US09356270B2
A battery assembly includes a lower array including opposing endplates having upwardly protruding pins, and an upper array including opposing endplates having pin bores. The upper array includes a mid-tray defining holes positioned such that the pins are receivable in the holes and the bores when the arrays are properly oriented and such that the mid-tray blocks the pins from being received within the bores when the arrays are positioned in a reverse orientation.
US09356269B2
A battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells arranged along one direction, a top cover covering the plurality of battery cells and the top cover includes an opening in at least one portion thereof, and a temperature measuring member including a main body portion mounted in the opening and a wire portion accommodating a wire connected to a sensor. The sensor is built into the main body portion and measures a temperature of at least one of the battery cells.
US09356268B2
Disclosed is a battery module including a plurality of battery cells arranged in one direction, a barrier disposed between the plurality of battery cells; and a housing accommodating the battery cells and the barrier, wherein the barrier includes at least one linear member having a plurality of protrusions, and first and second lateral members respectively connected to one end portion and another end portion of the linear member, and the first and second lateral members include at least one opening.
US09356267B1
A protective battery case for use with a mobile electronic device can include a back wall, a right side wall, a left side wall, a bottom wall, and a top wall. The protective battery case can include a battery, which can be disposed in the back wall. A device interface can be configured to engage a corresponding interface on the mobile electronic device to deliver electrical power from the battery to the mobile electronic device. A charging interface can be configured to receive electrical power for charging the battery. The protective battery case can include one or more bumpers disposed on the inside of the protective battery case such that the one or more bumpers abut against sides of the mobile electronic device to provide cushioning and/or shock absorption to protect the mobile electronic device.
US09356266B2
A battery pack includes a battery cell; a case comprising a first case and a second case coupled together and accommodating the battery cell, wherein the first case includes a first rib extending circumferentially around the first case and generally defining a battery cell accommodation space for the battery cell around an interior of the first rib, the first rib having a ridged section comprising alternating thick portions and thin portions.
US09356259B2
Provided is an organic light-emitting display apparatus. The organic light-emitting display apparatus includes: a substrate; an organic light-emitting device provided on the substrate and comprising a first electrode, a second electrode, and an intermediate layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode; an encapsulation layer covering the organic light-emitting device; a base layer disposed under the substrate and having a pin hole formed therein; and a thermal conductive layer filling the pin hole.
US09356254B2
A method includes: forming, in a first substrate, a display area in which a plurality of pixels including an organic EL light-emitting layer are arrayed; forming, in a second substrate, a plurality of opening areas respectively located in correspondence with the plurality of pixels and a light-blocking area that demarcates the plurality of opening areas; providing a dam material such that the dam material encloses the display area; dripping a filler material to an area enclosed by the dam material; and attaching the first substrate and the second substrate to each other, and fusing together dripped portions of the filler material, thereby bonding the both substrates to each other. The both substrates are attached to each other while being positionally aligned such that borders between the dripped portions of the filler material that is generated by the fusion are located in an area corresponding to the light-blocking area.
US09356252B2
An electronic device includes a substrate, a first conductive layer disposed over the substrate, an organic insulating layer, including an organic material, disposed over the first conductive layer and having an aperture exposing a portion of the first conductive layer, a second conductive layer, which is metallic, covering a top face of the organic insulating layer, an inner circumferential face that faces the aperture in the organic insulating layer, and the exposed portion of the first conductive layer, and an intermediate layer that includes an oxide or a nitride, disposed only between the second conductive layer and the inner circumferential face that faces the aperture in the organic insulating layer. The first conductive layer and the second conductive layer are in contact at the bottom face of the aperture in the organic insulating layer.
US09356251B2
Light-emitting device including a supporting substrate, a partition wall dividing a plurality of EL elements on the supporting substrate, and the EL elements provided in a concave portion that is a space between the partition walls. Each EL element is constituted by a first electrode, a first resistance layer formed by an applying method, a second resistance layer having an electric resistance higher than that of the first resistance layer, a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode in this order so that the first electrode is located near the supporting substrate. The first resistance layer includes a creeping-up portion creeping up to a direction that is away from the supporting substrate and along the surface of the corresponding partition wall; and the second resistance layer is provided by ranging continuously over one EL element to another EL element that are adjacent to each other with the partition wall interposed therebetween.
US09356250B2
To provide a light-emitting element with high light emission efficiency, a long lifetime, and reduced driving voltage. To provide a light-emitting element including an anode, a cathode, and a plurality of light-emitting layers which are in contact with each other so that a stacked structure is formed, between the anode and the cathode, in which the plurality of light-emitting layers are formed with a first light-emitting layer which is close to the anode and a second light-emitting layer which is close to the cathode, the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer each include a host material, a hole-transporting material, and a light-emitting material, and the concentration of the hole-transporting material in the first light-emitting layer is higher than the concentration of the hole-transporting material in the second light-emitting layer.
US09356248B2
An n-type organic thin-film transistor including a substrate, a gate, and a dielectric layer covering the substrate and the gate. A semiconductor-insulator polymer blend layer is disposed on the dielectric layer; A source and a drain are disposed on top of the semiconductor-insulator polymer blend layer.
US09356246B2
A bendable display device, lighting device, or electronic device which is unlikely to be broken when handled. The display device, lighting device, or electronic device includes two flexible substrates, and at least one of the two flexible substrates contains a plurality of glass fibers extending in one direction. Accordingly, the display device, lighting device, or electronic device has low flexibility in the one direction and is unlikely to be broken when handled.
US09356242B2
An organic electroluminescent device that includes at least two phosphorescent emitting layers, where phosphorescent emitter layer 1 comprises a hole-conducting matrix material and two different phosphorescent emitters, and phosphorescent emitter layer 2 comprises an electron-conducting matrix material and a phosphorescent emitter.
US09356241B2
The present invention provides for an organic compound comprising electron deficient unit covalently linked to two or more electron rich units. The present invention also provides for a device comprising the organic compound, such as a light-emitting diode, thin-film transistor, chemical biosensor, non-emissive electrochromic, memory device, photovoltaic cells, or the like.
US09356234B2
An electronic device including a semiconductor memory unit that includes a cell structure having two memory cells, which share one selector, wherein the cell structure includes first electrodes, variable resistance patterns and second electrodes which are symmetrically disposed on both sides of the selector.
US09356232B2
Method of making memory element with ion source layer comprised of two or more unit IO source layers
A method of making memory element, including: a first electrode, a memory layer, and a second electrode in this order. The memory layer includes a resistance change layer containing an oxide, and the resistance change layer being provided on the first electrode side, and an ion source layer in a stacking structure of two or more of a unit ion source layer, the unit ion source layer including a first layer and a second layer, the first layer containing one or more of chalcogen elements of tellurium (Te), sulfur (S), and selenium (Se) and an easy-to-move element that is easy to move in the memory layer, and having a density distribution of the easy-to-move element from the first electrode to the second electrode, and the second layer containing a difficult-to-move element that is difficult to move in the memory layer.
US09356226B2
An irrigation apparatus is provided, comprising: a pressure vessel configured to hold water under pressure, and configured to expand and contract based on the pressure of the held water; a selectable throttle configured to receive water at a first pressure, configured to provide the water to the pressure vessel at the first pressure when the selectable throttle is at a first setting, and configured to provide the water to the pressure vessel at a second pressure that is smaller than the first pressure when the selectable throttle is at a second setting; a control circuit configured to control whether the selectable throttle is at the first setting or at the second setting; and a piezoelectric element attached to the pressure vessel and configured to generate electricity when the pressure vessel expands or contracts.
US09356222B2
A piezoelectric element which includes an adhesion layer made of composite oxide having perovskite structure including at least one of bismuth, manganese, iron, and titanium; a first electrode provided on the adhesion layer and made of metal preferentially oriented in a (100) face; a piezoelectric body layer provided on the first electrode and made of composite oxide having perovskite structure preferentially oriented in the (100) face; and a second electrode provided on the piezoelectric body layer.
US09356213B2
A manufacturing method of a light-emitting diode device. The light-emitting diode device comprises: a substrate (1); an epitaxial layer at one side of the substrate (1) and comprising an N-type layer (2), a P-type layer (4), and an active layer (3) between the N-type layer (2) and the P-type layer (4); an N-type electrode (5); a P-type electrode (7); an adhesive layer (8); and a patterned substrate (9). The light-emitting diode device further comprises an insulating layer (6) between the N-type electrode (5) and the P-type electrode (7), the insulating layer (6) electrically insulating the N-type electrode (5) and the P-type electrode (7). In the manufacturing method thereof, light-emitting efficiency and luminous efficiency of the light-emitting diode device can be improved, wiring is easier as compared with conventional chips, and the manufacturing process can be optimized.
US09356210B2
An optoelectronic module (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234) comprises a carrier (102), at which and/or in which are arranged at least two semiconductor chips (104, 104a1, 104a2, 104b; 106, 106a1, 106a2, 106b, 106c) for emitting electromagnetic radiation (108a, 108b). An emission unit (110) for emitting electromagnetic radiation (109) from the optoelectronic module (202, 204, 206, 208, 210, 212, 214, 216, 218, 220, 222, 224, 226, 228, 230, 232, 234) is arranged on or in the carrier (102). At least one of the semiconductor chips (106, 106a1, 106a2, 106b, 106c) is spaced apart from the emission unit (110). A waveguide (112) guides the electromagnetic radiation (108a) of the at least one spaced-apart semiconductor chip (106, 106a1, 106a2, 106b, 106c) to the emission unit (110). The emission unit (110) has a coupling-out structure (114, 114a, 114b, 114c) for coupling out the electromagnetic radiation (108a) from the waveguide (112).
US09356194B2
Aspects include Light Emitting Diodes that have a GaN-based light emitting region and a metallic electrode. The metallic electrode can be physically separated from the GaN-based light emitted region by a layer of porous dielectric, which provides a reflecting region between at least a portion of the metallic electrode and the GaN-based light emitting region.
US09356193B2
A first light emitting structure includes a first semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second semiconductor layer. A second light emitting structure includes a third semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a fourth semiconductor layer. A first electrode and a second electrode connect to the first semiconductor layer, and the second semiconductor layer, respectively. A third electrode and a fourth electrode connect to the third semiconductor layer, and the fourth semiconductor layer, respectively. A first contact portion includes a first region connected to the first electrode and a second region making contact with a top surface of the first semiconductor layer, and a second contact portion connects to the second and third electrodes. A third contact portion includes a first region connected to the third electrode and a second region making contact with a top surface of the third semiconductor layer.
US09356191B2
An epitaxial wafer includes a growth substrate, a mask pattern disposed on the growth substrate and comprising a masking region and an opening region, and an epitaxial layer covering the mask pattern and including a first void disposed on the masking region. The first void includes a lower void disposed between a lower surface of the epitaxial layer and the masking region, and an upper void extending from the lower void into the epitaxial layer, the lower void having a greater width than the upper void.
US09356184B2
A high efficiency configuration for a solar cell module comprises solar cells arranged in a shingled manner to form super cells, which may be arranged to efficiently use the area of the solar module, reduce series resistance, and increase module efficiency.
US09356170B2
Terahertz (THz) distributed detectors, and arrays of detectors that utilize structured surface plasmonic effects for more efficient coupling to free space are discussed. One example distributed detector includes a detector junction comprising a Schottky or tunneling interface between a semiconductor and a detector metal, an ohmic junction comprising an ohmic interface between the semiconductor and an ohmic metal, and a gap that separates the detector junction from the ohmic junction. Structured surface plasmons concentrate an electric field in the gap when the distributed detector is exposed to THz radiation polarized perpendicular to the gap.
US09356160B2
A flat panel sensor and a flat panel detector are provided on the basis of a top-gate TFT structure. The flat panel sensor comprises a base substrate, and a top-gate TFT and a storage capacitor that are formed on the base substrate; the storage capacitor includes a first conductive layer, a second conductive layer disposed in opposition to the first conductive layer, a third conductive layer for output of an electric signal, and a ground line; the first conductive layer is directly connected to a drain electrode and an active layer of the top-gate TFT, the second conductive layer is directly connected to the ground line, and the third conductive layer is connected to the first conductive layer through a via hole.
US09356157B2
Semiconductor devices include one or more transistors having a floating gate and a control gate. In at least one embodiment, the floating gate comprises an intermediate portion extending between two end portions. The intermediate portion has an average cross-sectional area less than one or both of the end portions. In some embodiments, the intermediate portion may comprise a single nanowire. In additional embodiments, semiconductor devices have one or more transistors having a control gate and a floating gate in which a surface of the control gate opposes a lateral side surface of a floating gate that defines a recess in the floating gate. Electronic systems include such semiconductor devices. Methods of forming semiconductor devices include, for example, forming a floating gate having an intermediate portion extending between two end portions, and configuring the intermediate portion to have an average cross-sectional area less than one or both of the end portions.
US09356156B2
A method of fabricating a stable high mobility amorphous MOTFT includes a step of providing a substrate with a gate formed thereon and a gate dielectric layer positioned over the gate. A carrier transport structure is deposited by sputtering on the gate dielectric layer. The carrier transport structure includes a layer of amorphous high mobility metal oxide adjacent the gate dielectric and a relatively inert protective layer of material deposited on the layer of amorphous high mobility metal oxide both deposited without oxygen and in situ. The layer of amorphous metal oxide has a mobility above 40 cm2/Vs and a carrier concentration in a range of approximately 1018 cm−3 to approximately 5×1019 cm−3. Source/drain contacts are positioned on the protective layer and in electrical contact therewith.
US09356155B2
A semiconductor device structure is disclosed. The semiconductor device structure includes a mesa extending above a substrate. The mesa has a channel region between a first side and second side of the mesa. A first gate is on a first side of the mesa, the first gate comprising a first gate insulator and a first gate conductor comprising graphene overlying the first gate insulator. The gate conductor may comprise graphene in one or more monolayers. Also disclosed are a method for fabricating the semiconductor device structure; an array of vertical transistor devices, including semiconductor devices having the structure disclosed; and a method for fabricating the array of vertical transistor devices.
US09356153B2
A thin film transistor includes a bottom gate electrode, a top gate electrode and an active pattern. The top gate electrode includes a transparent conductive material and overlaps with the bottom gate electrode. A boundary of the bottom gate electrode and a boundary of the top gate electrode are coincident with each other in a cross-sectional view. The active pattern includes a source portion, a drain portion and a channel portion disposed between the source portion and the drain portion. The channel portion overlaps with the bottom gate electrode and the top gate electrode.
US09356133B2
A semiconductor device includes a medium voltage MOSFET having a vertical drain drift region between RESURF trenches containing field plates which are electrically coupled to a source electrode of the MOSFET. A split gate with a central opening is disposed above the drain drift region between the RESURF trenches. A two-level LDD region is disposed below the central opening in the split gate. A contact metal stack makes contact with a source region at lateral sides of the triple contact structure, and with a body contact region and the field plates in the RESURF trenches at a bottom surface of the triple contact structure. A perimeter RESURF trench surrounds the MOSFET. A field plate in the perimeter RESURF trench is electrically coupled to the source electrode of the MOSFET. An integrated snubber may be formed in trenches formed concurrently with the RESURF trenches.
US09356125B1
A manufacturing method of a semiconductor structure includes the following steps. A high-k dielectric layer is formed on a semiconductor substrate, and a barrier layer is formed on the high-k dielectric layer. An oxygen annealing treatment is performed after the step of forming the barrier layer; and a capping layer is formed on the barrier layer after the oxygen annealing treatment.
US09356124B2
A method for fabricating a multi-gate structure device with a source and a drain having a quasi-SOI structure, comprising forming an active region in a shape of a fin bar, forming an oxide isolation layer for shallow trench isolation (STI), forming a polysilicon dummy gate, forming source and drain extension regions, forming the source and the drain with the quasi-SOI structure, and forming a high-K metal gate. Solution(s) consistent with the present innovations may be achieved by using a process method compatible with the conventional bulk silicon CMOS processes and can be easily integrated into the process flow. Moreover, innovations here may provide a small leakage current even in a case of having a short channel length, thereby reducing the power consumption of the device.
US09356122B2
The present invention features methods for forming a field effect transistor on a semiconductor substrate having gate, source and drain regions, with the gate region having a lateral gate channel. A plurality of spaced-apart trenches or through semiconductor vias (TSV) each having an electrically conductive plug formed therein in electrical communication with the gate, source and drain regions are configured to lower the resistance of the bottom source. A contact trench is formed adjacent to the source region and shorts the source region and a body region. A source contact is in electrical communication with the source region; and a drain contact in electrical communication with the drain region, with the source and drain contacts being disposed on opposite sides of the lateral gate channel.
US09356117B2
A method for forming a semiconductor device including a GaN FET, an overvoltage clamping component, and a voltage dropping component. The GaN FET is formed by forming a low-defect layer comprising gallium nitride, a barrier layer comprising AlxGa1−xN, a gate, and source and drain contacts. The overvoltage clamping component is coupled to a drain node of the GaN FET. The overvoltage clamping component conducts insignificant current when a voltage at the drain node is less than a safe voltage limit and conducts significant current when the voltage rises above the safe voltage limit. The voltage dropping component is coupled to the overvoltage clamping component and to a terminal for a bias potential. The voltage dropping component provides a voltage drop which increases as current from the overvoltage clamping component increases. The GaN FET turns on when the voltage drop reaches a threshold value.
US09356115B2
A method of manufacturing an RC-IGBT provided with an IGBT and an FWD on the same substrate is provided. First, top surface device structures of an IGBT and an FWD are formed on the top surface of a semiconductor substrate. Then, with the side of an IGBT region on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate shielded by a first shielding mask, only an FWD region is irradiated with light ions. Next, with the side of the FWD region on the bottom surface of the semiconductor substrate shielded by a second shielding mask, only the IGBT region is irradiated with light ions. With this, a first lifetime control region 10-1 is formed on the collector side A2 in the IGBT region A1-A2 and a second lifetime control region 10-2 is formed on the anode side B1 of the FWD region B1-B2.
US09356113B2
The invention concerns a method for producing a field effect transistor having a trench gate comprising: —the forming (110) of at least one trench (11, 12, 13) in a semi-conductive substrate (1) having a first type of conductivity, said substrate comprising two opposing faces called front face and rear face, —the primary implantation (120) of ions having a second type of conductivity so as to implant each trench of the substrate to form an active gate area, —the depositing (160) of a layer of polycrystalline silicon having the second type of conductivity on the implanted active gate area, —the oxidation (160) of the layer of polycrystalline silicon, and —the metallization (180) of the substrate on the front and rear faces of same in order to form active source and drain areas.
US09356107B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of trench gates extending in a first direction and arranged with a space between one another in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction. Each of the plurality of trench gates includes: a first portion opened on a front surface of the semiconductor substrate; a second portion extending from the first portion in a direction inclined relative to a depth direction of the semiconductor substrate toward a positive direction of the second direction; and a third portion extending from the first portion in a direction inclined relative to the depth direction of the semiconductor substrate toward a negative direction of the second direction.
US09356102B2
A method for forming a double step surface on a semiconductor substrate includes, with an etching process used in a Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition (MOCVD) process, forming a rough surface on a region of a semiconductor substrate. The method further includes, with an annealing process used in the MOCVD process, forming double stepped surface on the region of the semiconductor substrate.
US09356099B2
Techniques are disclosed for providing a low resistance self-aligned contacts to devices formed in a semiconductor heterostructure. The techniques can be used, for example, for forming contacts to the gate, source and drain regions of a quantum well transistor fabricated in III-V and SiGe/Ge material systems. Unlike conventional contact process flows which result in a relatively large space between the source/drain contacts to gate, the resulting source and drain contacts provided by the techniques described herein are self-aligned, in that each contact is aligned to the gate electrode and isolated therefrom via spacer material.
US09356082B2
To improve image quality of a full-color organic EL display panel. A partition has a stacked structure formed using different materials. A lower partition has a curved shape, and an upper partition has a flat top surface. An angle formed between a plane surface connecting a lower end of a side surface with an upper end of the side surface of the upper partition and the top surface of the upper partition is less than or equal to 90°. The height of the partition is controlled to be greater than or equal to 0.5 μm and less than or equal to 1.3 μm. With such a structure, a large color organic EL display panel achieves high-definition display.
US09356080B2
An organic EL display device includes a display region where a plurality of pixels having a light-emitting device stacked in order of an organic layer including a first electrode and a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode from a substrate, are arranged, a peripheral region having a peripheral circuit that is arranged on an outer edge side of the display region, a lower layer-sided first insulating layer and an upper layer-sided second insulating layer that are arranged to be extended to the peripheral region from the display region, a first separation groove that is arranged in the first insulating layer between the display region and the peripheral region, a first conductive layer that is arranged on the first insulating layer of the peripheral region, a first covering portion, a sealing portion that is arranged on an outer edge side of the first covering portion, and a second covering portion.
US09356079B2
An organic light-emitting display apparatus includes a substrate, an optical layer formed over the substrate and a light emitting pixel formed over the optical layer. The optical layer includes a first refractive index layer portion having a first refractive index, a second refractive index layer portion having a second refractive index greater than the first refractive index. The second portion is disposed next to the first portion and contacts the first portion. The light emitting pixel includes a pixel electrode overlapping the first portion and comprising a first reflective layer, a pixel-defining film overlapping the second portion, an intermediate layer formed over the pixel electrode and comprising an organic light emission layer, and an opposite electrode formed over and overlapping the intermediate layer and the pixel-defining film and comprising a second reflective layer.
US09356077B2
A light-emitting element display device includes a substrate including a display area having plural pixels arranged in matrix form, a lower electrode provided in each of the plural pixels on the substrate and made of a conductor, an organic layer provided on the lower electrode and including a light-emitting layer, an upper electrode provided on the organic layer and made of a conductor, a polymer dispersed liquid crystal layer disposed at an opposite side to a substrate side of the upper electrode and covering the display area, and an electrode layer provided at the opposite side to the substrate side of the upper electrode and made of a conductor. The electrode layer is disposed to extend over the plural pixels.
US09356075B2
An organic EL display device includes a thin film transistor substrate in which a light-emitting element is provided for each of plural sub-pixels constituting each pixel, a counter substrate provided with a coupled color filter which is a color filter arranged to be extended over plural adjacent sub-pixels and allowing light in one wavelength region to pass through and a light-shielding film which is arranged on a boundary between adjacent color filters to allow lights in different wavelength regions to pass through and shields light, a filler arranged between the thin film transistor substrate and the counter substrate and made of a transparent organic material, and a filler thickness adjustment part which adjusts to cause a thickness of the filler in a region where the light-shielding film is provided to be thinner than a thickness of the filler in a region where the light-emitting element is provided.
US09356074B1
A non-volatile data storage device comprises pairs of immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines that are independently driven by respective and vertically oriented bit line selector devices. The isolation between the immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines also isolates from one another respective memory cells of the non-volatile data storage device such that leakage currents cannot flow from memory cells connected to a first of the immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines to memory cells connected to the second of the pair of immediately adjacent and isolated-from-one-another local bit lines. A method programming a desire one of the memory cells includes applying boosting voltages to word lines adjacent to the bit line of the desired memory cell while not applying boosting voltages to word lines adjacent to the other bit line of the pair.
US09356066B2
A stacked integrated circuit (IC) device and a method are disclosed. The stacked IC device includes a first semiconductor element and a second semiconductor element bonded on the first semiconductor element. The first semiconductor element includes a first substrate, a common conductive feature in the first substrate, a first inter-level dielectric (ILD) layer, a first interconnection feature and a conductive plug connecting the first interconnection feature to the common conductive feature. The second semiconductor element includes a second substrate, a second ILD layers over the second substrate and a second interconnection feature in second ILD layers. The device also includes a conductive deep plug connecting to the common conductive feature in the first semiconductor element and the second interconnection feature. The conductive deep plug is separated with the conductive plug by the first ILD layer.
US09356062B2
A optoelectronic photo sensor to obtain single mosaic digital photographic images. Photo sensor is designed as a plurality of identical lenses having rows of staggered identical matrices arranged on a common focal surface with the gaps between adjacent matrices not exceeding the length of the effective number of pixels oriented along the row. Said arrangement provides a single large survey field from a plurality of individual matrices. Said design contemplates the use of several small individual lenses instead of one large and expensive lens, as well as many small matrices instead of one large and expensive matrix. The lenses are arranged at an angle to each other with a strictly defined dependence on the focal distance and the length of the gap between matrices in the row, which ensures continuous imaging by individual matrices over the surface surveyed with preset overlapping for subsequent cross-linking of images into one single film.
US09356061B2
A pixel in an image sensor can include a photodetector and a storage region disposed in one substrate, or a photodetector disposed in one substrate and a storage region in another substrate. A buried light shield is disposed between the photodetector and the storage region. A sense region, such as a floating diffusion, can be adjacent to the storage region, with the buried light shield disposed between the photodetector and the storage and sense regions. When the photodetector and the storage region are disposed in separate substrates, a vertical gate can be formed through the buried light shield and used to initiate the transfer of charge from the photodetector and the storage region. A transfer channel formed adjacent to, or around the vertical gate provides a channel for the charge to transfer from the photodetector to the storage region.
US09356051B2
A pixel array includes a plurality of first and second signal lines, a plurality of active devices, a plurality of pixel electrodes, a plurality of selection lines, and a plurality of protrusions. The second signal lines are electrically insulated to and intersected with the first signal lines. Each active device is electrically connected to one of the first signal lines and one of the second signal lines, respectively. The pixel electrodes are electrically connected to the active devices. The selection lines are electrically insulated to the second signal lines and intersected with the first signal lines so as to form a plurality of intersections including a plurality of first and second intersections. The selection lines are electrically connected to the first signal lines at the first intersections. The protrusions are disposed between the selection lines and the first signal lines, and located at the second intersections.
US09356048B2
It is an object of the present invention to prevent an insulating film from peeling in a section where the insulating film is adjacent to a sealing region. Over a first substrate 104, a pixel portion 100 provided with a light emitting element, a source driver 101, a gate driver 102, and a sealing region 103 are provided. A light emitting element is sealed between the first substrate 104 and a second substrate 110 by a sealant 108. An insulating film 107 serves as a partition wall of the light emitting element. An end portion of the insulating film 107 which is adjacent to the sealing region 103 does not overlap with a step formed by a side surface and an upper surface of a conductive film 106 which serves as a wiring.
US09356045B2
A semiconductor structure provided having: a dielectric; a non-column III-V doped semiconductor layer disposed over the dielectric; and an isolation barrier comprising column III-V material disposed vertically through the semiconductor layer to the dielectric. In one embodiment, the semiconductor layer is silicon and has CMOS transistors disposed in the semiconductor layer above a first region of the dielectric and a III-V transistor disposed above a different region of the dielectric. The barrier electrically isolates the column III-V transistor from the CMOS transistors. In one embodiment, the structure includes a passive device disposed over the semiconductor layer and a plurality of laterally spaced III-V structures, the III-V structures being disposed under the passive device, the III-V structures passing vertically through the semiconductor layer to the insulating layer.
US09356043B1
The threshold voltage for vertical transistors in three-dimensional memory stack structures can be made independent of a lateral distance from a source region by forming a doped pocket region. The doped pocket region has the same conductivity type as a doped well that constitutes horizontal portions of the semiconductor channels that extend into the memory stack structures, and has a higher dopant concentration level than the doped well. The doped pocket region and a source region can be simultaneously formed by implanting p-type dopants and n-type dopants into a surface portion of the substrate underlying a backside contact trench. By selecting dopant species having different diffusion rates, the doped pocket region can surround the source region. The process parameters of the anneal process can be selected such that the interface between the dopant pocket region and the doped well underlies outermost memory stack structures.
US09356040B2
A method is provided for manufacturing a memory device. A plurality of layers of a first semiconductor material is formed, and a plurality of holes is formed through the layers. An etch process is applied to the layers through the holes, to form pull-back regions in the layers adjacent and surrounding the holes. A film of second semiconductor material is deposited over the holes and into the pull-back regions. Portions of the film are removed from the holes while leaving elements of the second semiconductor material in the pull-back regions in contact with the first semiconductor material. The holes are filled with insulating material. Layers in the plurality of layers have respective first doping concentration profiles, and the elements of the second semiconductor material in the pull-back regions have second doping concentration profiles. The second doping concentration profiles establish a higher conductivity in the elements of second semiconductor material.
US09356035B2
A memory device that includes a non-volatile memory (NVM) transistor which has an indium doped channel and a gate stack overlying the channel formed in a first region of a substrate and a metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor formed in a second region of the substrate in which the gate oxide of the MOS and the oxide layer of the NVM transistor are formed concurrently.
US09356032B2
A floating gate insulating film is formed in a first element formation region of a substrate. A first insulating film and a control gate electrode are continuously formed from the first element formation region to a first element isolation film. A selection gate insulating film and a selection gate electrode are formed in the substrate located in the first element formation region. The selection gate electrode is continuously formed over the first element isolation film. A side surface of the selection gate electrode is in contact with a first side surface of a floating gate electrode through a second insulating film. An upper surface of a region overlapping with the selection gate electrode in the first element isolation film is located lower than an upper surface of the substrate.
US09356031B2
A method of making a monolithic three dimensional NAND string includes forming a stack of alternating first and second material layers over a substrate, etching the stack to form a front side opening, partially removing the second material layers through the front side opening to form front side recesses, forming a first blocking dielectric in the front side recesses, forming charge storage regions over the first blocking dielectric in the front side recesses, forming a tunnel dielectric layer and a semiconductor channel over the charge storage regions in the front side opening, etching the stack to form a back side opening, removing the second material layers through the back side opening to form back side recesses using the first blocking dielectric as an etch stop, forming a second blocking dielectric in the back side recesses, and forming control gates over the second blocking dielectric in the back side recesses.
US09356030B2
An object is to provide an antifuse with little power consumption at the time of writing. The antifuse is used for a memory element in a read-only memory device. The antifuse includes a first conductive layer, a multilayer film of two or more layers in which an amorphous silicon film and an insulating film are alternately stacked over the first conductive layer, and a second conductive layer over the multilayer film. Voltage is applied between the first and second conductive layers and resistance of the multilayer film is decreased, whereby data is written to the memory element. When an insulating film having higher resistance than amorphous silicon is formed between the first and second conductive layers, current flowing through the antifuse at the time of writing is reduced.
US09356027B1
A three-dimensional stacked fin complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device having dual work function metal gate structures is provided. The stacked fin CMOS device includes a fin stack having a first semiconductor fin over a substrate, a dielectric fin atop the first semiconductor fin and a second semiconductor fin atop the dielectric fin, and a gate sack straddling the fin stack. The gate stack includes a first metal gate portion surrounding a channel portion of the first semiconductor fin and a second metal gate portion surrounding a channel portion of the second semiconductor fin. The first metal gate portion has a first work function suitable to reduce a threshold voltage of a field effect transistor (FET) of a first conductivity type, while the second gate portion has a second work function suitable to reduce a threshold voltage of a FET of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type.
