US09353528B2
A rain gutter system including a gutter and at least one internal hanger, wherein the gutter includes a front wall and a back wall interconnected through a bottom and spaced-apart to cooperatively define a water-collecting channel therebetween, the front wall including a lip extending in the direction toward the back wall and a drip edge extending in a direction away from the back wall, the back wall extending upward vertically beyond the height of the front wall, and wherein the at least one hanger is positioned in the channel spaced-apart from the bottom and includes a forward flange extending upwardly from a base for being captured beneath the lip and a rear flange extending upwardly from the base and defining a support surface sloped in a direction toward the drip edge.
US09353527B2
A roof mounting bracket and roof mounting snow retention system are disclosed, in which the bracket creates a deformation in a roof panel seam using opposing set points. In a preferred embodiment, a generally U-shaped bracket includes two or more threaded fasteners in a first arm of the bracket and one or more opposing threaded fasteners in the second arm. Void in bracket is placed over the panel seam, with the first arm on a first side of the seam and the second arm on the opposite side of the seam. The opposing contact points of the screw heads create a “wave” deformation in the seam, securing the bracket to the seam. The opposing set points of the present invention allow secure attachment of the bracket to the seam without having to “dimple” or dent the panel seam using a single set screw, requiring less force by the user. In certain embodiments, the bracket includes a slidably removable compression member to accommodate wide or narrow seam roofs. A roof mounting system uses includes the brackets and a retention member engaged to the brackets. In certain embodiments, the roof mounting system includes a decorative panel slidably engaged to the retention member. In certain embodiments the brackets include a cavity for receiving a self-tapping screw connecting the retention member to the bracket.
US09353515B2
Masonry tie is provided having a base and a retainer plate. The base has back plate and a shaft extending from the back plate. The shaft has a plurality of teeth. The retainer plate has a receiving opening configured to receive the shaft. The retainer plate has a locking arm adjacent the receiving opening. The locking arm is biased to engage at least one of the plurality of teeth when the at least one of the plurality of teeth is adjacent the locking arm to releasably prevent the retainer plate from moving in at least one direction. The shaft has a mounting passage extending transversely through the shaft.
US09353513B2
A toilet has a trapway extending between a bowl opening and a toilet outlet opening. A heel links and provides a bend between a down leg and an out leg of the trapway. The heel has a cross-sectional profile having a major dimension and a minor dimension. The major dimension increases as the down leg transitions into the heel and reduces as the heel transitions into the out leg. This heel configuration in the trapway forms a siphon during a flushing action of the toilet.
US09353506B2
An installation structure for a water inlet pipe includes a first water inlet pipe and a second water inlet pipe disposed adjacent one another, a water inlet base with a first water inlet hole configured to receive the first water inlet pipe, and a second water inlet hole configured to receive the second water inlet pipe, a shell substantially surrounding the first water inlet pipe and the second water inlet pipe, and having a first end configured to engage the water inlet base, and a limiting device formed from a resilient material and disposed within the shell, the limiting device having a first limiting groove that receives the first water inlet pipe and a second limiting groove that receives the second water inlet pipe for limiting displacement of the first water inlet pipe and the second water inlet pipe within the shell.
US09353498B2
A building envelope assembly including a first structural wall frame, a flexible sheet, a drain assembly, and a seal. The flexible sheet is disposed along a surface of the first structural wall frame. The flexible sheet configured to transport moisture along two opposing surfaces. The flexible sheet includes an upper portion and a bottom portion having a moisture wicking sheet. The drain assembly is configured to receive moisture from the flexible sheet. The seal is attached to the bottom portion of the flexible sheet and is configured to prevent ingress of water, water vapor, and air toward the upper portion of the flexible sheet.
US09353495B2
A wing plow assembly includes a mast including a support frame adapted for mounting to a chassis, a moldboard having a toe end and a heel end, and a moldboard connector assembly arranged with the moldboard and the mast to provide a rotatable floating connection between the moldboard and the mast such that the moldboard is rotatably movable over a range of travel between a plowing position and a range of tripped positions. The moldboard connector assembly includes a link arm pivotably mounted with respect to the support frame and a moldboard mount pivotably mounted to the moldboard adjacent the toe end of the moldboard. The link arm and the moldboard mount are pivotably connected to each other to permit relative rotation therebetween. The moldboard can pivot from a plowing position to a tripped position when a cutting edge of the moldboard strikes an obstruction.
US09353481B2
Embodiments for methods and apparatuses for forming a nonwoven web are described herein. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes one or more sources configured to dispense a first fluid flow stream comprising a fiber and a second fluid flow stream also comprising a fiber. The apparatus also includes a mixing partition downstream from the one or more sources, where the mixing partition is positioned between the first and second flow streams from the one or more sources. The mixing partition defines one or more openings that permit fluid communication between the two flow streams. The apparatus also includes a receiving region situated downstream from the one or more sources and designed to receive at least a combined flow stream and form a nonwoven web by collecting fiber from the combined flow stream.
US09353478B2
A selective removal of chlorine and phosphorus that are detrimental to subsequent hydrothermal hydrocatalytic conversion from the biomass feed prior to carrying out catalytic hydrogenation/hydrogenolysis/hydrodeoxygenation of the biomass in a manner that does not reduce the effectiveness of the hydrothermal hydrocatalytic treatment while minimizing the amount of water used in the process is provided.
US09353451B2
A hydrolysis system for a vehicle engine includes an electrolysis unit having a plurality of spaced, generally parallel, conductive plates and an electrolyte between the plates that produce fuel gas including hydrogen and oxygen by electrolysis; a reservoir that receives the fuel gas from the electrolysis unit and stores the fuel gas and electrolyte; an electric pump that pumps the electrolyte from the reservoir to the electrolysis unit; a pulse width modulator that provides DC power to the conductive plates and to the pump; a dryer having a filter that removes water from the fuel gas; an expansion tank having an interior cavity that expands the fuel gas and a conduit within the cavity that heats the fuel gas with circulating hot water; and a spray tube that outputs the fuel gas. Methods include preparing and using the hydrolysis system.
US09353437B2
The present invention relates to a diazadiene (DAD)-based metal compound, to a method for preparing the same and to a method for forming a thin film using the same. The diazadiene (DAD)-based metal compound of the present invention is provided in a gaseous state to be formed into a metal thin film or a metal oxide thin film by chemical vapor deposition or atomic layer deposition. Particularly, the diazadiene-based organic metal compound of the present invention has advantages in that it may be formed into a metal thin film or a metal oxide thin film and it can be prepared in a relatively inexpensive way without using highly toxic ligands.
US09353434B2
In one embodiment, the invention relates to a method for creating a diffused thin film surface treatments on one or more interior surfaces of closed or partially closed fluid transport or processing systems providing improved surface prophylaxis against fouling. The method involves contacting the interior surfaces to be treated with a metal compound composition, and converting the metal compound composition to metal oxide for example by heating the surfaces to the desired temperature after all or a part of the system has been assembled. Embodiments of the present invention can be performed in situ on existing fluid processing or transport systems, which minimizes the disruption to the surface treatment created by welds, joints, flanges, and damage caused by or during the system assembly process.
US09353433B2
A method of fabricating a liquid for an oxide thin film is provided, which includes mixing at least two kinds of dispersoids selected from the group consisting of a Zinc compound, an Indium compound, a Gallium compound, a Tin compound and a Thallium compound, with dispersion media corresponding to the selected dispersoids to form a dispersion system, and stirring and aging the dispersion system at a predetermined temperature for a predetermined time, wherein a molar ratio of the Zinc compound to each of the Indium compound, Gallium compound, Tin compound and Thallium compound is 1:0.1 to 1:2. According to the present invention, the liquid for the oxide thin film may be fabricated by a sol-gel method making it capable of being implemented in mass production in a simple and low-cost manner as opposed to the conventional vacuum deposition method.
US09353431B2
A high-strength aluminum material having a chemical composition which includes Zn: more than 7.2% (mass %, the same applies hereafter) and 8.7% or less, Mg: 1.3% or more and 2.1% or less, Cu: less than 0.50%, Fe: 0.30% or less, Si: 0.30% or less, Mn: less than 0.05%, Cr: 0.20% or less; Zr: less than 0.05%, Ti: 0.001% or more and 0.05% or less, the balance being Al and unavoidable impurities, is provided. It has a proof stress of 350 MPa or more, and a metallographic structure formed of a recrystallized structure. The recrystallized structure is comprised of crystal grains having an average particle diameter of 500 μm or less, and a crystal grain length in a direction parallel to a hot working direction is 0.5 to 4 times as long as a crystal grain length in a direction perpendicular to the hot working direction.
US09353430B2
The present invention provides a casting having increased crashworthiness including an an aluminum alloy of about 6.0 wt % to about 8.0 wt % Si; about 0.12 wt % to about 0.25 wt % Mg; less than or equal to about 0.35 wt % Cu; less than or equal to about 4.0 wt % Zn; less than or equal to about 0.6 wt % Mn; and less than or equal to about 0.15 wt % Fe, wherein the cast body is treated to a T5 or T6 temper and has a tensile strength ranging from 100 MPa to 180 MPa and has a critical fracture strain greater than 10%. The present invention further provides a method of forming a casting having increased crashworthiness.
US09353428B2
Various embodiments of zirconium based bulk metallic glass with hafnium are described herein. In one embodiment, an alloy composition includes zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), at least one element from a group consisting of niobium (Nb) and titanium (Ti), and at least one element from a group consisting of nickel (Ni), iron (Fe), and cobalt (Co).
US09353421B2
The invention relates to an aptamer that binds to protein A, G or L, protein A-, G- or L-containing substances, and also to protein A-, G- or L-containing microorganisms, in particular Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus or Peptostreptococcus, methods for detection and enrichment of protein A, G or L, protein A-, G- or L-containing substances or protein A-, G- or L-containing microorganisms in which the aptamer is used, and also a kit, a biosensor, a lateral flow assay device and a measuring instrument which contain such an aptamer and can be used in said methods.
US09353407B2
Provided herein are fluorescence detection methods for nucleic acid sequences and to kits for performing such methods.
US09353402B2
Disclosed are mutant DNA polymerases having increased 3′-mismatch discrimination relative to a corresponding, unmodified polymerase. The mutant polymerases are useful in a variety of disclosed primer extension methods. Also disclosed are related compositions, including recombinant nucleic acids, vectors, and host cells, which are useful, e.g., for production of the mutant DNA polymerases.
US09353401B2
The present invention encompasses modified luciferases, methods for making modified luciferases, and assays utilizing modified luciferases. Modified luciferases of the invention show increased activity over wildtype luciferases and also show increased stability of signal. The present invention also encompasses multiplex assays utilizing multiple luciferases reporters with different emission spectra and different substrates for simultaneous luciferase measurements.
US09353400B2
Methods are provided for analyses of restriction endonucleases.
US09353398B2
The invention relates to a method for isolating at least one fluid sample well laid out in a test card for analysis, said test card including a plate (3) having at least one first main face from which is laid out at least one channel communicating with at least said well, this first face being coated with a membrane (17) provided with an adhesive (18) and which will cover said channel with a covering area (171), the method for isolation including a phase for introducing a fluid sample into at least said well and a phase for isolating said well consisting of exerting a force on at least one portion of the covering area (171) of the adhesive membrane (17) for ensuring displacement of the adhesive into an obturation area for the sample well.
US09353397B2
Methods and systems for detecting the presence of a target microorganism in a liquid sample are provided. Methods comprise the steps of passing the liquid sample through a surface filter, placing the surface filter into contact with a culture device, incubating the culture device for a period of time and detecting the presence of a target microorganism. Methods may be used with an automated detection system.
US09353394B2
A method for engineering and utilizing large DNA vectors to target, via homologous recombination, and modify, in any desirable fashion, endogenous genes and chromosomal loci in eukaryotic cells. These large DNA targeting vectors for eukaryotic cells, termed LTVECs, are derived from fragments of cloned genomic DNA larger than those typically used by other approaches intended to perform homologous targeting in eukaryotic cells. Also provided is a rapid and convenient method of detecting eukaryotic cells in which the LTVEC has correctly targeted and modified the desired endogenous gene(s) or chromosomal locus (loci) as well as the use of these cells to generate organisms bearing the genetic modification.
US09353389B2
Novel gene sequences from microalgae are disclosed, as well as novel gene sequences useful in the manufacture of triglyceride oils. Also disclosed are sequences and vectors that allow microalgae to be cultivated on sugar cane and sugar beets as a feedstock. In some embodiments, the vectors are useful for the purpose of performing targeted modifications to the nuclear genome of heterotrophic microalgae.
US09353388B2
A recombinant microorganism comprising a lactic acid (LA) transporter, wherein the expression of the LA transporter in the recombinant microorganism is increased relative to a parent microorganism, and a method of producing lactic acid using same.
US09353380B2
A BrTCP24 gene for controlling the growth of Chinese cabbage and its applications. The BrTCP24 gene has the nucleotide sequence shown in SEQ ID No. 1, the whole length of which is 1221 bp. The gene is useful for improving the production of economic crop. As indicated by experimental results, the gene serves as a controlling gene for plant growth and has the function of down-regulating the plant growth. Through overexpressing the gene, a transgenic plant smaller than the wild one can be obtained. The gene of the invention can provide theory basis and gene source for breeding new varieties of crops.
US09353378B2
The present invention refers to methods for selectively recognizing a base pair in a DNA sequence by a polypeptide, to modified polypeptides which specifically recognize one or more base pairs in a DNA sequence and, to DNA which is modified so that it can be specifically recognized by a polypeptide and to uses of the polypeptide and DNA in specific DNA targeting as well as to methods of modulating expression of target genes in a cell.
US09353374B2
In one embodiment, a B cell specific aptamer-siRNA chimera is provided. The B cell specific aptamer-siRNA chimera may include an RNA aptamer that binds BAFF-R and an siRNA molecule conjugated to the RNA aptamer via a nucleotide linker. In another embodiment, a B cell specific RNA aptamer is provided. The RNA aptamer may be a molecule that binds to BAFF-R that has the sequence SEQ ID NO:37, SEQ ID NO:38 or SEQ ID NO:39. In some embodiments, the RNA aptamer is conjugated, via a nucleotide linker, to an siRNA molecule that suppresses expression of one or more target oncogenes in one or more B cells. In one aspect, the one or more target oncogenes are selected from Bcl6, Bcl2, STAT3, Cyclin D1, Cyclin E2 and c-myc. In another embodiment, methods for treating a B cell malignancy in a cancer patient are provided. Such methods may include administering a therapeutically effective amount of a therapeutic composition, the therapeutic composition comprising a B cell specific RNA aptamer that binds BAFF-R.
US09353373B2
The present invention includes compositions and methods for making and using a bifunctional shRNAs capable of reducing an expression of a K-ras gene, e.g., a mutated K-ras gene, wherein at least one target site sequence of the bifunctional RNA molecule is located within the K-ras gene and wherein the bifunctional RNA molecule is capable of activating a cleavage-dependent and a cleavage-independent RNA-induced silencing complex for reducing the expression level of K-ras.
US09353372B2
Disclosed herein are compounds, compositions and methods for modulating the expression of huntingtin in a cell, tissue or animal. Further provided are methods of slowing or preventing Huntington's Disease (HD) progression using an antisense compound targeted to huntingtin. Additionally provided are methods of delaying or preventing the onset of Huntington's Disease (HD) in an individual susceptible to Huntington's Disease (HD). Also provided are uses of disclosed compounds and compositions in the manufacture of a medicament for treatment of diseases and disorders.
US09353361B2
The present invention relates to α-amylase variants that are stabilized to dimerization and/or multimerization, in particular at elevated temperatures or high pH, by point mutagenesis of positively polarized or charged or neutral surface amino acids to give more negatively polarized or charged amino acids. The invention further relates to methods of increasing the stability of an α-amylase to dimerization and/or multimerization brought about by electrostatic interactions whereby at least one amino acid residue on the surface of the starting molecule, which makes a neutral or positively polar or charged contribution to the electrostatic potential of said molecule, is replaced with a more negatively polar or negatively charged amino acid residue. The α-amylase variants obtained thereby exhibit better stability to influences of the solvent, increased processivity, and are suited for numerous industrial areas of use, in particular as active ingredients in detergents and cleansers.
US09353358B2
The subject of the invention is the ribonuclease which cleaves RNA strand in DNA-RNA hybrids, wherein ribonuclease comprises fusion protein comprising catalytic domain of RNase HI (RNase HI) or derivative thereof with a zinc finger DNA-RNA hybrid binding domain, and wherein the zinc finger binding domain has the ability to bind to specific sequences in the DNA-RNA hybrid. The invention also relates to new methods for determination of the sequence preference of DNA-RNA hybrid binding protein(s) or its domain(s) and allows determining the sequence recognized by sequence specific binding protein in the DNA-RNA hybrid.
US09353354B2
The present invention concerns iodoperoxidases from Zobellia galactanivorans, isolated nucleic acids encoding same, as well as methods for preparing these enzymes. Moreover, the invention is also directed to the use of such iodoperoxidases in a wide range of industrial, pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetics, and ecological applications, as well as in the food industry.
US09353347B2
Systems and methods for automatically controlling conditions of a process are disclosed. In one example, a controller is programmed with a sequence of steps and parameters required to carry out a bioreactor process. A sensor system interacts with the bioreactor to receive information related to a condition of the bioreactor and/or receive a sample from the bioreactor, which it analyzes. The sensor system sends data signals related to the information and/or the sample to a controller, which determines a control signal based on the received information. The controller sends the control signal to the sensor system which, based on the control signal, performs an action that affects a condition of the bioreactor or affects the sensor system itself.
US09353335B2
Detergent compositions and methods of preparing and using the detergent compositions are disclosed. The detergent compositions comprise a polymer system comprising at least one polycarboxylic acid polymer, copolymer, or terpolymer, an alkalinity source comprising an alkali metal carbonate, a nonionic surfactant and water. The detergent compositions are suitable at alkaline pH and reduce or prevent scale formation, improve soil dispersion, and provide effective detergency.
US09353320B2
A method for producing middle distillates from a feedstock produced by Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and containing oxygenated compounds, including: a) a step of bringing the feedstock into contact with a hydrotreating catalyst allowing the methanation of the CO and CO2 contained in the feedstock or originating from the decomposition of the oxygenated compounds present in the feedstock, b) a step of hydroisomerization/hydrocracking of at least a part of the liquid and gaseous effluent originating from step a), in the presence of a hydroisomerization/hydrocracking catalyst, c) a step of gas/liquid separation of the effluent originating from step b) into a gaseous fraction comprising predominantly hydrogen and a hydroisomerized/hydrocracked liquid fraction, d) a step of fractionation of the liquid fraction separated in step c) to obtain at least one fraction of middle distillate, in which the hydrogen in step a) is obtained from the gaseous fraction separated in step c).
US09353319B2
Embodiments of a method for producing a diesel range material having improved cold flow properties are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of providing a waxy diesel range feedstock, producing an intermediary product stream containing a predetermined amount of oxygenated organocompounds from the waxy diesel range feedstock, and contacting the intermediary product stream with a dewaxing catalyst under process conditions at which the oxygenated organocompounds chemically interact with the dewaxing catalyst to convert a portion of the n-paraffins within the intermediary product stream to iso-paraffins while minimizing cracking of the diesel range material.
US09353306B2
A wellbore fluid that includes an aqueous based fluid; an amphoteric, viscoelastic surfactant; and a modified starch is disclosed. Methods of drilling subterranean wells, methods of reducing the loss of fluid out of subterranean wells, and methods of completing wellbores using aqueous-based fluids having an ampoteric, viscoelastic surfactant and a modified starch are also disclosed.
US09353295B2
The present invention relates to an olefin-based polymer which exhibits superior processability and superior adhesive properties and therefore is desirably applicable to a hot-melt adhesive (HMA) or the like, and a preparation method thereof. The olefin-based polymer has a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn, PDI) of 2˜3, and a density of 0.85 to 0.88 g/cm3, and satisfies the relation of Tc−Tm>0, wherein Tc (° C.) is a crystallization temperature and Tm (° C.) is a melting point.
US09353294B2
The present application is directed to an article comprising a base substrate having a first major surface and a second major surface opposite the first major surface and a structured surface comprising a deposited material adhered to a portion of the first major surface of the base substrate, wherein the material has a height over the first major surface of at least 3 micrometers. The structured surface is defined, in part, by the deposited material and the structured surface has at least one continuous structure from one edge of the base substrate to a second edge of the base substrate. The application is additionally directed to a method of manufacturing the article.
US09353292B2
The invention relates to a method for modifying an asphalt binder using, as an additive, a nanocomposite of: functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes dispersed in a styrene-butadiene-styrene polymer matrix (SBS/MMWCNT). The asphalt modified with the SBS/MMWCNT nanocomposite has substantially improved mechanical resistance to deformations and to loads at high temperatures, such that the life of the flexible paving is improved. The asphalt mixtures produced with this novel modified asphalt binder have considerably less rutting, are classified as high-modulus asphalt mixtures when produced from asphalt of medium (60/70) or greater hardness, and are not sensitive to moisture effects.
US09353290B2
An embodiment of the present disclosure is directed to an indirect printing apparatus. The indirect printing apparatus comprises an intermediate transfer member comprising a substrate and a surface layer disposed over the substrate. The surface layer comprises a fluoroelastomer-aminosilane grafted polymer and infrared absorptive filler materials. The indirect printing apparatus also comprises a coating mechanism for forming a sacrificial coating onto the intermediate transfer member and a drying station for drying the sacrificial coating. At least one ink jet nozzle is positioned proximate the intermediate transfer member and configured for jetting ink droplets onto the sacrificial coating formed on the intermediate transfer member. An ink processing station comprises a radiation source for at least partially drying the ink on the sacrificial coating formed on the intermediate transfer member. The indirect printing apparatus also comprises a substrate transfer mechanism for moving a substrate into contact with the intermediate transfer member.
US09353287B2
Disclosed are coating compositions comprising at least one hydroxyl-containing compound (A) and at least one isocyanato-containing compound (B), wherein one or more of the constituents of the coating composition comprise between 2.5 and 97.5 mol %, based on the entirety of structural units (I) and (II), of at least one structural unit of the formula (I) —N(X—SiR″x(OR′)3-x)n(X′—SiR″y(OR′)3-y)m (I) and between 2.5 and 97.5 mol %, based on the entirety of structural units (I) and (II), of at least one structural unit of the formula (II) —Z—(X—SiR″x(OR′)3-x) (II).
US09353284B2
A materials system and methods are provided to enable the formation of articles by 3D printing. In some embodiments, a materials system includes a substantially dry particulate material that includes an insoluble filler, a soluble filler, and a transition metal catalyst. The materials system further comprises a fluid binder including a (meth)acrylate monomer, an allyl ether functional monomer and/or oligomer, and a free-radical photoinitiator.
US09353277B2
A water-based ink for ink-jet recording includes a pigment; water; 1,2-alkanediol; a compound including an isothiazoline ring; and a surfactant represented by a general formula (1): In the general formula (1); each of R1, R2, R3, and R4 is one of a hydroxyl group, saturated fatty acid having a number of carbon atoms of 12 to 18 and unsaturated fatty acid having a number of carbon atoms of 12 to 18; and a, b, c, and d are identical with each other or different from each other, and a, b, c, and d are numbers to fulfill a+b+c+d≧20.
US09353273B2
An ink film construction comprising: (a) a printing substrate; and (b) at least one ink film, fixedly adhered to a top surface of the printing substrate, the ink film having an upper film surface distal to the top surface of the substrate, wherein a surface concentration of nitrogen at the upper film surface exceeds a bulk concentration of nitrogen within the film, the bulk concentration measured at a depth of at least 30 nanometers below the upper film surface, and wherein a ratio of the surface concentration to the bulk concentration is at least 1.1 to 1.
US09353271B2
A low-gloss coating composition is disclosed. The coating composition comprises a unique blend of particles, including untreated silica and organic treated silica and wax treated silica. The use of these particles in combination provides for a significant reduction in the weight percent of certain particles that can impart a suitable level of gloss to a coating. The particles can be included, for example, in a urethane acrylate binder that can be cured using UV radiation.
US09353264B2
The present invention provides a polymer particle comprising a polymer and a filler contained therein, wherein the polymer is soluble in an organic solvent and is also water insoluble, and wherein the polymer particle contains from 5 to 500 parts by weight of filler per 100 parts by weight of polymer, and a mean particle size of 75 μm or less. The invention also provides an aqueous dispersion including this particle; an aqueous fluororesin coating composition that uses this aqueous dispersion; and a fluororesin laminate or layered coating having a layer obtained from this fluororesin coating composition.
US09353261B2
Disclosed and claimed is a microemulsion-based demulsifier composition and a method of demulsifying an emulsion comprising hydrocarbon and water. The demulsifier composition includes (i) an oil-like phase comprising at least one nonionic surfactant having a hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) of less than about 9; (ii) a coupling agent capable of stabilizing the demulsifier composition; (iii) at least one water-soluble or dispersible nonionic surfactant that is different from the at least one nonionic surfactant in the oil-like phase; (iv) at least one additional surfactant selected from anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and combinations thereof; (v) at least one nonionic demulsifier; and (vi) water.
US09353260B2
A polycarbonate resin composition is provided, which exhibits a high flame retardancy, a high impact resistance, and an excellent thermal stability. The polycarbonate resin composition is characterized by containing, per 100 mass parts of (A) a polycarbonate resin, 0.001 to 1 mass part of (B) a metal organosulfonate salt and 0.5 to 5 mass parts of (C) a core/shell graft copolymer that has an Si content of at least 300 ppm and that has a butadienic rubber component for the core, and per 100 mass parts of the core/shell graft copolymer (C), 0.1 to 3 mass parts of (D) a metal salt of an organophosphate ester.
US09353250B2
A polymer suitable for use in a thin film hinge (living hinge) comprising from about 0.1 to about 5 weight % of a C4-8 comonomer and the balance ethylene, said composition having a density as determined according to ASTM D 792 from about 0.945 to about 0.965 g/cm3; a melt index as determined according to ASTM D1238 (2.16 kg/190° C.) from about 10 to about 20 g/10 min; a weight average molecular weight (Mw) from about 45,000 to about 55,000 g/mol; a polydispersity from about 2.5 to about 3.1 and when molded into a strip having a length of about 13 cm and gross thickness from about 50 to about 70 mil (about 1 to about 2 mm) and completely bent over end to end four times to create a thinned region or crease having a thickness from about 15 to about 30 mil (about 0.3 to about 0.7 mm) tested by bending and releasing the deformed thinned region of the strip through a radius of curvature from about 180 to about 190° about a rounded plate goes through not less than 500 cycles without breaking.
US09353249B2
Provided is a thermoplastic resin composition [X] for reduction of squeaking noises containing a rubber-reinforced vinyl resin [A] obtained by polymerizing a vinyl monomer [b1] in the presence of an ethylene-α-olefin rubber polymer [a1] having Tm (melting point) of 0° C. or higher, wherein an amount of silicon contained in the thermoplastic resin composition [X] is 0.15% by mass or less based on 100% by mass of the thermoplastic resin composition [X]. According to the present invention, a structure can be provided, which is characterized in that squeaking noises that are generated when members rub against each other is remarkably reduced, that an effect of reducing squeaking noises is maintained without deterioration even when placed under high temperature for a long time, and that impact resistance and molded appearance are superior.
US09353243B2
Disclosed are a latex composition for dip-forming and a dip-formed nitrile glove produced therefrom which comprise nanoparticulate zinc oxide in a latex for dip-forming, thus advantageously exhibiting superior workability during glove production, having excellent wear sensation due to low modulus at 300%, and not readily tearing in spite of small thickness due to high tensile strength. In addition, the latex composition stably maintains a pH in spite of using a small amount of pH adjuster and thus improves glove production process efficiency.
US09353242B2
The present invention relates to a composite material that comprises a polymeric constituent and iron ore powder. The polymeric constituent of the present invention is preferably UHMWPE. The iron ore powder used for the purposes of the present invention is the raw iron ore tailing resulting from iron ore pelletizing processes and it is used in an amount of 3-5% (w/w). The present invention is also related to the use of iron ore tailing in the preparation of composite materials comprising UHMWPE which presents improved properties such as creep resistance, stiffness and wear resistance, as well as cost reduction and reuses tailings of industrial plant. The present invention is also related to the use of the composite material of interest in the preparation of composite polymeric sheets for use in mining companies facilities.
US09353237B2
A method for reclaiming bio-based plastic material is disclosed, including providing a bio-based plastic article, the article including an identifier, determining article content information from or via the identifier, and recycling the article based on article content information. Further, a system for reclaiming bio-based plastic material is disclosed, including an apparatus or device configured to obtain or determine a bio-based material content associated with a plastic article, and an apparatus or device configured to sort the plastic article based upon the bio-based material content of the plastic article. A bio-based plastic article comprising recycled bio-based material is also disclosed.
US09353236B2
The present invention relates to an acrylamide-based mesoporous polymer and its preparation method, where the acrylamide-based mesoporous polymer is fabricated by a simple preparation method to have uniform minute pores controllable in pore size and thereby applicable to a wide variety of fields. The acrylamide-based mesoporous polymer includes at least one of a defined repeating unit and contains a plurality of pores having a diameter of 2.0 to 10.0 nm in the solid state.
US09353232B2
The present invention relates to melamine-formaldehyde foams comprising hollow microspheres wherein said hollow microspheres have a median particle diameter (D50, volume averaged, Malvern, Fraunhofer diffraction) in the range from 260 μm to 490 μm, and also processes for producing these melamine-formaldehyde foams and their uses.
US09353211B2
The present invention provides polymeric photoinitiators being co-polymers of photoinitiator monomers and at least one further monomer, as well as the photoinitiator monomers being intermediates in the preparation of such polymeric photoinitiators. Additionally there is provided polyacrylate obtained by radical polymerization of at least one acrylate monomer (Ac) in the presence of such polymeric photoinitiators. In the photoinitiator monomers and polymeric photoinitiators, a photoinitiator moiety and a tertiary amine are incorporated into the photoinitiator structure.
