US09461167B2
An electrical device in which an interface layer is disposed in between and in contact with a conductor and a semiconductor.
US09461166B2
A lateral-diffused metal oxide semiconductor device including a substrate, a second deep well, a gate, a source, a drain and a first dopant region is provided. The substrate includes a first deep well having a first conductive type. The second deep well having a second conductive type is disposed in the first deep well. The gate is disposed on the substrate and the boundary of the first and the second deep well. The source and the drain having a second conductive type are disposed beside the gate and in the first deep well and the second deep well respectively. The first dopant region having a first conductive type is disposed in the second deep well, wherein the first dopant region is separated from the drain. Moreover, a method for fabricating said lateral-diffused metal oxide semiconductor device is also provided.
US09461165B2
A semiconductor device includes a P+ region and an N+ region functioning as sources of SGTs and disposed in top portions of Si pillars formed on an i-layer substrate. Connections between a power supply wiring metal layer and the P+ region and between a ground wiring metal layer and the N+ region are established on the entire surfaces of low-resistance Ni silicide layers that are respectively in contact with the P+ region and the N+ region and formed on outer peripheries of the Si pillars. Lower ends of the power supply wiring metal layer and the ground wiring metal layer are located at a height of surfaces of HfO layers near the boundaries between the P+ region and a channel and between the N+ region and a channel, respectively.
US09461163B2
In a non-insulated DC-DC converter having a circuit in which a power MOS•FET high-side switch and a power MOS•FET low-side switch are connected in series, the power MOS•FET low-side switch and a Schottky barrier diode to be connected in parallel with the power MOS•FET low-side switch are formed within one semiconductor chip. The formation region SDR of the Schottky barrier diode is disposed in the center in the shorter direction of the semiconductor chip, and on both sides thereof, the formation regions of the power MOS•FET low-side switch are disposed. From the gate finger in the vicinity of both long sides on the main surface of the semiconductor chip toward the formation region SDR of the Schottky barrier diode, a plurality of gate fingers are disposed so as to interpose the formation region SDR between them.
US09461158B2
A heterojunction field effect transistor includes a first contact portion and a second contact portion. A length of the first contact portion in a longitudinal direction is smaller than a length of source electrodes in the longitudinal direction, and a length of the second contact portion in the longitudinal direction is smaller than a length of drain electrodes in the longitudinal direction. For each drain electrode, a distance from ends of the second contact portion to ends of the drain electrode, the ends being outside of the second contact portion, is greater than a distance from ends of the first contact portion to ends of the source electrode, the ends being outside of the first contact portion.
US09461156B2
This invention provides a memory structure and an operation method thereof. The memory structure includes a triode for alternating current (TRIAC) and a memory cell. The memory cell is electrically connected to the TRIAC.
US09461153B2
Disclosed are structures and methods related to a barrier layer for metallization of a selected semiconductor such as indium gallium phosphide (InGaP). In some embodiments, the barrier layer can include tantalum nitride (TaN). Such a barrier layer can provide desirable features such as barrier functionality, improved adhesion of a metal layer, reduced diffusion, reduced reactivity between the metal and InGaP, and stability during the fabrication process. In some embodiments, structures formed in such a manner can be configured as an emitter of a gallium arsenide (GaAs) heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) or an on-die high-value capacitance element.
US09461151B2
An embodiment of the present invention is directed to a memory cell. The memory cell includes a first charge storage element and a second charge storage element, wherein the first and second charge storage elements include nitrides. The memory cell further includes an insulating layer formed between the first and second charge storage elements. The insulating layer provides insulation between the first and second charge storage elements.
US09461149B2
Methods to fabricate a stacked nanowire field effect transistor (FET) with reduced gate resistance are provided. The nanowire stack in the stacked nanowire FET can be provided by first forming a material stack of alternating sacrificial material layers and nanowire material layer. The sacrificial material layers and selected nanowire material layers in the material stack are subsequently removed to increase a vertical distance between two active nanowire material layers.
US09461144B2
A method of forming a semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes exposing a dummy oxide layer of a gate structure to a vapor mixture comprising NH3 and a fluorine-containing compound at a first temperature, wherein the dummy oxide layer is formed over a substrate and surrounded by a gate spacer that includes a material different from that of the dummy oxide layer. The method further includes rinsing the substrate with a solution containing de-ionized water (DIW) at a second temperature. The method may further include baking the substrate in a chamber heated to a third temperature higher than the first and second temperatures. The exposing, rinsing, and baking steps remove the dummy oxide layer thereby forming an opening in the gate spacer. The method may further include forming a gate stack having a high-k gate dielectric layer and a metal gate electrode in the opening.
US09461141B2
Embodiments of the present disclosure provide contact techniques and configurations for reducing parasitic resistance in nanowire transistors. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a semiconductor substrate, an isolation layer formed on the semiconductor substrate, a channel layer including nanowire material formed on the isolation layer to provide a channel for a transistor, and a contact coupled with the channel layer, the contact being configured to surround, in at least one planar dimension, nanowire material of the channel layer and to provide a source terminal or drain terminal for the transistor.
US09461135B2
A semiconductor device includes first, a second, and third semiconductor layers respectively made of a nitride semiconductor and stacked on a substrate, a drain electrode formed on the third semiconductor layer, a gate electrode formed on the third semiconductor layer, and a source electrode formed within an opening penetrating the third and second semiconductor layers and exposing the first semiconductor layer. The source electrode includes a first conductor layer in contact with the first semiconductor layer, and a second conductor layer stacked on the first conductor layer and in contact with the second semiconductor layer. A work function of a material forming the first conductor layer is smaller than that of a material forming the second conductor layer.
US09461128B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide improved methods of contact formation. A self aligned contact scheme with reduced lithography requirements is disclosed. This reduces the risk of shorts between source/drains and gates, while providing improved circuit density. Cavities are formed adjacent to the gates, and a fill metal is deposited in the cavities to form contact strips. A patterning mask is then used to form smaller contacts by performing a partial metal recess of the contact strips.
US09461127B2
A power MOSFET cell includes an N+ silicon substrate having a drain electrode. A low dopant concentration N-type drift layer is grown over the substrate. An N-type layer, having a higher dopant concentration than the drift region, is then formed and etched to have sidewalls. A P-well is formed in the N-type layer, and an N+ source region is formed in the P-well. A gate is formed over the P-well's lateral channel and has a vertical extension next to the top portion of the sidewalls. A positive gate voltage inverts the lateral channel and increases the conduction along the sidewalls to reduce on-resistance. A vertical shield field plate is also located next to the sidewalls and extends virtually the entire length of the sidewalls. The field plate laterally depletes the N-type layer when the device is off to increase the breakdown voltage.
US09461113B2
Semiconductor arrangements and methods for manufacturing the same. The arrangement may include: a substrate; a back gate formed on the substrate; at least one pair of nanowires disposed on opposite sides of the back gate; and back gate dielectric layers interposed between the back gate and the respective nanowires.
US09461112B1
A method of epitaxially growing nitrogen-based compound semiconductor thin films on a semiconductor substrate, which is periodically patterned with grooves. The method can provide an epitaxial growth of a first crystalline phase epitaxial film on the substrate, and block the growth of an initial crystalline phase with barrier materials prepared at the sides of the grooves. Semiconductor devices employing the epitaxial films are also disclosed.
US09461110B1
An embodiment is a method including forming a fin on a substrate. The fin includes a first crystalline semiconductor material on a substrate and a second crystalline semiconductor material above the first crystalline semiconductor material. The method further includes converting at least a portion of the first crystalline semiconductor material and second crystalline semiconductor material in the fin to a dielectric material and removing at least a portion of the dielectric material. The method further includes forming a gate structure over the fin and forming source/drain regions on opposing sides of the gate structure.
US09461100B2
A display device, in which self-luminous elements are arranged, prevents a leakage current through a common layer, included in the self-luminous elements and disposed throughout its image display area, from causing adjacent pixels to emit unintended light. An organic EL display device has a bank and a light-emitting element layer. The bank is formed on a substrate and is positioned in the border between first and second pixels adjacent to each other. The light-emitting element layer is deposed to spread over the first pixel, the second pixel, and the bank. A first electrode and a second electrode are formed on both sides of the light-emitting element layer and inject electric charges to the light-emitting element layer. A third electrode is formed in contact with the light-emitting element layer in an area overlapping with the bank 106 and absorbs the leakage current.
US09461096B2
A method for manufacturing a display device includes forming a metal layer on a carrier substrate, laminating a display substrate on the metal layer, supplying a current to the metal layer to heat the metal layer, and separating the display substrate from the metal layer and the carrier substrate.
US09461093B2
Self-reference-based MRAM element including: first and second magnetic tunnel junctions, each having a magnetoresistance that can be varied; and a field line for passing a field current to vary the magnetoresistance of the first and second magnetic tunnel junctions. The field line includes a first branch and a second branch each branch including cladding. The first branch is arranged for passing a first portion of the field current to selectively vary the magnetoresistance of the first magnetic tunnel junction, and the second branch is electrically connected in parallel with the first branch and arranged for passing a second portion of the field current to selectively vary the magnetoresistance of the second magnetic tunnel junction. The self-referenced MRAM element and an MRAM device including corresponding MRAM elements can use a reduced field current.
US09461089B2
Disclosed is a method of fabricating a semiconductor image sensor device. The method includes providing a substrate having a pixel region, a periphery region, and a bonding pad region. The substrate further has a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The pixel region contains radiation-sensing regions. The method further includes forming a bonding pad in the bonding pad region; and forming light-blocking structures over the second side of the substrate, at least in the pixel region, after the bonding pad has been formed.
US09461085B2
The present disclosure relates to a solid-state imaging device and a manufacturing method of the same, and an electronic apparatus, capable of more reliably suppressing occurrence of color mixing.A trench is formed between PDs so as to be opened to a light receiving surface side of a semiconductor substrate on which a plurality of the PDs, each of which receives light to generate charges, are formed, an insulating film is embedded in the trench and the insulating film is laminated on a back surface side of the semiconductor substrate. Then, a light shielding portion is formed so as to be laminated on the insulating film and to have a convex shape protruding to the semiconductor substrate at a location corresponding to the trench. The present technology can be applied to a back surface irradiation type CMOS solid-state imaging device.
US09461083B2
A plurality of pixels PD1, PD2 for detecting the phase difference are treated as a pixel group, and a slit 46, which makes incident light entering into each of the pixels of the pixel group PD1, PD2 asymmetrical, is formed in between optical elements (microlenses) 43 formed at an upper layer at the light-entering side of the pixel group PD1, PD2, and in between intermediate refractive-index layers 45. The side faces of the slit 46 are made to be light reflecting faces.
US09461077B2
A thin film transistor includes: a semiconductor channel film; a gate insulating film on the semiconductor channel film; a gate electrode formed of a laminated film including a first conductive film and a second conductive film on the gate insulating film; an interlayer insulating film covering the semiconductor channel film, the gate insulating film, and the gate electrode; a source electrode formed of a laminated film including a third conductive film and a fourth conductive film formed on the interlayer insulating film; and a drain electrode formed of the third conductive film. A gate wiring is formed of the laminated film including the first conductive film and the second conductive film. A source wiring is formed of the laminated film including the third conductive film and the fourth conductive film. A pixel electrode is formed of the first conductive film. A counter electrode is formed of the third conductive film.
US09461074B2
An array substrate and a fabrication method thereof, a display device including the array substrate and a motherboard including the array substrate are provided. The array substrate includes a pixel region and a peripheral wiring region. The peripheral wiring region includes a transparent conductive contact electrode disposed on a base substrate. The transparent conductive contact electrode is electrically connected with a metal electrode line disposed below the transparent conductive contact electrode through via holes disposed in different insulating layers, and the via holes disposed in different insulating layers do not overlap with each other in a projection direction.
US09461069B2
An aspect of the instant disclosure provides a multilayer device structure that comprises: a substrate defining a first device region and a second device region laterally offsetting each other; a first channel material layer disposed over the substrate in the first device region; a second channel material layer over the substrate in the second device region, wherein the second channel material layer is arranged at an elevation higher than the first channel material layer; and a first device and a second device respectively fabricated from the first and the second channel material layers, wherein the first device and the second device vertically offsetting each other and defining an offset region above the first device, thereby reducing parasitic interference there-between.
US09461062B1
A semiconductor device including a substrate, a bottom insulating layer disposed on the substrate, two stacked structure disposed on the bottom insulating layer, a charge trapping structure, and a channel layer disposed on the charge trapping structure is provided. Each of the stacked structures includes a plurality of semiconductor layers and insulating layers, a top insulating layer disposed on the semiconductor layers and the insulating layers, and a high-doped semiconductor layer disposed on the top insulating layer. The semiconductor layers and the insulating layers are alternately stacked on the bottom insulating layer. The charge trapping layer is disposed on a lateral surface of each of the stacked structures and a top surface of the bottom insulating layer. The channel layer is directly contacted the high-doped semiconductor layer.
US09461055B2
An advanced metal-nitride-oxide-silicon (MNOS) multiple time programmable (MTP) memory is provided. In an example, an apparatus includes a two field effect transistor (2T field FET) metal-nitride-oxide-silicon (MNOS) MTP memory. The 2T field FET MNOS MTP memory can include an interlayer dielectric (ILD) oxide region that is formed on a well and separates respective gates of first and second transistors from the well. A control gate is located between the respective gates of the first and second transistors, and a silicon-nitride-oxide (SiN) region is located between a metal portion of the control gate and a portion of the ILD oxide region.
US09461050B2
A self-aligned strap structure can be formed by forming trench capacitors and overlying trench top conductive material portions. End portions of fin mask structures overlie portions of the trench top conductive material portions. A dielectric spacer is formed around each end portions of the fin mask structure to cover additional areas of the trench top conductive material portions. An anisotropic etch is performed to recess portions of the trench top conductive material portions that are not covered by the fin mask structures or dielectric spacers. Conductive strap structures that are self-aligned to end portions of semiconductor fins are formed simultaneously with formation of the semiconductor fins. Access fin field effect transistors can be subsequently formed.
US09461045B1
Some embodiments include a semiconductor device having two gate electrodes which are of about a same gate width as one another, and having a first diffusion region between the two gate electrodes. The semiconductor device also has second and third diffusion regions on opposing sides of the two gate electrodes from one another and which sandwich the two gate electrodes and the first source/drain region therebetween. Each of the second and third diffusion regions is longer than the first diffusion region in a direction of the gate width. Some embodiments include a semiconductor device having a PMOS construction and an NMOS construction, with both constructions having a shorter middle diffusion region sandwiched between a pair of longer outer diffusion regions.
US09461044B1
A substrate is patterned to form trenches and a semiconductor fin between the trenches. Insulators are formed in the trenches and a dielectric layer is formed to cover the semiconductor fin and the insulators. A dummy gate strip is formed on the dielectric layer. Spacers are formed on sidewalls of the dummy gate strip. The dummy gate strip and the dielectric layer underneath are removed until sidewalls of the spacers, a portion of the semiconductor fin and portions of the insulators are exposed. A second dielectric layer is selectively formed to cover the exposed portion of the semiconductor fin, wherein a thickness of the dielectric layer is smaller than a thickness of the second dielectric layer. A gate is formed between the spacers to cover the second dielectric layer, the sidewalls of the spacers and the exposed portions of the insulators.
