US09457513B2
A friction stir welding tool having a drivable pin, which is rotatable around an axis, a shoulder element, a first shoulder and at least one spring. The pin includes a cylindrical engagement section that has a circumferential surface that engages a workpiece. The shoulder element includes a contact surface extending transversely to the axis for engagement with the workpiece. The shoulder element includes a friction block connected in a non-rotatable manner to the pin, on which a first friction surface is formed extending around the axis. The first shoulder part includes a second friction surface connected thereto in a non-rotatable manner, extending around the axis. The first and second friction surfaces face one another. The at least one spring biases the first friction surface against the second friction surface. The contact surface is formed on the first shoulder part.
US09457504B2
A connector with a biocompatible fluid passageway to be used as a column filter retainer and the method for manufacturing it is described. The connector has a reinforcement insert and a biocompatible molding covering portions of the reinforcement insert. The reinforcement insert has a first portion, a second portion, and a middle portion between the first portion and the second portion. The first and second portions have threaded sections and each have a plurality of non-threaded sections. For a given portion, the junction of the non-threaded sections forms a lip by which to prevent the molded material from flowing into the threaded sections. In certain embodiments, an interior web is used in the reinforcement insert to provide additional structural support.
US09457499B2
An element molded from a particle foam, including for example expanded polypropylene foam, includes at least one visible exterior surface defined by the particle foam. The visible exterior surface is textured having a roughness depth of less than or equal to 1.00 mm and a plurality of vent interfaces each having a maximum width of less than or equal to 0.4 mm. Methods of molding the element, together with a mold and a method of making the mold, are also provided.
US09457498B2
A powder press has a die plate that supports at least one die, at least one upper press tool at an upper tool carrier, at least one lower press tool at a lower tool carrier, at least one upper linear drive acting on the upper tool carrier, at least one lower linear drive acting on the lower tool carrier or on the die plate, possibly a further linear drive acting on a transverse tool carrier, and a force measuring apparatus. The force measuring apparatus measures forces acting on the upper, lower and/or transverse tool carrier. Each linear drive may be at least two linear drives engaging eccentrically at the upper or lower tool carrier, respectively. The parallel spaced linear drives act together on a force transferring element, and the force transferring element acts on a tool carrier via spaced piezoelectric sensors.
US09457477B1
An example suction gripper is disclosed that includes a contacting pillow including a plurality of particles inside a non-rigid membrane that allow the contacting pillow to conform to a shape of an object when the contacting pillow is pressed against the object, a plurality of suction cups arranged on the non-rigid membrane of the contacting pillow, and a vacuum system coupled to the contacting pillow and to the plurality of suction cups. The vacuum system may be configured to apply suction to the object through at least one of the plurality of suction cups that is in contact with the object when the contacting pillow is pressed against the object and increase stiffness of the contacting pillow by removing air between the plurality of particles inside the non-rigid membrane of the contacting pillow.
US09457473B2
Robotic systems and methods are provided for tending, manipulating, engaging, acting upon, observing and/or monitoring objects and conditions in a defined volume or space (“work space”) in or overlying a target area. The robotic system includes a mobile robot supported by or suspended from suspension cables secured to spaced apart anchor locations.
US09457464B2
Robot apparatus, substrate transport systems, and methods are described. The robot apparatus and systems are adapted to efficiently put or pick substrates at a destination by rotating a boom linkage to a position adjacent to the destination and then actuating robot assemblies to put or pick the substrates at the destination. Numerous other aspects are provided.
US09457453B2
A coated abrasive article comprising a backing, an adhesive layer disposed in a discontinuous distribution on at least a portion of the backing, wherein the discontinuous distribution comprises a plurality of adhesive contact regions having at least one of a lateral spacing or a longitudinal spacing between each of the adhesive contact regions; and at least one abrasive particle disposed on each adhesive contact region, the abrasive particle having a tip, and there being at least one of a lateral spacing or a longitudinal spacing between each of the abrasive particles, and wherein at least 65% of the at least one of a lateral spacing and a longitudinal spacing between the tips of the abrasive particles is within 2.5 standard deviations of the mean.
US09457441B2
A cutter holding device is provided for a cutting machine and includes: a mounting base and a holding member mounted in the mounting base. The mounting base includes a mounting section, iron cores mounted in the mounting section, and a winding wound around an outer circumference of the mounting section. The mounting section includes a mounting trough formed therein. The holding member is mounted in the mounting trough, wherein the iron cores and the winding collectively form first electromagnets, which upon application of electricity thereto, attract and fix the holding member in the mounting trough of the mounting base. The cutter holding device uses magnetic forces applied between the mounting base and the holding member for attraction and fixing so as to easily control fixing and removal of the holding member.
US09457431B2
The present application relates to a cutting head (1) for a device for cutting hair. The cutting head has an optical system (3) which directs a laser beam (7) across a cutting zone (8) in the cutting head. The laser beam has a fast and a slow axis. The optical system has a focus lens (6) configured to form a first focal point (11) of the laser beam in the cutting zone. In one embodiment, the optical system (3) also has a focusing element (15) which refocuses the laser beam to form a second focal point (16) of the laser beam in the cutting zone. In another embodiment, the focus lens forms a focal length of the laser beam in the cutting zone along its fast axis which is greater than a focal length of the laser beam in the cutting zone along its slow axis.
US09457428B2
Methods and systems are provided for using optical interferometry in the context of material modification processes such as surgical laser or welding applications. An imaging optical source that produces imaging light. A feedback controller controls at least one processing parameter of the material modification process based on an interferometry output generated using the imaging light. A method of processing interferograms is provided based on homodyne filtering. A method of generating a record of a material modification process using an interferometry output is provided.
US09457414B2
A pliers for cutting workpieces, in particular workpieces made of metal, comprising at least one plier leg (1) and a pressure element (2), which are connected to each other by a rotation point (13), wherein the plier leg (1) forms a jaw (8) for receiving the workpiece. A cutting element (18) with a cutting mouth (19) is associated with the plier leg (1), wherein a bottom of the jaw (8) and a bottom of the cutting mouth (19) are arranged in the vicinity of a rotation point (29) about which the cutting element (18) is rotating in the plier leg (1).
US09457404B2
A method for consolidating a pre-form made of powder, comprising: (a) placing the pre-form between smart susceptors; (b) heating the smart susceptors to a leveling temperature by applying a varying low-strength magnetic field having a magnetic flux that passes through surfaces of the smart susceptors; (c) applying consolidation pressure to the pre-form at least during a time period subsequent to the temperature of the smart susceptors reaching the leveling temperature; and (d) while consolidation pressure is being applied, applying a pulsed high-strength magnetic field having a magnetic flux that passes through a surface of the pre-form. The strength and pulse rate of the high-strength magnetic field are selected so that the crystallographic phase of the pre-form will rapidly oscillate at a substantially constant temperature. The pulsed high-strength magnetic field is applied sufficiently long that superplasticity of the pre-form is attained during phase oscillation.
US09457402B2
An apparatus for delivering a predetermined volume of lead to a mould includes a housing defining a lead reservoir having a lead outlet defined in its base and in communication with the reservoir. A runway is provided beneath the base, spaced from the base and generally parallel thereto. A block is provided slidably mounted between the base and the runway and defining a through cavity having the predetermined volume for receiving lead from the outlet in a first position and for releasing the lead in a second position. A mechanism is provided for reciprocating the block between the first and second positions. A cast on strap machine is also disclosed. A lead delivery apparatus comprising a delivery chute is also disclosed.
US09457399B2
An injection molding system and methods for improving performance of the same. The system includes a plunger rod and a melt zone that are provided in-line and on a vertical axis. The plunger rod is moved in a vertical direction through the melt zone to move molten material into a mold. The injection molding system can perform the melting and molding processes under a vacuum. Skull formation in molten material is reduced by providing an RF transparent sleeve in the melt zone and/or a skull trapping portion adjacent an inlet of the mold. It can also be controlled based on the melting unit. Vacuum evacuation can be reduced during part ejection by using a plunger seal, so that evacuation time between cycles is reduced.
US09457385B2
An ultrasonic cleaning method for cleaning an object in a liquid in which a gas is dissolved includes preparing the liquid in which the gas is dissolved. The object is cleaned while applying ultrasonic waves to the liquid so that a ratio determined by dividing a vibration strength of the liquid at a fourth-order frequency of the ultrasonic waves by a vibration strength of the liquid at a fundamental frequency of the ultrasonic waves is larger than 0.8/1000.
US09457380B2
A rotary sorting apparatus comprises a large-diameter rotary drum for sorting a mixture of materials received through a first end of the drum and expelled through a second end. A plurality of slew rings are attached circumferentially to the outer surface of the drum for supporting and rotating the drum. Each slew ring comprises an inner race placed concentrically within an outer race, with bearings between them allowing the inner race to rotate freely within the outer race. The inner surface of the inner race is attached to the outer surface of the drum and rotates with the drum, while the outer surface of the outer race is fixed to the supporting structure. A rotator, such as a wheel, in contact with the outer surface of the drum causes the drum to rotate about its longitudinal axis.
US09457368B2
Example fluidic devices and methods are described. An example device includes a throughput chamber, an inlet to guide liquid in the throughput chamber and an outlet to guide liquid out of the throughput chamber. The example device also includes a rib that protrudes from a wall of the throughput chamber. The rib has a narrowed section in the throughput chamber between the inlet and the outlet to form a meniscus in the narrowed section.
US09457344B2
An emission control catalyst for treating an engine exhaust includes non-precious metal group (“NPGM”) mixed phase oxide catalyst having a mullite phase containing optionally in close contact with other metal oxides. The mixed phase catalyst may be included in one or more layers or zones of a multi-layered or multi-zoned emission control catalyst and optionally in combination with precious metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd and Au.
US09457340B2
Methods of applying a sorbent coating on a substrate, a support, and/or a substrate coated with a support are described. One of the methods comprises: (i) optionally, preparing the substrate coated with the support by pre-treating the substrate with a slurry, wherein the slurry comprises: a. solvent, b. a binder, c. the support, and d. optional dispersant; and (ii) treating the substrate, the support, and/or the substrate coated with the support, with a sorbent.
US09457333B2
Provided is a method of forming a microsphere having a structural color, which includes providing a composition for generating a structural color including a curable material and magnetic nanoparticles dispersed in the curable material, forming an emulsion by adding the composition for generating a structural color to an immiscible solvent, arranging the magnetic nanoparticles located in the emulsion droplet of the curable material in a one-dimensional chain structure by applying a magnetic field to the emulsion, and fixing the chain structure by curing the emulsion droplet.
US09457324B2
A compound membrane for use in electrochemical devices is disclosed. The compound membrane has of proton-conducting polymer cast in a porous media having dispersed therein at least one active ingredients. It supplies considerably improved performance data in comparison to known membranes. The compound membrane electrode can be produced by treating proton-conducting polymers with acetone to obtain polymer pulp, then sulfonating the polymer pulp, combining one or more active ingredients with the polymer pulp and casting the polymer pulp to obtain the membrane.
US09457320B2
Certain embodiments are directed to a process and apparatus for cleaning and/or regeneration of permeable or semipermeable membranes comprising modulating pressure of a feed stream feeding the permeable or semipermeable membrane and providing intermittent pressure pulses for cleaning and/or regeneration of the permeable or semipermeable membrane.
US09457317B2
An oxidation catalyst is disclosed, which contains Ce and Ga, and a Ce—Ga composite oxide containing a solid solution in which a part of Ce is substituted with Ga. This oxidation catalyst is obtained in such a manner that pH of a mixed solution obtained by mixing a Ce-containing solution and a Ga-containing solution together is adjusted, and a precipitate obtained by coprecipitating Ce and Ga is dried and baked.
US09457314B2
A fluid separation apparatus is described, including a casing and a separation module. The casing includes a mixed fluid inlet, a separated fluid outlet through which a selectively separated fluid is discharged, and a residual fluid outlet. The separation module has a set of serially arranged separation elements disposed therein and is insertable into the casing from an end of the casing. The separation module includes a first connection jig disposed between adjacent separation elements, second connection jigs disposed at two ends of the set of serially arranged separation elements, and a coupling jig coupling the first and the second connection jigs to each other.
US09457312B2
A method for reversible capture and release of carbon dioxide comprises the steps of providing a solution of a defined tetranuclear complex or mixture thereof, in which adsorption sites are provided by coordinated solvent molecules such as water molecules. The solution is exposed to the atmosphere or to a gas stream containing carbon dioxide to sequester carbon dioxide, and the pH of the resultant reaction mixture is adjusted to facilitate the release of carbon dioxide. The solution which is used to sequester carbon dioxide is a solution of a polynuclear transition metal compound having the formula: (I) and the tetranuclear transition metal compound that has sequestered carbon dioxide is of the formula: (II).
US09457310B2
A filter element arrangement is provided which includes a media pack comprising Z-filter media, a preform and an overmold sealing a portion of the interface between the preform and the media pack, and also forming an air cleaner seal for the filter element. The overmold preferably comprises molded, foamed, polyurethane. A variety of media pack shapes can be used.
US09457306B2
A method for filtering a gas includes sparging a gas through a liquid within a compartment of a container. In one embodiment the container can comprise a flexible bag. The sparged gas is passed from the container through a gas filter of a filter assembly. A partial vacuum is applied to the gas filter so that the partial vacuum assists in drawing the gas through the gas filter.
US09457284B2
A track set is disclosed herein. The track set includes a track portion configured for receiving at least one device configured to traverse within the track portion, and a rotatable track portion. The rotatable track portion includes a receiving member and a generally spiral portion. The rotatable track portion is selectively rotatable about an axis. The receiving member is positioned to selectively receive the at least one device from the track portion as the rotatable track portion rotates. Movement of the device within the spiral portion generally maintains rotation of the rotatable track portion about the axis.
US09457282B2
A ride control system includes a plurality of ride vehicles positioned within a course and configured to travel within the course. Each of the plurality of ride vehicles includes a vehicle controller configured to control movement of a respective one of the plurality of ride vehicles. Each of the plurality of ride vehicles also includes a position tracking system configured to facilitate identification of a location of the respective one of the plurality of ride vehicles within the course. Each of the plurality of ride vehicles further includes a vehicle transceiver in communication with the vehicle controller. The ride control system also includes a primary controller and a primary transceiver in communication with the primary controller. The ride control system further includes a primary wireless network formed by the vehicle transceiver and the primary transceiver to include at least the primary controller and the vehicle controller of each of the plurality of ride vehicles. The primary controller is configured to receive data indicative of the location of each of the plurality of ride vehicles from respective ones of the plurality of ride vehicles via the primary wireless network. The primary controller and the vehicle controller of each of the plurality of ride vehicles are configured to coordinate to provide a control loop for each of the plurality of ride vehicles based on the data indicative of the location of each of the plurality of ride vehicles.
US09457280B2
Disclosed are a method and a server for preventing search and bidding using an auto program in an item auction house of an on-line game. The present invention provides an auto program preventing server for an auction house of an on-line game, including: a repeated search ignoring unit which ignores a search during a predetermined search ignoring period when the same item is searched within a predetermined time a predetermined number of times or more, in an auction house where an item for an on-line game is registered and the item is auctioned off to a user which bids the highest price for the registered item; an excessive search restricting unit which, when the search is requested the number of times which is equal to or larger than a predetermined number of times, if an average search time interval between the predetermined number of times of search requests is shorter than a predetermined search time interval, restricts the search in the item auction house during a predetermined search restriction period; and an excessive bidding restricting unit which, when the predetermined number of times or more of bidding requests are issued in the item auction house, if the average bidding time interval between the predetermined number of times of bidding requests is shorter than the predetermined bidding time interval, restricts the bidding during a predetermined bidding restriction period.
US09457278B2
A computer-implemented method comprises identifying a user of a computer-implemented game to interact with a further user in pursuit of a common game objective. The identifying is performed based at least partially on the user not being directly related, as reflected within relationship data, with the further user. Interactions, within the computer implemented-game, between the further user and the user in the pursuit of the common game objective of the computer-implemented game are enabled responsive to the identifying of the user.
US09457275B2
A comment data acquisition unit acquires comment data for display over a display image, and a superimposition processing unit 162 generates a superimposition image from the comment data. The comment data includes a scaling factor or information related to the scaling factor, and a display requirement determination unit determines whether the scaling factor of the display image and either a scaling factor or information related to the scaling factor included in comment data are in a predetermined relationship. When the scaling factor of the display image and either the scaling factor or the information related to the scaling factor included in the comment data are in the predetermined relationship, a superimposition image generation unit generates a comment image using display information included in the comment data.
US09457272B2
A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.
US09457270B2
Methods and systems are described for a multiplayer video game on a peer-to-peer network in which players' game consoles can pass off or accept server or other management responsibilities for individual rooms, levels, or other virtual areas from other game consoles. Each player's game console can be either a ‘level server’ or a ‘level client,’ the level server's responsibilities including spawning and directing non-player characters, tracking objects, and/or conducting other management responsibilities of the room for the level clients. The level server can send updates such as save game states and other level checkpoints to its level clients for the specific virtual area that it manages.
US09457269B2
A method comprises receiving an indication of a triggering event at a gaming device, determining a gaming content associated with the gaming device, identifying a public display on which is displayed non-gaming media content, and outputting the gaming content on the public display wherein the gaming content supersedes at least a portion of the non-gaming media content.
US09457263B2
Virtual items may be unlocked in a virtual space responsive to physical token detection. A common virtual item repository may be provided in the virtual space. Once unlocked, a given virtual item may be accessible to multiple characters in the virtual space via the virtual item repository. Customization of a virtual space may be facilitated. The customization may be based on the virtual items accessible via the virtual item repository.
US09457259B2
A combined downhill and touring binding for a ski, including: a base plate which can be fastened on an upper side of the ski; a toe retainer; a heel retainer; a connecting structure; a shifting mechanism comprising a shifting element having a first end which is a front end in the skiing direction and a second end which is a rear end in the skiing direction; and a latching lever using which the heel retainer can be moved by the shifting mechanism into a walking position and into a travelling position and latched in the walking position or travelling position, respectively; wherein the latching lever is connected to the ski in a pivoting joint and arranged in front of the heel retainer in the skiing direction, the first end of the shifting element is connected to the latching lever, and the second end of the shifting element is connected to the heel retainer.
US09457257B2
A shoulder pad for use in a contact sport, such as football, hockey or lacrosse is provided. The shoulder pad includes a pair of curvilinear, continuous arch members joined together to define a central opening that receives the player's head. A side pad assembly, including an epaulet and a shoulder cap, is operably connected to each arch member by a flexible band that provides a common connection point on the arch member. The band provides a single pivot point for the epaulet and the shoulder cap about the common connection point. A curvilinear internal padding assembly is connected to each arch member and configured to absorb and lessen impacts received while wearing the shoulder pad and playing the contact sport.
US09457251B2
A method including the steps of receiving signals indicating movement of a physical ball relative to a strike zone during a pitch, retrieving a batting characteristic of a simulated batter corresponding to the indicated movement of the physical ball relative to the strike zone during the pitch, and displaying on a computing device a simulated pitch result for the pitch based on the retrieved batting characteristic of the simulated batter for the indicated movement.
US09457239B2
A sport ball may include a plurality of panels having a first surface and an opposite second surface, the first surface forming a majority of an exterior surface of the ball. In addition, the sport ball may include an interior layer secured to the second surface of the panels and forming substantially all of an interior surface of the ball to retain a fluid within the ball, the interior layer extending between the panels to join the panels together. Further the sport ball may include a valve secured to the interior layer.
US09457236B2
Disclosed herein are multilayer golf balls having a layer with a higher Shore C hardness and a lower Shore D hardness than another layer.
US09457234B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a golf ball showing a great flight distance on driver shots. The present invention provides a golf ball comprising a spherical core and at least one cover layer covering the spherical core, wherein the spherical core is formed from a rubber composition containing (a) base rubber, (b) an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms and/or a metal salt thereof as a co-crosslinking agent, (c) a crosslinking initiator and at least one compound of (d) thiobenzoic acids and/or salts thereof, provided that the rubber composition further contains (e) a metal compound in case of containing only (b) the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms as the co-crosslinking agent, and the spherical core has a hardness difference (Hs−Ho) between a surface hardness (Hs) and a center hardness (Ho) thereof of 25 or more in JIS-C hardness.
US09457227B2
Adjustable exercise apparatus described herein include a height-adjustable handle engageable with a base structure having an internal locking mechanism. The apparatus may include interchangeable handles of varying shapes. The base may include legs and/or surface-engaging feet which can provide additional stability or additional configurations. The internal mechanism selectively locks the handle into position at different pre-defined heights and, in some forms, includes a particular bearing arrangement including a push button release and spring closing.
US09457226B2
A work platform has a top member with a surface sized to receive a user's feet thereon while standing and a bottom member coupled to the top member. The bottom member has a width and length generally equal to the width and length of the top member. The bottom member has a curved surface generally at the longitudinal center of the work platform defined at least partially by a radius of curvature of between about 100 mm and about 850 mm. The curved surface induces instability under a user standing on the top member to thereby facilitate active muscle engagement in the user's legs while standing on the work platform.
US09457225B2
An exercise machine cable adjustment system for providing efficient adjustment of the effective length of one or more cables. The exercise machine cable adjustment system generally includes a frame, a carriage movably positioned upon the frame and a pair of cables adjustably connected to the carriage to allow for adjustment of the effective length for each of the cables.
US09457222B2
An elliptical exercise machine includes a base support structure, first and second reciprocating foot supports movably linked to the base support structure, first and second guide rails, and first and second rollers. The guide rails guide respective first and second foot supports to provide reciprocal movement of the foot supports. The guide rails each include a track surface having first and second end portions and at least first and second arch portions, respectively. The first arch portion is positioned at a location between the first and second end portions and having a first radius of curvature. The second arch portion is positioned at one of the first and second end portions and has a second radius of curvature that is less than the first radius of curvature. The first and second rollers are movable along the track surface of the guide rails.
US09457205B2
The invention relates to a laminate, comprising at least one first textile layer and a second textile layer, wherein the first textile layer or the second textile layer comprises at least one thermally resistant fiber, also comprising at least one barrier layer which is arranged between the first textile layer and the second textile layer and is connected to the respective first textile layer and the respective second textile layer. The first textile layer is designed in the form of a single-bed knitted fabric or double-bed knitted fabric having tuck loops and the second textile layer is designed in the form of a double-bed knitted fabric having no tuck loops. The invention also relates to protective clothing comprising such a laminate.
US09457202B2
A method of diagnosis and treatment of tumors using High Intensity Focused Ultrasound is provided. The method of diagnosing the presence of a tumor in a patient comprises the steps of subjecting a tumor to high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to cause the tumor cells to release cellular material and evaluating the cellular material for a tumor marker. The method of treating a tumor in a patient can also comprise the step of subjecting a tumor to high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) to provoke an immune response.
US09457195B2
An implantable medical device including a first generator. The first generator includes a first power source coupled to a first controller. The first header is removably coupled to the first generator and includes a first lead configuration. The device includes a first lead with a lead body having first terminals and at least one electrode on an end opposite the first terminals. The first terminals are removably received and secured by the first lead configuration of the first header and configured to communicate with the first generator.
US09457190B2
The present invention is generally directed to methods, systems, and computer program products for coordinating musculoskeletal and cardiovascular hemodynamics. In some embodiments, a heart pacing signal causes heart contractions to occur with an essentially constant time relationship with respect to rhythmic musculoskeletal activity. In other embodiments, prompts (e.g., audio, graphical, etc.) are provided to a user to assist them in timing of their rhythmic musculoskeletal activity relative to timing of their cardiovascular cycle. In further embodiments, accurately indicating a heart condition during a cardiac stress test is increased.
US09457187B2
According to various method embodiments, a person is indicated for a therapy to treat a cardiovascular disease, and the therapy is delivered to the person to treat the cardiovascular disease. Delivering the therapy includes delivering a vagal stimulation therapy (VST) to a vagus nerve of the person at a therapeutically-effective intensity for the cardiovascular disease that is below an upper boundary at which upper boundary the VST would lower an intrinsic heart rate during the VST.
US09457182B2
A cardiac rhythm management system includes a first implantable medical device configured to monitor a patient's heart rhythm and provide therapy if appropriate, and a second implantable medical device that is configured to monitor the patient's heart rhythm and provide therapy if appropriate. The first implantable medical device is configured to detect a magnetic field indicative of an MRI machine and, upon detecting a magnetic field indicative of an MRI machine, is further configured to communicate the presence of the magnetic field indicative of the MRI machine to the second implantable medical device. The second implantable medical device may then enter an MRI-safe mode.
US09457178B2
A wearable therapeutic device that includes a garment configured to contain an external defibrillator. The garment is configured to house at least one of an alarm module and a monitor and to house a first therapy electrode and a second therapy electrode. The garment is also configured to releasably receive a receptacle that contains a conductive fluid proximate to at least one of the first therapy electrode and the second therapy electrode, and to electrically couple the receptacle with the garment.
US09457171B2
An apparatus includes an inner catheter that is coupled to a handle and defines a lumen configured to receive a guidewire. An outer catheter is movably coupled to the handle and defines a first lumen in fluid communication with a distal opening and that is configured to introduce a therapeutic agent through the distal opening and into a target pancreatic artery(ies). The outer catheter defines a second lumen configured to receive at least a portion of the inner catheter. An actuator is coupled to the handle and configured to move the outer catheter relative to the handle. A first occlusion element is coupled to the inner catheter and a second occlusion element is coupled to the outer catheter and disposed proximal to the first occlusion element. A distance between the first occlusion element and the second occlusion element is adjustable when the outer catheter is moved relative to the handle.
US09457158B2
An intravenous pump system includes an intravenous pump having an air bubble detector, a separate air trap module and a patient line. The air trap module is connectable to a set interface upon which the pump can operate. The air trap module includes an air chamber capable of receiving fluids and air, a plurality of valves controlling the flow of the fluids and air, and an air vent. The patient line is connectable to the air trap module and to a patient. The air trap module includes an actuator to control the state of the valves to enable, at least during a venting mode, the pump to push air out of the air chamber via the vent without disconnecting the patient from the patient line.
US09457153B2
Syringe devices and accessories for providing feedback to a user are disclosed.
US09457149B2
According to the invention, a back-end device of an auto-injector adapted to be attached to a packaged syringe comprises a plunger arranged to abut against a stopper of the packaged syringe to translate an injection needle of the packaged syringe in a proximal direction and to expel a dose of a medicament contained in the packaged syringe through the injection needle, a drive means capable of, upon release, driving the plunger in the proximal direction towards a proximal position, a rotary sleeve with a cam surface adapted to be engaged by a plunger follower formed to the plunger, a torsion spring arranged to exert a torque upon the rotary sleeve and a release element capable of, upon manual actuation, releasing the engagement of the plunger follower with the cam surface. The plunger follower is arranged to engage the cam surface to prevent the rotary sleeve from rotating with respect to the chassis in an initial state. Furthermore, in the initial state the plunger follower is arranged to engage the cam surface to prevent an axial translation of the plunger in the proximal direction. Upon release of the engagement of the plunger follower with the cam surface, the rotary sleeve is arranged to rotate within the chassis. The cam surface re-engages the plunger follower after a time delay determined by a rotation speed of the rotary sleeve. The time delay is set so as to allow the cam surface to re-engage the plunger follower after the plunger reaches the proximal position. The cam surface is arranged to withdraw the plunger from the proximal position in a distal direction by continued rotation of the rotary sleeve.
US09457146B2
Systems and methods for integrating a continuous glucose sensor 12, including a receiver 14, a medicament delivery device 16, a controller module, and optionally a single point glucose monitor 18 are provided. Integration may be manual, semi-automated and/or fully automated.
US09457144B2
A medical infusion device including a chamber characterized by an upper body joined to a lower body by a reversibly collapsible sidewall, affixed to the upper body is a downward extending needle, wherein the upper body has two channels, the first channel fluidly coupled to the needle and the second channel fluidly coupled to the interior of the chamber. The chamber has a collapsed state and an expanded state where chamber is configured to transition from the collapsed state to the expanded state by introducing fluid into the interior of the chamber.
US09457140B2
One embodiment provides a method of using contextual lighting to assist a user of a medical fluid injection system. In this embodiment, the method includes providing a lighted display in proximity to a component of the injection system during setup of the medical fluid injection system. If the user has properly performed a setup function that is associated with the component of the injection system, the method further comprises providing a first visual indication on the lighted display. If the user has not properly performed the setup function that is associated with the component of the injection system, the method further comprises providing a second visual indication on the lighted display.
US09457139B2
A kit for reagents for use in an acoustic apparatus includes a first fluid that is a lysis fluid, a second fluid having an acoustic contrast that is greater than that of the first fluid, and a reagent for labeling a particle.
US09457137B2
An implantable device for improving the pump function of the heart of a human patient by applying an external force on the heart muscle is disclosed. The device includes at least one pump device having a pump. The pump includes: a piston adapted for reciprocating movement, an operating device for operating the piston, and a heart contacting organ. The movement of the piston assists the pump function of the heart through the heart contacting organ.
US09457130B2
A method of treating a biological tissue for biological prostheses includes steps of fixation of the biological tissue via a fixing solution including glutaraldehyde and detoxification of the fixed biological tissue via treatment with a detoxifying solution. The detoxification step includes one or both of eliminating phospholipids via treatment with an elimination solution and a treatment with a detoxifying solution. The elimination solution includes 1,2-octanediol and ethanol. The detoxifying solution includes taurine or homocysteic acid.
US09457124B2
Paste containing at least one monomer for radical polymerization, at least one polymer that is soluble in said at least one monomer for radical polymerization, and at least one filling agent that is poorly soluble or insoluble in said at least one monomer for radical polymerization, wherein the filling agent is a particulate inorganic filling agent possessing a BET surface of at least 40 m2/g; kit comprising pastes A and B which, when mixed, form paste C, which pastes are useful for mechanical fixation of articular endoprostheses, for covering skull defects, for filling bone cavities, for femuroplasty, for vertebroplasty, for kyphoplasty, for the manufacture of spacers or for the production of carrier materials for local antibiotics therapy, as well as a form body produced from the pastes.
