US09352474B2

A knife includes a body that includes a handle section, a substantially circular blade housing section, and a blade including a cutting edge having substantially the same radius of curvature of the blade housing. The substantially circular blade housing section extends substantially perpendicular from the handle section. The blade extends longitudinally out of the blade housing at a position substantially 180° away from the position of the handle section along the circumference of the blade housing and terminates in a sharp point. The width of the blade at the portion immediately adjacent to the blade housing and opposite the blade point is substantially equal to the diameter of the blade housing.
US09352473B2

A knife includes a handle, a blade including a cutting edge and coupled to the handle so that the blade can pivot about a pivot point relative to the handle between an extended position and a retracted position. The knife further includes a first locking member configured to selectively retain the blade in the extended position and movable to allow the pivotal movement of the blade from the extended position to the retracted position. The knife also includes a second locking member configured to selectively retain the blade in the retracted position and movable to allow the pivotal movement of the blade from the retracted position to the extended position. The knife also includes a push button that is movable relative to the handle, the push button operable to move the second locking member to allow the pivotal movement of the blade from the retracted position to the extended position.
US09352472B1

The instant disclosure relates to a direction-adjustable jig, which includes a base, a sliding member, and a hinge member. The base is topped with a platform having a pair of guide rails. The two guide rails extend in opposite directions and are parallel to each other. The sliding member is disposed on the platform and capable of reciprocating motion. The hinge member is disposed on the platform and pivotally connected to one end of the sliding member. The hinge member is rotatable above the base. The hinge member further has a pair of protruding guide teeth. The guide teeth are perpendicular to each other and insertable into the guide rails.Through the motion of the sliding member on the platform, the guide teeth of the hinge member can be inserted into respective guide rails, such that the hinge member can rotate above the base and change its direction.
US09352471B1

A substrate gripper apparatus is provided. Substrate gripper apparatus includes a body, a first slide member moveable relative to the body, a first finger mounting member coupled to the first slide member, a first lower finger coupled to the first finger mounting member, and a first pivoting finger coupled to the first finger mounting member. First pivoting member may impose a force on a substrate due to gravity. Methods of operating the substrate gripper apparatus as well as other aspects are provided.
US09352466B2

A system and method for adjusting the position and orientation of a feed arm associated with a wafer handling robot. In one embodiment, the system includes a positioning plate detachably carried by the feed arm and insertable therewith into a wafer carrier. The positioning plate includes graphic alignment indicia. An alignment apparatus is provided configured for insertion into wafer-holding slots in the wafer carrier. The apparatus includes at least one digital image sensor. With the positioning plate and alignment apparatus located in the wafer carrier, an image of the alignment indicia is displayed on a video monitor by the image sensor for comparison to a reference mark superimposed on the monitor for determining the relative position and orientation of the feed arm with respect to the wafer carrier. Some embodiments of the apparatus further include a distance detection device to measure the distance to the plate.
US09352465B2

A control method for a robot apparatus including a power supply unit, an articulated arm having a plurality of joints each having an actuator and a driver, and a control device includes determining by the control device whether a total of required power in all of the actuators is equal to or lower than an allowable power of the power supply unit by using a trajectory through teaching points for moving the articulated arm from a first position/attitude to a second position/attitude before the articulated arm starts moving, and if not, resetting by the control device the trajectory for moving the articulated arm from the first position/attitude to the second position/attitude to a trajectory causing a total of required powers in all of the actuators to be equal to or lower than the allowable power of the power supply unit.
US09352460B2

A holding device for hand machine tools, in particular a drill and/or a chipping hammer holding device, includes a hammer tube and at least one blocking body, which, when installed, connects the hammer tube to at least one additional holding component. The blocking body is provided with at least one blocking surface that is curved around at least one load tipping axis.
US09352443B2

A platen assembly includes a platen body, a polishing pad, and a fountain slurry supplier. The platen body has an upper surface. The polishing pad is disposed on the upper surface of the platen body. The fountain slurry supplier is at least partially disposed on the upper surface of the platen body for supplying slurry up onto the polishing pad.
US09352442B2

Implementations disclosed herein allow a printed circuit board (PCB) to be removeably secured to a lapping carrier. The lapping carrier may include a clamping mechanism and one or more alignment pins that thread through corresponding holes in the PCB. In other implementations, the lapping carrier includes insulation that prevents current leakage or short-circuiting of electrical paths on the PCB during contact with the clamping mechanism.
US09352439B2

An apparatus for grinding a substrate is disclosed. In one aspect, the apparatus includes an inlet which receives a jig seated with a substrate including a curved surface, a grinding part grinding the substrate conveyed from the inlet, and a washing part washing the substrate conveyed from the grinding part. The grinding part includes a plurality of rollers, and each roller includes a concave portion and a convex portion which are adjacently disposed and a plurality of brushes.
US09352438B2

Exemplary embodiments of the subject invention comprise methods and apparatus concerning balanced abrading of a tire surface by an abrading tool. Such an abrading tool may comprise a pair of counter-rotating, driven abrading members, each of the abrading members having a rotational axis generally extending laterally across the tool, the abrading members being spaced apart in a lateral direction of the tool by a desired distance, each of the abrading members having an abrading surface defined by at least one outer diameter, the abrading surface extending axially relative to the rotational axis of the abrading member, wherein each of the abrading has a shaft upon which each abrading member is arranged, each of the shafts being adapted to be driven by a driving source. The tool further includes a body to which each shaft and abrading member is attached.
US09352432B2

A tool for machining a curved profile along an axis of rotation X, said curved profile comprising at least one first section along a plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation X and at least one second section parallel to the axis of rotation X. The tool includes blocks, each having a clamping surface against which the profile can take support. The blocks include positioning elements against which the first section and the second section of the profile can take support, and an apparatus arranged to immobilize the profile which is adapted to occupy a first activated state, wherein it immobilizes the profile, and a second deactivated state, wherein it does not immobilize the profile. The tool includes manual presses for maintaining the profile flattened against the positioning elements until the profile immobilizing apparatus is in the activated state.
US09352425B2

A system and method for modifying a work piece surface of high melting temperature materials such as Advanced High Strength Steels, wherein a friction stir welding tool may include cutting elements located on the outside diameter of a collar assembly, wherein the collar assembly may be retrofitted for existing friction stir welding tools, or may be designed as a custom attachment for a new hybrid friction stir welding tool, wherein the surface of the work piece may be modified by removing detrimental flash and burr created during operation of the friction stir welding tool.
US09352421B2

Methods of additive manufacturing a superalloy component are disclosed. In one method a powder bed of superalloy powder is selectively scanned with a focused laser beam in a line-by-line manner; and the spacing between adjacent scan lines is no more than twice the layer thickness being formed. In another method a compressive stress treatment is applied to the surface of the final component prior to separation of said component from the substrate. In a further method a superalloy component is formed on a substrate and the method includes Hot Isostatic Processing of the component wherein the mass of the substrate is reduced prior to the Hot Isostatic Processing. The methods may be combined in a multi-step process.
US09352407B2

A thread whirling device 1 and a whirling ring 3, corresponding thereto, are presented, in which the whirling ring 3 can be attached in a hollow spindle 11 of the thread whirling device 1 in a simple and reliable manner using a combined bayonet-type and clamping connection.
US09352404B2

A monofilament metal sawing wire for a wire saw, which consists of a metal wire having a diameter D and comprising helical serrations which an amplitude A and wavelength B, wherein the wavelength B is less than 10,000 times the product of the amplitude and the diameter (A×D), and the amplitude A is between 0.010 and 0.400 times the diameter D, the values being expressed in millimeters. Equipment and a method for manufacturing such a wire involve causing the wire to vibrate between two guides while passing the wire between the guides. Such a wire can be used for sawing a block of hard material.
US09352398B2

A high-frequency spindle has a tube shaft extending along and rotatable about an axis, a chuck carried on a front end of the shaft, adapted to fit with a tool or tool holder, and a ball cage in the shaft and having a radially extending window. A locking ball os radially displaceable in the window between a holding position engaging in a seat of the tool and a freeing position clear of the seat. An angled surface is engageable radially with the ball, and an actuating rod is axially shiftable and coupled to the cage or to the angled surface. An actuator can axially shift the rod and thereby relatively axially displace the ball and the angled surface and cam the ball with the angled surface into the holding position. A primary spring biases the rod so as shift the ball with the angled surface into the holding position.
US09352393B2

An iron-based powder for powder metallurgy effectively prevents agglomeration of a lubricant, has excellent flowability, can evenly fill thin-walled cavities, keeps the ejection force after formation low, and does not lower sintered body strength by adhering either or both of an alloy component and a cutting ability improving agent to the surface of iron powder with a binder that has a melting point of 150° C. or lower, adhering carbon black to the surface of the binder, and setting the amount of free binder to 0.02 mass % or less.
US09352386B2

The present invention relates to a process for controlling the distribution of liquid metal flows of in a crystallizer for the continuous casting of thin slabs. In particular, the process applies to a crystallizer comprising perimetral walls which define a containment volume for a liquid metal bath insertable through a discharger placed in the middle of the bath. The process includes arranging a plurality of electromagnetic brakes, each for generating a braking zone within said bath, and activating these electromagnetic brakes either independently or in groups according to characteristic parameters of the fluid-dynamic conditions of the liquid metal within the bath.
US09352378B1

A die necking apparatus comprising a co-axial helical cam set having a lower cam and an upper cam, the lower cam and upper cam sharing at least one mating surface, the lower cam attached to a co-axial cam center shaft, the upper cam attached to a co-axial forming die, and wherein axial rotation of the upper cam is adjustable relative to the lower cam.
US09352366B2

A plastic bottle processing apparatus includes: an apparatus body having a conveying path section in which a plastic bottle is conveyed; and a label separating unit arranged in a middle of the conveying path section so as to separate a label from the plastic bottle. The label separating unit includes: a label cutting member that cuts the label of the plastic bottle, which is conveyed in the conveying path section along the axial direction of the plastic bottle; a heating member that heats the label cut by the label cutting member; and a brush member disposed so as to be able to make contact with the label heated by the heating member and remove the label from the plastic bottle body by making contact with the label.
US09352362B1

The invention has a container that can be a drum of standard size with a drum cover. The cover can have a closable lid secured with a latch, and can have an open lid safety switch. A control assembly adjacent the lid is provided. A solution level gauge and a low fluid shutoff are also provided. Internally, there can be an upper chamber and a lower chamber. The upper chamber is a dual use spray and immersion chamber, and can have spray manifolds therein. The lower chamber is a reservoir chamber that can, but is not required to, house a submersible pump and a heater. A seal can be provided between the upper and lower chambers. The assembly can be removed as a single unit or in segments from the container for cleaning and maintenance.
US09352346B2

A refillable fluid dispenser having a fluid reservoir defining a neck and a bottom walk; a filling valve; a dispenser member, such as a pump; a pusher that is mounted on the dispenser member; and a vent channel that extends along the fluid reservoir and that is made integrally with the fluid reservoir. The dispenser includes a stationary element that is mounted on the bottom wall of the fluid reservoir, the stationary element forming a vent passage that connects the outlet of the vent channel to the outside.
US09352331B1

A high capacity magnetic filter separates diamagnetic and/or paramagnetic substances from fluid streams. Diamagnetic solid substances are magnetized under an external magnetic field through coordinated interaction of diamagnetic solid substances with an inducement paramagnetic material (IPM). The magnetic filter serves as a separation zone created by the presence of IPM and magnets that are shielded from the IPM by non-magnetic sleeves or partitions. The IPM in the void volume between the magnets affords large surface area onto which diamagnetic and paramagnetic materials can contact and be attracted to. The relative position and distance of the magnetic source, such a magnetic bar or electromagnet, to the solid mixture of diamagnetic and IPM are adjusted to induce sufficiently strong magnetism in the diamagnetic solids which causes the diamagnetic solids to be attracted by the magnetic field as well. Both diamagnetic and paramagnetic substances can be removed from a liquid or gas.
US09352329B2

A modular system and method for producing urea from bio-mass includes means and steps for “homogenizing” a biomass feedstock stream having components with different bulk density BTU content into a stream having a consistent bulk density BTU content. The steps include cleaning the incoming bio-mass feedstock stream to remove non-organic matter, blending the cleaned bio-mass feedstock stream to obtain a homogeneous blend having a consistent bulk density BTU content, and milling the homogeneous blend bio-mass feedstock stream to a predetermined size no greater than 12 mm.
US09352296B2

A method and system for producing a synthesis gas in an oxygen transport membrane based reforming system is disclosed that carries out a primary reforming process, a secondary reforming process.
US09352294B1

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as fuels. For example, systems can use feedstock materials, such as cellulosic and/or lignocellulosic materials and/or starchy materials, to produce ethanol and/or butanol, e.g., by fermentation.
US09352291B2

A method for dispersing oil spilled into the aqueous environment comprising the treatment of the spilled oil with an oil dispersant composition comprising a phospholipid and a polysaccharide derivative is disclosed.
US09352286B2

A method comprises disposing, on a porous support membrane, an aqueous mixture comprising a crosslinkable polymer comprising a poly(meth)acrylate and/or poly(meth)acrylamide backbone, thereby forming an initial film layer, wherein the crosslinkable polymer comprises a side chain nucleophilic amine group capable of interfacially reacting with a multi-functional acid halide crosslinking agent to form a crosslinked polymer; contacting the initial film layer with a mixture comprising i) the multi-functional acid halide crosslinking agent, ii) an optional accelerator, and iii) an organic solvent, the organic solvent being a non-solvent for the crosslinkable polymer; and allowing the crosslinkable polymer to interfacially react with the crosslinking agent, thereby forming a composite filtration membrane comprising an anti-fouling selective layer comprising the crosslinked polymer.
US09352276B2

A swirl device for intermixing a reagent exhaust treatment fluid and an exhaust produced by an engine. The swirl device includes a cylindrical tube defining an inlet for receipt of the reagent exhaust treatment fluid and the exhaust, and a swirl member attached to the cylindrical tube. The swirl member conically expands outward from the cylindrical tube and includes a plurality of tabs separated by elongate slots. The plurality of tabs are configured to swirl and intermingle the reagent exhaust treatment fluid and the exhaust.
US09352271B2

Amine compositions comprising sterically hindered amines and associated methods are provided. In some embodiments, amine compositions of the present disclosure may be useful for selective removal of H2S from an acidic gas stream.
US09352265B2

A device and method for producing a reformate fuel from a hydrocarbon gas source. The invention enables the conversion of a dilute hydrocarbon gas into a more easily consumable reformate fuel. Gases having low concentrations of hydrocarbons are concentrated using a concentrator into a gaseous or liquid concentrated VOC fuel. The concentrated VOC fuel is then converted into a reformate using a reformer. The reformate is more easily consumed by an energy conversion device such as a combustion engine, fuel cell, sterling engine or similar device that converts chemical energy into kinetic or electrical energy. The reformer enables complex hydrocarbon fuels that are not normally suitable for use in an energy conversion device to be converted into a reformate. The reformate may be directly supplied into the energy conversion device.
US09352263B2

Embodiments of mechanisms of an air treatment system are provided. The air treatment system includes a heating tank having a heating chamber containing air. The air includes gas, water vapor, a number of contaminants floating thereon. The air treatment system further includes a cooling tank having a first cooling chamber receiving the air from the heating chamber. Some of the water vapor in the first cooling tank condenses to a number of droplets, and some of the contaminants are mixed with into the droplets.
US09352261B2

Embodiments described herein relate to a method for utilizing a roomside replaceable fan filter unit having an integral aerosol injector ring. The method begins by replacing a used filter from the fan filter unit with a replacement filter from a roomside of the fan filter unit. Air is then pulled into a housing of the replaceable fan filter unit and out through the replacement filter to the roomside by a fan module. Finally, an aerosol challenge is provided at a location adjacent and upstream of the fan module.
US09352249B2

A holding tank cover includes a gas permeable insulating membrane and a gas impermeable cover layer sized to overlay and conceal the gas permeable membrane. Together, the gas permeable membrane and the gas impermeable cover layer facilitate a controlled transmission of gas between an interior of the holding tank and an environment external to the holding tank.
US09352242B2

An illustrative toy vehicle is provided having a two-section chassis and a pivot mechanism rotatably attaching the two sections. The vehicle has the ability to move in multiple orientations and execute movements including a side rollover movement where the pivot mechanism assists in directing the vehicle to roll over from a first orientation to a second orientation about a central axis. A modified wheel design further assists in facilitating movements including the rollover movement. The vehicle may perform movements without user control where the vehicle responds to external factors, such as objects or terrain or the vehicle may use control systems such as radio or remote control with a transmitter/receiver pair, on vehicle switches or sensors utilizing interactive preprogrammed content.
US09352236B1

A floating entertainment and communication system is a floating multipurpose apparatus for use in conjunction with personal electronic devices while floating on a body of water. The system is designed to amplify audio from various audio sources such as personal music players and display video from video players that are able to be docked in one of the waterproof docking stations in the center column. The system has capabilities to have 2-way communication with a remote transreceiver for convenience and for rapid response in water related emergencies.
US09352235B1

The clamped slide assembly comprises a slide, a main body, at least one inner clamping panel, and a clamping unit. The slide has a platform. The main body is securely mounted on the platform. The at least one inner clamping panel is securely mounted on the platform. The clamping unit is movably mounted on the main body and has an outer clamping panel, a screwing rod, and a spanner. The outer clamping panel is spaced apart from the inner clamping panel. The screwing rod is screwed with the main body. The screwing rod is mounted through the outer clamping panel. The spanner is rotatably and eccentrically mounted around the screwing rod, and the outer clamping panel is pushed towards the main body and the inner clamping panel to fasten on an open riser stair, and the clamped slide assembly can achieve the goal of saving space.
US09352233B2

A recommendation service is provided for recommending computer video game titles to players. The recommendation service offers suggestions for game titles to purchase or rent based on playing usage related parameters for each particular player. A profile is created based on several factors that represents the player's affinity to each factor. Communication and use of player usage data may be strictly conditioned on a player's knowledge and consent.
US09352223B2

An example of a game system includes a plurality of game apparatuses, and a matching server decides game apparatuses as players (A, B), and game apparatuses as game masters (C-E) in response to a request from the game apparatus. During the game play, operation data in response to an operation input to each of the game apparatuses (A, B) is transmitted to the game apparatuses (C-E), and in the game apparatuses (C-E), game processing is executed. Result data of the game processing is transmitted to the game apparatuses (A, B). When the data is saved, the encoded game data is transmitted from each of the game apparatuses (C-E) to the game apparatuses (A, B), and saved there.
US09352222B2

A system and method for entering text within a video game application are described. For example, a system according to one embodiment of the invention comprises: a video game hosting service to execute a video game in response to user input; a client device to communicate with the video game hosting service over a first communication channel, wherein the client device has a first user input device communicatively coupled thereto, and wherein control signals for the video game are generated in response to input from the first user input device and transmitted from the client device to the video game hosting service over the first communication channel, the video game hosting service controlling a video game in response to receipt of the control signals; a display device communicatively coupled to the client device, the display device to display video of the video game; wherein the video game hosting service further includes program code to open a second communication channel to receive text input, the second communication channel being separate and independent from the first communication channel and usable by a data processing device capable of generating text input, wherein in response to receipt of text input over the second communication channel, the video game hosting service causes the text input to be displayed on the display device communicatively coupled to the client device.
US09352211B2

The present invention provides a glove comprises a main body adapted to receive a wearer's hand and a wrist cuff suspended over the main body. The main body further comprises a plurality of finger parts and a back hand part. The back hand part comprises a first protective panel hingedly connected at one end to the main body so that the first protective panel is suspend over the main body and slidably overlapped with a second protective panel. As the first protective panel slides over the second protective panel following the bending action of the fingers, a coordinated movement of the hand can be achieved. The second protective panel is also hingedly connected to the main body suspended over the main body and the wrist cuff, which allows for more coordinated rotating movement of the hand and the wrist following the bending action of the fingers.
US09352210B2

This invention concerns protective shoulder pads (2) having a release mechanism (7). The shoulder pads (2) protect an individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2) against impact to the superior, anterior, posterior and/or lateral regions of the shoulder and upper arm. Release mechanism (7) allows the protective shoulder pads (2) to be more safely and easily removed from the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2) while the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2) is maintained in the supine position, thus decreasing the risk of further injuring the individual wearing the protective shoulder pads (2).
US09352208B2

An electronic home plate providing assistance to an umpire in determination whether a pitch results in a “strike” or a “ball”. The electronic home plate is implemented with eye-safe LEDs producing light beams extending vertically. If a ball intersects the light beams, the light reflected from the ball is scattered and incident on photodetectors embedded in the home plate. A microcomputer embedded in the electronic home plate calculates the height of the ball crossing the light beams, and if the height falls between the top and bottom boundaries of a strike zone adjusted to the height of the batter, an indication system is activated to produce a “strike” signal. The microcomputer in the electronic home plate is further configured to calculate speed of the ball passing over the home plate, and the lateral position of the ball.
US09352205B2

A method and apparatus for swim training utilizing mirrors. Waterproof, shatterproof mirrors are used to assist in getting children acclimated to a swimming pool, and to provide an instructional amusement for beginning swimmers learning to go underwater. A mirror with a handle is provided allowing an instructor to hold the mirror with one hand while holding an infant with the other to allow the infant to see itself while in the water. The handle also attaches to the side or bottom of a swimming pool, allowing the mirror to be mounted underwater to amuse swimmers to see themselves when they go underwater. A method utilizes the hand held mirror to alternatively let an infant see himself while in the water, or be used as a motivational amusement device for novice swimmers, by mounting it underwater, allowing the swimmers to see themselves when they go underwater.
US09352203B2

Disclosed is a tension basketball shooting motor skill acquisition apparatus, comprising a horizontal-shaft, a rotating-arm, a sphere and a ball-axle passing through the sphere, wherein the horizontal-shaft and the ball-axle are connected via the rotating-arm, the sphere rotates around the ball-axle, the sphere, and the ball-axle and the rotating-arm rotate around the horizontal-shaft together, there is at least one device or spring between the sphere (or a fixed part of the sphere) and the rotating-arm which limits or releases the rotation of the sphere around the ball-axle; a hinge fixed on the sphere, a fingers-plate with a laser transmitter going though it connected to the hinge, wherein the fingers-plate rotates around the hinge. By means of the fingers-plate, the hinge, the sphere and the ball-axle rotating together around the horizontal-shaft and under extreme tension and guide of laser beam, the whole process of shooting at the basket is simulated orientationally. The invention is principally used for beginners to master and bring up to standard the action of shooting at the basket, acquiring movement techniques for shooting, and it is also suitable for professional basketball players to correct and hone their movements, and to get the correct feeling prior to competitions or when resting at competition venues, increasing the hit ratio. The invention can also be used as a toy and entertainment or be fixedly installed at the sides of a basketball courts or in parks or squares for the public to do exercises with.
US09352199B2

The present invention comprises a golf club head comprising a body having a crown, a sole, a front wall and a hosel, wherein the body defines a hollow interior. The golf club head further comprises a center of gravity adjustment assembly wherein the center of gravity adjustment assembly is positioned within the hollow interior of the body, and allows the center of gravity of the golf club head to be adjusted by at least 0.050 inch, preferably along a vertical axis.
US09352192B2

An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball polyurethane composition excellent in resilience. Another 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 polyurethane composition comprising, as a resin component, a polyurethane elastomer including a polyisocyanate with one alicyclic hydrocarbon structure having 3 or more carbon atoms as a constituting component, and having a spin-lattice relaxation time (T1) of 13C nucleus of 8.9 seconds or less measured by a High resolution solid state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method.
US09352189B2

A range of motion machine having two or four cranks driven directly by motors without exposed gears or chains. The speed and direction of crank rotation and the length of the crank arms may be varied with electronic controls. Crank arm length may be varied whether the crank is stationary or rotating. The cranks and motors are mounted at the top of pedestals which are adjustable in height.
US09352188B2

A motor-less leg-powered curved treadmill produced that allows people to walk, jog, run, and sprint without making any adjustments to the treadmill other than shifting the user's center of gravity forward and backwards. A closed loop treadmill belt running between front and rear pulley rollers is formed with a low friction running surface of transverse wooden, plastic or rubber slats attached to each other in a resilient fashion. Since an essential feature of treadmill is the concave shape of the running surface of belt in its respective upper portion, to insure that this shape is maintained during actual use. This prevents the lower portion of the treadmill belt from drooping down (i.e., it must be held taut), to prevent the concave top portion to be pulled taut into a flat shape between the front and rear pulley rollers.
US09352187B2

An exercise device employing side-by-side pivotally supported moving surfaces. In one example, an exercise device employs a first pivotable treadle assembly including a first moving surface, a first foot platform extending outwardly from a side of the first treadle assembly, and a second pivotable treadle assembly including a second moving surface. In some implementations, the exercise device includes a resistance element operably coupled to at least one of the first treadle assembly or the second treadle assembly to resist movement of the at least one of the first treadle assembly or the second treadle assembly. In some implementations, the exercise device includes an adjustment mechanism for adjusting a slope of at least one of the first treadle assembly or the second treadle assembly.
US09352185B2

A telescoping extension device includes a lead cylinder having a bore extending at least partially therethrough with at least a portion of the bore being threaded and a first lead screw disposed at least partially within the bore of the lead cylinder with at least a portion of an outer surface of the first lead screw having threads that engage the threads within the bore of the lead cylinder. A second lead screw is disposed at least partially within the bore of the first lead screw with at least a portion of an outer surface of the second lead screw having threads that engage the threads within the bore of the first lead screw.
US09352179B1

An exercise apparatus accommodates a user and a resilient and resistive pivot such as an exercise ball within its structure. The pivot may have various dimensions based on the size and needs of the user and the exercise program chosen to be performed. The shape and inner dimension of the apparatus is designed to exploit the inherent instability of pivoting exercises such as twists, rolls and lifts. Various configurations of horizontal and vertical apparatus members offer the user a wide range of gripping and leverage points. A variety of exercise positions and motions may be used with this device to increase muscle flexibility and strength.
US09352177B2

A self contained fire extinguisher system that does not need external power in order to sense or initiate a release of a fire suppression medium, includes components configured to utilize a linear sensor network that can be connected to at least one and/or different sources of fire suppression mediums. A linear temperature sensing cord can be routed over a large area not practical with individual sensors. The cord can also actuate several and different sources of fire suppression mediums to maximize the suppression of a fire.
US09352174B2

An ablation system is provided that includes an ablating device and a probe. The probe is configured to be positioned in close proximity to a region of non-targeted tissue proximate an ablation site of targeted tissue. The probe includes an elongate shaft having proximal and distal ends, with a handle disposed at the proximal end thereof and a tissue protecting apparatus disposed at the distal end thereof. The ablating device includes an elongate shaft having proximal and distal ends, with a handle mounted at the proximal end thereof and an ablation element mounted at the distal end thereof. The ablation element includes an ultrasound transducer and an inflatable balloon surrounding the ultrasound transducer. The balloon includes a layer of gel disposed on its outer surface.
US09352170B1

A spectral color and light therapy system is described which is useful in treating mood, anxiety, attention, substance, and/or behavioral disorders. The system utilizes one or more light source which emits visible colored light at a brilliance factor of at least about 2500 and at least one of four colors which are different from each other, said system providing (a) (i) a light source emitting blue light in the range of about 450 to about 475 nm; and (ii) a source emitting green visible light in the range of about 495 nm to about 570 nm; and (b) a light source emitting rose pink light in the range of about 635 nm to about 650 nm; and a light source of peach light in the range of about 590 nm to about 630 nm. Also provided are methods of treating mood, anxiety, attention, substance, and/or behavioral disorders. Methods of treating and/or ameliorating the symptoms of autism spectrum disorders are described.
US09352168B2

A system for treating neurological conditions by low-frequency time varying electrical stimulation includes an electrical device for applying such low-frequency energy, in a range below approximately 10 Hz, to the patient's brain tissue. An implantable embodiment applies direct electrical stimulation to electrodes implanted in or on the patient's brain, while a non-invasive embodiment causes a magnetic field to induce electrical currents in the patient's brain.
US09352161B2

Tissue stimulation systems generally include a pulse generating device for generating electrical stimulation pulses, at least one implanted electrode for delivering the electrical stimulation pulses generated by the pulse generating device, and a programmer capable of communicating with the pulse generating device. Stimulation pulses may be defined by several parameters, such as pulse width and amplitude. In methods of stimulating the tissue with the stimulation system, a user may adjust one of the parameters such as pulse width. The programmer may automatically adjust the pulse amplitude in response to the change in pulse width in order to maintain a substantially constant effect of the stimulation pulses.
US09352160B2

Approaches for characterizing a phrenic stimulation threshold, a cardiac capture threshold, a maximum device parameter, and a minimum device parameter are described. A plurality of cardiac pacing pulses can be delivered by using a cardiac pacing device, a pacing parameter of the plurality of cardiac pacing pulses being changed between delivery of at least some of the pulses. One or more sensor signals can be evaluated to detect stimulation of the phrenic nerve by one or more of the plurality of cardiac pacing pluses. The evaluation of the one or more sensor signals and the pacing parameter can be compared to determine if a phrenic stimulation threshold is at least one of higher than a maximum device parameter and lower than a minimum device parameter.
US09352154B2

Providing stimulation signals for an implanted auditory prosthesis including receiving first and second sound signals at first and second sound input devices, each of the first and second signals having a signal-to-noise ratio; determining a signal parameter related to said signal-to-noise ratio of each of the first and second signals; selecting one of the first and second signals which has the greater signal-to-noise ratio; and generating stimulation signals for the implanted auditory prosthesis based on said selected sound signal.
US09352152B2

Airway disorders in a horse are relieved by electrical stimulation of the airway tissue. Particular disorders and techniques include electrical stimulation to relieve laryngeal hemiplegia. A pacemaker processor generates an electrical treatment signal to be applied to upper airway tissue of the horse for treating the upper airway disorder. One or more stimulation electrodes interfaces with the upper airway tissue for delivering the treatment signal to the upper airway tissue.
US09352150B2

A co-connected hermetic feedthrough, feedthrough capacitor, and leadwire assembly includes a dielectric substrate with a via hole disposed through the dielectric substrate from a body fluid side to a device side. A conductive fill is disposed within the via forming a hermetic seal and is electrically conductive between the body fluid side and the device side. A feedthrough capacitor is attached to the dielectric substrate and includes a capacitor dielectric substrate, an unfilled capacitor via hole including an inner metallization, a set of capacitor active electrode plates electrically coupled to the inner metallization, an outer metallization disposed and a set of capacitor ground electrode plates electrically coupled to the outer metallization. A conductive leadwire is disposed within the unfilled capacitor via hole. An electrical joint connects the conductive fill, the capacitor inner metallization along with the capacitor active electrode plates and the conductive leadwire.
US09352143B2

An intravascular valve component broadly includes a valve case and a flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve. The valve case includes attached proximal and distal case portions that present respective spaced apart fluid ports and a fluid passageway extending between the ports. The flexible pressure-actuated flow control valve is disposed within the fluid passageway and includes a slitted central valve wall and an annular flange surrounding the central valve wall. The annular flange includes a radially-extending flange wall and a projection extending axially from the flange wall, with the projection engaging one of the case portions to restrict radial movement of the flow control valve relative to the valve case.
US09352141B2