US09461022B2
According to an exemplary embodiment, a stacked half-bridge package includes a control transistor having a control drain for connection to a high voltage input, a control source coupled to a common conductive clip, and a control gate for being driven by a driver IC. The stacked half-bridge package also includes a sync transistor having a sync drain for connection to the common conductive clip, a sync source coupled to a low voltage input, and a sync gate for being driven by the driver IC. The control and sync transistors are stacked on opposite sides of the common conductive clip with the common conductive clip electrically and mechanically coupling the control source with the sync drain, where the common conductive clip has a conductive leg for providing electrical and mechanical connection to an output terminal leadframe.
US09461013B2
Disclosed is a wire spool system for a wire bonding apparatus, comprising: a wire reel arranged to receive a wire; a wire guide for feeding a free end of the wire to a bond head of the wire bonding apparatus; and a tensioning mechanism for tensioning the wire to define a wire path between the wire reel and the wire guide. The wire spool system comprises an imaging module comprising a camera having an image sensor. The imaging module also comprises an image processing unit. The camera is positioned to image, by said image sensor, at least a portion of the wire path to generate image data. The image processing unit is configured to process the image data to determine a geometry and/or a change in geometry of the at least a portion of the wire path.
US09461011B2
An embodiment of a method and an apparatus for manufacturing lead frames are described. For example, a coating layer is formed on one or more predefined portions of the surface of the substrate of the lead frame by delimiting the predefined portions by means of screen printing. The employment of screen printing may allow obtaining large amounts of lead frames with excellent electronic and structural properties in a quick and cost-effective way.
US09461004B2
A semiconductor workpiece includes a semiconductor substrate, at least two chip areas, components of semiconductor devices being formed in the semiconductor substrate in the at least two chip areas, and a separation trench disposed between adjacent chip areas. The separation trench is formed in a first main surface of the semiconductor substrate and extends from the first main surface to a second main surface of the semiconductor substrate. The second main surface is disposed opposite to the first main surface. The separation trench is filled with at least one sacrificial material.
US09460983B2
A thermal interface material includes a metal foil, which has a first surface and an opposite second surface, and a plurality of rod conductors each having a side surface extending in a thickness direction of the metal foil. The rod conductors are arranged on at least one of the first and second surfaces of the metal foil in a planar direction that is perpendicular to the thickness direction. A resin layer covers at least the first surface and the second surface of the metal foil and the side surfaces of the rod conductors.
US09460982B2
An integrated heat spreader comprising a heat spreader frame that has a plurality of openings formed therethrough and a plurality of thermally conductive structures secured within the heat spreader frame openings. The thermally conductive structures can be formed to have various thicknesses which compensate for varying heights between at least two microelectronic devices in a multi-chip package. The thermally conductive structures can be secured in the heat spreader frame by sizing the openings and the thermally conductive structures such that the thermally conductive structures can be secured within the openings without requiring welding or adhesives.
US09460975B2
Methods of testing TSVs using eFuse cells prior to and post bonding wafers in a 3D IC stack are provided. Embodiments include providing a wafer of a 3D IC stack, the wafer having thin and thick metal layers; forming first and second TSVs on the wafer, the first and second TSVs laterally separated; forming an eFuse cell between and separated from the first and second TSVs; forming a FF adjacent to the second TSV and on an opposite side of the second TSV from the eFuse cell; connecting the first TSV, the eFuse cell, the second TSV, and the FF in series in an electric circuit; and testing the first and second TSVs prior to bonding the wafer to a subsequent wafer in the 3D IC stack.
US09460974B1
A method of making a semiconductor structure is provided. The method includes forming a tunneling layer overlying a first channel connecting a source and a drain. A charge storage layer is formed overlying the tunneling layer, the charge storage layer comprises forming a substantially trap free first layer over the tunneling layer, and forming a trap dense second layer over the first layer. Finally, a blocking structure is formed on the charge storage layer by plasma oxidation. A thickness of the charge storage layer is reduced through oxidation of a portion of the charge storage layer during the formation of the blocking structure. Other embodiments are also described.
US09460972B2
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor die. An interconnect structure is formed over an active surface of the semiconductor die. An encapsulant is formed over the semiconductor die and interconnect structure including a first surface opposite the interconnect structure. A peripheral portion of the first surface includes a first roughness disposed outside a footprint of the semiconductor die. A semiconductor die portion of the first surface includes a second roughness less than the first roughness disposed over the footprint of the semiconductor die. The first surface of the encapsulant is disposed within a mold and around the semiconductor die to contact a surface of the mold that includes a third roughness equal to the first roughness and a fourth roughness equal to the second roughness. The first roughness includes a roughness of less than 1.0 micrometers. The second roughness includes a roughness in a range of 1.2-1.8 micrometers.
US09460966B2
Methods of and apparatuses for dicing semiconductor wafers, each wafer having a plurality of integrated circuits, are described. In an example, a method of dicing a semiconductor wafer having a front surface having a plurality of integrated circuits thereon involves forming a mask layer above the front surface of the semiconductor wafer. The method also involves laser scribing the mask layer and the front surface of the semiconductor wafer to provide scribe lines in the mask layer and partially into the semiconductor wafer. The laser scribing involves use of a dual focus lens to provide a dual focus spot beam. The method also involves etching the semiconductor wafer through the scribe lines to singulate the integrated circuits.
US09460965B2
A semiconductor substrate includes a vertical conductor and an insulating layer. The vertical conductor includes a metal/alloy component of a nanocomposite crystal structure and is filled in a vertical hole formed in the semiconductor substrate along its thickness direction. The insulating layer is formed around the vertical conductor in a ring shape and includes nm-sized silica particles and a nanocrystal or nanoamorphous silica filling up a space between the silica particles to provide a nanocomposite structure along with the silica particles.
US09460958B2
Air gap isolation in non-volatile memory arrays and related fabrication processes are provided. Electrical isolation between adjacent active areas of a substrate can be provided, at least in part, by bit line air gaps that are elongated in a column direction between the active areas. At least one cap is formed over each isolation region, at least partially overlying air to provide an upper endpoint for the corresponding air gap. The caps may be formed at least partially along the sidewalls of adjacent charge storage regions. In various embodiments, selective growth processes are used to form capping strips over the isolation regions to define the air gaps. Word line air gaps that are elongated in a row direction between adjacent rows of storage elements are also provided.
US09460957B2
An isolation feature with a nitrogen-doped fill dielectric and a method of forming the isolation feature are disclosed. In an exemplary embodiment, the method of forming the isolation feature comprises receiving a substrate having a top surface. A recess is etched in the substrate, the recess extending from the top surface into the substrate. A dielectric is deposited within the recess such that the depositing of the dielectric includes introducing nitrogen during a chemical vapor deposition process. Accordingly, the deposited dielectric includes a nitrogen-doped dielectric. The deposited dielectric may include a nitrogen-doped silicon oxide. In some embodiments, the depositing of the dielectric disposes the nitrogen-doped dielectric in contact with a surface of the recess. In further embodiments, a liner material is deposited within the recess prior to the depositing of the dielectric within the recess.
US09460950B2
Embodiments described herein relate to an apparatus and method for securing and transferring substrates. A substrate carrier, having one or more electrostatic chucking electrodes disposed therein, electrostatically couples a substrate to the carrier such. Optionally, a mask may also be electrostatically coupled to the carrier and may be disposed over a region of the carrier not occupied by the substrate. In one embodiment, multiple electrode assemblies are provided such that a first electrode assembly chucks the substrate to the carrier and a second electrode assembly chucks the mask to the carrier. In another embodiment, a pocket is formed in the carrier and an electrode assembly provides chucking capability within the pocket.
US09460949B2
One or more apparatuses for adjusting at least one of an oxygen content or a water content in a pod and methods of their use are provided, where one or more semiconductor wafer are selectively stored within a storage chamber of the pod. The apparatus comprises the pod and a pipeline. The pod comprises the storage chamber and a port. The port comprises a receptacle having a first opening and a constraining ring proximate the first opening. The pipeline comprises a pipe, a diffuser attached to a first end of the pipe and a controller attached to a second end of the pipe.
US09460948B2
A package is provided for use with a track-and-trace data management system. The package comprises a base defining a plurality of compartments, each compartment containing an item, and a cover enclosing the compartments to retain each item inside a respective compartment. Each item carries a unique item code, and the package includes at least one unique security code. The relationship between the unique item code and the at least one unique security code is maintained by the data management system.
US09460946B2
A substrate processing apparatus includes a heating part including a cylindrical-shaped heat insulator and a heating wire arranged on the inner circumferential surface of the heat insulator, a heat-insulating part configured to define a cylindrical space between the heating part and the heat insulating part, a cooling gas introduction portion coupled to the cylindrical space and provided above the heat-insulating part to surround the heating part, and a cooling gas discharge portion provided at an approximately same height as that of the cooling gas introduction portion in the diameter direction extending from approximately the center of the cooling gas introduction portion.
US09460942B2
An interface station of a coating and developing treatment system has: a cleaning unit cleaning at least a rear surface of a wafer before the wafer is transferred into an exposure apparatus; an inspection unit inspecting the rear surface of the cleaned wafer whether the wafer is exposable, before it is transferred into the exposure apparatus; wafer transfer mechanisms including arms transferring the wafer between the units and a wafer transfer control part controlling operations of the wafer transfer mechanisms. When it is determined that a state of the wafer becomes an exposable state by re-cleaning in the cleaning unit as a result of the inspection, the wafer transfer control part controls the wafer transfer mechanisms to transfer the wafer again to the cleaning unit.
US09460937B2
Provided are a hybrid substrate, a semiconductor package including the same, and a method for fabricating the semiconductor package. The hybrid substrate may include an insulation layer, and an organic layer. The insulation layer may include a top, a bottom opposite to the top, and a conductive pattern having different pitches. The organic layer may be connected to the bottom of the insulation layer, and may include a circuit pattern connected to the conductive pattern. The conductive pattern may include a first metal pattern, and a second conductive pattern. The first metal pattern may have a first pitch, and may be disposed in the top of the insulation layer. The second conductive pattern may have a second pitch greater than the first pitch, and may be extended from the first metal pattern to be connected to the circuit pattern through the insulation layer.
US09460935B2
The invention relates to a method for fabricating a semiconductor device. The method comprises forming a first etching layer and a second etching layer stacked on a substrate, and forming a recess region by etching the first and second etching layers under plasma generated from an etching gas including a compound. The compound comprises at least one of 1,1,1,2,3,3-hexafluoropropane, 2,2,2-trifluoroethane-1-thiol, 1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoropropane, 1,1,2,2,3-pentafluoropropane and 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoro-1-iodoethane, 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene and 1,1-difluoroethene.
US09460932B2
Methods of selectively depositing a feature onto a substrate surface while maintaining substantially straight sidewalls on the feature. A portion of the feature is grown and then covered with a protective film. The protective film is removed from the top of the feature, leaving some of the film on the sides of the feature and the process is repeated to grow a feature of desired thickness.
US09460931B2
A memory device and a method of fabricating a memory device that includes forming a protrusion over a substrate, an etch stop layer over the protrusion, and a stack of alternating material layers over the etch stop layer. The method further includes etching the stack to the etch stop layer to form a memory opening having a first width dimension proximate to the etch stop layer, etching the etch stop layer to provide a void area between the protrusion and a bottom of the memory opening, where the void area has a second width dimension that is larger than the first width dimension, forming a memory film over a sidewall of the memory opening and within the void area over the top surface of the protrusion, etching the memory film to expose the protrusion, and forming a semiconductor channel in the memory opening that is electrically coupled to the protrusion.
US09460930B2
A method for performing a laser crystallization is provided. The method includes generating a laser beam, refracting the laser beam to uniformize an intensity of the laser beam at a focal plane of the laser beam. The laser beam whose intensity is uniformized is applied into an object substrate mounted with a stage.
US09460929B2
Provided is a semiconductor device having improved performance. Over a semiconductor substrate, a dummy control gate electrode is formed via a first insulating film. Over the semiconductor substrate, a memory gate electrode for a memory cell is formed via a second insulating film having an internal charge storage portion so as to be adjacent to the dummy control gate electrode. At this time, the height of the memory gate electrode is adjusted to be lower than the height of the dummy control gate electrode. Then, a third insulating film is formed so as to cover the dummy control gate electrode and the memory gate electrode. Then, the third insulating film is polished to expose the dummy control gate electrode. At this time, the memory gate electrode is not exposed. Then, the dummy control gate electrode is removed and replaced with a metal gate electrode.
US09460925B2
A substrate processing system that includes a substrate processing chamber having one or more sidewalls that at least partially define a substrate processing region and extend away from a bottom wall of the substrate processing chamber at an obtuse angle; a source material holder configured to hold a source material within the substrate processing region; a plasma gun operatively coupled to introduce a plasma beam into the substrate processing region; one or more magnets operatively arranged to generate a magnetic field that guides the plasma beam to the source material holder; and a substrate carrier configured to hold one or more substrates within the substrate processing region.
US09460913B2
A film-forming method includes forming a tungsten film or a tungsten oxide film on an object to be processed, heating the object on which the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film is formed, forming a seed layer on the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film by supplying an aminosilane-based gas to a surface of the tungsten film or the tungsten oxide film, and forming a silicon oxide film on the seed layer by simultaneously supplying a silicon material gas including silicon and a gas including an oxidizing agent for oxidizing silicon.
US09460912B2
Composition(s) and atomic layer deposition (ALD) process(es) for the formation of a silicon oxide containing film at one or more deposition temperature of about 500° C. is disclosed. In one aspect, the composition and process use one or more silicon precursors selected from compounds having the following formulae I, II, described and combinations thereof R1R2mSi(NR3R4)nXp; and I. R1R2mSi(OR3)n(OR4)qXp. II
US09460910B2
To provide a lamination method and a lamination system capable of excellently laminating a film-type laminate without damage even though the semiconductor is a brittle lamination target such as a foil-type semiconductor or a semiconductor made of highly brittle material. In a lamination method for laminating a film-type laminate to a brittle lamination target by overlapping the brittle lamination target and the film-type laminate and heating and pressing the brittle lamination target and the film-type laminate, with respect to the brittle lamination target mounted on a mount member and carried into a lamination device, an elastic film member is expanded into a vacuum chamber of the lamination device from the above to press and laminate the brittle lamination target and the film-type laminate.
US09460907B2
An induction RF fluorescent lamp comprising a dimming device load control facility enabling the induction RF fluorescent lamp to provide for electrical loads required for the proper operation of an external control dimming device, the dimming device load control facility controlling a switched electrical load switched in and out of connectivity within the electronic ballast to provide a load for the external dimming device.