US09356020B2
A semiconductor arrangement includes a first semiconductor device including a first type region having a first conductivity type and a second type region having a second conductivity type. The semiconductor arrangement includes a second semiconductor device adjacent the first semiconductor device. The second semiconductor device includes a third type region having a third conductivity type and a fourth type region having a fourth conductivity type. The semiconductor arrangement includes a first insulator layer including a first insulator portion around at least some of the first semiconductor device and a second insulator portion around at least some of the second semiconductor device. The first insulator portion has a first insulator height, and the second insulator portion has a second insulator height. The first insulator height is different than the second insulator height. A method of forming a semiconductor arrangement is provided.
US09356018B2
Provided is a semiconductor device including a substrate, first and second gate structures provided on the substrate, a source/drain region provided adjacent to the first gate structure, an interlayered insulating layer provided on the substrate to cover the source/drain region and the first and second gate structures, a source/drain contact hole penetrating the interlayered insulating layer and exposing the source/drain region, a trench formed in the interlayered insulating layer to expose a top surface of the second gate structure, a source/drain contact plug provided in the source/drain contact hole to be in contact with the source/drain region, and a resistor pattern provided in the trench to be in contact with a top surface of the second gate structure.
US09356012B2
An ESD protection apparatus comprises a metal contact formed on the emitter of a transistor. The metal contact has a different conductivity type from the emitter. In addition, the metal contact and the emitter of the transistor form a diode connected in series with the transistor. The diode connected in series with the transistor provides extra headroom for the breakdown voltage of the ESD protection apparatus.
US09356009B2
Semiconductor die assemblies having interconnect structures with redundant electrical connectors are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a semiconductor die assembly includes a first semiconductor die, a second semiconductor die, and an interconnect structure between the first and the second semiconductor dies. The interconnect structure includes a first conductive film coupled to the first semiconductor die and a second conductive film coupled to the second semiconductor die. The interconnect structure further includes a plurality of redundant electrical connectors extending between the first and second conductive films and electrically coupled to one another via the first conductive film.
US09356007B2
A light emitting device is disclosed. The disclosed light emitting device includes a light emitting structure including a first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, an active layer, and a second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a second electrode layer disposed beneath the light emitting structure and electrically connected to the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, a first electrode layer including a main electrode disposed beneath the second electrode layer, and at least one contact electrode branching from the main electrode and extending through the second electrode layer, the second-conductivity-type semiconductor layer and the active layer, to contact the first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer, and an insulating layer interposed between the first electrode layer and the second electrode layer and between the first electrode layer and the light emitting structure. The first-conductivity-type semiconductor layer includes a first region and a second region having a smaller height than the first region, and the first region overlaps with the contact electrode.
US09356005B2
Disclosed herein is a light emitting diode (LED) package. The present invention is directed to a light emitting diode (LED) package capable of efficiently dissipating heat generated from LEDs. The present invention is also directed to a LED package in which a plurality of LEDs are disposed and heat generated from the plurality of LEDs is efficiently dissipated.
US09356001B2
A semiconductor device includes at least a first semiconductor die and a second semiconductor die. The first semiconductor dies comprises a first and second side, and includes at least a first contact pad located on the first side of the first semiconductor die. The second semiconductor die comprises a first and second side, and includes at least a second contact pad located on the first side of the second semiconductor die, wherein the first semiconductor die is stacked on the second semiconductor die and wherein the first side of the first semiconductor die faces the first side of the second semiconductor die. At least one voltage-guided conductive filament is created between the first contact pad and the second contact pad.
US09355997B2
An assembly with modules (110, 1310) containing integrated circuits and attached to a wiring substrate (120) is reinforced by one or more reinforcement frames (410) attached to the wiring substrate. The modules are located in openings (e.g. cavities and/or through-holes 414) in the reinforcement frame. Other features are also provided.
US09355996B2
A chip package has multiple chips that may be arranged side-by-side or in a staggered, stair step arrangement. The contacts of the chips are connected to interconnect pads carried on the chips themselves or on a redistribution substrate. The interconnect pads desirably are arranged in a relatively narrow interconnect zone, such that the interconnect pads can be readily wire-bonded or otherwise connected to a package substrate.
US09355993B2
A system and method of manufacture of an integrated circuit system includes: a die having a via, the die having a top side and a bottom side; a top interconnect mounted to the via at the top side; an interconnect pillar mounted to the via at the bottom side; a device interconnect mounted to the interconnect pillar; and a base adhesive covering the interconnect pillar and the device interconnect.
US09355989B2
A method of eliminating a defective bonding wire is provided, including moving a bonding member from a first region of a carrier to a second region of the carrier if the bonding wire of the bonding member is defective, and cooperatively operating a movement member and the bonding member so as to cause the defective bonding wire to be removed from the bonding member and bonded to the second region of the carrier, thereby auto-debugging the bonding member and improving the production efficiency.
US09355982B2
A semiconductor structure includes a semiconductor substrate and a pad. The pad is on a top surface of the semiconductor substrate. The semiconductor structure further includes a circuit board and a bump. The circuit board has a contact area corresponding to the pad on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate, and the bump is between the pad on the top surface of the semiconductor substrate and the contact area, wherein the contact area is a non-metallic surface.
US09355977B2
A package structure includes a first substrate bonded to a second substrate by connecting metal pillars on the first substrate to connectors on the second substrate. A first metal pillar is formed overlying and electrically connected to a metal pad on a first region of the first substrate, and a second metal pillar is formed overlying a passivation layer in a second region of the first substrate. A first solder joint region is formed between metal pillar and the first connector, and a second solder joint region is formed between the second metal pillar and the second connector. The thickness of the first metal pillar is greater than the thickness of the second metal pillar.
US09355974B2
A semiconductor device includes a plurality of protrusions formed on a first face of the semiconductor device; first bonding portions formed on upper portions of the plurality of protrusions; second bonding portions formed on side faces of the plurality of protrusions; and third bonding portions formed on the first face between the plurality of protrusions, wherein the semiconductor device is configured to bond to an other semiconductor device through the third from the first bonding portions.
US09355971B1
In some embodiment, a fuse structure in a semiconductor device uses a metal fuse element connected to a stacked via fuse link connected to a thin film resistive element. The fuse structure can be incorporated in an integrated circuit for EOS protection. In other embodiments, an integrated EOS/ESD protection circuit includes a current limiting resistor integrated with an ESD protection circuit. In some embodiments, the current limiting resistor is formed in an N-well forming the collector of the ESD protection circuit.
US09355969B2
A semiconductor package includes a package substrate including a ground pad; a a conductive spacer and a first semiconductor chip disposed on the package substrate; a second semiconductor chip on the conductive spacer and the first semiconductor chip; a molding unit that covers the package substrate, the first semiconductor chip, the second semiconductor chip, and a first portion of the conductive spacer, and exposes a second portion of the conductive spacer; and an electromagnetic interference (EMI) shield that covers the molding unit.
US09355967B2
An apparatus includes a device that includes at least one layer. The at least one layer includes an inter-device stress compensation pattern configured to reduce an amount of inter-device warpage prior to the device being detached from another device.
US09355953B2
A semiconductor device with substrate-side exposed device-side electrode (SEDE) is disclosed. The semiconductor device has semiconductor substrate (SCS) with device-side, substrate-side and semiconductor device region (SDR) at device-side. Device-side electrodes (DSE) are formed for device operation. A through substrate trench (TST) is extended through SCS, reaching a DSE turning it into an SEDE. The SEDE can be interconnected via conductive interconnector through TST. A substrate-side electrode (SSE) and a windowed substrate-side passivation (SSPV) atop SSE can be included. The SSPV defines an area of SSE for spreading solder material during device packaging. A device-side passivation (DSPV) beneath thus covering the device-side of SEDE can be included. A DSE can also include an extended support ledge, stacked below an SEDE, for structurally supporting it during post-wafer processing packaging. The projected footprint of extended support ledge onto the major SCS plane can essentially enclose the correspondingly projected footprint of SEDE.
US09355944B1
A semiconductor device includes a lead frame having a die support area and a plurality of inner and outer row leads surrounding the die support area, and a semiconductor die mounted on the die support area and electrically connected to the leads with bond wires. A molding material encapsulates the semiconductor die, the bond wires, and the leads, and defines a package body. The semiconductor device further includes connection bars extending vertically from the leads to a top surface of the package body. The connection bars connect the inner row leads to respective ones of the outer row leads before the molding process is performed.
US09355938B2
A conductive composition includes a mono-acid hybrid that includes an unprotected, single reactive group. The mono-acid hybrid may include substantially non-reactive groups elsewhere such that the mono-acid hybrid is functional as a chain terminator. Methods and devices using the compositions are also disclosed.
US09355936B2
Methods for bonding substrate surfaces, bonded substrate assemblies, and design structures for a bonded substrate assembly. Device structures of a product chip are formed using a first surface of a device substrate. A wiring layer of an interconnect structure for the device structures is formed on the product chip. The wiring layer is planarized. A temporary handle wafer is removably bonded to the planarized wiring layer. In response to removably bonding the temporary handle wafer to the planarized first wiring layer, a second surface of the device substrate, which is opposite to the first surface, is bonded to a final handle substrate. The temporary handle wafer is then removed from the assembly.
US09355929B2
A method includes, in a nonvolatile memory device that includes a plurality of dies, detecting that a first temperature associated with a first die is equal to or exceeds a temperature threshold. A metablock is defined to include a first plurality of storage blocks that includes a first storage block of the first die. Each storage block of the metablock resides in a distinct die of the plurality of dies. The method also includes, in response to detecting that the first temperature is equal to or exceeds the temperature threshold, redefining the metablock to exclude from the redefined metablock any storage block associated with the first die.
US09355926B2
Provided are a curable composition and its use. The curable composition can exhibit excellent processability and workability. The curable composition exhibits excellent light extraction efficiency, hardness, thermal and shock resistance, moisture resistance, gas permeability, and adhesiveness, after curing. In addition, the curable composition can provide a cured product that exhibits long-lasting durability and reliability even under harsh conditions and that does not cause whitening or surface stickiness.
US09355916B2
A method manufactures a semiconductor device which allows nanocarbon materials, such as high-quality graphene and carbon nanotube to be used. The method of manufacturing the semiconductor device comprises forming on a substrate a wiring structure including wires of nanocarbon material; forming on the wiring structure an element structure including a semiconductor element; and interconnecting the wires of the wiring structure and the semiconductor element of the element structure.
US09355907B1
Methods of dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits involves forming a mask above the semiconductor wafer, the mask composed of a layer covering and protecting the integrated circuits. The mask is then patterned with a line shaped laser beam profile laser scribing process to provide a patterned mask with gaps, exposing regions of the semiconductor wafer between the integrated circuits. The semiconductor wafer is then plasma etched through the gaps in the patterned mask to singulate the integrated circuits.
US09355903B2
A semiconductor device includes a dielectric structure which has an opening exposing a surface of a substrate; and a conductive structure which is formed in the opening, wherein the conductive structure comprises: a first conductive pattern recessed in the opening; a second conductive pattern covering a top surface and sidewalls of the first conductive pattern; an air gap defined between sidewalls of the opening and the second conductive pattern; and a third conductive pattern capping the second conductive pattern and the air gap.
US09355902B2
In a semiconductor apparatus, a plurality of semiconductor chips including through-silicon vias are stacked in a vertical direction, wherein the through-silicon via formed in each semiconductor chip protrudes beyond heights of each semiconductor chip.
US09355899B2
A semiconductor device and a method of fabricating the same. The semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a P-type region, on at least one main surface of which integrated circuits are formed; one or more via electrodes inserted into the P-type region of the semiconductor substrate; a dielectric layer formed between the semiconductor substrate and the via electrodes; an N-type region, which is formed in the semiconductor substrate to contact a portion of the dielectric layer and to expose other portion of the dielectric layer; and a power circuit, which is electrically connected to the N-type region and apply a bias voltage or a ground voltage thereto, such that electric signals flowing in the via electrodes form an inversion layer on a surface of the semiconductor substrate facing the exposed portion of the dielectric layer.
US09355898B2
Some features pertain to an integrated device that includes a first substrate, a first solder resist layer coupled to the first substrate, a second solder resist layer coupled to the first solder resist layer, and an opening in the first and second solder resist layers, the opening comprising a sidewall completely covered with the second solder resist layer, where a sidewall of the second solder resist layer covers a sidewall of the first solder resist layer. In some implementations, the opening is at least partially filled with an electrically conductive material. The electrically conductive material includes one of solder and/or an interconnect. The integrated device includes a first interconnect coupled to the electrically conductive material. The first interconnect is one of at least a solder, and/or an interconnect ball. In some implementations, the integrated device includes a pad coupled to the substrate, and a first interconnect coupled to the pad.
US09355896B2
A package system includes a first substrate; and a second substrate electrically coupled with the first substrate. The package system further includes a semiconductor material between the first substrate and the second substrate. The semiconductor material includes a pad, and at least one guard ring surrounding the pad and spaced from the pad. The package system further includes a metallic material bonded to the semiconductor material, wherein the metallic material at least partially fills at least one opening in at least one of the first substrate or the second substrate.
US09355885B2
A wafer support device is provided. The wafer support device includes a plurality of support portions; and a bottom area located among the support portions, wherein the bottom area has a protective layer formed thereon. A method for processing a working surface of a wafer support device is also provided.
US09355881B2
A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes providing a carrier and a semiconductor wafer having a first side and a second side opposite to the first side. The method includes applying a dielectric material to the carrier or the semiconductor wafer and bonding the semiconductor wafer to the carrier via the dielectric material. The method includes processing the semiconductor wafer and removing the carrier from the semiconductor wafer such that the dielectric material remains on the semiconductor wafer to provide a semiconductor device comprising the dielectric material.
US09355873B2
Embodiments of solar panel cleaning apparatuses, solar panel cleaning systems, and solar panel cleaning methods are disclosed. In certain embodiments, the disclosed solar panel cleaning apparatuses, systems and methods do may not require any water or other cleaning liquids in the whole cleaning process, which makes them prominent well suited in for water-deficit environments such as deserts. In one embodiment, the solar panel cleaning apparatus comprises one or more rotatable brushes each having a rotational axis and a drive configured to move each of the one or more rotatable brushes in a direction that is not perpendicular to the rotational axis. The solar panel cleaning apparatus is may be configured such that the angle of the rotational axis of at least one of the one or more rotatable brushes is adjustable relative to the direction of travel.
US09355864B2
Techniques disclosed herein a method and system for conditioning a polymeric layer on a substrate to enable adhesion of a metal layer to the polymeric layer. Techniques may include conditioning the polymeric layer with nitrogen-containing plasma to generate a nitride layer on the surface of the polymeric layer. In another embodiment, the conditioning may include depositing a CuN layer using a lower power copper sputtering process in a nitrogen rich environment. Following the condition process, a higher power copper deposition or sputtering process may be used to deposit copper onto the polymeric layer with good adhesion properties.
US09355860B2
A method of performing a timed etch of a material to a precise depth is provided. In this method, ion implantation of the material is performed before the timed etch. This ion implantation process substantially enhances the etch rate of the material within a precisely controlled depth range corresponding to the range of implantation-induced damage. By using the ion implantation, the variation in vertical etch depth can be reduced by a factor approximately equal to the etch rate of the damaged material divided by the etch rate of the undamaged material. The vertical etch depth can be used to provide a vertical dimension of a non-planar semiconductor device. Minimizing vertical device dimension variations on a wafer can reduce device and circuit performance variations, which is highly desirable.
US09355857B2
Provided are a substrate manufacturing method and a substrate manufacturing apparatus used therefor. The substrate manufacturing method includes providing a substrate having a mask film into a chamber. A plasma reaction is induced in the chamber. A first gas and a second gas are alternately provided into the chamber to etch the substrate. Each of the first and second gases is provided into the chamber at a stabilized feed pressure including a pressure fluctuation profile comprising a square wave shape.
US09355856B2
Methods of producing V-shaped trenches in crystalline substrates are described. The methods involve processing a patterned substrate with etch masking materials defining each side of exposed silicon (100). The exposed silicon (100) is exposed to remotely-excited halogen-containing precursor including chlorine or bromine. The plasma effluents formed from the halogen-containing precursor preferentially remove silicon from all exposed facets other than silicon (111). Etching the crystalline substrates with the plasma effluents produce at least two silicon (111) facets between two adjacent masking elements. Forming the silicon (111) facets may be accelerated by pretreating the crystalline substrates using a halogen-containing precursor locally excited in a biased plasma to initiate the generation of the trench.
US09355850B2
A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, includes: alternately performing (i) a first step of alternately supplying a first raw material containing a first metal element and a halogen element and a second raw material containing a second metal element and carbon to a substrate by a first predetermined number of times, and (ii) a second step of supplying a nitridation raw material to the substrate, by a second predetermined number of times, wherein alternating the first and second steps forms a metal carbonitride film containing the first metal element having a predetermined thickness on the substrate.
US09355848B2
A semiconductor structure and a method for forming the same are provided. The method includes following steps. A gate electrode layer is formed on a substrate. A spacer structure is formed on a sidewall of the gate electrode layer. A dielectric cap film is formed to cover the gate electrode layer and the spacer structure. A source/drain implantation is performed to the substrate with the dielectric cap film exposed to a condition of the source/drain implantation.
US09355847B2
A high-energy ion implanter includes: a beam generation unit that includes an ion source and a mass spectrometer; a radio frequency multi-stage linear acceleration unit; a deflection unit that includes a magnetic field type energy analysis device for filtering ions by a momentum; a beam transportation line unit; and a substrate processing/supplying unit. In this apparatus, an electric field type final energy filter that deflects a high-energy scan beam in the vertical direction by an electric field is inserted between the electric field type beam collimator and the wafer in addition to the magnetic field type mass spectrometer and the magnetic field type energy analysis device as momentum filters and the radio frequency multi-stage linear acceleration unit as a velocity filter.
US09355830B2
The invention relates to a method and a device for introducing ions into an ICR cell of Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometers, in particular with a reduced the magnetron orbit. The invention is based on applying at least one gated DC voltage to a mantle electrode of the ICR cell prior to the excitation of the cyclotron motion such that injected ions are deflected inside the ICR cell in at least one radial direction.
US09355825B2
An ionization vacuum gauge includes a cathode, an anode and an ion collector. The ion collector component is located at one side of the anode component and spaced from the anode component. The cathode component is located at another side of the anode component and includes an electron emitter, which extends toward the anode component from the cathode component. The electron emitter includes at least one carbon nanotube wire.
US09355824B2
An apparatus for generating sputtering of a target to produce a coating on a substrate is provided. The apparatus comprises a magnetron including a cathode and an anode. A power supply is operably connected to the magnetron and at least one capacitor is operably connected to the power supply. The apparatus also includes an inductance operably connected to the at least one capacitor. A first switch and a second switch are also provided. The first switch operably connects the power supply to the magnetron to charge the magnetron and the first switch is configured to charge the magnetron according to a first pulse. The second switch is operably connected to discharge the magnetron. The second switch is configured to discharge the magnetron according to a second pulse.
US09355823B2
A method includes forming a coating layer in a dry etching chamber, placing a wafer into the dry etching chamber, etching a metal-containing layer of the wafer, and moving the wafer out of the dry etching chamber. After the wafer is moved out of the dry etching chamber, the coating layer is removed.
US09355820B2
Embodiments of methods for removing carbon-containing films are provided herein. In some embodiments, a method for removing a carbon-containing layer includes providing an ammonia containing process gas to a process chamber having a substrate with a silicon oxide layer disposed atop the substrate and a carbon-containing layer disposed atop the silicon oxide layer disposed in the process chamber; providing RF power to the process chamber to ignite the ammonia containing process gas to form a plasma; and exposing the substrate to NH and/or NH2 radicals and hydrogen radicals formed in the plasma to remove the carbon-containing layer.
US09355809B2
According to one embodiments, an ion source connected with a vacuum-exhausted downstream apparatus is provided. The ion source includes a vacuum chamber which is vacuum-exhausted, a target which is set in the vacuum chamber and generates ions by irradiation of a laser beam, a transportation unit which transports the ions generated by the target to the downstream apparatus, and a vacuum sealing unit which seals the transportation unit so as to separate vacuum-conditions of the vacuum chamber side and the downstream apparatus side before exchanging the target set in the vacuum chamber.
US09355805B2
An input device having a touch sensor installed on a push switch includes a first detection unit for detecting a first predetermined operation on the push switch, a second detection unit for detecting a second predetermined operation on the touch sensor, and a control unit for invalidating the second predetermined operation when the second predetermined operation is detected by the second detection unit within a predetermined time after detection of the first predetermined operation by the first detection unit. For example, the device is disposed on a spoke unit that is operable by a driver's thumb while the driver grips a steering wheel.
US09355798B2
An arc quenching system is presented. The arc quenching system includes a mounting structure, a plurality of movable arc chute plates mounted on the mounting structure, and a motion delivery unit mechanically coupled to the mounting structure. The motion delivery unit is configured to impart at least one of a rotation motion and a vibration motion to one or more movable arc chute plates of the plurality of movable arc chute plates.
US09355796B2
A switch includes a fixed contact fixed in a container in which an insulating gas is filled and a movable contact provided to be reciprocatingly movable with respect to the fixed contact and configured to come into contact with and separate from the fixed contact. The switch further comprises a pin provided in the container and configured to move along an arcuate track. A groove in which the pin is fit and is movable is formed in the movable contact. The groove includes a linear groove linearly extending substantially perpendicularly to a moving direction of the movable contact and substantially in parallel to a plane including the moving track of the pin and an arcuate groove that communicates with the linear groove and overlaps the moving track of the pin. The pin moves in the linear groove, whereby the movable contact reciprocatingly moves.
US09355795B2
A switch assembly includes an M-blade snap spring, an actuation arm, and a switch. The M-blade snap spring exhibits snap-action movement between a first actuator position and a second actuator position. The switch is responsive to the snap-action movement of the M-blade to move between a first switch position and a second switch position. The actuation arm is configured to selectively cause the M-blade snap spring to move, via snap-action, between the first actuator position and the second actuator position, which in turn causes the switch to move between the first switch position and the second switch position, respectively.
US09355794B2
A push-type switch includes a cap lid made of a light permeable material, a shielding board, a holding board, a movable seat, a display module disposed between the cap lid and the movable seat, a lighting element disposed in the movable seat, a conducting unit having a conducting element being flexible and a plurality of conducting terminals, and a housing. When the cap lid is being pushed downward, the movable seat moves concurrently to depress the conducting element, whereby the conducting element being deformed to electrically contact the conducting terminals so as to switch on and off the push-type switch, and the lighting element and the display module being capable of emitting light and displaying images respectively according to the state of switch and electrical signals transmitted from a printed circuit board to the lighting element and the display module.
US09355789B2
The prevention of lithium clusters from bridging between the negative and positive portions of a cell during discharge is described. This is done by providing a glass wool material at an intermediate location between the casing and anode current collector of a negative polarity and the cathode current collector and the terminal pin being of a positive polarity. Typically, a lithium ion concentration gradient sufficient to cause lithium cluster formation is induced by the high rate, intermittent discharge of a lithium/silver vanadium oxide (Li/SVO) cell. However, sufficient free electrolyte necessary for normal cell function is held in the relatively large pore volume throughout the extent of the glass wool material. Moreover, permeability within the glass wool material is tortuous, which effectively increases the distance between the negative and positive surfaces of the anode and cathode. This tortuosity effectively stops “straight line” dendrite growth of lithium clusters between opposite polarity structures inside the casing.
US09355788B2
Disclosed is a dye-sensitized solar cell which includes a conductive substrate, a counter substrate facing the conductive substrate, an electrolyte disposed between the conductive substrate and the counter substrate, and an annular sealing portion surrounding the electrolyte together with the conductive substrate and the counter substrate and connecting the conductive substrate and the counter substrate. The sealing portion has an inorganic sealing portion fixed to the conductive substrate and a resin sealing portion fixed to the counter substrate. The inorganic sealing portion has a main body portion provided on the conductive substrate and a protruding portion extending from the main body portion toward a side opposite to the conductive substrate, and the resin sealing portion has an adhesive portion adhering the main body portion to the counter substrate and adhered to a side surface along an extending direction of the protruding portion.
US09355782B2
A capacitor assembly comprises a plurality of capacitor elements, a clamping assembly, and a conductive path. The clamping assembly retains the plurality of capacitor elements longitudinally perpendicular to an adjacent mounting surface. The conductive path electrically connects the plurality of capacitor elements to one or more circuit elements disposed proximate the adjacent mounting surface. The clamping assembly includes a base with a central strut and a plurality of peripheral struts projecting perpendicularly therefrom, and the clamping assembly also includes a central conductive path.
US09355779B2
In an electronic component, a first outer electrode is provided on a first side surface and a second outer electrode is provided on a second side surface. Each of the first and second outer electrodes includes first and second electrode portions that are arranged at positions other than end portions and a center of the first or second side surface in a first direction.
US09355770B2
Disclosed is an electrical transformer for improved transformer power capacity and efficiency designed by the application of disclosed design considerations. One embodiment design consideration is a method to configure power transformer windings wherein the minimum distance of the primary windings from the winding axis/core center is greater (the primary windings are more distal) from the winding axis than the minimum distance of the secondary windings, which are wound around the minimum interior core diameter. This design consideration is extended from single bobbin transformer designs to split bobbin designs, with the requisite distal increase of the primary windings (from the core axis) geometrically provided by an enlarged core bobbin center leg (axial) dimension beneath the primary winding window. Another disclosed design consideration is to fix the primary winding length relationship to the core weight for given transformer specifications in accordance with the disclosed unexpected experimental results and formula.
US09355765B2
A nano particle/polyamide composite material, a preparation method, and a use thereof are disclosed. The nano particle/polyamide composite material includes 0.01-99 parts by weight of inorganic nano particles and 1-99.99 parts by weight of a polyamide matrix. The preparation method for the nano particle/polyamide composite material includes hydrolysis polymerization or anionic polymerization. The inventive nano particle/polyamide composite material has the particular functions of nano materials, while having the advantages of the polymer matrix including good mechanical performance for easy processing and molding. The nano particle is well dispersed in the polyamide matrix, is physically stable, and has a strong interaction at an interface between the nano particles and the polymer matrix, thus being useful as a structural material, a functional material, and a polymer masterbatch. The low cost of raw materials used in the environment friendly synthesis method, and the simple production apparatus are well suited for large-scale industrial production.
US09355763B2
An electronic protection component comprises an outer case bounding an outer cavity therein; a varistor with a first varistor lead connected to a first varistor electrode and a second varistor lead connected to a second varistor electrode, wherein the varistor is placed in the outer cavity; a low melting point alloy wire with a first thermal fuse lead in one end and a second thermal fuse lead in the other end; wherein either the first thermal fuse lead or the second fuse lead is connected to either the first varistor electrode or the second varistor electrode therefore forming a lead junction.
US09355761B2
The invention provides a process for forming crack-free dielectric films on a substrate. The process comprises the application of a dielectric precursor layer of a thickness from about 0.3 μm to about 1.0 μm to a substrate. The deposition is followed by low temperature heat pretreatment, prepyrolysis, pyrolysis and crystallization step for each layer. The deposition, heat pretreatment, prepyrolysis, pyrolysis and crystallization are repeated until the dielectric film forms an overall thickness of from about 1.5 μm to about 20.0 μm and providing a final crystallization treatment to form a thick dielectric film. The process provides a thick crack-free dielectric film on a substrate, the dielectric forming a dense thick crack-free dielectric having an overall dielectric thickness of from about 1.5 μm to about 20.0 μm.
US09355760B2
Certain embodiments herein relate to a hybrid cable that includes a center conductor for distributing electrical signals and one or more optical fibers adjacent to the center conductor for distributing light signals in a service provider network. According to one configuration, materials found in a coaxial cable may be included in the hybrid cable, such as a dielectric material, one or more protective shields, and an outer protective core. Such a hybrid cable may be utilized to replace drop cables in a service provider network, which may connect an access point, such as a tap, to a customer location. Certain embodiments herein may also relate to making and installing the hybrid cable.
US09355753B2
A liquid crystalline polymer composition that is thermally and/or electrically conductive and has a reduced tendency to create a static electric charge during a molding operation is provided. More particularly, the composition contains carbon fibers distributed within a liquid crystalline polymer matrix. Through the use of carbon fibers having relatively high purity, high temperature sizing agent, and/or various process parameters, molded parts can be produced having excellent characteristics while minimizing the amount of carbon fibers contained within the polymer matrix.
US09355750B2
A system and method for controlling atomic particles using projected light are provided. In some aspects, a method includes providing a plurality of atomic particles, and generating light fields using frequencies shifted from at least one atomic resonance. The method also includes forming a two-dimensional (“2D”) optical array using the generated light fields, wherein the 2D optical array comprises linear segments of light, and projecting the 2D optical array on the plurality of atomic particles to control their respective locations in space.
US09355742B2
A sampling device comprising a first input port and a second input port, wherein an input-signal is fed to the first input port and wherein an optical clock signal is fed to the second input port. The sampling device comprises a plurality of track and hold units, wherein each of the plurality of track and hold units is connected to the first input port. The plurality of the track and hold units is further connected to the second input port through an optical waveguide in such a manner that the plurality of tack and hold units operate in a time-interleaved mode.
US09355737B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a block including a plurality of string units, each including a plurality of memory cells electrically connected in series, a bad string register in which information indicating which of the string units is a bad string is stored, and a control circuit. The control circuit controls an erase operation on the memory cells, the erase operation including a first erase operation followed by a first verify operation and as needed a subsequent erase operation followed by a subsequent verify operation. During the erase operation, the control circuit skips a verify operation for a string unit if the information in the bad string register indicates the string unit is a bad string.
US09355736B1
A method of operating a memory device can include accessing at least one memory cell of a memory cell pair formed in opposing vertical sides of an opening by driving at least a first word line common to the memory cell pair to an access voltage to enable a channel conductance in both memory cells of the memory cell pair, driving a selector line, that is vertically aligned with the first word line within the opening, to a selection voltage to enable separate conductive source lines in the opposing vertical sides, and coupling one of the source lines to a source bias voltage and coupling the other of the source lines to a high impedance.
US09355724B2
A method of operating a nonvolatile memory device configured to erase a memory block in sub-block units comprises detecting state information of unselected sub-blocks associated with a selected sub-block comprising selected memory cells, adjusting a read bias of the selected memory cells based on the state information, and reading data from the selected memory cells according to the adjusted read bias. The state information indicates a number of the unselected sub-blocks having a programmed state or an erased state.