Patients continue to acquire infections from healthcare facilities such as hospitals at an alarming rate. These infections can be transmitted when drugs or other medical materials are delivered from a syringe system into an IV line through an IV port. Some current methods of preventing contamination include swabbing the syringe with alcohol or using disposable alcohol caps; however, these methods are often inefficient. A system is described using caps that cover the entry and exit points of the IV port and the syringe system, respectively. The caps can be temporarily displaced from the entry and exit points when a sufficient force is applied to an area far enough away from the entry and exit points so as to prevent contamination. Once the caps are displaced, the syringe system can interact with the IV port using a locking mechanism such as luer locks to ensure the stability of the connection.
US09352132B2

A catheter guidewire for facilitating introduction of a flexible catheter into the human body (e.g., into the bladder) has a proximal end having a first stiffness which is sufficient to facilitate guidance of a stiff plastic expansion sheath through the tissue. A distal end of the guide wire has a second stiffness, substantially less than the first stiffness, to avoid damage to internal walls of the bladder. Preferably, the guide wire incorporates an intermediate portion having a stiffness between the first stiffness value and the second stiffness value.
US09352131B2

A medical guidewire having distal tip coil that includes a twisted ribbon wire construction. The distal tip coil is mounted to the distal end of the distal core section of the guidewire. The coil is made from a flat ribbon wire with a polygonal, preferably rectangular, cross-section that is twisted along the length of the wire. The twisted, flat ribbon wire creates a tip coil that has a roughened, undulating surface at the outer circumference that, whether coated or bare, is perceptible to the physician or cardiologist when pushing or torquing the guidewire in an interventional procedure.
US09352114B2

An adaptor for delivering an aerosolized active agent to a patient with concomitant positive pressure ventilation includes an aerosol flow channel having an aerosol inlet port and a patient interface port, and defining an aerosol flow path from the aerosol inlet port to and through the patient interface port; and a ventilation gas flow channel in fluid communication with the aerosol flow channel and having a gas inlet port and a gas outlet port, and defining a ventilation gas flow path from the gas inlet port to and through the gas outlet port, wherein the ventilation gas flow path is at least partially offset from the aerosol flow path and at least partially encircles the aerosol flow path. Systems and methods for delivering an aerosolized active agent to a patient with concomitant positive pressure ventilation incorporate the adaptor.
US09352113B2

The present invention relates to a mask sizing device (10) for determining sizing information for custom mask design of a facial mask, wherein the mask sizing device (10) comprises an image projecting unit (20) for projecting an image (16) onto a person's face (18), wherein the image (16) comprises at least a number of contact points of the facial mask, said contact points representing potential points of contact of the facial mask with the person's face (18), a control unit (22) for controlling said image projection unit (20) to adjust dimension, position and/or orientation of the image (16) and/or to project an image including two or more sub-images having different dimensions, positions and/or orientations, a sub-image comprising at least a number of contact points of a facial mask; and a read-out unit (24) for reading out sizing information comprising information about the dimension, position and/or orientation of the image (16) and/or a selected sub-image.
US09352111B2

A system includes a guidance device that provides feedback to a user to compress a patient's chest at a rate of between about 90 and 110 compressions per minute and at a depth of between about 4.5 centimeters to about 6 centimeters. The system includes a pressure regulation system having a pressure-responsive valve that is configured to be coupled to a patient's airway. The pressure-responsive valve is configured to remain closed during successive chest compressions in order to permit removal at least about 200 ml from the lungs in order to lower intracranial pressure to improve survival with favorable neurological function. The pressure-responsive valve is configured to remain closed until the negative pressure within the patient's airway reaches about −7 cm H2O, at which time the pressure-responsive valve is configured to open to provide respiratory gases to flow to the lungs through the pressure-responsive valve.
US09352102B1

A safety shield adapted for use with a syringe having a syringe barrel for protecting a needle after use in a medical procedure is disclosed. The safety shield includes a first portion disposed at least partially about the barrel and axially movable from a retracted position surrounding at least a portion of the syringe barrel to an extended position wherein at least the distal end of the first portion extends beyond the distal end of the syringe barrel. The shield further includes a second portion associated with the first portion and axially movable with respect to the first portion from a retracted position to an extended position extending beyond the distal end of the first portion, First and second locking members are provided for locking the first and second portions in an extended position upon axial movement thereof.
US09352095B2

A container system includes a first container assembly and a delivery device. The first container assembly has an administration port and a medication port. The delivery device is attached to the first container assembly, and includes a housing, a connector, a second container, and a plunger shaft. The housing encloses an interior space with the medication port disposed within the interior space. The connector has at least one cannula defining a first sharp end aligned with the medication port and a second sharp end. The second container has an outlet port aligned with the second sharp end of the at least one cannula and a plunger seal moveable within the second container to force contents of the second container through the port. The plunger shaft assembly has a first end that abuts the plunger seal and a second end connected to a trigger.
US09352071B2

An implantable structure, method for making the structure and method for using the structure, where the structure includes a combination of non-absorbable and absorbable components, and the implantable structure has a randomly uniform array of materials. The resulting implantable structure provides improved tissue ingrowth and flexibility after implantation and after absorption of the absorbable materials.
US09352067B2

Tissue patches and associated systems and methods are described. Certain embodiments are related to inventive systems and methods in which tissue patches can be made quickly and robustly without the use of complicated fabrication or sterilization equipment. For example, in some embodiments, tissue patches are made by applying a compressive force to a liquid medium comprising fibrinogen (and/or fibrin) between two surfaces (e.g., within a syringe or other chamber). A filter can be placed within or near the volume in which the compressive force is applied to the liquid medium such that unwanted material (e.g., water, blood cells, and the like) is passed through the filter while desirable components (e.g., fibrin, fibrinogen, and/or other desirable components) are retained by the filter to form the patch. In this way, the concentration of fibrin (and/or fibrinogen) within the liquid medium can be increased, potentially dramatically, as the compressive force is applied to the liquid-containing composition. In addition, in some embodiments, at least a portion of the fibrinogen and/or fibrin can chemically react (e.g., the fibrinogen can polymerize to form fibrin and/or the fibrin can cross-link) during application of the compressive force. Reaction and concentration can lead to the formation of a highly-concentrated, mechanically robust patch that can be handled relatively easily and provide good structural reinforcement at a wet site, such as a bleeding wound.
US09352063B2

Fragrance systems are provided that can be used in conjunction with heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems. The fragrance systems can inject a fragrance into an airstream that is supplied to a space such as a room of a building or a vehicle cabin. In some embodiments, the speed a fan of the fragrance system can be automatically modulated in a pre-determined relationship to the speed of a fan of the HVAC system. Accordingly, a desired level of fragrance can be automatically maintained as desired within the airstream that is supplied to the space, even when the HVAC fan speed or other conditions fluctuate.
US09352062B2

Wearable devices for dispensing insect repellents, fragrances, and/or other chemicals along the outside of the clothing of a human are disclosed. They are of the type that are clipped onto a belt or the like, and use a powered fan to dispense active. They are configured with outlet arrangements to minimize power use while still achieving acceptable air flow rates. These changes permit use of smaller power supplies and more compact arrangements for power supply (e.g., battery) positioning. This in turn permits a much more compact and lightweight construction to achieve the desired results.
US09352061B2

A balloon valve assembly for cooperating with a balloon includes a neck fitting to extend beyond a neck of the balloon, a collar portion to accept the balloon and the neck fitting. A change of pressure from the balloon urges the balloon and the collar portion together. The valve assembly is adapted to secure accessories that affect the five senses of sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.
US09352048B2

The present invention provides iRNA agents comprising at least one subunit of the formula (I): wherein: A and B are each independently for each occurrence O, N(RN) or S; X and Y are each independently for each occurrence H, OH, a hydroxyl protecting group, a phosphate group, a phosphodiester group, an activated phosphate group, an activated phosphite group, a phosphoramidite, a solid support, —P(Z′)(Z″)O-nucleoside, —P(Z′)(Z″)O-oligonucleotide, a lipid, a PEG, a steroid, a lipophile, a polymer, —P(Z′)(Z″)O-Linker-OP(Z′″)(Z″)O-oligonucleotide, a nucleotide, an oligonucleotide, —P(Z′)(Z″)-formula (I), —P(Z′)(Z″)- or -Linker-R; R is LG, -Linker-LG, or has the structure shown below: LG is independently for each occurrence a carbohydrate, e.g., monosaccharide, disaccharide, trisaccharide, tetrasaccharide, oligosaccharide, polysaccharide; RN is independently for each occurrence H, methyl, ethyl, propyl, isopropyl, butyl, or benzyl; and Z′, Z″, Z′″ and Z″″ are each independently for each occurrence O or S.
US09352042B2

The present invention provides compositions and methods for the delivery of therapeutic agents to cells. In particular, these include novel, trialkyl, cationic lipids and nucleic acid-lipid particles that provide efficient encapsulation of nucleic acids and efficient delivery of the encapsulated nucleic acid to cells in vivo. The compositions of the present invention are highly potent, thereby allowing effective knock-down of a specific target protein at relatively low doses.
US09352038B2

The present invention is directed to a method for treating an inflammatory neurodegenerative condition of the CNS in a subject comprising administering to said subject a G-CSF or G-CSFR inhibiting agent selected from the group consisting of an antibody specific for G-CSF, a soluble G-CSFR or a G-CSF-binding portion thereof and a 20 to 30 nucleotide sense or antisense molecule targeted to a nucleic acid molecule encoding G-CSF.
US09352027B2

A Factor VIII composition formulated without albumin, comprising the following formulation excipients in addition to Factor VIII: 4% to 10% of a bulking agent selected from the group consisting of mannitol, glycine and alanine; 1% to 4% of a stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of sucrose, trehalose, raffinose, and arginine; 1 mM to 5 mM calcium salt; 100 mM to 300 mM NaCl; and a buffering agent for maintaining a pH of approximately between 6 and 8. Alternatively, the formulation can comprise 2% to 6% hydroxyethyl starch; 1% to 4% of a stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of sucrose, trehalose, raffinose, and arginine; 1 mM to 5 mM calcium salt; 100 mM to 300 mM NaCl; and a buffering agent for maintaining a pH of approximately between 6 and 8. In a further embodiment, the formulation can comprise: 300 mM to 500 mM NaCl; 1% to 4% of a stabilizing agent selected from the group consisting of sucrose, trehalose, raffinose, and arginine; 1 mM to 5 mM calcium salt; and a buffering agent.
US09352026B2

The present invention relates to insulin- and insulin analog-carrying nanoparticles formulated together with or for use with free insulin or with an insulin analog, such as a rapidly-acting insulin analog. The compositions of the present invention find use in medicine, particularly in glycemic control, e.g. for controlling blood glucose levels in diabetic subjects. Nanoparticle compositions of the invention, formulated together with or for use with free insulin or with an insulin analog, comprise a nanoparticle comprising a core comprising a metal and/or a semiconductor; and a corona comprising a plurality of ligands covalently linked to the core, wherein said plurality of ligands comprise at least one carbohydrate moiety; and at least one insulin peptide and/or insulin analog peptide that is non-covalently bound to the corona.
US09352025B2

The present invention is directed to a method of treating a metabolic disorder or key elements of a metabolic disorder such method comprising the use of an agent(s) that increases central dopaminergic activity plus a first-phase insulin secretagouge.
US09352024B2

This invention discloses the uses of IL-22 in the treatment and prevention of a nerve damage disease or a neurodegenerative disease. In particular, the invention discloses the uses of IL-22 or IL-22 dimers as follows: (i) can protect neurons to recover the functions of injured neurons after ischemic nerve damage in animals in vivo, thus enabling effective treatment of nerve damage diseases, (ii) can significantly inhibit the loss of dopaminergic neurons in substantia nigra in PD model animal, enhance the functions of dopaminergic neurons, significantly reduce neuronal apoptosis in hippocampus, improve learning and memory capacity of AD model rats, and effectively prevent neuronal loss, thereby enabling more effective treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.
US09352021B2

Systems and methods for purification and concentration of autologous alpha-2 macroglobulin (A2M) from whole blood and or recombinant A2M are provided. Also provided are methods of treating wounds with A2M. Methods for utilizing A2M in combination with other treatments (e.g., platelets and other growth factors) are provided in addition to combinations with exogenous drugs or carriers. Also provided is a method of producing recombinant A2M wild type or variants thereof where the bait region was modified to enhance the inhibition characteristics of A2M and/or to prolong the half-life of the protein for treating wounds.
US09352017B2

The invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising leukotoxin, a chemotherapeutic agent and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier, including methods to treat cancer, and methods to induce apoptosis.
US09352005B2

The present invention relates to an isolated Bacillus sp. strain having probiotic activity. More particularly, the present invention relates to an isolated Bacillus sp. 2-4 (KCCM11107P) strain having probiotic activity. Since the strain of the present invention functions as probiotics by having an antibacterial activity against various fish pathogenic bacteria, as well as secreting helpful enzymes such as protease, amylase, cellulose, and lipase to help the digestion and absorption of the feed, the strain of the present invention can be helpfully used as a feed additive for fish and crustaceans.
US09352002B2

Methods for promoting angiogenesis comprising administering platelet-rich plasma to a site and stimulating the site with an electromagnetic field. Platelets include platelet-rich plasma and compositions can further include stem cells such as adipose stromal cells and cells derived from bone marrow aspirate. Methods also comprise isolating platelets from a patient's blood, forming a composition including the platelets, delivering the composition to a site in need of treatment, and electrically stimulating the site.
US09352001B2

A method of manipulating allogeneic cells for use in allogeneic cell therapy protocols is described. The method provides a composition of highly activated allogeneic T-cells which are infused into immunocompetent cancer patients to elicit a novel anti-tumor immune mechanism called the “Mirror Effect”. In contrast to current allogeneic cell therapy protocols where T-cells in the graft mediate the beneficial graft vs. tumor (GVT) and detrimental graft vs. host (GVH) effects, the allogeneic cells of the present invention stimulate host T-cells to mediate the “mirror” of these effects. The mirror of the GVT effect is the host vs. tumor (HVT) effect. The “mirror” of the GVH effect is the host vs. graft (HVG) effect. The effectiveness and widespread application of the anti-tumor GVT effect is limited by the severe toxicity of the GVH effect. In the present invention, the anti-tumor HVT effect occurs in conjunction with a non-toxic HVG rejection effect. The highly activated allogeneic cells of the invention can be used in methods to stimulate host immunity. The method includes a complete HLA mis-matched setting in patients that have not had a prior bone marrow transplant or received chemotherapy and/or radiation conditioning regimens.
US09352000B2

A method of treating a medical condition in which suppression of effector T cells is beneficial in a subject in need thereof is disclosed. The method comprising administering to the subject a therapeutically effective amount of a CCL1 polypeptide, thereby treating the medical condition in the subject.
US09351999B2

Methods and kits for treating a cardiac arrhythmia using a platelet rich plasma (PRP) composition are provided. Any type of arrhythmia may be treated using the PRP composition. The PRP composition may comprise PRP developed using blood collected from a patient suffering the cardiac arrhythmia. The PRP composition may be buffered to a physiological pH and may include one or more anti-arrhythmic agents, anti-coagulants, or other drugs. The PRP composition may be delivered using a nebulizer, minimally invasively, or surgically.
US09351997B2

The invention provides a method for treating cancer using a coadministration strategy that combines local codelivery of a therapeutic agent and an intracellular penetration enhancing agent, and optionally in further combination with local administration of an immunotherapeutic agent, such as a cancer vaccine or NKT agonist. The invention also provides a method for treating cancer using an intracellular penetration enhancing agent. The methods of the invention aim to substantially kill and/or destroy the target tumor cells, as well as those cancerous cells that have metastasized to other parts of the body.
US09351990B2

An ophthalmic solution is provided. The ophthalmic solution is hypertonic. The ophthalmic solution includes a polysaccharide having an average molecular weight of between about 40,000 grams per mole and about 150,000 grams per mole. A packaged ophthalmic solution for preventing the ophthalmic solution from being exposed to CO2 and other contaminants is also provided. The ophthalmic solution can be used to treat recurrent corneal erosion. The ophthalmic solution can also be used as a prophylactic to prevent recurrent corneal erosion.
US09351988B2

The present invention is directed to the use of macrocyclic lactones, in particular avermectins, in the treatment of conditions whose formation, occurrence, development or growth is associated with aberrant Wnt signalling, in particular the treatment of colorectal cancer.
US09351987B2

The present invention further relates to ivermectin, most preferably formulated as an implant for administration of pet and domestic animals. These formulations provide long term protection against Dirofilaria parasites, without the risks for secondary adverse events of conventional formulations. Preferred formulations are implants and are administered at least twice a year, once a year, or at least once in 18 months, up to 24 months.
US09351984B2

A novel pharmaceutical composition is provided by which nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are added directly to phospholipid-containing oil such as lecithin oils or to a bio-compatible oil to which an phospholipid has been added to make a NSAID-containing formulation that possess low gastrointestinal (GI) toxicity and enhanced therapeutic activity to treat or prevent inflammation, pain, fever, platelet aggregation, tissue ulcerations and/or other tissue disorders. The composition of the invention are in the form of a non-aqueous solution, paste, suspension, dispersion, colloidal suspension or in the form of an aqueous emulsion or microemulsion for internal, oral, direct or topical administration.
US09351980B2

The invention relates to the use of di-aspirin (bis(2-carboxyphenyl)succinate) and its derivatives in the treatment of colon and colorectal cancer. It also relates to novel derivatives of di-aspirin and to a method of synthesis of the di-aspirin and its derivatives.
US09351970B2

A compound of formula (I) wherein Ar can be one six-membered or two fused six-membered aromatic rings; R8 and R9 can be hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogen, amino, alkylamino, dialkylamino, nitro, cyano, alkyoxy, aryloxy, thiol, alkylthiol, arythiol, or aryl; Q can be O, S or CY2, where Y may be H, alkyl or halogen; X can be O, NH, S, N-alkyl, (CHR2)m where m is 1 to 10, and CY2; Z can be O, S, NH, or N-alkyl; U″ is H and U′ can be H or CH2; wherein: T can be OH, H, halogen, O-alkyl, O-acyl, O-aryl, CN, NH2 or N3; T′ and T″ can be H or halogen; and W can be H or a phosphate group. Compounds show anti-viral activity, for example with respect to varicella zoster virus.
US09351968B1

Methods of treating developmental disorders by administering a pharmaceutical composition of pipradrol or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof are provided. The methods may be used to treat conditions such as epilepsy, Landau-Kleffner Syndrome, Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS) and Dravet syndrome.
US09351966B2

The present disclosure relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising omeprazole, lansoprazole and sodium bicarbonate. Methods of using such compositions are also provided.
US09351963B2

Disclosed are compositions and methods for treating and/or preventing infections in mammals, by administering to a mammal a therapeutically effective amount of at least one defensin-like molecule, e.g., in a composition that includes such molecule. Also disclosed are kits that include such molecules, or compositions that include such molecules, as well as instructions for using such molecules to treat a mammal.
US09351953B2

A method for preparing an ingestible cannabis composition is provided. Also provided is the ingestible cannabis composition and a kit including the ingestible cannabis composition.
US09351938B2

Sustained release formulations of nalbuphine or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; methods for making the sustained release formulations of nalbuphine or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof; and methods for using the sustained release formulations of nalbuphine or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof to treat patients suffering from pain are provided.
US09351935B2

The present invention relates to formulations of ADAMTS13 with enhanced or desirable properties. As such, the invention provides liquid and lyophilized formulations of ADAMTS13 that are suitable for pharmaceutical administration. Among other aspects, the present invention also provides methods of treating various diseases and conditions related to VWF and/or ADAMTS13 dysfunction in a subject. Also provided herein are kits comprising ADAMTS13 formulations useful for the treatment of various diseases and conditions.
US09351934B2

The present invention relates to a crosslinked gelatin support, in which a surface of a crosslinked gelatin is negatively charged and has a zeta potential in ethanol of from −3 to −50 mV, and a support for controlled release of a physiologically active substance, including: the crosslinked gelatin support; and a physiologically active substance adsorbed and retained on and/or inside the crosslinked gelatin support.
US09351920B2

The present invention relates to an organopolysiloxane graft polymer including an organopolysiloxane segment as a main chain thereof and an unsaturated monomer-derived polymer segment as a side chain thereof, in which a content of the organopolysiloxane segment in the organopolysiloxane graft polymer is not less than 35% by mass and not more than 70% by mass, and the unsaturated monomer-derived polymer segment contains a repeating unit derived from a nonionic unsaturated monomer having a glass transition temperature Tg of 60° C. or higher (except for a repeating unit derived from an unsaturated monomer containing an amino group) in an amount of not less than 40% by mass and not more than 90% by mass, and further contains a repeating unit derived from a cationic unsaturated monomer in an amount of not less than 10% by mass and not more than 60% by mass.
US09351917B2

A hair treatment composition comprising a thickener which comprises a copolymer derived from the polymerization of at least a non-ionic monomer (a) and at least a cationic monomer (b).
US09351910B2

The invention provides a composition comprising a benefit agent delivery particle comprising dextran as a delivery aid. The benefit agent delivery particle may further comprise a non-polysaccharide polymer, preferably an aminoplast polymer. The benefit agent delivery particle may comprise a perfume. The invention also provides a process for the manufacture of the particles in which perfume oil is encapsulated using emulsion polymerization to form core-shell particles, (in the alternative the perfume may be adsorbed later) and, a further polymer layer is formed on the outer surface of the core shell-particles in the presence of the delivery aid.
US09351905B2

In certain embodiments, a vial adaptor comprises a housing member, a connector configured to couple the adaptor with a vial, and an extractor channel formed in the housing member. The extractor channel is configured to facilitate withdrawal of fluid from the vial when the adaptor is coupled to the vial. In some embodiments, an anti-reflux valve is positioned within the extractor channel. The anti-reflux valve can be configured to impede or obstruct fluid returning to a fluid source after withdrawal of the fluid from the fluid source.
US09351900B2

In at least one aspect, there is provided a system for generating force about one or more joints including a soft exosuit having a plurality of anchor elements and at least one connection element disposed between the plurality of anchor elements. The system also includes at least one sensor to determine a force the at least one connection element or at least one of the plurality of anchor elements and to output signals relating to the force, at least one actuator configured to change a tension in the soft exosuit and at least one controller configured to receive the signals output from the at least one sensor and actuate the at least one actuator responsive to the received signals.
US09351899B2

Systems and methods to manage memory on a spin transfer torque magnetoresistive random-access memory (STT-MRAM) are provided. A particular method of managing memory includes determining a temperature associated with the memory and determining a level of write queue utilization associated with the memory. A write operation may be performed based on the level of write queue utilization and the temperature.
US09351898B2

This invention relates to a lift to assist in standing and/or walking for persons who have insufficient strength or movement in their legs. The inventive lift walker includes a frame assembly having a lower an upper and lower portion that wheels are provided beneath the lower frame so as to enable the lift to be propelled and maneuvered. A bracing assembly is provided at the upper portion and comprises a supporting platform which is adapted to fit under the forearms of a person, and optional handles for gripping by the user's left and right hands. An elevator assembly is provided which includes lift and stabilization tracks for raising and lowering the supporting assembly in a coordinated, purely vertical fashion, and further includes gas lift means for effectuating the same via use of a remotely switched activation mechanism. There are also anti-tip means for maintaining the stability of the device when contacting uneven ground surface during movement.
US09351894B2

A method and apparatus for cyclic variations in altitude condition that allows a user to rest in a pressure vessel while undergoing rapid variations or transitions between simulated altitudes. The pressure vessel comprises a blower to generate negative pressure, and a proportional valve to allow air back into the pressure vessel in order to relieve the negative pressure. An on-board interface, kiosk controller and master controller are all in electrical communication with each other in order to enable a user to implement a program of cyclic variations in altitude conditioning that is suitable to the specific user, and enables an operator to bill the user for such services, as well as to allow the user to use a different pressure vessel without re-entering data, so long as such data was originally entered and stored, and the different pressure vessel is in electrical communication with the master controller. A user sensor monitors the user during a session, such that the program may be modified or replaced with another program in real time, according to the user's needs.
US09351883B2

A hemostatic pad comprising a bioabsorbable scaffolding material; a lyophilized thrombin powder, a lyophilized fibrinogen powder, and a meltable binder powder, with all powders disposed on the bioabsorbable scaffolding material. A meltable binder such as PEG bonds the lyophilized thrombin powder and the lyophilized fibrinogen powder to the bioabsorbable scaffolding material for improved friability, wettability and performance in a use, such as for hemostatic treatment or sealing at a wound site.
US09351882B2

An apparatus and system for providing reduced pressure to a defect in a nerve is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a nerve conduit having a generally tubular shape that has walls including a luminal wall surrounding the tissue site to contain fluids within a luminal space between the tissue site to contain fluids within a luminal space between the tissue site and the luminal wall. The apparatus further comprises a manifold having a porous body and a connector for receiving reduced pressure, wherein the manifold is positioned within the luminal space adjacent the tissue site to distribute the reduced pressure to the defect. Additionally, a method for providing reduced pressure to a defect in a nerve is disclosed that includes implanting the nerve conduit and manifold at a site of damaged nerve tissue and applying a reduced pressure to the manifold thereby stimulating repair or regrowth of nerve tissue.
US09351879B2

Configurations are described for conducting ophthalmic procedures to address cataract-related clinical challenges. In one embodiment, a one-piece patient contact interface may be utilized to couple a diagnostic and/or interventional system to a cornea of a patient; in another embodiment, a two-part configuration may be utilized; in another embodiment, a liquid interface two-part embodiment may be utilized.
US09351877B2

A laser-assisted method for fully or partially separating tissue such as collagen containing tissue is provided. In one embodiment, the method pertains to a capsulorhexis whereby the laser-assisted method is applied to the lens capsule. A light-absorbing agent is added into or onto the tissue. A light beam with a wavelength capable of being absorbed by the light absorbing agent is then directed at the tissue to cause a thermal effect at the tissue following a predetermined closed curve with the goal to avoid irregularity or potential tears in the resulting rim of the tissue.
US09351873B2

Disclosed are devices and methods of treating an ocular disorder including forming a self-sealing incision in a cornea into an anterior chamber of an eye; introducing through the incision a fluid drainage tube having a distal end, a proximal end and a longitudinal, internal lumen extending through the fluid drainage tube, wherein at least the proximal end passes through the anterior chamber; and implanting the distal end of the fluid drainage tube in fluid communication with the suprachoroidal space such that the proximal end of the fluid drainage tube remains in fluid communication with the anterior chamber.
US09351865B2

A plantar fasciitis arch support (PFAS) device is presented. The PFAS device is an ergonomic compression device that administers a measured pressure along the tissue on the plantar surface of the foot for purpose of relieving the pain and inflammation of plantar fasciitis. The device works by directly compressing and stretching the plantar fascia in order to relieve pressure at the plantar fascia attachment points. This device differs from current conventional splints that use a dorsiflexion force of the foot and ankle complex to stretch the plantar fascia and Achilles tendon. The device is small, affordable, lightweight, and comfortable to wear. It targets the fascia directly, stretching the tendon gently through the night rather than indirectly stretching the calf or Achilles tendon.
US09351863B2

A system for inducing weight loss ina patient includes (a) an elongated element extending from a proximal end to a distal end, the elongated element separating a duodenum into first and second channels, wherein the elongated element is expandable; and (b) a retainer connected to the elongated element and securing the elongated element in a desired orientation within the duodenum. In the desired orientation, all chyme flowing through the duodenum enters the first channel and the second channel is open to a papilla of vater so that digestive fluids from the papilla of vater enter the second channel.
US09351860B2

The present embodiments provide systems and methods for loading a stent or stent graft onto an introducer for intraluminal deployment. In one example, a system includes an endoluminal prosthesis introducer comprising a stent retaining member engageable with a stent end. The system may also include a loading tool for engaging the stent end on the stent retaining member. The loading tool may include a loading body having a passage extending from a first end to a second end and a slot that extends through the tubular loading body from the passage to an outer surface of the tubular loading body, and the slot may further extend from the second end toward the first end. The stent retaining member may be disposed at least partially within the passage of the loading body, and the slot of the loading body may be rotatable around the stent retaining member.
US09351856B2

Hybrid terrain-adaptive lower-extremity apparatus and methods that perform in a variety of different situations by detecting the terrain that is being traversed, and adapting to the detected terrain. In some embodiments, the ability to control the apparatus for each of these situations builds upon five basic capabilities: (1) determining the activity being performed; (2) dynamically controlling the characteristics of the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (3) dynamically driving the apparatus based on the activity that is being performed; (4) determining terrain texture irregularities (e.g., how sticky is the terrain, how slippery is the terrain, is the terrain coarse or smooth, does the terrain have any obstructions, such as rocks) and (5) a mechanical design of the apparatus that can respond to the dynamic control and dynamic drive.
US09351854B2

A system and method associated with the movement of a limb. In one example, the system, such as a prosthetic or orthotic system, includes an actuator that actively controls, or adjusts, the angle between a foot unit and a lower limb member. The actuator preferably selectively locks during a desired phase in a gait cycle of the limb and minimizes friction against a rotor of the actuator. A processing module may control movement of the actuator based on data obtained from a sensor module. For instance, sensing module data may include information relating to the gait of a user and may be used to adjust the foot unit to substantially mimic the movement of a natural, healthy ankle. The system may further accommodate, for example, level ground walking, traveling up/down stairs, traveling up/down sloped surfaces, and various other user movements. In addition, the processing module may receive user input or display output signals through an external interface. For example, the processing module may receive a heel height input from the user.
US09351850B2

Systems, devices, and methods are provided for measuring forces in the space of a knee during surgery. Such forces can be caused by tension in the ligaments of the knee. A femoral member is engaged with a distal femur. While the knee is flexed, partially extended, or fully extended, a force sensor and a gauge shim can be placed in the gap between the femoral member and the tibial plateau to measure the forces therebetween. The force sensor provides an accurate and quantifiable measurement of force, making knee replacement surgery and ligament tension balancing more accurate, standardized and repeatable. The force sensor comprises an elongate housing which comprises a thin force sensing distal portion and a proximal handle portion.
US09351841B2

The present invention relates to a straight stem (10) for the implantation into a proximal femur, the stem (10) comprising a proximal stem section (12) and a distal stem section (14), the distal stem section (14) having a distal end (24) and a distal tip (26) arranged directly adjacent to the distal end (24) and defining a distalmost point of the distal end (24), the stem (10) having, in an anterior-posterior view, a medial contour and a lateral contour, and the stem (10) having a straight stem center axis (20) between the medial contour and the lateral contour, wherein the distal end (24), in an anterior-posterior view, has a convexly curved contour, and wherein the convexly curved contour of the distal end (24) merges with straight sections (46, 48) of the medial contour and of the lateral contour at a medial merging point (22) and a lateral merging point (28), respectively, wherein the medial merging point (22) and the lateral merging point (28) are offset with respect to each other in a direction parallel to the stem center axis (20), wherein the lateral merging point (28) is arranged proximally with regard to the medial merging point (22), wherein the convexly curved contour of the distal end (24) is such that the distal tip (26) is medially offset with respect to the stem center axis (20), wherein the convexly curved contour of the distal end (24) has a curved medial section extending between the distal tip (26) and the medial merging point (22) and a curved lateral section extending between the distal tip (26) and the lateral merging point (28), and wherein the contour of the distal end (24) is asymmetrically convexly curved such that the degree of curvature of the curved lateral section is smaller than the degree of curvature of the curved medial section.
US09351840B2