US09460906B2
An ion guide or ion trap is disclosed comprising a segmented linear ion guide or ion trap. Ions are confined radially within the ion guide or ion trap by the application of an AC or RF voltage to the electrodes. A static potential well is maintained along at least a portion of the axial length of the ion guide or ion trap. A time varying homogeneous electric field is applied along at least a portion of the axial length of the ion guide or ion trap. The combination of the static axial potential well and the time varying axial homogeneous electric field causes ions to be ejected from the ion guide or ion trap in a substantially non-resonant manner.
US09460905B2
A method is proposed for assessing the vacuum conditions in a mass spectrometer (10) such as an ion cyclotron resonance or orbital trapping mass spectrometer. Such mass spectrometers generate a transient detection signal resulting from ions of one or species in an ion trap (80). The parameters of the trap and/or introduced ions are adjusted so as to cause the decay rate of the transient in respect of the ion species to be dominated by collisional effects. Typically this can be achieved by introducing ions into the trap (80) in quantities such that ion clouds of a particular ion species self bunch. The rate of decay of the transient signal in that case is determined and compared with one or more threshold decay rates. This in turn can provide an indication of vacuum conditions within the trap (80).
US09460902B2
A method of mass spectrometry is disclosed comprising mass selectively transmitting precursor ions from a mass analyzer into a fragmentation or reaction device, wherein the mass to charge ratios of the ions transmitted varies with time; fragmenting the precursor ions in the fragmentation or reaction device so as to produce fragment or product ions; mass analyzing the fragment or product ions; determining the start and end times at which a first fragment or product ion is detected; using said start and end times to determine the start and end times at which a precursor ion of said first fragment or product ion is transmitted by said mass analyzer; and using the start and end times at which the precursor ion is transmitted by said mass analyzer to determine a mass to charge ratio of said precursor ion. The present invention enables precursor ion peaks to be resolved from the fragment data even when a low resolution mass analyzer is used to analyze the precursor ions.
US09460898B2
A faceplate or a selectivity modulation device (SMD) for a plasma generation chamber has a plasma resistant ceramic coating on a surface of the faceplate or SMD, wherein the plasma resistant ceramic coating comprises a thickness of less than approximately 30 microns, a porosity of less than 1% and a thickness non-uniformity of less than 4%.
US09460895B2
A gas supply method includes controlling communication between first and second gas pipes and a diffusion chamber using first and second valves; controlling discharge of gas within the first and second gas pipes using third and fourth valves connected upstream from the first and second valves; and controlling communication between an exhaust pipe and the diffusion chamber using a fifth valve. The gas supply method further includes a first pressurization step of closing the first valve and the third valve before starting a first step and pressurizing a first gas within the first gas pipe; a second pressurization step of closing the second valve and the fourth valve before starting a second step and pressurizing a second gas within the second gas pipe; and an exhaust step of opening the fifth valve upon starting the first step and the second step, and discharging gas within the diffusion chamber.
US09460890B2
The present invention relates to a method for cleaning a phase plate (1) for a transmission electron microscope wherein said phase plate is etched before being irradiated for the first time in the TEM, and is then held in an ultra-pure holding atmosphere until the irradiation in the TEM.
US09460886B2
An electron-bombarded detector for detecting low light signals includes a vacuum tube structure defining a cylindrical vacuum tube chamber, a photocathode disposed at a first end of the vacuum tube chamber, a sensor disposed at a second end of the vacuum tube chamber, ring electrodes disposed in the vacuum tube chamber for generating an electric field that accelerates emitted photoelectrons toward the sensor, and a magnetic field generator configured to generate a symmetric magnetic field that applies a focusing lens effect on the photoelectrons. The ring electrodes and magnetic field generator are operating using one of a reduced distance focusing approach and an acceleration/deceleration approach such that the photoelectrons have a landing energy below 2 keV. The use of reflective mode photocathodes is enabled using either multi-pole deflector coils, or ring electrodes formed by segmented circular electrode structures. Large angle deflections are achieved using magnetic or electrostatic deflectors.
US09460874B2
To control the arc that forms during cut-off in a vacuum bulb, a contact device makes it possible to inflict a rotational motion on the arc, while keeping the arc diffuse. The rotating diffuse arc is obtained with each of two electrodes of the contact device including a solid wafer associated with a base of petal type, the two electrodes mirroring one another.
US09460869B2
The invention relates to an electrically powered hand tool which comprises a device for providing tactile feedback to an operator of the tool. The tool further comprises a user-operated trigger for activating the working member of the tool. The tactile feedback provided by the tool alerts the operator about the activation status of the tool. More specifically, the operator is provided with an indication that the power to the tool is ON. The tactile feedback is provided at least from the time when the power to the tool is turned ON to the point in time when the trigger is pulled to activate the working member of the tool.
US09460867B2
A pole shaft assembly is for an electrical switching apparatus. The electrical switching apparatus includes a housing, separable contacts enclosed by the housing, and an operating mechanism structured to open and close the separable contacts. The pole shaft assembly includes a shaft structured to cooperate with the operating mechanism and to be pivotably coupled to the housing. A number of throw assemblies are disposed on the shaft, and are secured with respect to the shaft with fasteners. The shaft includes first and second opposing ends and an elongated body portion extending therebetween. The elongated body portion of the shaft has a cross-sectional shape comprising a number of orienting features.
US09460863B2
An asymmetric supercapacitor is described. The supercapacitor includes a first electrode, a second electrode, a thin film separator, and an electrolyte. The first electrode comprises functionalized cellulose fiber and the second electrode comprises functionalized cellulose fiber and metal oxide.
US09460862B2
An electric storage cell includes a hard casing configured to house an electric storage element and electrolyte, and an electrode terminal connected to a charge collector of the electric storage element and exposed to an outside of the hard casing, the electric storage cell being chargeable/dischargeable using the electrode terminal, wherein the electrode terminal has a charge collector connecting portion connected to the charge collector through an opening formed in the hard casing, and a main body bonded to an outer circumferential surface of the hard casing to make a surface contact.
US09460860B2
There is provided a conductive polymer having high conductivity with excellent heat resistance. Using the conductive polymer, there can be provided solid electrolytic capacitors having low ESR, high reliability, and less leakage current. There can be also provided conductive films having high conductivity and superior heat resistance. There is provided a conductive polymer dispersion liquid obtained by a method in which in the presence of a copolymer from styrenesulfonic acid, and at least one kind of a non-sulfonic acid monomer selected from the group consisting of methacrylate, acrylate, and an unsaturated hydrocarbon containing alkoxysilane compound or its hydrolysate, thiophene or its derivative is polymerized by oxidation polymerization in water, or in an aqueous solution comprising a mixture of water and a water miscible solvent to produce the conductive polymer dispersion liquid. Using the conductive polymer as solid electrolyte, a solid electrolyte capacitor can be provided. Also, using the conductive polymer, a conductive film can be provided.
US09460857B2
A method of manufacturing a ceramic capacitor component that includes preparing a laminate body including first to third green sheets by stacking the first green sheets before applying conductive paste, stacking the second green sheets with conductive paste applied thereon on the first green sheets, and stacking the third green sheets before applying conductive paste on the second green sheets; preparing fourth green sheets from a raw material that does not contain V2O5; providing the fourth green sheets onto four surfaces of the laminate body other than end surfaces of the laminate body to form a main body; firing the main body; and applying and baking a Cu paste onto the four surfaces of the main body and the end surfaces of the main body.
US09460852B2
A laminated ceramic capacitor having a laminated body composed of a plurality of ceramic layers for inner layers; a plurality of internal electrodes at the interfaces between the plurality of ceramic layers for inner layers; and a plurality of ceramic layers for outer layers, provided on the top and bottom so as to sandwich the plurality of ceramic layers for inner layers. The ceramic layers for inner layers are composed of a material containing a multiple oxide including an alkaline-earth metal. The ceramic layers for outer layers respectively have TiO2 ceramic layers containing TiO2 as their main constituent for certain layers including the outermost layers, and multiple oxide ceramic layers containing a multiple oxide including an alkaline-earth metal for the other layers.
US09460847B2
A soft magnetic layer for a receiving antenna of a wireless power receiving apparatus includes a first soft magnetic member containing a Mn—Zn ferrite material, and a second soft magnetic member containing a Ni—Zn ferrite material. Accordingly, electromagnetic energy collecting performance of the receiving antenna of the wireless power receiving apparatus is improved, and thereby power transmission efficiency is maximized.
US09460841B2
An embodiment of integrated inductor device, comprising a plurality of modules overlaid to each other, each module including at least one coil of conducting material. The directly overlaid pairs of coils are coiled in opposite directions. The directly overlaid modules are mechanically coupled through first adhesive conductive regions and the coils of the directly overlaid modules are electrically coupled to each other through second adhesive conductive regions. The first and the second adhesive conductive regions coupling directly overlaid modules are formed in the same step of the process, are of the same material and are arranged at a same level.
US09460838B2
An electronic device may have a source of magnetic field such as a magnet that produces a static magnetic field. A flexible printed circuit may have a flexible tail that surrounds a central portion. The central portion may overlap the magnet. Electrical components may be mounted to the central portion. To prevent undesired vibrations and noise due to interactions between magnetic fields induced by signals flowing in signal lines in the flexible printed circuit and the static magnetic field, the signal lines may be vertically stacked or may be routed along a curved path that does not overlap the magnet. The tail may serve as a service loop that allows a portion of a housing for the device and electrical components mounted to the central portion in alignment with windows in the housing to be detached for servicing.
US09460833B2
A conductive line shield structure includes a first conductive line, a second conductive line and a shielding member. The first conductive line includes a conductive part and an insulative part. At least a surface of the second conductive line is made of copper. The shielding member, is a sheet including an insulative base material and an aluminum foil, and is wrapped so as to enclose the first conductive line and the second conductive line therein. A plated layer is provided on a surface of the aluminum foil and is in contact with the second conductive line.
US09460831B2
A cord reel assembly described herein comprises a cord reel including a flat flexible cable that comprises a ribbon of generally parallel power transmission and data transmission wires embedded in a non-conductive polymeric matrix. Each data transmission wire is spaced and insulated from any adjacent wire by the polymeric matrix. The power transmission wires are flattened relative to the data transmission wires, and have a larger gauge than the data transmission wires. The FFC comprises non-shielded end regions flanking a shielded middle region that includes a shielding layer on at least one side of the cable, and a non-conductive coating covers the shielding layer.
US09460830B2
A composite material includes a plurality of fibers embedded in a metal matrix. The composite material further includes a plurality of particles disposed in the metal matrix. At least 25% of the fibers contact or are spaced less than 0.2 micrometers from an adjacent fiber within the metal matrix.
US09460822B2
The present invention relates to a method and an X-ray apparatus comprising an X-ray source, an x-ray detector, and at least a first collimator having a first active position and a second collimator having a second active position for forming a bundle of X-ray beams, wherein both of said active positions are located in a substantially straight path between said X-ray source and said detector, but at different distances from said X-ray source. The X-ray apparatus further comprises a selector arrangement for switching one of said first or second collimators in said first or second active position, whereby when one of said first or second collimators is in an active position the other collimator is in an inactive position.
US09460817B2
Apparatus for replacing a support pin for a control rod cluster guide tube. The support pin can fix the guide tube to a core plate. The apparatus can be used submerged in water. A movement device can hold and move the guide tube along a frame. A retrieval manipulator can remove an old support pin from the guide tube. A supply manipulator can provide a new support pin to the guide tube. A rotating means imparts rotation for loosening a nut from an old support pin, and for tightening a nut to a new support pin. A control device calculates variation in distance between the nut and the support pin on the basis of the rotation. The control device controls movement of the guide tube along the frame.
US09460809B2
A number of techniques for determining defects in non-volatile memory arrays are presented, which are particularly applicable to 3D NAND memory, such as that of the BiCS type. Word line to word shorts within a memory block are determined by application of an AC stress mode, followed by a defect detection operation. An inter-block stress and detection operation can be used determine word line to word line leaks between different blocks. Select gate leak line leakage, both the word lines and other select lines, is consider, as are shorts from word lines and select lines to local source lines. In addition to word line and select line defects, techniques for determining shorts between bit lines and low voltage circuitry, as in the sense amplifiers, are presented.
US09460808B2
A method is provided for controlling a sample and hold circuit that includes a switching module coupled to a storage capacitor. A circuit external to the sample and hold circuit of generates at least one main current representative of at least one leakage current of the switching module in its off state. The at least one main current is delivered to at least one auxiliary capacitor. An initial pulse signal is generated from the charging and discharging of the at least one auxiliary capacitor. The sampling phase of the sample and hold circuit is triggered at the rate of the pulses of a pulse signal derived from the initial pulse signal.
US09460805B1
Techniques are provided for programming a memory device. A pre-charge phase is used to boost the channel of an unselected NAND string by allowing a bit line voltage to reach the channel. To maximize the channel pre-charge while also minimizing program disturb, a drain-side dummy word line voltage is controlled based on the position of the selected word line. The drain-side dummy word line voltage can be relatively high or low when the selected word line is relatively far from or close to the drain-side dummy word line, respectively. When the drain-side dummy word line voltage is relatively high, the bit line voltage can easily pass through and boost the channel. When the drain-side dummy word line voltage is relatively low, program disturb of drain-side data word lines is reduced due to a smaller channel gradient and a corresponding reduced amount of hot carriers.
US09460796B2
Disclosed is a memory system and a method of programming a multi-bit flash memory device which includes memory cells configured to store multi-bit data, where the method includes and the system is configured for determining whether data to be stored in a selected memory cell is an LSB data; and if data to be stored in a selected memory cell is not an LSB data, backing up lower data stored in the selected memory cell to a backup memory block of the multi-bit flash memory device.
US09460795B2
An operating method of a nonvolatile memory device including a plurality of strings each string including at least two pillars penetrating wordlines disposed at different layers. The operating method includes applying unselected wordline voltages to unselected wordlines, and applying a selected wordline voltage to a selected wordline, and the unselected wordline voltage applied to the same layer as a layer of the selected wordline is different from the unselected wordline voltage applied to a different layer than the layer of the selected wordline.
US09460788B2
A non-volatile memory device is provided that uses one or more volatile elements. In some embodiments, the non-volatile memory device can include a resistive two-terminal selector that can be in a low resistive state or a high resistive state depending on the voltage being applied. A MOS (“metal-oxide-semiconductor”) transistor in addition to a capacitor or transistor acting as a capacitor can also be included. A first terminal of the capacitor can be connected to a voltage source, and the second terminal of the capacitor can be connected to the selector device. A floating gate of an NMOS transistor can be connected to the other side of the selector device, and a second NMOS transistor can be connected in series with the first NMOS transistor.
US09460786B2
A semiconductor integrated circuit device configured for sensing a pure leakage current of a cell array and improving a read error is disclosed. The semiconductor integrated circuit device may include a leakage current sensing unit configured for sensing a pure leakage current of a cell array, and a determination circuit unit configured for comparing a voltage level of the input node with a reference voltage and for determining a state of read data while in a read mode. Whereby an output current may be compared with a read current of the cell array at the input node, and the output current may include the summation of the pure leakage current and a reference current.