US09355712B2
A semiconductor device includes an insulating layer on a semiconductor substrate, a bit line including TiAl and disposed on the insulating layer, a sidewall layer disposed on opposite sides of the bit line, a word line including TiN and disposed on the sidewall layer intersecting the bit line, and an air gap in an intersection region of the bit line and the word line. The thickness of the sidewall layer is larger than the thickness of the bit line. By having the TiAl bit line and TiN word line, the uniformity of the bit line and word line can be easily controlled to improve the performance of the semiconductor device.
US09355703B2
A refresh address generator may include a lookup table including a first portion storing a first group of addresses associated with a first data retention time, and a second portion storing a second group of addresses associated with a second data retention time different from the first data retention time, wherein the addresses of the first portion are more frequently accessed than the addresses of the second portion to refresh the memory cells corresponding to the addresses. Systems and methods may also implement such refresh address generation.
US09355697B2
A circuit includes a first transistor and a second transistor of a first type. The circuit further includes a first transistor of a second type. A first first-type drain is coupled to a second first-type source. A first first-type source is configured to have a first voltage value. A first first-type gate is configured to have a first control signal. A second first-type drain is configured to serve as a wordline. A second first-type gate is configured to have a second voltage value. A first second-type source is configured to have a third voltage value. A first second-type gate is configured to have a second control signal. The first transistor and the second transistor of the first type are configured to provide the first voltage value for the wordline. The first transistor of the second-type is configured to provide the third voltage value the wordline.
US09355682B2
An apparatus and method for reproducing multimedia content are provided. Content selected through user input unit is reproduced, and if it is requested that part of the reproduced content be registered as content of interest, metadata about the part of the reproduced content is generated and stored using metadata about the reproduced content. The generated metadata is generated and stored as metadata of interest about the content of interest according to input of a user input unit.
US09355654B1
A microwave assisted magnetic recording (MAMR) write head includes a write pole tip, a trailing shield, and a spin torque oscillator between the write pole tip and the trailing shield. The spin torque oscillator may have a field generating layer and a damping layer which is exchanged coupled to the field generating layer.
US09355651B2
In one embodiment, a method for detecting autism in a natural language environment using a microphone, sound recorder, and a computer programmed with software for the specialized purpose of processing recordings captured by the microphone and sound recorder combination, the computer programmed to execute the method, includes segmenting an audio signal captured by the microphone and sound recorder combination using the computer programmed for the specialized purpose into a plurality recording segments. The method further includes determining which of the plurality of recording segments correspond to a key child. The method further includes determining which of the plurality of recording segments that correspond to the key child are classified as key child recordings. Additionally, the method includes extracting phone-based features of the key child recordings; comparing the phone-based features of the key child recordings to known phone-based features for children; and determining a likelihood of autism based on the comparing.
US09355649B2
Sound alignment techniques that employ timing information are described. In one or more implementations, features and timing information of sound data generated from a first sound signal are identified and used to identify features of sound data generated from a second sound signal. The identified features may then be utilized to align portions of the sound data from the first and second sound signals to each other.
US09355644B2
A two-layer hierarchical audio bit stream can have a frame-based structure for the base layer bit stream and can be decoded independently from a higher layer and the decoding can start following every sync header. In the extension layer bit stream the frame structure may not be reflected on bit stream level. To facilitate seek operations with such highly compressed extension-layer data, the header of the extension layer bit stream comprises an FAT table with seek target positions. Because there are fewer entry points in the enhancement layer than sync headers in the base layer, a re-synchronization and some base layer frames are required to start decoding of the enhancement layer and to generate the full audio quality. Three seeking ways of seeking are described, of which each one offers a different compromise between seeking accuracy, re-synchronization latency and audio quality.
US09355640B2
Methods, apparatus and computer-readable media (transitory and non-transitory) are disclosed for receiving audio information based on sensing of one or more audible sounds; identifying one or more voice profiles, wherein each of the voice profiles is associated with an individual and indicates one or more voice characteristics of the associated individual; determining at least a given voice profile of the one or more voice profiles matches the audio information; determining co-presence of the user with at least the individual associated with the given voice profile based on determining the given voice profile matches the audio information; identifying an action that includes a trigger based on co-presence of the user and the individual associated with the given voice profile; and invoking the action based on the determined co-presence of the user with at least the individual associated with the given voice profile.
US09355635B2
A video summary method comprises dividing a video into a plurality of video shots, analyzing each frame in a video shot from the plurality of video shots, determining a saliency of each frame of the video shot, determining a key frame of the video shot based on the saliency of each frame of the video shot, extracting visual features from the key frame and performing shot clustering of the plurality of video shots to determine concept patterns based on the visual features. The method further comprises fusing different concept patterns using a saliency tuning method and generating a summary of the video based upon a global optimization method.
US09355627B2
A system with a decision engine having logic for using metadata for one or more song recordings and one or more non-song musical content items. The logic performs the steps of: interpreting the metadata for the first song recording; identifying a first non-song musical content item for playback at or near an end of the first song recording based on a similarity between the first song recording and the first non-song musical content item; and, in response to determining that the first song recording is at or near its end of playback, forming an altered playback of the first non-song musical content item by performing via real time digital audio signal processing an alteration of the first non-song musical content item to be rhythmically continuous in terms of tempo to the first song recording and/or harmonically continuous in terms of key and/or mode to the first song recording.
US09355624B2
An improved drum pedal utilizes an advanced dampening system in combination with a base, pedal, beater assembly, and support structure. The pedal is mounted to the base while the support structure forms a first pillar and second pillar that allow rotation of an axle positioned between them. A cam on the axle is connected to the pedal by a first chain, allowing the beater assembly to be actuated by the pedal. The dampening system provides an opposed first dampening mechanism and second dampening mechanism, which are tethered to each other by a second chain. The second chain is engaged with a sprocket that is connected to the axle, such that rotation of the axle results in corresponding movement of the dampening mechanisms. Compression springs, combined with cylinders and flanges, respond to movement of the axle with dynamic tension. This is an improvement over the spring implementation of current drum pedals.
US09355621B2
A coated string for a stringed device which includes a coating applied to the surface of the string. The coating includes a base layer bonded to the surface of the string and an at least partially transparent low-friction top coat applied to the base layer. The base layer includes heat activated pigments that change color when heated above a color shifting temperature. In one embodiment, the color of the pigment in one area contrasts with the color of the pigment in an adjacent area without otherwise affecting the low-friction surface of the coating. The areas of different color created in locations along the length of the low-friction coated string.
US09355620B2
A truss rod for use with a neck body of a musical instrument. The truss rod includes a first rod connected to a second rod. An adjustment member is connected to the first rod and configured to exert a longitudinally directed force on the first rod that causes the first rod to move longitudinally with respect to the second rod. This movement exerts a laterally directed force on the second rod that causes the second rod to exert a laterally directed force on the neck body to thereby change the curvature of the neck body. The adjustment member may threadedly engage the first rod and exert the longitudinally directed force on the first rod by threading into or out of the first rod. The adjustment member may also threadedly engage the second rod. Different thread pitches may be used to threadedly engage the adjustment member with the first and second rods.
US09355619B2
An adjustable musical instrument neck stiffener includes a beam fabricated by embedding uni-directional material only at the upper portion of the beam, and constrained by braid or bias weave material. In a preferred embodiment, the uni-directional layers are preferably made from carbon fiber tow, cloth, or pultruded carbon fiber and the braid or bias weave material is made of carbon fibers. To reduce weight, the middle section of the beam is preferably hollow. A threaded rod and threaded sleeve provide a way to adjust the neck stiffener beam curvature so that it is straight while under string tension.
US09355618B2
The present disclosure details a tuning peg accessory. The tuning peg accessory may comprise a tuning peg cover. The tuning peg cover may be configured to cover a tuning peg of a stringed instrument. The tuning peg may serve multiple purposes, including, but not limited to, for instrument personalization and learning aid. Still consistent with embodiments of the present disclosure, a tuning peg cover purchase and customization platform may be provided. The platform may enable a user to specify a shape and size of a desired tuning peg cover. Moreover, the platform may enable the user to provide a custom design to be adapted to an exterior surface of the tuning peg cover. Having received the user's specifications, the platform may enable the manufacture, package, and delivery of the customized tuning peg cover.
US09355590B2
A hybrid display system for a device includes a high resolution display and a low resolution display that are positioned relative to each other to display an image having mixed resolution. A single high resolution display having a size of 1.5 cm by 10 cm and a first cost may be replaced by a hybrid display having the same overall size but using a smaller size (e.g., 1.5 cm by 4 cm) and lower cost for the high resolution display. To achieve the remaining 6 cm in display size, the low resolution display may have a size of approximately 1.5 cm by 6 cm and a lower cost than either of the high resolution displays, such that a combined cost of the high and low resolution displays in the hybrid display makes the second cost lower than the first cost. The high and low resolution displays may use different display technologies to achieve cost and size tradeoffs.
US09355582B2
There is provided a solid-state image sensor including a pixel circuit including a plurality of pixels and imaging a subject, a peripheral circuit provided in a vicinity of the pixel circuit and performing operation in regard to imaging, and a connection element electrically connecting, in initialization of the pixels, elements in the pixels to which a predetermined voltage is applied for initializing the pixels to the peripheral circuit with the predetermined voltage.
US09355580B2
A display device includes a display panel; and a backlight panel provided below the display panel and defining a plurality of regions. A first array of light emitting diodes (LEDs) is provided along a first direction, each LED of the first array being coupled to a first line. A driver is coupled to the first line to drive the LEDs coupled to the first line. A second array of LEDs is provided along a second direction, each LEDs of the second array being coupled to a second line. A lighting condition of the regions defined by the backlight panel is controlled by turning on or off the LEDs.
US09355579B2
Various embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for monitoring movement, and in particular to systems and methods for monitoring monitor targets, and more particularly, to systems and methods for using images in relation to tamper detection.
US09355575B2
A chest band assembly for a crash test dummy includes a chest band adapted to be disposed about a rib cage of the crash test dummy and a sensor cooperating with the chest band and the rib cage. The sensor is made of a carrier and a plurality of optical fibers bonded to the carrier, wherein each of the optical fibers has at least one sensor.
US09355570B2
An aspect of the present invention relates to an online test platform adapted to facilitate the development, delivery, and management of educational tests with interactive participation by students, teachers, proctors, and administrators even when some or all of them are remotely located. The platform may include administrator interfaces, test proctor interfaces, and test taker (e.g. student) interfaces to allow each participant to view, navigate, and interact with aspects of the online test platform that are intended to meet their needs.
US09355567B2
A system and method display a hazard free area around an aircraft that is modified to alert a pilot if a threshold distance between a detected object and the aircraft is reached. The modification may include, for example, altering the size of the hazard free area and its color. Additional information that may be displayed includes distance to the object, width of the hazard free area, stopping distance of the aircraft, and a route to avoid the object.
US09355565B2
Provided are methods and systems for the disambiguation of an in trail procedure (ITP) vertical display by calculating and rendering symbology on a plan view traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) display. The symbology represents an intersection point between the ground track of an ITP aircraft and the ground track of a blocking aircraft and further represents an association between the intersection point and the respective ITP blocking aircraft.
US09355556B2
An access control device comprises at least one transit authorization request device, such as an ID sensor activated by access card or badge or a biometric sensor (fingerprint, retina), said transit authorization request device to be activated by a person requesting authorization to pass through said passageway or doorway and a presence detection and tracking device for detecting the presence of a person in the vicinity of said passageway or doorway and for tracking the movement of a person within or through said passageway or doorway. According to the invention, the access control device further comprises a control unit configured for assigning a virtual transit ticket to a person after authorization to pass through said passageway or doorway has been granted to said person, said virtual transit ticket being representative of the transit privileges granted to said person, i.e. the privileges regarding the transit direction through said passageway of doorway, and for controlling said presence detection and tracking device to track the movement of the person with the virtual transit ticket with respect to the granted transit privileges, said control unit comprising a processing module with a configurable decision table for generating an output control signal based on an output signal of said at least one transit authorization request device and an output signal of said presence detection and tracking device, said output control signal to be used for the controlling of the passage of persons through a passageway or a doorway.
US09355552B2
The electronic Building Information Card (eBIC) system provides a systematic and comprehensive approach for building information maintenance to assist first responders and building owners in an emergency response. The eBIC solution is built to the essential elements for each building along with a cross vertical view of the building. This provides the first responder a quick size-up assessment, an easy to read graphic view format and further support emergency operations for each building.
US09355550B2
An operating state warning device (1) for visually and/or audibly indicating at least one operating state or, respectively, a number of different operating states of a technical device such as a machine, an installation, a vehicle or the like having at least one visual and/or audible warning element (2), wherein at least one adjusting unit (4) for setting and/or adapting at least one operating parameter of the warning element (2) such as lighting color, color intensity, luminous image, volume, melody, tone sequence or the like is provided, wherein the adjusting unit (4) comprises at least one interface (6, 16) for receiving setting information of the operating parameter, is proposed for improving the configuration or the setting of such devices. According to the invention, this is achieved by the fact that the interface (16) of the adjusting unit (4) is designed as a wave receiver (6) for receiving waves as wireless setting information of the operating parameters.
US09355543B2
An apparatus and a method for preventing an accident in a portable terminal are provided. The method includes obtaining environmental situation information from a sensor, detecting a dangerous object by analyzing the environmental situation information, extracting at least one of a notice service mapped to the dangerous object and a control service mapped to the dangerous object, and executing the at least one of the extracted notice service and the extracted control service.
US09355541B1
A hazardous condition detection system for an enclosure includes at least three detectors and a controller. Each detector is mounted within the enclosure. Each detector is configured to output a signal representing a first lower level of severity (a pre-alarm threshold) and a signal representing a second higher level of severity (an alarm threshold). The controller monitors the operational status of each of the detectors. In a first mode when all the detectors are operational, the controller generates an alarm signal when at least two detectors output a signal at the alarm threshold level. In a second mode when at least one of the at least three detectors are inoperative and at least two of the at least three detectors are operational, the controller generates an alarm signal when one detector outputs a signal at the alarm threshold level and another detector outputs a signal at the pre-alarm threshold level.
US09355527B2
A method for wagering comprises receiving a bet regarding a spin of the reels of a slot machine. An outcome may be determined based on one or more financial market indicators. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09355519B2
Disclosed is a method and system for preventing replay attacks for mobile promotions associated with gaming devices. Upon the occurrence of a promotion winning event such as a designated outcome of a game played on the gaming device the user, via a software application accessible to their mobile device, forwards images of the event to a server over a network. The server determines entitlement to the promotion and analyzes data associated with the images and mobile device location and time to confirm that the event is new promotion winning event. Upon such confirmation an entitlement to the promotion is awarded to the user. The foregoing prevents unscrupulous users from logging multiple claims for the same promotion winning event.
US09355515B2
An automatic mobile communicator depot system including a mobile communicator acceptor for accepting mobile communicators and providing mobile communicator acceptance inputs, a mobile communicator dispenser for dispensing substitute mobile communicators in response to substitute mobile communicator dispensing instructions, a customer interface receiving customer inputs identifying a specific mobile communicator with a specific customer, and a depot controller responsive at least to the customer inputs and the acceptance inputs and including dispenser control functionality for providing dispensing instructions to the mobile communicator dispenser to dispense a specific substitute mobile communicator to a specific customer and automatic telephone number transfer functionality for transferring a telephone number from a mobile communicator received by the mobile communicator acceptor from a given customer to the substitute mobile communicator dispensed by the mobile communicator dispenser to the customer.
US09355506B2
A method for managing fault messages (m) of a motor vehicle by a monitoring computer of a motor vehicle, the monitoring computer including a step (E1) of receiving a fault message (m), a filtering step (E3) in which the method executes a step (E4) of storing the fault message (m) in a temporary storage memory (TMP) in case of positive filtering and a step (E5) of storing the fault messages (m) in a dynamic storage memory (DYN).
US09355505B2
A vehicle diagnosis apparatus includes an accumulation unit and a storage control unit. The accumulation unit cumulatively adds a numerical value indicating a normal operation history of each normal operation made to a vehicle to an initialized cumulative total value having a predetermined number of digits, during a time period from an assembly of a vehicle component to an actual use of the vehicle, and stores the cumulative total value in a non-volatile storage unit. The storage control unit, in response to an abnormality occurrence in the vehicle, stores a corresponding diagnosis code in the non-volatile storage unit. The accumulation unit further cumulatively adds a numerical value indicating the abnormality occurrence to the cumulative total value. The storage control unit stores, in the non-volatile storage unit, the diagnosis code indicating the abnormality occurrence in association with the cumulative total value.
US09355502B2
Among other things, one or more techniques and/or systems for combining a three-dimensional image of a target with a three-dimensional image of an object that is under examination via radiation to generate a three-dimensional synthetic image are provided. Although the target is not actually comprised within the object under examination, the three-dimensional synthetic image is intended to cause the target to appear to be comprised within the object. In one embodiment, one or more artifacts may be intentionally introduced into the three-dimensional synthetic image that are not comprised within the three-dimensional image of the target and/or within the three-dimensional image of the object to generate a synthetic image that more closely approximates in appearance a three-dimensional image that would have been generated from an examination had the target been comprised within the object.
US09355496B2
Image processing apparatus, image processing method, and medium to display augmented reality objects
An information processing system acquires an image captured by an image pickup unit and one or more templates where each template includes one or more fields. The acquired image is then compared to the templates and a result based on the comparison is generated such that the result indicates whether recognition of the fields of the templates was successful.
US09355489B2
For a given texture address, a texture sampler fetches and reduces texture data with a filter accumulator suitable for providing a weighted average over a variety of filter footprints. A multi-mode texture sampler is configurable to provide both a wide variety of footprints in either a separable or non-separable filter modes and allow for a filter footprint significantly wider than the bi-linear (2×2 texel) footprint. In embodiments, sub-sample addresses are generated by the texture sampler logic to accommodate a desired footprint. The sub-sample addresses may be generated and sequenced by multi-texel units, such as 2×2 texel quads, for efficient filtering. In embodiments, filter coefficients are cached from coefficient tables stored in memory.
US09355473B2
An image processing apparatus includes a processor and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the image processing apparatus to perform: receiving target image data representing a target image; determining, from a plurality of pixels in the target image, a plurality of first-type pixels having a color value within a specific range having a color value indicating a color of a conversion target; calculating, for each of the plurality of first-type pixels, non-uniformity of color values of a plurality of pixels in a specific surrounding area including the first-type pixels; determining, from the plurality of first-type pixels, a second-type pixel which non-uniformity is a reference value or less, and converting a color value of the second-type pixel into a specific color value.
US09355472B2
An electronic device with a display displays a user interface on the display. The device determines a first set of content-display values for one or more content-display properties of first content that corresponds to a respective region of the display. The device determines a first set of control-appearance values for one or more control-appearance parameters based on the first set of content-display values. The device displays a control in the respective region of the display, wherein an appearance of the control is determined based on the first content and the first set of control-appearance values.
US09355439B1
A method involves generating a denoised image by performing a denoising operation on an input image of an object, the input image having turbulence and a contrast reducing scattering medium therein, generating a contrast enhanced image from the denoised image using a contrast enhancement algorithm, estimating a global motion vector of the contrast enhanced image using an image alignment algorithm, generating a contrast enhanced aligned image by globally aligning the contrast enhanced image to the global motion vector and locally aligning the contrast enhanced image with an optical flow method, temporally averaging the contrast enhanced aligned image, and generating an output image of the object by performing a deblur operation on the temporally averaged contrast enhanced aligned image. The method may further include measuring turbulence using sequences of input images and output images.
US09355436B2
A first depth map is generated in response to a stereoscopic image from a camera. The first depth map includes first pixels having valid depths and second pixels having invalid depths. In response to the first depth map, a second depth map is generated for replacing at least some of the second pixels with respective third pixels having valid depths. For generating the second depth map, a particular one of the third pixels is generated for replacing a particular one of the second pixels. For generating the particular third pixel, respective weight(s) is/are assigned to a selected one or more of the first pixels in response to value similarity and spatial proximity between the selected first pixel(s) and the particular second pixel. The particular third pixel is computed in response to the selected first pixel(s) and the weight(s).
US09355433B1
Images captured by multi-camera arrays with overlap regions can be stitched together using image stitching operations. An image stitching operation can be selected for use in stitching images based on a number of factors. An image stitching operation can be selected based on a view window location of a user viewing the images to be stitched together. An image stitching operation can also be selected based on a type, priority, or depth of image features located within an overlap region. Finally, an image stitching operation can be selected based on a likelihood that a particular image stitching operation will produce visible artifacts. Once a stitching operation is selected, the images corresponding to the overlap region can be stitched using the stitching operation, and the stitched image can be stored for subsequent access.
US09355428B2
A method of processing data using a Graphic Processing Unit (GPU) is provided. The method includes obtaining operand data and operator information to be applied to the operand data, partitioning the operand data by a channel element size unit of a texel of the GPU, transmitting an instruction which controls the GPU to return an operation result by performing an operation for the partitioned data and transmitting the partitioned data, and obtaining an operation result value from the GPU.
US09355426B2
A method, apparatus, article of manufacture, and a memory structure for inserting a watermark in a media program is described. In an exemplary embodiment, the method comprises the steps of receiving data comprising the media program in the receiver disposed at a subscriber station, generating a watermark, the watermark generated at least in part according to a secure data processor-unique identifier irreversibly stored in the secure data processor, processing the received data to reproduce the media program, and inserting portions of the generated watermark in the reproduced media program at locations determined at least in part according to the secure data processor-unique identifier to produce a watermarked media program provided for display.
US09355415B2
The disclosure includes a system and method for providing content recommendation to users on a site. The system includes a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the system to: receive data describing a page on a site visited by a first user; query one or more sources to retrieve one or more candidate items for the first user; determine one or more source types related to the one or more candidate items; determine one or more scores for the one or more candidate items based on an interest profile and the one or more source types; rank the one or more candidate items; determine that an invitation trigger event causing a presentation of an invitation state occurs; determine that a recommendation trigger event causing a presentation of a recommendation state occurs during the invitation state; and provide a recommendation state to the first user.
US09355410B2
Methods and apparatus for generating a message (106) for a wireless device (102) are disclosed. In an embodiment, an application server (106), or any other suitable device or system, receives a wireless network identifier (e.g. an SSID) associated with an access point (202) communicatively coupled to the wireless device (102). The application server (106) determines a social networking account associated with the network identifier (e.g., company XYZ's Facebook account from a local database). The application server (106) then retrieves content from a network (110) based on the social networking account (e.g., company XYZ's ten most recent Facebook posts), and generates the message (106) for the wireless device (102) based on the content (e.g., “Welcome to XYZ! Today's special offer is . . . ”).
US09355402B2
The present invention is a system and method to improve the impact of marketing messages broadcasted to various web communities. Marketing communication keywords that are predefined are matched against tags set by private and public user's tagging communities. Semantic analysis is applied on the keywords and the tags and resulting associations allow determining relevance of marketing keywords. Matches indicate where marketing people have met their goals while matching gaps indicate marketing messages have not been perceived by the companies or the market. Valuable feedback is thus obtained to help re-enforce the initial messages that were not received or to replace the message wording by the one perceived from the identified market tags.
US09355392B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods and computer program products for associating gift cards with accounts. An exemplary apparatus is configured to: receive information associated with a gift card; associate the gift card with the account; receive information associated with a transaction; determine the transaction qualifies for the gift card; and apply funds associated with the gift card to the transaction.
US09355386B2
Methods and systems for assisting individuals arrange meetings such as networking meetings with other individuals at a specified time (or within a specified time range) and at a specified place (or within a specified geographic region). More specifically, methods and systems for allowing individuals to post an invitation to for a meeting on an on-line network.
US09355381B2
Asset tracking system that utilizes a time-based ping in which the ping rate and the ping period are based on a predetermined event. Over the period of use of the system and device, the ping rate and ping period are adjusted based on the expected occurrence of an event. The system has lower operational cost, particularly battery maintenance cost, than conventional active ping systems that have a set ping rate or a random ping rate.
US09355378B2
The present disclosure identifies and/or delivers tailored content based upon a service dialog. For example, the systems may receive a request for tailored content, facilitate a service dialog to obtain information related to the request, and communicate a plurality of tailored content based upon the information related to the request. Further, the systems may identify tailored content based upon a consumer profile, communicate the tailored content to a web client, and/or receive a selection of the tailored content. Further still, the systems may modify a magazine (e.g., content that is presented electronically) based upon tailored content.
US09355376B2
Rules created in a computerized sales playbook system are stored in a rules library. Rules can be shared among playbooks, stages, plays, content and other playbook elements. Any playbook element can be associated with one or more rules. Such rules include one or more conditions that trigger the rule. If the conditions are met, then a playbook element is enabled for use by the user. Rules can be selected from the rules library as the playbook is being created. For example, when adding a play or a content item to a play, a user is prompted to add a rule to be associated with the playbook element. If the user adds a rule, an interface is presented allowing the user to select an existing rule from the rules library or create a new rule. If a new rule is created, it is added to the rules library.
US09355375B2
A current use context can be extracted based on concrete data related to a currently displayed user interface feature in a business software architecture user interface environment. Relevant related business objects and transactional data for concrete instances of a process or scenario relevant to the current use context can be identified and a specific business object instance can be determined from a plurality of business object instances related to a specific current instance of the process or scenario relevant to the current use context. At least one target user interface feature associated with the process or scenario can be pre-populated with at least one parameter specific to a current data entry state of the specific current instance of the process or scenario and displayed via a user interface.
US09355350B2
An apparatus includes a non-conductive sheet, an electrically conductive coil disposed on the non-conductive sheet, and an electronic component. The non-conductive sheet has a first surface, a second surface opposite the first surface, and a third surface extending from the first surface to the second surface, the third surface defining an opening. The electrically conductive coil surrounds the third surface and the third surface surrounds the electronic component, the electronic component being disposed within the opening.
US09355340B2
An image capturing device includes an image capturing unit, a moving unit, a detector, and a determiner. The image capturing unit includes an optical transmission member; and a sensor capturing an image of the subject via the optical transmission member. The moving unit moves the image capturing unit in an optical axis direction of the sensor. The detector detects a contamination from first and second images. The first and second images are captured by the sensor when the image capturing unit is located at first and second positions in the optical axis direction, respectively. The second position is spaced away from the subject than the first position in the optical axis direction. The determiner determines that a contamination is deposited on the optical transmission member when a difference in the number of pixels in which a contamination is detected between the first and second images is less than a threshold.
US09355336B1
Disclosed are techniques for recognizing text from one or more frames of image data using contextual information. In some implementations, image data including a captured textual item is processed to identify an entity in the image data. A context can be selected using the entity, where the context corresponds to a dictionary. Text in the captured textual item can be identified using the dictionary. The identified text can be output to a display device.
US09355334B1
In an example embodiment, a computer-implemented method is disclosed that determines a depth image; detects an object blob in the depth image; segments the object blob into a set of layers; and compares the set of layers associated with the object blob with a set of object models to determine a match. Comparing the set of layers with the set of object models can include determining a likelihood of the object blob as belonging to each of the object models and determining the object blob to match a particular object model based on the likelihood. Further, determining the likelihood of the object blob as belonging to the one of the object models can include computing a recognition score for each layer of the set of layers; and aggregating the recognition score of each layer of the set of layers.
US09355333B2
A method for recognizing a primitive in an image includes recognizing at least one primitive in the image to obtain at least one candidate shape of the at least one primitive, which at least one candidate shape has a respective confidence; determining whether the recognizing of the at least one primitive has a potential error based on the confidence; obtaining auxiliary information about the at least one primitive from a user in response to determining that the recognizing has the potential error; and re-recognizing the at least one primitive at least in part based on the auxiliary information.
US09355327B2
An image signal processing apparatus includes an image signal input unit, a local information acquisition unit for calculating a statistical quantity of pixel values in a local area including a noted pixel from an image signal as local information, a noise correction unit for conducting noise correction on the image signal by using the local information and outputting a noise-corrected image signal, an image signal correction unit for conducting signal level correction on the image signal from the noise correction unit and outputting a level-corrected image signal, an image signal correction intensity control unit for determining correction intensity in the level correction and changing input-output characteristics in the level correction, a signal correction characteristic estimation unit for estimating level correction characteristics based on the correction intensity, and a noise correction intensity control unit for controlling correction intensity in the noise correction in conjunction with the level correction characteristics.
US09355322B2
This road environment recognition device is equipped with: a connecting line determination unit, which determines primary connecting lines indicating lane marks by setting candidate points at a position near a vehicle as starting points, and sequentially connecting two or more candidate points along a first direction, which is a direction away from the vehicle; and branch point determination unit, which determines whether a branch point exists on the primary connecting lines on the basis of the positional relationships between the primary connecting lines and a residual candidate point that does not form part of the primary connecting lines.
US09355309B2
Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media relate to generate an image series that includes a patient image and a medical image. The patient image and the medical image may be associated based on identification information.
US09355304B2
A method of determining a facial expression type may include extracting feature points representing facial characteristics from a facial image of a user; grouping the extracted feature points into a plurality of regions; and determining a facial expression type for each of a plurality of groups using feature points and a facial expression type function corresponding to each of the groups.
US09355296B2
Authentication apparatus (1, 100) and methods which authenticate an item (4, 110) responsive to the detection that a portion of the item has one or more predetermined characteristics, the said predetermined characteristics comprising either or both the thickness of the said portion of the item, and the thickness of one or more layers within the said portion of the item, determined by optically-based thickness measuring apparatus (6, 102-108). The item may be a product and the portion of the item may be a sheet of packaging material. The item may be a security document and the portion of the item may be a sheet of security document substrate.
US09355294B2
A system for decoding an encoded symbol character associated with a product is provided. The system includes a scanning apparatus comprising a first scan source disposed within a housing, and a second scan source disposed within the housing. The second scan source comprises an operating technology distinct from an operating technology of the first scan source. The first scan source is adapted to output a first scan data set, and the second scan source is adapted to output a second scan data set. At least one of the first scan data set and the second scan data set comprises product bar code scan data.
US09355289B2
An assembly and method for tracking implant devices within a sterile field, the assembly comprising a reader that includes a housing structure with a base and a cover, a scanner having a scanner housing, where the scanner housing is at least partially positioned in a cavity provided in the base; and an aperture provided in the cover, where the cover is configured to receive a transparent sterile sheath to at least partially encase the cover.