A medical device for treating hip joint osteoarthritis in a human patient is provided, the hip joint comprises an acetabulum, being a part of the pelvic bone, and a caput femur, being connected to the collum femur and being the upper extremity of the femoral bone. The caput femur and collum femur further comprises cortical bone, the outer more sclerotic bone, and cancellous bone, placed in the bone marrow, said medical device comprising: an artificial caput femur surface, adapted to be in contact with the acetabulum surface or an artificial replacement therefor, and a fixating member adapted to at least partly be stabilized by the cortical bone of a stabilizing part of the collum femur.
US09351839B2

An acetabular cup system includes an acetabular cup having a wall with an inner surface and an outer surface. The acetabular cup includes a fixation opening through the wall, the fixation opening including a first wall portion adjacent to the inner surface and a second wall portion adjacent to the outer surface. The acetabular cup system also includes a fixation fastener including a head and a shaft with a bone-anchoring portion. The fastener can be inserted though the fixation opening. The head includes a first head portion engageable with the first wall portion and a second head portion engageable with the second wall portion.
US09351836B2

A locking implant is provided for a long bone. The locking implant comprises a head portion, a stem portion extending from the head portion, and an anchor disposed at an end of the stem portion for engagement within a resected long bone. The anchor defines at least one locking feature, such as a cam, configured to engage an interior of the resected long bone upon rotation of the implant, thereby locking the head portion to the long bone. The implant may comprise a two component modular design. Methods of locking the implant to a long bone structure are also provided.
US09351835B2

The embodiments provide provides devices, instruments, and associated methods for treating joint pain. A joint is evaluated using magnetic resonance imaging to detect any defects in the subchondral bone. For example, using T2-weighted MRI images, bone marrow lesions or edemas can be identified, and using T1-weighted MRI images, associated regions of sclerotic bone adjacent to the bone marrow lesion can be identified. The treatment method may involve introducing a bone void filler material at the site to address the bone marrow lesion or edema, and/or drilling and inserting an implant to address the sclerotic bone, bone marrow lesion or edema, and insufficiency or stress fractures. An access path is mapped to a location in the subchondral region where the insufficiency fracture resides. The access path attempts to preserve an articular surface of the joint. A reinforcing member that stabilizes the insufficiency fracture is then implanted via the access path.
US09351834B2

A pressurizable implant, comprising a cylindrical body and at least one porous arm extending from and interconnected to the cylindrical body, the at least one porous arm being configured to accommodate a pressure gradient that is created by a device removably connectable to the cylindrical body.
US09351830B2

A method for performing an annuloplasty includes positioning an annuloplasty ring structure along an atrial surface of an annulus of a heart valve. While a distal portion of a tube is longitudinally advanced through a channel of the ring structure, it faces a first portion of tissue of the annulus. A first tissue anchor is anchored to the first portion of tissue, from within the channel, while the distal end of the tube faces the first portion of the tissue. After moving the distal portion of the tube to a second portion of the structure, the second portion of the structure is anchored to a second portion of tissue by anchoring a second tissue anchor to the second portion of the tissue while the distal end of the tube faces the second portion of the tissue. Other embodiments are also described.
US09351829B2

Bioprosthetic tissues and methods for making same, comprising fixing bioprosthetic implant tissue by treatment with 0.1 to 10 wt. % glutaraldehyde at elevated temperature, capping said fixed tissue by treatment with a diamine crosslinking agent, and treating said capped tissue with about 0.6 wt. % glutaraldehyde.
US09351828B2

Prosthetic heart valves, which are collapsible to a relatively small circumferential size for less invasive delivery into a patient and which then re-expand to operating size at an implant site in the patient, include a collapsible/expandable stent-like supporting structure and various components of flexible, sheet-like material that are attached to the supporting structure. For example, these sheet-like other components may include prosthetic valve leaflets, layers of buffering material, cuff material, etc. Improved structures and techniques are provided for securing such other components to the stent-like supporting structure of the valve.
US09351827B2

A lens driver or lens driver circuitry for an ophthalmic apparatus comprising an electronic system which actuates a variable-focus optic is disclosed herein. The lens driver is part of an electronic system incorporated into the ophthalmic apparatus. The electronic system includes one or more batteries or other power sources, power management circuitry, one or more sensors, clock generation circuitry, control algorithms and circuitry, and lens driver circuitry. The lens driver circuitry includes one or more power sources, one or more high voltage generators and one or more switching circuits.
US09351816B2

An electric toothbrush for use by an operator and capable of being connected to a suction device. The electric toothbrush includes a head with a plurality of bristles, at least one irrigation port, and at least one suction port, and an injection port in fluid communication with the at least one irrigation port. The electric toothbrush also includes a handle with a ventilation port in fluid communication with the at least one suction port, a user interface, and a controller. The ventilation port permits suction from the suction device to the at least one suction port and the controller is configured to actuate at least one of rotation, oscillation, and vibration of the bristles for a preset time period in response to a predetermined feedback from the operator through the user interface.
US09351815B2

The present invention provides a curable composition allowing a cured product having high aesthetic quality, strength and durability along with having high surface lubricating property to be formed. The curable composition according to the present invention comprises: an inorganic powder and a polymerizable monomer. The inorganic powder contains a spherical crystallization control powder. The spherical crystallization control powder has a silicon dioxide content in the range of 97 to 100 mass %. An amorphous portion and a crystalline portion are mixed within the spherical crystallization control powder. A refractive index difference is not more than 0.05 between the spherical crystallization control powder and a cured product obtained by curing only constituents other than the spherical crystallization control powder.
US09351808B2

An apparatus for removing a dental appliance can include a body having a perimeter and a pry lip extending from the perimeter of the body. The pry lip includes a terminal ridge surface and an inclined surface disposed between the terminal ridge surface and the perimeter of the body. The apparatus for removing a dental appliance can be incorporated in a dental system which includes a dental appliance and the apparatus for removing a dental appliance. The apparatus for removing a dental appliance can be configured such that it fits within an area defined by an outer edge of the dental appliance. Thus, the dental appliance and the apparatus for removing the dental appliance can be stored within a dental appliance container with an internal cavity that closely conforms to the shape and size of the dental appliance.
US09351802B2

An ultrasonic scaler tip, capable of effectively removing tartar or the like adhered around an artificial tooth root, is provided. An ultrasonic scaler is also provided, which prevents metal material (for example, ion), except for titanium or titanium alloy, from adhering around the artificial tooth root and disturbing tissue growth and adhesion to the tooth root.
US09351797B2

The present disclosure provides a monitoring device comprising a test composition, a test element comprising a test portion to which the test composition is releasably adhered, a detection reagent, and a container comprising a first end with an opening and a second end opposite the first end. The test composition comprises a predetermined quantity of tracer analyte. The container is configured to receive the test portion and configured to be operationally coupled to an analytical instrument. The tracer analyte and the detection reagent each are capable of participating in one or more chemical reaction that results in the formation of a detectable product. A method of using the monitoring device to assess the efficacy of a washing process is also provided.
US09351791B2

A method of inducing local cell death in patient tissue is provided. The method includes generating first and second radiation, conveying the radiation to a focusing element, and focusing the radiation on a target with the focusing element. A system for inducing local cell death in patient tissue is also provided. The system includes a power source for generating narrow-band and/or ultra-wideband radiation, and a focusing element for focusing the radiation on a target.
US09351790B2

The present disclosure provides a variety of systems and techniques for generating and applying plasmas and/or electric fields alone, or in combination with other therapies, to living tissue to treat different tissue conditions as well as other conditions, such as tumors, bacterial infections and the like while limiting electrical current generation within said tissue.
US09351789B2

A device and method for treating a variety of tissue locations within a patient's body using a single device that includes an elongate body having a distal portion, a shaft rotatably and slidably disposed within the elongate body, and a first arm and a second arm each coupled to the elongate body distal portion. Retraction and rotation of the shaft transitions the each arm from a linear configuration to a radially expanded configuration in which each arm has an arcuate shape and lies in a plane that is substantially orthogonal to the elongate body longitudinal axis. Electrodes coupled to the arms are equidistant from the longitudinal axis of the elongate body in different radial directions when the device is in the radially expanded configuration. The electrodes are radially symmetrical about the shaft when the radially expanded configuration has a first diameter or a second diameter.
US09351779B2

A surgical system including an expandable device is provided, including an inflatable body, an inner shaft and an outer shaft. The inflatable body has at least one folded segment, which are housed in a distal portion of the outer shaft. The inflatable body is tethered to a portion of the outer shaft. The inner shaft is affixed to a portion of the inflatable body, and is configured to control an axial and/or a radial inflation pattern of the folded inflatable body.
US09351767B2

A spinal implant provides supplemental and dynamic fixation and/or stabilization of the spine via connection to one or more existing or new spinal fixation and/or stabilization spinal constructs. The supplementary spinal fixation/stabilization implant has a first attachment device configured to couple to an existing or new spinal fixation/stabilization construct and a second attachment device configured to couple to the existing or new spinal fixation/stabilization construct at a second location. The first and second attachment devices are joined to each other via a resilient connector that allows dynamic movement between the first and second attachment devices.
US09351765B2

The present invention discloses a securing device that is used to secure a fixation device to two bone portions to promote healing between the two bone portions. The bone portions commonly include a skull bone portion and a skull bone flap or implant, and the fixation device is commonly a cranial clamp. The securing device provides for securing the fixation device in a uniform, single movement as opposed to currently available products. The securing device has two handles pivotably connected, and a gripping means moveably associated with one handle. As the handles are activated, the gripping means travels proximally along the one handle and grips an elongated section of the fixation device and exerts a tensioning force along the shaft of the elongated section prior to the cutting means cutting the elongated shaft to secure the fixation device in place.
US09351760B2

The present disclosure relates to surgical access systems and methods of using the same to access a surgical site during a surgical procedure. The surgical access system includes a portal member and a patch. The portal member includes at least one longitudinal port for passage of a surgical object. The portal member is formed from a compressible material and is adapted to transition from a first expanded condition to a second compressed condition such that an outer surface of the portal member is adapted for a substantial sealing relation with an opening in tissue upon insertion of the portal member therethrough. The patch includes a non-porous substrate having a tissue facing surface including an adhesive for positioning over the opening in the tissue and sealing a surface thereof. The patch is adapted for sealed reception of the portal member.
US09351736B2

Assemblies, kits, and methods for occluding a vascular vessel, such as a varicose vein, are disclosed. An assembly can include a removable inner member, a removable outer member, and an elongated expandable member positioned in a compressed form between portions of the inner and outer members. To facilitate their removal, one or both of the inner and outer members can include a handle coupled to a proximal end. The elongated expandable member can include a gelatin material or a collagen material that is configured, when wetted, to expand from a compressed first diametrical size to a second larger diametrical size within a time period of 5 minutes or less. At the second larger diametrical size, the gelatin or collagen material can occlude a vascular vessel for a period of at least 20 days without degrading.
US09351733B2

A surgical fastener applier includes a variable drive mechanism disposed within a housing and operably coupled between an input member and an output member, the variable drive mechanism being transitionable between at least a first condition, wherein rotation of the input member by a fixed amount effects rotation of the output member a first amount, and a second condition, wherein rotation of the input member by the fixed amount effects rotation of the output member a second amount different from the first amount.
US09351726B2

A surgical instrument comprises an end effector, a shaft, and a housing extending proximally from the shaft. The end effector is movable relative to the shaft between an articulation home state position and an articulated position and comprises a surgical stapler including a plurality of staples and a firing member that fires the plurality of staples. The firing member is movable between a firing home state position and a fired position. The housing includes a motor operably supported by the housing, a controller in communication with the motor, and a home state input configured to transmit a home state input signal to the controller which is configured to activate the motor in response to the home state input signal to effectuate a return of the end effector to the articulation home state position and a return of the firing member to the firing home state position.
US09351725B2

A surgical fastener applying instrument including a handle portion, an elongated portion, a pair of jaw members and a removable clamp. One of the jaw members contains a plurality of fasteners arranged in at least one row substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the elongated portion. At least one of the jaw members is movable with respect to the other between an open position and an approximated position for engaging body tissue therebetween. The removable clamp has an elongated member and a tissue clamping surface extending substantially transverse to a longitudinal axis of the elongated member. The clamp is movable from a proximal position to a distal position for engaging body tissue and is releasably mountable to the elongated portion of the instrument.
US09351722B2

A suture drive system configured to assist in attaching a suture to tissue within a patient, and in at least one application, repairing meniscal tears and shoulder tissue tears is disclosed. The suture drive system may be interchangeable in that the system can be adapted to insert different suture systems into tissue of a patient using the same device. In particular, in one embodiment configured to employ an inside-out suture delivery method, the suture drive system may advance two combinations of push rods and two swaged needles having one or more sutures attached thereto. In another embodiment configured to employ an outside-in suture delivery method, the suture drive system may advance two combinations of push rods and drive shafts to deliver two anchors releasably affixed to the distal ends of the drive shafts into tissue to close an opening in the tissue.
US09351721B2

A suture passer includes an elongate tube defining a central lumen and having a beveled distal end region and a grasping member comprising a first elongate member and a first jaw extending distally from the first elongate member. The grasping member is sized to be disposed within the elongate tube and is capable of being extended from the elongate tube in a manner such that the first elongate member and the first jaw are disposed at least partially distal to the beveled distal end region of the elongate tube. The grasping member is further capable of being retracted within the elongate tube in a manner such that the first elongate member is located substantially within the central lumen of the elongate tube and the first jaw substantially covers an opening of the beveled distal end region of the elongate tube.
US09351720B2

An implantation assembly (16) has a guide element (22) for a ligament (18); a pulling element (24) comprising a pulling loop (26); and a manipulating loop (28). The guide element has a pulling aperture (36) towards a leading end (32), a manipulating aperture (38) towards a trailing end (34), and a connecting arrangement (40) for the ligament. The pulling and manipulating loops pass through the respective apertures. When the guide element emerges from a bone tunnel mouth, the manipulating loop is used to manipulate the guide element to a position where it overlies the tunnel mouth. The manipulating loop is secured to the pulling element and arranged such that a tensile load can be applied to the pulling element without generating a tensile load in the manipulating loop which could otherwise cause the guide element to be manipulated towards the anchoring position during passage along the bone tunnels.
US09351719B2

Self-locking knotless sutures and associated methods are disclosed. A system for securing tissue includes a monofilament and a braid having a fixed end and a capture end. A first end of the monofilament is connected to the fixed end of the braid. A second end of the monofilament opposite the first end is a free end. The capture end of the braid has a first opening and a second opening. The monofilament and braid are structured and arranged for the free end of the monofilament to be inserted into the first opening, passed through a tunnel formed by the braid, and passed out of the second opening, all while moving in a first direction. After insertion of the monofilament into the braid, the braid prevents movement of the monofilament in a second direction opposite the first direction to prevent the monofilament from being pulled out of the braid.
US09351718B1

A surgical access system including a tissue distraction assembly and a tissue retraction assembly, both of which may be equipped with one or more electrodes for use in detecting the existence of (and optionally the distance and/or direction to) neural structures before, during, and after the establishment of an operative corridor to a surgical target site. The tissue retraction assembly has a plurality of blades which may be introduced while in a closed configuration, after which point they may be opened to create an operation corridor to the surgical target site, including pivoting at least one blade to expand the operative corridor adjacent to the operative site.
US09351717B2

Methods and devices are provided for providing surgical access into a body cavity. In one embodiment, a surgical access device is provided that includes a housing coupled to a retractor. The housing can be have one or more movable sealing ports for receiving surgical instruments. Each movable sealing port can include one or more sealing elements therein for sealing the port and/or forming a seal around a surgical instrument disposed therethrough. Each movable sealing port can be rotatable relative to the housing and each sealing element can be rotatable relative to the housing along a predetermined orbital path.
US09351714B2

A surgical instrument is disclosed. The instrument includes a handle portion, a body portion extending distally from the handle portion and defining a first longitudinal axis and an articulating tool assembly defining a second longitudinal axis and having a proximal end. The articulating tool assembly is disposed at a distal end of the body portion and is movable from a first position in which the second longitudinal axis is substantially aligned with the first longitudinal axis to at least a second position in which the second longitudinal axis is disposed at an angle with respect to the first longitudinal axis. The instrument also includes an articulation mechanism configured to articulate the articulating tool assembly, the articulation mechanism including an articulation sensor assembly configured to transmit a sensor signal to a microcontroller which is configured to determine an articulation angle of the articulation assembly.
US09351713B2

A biopsy needle having a longitudinal channel formed within an inner conductor of a coaxial antenna is disclosed. The coaxial antenna terminates in a rigid insertion tip e.g. a ceramic cone that is insertable into biological tissue. Microwave energy (e.g. having a frequency of 1 to 100 GHz) delivered to the coaxial antenna is emitted at the insertion tip. The insertion tip may be arranged to match the impedance of the coaxial antenna to a predetermined tissue impedance. The emitted radiation can be used to measure properties of or treat (e.g., ablate) tissue at the insertion tip. Needle biopsy apparatus is also disclosed, in which a microwave energy is controllably delivered to a needle from a microwave generator. The apparatus may include an impedance tuner to dynamically match the impedance of the needle with tissue at the insertion tip.
US09351711B2

A biopsy needle comprises a first lumen open to a tissue penetrating distal tip of the needle for receiving a tissue sample therein and a second lumen in combination with a filter separating the first and second lumens from one another, the filter being configured to permit fluids to pass therethrough while preventing the sampled tissue from passing therethrough.
US09351710B2

Among other things, there are disclosed embodiments of full-core biopsy needles having an outer needle component and a middle cannula through a lumen in the outer component, through which a mandrel may be placed. The outer component includes an internal boss that reduces its internal diameter, and the cannula includes fingers that extend distally. When the needle is inserted for biopsy, tissue enters the outer component and cannula. Moving the cannula forward causes the fingers to engage a surface of the internal boss, resulting in the fingers curving into the tissue. The fingers pinch the tissue while reducing or eliminating compression of the sample to provide an easier removal of the tissue from adjacent tissue, as well as providing a block or backstop keeping the tissue within the needle. Gaps are provided between the fingers to further reduce damage to the tissue sample.
US09351707B2

A first ultrasound pulse is applied to biological tissue to create shear waves in the biological tissue, a focused ultrasound pulse is transmitted into the biological tissue, one or more ultrasound signals is received from the biological tissue, and shear waves are detected in the biological tissue based on the received one or more ultrasound signals. At least one propagation property associated with the detected shear waves is determined, and the determined at least one propagation property is displayed.
US09351701B2

There is provided a calibration apparatus used for a photon counting type of radiation detector. In this apparatus, a radiation condition of a radiation is set such that particles of the radiation (X-rays) which are incident on a plurality of detection modules are piled up over each other at a probability which is equal to or less than a predetermined value. Under the setting of this radiation condition, detection sensitivities for the radiation are made uniform among the plurality of detection modules. Using this uniformed result, the detection sensitivities for the radiation are further made uniform every channel of each of the pixels formed by circuit groups including the plurality of detection modules, discrimination circuits and data calculation circuits and every discrimination circuit in each channel.
US09351696B2

A method establishes a spatial position of a part of an x-ray ruler imaged in at least one x-ray image. The X-ray ruler is attached to an alignment of an object to be x-rayed. The X-ray ruler has at least a first part and a second part each having x-ray markers, and the first and second parts are connected to each other by a connection element. A spatial configuration of the x-ray markers is determined on a basis of images of the x-markers in an x-ray image or x-ray images.
US09351695B2

A method for obtaining a digital chest x-ray image of a patient, executed at least in part by a computer system, acquires a standard dose radiographic image and a reduced dose radiographic image, wherein the standard dose radiographic image and reduced dose radiographic images are obtained at peak kilovoltage values that differ by at least 10 kVp. A bone-enhanced image is formed by combining data from the standard dose radiographic image and reduced dose radiographic images and bone structure is segmented from the bone-enhanced image. A processed image is formed by suppressing bone contrast from the standard dose radiographic image according to the segmented bone structure. The processed image is displayed, stored, or transmitted.
US09351683B2

A wrinkle detection method comprises the steps of obtaining face data of a subject; setting one or more analytical regions on the obtained face data; producing plural pieces of wrinkle component extracted data by extracting wrinkle components extending in one direction or in plural directions at different angles from each other in an angle range in which wrinkles tend to extend and which is set in advance for the set one or more analytical regions; producing plural pieces of wrinkle component emphasized data corresponding to the pieces of wrinkle component extracted data, respectively, by emphasizing the wrinkle components; producing composite data by combining the pieces of wrinkle component emphasized data; and detecting a wrinkle component having an intensity equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value from the composite data as a wrinkle of the subject.
US09351676B2

An electrochemical sensor includes a base plate provided with a concave part formed on one of surfaces thereof, a fluid channel formed so that a bottom part of the concave part and the other one of the surfaces of the base plate are communicated with each other, a plurality of electrodes formed on the concave part; a reagent fixed on the electrodes, a cover which covers the concave part, and an air channel which causes the inside and outside of the concave part to be communicated with each other.
US09351669B2

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for providing a compressible interconnect for allowing electrical communication between an electronics unit and an analyte sensor in an on-body analyte monitoring device. In other embodiments, systems and methods are provided for reducing the Z-height of an on-body analyte monitoring device by utilizing novel interconnects.
US09351667B2

A device for measuring orofacial stiffness in a subject can include: two lip saddle attachment components configured for attachment to the lip saddles of a patients mouth; two elongate members, each being coupled with one of the lip saddle attachment components; a pivot member that couples the two elongate members at a pivot point opposite from the two lip saddle attachment components; an electronic sensor configured to sense the stiffness of the lips by sensing movement of the elongate members with respect to the pivot point, where the electronic sensor is operably coupled to each of the elongate members; and a pressure component configured move with respect to the pivot point so as to provide pressure to and/or receive pressure from the lip saddle attachment components.
US09351665B2

A method of analyzing a plethysmograph signal is disclosed. The method comprises: extracting from the signal a plurality of features, thereby constructing a feature space. The method further comprises employing a path selection procedure to the feature space for determining at least one sequence of respiration frequencies and reconstructing a respiratory signal using the sequence.
US09351660B2

A biomedical sensor for detecting EMG signals may include a non-conducting fixed framework supporting a symmetrical arrangement of four electrode surfaces, configured as two signal detection contacts, each with a respective associated signal reference contact. The mechanical and electrical configuration act together to suppress movement artifact.
US09351659B2

A biomedical sensor for detecting EMG signals may include a non-conducting fixed framework supporting a symmetrical arrangement of four electrode surfaces, configured as two signal detection contacts, each with a respective associated signal reference contact. The mechanical and electrical configuration act together to suppress movement artifact.
US09351658B2

An exemplary embodiment providing one or more improvements includes apparatus and methods for sensing electrical activity in tissue of a person in a manner which is substantially limits or eliminates interference from noise in a surrounding environment.
US09351651B2

A magnetic field measurement apparatus includes a probe beam irradiating unit that radiates a probe beam. A gas cell is arranged on an optical axis of the probe beam and shows a linear dichroism with respect to the probe beam between a first axis and a second axis. Another gas cell is arranged on the optical axis of the probe beam on the opposite side of the probe beam irradiating unit with respect to the gas cell, and shows a linear dichroism with respect to the probe beam between a third axis and a fourth axis, which are different from the first and the second axes. A measuring unit measures a difference between magnetic fields in the gas cells and on the basis of amounts of change of a plane of polarization of the probe beam that has passed through the gas cell and the gas cell.
US09351649B2

What is disclosed is a system and method for determining a subject of interest's arterial pulse transit time from time-varying source signals generated from video images. In one embodiment, a video imaging system is used to capture a time-varying source signal of a proximal and distal region of a subject of interest. The image frames are processed to isolate localized areas of a proximal and distal region of exposed skin of the subject. A time-series signal for each of the proximal and distal regions is extracted from the source video images. A phase angle is computed with respect to frequency for each of the time-series signals to produce respective phase v/s frequency curves for each region. Slopes within a selected cardiac frequency range are extracted from each of the phase curves and a difference is computed between the two slopes to obtain an arterial pulse transit time for the subject.
US09351643B2

A system and method is presented for performing optical measurements, including a light source configured to emit a light beam, a first pattern generator defining a first longitudinal axis and configured to project a first generated pattern, and a second pattern generator defining a second longitudinal axis and configured to project a second generated pattern. The first and second generated patterns have different angular divergency. The first pattern generator is a diffractive circle pattern generator, whereas the second pattern generator is a diffractive cross pattern generator. Adjustment of the first and second generated patterns with respect to each other cause the system to serve as an optical ruler for performing the optical measurements when the first and second generate patterns overlap or coincide with each other at certain points.
US09351640B2

A method of method of automatically requesting assistance for a patient by verbally communicating with a user through a base unit; wearing a mobile device with a plurality of different sensors on the patient to detect patient motion, wherein the mobile device transmits data to the base unit; and determining if a fall has occurred and requesting help through the base unit without a user pressing a button to call for help.
US09351635B2

A solution for the individual automatic rough positioning of ophthalmological equipment with respect to ensure the diagnostic or therapeutic treatment of the patient. The assembly includes a positioning aid and a control unit for the automatic alignment of the axis of vision of the eye with the optical axis of the ophthalmological equipment. The positioning aid includes a chin rest and a forehead support which have corresponding controllable actuating devices. The assembly has an additional measuring device for recording the geometry of the face of the patient.
US09351629B2

There is provided herein a tip section of a multi-camera endoscope, the tip section comprising: a front looking camera and a front discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the Field Of View (FOV) of said front looking camera; a right side looking camera and a right discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the FOV of said right side looking camera; a left side looking camera and a left discrete illuminator to essentially illuminate the FOV of said left side looking camera; and a multi component cover configured to cover and seal said tip section such as to essentially prevent entry of fluids from the environment of said endoscope to inner parts of said tip section.
US09351626B2

The invention relates generally to an improved mop having a support arm having a handle, a mop head that is pivotally attached to said support arm, a pair of rollers disposed in said mop head at lateral side of the mop head housing, a cleaning pad rotatably carried by said rollers so that a first roller carries said cleaning pad and a second roller draws sections of said cleaning pad across a cleaning area defined by said mop head, whereas the cleaning pad travel along a path orthogonal to the front of the housing, a spray nozzle carried by said mop head that is fluidly connected to a cleaning solution container for allowing the user to select and spray a cleaning solution on the surface being cleaned, and an ultra violet light source disposed on said mop head for disinfecting said cleaning pad.
US09351618B2

The present invention relates to a nozzle arrangement (10) for a floor cleaning device (100), comprising a nozzle housing (28); a brush (12) rotatable about a brush axis (14), wherein the brush (12) is partially surrounded by the nozzle housing (28) and protrudes from a bottom side (30) of said nozzle housing (28), said brush (12) being provided with brush elements (16) for picking up dirt and/or liquid particles (22, 24) from a surface to be cleaned (20) during the rotation of the brush (12), and a protection assembly (32) for preventing obstacles (40) from getting sucked into the nozzle housing (28) or wrapped around the brush (12), wherein said protection assembly (32) is arranged within the nozzle housing (28) and comprises a plurality of spaced apart ribs (34) that extend at least partly through the brush (12), wherein a suction channel (42) is defined between a back end (44) of the ribs (34) and an opposite inner wall element (46) of the nozzle housing (28), wherein said back end (44) of the ribs (34) is facing away from the brush axis (14) and said inner wall element (46) is facing towards said back end (44) of the ribs (34) and spaced apart from said back end (44), and wherein the brush elements (16) extend at least partly into the suction channel (42) during the brush's rotation.
US09351617B2

A device for performing an action on a surface comprises at least one movably arranged functional body (21, 22), driving means for driving the functional body (21, 22), main safety means for decoupling the driving means from the functional body (21, 22) when a load exerted by the functional body (21, 22) in the direction of the driving means under the influence of resistance forces experienced by the functional body (21, 22) exceeds a predetermined maximum value, and additional safety means (40) which are movably arranged in the vicinity of the functional body (21, 22), and which are capable of exerting loads on the main safety means to different extents in different positions, at a side of the main safety means associated with the functional body (21, 22). The additional safety means may comprise a bar (40) having a non-circular cross-sectional area, which is rotatable about its longitudinal axis (41).
US09351613B1

A long-handled personal holder device for personal cleaning, hygiene, and daily living, and is made of resilient material with extendable finger-like grips. The grips are configured to surely grip a tool, but also to release (e.g., so that a user does not have to soil their hands). The curved handle allows proper reach, and is designed for easy break-down, rinsing and cleaning, and for placement in a compact carry bag. The grips can grip a larger personal hygiene flushable wipe, a smaller flushable pad, a sponge for shower use, and/or a an ointment pad; and are also able to hold more rigidly-handled personal tools, such as a toothbrush, shaver, makeup applicator, pencil, pen, brush, and similar items.
US09351612B2

A shower door assembly with at least one adjustment assembly has an adjustment device and a locking device. The locking device includes a blocking element, a pressing element and an elastic element between the blocking element and the pressing element. The elastic element is arc-shaped when unlocked. An inclined surface projects to the blocking element. The curvature of the elastic element is thus reduced until it engages with the adjustment device. A driving device includes a cam mechanism and a sliding element having one end in contact with the pressing element and the other end sliding along with the inclined surface when driven by the cam mechanism so as to push the pressing element toward the blocking element, and thus reduce the curvature of the arc-shaped elastic element until the elastic element is engaged with the adjustment device.
US09351611B1

A portable water heater is described. The portable water heater may include a housing. A base may be mounted to said housing. The base may include a plurality of base members that may be pivotably and/or slidably mounted to the base. At least one thermal source may be disposed within the housing. The thermal source may be configured to produce thermal energy in the housing. A thermal transfer conduit may be disposed within the housing.
US09351605B2

In summary there is provided in one embodiment a combination of a pan with a box for holding a roasting material. The roasting bag is positioned within and removable from the box.
US09351600B2

A machine for a given geographical market and for preparing a beverage from a combination of a first ingredient and a second ingredient. The machine includes first and second containers, container arranged for storing one of these ingredients or a packaging thereof. Such machine is so arranged as to let a user select a quantity ratio of the first and second ingredients for preparation of a beverage. The containers have normal storage volumes for their respective ingredient or packaging. The first and second normal storage volumes of the containers have a volume ratio equivalent to a ratio of respective normal volumes necessary for storing the first and second ingredients or packaging thereof used in an estimated average quantity ratio for preparing such beverage in the given geographical market.
US09351595B2

A system of place-setting components used to facilitate serving and eating healthy food portions. The place-setting system comprising: a plate and a nestable set of two or more serving spoons. The plate includes one or more serving areas corresponding to a portion size for one or more food components of a meal. Each of the serving spoons in the nestable set includes a bowl-shaped cup and a handle. The handle of the serving spoons comprising: a first segment, extending distally from the proximal end of the handle, with a portion of a distal-most section of the first segment extending upward; a second segment connected to the first segment, with the second segment extending downward; a third segment connected to the second segment, with the third segment extending generally upward; and a fourth segment connected to the third segment, with the fourth segment extending generally distally.
US09351592B2