US09353210B2
The invention relates to a method for producing polyurethanes containing silane groups by reacting at least A) a composition containing a) one or more compounds containing isocyanate and silane groups of general formula (I) and b) <=1 percent by weight, relative to the total mass of composition A), one or more monomeric diisocyanates with aliphatically, cycloaliphatically, araliphatically and/or aromatically bonded isocyanate groups of general formula (II), where R1, R2 and R3 are the same or different radicals and respectively indicate a saturated or unsaturated, linear or branched, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic or an optionally substituted aromatic or araliphatic radical with up to 18 carbon atoms, which can contain optionally up to 3 heteroatoms from the series oxygen, sulphur, nitrogen, X is a linear or branched organic radical with at least 2 carbon atoms and Y is a linear or branched, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic radical with 4 to 18 carbon atoms or an optionally substituted aromatic or araliphatic radical with 6 to 18 carbon atoms, with B) an at least difunctional polyol with a numerically average molecular weight Mn of 62 to 22000 g/mol, preferably 90 to 12000 g/mol, while maintaining an equivalent ratio of isocyanate groups to hydroxyl groups of 0.7:1 to 1.2:1. The invention further relates to the products which can be obtained using the method according to the invention. Moreover, the invention relates to the use of the products which can be obtained using the method according to the invention as starting components in the production of cross-linkable binders, varnish, and raw materials for sealants or adhesives.
US09353208B2
Sol-gel resins can be prepared using one or two-step processes to produce small granules or pellets of resin that are easy to handle. The methods include agitating phenolic compounds and aldehydes in the presence of a catalyst and a solvent. The reactants are brought together over a period of time to avoid an undesirable buildup of heat within the reaction mass. Condensation of the material continues under agitation sufficient to knead the material as it gels. During this gelation, the material begins to form into smaller parts until particles, the shape of granules, are produced. The condensation continues to the degree that the material is no longer capable of sintering during packaging and storage. The material thus made can be easily discharged, packaged, portioned, and further processed.
US09353200B2
Disclosed herein is a thermoplastic (meth)acrylate copolymer, which includes a derivative unit obtained from a monomer mixture including: (A) an aromatic (meth)acrylate having an index of refraction from about 1.580 to about 1.700; and (B) a monofunctional unsaturated monomer.
US09353199B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball excellent in a shot feeling and resilience. The present invention provides a golf ball resin composition comprising (A) at least one resin component selected from the group consisting of (a-1) a binary copolymer composed of an olefin and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, (a-2) an ionomer resin consisting of a metal ion-neutralized product of the binary copolymer, (a-3) a ternary copolymer composed of the binary copolymer components and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester, and (a-4) an ionomer resin consisting of a metal ion-neutralized product of the ternary copolymer components; and (B) a basic metal salt of a fatty acid, and having a spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) of 13C nucleus of 5.56 seconds or shorter measured by a High resolution solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method.
US09353196B2
The present invention relates to novel methods for producing a bimodal or broad distribution of molecular weight polyolefin polymers using Cr/silica catalysts. In some aspects the methods utilize different pressures of hydrogen to tailor the properties of the polymer. In particular aspects, a method of preparing a polyolefin having a bimodal molecular weight distribution, comprising: (a) preparing a reaction mixture comprising a monomer, a catalyst, and an organic solvent; (b) heating the reaction mixture under a first set of reaction conditions to effect a first polymerization comprising the polymerization of a first fraction of the monomer; and (c) heating the reaction mixture under a second set of reaction conditions to effect a second polymerization comprising the polymerization of a second fraction of the monomer.
US09353194B2
A process for preparing a crosslinked gel of at least one polymer or one of its salts, including a) providing an aqueous medium containing at least one polymer, b) forming a homogenous gel from the medium from step a), c) bringing the gel obtained in step b) into contact with an effective amount of at least one crosslinking agent; d) crosslinking the mixture formed in step c); and e) recovering the crosslinked hydrogel, wherein at least steps a) to d) are carried out within a hermetic cavity delimited at least partially by a deformable wall, the mixture present in the cavity being exposed, in step d), to conditions conducive to crosslinking.
US09353193B2
The present invention relates to a continuous method for preparing acetylated derivatives of an amylaceous material. The invention also relates to a solid composition of at least one acetylated derivative of an amylaceous material obtained by means of said method. The invention finally relates to the use of such a composition to prepare thermoplastic, elastomeric, adhesive, pharmaceutical and/or ink compositions.
US09353190B2
The present disclosure provides synthesized peptides containing azetidine-2-carboxylic acid (Aze), methods for detecting antibodies to peptides containing Aze, and methods for diagnosing conditions associated with misincorporation of Aze into host proteins.
US09353187B2
The present invention relates to optimized Fc variants, methods for their generation, and antibodies and Fc fusions comprising optimized Fc variants.
US09353180B2
The invention relates to a method for the treatment of an inflammatory disease in a subject suffering from the inflammatory disease, the method comprising the administration to said subject of a compound neutralizing GM-CSF; and a compound neutralizing IL-17.
US09353175B2
Metallothioneins are stress inducible proteins with modulating functions during inflammation. Antagonizing metallothioneins during gut inflammation reduces markers of inflammations and enhances recuperation of intestinal inflammation.
US09353173B2
The present disclosure provides yeast transformed with a nucleic acid molecule (GAT1) to reduce nitrogen catabolite repression of asparagine transport/degradation and/or overexpress genes (ASP1 or ASP3) encoding cell-wall or extracellular proteins involved in asparagine degradation and/or genes (AGP1 or GNP1 or GAP1) encoding proteins involved in asparagine transport under food preparation/processing conditions. The genetically modified yeast has enhanced ability to reduce acnlamide concentration in foods prepared by heating. Also provided are methods and uses of the transgenic yeast for reducing acnlamide in a food product and food products having reduced acrylamide content prepared using the transgenic yeast.
US09353171B2
Featured are methods and compositions for treating, managing, preventing, or reducing injury to the kidney of a mammal (e.g., a human) caused by one or more iodinated radiocontrast media. The methods include administering an effective amount of one or more pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP)-like compounds, which includes native human PACAP38, native human PACAP27, native human vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), their agonists, analogs, fragments, and derivatives, with activities toward one or more of the PACAP/VIP receptors, including all of their various isoforms. Also provided are pharmaceutical compositions of one or more PACAP-like compounds, either alone or in combination with one or more other prophylactic/therapeutic agents useful for treating, managing, or preventing injury to the kidney of a mammal (e.g., a human) undergoing treatment with one or more iodinated radiocontrast media. Also featured is an in vivo mouse model for testing the efficacy of cytoprotective agents against contrast-induced nephropathy.
US09353167B2
Provided are methods of generating an immune response to an antigen. The method comprises priming an individual by administering an expression vector encoding the antigen. The vector comprises a transcription unit encoding a secretable fusion protein, the fusion protein containing an antigen and CD40 ligand. Administration of a fusion protein containing the antigen and CD40 ligand is used to enhance the immune response above that obtained by vector administration alone. The methods may be used to generate an immune response against cancer expressing a tumor antigen such as a mucin or human papilloma viral tumor antigen and to generate an immune response against an infectious agent. Also provided is a method for simultaneously producing the expression vector and the fusion protein.
US09353163B2
The invention provides a fusion protein or polypeptide comprising an apelin peptide fused to a multimerizing component. The invention also provides a fusion protein or polypeptide comprising an apelin peptide fused to an Fc domain, a fragment of an Fc domain, or a variant of an Fc domain. Apelin Fc-fusion polypeptides are capable of binding to the apelin receptor (APLNR). Apelin Fc-fusion polypeptides are capable of activating the APLNR and have improved pharmacokinetic properties compared to apelin peptides that are not fused to an Fc or an Fc fragment. Apelin Fc-fusion polypeptides are useful in diseases and conditions related to cardiovascular function, diabetes, cancer, obesity and other apelin-related conditions.
US09353156B2
The present invention relates to novel agents, pharmaceutical compositions containing them, and their use in therapy, particularly anti-microbial and anti-cancer therapy. In particular, the present invention relates to novel peptide-based compounds based on SEQ ID NO: 40 which have surprisingly been shown to have inhibitory effects on the growth and/or viability of cells, particularly bacterial and cancer cells. Also provided are therapeutic and non-therapeutic methods which include the use of peptides of the invention.
US09353151B2
An HLA-binding peptide binding to a HLA-A type molecule, the HLA-binding peptide includes at least one type of amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 80, and consists of not less than 8 and not more than 11 amino acid residues. All of these amino acid sequences herein mentioned are the predicted amino acid sequences binding to a human HLA-A type molecule with the prediction program using the certain active learning method.
US09353142B2
A protecting group for 1-nitrogen atom of an indole group including a sulfonylethyl carbamate group, wherein the protecting group is represented by the following General Formula (I) and capable of being removed from the 1-nitrogen atom of the indole group in an aprotic solvent: where R represents an alkyl group, a derivative of the alkyl group, a phenyl group or a derivative of the phenyl group.
US09353134B2
A compound represented by the formula (I) [at least one of R1, R2, and R3 represents a cyclic alkyl group, the remaining represents a linear or branched alkyl group; n represents 0 or 1; R4 represents an amino group or —(CX2)m—COOH (m represents 0 to 3, and X represents hydrogen atom); and R5 represents —(CY2)p—COOR6 (p represents 0 to 3, Y represents hydrogen atom, and R6 represents hydrogen atom or an alkyl group)], or a salt thereof.
US09353132B2
The present disclosure relates to boron-based 4-hydroxytamoxifen and endoxifen prodrugs and the synthesis of the same. Further, the present disclosure teaches the utilization of the boron-based 4-hydroxytamoxifen and endoxifen prodrugs in a treatment for breast cancer.
US09353126B2
Substituted triazoles and pharmaceutical compositions containing the compounds are disclosed as being useful in inhibiting the activity of the receptor protein tyrosine kinase Axl. Methods of using the compounds in treating diseases or conditions associated with Axl activity are also disclosed.
US09353123B2
Described herein are compounds of Formula (I)-(III), pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, and pharmaceutical compositions thereof. Also provided are particles (e.g., nanoparticles) comprising compounds of Formula (I)-(III) and pharmaceutical compositions thereof that are mucus penetrating. Methods of using the compounds or pharmaceutical compositions thereof for treating and/or preventing diseases are also provided.
US09353109B2
The present invention provides methods for chemically synthesizing analogs and derivatives of naturally-occurring Flindersia alkaloids. Generally, the precursor borrerine is synthesized from tryptamine in the presence of an alkylating agent, an acylating agent and a reducing agent and dimerized in the presence of an acid, for example, trifluoroacetic acid, hydrochloric acid or acetic acid to yield the products. Analog and derivative compounds are produced by derivatizing one or more of the tryptamine, alkylating agent or acylating agent. Also provided are the synthetic alkaloids and derivatives and analogs thereof produced by the synthetic methods.
US09353103B2
Inhibitors of HCV replication of formula (I) and the N-oxides, salts, and stereoisomers, wherein each dashed line represents an optional double bond; X is N, CH and where X bears a double bond it is C; R1 is —OR7, —NH—SO2R8; R2 is hydrogen, and where X is C or CH, R2 may also be C1-6alkyl; R3 is hydrogen, C1-6alkyl, C1-6alkoxyC1-6alkyl, C3-7cycloalkyl; R4 is aryl or Het; n is 3, 4, 5, or 6; R5 is halo, C1-6alkyl, hydroxy, C1-6alkoxy, phenyl, or Het; R6 is C1-6alkoxy, or dimethylamino; R7 is hydrogen; aryl; Het; C3-7cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C1-6alkyl; or C1-6alkyl optionally substituted with C3-7cycloalkyl, aryl or with Het; R8 is aryl; Het; C3-7cycloalkyl optionally substituted with C1-6alkyl; or C1-6alkyl optionally substituted with C3-7cycloalkyl, aryl or with Het; aryl is phenyl optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents; Het is a 5 or 6 membered saturated, partially unsaturated or completely unsaturated heterocyclic ring containing 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen and sulfur, and being optionally substituted with one, two or three substituents; pharmaceutical compositions containing compounds (I) and processes for preparing compounds (I). Bioavailable combinations of the inhibitors of HCV of formula (I) with ritonavir are also provided.
US09353102B2
The invention provides novel compounds having the general formula (I) wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, A, E and n are as described herein, compositions including the compounds and methods of using the compounds.
US09353096B2
The invention is concerned with the compounds of formula (I): and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein Y, R1, R2 and R3 are defined in the detailed description and claims. In addition, the present invention relates to methods of manufacturing and using the compounds of formula (I) as well as pharmaceutical compositions containing such compounds. The compounds of formula (I) are antagonists of the TRPA1 channel and may be useful in treating inflammatory diseases and disorders associated with that channel.
US09353094B2
Disclosed herein are compounds of formula (I) and methods of inhibiting IKKβ and the NF-κB signaling and mTOR pathways.
US09353088B2
Novel crystalline polymorphic forms, Forms A, B, C, D, and E of a compound of Formula I, which has been found to be a potent inhibitor of LFA-1, are disclosed. Methods of preparation and uses thereof in the treatment of LFA-1 mediated diseases are also disclosed in this invention.
US09353086B2
Disclosed are compounds that are antagonists of the CXCR4 receptor.
US09353076B2
The present invention relates to the field of medical chemistry, and discloses a preparing method for three crystal forms of cabazitaxel, that is, crystalline form J of cabazitaxel esterate, crystalline form G of cabazitaxel hydrate and crystalline form I of cabazitaxel, and a novel crystalline form of cabazitaxel. The novel crystalline form of cabazitaxel according to the invention has good stability and good solubility in commonly used solvents, and is easy to be preserved and is stable under treatment during preparation of dosage forms, thus could be used for the preparation of a medicament for treating prostate cancer.
US09353069B2
The present invention relates to compounds which are effective as catalysts for dismutating superoxide and, more particularly, the manganese or iron complexes of substituted, unsaturated heterocyclic 16-membered macrocyclic complexes that catalytically dismutate superoxide. It also relates to methods of using these complexes to reduce the concentration or the effects of superoxide, pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds or their metal complexes, and methods of treating conditions associated with excessive superoxide activity.
US09353066B2
The invention provides certain substituted phenyl compounds of the Formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, Rcy, and t are as defined herein. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, and methods of using the compounds for treating diseases or conditions mediated by Spleen Tyrosine Kinase (Syk).
US09353050B2
A process for the preparation of isosulfan blue (Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient) is provided. A process is also provided for preparation of the intermediate, 2-chlorobenzaldehyde-5-sulfonic acid, sodium salt of formula (2), used in the preparation thereof and a procedure for the isolation of benzaldehyde-2,5-disulfonic acid, di-sodium salt of the formula (3). Also provided is a process for the preparation of an isoleuco acid of formula (4), which upon mild oxidation gives rise to isosulfan blue of pharmaceutical grade which can be used for preparation of pharmaceutical formulations. The isolation and purification procedures provided in the process provide substantially pure isosulfan blue with HPLC purity 99.5% or greater.
US09353049B2
The present invention provides a preparation method for (S)-3-(1-(dimethylamino)ethyl)phenyl ethyl(methyl)carbamate, preparation methods for intermediates (S)-1-(3-methoxyphenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-N—((S)-1-phenylethyl)ethanaminium, (S)-1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-N—((S)-1-phenylethyl)ethanaminium and (S)-1-(3-(ethyl(methyl)carbamoyloxy)phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-N—((S)-1-phenylethyl)ethanaminium, as well as a method for using (S)-1-(3-(ethyl(methyl)carbamoyloxy)phenyl)-N,N-dimethyl-N—((S)-1-phenylethyl)ethanaminium to prepare rivastigmine which can be used for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
US09353037B2
Membranes are provided for energy efficient purification of alcohol by pervaporation. Such membranes include a nanofibrous scaffold in combination with a barrier layer. The barrier layer includes a graphene oxide. The membranes may, in embodiments, also include a substrate.
US09353036B1
Subject-matter of the invention is a process for producing fatty alcohols by catalytic hydrogenation of fatty acid methyl ester (FAME), in which the FAME initially is hydrogenated to fatty alcohol (FA). The fractions of non-converted FAME remaining in the hydrogenation product are converted to wax ester and methanol in a succeeding transesterification step with FA. According to the invention, catalysts on the basis of magnesium oxide or hydrotalcite are used. After separating the methanol and the FA as target product, a stream enriched in wax ester is recirculated to the hydrogenation reactor.
US09353033B2
A vehicle-based airborne wind turbine system having an aerial wing, a plurality of rotors each having a plurality of rotatable blades positioned on the aerial wing, an electrically conductive tether secured to the aerial wing and secured to a ground station positioned on a vehicle, wherein the aerial wing is adapted to receive electrical power from the vehicle that is delivered to the aerial wing through the electrically conductive tether; wherein the aerial wing is adapted to operate in a flying mode to harness wind energy to provide a first pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle; and wherein the aerial wing is also adapted to operate in a powered flying mode wherein the rotors may be powered so that the turbine blades serve as thrust-generating propellers to provide a second pulling force through the tether to pull the vehicle.
US09353027B2
An organic electroluminescence device includes a pair of electrodes and an organic compound layer therebetween. The organic compound layer includes an emitting layer. The emitting layer includes a pyrene derivative represented by formula (1), such that a content of the pyrene derivative in the emitting layer is 50 to 100 wt %. Ar1 and Ar2 are independently a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 ring carbon atoms. X1 and X3 to X8 are a hydrogen atom. X2 is a substituted or unsubstituted aryl group having 6 to 30 ring carbon atoms, provided that Ar1 or Ar2 is different from X2. In a case where any of Ar1, Ar2, and X2 is the aryl group having a substituent, the substituent is independently an alkyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, a silyl group, or a cyano group.
US09353025B2
The present discloses a process and catalyst therefor to selectively remove acetylenes from gaseous streams in the vapor phase. The process is particularly suitable for high yield recovery of olefinic hydrocarbons from gaseous streams in refinery processes.
US09353024B2
A feedstream comprising paraxylene and styrene is contacted, in the presence of hydrogen, with a catalyst comprising at least one metal, selected from one or more metals selected from Groups 8-10.
US09353021B2
The present invention also relates to a structure of energetic materials and the method for preparing thereof. The structure comprises a first layer forming on a substrate, a second layer covering the first layer, and a third layer encapsulating the second layer, wherein the first layer comprises at least one metal oxide, the second layer comprises at least one fuel material, and the third layer comprises at least one hydrophobic material so that the layered structure is substantially waterproof.
US09353018B2
[Problem] To provide an efficient system for manufacturing an organic fertilizer base material that reduces the manual labor involved in treating livestock manure using Musca domestica larvae. [Solution] Provided is an organic fertilizer production system for producing organic fertilizer from the excreta of livestock by using the larvae of Musca domestica. The organic fertilizer production system is configured as follows: provided is a first cultivation processing housing unit for cultivating larvae hatched from eggs; disposed is a second cultivation processing housing unit that is divided into a plurality of sections below the first cultivation processing housing unit; provided is a drop part that allows the larvae to fall by utilizing the fact that the larvae crawl; an organic fertilizer base is manufactured by letting the larvae fall from the drop part into the next stage of the second cultivation processing housing unit and repeating this process several times, and in each of the cultivation processing housing units, the excreta is enzymatically hydrolyzed within the larvae during the process of rearing the larvae and is subsequently excreted by the larvae; provided are an organic fertilizer base gathering unit that gathers the produced organic fertilizer base material and discharges the same, and a larvae gathering unit that gathers the larvae group that crawled and fell from the final section of the cultivation processing housing unit; and the organic fertilizer base and the larvae group are discharged.
US09353015B2
A ceramic honeycomb structure having a large number of flow paths partitioned by porous cell walls, the cell walls meeting the conditions; (a) the cell walls having porosity of 55-80%, (b) the cell walls having a median pore diameter D50 (measured by mercury porosimetry) of 5-27 μm, (c) pores open on cell wall surfaces having an opening area ratio of 20% or more, (d) pores open on cell wall surfaces having a median opening diameter d50 (determined from equivalent circle diameters on an area basis) of 10-45 μm, (e) the density of pores open on cell wall surfaces having equivalent circle diameters of 10 μm or more and less than 40 μm being 350/mm2 or more, (f) the maximum inclination of a curve of a cumulative pore volume relative to a pore diameter (determined from a pore distribution measured by mercury porosimetry) being 1.6 or more, and (g) a ratio D50/d50 of the median pore diameter D50 to the median opening diameter d50 being 0.65 or less.
US09353011B2
A methyl cellulose having a DS(methyl) of from 1.10 to 1.61 is useful for increasing the wet green modulus of an extrusion-molded hollow body, particularly an extrusion-molded hollow body having a ceramic honeycomb structure.
US09353005B2
The present invention relates to a process for the production of powders redispersible in water comprising an organic component and a water-soluble organic polymeric protective colloid. The organic component is dispersed and stabilized with the protective colloid in water to form a stable dispersion which is dried to form the powder redispersible in water. The organic component comprises abietic acid, sylvic acid, neoabietic acid, levopinaric acid, pimaric acid, isopimaric acid and/or palustric acid and/or their derivatives. The water-soluble organic polymeric protective colloid comprises synthetic protective colloids and naturally and/or synthetically produced biopolymer which can be synthetically modified. The obtained powder reduces efflorescence in hydraulically set systems.
US09353004B2
The present invention provides a dispersant for a hydraulic composition containing N-methyldiethanolamine and a specific (meth)acrylic acid copolymer as a polycarboxylic acid copolymer dispersing agent to increase the fluidity of a hydraulic composition.
US09353001B2
A technique is described for fabricating one or more optical devices in a carbon-coated optical fiber. A photosensitive optical fiber is provided having a hermetic carbon coating. Further provided is a laser having a beam output that is configured to inscribe one or more refractive index modulations into the optical fiber through the hermetic carbon layer while leaving the hermetic carbon layer intact. The laser is used to inscribe one or more optical devices into the optical fiber through the hermetic carbon layer.
US09352991B1
The present invention provides an aeration lateral system designed to be site specific for new septic disposal areas or retro fitting to existing septic disposal areas to break up the biological clogging sludge mat at the interface of the wastewater and imported sand or native soil fill under or adjacent to disposal areas of a typical septic system. The lateral system provides uniform or other site specific distribution of fluids about the bio-mat of a wastewater disposal area, with lateral spacing and hole spacing varying based on the type of disposal area being utilized. The lateral system can also be utilized to provide continuous low volume air supply system to a wastewater disposal area or peat filter module. The air lateral installation includes methods to minimize airflow disturbance of the soil and methods to prevent air leakage.
US09352987B2
The present invention provides a supported reactant for in situ remediation of soil and/or groundwater contaminated with a halogenated hydrocarbon consisting essentially of an adsorbent impregnated with elemental iron, wherein the adsorbent is capable of adsorbing the halogenated hydrocarbon. In one embodiment, the adsorbent is activated carbon.
US09352985B2
The present invention discloses an electrolytic apparatus comprising: an electrolytic bath in which an anode (I) of a silver electrode—a cathode (II) of an inert electrode—an anode (III) of an inert electrode are arranged in this order in parallel to one another, and an electrode pair of the anode (I)—the cathode (II) and an electrode pair of the cathode (II)—the anode (III) have an electrical circuit configured to apply a potential of 2.07 V or more to the electrode pair of the cathode (II)—the anode (III) to supply electrolytic current, when independently supplying the electrolytic current; an electrolytic raw water supply pipe configured to supply electrolytic raw water into the electrolytic bath; and an electrolyzed water extraction pipe configured to extract the electrolyzed water in the electrolytic bath to the outside.
US09352973B2
Described herein is an apparatus for the synthesis of ammonia from a synthesis gas containing N2 and H2, comprising at least one first reactor. The apparatus comprises a first non-cooled catalyst bed unit, at least one heat exchanger apparatus, and at least two cooled catalyst bed units. Each cooled catalyst bed unit is equipped with a plurality of cooling pipes. The apparatus further comprises a circuit line having at least one feed apparatus and at least one outlet apparatus, wherein the circuit line, starting from the feed apparatus, comprises in consecutive downstream arrangement the plurality of cooling pipes, the first non-cooled catalyst bed unit, the at least one heat exchanger apparatus, and the at least two cooled catalyst bed units up to the outlet apparatus. To this end, the circuit line comprises at least one bypass line, which is arranged between the feed apparatus and the first non-cooled catalyst bed unit in parallel to the plurality of cooling pipes running through the at least two cooled catalyst bed units. The invention further provides a method for the synthesis of ammonia from a synthesis gas containing N2 and H2.
US09352971B2
Silane and hydrohalosilanes of the general formula HySiX4-y (y=1, 2, or 3) are produced by reactive distillation in a system that includes a fixed-bed catalytic redistribution reactor that can be back-flushed during operation.
US09352970B2
In order to produce metallurgical grade silicon and solar cell grade polysilicon in batches, a method of the present invention comprises: a step of reduction in an arc furnace, consisting of removing C and CO in a silicon reduction atmosphere using silica stone and carbon black by an arc so as to produce metallurgical grade silicon; a step of refining by slag consisting of removing phosphorus (P) and boron (B) by slag; a step of refining by unidirectional solidification consisting of removing metal impurities (Fe, Al, Ti, Mn, etc.) by means of unidirectional solidification; and a step of steam plasma-electromagnetism continuous refining consisting of charging a furnace with the unidirectionally solidified silicon and removing boron (B) by a steam plasma torch.
US09352966B2
A mixture of sulphamic acid, a halogenated sulphonic acid and thionyl chloride is heated to allow the reaction to proceed, to thereby produce first intermediate products. The first intermediate products are then subjected to reaction with an alkali metal fluoride MF to produce second intermediate products. The second intermediate products is then subjected to reaction with the alkali metal fluoride MF in a polar solvent to obtain a desired product MN(SO2F)2 (where M is an alkali metal).
US09352964B2
A device and process for positioning individual particles on a substrate is proposed. The device is equipped with at least one particle source which isolates particles of a defined material, with a focusing unit with an entry window facing the particle source and an exit window facing away from the particle source, with a substrate holder to hold the substrate, wherein the focusing unit guides the particles entering through its entry window into defined positions on the substrate, with at least one deflection unit arranged between the particle source and the focusing unit with an entry window facing the particle source and an exit window on the deflector unit facing away from the particle source, wherein the deflector unit preconditions the particles entering through its entry window before they reach the focusing unit.
US09352963B2
Among other things, methods, systems and apparatus are described for implementing nanomotor-based micro- and nanofabrication. In one aspect, a method of fabricating nanoobjects comprises functionalizing a nanomotor with a reagent. The method also includes controlling a movement of the functionalized nanomotor in a solution containing material to react with the reagent to induce a localized deposition or precipitation of a product onto a surface of a substrate or etching of the substrate.
US09352961B2
An example include microelectromechanical die for sensing motion that includes a fixed portion, an anchor coupled to the fixed portion, a first nonlinear suspension member coupled to anchor on a side of the anchor, a second nonlinear suspension member coupled to the anchor on the same side of the anchor, the second nonlinear suspension member having a shape and location mirroring the first nonlinear suspension member about an anchor bisecting plane and a proof-mass that is planar, the proof mass suspended at least in part by the first nonlinear suspension member and the second nonlinear suspension member such that the proof-mass is rotable about the anchor and is slideable in a plane parallel to the fixed portion.
US09352958B2
A physical quantity measurement sensor includes: a ceramic package including a plate provided with a flow port through which a fluid to be measured flows; an electronic component including a sensing element housed in the package to detect the pressure of the fluid to be measured having flown through the flow port; a terminal provided on an exterior of the package; a lid attached to a wall of the package; and a metal attachment piece used to attach the package to the mount member, the attachment piece being engaged with the mount member while holding the package.
US09352947B2
An easy to operate, extremely quiet, efficient can engagement and opening mechanism is provided for use in an opener for a can, and that provides a pair of missing teeth operating endpoints at opposite ends of its opener cycle, along with an eccentrically operating idler gear and cutter gear urging mechanism that produces a non-jamming foolproof mechanism that can be urged forward to a closed and operating position or reversed to a disengagement and non-operating position.
US09352944B2
A wireless portable vehicle lift system. The lift system includes two or more portable lifts and an electronic control system for controlling the lifts. The electronic control system comprises a wireless communication system for wirelessly communicating lift control signals among the lifts. The electronic control system includes a remote control module configured to communicate wirelessly with the lifts, with the remote control module including a touch screen display. The electronic control system is programmed so that vertical shifting of the lifts requires dual operator input from at least two locations on the remote control module, with at least one of the two locations being on the touch screen display.
US09352943B2
A lift mechanism for a glass substrate in an exposure machine is provided, which comprises a base, a lift platform mounted on the top of the base and used to lift the glass substrate, lift bars mounted on the perimeter of the base, and at least one adsorbing devices mounted above the glass substrate; the lift bars are used to lift the perimeter of the glass substrate; each of the adsorbing devices is used to adsorb the upper surface of the substrate and able to move along the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
US09352939B2
A crane operation assistance system includes: a scanning-type distance meter capable of measuring a distance and an angle between the distance meter and an object under a range of movement of a movable body that can hoist a container and move in a horizontal direction; and object height distribution data making means for making, based on the information measured by the distance meter, object height distribution data that is data indicating a distribution of heights of objects under the range of movement of the movable body. If a blind spot for the distance meter has occurred, the object height distribution data making means revises data of object heights in the zone of the blind spot based on data of an object height at a point that is farthest from the distance meter in a imaginary containers presence zone having an overlap with the zone of the blind spot.
US09352937B2
An escalator step includes a tread having a body section on which a plurality of convex sections are arranged in parallel, a riser connected to a rear end portion of the tread and having thereon a plurality of convex sections and a plurality of concave sections formed between the adjacent convex sections, and a shock absorbing cleat provided on a corner at which the riser and tread are connected to each other. The shock absorbing cleat includes a plurality of long convex sections which are arranged in parallel and a plurality of short convex sections which are arranged in parallel between the adjacent long convex sections. The shock absorbing cleat is formed of a polymeric material having a Young's modulus of 1000 MPa or less.
US09352935B2
A tension member for an elevator system has an aspect ratio of greater than one, where aspect ratio is defined as the ratio of tension member width w to thickness t (w/t). The increase in aspect ratio results in a reduction in the maximum rope pressure and an increased flexibility as compared to conventional elevator ropes. As a result, smaller sheaves may be used with this type of tension member. In a particular embodiment, the tension member includes a plurality of individual load carrying cords encased within a common layer of coating. The coating layer separates the individual cords and defines an engagement surface for engaging a traction sheave.
US09352933B2
A compression system and method of manufacturing a compression system are provided. The compression system includes a compressor, and a tank rotatably coupled with the compressor and configured to receive a compressed fluid therefrom. The compression system further includes a sheave configured to receive a hose, with the sheave being coupled with the tank such that the sheave and the tank are rotationally fixed relative to one another and rotatable with respect to the compressor.