US09460785B2
A semiconductor storage device according to the present embodiment includes a constant current source. A reference current path is connected to the constant current source to flow a reference current and to generate a reference voltage. A supply current path or a plurality of supply current paths are connected to bit lines to selectively flow supply a current or currents different from each other and generate a detection voltage. A sense amplifier is connected to the reference current path and the supply current paths to amplify a voltage difference between the reference voltage and the detection voltage.
US09460784B1
A method and apparatuses for generating a reference voltage are disclosed. One example apparatus includes a current source coupled to a first power supply. The current source supplies a first current. A reference memory cell is coupled to the current source at a reference node. The reference memory cell has a select device comprising a chalcogenic semiconductor material. A clamp circuit is coupled between the reference memory cell and a second power supply. The clamp circuit is configured to control a second current such that when the first current and second current are substantially equal, the reference voltage generated at the reference node tracks a threshold voltage of the select device.
US09460782B2
A method of operating a memory controller includes receiving a first data sequence and generating a coset representative sequence that can be divided into m-bit strings, where “m” is a natural number of at least 2; performing a first XOR operation on each of the m-bit strings in the coset representative sequence and binary bits; calculating all possible branch metrics according to a result of the first XOR operation; determining a survivor path sequence based on the all possible branch metrics; and performing a second XOR operation on the coset representative sequence and the survivor path sequence and generating an output sequence.
US09460780B2
Methods are provided for programming multi-level non-volatile memory cells, the multi-level non-volatile memory cells accessible by a plurality of word lines. The methods include using a four-pass programming technique to program a block of the multi-level non-volatile memory cells, detecting a power cycle before completing programming of the block of the multi-level non-volatile memory cells, and upon power-up initialization, resuming programming on the block of the multi-level non-volatile memory cells.
US09460777B2
A device includes a static random access memory (SRAM) cell and a read buffer coupled to an output of the SRAM cell. The read buffer includes an inverter and a switch. An input of the inverter is responsive to the output of the SRAM cell. A control terminal of the switch is responsive to an output of the inverter.
US09460775B1
A sense amplifier driving device may include a sense amplifier driving block configured to supply a post overdriving voltage to a pull-up power line coupled to a sense amplifier, the post overdriving voltage supplied to the sense amplifier during a post overdriving operation period in correspondence to a pull-up driving signal. The sense amplifier driving device may include a driving signal generation block configured to compare a reference voltage, set by a voltage trimming signal, with a level of a power supply voltage, and generate the pull-up driving signal for controlling whether to perform a post overdriving operation.
US09460772B2
Provided is a memory device in which memory capacity per unit area is increased without making the manufacturing process complicated. The memory device includes a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of word lines, and a plurality of bit lines. Each of the plurality of memory cells includes a switching element and a capacitor including a first electrode and a second electrode. In at least one of the plurality of memory cells, in accordance with a potential applied to one of the plurality of word lines, the switching element controls a connection between one of the plurality of bit lines and the first electrode, and the second electrode is connected to another one of the plurality of word lines.
US09460763B2
The present invention includes a plurality of CPUs using memory as main memory, another function block using memory as a buffer, a CPU interface which controls access transfer from the plurality of CPUs to memory, and a DRAM controller for performing arbitration of the access transfer to the memory. Therein, the CPU interface causes access requests from the plurality of CPUs to wait, and receives and stores the address, data transfer mode and data size of each access, notifies the DRAM controller of the access requests, and then, upon receiving grant signals for the access requests, sends information to the DRAM controller according to the grant signals, whereupon the DRAM controller receives the grant signals, and on the basis of the access arbitration, specifies CPUs for which transfers have been granted so as to send the grant signals to the CPU interface.
US09460761B2
A sense amplifier includes: two detection inputs, a latch circuit including two sections coupled to each other and each supplying a data signal. Each section is respectively powered by a P-channel control transistor, having a gate terminal receiving a control signal linked to a respective detection input of the two detection inputs. The sense amplifier includes a control circuit configured to reduce each of the control signals to a sufficiently low voltage to put the corresponding control transistor to the on state, when the control signal reaches a reference voltage. The latch circuit is activated to supply one of the data signals when a corresponding one of the control transistors is in the on state.
US09460758B2
A microelectronic package can include a support element having first and second surfaces and substrate contacts at the first or second surface, zeroth and first stacked microelectronic elements electrically coupled with the substrate contacts, and terminals at the second surface electrically coupled with the microelectronic elements. The second surface can have a southwest region encompassing entire lengths of south and west edges of the second surface and extending in orthogonal directions from the south and west edges one-third of each distance toward north and east edges of the second surface, respectively. The terminals can include first terminals at a southwest region of the second surface, the first terminals configured to carry address information usable by circuitry within the microelectronic package to determine an addressable memory location from among all the available addressable memory locations of the memory storage arrays of at least one of the zeroth or first microelectronic elements.
US09460746B2
An air-bearing surface of a slider is coated with a photoresist having a high optical absorbance at or near an operational wavelength of the slider. Light is directed at a target wavelength through an entry of a waveguide integrated into the slider. The light exiting the waveguide forms a feature through the photoresist, the feature proximate a near-field transducer of the slider. A sub-micron pattern is formed using the feature.
US09460745B1
Managing the flying height of a read-write head slider, such as in the context of a short or head switch seek, involves pre-heating the switched-to head while the active head is still performing a data read or write operation. Thus, both the active head and the switched-to head may be heated simultaneously, and once the switched-to head is switched to an active state upon the active head completing its corresponding operation, the switched-to head can immediately begin its operation with minimal or no further delay.
US09460737B2
The use of supermalloy-like materials for the side and top shields of a magnetic bit sensor is shown to provide better shielding protection from stray fields because of their extremely high permeability.
US09460732B2
In one aspect, a microphone with closely spaced elements is used to acquire multiple signals from which a signal from a desired source is separated. The signal separation approach uses a combination of direction-of-arrival information or other information determined from variation such as phase, delay, and amplitude among the acquired signals, as well as structural information for the signal from the source of interest and/or for the interfering signals. Through this combination of information, the elements may be spaced more closely than may be effective for conventional beamforming approaches. In some examples, all the microphone elements are integrated into a single a micro-electrical-mechanical system (MEMS).
US09460727B1
An audio system encodes and decodes audio captured by a microphone array system in the presence of wind noise. The encoder encodes the audio signal in a way that includes beamformed audio signal and a “hidden” representation of a non-beamformed audio signal. The hidden signal is produced by modulating the low frequency signal to a high frequency above the audible range. A decoder can then either output the beamformed audio signal or can use the hidden signal to generate a reduced wind noise audio signal that includes the non-beamformed audio in the low frequency range.
US09460726B2
Soundfield signals such as e.g. Ambisonics carry a representation of a desired sound field. The Ambisonics format is based on spherical harmonic decomposition of the soundfield, and Higher Order Ambisonics (HOA) uses spherical harmonics of at least 2nd order. However, commonly used loudspeaker setups are irregular and lead to problems in decoder design. A method for improved decoding an audio soundfield representation for audio playback comprises calculating (110) a function (W) using a geometrical method based on the positions of a plurality of loudspeakers and a plurality of source directions, calculating (120) a mode matrix (Ξ) from the loudspeaker positions, calculating (130) a pseudo-inverse mode matrix (Ξ+) and decoding (140) the audio soundfield representation. The decoding is based on a decode matrix (D) that is obtained from the function (W) and the pseudo-inverse mode matrix (Ξ+).
US09460725B2
A method, medium, and apparatus encoding and/or decoding an audio signal to surround data. While encoding spatial information, which can up-mix an audio signal to a surround signal, to extension data, a length of a payload corresponding to the spatial information is encoded and a payload of the spatial information is decoded using the length of the payload. Accordingly, compatibility of the spatial information can be provided, and the spatial information can be transmitted by effectively embedding the spatial information.
US09460717B2
A mobile terminal including a microphone configured to receive a voice input; a touchscreen configured to display information; and a controller configured to activate a voice recognition mode on the mobile terminal for receiving the voice input from the microphone, receive the voice input indicating a particular function on the mobile terminal is to be executed, execute the particular function indicated by the received voice input, if the voice recognition mode is interrupted while the particular function is being executed, determine whether the particular function is in a complete state or an incomplete state, if the particular function is in the incomplete state, display a display object corresponding to the particular function in the incomplete state, and resume the particular function and activate the microphone for receiving additional voice input to complete the particular function.
US09460714B2
In a speech processing apparatus, an acquisition unit is configured to acquire a speech. A separation unit is configured to separate the speech into a plurality of sections in accordance with a prescribed rule. A calculation unit is configured to calculate a degree of similarity in each combination of the sections. An estimation unit is configured to estimate, with respect to the each section, a direction of arrival of the speech. A correction unit is configured to group the sections whose directions of arrival are mutually similar into a same group and correct the degree of similarity with respect to the combination of the sections in the same group. A clustering unit is configured to cluster the sections by using the corrected degree of similarity.
US09460713B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for modulating language model biasing. In some implementations, context data is received. A likely context associated with a user is determined based on at least a portion of the context data. One or more language model biasing parameters based at least on the likely context associated with the user is selected. A context confidence score associated with the likely context based on at least a portion of the context data is determined. One or more language model biasing parameters based at least on the context confidence score is adjusted. A baseline language model based at least on the one or more of the adjusted language model biasing parameters is biased. The baseline language model is provided for use by an automated speech recognizer (ASR).
US09460711B1
Methods and systems for processing multilingual DNN acoustic models are described. An example method may include receiving training data that includes a respective training data set for each of two or more or languages. A multilingual deep neural network (DNN) acoustic model may be processed based on the training data. The multilingual DNN acoustic model may include a feedforward neural network having multiple layers of one or more nodes. Each node of a given layer may connect with a respective weight to each node of a subsequent layer, and the multiple layers of one or more nodes may include one or more shared hidden layers of nodes and a language-specific output layer of nodes corresponding to each of the two or more languages. Additionally, weights associated with the multiple layers of one or more nodes of the processed multilingual DNN acoustic model may be stored in a database.
US09460702B2
A polymer interlayer having improved sound insulation is disclosed. The polymer interlayer comprises at least one soft layer wherein the soft layer comprises a blend of a first poly(vinyl butyral) resin, a second poly(vinyl butyral) resin and a plasticizer; at least one stiffer layer comprising a third poly(vinyl butyral resin) and a plasticizer, wherein the polymer interlayer has a damping loss factor (η) (as measured by Mechanical Impedance Measurement according to ISO 16940) of at least about 0.16 measured at two or more different temperatures selected from 10° C., 20° C. and 30° C.
US09460697B1
A system and method are provided for mixing song data based on measure groupings. A player or program may recognize measure groupings in a song through identifying cuepoints. The player or program may use the cuepoints and/or other identifiers of measure groupings to generate a transition between the song and other songs. Parts of one or both songs may be time-stretched, or frames may be added or deleted, such that the beats in both songs are substantially aligned during the transition. The system and method may also involve altering the sequence of frames in one or both of the songs, so that the transition may have various sonic qualities as desired by a user. A choice of transition modes may be provided via a user interface that allow the user some control over when and how transitions between songs are executed.
US09460688B2
A locket includes a chamber and a door, with the chamber housing an electronic display, a microprocessor with associated memory coupled thereto, a wireless transceiver coupled to the microprocessor, and a power source. Messages/pictures can be displayed on the display through use of a system incorporating the locket, a mobile unit having a locket application and a wireless transceiver, and an application server device with a database. The system may also include a separately networked computer-type device. A locket user can log into the application server, register the locket, and create a user profile including one or more of interests, personal information, social connections, etc., that would establish how the locket can receive content. The system allows permitted friends to send messages/pictures through the application server to the locket for display.
US09460676B2
A GOA circuit applied to a liquid crystal display is disclosed, which comprises a plurality of cascaded shift register units, an (N)th level shift register unit is controlled to charge an (N)th level scanning line accordingly. The (N)th level shift register unit includes a pull-up circuit, a pull-down circuit, a pull-down sustain circuit, a pull-up control circuit, a down transfer circuit, and an bootstrap capacitor, and a display device is also disclosed herein. By replacing scanning lines with a constant voltage VDD or two voltages to accomplish the function of down transfer, the loading of scanning lines and the risk which comes with wiring step-by-step are decreased, forward-scanning operation and backward-scanning operation are accomplished accordingly.
US09460675B2
According to an aspect, a display device includes: an image display panel; and a plurality of signal processing circuits that are responsible for respective regions in the image display panel, that convert an input value of an input HSV color space of an input signal to each of their own responsible regions into an extension value of an extended HSV color space to generate an output signal of the extension value for the image display panel. The signal processing circuits decide an extension coefficient αA for the image display panel in its entirety in a cooperative manner. The signal processing circuit, regarding its own responsible region, calculates an output signal of each of a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, third sub-pixel, and a fourth sub-pixel.
US09460674B2
A display panel, a driving method for the same, and a display apparatus, wherein the display panel includes: a display substrate with a plurality of TFTs arranged in an array, a source driving integrated circuit and a gate driving integrated circuit, the gate driving IC is connected with a plurality of gate lines, each gate line is connected with the gates of the TFTs in adjacent N rows, and different gate lines are connected with the gates of the TFTs in different rows, N is an integer being greater than 1; the source driving IC is connected with a plurality of source lines, sources of different TFTs connected to a same gate line are connected with different source lines, and sources of the TFTs, which are connected to different gate lines and located in a same column and spaced g*N−1 TFTs apart, are connected with a same source line.
US09460673B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel includes a plurality of pixels, scan lines, data lines crisscrossing with the scan lines, a data driving unit that drives the data lines, an overvoltage driving unit coupled to the data driving unit, a data analysis unit coupled to the overvoltage driving unit and reading gray level of each of sub-pixels, an original overvoltage driving table, and a first overvoltage driving table. Each of the pixels belonging to a same column receives data of a same data line, and each of the pixels includes three sub-pixels controlled by three adjacent scan lines one by one. The original overvoltage driving table and the first overvoltage driving table are coupled to the data analysis unit. When an input signal driving the first overvoltage driving table is same as an input signal driving the original overvoltage driving table, partial voltages driving the data lines and corresponding to the first overvoltage driving table is greater than voltage driving the data lines and corresponding to the original overvoltage driving table. In a same frame image, when gray level of a current sub-pixel is greater than gray level of a previous sub-pixel of a same data line with the current sub-pixel, and gray level difference between the two sub-pixels is greater than a first threshold value, the overvoltage driving unit drives the current sub-pixel according to the first overvoltage driving table.
US09460666B2
This application is directed to driving methods for electrophoretic displays. The driving methods and waveforms have the advantage that they provide a clean and smooth transition from one image to another image, without flashing or other undesired visual interruptions. The methods also provide faster image transitions. In an embodiment, a method drives a display device from a first image to a second image wherein images of a first color are displayed with a background of a second color, which method comprises driving pixels of the first color directly to the second color before driving pixels of the second color directly to the first color.
US09460633B2
Nutritional substance systems and methods are disclosed enabling the tracking and communication of changes in nutritional, organoleptic, and aesthetic values of nutritional substances, and further enabling the adaptive storage and adaptive conditioning of nutritional substances.