A support for storing and displaying elongate articles includes at least one shelf selectively adjustably couplable with a support frame in at least first and second orientations. The at least one shelf includes first locating structure associated with the first orientation and engagable with at least one elongate article placed in contact with the first locating structure to locate the at least one article on the shelf so that a longitudinal axis of the at least one elongate article is aligned in a first direction. The at least one shelf further includes second locating structure associated with the second orientation and engagable with an elongate article when the elongate article is placed in contact with the second locating structure to locate the elongate article on the at least one shelf so that the longitudinal axis of the elongate article is aligned in a second direction.
US09351589B2

An electronic device enclosure includes a cabinet, a door movably mounted to the cabinet, and a limiting block rotatably mounted to the door. The cabinet includes a first side plate. The door defines a limiting slot. The door is movable relative to the cabinet between a closed position and an open position. When the door is located in the closed position, the door is substantially perpendicular to the first side plate and covers the cabinet. When the door is located in the open position, the door is substantially parallel to the first side plate, and the limiting block is engaged in the limiting slot, which prevents the door from dropping.
US09351579B2

The invention relates to a Multi-layer Anatomical padding system which is developed based on the need of the human being for feeling comfort when performing the action of sitting, sleeping or support; the Multi-layer Anatomical padding system is composed of polymeric gel, visco-elastic polyurethane foam, flexible polyurethane foam in 2 different densities, wherein the polymeric gel is located in the lower part of the system followed by a visco-elastic polyurethane foam, followed by a flexible polyurethane foam, and finally another flexible polyurethane foam insert so, where the latter foam goes exclusively on the seats and will only help to reduce the pressure in the groin area through this insert having a conical elongated shape with rounded ends, which is located in the central part of the flexible polyurethane foam which has in turn the same basin form, that said insert fits into it, in which the layer of flexible polyurethane foam and the insert equal half the padding, and the polyurethane foam with visco-elastic polymer gel occupy approximately the other half.
US09351574B2

A leisure chair includes a backrest pivotably connected to a seat. A connection seat is mounted between a base and the seat and includes a lower coupling portion mounted to the base, an upper coupling portion mounted to the seat, and two pivotal rod units pivotably connected to two sides of the lower coupling portion, respectively. The upper coupling portion is pivotably connected to the pivotal rod units. When a control rod moves rearwards, a push portion on the control rod actuates a pull rod to control a pneumatic rod for adjusting a rearward inclination angle of the backrest. When the control rod moves forwards, a pressing portion of the control rod presses against two swaying rods to extend the legrest unit, and the center of gravity of the upper coupling portion can be located in front of the center of gravity of the base to provide enhanced lying stability.
US09351570B2

A storage system includes a tray that can be stored on automated storage and retrieval racks. A tub is removably securable to the tray. The tub includes a bottom wall, a pair of opposed side walls and a pair of opposed end walls. The bottom wall of the tub is removably secured to the tray. Thus, some of the trays in the storage system can be provided with tubs for the storage of loose items.
US09351554B2

An ergonomic handle for luggage is provided. In one aspect, the handle comprises at least one palm grip. The handle is attached to a compartment with wheels. The palm grip can be used to push the luggage as the wheels roll over a rolling surface.
US09351550B2

A wheel deployment apparatus having a retractable wheel assembly. The wheel deployment apparatus includes a deployment cable functionally coupled to and extending from the wheel assembly. The apparatus includes a retractable handle assembly having a primary tube telescopically nested with a secondary tube. The wheel deployment apparatus includes a shuttle slidably coupled between the primary tube and the secondary tube and coupled to the deployment cable through a slot in the retractable handle assembly. The wheel deployment apparatus includes a shuttle cover functionally disposed over the slot having a hole through which the deployment cable extends.
US09351542B2

A buckle assembly includes female and male buckle plates. The female buckle plate is formed with an insertion slot defined by a slot-defining wall having first and second wall faces, and has first and second corners. The first and second corners oppose each other, and are different in height with respect to a reference plane. The male buckle plate has a bent end portion that has upper and lower segments and a middle segment cooperating with the upper and lower segments to define upper and lower corners. The bent end portion is pivotable to the first corner by abutting the upper corner against the first corner, such that the bent end portion is rotatable relative to the first corner.
US09351536B2

An article of footwear includes an upper having an anterior area, a posterior area, a medial area extending between the anterior and posterior areas, and a lateral area extending between the anterior and posterior areas and that is opposite the medial area. The article of footwear also includes a sole assembly operatively coupled to the upper. Furthermore, the article of footwear includes a bladder having a base operably supported by the sole assembly, an anterior portion that extends from the base toward the anterior area, a posterior portion that extends from the base toward the posterior area, a medial portion that extends from the base toward the medial area, and a lateral portion that extends from the base toward the lateral area. The anterior, posterior, medial, and lateral portions are operably supported by the upper.
US09351534B2

A water-vapor permeable shoe-sole combination (15) with an upper side (5) having at least on through hole (31) extending through the thickness of the shoe-sole combination, a barrier unit (35) with an upper side forming at least part of the upper side (50) of the shoe-sole combination, made of a water-vapor permeable barrier material (33) that forms a barrier against penetration of foreign bodies, by means of which the at least one through hole (31) is closed in a water-vapor permeable manner, a reinforcement device (25) formed for mechanical reinforcement of the shoe-sole combination (105), constructed with at least one reinforcement web (37) arranged on at least one surface of the barrier material (33) and at least partially crossing the at least one through hole (31), and at least one walking-sole part (117) arranged beneath the barrier unit (35).
US09351533B2

An article of footwear is disclosed having at least one elongated heel support member. The elongated heel support member may be angled and extend from a heel region to a midfoot region, in order to disperse forces applied by a wearer's heel during movement. The heel system may include two heel support members, each associated with a side of the article of footwear. The article of footwear may also include a series of ribs in the midfoot region, which may abut a front edge of the heel support members. Finally, the article of footwear may include asymmetric side flaps extending downward from an upper plate so as to overlap a midsole.
US09351526B1

A belt includes an inside belt surface, a belt coating layer provided on the inside belt surface and a plurality of belt teeth in the belt coating layer. A belt adjustment system and a belt fabrication method are also disclosed.
US09351524B2

A brassiere and a decorative element having a relatively flat configuration, a set of suspension straps symmetrically arranged about a vertical plane between the brassiere cups serving to locate the decorative element symmetrically about the vertical plane above, and free of contact with a bridge between the cups, the suspension straps on each side of the decorative element including a first suspension strap attached to a mid-section of an associated cup and to an adjacent side edge of the decorative element and a second suspension strap spaced above the first suspension strap and attached to said adjacent side edge of the decorative element, the first and second suspension straps being arranged to maintain a face of the decorative element facing in a direction to which said cups project.
US09351519B2

The invention relates to a tobacco preparation method, wherein a tobacco material is prepared through at least one extrusion process comprising compressing the material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically processing and abruptly flash drying the material of an extruder outlet, wherein the tobacco material comprises a tobacco lamina material. The invention further relates to a tobacco preparation device comprising a dosing conveyor (2) and an extruder (3) which compresses a tobacco material with an increase in pressure and temperature and mechanically process and abruptly flash dries the material at the extruder outlet, wherein the components (3, 4) are designated as a unit which can be modularly delimited for processing a tobacco material comprising a tobacco lamina material. The invention further relates to an arrangement of several tobacco preparation devices and a smoking article or cigarette manufacturing device comprising such a device or such a device arrangement which is connected upstream of a cigarette maker or a secondary unit as a tobacco preparation module.
US09351515B2

A Nutritional Composition comprising soluble extractable material from a lignocellulosic source. A method of producing a composition, comprising providing a lignocellulosic source, extracting soluble materials from the lignocellulosic source to produce soluble extractable material, and processing the soluble extractable material to yield a Nutritional Composition, wherein the Nutritional Composition comprises hemicellulose and exhibits pathogen blocking, anti-adhesion activity.
US09351514B2

The protein preparation produced from rape seeds has a protein content of less than 90% based on the dry mass, has a brightness L*, determined according to CIE-L*a*b* color scale, of at least 70 and also has at least water-binding, oil-binding and emulsifying functionality. The method for producing a protein preparation includes dehulling the rape seeds and a mechanical deoiling process, wherein only part of the oil is separated and/or wherein the process is carried out at a temperature, averaged over the duration of the pressing process, of less than 80° C., and/or an extraction process wherein the amount of non-protein material is reduced in the protein flour and then the grain size is prepared in order to obtain a pourable material having a predetermined particle size distribution.
US09351511B2

The present invention relates to a method for modifying polyphenol containing plant material(s), wherein said method comprises: mixing at least one polyphenol containing material and at least one solvent to provide a mixture; heating the mixture to eliminate bacterial species present to provide a heated mixture; adding at least one polyphenol modifying strain of lactic acid bacteria and optionally at least one protein source, in optional order or simultaneously, to the heated mixture to provide a fermentation mixture; and subjecting the fermentation mixture to conditions suitable for fermentation of the fermentation mixture to provide a mixture of modified polyphenol containing plant material(s); and optionally eliminating the polyphenol modifying strain of lactic acid bacteria to provide a mixture of modified polyphenol containing plant material(s) free from living lactic acid bacteria.
US09351501B2

Methods and compositions for a lipid-based food filling including a lipid system, and particulates having a size of about 30 micrometers or less, the particulates having a lipophilic surface, wherein the filling has a water activity of less than about 0.3 and wherein substantially no fat separates from the filling when the filling is heated to temperatures of up to about 200° F.
US09351499B2

Meat processing equipment is disclosed that includes a first element having a first face; a second element having a second face. The first and second faces extend parallel to one another and define a common plane between the first and second faces. The first and second elements are relatively movable with respect to one another. Yieldable arresting features are included for yieldably arresting the first and second elements in at least one predetermined position of relative movement, the yieldable arresting features include cooperating first and second permanent magnets, associated with at least one of the first and second elements.
US09351492B2

The present invention provides polyphenolic compositions derived from a plant that inhibit the formation of a biofilm. Also provided are combinations that comprise at least one phenolic phytochemical and at least one antimicrobial agent that inhibit the growth of an established biofilm. Further, the present invention provides methods for inhibiting the formation and growth of biofilms.
US09351486B2

Efficacious herbicidal compositions comprising a derivatized saccharide surfactant and an amine oxide surfactant are described. The compositions are characterized as having low toxicity and are readily biodegradable.
US09351479B2

A birdfeeder that is easy to disassemble and clean and re-assemble. The birdfeeder further having a configuration such that it can be affixed to like birdfeeders to increase the amount of birdfood being offered.
US09351470B1

A soybean cultivar designated 46043017 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 46043017, to the plants of soybean cultivar 46043017, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 46043017, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 46043017. 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 46043017. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 46043017, 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 46043017 with another soybean cultivar.
US09351468B1

A novel soybean variety, designated XBP18007 is provided. Also provided are the seeds of soybean variety XBP18007, cells from soybean variety XBP18007, plants of soybean XBP18007, and plant parts of soybean variety XBP18007. Methods provided include producing a soybean plant by crossing soybean variety XBP18007 with another soybean plant, methods for introgressing a transgenic trait, a mutant trait, and/or a native trait into soybean variety XBP18007, methods for producing other soybean varieties or plant parts derived from soybean variety XBP18007, and methods of characterizing soybean variety XBP18007. Soybean seed, cells, plants, germplasm, breeding lines, varieties, and plant parts produced by these methods and/or derived from soybean variety XBP18007 are further provided.
US09351467B1

The invention relates to the soybean variety designated XB32AQ13R2. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety XB32AQ13R2. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety XB32AQ13R2 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety XB32AQ13R2 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09351452B2

The present invention relates to a Capsicum annuum seed designated 35-172 RZ, which exhibits medium high resistance to powdery mildew, resistance to Tobamovirus pathotypes P0, P1, P1-2 and P1-2-3, and a medium maturation time. The present invention also relates to a Capsicum annuum plant produced by growing the 35-172 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the pepper cultivar, represented by pepper variety 35-172 RZ.
US09351445B2

A novel strain of Pleurotus nebrodensis (Daewang No. 1, Accession No.: KACC93181P) and a method for cultivating it are provided. The novel strain of Pleurotus nebrodensis is different from the existing Pleurotus ferulae in shape and physiological characteristic, has an extra after-ripening period, can be grown at a low temperature of 22 to 25° C. and a low water content (RH) of 60 to 65%, can be cultivated in slightly acid environment of pH 5.5 to 6.5, can utilize bottle cultivation, and has a good shape not to be easily damaged in packaging. Thus, the novel strain of Pleurotus nebrodensis according to the present invention have good commercial value, are more resistant to environmental change, and can be mass produced by automation system.
US09351440B2

A seed meter for an agricultural planter in which the seed disc is rotatably mounted within a seed meter housing. As the seed disc rotates, the apertures in the disc rotate along a seed aperture path through a horizontally adjacent seed pool area. The seed disc includes cavities disposed along the seed aperture path to agitate the seeds in the seed pool area. A singulator having multiple co-planar singulator surfaces is biased against the seed side surface of the seed disc.
US09357685B2

A inverting head 20 that inverts a component 4 picked up by a nozzle 20a upside down includes a flat-plate-like base 31 provided on a vertically-movable transfer base 21d; a nozzle holder support member 33 that is swayable within a horizontal plane the base as a result of arcuate peripheries 41 being supported by a plurality of bearings 32 provided on the base 31; and a nozzle holder 34 that is supported so as to be turnable around a horizontal axis CX by the nozzle holder support member 33 and that holds on its side surface the nozzle 20a.
US09357668B2

Provided are a power management system and method. At least one frame module includes at least one bay and a plurality of first connectors at a rear portion of the at least one bay and at least one power conversion unit positioned in the at least one bay. The at least one power conversion unit includes a plurality of second connectors. Each second connector is removably coupled to a first connector of the plurality of first connectors. The first and second connectors include a combination of high power, cooling, and control connectors.
US09357663B2

An electronic unit of a fluid sensor or fluid valve has a substantially cylindrical housing with a longitudinal axis and an open end face, which can be closed by a lid, several spacers formed as separate parts, which can be introduced into the housing in direction of the longitudinal axis and are directly stacked on top of each other. At least one spacer at least one electronic component is attached, which together with the spacer forms a premounted unit to be introduced into the housing.
US09357662B2

A backlight module includes a light-guiding plate, a back-light source disposed at a side of the light-guiding plate, and a frame structure disposed surrounding the light-guiding plate. The frame structure includes a border component, at least one first convex, and at least one second convex. The border component includes at least one first border and at least one second border. The first border and the second border are adjacent to each other and distributed along a first direction and a second direction respectively. The first convex protrudes from the inner surface of the first border and extends inward along the second direction. The second convex protrudes from the inner surface of the second border and extends inward along the first direction. The first direction is vertical to the second direction, and the top of the vertical height of the first convex is lower than that of the second convex.
US09357661B2

A module unit includes a receiving element formed from an extrusion profile and configured to receive at least one circuit board. The receiving element includes at least two recesses. Two lateral elements are each configured to be received in a respective one of the at least two recesses so as to fasten the lateral elements to the receiving element by latching.
US09357659B2

A packaging substrate having an embedded through-via interposer is provided, including an encapsulant layer, a through-via interposer embedded in the encapsulant layer and having a plurality of conductive through-vias therein, a redistribution layer embedded in the encapsulant layer and formed on the through-via interposer so as to electrically connect with first end surfaces of the conductive through-vias, and a built-up structure formed on the encapsulant layer and the through-via interposer for electrically connecting second end surfaces of the conductive through-vias. As such, the first end surfaces of the conductive through-vias of the through-via interposer are electrically connected to the redistribution layer to thereby be electrically connected to electrode pads of a semiconductor chip having smaller pitches, while the second end surfaces of the conductive through-vias electrically connect with conductive vias of the built-up structure having larger pitches, thereby allowing the packaging substrate to be coupled with the semiconductor chip having high-density circuits.
US09357658B2

A dual-personality extended USB (EUSB) system supports both USB and EUSB devices using an extended 9-pin EUSB socket. Each EUSB device includes a PCBA having four standard USB metal contact pads, and several extended purpose contact springs disposed on an upper side of a PCB. A single-shot molding process is used to form a molded housing over passive components and IC dies disposed on the lower PCB surface. The passive components are mounted using SMT methods, and the IC dies are mounted using COB methods. The extended 9-pin EUSB socket includes standard USB contacts and extended use contacts that communicate with the PCBA through the standard USB metal contacts and the contact springs. The EUSB device is optionally used as a modular insert that is mounted onto a metal or plastic case to provide a EUSB assembly having a plug shell similar to a standard USB male connector.
US09357656B2

A method for solderless electrical press-fit contacting of electrically conductive press-fit pins in circuit boards include: providing a circuit board having a thickness, at least one electrical conductor path, and a contacting opening guided perpendicularly through the circuit board and having a metallized inner wall; providing an electrically conductive press-fit pin having a longitudinal axis and having a press-fit region suitable for press-fitting into the contacting opening and having a substantially round cross section; and press-fitting the press-fit pin into the contacting opening by applying onto the press-fit pin a force acting along the longitudinal axis of the press-fit pin, press-fitting being assisted by the application of ultrasound acting on the press-fit pin.
US09357635B2

Embodiments are directed to microfluidic refill cartridges and methods of assembling same. The microfluidic refill cartridges include a microfluidic delivery member that includes a filter for filtering fluid passed therethrough. The filter may be configured to block particles above a threshold size to prevent blockage in the nozzles. For instances, particles having a dimension that is larger than the diameter of the nozzles can block or reduce fluid flow through the nozzle.
US09357633B2

A structure (100) includes ground conductive bodies (111 and 141) that are formed in an A layer (110) and a D layer (140) that face each other, a connection member (151) that connects between the ground conductive bodies (111 and 141), a conductive part (131) that is formed in a C layer (130) and faces the ground conductive bodies (111 and 141), and an opening (132), through which the connection member (151) passes through, disposed in the conductive part (131), and a conductive element (121) that is formed in a B layer (120), faces the conductive part (131), and is electrically connected to the connection member (151) that passes through an opening (132) disposed in the conductive part (131).
US09357622B2

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for wirelessly configuring and diagnosing an airfield lighting system. In particular, the system can include a constant current regulator that comprises a wireless communication interface. The system can also include a plurality of light fixtures where one or more of the light fixtures includes a wireless communication interface. The constant current regulator and the light fixture can communicate via the wireless communication interfaces with a handheld wireless device. Alternatively, the constant current regulator and the light fixture can communicate via the wireless communication interfaces with wireless display devices. The wireless communication interfaces can communicate configuration and diagnostic information.
US09357611B2

A light emitting diode (LED) driver apparatus includes a pulse-width modulation (PWM) signal generator configured to generate a PWM signal according to a reference voltage. The LED driver apparatus also includes a DC-DC converter configured to provide a driving voltage to LED arrays based on the generated PWM signal, and a LED driver configured to drive the LED arrays through output ports. The LED apparatus includes a detector configured to detect whether the LED arrays are operatively connected to the corresponding output ports.
US09357606B2

The invention relates to a lighting device having at least one light-emitting diode module (1), which comprises at least two light-emitting diodes (11), which during operation emit light having colors that differ from each other, at least one driver (2), which is designed to supply the light-emitting diodes (11) of exactly one of the at least one light-emitting diode modules (1) with operating current, exactly one control device (3), which during operation controls the at least one light-emitting diode module (1) in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner, wherein each light-emitting diode module (1) is biuniquely associated with a driver (2), and the control device (3) controls each light-emitting diode module (1) in an open-loop and/or closed-loop manner by means of the driver associated with the light-emitting diode module (1).
US09357604B2

An LED array switching apparatus comprises, on a single PCB substrate: a plurality of LED arrays D1 to Dn connected in series, each LED array having a forward voltage; an AC voltage supply coupled to the plurality of LED arrays; and a plurality of constant current sources G1 to Gn, coupled to outputs of LED arrays D1 to Dn, respectively, each of the constant current sources being switchable between a current regulating state and an open state such that as the voltage of the AC voltage supply increases, LED arrays are switched on and lit to form a higher forward voltage LED string, and as the voltage of the AC voltage supply decreases, LED arrays are switched off and removed from the LED string starting with the most recently lit LED array.
US09357603B2

A driving method is applied to a driving switch having a first terminal, a second terminal coupled to a first light emitting diode (LED), and a control terminal. First, supply a reset voltage to the control terminal. When the second terminal electrically connects with the control terminal and the first terminal receives a precompensation voltage, the difference between the voltage at the control terminal and the preset voltage is equal to the threshold voltage of the driving switch. When the second terminal electrically connects with the control terminal and the first terminal receives a data voltage, the difference between the voltage at the control terminal and the data voltage is equal to the threshold voltage of the driving switch. When the first terminal receives a power voltage, a driving current is generated according to the voltage at the control terminal and the power voltage to drive the LED.
US09357602B1

In an LED dimming and driving method and its circuit, a receiver, a current source and a controller are installed in a dimming module, and after the receiver has received a dimming signal, the current source is driven to output a current with a magnitude corresponsive to the dimming signal, and then after the controller has converted the current into a voltage level by a terminal resistor, the magnitude of the driving current of the LED is adjusted according to the voltage level to improve a linear dimming accuracy.
US09357598B2

A power supply control system for a switch-mode power supply comprises a cycle-by-cycle, asynchronous control scheme. The system makes use of including a signal summing and comparing stage and a control signal feedback system configured to control shaping of first and second portions of a comparison signal provided to comparator circuitry that generates a switching-circuitry drive signal.
US09357596B2

An apparatus is disclosed that includes a first node coupleable to a power supply, a charge storage component coupled between a second node and a third node, and a first leg between the first node and second node. The first leg includes a first switching device. The apparatus includes a second leg between the first node and the third node. The second leg includes a second switching device. The apparatus includes a third leg between the second node and a fourth node. The third leg includes a third switching device. The apparatus includes a fourth leg between the third node and the fourth node, wherein the fourth leg includes a fourth switching device. The apparatus includes one or more contacts in one of the second leg or the third leg, the one or more contacts configured to be coupled to a load. Charging and load driving operations may be performed.
US09357595B2

A light emitting diode driver includes a power supplying unit receiving an alternating current (AC) power and outputting a transformed power according to a predetermined ratio, a rectifying unit rectifying the output power from the power supplying unit, and a double voltage unit receiving the rectified power from the rectifying unit and generating an output voltage such that the level of the output voltage is variable, and has constant duty and frequency thereof even the variance of the voltage level.
US09357589B2

A microwave heating system for continuously heating a plurality of articles and process for using the same are provided. The microwave system includes a thermalization zone for thermalizing the articles to a substantially uniform temperature, a microwave heating zone for increasing the temperature of the articles by at least about 50° C., and a quench zone for cooling the articles after heating. The heating can be carried out at a rate of at least 25° C. per minute. The system also includes at least one conveyance system for transporting the articles through each of the thermalization, microwave heating, and quench zones. The system can be commercial-sized and may have an overall production rate of at least 20 packages per minute per convey line.
US09357587B2

A call management method, an associated mobile terminal, and a mobile terminal control method using a call status, and a related apparatus. A first status change information is created when a call connection for a first call is requested through a first call application. A second status change information is created when a second call connection for a new call is requested through a second call application on the condition that the first call being pre-established through the first call application is connected. After guide information created using the first status change information and the second status change information is outputted, an input of selection information regarding the guide information is received. At least one of the first and second call applications is a call application that performs a service for a packet switched (PS) call.
US09357584B2

There is provided a system of interacting relay nodes, each being configured to provide an in-band cellular radio access and an out-band radio access for at least one user equipment within the coverage area of a corresponding relay node via at least one in-band cellular radio access link and at least one out-band radio access link, respectively; to transmit user data related to the in-band cellular radio access via first cellular radio access backhaul link and user data related to the out-band radio access via a second cellular radio access backhaul link; and to communicate with the at least one other relay node in order to per-form at least radio control-related functionalities between the interconnected relay nodes.
US09357583B2

A processor of a gateway node device determines whether to divide a first tree included in a tree structure formed by sensor node devices intermittently operating and the gateway node device as a root of the tree structure. The first tree includes a first node device as a root. The processor divides, upon determining to divide the first tree, the first tree into a second tree and a third tree at a second node device different from the first node device. The second node device is a root of the second tree. The second node device is a child node of the third tree. The processor assigns active time periods within an intermittent operation cycle to the respective second and third trees. The assigned active time periods are mutually disjoint. The processor notifies sensor node devices included in the first tree of the assigned active time periods.
US09357565B2

Simultaneous, multi-user uplink communication is scheduled in a wireless network by transmitting a poll message to a plurality of access terminals in response to receiving a first request to transmit data via uplink. The poll message includes a solicitation for requests to transmit data from each of the plurality of access terminals. The poll message also includes a medium reservation and schedule for transmission of the requests from the access terminals. Based on the requests received from the access terminals, a number of the access terminals are selected for simultaneous transmission of data via uplink. A transmit start message is sent to each of the selected access terminals indicating when and for how long the selected access terminals may transmit data via uplink. After the data is received, a block ACK message is sent to each of the selected access terminals indicating successful simultaneous communication.
US09357564B2

User equipment (UE)-initiated accesses within a cellular network are optimized to account for cell size and to reduce signaling overhead. A fixed set of preamble parameter configurations for use across a complete range of cell sizes within the cellular network is established and stored within each UE. A UE located in a given cell receives a configuration number transmitted from a nodeB serving the cell, the configuration number being indicative of a size of the cell. The UE selects a preamble parameter configuration from the fixed set of preamble parameter configurations in response to the received configuration number and then transmits a preamble from the UE to the nodeB using the preamble parameter configuration indicated by the configuration number.
US09357548B2

A protocol to be used in the transmission is determined. Based upon the protocol, the transmission frequency range of a clock is selectively altered. TPMS data is transmitted according to the altered transmission frequency range of the clock.
US09357542B2

A method for transmitting information includes: by a NodeB, receiving a message for setting up/reconfiguring a shared Enhanced Dedicated Channel (E-DCH) transmission channel from a Radio Network Controller (RNC); and setting up the shared E-DCH transmission channel according to parameters in the message, and exchanging information with the RNC through an established shared E-DCH transmission bearer.
US09357538B2

A user equipment is capable of receiving communications from a cell including at least one base station. The user equipment includes a receiver configured to receive from the base station both a cell specific radio resource control (RRC) configuration comprising a cell specific resource offset parameter for a PUCCH HARQ-ACK, and a UE specific RRC configuration comprising a UE specific RS base sequence parameter and an UE specific resource offset parameter for the PUCCH HARQ-ACK.
US09357536B2

The present invention is directed to a wireless communication system. Specifically, the present invention is directed to a method of receiving information at a user equipment configured with a serving cell in a mobile communication system, and the method comprises activating the serving cell; receiving a first signal from a base station, the first signal including timing advance group assignment information for the serving cell; and deactivating the serving cell if the timing advance group assignment information indicates a second timing advance group different from a first timing advance group assigned to the serving cell.
US09357526B2

A device and a method for performing Device to Device (D2D) communication in a wireless communication system are provided. The method includes transmitting information on a self-frequency band selected from all frequency bands for the D2D communication, to the second mobile station, receiving information on a counterpart-frequency band selected for the D2D communication, from the second mobile station, determining transmission and reception frequency bands to be used for the D2D communication, based on the information on the self-frequency band and the information on the counterpart-frequency band, transmitting data to the second mobile station in the determined transmission frequency band, and receiving data from the second mobile station in the determined reception frequency band.
US09357521B2

In some implementations, a system for determining an estimated location of a base station includes a server that receives location information from mobile devices located within a communication range of base stations of a wireless communication network, processes the location information, and stores the location information in a data repository. The location information includes a location of a mobile device, the location associated with an identifier of a base station and a received signal strength indication between the mobile device and the base station. The server excludes at least one location of the mobile device from a set of locations of the mobile device using a previously determined coverage area length and a previously determined transmission signal range, and calculates a geographic location of each base station using non-excluded locations of the mobile device by accessing a base station information table using an identifier of each base station.
US09357520B2

Examples herein include methods and systems for signal diffusion modeling for a discretized map of signal. An example method includes receiving data related to RSSI for a wireless AP for a plurality of locations of an area, associating the data to a diagram of the area based on the plurality of locations of the area, determining a given partition of the diagram in which a magnitude of a given RSSI associated with the given partition is greater than or equal to a highest magnitude of a given RSSI associated with any partitions of the plurality of partitions, assigning a location of the wireless AP to be within the given partition, and applying a constraint such that a magnitude of a given RSSI associated with other respective partitions is less than or equal to a highest magnitude of a given RSSI associated with neighboring partitions of the other respective partitions.
US09357508B2

A satellite communication system includes a hub and one or more terminals, wherein the one or more terminals may be configured to communicate over a satellite with the hub using a segment of the satellite's resources and using a single channel per carrier (SCPC) access scheme. Methods are presented herein for facilitating the dimensioning of at least a power characteristic of said space segment using a Demand Assignment Multiple Access approach and for enforcing the dimensioned power characteristic in real-time, or substantially in real-time. Also presented are methods for allocating power to SCPC carriers, wherein a maximum power level for a carrier may be determined using a DAMA technique.
US09357482B2

A method and system for dynamic power control for next generation LTE base stations are described herein. More particularly, a dynamic power control management process may run, for example, in an OA&M module on the control plane core of the base station. The dynamic power control management process collaborates with various components, such as a call management processing module and a transport process module, to periodically obtain information regarding the number of active calls as well as the uplink and downlink data rates for a given interval for a particular cell. The dynamic power control management process polls the call management processing module and transport process module periodically according to a tunable parameter for the key values. Based on this information, the dynamic power control management process determines whether a particular cell on the base station is running below a threshold at which dynamic power control could be triggered.
US09357480B2

Embodiments provide a method for selecting a network by a terminal and a dual-standby terminal. The method includes: enabling, by a first network processing module, a circuit switched (CS) domain to preferably camp on a first network, and executing a CS domain service; enabling, by a second network processing module, a packet switched (PS) domain to preferably camp on a second network, and executing a PS domain service; wherein, signal quality of the first network is better than that of the second network, and a data transmission rate of the second network is higher than that of the first network; and closing the second network processing module when no PS domain service exists in a set duration. These embodiments help improve the service quality and reduce power consumption of the terminal.
US09357476B2

The embodiments herein provide a method and system for acquiring modified system information messages in user equipment. The method comprises notifying a modification in system information to user equipment for acquiring the modified system information. The notification comprises adding an SI-Modified flag to a scheduling information element in a system information block type-1, storing the system information, in a network, acquiring and comparing a modified system information with the stored system information, identifying system information modification and transmitting the updated system information to user equipment. The user equipment receives the system information modification notification from the network; decodes the scheduling Info List in the SIB1; processes the system information message in the scheduling Info List; identities the modified system information messages, determines SI window information for the modified system information, acquires the modified system information and updates the stored system information.
US09357473B2

Disclosed are a system, apparatus, and method for adaptive discovery and scanning of wireless access points. In one embodiment, a set of channels can be scanned in a first iteration to discover wireless access points. In one embodiment, a discovery profile based on the discovered wireless access points can be determined and in a second iteration, a subset of the set of channels can be scanned. In one embodiment, the subset consists of non-overlapping channels selected according to the discovery profile.
US09357471B2