US09352931B2
A reel includes: a hub in which plural through holes are formed at a connecting portion that interconnects a cylinder portion and an axial center portion; a first flange that is disposed on one end portion of the hub and equipped with a first inner peripheral portion, which contacts a first reference surface formed on the connecting portion and ensures that a first flange surface does not touch the cylinder portion, and first insertion portions, which are inserted into the through holes; and a second flange that is disposed on the other end portion of the hub and equipped with a second inner peripheral portion, which contacts a second reference surface formed on the connecting portion and ensures that a second flange surface does not touch the cylinder portion, and second insertion portions, which are inserted into the through holes and are joined together with the first insertion portions.
US09352929B2
A winding device is provided with a rotor that rotates past an inner side and an outer side of an annular bead ring, which is fed in a circumferential direction, while holding a binding cord to wind the binding cord around the bead ring. The rotor includes a pushing member that elastically pushes the binding cord against the bead ring.
US09352923B2
A web-guiding system for guiding a web of media along a transport path including a web-guiding roller located in proximity to a fixed web-guiding structure having a pattern of air holes formed through its exterior surface. The web of media travels around the web-guiding roller with the web of media contacting the web-guiding roller through a wrap angle of less than 5 degrees, and travels around the fixed web-guiding structure through a wrap angle of more than 10 degrees. An air source provides an air flow through the air holes formed lifting the web of media away from the web-guiding structure such that the web of media is substantially not in contact with the web-guiding structure.
US09352913B2
Innerspring assembly manufacturing machinery includes a coil forming machine for forming individual wire form coils from a supply of wire, a geneva to transfer individual coils from the coil forming machine to a coil conveyor, a coil orientation device to change a radial orientation of a coil about a longitudinal axis of the coil in the coil conveyor, and an innerspring assembler for receiving a coil from the conveyor in an orientation determined by the coil orientation device. The coil orientation device includes first and second pairs of rollers mounted for linear translation toward and away from a coil conveyor and into contact with a coil in contact with the coil conveyor. The first or second pair of rollers are driven to rotate while in contact with the coil in contact with the conveyor to rotate the coil about a longitudinal axis of the coil.
US09352909B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a workpiece singulator with one or more movable stairs. A first one of the movable stairs may include an outer step member and an inner step member that is positioned between the outer step member and a second one of the movable stairs. The step members may be movable synchronously as a single stair to transport larger workpieces and asynchronously to transport smaller workpieces on the outer step member. Optionally, the workpiece singulator may further include a sensor configured to detect the size and/or position of a workpiece. In some embodiments, the workpiece singulator may be coupled with a controller configured to control the position of the outer step member independently of the position of the inner step member. In various embodiments, a workpiece singulator as disclosed herein may be operable to selectively singulate workpieces of different sizes.
US09352895B2
A holding device for one shape of medicine includes a bendable mat with an upper face and a lower face and a plurality of bendable grooves in the upper face having a length and a width substantially the same as a length and a width of one shape of medicine.
US09352889B2
A dispenser for dispensing product includes a dispenser body having a sidewall. The sidewall generally defines first and second interior sections. The first interior section is configured to house the product, and the second interior section is configured for dispensing of product. The dispenser further includes lid having a lip configured to engage the dispenser body when the dispenser is in a closed position to form a seal. The dispenser further includes a release mechanism having an activation portion and an engagement portion. At least a portion of the activation portion is positioned about an aperture in the sidewall. The engagement portion is positioned in the second interior portion between the sidewall and the lip when the lid is in a closed position.
US09352887B2
This invention is directed towards a waste enclosure device (“device”) comprising a waste enclosure employing operational functions including collection and monitoring capacity wherein said device includes one or more programmable logic controllers. Operational functions are performed by electrical components including sensors to determine waste deposits characteristics and contents. Said device operational functions are further adapted to send and receive data, optionally wirelessly, and configured and adapted to utilize solar derived electric power and, optionally, electric power from other sources.
US09352883B2
A liquid storage, isolation and dispensing assembly includes a container, a float and a top. The container includes a sidewall having an inner surface, a lower part, and an upper part. At least a portion of the inner surface of the lower part has a constant cross-sectional shape and size. The upper part includes an inwardly extending ledge with a cutout formed therethrough. The float has a sealing edge generally conforming to the size and shape of the inner surface portion. The sealing edge and the cutout are configured to permit the float to be passed into the lower part of the container with a portion of the sealing edge passing through the cutout. The top is mountable to the upper part and has a lug configured to pass through the cutout in the ledge for mounting the top on the container.
US09352881B2
The invention relates to an essentially tubular flexible packaging intended for containing a semi-liquid or pasty product, which includes an apron, a head, an added piece of material at least on the inside of the apron, and optionally a lid, the apron consists of a rolled-up sheet and includes a longitudinal weld for assembling the edges thereof together, and the head being attached to the edge of one of the ends of the apron. The apron includes a ratio of at least 30% of recycled material or material from renewable resources, and the added piece of material is arranged so as to eliminate a discontinuity in the inner surface in the area of the longitudinal weld.
US09352877B2
A food storage container has a base with a bottom, a continuous side wall extending up from the bottom and terminating at an upper end, a storage space within the side wall above the bottom, and an open top. A lid of the container is configured to attach to and close off the open top. A tray of the container has a perforate panel and a tray foot. The tray can fit within the storage space with the tray foot resting on the bottom of the base and the perforate panel elevated above the bottom of the base. A connecting structure is carried in part on the lid, in part on the base, and in part on the tray and is configured so that the lid and the tray can be connected to one another and to the bottom under the base.
US09352873B2
A plastic container configured for case-less shipping includes a base portion, a sidewall portion, and a neck portion. The base portion is configured to support the container on a surface and includes a substantially planar surface contact portion. The sidewall portion extends upwardly from the base portion and includes a shoulder, an integrally molded handle having a handle opening, and a horizontally-extending collapsible formation. The neck portion extends upwardly from the shoulder of the sidewall portion and includes a dispensing opening, a neck finish, and an uppermost vertical portion. In an embodiment, the handle includes a handle portion that extends vertically from the sidewall portion to an extent that is at or about the same vertical height as the uppermost vertical portion of the neck portion, and a portion of the sidewall portion is permitted to deform in response to a top load force.
US09352869B2
An induction sealing device for heat sealing packaging material for producing sealed packages of pourable food products, comprising: at least one first inductor which comprises, in turn, a first active surface adapted to be arranged on the side of packaging material and to heat-seal it; and a member made of plastic material; first active surface is covered by the member made of plastic material adapted to cooperate with the packaging material during its heat-sealing.
US09352867B2
A bagging assembly for bagging bales of fibrous material is disclosed. The bagging assembly incorporates a chute defining a channel for receiving a bale, which is pushed there between by a stuffing assembly. Aspects of the bagging assembly include raising a bale using a bale elevator to a higher elevation position so that the bale could be stuffed by the stuffing assembly and using a bag retrieving mechanism for retrieving a bag from a bag location for use in bagging the bale.
US09352865B2
A device for filling a flexible container and a method thereof are disclosed. The device may include a pressurizing chamber and an evacuation chamber. A first displacement piston is sealingly and slideably arranged within the pressurizing chamber to define an inner volume within the pressurizing chamber that is fluidly connected to a pressurizing conduit. A second displacement piston is sealingly and slideably arranged within the evacuation chamber to define an inner volume within the evacuation chamber that is fluidly connected to an evacuation conduit. A reservoir adapter is fluidly connected to the pressurizing conduit and connects to a liquid reservoir. A container adapter is fluidly connected to the evacuation conduit and connects with a flexible container. A transfer conduit is fluidly connected to the reservoir adapter and the container adapter. A valve fluidly connects the container adapter to the evacuation conduit or the transfer conduit.
US09352855B2
A system and apparatus are provided for preventing heat loss in a spacecraft during the upper stage launch phase and transfer orbit. A thermal control panel can be provided that can be positioned adjacent to exposed areas of radiator panels on the spacecraft in a collapsed configuration. The outer surface of the panel can have a high absorptivity, and the inner surface can have a high emissivity. During upper stage launch phase and transfer orbit, the panel can tend to emit heat toward the radiator panels on an inboard side of the spacecraft, thus reducing heat loss from the radiator panels to reduce the need for onboard electronic heaters and thereby preserve battery power for other onboard systems.
US09352853B2
Mechanisms for deploying a solar array include an elongated deployment member routed along a first panel, along an extension, and at least partially along a second panel. The elongated deployment member is configured to, upon retraction of the elongated deployment member by a deployment motor, move the extension into an extended position and rotate the second panel about a hub located at a distal end of the extension. Solar array assemblies include such a mechanism. Methods of deploying a solar array include retracting an elongated deployment member to rotate an extension into an extended position and further retracting the elongated deployment member to rotate a panel coupled to the extension approximately 360° about a hub of the extension.
US09352848B2
A system and method for controlling a display on an aircraft. An operator interaction with an edge area of a touch screen is identified by a processor unit when a first format of the display is displayed on the touch screen. The edge area extends along an edge of the touch screen. A second format of the display is displayed on the touch screen by the processor unit in response to identifying the operator interaction with the edge area of the touch screen. The second format of the display is different from the first format of the display.
US09352842B2
A control device for activating an oxygen system of a transport mechanism, in particular an aircraft, a control system having such a control device, an associated method for activating an oxygen system of a transport mechanism, in particular an aircraft, and a computer program for carrying out the method. Furthermore, a network is provided for a transport mechanism, in particular for an aircraft. The control device for activating the oxygen system comprises a first activation unit which is configured to activate at least a part of the oxygen system by wireless transmission of a first activation signal.
US09352839B2
Airbag assemblies and associated systems and methods for use in aircraft and other vehicles are described herein that can provide crash protection for occupants seated in an upright position while not injuring or striking occupants in the brace position. An airbag system configured in accordance with an embodiment of the present technology can include an airbag configured to deploy through an opening of a housing during a crash event. The housing can be affixed to a seat or other interior portion (e.g., a fixed portion) of an aircraft forward of a passenger seat. The airbag can initially deploy in a direction away from an occupant in the seat and then move into position between a potential strike hazard and the occupant such that the airbag system can be used to protect occupants seated in an upright position while not injuring occupants in the brace position.
US09352838B2
An aircraft galley is disclosed having a stand-alone beverage station and a stand-alone food preparation station. Each station is equipped with extendable work decks and integrated equipment for plug and play exchange. The beverage station is equipped with brewing stations and a top loading refuse compartment, and the food preparation station is configured with multiple ovens and refrigeration units. The galley further includes a side refrigeration unit which can be used as a self-service beverage area for passengers, and both stations may further be configured with LED displays for communicating with passengers.
US09352834B2
A micro unmanned aerial vehicle or drone (“UAV”) 10 is remotely controlled through an HMI, although this remote control is supplemented by and selectively suppressed by an on-board controller. The controller operates to control the generation of a sonar bubble that generally encapsulates the UAV. The sonar bubble, which may be ultrasonic in nature, is produced by a multiplicity of sonar lobes generated by specific sonar emitters associated with each axis of movement for the UAV. The emitters produce individual and beamformed sonar lobes that partially overlap to provide stereo or bioptic data in the form of individual echo responses detected by axis-specific sonar detectors. In this way, the on-board controller is able to interpret and then generate 3-D spatial imaging of the physical environment in which the UAV is currently moving or positioned. The controller is therefore able to plot relative and absolute movement of the UAV through the 3-D space by recording measurements from on-board gyroscopes, magnetometers and accelerometers. Data from the sonar bubble can therefore both proactively prevent collisions with objects by imposing a corrective instruction to rotors and other flight control system and can also assess and compensate for sensor drift.
US09352831B2
A flight control system uses a governor configured to regulate the speed of a rotor in the aircraft through collective pitch control of a rotor blade, and a limiter configured to selectively remove the threshold limit of the governor when the collective pitch control exceeds a threshold limit, so as to permit a pilot full command of the collective above the threshold limit. The threshold limit is selectively removed and phased back in to provide temporary pilot control to “cushion” landing of an aircraft when an engine has failed.
US09352830B2
An aircraft rotor assembly has upper and lower hub plates adapted to be mounted to a central rotor mast for rotation therewith. A plurality of radial arms is connected to at least two flap bearings mounted between the hub plates and forming a discrete flap hinge, each flap hinge defining a flap axis and allowing rotation of the associated arm relative to the hub plates and about the corresponding flap axis. Each of a plurality of blade grips is rotatably connected to one of the arms for rotation about a pitch axis and adapted for mounting of a blade to each blade grip, such that each blade is capable of rotation with the grip about the pitch axis and capable of rotation together with the corresponding arm relative to the hub plates and about the corresponding flap axis.
US09352826B2
The invention relates to a method of using and renovating a brake disk (9), the method comprising steps of using the disk in a plurality of lives and compensating for a reduction in the thickness of the disk after each life by assembling the disk with a complementary portion or by associating the disk with another disk of rotor or stator type if the disk is itself respectively of stator or rotor type.
US09352823B2
A propeller blade spar core includes a leading edge spar foam section surrounded by a first structural layer, a trailing edge spar foam surrounded by a second structural layer, and a third structural layer surrounding both the first and second structural layers.
US09352822B2
An airfoil includes at least one precured composite spar having a web and at least one flange integrated with an end of the web. A precured composite skin is attached to the spar by adhesive bonding the skin to the flange.
US09352820B2
An inflatable structure mount is used for mounting a device to an inflatable structure. An example is mounting of radar panels to an inflatable structure within an airship. The mount includes the device, and inserts coupled to the back side of the device, which mechanically couple to flexures mounted on the inflatable structure. Some of the flexures may have slotted holes, used in positioning the inserts on the inflatable structure at positions that will allow the flexures to mate with the inserts. A jig or tool may be used as part of the installation process, to locate the flexures at points where they will properly engage the inserts. The flexures may also each face a center point that is underneath the device to be mounted. The flexures may engage the inserts in ways that allow for quick installation and de-installation of devices, and may allow for visual inspection of proper installation.
US09352817B2
A plurality of sound emitters mounted on a vehicle having a configurable phase of emission and configured such that they focus the beam pattern in a selected direction.
US09352812B1
A boat lift has flotation tanks positioned under sides of a frame of the boat lift. Water flow is regulated so that tanks fill relatively evenly to maintain a surface of the boat lift that is generally horizontal at all times. Hingeable connection of the boat lift to a bulkhead, along with lateral stabilization, participates in maintaining a generally horizontal attitude for the boat lift. Water is expelled from the plurality of flotation tanks by pumping water from the flotation tanks, allowing the frame of the boat lift to rise. One or more catwalks along the sides of the boat lift and connected to the bulkhead are also floating, but at a level that is independent of the boat lift frame.
US09352807B2
The invention relates to a floating platform (1) comprising at least three floating or semi-submersible peripheral units (2; 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) arranged connected to a floating or semi-submersible central unit (3) by at least one in a substantially radial direction arranged rigid and elongated radial connection member (5). The floating or semi-submersible peripheral units (2; 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) are connected to the adjacent peripheral units (2; 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) by a coupling arrangement (6) which is an elongated object variable in length arranged to allow each floating peripheral unit (2; 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) to move in relation to the adjacent peripheral unit (2; 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) at least in a direction substantially parallel to the elongation direction of the coupling arrangement (6). One embodiment of the invention is characterized in that the length of at least one of the coupling arrangements (6) is arranged to be adjusted by a length adjusting arrangement (15) adapted to shorten the coupling arrangement (6) and to pull two adjacent floating peripheral units (2; 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d) towards each other. The invention also relates to an energy producing plant comprising such a floating platform.
US09352806B2
The invention relates to a watercraft having improved characteristics for travel in ice, particularly an icebreaker, supply vessel, cargo vessel or corresponding, which watercraft has a hull, which has at the stern portion a propulsion and steering arrangement, which is mainly responsible for movement and steering of the watercraft and which includes at least one skeg, in which is located at least one propeller device. In accordance with the invention, said skegs comprise two units located on different sides of the center line of the hull. Said propeller device is located at the stern end of the skeg. In addition, the skeg has between the propeller device and the hull of the watercraft, in the longitudinal direction on the skeg, one or more thruster devices to provide a water flow mainly transverse in relation to the hull.
US09352805B2
An oceanographic information collection system includes an anchor arranged on a sea bottom, an intermediate buoy connected to the anchor and floating in a sea, a mooring cable connected at one end to the intermediate buoy and at another end to an observation buoy. The observation buoy includes a main body whose longitudinal direction is arranged in a flowing direction of an ocean current. A specific gravity adjuster is arranged in the main body and includes an expandable and shrinkable buoyancy bag, an antenna arranged on the main body and transfers data, and an observation unit arranged in the main body and acquires prescribed oceanographic information. The observation buoy floats upward by expanding the buoyancy bag of the specific gravity adjuster, and sinks by shrinking the buoyancy bag in order to stand by in the sea. The buoy can easily float, sink and stand by in the sea.
US09352798B1
A body cover includes an outer surface covering portion that covers at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of a link mechanism excluding an upper surface and a lower surface thereof. When the vehicle is in the upright state, at least portions of a leaning associated deforming portion of a brake controlling operation transmission member that deform in association with the leaning of a body frame are positioned between the outer peripheral surface of the link mechanism, excluding the upper surface and the lower surface thereof, and the outer surface covering portion.
US09352788B2
A bracket includes a cylindrical portion and a plate-shaped portion that are integrally formed. The cylindrical portion is provided at one end side of a blank along one direction and is provided with a slit extending over an entire length of the cylindrical portion in the one direction as a result of forming a portion at the one end side of the blank along the one direction into a cylindrical shape extending in the one direction. The plate-shaped portion is provided at the other end side of the blank along the one direction. The cylindrical portion of the bracket is inserted in the cylindrical body member formed of an aluminum alloy material, and the body member and the cylindrical portion are clinched by electromagnetic tube compression.
US09352778B2
The present disclosure relates to a lane keeping assist system for controlling a vehicle on the basis of traveling information and road information of the vehicle when the vehicle begins to leave its lane in order to prevent the vehicle from deviating from its lane, which is a system for assisting the vehicle in keeping the lane by generating multiple target routes each being a path for the vehicle to travel without deviating from the lane, calculating a target yaw rate for each target route, and controls the vehicle according to a target steering angle calculated using the target yaw rate.
US09352775B2
A vehicle having a driving assist system and an electric power assist steering system coupled to the driving assist system. The driving assist system transmits an assist torque request for reception by the electric power assist steering system for enabling the electric power assist steering system to adjust its outputted assist torque to accommodate requirements of the driving assist system. The assist torque request specifies a requested additional assist torque required by the driving assist system from the electric power assist steering system. In response to receiving the assist torque request, the electric power assist steering system performs an operation for determining a column torque offset as a function of both a force being applied by a driver of the vehicle on a steering column of the vehicle and the requested additional assist torque required by the driving assist system.
US09352769B2
A steering apparatus includes a steering shaft, a steering column rotatably supporting the steering shaft, a bracket supporting the steering column to a vehicle body, a fixing mechanism for fixing a position of the steering column and releasing the steering column, and an operation lever fitted to the fixing mechanism to switch over by a sway thereof the fixing and releasing of the steering column, the steering apparatus being thus capable of adjusting the position of the steering column, wherein the operation lever is provided with an operating portion disposed on a more rear side of a vehicle than a swaying center of the operation lever, and an extended portion extending on a more front side of the vehicle than the swaying center of the operation lever and being provided with a weight member. The configuration can prevent the fixed steering column from being released by an impact load.
US09352754B2
The present invention refers to a vehicle line comprising at least two rails which are parallel to each other and fastened to a substructure and on which plate-shaped elements are arranged, characterized in that in the lateral lower portion the plate-shaped elements respectively comprise downwardly projecting bearing blocks which are supported in a vertically adjustable manner on holding elements which are respectively fastened to one of the rails.
US09352750B2
A reference value for controlling a vehicle's speed is obtained by: receiving a choice from two selectable driving modes, each driving mode having a unique set of settings that influence the calculation of the reference value; making a first prediction, based on an engine torque Tret that retards the vehicle as compared with conventional cruise control, and a second prediction based on an engine torque Tacc that accelerates the vehicle as compared with conventional cruise control; comparing the first and second predictions with a lower limit value and/or an upper limit value, which delineate a speed range within which the speed should be; and determining the reference value based on the mode choice and on at least one of the comparisons and said first prediction and second prediction of the speed along the horizon, such that the reference value is within the speed range.
US09352747B2
A vehicle travel control system includes a first unit configured to calculate a target longitudinal acceleration/deceleration control command of the own vehicle based on a distance or a relative speed between the own vehicle and a forward obstacle, traveling route information from a vehicle navigation system or a Global Positioning System, and input information such as a vehicle speed set by a driver; a second unit configured to calculate a target longitudinal acceleration/deceleration control command according to a lateral jerk that acts on the own vehicle; and an arbitration unit configured to perform, based on the target longitudinal acceleration/deceleration control command calculated by the second unit, arbitration of the target longitudinal acceleration/deceleration control command calculated by the first unit, wherein output from the arbitration unit is set as a command to control the target longitudinal acceleration/deceleration control command of the own vehicle.
US09352745B1
A method and apparatus for transporting a payload carrying device is disclosed. The method comprises providing at least one payload carrying device, a vehicle for transporting the at least one payload carrying device, a connection device for connecting the vehicle and the at least one payload carrying device, at least one sensor device for capturing information regarding the vehicle's surrounding environment, and a control unit for operating the connection device autonomously to connect the vehicle and the at least one payload carrying device where, once connected, the weight of the at least one payload carrying device rests directly on the floor and the vehicle autonomously transports the at least one payload carrying device to a desired location, and operating the connection device autonomously to disconnect the vehicle and the at least one payload carrying device at the desired location where the at least one payload carrying device is immobilized.
US09352742B2
The invention relates to a drive wheel traction chain for a hybrid vehicle comprising a heat engine and a hydraulic traction machine powered by hydraulic accumulators forming two power units that can be used to drive the drive wheels of the vehicle. The invention further comprises a recharge module including electricity storage batteries connected to an electric machine which drives a hydraulic recharge machine that powers the hydraulic accumulators, and a means for controlling the recharge module connected to the means for controlling the power units of the vehicle.
US09352731B2
A vehicle stability control system comprises a 5-sensor cluster and a stability controller configured to communicate with the 5-sensor cluster and receive signals corresponding to a lateral acceleration, a longitudinal acceleration, a yaw rate, a roll rate, and a pitch rate from the 5-sensor cluster. The stability controller can also be configured to determine a braking amount or a throttle amount to maintain vehicle stability. The system also comprises a brake controller configured to communicate with the stability controller and receive a braking request from the stability controller, and a throttle controller configured to communicate with the stability controller and receive a throttle request from the stability controller. The system may also comprise a braking or throttling command computed based on various scenarios detected by measured and calculated signals.
US09352728B2
Method for battery replacement in a vehicle (110), which vehicle is equipped with a storage space (150;200;300;400) for a battery (120,122;220;320;420;620), where an opening (151;204;304;404) into the storage space exists under the vehicle, wherein the vehicle assumes a first and a second predetermined position in relation to first and second battery transport devices (130;140) that bring a battery out from the vehicle and a battery into the vehicle. The transport devices are installed at least partly above ground (100) and beside the positions, and in that the batteries are brought along a respective path (121,123) running from the storage space, under a side beam (112) of the vehicle and up to a respective position above ground and beside the vehicle. A device for automatic battery replacement and a storage device for use in a vehicle are also described.
US09352715B2
A vehicle bumper including a pedestrian collision detection apparatus includes: a chamber member, a pressure detector, a collision determination unit, an absorber, and a bumper cover. The chamber member is disposed in a vehicle width direction as a longitudinal direction thereof and is adjacent to an outer side surface of a bumper reinforcement in a vehicle front-rear direction, the bumper reinforcement is disposed in the vehicle width direction as a longitudinal direction thereof and inside of the chamber member functions as a pressure chamber. The pressure detector outputs a signal corresponding to a change in pressure of the pressure chamber. The bumper cover is provided on the outside of the chamber member and the absorber in the vehicle front-rear direction and includes a projected portion projected from an opposite wall that faces the chamber member to the chamber member side.
US09352714B2
A side under-ride collision guard is described that is configured to be mounted on a large trailer that has been equipped with a sliding rear axle, consisting of one or more energy absorbing beam structures axially adjustable for position attached to a multiplicity of parallel rails to diminish the impact hazard to other roadway users that is presented by the lower axial edge(s) of the cargo compartment in the region(s) that are present between the trailer's rear most tires and the trailer's rear under-ride guard and/or between a stationary forward under-ride guard and the trailer's front most tires.
US09352709B2
A method for operating a motor vehicle (1), particularly the supply of power to a motor vehicle (1), during and/or in the time period following a collision, wherein the motor vehicle (1) is at least partially deenergized, wherein the supply of electrical power of a vehicle system (9) is determined and switched during and/or following the collision based on at least one criterion (15).
US09352703B2
An adaptable barrier for transforming a cavity defined by at least one rail into a watertight compartment, wherein the watertight compartment may conform to various sized cavities while attaching thereto. The adaptable barrier may include a base sheet having a front edge joined to a sidewall comprising a more elastic material, forming the watertight compartment, whose opening is defined by a second edge. A peripheral rim is joined along the second edge, wherein the peripheral rim may be positionable from a folded up position to a folded down position engaging the at least one rail.
US09352700B2
A device is for mounting a unit including two parallel lateral faces on each of which there is disposed a stud. The device includes two parallel lateral slideways that are formed in a compartment in an instrument panel of a vehicle and form a groove that is oriented in a substantially longitudinal direction. The groove includes an entry zone and an end zone that is less high than the entry zone. The stud includes an elastically compressible part to vertically push the stud in an end zone of its groove during longitudinal introduction of the stud into its corresponding groove. The stud also includes a central part from which there extend two opposite symmetrical arms that each bear two turned-back lugs that are substantially parallel to the arms and form longitudinal anchors that are symmetrical with respect to the central part and are elastically compressible vertically.
US09352699B2
A carrier apparatus for a vehicle may include guide rails symmetrically disposed under a rear bumper beam and extending in a front-rear direction, a carrier having a panel and sliding rails and stowed or drawn out under the rear bumper beam by sliding in the front-rear direction along the guide rails, tilting rails extending on same lines at rear ends of the guide rails and capable of tilting on the rear bumper beam, tilting adjusters disposed adjacent the tilting rails at the rear ends of the guide rails and restricting turning of the tilting rails by being selectively coupled to the tilting rails, and damping units having first ends connected to the guide rails and second ends connected to the tilting adjusters, and reducing turning speed of the tilting rails when the tilting adjusters are separated from the tilting rails and the tilting rails turn.
US09352681B2
An attachment bracket for attaching one vehicle component, such as a headlamp housing, to another vehicle component includes a wall with an upper end flange and a rib structure defining stiffness along one axis of the vehicle component and having a buckle portion allowing buckling and deformation of the attachment bracket along at least one perpendicular axis to absorb energy. The rib structure includes at least one rib extending along the wall of the attachment bracket, where the at least one rib includes a shape defining an intermediate buckle portion along the rib. The at least one rib may have a laterally extending notch, a lateral offset segment, a curved segment, or a thinner segment. One or more apertures formed in the wall to define the buckle portion. Any rib configuration may be provided on one or all of the opposed major wall surfaces of the attachment bracket.
US09352673B2
An armrest apparatus includes an armrest arranged on one lateral side of a driver seat. A height adjustment mechanism adjusts a height of the armrest relative to the driver seat. A flip-up mechanism swingably supports the armrest about a swing shaft center oriented in a lateral direction relative to the driver seat, whereby the armrest can be flipped up from a use position to a non-use position. The armrest apparatus also allows for height adjustment based on the physique of a driver and has an armrest that is movable to a position unlikely to interfere with boarding and unboarding.
US09352669B2
An adjustable child seat base includes a seat base housing having first and second distal ends, a movable foot movably mounted to the seat base housing for movement between extended and retracted positions for adjusting the angle of the seat base, and a control handle and release positioned between the first and second distal ends of the seat base housing. The control handle and release is adapted for effecting one-handed control of the movement of the movable foot.
US09352668B2
A vehicle seat includes a seat component and a back rest which, in the position of use of the back rest, can be rotated relative to the seat component, out of the position of use and into an easy entry position, for comfort purposes and for simplified access to the rear seats. The back rest has a locking mechanism which locks the back rest in the desired position of use and which is provided with a device which interacts with the locking mechanism and locks the back rest automatically in the original desired position of use as it leaves the easy entry position.
US09352653B2
A railcar includes: a power collector configured to collect electric power through overhead contact lines; a circuit breaking unit connected to the power collector and arranged on a roof of a car; and a plurality of electric power cables connected to the circuit breaking unit. The circuit breaking unit includes: a circuit breaker arranged above the roof and connected to a circuit connected to the power collector; and a branch joint which is integrally connected to a terminal portion of the circuit breaker and arranged under the circuit breaker and to which the plurality of electric power cables are connected.
US09352650B2
A rule-based vehicle cruise-control system includes a computer in a vehicle, the computer including a processor and a memory, and the computer is configured to control a vehicle speed within a first speed threshold according to a set point inputted to the cruise control system. The computer is configured to determine a current grade value is within a first grade threshold and adjust the set point to control the vehicle speed within a second speed threshold outside the first speed threshold. The computer is further configured to determine the current grade value is within a second grade threshold and adjust the set point to recover the vehicle speed to within the first speed threshold.
US09352642B2
The embodied invention is a large, horizontal sunshade with vertical shading curtains around the perimeter that is securely attached to the roof of a vehicle. The attachment means comprises a semi-permanent magnetic vehicle mount assembly that is attached to the vehicle roof and a matching snap ring that secures the sunscreen in place. The snap ring is magnetically attached to the car mount assembly using strong magnets that prevent the sunscreen from blowing away in the event of a wind. The sunscreen assembly incorporates reinforcing ribs in a way that allows the sunscreen assembly to be folded and stored compactly. The sunscreen assembly is removable by a simple rotation.
US09352638B2
An extendable sun visor assembly shades the eyes of drivers and passengers from the glare of light while in a vehicle. The assembly includes a housing. A mounting apparatus is coupled to the housing and is configured for mounting the housing to an interior surface of a vehicle adjacent a selectable window of the vehicle. An extension is extendably coupled to the housing.
US09352633B2
An active suspension apparatus for a vehicle includes actuators configured to compensate displacements of coil springs connected to wheels of the vehicle, a first pump configured to supply a fluid to one of the actuators on left and right front wheels of the vehicle among the actuators, and a second pump configured to supply a fluid to one of the actuators on left and right rear wheels of the vehicle among the actuators, in which the fluid contained in one of cylinders of the first pump and the second pump is supplied to at least one of the actuators based on driving of a motor.
US09352628B2
A suspension system with an axle lift system for use on vehicles is described, the axle lift system having control arms with an offset lift air bag configuration. The suspension system includes offset control arms and an off-axis lift air bag. The off-axis lift air bag is disposed away from and sometimes at an angle to the axis of the control arms.
