends between the icemaker and the ice storage area. A moveable flap is associated with the ice flow passage to cover an opening in the ice flow passage on the cabinet when the door is open. The moveable flap has an equilibrium position wherein the movable flap substantially covers the ice flow passage. A vent in the flap permits air to flow through the ice flow passage to the ice storage area with the movable flap in the equilibrium position. As ice moves through the ice passage from the icemaker towards the ice storage area, the momentum of the moving ice moves the movable flap from the equilibrium position to the dispensing position to permit the ice to flow to the ice storage area.
US09341398B2

An air conditioning device is used in a motor vehicle. The air conditioning device includes air conditioning circuit, which includes a compressor (14), a condenser (11), and/or an internal exchanger, an electric expansion valve (12) which opening ratio is changed according to a control signal, and an evaporator (13), which are traversed in this order by a refrigerant fluid and a control unit (40) capable of controlling a control signal of the expansion valve so as to regulate a control variable relating to the superheating of the evaporator or to the sub-cooling of the condenser (11) according to a chosen regulation rule.
US09341381B2

A home appliance, particularly a gas range including an appliance body, a cooktop on the appliance body, an oven cavity in the body, a gas-operable heating element in the cavity for heating the cavity to a cooking temperature and including a gas mixing pipe having an inlet open to the cavity for intake of gas and air for combustion. A ventilation channel extends through the appliance body intermediate the cooktop and the oven cavity. A fan is in the appliance body, the fan being in fluid communication with the ventilation channel for creating an airstream within the ventilation channel. An air conduit extends between the ventilation channel and the gas mixing pipe, with an air conduit inlet in the airstream and an air conduit outlet adjacent the gas mixing pipe to direct air from the airstream to the gas mixing pipe for combustion with the gas and air.
US09341380B2

System for attaching the flame igniter electrode to a burner for gas hobs, boilers or the like. The system comprises a deformable seal of substantially annular shape mounted in a groove in the electrode which makes it possible to attach the electrode reversibly to a seat attached to the body of the burner. Attachment takes place through the application of an axial force inserting the electrode into the seat.
US09341379B2

A portable gas heater includes a heater body, a gas burner mounted on a front panel of the heater body, a gas supply arrangement connected between the gas burner inside the heater body and the gas bottle for providing a gas passage including a safety valve, a control button and a connecting tube, a gas bottle positioning arrangement, and a pilot flame arrangement mounted on the heater body near the gas burner and connected to the safety valve through a gas inlet. The pilot flame arrangement includes a thermocouple, a pilot flame unit, and an electrode rod connected to an ignition wire of the safety valve. The pilot flame unit includes a pilot fire nozzle, a mixing tube and a connector connected with each others. The heater is compact, small and light-weighted while ready for immediate use without assembly and disassembly requirements, thereby convenience for indoor and outdoor use.
US09341376B2

A combustor includes an end cap having upstream and downstream surfaces and a cap shield surrounding the upstream and downstream surfaces. First and second sets of premixer tubes extend from the upstream surface through the downstream surface. A first fuel conduit supplies fuel to the first set of premixer tubes. A casing circumferentially surrounds the cap shield to define an annular passage, and a second fuel conduit supplies fuel through the annular passage to the second set of premixer tubes. A method for supplying fuel to a combustor includes flowing a working fluid through first and second sets of premixer tubes, flowing a first fuel into the first set of premixer tubes, and flowing a second fuel through an annular passage surrounding the end cap and into the second set of premixer tubes.
US09341374B2

A fuel nozzle assembly (10) is presented for a gas turbine engine (12). The fuel nozzle assembly (10) includes a rocket unit (14) and a swirler (16) with an aft end (18) in threaded engagement with a forward end (20) of the rocket unit (14). The fuel nozzle assembly (10) may include an oil tip (36) including a clocking feature with a mechanical constraint to orient the oil tip (36) at a predetermined angular orientation (42) relative to the swirler (16). The fuel nozzle assembly (10) may include one or more gas stage inlets (13, 15), one or more oil stage inlets (17, 19), and a flexible hose (26) to direct the oil to a plurality of rocket units (14).
US09341367B2

Provided are a tube sheet of a steam generator installed to support a tube of the steam generator, and a manufacturing method thereof, particularly, a tube sheet of a steam generator having an anticorrosive layer and a manufacturing method thereof.
US09341365B2