Anode apparatus includes: a receiver configured to receive data from a first node apparatus adjacent to the node apparatus, a transmission source of the data being a second node apparatus; a data generator configured to generate transmission data in which the second node apparatus is specified as a final destination; a transmitter configured to transmit the transmission data to an adjacent node apparatus of the node apparatus other than the first node apparatus; and a decision unit configured to decide that an alternative path for transmitting data via an adjacent node apparatus of the node apparatus other than the first node apparatus does not exist between the node apparatus and the second node apparatus, when the node apparatus receives the transmission data transmitted by the transmitter to all adjacent node apparatuses of the node apparatus other than the first node apparatus.
US09357466B2

A method and apparatus for performing a serving high speed downlink shared channel (HS-DSCH) cell change from a source cell to a target cell are disclosed. A wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) may be pre-configured with HS-DSCH configuration for the target cell. The WTRU may start monitoring a high speed shared control channel (HS-SCCH) on the target cell using the pre-loaded HS-DSCH configuration for the target cell on a condition that a measurement report is triggered by the event 1D. The WTRU may initiate a timer when the WTRU starts monitoring the HS-SCCH on the target cell.
US09357463B2

Embodiments of techniques and systems for extended discontinuous reception (DRX) are described herein. In some embodiments, a user equipment (UE) configured for extended DRX may include receiver circuitry and paging circuitry. The receiver circuitry may be configured to receive a system frame number from an eNB and receive extension data from the eNB. The paging circuitry may be configured to determine an augmented system frame number based on the system frame number and the extension data, determine a paging frame number based on the extension data, and monitor for paging occasions when the augmented system frame number is equal to the paging frame number. Other embodiments may be described and/or claimed.
US09357454B2

Methods, user equipment (120) and target base station (130) for supporting update of neighbor cell relations in a cellular communications network (100). The user equipment (120) switches from being served in the source cell (115) by the source base station (110) to instead being served in the target cell (135) by the target base station. The user equipment sends (304, 403), to the target base station (130), in association with the switching, an identifier of the source cell (115) in the cellular communications network (100) and a request for mobility report. The request for mobility report requests the target base station (130) to send a mobility report to the source base station (110) or a management entity (140) thereof. The mobility report reporting that a successful switch has taken place between the source cell (115) and the target cell (135), thereby enabling updating of the neighbor cell relations based on the mobility report. Hence, reporting back of successful cell switching is enabled even when the target base station is unprepared by the source base station about the switching. Neighbor cell relations of at least the source base station may be updated based on the mobility report.
US09357453B2

A home base station and method for supporting a plurality of cells under carrier aggregation. The home base station includes a preamble generator and a preamble monitor. The preamble generator allocates respective random access resources in the cells for handover to be carried out by a user equipment (UE), and upon receiving a handover request signal transmitted by a Mobility Management Entity (MME), generates a specific preamble and its transmission time, so that the UE performs random access on the cells based on the preamble and the transmission time to obtain the random access resources and sends out a Random Access Preamble (RAP). The preamble monitor enables the cells to simultaneously monitor the RAP sent by the UE, and when one of the cells receiving the RAP, identifies the cell on which the UE camps based on which one of the cells that has the RAP.
US09357450B2

A method and a device for data processing in a mobile communication network are provided, wherein a control information is conveyed between a mobile terminal and an anchor node within said mobile communication network, and wherein based on said control information, a handover synchronization between a source network and a target access network is conducted utilizing an intermediate state of a mobility management. Furthermore, a communication system is suggested comprising said device.
US09357449B2

The present disclosure relates to a communication method between a terminal and a network during an inter PLMN (public land mobile network) handover in a mobile communication network that shares an E-UTRAN (evolved universal terrestrial radio access network), and a mobile communication system thereof. According to the present invention, the terminal performs E-UTRAN registration through a base station (eNB) and an MME (MME), updates a routing area, activates ISR (idle state signaling reduction), receives a handover command to the previous PLMN or another PLMN and transmits a location update request message to the MME while the handover is being executed. As such, a communication disconnect or any authentication or security failure during the inter PLMN handover of the terminal can be avoided.
US09357446B2

A method for transmitting a channel state by a terminal in a communication system, according to one embodiment, comprises the steps of: receiving discontinuous reception (DRX) configuration information from a base station; determining whether the terminal is set to transmit channel state information only in onDuration according to a DRX operation; determining whether an arbitrary subframe to be received is a subframe included in onDuration if the terminal is set to transmit the channel state information only in onDuration according to the configuration; and not transmitting the channel state information on the arbitrary subframe if the arbitrary subframe is not a subframe included in onDuration. According to the embodiment, the terminal can efficiently report channel state information.
US09357444B2

A method, an apparatus, and a system for solving and managing security problems, which may occur during a handover of a User Equipment (UE) between PLMNs in a mobile communication network, by using a Non-Access Stratum (NAS) protocol are provided. By the method, a UE can perform a security mode command and an authentication with a network. Further, the method can prevent interruption of communication due to authentication or security during a handover of a UE between Public Land Mobile Networks (PLMNs).
US09357432B2

A system and method for media streaming in a scenario where very high bitrate wireless service is available within a macro cell through small cells. When a mobile device is in a small cell, a base station may download the multimedia content onto the mobile device at the high bitrate instead of streaming the content at a low bitrate. The mobile device cannot misuse the content made available through the download because its ability to de-scramble the downloaded information is made time dependent by a two-stage scrambling process at the base station that keeps the information scrambled until it is ready to be consumed. The base station withholds from the mobile device information related to de-scrambling of the received content until the appropriate time. Such withheld information includes time-varying decryption keys, which control the timing of decryption and are supplied to the mobile device in a temporally sequential manner.
US09357430B2

Systems, methods, and devices for accessing a service of a wireless carrier network through a wireless local area network (WLAN) are described. A method includes selecting one or more traffic management parameters associated with the WLAN based at least in part on one or more quality of service (QoS) parameters associated with the service of the wireless carrier network being accessed. The method further includes transmitting packets over the WLAN using the selected one or more traffic management parameters associated with the WLAN when a user equipment accesses the service of the wireless carrier network through the WLAN. The user equipment enforces the selected one or more traffic management parameters for communications to the wireless carrier network. An access point enforces the selected one or more traffic management parameters for communications to the user equipment.
US09357425B2

A first communication device comprising memory in which data is stored may receive a request packet from a second communication device, measure received signal strength for the request packet, and determine whether to perform the requested search of the data stored in the memory based on the received signal strength and the power at which the request packet was transmitted. The search request packet may comprise a request to search the data stored in the memory, and a transmit power field that indicates a power at which the request packet was transmitted. The determining may be based on a result of a comparison between the received signal strength and a threshold and/or based on a comparison of a relative power and a threshold. The relative power may be calculated utilizing the received signal strength and the power at which the packet was transmitted.
US09357420B2

A method and an apparatus for reporting a channel state in a wireless communication system are provided. A wireless device monitors a physical downlink control channel (PDCCH) for downlink control information (DCI), which comprises a request for a channel quality indicator (CQI) for a plurality of wireless devices. When a CQI report is triggered by the request for the CQI, the wireless device reports the CQI to a base station.
US09357414B2

A mobile terminal includes an apparatus configured to perform a method for inter-Radio Access Technology (RAT) measurement. When a measurement condition is satisfied, the apparatus turns on, at an operating module, a standby module and generates a time latch signal to the standby module at a time T0. The apparatus also latches, at the standby module, a time according to the time latch signal and reports the latched time value to the operating module. At the operating module, a measurement request message is sent. The measurement request message includes measurement parameter information and offset information between the time T0 and antenna switching times T2 and T5 to the standby module. The apparatus sets, at the standby module, a time interrupt using the information of the measurement message and performing inter-RAT measurement according to the time interrupt.
US09357407B2

Wireless line termination units 21 and 22 respectively transmit and receive frames via wireless lines 51 and 52. Line termination units 25 and 26 respectively exchange frames with the wireless line termination units 21 and 22. The wireless lines 51 and 52 are treated as one virtual line. A radio monitoring unit 272 monitors the state of the wireless lines 51 and 52, and in accordance with the redundancy mode, instructs the wireless line termination units 21 and 22 to exchange copy frames with other wireless line termination unit and to abandon received frames. A communication path control unit 273 sets, in accordance with the monitoring result as to the state of the wireless lines by the radio monitoring unit 272, the line termination units 25 and 26 to each be an active system or a standby system. A switch core 271 passes frames to be transmitted to the line termination unit that operates as the active system.
US09357405B2

A method for processing a signal processing at a user equipment in a wireless communication system is disclosed. The method includes receiving an interference measurement subframe set from a serving cell, receiving first Channel Status Information (CSI) configuration information and second CSI configuration information from the serving cell, measuring CSI based on the first CSI configuration information in a subframe designated in the interference measurement subframe set and reporting the CSI to the serving cell, and measuring the CSI based on the second CSI configuration information in a subframe which is not designated in the interference measurement subframe set and reporting the CSI to the serving cell.
US09357404B2

Wireless communication techniques for controlling radio frequency (RF) interference among a plurality of wireless devices operating at a location include monitoring RF utilization at the location, receiving a request from a wireless device indicating that the wireless device wishes to operate using an RF interference control service and communicating, in response to the received request from the wireless device, a software module that provides access point functionality to the wireless device.
US09357403B2

A mechanism to handle conflict situations relating to configuration parameter value changes that can be made by two or more different self-organizing network functions is provided. The mechanism is based on storing and maintaining at least short term history information on configuration parameter value changes (33, 34, 35, 36) and utilizing the history information to determine whether or not to allow a configuration parameter value change.
US09357392B2

A method of unlocking a mobile terminal and a mobile terminal is disclosed. The mobile terminal is initially locked to the services of a mobile services provider. The mobile services provider transmits to a predefined telephone number associated with a service provider other than the mobile services provider, via the mobile services provider, a request for unlocking information. The request is transparent to the mobile services provider. If the request is approved, the mobile terminal receives the unlocking information. Using the received unlocking information, the mobile terminal unlocks itself so that it is no longer locked to the services of the mobile services provider. If the request is not approved, the mobile terminal receives and displays a message indicating that the request is not approved.
US09357391B1

An electronic device can be unlocked by displaying, while the electronic device is in a locked state, on a touchscreen of the electronic device, line(s) dividing the touchscreen into input regions. Input gestures are detected on the touchscreen, and one of the input regions is identified as an input region containing the starting point of the input gesture. A base number is retrieved corresponding to the identified input region, and a numerical value of a password digit is calculated by using the base number and a numerical value corresponding to the input gesture. A sequence of thus calculated password digits is compared to a password stored within the electronic device, and the electronic device is unlocked following a match between the series of calculated password digits and the stored password.
US09357386B2

Embodiments are provided for enabling identity verification of messages originating from a radio station, such as a Femto cell, to a gateway, such as a Femto gateway. In an embodiment, a radio station establishes a first connection for authentication with a security gateway, sends authentication information on the first connection, and receives in return an Internet Protocol (IP) address assigned to the radio station. The security gateway updates a Domain Name System (DNS) to map between the IP address and a DNS name for the radio station. The radio station also establishes a second connection for control messages with a second gateway, and sends the IP address and an identity of the radio station on the second connection. The mapping between the IP address and the DNS name enables the second gateway to identify messages on the second connection between the radio station and the second gateway.
US09357379B2

A network element comprises a signal processor supporting communications between a subscriber unit (UE) and a core network (CN). The signal processor is arranged to: receive a first update request message (location or routing area) from the subscriber unit; forward the first update request message to the core network; receive from the CN a first update accept (or response) message; store at least a part of the accept message content; forward the first update response message to the subscriber unit; receive a second update request from the subscriber unit; create a second update accept (or response) message using the at least part of the stored content; and respond to the subscriber unit second update accept (or response) message direct.
US09357377B2

In a wireless communication system, when a user equipment needs to deactivate its E-UTRA function due to a network related failure cause, a waiting period is set according to the mobility information of the user equipment. When the waiting period has elapsed after deactivating the E-UTRA function, the user equipment is configured to reactivate the E-UTRA function.
US09357371B2

An access point device that is adapted to a wireless network and a wired network is disclosed. The access point includes a transceiver to receive wireless frames from a plurality of wireless devices of the wireless network, respectively, and at least one component to process information extracted from the wireless frames and to control channel scanning based upon at least one of an amount of wireless device traffic and a type of call.
US09357368B2

A computer-program product embodied in a non-transitory computer read-able medium that is programmed for communicating accident data to a vehicle computing system (VCS) and at least one server. The computer-program product may comprise instructions for receiving a broadcast notification via short-range wireless communication from the VCS. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for searching for a mobile application based on the broadcast notification. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for enabling the mobile application matches with the broadcast notification. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for transmitting a communication link to the VCS based on the broadcast notification. The computer-program product may comprise further instructions for receiving an accident notification from the VCS and communicating the accident notification to the server.
US09357366B2

A method for auditing tags launched within a target mobile application comprises analyzing a network communication generated by a target mobile application to determine if an identifiable tag signature is present within the network communication. An identifiable tag signature can comprise one or more attributes that are associated with the firing of a tag. Based upon a detected tag signature, the method can further comprise determining that a particular tag fired. Further the method can comprise recording information associated with the particular tag.
US09357363B2

A method for displaying transmission status of a multimedia messaging service (MMS) message and a telecommunication terminal using the method, including displaying the currently transmitting content and transmission progress of the MMS message while the telecommunication terminal transmits the MMS message. A user can check the content of the MMS message being currently transmitted together with the transmission progress of the MMS message. The user also can cancel the transmission of the erroneous MMS message before completing the transmission of the MMS message.
US09357360B2

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a voicemail device having a controller to detect a recording of a voicemail message, generate a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) message, wherein the SIP message contains visual voicemail data associated with the recorded voicemail message, and transmit the SIP message to a cordless phone system, wherein the SIP message is received by the cordless phone system over a data port of the cordless phone system, wherein the cordless phone system comprises a base station and at least one cordless communications device, wherein the visual voicemail data is retrieved by the base station, and wherein the visual voicemail data is transmitted by the based station to the at least one cordless communications device by utilizing a cordless wireless access protocol. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09357354B2

Systems, apparatus and methods disclosed herein utilize motion detection to estimate variability of positioning related metrics. In some embodiments, a method may comprise obtaining the speeds of a plurality of mobile stations in a set of mobile stations connected to an AP in a wireless network. The frequency of Round Trip Time (RTT) measurements between a mobile station in the plurality of mobile stations and the AP is increased during periods when the speed of the mobile station does not exceed a threshold. An estimate of variability may be obtained for RTT measurements for the AP.
US09357353B2

An exemplary method includes: obtaining I and Q complex signal parameters of signals received from a mobile tag at each of at least three antenna elements forming part of a positioning device; extracting an identifier modulated onto the signals received from the mobile tag; and transmitting the I and Q complex signal parameters and the identifier to allow a position calculating device to calculate a bearing of the mobile tag from the positioning device, wherein transmitting the I and Q complex signal parameters and the identifier comprises the positioning device wirelessly broadcasting the I and Q complex signal parameters and the identifier. An exemplary apparatus and computer readable medium configured to perform the method are also disclosed.
US09357330B2

The disclosure provides a method, an apparatus and a system for processing a non-resource-reservation type service, wherein the method for processing the non-resource-reservation type service comprises: acquiring a service type of a received non-resource-reservation type service; according to the service type, querying a Network Attachment Control Function (NACF) entity about parameter information of the non-resource-reservation type service; generating a control strategy according to a present usage state of an interactive resource and the parameter information; according to the generated control strategy, controlling the received non-resource-reservation type service. The disclosure solves the problem that the non-resource-reservation type service cannot be admission-controlled in the Next Generation Network (NGN) of the prior art, and can efficiently use resources.
US09357329B2

A family of sports teaching applications that delivers customized lessons driven by the analysis of user body motions where data is captured via the accelerometer and gyroscope in a mobile device, such as a smartphone is provided. Each specific application is designed with motion data models that define proper form for athletes in club sports such as, but not limited to, golf, baseball hitting, hockey, polo, and racquet sports such as, but not limited to, table tennis, squash, badminton and throwing sports like baseball pitching, football, discus, javelin, and shot put, and other sports such as skiing and running. The Invention is also applicable to the customized fitting of sports equipment such as golf clubs, baseball bats, tennis racquets, etc. to athletes unique swing motions and swing speeds, and for multiplayer tournament competitions via the Internet utilizing the swing motion analysis and system described herein.
US09357319B2

An elastic body of an audio accessory is provided. The elastic body includes a cylindrical inner cover, at least one outer cover which is elongated from a top end edge of the cylindrical inner cover to enclose the cylindrical inner cover, the at least one outer cover having at least one inlet which partially exposes at least a part of the cylindrical inner cover, and at least one sensor module disposed on at least one of the cylindrical inner cover and the at least one outer cover and configured to generate a sensor signal related to deformation of the at least one outer cover.
US09357316B2

A TDMA method of operating a near-field communication system, in which the same synchronous slot is allocated to more than one, non-interfering, transmitters, is disclosed. The power level may be adjusted to minimize interference from unwanted transmitted signals at respective receivers. A near-field communication system operating such a method is also disclosed.
US09357313B2

A microphone unit includes a microphone substrate. A plurality of diaphragm units are disposed on the microphone substrate. Each of the diaphragm units includes a diaphragm. A plurality of partition walls are disposed on the microphone substrate. Each of the partition walls surrounds the diaphragm so as to define a first area. A signal processor is disposed at a second area outside the first area and is configured to process signals output from the diaphragm units.
US09357312B2

A localized multimodal haptic system includes one or more electromechanical polymer (EMP) transducers, each including an EMP layer, such as an electrostrictive polymer active layer. In some applications the EMP transducer may perform an actuator function or a sensor function, or both. The EMP polymer layer has a first surface and a second surface on which one or more electrodes are provided. The EMP layer of the EMP actuator may be 5 microns thick or less. The EMP transducers may provide local haptic response to a local a stimulus. In one application, a touch sensor may be associated with each EMP transducer, such that the haptic event at the touch sensor may be responded to by activating only the associated EMP transducer. Furthermore, the EMP transducer may act as its own touch sensor. A variety of haptic responses may be made available. The EMP transducers may be used in various other applications, such as providing complex surface morphology and audio speakers.
US09357308B2

An optimal listening position for the multi-channel audio sound system is determined. A listening area and other audio playback controls may also be defined or modified by a listener. During subsequent audio playback, an imager captures images of at least a portion of the listener. When the listener has moved to a position that is different from a previous position, one or more audio parameters are adjusted for at least one channel in the multi-channel audio system in order to reposition the initial or previous optimal listening position to the current position of the listener. When the listener moves outside the listening area, an out of bounds response is initiated to disable or control the audio playback until the listener moves to a position within the listening area.
US09357302B2

A system includes a plurality of channels, a parameter calculator, and an equalizer. Each channel receives a plurality of input signals that represent an input to a speaker. Each channel generates real and imaginary components of a transfer function of the speaker based on the plurality of input signals. The parameter calculator calculates a plurality of parameters of the speaker based on the real and imaginary components of the transfer function received from each channel. The equalizer adjusts the input to the speaker based on the parameters.
US09357297B2

An audio signal adapter device and a system for transmitting an audio signal are provided. The audio signal adapter device comprises: a microphone, configured to receive the audio signal and to output the audio signal via an audio pin thereof; an amplifying unit configured to amplify the audio signal received via an audio input pin thereof and to output an amplified audio signal via an audio output pin thereof; and a USB adapter interface, connected with an audio signal receiving device and comprises an audio signal pin. The audio pin of the microphone is connected with the audio input pin of the amplifying unit, and the audio output pin of the amplifying unit is connected with the audio signal pin of the USB adapter interface.
US09357290B2

Disclosed is a speaker system. The speaker system includes a multimedia unit including a plurality of speaker units, a resonance medium for supporting the multimedia unit, a number of low frequency vibrators assembled with the multimedia unit and located between the multimedia unit and the resonance medium, a driving unit for providing high frequency audio signals to the speaker units and low frequency audio signals to the low frequency vibrators. A resonance member is formed by the low frequency vibrators and the resonance medium for producing low frequency sound.
US09357286B2

A two-way earphone includes: a main earphone body including a first sound generating unit and a second sound generating unit; a housing having a first holder part where the first sound generating unit is inserted, and a second holder part where the second sound generating unit is inserted, and a partition wall having at least one first sound releasing hole for releasing the sound generated from the first sound generating unit between the first holder part and the second holder part; a cap assembled onto the second holder part, and including at least one second sound releasing hole for releasing, to the outside, a mixed sound resulting from the intermixing of the sound released through the first sound releasing hole and the sound generated from the second sound generating unit.
US09357284B2

A wire coil retainer having a band with at least one fastening feature configured to detachably attach one side of the band to the other side of the band that allows for quick and easy retention of a wire coil, such as a headphone wire. When the fastening feature is attached, two opposing loops are formed on either side of the fastener. A wire coil can be retained by placing the wire coil inside the interior of the band and detachably attaching the fastening feature through the center coil opening. A first portion of the wire coil is retained in a first loop and a second portion of the wire coil is retained in a second loop of the fastened wire coil retainer. A wire coil retainer may be configured with one or more retainer protrusions that aid in the retention of a wire coil within a loop.
US09357283B2

Earphone apparatus (40) comprising: a substantially planar substrate (43) defining at least one electrical connection path (44); an electro-acoustic driver (41) and sensing microphone (42) each mounted on the substrate (43) and connected to the at least one electrical connection path (44); wherein the substrate (43) at least in part defines an acoustic waveguide (47) having a part extending through the substrate (43) for conveying sound from outside of the earphone apparatus (40) to the sensing microphone (42); and the part of the acoustic waveguide (47) extends through the substrate (43) substantially normal to the thickness of the substrate (43).
US09357279B2

A loudspeaker includes an acoustic diaphragm, an oscillatory force source, a lever coupling the oscillatory force source to the acoustic diaphragm, and a pivot coupled to the lever such that the lever moves in an arcuate path about the pivot when the oscillatory force source applies a force to the lever. The pivot includes at least one torsion bushing. The at least one torsion bushing includes a first member, a second member coupled to the lever and movable relative to the first member, and an elastomeric member coupling the first member to the second member.
US09357278B2

A method of managing an optical communication network having a plurality of nodes, the plurality of nodes including at least one regeneration site. A respective Path Computation Element (PCE) function is instantiated and associated with each regeneration site in the network. Each PCE function maintains a reach table containing information of viable optical paths extending from transceivers of its regeneration site. The PCE function implements a Recursive Path Computation algorithm to compute end-to-end routes through a physical layer of the network.
US09357277B1

A URL personalization system allowing a television service provider to dynamically associate multiple URLs with the video content item being viewed by the customer is provided. The associated URLs point to additional content that may be of interest to different customer demographics. A generic URL linking to the associated URLs may be inserted into the video content item. The system may personalize the generic URL by replacing or modifying the generic URL with a personalized URL based on information specific to the customer viewing the content before streaming the content or when additional content is requested. The customer is redirected to the personalized URL to obtain the additional content. This allows the television service provider to send a single video content item to all customers or large groups of customers while providing individual customers with an enhanced interactive television viewing experience.
US09357276B2

A TTS preparation processing section attaches a time stamp to each of packets in an MPEG-2 TS (Transport Stream) to convert the MPEG-2 TS into an MPEG-2 TTS (Time-stamped Transport Stream). A grouping section collects a predetermined number of packets in the MPEG-2 TTS to form a group. A null packet removal section removes null packets from the group. A transmitting section shifts the MPEG-2 TTS packets in the group, from which the null packet has been removed, frontward to convert the MPEG-2 TTS packets into an RTP (Real-time Transport Protocol) packet and transmits the RTP packet to a communication line.
US09357261B2

Methods and apparatus to measure exposure to streaming media are disclosed herein. An example method includes demultiplexing a closed captioning transport stream from a media stream, the media stream intercepted intermediate a media device and a display. Metadata is extracted from the closed captioning transport stream. At least one of the metadata or data based on the metadata is exported to a media measurement server.
US09357257B2

A portable information processing device (1) is provided with a communication portion (12) capable of communication according to a prescribed network standard allowing sharing of media data between corresponding apparatuses connected to a network, a built-in display portion (10) capable of replaying/displaying the media data, a control unit (18a) capable of controlling a display on the built-in display portion and acquiring the media data, and a first external display (15) noncorresponding to the prescribed network standard.
US09357254B2

A system and method for providing awareness in a hospitality environment are presented. In one embodiment, a vertical and horizontal array of set-top boxes is provided and each set-top box includes an identification corresponding to the room in which the set-top box is placed. Each set-top box includes a wireless transceiver that periodically transmits an identification beacon that is received by a proximate wireless-enabled interactive device. The proximate wireless-enabled interactive device, in turn, broadcasts data packets including an indication of the strength of set-top box identification signals received. The broadcasts are received by a server via an array of wireless routers. The location of the proximate wireless-enabled interactive device is determined based on the signal strength information in the data packets.
US09357252B2

A controlling device interacts dynamically with a plurality of appliances using state information known to a master appliance. The master appliance conveys to the controlling device the state information and the controlling device uses the state information to dynamically configure itself to command functional operations of one or more of the plurality of appliances. The master appliance also causes a graphical representation of the current configuration of the controlling device to be displayed on a display device that is associated with the master appliance.
US09357247B2

Methods and apparatus for providing protected content to subscribers of a managed (e.g., MSO) network via a content source accessible via an internetwork such as the Internet. In one embodiment, a user accesses a programmer website, and requests content. The programmer determines whether the requesting user is permitted to access the content, and what rights or restrictions are associated with the user. This includes authenticating the user as a subscriber of the MSO, and determining the subscriber's subscription level. In another embodiment, a user's account with the MSO and programmer may be federated, thus a given user will have MSO-specific information regarding its identity (such as login information, GUID, etc.) and/or information regarding subscription level and service details, stored at the programmer. Messages received from the MSO representing permission for the user to access content may also be stored at the programmer site for later reference.
US09357242B2

A method and system for tracking of objects in a video is disclosed. The method of the present invention enables user to indicate a boundary-box to the identified object of interest in the broadcast video on television or any other communication media. The object indicted in the boundary-box is than tracked by the users connected in a social community network in the upcoming video frames of the broadcasted video. The tracked object is then tagged by the users in the social community network. Further, the present invention enables augmentation of the tracked object in the video by extracting additional information from the online service providers. The augmentation and tagging of the object generates metadata related to the object. The metadata generated is stored on a server to track the object in future based on the metadata related to the object.
US09357240B2

A system provides programming and advertising to a video decoder such as a digital video recorder, computer system, software or hardware player, etc. When a user makes a request to skip a commercial by issuing a command such as 30 second skip forward, alternate media is provided. In some examples, an image advertisement is provided for a predetermined period of time either during the commercial break or when regular programming resumes. In other examples, a substitute commercial is shown. The substitute commercial may be shortened or compressed. The alternate media may be perceptually encoded in a video stream, hidden in a video stream, or provided in a separate stream. In some examples, survey based and neuro-response based data is used to evaluate and select alternate media for particular programming.
US09357229B2

This disclosure relates to techniques for reducing a cost of coding prediction information in video coding. Video blocks in a generalized P/B (GPB) frame are encoded using up to two motion vectors calculated from reference pictures in two separate reference picture lists that are identical. Video blocks of a GPB frame may, therefore, be encoded using a bidirectional prediction mode with a first motion vector from a reference picture in a first reference picture list and a second motion vector from the same or substantially similar reference picture in a second reference picture list. The techniques include jointly coding the first and second motion vectors for a video block of a GPB frame. The techniques include coding the first motion vector relative to a first motion predictor generated from a motion vector of a neighboring block, and coding the second motion vector relative to the first motion vector.
US09357224B2

A method of decoding an intra prediction mode, can include reconstructing an intra prediction mode group indicator and a prediction mode index, constructing an MPM group including three intra prediction modes using valid intra prediction modes of left and top blocks of the current block, determining an intra prediction mode of the MPM group corresponding to the prediction mode index as the intra prediction mode of the current block when the intra prediction mode group indicator indicates that the intra prediction mode of the current block belongs to the MPM group and determining the intra prediction mode of the current block using the prediction mode index and the three intra prediction modes of the MPM group when the intra prediction mode group indicator indicates that the intra prediction mode of the current block does not belong to the MPM group.
US09357223B2

Encoding a stream of video data including at least one frame having a plurality of rows of blocks video may include encoding the plurality of rows using a second encoding scheme, wherein the input to encoding each row includes information contained in an adjacent row, dividing the plurality of rows into a plurality of partitions, wherein at least two adjacent rows are placed into separate partitions, further encoding each of the plurality of the partitions using a first encoding scheme, recording a value indicative of the number or of partitions into which the plurality of rows have been divided, and recording a value indicative of the location of the partitions within the encoded video data.
US09357222B2

A system comprising a processor and a compression module coupled to the processor. The compression module is adapted to perform motion estimation on video data using an algorithm, the motion estimation performed at a rate. If the processor determines a difference between the rate and a target rate, the processor adjusts a precision level of the algorithm such that the difference is decreased.
US09357221B2

Methods and apparatus are provided for adaptive transform selection for video encoding and decoding. An apparatus includes a video encoder for encoding at least a block in a picture using a transform. The transform used to encode the block is selected from a plurality of transforms. The plurality of transforms is adaptively updated during the encoding of the picture.
US09357219B2

While maintaining a high degree of freedom in choosing partition sizes and transformation sizes adapted for local characteristics of videos, the amount of metadata is decreased. A video encoding apparatus (10) divides an input video into blocks of a prescribed size and encodes the video block by block. The video encoding apparatus is provided with: a prediction parameter determining portion (102) that decides the block partition structure; a predictive image producing portion (103) that generates predictive images, partition by partition, as prescribed by the partition structure; a transform coefficient producing portion (107) which applies one of the frequency transformations included in a prescribed transformation preset to prediction residuals, i.e. the differences between predictive images and the input video; a transform restriction deriving portion (104) which generates the list of transform candidate, i.e. lists of frequency transformations that can be applied to each partition, on the basis of partition format information; and a variable-length-encoding portion (108) which, on the basis of the list of transform candidate and the transformation preset, performs variable-length encoding on transformation selection flags.
US09357213B2

The present invention provides methods and systems that create numerous high-quality output streams at different spatial or temporal resolutions from a single input stream. An input stream is transcoded at a first transcoder module to provide N output streams, wherein each of the N output streams comprises different versions of the input stream. Parameters are obtained during transcoding of the input stream and provided to a second transcoder module together with the input stream. The input stream may be transcoded at the second transcoder module to produce M output streams based on the parameters received from the first transcoder module. The parameters received from the first transcoder module may be used to enhance the transcoding at the second transcoder module.
US09357207B2

Methods and apparatuses are provided for compensating for a temperature of a liquid crystal display (LCD) panel. The method includes selecting a lookup table corresponding to a detected temperature of the LCD panel from among lookup tables for a 3-dimensional (3D) display of the LCD panel; and adjusting luminance to be output to the LCD panel based on the selected lookup table.
US09357193B2

A method of correcting color imbalance in a captured image includes deriving gradient data from a group of pixels in the captured image, determining a compensation value based on the gradient data, and applying that value to at least one pixel. Apparatus for correcting color imbalance includes a digital image processor that corrects color imbalance, in an image that is output by an image detector, according to the method. Each pixel may represent a color from a set of colors, with one particular color being a selected color, and each pixel to which the compensation value is applied representing the selected color. Where the group of pixels forms a rectangular shape, the gradient data may include horizontal and vertical gradients. The classifying may be performed according to a visual characteristic of a portion of the image, where determining the compensation value is based also on the visual characteristic.
US09357192B2