US09352625B2
The device and assembly provides a structure having two ball-shaped ends that are integrally formed as a single structure. With one of the balls inserted into a trailer coupler, the clamping device of the coupler can be locked as it would be when connected to a trailer hitch ball. The device and assembly of the present invention is intended to be a “filler” structure which prevents theft of a trailer using the coupler because the coupler cavity is filled and locked. Preferably, the ball ends are made of a single piece of hard plastic, nylon or metal material (although plastic is preferred for a light-weight structure) and connected to a cable that allows the device to be suspended from the coupler for use when necessary. Each ball is sized in accordance with at least two different sizes of hitch balls that are used in the coupler market.
US09352624B2
An adjustable height trailer hitch may include a shank portion configured and adapted to be installed into a hitch receiver. The hitch may further include a drop bar extending downwardly from the shank portion. The drop bar may further include a plurality of pin receiving holes formed in the drop bar. The hitch may further include a ball support member having a locking pin disposed in a locking-pin bore and an actuator pin disposed in an actuator bore. The hitch may further include a locking ring disposed in an annular groove of a cylindrical sidewall of the actuator bore. The locking ring may prevent backout of the actuator pin.
US09352619B2
A pneumatic tire includes two circumferential main grooves within a ground-contact width of a tread, and a group of polygonal blocks between the two circumferential main grooves. The group of polygonal blocks includes a plurality of polygonal blocks arranged in at least two longitudinal rows in a tire circumferential direction and a plurality of transverse rows in a tire width direction. Each polygonal block has not less than five sides, and is defined by narrow grooves. The polygonal blocks in the adjacent longitudinal rows are arranged so as to be staggered from each other in the tire circumferential direction. The group of polygonal blocks has a widthwise center that is positioned within a 50% width region of the ground-contact width of the tread across a tire equatorial plane.
US09352610B2
An apparatus for cleaning paint roller sleeves comprises an open top drum (2) having a base and side walls for holding a quantity of liquid; a detachable cover (3) for sealing said open top drum; and a removable section (11) comprising a plurality of vertical substantially cylindrical compartments (12) for receiving paint roller sleeves and having a central vertical substantially cylindrical compartment (14). The base of the removable section is positioned above the base of the drum.
US09352609B2
A method for collecting a liquid surface residual film floating on the surface of the liquid after transfer, and a transfer tank that includes a film holding mechanism, provided at inner sides of both right and left side walls, for holding both sides of the transfer film and conveying the transfer film to an immersion area. When a film that is no longer needed after the transfer is collected, dividing means divides the liquid surface residual film so as to split the liquid surface residual film in a longitudinal direction of the transfer tank before the object is removed from the transfer liquid, and the divided films are moved closer to the both side walls of the transfer tank. At the side wall portions, the film holding mechanism is canceled, and from this canceled portion, the divided liquid surface residual films are discharged out of the tank.
US09352605B1
An expandable pocket, including only a single sheet of material having A) a front panel, B) a back panel, C) a pleated spine extending along a pocket bottom and, on a first side, connected to the front panel along the front length and, on a second side, connected to the back panel along the back panel length, the spine further extending to form a first pocket side, and a second pocket side, D) a first wing connected to the spine or the front panel and, on a first face, secured to a front panel face, E) a second wing connected to the spine or the back panel and, on a first face, secured to a back panel face, F) a first back tab secured between the back panel and the second wing, and G) a first front tab secured between the front panel and the first wing.
US09352603B2
While a sheet on an intermediate processing tray is being processed, a plurality of sheets to be processed next are kept on standby by a standby portion arranged between the intermediate processing tray and a conveyance roller and a separation roller. When conveying the plurality of sheets that have been kept on standby in an overlapped state while successively shifting the sheets from each other in the sheet conveyance direction, the shift amount is successively reduced.
US09352589B2
A modification device includes: a plasma processing unit that performs plasma processing on a processed object such that a surface of the processed object has a predetermined water contact angle; and a cooling unit that cools the surface of the processed object at least from when the plasma processing is performed to when ink is discharged such that a surface temperature of the processed object during discharge of the ink to the processed object is a temperature at which a target water contact angle range is achieved.
US09352584B2
A printing apparatus that is capable of obtaining density more than density that is obtained by repeating the same printing process a plurality of times without affecting resolution and tone expression. A printing unit prints an image by transferring ink to a printing sheet with a thermal head according to print data of a multiple value. A control unit controls the printing unit so as to change a maximum exothermic frequency in one dot according to a transfer frequency at the time of transferring ink of a same color a plurality of times to overlap, when an image is printed based on the print data by transferring ink of the same color the plurality of times to overlap.
US09352583B2
The present invention provides a thermal recording material having a thermosensitive layer comprising single phase diffuser polymer particles. Each of the diffuser polymer particles has a refractive index at the center thereof (RIcenter) different from a refractive index at the surface thereof (RIsurface), and a continuous refractive index gradient, sometimes referred to as GRIN technology. The diffuser polymer particles may have a RIcenter of from 1.46 to 1.61 and a particle size of 0.85 to 15 microns. Additionally, the thermal recording material of the present invention may also include heat deformable particles and a binder.The present invention also provides a method for providing an image by subjecting selected portions of a recording material such as that described above to a physical agent selected from the group consisting of heat, pressure, and combinations thereof, sufficient to reduce the opacity of said selected portions.
US09352579B2
In a passage unit of a recording head, a first ink introduction port of a first reservoir and a second ink introduction port of a second reservoir are formed between the first and second reservoirs. The first and second ink introduction ports are formed at different positions in a nozzle line direction perpendicular to a main scanning direction and are formed to overlap each other in the main scanning direction.
US09352577B2
An ink tank includes: a reservoir that stores ink; a supply port that supplies ink stored in the reservoir to a printer; a supply port sealing member that seals the supply port; an air port that communicates between an inside of the reservoir and an atmospheric space above an upper side of a liquid surface of the ink; and an air port sealing member which a needle tube is capable of inserting and pulling out of, and which seals the air port in a state where the needle tube is not inserted.
US09352574B2
A fluid ejection device includes a fluid container having a fluid accommodation portion that has formed therein a fluid outlet and accommodates a fluid. A fluid pressing unit presses the fluid accommodation portion to cause the fluid to flow out of the fluid outlet. Connection piping has an end that is connected to the fluid outlet. A fluid ejection unit has a fluid intake port connected to the other end of the connection piping, and ejects in a pulsed manner the fluid received from the fluid intake port. A pressure detection unit detects pressure of the fluid accommodation portion when the fluid pressing unit presses the fluid accommodation portion, and outputs a level of a detection signal corresponding to the pressure. A press control unit stops the fluid pressing unit from pressing the fluid accommodation portion when the pressure indicated by the detection signal is a predetermined value or higher.
US09352573B1
A printing system comprising two or more groups of ink, wherein each group of ink includes ink based upon a unique formulation. This enables a user to select an ink type for printing an image without requiring extra printers or replacement of printing components. Additionally, the user can print a single image using inks of two different base formulations. The system comprises at least two groups of ink storage containers, each group containing a group of ink volumes, each group of ink volumes having a unique ink base formulation. The system further comprises at least two groups of ink formulation specific print heads, each group being associated with the compatible ink formulation. A controller enables the user to selectively print an image using ink having one or more ink base formulations. The system can use any configuration of ink storage configurations and print heads arrangements.
US09352571B2
A liquid ejecting apparatus includes a first heating unit which heats liquid ejected onto a medium for recording; a first collecting unit which is provided at a position facing a first face of the medium for recording at a portion at which a heating process is performed with respect to the liquid using the first heating unit; and a second collecting unit which is provided at a position facing a second face of the medium for recording at a portion at which the heating process is performed, in which the first collecting unit and the second collecting unit include a vapor collecting unit which collects vapor which is generated in the heating process from a vapor intake port, and a vapor liquefying unit which liquefies the collected vapor.
US09352567B2
A method for producing a liquid discharging head includes an element substrate provided with a discharge opening for discharging a liquid and a supporting member that supports the element substrate, the element substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, the supporting member having a height reference surface and an element-substrate bonding surface to which the first surface is bonded with an adhesive. The method includes the steps of measuring a height h of the element-substrate bonding surface from the height reference surface; applying the adhesive to the element-substrate bonding surface; and causing the first surface to oppose the element-substrate bonding surface with the adhesive being provided therebetween, and disposing the second surface at a predetermined height m from the measured height h to harden the adhesive at a portion between the element-substrate bonding surface and the element substrate.
US09352564B2
A method for determining an issue in an inkjet nozzle with impedance measurements, includes taking a first impedance measurement to detect a drive bubble with an impedance sensor; and taking a second impedance measurement to detect said drive bubble with said impedance sensor after said first impedance measurement.
US09352562B2
An electric connection method for connection between a semiconductor substrate and an electric wiring substrate includes a first process for providing the semiconductor substrate having a heating member and a pad and the electric wiring substrate having first wiring and second wiring, a second process for electrically connecting the first wiring and the heating member, a third process for causing the heating member to generate heat by supplying power to the heating member through the first wiring, and a fourth process for electrically connecting the pad and the second wiring at a temperature higher than a temperature for electrically connecting the first wiring and the heating member.
US09352561B2
Techniques for print ink droplet measurement and control to deposit fluids within precise tolerances
An ink printing process employs per-nozzle droplet volume measurement and processing software that plans droplet combinations to reach specific aggregate ink fills per target region, guaranteeing compliance with minimum and maximum ink fills set by specification. In various embodiments, different droplet combinations are produced through different printhead/substrate scan offsets, offsets between printheads, the use of different nozzle drive waveforms, and/or other techniques. These combinations can be based on repeated, rapid droplet measurements that develop understandings for each nozzle of means and spreads for expected droplet volume, velocity and trajectory, with combinations of droplets being planned based on these statistical parameters. Optionally, random fill variation can be introduced so as to mitigate Mura effects in a finished display device. The disclosed techniques have many possible applications.
US09352557B2
A liquid discharge apparatus includes: an modulation circuit that generates a modulated signal by pulse-modulating a source signal through self-oscillation; a transistor that amplifies the modulated signal to generate an amplified modulated signal; a low-pass filter that includes an inductor and a capacitor and smoothes the amplified modulated signal to generate a drive signal; a feedback circuit that allows the drive signal to return to the modulation circuit; a piezoelectric element that is displaced by application of the drive signal thereto; a cavity that is filled with a liquid inside and has an internal volume which changes when the piezoelectric element is displaced; and a nozzle that is provided to discharge the liquid inside the cavity in response to the change of the internal volume of the cavity. In this configuration, a self-resonant frequency of the capacitor is higher than a frequency of the self-oscillation.
US09352541B2
An apparatus for temporarily bonding a substrate on a carrier includes an electrically conductive adhesion layer disposed between the carrier and the substrate, and a current supply source configured to apply a current to the electrically conductive adhesion layer.
US09352537B2
Compositions suitable for film comprise at least one ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer, wherein the ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer may have, for example, a Mw/Mn from about 1.7 to about 3.5, at least one melting point, Tm, in degrees Celsius, and a density, d, in grams/cubic centimeter, wherein the numerical values of Tm and d correspond to the relationship: Tm>−2002.9+4538.5(d)−2422.2(d)2.
US09352532B2
An example provides an apparatus including a substrate, a metal layer, and an adhesive layer adhered between the substrate and the metal layer, the adhesive layer comprising zinc-gallium oxide, zinc-indium oxide, zinc-gallium-tin oxide, or zinc-indium-tin oxide.
US09352524B2
A stamping machine includes a platen press which has a fixed platen and an opposing moving platen effecting a reciprocating movement imparted by articulated members forming toggle joints. Each articulated member forming a toggle joint including a connecting member which collaborates with a respective cam borne by a camshaft.
US09352519B2
A method for manufacturing a lining element is provided. The method comprises laying a textile membrane onto a positive molding tool, applying first fibers and a matrix material onto at least one first region of the textile membrane for creating a semi-finished product of a framework supported textile, providing at least one sealing element along outer edges of the molding tool, covering the textile membrane and the at least one sealing element in an air tight manner by a covering means, evacuating the space between the molding tool and the covering means and curing the matrix material by heating the semi-finished product. Thereby, a lining element with a low weight and at the same time a sufficient directional stability is provided that furthermore allows to easily recycle the components of the lining element.
US09352511B2
An object of the invention is to provide a method for producing a laminated film comprising at least two resin films bonded together, which is capable of increasing the adhesiveness of the bonding surface and forming a laminated film with high reliability. The method for producing a laminated film according to the invention comprising at least two resin films laminated together, which comprises: a fluorination treatment step comprising bringing a fluorine and oxygen atoms-containing treatment gas into contact with at least a partial region of the surface of at least one of the two resin films to increase the adhesiveness of the region; and a bonding step comprising bonding the two resin films together using, as a bonding surface, the surface that has been brought into contact with the treatment gas.
US09352500B2
The application discloses methods of fabricating three-dimensional (3D) graphene crystalline foam, based on mixing a carbon source with a skelet (scaffold) powder. In one embodiment heat and pressure are used to compact the carbon and a metal powder into a close packed structure. In another embodiment a 3D crystalline graphene foam is fabricated with a large surface area (550 m2/g) from a 3D metal foam, depositing a layer of graphene using chemical vapor deposition (CVD), depositing a polymer support and removing the metal via wet chemical etching, such that the graphene retains the configuration, and then finally removing the polymer. A method of fabricating the metal foam framework and coating the metal with graphene are also disclosed.
US09352499B2
A method of manufacturing a separate and continuous layer being essentially uncured. The method includes applying a powder mix including fibers and a thermosetting binder on a carrier, forming a powder mix layer, wherein the powder mix is connected together such that the powder mix layer is obtained and wherein the powder mix layer is essentially uncured, and releasing the powder mix layer from the carrier. Also, a layer and a method for manufacturing a building panel.
US09352498B2
In manufacture of a polyimide film, self-supporting film is heated with both ends in a width direction held and carried by the tenter apparatus. The tenter apparatus has a guide member placed on each side of a carry path for the self-supporting film and a pair of tenter chains each moved along the guide member and each including a film holding mechanism for holding an edge portion of the self-supporting film. The tenter chain has a rotating body supported rotatably around a shaft member extending in a direction in parallel with a carry face of the self-supporting film and perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the guide member for movably supporting the tenter chain. The shaft member is directly or indirectly fixed to a member identical to a member to which the film holding mechanism is fixed.
US09352489B2
A process for the preparation of a dry crystalline metal organic framework which comprises: a) spray drying at least one metal ion and at least one organic ligand which is at least bidentate into a spray dryer in the presence of a solvent, wherein the reaction of the at least one metal ion with the at least one organic ligand to yield the metal organic framework and the drying of the obtained metal organic framework take place simultaneously inside the spray dryer, and b) collecting the formed dry crystalline metal organic framework.
US09352482B2
Texturing apparatuses and methods are provided for forming a textured surface on a panel. An exemplary texturing apparatus has a bed and a mount having at least one cutting blade that can be configured to impart a cut to a top structural surface of the panel as the panel is moved along the bed. The bed is configured to receive the panel and can define one or more openings. The mount is operably positioned in the opening and can be articulated in one or more directions with respect to the plane of the bed.
US09352480B2
A log adjustment system for a portable saw mill having a saw head and a bed includes a pair of substantially parallel elongate supports, at least two transverse members, and an adjustable toe board. The first transverse member extends between the elongate supports. The second transverse member extends parallel to the first transverse member. The adjustable toe board extends in a gap defined between the first transverse member and the second transverse member. The adjustable tool is configured to be supported at a plurality of heights adjacent to the first and second transverse members.
US09352475B2
A magnetic knife blade wiper, for use with knives of standard types and sizes, has a pair of wiper blades spaced apart in parallel to fit onto the side surfaces of a knife blade. A device housing is attached to upper ends of the pair of wiper blades and has a permanent magnet carried in a cavity therein for holding the wiper magnetically on the spine of the knife blade. The wiper can be moved along the blade toward the knifepoint to wipe off any food debris on the side surfaces of the blade. The wiper blade length is sized to be less than the height of the blade so that the wiper can remain in position proximate the hilt of the knife without interfering with cutting operations. The wiper blades have a thin profile so that, when positioned proximate the hilt of the knife, they do not project beyond the girth of the knife in order not to interfere with the user's sightlines or cutting operations.
US09352467B2
A robot programming apparatus includes a virtual space creation unit for creating a virtual space that expresses a work space in three dimensions; a target portion designation unit for designating a target portion whose image is to be captured by an image pickup device, on a workpiece model arranged in the virtual space; a position determination unit for determining at least one position of the image pickup device for capturing the image of the target portion in the virtual space; a position storage unit for storing the at least one position of the image pickup device; and an image pickup program creation unit for creating an image pickup program to be taught to a robot so that the image pickup device captures the image of the target portion according to the at least one position of the image pickup device stored in the position storage unit.
US09352459B2
A broken bolt extractor is disclosed which comprises a counter clockwise cutting tip section for drilling a bore into a broken bolt, the cutting tip section being tapered, an intermediate gripping section having a gripping edge for gripping a side of the bore drilled into the broken bolt, the intermediate gripping section being tapered, and a shaft section for attachment to a tool for rotating the extractor.
US09352452B2
A panel support clamp consisting of: at least a pair of mutually cooperating jaws (1,2) and both carrying, on one side, fastening and tightening elements; said fastening and tightening elements providing, on a first one of said jaws, a parallelepiped body (6) with at least one screw-in seat and, on a second one of said jaws, a tightening screw, as well as guiding elements for the housing of said parallelepiped body, consisting of a pair of retaining arms (9a, 9b) and of a cavity obtained on the inner surface thereof; on each of the lateral walls of said parallelepiped body a guiding groove (13), for the housing and sliding of a pair of articulating pins (14a, 14b), protruding inwards from the ends of said retaining arms; within said parallelepiped body recesses (7) for the introduction of fastening elements to a support base, and control means maintaining secure the parallelism between the opposite surfaces of the two jaws (1,2) and the respective panel walls.
US09352450B1
Embodiments of the invention relate to methods of cleaning a leaching agent and/or leaching agent by-products from an at least partially leached polycrystalline diamond body, and methods of making a polycrystalline diamond compact using the same.
US09352447B2
Superabrasive elements and methods for processing and manufacturing the same using protective layers
An exemplary method of processing a polycrystalline diamond element is disclosed. According to the method, a protective layer may be formed over only a selected portion of a polycrystalline diamond element. The polycrystalline diamond element may include a polycrystalline diamond table. At least a portion of the polycrystalline diamond element may be exposed to a leaching solution such that the leaching solution contacts an exposed surface region of the polycrystalline diamond table and at least a portion of the protective layer. The protective layer may be substantially impermeable to the leaching solution. An exemplary method of manufacturing a polycrystalline diamond element is also disclosed.
US09352441B2
A chemical mechanical polishing system is provided. The chemical mechanical polishing system includes a platen, a load cup, a hub, a first polishing arm cantilevered from the hub and rotatable around the centerline of the hub between the platen and load cup, and a second polishing arm cantilevered from the hub and rotatable around the centerline of the hub between the platen and load cup the second arm rotatable independently from the hub.
US09352428B2
A luminaire comprising a base, an optic attached to the base, a heat sink integrally molded within the base, and a heat-generating element comprising an LED-based light source in thermal communication with the heat sink. The light source may be positioned such that light emitted by the LED is emitted into an optical chamber defined by the first housing. A second housing may comprise channels formed by opposing pairs of fin guards. The heat sink may comprise a plurality of fin assemblies connected along a perimeter of a heat-generating element contacting portion of the heat sink. A proximal edge of each fin assembly may be positioned adjacent to an outer surface of the first housing. A distal edge of each fin assembly may be positioned so as to be coextensive with a respective channel and substantially exposed to the environment external to the luminaire.
US09352426B2
A method for assembling a propshaft assembly. The method can include: providing a tubular member, the tubular member having an annular wall with an inside circumferential surface; twisting a damper; installing the twisted damper in the tubular member; untwisting the damper in the tubular member such that the damper engages the inside circumferential surface of the annular wall. A machine for assembling a propshaft assembly is also provided.
US09352422B2
An electronic welding seam gauge comprises a reference positioning block and an electronic displacement measuring member. The reference positioning block has a contacting surface that abuts against a first abutting surface to form a first reference point, and the electronic displacement measuring member is disposed at a side of the reference positioning block, having a displacement probe and a displaying portion, wherein a displacement that the displacement probe moves to abut against a second reference point of a second abutting surface with respect to the first reference point is displayed by the displaying portion for providing a more precise measurement with respect to the welding seam, so as to enable the welded product to comply with the standards.
US09352420B2
A laser cladding device for applying a coating to a part comprising a laser which can generate laser light, which is adapted to heat the coating and the part, a main body defining a laser light channel adapted to transmit the laser light to the part, a coating channel adapted to transmit the coating to the part, and a vacuum channel and a nozzle having an exit. The nozzle comprises a delivery port at one end of the laser light channel, a coating port at one end of the coating channel, and a vacuum port at one end of the vacuum channel, wherein the vacuum port is positioned generally adjacent the delivery port In operation the vacuum port draws a vacuum, pulling the coating towards the part.
US09352414B2
A laser processing method having a displacement acquiring step of acquiring a displacement between a point on the cutting line and one end of the cutting line in the object while irradiating the object with a second laser beam, converged by a lens, for measuring the displacement of a main surface of the object; and a position setting step of setting an initial position for holding the lens with respect to the main surface of the object according to the acquired displacement, and holding the lens at thus set initial position.
US09352405B2
The reaming tool comprises a cutting part having a peripherally arranged reaming cutter which, upon rotation about a center axis of the reaming tool, defines a cutting circle of nominal diameter. The reaming tool further comprises at least two peripherally arranged guide elements, which lie on a guide circle arranged eccentrically to the center axis or having a larger diameter than the cutting circle. As a result of this measure, high surface quality is obtained, in particular even in soft materials, since the reaming tool is clamped in the direction of the reaming cutter.
US09352399B2
A drill comprises a drill body that is rotatable on an axis. Chip evacuating flutes, which are open on front flanks of the drill body and are extended rearwards, are formed in a periphery of the drill body on its front side. Cutting edges are formed along ridge lines where the front flanks intersect with wall surfaces of the chip evacuating flutes facing a drill rotating direction. At least first and second front flanks are formed on the front flanks in order of their locations in the drill rotating direction from its leading side to its trailing side. A clearance angle of the second front flank is greater than that of the first front flank. Intersection lines of the first and second front flanks cross the cutting edges.
US09352392B2
The invention provides a die casting apparatus which pumps up molten metal from a molten metal holding furnace through an electromagnetic pump pipe provided with an electromagnetic pump, supplies the pumped-up molten metal to an injection sleeve through the molten metal supply pipe connected with the electromagnetic pump pipe, and a cavity of a die is charged with the molten metal by injecting the molten metal by using an injection tip. An upper end side of the electromagnetic pump pipe and an upper end side of the molten metal supply pipe are connected with each other. The upper end side of the electromagnetic pump pipe is inserted into the upper end side of the molten metal supply pipe, and extends inside the molten metal supply pipe.
US09352382B2
The distribution of load stresses on threads engaged with a standard screw or nut is very unequal. Indeed, the first threads in engagement support a large majority of the load. So if the load is too important, the threads give way and the function is not provided any more by the screw or the nut. In the prior art, threads are known whose depth or pitch varies a lot in order to cause a self-clamping. In particular, the invention aims at optimizing the resistance and the fatigue resistance of the screws by distributing the load at the very best on their threads without causing this self-clamping. It was shown that the control of the pitch variation, within a chosen pitch tolerance, makes it possible to control the stress distribution on the threads. It is possible to determine a different variation for each load case encountered.
US09352379B2
A double action press for forming a beverage can lid has a longitudinal axis, an inner tooling, and an outer tooling. The inner tooling is positioned about the longitudinal axis and has a downwardly extending stem. The stem has an upper segment having a free end and a separate lower segment having a proximal end. The proximal end is in communication with, but is not joined to, the lower free end of the upper segment. An opposing distal end is joined to a punch core. The outer tooling is positioned about the longitudinal axis and has a passageway through which a portion of the stem passes, a chamber in which the proximal end of the lower segment of the stem resides and traverses upwardly and downwardly therein, a biasing means within the chamber for biasing the lower segment of the stem in an upward position, and a circumferential tooling assembly.
US09352377B2
A method for producing a joint in at least two overlapping metal work pieces using a joining tool to obtain a mechanical joint between the overlapping work pieces, in particular joining by mechanical folding or pressure joining At least one of the first work piece and second work piece is a sheet material made of an aluminum alloy of the AA7000-series. A heat-treatment is applied to at least the work piece of 7000-series sheet material within 120 minutes prior to the production of the joint and/or for at least part of the time during production of the joint to temporarily reduce the tensile strength in the joining area of at least the work piece of said 7000-series sheet material.
US09352376B2
A hemming head device and method for hem forming one or more edges of deformable material. The hemming head device includes dual biasing spring members which provide a resistive force whether the hemming wheel is in a push hemming operation on an exterior joint edge or in a pull hemming operation on an interior joint edge. The device further includes a quick connect device for selectively connecting hemming wheels and other forming devices to the head and a gauge to measure the relative position or resistive force applied on the forming member by the biasing members. A method for hem forming a workpiece using dual biasing spring members is also disclosed.
US09352374B2
A system and method forming a ground bonding strap. A length of cable is measured to determine a segment of cable to stamp to form a pair of connectors. The segment is heated. The segment is stamped to form the pair of connectors. The pair of connectors defining an indentation and a pair of receptacles disposed through the cable. The pair of receptacles being each adjacent to and separated by an indentation. The indentations being positioned to allow a user to cut between the pair of connectors to form a ground bonding strap of a length selected by the user.
US09352373B2
An assembly for press forming a deformable material including: a first die array including a plurality of dies, the first die array defining a first die profile; a second die array that is complementary with the first die array and including a plurality of dies, the second die array defining a second die profile that is complementary with the first die profile; and a drive for driving at least one of the first die array and the second die array; wherein in use the plurality of dies of the first die array and the plurality of dies of the second die array sequentially engage the deformable material along a processing length to deform the deformable material to a predetermined profile.
US09352369B2
A method for forming structural equipment employed in sulfur containing environments such as oil refineries and the like. In one embodiment, the method comprises: providing a steel composition containing up to 0.35% of C, 0.30 to 3.5% Si, up to 1.2% Mo, up to 1.35% Mn, up to 5% Al, less than 12.0% Cr, balance of Fe and unavoidable impurities; forming a structural component conforming to prevailing industry standards with respect to design, fabrication, inspection and testing, metallurgical and mechanical properties. The structural equipment has a corrosion rate of less than 15 mpy. In one embodiment, the equipment is formed from a steel composition has a carbon equivalent of less than 0.63, requiring no post weld heat treatment (“PWHT”). In another embodiment, the CE is less than 0.45, requiring no preheat nor PWHT.
US09352360B2
The present subject matter provides colored wear tiles for use in optical sorting apparatuses and related methods that separate an associated material into a desired product and an undesired product. The colored wear tiles have a color and/or lightness value that permeates the entire body of the wear tile and sufficiently differs from the color and/or lightness of the associated material in order to allow the colored wear tile, or portions or pieces thereof, that may mix with the associated material, to be separated from the desired product by the sorting apparatus.
US09352359B2
Disclosed is a dirt sifting device for placement over a wheelbarrow, comprising a frame and a filter screen disposed over the frame. In an embodiment of the present invention, the dirt sifting device comprises a first frame connected by a hinge to a second frame. The hinge allows the first frame to rotate relative to the second frame and is adapted to maintain the frames at any of a variety of angles. A filter screen is disposed over each of the first and second frames. The frames define the perimeter of the filter screens. The frames may be rotated towards one another such that the frames overlap in a closed configuration convenient for storage. Alternatively, the frames may be rotated away from one another and the device can then be placed over a wheelbarrow for dirt sifting. Overall, the device serves as a means for separating dirt from unwanted materials.
US09352356B2
There are provided processes for manufacturing trim boards. The processes can comprise applying a thin layer comprising a solvent based alkyd based primer sealer on at least one surface of the trim board; heat drying the thin layer so as to at least partially cure the thin layer comprising the solvent based alkyd based primer sealer; cooling the at least one surface; and applying a thin layer comprising a sealer on the thin layer comprising the solvent based alkyd based primer sealer. There are also provided methods for reducing and/or preventing migration of tannins in pine wood.
US09352343B2
A system, including a gravity fed container assembly, including a container, a lid configured to cover a chamber in the spray coating supply container, wherein the chamber is configured to hold a spray material, a filter assembly within the chamber and configured to filter the spray material in the chamber, and a valve coupled to the filter assembly and configured to open when the container couples to a spray device, wherein the valve is configured to move the filter assembly from a first position to a second position, wherein the first position blocks the filter assembly from filtering the spray material and the second position enables filtering of the spray material.
US09352339B2
A pulverization head of an apparatus includes a motor whose vertical hollow shaft is integrally linked, at its lower end, to a centrifugal ejection disc. The substance to be pulverized, coming from a tank via a proportioning pump, crosses the hollow shaft to be spread in a thin layer on the lower surface of the disc forming the centrifugal ejection face. Elements are designed to vibrate the peripheral edge of the disc and control the pulverization of the substance. A fan and a distributor produce a treatment gas flow which meets and draws droplets towards a collection zone, solidifying them by drying or freezing. Typically, the substance is a mixture of at least one active ingredient and a microencapsulation constituent. For use to obtain very fine and/or very homogeneous particle size, to manufacture powders for food processing, nutritional, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and fine chemical applications. The head is useful to produce aerosols.
US09352338B2
A centrifugal separator for liquids with two phases of different density includes a bowl with a base defining a first rear area in a casing. At least two outlet passages extend through the base. A first outlet passages communicates with a first outlet opening discharging liquid in the first rear area, and the second outlet passages communicates with a second outlet opening discharging liquid in a second rear area rear of said first rear area. A flange attached to the bowl and a partition of the casing with an annular sealing in between separates the first and the second rear area.
US09352336B2
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed including a method of neutralizing charges of solid contaminants and weakening cell walls and membranes of biological contaminants in a fluid, comprising the steps of: establishing a flow of a fluid through a fluid treatment chamber surrounded by a sidewall of a fluid treatment vessel shaped as a conduit having a fluid input port, and a fluid output port, the sidewall constructed of a shielding material; and energizing a coil of at least one antenna within the fluid treatment chamber with at least one electrical energizing unit to produce pulsed radiation within the fluid treatment chamber to treat the flow of the fluid therein, wherein the sidewall of the fluid treatment vessel establishes a chamber having a capacity to restrict propagation of the pulsed radiation out of the fluid treatment vessel.