An eversible candle holder comprises a flexible generally cylindrical body capable of being manipulated between rest and everted configurations, the body having sidewalls extending upwardly from a base. In the rest configuration the central portion of a heat sink is seated on a central pedestal of the base and a horizontal lip extending from a skirt wall depending from the pedestal's central portion is disposed in an inwardly-facing recess in a recessed perimeter portion of the base and is locked in the recess by an overlapping inwardly-extending retaining flange. In an everted configuration, the locking flange is rotated outwardly about an annular hinge section away from the central pedestal opening the recess a sufficient width to release the lip, enabling removal of the heat sink from the base, and facilitating disposal of candle wax accumulated in the bottom of the holder.
US09341360B2

Fluorescent lamp holder assembly 10 comprising a lamp holder 15 and a socket 20. The holder 15 houses one pair of electrical terminals, and includes one pair of openings 30 located at a position corresponding to the position of the electrical terminals. The lamp holder 15 includes one pair of parallel spaced-apart legs 35 with one end connected to the terminal and the free end protruding from the body of the holder 15. The socket 20 has one pair of spaced-apart electrical terminals defining insertion inlets 45. The holder 15 can be coupled to the socket 20 by inserting the legs 35 into the corresponding terminals of the socket 20. The holder assembly 10 further comprises releasable, resiliently biased locking means 60 movable between an opening position, in which holder 15 and socket 20 can be unplugged and a locking position, in which holder 15 and socket 20 are held together.
US09341358B2

In accordance with systems and methods of the present disclosure, an apparatus may include a power converter and a controller. The controller may be configured to monitor a voltage at an input of the power converter, cause the power controller to transfer energy from the input to a load at a target current, decrease the target current responsive to determining that the voltage is less than or equal to an undervoltage threshold, and increase the target current responsive to determining that the voltage is greater than or equal to a maximum threshold voltage.
US09341357B2

A light source suitable for being thrown or projected into an airborne trajectory for the purpose of illuminating a subject or environment; and a system of light sources on a wireless network for the purpose of operating in collaboration to illuminate a subject or environment; and accessory devices on the wireless network including cameras and remote control devices; and a throwable light source streamlined to reduce drag when projected into a long-range trajectory.
US09341352B2

A lighting system includes a carrier unit, and a lamp holder including a holder plate for mounting of a light emitting unit, and a first positioning plate and a second positioning plate extending from the holder plate and spaced apart from each other. The holder plate is disposable at a first or second position when the first or second positioning plate is connected to the carrier unit. A light emitting characteristic of the light emitting unit when the holder plate is in the first position is different from a light emitting characteristic of the light emitting unit when the holder plate is in the second position.
US09341350B2

Disclosed is a fastening device for a LED light string of a backlight module, including a LED light string and a frame, the LED light string being configured with a substrate and a plurality of LEDs mounted onto the substrate, wherein at least a retainer is incorporated on the substrate, and the frame being provided with a notch matchable with the retainer such that the LED light string can be securely attached to the frame. The retainer can be made individually and a then attached to the backside of the LED light string. In addition, with the retainer readily snapped into the notch of the frame, a distance between to the LED light emitting surface to the frame is also reduced, and this helps to realize the design of narrow-boarder of the liquid crystal display.
US09341347B2

A method for mounting planar lighting modules on a mounting surface may include: providing on opposite sides of the lighting module fixing indentations opening toward the aforesaid sides, superimposing on said opposite sides of the lighting module stiffening bars having lateral lobes extending into said indentations, and fixing to the mounting surface the stiffening bars superimposed on the opposite sides of the lighting module with the opposite sides of the lighting module sandwiched between the stiffening bars and the mounting surface, whereby the stiffening bars urge the lighting module toward the mounting surface.
US09341338B2

A light distribution-controlling device of a vehicle headlight includes headlight lamp bodies, light distribution operation switches, a front detection unit, a manual mode control unit that controls the light distribution of the headlight lamp body based on a signal outputting from the light distribution operation switch, an auto mode control unit that controls the light distribution of the headlight lamp body based on a signal output from the front detection unit, an auto mode changeover switch that switches control of the light distribution of the headlight lamp body to control by the auto mode control unit, a passing continuation-determining unit that determines whether a continuation time of an ON operation of a passing switch is more than or equal to a threshold continuation time, and an auto mode-returning unit that returns the control of the light distribution to the control by the auto mode control unit.
US09341334B2