US09457121B1
A sterilization apparatus for sterilizing air includes an outer housing having side walls extending between opposed bottom and top walls that, together, define an outer chamber. An inner housing is situated in the outer chamber and includes opposed top and bottom ends and having a wall structure that defines a sealed inner chamber extending therebetween. The wall structure includes at least one side wall that defines a transparent window. An inlet port is in communication with one end of the inner chamber and that directs unsterilized air into the inner chamber. An ultraviolet (“UV”) light source is positioned outwardly adjacent the window and configured to emit UV light through the window and into the inner chamber when energized so as to sterilize air in the inner chamber. An outlet port is in communication with another end of the inner chamber that directs sterilized air downstream from the inner chamber.
US09457119B2
A fluid filtration system is shown. The fluid filtration system utilizes a one-piece or multiple piece containers having a plurality of radiation-transmissible media adapted to receive light, such as ultraviolet light, white light or other wavelength light. The radiation-transmissible media are situated in the container and at least one or a plurality of radiation sources, such as ultraviolet lamps, are situated in an array in proximity to the radiation-transmissible media. The radiation-transmissible media interrupts the flow and velocity of the fluid stream passing through the container to extend the duration of radiation for any contaminants and also provide enlarged surface areas for the contaminants to be received and ultimately exposed to the radiation. In one example, the radiation-transmissible media may be tubular or spherical sections that are hollow or solid and made of quartz.
US09457118B2
A corona discharge device includes a charging-section high-voltage electrode unit including a plurality of charging-section high-voltage electrodes, and a charging-section ground electrode unit includes a plurality of charging-section ground electrodes formed by flat plates. The plurality of charging-section high-voltage electrodes are arranged at intervals in a direction intersecting an airflow in an air path, and are connected to one another at at least one longitudinal end by a conductive frame portion. The plurality of charging-section ground electrodes are disposed between the charging-section high-voltage electrodes in an orientation such that flat surfaces thereof are substantially parallel to the airflow in the air path, and are connected at at least one longitudinal end by a conductive frame portion. The plurality of charging-section high-voltage electrodes and the plurality of charging-section ground electrodes are alternately stacked in the direction intersecting the airflow in the air path to be spaced apart from each other.
US09457104B2
Disclosed are a composition including hydrophilic nanoparticles that have a monosaccharide-phosphate or a derivative thereof adhered to the surface thereof, a colloidal solution of the composition dispersed in water, and a magnetic resonance imaging contrast agent including the colloidal solution. According to the present invention, nanoparticles having biocompatibility and excellent water-dispersibility can be prepared by modifying the surface of inorganic nanoparticles. The prepared nanoparticles may be effectively used in a variety of applications including, for example, in vivo imaging applications such as an MRI contrast agent, nano-electronic convergence technologies such as a quantum dot light emitting device, biomedical applications such as hyperthermia, or the like. Moreover, compared to existing nanoparticles dispersed by a dispersion stabilizer known in the art, excellent dispersion stability and a relatively small hydrodynamic diameter may be attained.
US09457096B2
The invention provides compositions for oral delivery and methods of treatment using VSP carriers, such as Giardia sp. variable surface proteins (VSP), to deliver therapeutic agents. VSP drug carriers can be combined with bioactive peptides, e.g., insulin, glucagon, or hGH, and be administered orally or mucosally. VSP carriers are resistant to acidic pHs and to proteolytic degradation and protect therapeutic agents from degradation in the gastrointestinal tract.
US09457088B2
The subject matter disclosed herein is directed to stable, highly-effective topical formulations comprising permethrin, fipronil and a solvent system that is sufficient to solubilize these two active ingredients and limit degradation of fipronil to its sulfone, and their uses in topical applications on animals and the environment. Useful formulations comprise from about 30% to about 55% (w/w) permethrin and about 2 to 15% (w/w) fipronil and a solvent system that comprises N-methyl pyrrolidone and a glycol, glycol ether, glycol ester, fatty acid ester or neutral oil, wherein the N-methyl pyrrolidone and glycol, glycol ether, glycol ester, fatty acid ester or neutral oil are present in a weight:weight ratio of from about 1:2.0 to about 1:3.5, glycol, glycol ether, glycol ester, fatty acid ester or neutral oil to n-methyl pyrrolidone. These two actives when combined in the described amounts have been found to have unexpected enhanced repellent activity against stable fly. However, it is the formulations described herein that provide solvency and stability that maintain synergistic concentrations after application on an animal.
US09457086B2
The present invention provides solid oral dosage forms and methods of treating subjects in need thereof. The solid oral dosage forms of the present invention provide a mixture including at least one compound classified as BCS Class II, BCS Class III or BCS Class IV, where the compound does not include a peptide bond in the compound's molecular structure; an absorption enhancer; and coated organic acid particles; an enteric coating; and a water soluble barrier positioned between the mixture and the enteric coating.
US09457080B2
The present invention provides methods and compositions for the treatment, prevention, or reduction of persistent infections, such as chronic infections, latent infections, and slow infections and cancer. The methods and compositions of the invention are also useful for the alleviation of one or more symptoms associated with such infections and cancer.
US09457072B2
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for forming anti-cancer vaccine DNL complexes using dock-and-lock technology. In preferred embodiments, the anti-cancer vaccine DNL complex comprises an antibody moiety that binds to dendritic cells, such as an anti-CD74 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof, attached to an AD (anchoring domain) moiety and a xenoantigen, such as CD20, attached to a DDD (dimerization and docking domain) moiety, wherein two copies of the DDD moiety form a dimer that binds to the AD moiety, resulting in the formation of the DNL complex. The anti-cancer vaccine DNL complex is capable of inducing an immune response against xenoantigen expressing cancer cells, such as CD138negCD20+ MM stem cells, and inducing apoptosis of and inhibiting the growth of or eliminating the cancer cells.
US09457069B2
Methods for prolongation of climax time in a patient in need thereof are presented, as are methods for treating premature ejaculation by local administration of a Clostridial neurotoxin, such as botulinum neurotoxin, to the patient, are provided.
US09457056B2
The present invention provides methods for prevention, prevention of progression, and treatment of osteoporosis and pre-osteoporotic conditions comprising direct administering to osteoporetic bone of a composition comprising amphiphilic peptides and peptide matrices thereof, useful in promoting biomineralization, local osteoporetic medications and inducing bone repair.
US09457051B2
Methods for treating a partial or complete rupture of cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) damage and for preventing or delaying CrCL damage with or without synovitis in dogs are disclosed. For example, this document provides methods for using stem cells and/or progenitor cells to prevent or reduce the likelihood of CrCL rupture in the contralateral leg of mammals, especially dogs, diagnosed with CrCL rupture, as well as methods for using stem cells and/or progenitor cells to treat, delay or prevent complete CrCL rupture in mammals, especially dogs, diagnosed as having a partial CrCL rupture.
US09457047B2
This invention is directed to β-1-6-glucans, compositions and devices comprising the same, and methods of use thereof in modulating immune responses. The β-1-6-glucans of certain embodiments of the invention are enriched for O-acetylated groups and/or conjugated to a solid support or linked to a targeting moiety.
US09457037B2
A combination composition comprising as active ingredients L-carnitine or propionyl L-carnitine, troxerutine, diosmine and hesperidine, useful for the prevention and/or treatment of chronic venous diseases.
US09457036B2
The present invention relates to therapeutic combinations of [2-(6-amino-purin-9-yl)-1-methyl-ethoxymethyl]-phosphonic acid diisopropoxycarbonyloxymethyl ester (tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, Viread®) and (2R,5S,cis)-4-amino-5-fluoro-1-(2-hydroxymethyl-1,3-oxathiolan-5-yl)-(1H)-pyrimidin-2-one (emtricitabine, Emtriva™, (−)-cis FTC) and their physiologically functional derivatives. The combinations may be useful in the treatment of HIV infections, including infections with HIV mutants bearing resistance to nucleoside and/or non-nucleoside inhibitors. The present invention is also concerned with pharmaceutical compositions and formulations of said combinations of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate and emtricitabine, and their physiologically functional derivatives, as well as therapeutic methods of use of those compositions and formulations.
US09457033B2
The present invention includes novel compounds based on the tomatidine skeleton as well as composition comprising these compounds alone and in combination with known compounds, which exhibit antimicrobial activity against extracellular or intracellular electron transport-deficient microbes and/or increase the antimicrobial activity of aminoglycoside antibiotics against their targets, and which are useful as antibacterial agents for treatment or prophylaxis of monomicrobiotic or polymicrobic bacterial infections or for the reduction of antibiotic resistance development in animals or in humans, or for use as antiseptics or agents for sterilization or disinfection.
US09457032B2
A therapeutic agent for renal failure including, as an active ingredient, a 4,8-inter-m-phenylene prostaglandin I2 derivative, and also a method for treatment of renal failure using the same.
US09457028B2
Abacavir, a nucleoside analog reverse transcriptase inhibitor, has been found to exhibit an anti-cancer activity on ATL cells in vitro without inhibiting DNA replication of normal cells. Abacavir or a pharmaceutically acceptable derivative thereof is useful as an active ingredient of a pharmaceutical composition for use in the prevention or the treatment of cancer, in particular a cancer whose DNA repair system is impaired such as breast cancer or adult T-cell leukemia.
US09457020B2
The present invention relates to shelf-stable liquid formulations of palonosetron for reducing chemotherapy and radiotherapy induced emesis with palonosetron. The formulations are particularly useful in the preparation of intravenous and oral liquid medicaments.
US09457018B2
This invention relates to a method for combating adverse effects arising from antipsychotic treatment. The invention furthermore relates to novel pharmaceutical compositions comprising a therapeutically effective combination of a compound of formula I and an antipsychotic drug.
US09457015B2
The present invention relates to a novel 2-aminothiazole derivative, N-(5-(4-fluorophenyl)thiazole-2-il)-3-(furan-2-il)propane amide and to a use thereof as an anti-cancer drug. It is verified that the compound of the present invention has highly superior cancer cell-specific cytotoxic activity and in-vivo anti-cancer activity for inhibiting the growth of tumors in an animal model for cancer disease, and therefore can be developed as an anti-cancer candidate substance.
US09457011B2
The present disclosure describes a treatment for acid related gastrointestinal disorders. The compounds described herein are known gastric acid secretion inhibitors in combination with alpha lipoic acid (ALA) or related compounds. ALA is not known as a treatment for acid related gastrointestinal disorders, however, ALA, when combined as described in the present disclosure with certain compounds used in the treatment of acid related gastrointestinal disorders, significantly improves existing treatments.
US09456999B2
S-allylmercapto-N-acetylcysteine and related compounds are disclosed which can be administered in order to provide protection from the formation of aldehyde-protein adducts, protein carbonylation, protein aggregation, and the resulting neuroinflammation. Various neurodegenerative diseases which are suitable for treatment using these compounds include Alzheimer's disease, senile dementia, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, Lewy body disease, peripheral neuropathy, spinal cord injury, stroke and cerebral ischemia.
US09456997B2
Provided are methods of treating heart failure in children using B1-selective adrenergic receptor antagonists, alone or in combination with other agents, including B-2-selective adrenergic receptor agonists.
US09456996B2
Dimethyl trisulfide antidote compositions may be used to as a cyanide poisoning antidote. Formulations of dimethyl trisulfide may be made in an aqueous solvent system that includes water and one or more of a co-solvent, a surfactant, a cyclodextrin, and a phospholipid.
US09456987B2
A capsule of, for instance, hard gelatin for holding a substance such as medicine, food supplements or similar materials includes a capsule body having a closed and an opposed open end with a predetermined length defined between the ends. A diaphragm having a closed end and an opposed open end and a predetermined length there between seals off the body and provides a first compartment to hold a first medicine, food supplement, etc. A cap is applied to the body as is conventional in capsules. The space between the inner portion of the cap and the diaphragm defines a second compartment for holding a second medicine, food supplement, etc. The contents of each compartment may be wet or dry (e.g., powder or liquid.) This two-compartment capsule has particular relationships between the length along an axis of the capsule of the diaphragm to that of the body, and particular dimensional parameters relating to the sidewall contact seal between the outer portion of the diaphragm and the inner wall of the body, to provide adequate capsule sealing and stability during and after manufacture.
US09456978B2
The present invention is directed towards a composition comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, at least one silicone-organic polymer hybrid compound; at least one nonionic film forming polymer; at least one amphoteric film forming polymer; and a neutralizer. The present invention also relates to methods for imparting shape to or maintaining the shape of hair wherein the composition provides style memory, strong hold and good shine, while at the same time, providing smoothness and a natural feel to the hair.
US09456968B2
A sunscreen composition comprised of one or more sunscreen active agents encapsulated in a cellulose derived capsule wherein the composition can contain one or more additional agents. A sunscreen composition can be mixed with a bodywash, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, gel, soap, cream, hand sanitizer, spray or mousse and can be used by an individual during their normal hygiene processes, such as during a shower or bath or while applying a body product to their skin or hair.
US09456964B2
A dental resin temporary sealing material composition that is excellent in adhesion to the tooth substance and removability of the hardened material and has a preventive function of releasing various ions including a fluoride ion is provided. The adhesion to cavity walls can be improved and, since there is little dimensional change during hardening, excellent sealability in a cavity can be attained.
US09456962B2
The present invention provides a tissue conditioner for dental application and comprises a first composition comprising poly ethylmethacrylate (PEMA) and a second composition comprising acetyl tributyl citrate (ATBC), a hyperbranched polyester, and ethanol. The tissue conditioner of the present invention is able to improve the stability of viscoelasticity.
US09456960B2
Partially collapsible bottles (10) for providing nutritional compositions and other fluids and methods of using the partially collapsible bottles are provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a bottle (10) having a rigid wall (20), and a semi-rigid wall (30). The semi-rigid wall (30) is constructed and arranged to conform to an inner side of the rigid wall (20) in a collapsed form. The bottle (10) can be sized to hold any suitable volume such as, for example, from about 100 to 5000 mL.
US09456955B2
A filling aid. The filling aid includes a needle housing portion including at least one tab having a starting position and a filling position, and a filling needle cradle including a filling needle, the filling needle cradle slidable connected to the needle housing portion and having a starting position and a filling position, wherein when the at least one tab on the needle housing moves from a starting position to a filling position, the filling needle cradle slides from a starting position to a filling position, and wherein when the at least one tab on the needle housing moves from a filling position to a starting position, the filling needle cradle slides from a filling position to a starting position.
US09456953B2
Techniques associated with an implant system for imparting vibratory massage to tissue within a body is disclosed. In some examples, a device includes a case having an engaging surface configured to conform to a surface of a colon, a passage extending from an opening on the case to another opening on the case, the passage configured to receive a securing member, a vibration generator coupled to the case and configured to generate a vibration, and a power receiver coupled to the case, the power receiver comprising a receiving coil and configured to receive electrical energy from a remote source.
US09456947B2
A head positioning device for use in radio therapy is described for positioning a patient's head. The head positioning device comprises a head plate for supporting a patient's head; a base plate for connection to a mechanical couch; and a head plate adjustment assembly connecting the head plate to the base plate wherein the head plate adjustment assembly is arranged to vary the relative pitch, yaw and roll of the head plate relative to the base plate. The head positioning device is arranged to be attached to a mechanical couch with the head plate and the head plate adjustment assembly cantilevered off the end of the couch and the head plate adjustment assembly suspended beneath the head plate and the base plate.
US09456944B2
The patient transfer acts as a combined sling and bed cover and includes a substantially rectangular sheet portion of a size to fit over a standard bed mattress and to which are attached a plurality of straps for coupling to a hoist. The patient transfer sheet is preferably made of a single-layered material which is breathable, strong and soft. The patient transfer sheet can act as a sling for transportation/repositioning of a patient as well as a replacement bed covering to replace conventional bed linen. The patient can thus be transported onto a bed without needing to remove the patient from the sling.
US09456940B2
A load sensing system for a wheelchair lift arrangement includes an elongated member that is rotatable about a longitudinal axis between an unloaded position and a loaded position; a biasing member that biases the elongated member toward the unloaded position; at least one contact member connected to the elongated member and configured to contact a bridge plate; and a switch assembly operatively connected to the elongated member, the switch assembly being configured to be activated to prevent operation of the wheelchair lift arrangement when the elongated member is in the loaded position. A method of regulating movement of a lift platform of a wheelchair lift arrangement is also provided.
US09456937B2
A portable female urine collector for urine collection and stowage, and a method of assembling same is disclosed. In one embodiment, the portable female urine collector includes a fordable absorbent pad for collecting urine, and a receptacle attached to the foldable absorbent pad for stowing the foldable absorbent pad therein after the foldable absorbent pad is used to collect urine. After the foldable absorbent pad is used, the foldable absorbent pad is folded by the user and then sealed within the attached receptacle for later disposal. The portable female urine collector is useful whenever toilet facilities for females are either unavailable or unsuitable.
US09456926B2
A cataract surgical system includes a laser source to generate a first set of laser pulses; a guiding optic to guide the first set of laser pulses to a cataract target region in an eye; a laser controller to generate an electronic representation of a target scan pattern, and to control the guiding optic to scan the first set of laser pulses according to a portion of the target scan pattern to create a first photo-disrupted region in the cataract target region; and a Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomographic (SD-OCT) imaging system to generate an image of a portion of the first photo-disrupted region. The laser controller can generate an electronic representation of a modified scan pattern in relation to the image generated by the SD-OCT imaging system, and control the guiding optic to scan a second set of laser pulses according the modified scan pattern.
US09456924B2
A valve system for an ocular implant device includes a boss structure. The boss structure includes an inlet for fluid inflow, and a number of outlets for fluid outflow. The valve system further includes a deformable membrane positioned over and spaced apart from the inlet, the membrane comprising a piezo-based material, an actuating element to apply pressure to the membrane to deform the membrane into a position that obstructs fluid flow from the inlet, and a control system to detect a position of the membrane based on measured electrical properties of the membrane.
US09456912B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for delivering a stent to a lumen internal to a body of a patient and for sheathing a stent just prior to an insertion procedure. One embodiment comprises a delivery device having a partially sheathed configuration, a fully sheathed delivery configuration, and a deployed configuration. A panchor (combination pusher and anchor) is configured to engage and limit proximal and distal movement of the implantable device. An outer sheath surrounds a distal portion of an inner member and retains the implantable device near the distal end. The outer sheath is slidably moveable relative to the inner member to deploy the implantable device. Proximal movement of a trigger results in movement of the outer sheath to deploy the implantable device. A sheathing mechanism is configured to crimp and fully sheathe the implantable device prior to a deployment procedure.
US09456908B2
A system comprising a fusion cage and at least one engagement member is provided. The fusion cage includes a first member and a second member. The engagement member is configured to retain the first and second members in an expanded state while simultaneously fixing the fusion case to adjacent vertebrae.
US09456907B1
The present invention is an extendable surgical implant that can be inserted into a surgically created cavity.
US09456904B2
The invention features an implant assembly for stabilization of a facet joint including an implant having a U-shaped body. The U-shaped body has a rounded front end, an open back end, first and second elongated components extending from the rounded front end, forming the U-shaped body and ending at the open back end and a helical structure extending within the U-shaped body that serves as a locking mechanism.
US09456903B2
The present invention provides an expandable fusion device capable of being installed inside an intervertebral disc space to maintain normal disc spacing and restore spinal stability, thereby facilitating an intervertebral fusion. In one embodiment, the fusion device includes a body portion, a first endplate, and a second endplate, the first and second endplates capable of being moved in a direction away from the body portion into an expanded configuration or capable of being moved towards the body portion into an unexpanded configuration. The fusion device is capable of being deployed and installed in both configurations.
US09456899B2
A system and method for restoring (e.g., replacing) a defective heart valve of a patient. A delivery system is manipulated to percutaneously deliver and implant a stented prosthetic heart valve to a native heart valve. A post-dilatation balloon is percutaneously delivered to the implantation site, and a compliant segment thereof is arranged within a region of the implanted prosthesis. The balloon is inflated such that the compliant segment expands and contacts the prosthesis, expanding a remodeling region of the prosthesis to a remodeled state. With these and related techniques, remodeling of an implanted, stented prosthetic heart valve to better match the native valve shape is possible, providing many benefits such as reducing the risk of paravalvular leaks.
US09456893B2
A engineered tissue implant comprising a perfusion chamber formed with a biocompatible flexible tubular member having a wall defining an internal fluid flow passage and a porous scaffold within the fluid flow passage of the tubular member, the porous scaffold arranged such that, in a presence of a perfusion fluid, the perfusion fluid will flow through the porous scaffold and be inhibited from flow between the porous scaffold and the wall of the tubular member. The engineered tissue implant may be understood as a transplantable cell construct or as an implantable bioreactor for cell growth both in vitro and/or in vivo. A method to provide tissue for reconstruction may comprise forming the engineered tissue implant containing a scaffold, introducing and seeding cells to the scaffold, introducing a perfusion fluid to the scaffold which flows through the fluid flow passage and scaffold, proliferating the cells within the scaffold and forming blood vessels within the scaffold. This may be followed by transplanting the engineered tissue implant in vivo where nutrition and oxygen are provided to support the preloaded cells.
US09456890B2
A mammalian tissue scaffold and method for making a tissue scaffold including a rigid scaffold body of biocompatible glass fibers bonded together and in special alignment to define open channels within the scaffold to allow fluid flow into and within the scaffold.
US09456886B2
An absorbent article having a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction includes an absorbent panel having a ventral region, a dorsal region and an intermediate region between the ventral and dorsal regions in the longitudinal direction. The absorbent panel includes a liquid-permeable topsheet, a liquid-impermeable backsheet and a liquid absorbent core lying between the liquid-permeable topsheet and the liquid-impermeable backsheet. The absorbent core is arranged in a limited area extending from a zone of the intermediate region defined adjacent to a slit for formation of an opening into which the pet animal's tail is inserted into the ventral region and has a first end lying in the ventral region and a second end lying in the intermediate region. A dimension of the ventral region in the transverse direction gradually narrows from the side of the second end toward the first end.
US09456880B1
A dental wedge device, comprising of a hollow body with perforations on all three sides of a general triangular cross section, is coupled to a flexible tubing which can be connected to a dental vacuum device, readily available in a dental operatory. The dental wedge device incorporates a novel element that addresses a major issue of moisture control. Moisture contamination of a dental restoration during placement will compromise the longevity of the restorative material. The perforated sides of the wedge allow any moisture including gingival fluids, saliva and blood to be aspirated from the cavity preparation into a suction chamber. The fluids are then drawn into the flexible tubing line for complete ejection into a dental vacuum device. Another embodiment is described and shown.
US09456870B2
Optical energy-based methods and apparatus for sealing vascular tissue involves deforming vascular tissue to bring different layers of the vascular tissue into contact each other and illuminating the vascular tissue with a light beam having at least one portion of its spectrum overlapping with the absorption spectrum of the vascular tissue. The apparatus may include two deforming members configured to deform the vascular tissue placed between the deforming members. The apparatus may also include an optical system that has a light source configured to generate light, a light distribution element configured to distribute the light across the vascular tissue, and a light guide configured to guide the light from the light source to the light distribution element. The apparatus may further include a cutting member configured to cut the vascular tissue and to illuminate the vascular tissue with light to seal at least one cut surface of the vascular tissue.
US09456868B2
An instrument includes a handle portion, an actuator, a shaft, a rigid member, and an angular control mechanism. The shaft has a proximal end and a distal end with an electrode region, and a flexible region in between. Moving the actuator causes portions of the flexible region distal of a pivot region to bend such that an angular orientation and a radial offset of the electrode region reach an angular orientation and a radial offset, respectively, when the actuator reaches the end position. A distal portion of the rigid member defines the pivot region. Moving the rigid member along the shaft causes the pivot region to translate. The radial offset varies depending on the position of the pivot region.
US09456867B2
Medical devices and methods for using medical devices are disclosed. An example medical device may include an open-irrigated ablation catheter. The open-irrigated ablation catheter may include a catheter body, an electrode tip body with irrigation ports at a distal end, and a coolant conduit. The distal end of the coolant conduit may extend into a proximal portion of the electrode tip body. Fluid flow from the coolant conduit may be diverted proximally and/or towards the wall of the electrode tip body by one or more openings proximal of a closed distal end of the conduit or by a structure blocking and diverting flow from an open distal end of the conduit.
US09456863B2
A surgical instrument includes a housing and an elongated shaft operably coupled to an actuating mechanism moveable between an actuated position and an unactuated position. An end effector includes a pair of opposing first and second jaw members and is adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy. A switch is moveable between an activated position to initiate delivery of electrosurgical energy to the end effector and a deactivated position to terminate delivery of electrosurgical energy to the end effector. A switch activation member is configured to move the switch between an activated position and a deactivated position. A switch control member is configured to maintain the switch in the activated position during at least partial movement of the actuating mechanism from the actuated position to the unactuated position.
US09456862B2
An electrosurgical generator includes an electrosurgical energy output configured to deliver electrosurgical energy to a bipolar end effector assembly in a conductive fluid environment for treating tissue. A controller having a processor is configured to control a waveform of the electrosurgical energy such that the waveform oscillates between a cut phase for initiating and sustaining tissue cutting, wherein the waveform includes a cut energy greater than the energy needed to create and sustain arcing, and a hemostasis phase, for desiccating/coagulating tissue, wherein the waveform includes a hemostasis energy less than the energy needed to sustain arcing.
US09456860B2
Provided is a flowable bioresorbable tissue dressing comprising a gas-forming porogen and a gel or gel-forming solution. Also provided is kits for preparing the above-described tissue dressing. Further provided are methods of treating a tissue site of a mammal with the above dressing. Also provided is a reduced pressure delivery system for applying a reduced pressure tissue treatment to a tissue site.
US09456859B2
A polyaxial pedicle screw includes a threaded shaft portion for anchoring the pedicle screw in a vertebra, the pedicle screw having one axial end provided with a shaft head which is coupled to a mounting sleeve for a longitudinal beam in a rotatable and/or pivotable manner, including a fixing device for the selective positional fixation of the mounting sleeve with respect to the shaft portion. The fixing device includes a locking element as well as a counterforce part which is formed so as to be separate from the pedicle screw and counteracts the holding force of the locking element, preferably a grub screw or threaded nut, and is designed and/or retained in such a manner that the holding force of the locking element can be selectively released by means of the counterforce part, viz. is without any effect.
US09456855B2
Devices and methods for placing an implant between two bone portions are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method comprises disposing a portion of a flexible member through a first bone portion, through an aperture in a trial implant, and through a second bone portion. The trial implant can be withdrawn to enable an implant to be coupled to the flexible member. The method includes applying tension to the flexible member to urge the implant into the space between two bone portions. In some embodiments, the two bone portions are facets.
US09456854B1
A modular system for fixation of a spinous process includes at least one pair of blocks shaped so as to engage a particular segment of the spinous process and arranged on opposing sides of the spinous process. Each block has a surface facing the portion of the spinous process to be engaged, the surface having an array of sharp spikes to penetrate the spinous process when so engaged. Two rods arranged parallel to the spinous process are provided to connect the at least one pair of blocks and therefore stabilize multiple segments of the spinous process. Each block includes an aperture within a central portion of the block and shaped so as to slidably receive one of the rods. Set screws are provided so as to securely position the block along the length of the rod.
US09456845B2
Described is a needle assembly comprising a needle and a needle hub adapted to carry the needle. The needle hub includes a proximal portion adapted to engage a medicament delivery device having a first thread and a cover portion adapted to abut a distal surface of the delivery device. The proximal portion includes a second thread adapted to engage the first thread, and the second thread is offset from the cover portion by a first distance.
US09456843B2
A tissue-removing catheter for removing tissue from a body lumen includes a tissue-removing element. The tissue-removing element may be coupled to a first longitudinal portion of the catheter body. An angular-displacement sensor may be coupled to the catheter body for detecting an angular displacement of at least the first longitudinal portion of the catheter body relative to the rotational axis when the first longitudinal body portion is rotated about the rotational axis. The tissue-removing element may be rotatable about a rotational axis to adjust an angular tissue-removing position of the tissue-removing element relative to the body lumen when the catheter body is inserted in the body lumen. An angular-displacement sensor may be generally adjacent the tissue-removing element for detecting an angular displacement of the tissue-removing element relative to the body lumen when the tissue-removing element is rotated about the rotational axis.
US09456842B2
A recanalization catheter assembly for recanalization of an occluded blood vessel is disclosed. The recanalization catheter assembly includes an elongate shaft having a tubular portion, a guide member, and a rotary ablation tool. The tubular portion includes a distal opening, from where the rotary ablation tool extends distally. The guide member extends distal of the distal opening and includes a guidewire lumen to receive a guidewire therethrough. The guide member is configured to advance over the guidewire in a subintimal space between a first tissue layer and a second tissue layer of a wall of the blood vessel, while the rotary ablation tool is advanced in a true lumen of the blood vessel.
US09456827B2
A trackable medical instrument for use in a computer assisted image guided surgery system having a digitizer for tracking the position of the instrument in three dimensional space and a display providing an indication of the position of the instrument with respect to images of a body part taken preoperatively, wherein the instrument comprises a tracking array located distally of a rotatable, axially fixed drive handle.
US09456820B2
A system and method for endoscopically forming an anastomosis between two naturally adjacent points in the digestive tract. The system and method utilizes elongate magnetic devices that, when connected across a tissue boundary, necrose tissue until an anastomosis forms and the devices are passed naturally. Despite the elongate shape of the devices, the resulting anastomosis is substantially round. As such, round anastomoses can be formed having increased diameters merely by increasing the lengths of the devices, obviating the need for wider endoscopes.
US09456815B2
An implantable graft, which may be inserted into a fistula tract to occlude the primary opening of the fistula, is provided. To prevent unintentional displacement of the graft or extrusion of the graft from the fistula of a patient, the graft may be provided with a cap that extends laterally from at least one end of the body of the graft, where the cap may be integral with the body of the graft, attachable to at least one end of the body of the graft, and/or moveable along the body of the graft. The graft may also have a tail that extends from one end of the body of the graft to assist in placement of the graft in a fistula tract. The graft may be an integral unit made of a single material, such as a heterograft material, or may include distinct components made of the same or different materials. Methods for closing a fistula tract are also provided.
US09456811B2
A vascular closure device comprised of a sheath-delivered cincture or noose-like device or knot comprised of suture, wire, or other suitable materials, that is placed on the external surface of a puncture wound, and closed. The vascular closure cincture is delivered by a sheath, and after closing is left resident on the external surface of a tissue puncture wound.