US09352334B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for the separation of magnetic constituents from a dispersion comprising these magnetic constituents and nonmagnetic constituents, comprising at least one loop-like canal (5) through which a dispersion flows having at least two inlets (1, 2) and at least two outlets (3, 4), further comprising at least one magnet (6) that is moveable alongside the canal (5), wherein the canal (5) is arranged relative to gravity in a way that nonmagnetic constituents are assisted to go into at least the one first outlet (3) (stream I) by sedimentation and by the current of the dispersion and magnetic constituents are forced into at least one second outlet (4) (stream II) by magnetic force against a current of flushing water. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a process for the separation of magnetic constituents from a dispersion comprising these magnetic constituents and nonmagnetic constituents.
US09352330B2
A particulate cellulose derivative is obtained in a process of grinding and drying a moist cellulose derivative wherein A) a cellulose derivative having a moisture content of from 60 to 95 percent, based on the total weight of the moist cellulose derivative, is provided, B) the moist cellulose derivative is dried and partially ground in a gas-swept impact mill; and C) the ground and partially dried cellulose derivative is contacted with an additional amount of a drying gas outside the gas-swept impact mill. The obtained particulate cellulose derivative has a high untapped bulk density and a good flowability.
US09352323B2
The invention relates to a laboratory apparatus for handling at least one laboratory sample, in particular for mixing and/or adjusting the temperature of a biochemical laboratory sample, which is arranged in at least one sample vessel element, having a carrier device for carrying the at least one sample vessel element, an electrical control device, which is set up for controlling or setting at least one operating parameter of the laboratory apparatus that controls this handling, and at least one sensor device for recording at least one measured value, by which at least one geometrical property of the at least one sample vessel element can be determined, the at least one sensor device being signal-connected to the electrical control device, the electrical control device being set up for controlling the handling of the at least one laboratory sample in dependence on the at least one measured value and the at least one set operating parameter by at least one control step. The invention also relates to a method for handling at least one laboratory sample by means of a laboratory apparatus and to a computer program product for performing the method.
US09352319B2
A droplet dispensing apparatus has a piston rod driven by a solenoid, the rod for connection to a piston of a droplet dispensing syringe, in which the output member from the solenoid is directly connected to the rod through the entire impulse produced by the solenoid.
US09352315B2
The present disclosure provides flow cells and methods of fabricating flow cells. The method includes combining three portions: a first substrate, a second substrate, and microfluidic channels between the first substrate and the second substrate having walls of a photoresist dry film. Through-holes for inlet and outlet are formed in the first substrate or the second substrate. Patterned capture sites are stamped on the first substrate and the second substrate by a nanoimprint lithography process. In other embodiments, parts of the patterned capture sites are selectively attached to a surface chemistry pattern formed of silicon oxide islands each disposed on an outcrop of a soft bottom layer.
US09352311B2
A dosing device comprises a housing. The housing has a slot-shaped opening in the axial direction. The respective region of a setting cylinder located inside the housing can be seen from the exterior through the opening. The setting cylinder can be radially rotated or set by way of a setting wheel. Quantitative indications of the discharge volumes for various syringe types at various settings are arranged in columns on the setting cylinder in the form of a table. The cylinder is oriented relative to the window in the housing such that at a given angular setting of the cylinder the correct discharge volume is visible in the window for every syringe type.
US09352310B2
A catalytic converter including: a cell structured first substrate; and a cell structured second substrate provided at a downstream side of the first substrate. The first substrate has a uniform cell density. The second substrate includes a center area with a first cell density and a surrounding area with a second cell density that is lower than the first cell density. The first substrate and the second substrate are mounted in tandem.
US09352308B2
Disclosed is a process for obtaining a solid catalyst component for ethylene polymerization and copolymerization, wherein a carrier of particulate silica (65 to 85% by weight) is impregnated with a catalytically active portion (15 to 35% by weight) including titanium, magnesium, chlorine, alkoxy groups and at least one organometallic compound of the groups 1, 2, 12 or 13 of the periodic table. Further, the invention refers to the solid catalyst component thus obtained and to a process for ethylene polymerization and copolymerization wherein is used said catalyst. The catalyst obtained is suitable for the production of ethylene homo- and copolymers as narrow molecular weight distribution high density polyethylene (NMWHDPE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) with controlled morphology and improved structure.
US09352307B2
Described is a catalyst, preferably for use in selective catalytic reduction (SCR), said catalyst comprising one or more zeolites of the MFI structure type, and one or more zeolites of the CHA structure type, wherein at least part of the one or more zeolites of the MFI structure type contain iron (Fe), and wherein at least part of the one or more zeolites of the CHA structure type contain copper (Cu). An exhaust gas treatment system is described, comprising said catalyst as well as a process for the treatment of a gas stream comprising NOx using said catalyst as well.
US09352306B2
The catalyst comprises from 0.01 to 0.5% by weight of platinum, based on the catalyst, and optionally tin, with the weight ratio of Sn:Pt being from 0 to 10, on zeolite A as support.
US09352290B2
The invention relates to a mixing device and method by means of which two solutions that are insoluble or poorly soluble in each other are mixed together into a dispersion. The device consists of at least three helical bars rotating upwards around a shaft and supported on it, so that the support structures between the shaft and the helical rods are set essentially in a horizontal position. The device and method are particularly suitable for mixing solvent extraction solutions used in the hydrometallurgical recovery of metals to form a dispersion.
US09352288B2
A personal vapor inhaling unit is disclosed. An electronic flameless vapor inhaler unit that may simulate a cigarette has a cavity that receives a cartridge in the distal end of the inhaler unit. The cartridge brings a substance to be vaporized in contact with a wick. When the unit is activated, and the user provides suction, the substance to be vaporized is drawn out of the cartridge, through the wick, and is atomized by the wick into a cavity containing a heating element. The heating element vaporizes the atomized substance. The vapors then continue to be pulled by the user through a mouthpiece and mouthpiece cover where they may be inhaled.
US09352275B2
The present disclosure is directed to the use of elemental or speciated iodine and bromine to control total mercury emissions.
US09352274B2
An apparatus for evaporating waste water and reducing gas emissions includes an evaporator device (7, 31) configured to receiving a portion of flue gas emitted from a boiler unit (1) and waste water to directly contact the flue gas with the waste water to cool and humidify the flue gas and to dry solid particulates within the waste water. In some embodiments, the waste water may be a component of a mixture formed by a mixer device (25) prior to being contacted with the flue gas to humidify and cool the flue gas and dry solids within the waste water. An alkaline reagent as well as activated carbon can be mixed with the waste water prior to the waste water contacting the flue gas. Solid particulates that are dried within the cooled and humidified flue gas can be separated from the flue gas via a particulate collector (9).
US09352273B2
There is provided a dehydration-compression system 10 in which CO2 loss is suppressed, and a CO2 recovery system including the dehydration-compression system. The dehydration-compression system 10 of the present invention includes multiple compressors 50 and a dehydration device 60. The dehydration device 60 includes: a contactor 62 which removes H2O contained in CO2 by absorbing the H2O into an dehydration solvent; a recovery part 74 which recovers the CO2 from the dehydration solvent discharged from the contactor 62; and a first circulating passage L31 which carries the CO2 released from the recovery part 74 to the upstream side of the contactor 62.
US09352272B2
The present invention describes a process for catalytic cracking associated with a unit for amine treatment of regeneration fumes from the catalytic cracking unit, which process uses at least one counter-pressure turbine to operate the cracked gas compressor and/or the regenerative air blower which can be used to improve the CO2 balance by delivering a CO2 credit.
US09352260B2
The present invention relates to a glass laboratory apparatus that eliminates a pre filter and a provides a simpler vaporizing platform in fluid communication with a fitted disc filter arranged in an exhaust chamber to scrub solids from a gas using water filtration. A preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a main vessel adapted to hold a volume of a liquid such as water and an inlet conduit with an opening above the liquid level in the main vessel. The inlet conduit includes a vaporizing platform with a platform having four ventilated regions surrounding the platform.
US09352255B2
Provided are a suction apparatus for a fabric filter and a filtering device for liquid filtration using the same. A main suction slit and a sub-suction slit are provided in parallel by a partition. Thereby, pile threads undergo delayed straightening and fluctuation while going through the sub-suction slit and then are rapidly straightened in the main suction slit. Thus, a back-washing effect can be further improved.
US09352248B2
The present invention pertains to a method for loading a crystallization device and for manufacturing a crystallization device comprising multiple receptacles with a pre-defined amount of at least one matrix-forming compound capable of forming a crystallization matrix for a membrane protein, said method comprising the following steps: a) Modifying the state of aggregation of said at least one matrix-forming compound to a fluidic state which allows dispensing said at least one matrix-forming compound, and b) dispensing a defined amount of said at least one matrix-forming compound into at least one receptacle of the crystallization device, wherein said dispensed matrix-forming compound solidifies within said receptacle. Thereby, pre-filled crystallization devices are obtained which can be used as consumables in particular in automated crystallization processes. Also provided are protein crystallization methods using respectively prepared crystallization devices.
US09352247B2
A device (100) for distilling or thickening fluids, having a chamber (102), an electromagnetic radiation generator (104) and a waveguide (106) connecting the electromagnetic radiation generator (104) with the interior of the chamber (102). The device (100) has a channel (108) located below the end (110) of the waveguide (106), the channel being adapted for transporting the fluid. One end of the channel (108) is the inlet (112) and the other end of the channel (108) is the outlet (114) for the fluid, the channel being shaped so as to prolong the dwell time of the fluid in the chamber (102). A method for distilling or thickening fluids based on passing the fluid through a chamber (102) within which the fluid is affected by electromagnetic radiation generated by an electromagnetic radiation generator (104), and the fluid flows through the chamber within a channel (108) located below the end (110) of a waveguide (106) transmitting the electromagnetic radiation from the generator (104), the channel (108) being shaped so as to prolong the dwell time of the fluid within the chamber (102).
US09352245B2
A system and method of performing a mystical card flying illusion or ‘trick’ is provided. In accordance with the innovation, an invisible (or near invisible) levitation means (e.g., string, thread, etc.) can be used to create the illusion of a levitating and/or spinning playing card. The levitation means can be pre-attached or fixedly attached to an ear piece that is configured to fit over and behind a user's ear. Further, an illumination system can be provided in connection with the levitation illusion system. Moreover, spinning aides can be provided to assist a user in rotating or spinning a levitation item (e.g., card).
US09352244B2
A party cannon includes a cannon body and an open-top container movably retained within the cannon body by interconnecting biasing elements. The open-top container is structured and disposed for holding candy, toys, or other items that are loosely filled therein and is held in a loaded position against the force of the one or more biasing elements. Operation of a trigger and locking mechanism releases the open-top container in a rapid forward movement towards an open muzzle end of the cannon body causing the items within the container to be launched outwards from the open muzzle end of the cannon body and through the air so that the items land scattered throughout an area of a room or outdoor ground surface. The container can be re-filled for another launch, thereby allowing for ongoing reuse of the party cannon at the same party and at future events.
US09352228B2
Methods and systems for content processing are described. In one embodiment, gaming data is received from a gaming source server. The gaming data associated with a game. A content signal is received from a signal source during presentation of programming content. The programming content is associated with the content signal and the game. A determination of whether the content signal includes the trigger is made. The device content is presented using the gaming data. The device content is in synchronization with the presentation of the programming content based on a determination that the content signal includes a trigger. Additional methods and systems are disclosed.
US09352227B2
A universal method and computer system for downloading game software to legacy gaming machines are provided. A gaming machine includes two computing devices within a locked enclosure, the first computer device programmed to enable game play of the gaming machine and the second computing device configured for network access. An interface is between the computing devices. The second computing device receives game software components over the network that are compatible with the first computing device but not compatible with the second computing device and transfers the received components to the first computing device over the interface. When the first computing device is a PC, it may be configured with dual-boot capability between two operating computer systems. When the first operating computer system is booted, game play may be enabled. When the second operating computer system is booted, game software components may be received over the network.
US09352224B2
Technologies are generally disclosed for gathering path data from a massively multiplayer on-line role-playing game to determine a path through a mapping plane that may be a real-world or virtual-world representation.
US09352201B2
A rotatable football goalpost is provided comprising a mounting structure; a gooseneck, the gooseneck comprising an outer tubular member having first and second portions, each of the first and second portions of the outer tubular member having first and second ends, the first end of the first portion of the outer tubular member being secured to the mounting structure, the second end of the first portion of the outer tubular member releasably engaging the first end of the second portion of the outer tubular member such that the second portion of the outer tubular member is structured to rotate relative to the first portion of the outer tubular member; a cross bar attached to the second end of the second portion of the outer tubular member; and a pair of upright members extending from the cross bar.
US09352200B1
A golf bag cart includes a main frame having a main supporting portion, a handle portion upwardly extended from the main supporting portion, and a handle unit provided on the handle portion, a front wheel operatively supported by the main frame, two rear wheels operatively supported by the main frame, and a wheel folding arrangement which includes a locking mechanism. The locking mechanism can be operated between a locking mode and an unlocking mode for locking and unlocking the front wheel.
US09352194B2
A golf ball includes an inner core layer including a thermoplastic highly-neutralized ionomer formed from a copolymer of ethylene and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid, an organic acid or salt thereof, and sufficient cation source to neutralize the acid groups of the copolymer by 80% or greater. The inner core has a geometric center hardness and a surface hardness to define a first hardness gradient having a first slope, S1. An outer core layer is disposed about the inner core and is formed from a homogenous thermoset composition. The outer core layer has an interior hardness and an outer surface hardness to define a second hardness gradient having a second slope, S2. An inner cover layer is disposed about outer core layer and an outer cover layer is disposed about the inner cover layer. A ratio of S2 to S1 is about 1.0 or greater.
US09352180B2
Apparatuses and systems for a variable weight medicine ball are disclosed. The ball may comprise an outer shell, an interior, and a radius, and an opening forming a portion of the outer shell that provides access to the interior. The ball may also comprise at least one exercise weight cavity in the interior configured to receive one or more exercise weights and a filling material disposed in the interior, between the plurality of weight cavities and the outer shell. The ball may further comprise one or more balance weights that are different from the exercise weights fixedly disposed within the filling material.
US09352171B2
A method of treatment includes delivering an agent into a patient, and providing energy inside the patient so that the energy can interact with the agent to treat a nerve. A system for treatment includes a source of agent for delivery into a patient, and an energy source for providing energy inside the patient so that the energy can interact with the agent to treat a nerve.
US09352167B2
Methods of stimulating a target deep brain region using multiple Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) electromagnets positioned over a predetermined cortical regions each having a first-order connection to a target deep brain region and applying TMS so that the applied TMS induces spatial summation and thereby modulation of the target deep brain region.
US09352166B2
A wearable cardiac defibrillator (“WCD”) system may include a support structure that a patient can wear, an energy storage module that can store an electrical charge, and a discharge circuit that can discharge the electrical charge through the patient so as to shock him or her, while the patient is wearing the support structure. Embodiments may actively take into account bystanders, both to protect them from an inadvertent shock, and also to enlist their help. In some embodiments, the WCD system includes a speaker system and a memory. Prompts have been saved in advance in the patient's own voice, and stored in the memory. In case of an emergency, the prompts may be played by the speaker system in the patient's own voice, and heard by a bystander.
US09352153B2
The present application discloses systems and methods for detecting non-auditory nerve stimulation with an implant having a plurality of electrodes configured to electrically stimulate a target nerve of the implant recipient. One embodiment includes generating an electrical stimulation signal with a first set of electrodes of the implant, measuring a response to the electrical stimulation signal with a second set of electrodes of the implant, and determining whether the electrical stimulation signal stimulated at least one non-target nerve of the implant recipient based on the measured response.
US09352146B2
The present disclosure provides nerve interface devices, such as passive or active nerve caps or regenerative peripheral nerve interface devices (RPNI), for a subject in need thereof. The nerve interface devices include nerve interface cap devices capable of treating, minimizing, or preventing formation of neuromas in severed or damaged nerve endings. Such a nerve interface device includes a housing that may be formed of a scaffold, such as a biotic material or hydrogel, an autograft, and optionally an electrode and/or conducting polymer. The autograft may be free muscle or free skin tissue, which is attached to the nerve ending to permit reinnervation. The present disclosure also provides methods for treating, minimizing, or preventing neuroma formation in a subject having a severed or damaged nerve, especially a peripheral nerve.
US09352145B2
Methods of treating a psychotic disorder include applying at least one stimulus to a stimulation site within a patient with an implanted stimulator in accordance with one or more stimulation parameters configured to treat the psychotic disorder. Systems for treating a psychotic disorder include a stimulator configured to apply at least one stimulus to a stimulation site within a patient in accordance with one or more stimulation parameters configured to treat the psychotic disorder.
US09352139B2
A disposable connector suitable for engagement on the substitution port of a hemofiltration machine includes a rigid main body defining a duct, and a soft element fitted on an end of the main body. The soft element includes a membrane occluding the duct and performing a valve function, and a seal portion radially expanding outward of the duct.
US09352130B2
A torque device for attaching to and selectively gripping or securing and releasing a guidewire to permit rotational and longitudinal manipulation of the guidewire to steer and control the guidewire. In one embodiment the torque device comprises a nose portion, a neck portion, and a base portion with varying outer diameters for improved rotational control.
US09352129B2
An introducer sheath assembly (10) having a sheath tube (12), a hub (16), a valve (30) and a valve-retaining cap (50) on the proximal end of the hub. The cap (50) is so secured to the hub (16) as to have a closed, locked position and also an open position permitting access to the interior of the hub and the valve (30) while the cap (50) remains secured to the hub (16).
US09352127B2
A catheter system including an insertion device and a catheter device. The insertion device includes a housing, a latch, a needle for insertion into a patient; and a spring. The catheter device includes a housing comprising a chamber, and a seal disposed in said chamber. The seal is configured to reseal when the needle is withdrawn from the seal such that blood is sealed in the chamber. The spring relaxes and thereby retracts the needle entirely into the housing of the insertion device when the latch decouples from the catheter device.
US09352126B2
The present invention relates to methods and devices that help to curb appetite and/or reduce food intake. In one embodiment, the methods and devices of the present invention include a small intestinal/duodenal insert comprising an elongated member with at least one flow reduction element that can cause the stimulation of one or more biological signals of satiety.
US09352123B2
Embodiments of the disclosure describe an example guide extension catheter. The guide extension catheter may include a proximal shaft having a proximal end, a distal end, the distal end having an attachment region. The guide extension catheter may further include a distal sheath having a proximal end, a distal end and a lumen extending therebetween. The distal sheath may include an outer layer, inner layer and an intermediate reinforcing member disposed between the inner layer and the outer layer. Moreover, the distal sheath is attached to the attachment region adjacent to the reinforcing member.
US09352122B2
A device for clearing blockages is provided that may have a tube that is slit. The tube may have a lumen. A reciprocating member may be provided and a portion of the reciprocating member may be located within the lumen.
US09352117B2
An infusion catheter includes an elongate catheter body having a longitudinally extending fluid supply passage, and a plurality of stellate side ports for infusing a treatment fluid from the fluid supply passage into a body lumen of a passage. Each of the stellate side ports is defined by sets of at least three convergent leaves having an attached basal edge, a terminal tip, and first and second free edges extending between the attached basal edge and the terminal tip. Making an infusion catheter includes forming a plurality of stellate side ports in fluid communication with a fluid supply passage of an elongate catheter body, each of the stellate side ports being defined by a set of at least three convergent leaves, and setting an infusion length of the infusion catheter during the forming step via spacing the stellate side ports between proximal and distal ends of the elongate catheter body.
US09352098B2
A first input member and a second input member are arranged along a first axis and coupled in such a manner that a movement of the first input member along the first axis is converted into a rotational movement of the second input member with respect to the body . A first output member and a second output member are arranged along a second axis and coupled in such a manner that a rotational movement of the first output member is converted into a movement of the second output member along the second axis with respect to the body. The second input member and the first output member are releasably rotationally coupled.
US09352094B2
A catheter proximal section is preferably formed from a relatively soft part and a relatively rigid part, and includes a proximal terminal end that defines a perimeter of an opening into a lumen of the catheter. The proximal section may further include a feature for interlocking engagement with an accessory tool. An inner surface of each of the relatively soft and rigid parts may be located opposite one another, on either side of the catheter lumen. The relatively soft and rigid parts may be included in a sealing assembly that further includes an attachment feature for removable connection of the assembly to the proximal section catheter.
US09352093B2
A safety syringe with a plunger in which a needle is attached to a mobile component that is mechanically not linked to the plunger but is slidable within the barrel of the syringe and has a valve mechanism for opening a port connecting the interior volume between the mobile component and the plunger to the needle bore. The mobile component is first pushed by the plunger to the bottom of the barrel so that the needle extends normally, the mobile component is mechanically locked in place for use conventionally, and the needle bore is opened. After use, the needle bore may be closed, the lock released, and the mobile component and attached needle sucked back into the barrel by pulling the plunger out, retracting the used needle into the barrel. There may be a plunger lock. There may be an upper barrel locking position for the mobile component.
US09352086B2
A one-way valve for medical infusion lines includes a first tubular connector and a second tubular connector, which define, respectively, an upstream passage and a downstream passage, which are coaxial and set transversely between which is a diaphragm made of elastically deformable material co-operating in a fluid-tight way with an annular seat to keep the valve normally closed. A filter, integrated in the valve, is axially clamped and blocked between the first tubular connector and the diaphragm.
US09352085B2
A medical device includes a catheter having an opening formed in a side portion of the catheter, an infusion tubing extending within the catheter along an axial direction of the catheter; an infusion needle disposed at a distal portion of the infusion tubing, a connecting part which bendably connects the infusion needle to the distal portion of the infusion tubing, and a bending unit by which the infusion needle located inside the catheter so as to face the opening is bent at the connecting part at essentially a right angle with respect to the distal portion of the infusion tubing.
US09352077B2
A rotational pump capable of running at a rotational speed (n) having a system for direct or indirect measurement of pressure difference or flow rate across the pump, wherein a control system is designed to calculate an index of pulsatility (PI) of the pressure difference or flow rate, estimating the gradient of PI with respect to the rotational speed (dPI/dn) and regulating the dPI/dn to a pre-defined set-point or regulating the pump in a way that the dPI/dn is minimal.
US09352075B2
An apparatus for promoting granulation and epithelialization at a tissue site having a substantially gas impermeable, flexible mat. A plurality of projections extend from a surface of the substantially gas impermeable, flexible mat, and each projection has a first end connected to the surface and a second end opposing the first end. A flexible membrane is positioned adjacent the second end of at least a portion of the plurality of projections and the flexible membrane is sufficiently flexible to allow deformation of the flexible membrane by the at least the portion of the plurality of projections when a biasing force exerted on the substantially gas impermeable, flexible mat or the plurality of projections is greater than or equal to a threshold force.
US09352072B2
Mixtures made of PE and COC, in particular for use in medical materials, so as to reduce the frictional forces. The mixtures comprising or consisting of PE and COC, wherein ≧70% by weight, preferably ≧90% by weight, and still more preferably 100% by weight, relative to the total mass of PE, of PE in the mixture is HDPE.
US09352069B2
Disclosed herein are compositions and methods for making germanium-based glass polyalkenoate cements. Also disclosed are methods for their use as bone cements for bone augmentation procedures.
US09352057B2
The disclosure provides, in part, compositions and methods for producing emulsions. In certain embodiments, emulsions of the disclosure can be used for the detection of inflammation and cell tracking using MRI. The disclosure provides, in part, methods for labeling, detecting and quantifying cell members, in vivo. In certain embodiments, emulsions can be used as an artificial blood substitute.
US09352055B2
Functionalized second harmonic nanoprobes for imaging samples and a method of using such probes to monitor the dynamics different processes using a variety of imaging techniques are provided. The functionalized second harmonic generating (SHG) nanoprobes are comprised of various kinds of nanocrystalline materials that do not possess an inversion symmetry and therefore are capable of generating second harmonic signals that can then be detected by conventional two-photon microscopy, and are provided with functional surface modifications that allow for targeted imaging of a variety of biological and non-biological processes and structures such as cell signaling, neuroimaging, protein conformation probing, DNA conformation probing, gene transcription, virus infection and replication in cells, protein dynamics, tumor imaging and cancer therapy evaluation and diagnosis as well as quantification in optical imaging.
US09352049B2
The present invention relates to ligand-therapeutic agent conjugate compounds, silicon linkers for the conjugate compounds, compositions, methods for making them, and methods for the treatment of cancer using the conjugate compounds. The silicon-based linkers described herein can be used to deliver desired therapeutic agents to particular cells or tissue types targeted by the ligand.
US09352044B2
The present invention provides methods for facilitating cleansing of the gastrointestinal tract of a patient prior to a diagnostic, surgical or therapeutic procedure. The methods can improve patient compliance, and thus, efficacy of the preparation. Specifically, the present methods make the gastrointestinal tract preparation composition palatable for the patient to consume. For example, for a patient preparing to undergo colonoscopy, the present methods make the bowel preparation solution taste significantly less salty.
US09352032B2
Controlling Classical Swine Fever Virus (CSFV) involves either prophylactic vaccination or non-vaccination and elimination of infected herds depending on the epidemiological situation. Marker vaccines allowing distinction between naturally infected from vaccinated swine could complement “stamping out” measures. Previously, we reported the development of FlagT4v, a double antigenic marker live attenuated CSFV strain. FlagT4v was later shown as not to be completely stable in terms of its attenuation when assessed in a reversion to virulence protocol. We have developed a modified version of the FlagT4v where changes in the codon usage of genomic areas encoding for Flag and T4 were introduced to rectify the reversion to the virulent genotype. The new virus, FlagT4-mFT-Gv, possesses the same amino acid sequence as FlagT4v except for one substitution, Asparagine is replaced by Glycine at position 852 of the CSFV polypeptide. FlagT4-mFT-Gv protected swine against challenge with Brescia virulent virus at 21 days post vaccination.
US09352030B2
Immunogenic compositions comprising an Rv1196 related antigen, wherein the conductivity of the composition is 13 mS/cm or lower, or the concentration of salts of the composition is 130 mM or lower, and their use in medicine, are provided.
US09352029B2
The present invention provides isolated polypeptides isolatable from a Yersinia spp. Also provided by the present invention are compositions that include one or more of the polypeptides, and methods for making and methods for using the polypeptides.
US09352028B2
The present invention relates to an active (immunostimulatory) composition comprising at least one RNA, preferably a mRNA, encoding at least two (preferably different) antigens capable of eliciting an (adaptive) immune response in a mammal. The invention furthermore relates to a vaccine comprising the active (immunostimulatory) composition, and to the use of the active (immunostimulatory) composition (for the preparation of a vaccine) and/or of the vaccine for eliciting an (adaptive) immune response for the treatment of lung cancer, particularly of non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC), preferably selected from the three main sub-types squamous cell lung carcinoma, adenocarcinoma and large cell lung carcinoma, or of disorders related thereto. Finally, the invention relates to kits, particularly to kits of parts, containing the active (immunostimulatory) composition and/or the vaccine.
US09352020B2
The present disclosure provides a method for suppressing a proinflammatory response by administering a composition comprising peptides selected from a casein hydrolysate. Such a composition may reduce the levels of proinflammatory cytokines and may be a treatment for inflammatory disease, especially type 1 diabetes. Preferably, the hydrolysate consists of peptides with a molecular weight of more than 500 Da.
US09352019B2
The present invention relates to methods of improving a treatment outcome comprising administering a heat shock protein (HSP) preparation or an α-2-macroglobulin (α2M) preparation with a non-vaccine treatment modality. In particular, an HSP preparation or an α2M preparation is administered in conjunction with a non-vaccine treatment modality for the treatment of cancer or infectious diseases. In the practice of the invention, a preparation comprising HSPs such as but not limited to, hsp70, hsp90 and gp96 alone or in combination with each other, noncovalently or covalently bound to antigenic molecules or α2M, noncovalently or covalently bound to antigenic molecules is administered in conjunction with a non-vaccine treatment modality.
US09352015B2
Disclosed are antimicrobial peptides with useful or superior properties such as antimicrobial activity, desirable levels of hemolysis, and advantageous therapeutic index against various microorganisms, especially Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Staphylococcus aureus. Also provided are methods of to control microbial growth and pharmaceutical compositions to treat or prevent microbial infections. Certain peptides are disclosed utilizing a structure-based rational modification of antimicrobial peptide D1, with single D-/L-amino acid substitutions or charged residue substitutions in or near the center of the peptide on the nonpolar or polar face, or peptides with one or more amino acids in the D configuration, and peptides with all amino acids in the D configuration. Modified peptide analogs herein can demonstrate one or more properties such as improved antimicrobial activity, specificity, and resistance to degradation. Compositions disclosed herein are useful as antibiotics, including as broad spectrum antibiotics.
US09352014B2
Disclosed herein are methods of making cyclosporin A Form 2.
US09352013B2
Use of a subcutaneously administered dose of between about 1.0 mg and 1.75 mg of bremelanotide or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt of bremelanotide for the treatment of female sexual dysfunction in women while reducing or minimizing undesirable side effects.
US09352012B2
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of injectable pharmaceutical compositions for the sustained release of somatostatin analogues and to pharmaceutical compositions prepared according to the process. In a preferred aspect the process comprises the steps of combining lanreotide acetate and acetic acid, lyophilizing the resulting mixture only once, and hydrating the lyophilizate. Acetic acid may be added to a desired pH during the final step of the process.
US09352006B2
Compositions and methods for diagnosing and treating tumors using myeloid derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) are provided. More particularly, the compositions contain labeled MDSCs or MDSCs in combination with oncolytic viruses, nano-particles or other anti-tumor agents.
US09352003B1
The disclosure provides implants containing a plurality of particles containing at least one population of viable osteogenic cells adherent to and resident in an osteoconductive matrix or at least one viable population of osteogenic cells caused to be in contact with the osteoconductive matrix; methods of fabricating the implants; and use of the implants in bone repair. The implant further contains an osteoinductive component. An example of an osteoinductive component is a demineralized bone matrix in the form of particles or fibers.
US09351995B1
The present invention relates to ionic compositions for enhancing wound healing, particularly in the sinonasal cavity. The ionic components of the composition can include potassium, calcium, rubidium, zinc, bromide, and magnesium in an isotonic solution. In other embodiments, the ionic components of the composition can include magnesium, bromide, sulfate, sodium, and chloride. Methods of enhancing wound healing, enhancing sinonasal mucosal healing, promoting mucosal reciliation, and debriding tissue by administering the compositions of the present invention are also presented.