An optical film includes a plurality of transparent layers configured to transmit light and a plurality of reflection layers configured to reflect light. The plurality of transparent layers are disposed at spaced intervals to each other in a first direction orthogonal to a thickness direction of the optical film; each of the plurality of reflection layers is interposed between the transparent layers that are next to each other of the plurality of transparent layers; and the plurality of transparent layers include a first transparent layer and a second transparent layer that has a smaller index of refraction than that of the first transparent layer.
US09341332B2

The present disclosure provides a light source apparatus, the apparatus including a light source configured to irradiate an excitation light, an optical system configured to form the excitation light, and a phosphor wheel configured to separate a plurality of colors based on the formed excitation light, wherein the phosphor wheel includes a first separation portion of light-transmitting material assembled as a separate element penetrable by a blue light of the excitation light, and integrally formed second to fourth separation portions having phosphor layer configured to reflect red, green and yellow of the excitation light.
US09341331B2

A twinkling door hanger mainly includes: a main body, being 3D body modeling, a front side thereof having a pair of slots opposite to each other, a wall of each slot being configured with a light transmissive hole; at least two light guiding plates, stacked together and inserted in the slots in a separable way, each thereof having a light incidence face corresponding to the light transmissive hole, and a plate face of each light guiding plate perpendicular to the light incidence face having a decorative pattern, and the decorative pattern of each light guiding plate being staggered; and a circuit unit, fixed to one side of the main body, having a control circuit in connection with a battery and providing electricity, at least having two light-emitting elements and a control circuit adapted to control each light-emitting element to wink in sequence, each light-emitting element illuminating toward the corresponding light incidence face. Whereby, allowing the present invention to achieve an effect of the staggered twinkle of the decorative patterns.
US09341330B2

A wide-angle lighting display device with the features of its original patent application displays an unlimited extension of an inward serial arrangement from the middle, and further displays an extended visual effect at an oblique angle, enlarging the display area thereof; also, the structure thereof is easier to be maintained and renovated.
US09341327B2

A concrete paver comprising a workbridge, which moves along a path to be paved. A carriage mounted on and reciprocating along a longitudinal axis of the workbridge, which is orthogonal to the path to be paved. A plurality of electrical lights disposed on and illuminating a surface which is fixed relative to the carriage, but variable or moving with respect to the workbridge. The electrical lights providing a substantially constant illumination to workers who work with the concrete surface as the carriage moves along the workbridge.
US09341321B2

A lighting assembly includes a light source and a lens. The lens includes a light transmissive portion and an optic shield portion for blocking or redirecting at least a portion of light generated by the light source. The light source can include one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs). The optic shield can be painted on or otherwise applied to a portion of the lens. Alternatively, it can be integrally formed with the lens. The optic shield can be an opaque material for blocking light generated by the light source or can be a reflective material for reflecting light generated by the light source through the light transmissive portion of the lens. Methods for making an optic shield are also described.
US09341317B2

The present invention relates to a LED bulb emitting light ray in a downward direction and a manufacturing method thereof. The LED bulb emitting light ray in a downward direction comprises a screw head, a base, a lamp body, and a lampshade integrally connected in order, wherein a PCB board longitudinally arranged within the base is fixedly connected with a PCB board transversely arranged on the top of the lamp body, the bottom of a LED aluminum substrate component is fixed by a base buckle, the LED aluminum substrate component is longitudinally fixed on the lamp body by fastening a hook buckle to a buckle hole of the base, the top of the LED aluminum substrate component is fixedly connected with the PCB board on the top of the lamp body, the PCB board on the top of the lamp body is connected with the lamp body by fastening element.
US09341311B2

A compressed air supply apparatus includes an air compressor for compressing air to at least atmospheric pressure, a tank for storing the compressed air and supplying the compressed air, via a supply port, to various devices that use the compressed air as a working fluid, a first pipe that connects the air compressor to the tank, a heat pump including an evaporator for cooling at least a part of the first pipe, a selection device for selecting whether a cool air cooled by the evaporator, which is fluidly distinct from the compressed air, is introduced into a vehicle interior or discharged outside of the vehicle interior, and a control device configured to control the selection device so that the cool air is introduced into the vehicle interior when an air conditioner switch is turned ON and discharged outside of the vehicle interior when the air conditioner switch is turned OFF.
US09341309B1