US09456805B2
The quality of a parametric map is improved based upon information contained in optoacoustic images. Frames are acquired by a multi-wavelength optoacoustic imaging system. A first sub-set including uncorrelated frames from a first wavelength is generated. A first interframe artifact estimate is generated. The first artifact estimate is applied to a frame from a first wavelength to mitigate the interframe persistent artifact in the frame, creating a first processed frame. A second sub-set including uncorrelated frames from a second wavelength is generated. A second interframe artifact estimate is generated. The second artifact estimate is applied to a frame from the second wavelength to mitigate the artifact in the frame from the second wavelength, creating a second processed frame. A parametric map is generated from information in the first processed frame and information in the second processed frame.
US09456804B2
A region of interest which is considered to be a vascular wall of an artery is set in a B-mode image, and tracking processing is performed for each region of interest. A maximum displacement velocity Vu in a positive direction and a maximum displacement velocity Vd in a negative direction are obtained as a peak value of a displacement velocity of the vascular wall. If a first peak ratio (Vu/Vd) of a region of interest corresponding to an anterior wall is equal to or greater than a predetermined first feature threshold value (for example, 2.0) using the obtained maximum displacement velocity Vu in the positive direction and maximum displacement velocity Vd in the negative direction, it is determined that the region of interest is an artery.
US09456796B2
Disclosed herein are an X-ray imaging apparatus and a method for controlling the same. The X-ray imaging apparatus includes an X-ray generator configured to radiate first-energy X-rays toward an object, an X-ray detector configured to detect the first-energy X-rays which propagate through the object, an image processor configured to generate a first object image which correspond to the detected first-energy X-rays and to estimate a second object image which corresponds to second-energy X-rays based on the generated first object image, and a controller configured to control the image processor to repeatedly estimate the second object image by controlling the X-ray generator to repeatedly radiate the first-energy X-rays toward the object.
US09456786B2
A sensing assembly for sensing contact with an object is disclosed. The contact sensing assembly may comprise an elongate tubular body. An electrode may be connected to the elongate tubular body. A vibration element is operatively connected with the electrode and configured to deliver a vibration-inducing signal to induce vibration of the electrode. A sensor is configured to monitor the electrode for a perturbation in the induced vibration. The perturbation results from contact between the electrode and the object.
US09456785B1
A performance measuring system integrated with an article of clothing, the system has a computing unit for coordinating, processing and transmission of sensor data connected to a bus and an antenna. A sensor for measuring performance characteristics is connected to the bus; the bus facilitates transmission and reception of control and data values between the computing unit and the sensor. Also, an antenna is connected to the computing unit for communicating with other computing devices and transmission of sensor data. The other computing devices display the sensor data to a user or forward the sensor data onto another communication media such as the internet or interactive television. A social networking system sharing athletic statistics using a webservice, a personal processing unit connectible to the webservice, and a computing unit having an activity program for at least one sensor. This system has an activity update service integrally associated with the webservice.
US09456781B2
Activities, actions and events during user performance of physical activity may be detected using various algorithms and templates. Templates may include an arrangement of one or more states that may identify particular event types and timing between events. Templates may be specific to a particular type of activity (e.g., types of sports, drills, events, etc.), user, terrain, time of day and the like.
US09456779B2
Biomarkers are collected and used to determine biological propensities of a patient, to determine the efficacy of medical devices, to select and administer therapeutic agents, to select medical devices, to make adjustments to medical devices, and/or to adjust surgical techniques. An apparatus includes a port to draw a biological fluid (e.g., a mist) from a surgical site. The apparatus includes a sensor having a cantilevered beam. The beam includes substances selected to attract certain biomarkers as the fluid is communicated across the beam. The same apparatus or another apparatus is used to administer a therapeutic agent based at least in part on collected biomarker data. The therapeutic agent delivery apparatus may include a device that is also used to create a wound at a surgical site. For instance, a harmonic surgical instrument may be used to both collect biomarkers and administer a therapeutic agent (e.g., gene therapy using sonoporation).
US09456777B2
Devices, systems, and methods for assessing microbiota of skin are described which include: a skin-covering material with an inner surface conforming in shape to a topography of a skin surface and including a plurality of specific microbe-binding elements; an image capture device to capture an image of the inner surface of the skin-covering material and to transform the image into a digital output including information associated with at least one property and a spatial distribution of at least one type of microbe bound to the specific microbe-binding elements; and a computing device including circuitry configured to receive the digital output from the image-capture device, compare the at least one property of the at least one type of microbe bound to the specific microbe-binding elements with a database of reference microbe properties, and generate a digital profile including the at least one property and the spatial distribution of the at least one type of microbe bound to the specific microbe-binding elements.
US09456772B2
A noninvasive method and apparatus for determining analyte concentration (e.g., glucose) in a subject that includes measuring light refraction from at least a portion one or more structures. One example of such structure is the subject's iris.
US09456759B2
A device that monitors and evaluates electrogram signals representing electric activities of a heart chamber, and includes a signal input connected to a mapping catheter, and a signal processing and evaluation unit. The mapping catheter includes one or more electrode poles that pick up electric potentials and generate electrogram signals therefrom. When an electrogram signal is received by the signal input, the signal processing and evaluation unit identifies waveform deflections in the electrogram signal, measures deflection intervals between each pair of consecutive deflection complexes in the electrogram signal, measures at least one metric that characterizes a morphology of a deflection complex in the electrogram signal, generates a multi-dimensional deflection vector of at least two dimensions for each identified deflection, determines a distance between each pair of consecutive deflections from the multi-dimensional deflection vectors, and determines a cumulative distance between deflections in a time window of predetermined length.
US09456758B2
Methods and systems for sensing properties of an object or entity utilize non-resistive contact sensors alone or in combination with other sensors. The sensor data is utilized for detecting and visualizing properties of one or more biological or non-biological objects or entities.
US09456755B2
A medical monitoring device for monitoring electrical signals from the body of a subject is described. The medical monitoring device monitors electrical signals originating from a cardiac cycle of the subject and associates each cardiac cycle with a time index. The medical monitoring device applies a forward computational procedure to generate a risk score indicative of hyperkalemia, hypokalemia or arrhythmia of the subject. The medical monitoring device can adjust the forward computational procedure based upon clinical data obtained from the subject.
US09456739B2
A system for determining an accommodative force in a patient includes a sensor adapted to detect motion of a lens of the patient relative to a globe of the patient's eye, a controller configured to determine an accommodative force in the patient based on the relative motion and to determine at least one parameter for an intraocular lens based on the accommodative force, and an interface adapted to output the at least one parameter for the intraocular lens.
US09456728B2
A vacuum cleaner comprising an electric motor, an impeller and an axial diffuser arranged on a common axis is provided. The impeller is connected to the electric motor and is arranged for rotation on the common axis to achieve a radial air flow. The radial air flow is redirected into an axial air flow. The diffuser passages are arranged between an inner circumferential wall and an outer circumferential wall, wherein the walls are coaxially arranged around the common axis. Each diffuser passage is delimited in a circumferential direction between the walls by vanes extending between the inner wall and the outer wall and in an axial direction extending substantially in parallel with the common axis. The vanes are arranged in at least two rows being consecutively arranged in the axial direction extending substantially in parallel with the common axis.
US09456727B2
A drivable floor cleaning machine is provided, including a chassis, at least one cleaning head, and a holding device capable of holding the cleaning head on the chassis and lifting it relative to the chassis, the holding device including a first rod device rotatably held by a first bearing device on the chassis, a second rod device rotatably held on the chassis by means of a second bearing device, a third bearing device rotatably holding the cleaning head on the first rod device, and including a fourth bearing device rotatably holding the cleaning head on the second rod device, wherein the cleaning head is supported on a stop when a specific lifting position of the cleaning head relative to the chassis is reached, and on which stop the cleaning head can be rotated.
US09456725B2
A robot cleaner includes a main brush to sweep or scatter dust off a floor, a main brush motor to rotate the main brush, a Revolution Per Minute (RPM) detector to detect an RPM of the main brush motor, and a control unit to determine a type of floor according to the RPM of the main brush motor acquired by the RPM detector and control an operation of the robot cleaner based on the determined type of floor. A carpet mode to clean only a carpet area and a hard floor mode to clean a hard floor area excluding the carpet area are given based on detected information relating to the material of a floor, which enables partial cleaning with respect to a cleaning area selected by a user and adjustment in the number of cleaning operations or the intensity of cleaning according to the material of the floor.
US09456720B2
The invention relates to a pneumatic vacuum in which an ejector (10) exhibits a tubular conduit (11) for injection of compressed air, a discharge channel (12) for discharging the aspirated fluid and the compressed air injected via the tubular conduit (11), an aspirating channel (13) in fluid communication with the tubular conduit (11) and the discharge channel (12) for aspirating; the ejector (10) has a first and a second tubular body (17, 24) exhibiting a first converging portion (20, 25) arranged downstream of an inlet zone (18) along an aspirating direction (21) and a second portion (22, 26) having a constant section emerging from the first converging portion (20, 25) at the smaller-section zone (23, 27) and downstream of the first portion (20, 25) along the aspirating direction (21), the tubular conduit (11) for injecting the compressed air exhibiting an inlet mouth (28) located at the converging portion (25) of the second tubular body (24) such as to inject pressurized air into the second tubular body (24).
US09456715B2
Shown are devices and methods for brewing and steeping tea. The devices and methods for brewing and steeping tea utilize steam, heated liquid, agitation, and recirculation.
US09456713B2
Microwave pressure cooker including safety interlock mechanism. A blow vent is provided in cooker lid, and a lock bar is pivoted to cooker lid in a position to block blow vent when lock bar is resting under its own weight. Free end of lock bar includes a lock tab. Lock tab extends through a slot at periphery of lid. Cooker base includes handle with a cam section ending in a lock wall. Cooker lid is placed on base in a release position and rotated to a locking position. During rotation lock tab rides over cam section and then falls adjacent lock wall, thus sealing blow vent. After cooking cover is physically prevented from rotating back to release position by lock tab abutting lock wall. User must physically lift lock bar to unseal blow vent to ensure internal pressure is released. A spline may hold lock bar in raised position.
US09456706B2
A refrigerated merchandiser includes a case defining a product display area and having a base, a lower flue, a first air passageway, and a second air passageway. The first air passageway and second air passageway are in fluid communication with the lower flue and with the product display area. The refrigerated merchandiser also includes an evaporator positioned in the first air passageway and a fan assembly positioned in the base in fluid communication with the lower flue to generate an airflow. A fan plenum into which the fan assembly is disposed includes an airflow divider to direct a first portion of the airflow to the first air passageway and to direct a second portion of the airflow to the second air passageway. The proportion of air between the first portion and the second portion is a function of the position and geometry of the airflow divider.
US09456704B2
A merchandiser including a case and a light assembly coupled to the case. The case defines a product display area and at least one shelf for supporting and displaying food product within the product display area. The light assembly is coupled to the case and is positioned to illuminate the food product. The light assembly includes a housing, at least one LED coupled to the housing, a lens cover defining a sidewall portion of the light assembly, and a specular member coupled to the sidewall portion and spaced apart from the LED to reflect a portion of light from the LED toward the product display area.
US09456691B2
A structure to prevent a drawer from falling off may include a rail and a stopping unit. The rail has an elongated side board, one side of the rail is extending to form a bottom board with an equal length as the side board. The bottom board has at least one through connecting opening. The stopping unit has a head portion, and one end of head portion has two pressing pieces, and a space formed between the two pressing pieces. When the pressing pieces move towards the space, the head portion is elastically deformed and plugged into the connecting opening of the rail. The stopping unit is configured to prevent the drawer from falling off if excessive force is applied thereon.
US09456688B2
A modular storage of modular storage units defined by plural hollow elongate support members having longitudinal ends including apertures into which vertical connection members can be inserted to connect adjacent modules. The inserts may be of a predetermined length to connect two horizontally adjacent modules or a length twice the predetermined length to connect two horizontally adjacent modules. For vertically and horizontally connected modules, double-headed dowel pins can be inserted in a U-shaped channel of the connection members that rigidly and securely retain the modules connected to each other so as to enable the configuration to present a stable work surface. A second type of connection member can be used to provide for an end connection at a top or bottom of the configuration, enabling a hook to hold onto the adjacent hollow tubular member and/or to provide for insertion of a caster.
US09456686B2
A system comprising a switching device linked to a common display screen and including a wireless receiver configured to receive content, the switching device configured to use the received content to drive the common display screen and a plurality of interface devices, each interface device including an interface housing, an interface device processor, a control button mounted within the housing and a plug linked to the housing via a cable, the plug receivable within a connection port of a computing device, a first interface device including a first device processor, a first plug and a first control button, the first processor configured to perform the steps of, with the first plug received in the connection port of the first computing device and first content presented on the first display screen while other content is presented on the common display screen, detecting selection of the first control button and, upon detecting selection of the first control button, causing a wireless transmission to the switching device, upon receiving the wireless transmission, the switching device presenting the content from the first computing device display screen on the common display screen.
US09456685B2
A table (1) capable of accommodating place settings for a plurality of people is provided. The table (1) comprising a first table top (2) and a second table top (3), both of which are capable of accommodating place settings for one or more people. The place settings on the first table top (2) being alignable with the second table top (3) place settings so that at least two people at the table (1) are face to face. The first and second table tops are moveable relative to one another so that the alignment of the first table top place settings and the second table top place settings can be varied.
US09456675B1
Footwear worn on a foot of a user having a heel and toes with toenails, and abrades the toenails of the toes of the foot of the user without any input from the user. The footwear includes a sole, an insole, a vamp, a toe portion, and a pedicure assembly. The insole is disposed on top of the sole, and has the foot of the user rest thereon. The vamp extends upwardly from the sole, and overlies the foot of the user. The toe portion extends upwardly from the sole, forwardly from the vamp, and overlies the toes of the foot of the user. The pedicure assembly is disposed within the toe portion, and abrades the toenails of the toes of the foot of the user without any input from the user.
US09456674B2
A case includes a first plate, a second plate, a first sidewall protruding from the first plate, a second sidewall protruding from the second plate and a cover. The second plate is attached to the first plate and is rotatable around the first plate to obtain different angles between the first plate and the second plate. The second sidewall, the first sidewall, the first plate and the second plate define a receiving space when the angle is 180 degrees. The cover is attached to the second sidewall and is rotatable around the second sidewall to position an end of the cover in front of the first plate. A length of the cover between the end and the second sidewall can be variable corresponding to the different angles. The end of the cover is rotatable to abut against the first sidewall holding the first plate at different angles.
US09456667B2
An enhancer for jewelry necklaces in which the enhancer is connected to lower ends of an upper strand and allows a plurality of lower strands to be attached to each respective enhancer so as to allow the consumer to provide a plurality of ornamental appearances for the resulting necklace structure. An alternative embodiment uses a single enhancer for allowing a plurality of decorative elements such as charms to be added to a necklace.
US09456661B2
A footwear customization kit is disclosed. The kit comprises a container including an article of footwear, a stand, a steaming bag and a set of instructions. The article of footwear includes a customizable portion that can be deformed when heated. The stand and the steaming bag can be used to heat the article of footwear in a steam environment. The steaming bag includes a central portion and a peripheral portion. The central portion of the steaming bag defines an interior cavity for receiving the article of footwear. The peripheral portion can include grasping holes for grabbing the steaming bag in the steam environment. The steaming bag can expand from a flattened configuration when filled with the article of footwear in the steam environment.
US09456659B2
The present disclosure is directed to an article of footwear including an upper configured to receive a foot and a sole component fixedly attached to a bottom portion of the upper. The sole component may include a baseplate having a bottom surface and at least a first ground engaging member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, and a first elongate support member extending substantially downward from the bottom surface of the baseplate, abutting the first ground engaging member at a side portion, and extending horizontally from the side portion of the first ground engaging member. The first support member may have a downward facing surface with a first facet and a second facet, wherein each of the first facet and the second facet are angled at different non-horizontal orientation.
US09456657B2
An article of footwear includes an upper and a support assembly positioned beneath the upper, and having a top plate, a bottom plate, and a plurality of connecting members. The connecting members are spaced from one another and extend partway inwardly from a periphery of the support assembly such that connecting members on a medial side of the support assembly are spaced from connecting members on a lateral side of the support assembly, with each connecting member including a primary aperture extending therethrough. Each of a plurality of tubular members has a central aperture passing therethrough and is received in the primary aperture of one of the connecting members.
US09456653B2
A bicycle shoe support includes a rigid support frame and a flexible support member. The rigid support frame has a cleat attachment section, a heel section and a pair of side sections. The heel section is arranged with respect to the cleat attachment section. The side sections longitudinally extend between the cleat attachment section and the heel section to define a foot receiving space therebetween. The flexible support member extends beneath the foot receiving space.
US09456647B2
Systems and methods are provided for designing garments from software templates and a software toolkit, drafting garment patterns from body photographs and garment style drawings, and for creating adjustable pattern style drawings and for drafting garment patterns from the pattern style drawings. The garment patterns are adjusted by measurements from two-dimensional images and body part circumferences of a three-dimensional body. After obtaining the measurement the system preferably automatically makes such adjustments. The system includes a content generation side which creates pattern styles of garments. The system also includes a user-side through which a user generates a body outline and interacts with the previously generated content to draft garment patterns that are fully customized.
US09456642B2
A convertible sport wrap garment is disclosed that may convert to a purse/pack and vice versa. The garment may be formed of a composite fabric structure having an inner sheet and an outer sheet attached together to form a generally tubular shaped body. The garment may comprise an elastic fabric such that it fits snugly around the torso of the wearer. The garment may be worn around the waist and over one shoulder or both shoulders. A selectively closable pocket may be sandwiched between the inner and outer sheets, wherein the pocket may be accessible along one edge joining the inner and outer sheets, and wherein the garment may be folded into the pocket to convert the garment into a purse/pack.
US09456639B2
A fashionable active wear garment with many user convenience features is described herein. The garment includes an upper portion and a lower portion joined by an elastic member that encircles at least a portion of the torso and is used for supporting the wearer during rigorous activity. The garment has several pockets placed in the front and rear, with one pocket located between the shoulder blades of a wearer for vertically inserting a fluid container.
US09456638B2
A breast cup for a brassiere, a brassiere, and a method of making the breast cup. The breast cup includes a molded body having an inner surface, an outer surface and an apex. A layer of flock is adhered to the molded body at a location corresponding with the apex in order to provide increased modesty for the breast cup.
US09456634B2
A vapor generator has a battery module. The battery module has a battery adapter socket at an end of the battery module. The battery adapter socket has a battery adapter socket first electrical contact and a battery adapter socket second electrical contact. A vapor module is connected to the battery adapter socket. The vapor module comprises a vapor module outside tube. A vapor module inside tube is mounted within the vapor module outside tube. The vapor module inside tube has an inside tube first electrical contact, and an inside tube second electrical contact. The inside tube first electrical contact is insulated from the inside tube second electrical contact. A heater coil is installed inside the vapor module inside tube. The inside tube first electrical contact contacts the battery adapter socket first electrical contact.
US09456630B2
The invention relates to the use, in the manufacture of a medicament or a therapeutic nutritional composition for preventing or reducing inflammation in a mammal, of bifidobacterium longum ATCC BAAA-999.
US09456627B2
The invention relates to a process for isolating sialic acid containing oligosaccharides and in particular sialyllactose from a milk stream and especially from a whey stream. The process yields a product having a high content of sialyllactose and a low content of phosphorus compounds. This product is highly suitable to be included in infant foods.
US09456622B2
Systems and methods provide sugar alcohol to heat stressed ruminants to improve performance. During periods of high temperature or humidity, heat stressed ruminants may exhibit decreased dry matter intake, and in response, an effective amount of sugar alcohol such as sorbitol may be provided in the ruminant diet to cause performance to increase, which may include increased milk yield, improved feed efficiency or both compared to heat stressed dairy cattle without sugar alcohol in the diet.
US09456621B2
pH-adjusted soy protein products, particularly isolates, that have a natural pH of about 6 and have a non-beany flavor are provided by the processing of soy protein product which is completely soluble in aqueous media at a pH of less than about 4.4 and heat stable in this pH range or a concentrated soy protein solution produced in the preparation of such soy protein product.
US09456614B1
A cake decorating assembly, kit, and method of use comprising a mount which includes a longitudinally extending member. The assembly further comprises a top blade subassembly, a lateral blade subassembly, a gauge subassembly, and a cutting subassembly, all of which may be removably attached to the longitudinally extending member. All of the top blade subassembly, the lateral blade subassembly, the gauge subassembly, and the cutting subassembly may be vertically adjusted relative to the longitudinally extending member, while the gauge subassembly may also be horizontally adjusted relative to the longitudinally extending member. The cake decorating assembly provides for, e.g., the efficient decoration of a cake and further assists, e.g., in the even distribution of frosting on a cake.
US09456608B2
The present invention relates to a recombinant vector containing a plant disease resistance-related 1B8-4-D7 gene from the soil metagenome, a host cell transformed with the recombinant vector, a recombinant protein produced by the transformed host cell, a plant disease resistance enhancer including the transformed host cell or the recombinant protein as an effective component, a method of enhancing resistance against plant pathogens including eliciting induced resistance by treating a plant with a composition including the transformed host cell or the recombinant protein, and a preparation for controlling plant disease including the transformed host cell or the recombinant protein.
US09456606B2
The present invention relates to pesticidal mixtures comprising a component A and a component B, wherein component A is a compound of formula (I) wherein B1, B2, B3, X1, X2, X3, X4, Y1, Y2, Y3 and R9 are as defined in claim 1 and component B is an insecticide. The present invention also relates to methods of using said mixtures for the control of plant pests.
US09456605B2
The present invention relates to compounds formula (I): wherein P is P1, P2, heterocyclyl or heterocyclyl substituted by one to five Z; and wherein A1, A2, A3, A4, G1, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R17, R18, R19 and R20 are as defined herein; or a salt or N-oxide thereof. Furthermore, the present invention relates to processes and intermediates for preparing compounds of formula (I), to insecticidal, acaricidal, nematicidal and molluscicidal compositions comprising the compounds of formula (I) and to methods of using the compounds of formula (I) to control insect, acarine, nematode and mollusc pests.
US09456601B2
Pesticides based on hydroxy-substituted hydrocarbyl compounds, particularly vicinal diols, are available to control arthropod ectoparasites such as Pediculus humanus, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Musca domestica, the Blattidae, Blatella Germanica, and Periplaneta Americana, by introducing to the locus of an infestation of the pest, a composition containing as active ingredient a vicinal diol.
US09456593B2
A fishing lure with a spring-loaded, adjustable diving and release apparatus built in to the diving bill that allows the elimination of the diving plane when certain release events occur that would cause a disengagement of the apparatus built into the diving bill. The events that would cause this release to occur would be, but are limited to, 1) the fisherman jerking the line to cause the release in order to retrieve the fishing lure with relative ease while trolling said fishing lure behind a moving boat, 2) a fish strike that would then create a direct line to fish connection, eliminating any pressure points the diving bill might create allowing the fish to work itself free of the hooks, and 3) striking an obstruction on the bottom of the water column that might otherwise cause the fishing lure to snag or entangle in the obstruction.
US09456589B2
Compounds for repelling elasmobranch having an aldehyde or derivative, a carboxylic acid a derivative, a ketone or a derivative thereof, a di-ketone or a derivative thereof, a pyridine or derivative thereof, or an antipyrine or a derivative thereof and methods of use thereof.
US09456580B2
A foldable bag frame and a pet bag using same are presented. The foldable bag frame includes four top support bars connected end-to-end in sequence, four bottom support bars connected end-to-end in sequence, and connecting rods. Each of the connecting rods consists of two hingedly-connected short-segment connecting rods. The foldable bag frame further includes a sleeve slidable along the connecting rod, and a spring fixedly connected to one end of the sleeve and sleeved over an outer side of the connecting rod, the other end of the spring being connected to the non-fixed end of a short-segment connecting rod. When the spring is in an initial state, the sleeve connected thereto covers the hinged portion of the connecting rod. By controlling foldability of the connecting rods, folding of the frame is conveniently achieved, making it possible to use a strong rigid material for the frame to meet stability during use.
US09456579B2
The present invention relates to a Spinacia oleracea seed designated 51-337 RZ, which exhibits very slow bolting, dark green semi-savoy leaves, and resistance to downy mildew (Peronospora farinosa f.sp. spinaciae) races Pfs1 to Pfs10 and intermediate resistance to races Pfs 11 and 12. The present invention also relates to a Spinacia oleracea plant produced by growing the 51-337 RZ seed. The invention further relates to methods for producing the spinach cultivar, represented by spinach variety 51-337 RZ.
US09456571B2
A soybean cultivar designated S140147 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S140147, to the plants of soybean cultivar S140147, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S140147, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S140147. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S140147. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S140147, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S140147 with another soybean cultivar.
US09456569B1
A novel maize variety designated PH1TVW and seed, plants and plant parts thereof. Methods for producing a maize plant that comprise crossing maize variety PH1TVW with another maize plant. Methods for producing a maize plant containing in its genetic material one or more traits introgressed into PH1TVW through backcross conversion and/or transformation, and to the maize seed, plant and plant part produced thereby. Hybrid maize seed, plant or plant part produced by crossing the variety PH1TVW or a locus conversion of PH1TVW with another maize variety.
US09456568B2
Inbred corn line, designated IL3, is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of inbred corn line IL3, to the plants and plant parts of inbred corn line IL3, and to methods for producing a corn plant, either inbred or hybrid, by crossing inbred corn line IL3 with itself or another corn line. The invention also relates to products produced from the seeds, plants, or parts thereof, of inbred corn line IL3 and/or of the hybrids produced using the inbred as a parent. The invention further relates to methods for producing a corn plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic plants produced by that method and to methods for producing other inbred corn lines derived from inbred corn line IL3.
US09456564B2
According to the invention, there is provided seed and plants of the hybrid corn variety designated CH592073. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of the variety CH592073, and to methods for producing a corn plant produced by crossing a corn plant of variety CH592073 with itself or with another corn plant, such as a plant of another variety. The invention further relates to genetic complements of plants of variety CH592073.
US09456557B2
Self-initiated cooling of the troposphere occurs by enriching the same with at least one substance from the group of inorganic chloride and bromide compounds. The substances used to this end are characterized by at least one of the properties: gaseous, vaporous below 500° C., hygroscopic, hydrolysable. The formation of the substances used to this end is further characterized in the process in accordance with the invention by at least one of the steps: forming the substance using salt water electrolysis, forming the substance outside of combustion processes, forming the substance in the free troposphere.
US09456543B2
In embodiments, a seeder may include a frame including a seed box and a rear roller. In embodiments, the seeder may be configured to removably couple with either a roller assembly or a disc blade assembly. In some embodiments, the seeder may include a front tray configured to receive two kinds of seed from two different seed boxes and disperse the seed at a position in front of the rear roller so that the seeds are planted at the same depth. In some embodiments, the seeder may further include a calibration tray which may have a width less than a width of the seeder. The calibration tray may be configured to receive seed from the seed box during a calibration procedure.
US09456539B2
A no-till apparatus for application of herbicide and fertilizer, soil preparation, and seeding of a cover crop in a standing crop has inter-row assemblies configured to pass along inter-row areas between adjacent row lines of standing crop plants. Each assembly includes a fertilizer applicator, a no-till soil preparation element, a cover crop seed applicator, and a post-seeding element. The apparatus may include movable auxiliary seeding units such that the apparatus may operate as a grain drill.
US09462736B2
Provided are a composition for an anisotropic conductive adhesive, a method of forming a solder bump and a method of forming a flip chip using the same. The composition for an anisotropic conductive adhesive includes a low melting point solder particle and a thermo-curable polymer resin. The anisotropic conductive adhesive includes forming a mixture by mixing a polymer resin and a curing agent, and mixing a deforming agent, a catalyst or a reductant with the mixture.
US09462735B2
An LC module for installation in a housing of a motor vehicle control device, a method for producing an LC module and a corresponding motor vehicle control device having an LC module. The LC module has a support plate, at least one electrolytic capacitor and a coil. The electrolytic capacitor and the coil are disposed in chambers of the LC module and are at least partially surrounded by casting compound. Furthermore, the support plate has a connecting part between the two chambers, the support plate being form-fittingly or frictionally connectable to the housing of the control device at least in the region of the connecting part.
US09462731B2
A cover structure for an electronic circuit module includes a circuit board and a box-shaped cover integrated to each other. An electronic component is mounted on the circuit board. The cover has at least one open side. The cover includes a top plate and a mounting leg. The top plate is disposed so as to oppose the circuit board. The mounting leg is joined to the circuit board. The mounting leg is bent and extends from an outer periphery of the top plate. The top plate includes a bend portion and a cutaway portion. The bend portion is connected to the mounting leg. The cutaway portion is provided near the bend portion.
US09462729B1
Tile assemblies are provided having first and second tile sections and an airflow control mechanism. The first tile section allows, in a cold air cooling mode, cold air from a cold air plenum of a data center to flow into a cold air containment aisle for supply to an electronics rack(s). The second tile section is associated with the first tile section to allow, in a failover cooling mode, ambient air external the cold air plenum to flow, via an air pathway through the second and first tile sections into the containment aisle. The airflow control mechanism is disposed within the air pathway to block cold air from the cold air plenum from passing through the second tile section in the cold air cooling mode, and to allow, in the failover cooling mode, ambient air to pass through the air pathway into the cold air containment aisle.
US09462728B2
An electronic board includes a support on which first electronic components are installed, the first electronic components having a height of less than a first threshold height h1; a cold plate that extends parallel to the support, the distance between the cold plate and the support being equal to the first threshold height h1, the cold plate including a base plate in which at least one channel is formed through which a coolant can circulate, the base plate being fixed to a complementary plate closing the channel, the cold plate covers all first electronic components, the first electronic components being connected to the cold plate through deformable pads made of a heat conducting material.
US09462724B2
Various embodiments include a combined power and IT modular system including a housing, an IT load, and a DC power generator which is electrically connected to the IT load, wherein the IT load and the DC power generator are both located in the housing. Further embodiments include a method of operating a combined power and IT module including step of providing a combined power and IT module including a housing, an IT load, and a DC power generator which is electrically connected to the IT load, wherein the IT load and the DC power generator are both located in the housing, and operating the DC power generator to supply power to the IT load.