US09460632B2
A system incentivizes people to engage in physical activity. A person's physical activity may be monitored over a period of time. Such monitoring may occur by using a sensing device carried or worn by the user. In the system, one or more thresholds for physical activity are established. Information tracked using the sensing device can be compared to the thresholds. A percentage of physical activity relative to the threshold can be translated to a reward established for the physical activity, and the percentage may be used to determine a reward value for an electronic device relative to a full available value. Rewards may include times or amounts. Time values may indicate durations during which particular activities or devices may be used. Amount values may indicate an amount of a battery charge, a number of communications, a currency value, or other values relative to use of an electronic device.
US09460622B1
A method and apparatus is provided for controlling the operation of an autonomous vehicle. According to one aspect, the autonomous vehicle may track the trajectories of other vehicles on a road. Based on the other vehicle's trajectories, the autonomous vehicle may generate a representative trajectory. Afterwards, the autonomous vehicle may change at least one of its speed or direction based on the representative trajectory.
US09460610B2
A system and method for controlling an appliance are provided. The system includes a plurality of sensing devices and a plurality of appliance control devices. The sensing devices are locatable in a selected area with each device wirelessly transmitting a first status message and a second status message. Each of the plurality of appliance control devices has a wireless receiver that continuously monitors a transmission spectrum for wireless status messages, has a decryption device that decrypts any received encrypted messages, provides an ON and OFF output, and provides one of the ON and OFF outputs upon receiving a first status message and the other of the ON and OFF outputs upon receiving a second status message.
US09460608B2
An event analysis engine on a user device may be configured to receive information representative of a user event and to determine a type of the event according to the received information. One or more tasks associated with the determined type of event may be identified. Each of the identified tasks may be associated with a reminder having a trigger condition that is a function of information specific to the task. The task-specific information may be retrieved and the reminders associated with the tasks may be displayed when a device condition matches a calculated trigger condition for the reminder. Each task may be identified as completed when a completion condition associated with the task is satisfied.
US09460607B2
The present technology provides a system for detecting the tensile force of a guy rope in a pneumatic fender capable of preventing the breakage of the guy rope, and a pneumatic fender. Tensile force data detected by a tensile force sensor detecting the tensile force of a guy rope is transmitted by a wireless transmitter, and is inputted to a computation device through a receiver. An alerting device issues an alert when the tensile data is at least equivalent to reference data previously inputted to the computation device.
US09460604B1
Multifunctional modular system for sensing and utilizing corporal dynamics and impact related forces
A sensor module that includes an outer casing configured to be removably inserted into a receptacle in an article of wear or sports equipment, a processor positioned within the outer casing, an accelerometer connected to the processor, a communications module connected to the processor, a proximity sensor connected to the processor, an identifier sensor connected to the processor, wherein the identifier sensor is configured to read an identifier connected to or embedded in an article of wear or sports equipment, and an alert module connected to the processor.
US09460597B1
Systems (100) and methods (200) for security tag detachment or deactivation authorization. The methods involve: communicating at least one first product code for each article of a plurality of purchased articles from a Point-Of-Sale (“POS”) to a remote authorization system; generating by the remote authorization system an authorization code to facilitate authorization of detachment or deactivation of security tags attached only to said plurality of purchased articles, in response to the first product code; using the authorization code to obtain a list of articles identifying first articles of the plurality of purchased articles which have security tags attached thereto; and authorizing the detachment or deactivation of only the security tags that are attached to the articles identified in the list of articles.
US09460594B1
An apparatus, a system and a method positions a cable extending from an alarm system through a housing to face the cable toward the rear of an electronic device to which the cable is attached. The housing has a sensor assembly that holds a light visible through the sensor assembly to denote an alarm condition. A sensor associated with the sensor assembly connects to a corresponding sensor port in the electronic device. A joint attached to the sensor assembly rotates to position the cable. Detachment of the sensor from the port in the electronic device disrupts a circuit formed between the alarm system, the cable and the electronic device to activate the alarm condition.
US09460592B2
Audible signals are created and emitted that provide a human user with improved sound localization cues to quickly and efficiently find the emitting device. The different audible signals have been observed to efficiently help a human locate emitting devices that are either in close proximity to the user or that are a large distance from the user. Additionally some examples emit audible signals that have been observed to efficiently help a human locate emitting devices that are located inside a sealed enclosure, such as a box. Some audible signals include audible noise processed by band-pass filters with spectral peaks at about 500 Hz, 4 kHz, and 8 Khz. Such audible signals are alternately emitted in time with audible signals having simultaneously occurring fundamental tone frequencies that each have harmonic components.
US09460591B2
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for event notification. One of the methods includes receiving an event from a security system; determining at least one contact to notify of the alert from a collection of contacts, the determining including applying one or more event notification rules, wherein the one or more event notification rules include one or more event notification rules specified by a user of the security system and wherein a number and identity of the at least one contact varies depending on the applicable rules of the one or more event notification rules; transmitting an event notification to the one or more determined contacts; and performing a security action based on feedback from one or more of the determined contacts.
US09460583B2
A method for operating a gaming apparatus includes displaying a set of stopped reels in place of one or more spinning reels, each stopped reel having at least one symbol thereon and the total number of stopped reels being less than the total number of reels originally spinning. The method also includes determining an in-game outcome associated with a configuration of the symbols on the set of stopped reels, and providing an in-game stimulation selected from the group consisting of a 3-dimensional aural stimulation, a visual stimulation, a value stimulation and a physical stimulation according to the in-game outcome. The method further includes displaying stopped reels in place of all of the spinning reels, determining a game outcome associated with the configuration of the symbols on all of the stopped reels, and determining a value payout based on the game outcome. The apparatus is also included.
US09460581B2
The present invention relates to a medication dispenser that comprises a first container for holding medication packages to be dispensed, and conveying means for conveying medication packages from the first container to an outlet of the medication dispenser, the conveying means comprising a first conveyor that is arranged in connection with the outlet and is capable of conveying a medication package in a first and a second conveying direction, so that a medication package can be conveyed to the outlet and retracted inside the medication dispenser. The first conveyor comprises two opposing belt conveyors between which a medication package is arranged to be conveyed, both of the belt conveyors comprising an endless belt and a plurality of rollers around which the endless belt is arranged. The invention also relates to a method for dispensing medications.
US09460579B2
The invention relates to a sensor for checking value documents with a detection device having at least two photodetectors through which the detection light of the value document is detectable in at least two different spectral regions. The detection device contains a collecting optic common to the photodetectors, through which the detection light emitted by the value document in a detection region can be collimated to a light beam. Each of the photodetectors has associated therewith a detector lens which receives a partial light beam of the light beam collimated by the collecting optic and directs it onto the respective photodetector, so that the detection region substantially coincides for the different photodetectors. By the sensor there can be detected different spectral portions of the detection light of the same detection region separately from each other at the same point in time.
US09460578B2
A mobile station, system, and method for collecting information. The mobile station including a controller which can determine a current location of the mobile station, output the name of one or more selected persons corresponding to a predetermined geographic area (such as a current location of the mobile station), and receive an identifier corresponding to the selected person via an input device. The mobile station may also communicate, via wired and/or wireless communication means, with a system for uploading/downloading and/or processing information such as petition signatures.
US09460571B2
A backup key for a vehicle includes a blade extending along an axis within a first plane and a head, attached to the blade, extending along the axis and defining a slot along the axis for insertion of a torque assisting device. The slot may be configured to receive a coin. The slot may be configured such that the torque assisting device, when inserted into the slot, lies in a second plane that is generally perpendicular to the first plane. A case for a portable electronic device includes a housing configured to receive the portable electronic device and defining a plurality of receptacles for one or more backup keys. The case also includes a key fob circuit for wirelessly interfacing with a keyless entry system and a communication circuit that connects to the key fob circuit for coupling the portable electronic device and the keyless entry system.
US09460564B2
Method and a system for detecting the passing between a transmitter module and a detecting module is described. The method may comprise: detecting a plurality of signals transmitted by said transmitter module; determining phase information associated with at least a part of said plurality of detected signals; and, determining said passing on the basis of said phase information.
US09460560B2
A user with a cell phone interacts, in a personalized session, with an electronic sign system. In some embodiments, the user's location relative to the sign is discerned from camera imagery—either imagery captured by the cell phone (i.e., of the sign), or captured by the sign system (i.e., of the user). Demographic information about the user can be estimated from imagery captured acquired by the sign system, or can be accessed from stored profile data associated with the user. The sign system can transmit payoffs (e.g., digital coupons or other response data) to viewers—customized per user demographics. In some arrangements, the payoff data is represented by digital watermark data encoded in the signage content. The encoding can take into account the user's location relative to the sign—allowing geometrical targeting of different payoffs to differently-located viewers. Other embodiments allow a user to engage an electronic sign system for interactive game play, using the cell phone as a controller.
US09460554B2
A method comprising using at least one hardware processor for: receiving an aerially-captured video and metadata associated with the video; receiving deviation data indicative of an amount of inaccuracy in the metadata; and overlaying, on the video, a geographic annotation descriptive of an object of interest having known geographic coordinates, wherein the geographic annotation is of a size and a shape representative of the amount of inaccuracy.
US09460548B2
Disclosed is an apparatus for displaying a medical image, the apparatus including: a data acquisition unit for acquiring volume data of an object; an image generation unit for generating a medical image, which includes at least one three-dimensional (3D) stereoscopic image and at least one 2D stereoscopic image generated based on at least one of a direction, a gradient, and a depth of an object shown in the 3D stereoscopic image, from volume data of the object; and a displaying unit for displaying the generated medical image.
US09460547B2
Aspects include API interfaces for interfacing shaders with other components and/or code modules that provide ray tracing functionality. For example, API calls may allow direct contribution of light energy to a buffer for an identified pixel, and allow emission of new rays for intersection testing alone or in bundles. The API also can provide a mechanism for associating arbitrary data with ray definition data defining a ray to be tested through a shader using the emit ray call. The arbitrary data is provided to a shader associated with an object that is identified subsequently as having been intersected by the ray. The data can include code, or a pointer to code, that can be used by or run after the shader. The data also can be propagated through a series of shaders, and associated with rays instantiated in each shader. Recursive shaders can be recompiled as non-recursive shaders interfacing with API semantics according to the description.
US09460536B2
An endoscope system includes an insertion portion, an objective optical window, an image pickup device, a position/direction detection section that acquires position information of the objective optical window, and a memory that records the subject internal image acquired by the image pickup device in association with the position information of the objective optical window. The endoscope system aligns the position information of the objective optical window with a reference position of a predetermined organ in the subject in a coordinate system of a three-dimensional model image based on an amount of change or the like of the subject internal image information in the subject and generates an image with the subject internal image pasted onto the two-dimensional model image of the predetermined organ which is the three-dimensional model image two-dimensionally developed in which the position of the objective optical window is associated with the position in the coordinate system.
US09460529B2
A method of emulating a flat tip brush, said method comprising (a) at a given time, identifying first and second points of contact on a touch sensitive surface; (b) interpolating a line between the first and second points, the line having line data comprising at least a length and an angle relative to the screen; (c) recording the first and second points and the line data; (d) reiterating steps (a)-(c) for at least one subsequent time to determine a plurality of the first points and a plurality of the second points and a plurality of the lines; and (e) displaying on a display screen an image defined by the first points, by the second points and/or by the lines between the first and second points.
US09460528B2
A method for collocating a clothing accessory on a human body for an electronic apparatus, is provided. A human body picture is shown on a display unit, and a human body description file corresponding to a human body model included in the human body picture is obtained from a database. A clothing accessory picture is obtained from another database based on a user choice, and a clothing accessory description file corresponding to a clothing accessory model included in the clothing accessory picture. The object picture is superposed on the human body picture automatically according to the human body and the object description files.
US09460526B1
Systems and methods for ensuring that images are compressed in a format that may be decompressed at a speed that is acceptable to a particular user and/or viewing environment are disclosed herein.
US09460520B2
The invention relates to a method for identifying a difference between a first 3D model of an environment and a second 3D model of the environment. The first and second 3D model each comprise a plurality of points or parts, wherein each point or part of the first and second model comprises geometrical information and texture information. Corresponding points or parts of the first and second 3D model are matched based on the geometrical information and/or the texture information. The matched points or parts of the first and second model are compared to determine at least one difference value based on the geometrical information and the texture information of the first and second model. A difference between the first and second model is identified if the at least one difference value exceeds a predetermined value. The invention also relates to an arrangement, a computer program, and a computer program product.
US09460516B2
In a method for generating a depth map for an image, an image processing apparatus is configured to: determine a depth level for each of at least two objects in the image according to an angle of incidence in which light incident upon the object is projected onto an image sensor of a light-field camera; calculate a depth value of the depth level associated with one of the objects; estimate a depth value for the depth level associated with another one of the objects; and generate a depth map according to the depth values. The depth value is estimated based on a distance between first and second locations on the image sensor, on which light incident upon the reference and relative objects are projected.
US09460505B2
Discerning small, weak features (“specks”) from imagery can be critical in early-stage cancer detection and other applications. In one aspect, the presence of a speck is judged from a large set of “votes” about whether a point in the imagery has a value above or below its neighbors. Hundreds or thousands or more votes can be gathered from one or more images, to thereby—in the aggregate—tend to confirm or refute the presence of a speck at a particular location. Votes can be based on simple pixel differences, e.g., between a pixel at the center of a 7×7 pixel image excerpt, and each of 48 other pixels in the excerpt. More sophisticated methods can employ analyses of triads, quads, and rings, and kernel-based Markov Random Field frameworks, to roll-up to a final conclusion. A great number of other features and arrangements are also detailed. The technology is particularly illustrated in the context of detecting exoplanets from astronomical imagery of remote star systems.
US09460503B2
A test system is provided for analyzing a video frame received from a device under test such as a video rendering device includes a video capture device, a matrix code reader and a video quality analyzer. The video capture device receives a video stream from a video rendering device that includes a plurality of video frames. At least one of the video frames includes a matrix code overlaid thereon. The matrix code encodes one or more test parameters specifying one or more quality tests that are to be performed on the video frame on which the matrix code is overlaid. The matrix code reader scans and decodes the matrix code. The video quality analyzer analyzes the quality of the video frame based on the one or more quality tests embodied in the matrix code and decoded by the matrix code decoding device.
US09460498B2
An image processing method includes: (a) generating coefficients for a reduced image, using a predetermined relation; and (b) expanding the coefficients for the reduced image to coefficients for an original image, and correcting pixel values of the original image, wherein in step (b), expansion processing of expanding coefficients from coefficients corresponding to a first image to coefficients corresponding to a second image is performed on the coefficients corresponding to the reduced image, and step (b) further includes limiting, to a limit range according to the predetermined relation, at least one of a coefficient corresponding to the second image in the expansion processing or a corrected pixel value of the original image.