A lubricant additive dispensing apparatus comprising a tubular housing extending between a fluid supply side and a fluid discharge side, wherein each side is sealed by a respective end wall. A volume of fluid additive is stored within a fluid additive storage cavity formed within the tubular housing. Fluid enters the lubricant additive dispensing apparatus, wherein a first portion of the fluid passes therethrough and a second portion of the fluid is directed towards a piston cap attached to a compression spring. The second fluid portion applies a compression force to the piston, interacting with the generated expansion force of the spring to cause the piston cap to oscillate. The piston cap is in communication with the fluid additive, applying an oscillating pressure thereto, causing a controlled volumetric rate of dispensing of the additive into the fluid.
US09341304B2

A modular filtration frame assembly is provided for holding components of a pipe system and filtration system. The modular frame assembly comprises a skid formed by a base and a central spine. The base has at least two legs and at least one lateral support disposed between the two legs, and the central spine has two uprights and at least one cross bar disposed between the two uprights. A component support member is attached to the central spine for supporting components of the pipe system. In the modular frame assembly, the base, central spine and component supports can be formed by selecting from predetermined and presized components in response to the design and size of the pipe system and filtration system. The component support member holds predetermined components of the pipe and filtration system having a predetermined centerline at the same vertical distance from the cross bar, thereby maintaining the same centerline for all pipe system components supported by the skid regardless of component diameter.
US09341303B1

A multi-sectional portable pigging pole to retrieve a pig from a pipe. The pole having a first shaft member and a second shaft member configured to interlock so as to form a shaft that extends reach into the pipe to retrieve the pig from therein.
US09341301B2

A device and method of use for the repair of a leaking fuel tank fill pipe are provided. The device and method of use are designed to create a durable repair of a leaking tank fill pipe without the cost, time, and difficulty associated with replacing an entire diesel fuel tank on a semi-truck tractor. The device is a collar which threads onto damaged threads on a fill pipe neck and creates a leak-resistant seal with the fill pipe neck. A tank fill cap can then be screwed onto the collar, which forms a leak-resistant seal with the fill cap. The device may have one or more mechanisms to retain the collar on the tank fill pipe neck. The method of use may include re-cutting damaged threads on the fill pipe neck with the collar device.
US09341287B2

Fluid conveying pipes and processes of forming such pipes using friction stir welding. The fluid conveying pipes are formed from a pipe section that includes a first barrel coaxially and concentrically disposed within a second barrel. The first barrel and the second barrel are each formed from one or more sections or plates where longitudinal extending facing edges of the plates are friction stir welded (FSW) together along a seam(s) that extends longitudinally from the first end to the second end thereof. A plurality of the pipe sections can be connected together end to end using circumferential FSW seams to form a pipe.
US09341286B1

The present invention relates to a sprinkler reducer fixing bracket including: a body having an insertion space portion fitted to a horizontal bar, a first mounting portion to which a reducer is fitted, first shaft holes formed on one side of the first mounting portion, a through hole formed at the center of a wall portion defining the insertion space portion, protruding portions protruding backwardly from the top and underside of the through hole, and long holes formed on the protruding portions; a locking pin having a shape of ‘U’ fitted to the long holes; a hook having a second mounting portion to which the reducer is fitted, second shaft holes formed on one side of the second mounting portion, and a plurality of inclined teeth formed at a position pushing one side of the locking pin on the rear side thereof when turned around a shaft member and becomes at a closed position; and the shaft member coupled to the first shaft hole and the second shaft hole.
US09341280B2

A valve for regulating the pressure of a gas flow in a duct according to two pressure levels includes a gate whose position is controlled by an actuator with two chambers and a first control means with a first set point pressure P1 making it possible to position the gate in a first regulated position by comparing a pressure Pav downstream of the gate and the first set point pressure P1. The valve further includes a second control means with a second set point pressure P2 making it possible to position the gate in a second regulated position by comparing the pressure Pav downstream of the gate and the second set point pressure P2 and permutation means for making the first control means or the second control means communicate alternately with one of the chambers of the actuator.
US09341274B2