US09462720B1
An aligning apparatus for mounting cards into a housing space is provided. The aligning apparatus includes a first line card having a mating portion and a card guide assembly coupled to the first line card. The mating portion is configured to mate with a backplane of the housing space. The card guide assembly varies from a first height at a first portion to a second height at a second portion. The varying heights correspond to an arrangement of components on a neighboring card. The first and second portions are configured to guide directional movement of the first line card in relation to one or more components on the neighboring card during insertion of the first line card into the housing space. In this regard, the first line card is guided past the one or more components on the neighboring card as the mating portion of the first line card is moved toward the backplane.
US09462718B2
A circuit board mounting apparatus includes a circuit board, a first mounting member, a second mounting member, and a third mounting member. The first and second mounting members are mounted to a front side of the circuit board. The third mounting member is mounted to a rear side of the circuit board. The circuit board is capable of being mounted to a first side plate of a first chassis in a perpendicular manner by the first and second mounting members, or is capable of being mounted to a second side plate of a second chassis in a parallel manner by the first, second, and third mounting members.
US09462713B2
A transmission device applied to a pivot shaft mechanism provides a security system and is easy to assemble. The transmission device includes at least one rotary shaft, a drive section movable with the rotation of the rotary shaft, a driver (transversely) reciprocally movable and a turning unit having a first end connected with the driver and a second end assembled with a carrier body. The driver includes an arm section provided with an elastic body and a hand section connected with the arm section. When the driver is transversely moved, the turning unit is swung, whereby the second end of the turning unit drives the carrier body for lifting or lowering a substrate body or a frame in accordance with the operation mode of an electronic apparatus.
US09462711B2
A recessed portion is formed in a side face of a display device. An elastic body is provided in a recessed portion. The elastic body is elastically deformed to fix the display device to a housing when the display device is mounted in a predetermined-shaped space of the housing.
US09462710B2
A compartment of an arc resistant enclosure for an electrical component includes a plurality of wall structures defining an interior space for housing an electrical component. One of the wall structures has aperture structure for permitting pressure and gases to flow there-from and vent from the compartment. A stop structure is associated with the aperture structure. Flap structure is associated with the aperture structure and is movable from a closed position covering the aperture structure to an opened position extending outwardly of the compartment permitting pressure and gas to exit the compartment through the aperture structure. In the closed position, a portion of the flap structure engages the stop structure to prevent the flap structure from collapsing into the interior space of the compartment.
US09462708B2
A power semiconductor device comprising: a body, a substrate and power semiconductor components arranged on and connected to the substrate. The device has electrically conductive load connection elements and an integrally formed housing which runs laterally around the components. The body has a main outer surface which runs laterally around the components and which is at least partially covered by an elastic, electrically nonconductive, integrally formed, structured sealing element which runs laterally around the components. A section of the sealing element is arranged between the housing and the main outer surface of the body. The housing and the main outer surface of the body are pressed against the sealing element, which seals off the housing from the main outer surface of the body. The invention provides a compact device whose load connection elements are reliably electrically insulated from the body and whose housing is reliably sealed off from the body.
US09462707B2
A modular form factor power module system with monitoring and control functions is disclosed. The power module system is configured to power, monitor and/or control telecommunications equipment at the circuit level.
US09462701B2
In a method for mounting an element or component having at least one metal surface in or on a circuit board containing at least one conducting layer made of metal material, a connection between the at least one metal surface of the element and the at least one conducting layer of the circuit board is formed using ultrasonic welding or high-frequency friction welding in order to create a mechanically stable and resistant connection or attachment having good conductivity. Furthermore, a circuit board is disclosed in which at least one element or component having a metal surface is or can be connected to a conducting or conductive layer of the circuit board using ultrasonic welding or high-frequency friction welding.
US09462688B2
The present invention relates to a flexible metal laminate with low dielectric constant, which may be applied for a substrate for a flexible printed circuit. A flexible metal laminate according to one aspect of the invention includes a first metal layer; a first polyimide layer; a polyimide layer including fluoropolymer dispersed therein, formed on the first polyimide layer; and a second polyimide layer formed on the polyimide layer including fluoropolymer dispersed therein; wherein in the polyimider layer including dispersed fluoropolymer, the content of the fluoropolymer per unit volume is higher at 40 to 60% depth than at 5 to 10% depth of the total thickness from the surface of the polyimide layer.
US09462683B2
The present invention provides a cooktop appliance with features for correcting the color of light passing through the cooking surface such that the light appears a desired to a user of the cooktop appliance. More specifically, a colored translucent ink may be applied to a light transmissive layer of a user interface assembly such that light passing through the ink and the cooking surface appears a desired color to the user.
US09462681B2
A conductive film includes a base film, a primer layer formed on the base film, the primer layer having voids, and a conductive layer formed on the primer layer. The conductive layer includes a conductor that contains a nano-material forming a network structure.
US09462676B2
A multi-layer circuit member includes first and second electrically connected reference regions. At least a portion of a signal conductor is in proximity to the first region and a circuit component is in proximity to the second region. An area of increased impedance exists between the first and second electrically connected regions.
US09462669B2
A device and method for the magnetic confinement of plasma is formed by a cylindrically stacked column of current-carrying magnetic field coils with electrodes interior to each magnetic field coil so as to induce plasma fluid rotation about an annular confinement region formed of cusped-geometry magnetic fields. Electrodes are formed such that the electric fields produced are tangential to the magnetic fields, and so as to maintain consistent azimuthal direction of plasma rotation, electric field electrodes alternate accordingly in polarity along the axial length of the device.
US09462665B2
A circuit in a configurable light timer for receiving data to control the operation of the configurable light timer is described. The circuit comprises an input portion coupled to receive first data from a portable memory device by way of a connector on the configurable light timer; and a data transceiver coupled to receive wireless communication signals according to a wireless communication protocol, the wireless communication signals comprising second data for implementing the configurable light timer; wherein the second data coupled to the configurable light timer by way of the wireless communication link comprises timing characterization data. A method of receiving data to control the operation of the configurable light timer is also disclosed.
US09462662B1
Photocontrol apparatus that controls a luminaire or other load such that the luminaire is switched on during nighttime hours and off during the daytime. The photocontrol generates a micro-amp power supply using the voltage generated across a high value resistor in series with an alternating current (AC) power line. The photocontrol consumes only microwatts of power in either the ON or the OFF state, unlike traditional relay- or triac-based photocontrols. The photocontrol does not require a voltage generating photo sensor to generate power for the photocontrol. A solar cell, semiconductor photo diode or photo diode string, cadmium sulfide cell, semiconductor ambient light sensor, etc., may be used as the sensor element.
US09462660B2
An electronic dimming ballast or light emitting diode (LED) driver for driving a gas discharge lamp or LED lamp may be operable to control the lamp to avoid flickering and flashing of the lamp during low temperature or low mercury conditions. Such a ballast or driver may include a control circuit that is operable to adjust the intensity of the lamp. Adjusting the intensity of the lamp may include decreasing the intensity of the lamp. The control circuit may be operable to stop adjustment of the intensity of the lamp if a magnitude of the lamp voltage across the lamp is greater than an upper threshold, and subsequently begin to adjust the intensity of the lamp when the lamp voltage across the lamp is less than a lower threshold. Subsequently beginning to adjust the intensity of the lamp may include subsequently decreasing the intensity of the lamp.
US09462654B2
A user-actuated lighting effect device includes a housing, a light-generating lamp coupled to the housing, a power source, and a control circuit. The control circuit includes a user-actuated switch operably coupling the lamp and the power source. The lamp creates a lighting effect on or near the user when the first switch is on. The housing can be mounted in a use orientation on a pedal board. The lamp can create an upwardly directed lighting effect. An operational mode can be selected using a lighting mode switch.
US09462645B1
An LED driver circuit with stepwise adjustable power and an LED lighting tube. The LED driver circuit comprises a constant current IC chip U1, a power supply unit connecting to the constant current IC chip U1, a switch control unit and a driving unit. The driving unit connects to the switch control unit. The LED driver circuit also comprises a power regulation unit. The power regulation unit connects to the constant current IC chip U1, the switch control unit and the driving unit. The present invention uses 12 W, 15 W, 18 W (or) more stepwise adjustable power. It is applicable to LED lighting tubes, ceiling lights, panel lights and all types of LED stepwise adjustable power.
US09462638B2
An induction heating cooker having an oil temperature control function by of the amount of change of an operating frequency, and a control method thereof, the induction heating cooker including a heating coil, an inverter unit, a driving unit, a detection unit to detect a value of a current that flows at the heating coil, and a control unit to calculate an operating frequency of the driving unit according to the value of the current, to vary the operating frequency so that the heating coil maintains a constant output that corresponds to an output level, and to determine whether oil accommodated in a container placed on the heating coil is overheated, by use of an amount of change of the operating frequency, and the maintenance or the control of the temperature of oil may be achieved.
US09462637B2
Disclosed is a heater device. The heater device includes: a cylindrical insulating member; a heater element which is spirally wound plural times and disposed on an inner circumference side of the insulating member; and a supporting member having one or more first members disposed on inner circumference side of the heater element and extending in an axial direction of the insulating member, and a plurality of second members which extend from the first members to an outside of the insulating member in a radial direction and pass through gaps between turns of the heater element which are adjacent to each other in the axial direction of the insulating member such that end portions of the second members are formed to be embedded in the insulating member, in which the first members have expansion allowance portions which allow thermal expansion in the axial direction.
US09462617B2
Disclosed herein are connection management techniques for wireless docking. According to various such techniques, a wireless docking station may be arranged to implement an auto-connect mode setting that defines whether mobile clients are permitted to automatically connect to the wireless docking station, and may be arranged to implement a persistent pairing setting that defines whether authentication certificates may be reused. In some embodiments, the wireless docking station may be configured to advertise the auto-connect mode setting and the persistent pairing setting in auto-connect capability information elements (IEs) that it includes in probe requests and/or probe responses. The embodiments are not limited in this context.
US09462610B2
A device, method or system implements operations to receive compressed samples of wireless transmissions from a plurality of user equipment (UEs) traveling through different communication regions in a wireless network, and detect information in the wireless transmissions of the UEs based on the compressed samples.
US09462587B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for aggregating carriers in wireless communication systems. In the method, a first carrier is set up, and a second carrier is added in addition to the first carrier. In addition, the first carrier is a time division duplex (TDD) carrier for which an uplink subframe and a downlink subframe are positioned at different times in a frame, and the second carrier is a carrier only for a downlink that consists of downlink subframes.
US09462580B2
Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed for a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU) to transmit uplink information. The WTRU may have information such as data or control information to transmit to a network. The (WTRU) may request a common enhanced dedicated channel (E-DCH) resource from the network. The WTRU may receive an indication from the network to fallback using a random access channel, e.g. a Release 99 Random Access Channel (R99 RACH), a Release 99 Physical Random Access Channel (R99 PRACH), etc. The indication may be received via an acquisition indicator (E-AI). The indication may be a value of the E-AI. The WTRU may determine whether a condition is met. The WTRU may transmit the uplink information over the R99 PRACH if the condition is met.
US09462579B2
A system and method that facilitates mobile device selection among available qualities of service is described herein. A telecommunications network sends a notification to a mobile device when a change in quality of service is available to the mobile device. The mobile device then enables selection of an upgrade or downgrade to the current quality of service. In response to a selection, the mobile device transmits to the telecommunications network the change in quality of service. The telecommunications network then adjusts the quality of service in accordance with the request.
US09462576B2
A method for transmitting radio resources in a mobile communication system is disclosed. The method includes receiving a random access channel (RACH) preamble from a plurality of UEs and transmitting response information associated with the received preambles over a common channel wherein the plurality UEs can access the common channel and receive corresponding information. If a HARQ scheme is used when a UE transmits data to the eNode-B using uplink radio resources allocated over the RACH, the eNode-B does not pre-allocate uplink radio resources required for re-transmission and performs allocation of radio resources for a first transmission of HARQ. If the re-transmission is required, the eNode-B allocates the radio resources required for the re-transmission with the NACK signal. If re-transmission is not required, the present invention can reduce an amount of wasted radio resources.
US09462574B2
A dynamic spectrum arbitrage (DSA) system may include a dynamic spectrum policy controller (DPC) and a dynamic spectrum controller (DSC) that together dynamically manage the allocation and use of resources (e.g., spectrum resources) across different networks. A dynamic spectrum arbitrage application part (DSAAP) protocol/component/module may allow, facilitate, support, or augment communications between the DSC and DPC so as to improve the efficiency and speed of the DSA system. The DSAAP may allow the DPC and/or DSC components to better pool resources across the different networks, better monitor traffic and resource usage in the various networks, to more efficiently communicate bids and bidding information, to quickly and efficiently register and deregister components, and better perform backoff operations. The DSAAP may improve the DSA resource auctioning operations by improving the performance and efficiency of the procedures for bidding, generating invoices, advertizing resources, requesting resources, purchasing resources, validating bid credentials, etc.
US09462572B2
A multimedia broadcast multicast service counting method is provided in the present invention, comprising: after receiving Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (MBMS) Counting Initiation information sent by a network side, a base station sending MBMS counting indication information to a User Equipment (UE) via an air interface; and the base station reporting the counting information about the MBMS to the network side according to a received MBMS counting result reported by the UE. A multimedia broadcast multicast service counting system for implementing the method is further provided in the present invention. The present invention can timely and accurately count the MBMS correspondingly, which can enable the network side to timely and accurately learn the application situation of the current MBMS and make it convenient for the network side to make relevant deployment regarding the MBMS.
US09462566B1
A method of managing a pre-configuration mode for a mobile communication device supporting services. The method comprises responsive to the mobile communication device is not being provisioned for wireless communications service, not being assigned to any user account, and not being flagged as in a pre-configuration mode, assigning a temporary identifier corresponding to a service profile to the mobile communication device selected from a plurality of temporary identifiers, wherein a limited set of services is assigned to the service profile, wherein each service profile from a plurality of service profiles defines a specific limited set of services from a plurality of sets of limited services, wherein limited services are less services than services to fully provisioned mobile communication devices. The method further comprises monitoring time elapsed from the assignment of the temporary identifier, and transmitting an advertisement to the mobile communication device in response to the device invoking a service.
US09462563B2
Methods (100) and apparatuses (12, 24, 38) taught herein advantageously facilitate use of timing measurements in wireless communication networks (10) where radio signal timing measurements involve signals at different carrier frequencies. The methods and apparatuses in particular compensate such timing measurements for expected discrepancies in the measurements that arise from frequency-dependent differences in the propagation behavior of the radio signals being measured. In a non-limiting example, measurements at two or more frequencies may be compensated for the frequency distance between those frequencies, or with respect to a reference frequency. In such cases, timing measurements determined for one or more other radio signals are compensated as a function of the frequency distance between the reference frequency and the frequencies of such other radio signals.
US09462557B2
Method and an apparatus in a user equipment for controlling transmission power of the user equipment
Disclosed are methods and apparatuses in user equipments (1400) and network nodes (1410, 420) for controlling transmission power of the user equipments when the user equipments are connected to a wireless network. The disclosed methods and apparatuses deals with independently controlling transmission power of SRS signals and signals comprising traffic data from the user equipment (1400). Thereby, it is possible to use different power levels for SRS signals intended to e.g. a macro node and for traffic data intended to e.g. a pico node.
US09462548B1
In any cellular communication the network transmits broadcast information with some periodicity which is defined by the network parameters. The client terminal must acquire this system information in order to access the services from the network. The time required by the client terminal to acquire all the necessary system information to initiate network access may depend on the scheduling of the system information broadcast by the network. In some cases the scheduling information about the system information may be described in another system information message whose schedule may be fixed or known a priori. Conventional method of decoding the complete system information may involve decoding attempt for all the possible instances of transmission of the system information. A method and apparatus are disclosed that enables acquisition of the system information based on stored known instances of system information transmission. This results in reduced power consumption at the client terminal.
US09462546B2
A mobile station that performs wireless communication by using a plurality of wireless carriers, the mobile station includes a transmission managing unit that detects a transmission timing of communication data of a predetermined wireless carrier, and a state managing unit that makes the predetermined wireless carrier an activated state when the transmission managing unit detects the transmission timing of the communication data, and makes the predetermined wireless carrier a deactivated state after the communication data is transmitted and received.
US09462544B2
The invention relates to a method for activating at least one inactive cell in a wireless telecommunications infrastructure. The telecommunications infrastructure comprises an active cell containing a plurality of terminals. A presence signal is transmitted in the at least one inactive cell. The plurality of terminals in the active cell detect the presence signal(s) of the one or more inactive cells to gather information from the inactive cell. The information is reported to and received at the telecommunications infrastructure. The information received from the plurality of terminals is processed in a processing system of the telecommunications infrastructure to provide a processing result. The inactive cell is activated when the processing result fulfills at least one activation condition such that at least one of the plurality of terminals is within a coverage area of the activated cell.
US09462543B2
The various embodiments herein provide a method and system for operating a multi-subscriber identity module (SIM) mobile device. The method includes identifying a common suitable public land mobile network (PLMN) cell between a first radio frequency (RF) unit and a second RF unit of the mobile device. The first RF unit and the second RF unit of the mobile device are currently camped on different PLMN cells. Further, the method includes enforcing at least one of the first RF unit and the second RF unit to camp on said common suitable PLMN cell and disabling one of the first RF unit and the second RF unit when at least one of the first RF unit and the second RF unit camps on the common suitable PLMN cell.
US09462542B2
A method and a base station for a cell selection are provided. The method comprises obtaining an uplink traffic status of a user equipment. The method also comprises determining, based upon the plink traffic status, a bias value for a measured quality indicator of a down link received signal with respect to the user equipment. In addition, the method comprises performing the cell selection based upon the bias value and the measured quality indicator. With the present invention, a proper cell could be selected and thus both peak DL and UL throughput can be improved in the heterogeneous network.
US09462538B2
The addition of high throughput capability elements to beacon frames and peer link action frames in wireless mesh networks enable the utilization of desirable features without further modifications to the network. Rules can be established for high throughput mesh point protection in a mesh network, Space-time Block Code (STBC) operations and 20/40 MHz operation selections. However, features such as PSMP (power save multi-poll) and PCO (phased coexistence operations) are barred from implementation to prevent collisions.
US09462537B2
The present invention provides a network access point, a network controller, a network device, and a load control method thereof. The load control method includes: setting, by a network device, an access condition for accessing a first network by a terminal; receiving, by the network device, a first signal from the terminal, and obtaining a measurement parameter of the terminal according to the first signal; and if the measurement parameter of the terminal satisfies the access condition, sending, by the network device, a second signal to the terminal, so as to allow the terminal to access the first network, wherein the measurement parameter is a signal strength of the terminal and/or a terminal distance of the terminal. By using the foregoing manner, the present invention can improve spectral efficiency of a network access point.
US09462529B2
A method in a network node for performing network tasks based on a user equipment trajectory includes the network node receiving cell change information from a user equipment wherein the cell change information further includes user equipment trajectory data based on cell parameters of visited cells in a user equipment trajectory. The method in a user equipment for collecting cell change information associated with a cell change includes the user equipment storing the cell change information within the user equipment. The cell change information is sent to the network node for performing network tasks.
US09462521B2
Data center network provisioning method includes partitioning a plurality of virtual machines in the data center network into a plurality of groups according to topology information of data center network. A plurality of virtual machines in each group is assigned to a plurality of servers in the data center network. A pair-wised transmission path of the plurality of servers is assigned according to a traffic load of each switch in the data center network.
US09462517B2
Channel quality indicators (CQIs) for each cell of a plurality of cells may be sent at a multiple of a transmission time interval (TTI). CQIs for the different cells may be in different TTIs. A timer or L2 message may be utilized to determine when to send CQIs for different cells. CQIs for different cells may be sent over an uplink data channel in a single TTI.
US09462515B2
In a Long Term Evolution (LTE) environment, the LTE network can coordinate with a subscribing user equipment to manage offloading to a wireless local area network (WLAN) access point or other base station. In doing so, the serving base station on the LTE network can acquire device capabilities of the user equipment and provide configuration details to the user equipment based on those capabilities. These configuration details may cause the user equipment to monitor one or more triggers, and may configure a scan to be later performed by the user equipment. Based on the monitored trigger, the user equipment can then scan the environment according to the scan configuration defined by the base station, and relay scan results to the base station to make a handover determination.
US09462503B2
A system to provide narrowcast communications uses adaptive data rate control to individual subscribers such that the effects of precipitation or other link conditions, which are not common to all subscribers, is mitigated. The invention takes advantage of the fact that the narrowcast data consist of packets which are individually addressed to specific subscribers, or groups of subscribers. The narrowcast data is communicated on a plurality of channels, each of potentially differing data rates. The subscribers are assigned a particular channel, based upon their link quality, to receive packets addressed to them. The lower data rate channel will be less affected by adverse link conditions and are hence assigned to subscribers most likely to incur adverse link conditions.
US09462487B2
In accordance with an example embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus comprises a transceiver configured to receive a transmission signal from a radio node; a processor configured to, based on the received transmission signal, determine membership of the apparatus and the radio node in a common synchronization group and based at least in part on the determination, adjusting at least one transmission parameter.
US09462485B2
A system and method for improving signal reception in an access point. The system and method may comprise the steps of: transmitting a non-zero 802.11 NULL-data packet to a client, wherein the traffic test is initiated at intervals; receiving an 802.11 ACKnowledgement packet from the client wherein the 802.11 ACKnowledgement packet indicates that the non-zero 802.11 NULL-data packet was received by the client; and discarding the non-zero 802.11 NULL-data packet after receipt.
US09462484B2
In a multi-carrier wireless system, potential problems from reconfiguring mobile station resources to accommodate changes in component-carrier configuration are mitigated by inserting a guard period each time the configuration of component carriers changes, so that transceiver reconfiguration can be carried out without interfering with ongoing transmission. A base station is configured to transmit data to a mobile station according to a first configuration of two or more component carriers, to determine that a change of configuration to a second component-carrier configuration is required, and to signal the change of configuration to the mobile station, using the first configuration of component carriers. The base station then refrains from transmitting data to the mobile station during a pre-determined guard interval of at least one transmission-time interval subsequent to the signaling of the change of configuration. After the guard interval, data is transmitted to the mobile station according to the second component-carrier configuration.
US09462477B2
Flexible sharing of common radio access network (RAN) resources may pool unallocated resources. For example, sharing of the network resources may be static, e.g., the sharing contract may define a fixed percentage allocation of network resources that may not be modified without change in contract. The sharing of the network resource may also be dynamic and may accommodate the capacity needs of hosted operators on a real-time basis.
US09462475B2
The invention proposes several improvements related to the management of secure elements, like UICCs embedding Sim applications, these secure elements being installed, fixedly or not, in terminals, like for example mobile phones. In some cases, the terminals are constituted by machines that communicate with other machines for M2M (Machine to Machine) applications.
US09462471B2
In an example, an audio stream such as a voice call or live-streaming service may have mixed therein a user identification, which may identify the user as an authorized participant in the audio stream. For example, a user may identify himself to a smart phone, and then initiate a call with his bank. The smart phone may mix a user identification into the voice stream. A receiving device at the bank may demix the identification, and determine that the user is authorized to call about this account. In another example, identification may be used for DRM purposes, to identify a user as a legitimate participant in an audio stream. When a user is not authorized, an appropriate action may be taken, such as dropping the user, degrading the quality of the audio stream, or providing a notification that the user is not authorized.
US09462467B2
A machine-readable medium encoded with instructions to execute steps comprising: authorizing access to a system using a location of a portable communications device.
US09462466B2
Gateway router supporting session hand-off and content sharing among clients of a local area network
A gateway router is positioned at a boundary of a local area network and a wide area network. The gateway router supports hand-off among client device and/or user accounts for network communications sessions with a network device of the wide area network. The gateway router further supports content sharing among client devices and/or user accounts via the gateway router over the local area network. Data resources in the form of account information, files, applications, session state information, etc. may be stored at the gateway router to facilitate hand-off and/or content sharing among the clients of the local area network.
US09462465B2
Systems, methods, and devices for communicating MPDUs having a plurality of types are described herein. One aspect of the disclosure provides a method of processing a media access control (MAC) protocol data unit (MPDU) in a wireless system. The method includes receiving the MAC protocol data unit, the MAC protocol data unit comprising an indication of a communication in accordance with a protocol version. The method further includes selecting a replay counter from one of a first and second sets of replay counters based at least in part on the indication. The method further includes processing the received MAC protocol data unit in accordance with the selected replay counter.
US09462464B2
Methods, systems, and devices are described for communications via a mesh network. To join an existing mesh network, a wireless communication device may identify a member device from a plurality of member devices of an existing mesh network. The wireless communication device may communicate with the identified member device to participate in a single authentication procedure. Upon successfully completing the single authentication procedure, the wireless communication device may join the existing mesh network without needing any additional authentication procedures with another member device of the plurality of member devices to join the existing mesh network. This approach may be used for any mesh network, such as a social Wi-Fi mesh network.
US09462456B2
The disclosure relates to creating a time-sensitive grammar. A device receives a plurality of data points, identifies a plurality of time gaps associated with the plurality of data points, each of the plurality of time gaps representing a dwell time or a frequency of occurrence of a data point of the plurality of data points, generates a generic time factor representing a multiple of the plurality of time gaps, and combines the generic time factor with the plurality of data points to create a time-sensitive sequence of data points. The generic time factor may be inserted into the time-sensitive sequence a number of times representing the dwell time or the frequency of occurrence of a corresponding data point of the plurality of data points.
US09462453B2
Disclosed is method comprising: storing in a home location register (HLR) at least one subscription record of a mobile device of the plurality of mobile devices, the mobile device having a subscriber identity module (SIM) identified by a currently activated first international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI), the currently activated first IMSI belonging to a set of IMSIs allocated to the system, wherein the provisioning server is operative to: receive a notification that the mobile devices has moved into a first one of the wireless networks; confirm that an allocation rule is satisfied; add and activate a second one of the IMSIs in the set of IMSIs to the HLR and remove the currently activated first IMSI from the HLR; and send the second IMSI to the mobile device to enable the mobile device to communicate wirelessly in the first wireless network as a local device.
US09462446B2
External accessory data is collected at a mobile data collection platform (MDCP) provided by an external accessory of the MDCP. An image that includes a point of interest is captured using an image capturing device integral to the MDCP. Raw observables are obtained from a GNSS chipset internal to the MDCP. An position fix of the MDCP defines the location of an antenna and is determined based on the raw observables. An entrance pupil location is calculated as an offset off the antenna location. Orientation information comprising a tilt angle and an azimuth angle is determined. The position fix and orientation information are associated with a three dimensional location that the MDCP is at when the image was captured. External accessory data is received from an accessory external to the MDCP. The image, position fix, orientation information and external accessory data are stored in hardware memory of the MDCP.
US09462444B1
An apparatus wearable by a user for automatically contacting a public safety access point (PSAP) is disclosed. The wearable apparatus includes several sensors for obtaining datasets. One of datasets is a location of a user. The wearable apparatus also includes a cellular transceiver. The cellular transceiver transmits the datasets to a cloud computing system, receives a classification of the datasets as a user state from the cloud computing system, and contacts a safety access point (PSAP) (e.g., 9-1-1 emergency services, an automated emergency call center, etc.) based on the location of the user.
US09462442B2
An apparatus is capable of sharing information through a presence service in a communication network and capable of providing presence information of a Mobile Station (MS). The apparatus extracts at least one of application information and contents indication information from an application in execution. Presence information is generated that includes at least one of the application information and the contents indication information, and transmitting the presence information to a presence server.
US09462429B2
Users can be alerted of important missed calls while away from their mobile device by sending missed call notifications to contacts of the user, which may include friends, family, colleagues, or other people/entities associated with the called party. The missed call notifications may include text or automated voicemail messages, email messages, and/or messages sent via a social networking site or service to name a few, and can specify information pertaining to the missed call and/or the calling party. Missed call notifications can be triggered when one or more predefined conditions are met, such as when the mobile device is deemed not to be in the possession of the user and/or the missed call is deemed to be important. Missed call notifications can originate from the mobile device or a network device.
US09462426B1
According to one aspect, a method includes obtaining, at a client included in a push-to-talk (PTT) system, a plurality of talk bursts including at least a first talk burst and a second talk burst, the first talk burst being associated with a first source included in the PTT system, the second talk burst being associated with a second source included in the PTT system, wherein the plurality of talk bursts are obtained at approximately a first time. The method also includes identifying the first source as a source of interest and determining, after identifying the first source as the source of interest, an identity of the first source. Finally, the method includes processing the first talk burst as having a priority over the second talk burst.
US09462422B1
A method for estimating the elevation of an wireless terminal inside of a tall structure is described that compensates for differences in temperature and atmospheric pressure between the inside and outside of the structure.
US09462407B2
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a set top box having a controller to receive a request for reverberation in an environment having a plurality of media devices, and adjust a time delay for audio signals presented by one of the plurality of media devices operably coupled to the set top box based at least in part on the request. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09462402B2
Some embodiments relate to a manufacturing process that combines a MEMS capacitor of a microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) microphone and an integrated circuit (IC) onto a single substrate. A dielectric is formed over a device substrate. A conductive diaphragm and a conductive backplate are formed within the dielectric, with a sacrificial portion of the dielectric between them. A first recess is formed, which extends through the dielectric to an upper surface of the conductive diaphragm. A second recess is formed, which extends through the substrate and dielectric to a lower surface of the conductive backplate. The sacrificial layer is removed to create an air gap between the conductive diaphragm and the conductive backplate. The air gap joins the first and second recesses to form a cavity that extends continuously through the dielectric and the substrate. The present disclosure is also directed to the semiconductor structure of the MEMS microphone resulting from the manufacturing process.
US09462401B2
The invention relates to a method for operating a public address system with a control center to which loudspeakers are connected via a two-wire loop system that is routed via isolator modules. A fault can be located on the loop system if the control center measures the impedance of the loop system successively from isolator module to isolator module and the impedance of the entire loop system, inputs the measured values as target values into an impedance table, periodically measures the impedance of the entire loop system during operation, compares said impedance with the corresponding target value from the impedance table, generates a fault message upon determining a deviation, ascertains the fault location by comparing the measured value with the individual target values in the impedance table, and displays said fault location.
US09462368B2
An apparatus is disclosed for inputting digital data on the output channel(s) of an audio subsystem in an audio device, without interfering with normal operation of the audio subsystem. The described circuit includes a resistive element in parallel with the expected load device, such as a headphone or speaker. The resistive element receives a modulated digital signal from a data source or a switch, and the instantaneous current through the resistive element due to the modulated digital signal is reflected in a current feedback mechanism of the audio subsystem. Demodulation logic retrieves the digital signal from the current measured by the current feedback mechanism. A capacitor is provided to prevent the current in the resistive element from the digital signal from impacting the average DC current that the feedback mechanism uses to evaluate the load device.