US09351993B2
Compositions are described comprising a polymer; a non-physiological pH solution; and a visualization agent; wherein the polymer is soluble in the non-physiological pH solution and insoluble at a physiological pH. Methods of forming the solutions and polymers are disclosed as well as methods of therapeutic use.
US09351983B2
The present invention refers to glycerophosphoinositols (GPIs) and derivatives thereof for use in the treatment of pathologies related to a Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated tissue-factor (TF) activity, as pathologies induced by high bacteremia, i.e. septic shock.
US09351974B2
Compounds of Formula I, as shown below and defined herein: pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, synthesis, intermediates, formulations, and methods of disease treatment therewith, including treatment of cancers, such as tumors driven or mediated at least in part by RSK. This Abstract is not limiting of the invention.
US09351942B2
The invention provides a patch and a patch preparation having an adhesive layer with a high adhesive force, wherein the hydrophobic adhesive layer does not bloom even when an organic fluid component having high polarity is contained therein. The patch contains a support and an adhesive layer on at least one surface of the support, wherein the adhesive layer contains a synthetic rubber having a viscosity average molecular weight of 1,700,000-6,500,000, an organic fluid component having high polarity, a tackifier, and magnesium aluminometasilicate. In the patch preparation, the above-mentioned adhesive layer further contains a drug.
US09351936B2
A nicotine lozenge provided herein includes a body that is partially or wholly receivable in an oral cavity. The body includes a soluble-fiber matrix and nicotine or a derivative thereof dispersed in the soluble-fiber matrix. In some cases, a nicotine lozenge provided herein includes at least 40 weight percent of soluble fiber. In some cases, soluble fiber in a nicotine lozenge provided herein can include maltodextrin. The nicotine lozenge is adapted to release the nicotine or a derivative thereof from the body when the body is received within the oral cavity of an adult consumer and exposed to saliva. A method of making nicotine lozenges provided herein includes forming a molten mixture of at least 40 weight percent soluble fiber, nicotine, and less than 15 weight percent water while maintaining a mixture temperature of less than 150° C. and portioning the molten mixture into a plurality of nicotine lozenges. In some cases, the ingredients can be mixed to form the molten mixture in an extruder.
US09351933B2
The present disclosure generally relates to therapeutic nanoparticles. Exemplary nanoparticles disclosed herein may include about 1 to about 20 weight percent of a vinca alkaloid; and about 50 to about 99 weight percent biocompatible polymer.
US09351931B2
The present invention provides a pharmaceutical preparation for tumor chemotherapy and a method for producing the same, the pharmaceutical preparation for tumor chemotherapy comprises cell vesicles derived from apoptotic tumor cells and chemotherapeutic drugs as active ingredients wrapped within the cell vesicles. The chemotherapeutic drugs contained within the pharmaceutical preparation are chemotherapeutic drugs containing active ingredients for the treatment of the tumors from which the cell vesicles are provided. The present invention also provides a method for producing the pharmaceutical preparation for tumor chemotherapy. The technical solutions provided by the present invention can selectively release the chemotherapeutic drugs to the tumor sites and maintain lasting medicinal effect, increasing their killing effects against tumor cells and reducing the toxic side-effect of the chemotherapeutic drugs to normal cells.
US09351927B2
Pharmaceutical compositions for treating and/or pre-treating or preconditioning the animal central nervous system against the effects of Alzheimer's Disease including the associated neurodegeneration and cognitive, behavioral and physical impairments. In one embodiment, an effective dose of deferoxamine (DFO) is administered to the upper one-third of the subject patient's nasal cavity to effectively bypass the blood-brain barrier, thereby allowing application of the DFO dose directly to the central nervous system.
US09351925B2
A submicron protein sphere and method to intravenously treat a patient requiring blood component transfusion. The submicron protein spheres have a size ranging from 1.0 micron to less than 0.1 micron and a molecular weight ranging from 780 billion Daltons to less than 0.8 billion Daltons. The protein spheres have no biologically active molecules added or bound to the protein spheres prior to administering to the patient. The protein used to construct the spheres can be human serum albumin from natural sources or recombinant DNA-derived serum albumin, or other proteins such as gelatin or synthetic polypeptides. However, the protein spheres can bind the various clotting factors including fibrinogen after the spheres have entered the blood stream, binding the necessary additional biologically active molecules supplied in vivo from the patient's own blood, and possibly in vitro.
US09351919B2
The invention relates to a composition, especially a cosmetic composition, comprising at least one silicon resin comprising at least one T unit, at least one phenylated oil and at least one gelling agent, as well as to methods of using such compositions.
US09351914B2
Disclosed are methods for the use of a truncated, recombinant laminin-511 for modifying hair growth as well as delivery devices, kits and methods for topically administering truncated, recombinant laminin-511. Furthermore disclosed are delivery devices, kits and methods using modulators of full-length laminin-511 expression or function to decrease hair growth in areas of unwanted hair growth.
US09351912B2
Present invention relates to a composition for keratin fibers especially for human hair comprising glycylglycine and/or its derivatives, an aromatic sulphonic acid and/or its salts and an anionic polymer for improving cosmetic properties of hair such as volume, body, elasticity and curl retention.
US09351911B1
A topical skin care composition providing broad spectrum protection from harmful rays of the sun containing a combination of ultrafine titanium dioxide, a moisturizing saccharide complex, an anti-oxidant complex, a chicory extract rich in oligofructosans, and various other components for topical application to the skin. The composition provides protection from the sun's rays and promotes rejuvenation of the skin and inhibits damage to skin caused by dehydration and environmental factors and promotes skin health by supplying vitamin D to the skin to make up for the loss of natural vitamin D production caused by blocking the sun's rays.
US09351907B2
Systems and methods are provided for delivering single-dose packages sequentially from a substantially continuous strip having a first dispensing end and a second end, e.g., contained within a cassette or other dispenser. The strip includes a cover layer attached to a base layer to define a plurality of blisters therebetween that have one or more medications therein. The blisters are aligned in single file generally along the longitudinal axis between the first and second ends and/or otherwise arranged in single-dose packages adjacent one another, e.g., at least some of the single-dose packages including a plurality of blisters having different types of medications therein. A first single-dose package at the first dispensing end may be separable from a second adjacent single-dose package such that individual single-dose packages may be removed successively from the first dispensing end.
US09351897B1
In combination, vertically percussive vibration and non-symmetrical forces are applied to a patient. The non-symmetrical forces may be generated by a variety of unevenly applied weights that are supported at appropriate body locations in a manner that upsets normal body load symmetry. The non-symmetrical forces in combination with vertically percussive vibrations induce neuromusculoskeletal proprioceptive re-education and development within a living body to correct musculo-skeletal disorders including but not limited to scoliosis. A special posture modifying chair and head-orienting glasses may be used instead of or in addition to unevenly applied weights. An additional force concentrating treatment apparatus is also presented.
US09351893B2
A patient transfer apparatus includes a transfer arm for moving a top movable board on which the body of the patient is supported; a transfer arm housing fixed on a patient-moving bed frame so as to move the transfer arm; and a side protector laid on a patient bed so as to serve as a guide rail for enabling the transfer arm to easily move over the patient bed. The patient transfer apparatus enables the patient to simply lie on his/her side from a recumbent position such that the patient can be loaded or unloaded onto/from the patient-moving bed, thus minimizing inconveniences to the patient and easily moving the patient with fewer staff members.
US09351888B2
A front suspension system for an electric wheelchair is disposed between the frame of the electric wheelchair and each of the front wheels, and has two ends pivoted to the front pivot shaft and a corresponding one of the front wheels, respectively. An elasticity resistance member is sleeved onto the front pivot shaft and has two ends connected to the front wheel retainer and the abutting member of the frame, respectively. When the front wheels encounters bumpy road and makes the front wheel retainer pivot, the elasticity resistance member will be compressed to produce a reaction force toward the front wheel retainer and the abutting member of the frame, respectively, so that the front wheel retainer is pressed down to keep pressing against the flat bearing surface, and the frame is also pressed downward to prevent tipping backward.
US09351887B2
The objective of the present disclosure is to provide an absorbent article (1) having a high fiber density region (7) in which absorbed menstrual blood is not easily retained, so that after menstrual blood has been absorbed, feelings of stickiness are not easily caused on a top sheet (2), and the top sheet (2) remains dry. The absorbent article (1) of the present disclosure has a liquid-permeable top sheet (2), a liquid-impermeable back sheet (6), and an absorbent body (3). The absorbent article (1) is characterized by: the top sheet (2) having, in an excretory orifice contact region (A), a high fiber density region (7) and a low fiber density region (8); the top sheet (2) containing, in the excretory orifice contact region (A), a prescribed blood lubricating agent (9); and the basis weight of the blood lubricating agent (9) in the high fiber density region (7) being larger than the basis weight of the blood lubricating agent (9) in the low fiber density region (8).
US09351875B2
A steerable laser probe may include a handle having a handle distal end and a handle proximal end, an auto-fixing actuation control, a flexible housing tube having a flexible housing tube distal end and a flexible housing tube proximal end, a first flexible housing tube portion having a first stiffness, and an optic fiber disposed within an inner bore of the handle and the flexible housing tube. An actuation of the auto-fixing actuation control may gradually curve the flexible housing tube. A gradual curving of the flexible housing tube may gradually curve the optic fiber.
US09351872B2
A capsulorhexis apparatus includes a capsulorhexis probe configured for insertion into an eye through an incision and a pulse generator configured to deliver at least one radio-frequency (RF) pulse to the capsulorhexis probe. The delivered RF pulse has a pre-determined attenuation profile such that the power level of the delivered RF pulse is substantially attenuated over the RF pulse's duration. In some embodiments, the pulse generator is configured to deliver a series of two or more RF pulses to the eye, such that the energy of each of the second and subsequent pulses of the series is substantially attenuated relative to the energy of the immediately preceding pulse.
US09351869B2
Temperature control device for use in fluid-based hyper/hypothermia systems, comprising a connection unit for connecting the device to a local power network, and a fluid temperature control unit for heating or cooling a fluid. The device includes a power supply unit, by which electrical consuming components of the fluid temperature control unit are supplied with power, and which effects supply of the electrical consuming components with direct current.
US09351855B2
A powered lower extremity orthotic, including a shank link coupled to an artificial foot, a knee mechanism connected to the shank link and a thigh link, is controlled by based on signals from various orthotic mounted sensors such that the artificial foot follows a predetermined trajectory defined by at least one Cartesian coordinate.
US09351847B2
Interbody fusion devices including deployable fixation members. The implant may include a spacer, optionally, an end member coupled to the spacer, and one or more fixation members configured to extend into adjacent vertebrae. The fixation members may include screws, nails, shims, tangs, spikes, staples, pins, blades, fins, or the like, and combinations thereof.
US09351846B2
A prosthetic intervertebral disc is formed of first and second end plates sized and shaped to fit within an intervertebral space and to be implanted from the back of the patient, thereby decreasing the invasiveness of the procedure. The posterior approach provides for a smaller posterior surgical incision and avoids important blood vessels located anterior to the spine particularly for lumbar disc replacements. The first and second plates are each formed of first, second and third parts are arranged in a first configuration in which the parts are axially aligned to form a low profile device appropriate for insertion through the small opening available in the TLIF or PLIF approaches described above. The three parts of both of the plates rotate and translate with respect to one another in situ to a second configuration or a deployed configuration in which the parts are axially unaligned with each other to provide a maximum coverage of the vertebral end plates for a minimum of insertion profile. Upon deployment of the disc, a height of the disc is increased.
US09351837B2
An acetabular socket (1) for a hip endoprosthesis comprises a socket shell (7) and a socket insert (8). The socket shell (7) is configured for implantation in a pelvic bone (2) of a patient and has an inner surface (12) that defines an accommodating space (10) extending about an axis of rotation (11). The socket insert (8) is coupleable with the socket shell (7) and is configured to provide a bearing for a joint head (6) of a prosthesis stem (3). The socket insert (8) has an outer surface (14) configured to be seated in the accommodating space (10) of the socket shell (7). A moveable anti-lock means (17) is provided between the socket shell (7) and the socket insert (8). In a first position the anti-lock means (17) restrains the socket insert (8) from seating within die accommodating space (10) of the socket shell (7) but the anti-lock means (17) is moveable into a second position wherein the socket insert (7) is capable of seating within the socket shell (7) and of coupling therewith. The anti-lock means (17) preventing the socket insert (8) from prematurely locking into an undesirable position in the socket shell (7) prior to correct positioning and orientation by a surgeon during implantation.
US09351831B2
A prosthetic heart valve is provided with a cuff having features which promote sealing with the native tissues even where the native tissues are irregular. The cuff may include a portion adapted to bear on the LVOT when the valve is implanted in a native aortic valve. The valve may include elements for biasing the cuff outwardly with respect to the stent body when the stent body is in an expanded condition. The cuff may have portions of different thickness distributed around the circumference of the valve in a pattern matching the shape of the opening defined by the native tissue. All or part of the cuff may be movable relative to the stent during implantation.
US09351825B2
An intraocular lens having a single-focus, acrylic optic and at least one semi-rigid, acrylic haptic connected to the optic. The intraocular lens can have a fixed longitudinal length, e.g., the same fixed length pre-operatively and post-operatively. The intraocular lens can resist deformation, despite contraction and relaxation of the ciliary muscle and fibrosis within the capsular bag, after implantation into the eye using, for example, by the semi-rigid haptics. The intraocular lens can be sufficiently flexible to be compressed from an original configuration to a compressed configuration for insertion into the eye through a small incision and return to the original configuration after implantation into the eye.
US09351824B2
An adjustable implant for volumetrically altering, replacing, expanding, or augmenting tissues is provided. The implant includes an elastomeric membrane enclosed or partially enclosed about a main chamber. The implant is adapted to expand when filled with a fluid. The membrane includes an outer zone formed from at least one outer elastomeric layer; an inner zone formed from at least one inner elastomeric layer; and a middle zone formed from at least one elastomeric middle layer positioned between a least a portion of the outer zone and at least a portion of the inner zone. The implant is configured such that the middle zone is under contraction from a contracting force provided by the outer zone or the inner zone. A method of forming a fluid-filled adjustable implant for volumetrically altering, replacing, expanding, or augmenting tissues is also provided herein.
US09351822B2
An endoluminal prosthesis system includes a tubular graft having a pocket on the exterior of the graft. The graft further includes a wire extending within a lumen of the graft, with the wire extending through the passageway and into the pocket. An extension prosthesis can be inserted over the wire and into engagement with the pocket and the passageway, where the extension prosthesis can be sealed with the pocket and the passageway to seal the otherwise unused passageway in the graft.
US09351818B2
A method for synchronizing ovulation in sows and gilts by a single injection of hormones is disclosed. A hormone, gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH), luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), analogs, derivatives, agonists or combinations thereof is administered to an open sow post weaning at a specific time to stimulate ovulation of mature responsive follicles. The sow is then bred, without heat detection, at a specific subsequent timed interval after injection with hormone, with one or two artificial or natural breedings. In gilts, the hormone is injected at a timed interval from onset of estrus or at a specific timed interval following Prostaglandin F2a for those gilts which have been held in a state of pseudopregnancy.
US09351812B2
The present invention relates to a calcium aluminate based paste forming a chemically bonded biomaterial on hydration thereof for in vivo anchoring of new implants, or stabilizing of existing implants in situ to an adjacent bone tissue, which paste provides a controlled pH value and temperature as well as initial hardening time. By virtue of the pH value and temperature the paste exhibits antibacterial and/or bacteriostatic properties. The present invention also relates to a method of preparing implants to be implanted wherein the implant is coated with the paste, a method of implanting a coated implant, as well as methods of preventing and treating implant related conditions, such as periimplantitis, and kit for preparing the paste. The invention is especially intended for re-stabilization of dental implants, and implantation into low quality bone tissue.
US09351806B2
A dispensing device for a dental substance which has a container for receiving the dental substance, a piston movable in the container, a catch for engagement by an applicator, and further a resilient resilient adapter. The device may be used in different types of applicators and is relatively inexpensive.
US09351805B2
An In-situ Tooth Filling System and Method Utilizing External Curing Step. The method and system utilizes the heat-/light-/vacuum-curing process normally available only in a dental laboratory. Like the conventional dental prosthetic production process, the filling is attached to the tooth void utilizing curable cement. Unlike the conventional (indirect) method, however, the instant method is completed totally within a single appointment in the dentist's office. The system utilizes fill stems that are made from curable filling material. These stems will become a part of the filling when the filling is cured. The filling is partially cured and then removed from the tooth for final curing in a vacuum oven that heat- and/or light-cures the filling.
US09351800B2
A hybrid tracking system utilizing at least one combined light emitting diode (LED) and magnetoresistance sensor. The hybrid tracking system includes optical tracking technology and electromagnetic (EM) tracking technology with at least one combined LED and magnetoresistance reference sensor attached to a fixed object, at least one combined LED and magnetoresistance sensor attached to an object being tracked, and a processor coupled to the at least one combined LED and magnetoresistance reference sensor and the at least one combined LED and magnetoresistance sensor for processing signals from the at least one combined LED and magnetoresistance reference sensor and the at least one combined LED and magnetoresistance sensor. The combined LED and magnetoresistance sensor includes at least one magnetoresistance sensor and at least one LED that are integrated into a single package.
US09351799B2
A battery headlamp assembly that includes a light engine bezel, an adjustable linkage supporting the bezel and including an electrically conductive system terminating at the bezel. Also, a headband assembly supports the adjustable linkage and includes a longitudinal rigid-flex circuit assembly. This assembly has a strip of rigid-flex circuit having two longitudinally opposed ends and including battery contacts on the ends. Also, two networks of electrical components are each supported by and electrically connected together, and to one of the battery contacts, by the strip of rigid-flex circuit, which includes conductive traces connecting both the networks to the electrically conductive system and to each other, to power the bezel from the battery contacts and to permit communications between the networks. In addition, a further electrically conductive element, electrically connects at least one conductive trace of the rigid-flex circuit to the electrically conductive system of the adjustable linkage.
US09351798B2
Stored information comprising product use information for each of a plurality of mechanical implants is maintained. Data identifying a mechanical implant is received, during a medical procedure. Suitability of the mechanical implant is determined, during the medical procedure, based on the data and the stored information.
US09351793B2
In some embodiments, the instant invention provides for a system that includes at least the following components: (i) an Alexandrite laser pumping subsystem; where the Alexandrite laser pumping subsystem is configured to: 1) produce wavelengths between 700 and 820 nm, and 2) produce a pump pulse having: i) a duration between 1 to 10 milliseconds, and ii) an energy measuring up to 100 Joules; where the Alexandrite laser pumping subsystem includes: 1) an optical fiber, and 2) a Lens system, (ii) a Thulium doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Tm:YAG) laser subsystem; where the Tm:YAG laser subsystem includes: 1) a Tm:YAG gain medium, 2) a rod heat sink, and 3) at least one cooling device, (iii) a wavelength selecting device, where the wavelength selecting device is configured to deliver a wavelength between 1.75 microns to 2.1 microns; and where the system is configured to produce a high energy conversion efficiency.
US09351787B2
A sphincter treatment apparatus includes an energy delivery device introduction member including a proximal end with a first radius of curvature and a distal end with a second radius of curvature. The introduction member is configured to be introduced into the sphincter in a non-deployed state and to be expanded to a deployed state to at least partially expand the sphincter or an adjoining structure. An energy delivery device is coupled to the introduction member. A retainer member is coupled to the energy delivery device introduction member and configured to controllably position the introduction member in an orifice of the sphincter.
US09351784B2
The stirring efficiency of a heating liquid which is supplied to the balloon of a balloon-equipped ablation catheter is increased to quickly uniformize the surface temperature of the balloon, and air is prevented from remaining in the balloon-equipped ablation catheter to enhance the safety of treatment which uses the balloon-equipped ablation catheter. A shaft for a balloon-equipped ablation catheter, consisting of a single pipe, wherein the shaft has two lumens which communicate from the distal end to the proximal end of the shaft, a first lumen being a guide wire passage lumen which is provided in order to allow a guide wire to pass therethrough, the second lumen being a liquid supply lumen which is provided in order to supply liquid to the inside of the balloon of the balloon-equipped ablation catheter.
US09351782B2
A prosthetic hip installation system comprising a reamer, an impactor, a tracking element, and a remote system. The tracking element can be integrated into the reamer or impactor for providing tracking data on the position or orientation. Alternatively, the tracking element can be housed in a separate module that can be coupled to either the reamer or impactor. The tracking element will couple to a predetermined location. Points in 3D space can be registered to provide a frame of reference for the tracking element or when the tracking element is moved from tool to tool. The tracking element sends data from the reamer or impactor wirelessly. The remote system receives the tracking data and can further process the data. A display on the remote system can support placement and orientation of the tool to aid in the installation of the prosthetic component.
US09351778B2
A biocompatible expansion bolt includes a central screw and an expansion shell positioned about the central screw. The expansion shell is shaped and dimensioned for controlled expansion between a first diameter and a larger, second diameter, wherein the expansion shell is composed of porous material allowing for tissue in-growth.
US09351777B2
The invention relates to a medical synthesis system as well as to a method of connecting a multipart medical synthesis system. The medical synthesis system in this respect includes at least one supporting element and at least one synthesis element, wherein the supporting element is provided for fastening in an organic structure. In this respect, the synthesis element is provided for the fastening to the already fastened supporting element. The synthesis element and the supporting element form a non-releasable coherent unit during application.
US09351776B2
A system for securing bones together across a joint includes a transfixation screw and a plate. The plate includes an elongate spine having a transfixation screw hole disposed along the spine. The transfixation screw hole includes an inner surface configured to direct the transfixation screw through the transfixation screw hole such that the transfixation screw extends alongside the bridge portion at a trajectory configured to pass through a first position on the first bone and a second position on the second bone once the plate is placed across the joint. The transfixation screw includes a head configured to abut the inner surface of the transfixation screw hole and a shaft configured to contiguously extend through the first bone, across the joint, and into the second bone.
US09351768B2
A spinal implant has a mechanism for inhibiting a bone screw used in attaching the spinal implant to the spine from backing out from the spinal implant once the bone screw has been received in the spinal implant. The spinal implant has a bone screw bore defining a bore wall in which is disposed a resilient closed curve band or ring. The resilient closed curve band has a plurality of resilient segments that extend into the bore. Each one of the plurality of resilient segments form a spring that allows a head of a bone screw to ingress there through but prevents the head of the bone screw from egress there from. The resilient closed curve band forms a retention ring that is received in one or more slots, channels, grooves or the like in the bore hole wall. The plurality of resilient segments are formed as arcs, curves and/or configured arcs/curves that extend radially inward from outer arced or curved portions of the retention ring.
US09351766B2
A receiving part for coupling a rod to a bone anchoring element includes a receiving part body including a rod receiving portion having a channel for receiving a rod, and a head receiving portion for accommodating a head of a bone anchoring element, the head receiving portion having an open end and being flexible for inserting and clamping of the head; and a locking ring around the head receiving portion, wherein in a pre-locking position, a spring portion on one of the locking ring or the receiving part body engages a corresponding portion on the other one of the locking ring or the receiving part body, and the locking ring exerts a first force onto the head receiving portion, and wherein in a locking position, the locking ring exerts a second force greater than the first force onto the head receiving portion to lock the head therein.
US09351762B2
The invention relates to a multifunctional device for exploration and/or intervention, especially for medical use, comprising a hollow handle, which is continued by a main catheter, and a carriage which is mounted so as to slide along the handle and which is coupled to an instrument by a mechanical connection extending inside the main catheter. According to the invention, at least one intermediate carriage is mounted so as to slide along the handle, each of said intermediate carriages having an attachment housed in the handle via a longitudinal slot, in the continuation of which there is a secondary catheter extending inside the main catheter. Moreover, an auxiliary carriage is mounted so as to slide along each intermediate carriage, each of said auxiliary carriages being coupled to an instrument by a mechanical connection extending inside the secondary catheter.
US09351753B2
A forceps includes a housing, a curved waveguide, one or more movable members, and an end effector assembly. The housing includes one or more transducers configured to generate a mechanical vibration in response to energy transmitted thereto from an energy source. The curved waveguide extends from the housing and is configured to receive the mechanical vibration generated by the one or more transducers. The one or more movable members are positioned along the curved waveguide. The one or more movable members are configured to translate mechanical movement from the housing to the end effector assembly. The end effector assembly is disposed at a distal end of the curved waveguide and includes a movable jaw member pivotable between approximated and unapproximated positions relative to a distal end of the curved waveguide in response to movement of the one or more movable members.
US09351749B2
A clot retrieval apparatus 1 comprises a clot engaging device 2 and a capture basket 3. The clot engaging device 2 has a collapsed delivery configuration and an expanded deployment configuration. The clot engaging device has a proximal end and a distal end and an elongate body between the proximal end and the distal end. The capture basket 3 has a collapsed delivery configuration and an expanded deployment configuration. The capture basket 3 has a proximal mouth which is open when the capture basket 3 is in the deployment configuration. The clot engaging device 2 is axially movable relative to the capture basket for capture of a clot.
US09351746B2
A coordinate mapping system is provided for locating a defect in a bone. The system comprises a positioning instrument for controlled delivery of a device to a target site, the instrument comprising a main body and a rail extending from the main body, the rail including a series of indicia corresponding to predefined grid lines, and a template configured to overlay an image of a bone having a defect at the target site, the template including a predefined grid for determining a set of coordinates to locate the target site using the positioning instrument. A method of accessing a target site near a defect in a bone using the radial coordinate mapping system is also provided.
US09351739B2
A tunneling device (10) for introduction into a body via a linearly extending guide (100) is formed as an elongated tunneling device (10) having an end portion (10E) bent to a predefined curvature. The elongated tunneling device (10) when confined in the linearly extending guide (100) is confined lengthwise in the guide (100). Upon movement of the tunneling device, advancing past the guide (100) into the body, the end portion (10E) of the tunneling device (10) returns to the predefined curvature without requiring any external physical resistance of load forces to initiate the bending.
US09351738B2
Customized patient-specific orthopaedic surgical instruments are disclosed. Methods for fabricating and using such instruments are also disclosed.
US09351731B2
A staple cartridge for use with a surgical stapling apparatus includes a cartridge body including a tissue contacting surface defining a plurality of staple retaining slots, a staple disposed within each staple retaining slot of the cartridge body, and a substantially circular buttress. The buttress includes an inner portion, an outer portion, and a middle portion extending between the inner portion and the outer portion. At least one stiffened region joins the buttress to the tissue contacting surface of the cartridge body. The inner portion, the middle portion, the outer portion, and the at least one stiffened region are all formed from a common material.
US09351728B2
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, an endoscopic surgical device is provided. The surgical device includes a handle assembly including a drive mechanism actuatable by a trigger; and an endoscopic assembly including a proximal end portion extending from the handle assembly; a distal end portion pivotably connected to the proximal end portion of the endoscopic assembly; and a rotatable inner actuation shaft extending from the handle assembly and into the distal end portion of the endoscopic assembly, the inner actuation shaft including a flexible portion extending across the pivot connection. The surgical device includes an end effector selectively connectable to the distal end portion of the endoscopic assembly and to a distal portion of the rotatable inner actuation shaft. The end effector includes a splined inner tube rotatably supported in an outer tube; and a plurality of surgical anchors loaded in the inner tube of the end effector.
US09351727B2
A surgical instrument comprises an end effector, a shaft, and a housing extending proximally from the shaft. The surgical instrument includes an articulation assembly configured to articulate the end effector relative to the shaft, a firing assembly configured to fire a plurality of staples, for example, and a locking member movable between a locked configuration and an unlocked configuration. The housing is removably couplable to the shaft when the locking member is in the unlocked configuration and the housing includes a motor configured to drive at least one of the firing assembly and the articulation assembly. The housing also includes a controller in communication with the motor, wherein the controller is configured to activate the motor to reset at least one of the firing assembly and the articulation assembly to a home state when the locking member is moved between the locked configuration and the unlocked configuration.
US09351723B2
Described are various embodiments of surgical procedures, systems, implants, devices, tools, and methods, useful for treating pelvic conditions in a male or female, the pelvic conditions including incontinence (various forms such as fecal incontinence, stress urinary incontinence, urge incontinence, mixed incontinence, etc.), vaginal prolapse (including various forms such as enterocele, cystocele, rectocele, apical or vault prolapse, uterine descent, etc.), and other conditions caused by muscle and ligament weakness, the devices and tools including devices and tools for anchoring an implant to tissue.
US09351715B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide medical devices and methods for treating a target site within the body, such as for treating vascular abnormalities. For example, one embodiment provides an occlusion device including an occlusive material having proximal and distal ends and a central axis extending therebetween. The occlusive material has a preset, overlapping configuration including at least three inverted overlapping layers folded over one another, wherein the at least three inverted overlapping layers are aligned with the central axis within about 45 degrees or less and are configured to be separated and disposed within a catheter in a non-overlapping configuration and return to the preset, overlapping configuration when deployed from the catheter.
US09351709B2
An image processing method for performing registration between a first medical image and a second medical image both being three-dimensional images is provided. The image processing method includes extracting a first vascular image in the first medical image and a second vascular image in the second medical image, detecting at least one vascular portion structure including a plurality of vascular portions close or connected to each other with respect to each of the first and second vascular images extracted, for each of a plurality of combinations of the at least one vascular portion structure in the first vascular image and the at least one vascular portion structure in the second vascular image, performing coordinate transformation on at least one of the first and second vascular images such that a deviation between the vascular portion structures becomes small, and calculating similarity in a prescribed area including the vascular portion structures between the first and second vascular images, and performing coordinate transformation for the registration using the coordinate transformation highest in the calculated similarity.
US09351706B2
Ultrasound devices and methods are described, including a repeatable ultrasound transducer probe having ultrasonic transducers and corresponding circuitry. The repeatable ultrasound transducer probe may be used individually or coupled with other instances of the repeatable ultrasound transducer probe to create a desired ultrasound device. The ultrasound devices may optionally be connected to various types of external devices to provide additional processing and image rendering functionality.
US09351694B2
According to one embodiment, a cooler includes a casing, a radiator unit which is installed in a circulation path, where a coolant is circulated, and is configured to externally discharge heat of the coolant, and a fan unit housed in the casing to generate an air flow passing through the radiator unit. A windward side of the radiator unit is exposed to an outer side of the casing.