A pilot passage that is in communication with an input port at all times is formed inside a spool, the pilot passage and a second pressure receiving chamber on one side of a pilot piston are made to be in communication with each other at all times through a constantly open communication passage formed in a continuous portion between the spool and the pilot piston, the second pressure receiving chamber and a first pressure receiving chamber on the other side of the pilot piston are made to be in communication with each other through an opening/closing communication passage that is formed in a piston box and that is opened and closed with a pilot valve, and the pilot piston is driven and the spool is switched by turning the pilot valve on and off to supply/discharge pilot air to/from the first pressure receiving chamber.
US09341262B2

A vehicle includes a power source, such as an engine, an electric machine, or combination thereof. A torque converter is selectively coupled to the power source such that drive torque can be altered before being distributed into a transmission of the vehicle. A torque converter bypass clutch enables torque from the power source to selectively transmit directly to the transmission with little or no torque altering provided by the torque converter. At least one controller in the vehicle is in communication with a storage device. The controller sends road condition data to the storage device regarding a road segment. During a subsequent drive to or over the road segment, the controller receives the road condition data and enables the torque converter bypass clutch to slip to dampen driveline disturbances when the vehicle passes over the road segment.
US09341255B2

Provided is a V-belt type continuously variable transmission constructed such as to accommodate in a transmission case a transmission mechanism including: a drive shaft connected to an engine flywheel and provided with a drive pulley; a driven shaft provided with a driven pulley; and a V-belt wound around between the drive pulley and the driven pulley, the V-belt type continuously variable transmission comprising: an air intake chamber for introducing cooling air to surroundings of the drive shaft; and a flywheel cover for covering at least a periphery of the flywheel located in the air intake chamber.
US09341252B2

A wave generator (5) for a flat-type strain wave gearing (1) has a first elliptical outer circumferential surface (6S) of a first wave generator portion (5S) defined by a first elliptical curve (C1), and a second elliptical outer circumferential surface (6D) of a second wave generator section (5D) defined by a second elliptical curve (C2). Compared to using a wave generator for which the contour is defined by a single elliptical curve, differences between the ball load distribution of the first wave generator portion (5S) and the ball load distribution of the second wave generator portion (5D) can be suppressed, both ball load distributions can be equalized, and the equivalent ball load can be reduced; therefore, an increase in the lifespan of the wave generator bearing can be achieved.
US09341238B2

A gear assembly includes an input shaft, a drive ring gear assembly, a pair of input/ring bearings, a driven pinion gear assembly, a first and second clutch members, and an actuator assembly. The first clutch member is fixedly connected to the input shaft. The drive ring gear assembly is mounted about the input shaft. The input/ring bearings are mounted so as to straddle the drive ring gear. The driven pinion gear assembly is operatively engaged with the drive ring gear. The second clutch member is slidingly mounted to the drive ring gear and the actuator assembly operates to move the second clutch member into engagement with the first clutch member to cause the drive ring gear to rotate when the input shaft rotates.
US09341233B2

A V-ribbed belt that includes a ribbed surface covered with fabric is provided. The fabric is stretchable in two predetermined directions. A method for manufacturing the V-ribbed belt is also provided. The method includes placing a belt matrix about a mandrel, placing a fabric about the external circumference of the belt matrix which wraps around the mandrel, placing the mandrel inside a shell having a plurality of grooves on the internal circumference, expanding the belt matrix and the fabric toward the internal circumference of the shell and thus pressing the fabric onto the internal circumference having the multi-ribbed structure, and curing the belt matrix with the fabric. The fabric is stretchable to accommodate itself to the multi-ribbed structure.
US09341227B2

A fluid-filled vibration damping device including an elastic buffer body supported by a partition member and arranged in a housing space such that at least one of wall inner surfaces of the housing space on sides of a pressure-receiving chamber and an equilibrium chamber is covered by the elastic buffer body. Windows are formed to penetrate the elastic buffer body at portions corresponding to communication holes formed in walls of the housing space so that the communication holes are narrowed by the windows of the elastic buffer body, and a ratio (a/l) of an opening area (a) of the windows to a penetration length (l) thereof is made smaller than a ratio (A/L) of an opening area (A) of the communication holes to a penetration length (L) thereof.
US09341226B2

A method and apparatus for a shock absorber having a damping fluid compensation chamber with a gas charge. In one aspect, a partition separates a first chamber portion from a second chamber portion, wherein the first portion of the chamber is at a first initial gas pressure and the second portion of the chamber is at a second initial pressure. A valve separates the first and second chamber portions and opening the valve comingles the first and second chamber portions so that the combined chamber portions are at a third pressure. In another aspect, a piston disposed through a wall is in pressure communication with the gas charge and is biased inwardly toward a pressure of the charge, whereby an indicator is movable by the piston in response to the pressure.
US09341220B2