US09462365B1
Disclosed herein are methods and apparatuses for the transmission of audio information from a bone-conduction headset to a user. The bone-conduction headset may be mounted on a glasses-style support structure. The bone-conduction transducer may be mounted near where the glasses-style support structure approach a wearer's ears. In one embodiment, an apparatus has a bone-conduction transducer with a diaphragm configured to vibrate based on a magnetic field. The magnetic field being based off an applied electric field. The apparatus may also have an anvil coupled to the diaphragm. The anvil may be configured to conduct the vibration from the bone-conduction transducer. Additionally, the anvil may be anvil may include at least one passage configured to enable the anvil to be physically coupled to the diaphragm. Thus, the anvil may be coupled to the diaphragm after the anvil is positioned on the diaphragm.
US09462355B2
A system and method is provided to automatically generate content for ITV products and services by processing primary media sources. In one embodiment of the invention, keywords are automatically extracted from the primary media sources using one or more of a variety of techniques directed to video, audio and/or textual content of the multimodal source. In some embodiments, keywords are then processed according to one or more disclosed algorithms to narrow the quantity of downstream processing that is necessary to associate secondary sources (reference items) with the primary video source. Embodiments of the invention also provide automatic searching methods for the identification of reference items based on the processed keywords in order to maximize the value added by the association of reference items to the video source.
US09462353B2
An enhanced television service provides a shared folder over a television network, such as a fiber optic network. Users, the service provider, or trusted sources, share use of a program folder via television. A user recommends content, such as a program listing, to other geographically dispersed subscribers, by sending the content to the subscribers' shared folder. Users may create a personal content guide for use instead of a standard program guide that contains identical listings for all subscribers. The shared folder may consist of programs from a variety of channels as well as other content and may be populated by trusted sources in remote locations. Users may search for content that matches search criteria and may delete or edit listings from the shared folder. The contents of the folder may not only include program listings, but also other content such as movies, television shows, web sites, photos, home videos, etc.
US09462351B2
An interactive television program guide is provided. The interactive television program guide provides a user with the opportunity to select a language for playing television programming and displaying program guide text. Television program audio in the desired language may be obtained from a SAP or digital audio track and played in the selected language. Television related information in the desired language may be obtained from a digital track. If television program audio or related information is not provided in the selected language, the program guide may use a default language. The program guide may coordinate program guide display screen text with languages available for television programs when the programs are broadcast to users.
US09462349B2
The present invention relates to a method for a control point of initiating actions on a device in a communication network comprising at least two control points both adapted to control said device. Further, the present invention relates to a method for a device of initiating actions on said device in a communication network comprising at least two control points both adapted to control said device. Further, the present invention relates to a control point of initiating actions on a device in a communication network comprising at least two control point both adapted to control said device. Further, the present invention relates to a device in a communication network comprising at least two control points both adapted to control said device based on action requests received from a control point along with control point identification.
US09462337B2
Techniques for delivering video-on-demand content via peer-to-peer connections are provided. A video-on-demand distribution service maintains associations of viewer devices that have specific video-on-demand content. As new viewer devices, which lack the specific video-on-demand content, make requests for the specific video-on-demand content from the video-on-demand distribution system, the video-on-demand distribution system identifies a peer-to-peer viewer device from which the specific video-on-demand content may be acquired via a peer-to-peer transaction. Video-on-demand content sources are identified by comparing distances between the geographical location of the requestor device and geographical locations of devices of the plurality of viewer devices to a distance threshold. A first portion of a first item of video on demand content is obtained from source viewer device and a second portion of the first item of video on demand content is obtained from the video distribution system. Other embodiments are disclosed.
US09462328B2
A method and apparatus for streaming content is disclosed. A streamer (155) detects a cue for a break in a segment of the program content, wherein the cue includes an identification of an advertising provider associated with the break. The streamer sends, to an advertisement server (115), a request for content associated with the advertising provider, and receives, from the advertisement server, an advertisement associated with the advertising provider. Further, the streamer transcodes the advertisement based on configuration information of an additional device (165) to generate formatted content viewable on the additional device. Moreover, the streamer streams the formatted content to the additional device via the local connection.
US09462323B1
Aspects of the invention may involve systems and methods. A method for providing video and mixed media content to a user device may include receiving content data from a content source and broadcasting the state of the content source. The content data may be split into audio data and visual data. Snapshots of the visual data over a length of time may be extracted. The plurality of snapshots and the audio data may be transformed into text strings and packaged into a data object. In response to a request from a user device, the data object and browser executable instructions may be sent to the user device. The instructions may transform the text into sound and into image snapshots to be consecutively displayed in a browser, where the displayed snapshots is synchronized with the sound, and other media content is displayed in the browser.
US09462316B2
A method begins by a processing module obtaining a unique retrieval matrix based on an identity of the playback device and sending a request for retrieval of a set of encoded broadcast data slices to a dispersed storage network (DSN) memory, wherein the request includes the unique retrieval matrix and identity of the set of encoded broadcast data slices. The method continues with the processing module receiving a subset of the set of encoded broadcast data slices from the DSN memory, wherein the subset of the set of encoded broadcast data slices is based on the unique retrieval matrix. The method continues with the processing module storing the subset of the sets of encoded broadcast data slices.
US09462312B2
Systems and methods for facilitating purchases of broadband content and services are provided. A request to purchase broadband content or a broadband service may be received by a server from a customer device. A transaction associated with the received purchase request may be completed in real-time. Based upon the completion of the transaction, one of (i) access rights associated with the broadband content or (ii) a feature set associated with the broadband service may be altered. The requested broadband content or broadband service is then made available to the customer.
US09462309B2
In one embodiment, a method includes obtaining metadata that relates to a video program and that defines, for one or more specified time points in the video program, one or more web services to be invoked at those time points; generating and displaying, on a computer, a video window that is configured to play the video program; during playing the video program on a computer, detecting that the video program is playing at one of the time points and determining an identifier of a particular web service associated with that one of the time points; in response to the detecting, causing the computer to invoke the particular web service.
US09462308B2
An audiovisual (AV) distribution network communicates via Internet Protocol and is implemented as a framework of local area networks (LANs). Transmitters and receivers in the AV distribution network leverage multicast transmission technology and pre-authentication to switch quickly and seamlessly between sources transmitting audiovisual data protected by a security protocol scheme.
US09462306B2
Stream-switching techniques are applied in a content delivery system. A merge frame is generated as a function of bit-rates, distortion, and a piecewise constant operator. Parameters of the piecewise constant operator are selected to optimize the merge frame. Data streams are switched based on bandwidth requirements, switch requests, and throughput of a network. Images are reconstructed based on the merge frames and prediction frames. Reconstructed images are identically reconstructed for any prediction frame based on the merge frame.
US09462303B2
The present invention is directed to content searching of various databases in an interactive television network; caching programming for rebroadcasting to interactive television network subscribers; and interactively offering goods and services referred to in broadcast programming to interactive television network subscribers.
US09462293B1
A method of receiving video data receives an original image at a processing device, estimates an image of higher resolution than the original image from the original image, generate a simulated image of the original image from the higher resolution image, derives difference data between the original image and the simulated image, upscale the difference data, wherein upscaling includes weighting the difference data with an adjusted confidence value, wherein the confidence value is adjusted based upon local information, and uses the upscaled difference data to estimate a new higher resolution image.
US09462287B2
A system for decoding a video bitstream includes receiving a frame of the video that includes at least one slice and at least one tile and where each of the at least one slice and the at least one tile are not all aligned with one another.
US09462284B2
A method for produces a video data stream for an expansion signal, wherein a base signal represents a first video quality degree and the expansion and base signals jointly represent a second video quality. Only second syntax elements of the expansion signal which are not describable by the first syntax element of the base signal are taken into account during encoding, the coding mode of a video encoding method which is encodable by all syntax elements is selected by means of statistical method, said second syntax elements are not representable by one or several first syntax elements and the method brings about to the production of the shortest video data stream for said second syntax elements. A decoding method for restoring the expansion signal from the video data stream, encoding and coding devices are also disclosed.
US09462270B1
Systems, apparatus and methods can operate to generate frame aligned digital video streams encoded at different bitrates from a common digital video stream. To provide uninterrupted playback of video content when a device switches from one stream encoded at one bit rate to the same digital video stream encoded at another bitrate, the video frames of the digital video streams can be aligned. To provide for proper frame alignment between fragments representing the same frame of a digital video stream encoded at different bitrates, video encoding device(s) can mark decoded digital pictures for subsequent encoding at different bit rates when the division of a program reference clock value by the fragment period approaches an integer value.
US09462265B2
A method of measuring light emission of a display panel and a method of compensating light emission of a display panel are disclosed. In one aspect the method of measuring light emission includes setting a location of a camera such that a imaging range area of the camera includes a first divided region among a plurality of divided regions, wherein the display panel is larger than the imaging range area of the camera and includes the divided regions, and wherein each of the divided regions is smaller than the imaging range area; first displaying a recognition pattern image on the first divided region. The method also includes shooting the first divided region by the camera so as to generate a recognition pattern shot; second displaying a single-color image on the first divided region.
US09462261B2
A two dimensional/three dimensional (2D/3D) switchable autostereoscopic display apparatus and method to selectively display a 2D image and a 3D image using two displays and a convertible lens. When outputting the 2D image, the 2D/3D switchable autostereoscopic display apparatus may control a first display to output a white image/white light, control a second display to output an image, and control an electrical diffuser lens of the convertible lens to be switched off and the white image to be diffused so as to operate as a backlight. When outputting the 3D image, the 2D/3D switchable autostereoscopic display apparatus may control the first display to output an image, control the second display to be switched off to be in a transparent state, control the electrical diffuser lens of the convertible lens to be switched on to be in the transparent state, and control the lenticular lens to output the 3D image.
US09462257B2
A method and apparatus provide two-dimensional to three-dimensional image conversion. The apparatus can include an input configured to receive a first image. The apparatus can include a controller configured to segment the first image into a plurality of regions, configured to perform a Fast Fourier Transform on at least one of the regions, and configured to determine a relative horizontal displacement distance between a first frame and a second frame of at least one region based on performing the Fast Fourier Transform.
US09462247B2
An image processing apparatus comprises an estimation unit which estimates, from color distribution information of an image obtained by capturing an object, a depth of water at which the captured object is positioned, and a white balance control unit which performs white balance control along an axis different from a black body radiation axis in accordance with the depth of water estimated by the estimation unit.
US09462243B2
A method for controlling a display is provided. An RGB video signal is transformed into an RGBW video signal based on a human factor. The display has a plurality of pixels configured to display images according to the RGBW video signal, where each of the pixels has a red subpixel, a green subpixel, a blue subpixel and a white subpixel. According to the method, when brightness of a backlight module of the display is reduced to decrease energy consumption of the display, quality of the images of the display observed by users is still maintained within an acceptable range.
US09462238B1
Methods and systems for monitoring a remote agent. An agent's workstation may be provided with an application that receives a trigger condition at an agent workstation during a communication between the remote agent and a caller. During the communication, it may be determined if video imagery of the remote agent is required. If so, video imagery capture may be triggered. The video imagery may be associated with activities of the remote agent during the capture, and the video imagery stored at a recorder for later playback.
US09462231B1
A system and method for producing a video-based group conversation for viewing over a network. A template is configured to generate a display at a first user computer which includes a plurality of sections in a single screen display, including at least a preview section configured for displaying an indicator for each of one or more viewers who are viewing the video-based conversation, and a media player section configured for displaying a video signal including at least some of the video feeds. The creator of the video-based group conversation controls which users can participate in the video-based group conversation by enabling video streams provided by those users to be displayed on the screen and viewable to other users who access the group conversation.
US09462226B1
A management system for managing remote communication between a first communication terminal and a second communication terminal includes a transmitter that transmits first screen data to the first communication terminal to display a first screen image based on the first screen data on a first display, a receiver that receives image data including an eye image of a first user from the first communication terminal, circuitry that specifies a sightline position indicating the first user's sightline of with respect to the first screen image based on the received image data, and generates second screen data that includes sightline information indicating the first user's sightline at the specified sightline position. The transmitter transmits the second screen data to the second communication terminal operated by a second user to display a second screen image having the sightline information on the specified sightline position on a second display.
US09462223B2
A telepresence system enhances the perception of presence of a remote person involved in a video conference. The system preferably has a two-way mirror, which is between the observer and the display device, positioned at an angle to reflect a backdrop surface. The backdrop surface may or may not appear superimposed in a position behind the image of a person from the remote location. The system preferably minimizes image distortion via an optical path for the camera line of sight that is substantially longer than the physical distance between the user and the camera. The system may be asymmetrical, in that one camera is on axis with the user's line of sight while the other camera is off axis with the user's line of sight.
US09462221B2
Embodiments of the invention include a subtitling format encompassing elements of enhanced syntax and semantic to provide improved animation capabilities. The disclosed elements improve subtitle performance without stressing the available subtitle bitrate. This will become essential for authoring content of high-end HDTV subtitles in pre-recorded format, which can be broadcast or stored on high capacity optical media, e.g. the Blue-ray Disc. Embodiments of the invention include abilities for improved authoring possibilities for the content production to animate subtitles. For subtitles that are separate from AV material, a method includes using one or more superimposed subtitle layers, and displaying only a selected part of the transferred subtitles at a time. Further, colors of a selected part of the displayed subtitles may be modified, e.g. highlighted.
US09462219B2
A method for reverse video playback and a computer-readable medium are provided for playing a video stream backward. The video stream includes a plurality of groups of pictures which includes a plurality of frames. The frames include one I-frame and at least one frame which is a non-I-frame. The said method includes decoding from the I-frame to a last one frame in a group of pictures according to the time sequence, outputting the last one frame, saving at least one frame which is not outputted in the group of pictures to a storage module, pre-decoding the frames which is not outputted and saved in the group of picture, outputting the frame which is in the storage module.
US09462212B2
A display apparatus and a method for updating time information thereof are provided. The display apparatus includes a display, a power supply configured to supply power to a controller in response to alternating current (AC) power being supplied to the display apparatus, a tuner configured to receive a broadcast signal from an external source, and a controller configured to control the power supply to supply power to the tuner, to extract time information from the broadcast signal received from the tuner, and to update time information of the display apparatus based on the extracted time information, in response to AC power supply to the display apparatus being detected.
US09462211B2
Electronic equipment and methods for permitting quick control of the operating state of a source equipment side from sink equipment. A television receiver (sink equipment) 100 and an amplifier (repeater equipment) 200 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 610, and the amplifier 200 and a DVD recorder (source equipment) 300 are interconnected over an HDMI cable 620. Each of the pieces of equipment includes, in addition to an HDMI receiving unit and an HDMI transmitting unit, a high-speed data line I/F included in a bidirectional communication unit that uses predetermined lines of the HDMI cable. The bidirectional communication unit is used to transmit channel selection information, a remote control code instructing recording, “theater mode” designating information, a remote control code, or the like from the television receiver 100 to the audio amplifier 200 or DVD recorder 300.
US09462194B2
An apparatus and a method for calculating a flicker-evaluation value through a wide dynamic range (WDR) system. The apparatus includes: a first calculator configured to calculate a first difference between a pixel value of a long exposure image of a current frame and a pixel value of a long exposure image of a previous frame; an average calculator configured to calculate an average of the pixel value of the long exposure image of the current frame and the pixel value of the long exposure image of the previous frame; a second calculator configured to calculate a second difference between a pixel value of a short exposure image of the current frame and the average calculated by the average calculator; and a flicker-evaluation value calculator configured to calculate a flicker-evaluation value which indicates a flicker strength using the first difference and the second difference.
US09462190B2
An object is to improve accuracy of photon counting in an imaging apparatus.The imaging apparatus includes a light uniformizing unit. The light uniformizing unit included in the imaging apparatus substantially uniformizes distribution of photons in an orthogonal direction toward an optical axis of incident light, which is incident to an imaging element in the imaging apparatus and the number of photons of which is to be detected, a plurality of pixels being arranged to the imaging element. The light uniformizing unit supplies the uniformized light to the imaging element to which a plurality of pixels are arranged in the imaging apparatus.
US09462186B2
A camera detects devices, such as other cameras, smart devices, and access points, with which the camera may communicate. The camera may alternate between operating as a wireless station and a wireless access point. The camera may connect to and receive credentials from a device for another device to which it is not connected. In one embodiment, the camera is configured to operate as a wireless access point, and is configured to receive credentials from a smart device operating as a wireless station. The camera may then transfer the credentials to additional cameras, each configured to operate as wireless stations. The camera and additional cameras may connect to a smart device directly or indirectly (for instance, through an access point), and the smart device may change the camera mode of the cameras. The initial modes of the cameras may be preserved and restored by the smart device upon disconnection.
US09462183B2
A rotating rotor in a turbine has blades attached. At least one blade is a reference blade of which a reference position is determined by a Once-Per-Rotation sensor. A camera positioned at a viewing port takes a sequence of images of all the blades during a rotation at a trigger moment determined by a controller. The controller receives a signal indicating that the reference blade passes its reference point. The controller is provided with data about the number of blades, the position of the camera and a desired dwell of an image related to the blade. The controller calculates the trigger moments and generates trigger signals to the camera. The trigger moment is adjusted for changing rotor speed by extracting a blade feature from blade images. The camera records images that are labeled and stored as image data on a storage device.
US09462174B2
In a device, first and second transforming units acquire first and second audio spectrums from audio data obtained by first and second microphones, a first subtracting unit subtracts a first noise spectrum from the first audio spectrum if an instruction to drive a drive unit is input, a second subtracting unit subtracts a second noise spectrum from the second audio spectrum if the instruction is input, a control unit selects one of a third audio spectrum and a fourth audio spectrum in accordance with a result of comparison between the third and fourth audio spectrums, a third transforming unit acquires first audio data from the audio spectrum selected among the third audio spectrum and the fourth audio spectrum, and a fourth transforming unit acquires second audio data from the audio spectrum selected among the third audio spectrum and the fourth audio spectrum.
US09462167B2
An image capture device includes a base, a zoom module, a wide-angle module, and a telemeter module. The wide-angle module captures a background image. The telemeter module detects a distance between a target to be captured and the image capture device. The zoom module is rotatably disposed on the base, and the wide-angle module and the telemeter module are rotatably disposed on the zoom module. The zoom module adjusts focus to capture the target according to the distance and captures a main image. The image capture device combines the main images captured by the zoom module and the background images captured by the wide-angle module to form a series of combination images.
US09462164B2
Systems and methods for the generating compressed light field representation data using captured light fields in accordance embodiments of the invention are disclosed. In one embodiment, an array camera includes a processor and a memory connected configured to store an image processing application, wherein the image processing application configures the processor to obtain image data, wherein the image data includes a set of images including a reference image and at least one alternate view image, generate a depth map based on the image data, determine at least one prediction image based on the reference image and the depth map, compute prediction error data based on the at least one prediction image and the at least one alternate view image, and generate compressed light field representation data based on the reference image, the prediction error data, and the depth map.
US09462163B2
A system and method for a low complexity and robust spatiotemporal combining for video enhancement is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes computing a standard deviation estimate between a video frame and a temporally neighboring frame of the video frame in a video sequence, computing an error value, for each sub-block of pixels within a block of pixels in a current video frame, between pixel values within the sub-block in the current video frame and corresponding motion compensated pixel values in a temporally neighboring video frame of the current video frame, computing a temporal weighting factor for each sub-block of pixels as a function of the error value and the standard deviation estimate, and combining the block of pixels in the current video frame and their corresponding motion compensated pixel values in the temporally neighboring video frame using the computed temporal weighting factor.
US09462162B2
In a method to control a color printer or color copier, a color separation of a first color and a color separation of a second color are applied to a printing substrate to generate a print image. Also, with aid of a printing unit, at least a first control field is printed on the printing substrate. The first control field has a predetermined pattern that includes at least the first color and the second color and is designed such that a color value of the first control field changes depending on a registration error between the first and the second color separations. A reference field is also printed on the printing substrate, a pattern of the reference field being predetermined such that it has a same color value independent of the registration error. The color value of the first control field is measured with a color value sensor. The color value of the reference field is also measured with the color value sensor and a desired color value is determined depending on the color value of the reference field. A deviation between the measured color value of the first control field and the desired color value is determined, the deviation corresponding to a spatial shift of the color separations. At least one control signal is generated to reduce the spatial shift depending on the determined deviation.
US09462154B2
An image processing device reduces an image in a sub-scanning direction at a reduction factor of ½N (N>1) and includes one or more ASICs each of which performs image reduction at a reduction factor of 50%. When the one or more ASICs perform the image reduction processing in N stages each at the reduction factor of 50%, one of the ASICs performs an i-th stage of the image reduction processing at 50% (N−1≧i≧1) and stores resulting image data into a buffer memory that is equal in size to ½i of one band. Then, one of the ASICs performs an (i+1)-th stage of the image reduction processing at 50% on the image data acquired through the i-th stage of the image reduction processing and stores resulting image data into a buffer memory that is equal in size to ½i+1 of one band.
US09462146B2
A sheet conveying device includes: a conveying unit; a nonvolatile memory; and a controller. The conveying unit is configured to convey a sheet along a conveying path. The controller is configured to control the conveying unit to convey the sheet, store position data in the nonvolatile memory during conveyance of the sheet, determine whether or not the sheet conveying device is started, and drive the conveying unit for an amount determined by the position data if the sheet conveying device is started. The conveying path is divided into a plurality of segments. The position data identifies a segment in which the sheet stays. The more downstream the segment identified by the position data is in the conveying path, the smaller the amount determined by the position data is.
US09462144B2
A display processing device includes a display section, a touch location acquiring section, a magnification determining section, and an enlarging and displaying section. The display section has a display surface and displays a preview image based on image data. The touch location acquiring section acquires a touch location where a user touches the display surface. The magnification determining section determines a magnification based on the touch location. The enlarging and displaying section enlarges the preview image at the magnification to obtain an enlarged preview image and causes the display section to display a portion of the enlarged preview image.
US09462143B2
A medium stores computer-executable programs. The programs cause an information processing apparatus including a communication unit communicable with a scanner to perform: displaying a first window including a first icon which causes the scanner to execute a scanning process; judging whether a selection operation to the first icon is performed; transmitting a scan command to the scanner in a case that the information processing apparatus judges that the selection operation to the first icon is performed; receiving scan data from the scanner via the communication unit as a response to the scan instruction; and displaying a second window, on a display unit, which displays an image based on the scan data received from the scanner.
US09462136B2
A IP telephony service allows customers to form user groups. Each user group can include multiple members, each of whom have their own telephony device. A group identifier, which could be a telephone number, is assigned to each user group. As a result, a single telephony device belonging to a member of a user group can be associated with its own unique telephone number, and the telephone number used as the group identifier. The system allows the user to select which of multiple telephone numbers associated with his telephony device are to be used as the originating telephone number when an outgoing telephone call or an outgoing message is sent.
US09462132B2
Methods and systems for creating mobile conference rooms for conference calls between client devices and one or more contacts are described herein. A server receives, from the client device, a request to create a mobile conference room. The server creates the mobile conference room by assigning a phone number to the mobile conference room. After notifying the client device, the server receives data regarding one or more contacts to add to the mobile conference room. The server receives, from the client device, a request to initiate a conference call with a subset of contacts. A call is received, from the server, concurrently by each of the subset of contacts. The server bridges the client device and the contacts that have answered the call on the conference call.
US09462124B2
A communications device sends an invite to a communication session to multiple target devices and receives first and second media streams from first and second target devices prior to receiving a signaling indication that any of the multiple target devices accepts the invite. The communications device selects between the first and second media streams based upon (i) information contained in a first packet of the first or second media streams and/or (ii) signaling information that indicates a forking context for the communication session. The communication device plays the selected media stream prior to receipt of the signaling indication. In another embodiment, after sending the invite, the communications device detects a network address and port information from (i) a media stream from a target device, and (ii) from a signaling message. The communication device sends media to the target device based on the detected information.
US09462113B2
Methods and systems for alarm management for use in an electronic device are provided. First, it is determined whether the electronic device has been flipped over in response to detecting an occurrence of an alarm event. In response to a determination that the electronic device has been flipped over, current alarm is stopped.
US09462110B1
Methods and systems are provided for disabling text messaging while driving. In one embodiment, a mobile station makes a first determination that it is moving at greater than a threshold rate. The mobile station makes a second determination that, while it is moving at greater than the threshold rate, an outgoing text message reflects more than a threshold degradation in typing proficiency. In response to making the first and second determinations, the mobile station disables one or more text-messaging features.
US09462109B1
A wireless communication device can include one or more control circuits, a wireless communication circuit, and an audio output device. The one or more control circuits can receive audio source information identifying an audio source from a paired wireless communication device, and can detect whether the paired wireless communication device is within a communication radius. Where it is, the wireless communication device can receive single-channel audio information from the paired wireless communication device for delivery to the audio output device. However, where it is not, the wireless communication device can connect to the audio source using the audio source information, receive multi-channel audio information from the audio source, and deliver the multi-channel audio information to the audio output device.
US09462104B2
Provided is a method of using a light sensor earphone to control an electronic device. The method includes: a light sensor earphone detecting light intensity of an ear close side and light intensity of an ear outer side according to a received light signal; comparing the light intensity of the close ear side with the light intensity of the ear outer side, and generating an electric signal corresponding to a current mode of an electronic device according to a comparison result; and sending the electric signal to the electronic device, for the electronic device to control a corresponding function in the current mode according to the electric signal. A light sensor earphone is also provided. By means of the technical solutions, the light sensor earphone is utilized to intelligently control corresponding functions of the electronic device so as to simplify operation.
US09462095B2
A touch input electronic device according to the present invention comprises a main body which has a waterproofed internal space and an air hole located on the surface thereof, an operation surface which is disposed on the surface of the main body and receives touch input, an atmospheric pressure sensor which is disposed in the internal space, an air flow passage which is formed inside the main body and leads from the air hole to the atmospheric pressure sensor, and a breathable waterproof sheet which blocks the air hole.
US09462087B2
A pseudo-random generator may be used to generate identification values for formatted data packets. A method for transmitting data less susceptible to man-in-the-middle attacks may include receiving data for transmission over a network according to a protocol; formatting the data into one or more internet protocol (IP) packets by fragmenting the received data; and transmitting the one or more internet protocol (IP) packets. The step of formatting the data into one or more internet protocol (IP) packets may include generating a unique pseudo-random number while avoiding collisions with previously-used numbers; and inserting the pseudo-random number as an identifier in the one or more internet protocol (IP) packets corresponding to the received data.
US09462065B2
A system for analyzing the use of location-based service applications including: a mobile device. A carrier-positioning infrastructure interacts with the mobile device for enabling the use of location-based applications by the mobile device. A mobile location-based application provider communicates with the carrier-positioning infrastructure to provide a location-based application to the mobile device. A location transaction platform monitors the use of the location-based application by the mobile device. An analytics server communicates with the location transaction platform and location stamps an occurrence of use of the location-based application by the mobile device and performs a task in accordance with predetermined rules as a function of the location-based stamp.
US09462061B2
The present disclosure is directed to a method, device, server, and system for managing a system. The method including: a first cloud-connectable device obtaining a connection status of a target cloud-connectable device using a same account, the first cloud-connectable device sending to the server a managing message regarding the target cloud-connectable device, the server managing the connection status of the target cloud-connectable device based on the managing message transmitted from the first cloud-connectable device. The present disclosure can facilitate effective management of multiple cloud-connectable devices capable of receiving cloud server.
US09462057B2
A location-based content-centric networking method for location-based content is provided. The location-based content-centric networking method may include: naming location-based content in such a manner that the name given to the location-based content includes a hierarchical prefix corresponding to information contained in the location-based content; and forwarding the location-based content based on prefix information of the location-based content.
US09462047B2
A network interface device includes a host interface for connection to a host processor having a memory. A network interface is configured to transmit and receive data packets over a data network, which supports multiple tenant networks overlaid on the data network. Processing circuitry is configured to receive, via the host interface, a work item submitted by a virtual machine running on the host processor, and to identify, responsively to the work item, a tenant network over which the virtual machine is authorized to communicate, wherein the work item specifies a message to be sent to a tenant destination address. The processing circuitry generates, in response to the work item, a data packet containing an encapsulation header that is associated with the tenant network, and to transmit the data packet over the data network to at least one data network address corresponding to the specified tenant destination address.
US09462046B2
A sender's degrees of separation from a recipient may be used to aid in spam filtering or to otherwise handle a communication. The “degrees of separation” represent a metric used to quantify whether/how the recipient is linked to the sender through intermediary people or other entities. For example, a recipient may know a first user (first degree of separation) and the first user may know a second user (second degree of separation) who knows the sender of an e-mail. In this case, the sender is separated from the recipient by two degrees of separation (by two other contacts). A level of “trust” or “legitimacy” about a sender's communication can be inferred by looking at whether the sender is linked to an intended recipient. Typically, user contact lists (e.g., address book, buddy list, and/or white list) are evaluated to determine the number of degrees (or hops) are required to link or relate two users.
US09462044B1
A secure protocol for registering a user, device and application with a computing device, such as a server, is provided. The protocol uses a single sign-on or registration request that enables multiple applications executing on single mobile computing device to access server resources' without each application separately registering with the server. After registration, a server is able to determine which user is using which application on which computing device whenever a request is sent from a device to the server. This type of registration enables fine grained access control to protected resources, such as information and/or services, of the server.
US09462038B2
A method, non-transitory computer readable medium and device that includes requesting a client system to perform one or more operations in response to a request for content. Determining when the client system has completed performing the requested operations. Determining a current content transfer rate of the client system is calculated based on an amount of time taken by the client system to perform the requested operations. One of two or more bands of content transfer rate is assigned based on the determined content transfer rate. One or more of a type or version of browser, content implementation application, or operating system on the client system is determined. The requested content is provided in a format based on two or more of the assigned band of content transfer rate and/or the determined one or more of the type or version of the browser, the content execution application, and the operating system.