US09460496B2
There is provided a fluorescence observation apparatus, including: a lighting section including a light source emitting illumination light and excitation light; a fluorescence imaging section picking up fluorescence generated on a subject and acquiring a fluorescence image; a returned light imaging section picking up returned light returned from the subject and acquiring a returned light image; a preprocessing section multiplying at least either the fluorescence image or the returned light image by a coefficient in which a distance property of fluorescence intensity and a distance property of returned light intensity, which are acquired in advance with respect to a standard sample, come to be in a relation directly proportional to each other and generating a fluorescence image for correction and a returned light image for correction; and a fluorescence image correction section dividing the fluorescence image for correction by the returned light image for correction.
US09460495B2
In one embodiment, a video processing system 300 may filter a video data set to correct skew and wobble using a central processing unit 220 and a graphical processing unit 230. The video processing system 300 may apply a rolling shutter effect correction filter to an initial version of a video data set. The video processing system 300 may simultaneously apply a video stabilization filter to the initial version to produce a final version video data set.
US09460488B2
The present invention relates to a method of performing interpolation for prediction between screens by using a pixel sample of a current picture and a pixel sample of a reference picture, and a prediction method using same. The interpolation method according to the present invention includes: calculating movement information for generating a prediction block; and generating a partial pixel sample on the basis of an integer sample set including integer pixel samples to which an interpolation filter is applied. Here, the integer sample set includes at least one current integer sample used to generate a partial pixel sample among restored integer pixel samples of a current picture, and the partial pixel sample corresponds to the offset positions of a partial pixel unit from a predetermined reference pixel sample among integer pixel samples.
US09460487B2
A display device includes a display unit having N adjustable screen resolutions; a storage unit storing a setting list, the setting list recording the N adjustable screen resolutions and N display ratio parameters; a processing unit retrieving a current screen resolution from the display unit and comparing the current screen resolution with the N adjustable screen resolutions, the processing unit selecting an i-th display ratio parameter corresponding to an i-th adjustable screen resolution from the N display ratio parameters when the current screen resolution is identical to the i-th adjustable screen resolution; and an image generating unit generating an image according to the i-th display ratio parameter and displaying the image in the display unit.
US09460467B2
A system, methods, and apparatus for performing used automobile transactions are disclosed. In an example embodiment, automobile market data representative of current automobile market characteristics is stored. The automobile market data may include pricing and consumer interest information received from consumers, dealers, and manufacturers. A consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller may provide a request for a response regarding a specific used automobile with a specific a vehicle identification number. Automobile market data may be provided to a used automobile buyer based on the request. Bids to purchase the specific used automobile may be requested from used automobile buyers based on the request. Buyer bids may be provided to the consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller with prices and a delivery options. The consumer seller or manufacturer off-lease seller may select a bid to sell the specific used automobile based on the bid.
US09460442B2
A sensor data gathering environment that associates a sensor with a smart tag attached to a product. The sensor receives product identification data from the smart tag. An application, web service or a computing device associated with the sensor collects customer behavior data, such as a length of time the sensor is associated with the smart tag, the proximity of the sensor to the smart tag, the location of the sensor while in a threshold distance from the smart tag, and the like. The application, web service or the computing device associated with the sensor transmits the product identification data and the customer behavior data to a remote computing system for analysis. Based on the analysis, a message or communication is initiated to provide the customer with personalized customer service.
US09460435B2
Transaction systems and methods for advancing a committed time in the future are described herein. In the present transaction systems and methods, the first end can be permitted to pre-hatch a time capsule signature before the committed time. The time capsule signature scheme here is conducted based on an identity-based trapdoor relation (IDTR). Moreover, an extended time capsule signature scheme is conducted based on an extended identity-based trapdoor relation (IDTR). By using an extended IDTR primitive, the present transaction systems and methods can distinguish the time capsule signature is validated before or after the committed time t.
US09460434B1
The present disclosure relates generally to systems, computer-implemented methods and computer program product of enabling the transfer of mobile currency between mobile device(s) exchanged for cash with dealers who rent out phones, or bartered for goods and services. The contemplated invention, inter alia, enables transfer of mobile currency either directly between mobile devices or use of a data transfer facility or center for the transfer using a communications network.
US09460432B2
Various embodiments herein each include at least one of systems, methods, and software for on-premises device transaction collaboration. Some embodiments include a method. The method of such embodiments includes identifying a mobile device present within a facility and associating the mobile device with an account holder. Such embodiments further include transmitting, to the mobile device, data representative of transaction options identified in stored data based on an identity of the facility and the account holder.
US09460431B2
A device, system or method may optionally include a processor, remote to a device, configured to generate information to control, at least in part, a function of the device based, at least in part, on a condition of conveyance of the device, and a transmitter, remote to the device, configured to transmit the information related to the condition of conveyance to the device.
US09460428B2
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a system, method, or computer program product for receiving a customization that will be displayed on the screen of an ATM based on a customer initiating a session with the ATM. The customization is associated with a function to perform a financial transaction. The function is performed as a result of the customer interacting with the customization on the screen of the ATM. The customization may be altered based on a handicap impairment of the customer. The displaying of the customization may be restricted for security purposes or as a request of the customer.
US09460410B2
Exemplary embodiments provide transportation management systems, devices and methods that allow display and management of transportation resources and operations in an integrated manner. Exemplary embodiments may provide, for example, a single dynamic and interactive interface for executing inbound transportation operations (procurement or pickup), outbound transportation operations (delivery or shipment), and operations in which multiple transportation resources are matched to one another.
US09460408B2
A method for automatically generating test scenarios for a plurality of business rules created to form a ruleset for a business domain. A plurality of decision variables is extracted from a business object model associated with the business domain using a computer system. The plurality of business rules is parsed using a syntactic parser operating on the computer system to extract at least one condition expression and an assignment action. A collection of mutually exclusive constraint satisfaction problems is built from the decision variables, condition expressions, and assignment actions using a constraint problem generator operating on the computer system. A plurality of test scenarios is generated automatically from each identified constraint satisfaction problem in the collection using a constraint solver engine operating on the computer system.
US09460407B2
Techniques for generating a data-based graphical representation include providing, to a user, a graphical user interface that comprises selectable attribute names; receiving a user selection of a first attribute name; in response to receiving the user selection, invoking a call to a back-end server that comprises a database, the database storing sets of attribute values, each set of attribute values associated with one of the selectable attribute names; receiving, from the back-end server, a response to the invoked call, the response comprising a particular set of attribute values that is associated with the user-selected first attribute name; generating the graphical representation of a relationship between the received attribute values associated with the user-selected first attribute name and a key figure of the attribute values; and preparing the graphical representation for display on the graphical user interface.
US09460405B2
A system, method, and computer readable medium is provided to provide an integrated storage system. For example, an embodiment may detect, by an enterprise computer system, an activity notification from a cloud service that stores data on behalf of an enterprise. The activity notification may specify a file name involved in an activity performed by the cloud service (e.g., creating or modifying a file). The enterprise computer system may then download a file (or contents thereof) from the cloud service using the file name specified by the activity notification. After downloading the file, the enterprise computer system may analyze the file against a data loss prevention rule. Based on an outcome from the data loss prevention rule, the enterprise computer system may communicate an action response to the cloud service. The action response may direct the cloud service to perform an action on the file stored by the cloud service.
US09460404B2
A method for controlling one or more scent delivery units includes maintaining one or more scheduled events, maintaining one or more scheduled anti-events, and generating, based on the one or more scheduled events and the one or more scheduled anti-events, command data to be communicated to the one or more scent delivery units to control their activation and deactivation. Generating the command data includes identifying a conflicting period of time during which control specified by the one or more scheduled events differs from control specified by the one or more scheduled anti-events and also includes generating command data that gives priority to control specified by the one or more scheduled anti-events. Control for the one or more scent delivery units during the conflicting period of time is in accordance with control logic of the one or more scheduled anti-events and not the one or more scheduled events.
US09460399B1
An improved technique involves proactively adjusting data storage system configuration in response to detecting external events. The improved technique predicts load changes based on historical correlations between events and load changes and directs an administrator to modify system configurations to prepare for the predicted changes in load. Advantageously, the improved technique enables administrators to better prepare for changes in load brought about by external events and thus to better maintain required service levels. Further, the improved technique reduces need for stressful and urgent responses by system administrators.
US09460398B2
A user activity real-time recognition apparatus and method are provided and include a collector configured to collect a frequency-domain signal for each user activity and to generate learning data based on the frequency-domain signal. The apparatus and method also include an extractor configured to extract a user activity feature from the frequency-domain signal based on an activity feature extracting model. The activity feature extracting model is learned based on the learning data from the collector. The apparatus and method further include a classifier configured to analyze the user activity feature to classify a user activity pattern based on an activity pattern classifying model and configured to transmit the classified user activity pattern to an application device.
US09460396B1
A system correlates intellectual property analyses, for example, patent claim charts, with respect to analyzed intellectual property and a target product or other intellectual property. Analyses are stored to enable searching and/or creating reports over multiple analyses. Units of the analysis are associated with a context, inherited, e.g., from the intellectual property document's assignment to a relative role within organizational hierarchy; and associated with a context derived from the analysis itself. The analysis and respective documents and/or targets of the analysis can be searched/retrieved/analyzed from the hierarchical analysis, the context analysis, and/or the content of the analysis. This obviates the need to store each analysis as a separate document. The target or annotations may be visually represented by an item such as a thumbnail or hyperlink, and the system automatically associates the item with the appropriate application program.
US09460395B2
A system and method for deploying predictive models is presented which personalizes application program functionality and user interface presentation to the consumer user. That personalization takes place within a decision engine that decouples decision models from application processes so that rapid deployment may take place. When a consumer user specific decision is required, the application program interacts with the decision model to trigger a consumer-user appropriate decision tailored to characteristics of the consumer user. New models are introduced into a decision process without requiring any application program change.
US09460394B2
A method includes receiving inputs indicative of a user state of a user. The received inputs include: 1) sensor inputs from one or more sensors; 2) application inputs received from one or more software applications; and/or 3) user inputs received from a graphical user interface. The method includes determining a collective user state of the user based on the received inputs and obtaining user data of other users that includes a collective user state of each corresponding other user. The method includes displaying, on a screen, other user glyphs representing the other users. Each other user glyph: 1) at least partially indicates the collective user state of the corresponding other user; and/or 2) is associated with a link to a displayable view indicating the collective user state of the corresponding other user and/or the inputs used to determine the collective user state of the corresponding other user.
US09460388B2
Implementations are disclosed for obtaining a range state of a device operating in an indoor environment with radio frequency (RF) signal sources. In some implementations, windowed signal measurements obtained from RF signals transmitted by an RF signal source are classified into range classes that are defined by threshold values obtained from a RF signal propagation model. A range class observation is obtained by selecting a range class among a plurality of range classes based on a percentage of a total number of windowed signal measurements that are associated with the range class. The range class observation is provided as input to a state estimator that estimates a range class that accounts for process and/or measurement noise. The output of the state estimator is provided as input to a state machine.
US09460383B2
A reconfigurable neural network circuit is provided. The reconfigurable neural network circuit comprises an electronic synapse array including multiple synapses interconnecting a plurality of digital electronic neurons. Each neuron comprises an integrator that integrates input spikes and generates a signal when the integrated inputs exceed a threshold. The circuit further comprises a control module for reconfiguring the synapse array. The control module comprises a global final state machine that controls timing for operation of the circuit, and a priority encoder that allows spiking neurons to sequentially access the synapse array.
US09460377B2
A semiconductor device with improved reliability, in which increase in power consumption can be reduced. The semiconductor device includes an antenna for transmitting and receiving a wireless signal to/from a communication device and at least first and second functional circuits electrically connected to the antenna. The first functional circuit includes a power supply control circuit for controlling power supply voltage output from a power supply circuit in the second functional circuit. A power supply control circuit in the second functional circuit includes a transistor of which first terminal is electrically connected to an output terminal of the power supply circuit and second terminal is electrically connected to a ground line. A gate terminal of the transistor is electrically connected to the power supply control circuit included in one functional circuit.
US09460372B2
Provided is an image forming apparatus that performs printout processing smoothly, even if printout from apparatus having no spooler, such as a tablet or a smart phone. The image forming apparatus includes the port for printing and an application executing part. The port for printing acquires a print job transmitted from an external apparatus without using spooler function. The application executing part works on a specified platform. The application executing part receives the print job from the external apparatus via a network. Then, the application executing part confirms whether or not the print buffer has space to the port for printing. When the print buffer cannot be used, an application executing part notifies the external apparatus for stopping the transmission of the print job until it becomes available.
US09460368B2
A method of learning a parameter to estimate a posture of an articulated object, and a method of estimating the posture of the articulated object are provided. A parameter used to estimate a posture of an articulated object may be iteratively learned based on a depth feature corresponding to an iteration count, and the posture of the articulated object may be estimated based on the learned parameter.
US09460366B2
A sensor data processing system and method is described. Contemplated systems and methods derive a first recognition trait of an object from a first data set that represents the object in a first environmental state. A second recognition trait of the object is then derived from a second data set that represents the object in a second environmental state. The sensor data processing systems and methods then identifies a mapping of elements of the first and second recognition traits in a new representation space. The mapping of elements satisfies a variance criterion for corresponding elements, which allows the mapping to be used for object recognition. The sensor data processing systems and methods described herein provide new object recognition techniques that are computationally efficient and can be performed in real-time by the mobile phone technology that is currently available.
US09460364B2
A method of extracting ridge data includes selecting a point in the contour of an object from an image of the object, calculating a chamfer distance of the point in the contour, and determining whether the point in the contour is a ridge point based on relationships between the chamfer distance and chamfer distances of points in the contour adjacent to the point in the contour. A method of tracking a joint motion of an object includes acquiring initial information of the object including information on at least one ridge region representing a distribution of ridge points of the object, and tracking the joint motion of the object from temporally consecutive images of the object based on the initial information.
US09460355B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are described for predicting the placement of road signs. A device receives data depicting road signs from multiple vehicles. The device analyzes a detected placement of the road signs and at least one characteristic of a collection of the data. The characteristic describes the road upon which the data was collected, an operation of the vehicle from which the data was collected, or an environment in which the data was collected. The device generates a model that associates values for the detected placement of the road signs with values for the at least one characteristic. The model may be later accessed to interpret subsequent sets of data describing one or more road signs.
US09460351B2
An image processing apparatus using a smart glass is provided, the image processing apparatus including an extractor to extract a first target to be observed by a user from a first image received from the smart glass and generate a second image using the extracted first target, an information collector to collect information related to the first target, and an image generator to reconstruct a third image using at least one of the second image and the information related to the first target, based on user settings.
US09460343B2
A method and system are provided to proactively recognize an action of a road user in road traffic, wherein an image of the road user, which is structured in a pixel-wise manner, is captured by way of at least one camera, and corresponding image data is generated. Image data of multiple pixels is grouped in each case by cells, wherein the image comprises multiple cells. A respective centroid is determined based on the image data within a cell. For each of the pixels, the respective distance from the centroids of a plurality of cells is ascertained, wherein a feature vector that is assigned to the pixel is formed based on coordinates of the respective pixel and the centroids. The feature vector is compared to at least one reference vector cluster, and a pose is associated with the road user based on the comparison.