A brake pad retaining device is provided for holding a brake pad within a brake caliper of an air disc brake system. The device may be formed as a spring which provides at least four retention forces at longitudinal ends of the brake pad in order to suppress brake pad kick motion and vibration, while applying a biasing force that pre-loads a caliper to its mounting pins. The device may include a mounting section that is coupled to a brake carrier, a first projection and a second projection. The first projection extends from one region of the mounting section to a region near a longitudinal end of the brake pad to thereby exert a radially inward force against the brake pad. The second projection extends from another region of the mounting section to an inner surface of the brake caliper to thereby exert a biasing force against the brake caliper.
US09341219B2

A mechanical fixing interface for fixing a machinery brake in a hoisting machine, a machinery brake, and a method for installing the machinery brake are disclosed. The fixing interface is formed in the frame part of the hoisting machine. The fixing interface includes two fixing surfaces for receiving the fixing lugs of the machinery brake, and between the fixing surfaces is a space for the machinery brake.
US09341218B2

A method for adapting a separating clutch in a drive train system of a vehicle, the drive train system having an electric machine, an internal combustion engine as well as an automatic transmission having an hydraulic torque converter and a torque-converter lockup clutch, and the separating clutch lying between the electric machine and the internal combustion engine, and the internal combustion engine being started by the electric machine while the electric machine drives the vehicle, having the following steps: in a time interval, the separating clutch is operated in slip operation for cranking up the internal combustion engine, in the time interval an expected rotary speed change of the electric machine is calculated, the rotary speed change expected by calculation is compared to the actually occurring rotary speed change for deviation and the deviation ascertained is used to adapt the separating clutch.
US09341214B2

A porous oil-impregnated sleeve is used for a fluid dynamic pressure bearing. The sleeve includes an inner surface, a first axial end face, a first recessed portion, and a first dynamic pressure generating groove. The first recessed portion is positioned on the other side of a line segment, which connects one-side end portion of the inner surface with an inner end portion of the first axial end face, in a cross-section including the central axis. A bottom portion of the first recessed portion, which has the longest distance between itself and the line segment, is positioned closer to the other side than a bottom portion of the first dynamic pressure generating groove in the axial direction.
US09341207B2

A web component suitable for use with a snap-fit assembly is disclosed herein. The web component includes, but is not limited to, a sheet metal member that has a periphery and a first side and a second side. The sheet metal member also includes a plurality of protrusions that extend from a first surface of the first side and from a second surface of the second side. The plurality of protrusions are disposed proximate a portion of the periphery and are configured to engage a female receiver associated with the snap-fit assembly.
US09341195B2

A centrifugal fan module comprising a fan housing and an impeller is provided. The fan housing includes an air inlet and a sidewall. The sidewall is pivotally disposed in the fan housing to rotate in the rotational direction relative to the fan housing. A tongue portion is formed between the sidewall and the impeller, a pressurized region is formed from the tongue portion along the rotational direction to the air outlet, the pressurized region includes a strong airflow region and the dust-discharging hole is in the strong airflow region.
US09341184B2

A coupling system for receiving a push rod includes a housing defining an internal channel having a sloped wall, and a piston received within the internal channel. The piston includes at least one flexible member arranged within the channel to be acted upon by the sloped wall to engage the push rod. The only external force required to couple the push rod is an axial force on the piston in a direction. The only external force required to de-couple the push rod is an axial force on the piston in an opposite direction.
US09341182B2

An electromagnetic pump includes a coil configured to conduct an alternating current, a cylinder, and a piston assembly. The piston includes a cavity configured to receive fluid and an aperture defined in a first end thereof The piston is arranged within the cylinder to define an interface between the piston and the cylinder, and the piston is configured to move linearly between a first position and a second position within the cylinder. The piston is positioned in the electromagnetic pump such that it is within a magnetic field which is generated by the coil when the coil conducts a current.
US09341180B2