US09355288B2
An image capture and processing system supports a multi-tier modular software, and plug-in extendable, architecture. The image capture and processing system can be realized as an image-capturing cell phone, a digital camera, a video camera, mobile computing terminal and portable data terminal (PDT), provided with suitable hardware platform, communication protocols and user interfaces. A third-party customer can write and install a software plug-in into the application layer so as to enhance or modify the behavior of the image capture and processing system without any required knowledge of the hardware platform, communication protocols and/or user interfaces.
US09355276B2
A processing system is disclosed. The system comprises: a processing unit; a memory adapted to store firmware code and application code for execution by the processor; and a memory access control unit adapted to control access of the processing unit to firmware code and application code stored in the memory. The memory access control unit is adapted to disable access to firmware code when access to application code is enabled, and to disable access to application code when access to firmware code is enabled.
US09355273B2
A system for protecting and de-identifying healthcare data includes a storage device for storing the healthcare data and personally identifiable information for a person and a processor in communication with the database. The processor generates an anonymous linking code using a keyed hash function and a second hash function. The anonymous linking code is based at least in part on a portion of the personally identifiable information. The processor further appends the anonymous linking code to the healthcare data for the person.
US09355271B2
A method of searching encrypted data includes generating with a client computing device a search index identifier corresponding to a search term in an encrypted search table and transmitting the search index identifier, a first single use key and a second single use key to a server. The method includes generating a set of decrypted data with the server for a set of data in an encrypted search table corresponding to the search index identifier using the first single use key to decrypt a first portion of the data and the second single use key to decrypt a second portion of the data. The method further includes identifying one or more encrypted files stored on the server that include the encrypted search term based on the decrypted data from the search table, and transmitting the encrypted files or encrypted file identifiers to the client computing device.
US09355268B2
Functionality is described herein by which plural environment-sensing applications capture information from an environment in a fine-grained and least-privileged manner. By doing so, the functionality reduces the risk that private information that appears within the environment will be released to unauthorized parties. Among other aspects, the functionality provides an error correction mechanism for reducing the incidence of false positives in the detection of objects, an offloading technique for delegating computationally intensive recognition tasks to a remote computing framework, and a visualization module by which a user may inspect the access rights to be granted (or already granted) to each application.
US09355258B2
The invention relates to a system and a method for privacy preservation of sensitive attributes stored in a database. The invention reduces the complexity and enhances privacy preservation of the database by determining the distribution of sensitive data based on Kurtosis measurement. The invention further determines and compares the optimal value of k-sensitive attributes in k-anonymity data sanitization model with the optimal value of l sensitive attributes in l diversity data sanitization model using adversary information gain. The invention reduces the complexity of the method for preserving privacy by applying k anonymity only, when the distribution of the sensitive data is leptokurtic and optimal value of k is greater than the optimal value of l.
US09355246B1
An emulator on a host computer includes a static analysis module that analyzes executable code of a suspicious sample to determine whether the code identifies that a particular packing program (packer) has packed the sample. Once identified, a custom configuration file is generated that identifies particular API hooks or instructions that should be disabled (or enabled) so that the sample file cannot use these hooks or instructions to detect that it is executing within an emulator. The emulator (such as a virtual machine or sandbox) is configured using the configuration file. The suspicious sample is then executed and its behaviors are collected. The sample is prevented from detecting that it is operating within an emulator and thus prevented from terminating prematurely. Malicious behaviors are scored and a total score indicates whether or not the suspicious sample is malicious or not. Static analysis identifies signatures, instructions or strings.
US09355229B2
A Method for protecting an application program executable on a computer against reverse engineering, said application is created to run with at least one selected dynamic link library (DLL) on said computer, comprises the steps of: adding a specific library loader to the executable application program, said loader either contains or has access to said dynamic link library; setting modified references to said dynamic link library such that upon loading said application program and said loader into the main memory of said computer, said dynamic link library is initialized by said library loader instead of the operating system; The library loader and the pseudo-statically linked library could be embedded into the application program, thereby using unused space within the application. The protected application presents itself as a monolithic application without the vulnerable interface to a DLL.
US09355210B2
A method for deriving an equivalent circuit model of a capacitor which makes it possible to derive, with high accuracy and with ease, an equivalent circuit model having characteristics in accordance with a direct current voltage applied to a capacitor. Characteristic values of predetermined resistive elements and capacitive elements forming an equivalent circuit model of a capacitor change in response to a DC bias voltage being applied to the capacitor, and the change is attributable to the material of a dielectric forming the capacitor. However, by multiplying the characteristic values of the resistive elements and the capacitive elements held while the DC bias voltage is not applied by a dimensionless coefficient in accordance with an application rule, the characteristic values of the resistive elements and the capacitive elements are corrected to values in accordance with the voltage of the DC bias voltage applied to the capacitor.
US09355207B2
A method may include obtaining gate-level circuit design data that describes a gate-level circuit design. The gate-level circuit design data may include one or more instances of each of multiple cells that each may be associated with a corresponding default cell static timing data and a corresponding default cell stress data. The method may include selecting one of the instances of one of the multiple cells, determining in-design stress data associated with the selected instance, and determining whether the in-design stress data is not within a tolerance of the default cell stress data. In response to the in-design stress data not being within the tolerance of the default cell stress data, the method may include generating in-design static timing data describing a timing performance for the selected instance and updating the gate-level circuit design data such that the selected instance is associated with the in-design static timing data.
US09355206B2
A new approach is proposed that contemplates a system and method to support automated functional coverage generation and management for an IC design protocol. The proposed approach takes advantage of table-based high-level (e.g., transaction-level) specifications of the IC design protocol, wherein the state tables are readable and easily manageable (e.g., in ASCII format) in order to automatically generate functional coverage for the IC design protocol, which include but are not limited to, coverage points, protocol transitions, and/or transaction coverage. The automatically generated functional coverage is then verified via formal verification and simulated at the register-transfer level (RTL) during the coverage generation and management process. The coverage data from the formal verification and the simulation runs are then analyzed and used to guide and revise the IC design protocol in a coverage-based closed-loop IC design process.
US09355203B2
A semiconductor chip includes a first mask logic. The first mask logic includes a first mask and a second mask that mask a respective first scan channel output and a second scan channel output. The first mask logic includes at least three enable pins that receive respective enable signals. The three enable signals produce a channel mask enable encode. The first mask logic includes a first memory that stores a first channel mask enable decode for the first mask and a second memory that stores a second channel mask enable decode for the second mask. The first mask logic includes a first comparator and a second comparator. The first and second comparator compare the respective channel mask enable decodes to the channel mask enable encode. The comparators signal respective masks to mask the respective scan channel when the respective channel mask enable decode matches the channel mask enable encode.
US09355200B2
A method of metrology target design is described. The method includes determining a sensitivity of a parameter for a metrology target design to an optical aberration, determining the parameter for a product design exposed using an optical system of a lithographic apparatus, and determining an impact on the parameter of the metrology target design based on the parameter for the product design and the product of the sensitivity and one or more of the respective aberrations of the optical system.
US09355199B2
A method and apparatus for camouflaging an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), wherein the ASIC comprises a plurality of interconnected functional logic is disclosed. The method adds functionally inert elements to the logical description or provides alternative definitions of standard logic cells to make it difficult for reverse engineering programs to be used to discover the circuit's function.
US09355193B2
Content management includes populating a library with modular objects and metadata associated with the modular objects. In response to a query, the library can be searched based in part on the metadata. The query can relate to implementation of an industrial process. One or more modular objects in the library can be identified as satisfying the query. A result of the query can be output and the output can include the identified modular objects and the respective metadata associated with the identified modular objects. The metadata can be anything known about the object that might not be accessible at runtime control.
US09355191B1
Technology described herein identifies and demotes query completions which divert users from their original search intent. The identified query completions may represent informational requests that are amusing diversions for some users, but which are not relevant to the actual information of interest for many users. For example, the identified query completions may represent information requests that some users may find humorous or entertaining, but which are not relevant to actual information of interest for many other users. The identification of these query completions may allow alternative query completions to be provided that can more likely assist users in finding the information they actually seek.
US09355183B2
A system for contact information integration with search results, comprising a queue manager; an enterprise communications system; and a search engine. Upon receipt of search query from a user, the search engine submits a request to the queue manager. The queue manager: obtains from the enterprise communications system a communications status comprising an estimated wait time; sends a notification to the search engine advising the search engine of the estimated wait time for service; and upon receiving from the search engine a request to generate a callback to the user from the enterprise of a specific communications type, directing an enterprise communications system of the enterprise that is associated with the specific communications type to initiate a callback to the user from whom the search engine query was received in response to the callback request received from the search engine.
US09355181B2
One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for augmenting search results with a user defined suggestion and/or for providing a user defined suggestion. For example, a venue entity may be associated with search results and/or user information (e.g., a set of search results may correspond to the Eiffel Tower). User defined data associated with the venue entity may be evaluated to generate a user defined suggestion associated with the venue entity. For example, user generated content about the Eiffel Tower, such as tips, advice, opinions, and/or other information specified by social network users, may be evaluated to determine a user defined suggestion “get tower tickets early, they sell out fast”. The user defined suggestion may be provided to a user (e.g., visiting the venue entity) and/or used to augment the set of search results. In this way, practical information, derived from opinions shared by other users, may be provided.
US09355175B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for enhancing search results. In one aspect, a method includes receiving a query. A plurality of search results responsive to the query are identified. The search results are analyzed to determine that at least a first search result is associated with a first answer box topic. The search results are provided along with an answer box precursor for the first answer box topic.
US09355166B2
Clustering signifiers in a semantics graph can comprise coarsening a semantics graph associated with an enterprise communication network containing a plurality of nodes into a number of sub-graphs containing supernodes; partitioning each of the number of sub-graphs into a number of clusters; and iteratively refining the number of clusters to reduce an edge-cut of the semantics graph, based on the number of clusters.
US09355165B2
A method and apparatus for accessing, processing and manipulating data in an OLAP database. According to one aspect, the present invention comprises a user interface configured for accessing, processing and manipulating data in an OLAP cube. According to another aspect, the present invention comprises a calculation engine for manipulating and managing data in the OLAP cube.
US09355154B2
Systems, methods, and computer-program products are described for determining current location information which includes determining whether an object is moving by comparing the current location information with previous location information. Future location information is calculated and a point of interest is filtered using the future location information. A media asset is then matched to the filtered point of interest and a current score is determined for the matched media asset. Determining a current score includes determining a window in which the matched media asset is geographically relevant to the future location information, and updating the matched media asset score when the future location information changes. An ordered playlist is dynamically generated according to the future location information by repeatedly prioritizing and sequencing matched media assets according to the current score for each matched media asset, and matched media assets are played or displayed in the ordered playlist.
US09355153B2
Described herein are methods and systems for promoting item listings that satisfy a query based on the item listings being assigned to certain categories that have, based on historical click data, exhibited high demand characteristics for the query. Consistent with some embodiments, a certain number of leaf-level categories are identified based on demand data for those categories, and the item listings assigned to those categories are promoted through a normalized weighting factor derived in part based on the click probability score associated with the category, clicks per impression rate, and weighted clicks per impression by ranking rate.
US09355151B1
A computer-based system and method is described for converting non-standardized resumes and job listings into standardized profiles that can be easily searched, compared and referenced. Attributes are identified within the resumes and job listings, and are evaluated for various features. Each resume or job listing is broken down into its component parts and analyzed based on a logic-based routine to identify and package meaningful content.
US09355145B2
Systems and apparatuses are provided for integrating user defined functions into an analytical data processing framework. The system includes a plurality of user defined functions (28), each having metadata defining an associated class type. A query compiler (22) identifies a call to a user defined function (28) within a query of an associated data table (26), retrieves the associated class type of the user defined function from the metadata, and provides a query plan according to a plurality of processing instructions derived from the retrieved class type.
US09355142B2
Content management includes populating a library with modular objects and metadata associated with the modular objects. In response to a query, the library can be searched based in part on the metadata. The query can relate to implementation of an industrial process. One or more modular objects in the library can be identified as satisfying the query. A result of the query can be output and the output can include the identified modular objects and the respective metadata associated with the identified modular objects. The metadata can be anything known about the object that might not be accessible at runtime control.
US09355140B1
Methods and apparatus for associating an entity with at least one search query. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for identifying multiple queries associated with an entity and identifying one or more of the queries as an entity search query that provides desired search results for the entity. Some implementations are directed to methods and apparatus for identifying a particular entity and, in response to identifying the particular entity, identifying an entity search query corresponding to the particular entity.
US09355130B1
Electronic Design Automation software displays parameters of a component in a graphical user interface. According to an embodiment, parameters of a component may be filtered through the use of a query. A Component Parameter Manager may search through parameter fields in a CDF file for components that match the query and emphasize the matching parameters in a graphical user interface. The parameter fields in a CDF file may also be augmented by a separate file to add search instructions or additional parameter fields. The augmentation helps facilitate a search by the Component Parameter Manager. The augmentations to a CDF file may be provided in a editable file separate from the CDF file.
US09355121B1
A technique for managing a file system includes dividing the addressable space of a file system into multiple subspaces: a data subspace for user data; an inode subspace for inodes describing the user data; and an MDB (metadata block) subspace for indirect blocks and/or directory structures pertaining to the user data. In response to storage requests to write user files to the file system, the file system stores user data of the files in the data subspace, stores inodes pertaining to the user files in the inode subspace, and stores indirect blocks and/or directories in the MDB subspace.
US09355118B2
A data processing system (DPS) and a computer program product assigns stored documents within a distributed storage system (DSS) to various document categories to enable a target number of documents to be deleted. An intelligent storage management (ISM) utility identifies a data storage threshold value used to control data storage within the DSS. If a current storage usage exceeds the data storage threshold value, the ISM utility calculates, based on the current storage usage, a target number of documents that can be deleted from the DSS. The ISM utility utilizes a recursive process which includes assigning stored documents to groups including a set of document categories based on data characteristics of the stored documents. The ISM utility further utilizes the recursive process to delete, based on an established ordering of the groups, all of the stored documents assigned to a subset of the groups in order to remove the target number of stored documents.
US09355114B1
In general, embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods and computer readable media for data record compression using graph-based techniques.
US09355108B2
A mechanism is provided for storing data files in a file system. The file system provides a plurality of reference data files, where each reference data file in the plurality of data files represents a group of similar data files. The mechanism creates a new data file and associated the new data file with one reference data file in the plurality of data files thus defining an associated reference data file of the plurality of reference data files. The mechanism informs the file system about the association of the new data file with the associated reference data file. The mechanism compresses the new data file using the associated reference data file thereby forming a compressed data file. The mechanism stores the compressed data file together with information about the association of the new data file with the associated reference data file.
US09355087B2
In some embodiments, a method includes receiving an electronic document that comprises a plurality of sections. The method includes marking the plurality of sections as a content section or a non-content section using a visual attribute of the sections that includes at least one of a width of the section, a density of the plurality of hyperlinks in the section, a size of a font of text in the section and whether a title of the electronic document overlaps with text in the section. The method also includes storing the marking other plurality of sections of the electronic document in a machine-readable medium.
US09355081B2
Techniques disclosed herein transform HTML forms into forms with graphical user interfaces (UIs) native to mobile devices. A user interface virtualization (UIV) agent divides an HTML form into rows based on row breaks. The UIV agent then identifies name-input pairs in the HTML form by applying a trained naïve Bayes classifier to determine name fields, and mapping the name fields to corresponding input fields. In addition, the UIV agent generates metadata which includes both information describing the rows in the form and the name-input information. Based on the metadata, a native form renderer running in the client device draws the form with native UI elements. In addition, the native form renderer forwards native UI events as HTML events.
US09355080B2
Propagating user feedback on shared posts is described, including receiving a user indication associated with repost content. The repost content is associated with post content. The post content includes at least one item provided on a website. The repost content includes at least one other item provided on another website or the website, and the at least one other item is associated with the at least one item. The repost content is determined to be associated with the post content. Post feedback data based on the user indication is identified. The post feedback data is associated with the post content, and the post feedback data represents previous user indication. The post feedback data is updated based on the user indication.
US09355078B2
A method for determining a display time of a page is provided, including the following method operations: receiving a request for page data from a client; in response to the request, sending the page data to the client, the page data defining a page when rendered by the client, the rendered page including a page event module configured to detect and log events in a beacon for transmission, the events being selected from a group comprising a page unhide event, a page hide event, and a page unload event; receiving the beacon from the client; reading events logged in the beacon; and determining a display time of the page based on the events logged in the beacon.
US09355072B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus for performing recursive embedding by URL parameterization are provided. Recursive embedding by URL parameterization may be performed by receiving a display parameter for defining a window display area within a portion of a first document associated with a first application having a first format, and a URL-based identifier specifying a portion of a second document associated with a second application having a second format. The first and second formats are different from each other. A display of the portion of first including the window display area is generated. The specified portion of the second document is displayed within the window display area, and the first and second documents are independently executable with respect to each other.
US09355063B2
Parking lot (18, 20) locations and geometries are discerned from probe data (22) and integrated with a digital map (12) for use in navigation and other map-related activities. The steps of this invention include: identifying the positions in the probe data (22) where cars are probably parked, detecting the positions of parking lots (18, 20), determining the extension and shape of the detected parking lots (18, 20), and adjusting the parking lots (18, 20) into the road network (14). Optionally, the parking lot (18, 20) can be classified and additional attributes computed. Finally, a topological connection of the parking lot (18, 20) is made to the road network (14) during which entrances (34) and exits (36) are identified.
US09355056B2
In accordance with one or more example aspects of the disclosure, communications are effected on a bus using bit time and slew rate feedback. As consistent with one or more embodiments, communications are effected in a network including a master circuit and a plurality of slave circuits, on bus that is controlled by the master circuit corresponding to master and slave data communication. A feedback signal is provided, which is indicative of a slew rate and bit time of signals communicated between the master and slave circuits on the bus. Data is transmitted on the bus by generating output signals via a waveform corresponding to an input signal, and controlling the waveform based upon the slew rate and bit time indicated via the feedback signal.
US09355055B1
The use of asset connectivity verification and switchable asset connectivity activation techniques may reduce or eliminate occurrences of human errors with respect to the improper connection and activation of infrastructure components in a data center. Assert connectivity verification involves the acquisition of identifiers corresponding to infrastructure component interfaces that are coupled to each other, and comparing the identifiers to pairing specifications to verify that the coupling of the infrastructure components comply with pairing specifications. Asset connectivity activation involves determining whether the coupling of a switchable coupler to one or more component interfaces complies with pairing specifications based on the corresponding identifiers of each component, and activating the switchable coupler to enable the flow of data signals and/or power when the coupling of the components meets the pairing specifications.
US09355054B2
A Mobile Industry Processor Interface (MIPI) physical layer (D-PHY) serial communication link and a method of reducing clock-data skew in a MIPI D-PHY serial communication link include apparatus including a clock transmitting circuit for transmitting a clock signal on a first lane of the MIPI D-PHY serial link, a data transmitting circuit for transmitting a data signal on a second lane of the MIPI D-PHY serial link, a clock receiving circuit for receiving the clock signal on the first lane of the MIPI D-PHY serial link, and a data receiving circuit for receiving the data signal on the second lane of the MIPI D-PHY serial link. The clock transmitting circuit and the data transmitting circuit transmit the clock signal and the data signal in phase during a calibration mode and out of phase during a normal operation mode.
US09355050B2
Aspects include apparatuses and methods for secure, fast and normal virtual interrupt direct assignment managing secure and non-secure, virtual and physical interrupts by processor having a plurality of execution environments, including a trusted (secure) and a non-secure execution environment. An interrupt controller may identify a security group value for an interrupt and direct secure interrupts to the trusted execution environment. The interrupt controller may identify a direct assignment value for the non-secure interrupts indicating whether the non-secure interrupt is owned by a high level operating system (HLOS) Guest or a virtual machine manager (VMM), and whether it is a fast or a normal virtual interrupt. The interrupt controller may direct the HLOS Guest owned interrupt to the HLOS Guest while bypassing the VMM. When the HLOS Guest in unavailable, the interrupt may be directed to the VMM to attempt to pass the interrupt to the HLOS Guest until successful.
US09355040B2
A system configuration is provided with a paravirtualizing hypervisor that supports different types of guests, including those that use a single level of translation and those that use a nested level of translation. When an address translation fault occurs during a nested level of translation, an indication of the fault is received by an adjunct component. The adjunct component addresses the address translation fault, at least in part, on behalf of the guest.
US09355039B2
In a computing system including an application executing on top of a virtualization control layer, wherein the virtualization control layer maps portions of a virtual memory to portions of a physical memory, an apparatus for managing memory configured to: identify, by the application, a range of virtual memory whose probability of being replicated in the virtual memory exceeds a given threshold; obtain, by the application, at least one memory address corresponding to the range of virtual memory; and pass, from the application to the virtualization control layer, an identifier for the range of virtual memory and the memory address corresponding to the range of virtual memory, wherein the identifier is useable by the virtualization control layer to identify similar ranges within the virtual memory.
US09355036B2
A network attached storage (NAS) caching appliance, system, and associated method of operation for caching a networked file system. Still further, some embodiments provide for a cache system that implements a mufti-tiered, policy-influenced block replacement algorithm.
US09355027B2
A defragmentation method of a user device which includes a host and a nonvolatile storage device includes: determining whether fragments of a first file stored at the nonvolatile storage device are in a same logical address zone; and executing defragmentation on the fragments of the first file if the fragments of the first file are in different logical address zones by moving the fragments of the first file to a logical address space corresponding to at least one of the different logical address zones.
US09355024B2
Systems and methods for nonvolatile memory (“NVM”) performance throttling are disclosed. Performance of an NVM system may be throttled to achieve particular data retention requirements. In particular, because higher storage temperatures tend to reduce the amount of time that data may be reliably stored in an NVM system, performance of the NVM system may be throttled to reduce system temperatures and increase data retention time.
US09355022B2
Systems and method for performing intelligent flash management are disclosed. A controller may determine if a write pattern exists between a set of writes associated with a first data chunk and a set of writes associated with a second data chunk based on whether a number of writes for first data chunk is equal to a number of writes for second data chunk; a degree to which a sequence of logical block address for the first data chunk matches the sequence of logical block addresses for the second data chunk; and a degree to which a size of each write for the first data chunk matches a size of each write for the second data chunk. The controller may then perform storage management operations based on whether or not a write pattern exists.
US09355019B2
The present invention provides a method of test cases reduction based on program behavior slices. In the present invention, during a static analysis stage, analyzing a control flow and an information flow of a program according to input program codes, extracting control dependence and data dependence of the program; calculating potential dependence of the program according to the control dependence and the data dependence of the program; on the basis of the control dependence, the data dependence and the potential dependence, constructing combination dependence of the program; during a dynamic execution stage, according to an execution path and the dependence relation, calculating program behavior slices covered by the path and program behavior slices uncovered by the path, and guiding symbolic execution to generate a path capable of covering new program slices according to the uncovered program behavior slices.
US09355012B2
Various technologies and techniques are disclosed for providing stepping and state viewing in a debugger application. A start and end breakpoint are assigned, Source code execution begins, and upon reaching the start breakpoint, a logging feature begins storing one or more values that may be impacted upon execution of code between the start breakpoint and an end breakpoint. More lines of source code are executed until the end breakpoint is reached. When the end breakpoint is reached, the debugger is put into break mode. While in break mode, a playback feature is provided to allow a user to play back a path of execution that occurred between the start breakpoint and the end breakpoint. The playback feature uses at least some of the values that were stored with the logging feature to show how each referenced variable changed in value.
US09355008B2
A performance analyzer for a self-tuning system controller, and a method for performance analysis. A range of values for a control parameter of a system controller for a system is split into a plurality of sub-ranges, need is determined to obtain a data point for a sub-range of the plurality of sub-ranges based on a criteria, wherein said sub-range is adjacent to a sub-range having a best performance value that identifies a best performance for the system, the control parameter is set to a value to generate the data point for the adjacent sub-range; and the control parameter set to a value for system performance, based on a search range determined from a window of data points that includes the generated data point.
US09355002B2
A computer receives a first trace output, generated during a first execution of a first program, that is annotated with an indication of a first pattern of logged events and one or more second programs that identify additional logged events. The computer identifies the first pattern of logged events in a second trace output, which is generated during a second execution of the first program. The computer executes the one or more second programs to identify one or more additional logged events that are discoverable during the second execution of the first program, wherein the one or more additional logged events are not included in the first trace output. The computer determines that the end first pattern of logged events in the second trace output has been reached. The computer ceases execution of the one or more second programs.
US09354998B2
A set of self-service testing tools and processes used to conduct gateway to gateway testing. The system includes a test harness comprising a collection of software and test data configured to test a program unit by running it under varying conditions and monitoring its behavior and outputs. The test harness allows for the automation of tests, and can call functions with supplied parameters and analyze results to a desired value.
US09354997B2
An asset health monitoring system (AHMS) can assign a confidence indicator to some or all the monitored computing asset in a data center, such as computing systems or networking devices. In response to drops in the confidence indicators, the AHMS can automatically initiate testing of computing assets in order to raise confidence that the asset will perform correctly. Further, the AHMS can automatically initiate remediation procedures for computing assets that fail the confidence testing. By automatically triggering testing of assets and/or remediation procedures, the AHMS can increase reliability for the data center by preemptively identifying problems.
US09354989B1
Region based admission and eviction control can be used for managing resources (e.g., caching resources) shared by competing workloads with different SLOs in hybrid aggregates. A “region” or “phase” refers to different incoming loads of a workload (e.g., different working set sizes, different intensities of the workload, etc.). These regions can be identified and then utilized along with other factors (e.g., incoming loads of other workloads, maximum cache allocation size, service level objectives, and others factors/parameters) in managing cache storage resources.
US09354983B1
An integrated infrastructure technology (IT) service provisioning and management framework includes, as framework components, a cloud-based management portal, one or more primary cloud servers, an on-premise cached cloud server gateway appliance, and one or more agents installed on respective on-premise computing devices. Service applications are created by defining a set of interactions between the framework components, including defining a set of service policies and corresponding interactions from the cloud-based management portal wherein at least one of the service policies defines a real-time request for information from an agent. Based at least in part on the information received the agent, a service policy is defined to trigger a data transfer from the agent to the cached cloud server gateway. An off-premise backup policy is defined to enable the cached cloud server gateway to transfer data to a first primary cloud server of the one or more primary cloud servers.
US09354968B2
A method for detecting and cleansing suspect building automation system data is shown and described. The method includes using processing electronics to automatically determine which of a plurality of error detectors and which of a plurality of data cleansers to use with building automation system data. The method further includes using processing electronics to automatically detect errors in the data and cleanse the data using a subset of the error detectors and a subset of the cleansers.
US09354966B2
A storage device failure in a computer storage system can be analyzed by the storage system by examining relevant information about the storage device and its environment. Information about the storage device is collected in real-time and stored; this is an on-going process such that some information is continuously available. The information can include information relating to the storage device, such as input/output related information, and information relating to a storage shelf where the storage device is located, such as a status of adjacent storage devices on the shelf. All of the relevant information is analyzed to determine a reason for the storage device failure. Optionally, additional information may be collected and analyzed by the storage system to help determine the reason for the storage device failure. The analysis and supporting information can be stored in a log and/or presented to a storage system administrator to view.
US09354965B2
A method for monitoring controller area network (CAN) on a mobile system includes identifying links and associated nodes between all the nodes of the CAN, and ranking all the links according to their order of connection to the monitoring controller, including assigning lower ranks to ones of the links proximal to the monitoring controller and assigning higher ranks to ones of the links distal to the monitoring controller. For each of said links, the associated node distal to the monitor is identified. The on-board monitoring controller determines a fault signature for each of the links starting with the link having the highest ranking, said fault signature comprising identified ones of the associated nodes distal to the monitor for each of the corresponding links.
US09354952B2
Methods and systems relate to receiving, at a system device, a first request from an operating system, the first request identifying shared queue and providing an instruction to the system device to enable polling of the identified shared queue, enabling, by a processing device, polling of the identified shared queue, wherein enabling polling comprises identifying a message in the identified shared queue and polling information related to the identified shared queue, and disabling, by the processing device, a device interrupt associated with the message in the identified shared queue.
US09354945B2
Provided are a computer program product, system, and method for managing a lock to a resource shared among a plurality of processors. Slots in a memory implement the lock on the shared resource. The slots correspond to counter values that are consecutively numbered and indicate one of busy and free. A requesting processor fetches a counter value comprising a fetched counter value. A determination is made as to whether the slot corresponding to the fetched counter value indicates free. A processor identifier of the requesting processor is inserted into the slot corresponding to the fetched counter value in response to determining that the slot corresponding to the fetched counter value indicates not free. The requesting processor accesses the shared resource in response to determining that the slot corresponding to the fetched counter value indicates free.
US09354944B2
A method for executing a plurality of data-parallel threads of a processing logic on a processor core includes grouping the plurality of data-parallel threads into one or more workgroups, associating a first workgroup from the one or more workgroups with an operating system thread on the processor core, and configuring threads from the first workgroup as user-level threads within the operating system thread. In an example, a method enables the execution of GPU-kernels that has been previously configured for a GPU, to execute on a CPU such as a multi-core CPU. The mapping of the numerous data-parallel threads to the CPU is done in such a manner as to reduce the number of costly operating system threads instantiated on the CPU, and to enable efficient debugging.
US09354935B2
A work scheduling technology in a symmetric multi-processing (SMP) environment is provided. A work scheduling function for a SMP environment is implemented in a work processing apparatus, thereby reducing the scheduling overhead, and enhancing the efficiency in use of CPU resources and improving the CPU performance.
US09354929B2
A host system includes a plurality of cores and is designed such that one real-time process and one core-local timer is run on each of the plurality of cores.
US09354916B2
A virtual machine disk page detector running on a computing device detects guest disk cache usage. The detector detects a request from a virtual operating system to read an object into a virtual memory page from a virtual disk, maintains a record of a page identifier and a corresponding virtual disk address in a guest cache data structure, and modifies a protection identifier of the virtual memory page to indicate that the virtual memory page is protected.
US09354914B2
The I/O performance measurement unit of Hypervisor measures latencies of I/O process requests to virtual disks, and reports the average value of the latencies to the I/O performance information collection unit of the management server. The provision destination determination unit sets, as a storage unit to which a virtual disk is to be allocated, that is a storage unit having the smallest average value of the latencies among storage units to which virtual disks have been provided.
US09354912B1
Disclosed is an approach for overseeing the overall state of a virtual storage system, and for taking actions as necessary to manage the health and efficient performance of that system. A curator entity is provided on a distributed basis to manage and perform these functions. A master curator manages this workload that is performed by multiple slave curators. MapReduce operations are performed to implement the curator workload. Periodically, the master curator coordinates a full scan of all the metadata in the system using three MapReduce operations. Partial scans may also be run using a single MapReduce operation.