US09462035B2
System and method for using image data in connection with configuring a universal controlling device
Data indicative of topography of an object of interest is received at a recognition system having an associated database in which is stored topography data for a plurality of reference objects each of which is cross-referenced to configuration information for a universal controlling device. The reference system uses the received data and the topography data for the plurality of reference objects to discern one or more reference objects as being a match for the object of interest. At least a subset of the configuration information that has been cross-referenced to the one or more reference objects discerned by the recognition system as being a match for the object of interest is then used to configure the universal controlling device to enable the universal controlling device to communicate commands to one or more target appliances.
US09462033B2
A user can proof (e.g., view, review) an electronic publication on a portable device. When the user finds errors in the electronic publication on the portable device, the user can edit the electronic publication on the editing device. The changes can be automatically synchronized with the portable device and displayed so that the user can review the changes and continue proofing the electronic publication on the portable device. In some implementations, an editing device can monitor files associated with an electronic publication for changes to the files and, when changes are detected, the files can be automatically synchronized to a portable device coupled to the editing device.
US09462031B2
A method and system for audio communication modulation mode self-adaptation, an apparatus for audio communication modulation mode self-adaptation in a mobile terminal and an electronic signature token are provided. The method includes modulating first audio data to generate first audio data frame streams; modulating second audio data to generate second audio data frame streams; demodulating the second audio data stream to obtain modulation modes correctly received by the first device and supported by the second device and modulation modes correctly received by the second device and supported by the first device; selecting an optimal modulation mode used in the second device from the modulation modes correctly received by the second device and supported by the first device, and selecting an optimal modulation mode used in the first device from the modulation modes correctly received by the first device and supported by the second device, according to a predetermined rule.
US09462026B2
A method of communicating multimedia data includes establishing a first connection between a transmitter unit and an administration server, establishing a second connection between a receiver unit and the administration server, assigning a same unique communication channel to the transmitter unit and the receiver unit by the administration server, establishing a third connection between the transmitter unit and the receiver unit using the same unique communication channel upon the first and second connections being established, and transmitting the multimedia data from the transmitter unit to the receiver unit via the third connection. The transmitter and receiver units respectively have unique identification codes that uniquely identify the units from other units connected to the administration server. The communication channel is assigned using the unique identification codes. The transmitter and receiver units respectively automatically initiate establishing the first and second connections upon being connected to the Internet.
US09462023B2
A preference related to the broadcast of a work, for example a song, advertisement, or enhanced content associated with the work can be obtained from an end user. The work is associated with one of a plurality of unique identifiers, such as a unified numbering system (UNS) identifier, and the UNS identifier can be used to associate enhanced content associated with the work. The UNS identifier and the user's preference for enhanced content can be used to select and deliver appropriate enhanced content to end users or other subscribers. The enhanced content can be delivered to an end user's device to coincide with the broadcast of the work.
US09462020B2
A digital broadcast network is disclosed that can divide an application into multiple channels to be distributed to receiving devices. A receiving device can selectively accept one or more of the multiple channels depending on various criteria including selection parameters and device capability. The selective choice of at least a subset of the application can provide an acceptable depth and delivery of data to improve the user experience. Text and standard data experiences can be combined with an audio counterpart, with pre-loaded client-side media files, and/or with pre-loaded client-side media files and a live audio stream, which can enrich a user experience.
US09462018B2
Multiway peer-to-peer media streaming is disclosed. In one embodiment, a method comprises defining a first portion of a peer-to-peer network. The method then recites defining a second portion of the peer-to-peer network. The present method then utilizes the first portion of the peer-to-peer network to generate an aggregated media stream, wherein the aggregated media stream is comprised of a plurality of media streams. The present method then delivers the aggregated media stream from the first portion of the peer-to-peer network to the second portion of the peer-to-peer network.
US09462009B1
There is disclosed a technique for detecting risky domains. The technique comprises collecting information in connection with a domain. The technique also comprises generating a profile comprising at least one metric associated with the domain based on the collected information. The technique further comprises determining the riskiness in connection with the domain based on the generated profile.
US09462007B2
Systems and methods for performing a human user test when a high-risk network access is captured by an intermediary security device are provided. According to one embodiment, network security application includes a network traffic control module, a human user test engine and a risk management module. The network traffic control module identifies a high-risk network access initiated by a device associated with a private network protected by the network security appliance. The human user test engine (i) sends a human user test message to the human user of the device to verify that the high-risk network access was initiated by or is otherwise authorized by the human user of the device; receives a response to the human user test message; and (iii) determines whether the response is a correct response to the human user test message. The risk management module allows the high-risk network access when the response is correct.
US09462003B2
Disclosed is a bidirectional authorization system, including a first service provision subsystem configured to acquire a first temporary credential of the first service provision subsystem and a second temporary credential of a second service provision subsystem, respectively, send the second and the first temporary credential to the user terminal and the second service provision subsystem, respectively, send the second authorization credential returned by the user terminal to the second service provision subsystem to exchange for a second access token and acquire the second service resources; a second service provision subsystem configured to modify the first temporary credential and send it to the user terminal, send the first authorization credential returned by the user terminal to the first service provision subsystem to exchange for a first access token, and acquire the first service resources; and a user terminal configured to authorize the received second and first temporary credentials, respectively, and return the second and first authorization credentials to the first and second service provision subsystems, respectively. A bidirectional authorization client and a method are also disclosed. The present disclosure can be used to enable clients on both sides to simultaneously access resources of the opposite side.
US09462001B2
Receive, at an access control node (ACN) of a first network enclave, a plurality of data packets inbound to the enclave. The characteristics of each received packet can be communicated from the ACN to a secure access server (SAS) of the enclave. The admissibility, to the first enclave, of each received packet for which characteristics are communicated, can be determined by the first secure access server. For each packet determined to be inadmissible, the technology can communicate, from the SAS to a plurality of ACNs of the first enclave, an instruction to deny admission to packets having the characteristics of the inadmissible packet. At each access control node receiving the instruction, the technology can deny admission to packets having the characteristics of the inadmissible packet based on the instruction to deny admission to packets having the characteristics of the inadmissible packet.
US09461994B2
In an embodiment, at least one computer readable medium has instructions stored thereon for causing a system to cryptographically sign, at a secure platform services enclave (PSE) of a computing system and using a secure attestation key (SGX AK), a public portion of a trusted platform module attestation key (TPM AK) associated with a trusted computing base of a physical platform, to form a certified TPM AK public portion. Also included are instructions to store the certified TPM AK public portion in the PSE, and instructions to, responsive to an attestation request received from a requester at a virtual trusted platform module (vTPM) associated with a virtual machine (VM) that has migrated onto the physical platform, provide to the requester the certified TPM AK public portion stored in the PSE. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09461982B2
Disclosed herein are systems and methods that allow for secure access to websites and web-based applications and other resources available through the browser. Also described are systems and methods for secure use and retention of user credentials, as well as methods for dynamic authentication of users and integrity checking of service providers in online environments. Thus, described in the present specification are systems and methods for constructing and destroying private, secure, browsing environments (a secure disposable browser), insulating the user from the threats associated with being online for the purposes of providing secure, policy-based interaction with online services.
US09461980B1
In one example, a method includes predicting, by a network access control (NAC) device based on a device identifier in a request from a client device and a device usage history of the client device, a user associated with the client device, prior to completing a user authentication process, requesting, by the NAC device and from a directory server, session attributes for the predicted user, receiving, by the NAC device and from an authentication server, an indication of whether a user associated with the client device was successfully authenticated. The method includes determining, based on an identifier of the user, whether the predicted user is the user associated with the client device, and responsive to determining that the predicted user is the user associated with the client device, establishing, by the NAC and using the session attributes for the predicted user, a session between the client device and the network.
US09461966B2
A method of providing rating information in respect of Uniform Resource Identifiers to a client terminal. The method includes identifying a Uniform Resource Identifier at the client terminal, sending a first query to a rating server over an IP network, the query including as a query string a first component of the identified Uniform Resource Identifier or a derivative of that first component, and receiving the first query at the rating server and determining whether or not a rating exists for the query string. A response is sent by the server to the client terminal, the response including a determined rating, or an indication that no rating exists. The response is received at the client terminal and, if a rating included in the response so indicates or if the response otherwise so indicates, then a further query is sent to the rating server, the further query including as a query string said first component and a second component of the identified Uniform Resource Identifier, or a derivative of the first and second components. The steps of receiving the first query at the rating server, sending a response, and receiving the response at the client terminal, are repeated one or more times as required, adding for each iteration a further component to the query string.
US09461962B2
A network address management unit (210) allocates, to the first edge node, a first network address (500) on which a physical configuration of a first edge node (100a) is reflected. The network address management unit, when a second edge node (100b) is coupled to the first edge node, allocates, to the first edge node, a second network address (510) on which the physical configuration of the first edge node is reflected with respect to the second edge node. When the first edge node receives a packet that designates the first or second network address as a destination network address, the first edge node, based on the destination network address designated by the received packet, determines whether the received packet is transferred to the second edge node and discriminates a transfer destination path in the first edge node.
US09461961B2
A domain to be published to an enterprise ECDN is associated with a set of one or more enterprise zones configurable in a hierarchy. When a DNS query arrives for a hostname known to be associated with given content within the control of the ECDN, a DNS server responds by handing back an IP address, by executing a zone referral to a next (lower) level name server in a zone hierarchy, or by CNAMing to another hostname, thereby restarting the lookup procedure. At any level in the zone hierarchy, there is an associated zone server that executes logic that applies the requested hostname against a map. A name query to ECDN-managed content may be serviced in coordination with various sources of distributed network intelligence.
US09461945B2
Apparatuses, systems, methods, and computer program products are disclosed for an automated messaging response. A message parsing module may parse a textual message to determine whether the message includes a question. A question determination module may determine a question type for the question. A response presentation module may present a response interface that includes a plurality of selectable responses to the question.
US09461942B2
A system and method are provided for performing Local Center Authorization Service (LCAS) in a network system, the system having a data aligner configured to align bytes of input data according to groups of members. The system also including an LCAS control manager configured to generate desequencing control commands in response to data input from the data aligner. The system further including a de-sequencer configured to de-sequence the input data input from the data aligner according to desequencing control commands received from the LCAS control manager.
US09461936B2
Systems and methods for providing an actionable object within a third-party content slot of an information resource of a content publisher. A processor receives an indication of interest in providing, for display, a creative within at least one third-party content slot of an information resource of a content publisher. The information resource includes third-party content slots available to be reserved to serve creatives. The processor identifies, on the information resource, at least one third-party content slot available to be reserved to serve one or more creatives. The processor inserts an actionable object within the identified third-party content slot, the actionable object configured to generate a request to provide an interface for reserving the identified third-party content slot to display the creative responsive to an action being taken on the actionable object. The processor renders the information resource including the inserted actionable object within the identified third-party content slot.
US09461934B2
A cloud service provider hypervisor server, which supports a cloud service provider hypervisor, receives a cloud consumer's management information base (MIB) from a cloud consumer. The cloud consumer's MIB is a portable MIB that is capable of being loaded into multiple cloud service provider hypervisors. A trap receiver in the cloud service provider hypervisor server receives a Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP) trap from a resource described by the cloud consumer's MIB. The SNMP trap is an SNMP message, from the resource, that describes an event in the resource. The SNMP trap bypasses the cloud service provider hypervisor, such that the cloud service provider hypervisor server transfers the SNMP trap to the cloud consumer without any interpretation of the SNMP trap by the cloud service provider hypervisor.
US09461930B2
Described embodiments classify packets received by a network processor. A processing module of the network processor generates tasks corresponding to each received packet. A scheduler generates contexts corresponding to tasks received by the packet classification processor from corresponding processing modules, each context corresponding to a given flow, and stores each context in a corresponding per-flow first-in, first-out buffer of the scheduler. A packet modifier generates a modified packet based on threads of instructions, each thread of instructions corresponding to a context received from the scheduler. The modified packet is generated before queuing the packet for transmission as an output packet of the network processor, and the packet modifier processes instructions for generating the modified packet in the order in which the contexts were generated for each flow, without head-of-line blocking between flows. The modified packets are queued for transmission as an output packet of the network processor.
US09461926B2
A wireless communication device providing a node in the network includes a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver, a transmission buffer, and a packet prioritizing unit configured to obtain data relating to packets to be transmitted in the network, obtain indications of the remaining lifetime of the packets, where the indications are based on the time needed for reaching a destination node, prioritize the packets according to the remaining life time indications, where the prioritization is made in ascending order from an indication of a low remaining life time to a high remaining lifetime, and place the packets in the transmission buffer for transmission according to the prioritization.
US09461925B1
In some embodiments, an apparatus includes a rate module implemented in at least one of a memory or a processing device that can be operatively coupled to a set of rate counters. Each rate counter is associated with a different network device associated with a level within the hierarchy of a network. The rate module can receive from a schedule module a signal to begin execution of a first page of a first rate program and can send during a first time period transmission credits to a first subset of rate counters. The rate module can send during a second time period transmission credits to a second subset of rate counters based on the execution of a page of a second rate program where the priority of the second rate program is no lower than a priority of the first rate program.
US09461924B2
Methods, systems, and computer readable media can be operable to facilitate transportation of a communication while providing consistent quality of service treatment of the communication throughout the transport of the communication from a client device to an upstream wide-area network, as well as for communications transported from a wide-area network to a client device. In embodiments, quality of service information associated with a communication can be translated at one or more various customer premise equipment devices and/or network components into a format that is compatible with an interface that is to be used to output the communication.
US09461922B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for distributing network traffic received from a plurality of client devices and bound toward a plurality of servers sharing a common network address. One method includes receiving network traffic from the plurality of client devices, addressed to an network address associated the servers; separating the received network traffic into assigned buckets based on a respective source network address associated with each unit of traffic; and forwarding the received traffic to one of a plurality of servers associated with the predetermined network address, based on the bucket assigned. The network traffic may be separated into assigned buckets by determining which subset of bits of an network address of a client device to evaluate for bucket separations. A netmask may be created based on the determined subset of bits, and each source network address may be mapped to one of the buckets using the netmask.
US09461916B2
Methods and arrangements are provided for maintaining a wanted Quality of Service transmission level of Lawful Interception (LI) payload data to a Law Enforcement Agency (LEA) via an HI3 interface in a LI system. The data is acquired from an intercepted IP packet flow and belongs to one or more target identities using a specific Internet communications service. The method, which is performed by the arrangement, includes monitoring the state of congestion of IP packets in the HI3 interface in relation to a first threshold level T1 and a second threshold level T2. The first threshold level T1 corresponds to a lower level of congestion than the second threshold level T2. The transmission of LI payload data is controlled based on the monitoring and a priority classification assigned to the LI payload data to be transmitted.
US09461913B2
Embodiments relate to a method for transmitting a message in a data path of a network, the method includes transmitting a message onto an input bus of an input interface module, the message being received in flits of a size corresponding to the width of the input bus and generating a validity indicator for each elementary flit constituting each flit received. The message is transmitted onto an output bus of the input interface module towards a receiving interface module in flits of a size corresponding to the width of the output bus along with each validity indicator generated in association with the corresponding elementary flit. The receiving interface module receives flits constituting the message and the associated validity indicators and rejects a received flit if an elementary flit of the received flit is associated with a validity indicator in the invalid state.
US09461910B2
A method and apparatus for using entropy labels in segment routed networks is disclosed. A single ELI and a single EL are provided for a label stack. The ELI and EL are inserted directly below a top-most label in the label stack.A method and apparatus for using entropy labels in segment routed networks. A top-most label of a label stack of a packet is examined. A NHLFE for the packet is determined. A determination is made as to whether or not an ELI is below the top-most label. An EL is re-used when the ELI is determined to be present . The ELI and the re-used EL are inserted directly below a label associated with the NHLFE in a new label stack.
US09461908B2
A method of route convergence, a routing device, and a main control board in the routing device are provided herein. The method includes receiving route information from multiple neighbor routing devices; selecting a route among the received route information, and applying the selected route to update an FIB of the main control board; and delivering the selected route to an interface board after confirming that the route information from the multiple neighbor routing devices is received and the route selection is completed.
US09461906B2
An exemplary method and apparatus are provided for exchanging information for establishing a path between a first node and a second node of a communication network. The first node and the second node are adapted to send continuity check messages to monitor the established path. The technique includes generating, at the first node and at the second node, at least one link state message according to a routing protocol; inserting continuity check link state information into the at least one link state message; and exchanging between the first node and the second node, the link state messages for computing the path. The continuity check link state information are indicative of at least one rate of transmission of the continuity check messages supported by the first node and the second node.
US09461901B2
A system and method for detection of elephant flows includes a switching device. The switching device includes one or more ports, a memory, and a control unit coupled to the ports and the memory. The control unit is configured to detect storage locations information included in one or more first messages. The storage locations information identifies a storage node and is forwarded to a computing device. The control unit is further configured to detect opening of a connection between the computing device and the storage node based one or more second messages received for forwarding on one or more of the ports and determine identifying characteristics of an elephant flow based on information associated with the connection. In some embodiments, the control unit is further configured to forward network packets using an altered forwarding strategy when the network packets are associated with the elephant flow.
US09461893B2
For use in a communication system where communication is carried out by setting a packet handling operation (flow entry) in the nodes by a control device, the present invention provides a configuration in which statistical information may be collected at a desired information granularity level without increasing the control load of the control device. A node of the communication system includes a packet processing unit that processes a received packet according to a packet handling operation defining a matching rule and processing of a packet that matches the matching rule; and a statistical information recording unit that records statistical information on a packet according to a division different from the matching rule, and a statistical information collection device is provided that issues an instruction on a division, according to which the statistical information is to be recorded, to the node and collects the statistical information.
US09461892B2
A third party service provider can provide data, management, and configuration services to a plurality of unrelated entities. The services are separated from the management and configuration aspect, and a system of trust is arranged to avoid the unrelated parties affecting one another.
US09461889B2
Associations are maintained among a plurality of subnets, policies, and client types. Each subnet has an associated client type and policy. For a particular client device, (i) a client type of the particular client device, and (ii) a client type associated with the subnet on which the particular client device is hosted is determined. For the particular client device, (i) the determined client type of the particular client device with (ii) the determined client type associated with the subnet on which the particular client device is hosted is compared. Responsive to a determination that the client type of the particular client device matches the client type associated with the subnet that hosts the particular client device, a policy is applied to the particular client device.
US09461888B2
A policy processing method and network device. The method includes: performing a mixed orchestration on all service rules corresponding to multiple services, so as to construct multiple condition sets; performing, according to the constructed multiple condition sets, unified condition matching on packet feature information of a received network packet, and outputting a condition matching result set; and calling, a service application to execute a policy action corresponding to each condition identifier in the condition matching result set. In solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, by performing a mixed orchestration on multiple service rules, all service rules are organized in a unified manner, information required by all services is extracted in one packet scanning process, and only one matching and rule verification process is required. Thereby, redundant operations between multiple services are reduced, and device integration and performance are improved.
US09461886B2
A set of reporting features are specified for implementation by lower-level Self-Optimizing Network (SON) functions to support the observation of network SON algorithms by high-level SON functions (e.g., OAM functions). The lower-level SON functions may be operative to adjust local parameters related to the network element serving area and/or capacity. The reported SON algorithm events and measurements can be defined such that they can be used by the higher-level SON function to resolve conflicts and control the lower-level SON functions. Some embodiments specify SON function reporting features and their configuration in the framework of the 3GPP defined Itf-N interface specification.
US09461885B2
A distributed network switch includes multiple switch modules connected by one or more physical cables. One switch module may determine which connector port of a remote switch module is connected by physical cable based on information received from the remote switch module, including link identifiers, and further based on a physical topology predetermined about the type of remote switch module.
US09461882B1
Embodiments of a gesture-based network configuration system are disclosed, wherein the system is configured to update a configuration setting on a networking device. The system pairs a computing device to the networking device which is operating a local area network (LAN). A first touch gesture indicating a target uniform resource locator (URL) is received on a touch screen of the computing device. In response to the first touch gesture, a configuration message including a command associated with the first touch gesture and the target URL is transmitted to the networking device. In one embodiment, receiving the configuration message causes the networking device to modify the configuration setting based at least partly on the command and the target URL. In one embodiment, modifying the configuration setting modifies the packet processing behavior of the networking device for data packets associated with the LAN.
US09461876B2
The invention provides a system and method for providing ttx-based categorization services and a categorized commonplace of shared information. Currency of the contents is improved by a process called conjuring/concretizing wherein users' thoughts are rapidly infused into the Map. As a new idea is sought, a goal is created for a search. After the goal idea is found, a ttx is concretized and categorized. The needs met by such a Map are prior art searching, competitive environmental scanning, competitive analysis study repository management and reuse, innovation gap analysis indication, novelty checking, technology value prediction, investment area indication and planning, and product technology comparison and feature planning.
US09461873B1
Systems and methods for handling resources in a computer system differently in certain situations, such as catastrophic events, based upon an assigned layer of the resource to the system. The layer can be based, for example, on criticality of the resource to the system. Services or computing device resources can be physically segregated in accordance with layers, and can be managed in accordance with the segregation. As an example, critical layers can be fenced off or otherwise made not available except to users with secure clearance or authorization. In addition, a light or other indicator can be provided for indicating that a datacenter component is in a particular layer. The indicators can be at a device level, rack level, and/or room or area level.
US09461865B2
The present disclosure relates to a pre-5th-Generation (5G) or 5G communication system for supporting higher data rates than 4th-Generation (4G) communication systems, such as Long Term Evolution. An apparatus and method for demodulating a hybrid modulation symbol is provided for use in a wireless communication using the hybrid modulation scheme. The apparatus includes a control channel receiver configured to acquire a hybrid modulation scheme change information from a control information received through a control channel, a constellation re-configurer configured to reconfigure a constellation diagram for use in demodulation with the hybrid modulation scheme change information provided by the control channel receiver, and a demodulator configured to demodulate a hybrid modulation symbol and a modified hybrid modulation symbol input when a reconfigured constellation diagram is received from the constellation re-configurer based on the reconfigured constellation diagram.
US09461864B2
A method and apparatus are provided for adaptive channel code selection according to a non-Gaussianity of a channel in a wireless communication system. A method includes receiving channel feedback information from a receiving node; selecting, based on the channel feedback information, a channel code among a plurality of channels code having different degree distributions of repetition codes; and encoding transmission data based on the selected channel code.
US09461860B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a pilot signal transmitting method, and a channel estimation method, an apparatus, and a system. The method includes: within a transmission time interval (TTI), transmitting a first pilot signal (CPICH1) on a first antenna, and transmitting a second pilot signal (CPICH2) on a second antenna; when no first-type terminal is scheduled within coverage of a MIMO system within the TTI, transmitting a third pilot signal (CPICH3) on a third antenna, and transmitting a fourth pilot signal (CPICH4) on a fourth antenna; and when a first-type terminal is scheduled within the coverage of the MIMO system within the TTI, transmitting the CPICH3 and a fifth pilot signal (CPICH5) on the third antenna, and transmitting the CPICH4 and a sixth pilot signal (CPICH6) on the fourth antenna. By using the method, interference of a pilot signal to a legacy terminal can be greatly reduced.
US09461856B2
A Downlink Control Information (DCI) processing device and method for a wireless communication system that encodes/decodes downlink control information based on a payload size of DCI format. The method includes determining a payload size of a first DCI format; and determining a payload size of a second DCI format by appending padding bits to the second DCI format until the payload size of the second DCI format is not an ambiguous size and is not equal to the payload size of the first DCI format.
US09461843B1
Managing requests for acquiring resources in a computing environment. A first request to acquire resources is received. Whether the resources have been pre-acquired is determined. If the resources have not been pre-acquired, a token registering interest of a first thread in the first request is subscribed to. If the acquisition of the resources is not successful, whether a prior synchronous request has been initiated by a thread for the first request is determined. If a prior synchronous request has not been initiated, a synchronous request is initiated to acquire the resources. If the resources have not been pre-acquired for a second received request, an interest is registered of a second thread in the first request using the token. If the acquisition of the one or more resources is successful, a thread is notified of the successful acquisition, and the interest of the second thread is unregistered in the first request.
US09461836B2
A system and method for provisioning multicast groups based on broadcast domain participation includes a server. The server includes one or more multicast traffic producers collectively participating in a plurality of first broadcast domains and a multicast group including identifiers of other servers that participate in any of the first broadcast domains. Each of the multicast traffic producers participates in one or more of the plurality of first broadcast domains. The server is configured to direct multicast traffic associated with any of the first broadcast domains to each of the other servers identified in the multicast group.
US09461834B2
A system and method are presented for providing electronic documents to online meeting participants. The method schedules a first online meeting between network-connected computer devices. A meeting server establishes a repository for the first online meeting. The meeting server receives an electronically formatted document sent to a first communication address assigned to the first online meeting repository, and stores the document in the first online meeting repository. A first computer device is able to log into the meeting server and access the document from the first online meeting repository at a time prior to, during, or after the first online meeting. Likewise, the meeting server is able to store a document received prior to, during, or after the meeting.
US09461832B2
The present technology comprises a method and apparatus for a routing protocol for a router including an apparatus and method for distance vector multicast routing. The method and apparatus as disclosed and claimed offers a new interpretation of the routing information stored in a DVMRP routing table. This interpretation relates to the knowledge of the locations of a multicast source router and the routers connected to hosts with group members in a DVMRP domain. The methodology exploits this knowledge to create two conditional packet forwarding checks, based on pseudo-diameter and super-pseudo-diameter respectively, and used these conditions to extend the two phases of the existing DVMRP to improve its performance from the viewpoint of much better utilization of bandwidth.
US09461827B2
In a vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication system utilizing certificates to verify trustworthiness of received communications, a method for distributing a list of certificate revocations to vehicles in the communication system. At least one main station transmits a list of certificate revocations to at least one vehicle and the vehicle thereafter transmits the list of certificate revocations to other vehicles in the communication network. Each of the other vehicles in the communication network updates its list of certificate revocations in response to the receipt of the list of certificate revocations from another vehicle in the system. The other vehicles thereafter transmit their updated list of certificate revocations to other vehicles in the system.
US09461825B2
Methods and systems for preventing revocation denial of service attacks are disclosed and may include receiving and decrypting a command for revoking a secure key utilizing a hidden key, and revoking the secure key upon successful verification of a signature. The command may comprise a key ID that is unique to a specific set-top box. A key corresponding to the command for revoking the secure key may be stored in a one-time programmable memory, compared to a reference, and the security key may be revoked based on the comparison. The command for revoking the secure key may be parsed from a transport stream utilizing a hardware parser. The method and system may also comprise generating a command for revoking a secure key. The command may be encrypted and signed utilizing a hidden key and may comprise a key ID that is unique to a specific set-top box.
US09461822B2
An image forming apparatus includes a storage unit configured to store a plurality of encryption keys, wherein the plurality of encryption keys includes at least a default key, a setting unit configured to set an encryption key to be used for encryption communication according to a specific protocol, wherein the encryption key is selected from the plurality of encryption keys, an obtaining unit configured to obtain security setting information for limiting use of an encryption key, and a control unit configured to, in the case where the security setting information is obtained, determine whether or not the encryption key set by the setting unit has a predetermined encryption strength, wherein the control unit is configured to change the set encryption key to the default key in response to determining that the set encryption key has not the predetermined encryption strength.
US09461816B2
Methods and apparatus are disclosed to reduce processor demands during encryption. A disclosed example method includes detecting a request for the processor to execute an encryption cipher determining whether the encryption cipher is associated with a byte reflection operation, preventing the byte reflection operation when a buffer associated with the encryption cipher will not cause a carryover condition, and incrementing the buffer via a shift operation before executing the encryption cipher.
US09461815B2
A computational engine may include an input configured to receive a first data packet and a second data packet, a context memory configured to store one or more contexts, and a set of computational elements coupled with the input and coupled with the context memory. The set of computational elements may be configured to generate a first output data packet by executing a first sequence of cryptographic operations on the first data packet, and generate a second output data packet by executing a second sequence of cryptographic operations on the second data packet and on a selected context of the one of the one or more contexts. The selected context may be associated with the second packet of data, and the context may be stored in the context memory prior to the execution of the first sequence of cryptographic operations.
US09461812B2
Embodiments of various methods, devices and systems are described herein that correspond to an encoding scheme that can be used with various communication protocols for increased bandwidth over a single wire bus or a wireless single transmission channel. For example, a method of encoding a series of data bits to increase bandwidth may comprise selecting a data bit in the series of data bits, generating an inverted version of the selected data bit, positioning the inverted version of the selected data bit in a consecutive fashion with respect to the selected data bit to signify an edge of a clock signal, and transmitting the inverted version of the selected data bit and the series of data bits with each bit being transmitted in a single unique time slot.
US09461808B2
A method and device are provided for transmitting data packets to an access network with sharing of a multiband channel among stations. A first band is referred to as a “transmission” band, and a second band is referred to as a “signaling” band. A station accesses the channel for transmitting data of a stream after using a counter to decrement a backoff value. The method includes: receiving backoff counts sent successively over the signaling channel by the various stations relating to their various streams; comparing the backoff counts with one another in order to detect identical values; and in the event of there being identical values between a plurality of stations, determining at least one new backoff count value that is different from all the others.
US09461807B2
For use of a second mapping pattern in which a part of a resource on which a DMRS (Demodulation Reference Signal) is to be mapped is replaced with a data resource in a first mapping pattern of the DMRS, control section (23) adds an offset to a transmission power or a transmission power density of first data mapped in a remaining resource other than a data resource to control a transmission power or a transmission power density of second data mapped to the part of a resource. Transmitting section (25) transmits a signal including the first data, the second data, and the DMRS.
US09461797B2
A method is described for uplink transmission in a wireless communication system. A user equipment determines whether to transmit or drop a sounding reference signal (SRS) on a last symbol in an ith subframe. The determination is performed if multiple timing advance groups (TAGs) are configured and if a portion of the last symbol of the ith subframe for the SRS transmission toward the a serving cell in a first TAG is overlapped with an (i+1)th subframe for transmitting an uplink channel toward a second serving cell in a second TAG.
US09461796B2
Methods and apparatus for interference coordination to improve transmission and reception performance within wireless networks. In one exemplary embodiment, a wireless transmitter transmits multiple transmissions over a determined time. The receiver receives the multiple transmissions and attempts to recover the transmitted signal. Because, the fading channel varies over time for each transmitter-receiver, by combining the received signals over multiple iterations, the signal of interest will be magnified, whereas interference effects will be suppressed.