A connection plate for a hydrostatic piston machine includes two connection openings on opposite lateral surfaces of the connection plate. The connection openings are arranged at an offset from a main axis of the connection plate on a common side. Two slotted recesses are formed from an inner face of the connection plate. The slotted recesses are each connected in the area of the first end section of the slotted recesses to one of the connection openings in order to connect the piston machine to a hydraulic circuit. A valve cartridge is inserted in an installation bore of the connection plate. The installation bore is formed opposite the plate axis in the connection plate with respect to the connection openings and extends approximately parallel to axes of the connection openings. The valve cartridge is hydraulically connected to one of the slots.
US09341174B2

A compressor that allows a discharge port to assume a large circumference and a large area at an exit end thereof so as to optimize the discharge resistance and the pressure-receiving area and assuring improved volumetric efficiency through reduced dead volume, includes a discharge port 5b, an entrance end of which opens into a compression chamber and an exit end that is able to open and shut with a discharge valve 43. The discharge port 5b is constituted with a recessed portion 50 formed to achieve a predetermined depth from the exit end and a through portion 51 having a smaller sectional area than the sectional area of the recessed portion 50. The through portion 51 is formed so that its width measured along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the discharge valve is greater than its width measured along the longitudinal direction of the discharge valve 43.
US09341171B2

A gas compression system includes at least one first compressor provided with at least one first cylinder and one second cylinder that are combined together such that a gas to be compressed, which is taken into the first cylinder at an intake pressure, is compressed by the intake of an engine gas to the second cylinder. The system further includes a pressure checking device to check the pressure of the engine gas during the feeding thereof into the second cylinder. The pressure checking device includes a pressure detector for measuring the pressure of the gas to be compressed during the intake thereof to the first cylinder; and a regulator for adjusting the flow rate of the engine gas in the second cylinder such that the pressure of the gas to be compressed is constant during the intake thereof to the first cylinder.
US09341165B2

A power generation system comprising a first vessel, a second vessel, a pump operably connected to the first vessel and the second vessel, and a turbine manifold assembly operably connected to the first vessel and the second vessel, wherein the pump creates a positive pressure in the first vessel to force a fluid in a first direction through the turbine manifold assembly and into the second vessel to a pre-determined level by a negative pressure in the second vessel, wherein, once the fluid reaches the pre-determined level in the second vessel, the pump creates a positive pressure in the second vessel to force the fluid in an opposing second direction through the turbine manifold assembly and back into the first vessel by a negative pressure in the first vessel to complete a cycle is provided. Furthermore, associated methods and a turbine manifold assembly is also provided.
US09341164B2

A blade for a wind turbine includes at least one heating mat for generating heat, wherein the heating mat is mounted at an outer surface of the blade. The blade further includes at least one through-hole running from an inner space of the blade to the outer surface of the blade. The blade further has at least one conductive element, wherein the conductive element is electrically coupled to the heating mat. The conductive element is inserted in the through-hole for generating an electric connection between the inner space and the outer surface.
US09341162B2

A method is disclosed for controlling a fundamental frequency of power supply grid being operatively connected to a power supply grid. The method includes determining a variation of active power at one or more locations within the power supply grid, updating based on the determination a calculation of at least one of a steady-state and a dynamic-state related coefficient parameter of the power supply grid, and determining, using a frequency controller of the wind turbine facility and based on the updated calculation, an amount of active power to inject into the power supply grid corresponding to a desired fundamental frequency of the power supply grid.
US09341161B2

An apparatus for extracting power includes a track and an airfoil coupled to the track. The track includes first and second elongate sections, where the first elongate section is positioned above the second elongate section. The airfoil includes a suction surface lying between a pressure surface and the track, and is moveable in opposite directions when alternately coupled to the first elongate section and second elongate section.
US09341160B2

A wind turbine includes a number of blades and an optical measurement system comprising a light source, such as a laser, an optical transmitter part, an optical receiver part, and a signal processor. The light source is optically coupled to the optical transmitter part, which includes an emission point for emitting light in a probing direction. The optical receiver part comprises a receiving point and a detector. The optical receiver part is adapted for receiving a reflected part of light from a probing region along the probing direction and directing the reflected part of light to the detector to generate a signal used to determine a first velocity component of the inflow. The emission point is located in a first blade at a first radial distance from a center axis, and the receiving point is located in the first blade at a second radial distance from the center axis.
US09341153B2