US09354910B2
A radio equipment comprises waveform generator to receive input data and to generate output baseband waves corresponding to the received input data, and a radio-frequency component to transform the baseband waves generated in radio waves. The waveform generator comprises a Radio Virtual Machine (RVM) that has been compiled to operate on hardware underlying the RVM. The RVM comprises an associated RVM class that establishes a level of reconfigurability of low-level parameters of the RVM. The RVM class comprises one of a plurality of RVM classes in which each RVM class comprises a corresponding level of reconfigurability of low-level RVM parameters and a corresponding level of certification testing for reconfigured RVMs of the class. In one exemplary embodiment, the plurality of RVM classes comprises at least one RVM class comprising full reconfigurability of low-level RVM parameters and at least one RVM class comprising limited reconfigurability of low-level RVM parameters.
US09354902B2
A system engram encoding an existing configuration of a target system is received. The existing configuration includes one or more of hardware and software of the target system. The system engram is originally acquired by a first processing device and is received by a second processing device. The second processing device compares the system engram with a product engram encoding a required configuration of the target system for a product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system. The required configuration includes one or more of required hardware and required software within the target system for the product to be compatibly installed in relation to the target system. The second processing device can output, as compatibility information of the product with the target system, results of comparison of the system engram with the product engram.
US09354895B2
An image forming apparatus for updating a boot image for fast booting includes an interface unit to receive a new version of firmware to update a previous version of firmware installed in the image forming apparatus, a non-volatile memory to store a first boot image that is a previous version for the fast booting, and a processor updating a boot image by controlling the stored first boot image to be replaced with a second boot image that is a new version when the received new version of firmware includes the second boot image.
US09354888B2
A method for performing predecode-time optimized instructions in conjunction with predecode time optimized instruction sequence caching. The method includes receiving a first instruction of an instruction sequence and a second instruction of the instruction sequence and determining if the first instruction and the second instruction can be optimized. In response to the determining that the first instruction and second instruction can be optimized, the method includes, preforming a pre-decode optimization on the instruction sequence and generating a new second instruction, wherein the new second instruction is not dependent on a target operand of the first instruction and storing a pre-decoded first instruction and a pre-decoded new second instruction in an instruction cache. In response to determining that the first instruction and second instruction can not be optimized, the method includes, storing the pre-decoded first instruction and a pre-decoded second instruction in the instruction cache.
US09354882B2
Example methods and apparatus to manage partial commit-checkpoints are disclosed. A disclosed example method includes identifying a commit instruction associated with a region of instructions executed by a processor, identifying candidate instructions from the region of instructions, and generating a processor partial commit-checkpoint to save a current state of the processor, the checkpoint based on calculated register values associated with live instructions, and including instruction reference addresses to link the candidate instructions.
US09354879B2
A free list in processor includes multiple banks for indicating availability of register identifiers used for register renaming. A register rename unit receives one or more destination architectural registers to rename with physical register identifiers. Responsive to determining the multiple banks within the free list are unbalanced with available physical register identifiers, one or more returning physical register identifiers are assigned to the destination architectural registers before assigning any physical register identifiers from any bank of the multiple banks with a lowest number of available physical register identifiers. A returning physical register identifier is a physical register identifier that is available again for assignment to a destination architectural register but not yet indicated in the free list as available. Each of the banks includes a single bit width decoded vector for indicating availability of given physical register identifiers.
US09354855B2
Technologies are provided for locally installing remotely-served API instances. In some examples, a scale-out service may receive a request to provide an installation of a remotely-served API at a particular datacenter. In response to a determination by the scale-out service that a local instance of the remotely-served API can be installed at that datacenter, the scale-out service may install the local instance and route requests to that API from the datacenter to the local instance instead of the remotely-served API.
US09354851B2
A technique for deploying an application in a cloud computing environment includes: collecting, when a user is deploying an application, metadata and instructions on deploying the application, the metadata comprising service metadata, application metadata and topology metadata, wherein the service metadata comprise metadata on a service required for deploying the application, the application metadata comprise metadata on the application, and the topology metadata comprise metadata indicative of a relationship between the service and the application; and storing the collected metadata and instructions as a model for re-deploying the application.
US09354848B2
The present invention relates to software development in a networked environment, and in particular to a method for automatically assisted generation of composite applications which are composed of instantiable components. The method includes a) dynamically accessing a data source comprising one or more components being potentially suitable for being used within said composite application, b) parsing said data source for a predetermined searched component according to a predetermined functionality specification standard, c) ranking found components according to predetermined ranking criteria, d) defining a list of selected usable components from said ranking, e) storing at least a subset of said selected components locally, f) automatically deploying said composite application from said selected components.
US09354839B2
An information processing apparatus includes a touch panel, for example, set on a display screen. For example, the display screen displays a three-dimensional game screen showing a relatively narrower range of a virtual three-dimensional game world and a two-dimensional map screen showing a relatively wider range of the virtual three-dimensional game world simultaneously or through change. When an object existing in the virtual three-dimensional game world is moved, an input trace is obtained from an input to the map screen by utilizing the touch panel. The object is moved along the obtained input trace, and a scene in which the object is moving is displayed on the three-dimensional game screen.
US09354838B2
A method for projecting a user interface of an application program provided for a screen of a mobile device is provided onto a screen of an infotainment system arranged in a vehicle. The user interface can be displayed in a manner suitable for the driver of the vehicle if the screen size of the infotainment system is determined in the infotainment system. The screen size is transferred to the mobile device via a data interface, the user interface size of the application program running in the mobile device in the unit of the comparable size is determined in the mobile device. The screen size of the infotainment system is compared with the user interface size of the application program and a decision is made on the basis of the comparison, which image data is transferred from the mobile device to the infotainment system via the data interface.
US09354837B2
Some of the embodiments of the present disclosure provide a method comprising providing an apparatus, wherein the apparatus is configured to be coupled to (i) a peripheral device and (ii) a host device. The apparatus includes memory configured to store logic, wherein the logic is configured to (i) allow the host device and the peripheral device to communicate with each other and (ii) operate the peripheral device. The apparatus further includes a processor configured to execute the logic. The method further comprises bundling the apparatus with a consumable product for sale with the consumable product, wherein the consumable product is configured to be consumed by the peripheral device.
US09354834B2
To make it possible to use a function depending on bidirectional communication, an information processing apparatus comprises: a printer driver configured to generate print data to be printed by a real printer, based on image data received from an application; and a virtual printer configured to receive the generated print data, and perform output control to the real printer. The virtual printer obtains information of the real printer by communicating with the real printer; and transmits the print data based on the information of the real printer, wherein the printer driver generates the print data by executing rendering processing on the image data based on the information of the real printer obtained via the virtual printer.
US09354831B2
A mediation server for mediating target service provision from a service provision server to an image processing apparatus, including a processor causing the mediation server to supply specific information for displaying a condition setting screen to an external apparatus, receive a plurality of selected setting values from the external apparatus, supply, to the image processing apparatus, a determination execution instruction including the plurality of selected setting values and for executing a determination about validity of a combination of the plurality of selected setting values, receive a result of the determination from the image processing apparatus, and when the result indicates that the combination is valid, supply, to the image processing apparatus, a processing execution instruction including the plurality of selected setting values and being for executing the target image processing in accordance with the determined processing condition.
US09354821B2
A storage controller receives data from a host. The data is provided to a storage stack on the storage controller. The storage stack can perform deduplication, compression or file layout operations on the data, which is then written to a first storage unit coupled to a first port of the storage controller. The storage controller determines whether a second port of the first storage controller is configured as a remote port. In response to determining that the second port is configured as a remote port, the data is also provided to a pass-thru stack on the first storage controller. The pass-thru stack performs protocol conversion on the data and writes the data to the second port on the storage controller.
US09354820B2
Embodiments of the disclosure are directed toward a method, a system, and a computer program product for managing virtual storage access method (VSAM) data sets on performance tiers. The method can be used with VSAM data sets. The method can include determining a usage metric for a particular control area from the plurality of control areas. The method can also include prioritizing the particular control areas based on a determined usage metric. The method can also include assigning a prioritized control area to a performance tier of the plurality of tiers as a function of a prioritization of the particular control area and a performance criteria for the performance tier by moving the prioritized control area to the performance tier and updating an index record that associates the prioritized control area to the performance tier.
US09354819B2
A plurality of storage apparatuses including a first and second storage apparatus, wherein said first storage apparatus is configured to have a first virtual volume composed of a plurality of virtual segments, at least said second storage apparatus is configured to have a pool composed of a plurality of real pages, each storage apparatus is configured to manage a virtual pool comprising one or more pools including at least said pool, said virtual pool is composed of a plurality of virtual pages, each virtual page corresponding to any real page, and said first storage apparatus is configured to receive a write command that specifies an address belonging to an unallocated virtual segment, allocate a free virtual page to said unallocated virtual segment, and write data to the real page corresponding to the allocated virtual page, even when said first storage apparatus does not have a pool composed of real pages.
US09354818B2
According to one embodiment, a data storing method includes saving data stored in a memory device to a host device and verifying validity or accuracy of the data saved in the host device.
US09354815B2
In a computer, a logical partition for calculation in which an OS and an application operate and a logical partition for storage for providing a storage function are constructed. In the logical partition for calculation, a device corresponding to a storage device is provided, while the logical partition for storage provides a volume. A memory space that can be shared by the both logical partitions is prepared, and management information describing a sorting destination or a sorting method of an I/O request issued by an application is provided in the memory. If the logical partition for calculation receives an I/O request from the application, the partition refers to the management information and sorts the I/O request to the storage device or the logical partition for storage. The logical partition for storage processes the received I/O request by the storage function and transmits the result to the storage device.
US09354813B1
Described are modeling techniques. In accordance with one or more criteria, a determination may be made as to whether to use a dynamic model or a static model to model performance of components, such as storage devices, of a data storage system. A system may include first and second data storage systems where the first data storage system includes a computer readable medium with first code that performs processing in connection with data storage movement optimizations using one or more models including a dynamic model, and second code that generates and maintains the dynamic model used to model performance of storage devices. The second code may include code for performing first processing to determine device sets each of which does not share back-end resources of the second data storage system with any other device sets, and performing second processing to determine sets of performance curves corresponding to the device sets.
US09354800B2
In an electronic file system, preview information is provided to the user during a drag operation of a selected object onto a target object. The information indicates what type(s) of action is to be taken should the selected object be dropped onto the target object. The action(s) to be taken may depend upon the type of the selected object and/or the type of the target object. For example, where the selected object is an item and the target object is a persisted auto-list, the action may include adding, removing, or modifying one or more properties of the selected object to conform to one or more criteria defined by the persisted auto-list. Also, numerical feedback may be provided to the user where multiple objects are selected. For example, where seven objects are selected, the textual number “7” may appear next to the cursor.
US09354795B2
A computer system displays an object on a touch surface and detects multiple touch points on the touch surface in proximity to the displayed object. Next, the computer system detects one or more touch point movements originating from one or more of the plurality of touch points and determines a type of sector in which each of the touch point movements enters. In turn, when one of the touch point movements enters a rotate sector, the computer system performs a rotate command on the object.
US09354794B2
An electronic device with a display, processor(s), and memory detects a first user input to zoom in on a respective portion of a first video feed displayed on the display, and, in response, performs a software zoom function on the respective portion of the first video feed to display the respective portion at a first resolution. The electronic device determines a current zoom magnification and coordinates of the respective portion of the first video feed, and sends a command to the camera to perform a hardware zoom function on the coordinates of the respective portion according to the current zoom magnification. The electronic device receives a second video feed from the camera with a field of view corresponding to the respective portion, and displays, on the display, the second video feed in the video monitoring user interface with a second resolution that is higher than the first resolution.
US09354792B2
A method, a system, an apparatus, and a computer-readable medium for browsing spot information, adapted to an electronic device, are provided. In the present method, a plurality of spot information are retrieved, in which each of the spot information at least comprises a picture and a location of a spot. Next, an electronic map is displayed and a spot marker is marked at the spot location of each spot information on the electronic map. Meanwhile, a spot browsing bar is displayed on a side of the electronic map and the spot pictures of the spot information are sequentially displayed in the spot browsing bar. When a select operation of a certain spot marker on the electronic map is received, the spot browsing bar is scrolled to show the spot picture corresponding to the selected spot marker.
US09354783B2
Optical storage media often contain data structures for a menu suitable for selection of a title, a chapter, a parameter or others. Such menus usually comprise a number of buttons to be displayed, with each button having a state. Possible states of buttons are “unselected”, “selected” or “activated”. According to the invention, the representation of a menu button may vary, depending on its state. An image or an image sequence, e.g. cartoon, may be associated to a buttons state, providing user animation. Further, a sound or sound sequence, e.g. melody or click, may be associated to a buttons state, and may be played back when the button enters this state. A data structure is disclosed which allows storage of such menu data e.g. on a Blu-ray disc.
US09354779B2
A presentation program provides a graphical user interface that includes a theme gallery and a theme variation gallery. Users can apply a theme to a slide by selecting a theme thumbnail image. Once selected, a corresponding set of theme variations are indicated in the theme variation gallery using theme variation thumbnail images. Users can apply the desired theme variation by selecting the theme variation thumbnail image. Once selected, the theme variation is applied to the slide. A theme variation family identifier is stored in the slide file that allows subsequent identification of the theme, and allows a presentation program to subsequently identify theme variations for display on the theme variation gallery. A file structure is identified that allows backwards compatibility so that a presentation file of a slide with theme variations can be opened by an earlier version of a presentation program that does not implement theme variations.
US09354776B1
In-context compatibility of one or more services or application instances running as services with currently active work is monitored. Respective context-sensitive icons indicate contextual compatibility and availability of corresponding services. The context-sensitive icon is displayed in a graphical user interface of a web application. Availability of one or more services or application instances running as services is indicated in the graphical user interface using different states of the context-sensitive icon. A user may select the icon corresponding to an available and compatible service to be applied to the currently active work in the web application. A single user gesture type command releases the corresponding service.
US09354774B2
A mobile device with a graphical user interface for remotely monitoring and/or remotely interacting with a configurable building automation systems (BAS). In particular, the mobile device's graphical user interface that has a portrait mode and a landscape mode, and the graphical user interface is displayed on the touchscreen in the portrait mode or the landscape mode based on the orientation of the mobile device.
US09354773B2
A graphic symbol is created having a specified pattern and being associated with at least a first graphical object. Color attribute(s) is/are designated for the graphic symbol. While displaying related graphical object(s), the created graphic symbol and its specified pattern and color attribute(s) are retained within such displayed related graphical object(s), wherein the related graphical object(s) are recognizable as related to the first graphical object by the persistence of the specific graphic symbol pattern and designated colors.
US09354762B1
In one aspect, a method includes rendering to a user an object and objects related to the object, receiving from a user a selection by a user of a one of the related objects to use in a rule for an event-based analysis engine and merging the object and the selected object to perform the rule.
US09354747B2
An optical navigation device includes a navigation radiation source capable of producing a beam of radiation, and an optical element. The optical navigation device is for identifying movement of an object to thereby enable a control action to be carried out. A sensor is for receiving an image based upon reflected radiation from the navigation radiation source, and at least one illumination radiation source is for illuminating the optical navigation device. The device is operable, in recurrent cycles of at least reset, expose, and readout phases, to activate the at least one illumination radiation source during the reset phase. The reset phase may have the longest duration of the phases.
US09354746B2
A plurality of detection electrodes S(n) are allocated to any one of two or more detection electrode groups SG(k) so that the detection electrodes S(n) to be allocated to each of the detection electrode groups SG(k) are disposed at equal intervals and spaced apart from each other by at least one detection electrode S(n) in the direction of detection. In each of the two or more detection electrode groups SG(k), the detection electrodes S(n) allocated to the detection electrode group SG(k) are sequentially selected in the direction of detection so as to compare the detection voltage levels R(n) that each appear on a set of detection electrodes S(n) and S(n+1) that are adjacent to each other in the direction of detection.
US09354745B2
A touch detection device includes: a plurality of drive electrodes; a plurality of detection electrodes intersecting the plurality of drive electrodes, and each outputting, in response to driving of each of the drive electrodes, a series of detection signals; a signal correction section determining a reference based on the detection signals, and subtracting the determined reference from each of the detection signals; and a detecting section detecting an external proximity object based on corrected detection signals provided from the signal correction section.
US09354743B2
Improved signal-to-noise performance of projected capacitance touch screens and panels is provided by an integrated circuit regulated high voltage source and high voltage/current drivers coupled to a plurality of projected capacitive touch elements that are controlled by a microcontroller. The single integrated circuit high voltage generator/driver may comprise a voltage boost circuit, a voltage reference, power-on-reset (POR), soft start, a plurality of voltage level shifters and a serial interface for coupling to the microcontroller that may control all functions related to using the projected capacitance touch screens and panels.
US09354739B2
A self-capacitive touch control apparatus includes a plurality of electrodes, a plurality of sensors, and a number determining module. The sensors detect capacitance changes in the electrodes to generate a plurality of sensing results. The number determining module calculates a total sensing amount according to the sensing results, and determines the number of touch points according to the total sensing amount.
US09354737B2
In one embodiment, a method includes modifying an amount of charge of a capacitance of a touch sensor. The modified amount of charge results in a voltage at the capacitance being a first pre-determined voltage level. The method also includes applying a first pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance. The application of the first pre-determined amount of charge to the capacitance modifies the voltage at the capacitance from the first pre-determined voltage level to a first charging voltage level. The method also includes determining a first voltage at a sampling capacitor. The first voltage is proportional to a difference between the first charging voltage level and a reference voltage level. The method also includes determining whether a touch and stylus input to the touch sensor has occurred based on the first voltage and a second voltage.
US09354732B2
A display apparatus includes a receiving container, a backlight assembly, a display panel, a touch screen assembly, a first mold frame, and a second mold frame.The receiving container includes a bottom portion and side walls that extend from the bottom portion, and the backlight assembly is contained in the receiving container to generate light. The display panel is positioned to receive light from the backlight assembly to display an image, and the touch screen assembly is disposed on the display panel to detect a touch event occurring thereon. The first mold frame is coupled to the receiving container to support a first edge part of the display panel. In addition, the second mold frame is spaced apart from the display panel, and coupled to the first mold frame, so as to be configured to support a second edge part of the touch screen assembly.
US09354731B1
A computing device can use a combination of input technologies in order to provide for more accurate input determinations, as well as to reduce the number of false inputs determined. A capacitance-sensing approach, which can be self- or mutual-capacitance in nature, can be combined with a force- or pressure-sensing approach. The approaches can share at least some components, such as one or more electrodes, in order to conserve space on the device and reduce cost. An input at one or more locations in one or more modes then can be accepted only if the input is determined to be valid for both approaches, which can prevent false input resulting from keys or other metallic objects being detected by the capacitance components, as well as objects applying pressure to the device as detected by the force sensing components.
US09354726B2
A user interface for an audio/visual device incorporates one or both of a touch sensor having a touch surface on which is defined a racetrack surface having a ring shape and a display element on which is displayed a racetrack menu also having a ring shape, and where the user interface incorporates both, the ring shapes of the racetrack surface and the racetrack menu are structured to generally correspond such that the position of a marker on the racetrack menu is caused to correspond to the position at which a digit of a user's hand touches the racetrack surface. A user interface for an audio/visual device incorporates a display element on which is displayed a racetrack menu having a ring shape, where the selection of a menu item positioned along the racetrack menu is responded to with the display of a submenu positioned within a display area on the display element that is surrounded by the racetrack menu, and where the manner in which menu items of the submenu are selected in substantially the same manner as menu items positioned along the racetrack menu.
US09354725B2
Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for capturing, using a camera, an image of a general writing surface. The captured image is compared with one or more previously saved images. A related image is determined based upon syntax and semantics of handwriting recognized in the captured image and the one or more previously saved images. A previous document associated with the related image is retrieved and set as the active document. A position of a writing instrument is mapped to a position within the previous document.
US09354717B2
There is provided an optical navigation device including at least one light source, an image sensor and a processing unit. The light source illuminates a work surface in a first brightness value and a second brightness value. The image sensor receives reflected light from the work surface and outputs a first image frame corresponding to the first brightness value and a second image frame corresponding to the second brightness value. The processing unit calculates a differential image of the first image frame and the second image frame and identifies an operating state according to the differential image.
US09354714B2
A touch sensitive keypad device (101) for an electronic device (100) includes one or more keys (106,107,108,109,110) situated in a keypad carrier (206). One or more conductive layers (115,116,117,118) span the keys. One or more transverse conductive layers (119,120,121,122,123,124) are integrated with a non-key component, such as the keypad carrier (205). A capacitance sensing circuit (126) detects changes in capacitance between the conductive layers and the transverse conductive layers to detect user input, thereby allowing a user (1990) to use a matrix (1902) of keys as a touch pad.
US09354708B2
While an information display device is initially placed at a standstill, a CPU stores acceleration responsive to gravitational force acquired by an acceleration sensor into a RAM. The CPU acquires acceleration in compliance with fixed timing acquired by the acceleration sensor and resulting from motion on the information display device. The CPU accumulates the acceleration acquired in compliance with the fixed timing within each prescribed period. Then, the CPU makes the accumulated acceleration agree with acceleration responsive to gravitational force stored in the RAM, thereby correcting a posture parameter. Based on the corrected posture parameter, the CPU determines whether a temporal image is to be displayed on a display unit.
US09354699B2
An input device for transmitting a signal between a terminal device and an external device is disclosed in the present invention. The input device includes an input unit, a terminal communication unit, a wireless transmission unit and a processor. The input unit generates an operation signal. The terminal communication unit establishes a connection to the terminal device. The wireless transmission unit establishes a connection to the external device for receiving a first datum signal outputted from the external device. The processor is electrically connected to the input unit, the terminal communication unit and the wireless transmission unit. The processor respectively transmits the operation signal and the first datum signal to the terminal device via the terminal communication unit.
US09354698B2
An electronic device includes a housing enclosing a motion sensor and a first capacitive proximity sensor on a first planar side of the electronic device. A second capacitive proximity sensor on a second planar side of the electronic device within the housing is monitored for determining the differential amount of signal change of the first capacitive proximity sensor relative to the second capacitive proximity sensor.
US09354691B2
The power saving device and method are provided. The power saving device which applies to a network apparatus includes a Phase-Locked Loop circuit, a computing module and a clock-selecting register, the Phase-Locked Loop circuit is configured to receive a reference clock frequency and generate a clock frequency-increasing signal according to the reference clock frequency; the computing unit is configured to calculate a setting parameter and the clock-selecting register is configured to generate an operating clock signal according to the clock frequency-increasing signal and setting parameter and send the operating clock signal to the network apparatus, wherein the network apparatus adjusts the clock frequency rate according to the operating clock signal.
US09354683B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to, among other things, managing power of one or more data storage devices. In some examples, a storage service may obtain a schedule associated with enabling different storage devices at different times. The storage service may also identify a request of a batch of requests for accessing the storage devices. In some cases, the storage service may also determine which storage device to activate based at least in part on the schedule and/or the request. Further, the storage service may manage power of a storage device based at least in part on the determination of which storage device to activate.
US09354675B1
A server comprises two mainboards, disposed on a base plate. The mainboards comprise a plurality of expander cards and an electrical module. The electrical module is provided with at least one first storage device. Each mainboard further comprises a daughter card disposed between the base plate and the electrical module. The expander card or the daughter card is served as a system-tray of the electrical module by the at least one first storage device of the electrical module, so as to manage a disk array for a plurality of second storage devices of the server. This ensures that when the storage device of the mainboard is malfunctioned, it doesn't need to turn off the server for repairing. Under a condition of not affect normal function of the server, more electrical elements are provided to a limited space so as to increase or upgrade the function of the server.
US09354671B2
A manufacturing method for forming a touch device is disclosed. A substrate having a viewing region is provided. A plurality of first sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other on the substrate corresponding to the viewing region. An insulating layer is formed on the plurality of first sensing electrodes. A plurality of second sensing electrodes are transfer-printed onto the insulating layer, wherein the plurality of second sensing electrodes are spaced apart from each other, and wherein the plurality of first sensing electrodes are in a staggered arrangement with the plurality of second sensing electrodes and insulated from the plurality of second sensing electrodes by the insulating layer. A touch device is also disclosed.
US09354669B2
An electronic device includes a first body, a second body, and a linking assembly. The first body has a first side and a second side opposite to each other, and a sliding slot located at the first side. The first body and the second body are pivoted to the linking assembly. The second body rotates relative to the first side of the first body to open or close and drives the linking assembly, such that the electronic device stands on a platform with the first side or the second side of the first body. The linking assembly has a supporting block movably coupled to the sliding slot. When the second body rotates to an angle relative to the first side, the supporting block protrudes out of the first side so that the electronic device stands on the platform with the first side.
US09354664B2
An electronic device and an input method are provided. The electronic device comprises a first system and a second system; the first system comprises a first hardware system on which a first Operation System (OS) runs, and the first hardware system comprises a first interface and a second interface; the second system comprises a second hardware system, an input device and a display device, a second OS runs on the second hardware system, and the second hardware system comprises a third interface and a fourth interface; the first interface and the third interface support a first data transmission protocol, and the second interface and the fourth interface support a second data transmission protocol; the electronic device has a first connection state and a second connection state; the first connection state is the state in which the first system is connected to the third interface of the second system through the first interface, the display device is used for displaying the running status of the first OS, the input device is used for generating a first operating instruction, and the first OS is used for responding to the first operating instruction; and the second connection state is the state in which the first system is connected to the fourth interface of the second system through the second interface, the input device is used for generating a second operating instruction which is processed by the second OS and transmitted to the first OS after being processed, and the processed second operating instruction is responded to by the first OS. Because the two parts of the electronic device are combined arbitrarily and the respective skilled functions of the two systems are fully used after being combined, user can take full use of all parts of a detachable computer by applying this technical solution.
US09354649B2
In one embodiment, a circuit includes a first transistor having a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal where the first transistor is a first device type. The control terminal of the first transistor receives an input signal. The circuit also includes a second transistor having a control terminal, a first terminal, and a second terminal where the second transistor is a second device type. The control terminal of the second transistor is coupled to the second terminal of the first transistor. A voltage shift circuit has an input coupled to the first terminal of the first transistor and an output coupled to the first terminal of the second transistor and a voltage between the input of the voltage shift circuit and an output of the voltage shift circuit increases as a current from the output of the voltage shift circuit increases.
US09354646B2
A voltage generator of a contactless integrated circuit (IC) card includes a regulator configured to generate a first internal voltage based on an input voltage and a first reference voltage, the input voltage being received through an antenna of the contactless IC card. The voltage generator includes an internal voltage generator configured to generate a second internal voltage, the second internal voltage being used to operate an internal circuit of the contactless IC card. The voltage generator includes a reference voltage generator configured to generate a second reference voltage based on the first internal voltage, the second reference voltage being generated without regard to a fluctuation component of the first internal voltage. The voltage generator includes a switching unit configured to provide one of the first and second internal voltages as the first reference voltage in response to first and second switching control signals.
US09354645B2
A voltage regulating circuit is provided for regulating an output voltage in order to minimize an absolute difference between a level of said output voltage and a reference level. The voltage regulating circuit comprises a voltage regulator and a reference level generator. The reference level generator generates an internal reference level on the basis of said output voltage level and said reference level such that said internal reference level does not exceed said output voltage level by more than a maximum allowed increment. The voltage regulator regulates said output voltage in order to minimize an absolute difference between said output voltage level and said internal reference level. A method of regulating an output voltage is also disclosed.
US09354641B2
A method, apparatus, system and computer program is provided for controlling an electric power system, including implementation of an energy planning process (EPP) system which can be used to plan a voltage control and conservation (VCC) system applied to an electrical distribution connection system (EEDCS). The EPP system plans modifications to the EEDCS as a result of operating the VCC system in the “ON” state, in order to maximize the level of energy conservation achieved by the VCC system control of the EEDCS. The EPP system may also identify potential problems in the EEDCS for correction.
US09354639B2
A balanced pressure regulator includes a valve body having a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet connected by a fluid passageway. A valve seat is disposed within the fluid passageway. A valve plug is at least partially disposed within the fluid passageway, the valve plug interacting with the valve seat to selectively open or close the fluid passageway. A retainer operatively connects the valve plug to a valve stem. A diaphragm separates a chamber from the fluid passageway and a balancing passage fluidly connects the fluid passageway with the chamber. A balancing tube extends outward, away from the retainer, fluidly connecting the fluid passageway with the balancing passage.
US09354635B2
An air/ground contact logic management system for use with fly-by-wire control systems in an aircraft. The system includes a first sensor configured to provide an output signal to determine when the aircraft is in a transition region. A logic management system is in communication with the first sensor and is configured to receive and process the output signal and classify a mode of the aircraft. A controller receives signal data from the logic management system and communicates with a control axis actuator to regulate a level of control authority provided to a pilot. The control authority is individually regulated within each integrator as a result of the individual landing gear states.
US09354634B2
An automatic homing and charging method for a self-moving cleaning apparatus mainly includes the steps of: judging power of the self-moving cleaning apparatus lower than an intended charging power value; controlling the self-moving cleaning apparatus to move forward until bumping against an obstacle; controlling the self-moving cleaning apparatus to turn a swerved angle; controlling the self-moving cleaning apparatus to move straightly for a preset distance; controlling the self-moving cleaning apparatus to move along an arched locus until bumping against the obstacle again; and detecting a position signal issued from a charging dock and controlling the self-moving cleaning apparatus to turn and move forward to form electric contact with the charging dock. The invention also provides a debugging mechanism to avoid circuiting round the obstacle, thus can accurately search the charging dock.
US09354628B2
A mounting turn that is going to be performed from now on and the identifiers of the feeders that are the supply sources of the components for the mounting turn are read out from a mounting program, and it is determined whether there is a non-supply feeder which does not supply a component to the component supply position 13p in the feeders corresponding to the identifiers that are read out, based on the output from the component detecting sensors provided in the feeders corresponding to the identifiers that are read out. As a result, when there is not a non-supply feeder, the mounting turn that is read out is performed, and when there is a non-supply feeder, the performing of the mounting turn that is read out is suspended and another mounting turn is read out.
US09354621B2
A control system for an adaptive-power thermal management system of an aircraft having at least one adaptive cycle gas turbine engine includes a real time optimization solver that utilizes a plurality of models of systems to be controlled, the plurality of models each being defined by algorithms configured to predict changes to each system caused by current changes in input to each system. The real time optimization solver is configured to solve an open-loop optimal control problem on-line at each of a plurality of sampling times, to provide a series of optimal control actions as a solution to the open-loop optimal control problem. The real time optimization solver implements a first control action in a sequence of control actions and at a next sampling time the open-loop optimal control problem is re-posed and re-solved.