US09351691B2
An apparatus and method for in vivo and ex vivo control, detection and measurement of radiation in therapy, diagnostcs, and related applications accomplished through scintillating fiber detection. One example includes scintillating fibers placed along a delivery guide such as a catheter for measuring applied radiation levels during radiotherapy treatments, sensing locations of a radiation source, or providing feedback of sensed radiation. Another option is to place the fibers into a positioning device such as a balloon, or otherwise in the field of the radiation delivery. The scintillating fibers provide light output levels correlating to the levels of radiation striking the fibers and comparative measurement between fibers can be used for more extensive dose mapping. Adjustments to a radiation treatment may be made as needed based on actual and measured applied dosages as determined by the fiber detectors. Characteristics of a radiation source may also be measured using scintillating materials.
US09351684B1
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.
US09351674B2
Methods and systems for determining a physiological parameter in the presence of correlated artifact are provided. One method includes receiving two waveforms corresponding to two different wavelengths of light from a patient. Each of the two waveforms includes a correlated artifact. The method also includes combining the two waveforms to form a plurality of weighted difference waveforms, wherein the plurality of weighted difference waveforms vary from one another by a value of a multiplier. The method further includes identifying one of the weighted difference waveforms from the plurality of weighted difference waveforms using a characteristic of one or more of the plurality of weighted difference waveforms and determining a characteristic of the correlated artifact based at least in part on the identified weighted difference waveform.
US09351671B2
A noninvasive analyzer apparatus and method of use thereof is described using one or a plurality of sample illumination zones coupled to at least one two-dimensional detector array monitoring a plurality of detection zones. Control of illumination times and/or patterns along with selected detection zones yields pathlength resolved groups of spectra. Sectioned pixels and/or zones of the detector are optionally filtered for different light throughput as a function of wavelength. The pathlength resolved groups of spectra are subsequently analyzed to determine an analyte property. Optionally, in the mapping and/or collection phase, incident light is controllably varied in time in terms of any of: sample probe position, incident light solid angle, incident light angle, depth of focus, energy, intensity, and/or detection angle. Optionally, one or more physiological property and/or model property related to a physiological property is used in the analyte property determination.
US09351670B2
A system and method for determining glycemic risks based on an analysis of glucose data includes visualization of hypoglycemia, variability, and hyperglycemia with a control grid, increasing the accuracy of glucose estimates using a combination of CGM and HbA1c, calculating glycemic risk by applying a probability distribution, and tailoring SMBG test schedules based on CGM use/wear.
US09351668B2
Systems and methods for dynamically and intelligently estimating analyte data from a continuous analyte sensor, including receiving a data stream, selecting one of a plurality of algorithms, and employing the selected algorithm to estimate analyte values. Additional data processing includes evaluating the selected estimative algorithms, analyzing a variation of the estimated analyte values based on statistical, clinical, or physiological parameters, comparing the estimated analyte values with corresponding measure analyte values, and providing output to a user. Estimation can be used to compensate for time lag, match sensor data with corresponding reference data, warn of upcoming clinical risk, replace erroneous sensor data signals, and provide more timely analyte information encourage proactive behavior and preempt clinical risk.
US09351664B2
The present invention relates to an implantable apparatus for obtaining urinary control and emptying of the urinary bladder. The apparatus operates with a powered member (100) operating from the outside of the urinary bladder assisted by a support structure to discharge urine from the urinary bladder. A control device (200) controls the operation of the powered member. The control device further comprises a source of energy for operating the powered member and other energy consuming parts of the apparatus and a control assembly.
US09351663B2
A method for locating a catheter tip within a human body is disclosed. An audio sensor is positioned at a site on the human body. An audio signal is detected by the audio sensor, and transmitted to an audio signal processing unit. The audio signal processing unit determines if the audio signal corresponds to a target location of the catheter tip, and transmits a notification signal to a user notification unit. An infusion of fluid or an audio emitting element can be used to generate the audio signal at the catheter tip.
US09351661B2
Devices, systems, and methods to measure parallel tissue conductance, luminal cross-sectional areas, fluid velocity, and/or determine plaque vulnerability using temperature. In at least one embodiment of a method to obtain parallel tissue conductance, the method comprises the steps of inserting at least part of a detection device into a luminal organ, applying current thereto, obtaining a native temperature measurement, injecting a solution of a known conductivity into the luminal organ, detecting a temperature change indicative of the fluid within the luminal organ, measuring an output conductance, and calculating a parallel tissue conductance based upon the output conductance and the conductivity of the injected solution.
US09351656B2
An implantable medical device has an impedance processor for determining atrial impedance data reflective of the cardiogenic impedance of an atrium of a heart during diastole and/or systole of heart cycle. Ventricular impedance data reflective of the cardiogenic impedance of a ventricle during diastole and/or systole are also determined. The determined impedance data are processed by a representation processor for estimating a diastolic and/or a systolic atrial impedance representation and a diastolic and/or a systolic ventricular impedance representation. A condition processor determines the presence of any heart valve malfunction, such as valve regurgitation and/or stenosis, of at least one heart valve based on the estimated atrial and ventricular impedance representations.
US09351655B2
An implantable lead includes a first lead assembly with a distal tip and a medial end, a medial section with a first end and a second end, and a first intermediate assembly disposed between the first lead assembly and the first end of the medial section. The first lead assembly includes a plurality of external contacts and at least one conductive wire disposed in the first lead assembly. The at least one conductive wire extends from at least one external contact towards the medial end of the first lead assembly. The medial section includes a plurality of conductors extending from the first end to the second end. The first intermediate assembly includes a plurality of conductive elements. At least one of the conductive elements is configured and arranged to electrically couple the at least one conductive wire to at least one of the conductors.
US09351652B2
A system and method providing outpatient ECG monitoring and safe home based cardiac tele-rehabilitation. The system includes a recordation module for recording ECG signals using at least one lead, a tele-rehabilitation module for home based exercise management for a patient's recovery from a heart disease, the tele-rehabilitation module including a processing module for recognizing erroneous data from the ECG signals and an analysis module for calculating beat-to-beat annotations and determining if an ECG event and/or if a QT interval duration change has occurred. The system can include an exercise module for guiding the patient during an exercise session, a visual display that informs the patient to start and/or to stop the tele-rehabilitation exercise, a visual display and/or audible signal that informs the patient of an incoming or a missed tele-rehabilitation exercise session, and/or a communication module for transmitting/receiving data between the a cardiac tele-rehabilitation module and a physician/monitoring center.
US09351650B2
An image processing apparatus obtains an image of an eye area, determines a measurement target among multiple vascular branches based on information regarding multiple vascular branches that include multiple vascular bifurcations in the obtained image, and measures the size of a blood cell aggregate in the determined measurement target.
US09351645B2
A photoacoustic measurement apparatus which includes a diffuser plate for diffusing laser light inputted from the upstream side of an optical system, a lens system for focusing the laser light diffused by the diffuser plate, and an optical fiber cable which includes an optical fiber having a core and cladding structure and a light energy resistant structure at an end portion on the side of the lens system, and is disposed such that the laser light focused by the lens is inputted from one end, in which the light projection unit projects the laser light guided by the optical fiber cable as the measuring light. In a photoacoustic measurement performed by guiding the measuring light using an optical fiber, high energy measuring light can be guided while inhibiting end face damage of the optical fiber.
US09351622B2
A fluid extracting device with a shaped head and associated systems and methods of use and manufacture. In one embodiment, the device includes an extractor head that includes an extractor port housing having a cavity configured to be coupled to a vacuum source. The extractor port housing includes a recessed surface and individual openings extending through the recessed surface and in fluid communication with an interior suction cavity. The extractor port housing can further include first and second lips each adjacent to opposite sides of the recessed surface and each configured to provide a squeegee function. In another embodiment, the device includes a tubular member and a handle operably coupled to the tubular member and including a suction control device. The suction control device is configured such that a user can simultaneously operate the device to control the suction and operate the extractor to remove fluid from a flooring surface.
US09351606B2
A kitchen appliance includes a housing with a base, a side wall and a cavity. The housing has a housing rim defining an opening to the cavity. A hinge base is mounted to the side wall. A container has a generally hollow interior and a container rim defining an opening. The container fits within the cavity of the housing. A lid at least partially covers the opening of the container when placed on the container rim. The lid has an exterior surface, and an opposing interior surface facing the interior of the container when the lid is placed on the container rim. A bracket is mounted to the exterior surface of the lid. At least a portion of the bracket is rotatably and selectively removably received within at least a portion of the hinge base to rotatably and selectively removable mount to the lid of the housing.
US09351584B1
The present invention relates to a split bed with improved characteristics, and in particular to a split bed with joinable sections including a connector used to join two pieces of a drive assembly, that has tab and slots to accommodate accessory devices and that is easily movable by one person. In one embodiment, the bed has a deck with several slotted tabs for receiving accessory devices. Two joinable sections are provided. The sections can be joined with six points of contact. A two part drive assembly is also provided. A pivotal connector is provided for joining the two parts of the drive assembly. The drive assembly moves cross members relative, and preferably within, longitudinal support members. In this regard, movement of the cross members causes the bed to selectably raise or lower. The bed is compactable to a very low height for shipping.
US09351578B2
A portable chair, configured to accommodate a seated user, includes a front pair of collapsible bars, a back pair of collapsible bars, a pair of joints, a center bar, a first set of lower bars, a second set of lower bars, and a sling. The center bar configured to securely couple the pair of back joints to each other. In some embodiments, at least one of the first set of lower bars has a first end permanently fixed to one of the joints, and a second end of first lower bars is configured to provide a point of contact with a ground surface. At least one of the second set of lower bars having a first end configured to be coupled to one of the joints, and wherein a second end of second lower bars is configured to provide a point of contact with a ground surface.
US09351577B2
A chair has a frame with legs, a seat hoop carried by the legs, and a backrest extending above the seat hoop. A seat is carried by the seat hoop of the frame, and has a seat base with a cushion. A perimeter lip circumscribes the seat base and rests over the seat hoop. The seat base has a flexible and resilient corrugated interior capable of deflecting under weight and returning when the weight is removed. An annular bottom projection projects from the seat base between the perimeter lip and the corrugated interior and into the seat hoop, and has an annular bottom surface substantially flush with the lower surface of the seat hoop.
US09351576B1
A mechanism is provided that allows an assisting force to be imparted on an ottoman as the ottoman moves from an extended position back to a closed position. The linkage includes a rotatable lock bracket and an ottoman lock link pivotally coupled to the lock bracket. A rear ottoman link is pivotally coupled to an ottoman linkage, and a spring activation link is pivotally coupled to the ottoman lock link. A spring extends between the lock bracket and the first end of the spring activation link, supported by a spring retaining link. A catch finger positioned on the rear ottoman link selectively engages the second end of the spring activation link. The spring activation link operates to extend the spring as the ottoman moves from an extended position to a closed position, thereby providing an assisting force in moving the mechanism to the closed position.
US09351573B2
The present invention relates to an easel allowing the angle of inclination thereof to be adjusted and reliably maintaining the adjusted angle of inclination, the easel comprising: a main bracket; expandable front supports rotatably attached on both sides of the front of the main bracket; an expandable rear support rotatably attached to the back of the main bracket; a supporting platform, both sides of which are detachably coupled to the front supports; a raising-and-lowering bar attached on the front center of the main bracket so as to allow raising and lowering of same, and the lower end of which is vertically slidably supported by the supporting platform; and a tilting unit, rotatably and expandably coupled in between the rear support and the front support platform, for controlling the angle of inclination of the rear support with respect to the front supports.
US09351571B2
A connection assembly is disclosed for an ice maker that includes a base having a rail and a cabinet assembly having a glide. The glide slides onto the rail to removably connect the base and the cabinet assembly while aligning the cabinet assembly vertically and horizontally relative to the base. Preferably, the rail and glide have complementary geometries wherein the base and rail fit together such that the complementary geometries limit the relative vertical and horizontal movement of the rail and the glide to each other. In alternative configurations, the base may have a glide and the cabinet may have a rail. The connection assembly may also include a stop limiting the relative linear movement between the rail and the glide, further assuring proper alignment of the cabinet and the base. The connection assembly may also include a locking mechanism limiting relative linear movement of the base and the cabinet.
US09351569B1
An apparatus for storing and presenting parts to a robot for automated tending of various manufacturing processes. The method and apparatus allow for an operator, human or other tending robot, to open and place parts into a series of vertically stacked drawers within an enclosure. On the opposing side of the enclosure is the production side where a robot opens an individual drawer and while the drawer is open, successively picks out parts for use in the manufacturing processes as it is programmed to do. The part may or may not be placed back into the drawer based on the part manufacturing process. The robot then closes the drawer and successively cycles through the drawers, opening them on the production side and once the parts have been processed, closing them. The operator then successively opens each drawer, removes any processed parts, if placed back into the drawer as dictated by the part manufacturing process, refills the drawer with new parts and then closes it.
US09351566B2
A bearing and detent mechanism for automatic alignment of a Lazy Susan Turntable or shelf to an original position or door closed position is provided which includes a bearing mounted to the Lazy Susan Turntable and a cabinet shelf with a cavity on the outer bearing having an entrance and exit ramp and wherein the bottom of the exit and entrance ramp represents the detent or stop location of the Lazy Susan Turntable. The bearing and detent mechanism allows for the Lazy Susan Turntable to smoothly stop where it needs to so as to keep products on the shelf in a stable and upright position.
US09351559B2
A powered skin care device is provided with a vibrating motor that produces vibrations in a relatively gentle frequency and has a removable brush head that includes at least two types of bristles. A first group of bristles is for more gentle cleansing and a second group of bristles is for more aggressive cleansing.
US09351558B2
An attachment device (10) adapted for use with at least two retainers (14), the device (10) including at least two mountings (44), each for engagement with a retainer (14), wherein when a first one (14a) of the retainers is engaged with the device (10) it cannot be detached from the device until another retainer (14b) has been engaged with the device (10).
US09351552B1
A harness is provided for a tablet computer having a display side and an opposite back side. The harness includes a one-piece harness body formed of a single material and shaped to fit against the back side of the tablet computer. There is an opening in the harness body proximate a center of the harness body. There is a first strap extending across the harness body proximate a center of the harness body.
US09351548B2
A privacy umbrella includes a canopy, and at least a portion of the canopy includes a section made of a one-way material that allows an individual under the canopy to see outward through the one-way material, but which prevents people outside the canopy from obtaining a good view through the one-way material into the interior of the canopy. The canopy could have only a single panel of one-way material, multiple panels of one-way material, or one or more windows of one-way material. Alternatively, the entire canopy could be formed of a one-way material. The one-way material could be formed from various different materials or layers such that the one-way functionality is obtained.
US09351545B2
An earring backing that retains the earring frontispiece with an upward tilt. A contact plate that resides in contact with the back of the earlobe of a user is coupled to a support structure that defines a channel for an earring post. The channel defines an acute angle with the contact plate.
US09351541B2
A fixturing apparatus that includes a housing defining an interior space and having a trapezoidal cross-section, a first end, and an opposing second end, and is formed to include an aperture extending therethrough from the first end to said second end.
US09351539B2
In accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure, a controlled release buckle may comprise a buckle lock configured to engage a strap in a manner preventing the strap from moving in a loosening direction when the buckle lock is in a resting position, and to disengage the strap when the buckle lock is forced into a disengaged position, and a buckle lever configured to move the strap in a tightening direction when the buckle lever is pulled in a first direction, and to engage the strap in a manner preventing the strap from moving in a loosening direction when the buckle lever is pressed in a second direction.
US09351535B2
A sole structure for an article of footwear and a method of making the sole structure is disclosed. The sole structure can include an outsole and a midsole. The midsole includes a cavity with a protruding portion. A U-shaped or L-shaped transparent member is configured to cover the cavity so that the protruding portion remains visible from within the cavity.
US09351509B2
Cellulose composites of cellulose and a hydrophilic gum, the cellulose composite giving a 1-mass % aqueous dispersion thereof, which has a storage modulus (G′) of 0.06 Pa or more when the pH thereof is 4.
US09351504B2
A frozen confectionery product, a method of manufacturing same, and an apparatus are provided. The apparatus manufactures a frozen confectionery product by rotary vertical extrusion. The apparatus comprises a nozzle at least one ice cream passage with at least one inlet port and an outlet portion, and at least one chocolate passage with respectively an inlet port and an outlet port. The outlet ports are provided in the nozzle and have elongated cross-sections, and each chocolate outlet port extends in parallel to an ice cream outlet port, so as to form annular or helical chocolate layers upon rotation of the nozzle and the container with respect to each other.
US09351502B2
An oil or fat composition described herein has a hydrogenated aroma and flavor as a conventional oil or fat composition and a long lasting hydrogenated aroma, while having trans-fatty acid content reduced to the same extent as that in a general liquid salad oil, and the starting material thereof. The oxidized and partially hydrogenated oil or fat contains C18:2 trans-isomer from 10 to 60 wt. % on the total constituent fatty acid content basis and has peroxide value from 8 to 350 meq/kg. A ratio by weight of the C18:2 trans-isomer content to C18:1 trans-isomer content in all the constituent fatty acids can be 0.3 to 1.8.
US09351500B2
The present invention provides improvements in aerated milk compositions, such as yogurt based products, and methods for preparation thereof.
US09351495B2
An accelerated cooking air fryer is disclosed comprising a cavity, controller, thermal heating source, blower assembly, gas directing means and a vent assembly. Hot gas is circulated by the blower motor assembly into the air fryer cavity where the hot air is directed in a manner wherein a conflicting, colliding turbulent gas flow is directed at a food product providing for the accelerated cooking of the food product.
US09351494B2
The present specification discloses honeybee repellents exhibiting repellent properties similar to 2-heptanone, compositions comprising such repellents, uses to repel a honeybee from a mammal, location, plant, structure treated of such repellents, and methods of treating a mammal, location, plant, structure by applying such repellents.
US09351491B2
Disclosure is provided for methods of preventing, removing or inhibiting microbial biofilm formation or microbial infection in a plant or plant part thereof, including applying thereto a treatment effective amount of an active compound as described herein, or an agriculturally acceptable salt thereof. Methods of enhancing a microbicide (e.g., including a copper, antibiotic, bacteriophage, etc.) and/or plant defense activator are also provided, including applying an active compound as described herein. Compositions comprising an active compound as described herein in an agriculturally acceptable carrier are also provided, and in some embodiments the compositions further include a microbicide (e.g., including copper, antibiotic, bacteriophage, etc.) and/or plant defense activator.
US09351485B2
Use of sophorolipids as adjuvants in combination with pesticides as tank mix additive and/or as formulation additive for crop protection and for the industrial non-crop sector.
US09351472B2
The present invention relates to a Spinacia oleracea seed designated 51-707 RZ, which exhibits early bolting, erect plant habit, semi-savoy leaves, and resistance against downy mildew (Peronospora farinosa f. sp. spinaciae) races Pfs1 to Pfs13 and strain UA4410. The present invention also relates to a Spinacia oleracea plant produced by growing the 51-707 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the spinach cultivar, represented by spinach variety 51-707 RZ.
US09351469B1
A soybean cultivar designated 36314231 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 36314231, to the plants of soybean cultivar 36314231, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 36314231, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 36314231. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 36314231. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 36314231, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 36314231 with another soybean cultivar.
US09351461B2
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01050896. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01050896. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01050896 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01050896 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09351453B2
The invention provides seed and plants of tomato line FIR-180-FAMOUS. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato line FIR-180-FAMOUS, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing such plants with themselves or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another genotype. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of such plants, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.
US09351448B2
A wall mounted agricultural system that includes a mounting structure including a first end and a second end and supported from a substantially vertically extending wall surface, and at least one planter box that includes a plurality of sidewalls and a bottom wall that cooperate to form a compartment adapted to receive plant matter therein and an upwardly opening aperture adapted to receive a fluid therethrough, wherein at least one of the side walls comprises a rear wall facing the wall surface, the at least one planter box is adapted to mount to the mounting structure such that the rear wall is spaced from the wall surface to create a space therebetween, and wherein the at least one planter box includes an aperture in fluid communication with the compartment and the space positioned between the rear wall and the wall surface.
US09357686B2
A dispenser, which is capable of dispensing viscous material on a substrate having a top surface and a bottom surface, includes a frame, a gantry system, and a dispensing unit. The gantry system is configured to move the dispensing unit in x-axis, y-axis, and z-axis directions. The dispenser further includes a substrate support assembly configured to support the substrate in a dispense position to dispense material on the top surface of the substrate and on the bottom surface of the substrate. The substrate support assembly includes a clamping system and an inverter system. The inverter system is configured to rotate the clamping system about an axis that is parallel to the y-axis direction between a first position in which the top surface of the substrate is in the dispense position and a second position in which the bottom surface of the substrate is in the dispense position.
US09357683B2
According to various aspects, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of shielding apparatus or assemblies including electrically-conductive foam frames and covers or lids attachable to the frames. Also disclosed are exemplary embodiments of electrically-conductive foam frames for shielding apparatus or assemblies. Further, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of methods relating to making shielding apparatus or assemblies including electrically-conductive foam frames. Additionally, exemplary embodiments are disclosed of methods relating to providing shielding for one or more components on a substrate.
US09357672B2
The invention relates to an air guidance system having an air guidance housing and an air passage grating fastened thereto, the air passage grating being held on the air guidance housing by means of a snap-lock connection. In order to simplify maintenance of such an air guidance system it is provided according to the invention that the air passage grating carries at least one latch having a snap-in shoulder that can be engaged in a snap-lock seat of the air passage grating and that the air passage grating pivotally accommodates a handle in a bearing seat, said handle disengaging the latch from the snap-lock seat when set from the locking position to the unlocking position.
US09357671B2
A cooling unit (10) includes a housing (12) having a front (14) and a back (16), one or more fans (28) provided at either the front (14) or the back (16) of the housing (12), and a V-shaped evaporator (30) positioned within the housing (12) and coupled to a source of liquid refrigerant. The V-shaped evaporator (30) has two panels extending from adjacent to the bottom (22) of the housing to adjacent to the top (24) of the housing (12) when positioning the evaporator (30) in the housing (12). The arrangement is such that an inside of the panels of the evaporator (30) faces air being drawn through the housing (12) of the cooling unit (10) by the fan (28).
US09357665B2
This is directed to an electronic device enclosure. The enclosure includes an outer periphery member forming an outer surface of a device, and to which an internal platform is connected. Electronic device components can be assembled to one or both surfaces of the internal platform. The enclosure can include front and back cover assemblies assembled to the opposite surfaces of the outer periphery member to retain electronic device components. One or both of the cover assemblies can include a window through which display circuitry can provide content to a user of the device.
US09357664B2
A portable terminal has a main machine body and a cell, one of the main machine body and the cell is arranged a pushing button moving axially, and a compression spring is arranged between the pushing button and the one of the main machine body and the cell, the other has a clamp slot of which a notch extends axially, and the main machine body and the cell is clamped at the axial direction by the pushing button and the clamp slot. The portable terminal also comprises a lock cover connected with the pushing button, and a torsional spring is arranged between the lock cover and the pushing button, so that the lock cover and the pushing button can rotate along the spring-body axis of the torsional spring; when the torsional spring is reset, vertical distance between one end of the lock cover and the cell or the body arranged the compression spring is smaller than the distance that the pushing button inserts into the clamp slot. The lock cover in the present invention can achieve double-clamping at the axial direction for the cell and the main machine body. The pushing button can tightly lock the cell and the main machine body even if the portable terminal is dropped down or impacted. The cell can be taken from the main machine body only by adding certain torque to the torsional spring while in the assembling or disassembling operation, operation is simple and convenient.
US09357655B2
Techniques for efficient routing of wires and electrical components within a device are disclosed. A wire can be routed, for example, in the space between two battery cells (or other components/structures) with the use of a bracket inserted between the cells to provide structural support. The electrical tape surrounding a battery may be cut or otherwise breached in order to expose the cavity between distinct battery cells. In some embodiments, multiple brackets may be inserted between the battery cells, creating a trough through which a wire or other component may be routed. After routing a wire through the trough, another electrical part or housing may be fixed above the battery cells.
US09357654B2
A cable assembly including a connector insert to fit in a connector receptacle in an electronic device, where a back surface of the connector insert is substantially flush with an outside of an enclosure for the electronic device. One example may provide a cable assembly that includes a connector insert formed by wrapping a flexible circuit board at least partially around a housing. The flexible circuit board may be routed against an underside of the electronic device such that it does not obstruct a user, consume space in a display area, or have an undesirable appearance.
US09357647B2
A packaging substrate includes a supporting sheet, a copper foil, a number of connecting pads, a number of solder balls, a resin layer, a wiring layer and a solder mask layer. The copper foil is attached on a surface of the supporting sheet through an adhesive sheet. The connecting pads are formed on the copper foil. The solder balls are formed on the connecting pads. The resin layer infills the gaps between the solder balls. The wiring layer is formed on the resin layer and the solder balls. Terminal portions of the solder balls facing away from the connecting pads are electrically connected to the wiring layer. The solder mask layer is formed on the wiring layer. The solder mask layer defines a number of openings exposing portions of the wiring layer. The portions of the wiring layer exposed through the openings serve as contact pads.
US09357642B2
A circuit board laminate includes a metal substrate, an insulation layer disposed on the metal substrate, and a metal foil disposed on the insulation layer. A metal-based circuit board includes a metal substrate, an insulation layer disposed on the metal substrate, and a circuit pattern disposed on the insulation layer. The insulation layer contains a liquid crystal polyester and 50% by volume or more of an inorganic filler. The inorganic filler is made of boron nitride and at least one of aluminum nitride and aluminum oxide. A proportion of boron nitride in the inorganic filler is within a range of 35 to 80% by volume.
US09357615B2
The invention provides a method for intuitively guiding a human to a reference location, such as an emergency exit, with a lighting system comprising a plurality of light sources along a pathway to the reference location. The lights shine with an intensity dependent upon the distance to the reference location, in particular the intensity of the light increases with decreasing distance to the reference location. The location of the emergency can be determined through emergency sensors, so that the intensity of the light sources is then controlled to lead away from the danger to the nearest safe exit.
US09357612B2
A lighting portion is attached to a reflective liquid crystal display portion. A first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate made of a glass substrate etc. are attached to each other with a sealing layer coated on those peripheral portions therebetween. The back surface of the first transparent substrate is attached to the reflective liquid crystal display portion, and an organic EL element is formed on the front surface of the first transparent substrate. The organic EL element is sealed in a space surrounded by the first transparent substrate, the second transparent substrate, and the sealing layer. The organic EL element is formed in a region corresponding to a pixel region of the reflective liquid crystal display portion. A desiccant layer is formed on the front surface of the second transparent substrate.
US09357610B2
A light emitting diode (LED) lighting system may include a plurality of LED modules and a server. The plurality of LED modules can include LED lighting devices and provide a human detection signal and distance information regarding a distance from a human, in the case of human detection, respectively. The server may control the LED lighting devices upon receiving the human detection signal and the distance information from the plurality of LED modules. The server may compare the distance information with a pre-set reference distance and controls brightness of the LED lighting devices according to the comparison results.
US09357609B2
A lighting device has one or more light sources; a primary input power connection; and electronic circuitry for controlling delivery of power from the primary input power connection to the one or more light sources. The electronic circuitry determines an indication of an external electrical loading on a primary power supply network coupled, in use, with the primary input power connection the circuitry varies the power drawn from the primary input power connection in dependence upon the determined indication of the external electrical loading on the primary power supply network. In this way, during times of high demand on the primary supply network, the lighting device can reduce the amount of power drawn from the primary supply.
US09357607B2
A LED light source comprises—a full bridge rectifier equipped with a first input terminal and a second input terminal for coupling to output terminals of the phase cut dimmer, —a series arrangement comprising N LED loads, a first and second end of said series arrangement being coupled to a first output terminal and a second output terminal of the full bridge rectifier respectively, —control means for during a period of the rectified AC supply voltage subsequently making the LED loads comprised in the first series arrangement carry a current, one by one and in dependency of the momentary amplitude of the rectified AC supply voltage when the momentary amplitude increases and for subsequently making the LED loads stop carrying a current, one by one, and in dependency of the momentary amplitude of the rectified AC supply voltage when the momentary amplitude decreases, said control means controlling the current through the LED loads at zero when the output voltage of the phase cut dimmer equals zero and controlling the current through the LED loads at a value that is independent from the phase angle of the phase cut dimmer when the output voltage of the phase cut dimmer differs from zero Volt. In order to make the LED light source compatible with a phase cut dimmer, the LED light source is further equipped with—a switchable bleeder current source coupled between the first and second output terminal of the full bridge rectifier, —a latch coupled between the first and second output terminals of the full rectifier bridge and comprising a series arrangement of a resistor and a capacitor to prevent the current through the dimmer from crossing zero after a leading edge generated by the phase cut dimmer, in case the phase cut dimmer is a leading edge phase cut dimmer, —a unidirectional element arranged in series with the capacitor for preventing discharging of the capacitor via the LED loads or the adjustable bleeder current source, and—a clamp circuit coupled to the capacitor and comprising a current source for discharging the capacitor and providing a low ohmic path for the dimmer current when the dimmer is off.
US09357601B2
Provided is a light emitting driving apparatus, including a driver configured to drive a light emitting device, a switch configured supply power to the light emitting device, and a controller configured to adjust a switching off time of the switch according to a voltage applied to the light emitting device.
US09357599B2
A lighting control circuit for an illuminating lamp includes: a rectifier part that is connected to a ballast to which commercial alternating-current electric power is supplied, and converts the alternating current to direct current; a smoothing capacitor that is provided on an output side of the rectifier part, and removes an alternating-current component included in direct current outputted from the output side; a drive circuit that has a switching element, and performs on-off control on electric current flowing to a plurality of solid-state light-emitting elements connected in series to both ends of the smoothing capacitor; and an inductor that is provided in an electric power supply system between the ballast and the smoothing capacitor.
US09357597B2
A switching circuit includes an active element connected in parallel to a second light source block and having an impedance that varies in accordance with a control signal input into a control terminal, and switches the second light source block between a lit condition and an extinguished condition by switching the active element ON and OFF. The switching circuit adjusts the impedance of the active element so that a current flowing to the active element matches a target value set by a switching control circuit. When the active element is to be switched ON, the switching control circuit varies the target value gradually over time, and therefore an excessive load current can be prevented from flowing while the active element shifts from an OFF condition to an ON condition.
US09357591B2
A resonance type high frequency heating apparatus comprising; a direct current power supply; a series connection circuit consisting of a pair of semiconductor switching elements connected in parallel to the direct current power supply; another series connection circuit having a primary coil of a leakage transformer and a capacitor connected to both ends of one of the pair of semiconductor switching elements; and a drive means for driving each of the pair of semiconductor switching elements; wherein a variable dead time preparation circuit is provided in the drive means, and the variable dead time preparation circuit enables dead time to remain constant at below a predetermined frequency and causes the dead time to increase sharply at a point above a predetermined frequency.