According to one embodiment, a video sender comprises: a video processor and a communication module. The video processor creates video. The communication module is configured to communicate with a video receiver. The communication module comprises: a receiver and a transmitter. The receiver receives, from the video receiver, specific information specifying which one of a color signal and a frame rate takes precedence over the other one in transmission. The transmitter converts the video created by the video processor into video in which one of the color signal and the frame rate takes precedence over the other one in accordance with the specific information, and transmit the video thus converted to the video receiver.
US09357178B1

Described herein are techniques related to prediction of video revenue for non-monetized videos. This Abstract is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope and meaning of the claims. A video-revenue prediction tool predicts revenue for non-monetized videos using historical revenue data of monetized videos.
US09357176B2

A program guide printing device receives program information and generates program guide print data from the received program information. The program guide printing device prints a program guide. In a program frame of a program guide, a blank region may occur. In the blank region, the program guide printing device can print program information of another program or additional information such as advertisement information, program topics, weather forecast, text and images.
US09357171B2

A multi end-point (EP) conferencing system, including a decentralized scalable network of End-Points that includes a source EP being configured to connect to a non-virtual target EP. The source EP being configured to transmit to the non-virtual target EP a conference list thereof, for distributing to non-virtual EPs and virtual EPs associated with the target EP. It is further configured to receive a conference list of the non-virtual target EP, integrate the received conference list with its conference list to obtain an integrated conference list and distribute the integrated conference list or parts thereof to virtual EPs and non-virtual EPs associated with the source EP. The source EP being further configured to receive a positive selection notification being indicative of a requesting EP from EPs associated with the source EP that would like to get data from the source EP. In response to receipt of the positive selection notification, the source EP being configured to transmit data for receiving by the requesting EP.
US09357166B2

A transmission terminal that communicates contents data including sound data with a counterpart transmission terminal, detects a delay time indicating a delay in receiving the contents data from the counterpart transmission terminal, and interrupts transmission of the contents data other than the sound data to the counterpart transmission terminal when the delay time exceeds a predetermined value.
US09357155B2

A system includes a content processing system receiving row ad metadata for a row ad, communicating the row ad to a user device and communicating program guide information to a user device. The program guide information defines a plurality of rows. The user device populates a row from the plurality of rows in response to the metadata and displays the row ad and the program guide on a display associated with the user device.
US09357152B2

Methods, systems, and techniques for dual-mode communication are provided. Example embodiments provide an enhanced mobile device that includes a CPU, a low latency transceiver, and a high latency transceiver. The enhanced mobile device is in communication with a console via both the low latency transceiver and the high latency transceiver. The console also includes a CPU, a low latency transceiver, and a high latency transceiver. In some embodiments, the low latency communication channel is used to transmit control messages to an entertainment console whereas the high latency communication channel is used to communicate data between the mobile device and the entertainment console. The dual-mode communication may be used in different scenarios, including with an entertainment console for arena gaming and other entertainment applications.
US09357147B2

The present invention relates to a column A/D converter, column A/D conversion method, imaging device, and camera system that can reduce the amount of IR drop by dispersing the current consumed during the count operation, mitigate the counter characteristic degradation, readily reduce the amount of fluctuation in the power source voltage, and achieve operation at a low power source voltage. The column A/D converter includes a plurality of column processing units including an A/D conversion function, a plurality of counters configured to generate digital codes in response to a reference clock and arranged corresponding to each or a set of the column processing units, and a count start offset unit configured to trigger a pseudo count operation in each of the counters and to offset a count start code for at least two or more counters among the plurality of counters before the reference clock is supplied to the counters.
US09357146B2

A solid-state imaging device includes a pixel array with unit pixels each having a photoelectric conversion device arranged in a matrix. Column signal lines are wired with respect to one column in the pixel arrangement and pixels are regularly connected to the column signal lines in accordance with rows in which pixels are positioned. A pixel signal reading unit has a column processing unit that reads pixel signals in units of plural pixels from the pixel array and performs column processing to read signals on a column basis, wherein the pixel signal reading unit includes a column input unit which can connect one or plural column signal lines arranged at a corresponding column to an input of one column processing unit through plural capacitors connected in parallel The column input unit has switches which can change a connection state between capacitors and column signal lines corresponding to the column.
US09357129B1

Methods and systems for rolling shutter removal are described. A computing device may be configured to determine, in a frame of a video, distinguishable features. The frame may include sets of pixels captured asynchronously. The computing device may be configured to determine for a pixel representing a feature in the frame, a corresponding pixel representing the feature in a consecutive frame; and determine, for a set of pixels including the pixel in the frame, a projective transform that may represent motion of the camera. The computing device may be configured to determine, for the set of pixels in the frame, a mixture transform based on a combination of the projective transform and respective projective transforms determined for other sets of pixels. Accordingly, the computing device may be configured to estimate a motion path of the camera to account for distortion associated with the asynchronous capturing of the sets of pixels.
US09357125B2

A method and an apparatus are provided for displaying a portrait on a display by a portable terminal. It is determined whether an image is a character-photographed image. If the image is the character-photographed image, face detection is executed from the image. A character area in the image is set based on a result of the face detection. The character area is enlarged and displayed in a form of a new window.
US09357124B2

A focusing control device that can keep a moving subject in focus and can prevent significant defocusing of a low contrast subject or under a low-light intensity condition during continuous shooting. The focusing control device determines whether an in-focus position of a focusing lens can be obtained, predicts an in-focus position for the current exposure operation based on an in-focus position for the previous exposure operation when continuous main exposure operation is performed for shooting, and determines whether prediction of an in-focus position is possible. When prediction of an in-focus position for the current exposure operation is determined to be not possible, the focusing control device performs a scan operation to obtain an in-focus position based on an in-focus position of the previous exposure operation where obtaining of an in-focus position of the focusing lens was determined to be possible.
US09357122B2

A photoelectric conversion apparatus is a photoelectric conversion apparatus formed in a semiconductor substrate, and includes: a first photoelectric conversion unit (31) formed as a first conductivity type; a second photoelectric conversion unit (32) formed as a second conductivity type at a position deeper, in a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate, rather than the first photoelectric conversion unit; and a monitor unit configured to monitor a signal of the second photoelectric conversion unit, during a charge accumulation period of the first photoelectric conversion unit.
US09357119B2

An imaging apparatus of the present invention, which is capable of wireless communication, images a peripheral imaging apparatus from among a plurality of peripheral imaging apparatuses around the imaging apparatus; detects predetermined information by which identification information identifying the peripheral imaging apparatus is identifiable from within the imaging frames; identifies the identification information by analyzing the detected predetermined information; selects a peripheral imaging apparatus to be a target for predetermined processing from among the plurality of peripheral imaging apparatus by using the identified identification information; and performs the predetermined processing with the selected peripheral imaging apparatus via the wireless communication.
US09357111B2

Casings and housings for use in high speed airflow (for example for mounting on a high speed vehicle) are described. In one embodiment, a housing for imaging equipment is described. The housing has a tapering form with symmetrical angular truncations such that it tapers in the form of a wedge with two substantially planar regions. At least one substantially planar region includes an aperture formed of optically transparent material.
US09357109B2

The invention presented generally refers to an optical adapter device which magnetically attaches one or more optical elements or assemblies to a magnetic portion of an electronic device having a camera. In particular, the optical adapter is shaped to align a first opening in housing of the optical adapter with the camera of the electronic device. The novel device and method utilizes the inherently magnetic properties of the electronic device itself, instead of requiring a predetermined magnetic mate to be built into the electronic device.
US09357102B2

The invention is directed to a tamper-evident method of encrypting data relating to one or more print cartridges installed in an imaging device that includes triggering a gathering of data relating to the one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device; recording a number of instances the triggering is performed; retrieving a previously encrypted data relating to the one or more print cartridges installed in the imaging device, the previously encrypted data gathered at a time prior to the triggering; and encrypting the gathered data using the previously encrypted data.
US09357093B2

An information processing apparatus on which a plurality of applications is installed and which includes a device includes a display unit configured to display a screen for selecting an application to execute from among the plurality of applications, an acquisition unit configured to obtain attribute information about the application selected on the screen displayed on the display unit, a determination unit configured to determine whether the selected application is a specific application based on application information obtained by the acquisition unit, and a control unit configured to, if the determination unit determines that the selected application is the specific application, control power supply to the device based on device information obtained by the acquisition unit, and if the determination unit determines that the selected application is not the specific application, perform control so that the power is supplied to the device.
US09357085B2

Usage information is received that describes usage of communication services by a communications device. The usage information is compared to monitoring criteria. When the monitoring criteria are satisfied, an electronic notification message is sent to the communications device before an additional charge is incurred.
US09357084B2

Method and device of monitoring service usage are disclosed. The method includes: acquiring respective service plan information of a first service plan and a second service plan for a service offered by one or more service providers, the respective service plan information for each of the first and second service plans including a respective set of service variables; acquiring respective values for the respective sets of service variables for the first and second service plans based on actual service usage associated with a user; in accordance with the acquired respective values, generating a first service score for the first service plan and a second service score for the second service plan; and in accordance with the first and second service scores, selecting a respective service plan for at least one of usage recommendation or fee calculation for subsequent use in a current service cycle.
US09357083B2

A system and method are provided for enabling personalization and service coordination of media services across multiple devices. The method comprises providing a first module to interface with information technology infrastructure and media services provided by an operator or third parties; and providing, using the first module, service orchestration and user lifecycle management components to enable authorized and personalized access to multiple network operator services across multiple devices and services.
US09357081B2

A method for using a charging system to account for service provided by a network element in a service provider network is provided. The method may include storing load information records for multiple charging control function (CCF) servers at the CCF servers, receiving status messages from the multiple CCF servers at the CCF servers in conjunction with operation of the CCF servers in a charging system, and updating load status and timestamp fields in the load information records for the status messages received cyclically. The load information records being accessible to the select CCF server for selecting at least one alternate CCF server after the select CCF server determines it is too busy to process some accounting request (ACR) from some network element. The select CCF server may include a peer characteristics storage module, a charging system communication module, and a status message parsing module.
US09357073B2

A first request is received from a first user device, including a content item identifier identifying a first content item. In response, a list of media content documents is identified from a content database based on the content item ID. Document identifiers of the media content document are transmitted to a second server. A list of agent identifiers is received from the second server identifying agents who are currently available to establish a live communication session with the first user. A subset of the media content documents is determined based on the availability information of the agents and transmitted to the first user device. Each of the subset is presented with at least one agent identifier identifying an available agent, at least one geographic location of the available agent, and a live connect button to allow the first user to reach the corresponding available agent.
US09357069B2

A call center system has a computerized server executing software (SW) from a machine-readable medium, a data collection function of the SW enabled for collecting data regarding incoming transactions, a data processing function coupled to the data collection engine and enabled for processing the data collected against a set of business rules, the data processing function determining a priority level for individual ones of the incoming transactions, and a distribution function enabled for distributing a priority indication determined by the data processing function to one or more presentation interfaces accessible to agents, at or near the time the associated transaction is engaged by the agent.
US09357066B2

A contact center includes a resource selection module operable to determine and select a plurality of agents based on a work request. The plurality of agents includes agents suitable for the work request. Further, the plurality of agents includes agents having previous work requests in a presenting state. Furthermore, the plurality of agents includes agents working below individual capacity of the agents for simultaneously handling work requests. Further, the plurality of agents is dynamic and may increase in size. The contact center further includes a resource connector module operable to present the work request simultaneously to the plurality of agents. The resource connector module further may subsequently present the work request to newly available suitable agents. The resource connector module further routes the work request to an agent based on actual agent responsiveness.
US09357064B1

A communication system facilitating communication for assisting hearing-impaired users includes an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) device and a communication device. The communication device is configured to route digital voice data between the ATA device and a second communication device during a conversation involving the communication device and a second communication device through a wireless port of communication device, and communicate through the wireless port with a relay service configured to provide interpretive assistance for a hearing-impaired user of the communication device. A method includes routing digital voice data received wirelessly by a communication device to an ATA device, routing digital voice data received from the ATA device from the communication device wirelessly to a second communication device, and communicating wirelessly with a relay service configured to provide captioning services of the content of a portion of the voice data received by the communication device from the second communication device.
US09357054B1

A handheld electronic device determines its position in a moving vehicle based on changes in air pressure that occur when the vehicle undergoes acceleration. Based on a direction of acceleration that correlates to a subsequent reduction in air pressure, a determination is made as to whether the device is in the front left, front right, back left, or back right quadrant of the vehicle. The device then alters its configuration based on the quadrant in which it is located.
US09357051B2

A user can select to automatically delete sent and received text messages from a phone, to avoid complications of another person having access to the phone reading stored messages.
US09357048B1

Wireless device gesture detection and operational control comprises identifying a first position of the device based on a sensor reading of at least one sensor operating as part of the device. The method may also include identifying a change in the device's position to a second position that is different from the first position, and receiving a specific pattern of touch input data on a touch pad of the device, the specific pattern of touch input data identified as a predefined object which corresponds to dimensions of a human ear being pressed against the touch pad and changing a current operating state of the device to a different operating state based on a comparison and detection operation.
US09357046B2

A mobile phone is configured to employ existing antennae or other exiting input electronics to receive electromagnetic waves, for detection of energy magnitudes. The mobile phone has wireless receiver electronics to receive, through the antennae, communication signals in a plurality of different communication bands that correspond to the plurality of different frequency ranges. Energy levels of electromagnetic waves received through the plurality of antennae are detected. A record is made of energy levels in the plurality of different frequency ranges. An alarm is provided upon a detected energy level crossing a predefined threshold value.
US09357039B2

The disclosed techniques provide for eliminating real-time transport protocol, RTP, extension bit X, marker bit M, time stamp and sequence number information and/or user data protocol, UDP, checksum information from the header of a packet for transmission.
US09357035B2

A mechanism is provided for optimizing network communications. A first data transfer request is received via a first application level socket connection in an originating computing device. Prior to opening a kernel level socket connection to a destination computing device, a determination is made as to whether a second data transfer request has been received via a second application level socket connection in the originating computing device, the second data transfer request identifying a destination computing device that is the same as the destination computing device as the first data transfer request. Responsive to identifying the second data transfer request, the first data transfer request and the second data transfer request are coalesced into a third data transfer request stored in a single kernel level socket buffer of the originating computing device. The third data transfer request is then sent to the destination computing device via a single TCP/IP stack.
US09357028B2

A method and a system for processing a request message, and a load balancer device are provided. The load balancer obtains a service name and an operation name through simple string matching, and a large amount of computing is performed at a server side, thereby solving a session hold problem of a composition engine cluster, reducing a computing task of a load balancer, maximizing a fan-out capability of the load balancer, and increasing a throughput of the composition engine cluster to a maximum extent, therefore satisfying a demand for a large capacity of a composition engine.
US09357027B2

A data processing system relates to network communications technologies. A data buffering layer receives an operation request of a follower of a user having a long relation and of a client. The data buffer layer pushes the operation request to a service layer. The service layer receives the operation request pushed by the data buffering layer and caches the operation request according to a minimum storage unit. The minimum storage unit is determined by using the user having a long relation chain as a unit. The service layer determines a specified database that belongs to the user having a long relation chain and performs an operation on the specified database according to the operation request. The service layer determines the specified database according to a preset routing configuration when data cached in the minimum storage unit reaches a preset condition.
US09357026B2

A server, computer readable medium and method for accessing buddy data related to a first user (presentity) that is connected to a communication network that includes a server, the data being accessed by a second user (watcher) connected to the communication network. The method including storing, at a server, information associated with a plurality of users associated with the presentity as the buddy data, receiving, at the server, a request from a watcher for buddy data of the presentity, authorizing, at least in part by the server, the request for buddy data, and transmitting, by the server, the buddy information to the watcher.
US09357020B2

An information source selection system and an information source selection method for allowing a user to easily select an information source to which information is added at a frequency that matches the user's access frequency are provided. The method includes acquiring information on information addition frequency, which indicates frequency at which information is added per predetermined time period, for each of a plurality of recommendation candidate information sources contained in a plurality of information sources provided on a communication network, acquiring access frequency information that indicates frequency at which a user accesses one of the plurality of information sources provided on the communication network, and selecting, from the plurality of the recommendation candidate information sources, one or more recommendation candidate information sources that match the user based on the information on information addition frequency of each of the recommendation candidate information sources and the access frequency information of the user.
US09357009B2

A method begins by receiving an access request for a user device. The method continues with the DS processing unit determining whether the user device has the DSN as a local DSN. When the user device does not have the DSN as the local DSN, the method continues with the DS processing unit determining whether the user device has a valid signed global certificate. When the user device does not have a valid signed global certificate, the method continues with the DS processing unit or by the user device sending a DSN registration request to the system authority unit. The method continues with the system authority unit generating the valid signed global certificate for the user device upon successful execution of processing the DSN registration request. The method continues with the DS processing unit executing the access request for the user device upon receipt of the valid signed global certificate.
US09357006B2

A mobile application platform enables a user of a mobile device to manage Personalized Offline Web Applications (POW Apps) on a variety of devices. A Virtual Directory (VD) technology that is multi-source capable permits the POW code and content to be variably localized (Developer/User controls POW content/code stored on the user's device). The end user enters login information into a mobile application that is using the engine of the mobile application platform and receives POW code and content individually configured to the end user. A content manager or publisher controls what aspects of the POW application are stored locally and what aspects are kept on the server. When content is requested that is not stored locally, the content is either downloaded and opened locally or accessed on the web server like in the case of a streaming video or audio. After viewing any portion of the video or audio file, the user can decide to download the entire video or audio for offline use. The user is given this option or the content developer can predetermine how different types of POW code and content are handled through configuration settings. In addition to accessing or downloading online content, periodic communication back to the mobile application platform cloud can be implemented to get updates to the content and report back user activity, such as test scores and usage statistics.
US09357004B2

Methods and systems are provided for tracking object instances stored on a plurality of network nodes, which tracking enables a global determination of when an object has no references across the networked nodes and can be safely de-allocated. According to one aspect of the invention, each node has a local object store for tracking and optionally storing objects on the node, and the local object stores collectively share the locally stored instances of the objects across the network. One or more applications, e.g., a file system and/or a storage system, use the local object stores for storing all persistent data of the application as objects.
US09357002B1

A method for verifying receipt of data packets, including generating a plurality of data packets, wherein each of the plurality of data packets comprises entropy information, transmitting one or more of the plurality of data packets to a receiver, receiving a first hash from the receiver, wherein the first hash is based on the entropy information of the one or more of the plurality of data packets and validating the first hash to determine if the receiver received the one or more of the plurality of data packets. Systems and computer-readable media are also provided.
US09356999B2

A system and method for changing communication channels is provided. In the system, a transmitting peer divides transmission data into frames to generate an unfinished frame list and transmits a data frame to a receiving terminal according to the unfinished frame list and a receiving peer receives a data frame from the transmitting peer and transmits a response frame to the transmitting peer in response to the received data frame during direct channel communication. The transmitting peer transmits incompletely transmitted data frames (whose response frames have not been received) included in the unfinished frame list to the receiving peer through a relay server when a communication scheme has been changed from the direct channel communication scheme to a relay channel communication scheme. When the communication scheme is changed as circumstances require, specifically, from the direct scheme to the relay scheme, it is possible to rapidly change the communication channel without interruption of data communication.
US09356984B2

A media device allows users to watch and capture portions from a media stream. Users may then share the captured media content with other users. In one embodiment, the media device receives a media stream, plays the media stream, and caches a portion of the media stream as it is being played. A user can define a media clip by selecting its boundaries in the cached portion of the media stream. The media device creates the media clip based on the user's input and enables the user to transmit the media clip to another system, such as a community website for sharing it with other users.
US09356976B2

Operating a receiver communication device during a real time communication session including a real time media content data stream provided by another communication device may include receiving the real time media content data stream of the communication session from the other communication device wherein packets of the real time media content data stream include an identification of the real time media content data stream. A pause request may be transmitted from the receiver communication device to the other communication device with the pause request including the identification of the real time media content data stream and a pause request sequence number. After transmitting the pause request, a pause acknowledge message may be received from the other communication device with the pause acknowledge message including the identification of the real time media content data stream and the pause request sequence number. Related devices and methods are also discussed.
US09356971B1

A method and apparatus for device authentication are provided. In the method and apparatus, authentication data for a first device is received. The first device is then authenticated based at least in part on demonstrated access to authentication data prior to broadcast of the authentication data. One or more actions may be taken in response to the authentication of the first device based at least in part on the demonstrated access to the authentication data.
US09356969B2

Technologies for client-level web application runtime control and multi-factor security analysis by a computing device include receiving application code associated with a browser-based application from a web server. The computing device collects real-time data generated by at least one sensor of the computing device and performs a multi-factor security assessment of the browser-based application as a function of the collected real-time data and the application code. Further, the computing device establishes a client-level web application runtime security policy associated with the browser-based application in response to performing the multi-factor security assessment and enforces the client-level web application runtime security policy.
US09356964B2

One embodiment is directed to a system that comprises a network device, including at least a first port, which is configured to analyze information within one or more messages received during a session initiated by another network device. The system is configured to perform operations including determining a total number of sessions for the first port of the network device and determining whether the total number of sessions for the first port exceeds a threshold value. If the total number of sessions for the first port exceeds the threshold value, an application associated with the first port is classified as a peer-to-peer application. Thereafter, a policy may be enforced based on this classification.
US09356960B2

In one embodiment, a method includes, by a base station, communicating a challenge to a transponder through a first communication link; and establishing a second communication link with the transponder. The second communication link is a capacitive link. The method also includes receiving a first response to the challenge through the first communication link with the transponder; sampling the second communication link to detect a signal corresponding to a second response to the challenge from the transponder; receiving the second response through the second communication link; and authorizing the transponder based on the first and second responses.
US09356959B2

Described is a method of assigning a network address to a trap, the network address being a dark address of a virtual private network. The network traffic destined for the network address is monitored and a classification of the network traffic is determined. After the classification, a predetermined response is executed based on the classification of the traffic.
US09356947B2

Various embodiments of the invention provide methods, systems and software for analyzing data. In particular embodiments, for example, a set of data about a web site may be analyzed to determine whether the web site is likely to be illegitimate (e.g., to be involved in a fraudulent scheme, such as a phishing scheme, the sale of gray market goods, etc.). In an exemplary embodiment, a set of data may be divided into a plurality of components (each of which, in some cases, may be considered a separate data set). Merely by way of example, a set of data may comprise data gathered from a plurality of data sources, and/or each component may comprise data gathered from one of the plurality of data source. As another example, a set of data may comprise a document with a plurality of sections, and each component may comprise one of the plurality of sections. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the analysis of another component may comprise certain tests and/or evaluations, and that the analysis of another component may comprise different tests and/or evaluations. In other cases, the analysis of each component may comprise similar tests and/or evaluations. The variety of tests and/or evaluations generally will be implementation specific.
US09356946B1

Behavioral analysis of a mobile webpage is performed to determine whether the webpage is malicious. During analysis, the webpage is visited by an emulated mobile device to cause behaviors to occur which may be malicious. The behaviors occurring after accessing the webpage are stored. The behaviors are classified as hard or soft signals. A probability of the webpage being malicious is determined through combining soft signals, and the webpage is classified as malicious or non-malicious. Users of the webpage, the developer of the webpage, or a distributor of the webpage are notified of the webpage classification to enable responsive action.
US09356941B1

A computer-implemented method for detecting suspicious web pages. The method may include 1) identifying a plurality of malicious web pages; 2) establishing a classification model for identifying suspicious web pages, the classification model being based at least in part on the plurality of malicious web pages; 3) identifying an additional web page; 4) classifying the additional web page as suspicious using the classification model; 5) analyzing the additional web page to determine whether the additional web page is malicious; 6) determining that the additional web page is malicious based on the analysis; and 7) updating the classification model based at least in part on the determination. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.
US09356925B2

A method for providing location based security for communication between a remote device and a mobile device having a global positioning system receiver for determining its current position. The method comprises receiving geographic data from the remote device, determining if the mobile device is within a predetermined geographic region based on the geographic data and the current position, and enabling subsequent communication with the remote device when the current position is within the predetermined geographic region.
US09356920B2

A system differentiates good content from bad content in a user-provided content system. Messages are analyzed for features that characterize messages. A feature may occur in one or more messages. A feature that has more than a threshold number of occurrences in messages in a time interval is identified for further analysis. Enhanced authentication is requested from senders of the messages with occurrences of the identified feature. Based on the rate at which senders of the messages pass authentication, the content associated with the message is determined to be good content or bad content. Subsequent messages are blocked or successfully delivered based on whether features occurring in the messages are indicative of good content or bad content.
US09356919B1

Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for automated discovery of knowledge-based authentication components are provided herein. A method includes analyzing entity-related information to identify one or more individuals within the entity for exclusion from one or more authentication requirements in connection with one or more operations associated with the entity, wherein said analyzing is based on one or more pre-defined parameters, and querying an agent of the entity to approve each of the one or more individuals identified within the entity for exclusion from the one or more authentication requirements.
US09356917B2

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media for implementing real-time transport control protocol to obtain an end-to-end encryption and security status of a communication session. The system collects real-time transport control protocol messages associated with a communication session, wherein the real-time transport control protocol messages are generated by devices in the communication session, and wherein the real-time transport control protocol messages include security information associated with the communication session. Then, based on the real-time transport control protocol messages, the system determines a security status associated with the communication session. The system can also generate an indication of the security status associated with the communication session. Further, the system can generate an indication of the security status of a communication session on a per participant basis.
US09356898B2

A processor for filtering message traffic between communication systems may include an input buffer and an output buffer. The processor may also include a memory interface communicatively coupled to a filter rule table that includes message filter rules for verifying input messages received by the input buffer and build output message rules for constructing output messages based on the input messages received by the input buffer. The processor may additionally include a message filter state-machine circuit communicatively coupled to the input buffer that applies the message filter rules to the input message from the input buffer and determines whether the input message conforms to each of the message filter rules. The processor may further include a build output message state-machine circuit that constructs an output message based on the input message and causes the output message to be stored in the output buffer.
US09356892B2

A system and method for managing access to entry points in a graphical user interface on a communication device are provided. The entry points are associated with services such as message services and are actuatable to invoke a content listing display for viewing content associated with a given service. One entry point provides access to a unified inbox for display of messages received or sent via a plurality of message services. Other entry points provide access to other message services or filtered views of the unified inbox. Access to the various entry points is provided via a user interface displaying one or more user interface elements, such as icons, pointing to the various entry points. Display of the elements is managed so as to hide elements pointing to potentially duplicative views.
US09356887B2

In view of the characteristics of distributed applications, the present invention proposes a technical solution for applying a shared memory on an NIC comprising: a shared memory configured to provide shared storage space for a task of a distributed application, and a microcontroller. Furthermore, the present invention provides a computer device that includes the above-mentioned NIC, a method for controlling a read/write operation on a shared memory of a NIC, and a method for invoking the NIC. The use of the technical solution provided in the present invention bypasses the processing of network protocol stack, avoids the time delay introduced by the network protocol stack. The present invention does not need to perform TCP/IP encapsulation on the data packet, thus greatly saving additional packet header and packet tail overheads generated from the TCP/IP layer data encapsulation.
US09356877B1

The content-aware application switch and methods thereof intelligently switch client packets to one server among a group of servers in a server farm. The switch uses Layer 7 or application content parsed from a packet to help select the server and to schedule the transmitting of the packet to the server. This enables refined load-balancing and Quality of-Service control tailored to the application being switched. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a method includes maintaining a server load metric for each server in a group of servers; parsing application content from a packet; selecting a destination server from the group of servers, wherein selecting the destination server is dependent on the server load metric for each server, assigning a priority to the packet, the priority being dependent on the application content; and dropping the packet if the priority comprises at least one of a predetermined type.
US09356871B2

A network node may contain a virtual software-defined networking (SDN) switch and a local a management engine (e.g., a software application) for generating performance metrics based on received management plane traffic. Specifically, the virtual SDN switch may identify and forward received management plane traffic to the local management engine. In turn, the management engine evaluates the management plane traffic to generate performance metrics without forwarding the management plane packets to the remote SDN controller. The management engine may compare the metrics to one or more thresholds to determine the current state or health of the data paths in a network. If a threshold is exceeded, the management engine may transmit an alert to the virtual SDN switch to perform a corrective action—e.g., using a backup data path after the primary data path fails.
US09356866B1

In general, techniques are described for enhancing operations of virtual networks. In some examples, a network system includes a network interface card of a server configured to receive a tunnel packet associated with a virtual network. The tunnel packet comprises an outer header associated with the physical network, the outer header encapsulating an inner packet comprising an inner header associated with the virtual network and a payload. A first processing core of the server is configured to perform, based at least on one of the outer header and inner header of the tunnel packet, a first packet steering operation to identify the second processing core. The second processing core is configured to forward the inner packet to a virtual machine of the virtual machines.
US09356865B2

Method for dynamically controlling data paths of Machine-type-communication (MTC) local access device(s) are proposed along with a MTC gateway and a network device using the same method. In one embodiment, the proposed method may include following: a network device, receiving and storing capillary network information and MTC gateway interconnection information from at least one MTC server; combining the access network information with the capillary network information and the MTC gateway interconnection information to build an aggregated topology map; generating enhanced policy rules according to the aggregated topology map related to at least one capillary network; and respectively transmitting the enhanced policy rules to the interconnected MTC gateways.
US09356861B2

Various exemplary embodiments relate to a method for routing an incoming packet to a destination, the method including: receiving, at a network device, the incoming packet; determining a destination address of the packet; determining that the destination address is not included in a routing table on the network device; sending a message to a companion device, wherein the message includes the destination address; receiving from the companion device, at the network device, a routing indicator for the destination address; and sending the packet towards a destination consistent with the routing indicator.
US09356860B1

Techniques are described for providing managed computer networks. In some situations, the techniques include managing communications for computing nodes of a managed computer network by using a pool of multiple alternative intermediate destinations to forward at least some communications to other final destinations. For example, a manager module associated with a source computing node may select a particular one of multiple alternative intermediate destinations to use for one or more particular communications from the source computing node to an indicated final destination, such as based on network addresses associated with the source computing node and/or the final destination. The multiple alternative intermediate destinations may have various forms, including multiple alternative edge devices at a first location at which various computing nodes are co-located that operate to manage communications between those co-located computing nodes at the first location and other external computer systems at one or more other locations.
US09356855B2

The subject matter described herein includes methods, systems, and computer readable media for providing for specification or autodiscovery of DUT topology information and for using the DUT topology information to generate DUT-topology-specific test results. One exemplary method includes, providing for specification or autodiscovery of DUT topology information associated with or more devices under test (DUT). The method further includes transmitting test packets to the at least one DUT. The method further includes receiving packets transmitted from or through the at least one DUT. The method further includes using the DUT topology information and the received packets to generate DUT-topology-specific test results.
US09356852B2

A server migration tool used to construct data center migration scenarios allowing for a user to rapidly manipulate a large number of input parameters required to describe a transformation from one data center configuration to a new data center configuration. The tool then performs the transformation and allows the user to interact with new data center configuration to understand its performance. A novel parameterization, speed independent service demand (SISD), greatly facilitates scaling performance metrics between different hardware platforms.
US09356850B2