US09354613B2
The invention is a method and system for graphical representation of time. In this invention the hours are represented by an hour symbol drawn in a display area. The minutes of the hour are represented by a translation attribute of the hour symbol, which changes the hour symbol proportionally as the minutes of the hour lapse. The translation attribute may be position, size, rotation, a combination or other attributes. In a preferred embodiment, the visual identification of the minute is enhanced by the addition of a proportional change in the state of the background to indicate the minutes past the hour.
US09354611B2
In some implementations, a method comprises: generating, by an event system of an integrated circuit, a first event signal in response to a clock signal; distributing the first event signal to a first digital converter, where the first event signal triggers conversion of a first analog signal to a first digital value by the first digital converter; generating, by the event system, a second event signal in response to the clock signal; and distributing the second event signal to a second digital converter, where the second event signal triggers conversion of a second analog signal to a second digital value.
US09354607B2
Method for maintaining and regulating the frequency of a timepiece resonator mechanism around its natural frequency (ω0) Includes a regulator device acting on the resonator with a periodic motion which requires a periodic modulation of at least the resonant frequency of said resonator, by requiring at least a modulation of the active length of a spring in the resonator mechanism, with a regulation frequency (ωR) that is between 0.9 times and 1.1 times the value of an integer multiple of the natural frequency (ω0). The integer is greater than or equal to 2 and less than or equal to 10.
US09354588B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer rotating in a first direction while bearing a toner image thereon in a normal image forming operation; a toner image forming device to form the toner image on the image bearer; a transferring device to transfer the toner image to a recording medium eventually; a cleaning blade to block toner remaining on image bearer without being transferred; and a controller. The controller controls the image bearer to perform an inverse rotation operation in which the image bearer rotates in a second direction opposite to the first direction after controlling the toner image forming device to perform a special image forming operation such that the amount of toner input to the cleaning blade in the special image forming operation is greater than the amount of toner input to the cleaning blade in the normal image forming operation, and then stopping the image bearer.
US09354581B2
A sheet processing apparatus of the invention has: an ejecting unit that is capable of receiving a sheet on which a toner image has been heated and fixed, and ejecting the sheet for a predetermined normal ejecting time; and a processing unit that processes the sheet ejected by the ejecting unit according to obtained sheet information, wherein the ejecting unit ejects the sheet for an ejecting time longer than the normal ejecting time.
US09354576B1
Provided is an image forming system including a plurality of discharge units provided for discharging a recording material, an abnormality detection unit which detects conveyance abnormality of a recording material in a conveyance path in the image forming system, a position detection unit which detects a position of a user who performs a task of removing the recording material having caused the conveyance abnormality detected by the abnormality detection unit, a selection unit which selects a discharge unit, which is able to discharge a recording material remaining on a conveyance path of an upstream side and is nearest the position of the user detected by the position detection unit, from the plurality of discharge units, and a purge processing unit which allows the recording material remaining on the conveyance path of the upstream side from the discharge unit selected by the selection unit to be discharged from the discharge unit.
US09354574B2
A method of controlling performance of auto color registration (ACR) of a color image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus using the same are provided. The method of controlling performance of ACR includes forming a composite black image on a transfer belt, sensing the composite black image by using a sensor, measuring the sensed composite black image, and performing ACR correction when a measured width of the composite black image is greater than a previously set value. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent unnecessary performance of ACR control when no color misregistration has occurred. In this way, ACR control is performed in as short a time as possible so that performance of the image forming apparatus may be improved. Also, it is possible to prevent waste of ACR performance time and life span reduction of a driving source for ACR.
US09354573B2
A fusing device and an image forming apparatus having the same are provided. The fusing device includes a position regulating device to regulate a position of a side frame which rotatably supports a fusing belt, thereby fixing a position of a fusing nip defined between the fusing belt, inside of which a heat source is placed, and a pressure roller arranged to face the fusing belt. The fusing device prevents shift of a recording medium delivery path due to deformation of the pressure roller.
US09354561B1
In a light guide member included in an image forming apparatus, a transmitting/reflecting portion transmits and reflects light that is emitted from a light source to enter one end of the light guide member in a longitudinal direction and be guided to the other end thereof in the longitudinal direction. The light reflected by the transmitting/reflecting portion is emitted from a first optical surface. The light transmitted through the transmitting/reflecting portion is emitted from a second optical surface. At a cross section orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, a first outer peripheral surface has an arc shape including the first optical surface. Second outer peripheral surfaces expand from both ends of the first outer peripheral surface toward the second optical surface.
US09354559B2
Disclosed is a cleaning blade of which a contact portion brought into contact with at least a member to be cleaned is formed of a polyurethane member that includes a polyurethane material containing a hard segment and a soft segment and has a ratio of an area occupied by a hard segment aggregate having a diameter of 0.3 μm to 0.7 μm in a cross section being in a range of 2% to 10%.
US09354557B2
The invention provides an intermediate transfer member for use in an image recording method including the steps of applying a reaction liquid to the intermediate transfer member, applying an ink to the intermediate transfer member so as to overlap with at least a part of a region to which the reaction liquid has been applied, thereby forming an intermediate image, and transferring the intermediate image to a recording medium, wherein an average of a surface area per unit area of a surface of the intermediate transfer member is 1.2 or more and 10.0 or less.
US09354550B2
A developer supply container includes a developer accommodating chamber configured to accommodate developer, a feeding portion configured and positioned to feed the developer in the developer accommodating chamber by rotation thereof, and a developer discharging chamber provided with a discharge opening configured to permit discharging of the developer fed by the feeding portion. In addition, a rotatable gear rotates the feeding portion, a pump portion acts upon at least the developer discharging chamber, with the pump portion having a volume which changes with reciprocation, and a drive converting portion converts a rotational force generated by rotation of the gear to a force for operating the pump portion.
US09354547B2
A developer container includes a container body, a movable wall, and a detection sensor. The container body includes an inner surface defining a cylindrical internal space. The internal space is in the form of a cylinder extending in a first direction. The container body is formed with a developer discharge port communicating with the internal space. The movable wall includes an outer surface and a conveying surface. The outer surface is disposed in close contact with the inner surface of the container body. The conveying surface defines a storage space configured to contain the developer in cooperation with the inner surface of the container body. The movable wall moves in the first direction from one end side to the other end side of the internal space. The detection sensor is provided on the container body near the developer discharge port and detects the developer in the storage space.
US09354544B2
A developing device includes: a developing frame having an opening; a developing roller that is arranged to the opening and is configured to carry developer; a supply roller configured to supply the developer to the developing roller, and a layer thickness regulation member configured to regulate a layer thickness of the developer carried on the developing roller. The developing frame includes: a developer accommodation chamber configured to accommodate the developer; a developer supply chamber configured to supply the developer, which is supplied from the developer accommodation chamber, to the supply roller; a developer return chamber that is arranged above the developer supply chamber and is configured to return the developer, which is scraped off by the layer thickness regulation member, to the developer accommodation chamber. The developer return chamber is provided with a developer returning unit configured to convey the developer to the developer accommodation chamber.
US09354543B2
An image forming device includes a plurality of cartridges each including a developing member, a supply member, a developing agent container, and a conveying member. The container is disposed below the developing member and the supply member and has an inner surface defining an internal space. The container has an opening having an upper edge and a lower edge. The conveying member is rotatably disposed in the internal space and is configured to convey the developing agent upward. The container includes a first wall portion extending from the lower edge in a downstream direction with respect to a rotational direction of the conveying member and includes a second wall portion extending from the upper edge in an upstream direction with respect to the rotational direction. The conveying member is in simultaneous sliding contact with both the upper and lower edges to convey the developing agent onto the first wall portion.
US09354531B2
A process for making a latex emulsion where distillation occurs at an elevated temperature is used to make resin particles with a conditioned surface which can be used to make magenta toner with increased efficiency.
US09354521B2
A system and method for photoresists is provided. In an embodiment the photoresist is exposed in a photoresist track system and developed in an offline developing system. After the photoresist is exposed, the photoresist may be idled for a time period prior to being developed in the offline developing system.
US09354510B2
An extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask can be used in lithography, such as is used in the fabrication of a semiconductor wafer. The EUV mask includes a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate and a reflective multilayer (ML) disposed thereon. A capping layer is disposed on the reflective ML and a patterned absorption layer disposed on the capping layer. The pattern includes an antireflection (ARC) type pattern.
US09354507B2
The present disclosure is directed towards an extreme ultraviolet (EUV) mask. The EUV mask includes a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate. The EUV mask has a first region and a second region. The EUV mask also includes a structure disposed in the first region. The structure has a multiple facets with an angle to each other. The EUV mask also includes a conformal reflective multilayer (ML) disposed over the structure in the first region and over the LTEM substrate in the second region. The conformal reflective ML has a similar surface profile as the structure in the first region and a flat surface profile in the second region.
US09354494B2
A projection type image display apparatus includes an adjusting sub-frame image generator and a shift amount adjuster. The adjusting sub-frame image generator generates a primary adjusting sub-frame image having a design in which a first line having a first color and a width of an N pixel (N being a natural number) is displayed on a background image having a second color, and a secondary adjusting sub-frame image having a design in which a second line having a third color and a width of an M pixel set to N=M+α (M being an integer equal to or greater than 1, α being an integer equal to or greater than 0) is displayed on a background image having a fourth color. The shift amount adjuster adjusts the shift amount when the display positions of the primary and secondary adjusting sub-frame images on the projection surface are shifted relatively to each other.
US09354491B2
A system and method for synchronizing a photographic lighting device to image acquisition by a camera using light emission profile information to position a light emission profile at a desired location in an image acquisition window. A light energy balance point of a light emission profile can be used to position the balance point at a desired location in an image acquisition window.
US09354486B2
An auto focus camera module includes a camera module housing defining an aperture and an internal cavity to accommodate camera module components, an image sensor coupled to or within the housing, a lens barrel within the housing that contains an optical train including at least one movable lens disposed relative to the aperture and image sensor to focus images of scenes onto the image sensor along an optical path, and a fast focus MEMS actuator coupled to one or more lenses of the optical train including the at least one movable lens and configured to rapidly move said at least one movable lens relative to the image sensor to provide autofocus for the camera module in each frame of a preview or video sequence or both.
US09354484B2
Provided herein is terahertz continuous wave emitting device having: a plurality of laser light sources generating a plurality of laser lights; and an absorption area formed between the plurality of laser light sources in order to adjust interaction of the plurality of laser lights, wherein the absorption area is configured to have a photo diode, an antenna integrated into the photo diode.
US09354482B2
A circular display includes a carrier and a display medium layer that is located on the carrier. The display medium layer has two display edges opposite to each other. The carrier has two carrying edges opposite to each other. The display edges are respectively aligned to the carrying edges. The carrier and the display medium layer are bent together to form a closed ring. The display edges of the display medium layer are connected to each other. The carrying edges of the carrier are connected to each other.
US09354481B2
To provide a liquid crystal element with a high contrast ratio capable of achieving both optical control that utilizes a memory property and optical control capable of supporting moving image displays. The two substrates are disposed with an angle formed by the respective orientation processing directions from 0° to less than 40°. The liquid crystal layer includes chiral material capable of generating a second orientation state that includes a twist different from that of the first orientation state in the liquid crystal molecules of the layer. The liquid crystal layer transitions from the second orientation state to the first orientation state and vice versa by the application of an electric field, and returns to the second orientation state when an electric field is applied in the second orientation state, thereby generating an orientation change in accordance with the size of the electric field, and the electric field is subsequently released.
US09354479B2
A TFT substrate (20) forming a part of a liquid crystal display panel includes: respective pixels having mutually adjacent first sub-pixels and second sub-pixels; first source electrodes (14aba) that branch towards the first sub-pixels and form a portion of respective first TFTs (5a) after respective source lines (14a) between the respective pixels continue along respective gate lines (11a) extending between the first sub-pixels and second sub-pixels of the respective pixels; and a second source electrode (14abb) that branches towards the second sub-pixel and forms a portion of the respective second TFTs (5b). The respective gate lines (11a) have openings where the respective source lines (14a) have branched.
US09354475B2
A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate, a first electrode on the first substrate, and a second electrode on the first substrate, spaced apart from the first electrode and overlapping at least a part of the first electrode. the second electrode includes a plurality of branch electrodes, and a coupling portion which couples the plurality of branch electrodes to each other. The coupling portion includes a longitudinal coupling portion extended in a length direction of the branch electrode and a transverse coupling portion extended in a width direction of the branch electrode. An edge portion of the first electrode is disposed between at least one of the plurality of branch electrodes and the longitudinal coupling portion, in a plan view.
US09354473B2
A liquid crystal display apparatus comprises a first substrate, a second substrate and a first spacer. The first substrate includes a transparent substrate, a metal layer, an insulating layer and a first electrode layer. The metal layer is disposed on the transparent substrate. The insulating layer is between the metal layer and first electrode layer, and covers the metal layer. The insulating layer has a first indentation. A surface of the first substrate has a second indentation corresponding to the first indentation and having a first width. The second substrate is opposite to the first substrate. The first spacer is on the second substrate and has a top surface opposite to the second indentation. The top surface and the second indentation at least partially overlap, and the top surface has a second width larger than the first width.
US09354467B2
A microlens array substrate is provided on which a plurality of microlenses is arranged, and the collection efficiency of a first microlens is lower than the collection efficiency of a second microlens positioned further to the outside edge sides than the first microlens.
US09354462B2
A method for manufacturing an image display device includes the step of forming a cured resin layer by interposing a photo-curable resin composition between a protection member and a display-side panel including an image display unit and a frame member and then photo-curing the photo-curable resin composition, with the photo-curable resin composition being disposed across between the image display unit and the frame member. In the manufacturing method, a high-viscosity resin composition having a viscosity of 3000 mPa·s or more and 12000 mPa·s or less is used as the photo-curable resin composition. Alternatively, after a gap between the image display unit and the frame member is sealed with a sealing film, a photo-curable resin composition is interposed between the display-side panel and the protection member.
US09354460B2
A detachment apparatus having an arched drum pad and a method for fabricating a lightweight, thin liquid crystal display (LCD) device using the same are provided. The detachment apparatus includes: a table to which an object to be processed is loaded; an arched drum pad installed over the table and including O-rings formed on a lower surface thereof and a plurality of vacuum compartments demarcated by the O-rings; and a plurality of driving units configured to control a position of the drum pad. In case of using an auxiliary substrate to perform a process of a thin glass substrate, the auxiliary substrate can be easily separated from a liquid crystal panel in a cell state attached after processes are completed by using the arched drum pad having O-rings and a plurality of vacuum compartments.
US09354458B2
A voltage compensation circuit includes a voltage detection unit, a digital comparison correction unit, and a voltage adjustment unit. The voltage detection unit detects input voltage of the gate driver and conducts the input voltage to the digital comparison correction unit. The digital comparison correction unit compares the input voltage with reference voltage supplied by a controller for generating a correction controlling signal and conducting the correction controlling signal to the voltage adjustment unit. The voltage adjustment unit adjusts the input voltage and outputs a target voltage according to the correction controlling signal. The gate driver conducts the target voltage to an LCD panel. In this way, a scanning voltage conducted to a gate driver is adjusted. Therefore, a voltage drop will not exist between output voltages of different gate drivers, not only preventing mura from occurring in the LCD panel but also improving display quality of the LCD panel.
US09354449B2
An image display device includes: a display panel having a plurality of pixels disposed in a matrix; and a liquid crystal lens disposed on the side of a display surface of the display panel, wherein the pixels of the display panel are divided into a plurality of pixel groups each including two or more pixels, the liquid crystal lens forms, by application of an electric field, a lens array having a plurality of lens portions each corresponding to each of the pixel groups, the lens portion is configured to have a first area having a constant refractive index and a second area having a distribution of refractive index, the second area is disposed at a side portion of the lens portion, and the first area is disposed closer to the center than the second area.
US09354446B2
A Heads-Up Display (HUD) system comprises a processor, a power source, and one or more sensors coupled to a frame connector. The processor is configured to receive signals from the one or more sensors and output image data. A display is mounted on a display arm extending from the frame connector. The display is configured to display images based on the image data. A goggles frame is configured to releasably receive the frame connector. The display is located within a field of view of a user wearing the goggles frame when the frame connector is received by the goggles frame.
US09354444B2
An annular optical spacer includes an outer annular surface, an inner annular surface, a first side surface, a second side surface and a plurality of protruding structures. The inner annular surface surrounds a central axis of the annular optical spacer and is opposite to the outer annular surface. The first side surface connects the outer annular surface with the inner annular surface. The second side surface connects the outer annular surface with the inner annular surface and is opposite to the first side surface. The protruding structures are regularly disposed on the inner annular surface. Each of the protruding structures extends along a direction from the first side surface to the second side surface and is integrated with the inner annular surface.
US09354432B2
A lens includes a bottom face, a light incident face defined in the bottom face, a light emerging face opposite to the bottom face and a lateral face connecting the light emerging face with the bottom face. An optical axis extends through centers of the light incident face and the light emerging face. The light emerging face includes a plurality of sub-light emerging faces discontinuous from each other. Each sub-light emerging face has a concave face adjacent to the optical axis, and a convex face away from the optical axis.
US09354429B2
An optical imaging lens includes an aperture stop and an optical assembly, the optical assembly includes, in order from the object side to the image side: a first lens element with a refractive power; a second lens element with a negative refractive power; a third lens element with a positive refractive power; a fourth lens element with a negative refractive power; a fifth lens element with a refractive power; wherein a focal length of the optical imaging lens is f, focal lengths of the first, second, third, fourth and fifth lens elements are f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, respectively, a radius of curvature of an image-side surface of the first lens element is R2, satisfying: |f3|≦|fn|, wherein n=1, 2, 4 and 5; −1
US09354422B1
Embodiments of the present disclosure include an actuator for steering mirrors with low magnetic hysteresis losses at high frequencies, with a fast step response, and without excessive heating of the steering mirror. Various embodiments of the actuator include two stators (a left stator and a right stator or an inner stator and an outer stator) and a rotor positioned between the stators. Each stator has a core assembly with one or more cores, two or more legs, and two or more faces positioned proximate to the rotor. The two or more legs are separated from one another by portions of the one or more coils. The rotor includes a core and a plurality of magnets, where each magnet has a face positioned proximate to the faces of one core assembly.
US09354421B2
Provided is an advanced grid structure manufactured by a lamination step of laminating a first tape prepreg group, a second tape prepreg group, and a third tape prepreg group repeatedly in the stated order on a forming die, in which grooves (2, 3, 4) in a lattice shape are formed in three directions, so as to provide crossing regions (7, 8, 9) in which two tape prepreg groups overlap each other, and a heating forming step of forming a laminate by heating under pressure. In the lamination step, the first tape prepreg group, the second tape prepreg group, and the third tape prepreg group are respectively laminated as one layer in crossing regions (7, 8, 9) so that a tape width is maintained, and laminated in non-crossing regions (2a, 3a, 4a) in a state of being folded as two layers in a width direction thereof.
US09354416B2
A fiber optic telecommunications device includes a frame and a fiber optic module including a rack mount portion, a center portion, and a main housing portion. The rack mount portion is stationarily coupled to the frame, the center portion is slidably coupled to the rack mount portion along a sliding direction, and the main housing portion is slidably coupled to the center portion along the sliding direction. The main housing portion of the fiber optic module includes fiber optic connection locations for connecting cables to be routed through the frame. The center portion of the fiber optic module includes a radius limiter for guiding cables between the main housing portion and the frame, the center portion also including a latch for unlatching the center portion for slidable movement. Slidable movement of the center portion with respect to the rack mount portion moves the main housing portion with respect to the frame along the sliding direction.
US09354415B2
A fiber distribution hub (FDH) can include an enclosure defining an interior region and a frame body having a longitudinal axis. The frame body is rotatably mounted within the interior region of the enclosure such that the frame body can rotate about the longitudinal axis relative to the enclosure. The FDH further includes a plurality of splitters coupled to the frame body. Each splitter module has at least one splitter input and at least two splitter outputs. The FDH also includes a first plurality of adapters coupled to the frame body. The first plurality of adapters is configured to optically couple to splitter output cables. Additionally, the FDH can also include a storage retaining structure coupled to the frame body, the storage retaining structure being configured to selectively secure connectorized ends of splitter output cables.
US09354402B2
A fiber optic adapter is disclosed. The fiber optic adapter includes a main body configured to receive a first fiber optic connector through a first end and a second fiber optic connector through a second end for mating with the first fiber optic connector. The adapter includes a ferrule alignment structure located within an axial cavity of the main body, the ferrule alignment structure including a sleeve mount and a ferrule sleeve, the sleeve mount including an axial bore and at least one latching hook extending from a center portion of the sleeve mount toward the first end of the main body and at least one latching hook extending from the center portion toward the second end of the main body, the latching hooks configured to flex for releasably latching the first and second fiber optic connectors to the fiber optic adapter. The sleeve mount and the main body of the fiber optic adapter are unitarily molded as a single piece and the ferrule sleeve is separately placed within the axial bore of the sleeve mount.
US09354398B2
An optical connector includes a first optical fiber and a second optical fiber. A first planar lens is positioned to operate on light exiting the first optical fiber to create a predetermined change in a wave front of the light. A second planar lens is positioned to accept the light from the first planar lens, the second planar lens focusing the light onto the second optical fiber. The first planar lens and second planar lens each include a regularly spaced array of posts with periodically varying diameters.
US09354397B2
The disclosure generally relates to sets of optical waveguides such as optical fiber ribbons, and fiber optic connectors useful for connecting multiple optical fibers to other optical fibers or optical devices. In particular, the disclosure provides an efficient, compact and reliable optical fiber connector (100) that incorporates an optically transmissive substrate (120) receiving the optical fibers (132) in V-grooves on a first major surface thereof with their angle cleaved ends (126) arranged in a staggered arrangement so as to redirect light to an associated microlens (128) at the opposite surface of the transparent substrate (120).
US09354393B2
A method for polishing photonic chips is described. A gauge is placed in a photonic chip adjacent to an edge to be polished. The gauge includes a set of bars of various lengths. The bar lengths can be progressively ordered from shortest to longest or vice versa. The photonic chip is then secured in a chip polishing jig to get ready for polishing. When the photonic chip is being polished, an operator can visually inspect the gauge by looking at the polishing edge to estimate a polishing depth in order to determine a stopping point for polishing. Once the stopping point has been reached, the polishing of the photonic chip can be stopped.
US09354391B2
A device includes integrated circuit chips mounted on one another. At least one component for protecting elements of a second chip is formed in a first chip. The chips may be of the SOI type, with the first chip including a first SOI layer having a first thickness and the second chip including a second SOI layer having a second thickness smaller than the first thickness. The first chip including the component for protecting may include an optical waveguide with the component for protecting formed adjacent the optical waveguide.
US09354389B2
An integrated photonic component (100) for polarization insensitive wavelength multiplexing includes an arrayed waveguide grating, AWG, (1) having a predetermined polarization splitting and a MZI-based polarization beam splitter (8) that is configured to compensate the predetermined polarization splitting of the AWG (1). The result is a fabrication tolerant integrated photonic component (100) that is operable over a wide number of limited bandwidth wavelength channels of a wavelength division multiplexing, WDM, system. A photonic integrated circuit, PIC, (200) for use in a WDM system is provided. The PIC (200) includes the integrated photonic component (100). A method of designing the integrated photonic component (100) is also described.
US09354385B2
A curved display apparatus includes a curved display panel, a curved bottom sash disposed at a rear of the display panel such that the curved bottom sash is spaced apart from the display panel, and a plurality of backlight units disposed at opposite inner sides of the bottom sash to irradiate light to the bottom sash. The inside of the bottom sash reflects the light irradiated from the backlight units to the display panel. Consequently, a light guide plate may be omitted from the display apparatus.
US09354372B2
An optical laminate in which a polarizing film including a polyvinyl alcohol-based resin having oriented iodine is bonded on a first surface of the polarizing film to an optical film through an optically transparent adhesive layer is provided. The polarizing film exhibits a property that a value expressed by the following formula: Aa×(Is/Ia), is 0.53 or more, where: Aa represents an absorbance; Ia represents a value obtained by integrating a distribution of integrated intensities in the thickness direction of the polarizing film; and Is represents a value obtained by integrating, a distribution of integrated intensities in the thickness direction of the polarizing film; and the adhesive layer exhibits a property that a difference between a refractive index of the adhesive layer and a refractive index in the absorption axis direction of the polarizing film at the first surface of the polarizing film is 0.08 or less.
US09354369B2
An optical filter having a passband at least partially overlapping with a wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm is provided. The optical filter includes a filter stack formed of hydrogenated silicon layers and lower-refractive index layers stacked in alternation. The hydrogenated silicon layers each have a refractive index of greater than 3 over the wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm and an extinction coefficient of less than 0.0005 over the wavelength range of 800 nm to 1100 nm.
US09354365B2
A compact wavelength dispersing device and a wavelength selective optical switch based on the wavelength dispersing device is described. The wavelength dispersing device has a folding mirror that folds the optical path at least three times. A focal length of a focusing coupler of the device is reduced and the NA is increased, while the increased optical aberrations are mitigated by using an optional coma-compensating wedge. A double-pass arrangement for a transmission diffraction grating allows further focal length and overall size reduction due to increased angular dispersion.
US09354364B2
A forgery prevention structure configured by layering at least a relief forming layer, a first reflection layer, a functional thin film layer, and a second reflection layer, in this order, wherein the relief forming layer has, on one side, a relief structure which has an effect of diffracting, scattering, absorbing, and polarizing/separating at least a part of a wave-length range of visible light; the first reflection layer and the functional thin film layer are provided along a whole surface of an uneven area of the relief structure; the second reflection layer is provided in an arbitrary area which covers a part of the uneven area of the relief structure.
US09354362B2
Embodiments of the present invention relate to planar optical devices composed of one or more sub-wavelength diffraction grating layers. In one embodiment, an optical device includes a first substantially planar reflective structure (104,1904), a second substantially planar reflective structure (106,1906), and a substantially planar sub-wavelength grating layer (102,1902) disposed between the first reflective structure and the second reflective structure. The grating layer is configured with lines (208-211,214-217) having line widths, line thicknesses, and line period spacing selected to control phase changes in different portions of a beam of light transmitted through the optical device.
US09354361B2
A splicing-screen border weakening structure includes a transparent solid element through which a light ray is able to penetrate. The transparent solid element includes a fixing surface which is used for fixing to the border and a light-ray exiting surface which is opposite to the fixing surface, and further includes an inner area which is opposite to the border and an outer area which is opposite to an edge display area of the display screen. A first prism structure is at least arranged at a position corresponding to the inner area of the light-ray exiting surface. A light ray exits from the edge display area and enters into the outer area of the transparent solid element, and a part of the light ray is deflected by the first prism structure of the light-ray exiting surface and exits from an inner area of the light-ray exiting surface.
US09354357B2
A water soluble polyvinyl alcohol copolymer having a diad syndiotacticity of greater than about 60% and less than about 70%. In some embodiments, the water soluble polyvinyl alcohol copolymer is soluble in water at a concentration of at least 1 wt % at a temperature of less than 100° C. In other embodiments, the composition is soluble in water at a concentration of at least 5 wt % at a temperature in the range from about 90° C. to less than 100° C. The high solubility of the high syndiotactic poly vinyl alcohols disclosed herein may provide various advantages as described herein, including ease of processing and decreased use of harmful solvents.
US09354349B2
Various embodiments include apparatus and methods to detect and locate conductive structures below the earth's surface. Tools can be configured with receiving sensors arranged to receive signals generated from a conductive structure in response to a current flowing on the conductive structure. Magnetic-related values from the signals can be processed, relative to the tool, to determine a position of a conductive structure from which the signal was generated in response to current flowing on the conductive structure. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09354347B2
A method for estimating a property of an earth formation penetrated by a borehole includes conveying a drill tubular through the borehole and transmitting a signal into the formation with a transmitter transducer disposed at the drill tubular. The method further includes receiving a first signal with a first receiver transducer having a sensitivity oriented in a first direction and disposed an axial distance from the transmitter transducer and receiving a second signal with a second receiver transducer having a sensitivity oriented in a second direction different from the first direction and disposed an axial distance from the transmitter transducer. The method also includes calculating a corrected signal that corrects for at least one of bending and torsion of the drill tubular between the transmitter transducer and the first and second receiver transducers using the first signal and the second signal and estimating the property using the corrected signal.
US09354340B2
A method for displaying exploration and production (E&P) data set during an E&P tool session of a field having a subterranean formation. The method includes generating, by an E&P tool executing on a computer processor during the E&P tool session, an E&P data set based on a subterranean formation field data set, displaying, to a user controlling the E&P tool session, the E&P data set as a multi-dimensional canvas, generating, by the computer processor and in response to a user input identifying a point in the multi-dimensional canvas, a strike&dip tool tip, and further displaying the strike&dip tool tip superimposing the multi-dimensional canvas, wherein the strike&dip tool tip is tagged to the point in the multi-dimensional canvas.
US09354339B2
In one embodiment, a method of processing seismic data using a single triaxial geophone is disclosed, where the method comprises acts of calibrating the single triaxial geophone sensor to determine a position and an orientation relative to a surrounding environment, configuring the single triaxial geophone sensor to receive seismic data from the surrounding environment along three orthogonal axes, measuring, with the single triaxial geophone sensor, a plurality of time series of seismic data from the surrounding environment for the three orthogonal axes, storing, with a computer system coupled to the single triaxial geophone sensor, the time series of seismic data from the surrounding environment for the three orthogonal axes, and processing, with the computer system, the time series of seismic data to identify a plurality of seismic waves of different polarizations.
US09354336B2
Disclosed are various embodiments of methods, devices and systems for performing a microseismic survey. According to some embodiments, microseismic signals are detected at seismic sensor stations deployed in two sets of seismic sensor lines, the seismic sensor lines within each set being substantially parallel to one another and the two sets of seismic sensor lines being mutually orthogonal. According to other embodiments, microseismic signals are detected at seismic sensor stations deployed in a hexagonal pattern. Such sensor geometries offer advantages over linear or radial arrays, including noise reduction, data acquisition flexibility as new wells are added to the survey area, and an improved distribution of data points above points in the subsurface.
US09354335B2
A method of determining locations of microseismic events caused by a hydrofracking process is disclosed. The method includes: measuring audio signals using an array of geophones deployed in a monitoring well during hydraulic fracturing; modifying the audio signals according to a predefined nonlinear distortion operator to generate a modified audio signal, wherein the modified audio signal has audible components in a predefined frequency range beyond a cutoff frequency defined by a sampling rate of the respective measured audio signals; and playing the modified audio signals through a stereo or multi-channel speaker system, wherein a user of the stereo or multi-channel speaker system is able to determine the locations of the microseismic events from listening to the modified audio signals.