US09357582B2
A 3GPP LTE protocol enhancement realizes the full benefit of dynamic frequency sharing systems by enhancing current Secondary-Cell (SCell) release mechanisms to support Licensed Shared Access (LSA) when LSA frequency bands are reclaimed. An enhanced signaling mechanism to reduces over-the-air signaling overhead in Carrier Aggregated enabled Evolved Node Bs by using broadcast messages rather than generating individual message exchanges with each User Equipment (UE) for release of SCells. A UE comprises a processor and transceiver configured to receive, on a Licensed Shared Access (LSA) frequency band, a broadcast paging message indicating transmission of a System Information Block 2 carrying Radio Resource Control (RRC) information in a next modification period, receive the SIB2 on the LSA frequency band, wherein the radio resource control information comprises a list of excluded SCells, read the list of excluded SCells, and reconfigure RRC connection information to release SCells identified in the list of excluded SCells.
US09357581B2
Methods and apparatus for a providing information to a core network where a terminal exchanges data with a cache in an access network. The node stores data in the cache. Data is exchanged between the cache and the terminal, and information relating to the exchanged data is provided to the core network. This allows the core network to apply normal core network functions such as LI, charging and policy control, 10 even when the data does not pass through the core network.
US09357579B2
Methods and systems for a handheld portable communication device for configuring connection to and use of local and remote resources are disclosed and may include discovering available networks and resources, establishing a route between the handheld wireless communication device and a selected one or more of the available resources via a selected one or more of the available networks based on user preference criteria stored in the handheld wireless communication device, and communicating multimedia data between the handheld wireless communication device and the selected one or more of the available resources via the established route. The established route may be dynamically adjusted, based on network availability and bandwidth. The handheld wireless communication device may communicate utilizing a plurality of wireless protocols. The preference criteria stored in the handheld wireless communication device may be dynamically adjusted. The resources may be local or remote to the handheld wireless communication device.
US09357559B1
A long term evolution (LTE) base station and wireless resource scheduling method thereof are provided. The LTE base station receives a transmission period, a tolerable time shift, a start transmission time instant, and a required resource amount from each of a plurality of machine type communication apparatuses. The LTE base station decides a scheduling time length according to the transmission periods, decides a scheduling interval according to a start scheduling time instant and the scheduling time length, decides at least one transmission time instant for each machine type communication apparatus according to the transmission periods, the tolerable time shifts, the start transmission time instants, and the required resource amounts, and transmits each of the at least one transmission time instant to the corresponding machine type communication apparatus so that each of the machine type communication apparatus transmits data according to the corresponding at least one transmission time instant.
US09357557B2
Aspects disclosed herein relate to channel and interference estimations in a coordinated multi-point (CoMP) environment. In the disclosed aspects, an eNB may be equipped to signal an identifier indicating a plurality of resource patterns, each associated with a resource pattern group, and each including a first resource element pattern for channel estimation and a second resource element pattern for interference estimation. The UE may be equipped to receive the signaling and perform channel estimation based at least in part on the first resource element pattern, and interference estimation based at least in part on the second resource pattern generate at least one channel state report based on the channel and interference estimations, and transmit at least one channel state report to an eNB. The eNB may determine one or more resources for use by the UE based on the at least one received channel state report.
US09357556B2
A method for adjusting a guard period in a base station for a cellular wireless communication system. The base station is adapted to communicate in a frame structure comprising a downlink frame followed by the guard period followed by an uplink frame. Interference in dependence on time from at least one interfering base station is measured. An uplink frame start time within the frame structure is adjusted based on the measured interference. Also disclosed are a related base station, a related network management entity, a related computer program product, and related method for operating the network entity.
US09357555B2
The present invention prevents performance degradation caused by a multiplication frequency of a memory clock in a wireless communication system by changing a frequency of the memory clock so that a multiplication frequency is not sufficiently close to a transmission/reception frequency that will cause noise or interference with a data transmission/reception. A communication apparatus according to the present invention includes a controller comprising at least one processor; and a memory for operating at a clock provided from the controller. The controller checks a communication frequency, determines whether the communication frequency is a value in a range of interference from a multiplication frequency of a memory clock frequency, and changes the memory clock frequency.
US09357552B1
In order to provide better wireless service to wireless communication devices (WCDs) at different altitudes (e.g., on different levels of a high-rise structure), a radio access network (RAN) may include antennas that are configured to provide coverage at these different altitudes. The RAN may assign resources, such as transmit power or frequencies, to wireless coverage areas serving particular altitude ranges in a proportion that is commensurate with the number of WCDs being served by these particular altitude ranges. As a result, RAN and WCD performance may improve.
US09357545B2
There is a problem that when a closed subscriber group (CSG) cell available to subscribers is installed in a macro cell area, communication cannot be performed due to the interference between a macro cell and the CSG cell in an area thereof. The CSG cell that is provided in the CSG cell area and transmits a downlink synchronization signal using a radio frame assigns control signals to a first subframe and a second subframe among a plurality of subframes constituting the radio frame, and the macro cell that is provided in the macro cell area and transmits a downlink synchronization signal using the radio frame assigns control signals to a third subframe and a fourth subframe, which are shifted from the first subframe and the second subframe by a predetermined number of subframes, respectively, among the plurality of subframes constituting the radio wave, the CSG cell and the macro cell being configured to perform transmission in synchronization with each other.
US09357535B2
A method for transmitting a reference signal by a base station (BS) in a wireless communication system; and the BS are discussed. The method according to one embodiment includes generating a reference signal sequence; applying an orthogonal sequence to the reference signal sequence; and mapping the reference signal sequence to which the orthogonal sequence is applied to a resource for each antenna port. One antenna port is included any one of first and second antenna port sets, and a configuration of antenna ports contained in each antenna port set is changed according to a number of available resource elements (REs) of a physical resource block (PRB) pair. If the number of available REs is lower than a predetermined threshold value, each of the first and second antenna port sets includes antenna ports corresponding to orthogonal sequences capable of performing despreading using a spreading factor.
US09357533B2
A system and method is disclosed for resource block-specific control signaling in a communication system. Communication data is transmitted using a transmission channel comprising a plurality of resource blocks defined by allocating time-frequency slots in a transmission resource. Resource block control information is transmitted in a “feed-forward” manner to a user end (UE) or group of UEs using channels physically mapped into scheduled resource blocks (RBs) for that user or group of users. Embodiments of the invention provide an RB-specific control channel that comprises RB control elements that are embedded within scheduled resource blocks. The invention, therefore, reduces the amount of control information that must be transmitted by common or shared control channels.
US09357528B2
In a heterogeneous network deployment that includes one or more macro base stations and one or more low power nodes, a technique can be provided to encode network operational information using phase differences in synchronization signals transmitted by a network node. The synchronization signals may be one of the first signals that a user equipment (UE) attempts to locate when attempting to join a wireless network. The phase-encoded network operational information indicates to the UE where to locate a geometry indicator transmission from a low power node that is a part of the network, but is not the node that transmits the synchronization signals. The geometry indicator transmission may include identity information for the transmitting node and may be transmitted at a pre-determined nominal transmit power.
US09357527B2
A carrier aggregation apparatus includes a first carrier aggregation scheduler, which is configured to receive user information of a first user equipment UE, carrier information for carrier aggregation, and information about a first baseband board and to schedule carriers according to the user information of the first UE, the carrier information for carrier aggregation, and the information about the first baseband board. The scheduling result indicates carriers used for the first UE.
US09357517B2
Apparatuses and methods for receiving and transmitting signals are provided. A baseband processor includes receiver circuitry including single carrier receiver circuitry for demodulating a received single carrier signal and multi-carrier receiver circuitry for demodulating a received multi-carrier signal. The single carrier receiver circuitry includes a first digital interpolator, and the multi-carrier receiver circuitry includes a second digital interpolator. Symbol timing recovery is executed by adjusting an interpolation phase of the first digital interpolator or the second digital interpolator. The baseband processor also includes transmitter circuitry for encoding a signal to be transmitted. The baseband processor further includes a clock coupled to the receiver circuitry and coupled to the transmitter circuitry. The clock is configured to supply a clock signal that is processed to generate clock sampling frequencies for sending and receiving a single carrier signal and a multi-carrier signal.
US09357505B2
Described embodiments provide a digital unit for controlling a plurality of radio units to transmit a signal to user equipment. The digital unit may determine whether user equipment is located at an overlapping service area of a first radio unit and a second radio unit and control the first radio unit to transmit a signal to the user equipment using the first antenna and control the second radio unit to transmit the same signal to the user equipment using the second antenna when the user equipment is located in the overlapping service area. A transmission pattern of the first antenna of the first radio unit may be different from a transmission pattern of the second antenna of the second radio unit.
US09357502B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for controlling transmission power of the base station in a wireless communication system and includes calculating signal-to-noise ratio of a target component carrier and recovering the signal-to-noise ratio to be equal to or greater than a threshold by increasing a transmission power to a predetermined level and requesting, when the signal-to-noise ratio is less than a predetermined threshold, a neighbor base station to decrease the transmission power. According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the inter-cell interference and improve channel utilization efficiency, resulting in improvement of the throughput of the wireless communication system.
US09357501B2
A method for transmitting a physical protocol data unit (PPDU) in a wireless local area network (WLAN) is provide. The method includes generating a PPDU frame comprising a signal field and a data field and transmitting the PPDU frame, in which a transmission bandwidth for transmitting the signal field is fixed, but a transmission bandwidth for transmitting the data field is variable.
US09357498B2
A method (200) and device (300) for saving energy in a wireless communication device configured to maintain a persistent communication session over a wireless network with an application server are disclosed. The method (200) can include: opening (210) a persistent communication session with an application server via a cellular network; measuring (220) a round trip time from sending a message to the application server to receiving an acknowledgement message from the application server; and automatically transitioning (230) the device from a first operating state to a second operating state after an amount of time in the absence of subsequent data traffic exceeding a predetermined threshold, wherein power consumption associated with the second operating state is less than power consumption associated with the first operating state, and the predetermined threshold is a function of the measured round trip time.
US09357497B2
An average power consumption of receiving units (3,5,7) for controlling apparatuses (4,6,8) in response to operation control signals from transmitting units (2) may be reduced by introducing devices (1,21) for controlling the power consumption of the receiving units (3,5,7) in response to detections of states of the apparatuses (4,6,8). The devices (1) may comprise controllers (30) for controlling the power consumption in a wireless, non-wireless, physical and/or logical manner. The devices (1) may comprise monitors (33) for monitoring power consumption, currents and/or voltages at the receiving units (3,5,7) and/or the apparatuses (4,6,8). The devices (1) may comprise receivers (40), detectors (41), converters (42) and transmitters (43) for receiving the operation control signals, detecting the states of the apparatuses (4,6,8), converting the operation control signals into converted signals, and transmitting the operation control signals or the converted signals to the receiving units (3,5,7) for controlling the power consumption of the receiving units (3,5,7) via the transmitted signals, wherein the transmitted signals correspond to power control signals.
US09357487B2
The present invention relates to a multi-carrier resource utilization method and apparatus for power saving in a communication system using a multi-carrier, in which the activation of a secondary carrier for transmitting and receiving data traffic between a terminal and a base station is determined according to the QoS (Quality of Service) requirements such as a data traffic status between the terminal and the base station, a maximum sustained traffic rate, a maximum traffic burst size, or the like, and an indication message (Indication) indicating this is transferred to the terminal through a primary carrier to transmit and receive data traffic through the activated secondary carrier.
US09357484B2
One or more implementations can include methods, systems and computer readable media for elastic wireless control planes. In some implementations, the method can include evaluating one or more elastic wireless control plane mode factors, and partitioning each of a plurality of access points into one of an active mode group and a sleep mode group based on the evaluating. The method can also include determining a number of wireless control plane instances needed based on the partitioning. The method can further include activating the number of wireless control plane instances and shutting down any excess wireless control plane instances beyond the number.
US09357474B2
This disclosure relates generally to public land mobile network searching. A device, method, and/or system may include for each of at least one mobile network identity, each mobile network identity separately associated to a different mobile network, sequentially assessing, with a processor, for each mobile network identity, identity information sets corresponding to one of the at least one mobile network identity for a location code corresponding to the mobile network associated with the one of the mobile network identities, presenting, on a user interface, information related to the mobile network corresponding to the location code as identified. Upon the location code corresponding to the mobile network having been identified, the processor ceases assessing identity information sets corresponding to the mobile network identity for the location code.
US09357467B1
A wireless communication device to facilitate attachment to a serving wireless access node, the wireless communication device comprises a wireless communication transceiver and a processing system. The wireless communication transceiver is configured to receive a list identifying approved wireless access nodes based on a quality of service level associated with the wireless communication device, and receive a request to report measurements of a plurality of neighboring wireless access nodes. The processing system is configured to process the list identifying the approved wireless access nodes with the plurality of neighboring wireless access nodes to determine a subset of the neighboring wireless access nodes included in the list of approved wireless access nodes, and perform radio frequency (RF) measurements on the subset of the neighboring wireless access nodes. The wireless communication transceiver is further configured to transmit a report of the RF measurements on the subset of the neighboring wireless access nodes.
US09357464B2
An apparatus configured to operate in a telecommunications network comprising a first base station configured to serve at least a first cell and a second base station configured to serve at least a second cell, wherein said apparatus comprises a controller configured to receive measurements related to a successful handover of a user equipment from a first cell to a second cell, wherein said measurements relate to measurements being taken before and/or during said handover.
US09357459B2
A method and apparatus for cross link (XL) establishment are disclosed. In the method and apparatus, a XL between a terminal wireless transmit/receive unit (T-WTRU) and a helper WTRU (H-WTRU) is established. The T-WTRU and the H-WTRU may be configured to operate in a plurality of RRC states and a plurality of RRC substates. To establish the XL, neighbor discovery, association information exchange, and a H-WTRU selection may be performed. Radio resource control (RRC) configuration of the T-WTRU and the H-WTRU may also be performed. In the method and apparatus, coverage for a T-WTRU may be handed over between a network and a H-WTRU or between two H-WTRUs.
US09357456B2
A handover control method and apparatus for limiting handover of a User Equipment (UE) from a macrocell to an underlying small cell when the UE is operating in a High Speed Mobility (HSM) mode in a radio access network. The UE receives an HSM pilot strength threshold offset parameter from the network and initiates handover from a macrocell to an underlying small cell using a first pilot strength threshold value when the UE is operating in a standard mode. The UE initiates the handover using a second pilot strength threshold value when the UE is operating in HSM mode. The second pilot strength threshold value is equal to the first pilot strength threshold value modified by the HSM pilot strength threshold offset parameter.
US09357447B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a cell handover method and a device. so that the target eNB uses a current serving small node as a user plane serving node after UE is handed over and uses the target eNB as a control plane serving node after the UE is handed over; receiving a handover request acknowledgment sent by the target eNB; and sending offloading configuration information of the current serving small node to the current serving small node, and sending RRC reconfiguration information of the UE to the UE, so that offloading configuration is performed separately by the current serving small node and the UE. This avoids a problem that in a cell handover process, a transmission resource required for transmission increases and a delay is relatively great because the current serving small node forwards a large amount of data to the target eNB.
US09357435B2
A method and a system for handling audio packets in a Voice over Long Term Evolution (VoLTE) call by a User Equipment (UE) when Robust Header Compression (ROHC) is enabled are provided. The Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) layer provides the VoLTE call properties to the ROHC compressor. The TCP/IP layer receives the audio packets from audio engine and sends the Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) packets to a ROHC compressor. Further, the ROHC compressor compresses the Internet Protocol/User Datagram Protocol (IP/UDP) headers and a RTP header. The ROHC compressor sends the compressed RTP data along with a payload to the network in the UpLink (UL) data path. During DownLink (DL) data path, ROHC decompressor receives compressed ROHC packet from network. The ROHC decompressor ignores the construction of IP/UDP headers for the compressed data.
US09357419B2
The present invention relates to a wireless communication system. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for reporting channel state information, the method and the apparatus comprising the following steps: measuring downlink signals from a plurality of base stations; feeding back a first channel state information on a first base station in subband units, wherein the first channel state information includes identification information for indicating a corresponding subband; and feeding back a second channel state information on a second base station in subband units, wherein the subband which corresponds to the second channel state information is set to be identical to the subband which corresponds to the first channel state information, and wherein the second channel state information does not include identification information for indicating the corresponding subband.
US09357418B2
The present invention relates to a method for processing a signal of a terminal in a wireless communication system. Specifically, the method comprises the steps of: performing a measurement on a first cell in one or more specific subframes; configuring report information which includes the measurement result, together with an indicator indicating that the measurement has been performed in the one or more specific subframes; and transmitting the report information to a second cell, wherein the one or more specific subframes are configured to have different interference levels from other subframes.
US09357417B2
System Information (SI) of a second node of a wireless network is obtained for a wireless device that is communicating with a first node of the wireless network. In response to at least one criterion, one or more of the following operations are performed, to obtain the SI of the second node: decoding at least one channel of the second node to obtain the SI of the second node; receiving the SI of the second node from a node other than the second node; and/or inferring at least one component of the SI of the second node based on a corresponding at least one component of the SI of the first node. Related systems, methods, nodes and wireless devices are also described.
US09357415B2
A user equipment for obtaining data for observing performance related to Random Access in a cellular radio system is provided. The user equipment can connect to the system. In order to provide the network/system with data for observing the random access procedure the user equipment measures and stores data needed to compute measurements to be reported to the system. The user equipment further generates a measurement report, and transmits the measurement report based on a trigger event.
US09357412B2
A communication control method that is applied to a mobile communication system including an X2 interface established between a first base station and a second base station, comprises: a step A of transmitting, by the first base station, a first X2 message to the second base station through the X2 interface. In the step A, the first base station adds first measurement information for measuring communication delay between the first base station and the second base station to the first X2 message, and transmits the first X2 message.
US09357400B2
A method and a radio node (RN) shared by operators of separate cellular networks having operator specific tracking area plans. The radio node (RN) broadcasts (1:1) system information with network identities of the cellular networks (PLMN IDs) and multiple operator specific tracking area codes (TACs) valid in respective tracking area plans of the cellular networks, each tracking area code being associated with a corresponding network identity in the system information. Thereby, the operators are enabled to use their own operator specific tracking area codes for their respective operator specific tracking areas that include a cell (100) covered by the radio node.
US09357398B2
A radio base station (eNB1), which is used in a radio communication system that can autonomously adjust, based on load information transmitted/received between radio base stations, the radio base station parameters used for defining coverage, comprises: a network communication unit (140) that can receive, from another radio base station, first load information indicating the load level of the other radio base station and that can transmit, to the other radio base station, a request for transmission of second load information the information amount of which is greater than that of the first load information; and a control unit (120) that, when the load level of the other radio base station indicated by the received first load information satisfies a given condition, controls such that the request for transmission of the second load information is transmitted to the other radio base station.
US09357395B1
A Environmental Sensing Capability (ESC) is provided that facilitates the protection of a non-informing incumbent spectrum user in a dynamic spectrum sharing environment. The ESC, which consists of a plurality of spectrum sensors, may establish a geographic partitioning strategy within which each partitioned geographic service area may be individually managed according to a finite state machine. Incumbent users may receive radio frequency interference protection without disclosing the details of their spectrum operations.
US09357393B2
A proper communication service is provided according to use by a user. An information processing apparatus is an information processing apparatus that includes a control unit and a provision unit. At this point, the control unit performs control for lending to a wireless communication apparatus a connection right that is used in providing a specific service, the connection right being for connecting to a predetermined network using wireless communication. Furthermore, the provision unit provides the wireless communication apparatus that is connected using the lent connection right, with the specific service using the wireless communication.
US09357390B2
Methods and apparatus for communicating with the Internet via a gateway are disclosed. The gateway may be a Radio Access Network (RAN) gateway. The gateway may communicate data with at least one user equipment (UE). The gateway may route the data via one or more interfaces. The data may be routed by bypassing a core network.
US09357389B2
The present invention provides a security identity discovery method, through hiding or omitting MAC addresses of the first station and a second station in a frame for identity discovery between the two stations, adopting identity codes to identify the identities of the two stations and authenticating the identities by using a ciphertext, improves the degree of privacy protection during identity discovery of the stations.
US09357388B2
A method includes receiving swipe pattern sensed information from a touchscreen device representative of a user attempting to swipe an authentication pattern to authenticate the user, displaying a set of multiple different symbols including a user known symbol when the swipe reaches a known point in the authentication pattern, receiving a selection of the user known symbol, and authenticating the user based on proper selection of the user known symbol and completion of the authentication pattern.
US09357387B2
By allowing the option of placing an Logical Link Control (LLC)-entity within the Base Station Subsystem (BSS) an improved system performance in the form of mobile stations experiencing reduced information acquisition times can be achieved by using a cache memory in the BSS. A method in the BSS can include receiving one or more LLC Packet Data Units (PDUs) from a mobile station, and extracting Sub Network (SN)-PDU(s) contained in each LLC PDU and reassembling the SN-PDU(s) to recover a single N-PDU. The N-PDU is determined to include a request for information using an LLC entity in the base station subsystem. Content of a cache memory in the base station subsystem is determined to correspond to the request for information indicated by the N-PDU. A response to the request for information from the mobile station is made using the content of cache memory in the base station subsystem.
US09357385B2
An electronic device obtains a device password associated with the new enrollee device to be configured for a communication network. The device password is provided to a network registrar to cause the network registrar to configure the new enrollee device for the communication network. The network registrar performs an enrollment process based upon the device password and provides feedback to the electronic device to indicate whether or not the new enrollee device was successfully added to the communication network. Alternatively, when an electronic device detects the presence of a new enrollee device to be configured for the communication network, the electronic device generates a device password for the new enrollee device and provides the device password to the new enrollee device and to the network registrar, thereby causing the network registrar to initiate an enrollment process for the new enrollee device based upon the device password.
US09357375B2
In a telecommunications system including a plurality of different networks, terminals and smart cards, each terminal is usable in a particular network in association with one of the smart cards when that smart card is registered with that network. Each smart card carries secret information specific to its registered home network and with which the network can authenticate the smart card and allow use of the terminal with which that smart card is associated. Each smart card may be registered with one of the networks as its home network, selectively de-registered from its home network, and re-registered with a different one of the networks as its home network by obtaining data including an International Mobile Subscriber Identifier for use with that network. The Identifier is transmitted to the smart card, and the secret information relating to a particular network activated when registering or re-registering the smart card with that network.
US09357369B2
In compliance with regulatory requirements imposed on multicarrier wired/wireless network carriers, the disclosed system receives input representing a selection of a street address to be used as a current location associated with a user identity. The system determines an expiration date associated with the street address, designates the street address as a validated emergency contact location for the user identity in response to determining that the expiration date associated with the street address has not expired. The system thereafter permits the establishment of communications between the system and a disparate wireless network device associated with a multicarrier wireless network.
US09357364B2
A method of linking a function of a terminal includes recognizing a face included in a photo, determining whether there is phonebook information having a photo of a face matched with the recognized face, and generating a gallery-phonebook file. The matched phonebook information is linked with the recognized face. The phonebook information of the gallery-phonebook file is based on the phonebook file stored in the storage unit and a controller determines whether or not to update the phonebook file if a recording date of the phonebook information included in the gallery-phonebook file is older than generation date of the phonebook file stored in the storage unit.
US09357359B2
The disclosure is related to dynamically applying quality of service (QoS) to a call. An aspect determines a packet transmission state of a subscriber on the call, determines whether or not the QoS is allocated to the subscriber, and allocates the QoS to the subscriber based on the QoS not being allocated to the subscriber and the packet transmission state indicating that the subscriber is sending packets.
US09357358B2
A system for enabling tracking and communication between units in a team, typically used for military or rescue operations. The system, known as Command and Control System, has a handheld central unit with a display for showing positions of team units and portable team units having GPS, compass and radio communication function for sending and receipt of positions and alarms and for receiving text messages, a display for showing own positions and bearings. The units have the ability to send data directly or relayed between each other and that each unit can be assigned one or more roles.
US09357357B2
A computing device of a peer-to-peer group for a wireless communication protocol may determine that a peer-to-peer connection for the group transports an application flow sourced by a Group Owner to a client of the Group Owner. The computing devices of the group select the client that receives the application flow sourced by the Group Owner to be a new Group Owner for the group. As a consequence, the computing device of the group that receives the application flow is the new Group Owner and, as a result, the Group Owner for the group receives the application flow whereas prior to the selection of the new Group Owner the Group Owner transmitted the application flow.
US09357349B2
A method, computer readable medium and apparatus for determining a location of a user endpoint device in a wireless network are disclosed. For example, the method receives from each of a plurality of base stations a plurality of signals and a plurality of times of arrival, wherein each of the plurality of times of arrival is associated with a particular signal of the plurality of signals, and determines the location of the wireless endpoint device from the plurality of signals and the plurality of times of arrival.
US09357348B2
The principles described herein provide methods and systems for locating a tracking device. In particular, one disclosed method includes associating a user with a tracking device, receiving an indication that the tracking device is lost, setting a flag indicating that the tracking device is lost, receiving a location within a proximity of the tracking device from one of a plurality of mobile devices associated with a community of users, and providing the location to the user.
US09357347B2
A method for aggregating messages based on a point of interest is provided, the method including: acquiring an instruction to trigger a point of interest; acquiring a region unit in which the point of interest is located from an electronic map which is divided into a plurality of region units in advance, and acquiring a predetermined number of region units including the region unit in which the point of interest is located by taking the region unit in which the point of interest is located as a center; acquiring messages issued within the predetermined number of region units; and generating a message aggregating page including a map indicative of the point of interest based on the acquired messages and displaying the acquired messages on the message aggregating page. A system for aggregating messages based on a point of interest is also provided.
US09357346B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method for indoor mapping. The indoor mapping system may receive wireless signals from wireless devices located in an area and create a wireless signal fingerprint that identifies each signal and the strength of the signal. A user may identify the location that the wireless signal fingerprint was taken on a geo-referenced map. After the wireless signal fingerprints for an area have been mapped, a user may determine a location by taking a wireless signal fingerprint and comparing the wireless signal fingerprint to previously taken wireless signal fingerprints.
US09357343B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: generating a time fence with a control unit based on a provider location relative to a travel waypoint; generating a notification based on the time fence meeting or below a tolerable time threshold; and communicating the notification based on a delivery type for providing on a device.
US09357340B2
The invention is a method of configuring a device and a wireless unit. The device is able to operate in tag mode and in wireless reader mode. The wireless unit is able to operate in wireless reader mode and in a card emulation mode. The method comprises the steps of: reading a setting data into the device running in tag mode, the setting data corresponding to a first configuration and being read by the wireless unit which operates in wireless reader mode, activating the first configuration in the unit, writing an acknowledgment data into the device and switching the unit to the card emulation mode, switching the device to the wireless reader mode when the presence of the acknowledgment data is detected in the device.
US09357336B2
An information providing method using a mobile terminal is provided. The method includes placing the mobile terminal within a communication range of a sensor based Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device previously registered in the mobile terminal, receiving identification information and sensing information detected by the sensor based BLE device from the sensor based BLE device, extracting notification information corresponding to the received identification information of the sensor based BLE device, comparing a previously set reference sensing information included in the extracted notification information and the received sensing information, and outputting a notification message included in the notification information based on the comparison of the previously set reference sensing information and the received sensing information.
US09357334B2
A method for performing network reentry by a Machine to Machine (M2M) device in a wireless communication system is provided. In the method, the M2M device receives information associated with an uplink resource for transmitting a ranging request message from a base station and transmits the ranging request message to the base station based on the received information associated with the uplink resource. The information associated with the uplink resource is masked with a random access identifier (RA-ID) and the RA-ID includes an indicator that indicates an M2M device dedicated ranging channel.
US09357333B2
A location information based application is installed on a mobile terminal. The mobile terminal 10 is communicatively connected to an application selection server 200 for selecting an application and an application server 300 for transmitting an application. The mobile terminal 10 receives an activation of a predetermined portal application from a user, identifies a current location of the mobile terminal, transmits the identified location to application selection server 200 in response to the activation of the portal application, receives from the application selection server 200 a data about an application selected by the application selection server 200, determines whether the selected application has been installed on the mobile terminal 10 in response to the data about the selected application, and installs the selected application by accessing the application server 300 when it is determined that the selected application has not been installed on the mobile terminal.
US09357331B2
Systems and apparatuses for a secure mobile cloud framework (referred to as MobiCloud) for mobile computing and communication are disclosed. Embodiments of MobiCloud transfer each mobile node from a traditional strictly layer-structured communication node into a service node (SN). Each SN may be used as a service provider or a service broker according its capability. Each SN may be incorporated as a virtualized component of the MobiCloud. In some embodiments, MobiCloud mirrors an SN to one or multiple virtual images in the Cloud for addressing communication and computation deficiencies of mobile devices. Virtual images can create a visualized MANET routing and communication layer that can maximally assist the mobile nodes to enable pervasive computing services for each mobile device owner. A secure data processing framework is disclosed for the MobiCloud.
US09357314B2
A method includes determining a first feature of a first audio signal at a first location in a signal processing path and determining, using the first feature, a first environmental classification of the first signal. Further, the method includes, based on the first environmental classification, enabling, modifying or disabling one or both of a first signal processing mode at the first location and a second signal processing mode at a second location in the signal processing path. The method also includes determining a second feature of a second audio signal at the second location and determining, using the second feature, a second environmental classification of the second signal. Further, the method includes, based on the second environmental classification, enabling, modifying or disabling one or both of the first signal processing mode at the first location and the second signal processing mode at the second location.
US09357309B2
Control of audio output characteristics of the device is contemplated. The control may correspond with modifying the audio output characteristics according to an orientation of the device or other positional relationships defined between the device, the output from the device and/or speaker positioning that may vary as a result of user manipulation or an environment within which the device is being used.
US09357307B2
A system and method for suppressing noise in one or more of at least first and second channels include obtaining a magnitude difference of signals in the first and second channels, obtaining a magnitude sum of signals in the first and second channels, obtaining a ratio of the magnitude difference to the magnitude sum, generating an attenuation value based on the ratio, selecting an attenuator based on the magnitude difference, and attenuating a signal in a channel by the attenuation value using the selected attenuator.
US09357306B2
A method comprising: generating at least one audio signal to be output by at least one speaker for a multi-speaker system; receiving at least two output signals, the at least two output signals provided by at least two microphones and based on the at least one acoustic wave output by the at least one speaker in response to the at least one audio signal; determining a directional component associated with the at least two output signals; and comparing the directional component with an expected location of the at least one speaker.