US09460336B2
Provided is a feature extraction method and apparatus to extract a feature of a three-dimensional (3D) depth image. The feature extraction apparatus may generate a plurality of level sets using a depth image, and may extract a feature for each level depth image.
US09460334B2
An electronic device is provided. The electronic device includes: a processor; a fingerprint recognition apparatus comprising a plurality of fingerprint sensing cells and a plurality of touch sensing cells; and a housing, wherein the processor is installed inside the housing. When an application executed by the processor does not utilize the fingerprint recognition apparatus, the processor controls the fingerprint recognition apparatus to enter a power-down mode to turn off the fingerprint sensing cells and the touch sensing cells. When the processor receives a fingerprint recognition request signal from the application, the processor further controls the fingerprint recognition apparatus to enter a power-saving mode to capture a first sensed image. When the processor determines that the first sensed image is a fingerprint image, the processor further controls the fingerprint recognition apparatus to enter an operation mode.
US09460333B2
An apparatus, method and system are provided for sensing at least one biometric measure of an individual. An electrical current flows through an electrode to induce an electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field stimulates and excites the molecules associated with the sweat gland pores and causes molecular compounds to fluoresce. An image of the fluoresced dermal surface is obtained and a biometric function is performed with data derived from the image. Alternatively, sweat gland pore biometric information may be derived from variations, fluctuations or disturbances to the electromagnetic field induced by the electrical current.
US09460331B2
A color filter substrate, an array substrate, and a display device are disclosed. The color filter substrate, array substrate, and the display device include a substrate having a display region and a non-display region, a color filter layer located in the display region and configured to filter light, and a fingerprint sensing layer located in the non-display region and configured to sense and identify a fingerprint.
US09460325B2
A wireless tag initialization device includes a reader and writer that weakens supply power to a first threshold value at which a wireless tag to be initialized is activated and other wireless tags are not activated, transmit a first command to invert a flag of the wireless tag to be initialized, increases the supply power to a second threshold value which is sufficient to write an initial value, and writes the initial value in the wireless tag with the inverted SL flag.
US09460316B2
According to an embodiment, an authentication device includes an acquiring unit, a predicting unit, and an authenticating unit. The acquiring unit is configured to acquire performance information of a first device that is a device to be authenticated. The predicting unit is configured to predict performance information of a second device that is a device being a reference for authentication according to a change with time from initial performance information. The authenticating unit is configured to perform an authentication process of determining whether or not the first device falls into the second device on a basis of a degree of agreement between the performance information acquired by the acquiring unit and the performance information predicted by the predicting unit.
US09460303B2
Large scale system operation may be provided. Upon receiving an action request from a user, a determination may be made as to whether the user requires elevated permissions to perform the action request. In response to determining that the user requires elevated permissions to perform the action request, the action request may be forwarded to a lockbox for evaluation and a permission response may be received from the lockbox.
US09460299B2
A computer-implemented subject monitoring method is provided. The method includes providing an online-monitoring agent configured for monitoring a personal computing device, receiving identifying information associated with at least one of an account, email address, site, and service from the personal computing device via the online-monitoring agent, and monitoring via a network the at least one of the account, email address, site, and service based on the identifying information received via the online-monitoring agent.
US09460298B1
Database management and security is implemented in a variety of embodiments. In one such embodiment, data sets containing sensitive data elements are analyzed using aliases representing sensitive data elements. In another embodiment, the sensitive data elements are stored in an encrypted form for use from a secure access, while the alias is available for standard access.
US09460293B1
A software module executes on a first operating system running. The software module determines that the first operating system has caused data to the written to a first clipboard maintained by the first operating system. The software module consults policy data to determine whether the data should additionally be written to a second clipboard maintained by a second operating system. The policy data may only allow the data to be written to the second clipboard if the data was written to the first clipboard at the initiation of or approved by a user. If the software module determines that the policy data allows the data to be written to the second clipboard, then the software module, without human instruction, causes the data to written to the second clipboard.
US09460292B2
The present application relates to a computer having a processor configured to execute a set of instructions to render a customised version of a restricted document object model. A restricted element in a document object model is identified and at least one rule associated with the restricted element is accessed. The at least one rule is applied to the restricted element to generate a modified document object model which is then rendered. A related computer-implemented method is also covered by the present application. The present application relates to server-side authentication techniques; content filtering based on user-specific and context-based requirements; and audit trail techniques.
US09460291B2
A method for detecting security vulnerabilities in web applications can include providing a payload to a web application during a first interaction with the web application at a computer server, where the payload includes a payload instruction and an identifier, detecting the identifier within the payload received during an interaction with the web application subsequent to the first interaction, and determining, responsive to detecting the identifier within the payload, whether the payload instruction underwent a security check prior to execution of the payload instruction.
US09460286B1
A system, method, and computer program product are provided for providing security in a Network Function Virtualization based (NFV-based) communication network. In operation, a security attack is identified. Additionally, a first hardware unit attacked by the security attack is identified. Further, a hardware unit in which to initiate a security defense software program is identified. Moreover, the security defense software program is initiated in the identified hardware unit.
US09460280B1
An interception-proof authentication and encryption system and method is provided that utilizes passcodes with individual pins that are made up of symbols from a set of symbols, and tokens that contain at least two symbols from the set of symbols used for the passcode. Multiple tokens (a “token set”) are presented to a user, with some or all of a user's pre-selected pins (symbols) randomly inserted into some or all of the tokens. The user selects a token from the token set for each pin position in the passcode. The user is authenticated based on the selected tokens. Because each selected token may or may not contain one of the pre-selected pins in the user's passcode, and also contains other randomly generated symbols that are not one of the pre-selected pins in the user's passcode, someone that observes which tokens the user has chosen cannot determine what the user's actual passcode is.
US09460279B2
Facilities are provided herein for authenticating a user to use a processing device. A user predefines authenticators of one or more types and associates these with graphical images. Upon on attempt to activate the processing device, a graphical image, of the graphical images, is selected for presentation to the user. The selected graphical image is presented to the user, who then provides input to authenticate with the device. A determination is made as to whether the user is authenticated to use the device. The determination is made based on input received from the user and based further on the authenticator associated with the selected graphical image. Varying the selection of image(s), each associated with a predefined authenticator and authentication type, enables variability in the authenticator that is suitable for unlocking a device at a given time, providing greater security to the authentication process.
US09460277B2
An identity of a user performing an operation with respect to an application is propagated, from a point at which the user authenticates, to one or more other applications in a multi-product environment. The application may be a management console associated with an information cluster. In an embodiment, an administrator logs on to a management console (using an identity) and invokes a management operation. The management console then performs a programmatic remote access login (e.g., using SSH/RXA) to one or more nodes using a system account, invokes an application, and passes in the identity. As the application performs one or more management operations, audit events are logged, and these events each contain the identity that has been passed in by the management console during the SSH/RXA login. The technique thus provides a method for identity-based auditing in an environment having a plurality of applications, where each application typically has a respective authentication process or mechanism and distinct identity registries.
US09460273B2
A processor stores information associated with one or more programming modules, including one or more license terms associated with the one or more programming modules. The processor receives an input indicating a set of programming modules selected from the one or more programming modules, based on the information which is stored. The processor compares the one or more license terms associated with the set of programming modules. In response to determining a conflict between the one or more license terms of the set of programming modules, the processor applies a set of rules to resolve the conflict between the one or more license terms of the set of programming modules, and the processor composes a composite license for the set of programming modules, based on the one or more license terms of the set of programming modules and the set of rules applied to resolve the conflict.
US09460260B2
A method for processing exposure data (40) for exposing a pattern on a target (30) using a plurality of charged particle beams (24), the exposure data comprising pattern data (42) representing one or more features (60) to be written on the target (30) and exposure dose data (52) describing exposure dose of the charged particle beams. The method comprises setting one or more dose values of the exposure dose data (52) such that a sum of dose values corresponding to a position in an overlap area (36) of the target exceeds a maximum dose value for the non-overlap areas (38) of the target where adjacent sub-areas (34) do not overlap, and dividing the pattern data (42) into a plurality of sub-sections (44), each of the sub-sections comprising pattern data describing a part of the pattern to be written in a corresponding sub-area (34) of the target (30), wherein the pattern data (42) comprises overlap pattern data (46) describing a part of the pattern to be written in a corresponding overlap area (36) of the target where adjacent sub-areas (34) overlap, and processing the overlap pattern data (46) to reduce a size of one or more features described by the overlap pattern data.
US09460258B2
Embodiments are described in which shaping is integrated with power network synthesis (PNS) for power grid (PG) alignment. Specifically, some embodiments create placement constraints based on the PG that is expected to be created by PNS, and then perform shaping (or perform legalization) on the circuit design based on the placement constraints. This ensures that the physical partitions (e.g., instances of multiply-instantiated-blocks) are aligned with the power grid during shaping.
US09460257B1
In one aspect, a method for providing design point recommendations for an integrated circuit (IC) design is disclosed. The method comprises receiving an IC design along with a reference PPA (power, performance, area) metric at a reference design point, and a target PPA metric. The method also comprises estimating trial PPA metrics for the IC design at multiple design points, wherein estimating trial PPA metric at each design point includes accessing a PPA database containing PPA metrics for multiple test components, determining scale factors from the reference design point to the trial design point for test components equivalent to components of the IC design, and applying the scale factors to the reference PPA metric to determine the trial PPA metric for the trial design point. The method further comprises recommending a trial design point based on the estimated trial PPA metric and the received target PPA metric.
US09460248B2
Predicting a degree of molten steel contamination during ladle exchange includes setting a casting quantity (Q) and a residual quantity (Qrm). Casting quantity (Q) is the molten steel amount transferred from a tundish to a mold when a first ladle operation ends. Residual quantity (Qrm) is the molten steel amount existing in the tundish when a second ladle starts. Casting amount (Qplug), a first contaminant concentration is calculated as a function of Qrm and a proportional coefficient. Casting amount (Qpeak), the amount a second contaminant concentration, is calculated as a function of Qrm and a second proportional coefficient. A preliminary degree of contamination is a linear function of Q, Qplug, and Qpeak. A second preliminary degree of contamination is an exponential function of Q, Qplug, and Qpeak. The smaller of the two preliminary degrees of contamination is selected to obtain a degree of contamination at the ladle operation end and a second degree of contamination at the second ladle operation start.
US09460246B2
Non-mechanistic, differential-equation-free approaches for predicting a particular non-linear, response of a system to a given input are provided in the form of systems, methods, and devices. These approaches are generally directed to a non-compartmental method of predicting a non-linear, time-dependent response of a component of a system to an input into the system. The systems, methods, and devices provide the ability to (i) reduce the cost of research and development by offering an accurate modeling of heterogeneous and complex physical systems; (ii) reduce the cost of creating such systems and methods by simplifying the modeling process; (iii) accurately capture and model inherent nonlinearities in cases where sufficient knowledge does not exist to a priori build a model and its parameters; and, (iv) provide one-to-one relationships between model parameters and model outputs, addressing the problem of the ambiguities inherent in the current, state-of-the-art systems and methods.
US09460235B2
A stream of tuples are processed by a plurality of processing elements, each including one or more stream operators, operating on computer processors. A method determines whether a first stream operator includes a first operation that is deterministic and whether a second stream operator includes a second operation that is equivalent to the first operation. In response to determining that the first operation is deterministic and the second operation is equivalent to the first operation, the first stream operator is configured to include in a tuple output from the first stream operator a result of performing the first operation using a first input. The second stream operator, which uses a second input when performing the second operation, determines whether the second input is the same as the first input, and uses the result in lieu of performing the second operation when the first and second inputs are the same.
US09460225B2
Systems and methods are provided for collecting application performance data. The system (100) includes a server (110) for hosting a server-side application (120). An instrumentation module (130) is included on the server. The instrumentation module can selectively instrument functions (125) of the server-side application to obtain instrumented function operation data. The instrumentation module can also maintain an instrumented function call stack (190) for each application thread. A sampling module (140) is included on the server. The sampling module can sample application threads of the server-side application to obtain sampled function operation data. The sampling module can sample application threads based on at least one of an age of a timestamp obtained through instrumentation and a determination of which threads are executing server requests based on emptiness of the stack.
US09460219B2
Targeted location-based search results can be provided to a user of a travel system based on one or more tribes of users to which the user belongs. A user can provide a search query, and a set of locations can be identified in response. A subset of the set of locations is selected for display based on a correlation between a tribe vector associated with the user and tribe vectors associated with each identified location. A user can also request content objects from the travel system, for instance by navigating to a page associated with a location including portions for displaying content objects. A set of content objects is identified in response to a request for content, and a subset of the content objects is selected for display based on a correlation between the tribe vector associated with the user and tribe vectors associated with each content object.
US09460208B2
A backend system is described for populating web-accessible pages with content along with a user interface for interactive discussion of an end-user-specified topic. In an embodiment the system receives a topic from an end user, conducts a search relating to the topic, displays thumbnails representing content items such as videos, articles, tweets and photos from a multitude of content sources across the internet regarding the topic, provides the user with an interface to select which of the items should appear on a published topic page, and builds one or more web-accessible pages having dynamic content that is relevant to the topic along with interactive means for provoking participation of multiple users regarding the topic and the content.
US09460192B2
A method, system, and computer program product to manage a database is disclosed. The method, system, and computer program product may include structuring the database to have a first table having an index and a second table. A first key of the first table may be related to a second key of the second table. The method, system, and computer program product may include creating an entry locator in the index. The method, system, and computer program product may include maintaining an association between the second key of the second table and the entry locator of the index.
US09460190B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for automatically generating item taxonomies based upon attributes of an item. An item taxonomy application analyzes a set of items and an item taxonomy comprising at least one node to generate one or more item families associated with each node in the item taxonomy. The items in each item family have the same values in common for a number of attributes. As part of the generation of item families, a number of potential classification, categorization, or other taxonomic errors may be detected and reported.
US09460187B2
In a computer-implemented method for creating a graph database of a virtualization infrastructure, data defining entities and relationships of the entities of a virtualization infrastructure is received at a graph database, wherein the relationships of the entities are in accordance with an inventory structure of the virtualization infrastructure. The graph database is populated with the entities and the relationships of the entities of the virtualization infrastructure.
US09460186B2
A database management method and system. The method includes dividing, by a database system, a data partition into a physical partition layer and a logical partition layer, wherein the logical partition segment and the physical partition segment are mapped to each other using a mapping relationship; receiving, by the database system, a data operation instruction of a user, and determining a logical partition segment to which a data record that is requested for operation by the data operation instruction belongs; determining, according to the data operation instruction and the mapping relationship, a physical partition segment that is corresponding to the determined logical partition segment and at the physical partition layer to perform an operation on the data record that is requested for operation by the data operation instruction.
US09460163B1
Disclosed are various embodiments for accessing and processing social media content. An extraction configuration comprising definitions for keywords, social networks, extraction times, and/or actions to be initiated upon a detection of a condition may be defined by a user of a site monitoring system. The defined social networks may be accessed at the defined extraction times to obtain data from a post comprising the defined keyword. The presence of some data in association with the post may initiate an action defined by the user.