US09461784B2
A Radio Resource Control (RRC) message transmission method and apparatus for a wireless communication system operating in TTI and acknowledge mode is configured to reduce interruption time by minimizing retransmission times of RRC message. The message transmission method for a wireless communication system includes generating, at a transmitter, a message; transmitting the message two or more times consecutively from the transmitter to a receiver; analyzing, at a receiver, the message transmitted by the transmitter; transmitting an acknowledge message or a negative-acknowledge from the receiver to the transmitter depending on the analysis result; and terminating, at the transmitter, a retransmission process of the message upon receipt of the acknowledgement message.
US09461774B2
A reception circuit for receiving serial data including first pixel data constituting image data from a transmission circuit, wherein the serial data has a format allowing the reception circuit to detect a transmission error, the reception circuit including a serial-to-parallel converter configured to receive the serial data and convert the received serial data into first parallel data, an error detector configured to determine whether the first parallel data is correct or erroneous based on the first parallel data, a correcting buffer configured to maintain the first pixel data included in the first parallel data if the first parallel data is determined to be correct by the error detector, and a correcting unit configured to substitute the first pixel data included in the first parallel data determined to be erroneous by the error detector with a value corresponding to second pixel data stored in the correcting buffer.
US09461773B2
A method for phase noise detection in a MIMO communication system comprises the step of computing an initial estimate of phase using received pilot symbols. A phase follows for interpolating between successive pilot symbol phase estimates to obtain a coarse resolution reference phase estimate. Then, it follows a phase for computing a fine resolution estimate of phase using said coarse resolution phase estimate together with data expressing characteristics of known phase noise processes, applying an expectation maximization (EM) algorithm. The application of the EM algorithm can be further refined using improved symbol decisions from a FEC decoding.
US09461762B2
A method and system for compensating for a time discrepancy. A first and a second vehicle-to-X communication system resort to an external time base. The first vehicle-to-X communication system determines a first internal time base from the external time base and the second vehicle-to-X communication system determines a second internal time base from the external time base. The first vehicle-to-X communication system sends vehicle-to-X data and the second vehicle-to-X communication system receives vehicle-to-X data. The vehicle-to-X data to be sent include a time stamp generated from the first internal time base and captured ambient sensor data include a first time stamp generated from the second internal time base. Alignment of the captured ambient sensor data with the received vehicle-to-X data is used to determine the time discrepancy between the first internal time base and the second internal time base and to compensate for it using a correction value.
US09461760B2
A method for remediating broadcast digital television signals is disclosed. A television signal is buffered by a multimedia client, and analyzed for errors. If errors are detected, replacement data for the corrupted data are requested from a service provider using a network back-channel. The replacement data are obtained from the broadcasting entity and sent back to the multimedia client. The replacement data are used to generate and display a faultless version of the digital television signal.
US09461758B2
A method and system for monitoring a broadcast signal includes a transfer switch and a first receiver decoder circuit for a first channel coupled to the first transfer switch. The first receiver decoder circuit generates a first receiver decoder circuit signal. A second receiver decoder circuit for the first channel is coupled to the first transfer switch. The second receiver decoder circuit generates a second receiver decoder circuit signal. A monitoring display is formed in response to the first receiver decoder circuit signal and the second receiver decoder circuit signal for monitoring the broadcast signal.
US09461753B2
An optical receiver circuit includes a polarization beam splitter configured to split input signal light into two different polarized wave components; two variable optical attenuators configured to respectively adjust attenuation of and output the signal light split by the polarization beam splitter according to polarization state; and a single planar optical waveguide on which the polarization beam splitter and the two variable optical attenuators are disposed.
US09461751B2
A method of transmitting a data signal in an optical communications system. The method includes processing the data signal to generate an analog drive signal, wherein the processing comprises applying a first non-linear operation such that frequency components of the drive signal lay in at least two separated spectral bands. An optical carrier light is modulated using the analog drive signal.
US09461750B2
The optical transmitter includes a FP-LD, generating multiple-longitudinal mode light wave. The FP-LD is also driven by an electrical signal, modulates the electrical signal to the multiple-longitudinal mode light wave, and outputts the modulated multiple-longitudinal mode light wave. An optical coupler, coupled with the FP-LD, is used for feeding the modulated multiple-longitudinal mode light wave from the FP-LD to a fiber Bragg grating. The fiber Bragg grating is for filtering the received multiple-longitudinal mode light wave according to a parameter, and feeding back the optical signal generated after being filtered to the optical coupler. The optical coupler divides the optical signal, thus making the optical signal oscillate between the FP-LD and the fiber Bragg grating to form a oscillation cavity, and outputs a single mode optical wave with constant wavelength and power.
US09461748B2
An LED light fixture includes one or more optical transceivers that have a light support having a plurality of light emitting diodes and one or more photodetectors attached thereto, and a processor in communication with the light emitting diodes and the one or more photodetectors. The processor is constructed and arranged to generate a communication or data transfer signal.
US09461744B2
Improved systems and methods for delivering CATV content over a fiber optic network from a transmitter.
US09461738B2
An apparatus comprising a receiver configured to couple to an Ethernet Passive Optical network over Coaxial (EPoC) network, and receive an upstream Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) signal comprising a plurality of OFDM Resource Elements (REs), and a processor coupled to the receiver and configured to determine a presence of a burst marker sequence in the received signal, wherein the burst marker sequence comprises interlaced pilot symbols and null symbols, and wherein determining the presence of the burst marker sequence comprises computing a power ratio between a first set of the OFDM REs and a second set of the OFDM REs, and determining that the burst marker sequence is found when the computed power ratio exceeds a pre-determined threshold.
US09461729B2
An embodiment method includes selecting, by a network infrastructure manager, a first user equipment (UE) as a destination UE and selecting a second UE as a relay UE for the destination UE. The method further includes negotiating installation of a virtual range extender (vREX) UE on the destination UE, and negotiating installation of a vREX forwarding agent (FA) on the relay UE. The vREX FA is configured to act as a FA for the vREX UE.
US09461716B2
Described herein are architectures, platforms and methods for calibrating a near field communication (NFC) reader/writer device using a modulation feedback apparatus for tuned antenna configurations.
US09461705B2
Powerline communication (PLC) networks allow devices within a home, automobile, or other systems to communicate over existing wired powerline infrastructure. Active PLC networks can affect devices sharing the powerline infrastructure as well as wireless devices through radiated noise emissions. Provided in the present disclosure are exemplary techniques for reducing noise emissions and promoting coexistence of multiple PLC systems and/or non-PLC (e.g., wireless) systems.
US09461700B2
A transmitter transmits an outbound message signal via the power distribution system. The transmitter includes a spreader for spreading the spectrum of the communications signal before transmitting the outbound message signal. A receiver despreads the spectrum of the received digitized signal and digitally demodulates the received despread signal to generate the message. The transmitted signal is orthogonal to a source of interference on the power distribution system.
US09461690B2
A mobile terminal and a control method of a mobile terminal are disclosed. The mobile terminal and a control method thereof provide a user interface allowing for a user to easily and effectively control the mobile terminal through an interaction between a certain case and the mobile terminal when the mobile terminal is accommodated in the case in a lock mode.
US09461686B2
A mobile communication device including an antenna element, a low-frequency blocking element, a first isolation circuit, a second isolation circuit and a high-frequency blocking element is provided. The antenna element converts a radio-frequency signal into an electromagnetic wave and generates a sensing signal in response to a proximity of an object. The antenna element includes a radiation portion and a parasitic portion which are spaced by a coupling gap. The low-frequency blocking element transmits the radio-frequency signal to the radiation portion. The first isolation circuit and a connection element are connected in series between the radiation portion and the parasitic portion, and the first isolation circuit blocks the radio-frequency signal. The second isolation circuit is electrically connected between the parasitic portion and a ground plane, and blocks the sensing signal. The high-frequency blocking element transmits the sensing signal from the antenna element to a sensing controller through a metal line.
US09461683B2
A method and apparatus is disclosed to determine communications receiver parameters from multiple channels of a received communications signal and to configure and/or adjust communications receiver parameters to acquire one or more channels from among the multiple channels of the received communications signal. A communications receiver observes a multi-channel communication signal as it passes through a communication channel. The communications receiver determines one or more communications receiver parameters from the multiple channels of the received communications signal. The communications receiver configures and/or adjusts communications receiver parameters to acquire the one or more channels from among the multiple channels of the received communications signal.
US09461681B1
A receiver includes a first and a second amplification unit for amplifying a first and second received signals received by antenna units; a level variation detection unit for performing gain control of the first amplification unit; a maximum received signal level extraction unit for performing gain control of the second amplification unit; and a first and a second frequency conversion unit. The receiver further includes an interference frequency detection unit for detecting a frequency of interference in the second received signal; an interference frequency cut-off unit for cutting off the frequency of the interference; demodulation units for demodulating the respective received signals; noise amplitude calculation unit for calculating noise amplitudes from the respective received signals; equalizing units for correcting amplitudes and phases of the respective received signals; and a combining unit for combining demodulation results from the respective received signals on the basis of noise amplitude detection results.
US09461677B1
The present invention is directed to integrated circuits and methods thereof. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention provide a local correction for bending communication line pairs. In an IC package, a pair of communication lines is used to provide a physical link for data communication between two or more components. At regions where the pair of communication lines is bent, the inner bend line is extended in length and shaped to match the length of the outer bend line while preserving integrity of its signal propagation characteristics, thereby providing local phase correction. There are other embodiments as well.
US09461673B2
A computing device with a configurable antenna. The antenna is configured through a switching circuit operating under software control. Operating characteristics of the antenna are configured based on connections between conducting segments established by the switching circuit, allowing the nominal frequency, bandwidth or other characteristics of the antenna to be configured. Because the switching is software controlled, the configurable antenna may be integrated with a software defined radio. The radio and antenna can be reconfigured to support communication according to different wireless technologies at different times or to interleave packets according to different wireless technologies to support concurrent sessions using different wireless technologies.
US09461672B2
Provided is a signal quality evaluation apparatus, including an error pattern detection unit to which binarized data obtained by performing a PRML decoding process on a reproduced signal of bit information by partial response equalization and maximum likelihood decoding is input, the error pattern detection unit configured to detect at least one specific error pattern that is a bit pattern that is longer than a constraint length of the PRML decoding process, a metric difference calculation unit configured to calculate a metric difference of the at least one specific error pattern that has been detected by the error pattern detection unit, and an index value generation unit configured to generate an index value of a reproduced signal quality by using a distribution of the metric difference obtained by the metric difference calculation unit.
US09461664B2
Imagers may include analog-to-digital converter circuitry that produces a digital output code from an analog input voltage. The analog-to-digital converter circuitry may include a series of capacitors including a first set of binary-mapped capacitors. The analog-to-digital converter circuitry may include a second set of one or more capacitors that have capacitances that are less than binary-mapped capacitance values. The digital output code may include bits having respective bit positions within the digital output code. During successive-approximation operations performed by the analog-to-digital converter circuitry, each bit of the digital output code may be produced using a corresponding capacitor. Digital processing circuitry such as an image processor may produce a digital value from the digital output code by multiplying the bits of the digital output code with respective weights determined based on the capacitance of the corresponding capacitors.
US09461663B2
To suppress detection accuracy of a measurement resistance from decreasing by an on-resistance of a selector switch. The selector switch is provided between a first node coupled to a first voltage through a reference resistance and multiple second nodes coupled to the second voltage through measurement resistances, and selects the second node to be coupled to the first node with the selector switch. A correction circuit generates a voltage obtained by adding the second voltage to a voltage between the second node and the first node as a correction voltage. A double integral ADC finds a first integral time elapsed when a difference voltage of the correction voltage to a voltage of the first node is integrated to the first voltage and a second integral time elapsed when the difference voltage of the first voltage to the voltage of the first node is integrated to the correction voltage.
US09461661B1
A linear reference analog to digital converter (ADC) network may include a first ADC operatively connected to a first sample and hold circuit. The linear reference ADC network may be configured to receive an input signal from the first sample and hold circuit and sample the input signal with a harmonic distortion. The linear reference ADC network may further include a reference ADC operatively connected to a second sample and hold circuit and configured to receive the input signal and sample the input signal with a second harmonic distortion. The linear reference ADC network may further include a combining module operatively connected to the first ADC and the reference ADC, the combining module configured to equalize a linearity of an output of the first ADC to a linearity of an output of the reference ADC, and output a combined output signal, and a circuit configured to output a calibrated output signal having calibrated harmonic distortion content.
US09461657B2
Certain aspects of the present disclosure support a method and apparatus for foreground and background bandwidth calibration in a frequency-do-digital converter based phase-locked loop (FDC-PLL) device.
US09461654B1
A receiver having analog to digital converters with phase adjustable sampling clocks. A first analog to digital converter converts an analog signal into first digital samples under control of a first sampling clock. A first clock generator adjusts a phase of the first sampling clock based on at least one first phase control signal. A second analog to digital converter converts the analog signal into second digital samples under control of a second sampling clock. A second clock generator adjusts the phase of the second sampling clock based on at least one second phase control signal. A data decision circuit recovers data based on the first and second samples. Feedback circuitry receives the recovered data and generates at least one first phase control signal for the first clock generator and generates at least one second phase control signal for the second clock generator based on the first phase control signal.
US09461643B2
A high frequency semiconductor switch has a first terminal, second terminals, a first through FET group, second through FET groups and a shunt FET group. The first through FET group has first field effect transistors connected serially with each other. One end of the first through FET group is connected to the first terminal. Each of the second through FET groups has second field effect transistors connected serially with each other. One end of each of the second through FET groups is connected to each of the second terminals. The other end of each of the second through FET groups is commonly connected to the other end of the first through FET group. The shunt FET group has third field effect transistors connected serially with each other between the second terminal and a ground terminal.
US09461641B2
A chain of switches is connected between a first power supply line coupled to a first voltage and a second power supply line coupled to the sector. These switches are controllable by a control signal. The control signal is propagated from a first end of the first chain towards a second end of the first chain without control of the switches during this first propagation. The control signal is then propagated in the reverse direction from the second end towards the first end with a control of the switches during this second propagation starting from a group of at least one switch situated at the second end. There is a detection of the arrival of the control signal at the first end of the chain at the end of its propagation in the reverse direction.
US09461638B2
A drive unit includes a charging unit which charges an opening/closing control terminal of a switching element to switch a drive state. The switching element includes a sensing terminal which outputs a minute current having a correlation with current flowing between input and output terminals of the switching element. The sensing terminal and either of the output terminal or a member having a potential equal to that of the output terminal are connected via a sensing resistor. The drive unit further includes an active gate control unit which changes a charge rate based on comparison of sensing voltage, which is a potential difference across the sensing resistor, or a rate of change of the sensing voltage with a specified value. The specified value is set based on individual-difference information of the switching element which indicates a characteristic, which affects the sensing voltage, when the drive state is switched.
US09461633B1
A latch circuit that has a dynamic mode and a static mode is provided. Clock signals are generated specifically for a feedback path of a storage circuit in the latch circuit. The generated clock signals include transitions that cause clocked NMOS and PMOS devices in the feedback path to function, and for other input clock frequencies, the generated clock signals do not include transitions that cause the clocked PMOS and NMOS devices to be active, and have states that cause clocked PMOS and NMOS devices to be inactive.
US09461629B2
A circuit for generating a voltage waveform at an output node. The circuit includes a voltage rail connected to the output node via a voltage rail switch; an anchor node connected to the output node via an inductor and a bidirectional switch, wherein the bidirectional switch includes two or more transistors connected in series; and a control unit configured to change the voltage at the output node by controlling the voltage rail switch and the bidirectional switch so that, if a load capacitance is connected to the output node, a resonant circuit is established between the inductor and the load capacitance. The circuit may be included in an apparatus for use in processing charged particles, e.g. for use in performing mass spectrometry or ion mobility spectrometry.
US09461623B2
A method and a circuit for generating a clock signal from a clock integrated circuit are introduced herein. A compensation voltage is generated according to a temperature coefficient of a resistor and a clock period of a clock circuit, where the compensation voltage is resistor-corner independent. The clock period of the clock circuit is determined by the resistor and at least one capacitor of the clock circuit. The temperature dependence of the clock period of the clock circuit is reduced according to the compensation voltage.
US09461617B2
A vibrator element includes: a base portion; and a vibrating arm extending from the base portion, the vibrating arm including a piezoelectric film that contains Cu at a crystal grain boundary.
US09461612B2
A reconfigurable rat race coupler and methods of designing and reconfiguring the rat race coupler are disclosed. The reconfigurable rat race coupler, includes a plurality of transmission lines. The plurality of transmission lines include: a first transmission line and a second transmission line each of which comprise a phase shifter; and a third transmission line and a fourth transmission line each of which comprise phase shifters. A signal input on port 1 is provided between the phase shifters on the third transmission line, which is split between ports 2 and 3, with port 4 being isolated and port 2 being between the phase shifters on the fourth transmission line.
US09461606B2
The systems, devices, and methods provided herein can be used with an audio source to automatically attenuate a signal from the audio source in response to information about a local environment. In an example, an attenuation network circuit can be used to provide automatic or “hands-free” adjustment of a headphone or headset volume level to compensate for changing background sound or noise levels. In relatively noisy environments, the attenuation network can provide little or no attenuation of an audio source signal, and in less noisy environments, the attenuation network can provide greater attenuation of the audio source signal.
US09461605B2
An electronic device with a speaker, an amplifier for driving the speaker and a speaker grill provided on the front surface of the speaker includes a pickup detection unit for detecting that the electronic device has been picked up from water and a water discharge sound generation unit for generating a water discharge sound signal for discharging water having entered inside the speaker grill according to the detection of the pickup from the water and inputting the generated water discharge sound signal to the amplifier.
US09461596B1
The present invention implements a series of analog gain and phase correction circuits in each leg of the N-way Doherty to significantly reduce amplitude modulation to amplitude modulation (AM-AM) and amplitude modulation to phase modulation (AM-PM), distortion. The correction blocks comprise gain and phase corrections and optionally an additional gain block. The phase corrections include at least a phase offset and may include an optional non-linear element such as a diode pre-distorter. The pre-distortion circuitry is intended to reduce the necessary complexity of the DPD and reduce the DPD cost and power consumption. The gain and phase corrections can be calculated from computational optimization to minimize the AM-AM and AM-PM distortion. The gain and phase corrections can also be calculated from the AM-AM and AM-PM data which can be output from common DPD systems and laboratory characterization equipment.
US09461588B1
Embodiments are directed to doubly balanced superconducting mixers and to methods for modulating a radio frequency signal using multiple tunable inductive elements in a doubly balanced superconducting mixer. In one scenario, a doubly balanced superconducting mixer is provided which includes an input port that receives an signal. The doubly balanced superconducting mixer further includes an IF control signal, a DC control signal and a filter that includes a first inner filter stage and a second inner filter stage. The first and second inner stages are coupled via a ring of tunable inductive elements, and are further inductively coupled to outer filter stages. The doubly balanced superconducting mixer further includes a controller that modulates the RF signal using the IF control signal and the DC control signal to tune the ring of tunable inductive elements to control transmission of the RF signal through the first and second inner filter stages.
US09461583B2
In accordance with an embodiment, a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) includes a VCO core having a plurality of transistors and a varactor circuit that has a first end coupled to emitter terminals of the VCO core and a second end coupled to a tuning terminal. The varactor circuit includes a capacitance that increases with increasing voltage applied to the tuning terminal with respect to the emitter terminals of the VCO core.
US09461579B2
A photovoltaic (PV) module framing and coupling system enables the attachment of PV modules to a roof or other mounting surface without requiring the use of separate structural support members which attach directly to and span between multiple PV modules in a formed PV array. The apparatus provides a parallel coupling for securely interlocking the outside surfaces of parallel frame members together in a side to side arrangement to form an array with improved structural load distribution. The coupling may attach to a slot in the frame at substantially any position along the length of the frame thereby enabling the interconnection of adjacent PV modules along both an x and y axis. The apparatus may further provide a rotating portion and locking portion, mounting brackets for direct connection to a mounting surface, grounding teeth, and a twist-lock engagement means for interlocking and aligning PV modules in the array.
US09461578B2
A motor control device of a vehicle includes a motor and a lock mechanism for locking the rotation of vehicle wheels. The motor control device includes a detection device for detecting release of the lock mechanism, a damping control device for suppressing torsional vibration of a drive shaft, and a current control device for controlling current flowing to the motor on the basis of a motor torque command value set by the damping control device. The current control device channels an excitation current for generating a magnetic flux in the motor on the basis of the detection result of the detection device.
US09461573B2
Fault Ride Through (FRT) transient management system configured to enhance the FRT capability doubly-fed induction generator (DFIG)-based wind turbines. A grid side converter (GSC) introduces shunt and series compensation for normal operation and voltage dips, respectively. A braking resistor may be added to smooth switching transients from shunt to series interfaces and dissipate excessive power from the GSC. To attain a flexible control solution for balanced and unbalanced fault conditions, the transient management scheme may employ positive and negative sequence controllers. The system dynamics for the series compensation topology may be analyzed using small-signal linear model. Based on the mathematical model, the controller may be tuned to balance voltage regulation performance and transient stability margins with consideration of various operating conditions. The system benefits from a low component count, simple protection structure, and improved FRT performance with effective compensation to the electric grid.
US09461571B2
A method of detecting stall of a multi-phase motor operated in a micro-stepped mode, the method comprising: a) applying at least two phase-shifted micro-stepped waveforms to the phase windings of the motor; b) determining a sum of currents flowing through the phase windings, and taking samples of the sum of currents synchronously with the application of the micro-stepped waveforms; c) calculating a moving average or moving sum of the samples over one or more “full steps” of the phase-shifted waveforms; d) calculating an adaptive threshold based on the samples; e) detecting stall of the motor when the moving average is larger than the adaptive threshold. An electrical circuit and a computer program are arranged to perform the method.
US09461570B1
A stepper motor may be controlled by a controller to provide extended revolution of a motor shaft while operating in a first mode and to allow a user to manually intervene with an intended position or rotation of the motor shaft while operating in a second mode. In some embodiments, the controller may adjust a torque applied to the stepper mode during operation of the stepper motor. The controller may reduce a torque applied by the stepper motor to a lower torque while the user intervenes with the intended position or rotation of the motor and increase the torque to a holding torque after the user intervention has ended. Thus, the controller may dynamically adjust a torque of the stepper motor in response to detection of the user intervention.
US09461568B2
In a state in which the energization in the first direction is possible between the motor and the drive circuit and the motor is not rotating at high speed, when the phase induced voltage value of the specific phase that is the target of determination is continuously equal to or smaller than the abnormality determination threshold, the abnormality detecting unit determines that an open malfunction has occurred in the relay FET of the specific phase.
US09461563B2
An ultrasonic motor having an ultrasound actuator in the form of a piezoelectric hollow cylinder with friction elements on at least one of its end surfaces, and having a rotor in effective contact with the friction elements and an electric excitation device. The actuator is subdivided in the circumferential direction in an even number of sectors Sa and Sb with the sectors Sa and Sb alternating and being adjacent in circumferential direction, and the friction elements being arranged in the range of adjacency of neighboring sectors. Each of the sectors Sa and Sb is formed by exciter electrodes and general electrodes alternatingly arranged in the axial direction of the hollow cylinder, wherein a layer of piezoelectric material is arranged between neighboring excitation electrodes and general electrodes.
US09461561B2
A method and apparatus for power conversion. In one embodiment, the method comprises operating an inverter in bursts by (i) enabling power production by the inverter during a first plurality of periods, and (ii) disabling power production by the inverter during a second plurality of periods.
US09461557B2
A multilevel converter cell includes a first section with a first group of series connected switching units in parallel with a first energy storage element, where a junction between a first and second switching units of the first group of series connected switching units forms one cell connection terminal, a second section with a second group of series connected switching units in parallel with a second energy storage element, where a junction between a third and fourth switching units of the second group of series connected switching units forms another cell connection terminal, and an interconnecting section with a third group of series-connected switching units comprising a fifth, sixth and seventh switching unit, with the fifth and sixth switching units connected in parallel with the first energy storage element and the sixth and seventh switching units connected in parallel with the second energy storage element.
US09461556B2
A high efficiency, multi-mode, regenerative AC-DC-AC inverter power system contains an inverter bridge, a bi-phase matrix (BP-Mtx) containing reverse current oriented, series-connected sets of controllable switches, wherein inputs to a first and second set of controllable switches are coupled to the inputs of the first inverter bridge, and outputs of the first and second set of controllable switches are coupled to inputs to a third set of controllable switches. A chargeable DC power supply is coupled to an output of the third set of controllable switches. The load-side DC-bus is coupled to outputs of the first inverter bridge and a second inverter bridge. The switches of the first inverter bridge, second inverter bridge, and BP-Mtx are modulated to charge the DC power supply from either excess voltage from line inputs or the DC-bus, and to provide compensating energy from the DC power supply for load or line input perturbations.
US09461535B2
A system and a method provide a photovoltaic system which regenerates the output characteristics of the photovoltaic at different ambient condition with high precision under all environmental conditions. The photovoltaic system includes a photovoltaic array, a buck/boost converter, a DC link capacitor to connect the buck/booster converter to a load/inverter, an adaptive network-based fuzzy inference maximum power point tracking controller, a voltage control loop, a proportional integral controller to maintain the output voltage of the photovoltaic array to the reference voltage by adjusting the duty ratio of buck/boost converter.
US09461519B2
An improvement for a turbine generator or pump having main bearings separated by a span of shaft and a thrust equalizing mechanism adjacent one of said main bearings, the improvement comprising a stationary length compensator interposed between the thrust equalizing mechanism and its adjacent main bearing to reduce the span between said main bearings. Preferably the length compensator is composed of material that shrinks less than the shaft of the generator, and the height of the length compensator, i.e., the compensating dimension, is selected according to desired thrust equalizing mechanism operating parameters over a temperature range.
US09461515B2
In an inner-rotor motor, an armature includes a stator core including an annular core back and magnetic pole teeth projecting from the core back; an insulator covering an upper and lower surface of each magnetic pole tooth of the stator core; and coils defined by a conducting wire wound around a separate one of the magnetic pole teeth with the insulator intervening therebetween. The insulator includes at least one protruding portion. An upper end of each protruding portion is arranged at an axial level higher than an axial level of a lower surface of a circuit board. The circuit board includes at least one penetration portion each of which is defined by a cut or a hole, and in each of which a corresponding one of the at least one protruding portion is arranged.
US09461514B2
A bobbin is adapted to be mounted to a projection of a stator core of a rotary electric machine and wound with a coil wire. The bobbin includes a back stress generating portion configured to generate a stress acting in a direction opposite to a stress generated when the coil wire is wound around the bobbin.
US09461512B2
The present invention relates to an electric machine, in particular a brushless permanent magnet motor, provided with a rotor and a stator which has a plurality of teeth with winding phases provided thereon, wherein each winding phase has at least four windings, wherein, of the at least four windings of a winding phase, in each case two windings are connected in series with one another, and wherein these windings which are connected in series are connected in parallel. The present invention also relates to a steering device.
US09461509B2
Disclosed is a motor including: a rotor housing; a stator assembly located inside the rotor housing; a first core located inside the stator assembly; a second core located at the center of the rotor housing; and a coil housing located inside the rotor housing and having a space portion formed at the inside thereof.
US09461508B2
An electromagnetic generating transformer comprises one or more flux assembly having one or more magnetic field source having a positive pole and a negative pole and a magnetic field passing in a path between the positive pole and the negative pole and a conductor magnetically coupled with the one or more magnetic field source, the magnetic field source and the conductor being fixed relative to one another; a shunt is coupled with a motive source and configured to move the shunt into a primary position and a secondary position, wherein the magnitude of the magnetic field passing between the positive pole and the negative pole varies when the shunt is moved between the primary position and the secondary position.
US09461507B2
A power transmitting apparatus includes an active electrode, a passive electrode, a voltage generating circuit that applies a voltage between the active electrode and the passive electrode, and a reference potential electrode connected to a reference potential. A power receiving apparatus includes an active electrode, a passive electrode, a secondary battery connected between the active electrode and the passive electrode, and a reference potential electrode connected to a reference potential. Power is transmitted from the power transmitting apparatus to the power receiving apparatus as a result of the respective electrodes facing each other and being capacitively coupled to each other when the power receiving apparatus is mounted to the power transmitting apparatus.
US09461505B2
A system exchanges energy wirelessly and includes a structure configured to exchange the energy wirelessly via a coupling of evanescent waves. The structure is non-radiative, and generates an electromagnetic (EM) near-field in response to receiving the energy. A negative index material (NIM) is arranged within the EM near-field such that the coupling is enhanced.
US09461504B2
An energy-scavenging interface includes first and second switches connected in series between an input and reference, and third and fourth switches connected in series between the input and an output. A control circuit closes the first and second switches and opens the third switch for a first time interval to store charge in a storage element. A scaled copy of a peak value of the charging current is obtained. The control circuit then opens the first switch and closes the third and fourth switches to generate an output signal as long as the value in current of the output signal is higher than the value of said scaled copy of the peak value.
US09461500B2
A wireless charging receiving device includes a body, a metal housing, a receiving coil, and a power storage device. The metal housing is coupled to the body to form an accommodating space. The metal housing includes an aperture and at least one slit. The slit interconnects the aperture and the edge of the metal housing. The receiving coil is disposed between the metal housing and the body. The receiving coil defines a through hole by a looped configuration, and the through hole overlaps at least part of the aperture of the metal housing. The power storage device is disposed within the accommodating space and electrically connected to the receiving coil. Electromagnetic waves are able to pass through the aperture of the metal housing and are magnetically coupled to the receiving coil, such that the receiving coil transfers the energy of the electromagnetic waves to the power storage device.
US09461497B2
A charge device coupled to an external device is provided. A connection port is configured to couple to the external device and includes a first pin and a second pin. A battery unit has a battery voltage. A conversion unit converts the battery voltage to provide power to the external device. When the battery voltage is higher than a threshold value, a detection control unit directs the first and second pins to couple to a first charge unit and the connection port outputs a first charge current to the external device. When the battery voltage is not higher than the threshold value, the detection control unit directs the first and second pins to couple to a second charge unit and the connection port outputs a second charge current to the external device. The first charge current is greater than the second charge current.