US09354328B2
The invention relates to a radiation detector (100) comprising a scintillator group with for example two scintillator elements (120a, 120b) for converting incident primary photons (X, X′) into secondary photons (λ, λ′) according to a characteristic emission spectrum. Moreover, the detector comprises at least two photodetectors (130a, 130b) for converting said secondary photons into electrical signals, wherein said photodetectors have different absorption spectra and can be read out separately. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the photodetectors are organic photodetectors (130a, 130b). The scintillator elements (120a, 120b) and the photodetectors are preferably arranged in a stack one behind the other. Due to the at least two photodetectors (130a, 130b), additional information about incident primary radiation (X, X′) can be collected.
US09354323B2
To reduce power consumption in a user terminal, especially mobile devices, a system and method are introduced that use terrestrial beacons as a location proxy when satellite positioning signals are not available. The geographic locations of the terrestrial beacons need not be known to use the beacons as a proxy for a satellite positioning signals derived location.
US09354320B2
A method of determining adequacy of acquisition includes: attempting to acquire a satellite signal from a satellite and decoding first satellite orbit data; and determining the adequacy of acquisition of the satellite signal by using the first satellite orbit data and second satellite orbit data that has been acquired from the satellite.
US09354312B2
A sonar system using frequency bursts. A sonar system for use with a vessel may include a sonar module having a transmitting element configured to generate a transmit signal, where the transmit signal comprises one or more bursts, and where at least one burst comprises a first portion having a first frequency and a second portion having a second frequency different than the first frequency. The sonar system may also include a transducer array in communication with the sonar module, where the transducer array is configured to (i) receive the transmit signal from the transmitting element, (ii) produce one or more sonar beams based on the first frequency and the second frequency, and (iii) receive one or more sonar return signals from an underwater environment.
US09354307B2
There are provided an ultra-wideband radar imaging system comprising an antenna with at least one receiver and a plurality of transmitters operating in multi-static mode, method of operating thereof and volume visualization unit to be used in conjunction with the multi-static ultra-wideband radar imaging system. The method comprises: receiving by said at least one receiver a plurality of signals, each respectively representing return data in a channel associated with the receiver and one of the transmitters among said plurality of transmitters, thus giving rise to a plurality of spatial data channels; among said plurality of spatial data channels selecting data channels for further processing; and providing volume visualization by processing data corresponding merely to the selected spatial data channels.
US09354305B2
A method for producing at least information for track association and fusion includes: collecting measurement values of targets for each sensing period; predicting state variables for the targets and error covariances for the state variables by using the collected measurement values and tracking the targets by using a reformed target tracking algorithm; transmitting track information including only data of the error covariance largest occupied among the error covariances to a fusion center; calculating similarity between the pre-stored fused track and the transmitted track information; sorting the track information by using the calculated similarity; and carrying out the track fusion based on the sorted track information.
US09354303B2
A signal processing device is provided. The device includes an echo signal input unit for receiving echo signals resulted from transmission signals reflected on an object. The transmission signals are transmitted from a transmission source at transmission timings at predetermined time intervals, at least one of the transmission timings shifted from the other timings in time. The device includes a complex reception signal generator for generating complex reception signals, a phase calculator for calculating a phase change amount of the complex reception signals with respect to a reference phase, a phase corrector for phase-correcting the complex reception signals and outputting the corrected signals, and a Doppler processor for performing Doppler processing on the corrected signals and outputting the Doppler-processed signals as Doppler echo signals of the object.
US09354300B2
An ultrasound diagnostic apparatus includes a region-of-interest setting unit for setting a region of interest in a given region of a B mode image, a controller for controlling a transmission circuit and a reception circuit to transmit ultrasonic beams composed of fundamental waves having a first frequency with forming transmission focuses at a plurality of points set in and near the region of interest and receive ultrasonic echoes having a second frequency, which is a harmonic component of the fundamental waves, thereby to obtain reception data for measuring a sound speed, and a sound speed calculator for calculating ambient sound speeds at the points based on the obtained reception data for measuring a sound speed.
US09354295B2
Systems, methods, and apparatus for matching pair-wise differences (e.g., phase delay measurements) to an inventory of source direction candidates, and application of pair-wise source direction estimates, are described.
US09354289B2
In a method and apparatus to reduce movement artifacts in magnetic resonance images an essentially unmoving area of a region to be imaged is located in a region of high sensitivity of a first group of individual local antennas, and a moving area is located in the region of high sensitivity of a second group of local antennas. Spatially coded magnetic resonance signals are received by a first group of the local antennas and are individually processed further. Spatially coded nuclear magnetic resonance signals are received by the second group of local antennas and are combined with a weighting, using weighting factors. The weighting factors are determined so as to reduce gradient of the weighted, combined, spatially dependent sensitivity of the local antennas of the second group.
US09354286B2
When a portion of a structure enclosing a local coil is inserted in a homogeneity region of a basic magnetic field of a magnetic resonance system, the local coil is operable to receive magnetic resonance signals originating from a specific detection zone for the local coil arrangement. At least one conductor is arranged in the structure. Field lines of a compensation magnetic field generated by current encircling the conductor form a compensation magnetic field angle with the basic magnetic field in an edge area of the detection zone. Return conductors complete an electric circuit containing the conductor and extend in the direction of the basic magnetic field and/or are arranged such that field lines of an interfering magnetic field counteracting the compensation magnetic field encircle the respective return conductor and form an interfering magnetic field angle with the basic magnetic field in the edge area.
US09354284B2
A magnetic field sensor for sensing an external magnetic field includes at least one magnetic field sensing element for measuring a magnetic field produced by a first magnetic field generating source and a current generator configured to receive one or more drive current signals at an input thereof and to generate a drive current signal having a periodic waveform and an amplitude offset at an output thereof. Also included is a second magnetic field generating source configured to receive the drive current signal at an input thereof and in response thereto, provide a magnetic field to the at least one magnetic field sensing element. Additionally included is a comparator configured to receive a reference voltage as a first input and an output signal from the at least one magnetic field sensing element as a second input, and in response thereto to generate a comparator output signal having a duty cycle. Further included is a compensation circuit configured to receive the comparator output signal having a duty cycle at an input thereof and to generate an offset signal for correcting the duty cycle to a predetermined duty cycle as an output. A corresponding method is also provided.
US09354281B2
A magnetic field sensor for measuring a magnetic field at a sensor location has a printed circuit board, including electrically insulating material; a magnetic field sensor element situated on the printed circuit board and connected via electrical contacts to first printed conductors provided on the printed circuit board; and at least one second printed conductor for generating a test magnetic field, the second printed conductor being provided on the printed circuit board and generating a predetermined test magnetic field when a calibration current is applied at the sensor location.
US09354270B2
A step drill test structure for a PCB and method for using the same is disclosed. In one embodiment, a test structure includes a drill path and a connection via. The drill path may include sensing pads on selected ones of a plurality of layers of the PCB (e.g., the non-surface layers). The sensing pads of a given drill path may be electrically conductive, while the remaining portion of the drill path is non-conductive. The sensing pads of each drill path may be electrically coupled to the connection via. The depth of a given layer at a particular drill path may be determined by drilling, using an electrically conductive drill bit, into the drill path and determining when an electrical connection is made between the drill bit and the connection via.
US09354269B2
In a semiconductor device, two series connections are arranged to be connected between respective split emitter electrodes and a gate electrode with Zener diode units connected in series to respective resistors, with the cathode sides thereof directed to the gate electrode side. The numbers of the Zener diodes in the Zener diode units in the respective series connections are different between the respective Zener diode units. Thus, a semiconductor device can be provided which is capable of detecting an open failure of a bonding wire regardless of the number of a plurality of the bonding wires connected in parallel, by a simple electrical test to make it possible to reliably sort out a semiconductor device with a wire open failure at an early stage.
US09354264B2
A processing system for a transcapacitive sensing device comprises a plurality of sensor electrodes sectioned by a seam, a first sensor electrode integrated circuit, and a second sensor electrode integrated circuit. The plurality of sensor electrodes comprises a plurality of transmitter electrodes intersecting a plurality of receiver electrodes. The first sensor electrode integrated circuit is communicatively coupled to a first subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes. The second sensor electrode integrated circuit is communicatively coupled to a second subset of the plurality of sensor electrodes. The first sensor electrode integrated circuit and the second sensor electrode integrated circuit are configured to operate the plurality of sensor electrodes in synchrony to transmit with the plurality of transmitter electrodes a set of transmitter signals and receive with the plurality of receiver electrodes a set of responses corresponding to the set of transmitter signals.
US09354261B2
A duty cycle detecting circuit for pulse width modulation (PWM). The circuit includes a clock generating circuit, a sampling circuit and a calculation circuit. The clock generating circuit is for generating a clock signal. The sampling circuit receives a PWM signal and the clock signal, samples the PWM signal based on the clock signal, and generates a sampling signal. The calculation circuit is for calculating the duty cycle of the PWM signal based on the sampling signal.
US09354253B2
A probe module includes a substrate having a through hole, and at least four probe-needle rows arranged on the substrate. The probe-needle rows are arranged from a first side to a second side along a first direction. Each of the probe-needle rows has at least two needles arranged along a second direction. Each of the needles has a contact segment and an arm segment having an included angle with the contact segment. An end of the arm segment is connected to the substrate, and the other end of which extends toward the through hole to connect the contact segment. The lengths of the contact segments of the needles of each of the probe-needle rows are the same. The included angles of the needles of the probe-needle rows along the first direction are gradually increased from the first side to the second side.
US09354249B2
A method for interrogating a surface using scanning ion conductance microscopy (SICM), comprising the steps of: a) repeatedly bringing a SICM probe into proximity with the surface at discrete, spaced locations in a region of the surface and measuring surface height at each location; b) estimating surface roughness or other characteristic for the region based upon the surface height measurements; and c) repeatedly bringing the probe into proximity with the surface at discrete, spaced locations in the region, the number and location of which is based upon the estimated surface roughness or other characteristic in the region, and obtaining an image of the region with a resolution adapted to the surface roughness or other characteristic.
US09354245B2
A method which allows easy perforation of a film covering a well of a reagent cartridge which is set to a dispensing device is provided. A pipette tip set to be used in a dispensing device of an automatic analyzer together with a reagent cartridge in which a reagent for biochemical analysis is enclosed, includes: a dispensing pipette tip for dispensing the reagent enclosed in the reagent cartridge; a perforating pipette tip having a leading end surface inclined relative to a central axis thereof; and a rack configured to store the dispensing pipette tip and the perforating pipette tip together.
US09354242B2
A method of preparing a glass bead mixture using inert nanoparticles to improve flow rates of the glass beads for purposes of manufacturing an immunodiagnostic test element, such as a column agglutination test cassette, and a test element made in accordance with the method.
US09354236B2
The present invention relates to a method of identifying peptides and proteins from mass spectrometry data using multiple search engines, wherein: a) the scores calculated on each engine are modeled; b) the presence of matching parameters is included, c) the distribution of meta-scores using distribution functions is modeled, d) scores of peptide and precursor protein are built. Among the main advantages of the invention it is worth mentioning its flexibility to be applied to an arbitrary number of engines, the use of matching parameters that add additional information not available with a single engine, the increase in the number of peptides-proteins identified or its versatility to incorporate other additional sources of information, depending on the type of experiment being examined.
US09354234B2
The present invention relates to a novel coumarin derivative, to a method for preparing the same, and a multi-fluorescent substance that includes a plurality of the coumarin derivatives and is able to emit light using an LED light source. A novel coumarin derivative multi-fluorescent substance according to the present invention has an optimal emission wavelength band of 512 nm to 590 nm and thereby is effective in improving a signal intensity and stability since light emission using an LED light source is possible.In addition, higher fluorescence reactivity is exhibited compared to coumarin fluorescent substances known in the related arts since one molecule has a plurality of fluorescent substances, and the problem of the coumarin fluorescent substance possibly binding to a binding site of the antigen of the antibody is solved since fluorescence detection is possible even when a minimum number of fluorescent substance molecules bind to an antibody.Moreover, the novel coumarin derivative multi-fluorescent substance according to the present invention is suitably used in a fluorescent-linked immunosorbent assay (FLISA) and a rapid fluorescent immunochromatographic test (FICT) as an LED-based microfluorescent quantitative biosensor for diagnosis, therefore, diseases such as malaria may be rapidly and quantitatively analyzed.
US09354233B2
Disclosed herein assay methods which comprise detecting the presence, absence or amount of at least one antibody which specifically binds a first biomarker or an epitope thereof and at least one second biomarker in a sample which comprises a single reaction step whereby both a first capture reagent for the antibody and a second capture reagent for the second biomarker are together contacted with the sample, and detecting the presence, absence or amount of the antibody, and detecting the presence, absence or amount of the second biomarker. Also disclosed are assay methods for prostate cancer.
US09354232B2
There is provided a method for determining whether a mammalian subject having a bladder cancer belongs to a first or a second group, wherein the prognosis of subjects of the second group is worse than the prognosis of subjects of the first group, comprising the steps of: a) evaluating an amount of PODXL in at least part of a sample earlier obtained from the subject and determining a sample value corresponding to the evaluated amount; b) comparing said sample value with a predetermined reference value; and if said sample value is higher than said reference value, c1) concluding that the subject belongs to the second group; and if said sample value is lower than or equal to said reference value, c2) concluding that the subject belongs to the first group.
US09354230B2
Multiplexed test measurements are conducted using an assay module having a plurality of assay domains. In preferred embodiments, these measurements are conducted in assay modules having integrated electrodes with a reader apparatus adapted to receive assay modules, induce luminescence, preferably electrode induced luminescence, in the wells or assay regions of the assay modules and measure the induced luminescence.
US09354203B2
A method and apparatus for testing a test object. A stress wave is generated in a fluid within a cavity in a structure. The stress wave is directed through the fluid within the cavity into the test object.
US09354202B2
A system configured to determine the mass of an object. The system generates a first output signal by transmitting an excitation signal through an oscillating resonator array. The oscillating resonator array includes a first oscillating resonator, a second oscillating resonator; and an electronic component coupled between the first oscillating resonator and the second oscillating resonator. A user adds an object to a surface of the oscillating resonator array. After adding the object, the system generates a second output signal by transmitting the excitation signal through the oscillating resonator array and determines a phase difference between the first output signal and the second output signal.
US09354199B2
A biochip for the integration of all steps in a complex process from the insertion of a sample to the generation of a result, performed without operator intervention includes microfluidic and macrofluidic features that are acted on by instrument subsystems in a series of scripted processing steps. Methods for fabricating these complex biochips of high feature density by injection molding are also provided.
US09354193B2
Device for measuring electrical conductivity of a liquid medium comprising constant voltage means, connected to a first electrode arrangement for injecting an alternating signal into the liquid medium, detection means, connected to a second electrode arrangement coupled via the liquid medium, for generating a measurement signal influenced by the electrical conductivity with a clock frequency (CLK) of the alternating signal, and evaluation means which from a current-proportional injection signal of the current injected by the first electrode arrangement into the liquid medium and from the measurement signal generate a conductivity signal of the liquid medium. The constant voltage means are made in an individual circuit branch which has commutator means for the first electrode arrangement and ohmic resistance means in a series connection, the current-proportional injection signal being tapped as a voltage drop over the resistance means.
US09354192B2
The present invention relates to a ferroelectric analyzing device and a method for adjusting ferroelectric domain switching speed with the ferroelectric analyzing device, and pertains to the technical field of characteristic test of solid-state dielectrics. The ferroelectric analyzing device comprises a voltage pulse generator for generating square pulse signal, which is biased on a ferroelectric thin film so as to switch the polarization of ferroelectric domains, the ferroelectric analyzing device further comprises a variable resistor which is connected in series with the ferroelectric thin film. The variable resistor is used for adjusting domain switching current so as to realize adjustment of domain switching speed of ferroelectric domains. In the method, the square pulse signal is biased on the ferroelectric thin film, and an adjustment of domain switching speed of ferroelectric domains can be realized by adjusting the resistance value of the variable resistor. The device can adjust the moving speed of ferroelectric domains continuously, and can also adjust the coercive voltage of the ferroelectric thin film; it does not depend on the voltage pulse signal generator, can be easily adjusted continuously, has a wide range of adjustment, and is reliable in data tests.
US09354174B2
A biosensor for detecting the presence of a target analyte is disclosed. The biosensor is formed from microspheroidal particles which have had a binding partner for the target analyte immobilized on their surfaces. The binding partners may be nucleotides; peptides, proteins, enzymes, antibodies and so on. When the analyte binds to its partner, the whispering gallery mode (WGM) profiles of the micro spheroidal particles change such that the profile peaks undergo a red- or blue-shift. The immobilized binding partners may include fluorophores and the like so that they emit fluorescence, phosphorescence, incandescence and the like. These fluorophores may take the form of a nanocrystal or quantum dot.
US09354171B2
There is provided a single particle detection technique based on a scanning molecule counting method, enabling individual detection of a single particle using light measurement with a confocal or multiphoton microscope, and quantitative observation of conditions or characteristics of the particle. The inventive technique of detecting a single particle in a sample solution detects light containing substantially constant background light from a light detection region with moving the position of the light detection region of the microscope in a sample solution to generate time series light intensity data; and detects individually a light intensity reduction occurred when a single particle which does not emit light (or a particle whose emitting light intensity in a detected wavelength band is lower than the background light) enters in the light detection region in the time series light intensity data as a signal indicating the existence of each single particle.
US09354165B2
A method and analyzer for identifying, verifying or otherwise characterizing a sample involves emitting electromagnetic radiation in at least one beam at a sample. The electromagnetic radiation includes at least two different wavelengths. A sample detector detects affected electromagnetic radiation resulting from the emitted electromagnetic radiation affected by the sample and provides output representing the detected affected radiation. A processor determines sample coefficients from the output and identifies, verifies or otherwise characterizes the sample using the sample coefficients and training coefficients determined from training samples. The coefficients reduce sensitivity to a sample retainer variation and/or are independent of concentration.
US09354154B2
A porous structure including a pair of electrodes disposed in a flow direction of exhaust gas and a solid electrolyte interposed between the electrodes is arranged in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine, and the amount of a particulate matter in exhaust gas is specified based on a potential difference generated between the electrodes.
US09354132B2
A jointless pressure sensor port which includes a body portion, a flange portion integrally formed with the body portion, and a cylindrical portion integrally formed with and extending away from the flange portion. The port also includes an aperture having a first area, where the aperture is formed as part of the cylindrical portion. A channel is located along an axis and has at least one channel region. The channel at least partially extends through the cylindrical portion, the flange portion, and the body portion. A diaphragm includes a second area which is larger than the first area, the diaphragm also has a top surface and a bottom surface. A pressure sensor is disposed on the top surface, and the diaphragm is substantially perpendicular to the axis of the channel. The body portion, flange portion, and cylindrical portion form a jointless and seamless pressure sensor part.
US09354128B2
A resonator element satisfies, when a shortest distance between a first end portion and a second end portion of a base is Wb [m], an effective width of the base in a Y axis direction is We [m], and a Q value of the resonator element is Q, the following expressions (A) and (B). Q={(ρ·Cp)/(c·α2·Θ)}×[{1+(2·ρ·Cp·We2·f/(π·k))2}/(2·ρ·Cp·We2·f/(π·k))] (A) 0.81≦Wb/We≦1.70 (B)
US09354123B2
In an embodiment, a circuit is configured to produce a magnetic field signal having a frequency spectrum. The circuit may also produce a temperature signal. A modulation circuit may modulate the temperature signal with a frequency outside the frequency spectrum of the magnetic field signal. The modulated signal and the magnetic field signal may be combined to produce a combined signal. A separation circuit may be configured to separate component signals from the combined signal. The separation circuit may include a first filter, which, when applied to the combined signal, produces a filtered signal; a modulation circuit configured to shift the data representing the temperature signal to a baseband frequency; and a second filter configured to separate the data representing the temperature signal from the combined signal.
US09354114B2
A spectrophotometer in which a normal plane to a diffraction grating is inclined with respect to an optical axis of an incident light passing through a slit, the normal plane to the diffraction grating passing through an intersection point between the optical axis of the incident light i and a grating surface of the diffraction grating. The diffraction grating and a photodiode array PDA are placed such that the photodiode array PDA is parallel to the normal plane to the diffraction grating and that a normal plane to the photodiode array PDA includes a line that is symmetrical to the optical axis of the incident light i about the normal plane to the diffraction grating.
US09354113B1
Apparatus, systems, and methods relate to use of a time-varying bias for application to an avalanche photodiode. Embodiments include systems and methods of determining an appropriate time-varying bias for application to an avalanche photodiode in linear mode. Avalanche photodiode having appropriate parameters may also be determined. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09354112B2
The detection circuit comprises a switch connected between a photodiode and an integrator. It further comprises means for alternately switching bias conditions of the photodiode between a reverse bias and another state. The electronic traps in the photodiode are regularly passivated during the other state.
US09354110B2
An optical-electric converting module includes a printed circuit board (PCB), a bracket and an optical-electric coupling element. The PCB includes a supporting surface, at least one laser diode and at least one photo diode. The at least one laser diode and the at least one photo diode are positioned on the supporting surface and electrically connected to the PCB. The bracket includes a first surface and a second surface facing away from the first surface. The first surface rests on the supporting surface. The bracket defines a through window running through the first surface and the second surface. The bracket is detachably connected to the supporting surface of the PCB, with the at least one laser diode and the at least one photo diode being received in the through window. The optical-electric coupling element is detachably connected to the second surface of the bracket.
US09354109B2
To provide a weighing apparatus by which it is possible for a user himself/herself to determine poor performance of the apparatus is a factor attributable to an installation environment, and the weighing accuracy is improved. Respective temporal fluctuations in weighed data detected from a load measuring mechanism 2 and environmental measurement data detected in an environmental measurement means 10 are recorded in a correlative manner in an arithmetic processing unit 32, and the temporal fluctuations are visually recognizable via a display unit 31. Thereby, the correlation between the environmental variations and the weighed data is visually disclosed, which makes it possible for a user to easily recognize that poor performance of the apparatus is attributable to the environmental variations, that increases the reliability of the weighing apparatus. Further, the fundamental performance (accuracy) presented by the apparatus is also assured by allowing the user himself/herself to improve the surrounding environment.
US09354106B2
A combination weigher includes a collecting conveyor, a plurality of weighing conveyors, a control section which finds one combination of the weighing conveyors in which a total weight of the objects falls within a target weight range, and a manipulation setting display device which pre-inputs a desired value of a conveying length of the objects, and the control section finds start timings of conveying operation of the weighing conveyors selected to make up the discharge combination such that the conveying length of the objects becomes the desired value pre-input by the input unit and the objects discharged from the weighing conveyors selected to make up the discharge combination are at different positions on the collecting conveyor, and causes the weighing conveyors to start the conveying operation at the found timings.
US09354105B2
A strip scale suitable for use in connection with high speed in motion weighing or other weighing applications. The scale has a base, a load cell, an intermediary member and a platform. Also disclosed are load cells for use with the scale, and systems for using the scales.
US09354101B2
The present device provides for a gas composition and temperature compensated acoustic measurement of the level of a liquid in a tank. The device comprises a transmitter, a receiver, a processing circuitry, a waveguide for guiding acoustic signals from the transmitter to the liquid level surface and for guiding reflections of the acoustic signals back to the receiver. The waveguide comprises a first end connected to the transmitter, a second end adapted to extend into the liquid, at least one inlet for introducing gas originating from the liquid in the tank into the waveguide, and an outlet for discharging gas out from the waveguide into the tank. The outlet is arranged closer to the first end than at least one of said at least one inlet.
US09354096B2
A single straight tube flowmeter has a body; a tube through which a flow of fluid passes; two systems of excitation of oscillations in two planes which are perpendicular to one another and including adaptor units; a block of processing of information data including a phase shift of the adaptors located in one plane, frequency of oscillations of the tube, and temperatures of the tube and the body and outputting results of measurement of a mass flow rate and density of the fluid; and components for imparting to the tube a rotary motion relative to its neutral immovable position to increase accuracy of measurements by suppressing vibration disturbances.
US09354094B2
An apparatus and method for noninvasively detecting the presence of solid particulate matter suspended in a fluid flowing through a pipe or an oil and gas wellbore are described. Fluid flowing through a conduit containing the particulate solids is exposed to a fixed frequency (>1 MHz) of ultrasonic vibrations from a transducer attached to the outside of the pipe. The returning Doppler frequency shifted signal derived from the scattering of sound from the moving solid particles is detected by an adjacent transducer. The transmitted signal and the Doppler signal are combined to provide sensitive particulate detection. The magnitude of the signal and the Doppler frequency shift are used to determine the particle size distribution and the velocity of the particles. Measurement of the phase shift between the applied frequency and the detected Doppler shifted may be used to determine the direction of motion of the particles.
US09354084B2
Embodiments relate to magnetic field angle sensing systems and methods. In an embodiment, a magnetic field angle sensing system configured to determine a rotational position of a magnetic field source around an axis, comprises N sensor devices arranged in a circle concentric to an axis, wherein N>1 and the sensor devices are spaced apart from one another by about (360/N) degrees along the circle, each sensor device comprising a magnetic field sensing device having a sensitivity plane comprising at least one reference direction of the magnetic field sensing device, wherein the magnetic field sensing device is sensitive to a magnetic field component in the sensitivity plane and configured to provide a signal related to a (co)sine of an angle between the reference direction and the magnetic field in the sensitivity plane; and circuitry coupled to the N sensor devices and configured to provide a signal indicative of a rotational position of a magnetic field source around the axis determined by combining the signals from the magnetic field sensing devices of the N sensor devices.
US09354069B2
The preferred embodiments of the present invention are directed to methods and systems for dynamic route estimation and prediction using discrete sampled location updates from various mobile devices for the purpose of providing a graphical representation of a mobile device's route along a known network path of map data. The embodiments also provide supplemental route metrics, such as traveled distance, elapsed time, etc., and the capability to assign destination points for the purpose of providing the ability to modify location update points in an application, such as a route planner, and/or to store the dynamically generated route based on various preferences for later retrieval.
US09354063B2
Systems and methods for an intensity stabilized resonator fiber optic gyroscope are provided. In one embodiment, a method for providing optical intensity stabilization system for a resonator fiber optic gyroscope (RFOG) is provided. The method comprises: injecting a phase modulated light beam into a fiber optic ring resonator coil; measuring a DC component of the phase modulated light beam at an output of the fiber optic ring resonator coil; generating a feedback control signal based on the DC component; and attenuating the phase modulated light beam prior to injection into the fiber optic ring resonator coil by controlling a variable optical attenuator with the feedback control signal.
US09354058B2
Included are embodiments for determining an inertial quantity. One embodiment of a method includes combining readings from a plurality of inertial sensors to produce an estimate of the value of an inertial quantity in a manner that is fault-tolerant, more accurate than traditional sensor arrangements, and able to handle non-linear and non-Gaussian systems. Embodiments of a method also include utilizing a Monte Carlo estimation-based inference system to adaptively combine the inertial sensor outputs into a fault-tolerant highly-accurate inertial quantity estimate, an axis-reversed-paired physical arrangement of inertial sensors to minimize effects of environmental and process noise, and cross-associating sensors to ensure good sensor associations and reduce the effects of sample impoverishment.
US09354053B2
A clinometer apparatus includes a first measurement member, a second measurement member, and a coupling member. The first measurement member includes a first plate on which first angle indices are formed, and a first coupling unit that has a circumferential surface on which second angle indices are carved. The second measurement member includes a second plate, a second coupling unit that is coupled to the first coupling unit due to the coupling member, and a compass that is coupled to the second plate. The coupling member couples the first coupling unit and the second coupling unit so that the second measurement member rotates relative to the first measurement member about a rotational axis of the first coupling unit.
US09354051B2
A system and method for a rangefinding instrument incorporating pulse and continuous wave signal generating and processing techniques for increased distance measurement accuracy. The use of the former technique effectively solves the ambiguity issues inherent in the latter while allowing for relatively simple circuit implementations. Thus, a potentially more accurate phase-based distance measurement technique can be utilized which is also completely independent of the maximum range to the target.
US09354047B2
A rotational misalignment between semiconductor wafers constituting a bonded wafer is calculated. A light source is arranged at a position which is on a front side of an opening of a notch and which is separated from an outer edge portion of a bonded wafer by a predetermined interval, and outputs light to irradiate the outer edge portion of the bonded wafer including the notch. A camera receives and photoelectrically converts reflected light that is specularly-reflected by the outer edge portion of the bonded wafer including the notch among the light outputted by the light source in order to output a brightness distribution of the reflected light as an image. A computer analyzes positions of notches from the image outputted by the camera to obtain a notch position misalignment, and further calculates a rotational misalignment between semiconductor wafers using a center position misalignment between the semiconductor wafers.
US09354043B2
Methods are disclosed wherein the structural health of a civil structure, pressure vessel, or the like is measured by electronic distance measurement (EDM) from a plurality of stable locations to a plurality of cardinal points on the structure in a methodical manner. By measuring the coordinates of the cardinal points, the dynamic and long-term static behavior of the structure provide an indication of the health of the structure. Analyses includes: comparison to a Finite Element Model (FEM); comparison to historical data; and modeling based on linearity, hysteresis, symmetry, creep, damping coefficient, and harmonic analysis.
US09354037B2
An image of an object can be synthesized either from the Fourier components of the electric field or from the Fourier components of the intensity distribution. Imaging with a lens is equivalent to assembling the Fourier components of the electric field in the image plane. This invention provides a method and a means for lensless imaging by assembling the Fourier components of the intensity distribution and combining them to form the image with the use of amplitude splitting interferometer. The angular spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation consists of wavefronts propagating at different angles. The amplitude of each wavefront is split and interfered with itself to create sinusoidal fringe patterns having different spatial frequencies. The sinusoidal fringe patterns are combined to form an image of the object. This method applies to coherent and incoherent light.
US09354035B2
A method for evaluating a capacitance of a sensor electrode of a proximity sensor includes charging the electrode with a charge voltage. Simultaneously, a compensation capacitance is charged by coupling the compensation capacitance between a reference voltage and ground. The sensor electrode and the compensation capacitance are decoupled from voltage sources and a state of charge of the sensor electrode and of the compensation capacitance is maintained. The sensor electrode is coupled to the compensation capacitance and the charges are balanced; then decoupled from the compensation capacitance and the charge is maintained. The compensation capacitance is then coupled to an evaluation network. The charge of a hold capacitance in the evaluation network is reversed by a charge-reversal current which is dependent on the current flow of the compensation capacitance. The charge of the hold capacitance is evaluated after one or more such cycles.