The invention relates to a method for monitoring a communication system, comprising: acquiring and storing data about timeout events or faulty transfers in connection with at least one signaling process in at least one first communication terminal (1, 2, 3) of the communication system; and creating a collection of such data and transferring (7, 8, 10) said collection to a collection point (4) for said data in the communication system.
US09356841B1

A technique for enrolling an individual for a service is described. During this enrollment technique, a match between an identifier provided by and associated with the individual is determined with an existing identifier associated with another service. If there is a correspondence between the service and the other service, enrollment information from the other service is used in an enrollment process for the service, which allows a subset of the enrollment process to be performed. Otherwise, the full enrollment process for the service is performed. In this case, reconciliation of the identifier and the existing identifier (for example, asking the individual if they also use the other service) is delayed until after the enrollment process is completed.
US09356833B2

The present invention provides a media gateway device and a method for forwarding data frames. The media gateway device comprises: a master module, a switch module, a relay access module and a media resource module; the switch module comprises three independent Virtual Local Area Networks (VLANs), i.e., a first VLAN, a second VLAN and a third VLAN, respectively; the media resource module is connected to the switch module through the second VLAN, and the switch module is connected to an external Internet Protocol (IP) packet network through the third VLAN; the media gateway device further comprises a network layer static routing table. By using the media gateway device and the method for forwarding data frames according to the present invention, the number of the external interfaces of the media gateway device can be reduced, and the interface of the switch module can be managed by the VLAN.
US09356822B2

Aspects of the present disclosure describe a smart docking station. The smart docking station may contain a data transfer and an electrical connection which allow a sensor wafer to be charged and to upload and download data. The smart docking station may be located at an off-track storage position above a tool. This location enables an automated materials handling system (AMHS) to retrieve the sensor wafer and deliver it to a tool requiring analysis. The sensor wafer may be stored in a smart front opening unified pod (FOUP). It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
US09356820B2

A method, system and computer program product for maximizing throughout of streaming media. The client device simultaneously establishes multiple independent network connections with a server (e.g., streaming video server) to access various segments of a file (e.g., video file). The client device requests a different segment of the file to be downloaded from the server across each of these network connections based on the throughput of each network connection. The received segments of the file are buffered and combined to provide continuous uninterrupted access to the received segments of the file. In this manner, the user will be able to view the contents of the file without any interruptions or pauses while at the same time without requiring any coordination between the client device and the server and without any degradation in the quality of the viewed content of the file.
US09356815B2

A transmitter includes a frame generator which generates a plurality of frames each of which includes a preamble symbol and a data symbol, a pilot inserter which inserts a plurality of first pilots in the preamble symbol according to a predetermined first arrangement pattern and inserts a plurality of second pilots in a data symbol according to a second arrangement pattern, and a transmitting unit which transmits the plurality of frames in which the first and second pilots are inserted. Accordingly, a memory needed to store pilots may be reduced and precise synchronization may be performed based on an extended number of pilots.
US09356813B2

Techniques and apparatus are disclosed for multiplexing multiple Narrowband Hybrid Modulation sub-channels in the same radio channel. This is accomplished by applying symbol phase rotation and/or phase rotation of the modulated I/Q samples to at least one of two or more simultaneously transmitted Narrowband Hybrid Modulation bursts in the same GSM/GPRS radio frequency channel, in the same cell. Other embodiments of the techniques disclosed herein exploit this symbol/sample rotation approach to create orthogonal channels of Narrowband Hybrid Modulation bursts, on the same radio frequency channel. These orthogonal channels can be transmitted in different cells, to allow the use of the same GSM/GPRS radio frequency channel in multiple adjacent cells while at the same time minimizing inter-cell interference.
US09356811B2

A receiver circuit for receiving an input signal (IDD, UDD) comprises a detector circuit (111, 111a, 111b, 111c, 111d, 111e, 111f), which is in the form of a sample-and-hold circuit for determining a reference level of the input signal or in the form of a filter circuit for generating a mean value of levels of the input signal (IDD, UDD). The detector circuit generates, on the output side, a referential signal (RS), which is supplied to comparator circuits (113a, 113b, 113c, 113d, 115a, 115b, 115c, 115d). The comparator circuits (113a, 113b, 113c, 113d, 115a, 115b, 115c, 115d) compare an offset level of the input signal (IDD, UDD) with the referential signal (RS) and generate data signals (DATA, DH, DL). The offset input signals (IDD, UDD) are evaluated relatively in respect of the reference level or the mean value of the levels of the input signal.
US09356809B2

A method for performing communication in a multi-stage beam forming system includes determining statistical channel information which indicates a priority of analog beams transmitted by a base station, configuring an adaptive code book for digital beam forming, based on the statistical channel information and analog beams which the base station uses in actual communication among the analog beams, and performing communication with the base station through the digital beam forming based on the adaptive code book. A terminal includes a channel estimator configured to perform channel estimation for analog beams transmitted from a base station, a controller configure to determine statistical channel information indicating a priority of the analog beams, and configure an adaptive code book for digital beam forming based on the statistical channel information and analog beams that the base station uses in actual communication among the analog beams, and a communication unit.
US09356807B2

A transmission method for use in a two-hop wireless communication system is provided. The system includes a source apparatus, a destination apparatus and an intermediate apparatus. The source apparatus is operable to transmit information along two links forming a communication path extending from the source apparatus to the destination apparatus via the intermediate apparatus. The intermediate apparatus is operable to receive information from the source apparatus and to transmit the received information to the destination apparatus. The system has access to a time-frequency format for use in assigning available transmission frequency bandwidth during a discrete transmission interval, said format defining a plurality of transmission windows within such an interval. Each window occupies a different part of that interval and has a frequency bandwidth profile within said available transmission frequency bandwidth over its part of that interval. Furthermore, each said window is assignable for such a transmission interval to said source or intermediate apparatus for use in transmission. The transmission method for use in this system includes employing said format to transmit information along the path as two successive transmission signals, link by link, said signals being transmitted using different transmission windows of a particular such transmission interval.
US09356804B1

The present disclosure introduces a layer of abstraction in the form of connection policies for applications to specify their needs for connections without having to worry about the specific details and particulars of requesting and receiving the connections. The various embodiments disclosed attempt to provide a connection in response to a request from an application wherein the application's request comprises a specified connection policy. Depending on the current state of the system/device, it can be determined whether to provide a connection that satisfies the specified connection policy or another available connection compliant with the current state of the system/device. In this way, a global optimization of the system/device and network resources can be achieved.
US09356802B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, an apparatus, and a system for selecting a network device. The method includes: receiving, by a second network device, a network device selection message sent by a first network device, where the network device selection message contains a VLAN mapping capability identifier of the first network device; and selecting, by the second network device, according to the VLAN mapping capability identifier and local VLAN mapping capability, a network device for executing VLAN mapping. By using the technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention, execution of VLAN mapping for a bidirectional pseudo wire (PW) between two network devices on a same network device may be implemented, and there are only two VLAN identifiers on the bidirectional PW, thereby ensuring consistency of VLAN mapping and making it simpler and easier to maintain and detect the PW.
US09356801B2

A communication system provides one or more services using a plurality of virtual networks provisioned in a network. A communication device belonging to at least one of the plurality of virtual networks is provided with service-ID associating information in which a service-ID identifying a service is associated with at least one virtual network identifier each identifying a virtual network that is included in the plurality of virtual networks and is to be used for providing the service. A base station transmits a service-ID association request to the communication device which then returns the stored service-ID associating information to the base station. Thereafter, the base station selects, from among the plurality of virtual networks, at least one virtual network that is to be used for providing a service identified by the service-ID, based on the service-ID associating information, and establishes a connection with the selected at least one virtual network.
US09356793B1

A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for managing load on a downstream server in a distributed storage system is presented. Messages received from the downstream server in response to transactions issued by the upstream server to the downstream server are monitored, where the transactions are issued to the downstream server at a rate no greater than a transaction rate limit, the transaction rate limit being based at least in part on a maximum transaction processing rate of the downstream server. The transaction rate limit is adjusted based at least in part on a number of messages that include a pushback signal received over at least one predetermined time interval, where the pushback signal indicates that a utilization rate of the downstream server has exceeded a predetermined utilization rate.
US09356790B2

Solutions for providing integrated task list functionality. Some such solutions use a user supersystem as a communications hub to generate, display, and/or handle user-based tasks for a family group. For example, tasks may be assigned to one or more members of the family and associated with various types of dates, rewards, audits, etc. Family members may then interact with the tasks through the communications hub and/or through other devices (e.g., cell phones, etc.).
US09356788B2

A method is provided for use in an IP Multimedia Subsystem, IMS, in which a session control protocol (such as the Session Initiation Protocol, SIP) is used to establish and manage sessions within the IMS. The method comprises using session control protocol messages (such as Session Initiation Protocol messages) to carry node-specific charging information, where the charging information is required for charging purposes at a charging control system of the IMS. A private header part (such as a P-Charging-Vector header) of the session control messages may be used to carry the node-specific charging information. The node-specific charging information may comprise charging data and at least one of: an indication of the type of the charging data; a name or identifier of the node, allowing the node to update charging data which relates to the node and which is carried by a session control message received by the node; and an indication of the version of the charging data, a different version indication being used to indicate different charging data; node name; version number; data name; and value. At least one session control protocol message may be used to carry node-specific charging information relating to a plurality of different nodes.
US09356786B2

A server-implemented method encrypting at least two pieces of indexed data as lists of elements, each element belonging to a finite set of indexed symbols on an alphabet. The data is encrypted to form a protected set, including: the server randomly generates, for each datum, a corresponding encoding function; if at least one element that constitutes a datum is the symbol of the alphabet, the server determines the image of the symbol of the alphabet via the encoding function corresponding to the datum to obtain a codeword coordinate and adds the codeword coordinate to an indexed set corresponding to the element of the alphabet; then the server completes the indexed set with error-inducing points; the server randomly reindexes the elements of the indexed set corresponding to the symbol of the alphabet; and the server adds the indexed set to the protected set. The method can identify an individual.
US09356785B2

A method and system for enhanced security for A5/1 encoding, the method including choosing, at a transmitter, bits within a layer 1 header of a slow associated control channel (‘SACCH’) message for randomization; and setting, at the transmitter, the chosen bits randomly prior to channel coding and encryption of the slow associated control channel message. Further the method may include choosing, at a transmitter, a number of bits to toggle after convolution coding of a message containing a slow associated control channel message, the number of toggled bits being sufficiently low to allow correction at a receiver; and toggling, at the transmitter, said bits based on the channel conditions of the message.
US09356784B2

A computer-implemented method is described. A message is received from a user via a user interface of a computer device. The message includes at least first and second portions. A virtual cryptic note is generated that includes the first portion of the message arranged in a first orientation, and the second portion of the message arranged in a second orientation that is rotated relative to the first orientation, with the second portion of the message overlapping the first portion of the message. The virtual cryptic note is provided to the user. Cryptic notes can be useful and entertaining, particularly when used online, in email and/or in social media.
US09356780B2

A communication device assigns a key taking the degree of priority of applications into account in a case where a key generation/sharing system in which a plurality of applications are connected to a node is not able to realize key assignment that satisfies the key rates requested by the plurality of applications. For example, the device realizes a method of assigning an application key that takes the degree of priority into account according to which control is performed in such a way that the key rate requested by an important application is preferentially satisfied.
US09356779B2

A method and system for encrypting a first piece of information M to be sent by a sender [100] to a receiver [110] allows both sender and receiver to compute a secret message key using identity-based information and a bilinear map. The sender uses a bilinear map to encrypt a message M, producing ciphertext V to be sent from the sender [100] to the receiver [110]. The receiver [110] uses the bilinear map to decrypt V and recover the original message M. According to one embodiment, the bilinear map is based on a Weil pairing or a Tate pairing defined on a subgroup of an elliptic curve. Also described are several applications of the techniques, including key revocation, credential management, and return receipt notification.
US09356775B1

Methods and apparatus are described for synchronously stepping at least one of a data phase interpolator (PI) code or a crossing PI code in a clock and data recovery (CDR) circuit until one or more preset criteria are satisfied. One example method generally includes determining that a condition has been met; based on the determination, stepping, in a CDR circuit, at least one of a data PI code or a crossing PI code for each cycle of a clock; stopping the stepping based on one or more criteria to generate a predetermined state of the data PI code and the crossing PI code, wherein the predetermined state comprises an offset between the data PI code and the crossing PI code; receiving a data stream; and performing clock and data recovery on the data stream based on the offset between the data PI code and the crossing PI code.
US09356771B2

A method of generating a clock includes the steps of calculating a first frequency division number through dividing a frequency of an input clock by a target frequency and a specific integer k (k≧2); calculating a second frequency division number according to the first frequency division number; dividing a period of time of one cycle of the target frequency by the specific integer k to obtain sections in a number of the specific integer k; dividing the frequency of the input clock with the second frequency division number within one of the sections; dividing the frequency of the input clock with the second frequency division number within each remaining one of the sections in a number of (k−1); and generating the clock having a frequency with one cycle equal to a period of time corresponding to each of the sections.
US09356769B2

Certain aspects of the present invention provide methods and apparatus for synchronizing frequency-divided oscillating signals associated with multiple radio frequency (RF) paths to be in-phase. For certain aspects, a reset pulse is input to synchronization logic for a particular RF path, and this logic retimes the reset pulse to a local synthesizer clock in this RF path. The retimed reset pulse drives the reset input of a local frequency divider for this RF path and is also appropriately delayed, buffered, and then daisy-chained to the synchronization logic in the next RF path to be repeated therein. By appropriately resetting the local frequency dividers using the synchronization logic in this manner, the frequency-divided oscillating signals for the RF paths are synchronized to operate in-phase with one another.
US09356756B2

Methods and apparatus are provided to support HARQ in a communication system adopting cross-carrier scheduling. A second cell is scheduled at a first cell. Data, transmitted by a terminal, at a subframe of the second cell is received. A subframe, in the first cell, is determined for transmitting a HARQ acknowledgement corresponding to the data, and a subframe, in the first cell, is determined carrying scheduling information of the second cell. It is determined whether the subframe for transmitting the HARQ acknowledgement and the subframe carrying scheduling information of the second cell are the same. When the subframe for transmitting the HARQ acknowledgement and the subframe carrying the scheduling information are not the same, the subframe for transmitting the HARQ acknowledgement and the subframe carrying the scheduling information are matched to each other.
US09356754B2

The present invention is designed to increase the number of CSI-RSs for interference measurements and improve the accuracy of interference measurements. The first reference signal is allocated to a reference signal resource defined for transmission of the first reference signal, and also a second reference signal for interference measurement is allocated, the allocation patterns of the first reference signal and the second reference signal are implicitly reported to the first mobile terminal to apparatus that supports both the first reference signal and the second reference signal, and, in the first mobile terminal apparatus, interference is measured using both the first reference signal and the second reference signal or using the second reference signal alone, based on the implicitly-reported allocation patterns.
US09356750B2

A method for use in a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) for receiving data over physical downlink shared channels from different cells, monitoring physical downlink control channels of a first cell for downlink control information associated with the WTRU, and recovering data from the physical downlink control channel in response to the downlink control information.
US09356742B2

A method and a system are provided for transmitting data in a motor vehicle by wireless communication. The data from a first transmitting data node is divided, transmitted to a second receiving data node via at least two different communication routes, and reassembled upon being received. Redundant data is generated from the data to be transmitted, the redundant data allowing a reconstruction of the data to be transmitted in the event that a communication route fails. The redundant data and the data to be transmitted are transmitted via the different communication routes.
US09356737B2

A method is provided for transmitting packets of a packet stream in real-time. The method includes sequentially writing packets in a retry buffer of a transmitting agent, the retry buffer including multiple contexts; sequentially transmitting the packets written in the retry buffer to a receiving agent, while continuing to sequentially write additional packets the retry buffer; receiving acknowledgements from the receiving agent when the receiving agent has successfully received the transmitted packets, while continuing to sequentially transmit the packets written in the retry buffer to the receive agent; receiving a retry request from the receiving agent when the receiving agent has not successfully received a transmitted packet; and retransmitting packets from the retry buffer to the receiving agent beginning with the transmitted packet not successfully received by the receiving agent, which resulted in the retry request, while continuing to sequentially write additional packets received from the transmitting agent in the retry buffer.
US09356724B2

Embodiments herein describe apparatuses, systems, and methods for signaling to support downlink coordinated multipoint (CoMP) communications with a user equipment (UE) in a wireless communication network. In embodiments, the UE may be configured with a plurality of channel state information (CSI) processes (e.g., via radio resource control (RRC) signaling) to use for providing CSI feedback to an evolved Node B (eNB) to support downlink CoMP communications. The UE may be configured with a plurality of sets of CSI processes. The UE may further receive a downlink control information (DCI) message from the eNB that indicates one of the configured sets of CSI processes on which the UE is to provide CSI feedback to the UE. The UE may generate the CSI feedback for the indicated set of CSI processes, and transmit the CSI feedback to the eNB in a CSI report.
US09356722B2

A method of controlling data transmission from a transmitting unit to a receiving unit through an asynchronous serial link is provided. The method is performed by a controlling unit and includes the steps of sequentially receiving data and synchronization messages are sequentially received from the transmitting unit; sequentially parsing the messages received; and when a message parsed is a synchronization message, blocking relaying to the receiving unit, of the data messages following said synchronization message, until an event associated with the synchronization message occurs.
US09356721B2

In a network device, apparatus and methods perform precision time stamping. A time agent receives a master pace signal corresponding to a time representation based on a master real time clock in a master clock domain. A time accumulator accumulates time units one fill quantum at a time based on the master pace signal. The time accumulator decreases the accumulated time units by a leak quantum according to a local clock signal running at a higher frequency than the master pace signal. Correction logic periodically generates, at a granularity corresponding to the frequency of the local clock signal, an updated time representation in a target clock domain based on a residual number of time units in the time accumulator before depositing an additional fill quantum of time units in the time accumulator.
US09356718B2

A terminal and method for receiving a broadcast service by the terminal in a broadcast system are provided. The method includes performing a registration procedure for subscription and reception of the broadcast service through a Browser And Content Mobile Broadcast (BSCAST) Subscription Management (BSM) responsible for managing subscription information; receiving a Long Term Key Message (LTKM), including key information for encryption of the broadcast service, generated from the BSM; receiving a completed Short Term Key Message (STKM), the completed STKM being generated by performing Message Authentication Code (MAC) processing on a partially created STKM; receiving, from a Broadcast Service Distribution/Adaptation (BSD/A) which is responsible for transmitting the broadcast service, an encrypted broadcast service which is encrypted by a Traffic Encryption Key (TEK) for deciphering the broadcast service; and deciphering the encrypted broadcast service by the TEK obtained using the LTKM and the completed STKM.
US09356715B2

A method is presented for notifying a user of a broadcast communication channel problem. At a broadcast distribution facility, a problem involving a first broadcast communication channel from the broadcast distribution facility to a broadcast communication receiver associated with the user is detected. A cause of the problem is ascertained at the facility. The broadcast distribution facility then relays an indication of the cause of the problem to the receiver over a second broadcast communication channel from the facility to the receiver. The receiver informs the user of the cause of the problem.
US09356711B2

A technique to provide calibration in a receiver that receives multiple carriers and uses multiple receive signal paths to down-convert and process the multiple carrier signals.
US09356708B2

A communications system includes a receiver unit connected with a transmission channel. The receiver unit determines a signal power of a first communications signal received over the transmission channel. A transmitter unit is connected with the transmission channel and transmits a second communications signal, wherein a gain of the communications signal being output by the transmitter unit is controllable. A control unit controls the gain of the transmitter unit in response to the determined signal power. At the receiver unit, detection of broadcast signal ingress during data communication is improved and methods for avoiding disturbances between coexisting communications systems may become more reliable. Different distances between successive training symbols suitable for channel estimation may be provided to enhance the noise measurement.
US09356701B2

Methods and systems for a photonic interposer are disclosed and may include receiving one or more continuous wave (CW) optical signals in a silicon photonic interposer from an optical source external to the silicon photonic interposer. The received CW optical signals may be processed based on electrical signals received from a CMOS electronics die bonded to the interposer, and modulated optical signals may be received in the interposer via optical couplers on the interposer. Electrical signals may be generated in the interposer based on the received modulated optical signals, and may be communicated to the CMOS electronics die. The generated electrical signals to may be communicated to the CMOS electronics die via copper pillars. The CW optical signals may be received in the interposer from an optical source assembly coupled to the interposer. The CW optical signals may be received from optical fibers coupled to the interposer.
US09356693B1

A system includes a light emitting device on a first side of electrically isolated circuitry for transmitting an optical signal to a second side of the electrically isolated circuitry. The system also includes an optical receiver on the second side of the electrically isolated circuitry for receiving the optical signal from the light emitting device. The system further includes a sensor coupled with the optical receiver for sampling the intensity of the optical signal received by the optical receiver.
US09356691B2

A Sagnac interferometer event sensing device is disclosed. The device includes first and second light sources respectively emitting first and second light beams at first and second, different wavelengths. The device includes an optical fiber path, a first portion along which only the first light beam travels, a second portion along which only the second light beam travels, and a third portion along which both the first and second light beams travel. The device includes a first detector at an end of the first portion of the optical path to receive the first light beam, and a second detector at an end of the second portion of the optical path to receive the second light beam. The device includes a first plurality of depolarizers disposed along the first portion of the optical fiber path, and a second plurality of depolarizers disposed along the second portion of the optical fiber path.
US09356687B2

An information providing method using a mobile terminal is provided. The information providing method includes placing the mobile terminal within a communication range of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) device previously registered in the mobile terminal, receiving identification information from the BLE device, extracting previously set notification information corresponding to the received identification information of the BLE device, and outputting a notification message to the mobile terminal based on the extracted previously set notification information.
US09356683B2

An apparatus and a method for scheduling and a power control of a relay system that is capable of stable operation an environment where sufficient isolation between antennas is not ensured. The apparatus includes a scheduler for allocating resources to a zone not experiencing inter-antenna interference in an initial resource allocation, classifying users based on vulnerability to the interference, and allocating resources to a zone experiencing the interference, and a power controller for setting the resources of the zone experiencing the interference to a lower power than the resources of the zone not experiencing the interference to minimize the inter-antenna interference.
US09356673B2

A communication device includes a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, and a processing module. The wireless transmitter, the wireless receiver, and/or the processing module facilitate: a control-level communication with another communication device using initial transmit beamforming parameters and initial receive beamforming parameters; a handshake communication with the other communication device to determine adjustments of at least one of the initial transmit beamforming parameters and the initial receive beamforming parameters to produce at least one of adjusted transmit beamforming parameters and adjusted receive beamforming parameters; and a normal-level communication with the other communication device using the at least one of the adjusted transmit beamforming parameters and the adjusted receive beamforming parameters.
US09356665B2

A method and mobile station are described for reporting channel quality information for multi-cell cooperation. The mobile station receives a channel quality request message for requesting channel quality information from a base station. The channel quality request message indicates that the mobile station is one of a plurality of candidate mobile stations to perform multi-cell cooperation. The mobile station reports the channel quality information to the base station. The channel quality information includes first channel quality information for the base station and second channel quality information for a neighboring base station.
US09356663B2

An apparatus and method configure a diversity antenna in a portable terminal. The apparatus includes a first antenna, a second antenna, a first communication unit for processing a first communication scheme signal communicated through the first antenna, a second communication unit for processing a second communication scheme signal communicated through the second antenna, and a control unit for configuring the first antenna as a diversity antenna for the second communication unit when the first communication unit is not driven.
US09356657B2

A communication device includes a first processing unit that detects a target and receives a first command for activating an interface upon a detection of the target. The communication device also includes a second processing unit that exchanges data with the target through the first processing unit. Further, the communication device includes an interface between the first processing unit and the second processing unit. The first processing unit selects a predetermined interface level from among a plurality of interface levels based on the first command and exchanges data with the second processing unit based on the predetermined interface level.
US09356656B2

A method for assisting with positioning of an electromagnetic transponder by a user with respect to a terminal, wherein: a first value of the current in an oscillating circuit of the terminal is periodically measured; a second value of a ratio between a no-load value of this current, stored when no transponder is in the field of the terminal, and the first value, is calculated; and pieces of information intended for the user are controlled according to said second value.
US09356650B2

An integrated circuit for facilitating spread spectrum reception of data having a data bit period includes an hypothesis search circuit (120, 210, 220) operable to correlate a pseudorandom code with a signal input based on a received signal to produce correlation results, and a processor circuit (320) operable to coherently integrate the correlation results over plural sample windows (PreD1, PreD2) staggered relative to each other in the coherent integration interval and to non-coherently combine the coherently integrated results corresponding to the plural sample windows (PreD1, PreD2) to produce a received signal output, whereby enhancing performance. Other circuits, receivers and processes are also disclosed.
US09356648B1

Systems and techniques relating to wireless communications are described. A described technique includes determining a first frequency offset based on a received preamble of a wireless communication signal and a known preamble, the received preamble having been generated based on a spreading sequence and the known preamble, determining a second frequency offset based on the received preamble and the known preamble, and processing at least a portion of the wireless communication signal based on the first frequency offset and the second frequency offset. Determining the first frequency offset can include performing a multi-chip-level differential frequency offset acquisition that uses two or more chips associated with the received preamble. Determining the second frequency offset can include performing a symbol-level differential frequency offset acquisition that uses two or more symbols associated with the received preamble, where each of the two or more symbols are encoded by two or more chips.
US09356643B2

Radio frequency (RF) duplexing devices and methods of operating the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, an RF duplexing device includes a transmission port, a receive port, a first duplexer, and a second duplexer. The first duplexer is coupled to the transmission port and the receive port, and is configured to provide a first phase shift from the transmission port to the receive port. The second duplexer is also coupled to the transmission port and the receive port. However, the second duplexer is configured to provide a second phase shift that is differential to the first phase shift from the transmission port to the receive port. By providing the second phase shift so that the second phase shift is differential to the first phase shift, the RF duplexing device can provide isolation through cancellation without needing to introduce significant insertion losses.
US09356642B1

A radiofrequency transceiver device includes at least one reconfigurable integrated circuit (RIC) and a system controller that is able to reconfigure the at least one RIC to perform specific processing tasks. The specific processing tasks may be related to processing at least one radiofrequency signal that is received by, stored on, retrieved from and/or transmitted by the radiofrequency transceiver device. Embodiments may also include one or more reconfigurable integrated circuit applications (RIC Apps) that may be executed, at least in part, on the at least one RIC.
US09356628B2

Example apparatus and methods support reconstructing an item from a set of erasure codes (e.g., fountain codes). Information about computer resources available to support reconstructing the item may be accessed and analyzed to control the spawning of multiple computer processes to support reconstructing the item. The information may include, for example, utilization and capacity data. The information may be provided by sensor agents that monitor the resources. The multiple computer processes may operate at least partially in parallel. Resources may be identified and computer processes may be spawned until all the resources that can contribute to the reconstruction are used. In one embodiment, computer processes may be spawned until the marginal utility of spawning another process falls below a threshold.
US09356627B2

A method and apparatus for providing transmission on a channel in a network are disclosed. For example, the method receives a plurality of source samples, divides the plurality of source samples into a plurality of subbands in accordance with a ratio of the plurality of source samples to a number of channel uses of the channel, wherein each subband comprises a first number of source samples, determines a channel input from the plurality of source samples in accordance with a hybrid coding scheme, and transmits the channel input over the network.
US09356620B2

According to the invention, there are provided sets of contexts specifically adapted to encode special coefficients of a prediction error matrix, on the basis of previously encoded values of level k. Furthermore, the number of values of levels other than 0 is explicitly encoded and numbers of appropriate contexts are selected on the basis of the number of spectral coefficients other than 0.
US09356611B1

Systems and methods associated with control of clock signals are disclosed. In one exemplary implementation, there is provided a delay-lock-loop (DLL) and/or a delay/phase detection circuit. Moreover, such circuit may comprise digital phase detection circuitry, digital delay control circuitry, analog phase detection circuitry, and analog delay control circuitry. Implementations may include configurations that prevent transition back to the unlocked state due to jitter or noise.
US09356606B2

A clock generator comprises a free-running oscillator and a tunable frequency synthesizer. The free-running oscillator has an output for providing an oscillator clock signal. The tunable frequency synthesizer is coupled to the free-running oscillator and provides a clock output signal in response to the oscillator clock signal and a frequency control signal. The frequency control signal corresponds to a measured characteristic of the free-running oscillator.
US09356605B2

A semiconductor device includes: a counting detection block suitable for generating a counting value of a clock signal transmitted through a first transmission path and a counting value of a target signal transmitted through a second transmission path during a counter enable section, and blocking the first transmission path and the second transmission path based on a comparison result obtained by comparing a predetermined code value with the counting value of the clock signal; and an output block suitable for outputting the counting value of the target signal corresponding to when the first and second transmission paths to a predetermined pad are blocked, based on a test mode signal.
US09356603B2

A thermally tempered glass substrate for transient electronic systems (i.e., including electronic devices that visually disappear when triggered to do so) including two or more fused-together glass structures having different coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) values disposed in an intermixed arrangement manner that generates and stores potential energy in the form of residual, self-equilibrating internal stresses. In alternative embodiments the substrate includes laminated glass sheets, or glass elements (e.g., beads or cylinders) disposed in a glass layer. A trigger device causes an initial fracture in the thermally tempered glass substrate, whereby the fracture energy nearly instantaneously travels throughout the thermally tempered glass substrate, causing the thermally tempered glass substrate to shatter into multiple small (e.g., micron-sized) pieces that are difficult to detect. Patterned fracture features are optionally provided to control the final fractured particle size. Electronic systems built on the substrate are entirely destroyed and dispersed during the transience event.
US09356602B1

An approach for management of memory in a programmable integrated circuit (IC) includes configuring a memory map of the programmable IC with an association of a first subset of addresses of memory address space of the programmable IC and physical memory of the programmable IC. The memory map is further configured with an association of a second subset of addresses of the memory address space and a virtual memory block. At least a portion of a cache memory of the programmable IC is locked to the second subset of addresses.
US09356599B1

A differential driver circuit includes a differential driver configured to drive an output signal based upon a positive leg pull up signal, a positive leg pull down signal, a negative leg pull up signal, and a negative leg pull down signal. A first pre-driver includes a first driver configured to receive a positive leg signal and a first voltage divider coupled to an output of the first driver and configured to produce the first pull up signal and the first pull down signal. A second pre-driver includes a second driver configured to receive a negative leg signal and a second voltage divider coupled to an output of the second driver and configured to produce the second pull up signal and the second pull down signal. The differential driver may include a positive leg and a negative leg, each having a pull up transistor and a pull down transistor.
US09356598B2

This disclosure relates generally to threshold logic elements for integrated circuits (ICs). In one embodiment, a threshold logic element has a first input gate network, a second input gate network, a differential sense amplifier, and a resistive network. The first input gate network is configured to receive a first set of logical signals, while the second input gate network configured to receive a second set of logical signals. The differential sense amplifier is operably associated with the first input gate network and the second input gate network such that the differential sense amplifier is configured to generate a differential output in accordance with a threshold logic function. The resistive network is coupled between the differential sense amplifier and the first input gate network and between the differential sense amplifier and the second input gate network. The resistive network makes the threshold logic element less susceptible to process variations.
US09356596B2