A fuel injector includes an injector body forming an actuator portion. An actuator bore is formed in the actuator portion and is at least partially defined by an inner surface and by an end surface. An actuator disposed in the actuator bore and has an outer surface such that a flow channel can be defined between the inner surface of the actuator bore and the outer surface of the actuator. A cooling flow passage is formed in the injector body, in fluid communication with the actuator bore, and is adapted to supply cooling fluid to the actuator bore. A drain passage is formed in the injector body, in fluid communication with the actuator bore. An internal cooling fluid flow path extends from the cooling flow passage, through the flow channel, and from the flow channel through the drain passage.
US09341124B2

An engine speed predicting system for a vehicle includes a first calculator, a second calculator, and a switch which may be realized by software. The first calculator calculates a predicted speed of an engine of the vehicle during forward rotation of the engine when speed of the engine is decreasing after fuel stops being burned in the engine. The second calculator calculates a predicted speed of the engine during reverse rotation of the output shaft of the engine. The switch serves to select one of the first calculator and the second calculator which is to be used in calculating the predicted speed of the engine depending upon whether the predicted speed lies during the forward rotation or during the reverse rotation of the output shaft of the engine. This ensures the accuracy in predicting the speed of the engine regardless of the direction of rotation of the engine.
US09341123B2

An exhaust system is disclosed for use with an engine. The exhaust system may have a compression relief valve associated with an engine cylinder. The exhaust system may also have an exhaust gas recirculation passage extending from the compression relief valve to an intake of the engine cylinder.
US09341121B2

A gas turbine engine includes an intercooling turbine section to selectively cool the core flow. An intercooling turbine section bypass is also included to selectively bypass at least a portion of a core flow through an intercooling turbine section bypass path around the intercooling turbine section.
US09341120B2

A sealed joint may include a first plate with a seal land, a second plate that moves relative to the seal land, and a seal connected to the second plate. The seal may extend laterally between a first seal end and a second seal end. The seal may include a plurality of seal elements that extend longitudinally between a first seal side and a second seal side. A first of the seal elements may extend laterally from the first seal end towards a first seal segment, which is separated from the second plate by an airflow channel. The second of the seal elements may extend laterally from the second seal end towards a second seal segment, which is located between and engaged with the first seal segment and the seal land.
US09341118B2

A gas turbine engine component is disclosed having a construction that permits a working fluid to flow from one side of the component to the other. In one embodiment the construction includes multiple layers, and in one particular embodiment the construction includes three layers. One or more layers can have different properties. Additionally, one or more layers of the construction can include a cellular structure. In one embodiment the component is a gas turbine engine combustor liner.
US09341116B2

A gas turbine engine including: a casing in which is mounted at least one shaft for driving a fan solidly connected to a driving drum including blades to compress an airflow moving from upstream to downstream in the engine; and an axial retention mechanism, on standby, solidly connected to the casing and arranged to come into contact with the driving drum such as to prevent axial movement of the drum in event of breakage of the driving shaft.
US09341109B2

Methods and systems are provided for adjusting the opening of a scroll valve of a binary flow turbine. Scroll valve adjustments are used at different engine operating conditions to improve engine performance and boost response. Scroll valve adjustments are coordinated with wastegate and EGR valve adjustments for improved engine control.
US09341107B2

A thermostatic valve aggregate for a motor vehicle cooling system, having a valve housing containing a valve seat, further having an expansible drive element which is configured in the valve housing and is coupled to a valve element, and a spring biasing the valve element against the valve seat, one coolant hookup on each side of the valve seat, a bypass valve element prestressed by a bypass valve spring in the direction of a bypass valve seat in order to selectively link one bypass hookup to the valve housing to one of the other hookups, characterizedin that an electromagnet is mounted on the valve housing and comprises a core extending as far as the bypass valve seat, in that the bypass valve element is fitted with a magnetically effective armature element resting against or nearly reaching the core when the bypass valve rests against the bypass valve seat.
US09341094B2

A muffler assembly for a vehicle includes a housing at least partially defining an internal cavity and having an inlet and an outlet. The muffler assembly includes an outlet pipe that has an inlet end open to the internal cavity and an outlet end open at the outlet of the housing. A siphon tube is in the internal cavity and has an inlet opening adjacent an inner surface of the housing and an outlet opening in fluid communication with the outlet pipe between the inlet end and the outlet end of the outlet pipe. The siphon tube is configured to remove condensate from the internal cavity when a predetermined pressure differential is established between the inlet opening and the outlet opening.
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