US09354025B1
A dart tail fin assembly includes a cylindrical dart body with a nose, a tail opposite the nose and an outer surface extending from the nose to the tail. A plurality of tail fins is attached to and spaced around the outer surface of the dart body. Each one of the tail fins includes a trailing edge aligned with the tail of the dart, a leading edge opposite the trailing edge toward the nose of the tail, a length from the trailing edge to the leading edge and a flat portion disposed at leading edge extending perpendicularly outward from the outer surface a first width. Each tail fin is detached from the outer surface of the dart body along a portion of the length extending back from the leading edge.
US09354011B2
A magazine-based firearm interlock that can be added to a commercial firearm, with a release/locking device on the firing mechanisms enabled by an electro-permanent magnet, control electronics in the removable magazine, and authorized through a wearable authorization device. Modifications are applied to the trigger bar or sear mechanism which enables it to be changed to an unlocked state, which allows a shot to be fired, and to a locked state, which prevents a shot from being fired. A communication system includes a chip set in the firearm magazine that communicates with a FOB carried by the user, which authenticates the user and activates the electro-permanent magnet to enable the firearm to fire. This system is preferably a near field communication system that couples to and transmits across the body of the user. Indicators can be included to indicate the operational state of the interlock and to detect and record discharges.
US09354009B1
A remote controlled firearm safety system is provided for a “Glock” type handgun having a slide member, moveable over and along a muzzle section. The recoil spring guide assembly of the weapon, installed in the muzzle section, has a flange member with a plurality of socket openings. Each socket opening contains a locking pin which is moveable between a stored position within the socket openings and an extended position. When the locking pins are extended out of the socket openings, they extend partially into the muzzle section. This prevents the slide member from being cocked and the weapon from being fired. The movement of the locking pins is controlled by a signal receiving device within the recoil spring guide assembly. Upon receipt of a remote signal by the receiving device, a motor drive and a mechanical linkage are actuated to move the locking pins out of the socket openings.
US09354001B2
A heat exchanger core optimization method is provided for a heat exchanger door which resides at an air inlet or outlet side of an electronics rack, and includes an air-to-coolant heat exchanger with a heat exchanger core. The core includes a first coolant channel coupled to a coolant inlet manifold downstream from a second coolant channel, and the first channel has a shorter channel length than the second channel. Further, coolant channels of the core are coupled to provide counter-flow cooling of an airflow passing across the core. The core optimization method determines at least one combination of parameters that optimize for a particular application at least two performance metrics of the heat exchanger. This method includes obtaining performance metrics for boundary condition(s) of possible heat exchanger configurations with different variable parameters to determine a combination of parameters that optimize the performance metrics for the heat exchanger.
US09353997B2
Provided is a heat exchanger, which includes a plurality of flat tubes in which refrigerant flows, a fin including tube couplers in which the flat tubes are inserted, wherein the refrigerant exchanges heat with a fluid through the fin, and a header coupled to at least one side portion of the flat tubes and distributing the refrigerant to the flat tubes. The fin includes a first fin coupled to a part of the flat tubes, the part of the flat tubes constituting a first row, and a second fin provided on a side portion of the first fin and coupled to another part of the flat tubes, the another part of the flat tubes constituting a second row.
US09353993B2
A heating mat for a condensate trap can include resistive traces which heat the mat. The mat can be adhered to the condensate trap, for example using pressure sensitive adhesive. A control thermostat monitors an ambient temperature and/or a temperature within the condensate trap. If a temperature is at or above a setpoint, the controller thermostat disables power to the resistive traces. If a temperature is below at or below a setpoint, the controller thermostat enables power to the resistive traces to heat the condensate trap and the condensate within the condensate trap. In an embodiment, the heating mat can operate at a voltage supplied by the furnace or from a power source external to the furnace.
US09353990B2
The present invention relates to a refrigerator including a terminal and to a method for controlling same, and particularly, to a refrigerator including a terminal and to a method for controlling same which can visually provide necessary information to a user. To achieve this aim, the present invention provides a refrigerator including a terminal, comprising: a display module provided on the refrigerator; a communication unit communicating with the outside; and a control unit performing control to display various information on the display module.
US09353989B2
A system for easy organizing and storing of food items within a refrigerator or cooling unit comprising one or more stackable modular assemblies each having a housing unit and one or more slidably insertable drawers having flexible substantially transparent or translucent drawer covers and are configured for containing a variety of rearrangeable and removeable food storage trays. Each housing is vented to increase air circulation at drawer bottom, sides and back. Each drawer is easily removeable from the housing and may be used as a serving tray. Each drawer cover is may be positioned on the peripheral support edge of the drawer to seal the drawer as well as the open trays positioned therein without inhibiting movement of the drawer within the housing. A user can easily identify food within the drawer, partially slide the drawer from the container, and lift the drawer cover to access food items quickly.
US09353968B2
A heat source unit of a refrigerating apparatus includes a heat exchanger, a blower, an electrical component, a rectifying member, and a casing. The casing houses the heat exchanger, blower, electrical component, and rectifying member. The casing has a vent that vents air upward. The electrical component controls driving of an actuator, and includes a heat-generating part and a heat sink. The heat sink is installed on the heat-generating part, and has a heat-radiating fin. The rectifying member extends along a vertical direction, and covers the heat-radiating fin, and rectifies flow of air. An air inlet is formed on a lower part, and an air outlet on an upper part of the rectifying member. A first air flow path is formed inside the rectifying member. An air flow generated by the blower passes through the first air flow path. The heat-radiating fin is positioned in the first air flow path.
US09353966B2
Disclosed is an HVAC system having one or more air ionization devices for increasing operating efficiency and reduces overall cost by reducing the level of volatile organic compounds in recirculated building air. Also disclosed are combinations of heat exchangers operating in conjunction with ionization to further reduce operating costs. Included are various control sequences for a controller useful for managing air quality using CO2, VOC and other sensors to maintain air quality at reduced cost.
US09353954B2
The application relates to an apparatus for preparing food. The apparatus includes a housing (1), a food preparation chamber (4) in the housing (1) having an inner wall (5) defining a food receiving space (6) with an air entry aperture (10) and an air discharge aperture (13), a fan (14) for moving a flow of hot air successively through the air entry aperture (10), the food receiving space (6) and the air discharge aperture (13), and an air guide passage (7) for returning the flow of air from the air discharge aperture (13) towards the air entry aperture (10) separate from the food receiving space (6). The housing (1) comprising a cooling air channel (30) and a hot air vent (20) for exhausting the flow of hot air from the food preparation chamber (4) to outside the housing (1) with a constricted section (29) having a reduced cross-sectional area such that a venturi effect is generated in the hot air vent (20). An outlet (35) to the cooling air channel (30) communicates with the hot air vent (20) at the constricted section (29) such that a region of low pressure is formed at the outlet (35) and a flow of cooling air is drawn along the cooling air channel (30) and into the hot air vent (20).
US09353947B2
A combustor includes a combustor housing defining a combustion chamber having a plurality of combustion zones. A plurality of temperature detectors are disposed in communication with the combustion chamber. The plurality of temperature detectors detect a temperature in the plurality of combustion zones. A controller communicating with the plurality of temperature detectors is programmed to determine an occurrence of a flame holding condition or a flashback condition in the plurality of combustion zones based on signals from the plurality of temperature detectors.
US09353943B2
An improved oil preheater assembly for a waste oil burner that significantly reduces the labor time required to perform routine maintenance. This is accomplished by incorporating a removable cover to directly access the heated oil passages for cleaning thereby providing a simplified method of access to the areas most often requiring routine maintenance. Additionally this design provides an improved electrical control system which significantly reduces electrical energy consumption and the formation of oil carbonization when oil burner heat output is not required. Additionally this design incorporates a nozzle cleaning system for a low pressure siphoning type of discharge nozzle which can remove carbonization and other nozzle contamination and obstructions without the disassembly of components.
US09353937B2
In one embodiment, a lamp comprises an optically transmissive enclosure. An LED array is disposed in the optically transmissive enclosure operable to emit light when energized through an electrical connection. A gas is contained in the enclosure to provide thermal coupling to the LED array. The gas may include oxygen.
US09353935B2
A lighting device includes an outer body having a base, a medial portion, and an upper portion. The lighting device may also include a light source carrying assembly to carry a light source and a lens. The light source carrying assembly may include an assembly base, an assembly top that pivotally engages a portion of the assembly base, and a heat sink. The light source carrying assembly may be configured to rotate about a first rotational axis and to pivot about a second rotational axis.
US09353931B2
A lighting device may be provided that includes a housing; a coupling member coupled to the housing; a reflector disposed between the housing and the coupling member; a light source unit connected to the coupling member; and an optical member connected to the light source unit, wherein the optical member transmits a part of light emitted from the light source unit and reflects the other part of the light to the reflector.
US09353930B2
The disclosure generally relates to highly efficient light duct light extractors that are capable of extracting a portion of the light propagating within a light duct with nearly 100 percent efficiency. In particular, the described light extractors are configured in a “Tee” shape with a reflective diverter element.
US09353925B2
An optical member formed of resin includes a fixation portion, via which the optical member is fixed to a supporting member on which a light emitting element is supported, a reflective surface having a reflective region configured to reflect light from the light emitting element, and a thermal deformation absorbing portion configured to absorb thermal deformation of the optical member.
US09353920B2
A lighting assembly 20 comprising a lighting housing 22 having a rectangular box-shaped portion 24 and having a circular point of attachment 5 having a circular shaped housing wall 50 from which extend tabs. A threaded container 100 having an externally threaded portion 106 that is capable of engaging the tabs extending from the circular shaped housing wall. The rectangular box-shaped portion 24 defines a housing recess 44 for housing a solar panel 120 and a battery 122 and the battery 122, and the battery is for powering light emitting diodes 124.
US09353919B2
A white LED lamp secondary encapsulation structure capable of reducing blue-light hazards has a substrate (3), a blue light LED chip (4) fixed on the substrate (3), and a YAG yellow fluorescent powder layer (6) overlaid on the blue light LED chip (4). A fluorescent outer lampshade (1) covering the blue light LED chip (4) and the YAG yellow fluorescent powder layer (6) is further fixed on the substrate (3). YAG yellow fluorescent powder is provided on the fluorescent outer lampshade (1). The structure allows emission of more uniform, soft and harmonious colors of white light, and reduces the influence of heat dissipated by the blue light chip on the performance of the fluorescent powder, thus preventing color temperature drift due to the heat of the chip, prolonging the lifespan of the fluorescent powder, reducing blue-light radiation dosage, scattering blue-light radiation, and reducing potential hazards to human and organisms.
US09353916B2
A luminaire comprising a lamp comprising an outer structure, a light source configured to emit a source light and carried by the outer structure, a middle structure connected to the outer structure, and a bi-pin base connected to the middle structure. The lamp may further comprise a light guide having an inner surface and an outer surface and a heat dissipating frame having a contact surface in thermal communication with the outer surface of the light guide and comprising a plurality of heat sink rods positioned to abut each other to define the contact surface of the heat dissipating frame. The light source may be configured to emit the source light so as to be incident upon the inner surface of the light guide. The light guide may be configured to change the source light into a shaped light that illuminates a space proximate to the luminaire.
US09353913B2
A light member includes a housing having a top side and a bottom side. The top side faces away from a space to be lit, and the bottom side faces the space to be lit. A lighting control region is disposed on the bottom side of the housing that illuminates the space and has a first control channel, a second control channel, and a neutral channel. A first light-emitting module is electrically connected to the first control channel and the neutral channel and a second light-emitting module is electrically connected to the second control channel and the neutral channel. A switch assembly is coupled to the housing and is operable to selectively deliver power to the first control channel and the second control channel.
US09353907B1
A mounting bracket includes a main body having a continuous side wall that defines an interior cavity configured to engage a support member therein. The continuous side wall includes at least one aperture configured to accept an engaging mechanism configured to frictionally engage the support member. The mounting bracket includes a substantially horizontal mounting plate attached to the main body. The substantially horizontal mounting plate has a first aperture spaced from the main body wherein the first aperture is configured to accept a retaining mechanism configured to engage a device.
US09353903B2
The objective of the present invention is to provide a motion simulator providing, to a link part, a buffering uniting part for absorbing impact during operation so as to prevent shaking of the motion simulator, thereby improving stability. To this end, the motion simulator of the present invention comprises: support members for supporting a chair on which a user sits, a monitor for providing images of a virtual environment according to the operation of the user, and a handle operated by the user for providing the virtual environment; and a plurality of link parts coupled to the lower portions of the support members so as to support the support members while simultaneously moving the same in the vertical direction, wherein at least one link part among the plurality of link parts are provided with buffering uniting parts for the absorption of impact.
US09353901B2
A closure means for containing fluid leaking from a ruptured pipe. The closure means fits over a ruptured pipe to contain any fluid that may be leaking from the pipe. The closure means forms an enclosed cavity around the rupture in the pipe, the enclosed cavity being defined by a housing of the pipe and the pipe itself. The closure means may comprise a single housing, or may comprise two housing members. Where a single housing is used, the closure means may be applied as a patch to cover a rupture. In this embodiment, a fastening means holds the housing in sealed engagement with the pipe. Where two housing members are used, the closure means may also comprise a hinged link between the two housing members. In this embodiment, the fastening means holds the two housing members together in sealed engagement around the pipe.
US09353900B2
A lining element for the rehabilitation of a pipeline, including a substrate layer made of an expansible resin-absorbing material and a multiple layer system, the multiple layer system being formed from silicone.
US09353896B2
A hose coupling and method of manufacturing same are disclosed. The hose coupling includes a stem to which is staked a ferrule. The stem includes a radially inwardly directed groove into which a radially inwardly directed wedge of the ferrule is staked. The wedge includes a width that is greater than the width of the groove before staking. Moreover, the groove includes a bottom surface from which first and second canted sides extend at a first angle, while the wedge includes an inner surface from which first and second canted sides extend at a second angle. The first and second angles are not parallel but within five degrees of one another. The stem and ferrule form at least six distinct regions of surface contact to guard against rotation of the ferrule relative to the stem.
US09353894B2
A device for effecting and verifying a full mating operable engagement between a slidable coupler and a complementary corresponding socket. The coupler and the complementary corresponding socket are received into a receiving region defined between first and second opposing sidewall portions which squeeze the coupler and the complementary corresponding socket together to effect the full mating operable engagement from a partial mating engagement relationship. A method for use of the device to verifying a full mating operable engagement between a slidable coupler and a complementary corresponding socket is also provided.
US09353890B2
A pole bracket magnetically attaches a magnetic cable fastener to a magnetic object such as a building structure such as a frame, electrical box, conduit, truss, I-beam, car body, vehicle chassis or any suitable object. For example, the pole bracket removably attaches to and holds the magnetic cable fastener to hold a cable to the building structure. The pole bracket has a base having a pole attachment portion to attach to a pole. The pole bracket also has a magnetic clip holder section coupled to the base. The magnetic clip holder section includes a snap stem portion operable to removably hold the magnetic cable fastener. As the magnetic fastener is positioned as desired via the pole bracket, the magnetic fastener is magnetically self-aligned with and removably attached to the building structure.
US09353882B2
Hydraulic valve apparatuses with a low profile and without a top shaft are disclosed. Additionally, hydraulic valve apparatuses with indicator markers and side windows are disclosed.
US09353881B2
An isolated electrically-controlled valve includes a base and a solenoid device. The base includes a first connection port formed on a side thereof, a second connection port formed on a bottom thereof, a coupling section extending therefrom, and a plurality of passages formed therein to allow the first and second connection ports and the coupling section to communicate with each other. The solenoid device is coupled to the first connection port and includes an isolation airtight seal gasket arranged between the base and the solenoid device. As such, the solenoid device drives the isolation airtight seal gasket to move in order to control the communication established between the second connection port and the coupling section and the isolation airtight seal gasket provides isolation between the base and the solenoid device to prohibit fluid or liquid flowing in the interior of the base from invading into the solenoid device.
US09353871B2
A system, including a first flow control element configured to couple to a stem, and a second flow control element coupled to the first flow control element, wherein the first and second flow control elements are configured to expand relative to one another to create a seal in a closed position between a chamber and a flow path in a valve body, and wherein the first and second flow control elements are configured to enable fluid flow between the chamber and the flow path in an open position.
US09353870B2
A valve for a subsea pressure canister for controlling a fluid flow includes a valve body having a passage extending in a longitudinal direction. At an inner surface of the passage, a valve seat, a sealing section, and a threaded section are formed. A stem is arranged within the passage and movable in the longitudinal direction between a closed position and an open position. The stem includes a valve member to provide a sealing between the valve seat and the valve member in the closed position. A seal is arranged between an outer circumferential surface of the stem and the sealing section. An actuator device includes a threaded section engaged with the threaded section of the passage. The actuator device includes a coupling element for coupling the actuator device to the stem to urge the stem in the longitudinal direction upon the longitudinal movement of the actuator device.
US09353868B2
The present relates to a seal for an energy recovery wheel. The seal comprises a main body defining an inner surface, and a pair of lateral walls extending from each lateral side of the main body. Each lateral wall respectively comprises a free edge defining a lip. The inner surface and lateral walls define a space therebetween. The seal provides for air travelling from one section of the energy recovery wheel to another to turbulate within the space. The inner surface is generally flat and the space may comprise a cavity. The lateral walls may be flexible or rigid. The present also relates to a combination of the seal with the energy recovery wheel.
US09353866B2
A seal assembly is disclosed which may include a seal ring, a load ring in engagement with the seal ring, and complementary surface deformations in the seal ring and load ring, the complementary surface deformations circumscribing the seal ring and the load ring, the complementary surface deformations being continuous and non-circular.
US09353865B2
A mechanical face seal and a method of using the mechanical face seal are described. The mechanical face seal includes a plurality of groove sets that are etched into a stationary seal and/or a rotating seal ring. Each of the plurality of groove sets includes feed grooves, collection grooves, distribution grooves, a collector, retention cavities and discharge grooves. The mechanical face seal can be used to reduce the friction that is generated from the stationary seal and the rotating seal ring during operation. Additionally, the groove sets work cooperatively to introduce, circulate and expel lubricant between the seal interface, thereby promoting cooling of the seal.
US09353860B2
The invention relates to a valve component, in particular for a piston or a valve, comprising at least one first disk-shaped joining part and at least one second disk-shaped joining part, wherein the first and second joining part each have at least one opening, and wherein once the joining parts have been joined, the opening in the joining parts interacts in such a way that a channel is formed and a fluid medium can flow through the channel. In first and second regions at the joining parts, an at least partially peripheral elevation and/or depression interact with one another in sealing fashion once joined.
US09353859B2
A park lock mechanism having first and second actuator assemblies for selectively moving a cam against a cam follower to engage a pawl to a dog ring. The first actuator assembly can be selectively operated to coordinate movement of the cam between first and second cam positions. The second actuator assembly can be selectively operated to drive the cam from the first cam position to the second cam position.
US09353852B2
An actuator coupling mechanism (ACM) for an actuator of the type that can be employed in a drive module. The ACM has first and second portions that are coupled in an axial direction by dropping one portion into the other portion such that mating features on the two portions engage one another in a tool-less manner.
US09353849B2
A gear lubrication arrangement comprises a lubrication pump for circulating lubrication fluid. A power source coupled to the lubrication pump drives the lubrication pump, and a controller controls an output power of the lubrication pump. The gear lubrication arrangement comprises a pressure sensor disposed down-stream of the lubrication pump The pressure sensor is configured to measure a pressure of the lubrication fluid and to produce a pressure indication signal representative thereof. The controller is arranged to vary the output power of the lubrication pump at least partly on the basis of the pressure indication signal.
US09353848B2
A gearbox assembly for use in a gas turbine engine includes a gearbox housing and first and second shafts. The first shaft is rotatably mounted in the gearbox housing. The first shaft has a first set of splines and defines a central cavity. The second shaft has a second set of splines engaged with the first set of splines. A scupper is positioned on an inner surface of the gearbox housing proximate the first shaft so as to direct liquid from the scupper through the central cavity of the first shaft to the first and second sets of splines.
US09353844B2
A multi-function torque converter, including: a cover arranged to receive torque; an impeller including an impeller shell and at least one impeller blade connected to the impeller shell; a turbine including a turbine shell and at least one turbine blade connected to the turbine shell; and an impeller clutch including a resilient element urging the impeller shell toward the cover to close the impeller clutch and including at least a portion located radially inward of the at least one impeller blade.
US09353842B2
A variable transmission comprises an input shaft; three planetary gear sets; a Ravigneaux gear set; a variator comprising, a first ring assembly, a second ring assembly, a carrier assembly; various arrangements of brakes and clutches; and the output shaft. The variable transmissions comprise a continuously variable mode, an infinitely variable mode, or a combination thereof and can provide an input-coupled powersplit solution function. At least one configuration of the variable transmission comprises a direct drive mode.
US09353829B2
At least one member composing a chain bearing, such as a pin, includes a surface layer composed of vanadium carbonitride (VCN) coating on a surface of a base material of the at least one member. An oxide (VO) film having a predetermined thickness is also formed on a surface of the surface layer such that the oxide film is interposed between the surface layer and another member, such as a pin hole, composing the chain bearing.
US09353828B1
A device for joining two or more cords or ropes together, or for tightening or connecting a single rope or cord to itself or to a surface, without the need to tie or untie a knot is disclosed. The device can also be used to adjust the lengths of cords or ropes. The device can be used with cords and ropes of any sizes or lengths.
US09353820B2
A damper system includes a damper and a heater operably associated with the damper. The method includes heating the damper with heat energy from the heater and then monitoring and regulating the heat energy to the damper with a sensor and control subsystem.
US09353808B2
A bi-directional linear clutch lock is provided that may selectively restrain a rack from translating. A bi-directional rotary clutch lock is provided that may selectively restrain a rotary rack from rotating.
US09353807B2
According to the present invention, a starting clutch control system is configured to stop the engine while disengaging the clutch upon satisfaction of a predetermined condition when the vehicle is running, and restart the stopping engine while engaging the clutch upon satisfaction of a predetermined restarting condition. The starting clutch control system applied to a vehicle is configured: to estimate a turbine torque of the torque converter based on engine speed, and capacity coefficient and a torque ratio of the torque converter, when the engine is required to increase a power to be restarted; to increase a torque transmitting capacity of the clutch in accordance with the estimated turbine torque; to estimate the turbine torque based on an air intake of the engine and an engine speed after a completion of an engagement of the clutch; and control the torque transmitting capacity of the clutch with the estimated turbine torque.
US09353806B2
A method of estimating a torque of a transmission clutch may include adjusting an error, deducing an estimated engine angular speed and deducing an estimated clutch torque. The error may be adjusted by deducing an engine transient torque based on an engine angular speed measured using a sensor, an engine static torque deduced using a data map and a load torque depending on a driving load. The estimated engine angular speed may be deduced based on the engine static torque and the engine transient torque. The estimated clutch torque may be deduced by summing an integration value and an error compensation value. The integration value and the error compensation value may be deduced based on a difference between the estimated engine angular speed and the measured engine angular speed.
US09353804B2
A harmonic drive assembly with selective disconnect includes a motor with a motor drive shaft, a harmonic drive operatively coupled to the motor drive shaft, and a wave generator operatively coupled to the motor drive shaft and a flex gear of the harmonic drive. Also included is a ring gear of the harmonic drive operatively coupled to the flex gear with a plurality of ring gear teeth configured to mesh with a plurality of flex gear teeth. Further included is an output shaft operatively coupled to the harmonic drive. Yet further included is a retracting mechanism configured to selectively retract the motor drive shaft and the wave generator to decouple the motor drive shaft and the wave generator from the harmonic drive, wherein a clearance between the ring gear teeth and the flex gear teeth is established upon retraction of the motor drive shaft and the wave generator.
US09353780B2
The invention relates to a device to connect two parts, which is characterized by at least two needles which are connected on a base side to separate carriers, of which at least one carrier is operatively connected to the drive element for adjusting the needles, wherein in an initial position of the needles the needle tip are axially displaced with respect to one another and in a bracing position the needle tips are opposite one another in such a way that the supporting areas thereof are situated at the same axial level. The needles have in the region of their tips relative to their mutually facing areas integrated elevations and depressions in order to thereby control the spreading of the needle tips when the needles are actually displaced with respect to one another.
US09353777B2
Apparatus and methods for attaching and detaching a device to and from a DIN rail, the apparatus includes a housing carrier with a coupling assembly. The coupling assembly including one or more operator links, the one or more operator links rotatable relative to the housing carrier about a pivot, and the coupling assembly includes at least one DIN rail catch. The operator links have a first position in which the at least one DIN rail catch is in a first coupled position, and the operator links have a second position in which the at least one DIN rail catch is in a second uncoupled position. The operator links are operable to move the at least one DIN rail catch from the first coupled position to the second uncoupled position when the operator link is rotated about the pivot.
US09353775B2
Disclosed herein are new types of hydraulic piston valve actuators wherein the piston is replaceable with different sized pistons. Further disclosed are parts of the piston interchange system resulting in the fewest number of parts changed between one piston diameter and another piston diameter. Methods of changing from one piston diameter to another piston diameter are also disclosed.
US09353766B2
A containment structure for an actuation unit for compact immersion pumps for wells having a box-like casing, which is fitted over an electric actuation, motor for pumps, which it encloses hermetically, a cartridge, which accommodates a driving device of the motor and has a radial space occupation that is substantially smaller than, or equal to, the radial space occupation of the casting, and quick-coupling connectors provided at a head of the cartridge and at a bottom of the casing, adapted for the quick and reversible connection of the cartridge to the casing, the connectors comprising at least one power supply connector, adapted to electrically connect the driving device to an electric power supply, with which the casing is equipped, and at least one control connector, which is adapted for the functional connection of the driving device to the motor for driving it.
US09353762B2
Some embodiments of the invention provide a pump including a pump chamber, a shaft at least partially positioned in the pump chamber, an impeller coupled to the shaft, and a seal coupled to the shaft. The pump also includes a wet seal chamber. The wet seal chamber can include a separator with a disc and a resilient member. The disc includes one or more slots through which fluid pressure from the pump chamber is transferred to the resilient member. The wet seal chamber substantially prevents fluid from contacting the seal in order to prolong a life of the seal.
US09353761B2
An oil return structure for fan includes a base, a bearing, a retaining ring and a rotor. The base has a bearing cup internally defining a receiving space for receiving the bearing therein. The bearing has a centered and axially extended shaft hole. The retaining ring is located at a front end of the bearing and has a central hole. The rotor includes a hub and a shaft. The shaft is extended through the central hole of the retaining ring into the shaft hole of the bearing, and is provided with an annular groove corresponding to the retaining ring. Oil in the bearing flowing to the annular groove during fan operation is centrifugally pulled out of the shaft and then caught by the retaining ring, from where the oil returns to the bearing. Therefore, loss of oil from the bearing is largely reduced to ensure extended fan service life.
US09353750B2
Method and equipment to control operating temperature of an air compressor. A compressor element compresses air and oil and supplies it to an oil separator. In the separator, the air and oil are separated. Oil is led to a circulating pipe and returned to the compressor element. When necessary, at least some of the oil flowing in the oil circulating pipe is supplied to cooling, which is used for controlling operating temperature of the compressor such that it is as low as possible, but nevertheless so high that no condensation point is reached. The amount of oil to be supplied to cooling is controlled by a thermostatic valve based on a change in dimension of a controlling element such that dimensions of the controlling element are changed by an external command.
US09353746B2
A scroll compressor may include a scroll pumping mechanism which includes an orbiting scroll having an orbiting scroll wall extending axially from an orbiting scroll plate towards a fixed scroll and a fixed scroll having a fixed scroll wall extending axially from a fixed scroll plate towards the orbiting scroll. An axial end portion of one of the scroll walls includes a first sealing arrangement and a second sealing arrangement arranged in series along the scroll wall from the inlet to the outlet for sealing between the axial end portion of the scroll wall and the scroll plate of the opposing scroll. The first sealing arrangement may have first sealing characteristics which are selected according to the sealing requirements local to the first sealing arrangement and the second sealing arrangement may have second, different sealing characteristics which are selected according to sealing requirements local to the second sealing arrangement.
US09353743B2
A pump (1, 10) having a housing (15) with a suction-side fluid inlet (4) and with a pressure-side fluid outlet (5), having a first pump unit (2, 11) and having a second pump unit (3, 12), the first pump unit (2, 11) being connected hydraulically in parallel with respect to the second pump unit (3, 12), wherein the first pump unit (2, 11) is a pump unit that exhibits a constant volume flow, wherein the second pump unit (3, 12) is a pump unit that exhibits variably adjustable volume flow.
US09353731B2
A wind turbine is provided. The wind turbine includes a generator generating an amount of electric power, and at least two electrical converter units, with each electrical converter unit being electrically connectable to the generator and to a utility grid. Each electrical converter unit is adapted to convert electric power up to a defined admissible maximum capacity. The amount of electric power generated by the generator is equally distributed to all respective electrical converter units. If at least one electrical converter unit fails, the amount of electric power generated by the generator is distributed to the remaining electrical converter units in operation, wherein each of the remaining electrical converter units converts a respective amount of electric power up to its respective admissible maximum capacity.
US09353726B2
A rotor hub maintenance system and method is disclosed. The system includes at least a rotor hub, a plurality of appendages that are operatively connectable to the hub, and a plurality of support members. The preferred embodiment provides that the support members simultaneously secure the hub and appendages a predetermined height above a reference surface and provide the only support for the hub and appendages.
US09353725B2
This disclosure provides improved nautical craft that can travel and navigate on their own. A hybrid vessel is described that converts wave motion to locomotive thrust by mechanical means, and also converts wave motion to electrical power for storage in a battery. The electrical power can then be tapped to provide locomotive power during periods where wave motion is inadequate and during deployment. The electrical power can also be tapped to even out the undulating thrust that is created when locomotion of the vessel is powered by wave motion alone.
US09353720B2
An electromagnetic solenoid that controls a motor current of a starter includes: a first switch including first fixed contacts and a first movable contact, intermitting the motor current; a suppression resistor that suppresses the motor current; a second switch including second fixed contacts and a second movable contact, making a short circuit path to bypass the suppression resistor; a first regulation member being driven by a first solenoid, regulating the first switch being closed and releasing the first switch from being regulated after predetermined time elapses; and a second regulation member being driven by a second solenoid, regulating the second switch being closed and releasing the second switch from being regulated after predetermined time elapses when the first switch is released from regulated state. The first and second regulation members are disposed between a regulated position and a released position to regulate the first and second switches.