The present technology relates to a driving circuit and a driving method, in which power loss at the time of switching an FET (Field Effect Transistor) can be reduced with a simple circuit configuration.A coil constitutes a resonance circuit together with an input capacitance at a gate of the FET. A switch (regeneration switch) turns on or off current flowing in the coil. A DC power source is a power source to replenish the resonance circuit with electric charge and is connected to the gate of the FET. A switch (replenish switch) turns on or off connection between the DC power source and the gate of the FET. The present technology is applicable to, for example, a power source that outputs AC voltage and current by switching operation.
US09356591B2

A crosspoint switch device has a plurality of input ports each connected to a respective voltage source and a plurality of output ports each connected to a respective voltage source. A switch array selectively provides signal paths between the input ports and the output ports. The voltage sources are separate from one another.
US09356577B2

Receivers for memory interfaces and related methods are disclosed having pulsed control of input signal attenuation networks. Embodiments include a DC common mode attenuation network, an AC coupling network, a pulse generator, and an amplifier. The pulse generator receives the output of the amplifier and generates a pulse signal that in part controls the operation of the attenuation network. The attenuation network generates an attenuated signal having reduced DC common mode levels. This attenuated signal is combined with an AC component passed by the AC coupling network. The resulting combined signal is detected and amplified by the amplifier. Different voltage domains are used for the attenuation network and the AC coupling network as compared to the amplifier and the pulse generator. By attenuating DC common mode levels while maintaining AC signal levels, the disclosed embodiments allow for proper signal detection over a wide range of DC common mode levels.
US09356575B2

A resonator element includes a quartz crystal resonator blank provided with a base portion, vibrating arms extending from one end side of the base portion, a connecting portion which is disposed on the other end side of the base portion, and a coupling portion, located between the base portion and the connecting portion, which couples the base portion to the connecting portion. When a thickness of the quartz crystal resonator blank is set to T, a width of the base portion is set to W1, and a width of the coupling portion is set to W2, a relation of 110 μm≦T≦210 μm is satisfied, and a relation of 0.469≦W2/W1≦0.871 is satisfied.
US09356572B2

A sound processing apparatus processes a first sound signal and a second sound signal. The sound processing apparatus includes a first adjustor which adjusts a volume of the first sound signal, a second adjustor which adjusts a volume of the second sound signal, and a control unit which causes the first adjustor and the second adjustor to adjust the first sound signal gradually changed over a first gradually-change time and the second sound signal gradually changed over a second gradually-change time, wherein the second gradually-change time is shorter than and included in the first gradually-change time.
US09356567B2

An audio amplification circuit may include an input terminal for receipt of an input signal from a transducer. A signal processor may be coupled to the input terminal for receipt and processing of the input signal to generate a processed digital audio signal in accordance with a programmable configuration setting of the signal processor. A serial data transmission interface is configured for receipt of the processed digital audio signal and supply of a corresponding digital audio stream at an output terminal of the integrated audio amplification circuit. A serial data receipt interface may be coupled to an externally accessible configuration terminal of the integrated audio amplification circuit and a controller is configured to adjust one of the programmable configuration setting of the signal processor and a format of a digital audio stream in accordance with first configuration data received through the serial data receipt interface.
US09356560B2

A method and apparatus are disclosed for transmitting communication signals through a multi-mode power amplifier. For at least some embodiments, a communication signal may be amplified by an amplifier of the multi-mode power amplifier selected based on a desired transmit output power. The output of the selected amplifier may be coupled through a configurable inductive element to an antenna. The inductive element may be configured as a balun or as an inductive load element based on an operating mode of the multi-mode power amplifier.
US09356557B1

In an example embodiment, an apparatus includes an LC circuit having a capacitive circuit and an inductive circuit connected in a circuit loop. In a first mode, a switching circuit in the inductive circuit provides a charge voltage across the LC circuit and prevents oscillation of the LC circuit by opening a switch in the circuit loop. In a second mode, the switching circuit enables the oscillation of the LC circuit by closing the switch in the circuit loop. The adjustable capacitive circuit includes capacitive branch circuits configured to contribute a first amount of capacitance when enabled. For each capacitive branch circuit, an initialization circuit couples the set of capacitors to a respective reference voltage in response to the capacitive branch circuit being disabled and the switching circuit operating in the first mode.
US09356555B2

Methods, apparatuses, and systems for providing a variable capacitance using an array of capacitor cells are discussed. In the fine tuning bank of an inductor/capacitor (LC)-tank of a digitally controlled oscillator (DCO), control is implemented by selecting a boundary cell from the array of capacitor cells and having every cell before the boundary cell in a circuit path be grounded and having the boundary cell and every cell after the boundary cell in the circuit path be connected to a voltage source. The circuit path may be the one formed by using thermometer coding in the fine tuning bank.
US09356551B2

An electric motor powers a fluidic pump fluidly connected to a hydraulic circuit. Operating the electric motor includes determining a heat transfer coefficient for the electric motor based upon a temperature of hydraulic fluid in the hydraulic circuit. A temperature of the electric motor is determined based upon the heat transfer coefficient. Operation of the electric motor is controlled based upon the temperature of the electric motor.
US09356549B2

A control device of a three-phase AC motor includes: an inverter for driving the motor; a current sensor for sensing a current; and a control means for controlling the motor by switching on/off each switching element in the inverter with feeding back dq axis current calculated values to dq axis current command values, or with feeding back a torque estimated value to a torque command value. The control means includes one first order current operation part that: expands a phase current sensed value of one phase in Fourier series as a function of an electric angle; extracts a first order component of the Fourier series; operates a first order current operated value; and integrates a calculated value based on the phase current sensed value at an integral angle for k periods of the electric angle so that Fourier coefficients are calculated.
US09356544B2

Electrical malfunctions in a network which are caused by torque fluctuations of an electric motor, in particular flicker, are reduced by using a control device. For simple and cost-effective minimizing or even correction of such malfunctions with the control device, the control device has at least one first input for supplying an input signal which contains information suitable for determining the loading of the network by torque fluctuations and at least one output for transmitting an output signal to at least one converter supplying the electric motor. This makes it possible to reduce or ideally to eliminate electrical malfunctions in a network which are caused by torque fluctuation of the electric motor.
US09356542B2

A method of operating a laundry treatment apparatus, in particular a washing machine, a laundry dryer, a heat pump laundry dryer or a washing machine having a drying function, is provided. The apparatus includes a control unit controlling the operation of the treatment apparatus, a laundry treatment chamber for treating laundry, a detector unit for detecting at least one operation parameter (T_inv) of the treatment apparatus, and a first variable speed motor unit adapted at least to drive the treatment chamber, and/or a compressor having a second variable speed motor unit for circulating a refrigerant fluid through a refrigerant loop of the laundry treatment apparatus. The method includes selecting a predetermined power supply modulation mode for operating at least one of the first and second motor unit in dependency of the at least one detected operation parameter (T_inv), and operating at least one of the first and second motor units in an operating cycle by applying or executing the selected predetermined power supply modulation mode.
US09356539B2

The present invention relates to a rotary positioning device (100, 100′, 100″) comprising a circular magnetic track (110) generating a magnetic field across a circular air gap (113), at least three forcers (120, 121, 122), each including a plurality of coils (1201, 202, 1203) at least partly disposed with the circular air gap (113) and each being operable for generating a levitation force in a levitation direction orthogonal to the circular magnetic track and a drive force in a drive direction along the circular magnetic track, said forcers being arranged at different angular positions along said circular magnetic track, and a controller (140) for providing currents to said forcers for individually controlling the generation of a levitation force and/or a drive force by said forcers for effecting a rotational movement, and/or a tilting movement and/or a translational movement of said circular magnetic track.
US09356535B2

A control device for a transistor of a switching converter rectifier generates a control signal of the transistor and includes a circuit to measure the conduction time of the body diode of the transistor cycle by cycle. When the conduction time is greater than a first threshold, the off time instant of the transistor is delayed by a first quantity in the next cycles, until the conduction time is less than the first threshold and greater than a second threshold. When the conduction time is between the first and second thresholds, the off time instant is delayed by a fixed second quantity in the next cycles until the conduction time is lower than the second threshold, with the second quantity less than the first quantity. When the conduction time is lower than the second threshold, the off time instant is advanced by the second quantity in the next cycle.
US09356531B2

A load control device for controlling the power delivered from an AC power source to an electrical load includes a thyristor, a first current path for conducting current through a gate terminal of the thyristor, and a control circuit for controlling the first current path to conduct a pulse of current through the gate terminal to render the thyristor conductive at a firing time during a half cycle. The first current path is able to conduct at least one other pulse of current through the gate terminal again after the firing time until, a transition time before the end of the half-cycle, but prevented from conducting pulses of current after the transition time until the end of the half-cycle. The load control device may comprise a second current path for conducting current through the electrical load between the transition time and the end of the half-cycle.
US09356530B2

In a mode comparator of the DC-DC converter, a threshold input to the mode comparator is switched to a first threshold, if a mode signal prescribes an active mode, on the other hand, the threshold input to the mode comparator is switched to a second threshold, which is higher than the first threshold, if the mode signal prescribes an inactive mode. A lower limit value to a lower limit value setting circuit of the DC-DC converter is switched to a first lower limit value, if the mode signal prescribes the active mode, on the other hand, the lower limit is switched to a second lower limit value, which is higher than the first lower limit value, if the mode signal prescribes an inactive mode.
US09356523B2

A DC to DC converter includes: first and second switching elements connected at a first connection point between a first input/output terminal and a first ground terminal; third and fourth switching elements connected at a second connection point between the first input/output terminal and the first ground terminal; a resonant capacitor and a resonant inductor connected in series between the first and second connection points; fifth and sixth switching elements connected at a third connection point between a second input/output terminal and a second ground terminal; seventh and eighth switching elements connected at a fourth connection point between the second input/output terminal and the second ground terminal; a transformer; and a control circuit. The control circuit is operable to adjust the pulse waveforms for switching the fifth to eighth switching elements when voltage at the second input/output terminal is stepped down and output from the first input/output terminal.
US09356521B2

Provided is a highly-efficient switching power-supply device having a wide input voltage range. The switching power-supply device includes: a first series circuit including first and second switching elements and a second series circuit including third and fourth switching elements, which are connected in parallel with a power supply; a series resonance circuit including a primary coil and a capacitor connected in parallel with the second switching element; a reactor connected between a connection point of the third and fourth switching elements and the capacitor; a transformer having the primary coil and a secondary coil; and a control circuit that turns on-and-off the first and second switching elements, alternately, and turns on-and-off the third and fourth switching elements, alternately. The control circuit switches the first and second series circuits when an input voltage is low and switches only the first series circuit when the input voltage is high.
US09356514B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a power supply conversion apparatus, where a control unit generates a corresponding control signal according to a received high level pulse width modulation signal, to control a first PMOS transistor Q3, a second PMOS transistor Q4, and a second NMOS transistor Q2 to be turned off successively, and then to make a first NMOS transistor Q1 conducted, which makes a voltage at a second end of a bootstrap capacitor to rise from ground potential to a PVDD, so that a voltage at a first end of the bootstrap capacitor rises to a PVDD+AVDD as the voltage at the second end rises, and a gate turn-on voltage of the first NMOS transistor Q1 reaches the PVDD+AVDD.
US09356508B2

A control circuit is provided for a buck converter that includes at least an inductor coupled to an output of the buck converter. The control circuit includes a power switch configured for coupling to a line voltage and configured for charging the inductor, an input line voltage sampling circuit, and a constant-voltage (CV) and constant-current (CC) control module coupled to the power switch. During a charging period of the inductor, the CV and CC control module is configured to control the power switch to provide a constant output current by maintaining a constant peak inductor current, even when the input line voltage changes. During a discharging period of the inductor, the CV and CC control module is configured to monitor the sensed output voltage to control the power switch to provide a constant output voltage.
US09356502B2

A magnetic gear arrangement is provided having a magnetically active gear member that generates a first magnetic field, which is modulated by interpoles. The modulated magnetic field generates magnetic poles on a magnetically passive gear member, and these poles form a second magnetic field. The material of the passive gear member is sufficiently magnetically hard that the first and second magnetic fields interact to couple the motion of the active and passive gear members according to a given gear ratio.
US09356496B2

A method for producing a brushless DC (BLDC) motor includes: providing a stator, a rotor having a shaft and a carrier element having a cutout through which the shaft passes, on which surface a plurality of Hall sensors are arranged with respect to the center point of the shaft, the carrier element being arranged fixedly with respect to the stator; prefixing a permanent magnet wheel with transducer magnets, on the shaft on a side of the carrier element facing away from the rotor magnet; setting the shaft into rotary motion, and detecting measurement signal profiles of the Hall sensors and measurement signal profiles representative of voltages induced in the coils depending on the rotor magnets; determining an adjustment angle for the permanent magnet wheel; rotating the permanent magnet wheel with respect to the shaft corresponding to the determined adjustment angle; and fixing the permanent magnet wheel on the shaft.
US09356489B1

A power generator may generate power using buoyancy having a fluid column contained by a tank having a sealable drain and a piston having a substantially hollow interior capable of being filled with a fluid. The piston has a sealable outlet, a vent, an inlet, and a lateral cross-section that is smaller than a lateral cross-section of the tank. A rod is connected to the piston and a power generator is connected to the rod. The piston operates from a first position near the top of the fluid column to a second position near the bottom of the fluid column. The piston moves from the first position to the second position as fluid is added to the inlet. The piston moves from the second position to the first position as the fluid is drained from the outlet.
US09356482B2

A rotor fixing unit for a drive motor serves which fixes a rotor core to a shaft is provided. In particular, a plurality of keyway portions, which includes first keyways formed in an axial direction of the shaft, and second keyways connected to the first keyways in a rotation direction, are formed in an outer circumferential surface of the shaft. Additionally, a plurality of key protrusions, which are each coupled to each of the keyway portions, respectively, are formed on an inner circumferential surface of the rotor core, and fixing members for fixing the shaft and the rotor core are then inserted into the first keyways to fix the key protrusions in the second keyways.
US09356479B2

A hybrid excitation machine comprising a rotor having first and second rotor cores with a gap between in an axial direction, wherein first magnetic poles excited by a permanent magnet and second magnetic poles not excited by the permanent magnet are alternately arranged in a circumferential direction in each rotor core. The first magnetic poles of the first and second rotor cores have different polarities, and the first magnetic poles of one rotor, core face the second magnetic poles of the other rotor core in the axial direction. A stator generating a magnetic field rotating the motor is placed radially outward of the rotor and an exciting coil exciting the second magnetic poles is placed in the gap, wherein the stator has, in the axial direction, first stator cores on both sides and a second stator core having lower magnetic resistance than the first stator core, in a center.
US09356477B2

A rotation assistance mechanism equipped with an attraction unit having a pair of magnetic bodies for which the opposite poles of the bodies are arranged facing one another. A magnetic body driving unit changes the distance between the pair of magnetic bodies with a prescribed period by means of the rotation of a rear wheel. A shielding unit has a pair of magnetic surfaces, the poles of which are the same as the respective opposing surfaces of the pair of magnetic bodies. A shield-driving unit that, in conjunction with the prescribed period, propels the shielding unit into the interval between the pair of magnetic bodies when the distance between the pair of magnetic bodies is reduced, and retracts the shielding unit from the interval between the pair of magnetic bodies when the distance between the pair of magnetic bodies is increased.
US09356474B2

A feeding coil circuit 120 feeds power by wireless from a feeding coil L2 to a receiving coil L3 based on a magnetic field resonance phenomenon between the feeding coil L2 and receiving coil L3. A transmission power control circuit 200 supplies AC power at a drive frequency to the feeding coil L2 to make the feeding coil L2 feed the AC power to the receiving coil L3. A phase detection circuit 114 measures a phase difference between a current phase of the AC power and a voltage phase thereof. The power transmission control circuit 200 adjusts the drive frequency in accordance with the phase difference. A protection circuit 122 adjusts the phase difference in an increasing direction when the current flowing in the feeding coil L2 increases.
US09356470B2

A method of operating a power adapter that includes an energy storage device and a fuel cell system including a fuel supply and a fuel cell stack, the method including determining a connectivity state of an auxiliary power source and a load with the power adapter, and selecting a power adapter operation mode based on the connection states of the auxiliary power source and the load. The operation modes of the power adapter include at least an auxiliary mode when the auxiliary power source and the load are connected to the power adapter, and a fuel cell mode when the auxiliary power source is disconnected from the power adapter and the load is connected to the power adapter. The auxiliary mode includes providing power from the auxiliary power source to the load, and the fuel cell mode includes providing fuel cell power to the load.
US09356465B2

The combination of a power toothbrush and a charging system includes a charging base unit (12) having a charging coil (22) wound around the interior surface (20) of a portion of the charging base unit, and connectable to a source of electric power and a rinsing vessel (26) adapted to hold a toothbrush, the rinsing glass having a lower surface (27) configured to fit onto the upper surface (14) of the charging unit. The vessel is configured to hold a toothbrush in such a manner to prevent the toothbrush from tipping over when placed in the vessel, and further configured relative to the base unit that charging of the power toothbrush can occur between a pickup coil (46) in the handle of the toothbrush and the charging coil in the base charging unit.
US09356459B2

An apparatus and method for charging a battery of an electronic device are provided. In the method, when the battery is fully charged, charging of the battery is suspended. When a predetermined time elapses from a point at which the battery has been fully charged, the charging of the battery is resumed.
US09356456B2

Disclosed is a charging device capable of appropriately charging of a battery while preventing battery depletion. In a charging system including a charging device, when the output power from a solar battery is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, power is supplied to a charging control system which controls charging of batteries. Accordingly, when the output power from the solar battery is small, since the charging control system will not start, no power is consumed in the charging control system. As a result, battery depletion can be prevented. When the output power from the solar battery is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, charging of the battery is performed by the charging control system, thereby appropriately performing charging of the batteries.
US09356455B2

A dish having a display element installed therein includes a dish main body including a display element including a display portion and a circuit portion, a first side including a transparent material, and a second side, and a battery portion at the second side for supplying power to the display element.
US09356454B2

A battery charging apparatus for charging batteries of fixed voltage charge receiving batteries and flexible voltage charge receiving batteries. A wall receptacle charger outlet, an “all-in-one” vehicle or home charger, a hands-free docking station charger, a wall mountable USB charging strip and a holder for multiple charger receiving devices that includes a charger are disclosed.
US09356449B2

A wireless power receiver receives, at a receiving coil, AC power fed from a feeding coil by wireless using a magnetic field resonance phenomenon between the feeding coil and receiving coil. The wireless power receiver includes a loading circuit and a power controller. The loading circuit includes a loading coil that is magnetically coupled to the receiving coil to receive the AC power from the receiving coil and a load that receives the AC power supplied from the loading coil. The power controller includes a measurement unit and an adjustment unit. The measurement unit measures the receiving power of the load. The adjustment unit brings the receiving power close to its maximum value by changing the impedance of the loading circuit.
US09356425B2

A semiconductor distributed Bragg reflector laser configured for single longitudinal mode operation, having an optical waveguide comprising an optical gain section, a first reflector being a first distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) section comprising a grating configured to produce a reflection spectrum having one or more first reflective peaks, and a second reflector, wherein the first DBR section is configured to compensate for thermal chirp that is induced inhomogeneously along the length of the DBR section, in use.
US09356424B2

There is provided a semiconductor light emitting element that is excellent in reliability and is capable of being driven by a lower voltage and a semiconductor light emitting device that includes the semiconductor light emitting element. The semiconductor light emitting element includes: a semiconductor layer; an electrode layer; a metal layer that contains a hydrogen storage metal; and a plated layer in order.
US09356411B2

The invention concerns a method of reconditioning a slip ring transmitter of the gold wire type which has a slip ring, in particular a gold ring, for use with a gold wire board as the circuit board, including the steps: removing a gold wire board from the slip ring transmitter, and fitting a multi-brush board as a replacement for the gold wire board.
US09356409B2

A power distribution unit disclosed herein includes a plurality of power outlets arranged in adjacent columns, the first and the second terminals of the power outlets in a first column formed along a first line, the first and the second terminals of the power outlets in a second column formed along a second line, ground terminals of the power outlets in the first column formed along a third line, and ground terminals of the power outlets of the second column formed along a fourth line, wherein the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line are arranged in parallel, and wherein the plurality of power outlets are arranged in one of an arrangement in which the third and fourth lines are positioned between the first and second lines, and an arrangement in which the first and second lines are positioned between the third and fourth lines.
US09356407B2

Along an up-down direction, a connector is mateable with a mating connector which includes a plurality of mating terminals each having a mating contact point. The connector comprises a plurality of terminals which are, at least in part, accommodated by a housing. The terminals are arranged in a first direction perpendicular to the up-down direction. Each of the terminals has a first portion, a second portion and a coupling portion. The first portion includes a contact point and a guiding portion. The contact point is positioned apart from the second portion in a second direction perpendicular to both the up-down direction and the first direction. The contact point is in contact with the mating contact point while the mating contact point is positioned between the contact point and the second portion in the second direction in the mated state. The guiding portion is positioned above the contact point and guides the mating contact point towards the contact point upon the mating. The coupling portion couples the first portion with the second portion. The coupling portion is positioned at a position different from a position of the contact point in the first direction.
US09356394B2

A plug-in connector for connecting to a receptacle includes a housing including tripping structures, electrically conductive terminals partly situated in the housing, latches arranged in the housing, and a slider slidingly coupled to the housing, and further includes blocking structures and trippable structures extending in a mating direction and that cooperate with the tripping structures, and a spring that urges the slider outward away from the housing in the mating direction. The tripping structures are situated to engage with the trippable structures during an initial stage of relative movement between the housing and slider against the spring bias while inward deflection of the latches is allowed. The blocking structures of the slider prevent inward deflection of the latches after a final stage of the relative movement between the housing and slider, and the connector has an electrically interconnected state only when in the final stage.
US09356388B2

A terminal (15) of a terminal-attached wire (10), in which the terminal (15) is connected to an end portion of a wire (11) and the end portion is sealed by a heat shrinkable tube (33), includes a terminal connecting portion (16) to be connected to a mating terminal, a wire connecting portion (18) to be connected to the end portion of the wire (11) and a coupling portion (22) coupling the terminal connecting portion (16) and the wire connecting portion (18) An opening end (33A) of the heat shrinkable tube (33) is mounted on the coupling portion (22), and a draining portion (32) for preventing adhering water from running down to the opening end (33A) is provided on a side closer to the terminal connecting portion (16) than the opening end (33A).
US09356381B2

Protective cover including a mating cap having a cap body. The cap body includes a connector cavity that opens in a loading direction. The connector cavity is configured to receive an electrical connector of a communication system when the mating cap is moved in a loading direction onto the electrical connector. The cap body is configured to surround a mating interface of the electrical connector. The protective cover also includes a movable latch that is coupled to the mating cap and extends in a rearward direction that is generally opposite the loading direction. The movable latch has a side surface and a latch projection that extends laterally from the side surface. The movable latch is configured to flex relative to the mating cap to move the latch projection. The latch projection is configured to engage the communication system to block the protective cover from being inadvertently removed.
US09356375B2

A male terminal fitting includes a tubular main body (10) and a plate-like tab (40) projecting forward from the main body (10). A first support (51) and a second support (52) are provided respectively on a surface side facing in a direction of action of the external force (P1, P2) and a surface side opposite to the former surface side at a front end part of the main body (10) connected to the tab (40). The first and second supports (51, 52) serve as starting points of bending when an excessive external force (P1, P2) acts on the tab (40) in a direction intersecting with a projecting direction of the tab (40) and are displaced from each other in a front-back direction.
US09356374B2

A float adapter for an electrical connector that includes a conductive shell and an insulator received in the conductive shell. The insulator includes an engagement end, an interface end that is opposite the engagement end, and a reduced diameter middle portion therebetween. The insulator includes an inner bore that extends through the engagement end, the interface end, and the reduced diameter middle portion. The interface end has a lead-in tip portion that extends outside of the first end of the conductive shell. The lead-in tip portion has a tapered outer surface that terminates in an end face surface and a shoulder remote from the end face surface that defines an outer diameter that is larger than the inner diameter of the conductive shell. An inner contact is received in the inner bore of the insulator. The inner contact has socket openings at either end.
US09356369B2

An intermediate electrical connector to be connected to a mating connecting member includes an intermediate connecting member; and a blade disposed in the intermediate connecting member. The blade includes a first ground plate, a second ground plate, a base member, a signal terminal, and a ground terminal. The signal terminal includes a first contact portion and a first connecting portion connected to the first contact portion. The ground terminal includes a second contact portion and a second connecting portion connected to the second contact portion. The first ground plate is situated on one side of the blade over the first connecting portion and the second connecting portion. The second ground plate is situated on an opposite side of the blade over the first connecting portion, the second connecting portion, the first contact portion, and the second contact portion.
US09356368B2

An electrical connector for electrically connecting a package with a printed circuit board (PCB) with a plurality of pads and an alignment feature includes an insulating housing, a plurality of contacts received in the insulating housing and a stiffener insert molding with the insulating housing. When the stiffener is assembled upon the alignment feature correspondingly, the contacts align with the pads of the PCB correspondingly.
US09356359B2

On-board heat dissipation can be achieved in radio frequency (RF) modules by integrating a heat sink into the RF module's antenna reflector. Said integration achieves a compact and aesthetically pleasing RF module design that reduces the overall footprint of modular active antenna systems (AASs). Embodiment antenna reflectors include portions that are perforated and/or exposed to free flowing air to provide enhanced heat dissipation capability.
US09356357B2

A composition for destructive interference in at least a portion of the frequency range from about 1 GHz to about 20 GHz can comprise a dielectric and a conductive filler mixed with at least a portion of the dielectric, wherein the percentage volume of the conductive filler relative to the total volume of the composition is configured such that the wavelength of sensitivity for the composition is on the order of a wavelength of an incident electromagnetic radiation in at least a portion of the frequency range from about 1 GHz to about 20 GHz.
US09356356B2

An open slot antenna is formed in a planar conductor on a dielectric substrate. A tuning circuit is disposed toward an open end of the slot antenna and is used to select a resonant frequency of the antenna by electrically connecting one of multiple tuning elements across opposing sides of the slot. The tunable antenna so constructed may be incorporated into a handheld mobile communication device that can be operated in different geographic regions, each having different regional communication standards under which mobile communications are conducted.
US09356355B2

A handheld electronic device may be provided that contains wireless communications circuitry. The handheld electronic device may have a housing and a display. The display may be attached to the housing a conductive bezel. The handheld electronic device may have one or more antennas for supporting wireless communications. A ground plane in the handheld electronic device may serve as ground for one or more of the antennas. The ground plane and bezel may define an opening. A rectangular slot antenna or other suitable slot antenna may be formed from or within the opening. One or more antenna resonating elements may be formed above the slot. An electrical switch that bridges the slot may be used to modify the perimeter of the slot so as to tune the communications bands of the handheld electronic device.
US09356354B2

An antenna, including a broadband bi-conical antenna including a lower antenna element and an upper conical antenna element, the lower antenna element including a lower conical antenna element and a meandered counterpoise element, which meandered counterpoise element is disposed at a base end of the lower conical antenna element and is integrally formed therewith, a reflector having a projection in a plane generally perpendicular to a vertical axis of the bi-conical radiating element, and a feed arrangement for feeding the bi-conical radiating element.
US09356344B2

Embodiments provide connecting various circuits to which capacitive elements are connected to obtain an optimal capacitive reactance value needed in a resonance. Embodiments provide a capacitance value of an optimal capacitive reactance needed in a resonance by connecting a plurality of capacitive elements to a conductive line connecting an emitter and a ground in series or connecting one or more capacitive elements in parallel/series.
US09356341B1

Systems and methods for lightweight, customizable antenna with improved performance and mechanical properties are disclosed. In some aspects, aerogels can be used, for example, as a substrate for antenna fabrication. The reduced weight and expense, as well as the increased ability to adapt antenna designs, permits a systems to mitigate a variety of burdens associated with antennas while providing added benefits.
US09356337B2

A portable terminal which can be made light, slim, short, and small is provided. The portable terminal includes an antenna mounted to an inner side surface of a body of the portable terminal, and a rear case covering at least a portion of an inner side of the body and having a battery mounting space. The antenna and the rear case are separably coupled to a rear surface of the body to be exposed to outside the rear surface of the body. The portable terminal may include a speaker module provided at an upper end of a body of the portable terminal within the body, a mounting plate mounted to one side of the speaker module within the body, and a microphone holder fixed to one surface of the mounting plate. The portable terminal can be miniaturized by reducing installation widths of parts disposed parallel to a speaker module.
US09356323B2

The present invention provides a temperature controlling system for a battery in an energy storage system, the temperature controlling system including: a converter comprising a plurality of switches and a converter inductor, the converter being configured to increase or decrease a voltage of the battery; a DC linker comprising first and second capacitors that are coupled in series and configured to stabilize an output voltage of the converter; and an inverter comprising a plurality of switches and an inductor, the inverter being configured to invert an input voltage, wherein the inverter further comprises a switch coupled between a terminal of the inductor and a first node between the first and second capacitors of the DC linker to provide a current from the inductor to the battery.
US09356317B2

Amorphous lithium lanthanum zirconium oxide (LLZO) is formed as an ionically-conductive electrolyte medium. The LLZO comprises by percentage of total number of atoms from about 0.1% to about 50% lithium, from about 0.1% to about 25% lanthanum, from about 0.1% to about 25% zirconium, from about 30% to about 70% oxygen and from 0.0% to about 25% carbon. At least one layer of amorphous LLZO may be formed through a sol-gel process wherein quantities of lanthanum methoxyethoxide, lithium butoxide and zirconium butoxide are dissolved in an alcohol-based solvent to form a mixture which is dispensed into a substantially planar configuration, transitioned through a gel phase, dried and cured to a substantially dry phase.
US09356295B2

This invention relates to a cathode for a lithium-air battery, a method of manufacturing the same and a lithium-air battery including the same. The method of manufacturing the cathode for a lithium-air battery includes 1) stirring a cobalt salt, triethanolamine and distilled water, thus preparing a cobalt solution, 2) electroplating the cobalt solution on a porous support, thus preparing a cobalt plated porous support, 3) reacting the cobalt plated porous support with a mixture solution including oxalic acid, water and ethanol, thus forming cobalt oxalate on the porous support, and 4) thermally treating the cobalt oxalate.
US09356282B2

The present invention concerns a method of manufacture of the homodispersed composite of the synthetic carbon material derived from carbide and silicon where the powder of the carbon material is first dispersed mechanically with the powder of silicon to homodispersed mixture, then the homodispersed mixture of the carbon material and silicon is sintered in an inert environment at a temperature between 1200 to 1500° C. to synthetic homodispersed composite of the silicon carbide and silicon. The homodispersed composite of the silicon carbide and silicon is heated in an inert environment at a temperature between 800 to 1100° C. and then the homodispersed composite of the silicon carbide and silicon is chlorinated at a temperature from 800 to 100° C.
US09356278B2

In order to provide a battery pack that can be produced highly efficiently and contribute to an improvement in productivity, a battery pack of the present invention includes: a plurality of unit batteries 100 that include a positive-electrode pulled-out tab 120 and a negative-electrode pulled-out tab 130; and a board 300 on which pulled-out tab connection sections are formed to connect the pulled-out tabs of different polarities of adjacent unit batteries 100.
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