US09461491B2
A battery charger, which can be configured as a charger or docking station (300), includes one or more control circuits (105). A charging circuit (302) can charge one or more rechargeable batteries (118). A thermal management device (305) can alter a thermal condition of the one or more rechargeable batteries. The one or more control circuits can receive, with a communication circuit (309) an indication of a thermal state of an electronic device (100). The one or more control circuits can cause the thermal management device to alter the thermal condition of the one or more rechargeable batteries such that when the one or more rechargeable batteries are coupled to the electronic device, a thermal mass defined by the electronic device and the one or more rechargeable batteries transitions from the thermal state toward a predefined thermal mass temperature.
US09461489B2
A mobile communication terminal, comprises: a thermoelectric conversion unit comprising a conversion device for converting heat energy into electric energy; and an energy storage unit electrically connected to the conversion device and configured to store the electric energy generated by the conversion device. The mobile communication terminal can solve the problem that existing mobile communication terminals have large power consumption and short continuous service time, take full advantage of energies, and extend the continuous service time of the mobile communication terminal.
US09461483B1
An electrical energy storage device with damping function is a capacitor-cell battery formed of a plurality of capacitor cells connected in either series or parallel. Each of the capacitor cells includes a supercapacitor and a pseudocapacitor. The supercapacitor is a non-polarized capacitor internally having a separator, and the pseudocapacitor is a polarized electrochemical capacitor. The supercapacitor and the pseudocapacitor are electrically connected in parallel. The supercapacitor has a capacity close to or equal to that of the pseudocapacitor. When charging the capacitor-cell battery, the supercapacitor in every capacitor cell produces a polarization effect, so that electrical energy is charged thereinto as a result of voltage. And, due to a potential balance between the supercapacitor and the pseudocapacitor, the electrical energy charged into the supercapacitor is rapidly transformed into electric current that flows into and is stored in the pseudocapacitor.
US09461481B2
Systems and methods for feedback control of output power in a wireless power transmitter are disclosed. According to one aspect, one of a voltage level at an input of a wireless power transmit coil and a level of current passing through the wireless power transmit coil are sensed. The wireless power transmitter includes a controller configured to adjust an electrical characteristic of the wireless power transmitter to maintain at least one of the level of current and the voltage level at a constant level.
US09461480B2
A method is provided for controlling the output voltage of a pickup in an inductive power transfer (IPT) system without any additional form of communications for feedback from the pickup to the power supply. The method comprising the steps of deriving an estimate of the output voltage of the pickup from the voltage across the primary conductive path, and adjusting the current in the primary conductive path so that the estimated pickup output voltage matches a required pickup output voltage. In particular, an estimate of the pickup output voltage is derived from the magnitude and phase angle of the voltage in the primary conductive path.
US09461476B2
Not a structure in which a resonance frequency of a power transmission device is set after a resonance frequency of a power receiving device is directly measured but a structure in which the resonance frequencies of the power receiving device and the power transmission device are estimated after reflection of an electromagnetic field for transmitting electric power to the power receiving device is monitored by the power transmission device is employed. After a capacitance value of a variable capacitor in a resonance coil of the power receiving device is once set to 0, an S11 parameter is detected while a frequency of an electromagnetic wave is changed, and the resonance frequency of the power transmission device is estimated on the basis of the S11 parameter.
US09461470B2
A load control receiver (LCS) for controlling an electrical load. The LCS includes a power sensing arrangement that monitors power usage of the load; a processor that predicts future power usage based on prior power usage; a transceiver that receives load shedding commands; and a controllable switch that can interrupt power supplied to the attached loads, based on load shedding commands.
US09461452B2
A diaphragm seal (101) for a cable gland (FIG. 1) has concentric inner (103) and outer (105) cylindrical seal walls connected at one end by a diaphragm (107) to define a cavity (121). The cavity (121) contains a plurality of support webs (125) that extend between the inner (103) and outer (105) seal walls. The webs (125) are provided on an exit side of the seal (101) and deform to assist insertion of the cable through the seal (101) from an entry side of the seal (101). The webs (12) resist inversion of the seal (101) when the pressure on the exit side is higher than the pressure on the entry side to create a pressure differential across the diaphragm (107).
US09461451B2
A power converter is equipped with a semiconductor module stack, a positive bus bar stack, and a negative bus bar stack. The positive bus bar stack has a first positive bus bar and a second positive bus bar stacked. The negative bus bar stack also has a first negative bus bar and a second negative bus bar stacked in a stacking direction Z of the positive bus bar stack. The first semiconductor modules of the semiconductor module stack are connected to the first positive bus bar and the first negative bus bar, while the second semiconductor modules of the semiconductor module stack are connected to the second positive bus bar and the second negative bus bar. This results in a decreased variation in mutual inductance among the semiconductor modules, which leads to a decrease in overall inductance of the power converter.
US09461447B2
A maintenance tool for an insulator of a direct current transmission line comprises clamping devices and a tensioning device. The clamping devices are mounted at the two sides of the insulator through clamping, and the tensioning device is connected between the clamping devices. The clamping devices comprise a closed clamp (1), a single serial clamping device (2) and a wire end clamping device (30). The clamping device has advantages such as strong overall strength and bearing capacity, small size, light weight, and reliable working, and can be applied to replacement of various insulators on the direct current transmission line, reliably ensuring safe commissioning and regular maintenance of transmission lines.
US09461446B1
An electrical enclosure includes at least one circuit breaker compartment and a cover mounted thereon. The cover includes an opening receptive of at least one circuit breaker. A gasket extends about at least a portion of the opening. The gasket includes an inner seal assembly and an outer seal assembly. The outer seal assembly is positioned to engage the at least one circuit breaker when the cover is in a closed position. The inner seal assembly is movable between a non-deployed configuration spaced from the at least one circuit breaker and a deployed configuration engaged with the at least one circuit breaker. The inner seal assembly is responsive to a pressure wave in the at least one circuit breaker compartment to move from the non-deployed configuration to the deployed configuration and substantially prevent out gassing through the opening in the cover.
US09461443B2
An apparatus having a variable angle light source characterized by a pivot point, a variable response optical receiver, and a first optical system is disclosed. The variable response optical receiver receives light generated by the light source on a receiving surface, the receiver generating a signal indicative of an intensity of light that impinges on a receiving surface. The first optical system images the pivot point to a fixed point relative to the receiver surface. In one aspect of the invention the first optical system is chosen such that light from the variable angle light source covers more& than half the receiving surface. The variable angle light source can include a gain chip in a semiconductor laser having a pivot point located substantially on a facet of the gain chip.
US09461442B2
An optical comb generator for generating multiple optical wavelengths from a single source simultaneously for many optical channels on a semiconductor substrate. The comb generator provides narrow channel spacing using chirped Bragg grating with uniformly spaced grating pitches but with tapered waveguide to facilitate the fabrication process and generate laser comb channels with uniform line widths across all channels. The laser comb generator facilitates monolithic integration of many photonic integrated circuit elements.
US09461436B2
The present invention relates to a pulse laser device, and more particularly, to a pulse laser device which can be operated in a burst mode, in which the output of a low-output laser generator is adjusted so as to enable the uniform control of the profile of the peak output of a final output optical pulse train, and in a variable burst mode, in which the profile of the final output optical pulse train can be controlled into an arbitrary waveform.
US09461433B2
A light-emitting device can have high heat dissipation performance from a light-transmitting member and be capable of easily making alignment of the light-transmitting member and an incidence hole for light into the light-transmitting member. The light-emitting device can include: a base; a light-emitting element held by the base; a lens held by the base and disposed above the light-emitting element, configured to condense light emitted from the light-emitting element; a first tubular member disposed on the base; a second tubular member fitted into the first tubular member; a holder allowed to be inserted into the second tubular member and thereby fitted into the second tubular member and having a through hole through which light condensed by the lens passes; and a light-transmitting member formed on the holder so as to block the through hole.
US09461428B2
Embodiments of the present invention may be directed to an electronic connector. More specifically, the electronic connector may include a single connector body and a mounting end operable to couple the single connector body with an electronic board of an electronics unit. The electronic connector may also include a lower jack portion disposed in the single connector body and include multiple lower pin receptacles, where the lower jack portion is disposed adjacent to the mounting end and is operable to receive a first connector end of a first cable. The electronic connector may further include an upper jack portion disposed in the single connector body and include multiple upper pin receptacles, where the upper jack portion is disposed above the lower jack portion and is operable to receive a second connector end of a second cable.
US09461418B2
In one embodiment, the present invention is a communication connector, comprising a compensation circuit for providing a compensating signal to approximately cancel an offending signal over a range of frequency, the compensation circuit including a capacitive coupling with a first magnitude growing at a first rate over the range of frequency and a mutual inductive coupling with a second magnitude growing at a second rate over the range of frequency, the second rate being greater than the first rate (e.g., the second rate approximately double the first rate).
US09461414B2
A shielding unit is formed by attaching a shell internal cylinder and shell external cylinder of a shielding shell onto each other such that a cylindrical portion of a shielding member is sandwiched by an external cylindrical portion and an internal cylindrical portion press-fit therein while a flange portion of the shielding member is sandwiched by an internal cylinder flange portion and an external cylinder flange portion. By turning the shell internal cylinder in a counterclockwise direction with respect to the shell external cylinder, a positioning pin of the shell internal cylinder is moved to a counterclockwise direction end portion of a positioning guide hole of the shell external cylinder. This slides the cylindrical portion against at least one among the internal cylindrical portion and the external cylindrical portion, and slides the flange portion against at least one among the internal cylinder flange portion and the external cylinder flange portion.
US09461408B1
An adaptor connects a dual orientation plug connector and a first circuit board. The dual orientation plug connector includes a second circuit board having first to fifth upper contacts sequentially arranged on a surface and having first to fourth lower contacts sequentially arranged on another surface. The first circuit board has first to sixth endpoints. The adaptor includes first to sixth pins. The first to sixth pins respectively include first to sixth contacting portions respectively configured to connect the first upper contact, the first to fourth lower contact, and the fifth upper contact. The first to sixth pins respectively include first to sixth extending portions respectively connecting the first to sixth endpoints. Widths of the third and fourth pins are smaller than widths of the first, second, fifth, and sixth pins.
US09461405B2
An electric connector includes a male connector and a female connector, the male connector including a cylindrical main portion, and a male contact terminal formed at the main portion. The female connector includes a hole into which the main portion is fit, and a female contact terminal formed at the hole for making electrical contact with the male contact terminal when the main portion is fit into the hole. One of the male connector and the female connector includes a guide shaft axially extending in a direction in which the male connector is fit into the female connector, and the other of the male connector and the female connector includes a guide hole for allowing the guide shaft to be inserted thereinto to guide the guide shaft in the direction.
US09461392B2
A connector includes at least a pair of mating portions and each mating portion includes a at least one mating blade. The connector body has a height that is greater than twice a height of the mating portion. Flanges can be provided on both sides of the mating blade.
US09461391B2
A connector includes a contact including a contact point to be electrically connected to an external apparatus when a connecting terminal of the external apparatus is pressed against the contact point, a protection member for protecting the contact point, and a base body storing the contact and the protection member. The protection member includes an opening for projecting the contact point on the external apparatus side from a surface on which the external apparatus is pressed. The protection member is movable between a first position and a second position with movement of the external apparatus. At the first position, the contact point is arranged so as to project on the external apparatus side from the opening. At the second position, the contact point is arranged on the same plane as the surface of the protection member on which the external apparatus is pressed.
US09461385B2
A card edge connector includes supporting walls (31) provided along a plurality of juxtaposed terminal fittings (50) and configured to receive reaction forces from the side of a circuit board (62) due to a resilient pressing action of resilient contact pieces (54) and a front wall (33) connected to front end edges of the supporting walls (31). The front wall (33) is formed with a board insertion port (41) in the form of a slit-like opening substantially parallel to a juxtaposition direction of the terminal fittings (50) and communicating with a board accommodation space (40) and a coupling portion (44) configured to couple two long-side opening edges (43) substantially parallel to the supporting walls (31). The circuit board (62) is formed with a cut (65) configured to avoid interference with the coupling portion (44) in a state inserted in the board accommodation space (40).
US09461370B2
An antenna, including a ground plane, a dielectric substrate formed on the ground plane, a broadband dual-polarized dipole radiating element located on the dielectric substrate, a horizontally polarized dipole radiating element located on the dielectric substrate adjacent to the broadband dual-polarized dipole radiating element and having a projection parallel to a first axis, which first axis intersects the broadband dual-polarized dipole radiating element, a vertically polarized dipole radiating element located on the dielectric substrate adjacent to the broadband dual-polarized dipole radiating element and having a projection parallel to a second axis, which second axis intersects the broadband dual-polarized dipole radiating element and is orthogonal to the first axis and a feed network for feeding the broadband dual-polarized, vertically and horizontally polarized dipole radiating elements.
US09461368B2
An antenna, including a broadband vertically polarized monopole radiating element, a reflector having a projection in a first plane generally perpendicular to a vertical axis of the monopole radiating element, a plurality of horizontally polarized radiating elements arranged generally concentrically with respect to the monopole radiating element, each one of the horizontally polarized radiating elements having a projection in a second plane generally perpendicular to the vertical axis, the second plane being offset from the first plane in a direction along the vertical axis and a feed arrangement for feeding the monopole and horizontally polarized radiating elements.
US09461366B2
Provided is a ultra-wideband dual linear polarized wave waveguide antenna for communication having a wideband matching structure in which the inner peripheral surface of the first polarized wave filtering unit or the second polarized wave filtering unit, which filters a first polarized wave or a second polarized wave entering the dual linear polarized wave waveguide antenna and orthogonal to each other, are tapered such that a diameter of the inner peripheral surface becomes smaller, and having an extended path so as to adjust the first polarized wave and the second polarized wave so that they are in-phase. By doing so, the ultra-wideband dual linear polarized wave waveguide antenna is capable of both receiving and transmitting and thus can be used for communication, and can adjust skew angles without being mechanically rotated.
US09461360B2
A method for adjusting a beam pattern in a beam pattern adjusting apparatus in a communication system supporting a Beam Division Multiple Access (BDMA) scheme is provided. The method includes determining whether a Voltage Standing Wave Ratio (VSWR) value for each antenna included in an antenna array included in the beam pattern adjusting apparatus is greater than or equal to a threshold VSWR value, if it is determined that an antenna of the antenna array has a VSWR value that is greater than or equal to the threshold VSWR, detecting whether each of the antenna elements is operable, and if it is determined that at least one of the antennas is inoperable, adjusting a beam pattern of at least one of the antennas that is operable.
US09461352B2
A multi-step silicon etching process has been developed to fabricate silicon-based terahertz (THz) waveguide components. This technique provides precise dimensional control across multiple etch depths with batch processing capabilities. Nonlinear and passive components such as mixers and multipliers waveguides, hybrids, OMTs and twists have been fabricated and integrated into a small silicon package. This fabrication technique enables a wafer-stacking architecture to provide ultra-compact multi-pixel receiver front-ends in the THz range.
US09461350B2
A conductor arrangement includes a conductor that extends along a conductor axis. The conductor arrangement also includes a standing wave trap to which the conductor is coupled in order to damp standing waves that are excited by an RF field from outside the conductor arrangement. The standing wave trap is in the form of a dielectric resonator device.
US09461337B2
A separator for a rechargeable electrochemical cell has a conductive first layer and a non-conductive second layer. The non-conductive second layer and the conductive first layer are adhered to one another, wherein the non-conductive second layer has a melting point below a critical temperature for the rechargeable electrochemical cell and discharges the cell when subject to overheating.
US09461335B2
There is provided a secondary battery comprising: a positive electrode capable of intercalating and deintercalating a lithium ion; a negative electrode capable of intercalating and deintercalating a lithium ion; and an electrolytic solution, wherein the electrolytic solution comprises: a fluorine-containing cyclic ether compound represented by the following formula (1); and at least one selected from a fluorine-containing chain ether compound or a fluorine-containing phosphate ester compound; wherein R1 to R6 are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom, a fluorine atom, a chlorine atom, or a fluorine-substituted, chlorine-substituted, or unsubstituted alkyl group, and at least one of R1 to R6 is selected from a fluorine atom or a fluorine-substituted alkyl group.
US09461325B2
The invention relates to a permanent connection of a polymer electrolyte membrane to at least one gas diffusion electrode, wherein it is possible to create a particularly long-lasting connection therebetween by pressing the membrane and gas diffusion electrode and exerting external pressure, also enabling a particularly high degree of proton conductivity to be obtained between the membrane and the at least one electrode. In order to create the pressing movement, the pressure of a fluid is increased. The fluid enters into contact with the membrane and/or gas diffusion electrode(s) in a direct manner or via an elastic intermediate element.
US09461319B2
Systems, methods, and devices of the various embodiments provide a hardware and software architecture enabling electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (“EIS”) to be performed on multiple electrochemical devices, such as fuel cells, at the same time without human interaction with the electrochemical devices. In an embodiment, a matrix switch may connect each cell of a fuel cell stack individually to an EIS analyzer enabling EIS to be performed on any fuel cell in the fuel cell stack. In a further embodiment, the EIS analyzer may be a multi-channel EIS analyzer, and the combination of the matrix switch and multi-channel EIS analyzer may enable EIS to be performed on multiple fuel cells simultaneously.
US09461317B2
A fuel cell system and a control method enables a smooth shift from a heat-up operation to a normal operation in a simple operating process. The fuel cell system includes a cell stack, an aqueous solution holding device having aqueous solution tanks which store aqueous methanol solution, and a first connecting portion and a second connecting portion which connect the aqueous solution tanks with each other, and a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of the aqueous methanol solution. Based on a result of a temperature detection, a setting is made for one of a first mode where the aqueous methanol solution in the aqueous solution tank is circulated to the cell stack and a second mode where the aqueous methanol solution in the aqueous solution tanks is circulated to the cell stack.
US09461308B2
An electrode for a lithium ion secondary battery includes an electrode active material and a water-soluble polymer. The water-soluble polymer is a copolymer containing 1% by weight to 30% by weight of an aromatic vinyl monomer unit, 20% by weight to 60% by weight of an unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer unit, and 0.1% by weight to 5% by weight of a crosslinkable monomer unit.
US09461300B2
Provided are an electrode for a power storage device having much better charge/discharge characteristics and a power storage device using the electrode. A plurality of cavities is provided in a surface of an active material layer over a current collector. A graphene covering the active material layer facilitates rapid charge/discharge and prevents breakdown of the current collector caused by charge/discharge. With improved charge/discharge characteristics, an electrode for a power storage device which does not easily deteriorate and a power storage device using the electrode can be provided.
US09461297B2
A battery unit and a battery module including a plurality of battery units. A battery unit includes: a case accommodating an electrode assembly and having an opening; a cap plate covering the opening and having a terminal insertion portion penetrating the cap plate; a terminal member extending into the case through the terminal insertion portion to electrically expose the electrode assembly outside of the case; and a fixing member in the terminal insertion portion and fixing the terminal member to the cap plate, the fixing member being formed by an insert injection molding method in which a plastic resin is injected in the terminal insertion portion in a state in which the terminal member is inserted in the terminal insertion portion, the fixing member including a recessed portion that is recessed from an upper surface of the fixing member.
US09461286B2
An exemplary attachment device includes a twist-lock rotatable from a first position to a second position. The twist-lock in the first position permits movement of a battery array to and from an installed position within a battery pack. The twist-lock in the second position secures the battery array in the installed position.
US09461285B2
A motor vehicle battery having at least one battery module (11, 12) with battery cells (13, 14) positioned one behind the other and bounded by first walls (15) at opposite ends of the battery module (11, 12) and by second walls (16) at opposite longitudinal sides of the battery module (11, 12). Bottom ends of the battery cells (13, 14) bearing against a cooling plate (18). The battery cells (13, 14) of the battery module (11, 12) are pressed together between the first walls (15). A dummy cell (22) is positioned between two adjacent battery cells (13, 14) of the battery module (11, 12). A clamping bolt (23) extends through the dummy cell and presses the battery cells (13, 14) of the battery module (11, 12) against the cooling plate (18) in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction.
US09461283B2
A battery module capable of easily discharging, to an outside thereof, condensate water produced on a surface of a heat exchange member contacting the battery module when the battery module is heated. A battery module includes a plurality of battery cells electrically connected to one another; and a heat exchange member at bottom surfaces of the battery cells, and the heat exchange member includes an upper surface facing the bottom surfaces of the battery cells and having at least one groove formed therein.
US09461282B2
A battery pack configured to supply power to a cleaning system and be received by a battery receptacle of the cleaning system. The battery pack includes a housing including an aperture, a user contact moveable between a first position and a second position, a moveable member that moves from a retracted position to a protruded position when the user contact moves from the first position to the second position, and an engagement member that moves from a latched position to an unlatched position when the moveable member moves from the retracted position toward the protruded position. A portion of the moveable member extends through the aperture of the housing when the moveable member is in the protruded position to eject the battery back from the battery receptacle.
US09461279B2
A battery sealing member: has a power generating element, a case body member, a case lid member, and an electrode terminal member having an insert-through part inserted in a through-hole provided in the case lid member. The electrode terminal member is electrically connected to the power generating element. The battery sealing member is made of a synthetic resin and has a sealing part held between the electrode terminal member and the inner surface of the case lid member. The crystallinity of the sealing part of the sealing member is higher than the crystallinity of a portion other than the seal section.
US09461277B2
An organic light emitting display apparatus includes: a substrate; an insulation layer on the substrate and including first regions that are arranged along a first direction and second regions that are adjacent to the first regions and are arranged along the first direction; first lines on the insulation layer to cover the first regions and including first organic light-emitting layers; and second lines on the insulation layer to cover the second regions and including second organic light-emitting layers different from the first organic light-emitting layers. A portion of the first regions and a portion of the second regions facing each other are not parallel to the first direction.
US09461273B2
A light-emitting element having high external quantum efficiency is provided. A light-emitting element having a long lifetime is provided. A light-emitting element includes a light-emitting layer between a pair of electrodes. The light-emitting layer contains at least a phosphorescent compound, a first organic compound (host material) having an electron-transport property, and a second organic compound (assist material) having a hole-transport property. The light-emitting layer has a stacked-layer structure including a first light-emitting layer and a second light-emitting layer, and the first light-emitting layer contains a higher proportion of the second organic compound than the second light-emitting layer. In the light-emitting layer (the first light-emitting layer and the second light-emitting layer), a combination of the first organic compound and the second organic compound forms an exciplex.
US09461269B2
The present disclosure provides an organic light emitting display that may comprise: an organic light emitting device (OLED) including a first electrode, an organic layer including a light-emitting layer, and a second electrode, which are sequentially formed on a substrate having a Thin Film Transistor (TFT) formed on the substrate; and an upper encapsulation layer, which is formed of an aluminum oxide-based material, is formed in a single layer, and is disposed on the substrate on which the organic light emitting device (OLED) is formed, wherein a Water Vapor Transmission Rate (WVTR) of the upper encapsulation layer is smaller than or equal to 10−2 g/m2/day.
US09461267B2
A cracks propagation preventing, polarization film attaches to outer edges of a lower inorganic layer of an organic light emitting diodes display where the display is formed on a flexible substrate having the lower inorganic layer blanket formed thereon. The organic light emitting diodes display further includes a display unit positioned on the inorganic layer and including a plurality of organic light emitting diodes configured to display an image, and a thin film encapsulating layer covering the display unit and joining with edges of the inorganic layer extending beyond the display unit.
US09461251B2
Provided are a novel anthracene derivative of a specific structure in which benzofuran or benzothiophene is bonded to anthracene through an arylene group, a material for an organic electroluminescence device and a light emitting material for an organic electroluminescence device each containing the anthracene derivative, and an organic electroluminescence device including an organic thin film layer formed of one or plural layers including at least a light emitting layer, the organic thin film layer being interposed between a cathode and an anode, in which at least one layer of the organic thin film layer contains the anthracene derivative alone or as a component of a mixture. The organic electroluminescence device has high luminous efficiency and is capable of emitting light with a long lifetime, and the device can be realized by the anthracene derivative.
US09461244B2
A method for producing a semiconductor device includes forming a fin-shaped semiconductor layer on a semiconductor substrate and a first pillar-shaped semiconductor layer, a second pillar-shaped semiconductor layer, and a contact line, the contact line extending in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the fin-shaped semiconductor layer extends. A pillar-shaped phase-change layer and a lower electrode are formed overlying the first pillar-shaped semiconductor layer. A reset gate insulating film is formed so as to surround the pillar-shaped phase-change layer and the lower electrode and a reset gate is formed.
US09461243B2
A planar STT-MRAM comprises apparatus, a method of operating a spin-torque magnetoresistive memory and a plurality of magnetoresistive memory element having spin-transfer torques acting on a recording layer from a MTJ stack and a novel magnetoresistance with a spin-valve layer. The spin-valve layer is field-reversible between two stable magnetization states either parallel or anti-parallel to the fixed reference layer magnetization through a set/reset current pulse along a conductive line provided by a control circuitry, accordingly, the magnetoresistive element is pre-configured into a reading mode having canceled spin-transfer torques or a recording mode having additive spin-transfer torques.
US09461242B2
A magnetic cell includes a free region between an intermediate oxide region (e.g., a tunnel barrier) and a secondary oxide region. Both oxide regions may be configured to induce magnetic anisotropy (“MA”) with the free region, enhancing the MA strength of the free region. A getter material proximate to the secondary oxide region is formulated and configured to remove oxygen from the secondary oxide region, reducing an oxygen concentration and an electrical resistance of the secondary oxide region. Thus, the secondary oxide region contributes only minimally to the electrical resistance of the cell core. Embodiments of the present disclosure therefore enable a high effective magnetoresistance, low resistance area product, and low programming voltage along with the enhanced MA strength. Methods of fabrication, memory arrays, memory systems, and electronic systems are also disclosed.
US09461240B2
According to one embodiment, a magnetoresistive memory device includes a first magnetic layer, a second magnetic layer, a nonmagnetic layer provided between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer, and a third magnetic layer provided on a side of the first or second magnetic layer opposite to the nonmagnetic layer. The third magnetic layer has a multilayer film having an artificial lattice structure, and the third magnetic layer is partly microcrystalline or amorphous.
US09461228B2
The present invention provides a thermoelectric conversion material excellent in thermoelectric performance and flexibility and capable of being produced in a simplified manner and at a low cost, and a method for producing the material. The thermoelectric conversion material has, on a support, a thin film of a thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles and a conductive polymer, and the method for producing a thermoelectric conversion material includes a step of applying the thermoelectric semiconductor composition containing thermoelectric semiconductor fine particles and a conductive polymer onto the support and drying it to forma thin film thereon.
US09461216B2
A light emitting device includes a semiconductor chip including a p-type semiconductor layer and an n-type semiconductor layer, the semiconductor chip being adapted to emit light between the p-type semiconductor layer and the n-type semiconductor layer; a p-side pad electrode disposed on an upper surface side of the semiconductor chip and over the p-type semiconductor layer; an n-side pad electrode disposed on an upper surface side of the semiconductor chip and over the n-type semiconductor layer; a resin layer disposed to cover the upper surface of the semiconductor chip; a p-side connection electrode and an n-side connection electrode disposed at an outer surface of the resin layer and positioned on the upper surface side of the semiconductor chip; and a metal wire disposed in the resin. The metal wire is adapted to make connection at least one of between the p-side pad electrode and the p-side connection electrode, and between the n-side pad electrode and the n-side connection electrode.
US09461202B2
This invention provides a high-efficiency light-emitting device and the manufacturing method thereof The high-efficiency light-emitting device includes a substrate; a reflective layer; a bonding layer; a first semiconductor layer; an active layer; and a second semiconductor layer formed on the active layer. The second semiconductor layer includes a first surface having a first lower region and a first higher region.
US09461200B2
A display apparatus includes: a display region provided with a plurality of pixel portions; wires installed to the respective pixel portions within the display region from an outside of the display region and transmitting a signal to drive the respective pixel portions; connection pads provided on the outside of the display region and serving as input portions that provide the wires with a signal while electrically conducting with the wires; switch elements provided on the outside of the display region in a middle of the wires; and a light shielding covering portion shielding the switch elements from light and formed to cover the connection pads while electrically conducting with the connection pads.
US09461196B2
Non-crystalline inorganic light emitting diode. In accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention, an article of manufacture includes a light emitting diode. The light emitting diode includes a non-crystalline inorganic light emission layer and first and second semiconducting non-crystalline inorganic charge transport layers surrounding the light emission layer. The light emission layer may be amorphous. The charge transport layers may be configured to inject one type of charge carrier and block the other type of charge carrier.
US09461195B2
The invention relates to a method for producing a solar cell having a substrate made of silicon, which substrate has a silicon oxide layer present on the surface of the substrate and an antireflection layer applied to the silicon oxide layer, which antireflection layer is deposited onto the dielectric passivation layer in a process chamber. According to the invention, in order to achieve a stability of corresponding solar cells or solar cell modules produced therefrom against a potential induced degradation (PID), the dielectric passivation layer is formed from the surface of the substrate in the process chamber by means of a plasma containing an oxidizing gas.
US09461186B2
The present invention relates to photovoltaic modules and methods of manufacturing photovoltaic modules.
US09461181B2
An object is to provide a semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics in which an oxide semiconductor is used. An oxide semiconductor layer is subjected to heat treatment for dehydration or dehydrogenation treatment in a nitrogen gas or an inert gas atmosphere such as a rare gas (e.g., argon or helium) or under reduced pressure and to a cooling step for treatment for supplying oxygen in an atmosphere of oxygen, an atmosphere of oxygen and nitrogen, or the air (having a dew point of preferably lower than or equal to −40° C., still preferably lower than or equal to −50° C.) atmosphere. The oxide semiconductor layer is thus highly purified, whereby an i-type oxide semiconductor layer is formed. A semiconductor device including a thin film transistor having the oxide semiconductor layer is manufactured.
US09461179B2
A semiconductor device having stable electric characteristics is provided. The transistor includes first to third oxide semiconductor layers, a gate electrode, and a gate insulating layer. The second oxide semiconductor layer has a portion positioned between the first and third oxide semiconductor layers. The gate insulating layer has a region in contact with a top surface of the third oxide semiconductor layer. The gate electrode overlaps with a top surface of the portion with the gate insulating layer positioned therebetween. The gate electrode faces a side surface of the portion in a channel width direction with the gate insulating layer positioned therebetween. The second oxide semiconductor layer includes a region having a thickness greater than or equal to 2 nm and less than 8 nm. The length in the channel width direction of the second oxide semiconductor layer is less than 60 nm.