US09460162B1
Techniques described herein relate to generating new assessment items and updating existing assessment items. Input data may be received corresponding to the addition, removal, or modification of assessment components within assessment items, and may cause immediate generation and validation of corresponding markup language data blocks, thereby allowing for interactive construction and automated encoding of assessment items. Additional techniques described herein relate to determining compatible scoring types for assessment items and generating and embedding markup language data blocks corresponding to assessment item scoring data.
US09460158B2
The present disclosure discloses a search method and system. A method obtains a first search result set of first search results relevant to query data submitted by a client. According to a first relevance score and a preset diversity field of each first search result in the first search result set, a second relevance score of each first search result is calculated. The preset diversity field represents an attribute category of a respective first search result. According to the first relevance score and the second relevance score, a relevance parameter score for each first search result is generated. According to a preset number of second search results and the relevance parameter score, the present number of second search results are extracted from the first search result set to display to the client. The technique achieves lower consumption of system resources, faster computation speed and more flexibility in diversification of search results.
US09460152B2
Dynamically identifying and preventing skewed partitions in a shared-nothing database is provided. The database management system software receives a parameter for identifying a threshold value associated with at least one distribution key value. Optimizer statistics are gathered on a first table that is distributed across one or more partitions in the shared-nothing database, wherein the first table includes a first table name. Distribution key skew is identified based on the gathered optimizer statistics indicating the threshold value being exceeded. A second table with an alternate distribution key, is created having a second table name for receiving overflow data rows associated with the at least one distribution key value based on the identified distribution key skew. A union all view is created based on the first and the second table.
US09460147B1
A method for processing a dataset in a partitioned distributed storage system having data stored in a base table and an index stored in an index table, may include receiving base and index table metadata from the partitioned distributed storage system, where the base and index table metadata includes respective table partition information. The method may further include partitioning the dataset into a set of base-delta files according to the base table metadata, and generating a set of index-delta files corresponding with the base-delta files according to the index table metadata. The method may additionally include updating the partitioned distributed storage system with the set of base-delta and the set of index-delta files, where a first update of the base table is synchronous with a second update of the index table.
US09460145B2
Avoiding data conflicts includes initiating a transactional lock elision transaction containing a critical section, executing the transactional lock elision transaction including the critical section, and checking a status of a lock prior to a commit point in the transactional lock elision transaction executing, wherein the checking the status occurs after processing the critical section. A determination of whether the status of the lock checked is free is made and, responsive to a determination the lock checked is free, a result of the transactional lock elision transaction is committed.
US09460142B2
System, method, and computer program product embodiments transform data from a first version, for example an initial version of a database, to a second version, for example a subsequent version of a database. An embodiment includes modifying the metadata of the data to include transformational clauses, each of which describes how a portion of the data in the first version is transformed to data in the second version. Another exemplary embodiment includes differentiating between rename and add/delete operations to reduce the amount of transformational clauses included in the metadata. For example, rename operations can be identified by ignoring commonly-named columns between two versions, and identifying columns where the name has changed between the two versions while the data type has not changed.
US09460135B2
The current document is directed to automated electronic testing, optimization, and/or analysis systems that perform testing that results in non-binomial experimental results that are processed by using efficient and robust processing methods. In one implementation, efficient and robust processing methods are employed to process non-binomial results produced from single-factor tests. In a second implementation, robust and computationally efficient processing methods are employed to analyze non-binomial results from multi-factor/multi-level tests.
US09460131B2
According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a system and technique for data quality management is disclosed. The system includes a processor and an ingress quality specification (IQS) module executable by the processor in a runtime environment with a data stream analytic module. The IQS module is configured to: receive the data stream; analyze a subset of data of the data stream to determine if the subset of data meets a quality expectation of the analytic module; annotate the subset of data to indicate a quality status based on whether the subset of data meets the quality expectation of the analytic module; and output the data stream to the analytic module.
US09460129B2
Systems and methods are described for obtaining, for insertion into a schema-less database, a data object that comprises a plurality of key and value pairs. The method also includes hashing the keys associated with the plurality of key and value pairs. The hashing includes executing a hash function to generate a hashed data object. The method also includes comparing the hashed data object to a plurality of first hashed data objects and determining that the hashed data object does not match any of the first hashed data objects. Based on the determining, the method includes associating the hashed data object with the first hashed data objects to generate second hashed data objects and generating a schema for the database. The schema includes a hierarchy of keys that represent the second hashed data objects.
US09460123B1
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for generating a narrative of images based on image classification, selection, and arrangement based, at least in part, on time, location, content, color, complexity, and/or faces. The image classification may be based on image analysis or analyzing information attached to the images.
US09460112B2
The method and an apparatus provides a virtualized file system enabling indirect access to a second file system in a data storage system comprising a plurality of client computers 100 and a second file system managing unit 410 for managing the second file system and enabling client access to the second file system, the method comprising interconnecting a first file system managing unit 310 between the plurality of client computers 100 and the second file system managing unit 410, creating a directory /root in a first file system managed by the first file system managing unit 310, a directory /root of the second file system with the directory /root of the first file system, enabling on-demand virtualization of the second file system by the first file system managing unit 310 based on client requests received from the client computers 100 at the first file system managing unit 310.
US09460111B2
The method performed by the apparatus includes interconnecting a first file system managing unit 310 between the plurality of client computers 100 and the second file system managing unit 410, creating a first directory /root in a first file system managed by the first file system managing unit 310, associating a first directory /root of the second file system with the first directory /root of the first file system, enabling on-demand virtualization of the second file system by the first file system managing unit 310 based on client requests received from the client computers 100 at the first file system managing unit 310 and based on the association between the first directory of the first file system and the first directory of the second file system, and enabling indirect client access to the second file system through the first file system.
US09460104B2
An apparatus adapted to operate as an A party in a database synchronization with a B party via a mobile communication network. The database contains data items to be synchronized. The apparatus includes mechanisms for maintaining a copy of the database and a client-server communication module with a client part and a server part. The client part is configured to communicate via the mobile communication network with the server part of the B party. The apparatus also includes change detection mechanisms responsive to a detection of a changed data item, for initiating a synchronization event via the client part of the client-server communication module.
US09460101B2
A method and computer program product for managing a file cache with a filesystem cache manager is disclosed. The method may include installing the filesystem cache manager for the file cache by a mount command. The filesystem cache manager may include a specified time interval and a first cache elimination instruction. The method may further include starting a first timer upon the installation of the filesystem cache manager. The method may further include running the first cache elimination instruction when the first timer reaches the specified time interval.
US09460098B2
The present disclosure provides an example method and system for virtual machine backup based on multilayer de-duplication. A virtual machine snapshot is divided into multiple child data blocks. Each child data block is divided into multiple data segments. Multilayer de-duplication is applied to the virtual machine snapshot to exclude data causing duplicate backup in the virtual machine snapshot. The remaining virtual machine snapshot data after the processing of the multilayer de-duplication is stored.
US09460092B2
A media asset recommendation service is described. In embodiments, friends of a user are identified in a social graph that is associated with the user, and interactions with media assets by the friends of the user are compiled. Friend interaction data for each of the media assets can be determined from the media assets, the social graph, and the interactions with the media assets by the friends of the user. When a selection of one of the media assets is received from the user via a user device, the friend interaction data that is associated with the media asset selected by the user is communicated to the user device.
US09460089B1
A method for rendering ruby characters in an electronic document of Japanese and other language text includes identifying a ruby character at a line boundary in a text layout for the electronic document, identifying a type of the ruby character, and, based on the type, repositioning the ruby character and an associated base character within the line or within an adjacent line if the line does not have enough space for the ruby character.
US09460088B1
An automatic speech recognition system and method are provided for written-domain language modeling. According to one implementation, a process includes accessing decomposed training data that results from applying rewrite grammar rules to original training data, the decomposed training data comprising (i) regular words from the original training data that have not been rewritten using the set of rewrite grammar rules, and (ii) decomposed segments that result from rewriting non-lexical entities from the original training data using the rewrite grammar rules, generating a restriction model that (i) maps language model paths for regular words to themselves, and (ii) restricts language model paths for decomposed segments for non-lexical entities, training a n-gram language model over the training data, composing the restriction model and the language model to obtain a restricted language model, and constructing a decoding network by composing a context dependency model and a pronunciation lexicon with the restricted language model.
US09460087B2
The present invention relates to a parameter adjustment method. The parameter adjustment method used for statistical machine translation comprises: step 1: using a monolingual corpus to construct a language model required for translation; step 2: using a bilingual parallel corpus to construct a translation model; and step 3: using a target function to adjust a parameter. The method can solve problems in prior art that the parameter is easily over-fit or falls into a local optimum during a parameter adjustment process, and the method is easy to implement and can combine a larger number of features. In addition, the target function is convex; therefore, global optimum can be achieved in a training process.
US09460085B2
An approach is provided for an information handling system that includes a processor and a memory to improve the quality of question-answer sets used as inputs to a question-answering (QA) system. In the approach, a question-answer pair is analyzed using natural language processing (NLP) components. Some of the NLP components may be taken from the QA system whose input is being analyzed The question-answer pair includes a question and an answer to the question. Based on the analysis, one or more shortcomings of the question-answer pair are identified. The shortcomings relate to an ability of the target QA system to analyze the question. A human-readable feedback is provided to a user. The feedback recommends one or more possible actions to address the identified shortcomings.
US09460083B2
Provided is a technique for providing an interactive dashboard based on real-time sentiment analysis for synchronous communication. In real time, while monitoring communications between a first user and a second user, a cumulative sentiment score is generated representing a sentiment of the first user during a period of time and an instantaneous sentiment score representing a sentiment of the first user at a current time. In real time, an interactive dashboard is displayed with a visual representation for the first user having a first indicator representing the cumulative sentiment score and a second indicator representing the instantaneous sentiment score.
US09460078B2
A device may obtain text to be analyzed to identify glossary terms. The device may analyze a linguistic unit to generate multiple linguistic units related to the linguistic unit. The device may analyze the multiple linguistic units to generate potential glossary terms. The device may perform a glossary term analysis on the potential glossary terms to generate glossary terms that include a subset of the potential glossary terms. The device may identify included terms that are included in the glossary terms. The device may identify excluded terms that are excluded from the glossary terms. The device may determine a semantic relatedness score between at least one excluded term and at least one included term. The device may selectively add the excluded linguistic term to the glossary terms to form a final set of glossary terms based on the semantic relatedness score, and may output the final set of glossary terms.
US09460076B1
The invention comprises a core algorithm to use language regularity in large collections of human created textual documents, as well as optimization techniques to make the algorithm tractable. The core algorithm includes receiving tuples of text units that may be grammatically linked and processing a stream of such tuples to discover language regularities. After this learning is completed, the algorithm's output is used to evaluate the perceived likelihood that different interpretations of novel sentences would have been intended by a speaker of the language.
US09460072B2
Processing a form in an image is provided. A plurality of data fields is detected within the form in the image. One or more of the data fields that contain private data and a plurality of the data fields that do not contain private data are detected. Contents of the plurality of data fields that do not contain private data are stored as metadata for the image and contents of the one or more data fields that contain private data are not stored as metadata for the image.
US09460064B2
An XML document can be represented in a compact binary form that maintains all of the features of XML data in a useable form. In response to a request for a modification (e.g., insert, delete or update a node) to an XML document that is stored in the compact binary form, a certain representation of the requested modification is computed for application directly to the binary form of the document. Thus, the requested modification is applied directly to the persistently stored binary form without constructing an object tree or materializing the XML document into a corresponding textual form. Taking into account the nature of the binary form in which the document is encoded, the bytes that actually require change are identified, including identifying where in the binary representation the corresponding actual changes need to be made.
US09460063B2
Some embodiments provide a method for displaying a structured document that includes a hierarchy of structural elements. The hierarchy is constructed by analyzing an unstructured document. The method displays the structured document on a device. The method receives a selection of a position of interest in the document. Based on the position of interest, the method identifies a structural element within the hierarchy as a region of interest. The method modifies the display of the document to highlight the identified region of interest.
US09460062B2
Techniques for locally rendering an object as an image may be provided. For example, an application may be executed by a computing device to access and retrieve information from a network-based resource and may display the retrieved information to a user of the computing device. In response to identifying (e.g., by way of a user selection or an automated selection) of an object within the displayed information, the application may locally process the object to generate a graphics object. Further, the application may configure the graphics object to support image-rendering operations by, for example, importing properties from the object into the graphics object and storing the graphics object as binary data at a location in a local memory of the application. Subsequently, the application may use the binary data and the location in the local memory to render an image based on the graphics object.
US09460059B2
A method and apparatus for visualizing the underlying structure of a document using an interactive viewport overlay is disclosed. The method comprises accessing a document having a structure comprising a plurality of elements; displaying visible elements of the plurality of elements of the document; creating a new element for a corresponding one of each of a plurality of the visible elements, wherein each new element identifies structural information about a corresponding visible element; and displaying one or more overlays on top of an area of the displayed document, wherein the one or more overlay is less than the entire area of the displayed document, and wherein each overlay comprises the new elements displaying an underlying structure of the displayed document.
US09460041B2
An apparatus for transmitting data across a high-speed serial bus includes an IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY having a GMII interface; an IEEE 1394-compliant PHY in communication with the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY via a switch; the switch determining whether data transmission is to be routed to the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY or the IEEE 1394-compliant PHY; a first connection, the first connection for transmitting data between a device and the IEEE 802.3-compliant PHY; and a second connection, the second connection for transmitting data between a device and the IEEE 1394-compliant PHY.
US09460039B2
A PCIe Fabric that includes an IO tier switch, hub tier switches, and a target device connected to one of the hub tier switches. The IO tier switch is configured to receive a TLP from a client, make a determination that an address in the TLP is not associated with any multicast address range in the first IO tier switch and is not associated with any downstream port in the first IO tier switch, and, based on the determinations, route the TLP to the first hub tier switch via a upstream port on the IO tier switch. The hub tier switch is configured to make a determination that the TLP is associated with a multicast group, and, based on the determination, generate a rewritten TLP and route the rewritten TLP to a target device via a downstream port on the hub tier switch.
US09460031B1
A distributed system server system for providing network overlay services is disclosed. The system can include at least two servers; and a plurality of offload processor modules, each having an input-output (IO) port and multiple offload processors, and including at least a first offload processor module configured to receive and process network packets having a logical identifier, and a second offload processor connected directly to the first offload processor through their respective IO ports, and configured to process at least a portion of the packets having the logical identifier, and returning the processed packets through its IO port.
US09460027B2
Disclosed herein is a digital rights management system that includes a storage module that stores a usage right for digital content in a tamper-resistant portion of a memory. The system also includes a flag status module that generates a flag corresponding with a transfer status of the usage right, sets the flag to one of a plurality of transfer statuses, and stores the flag in the tamper-resistant portion of the memory. The transfer statuses include a status indicating a request for the usage right was generated by a device with a usage right recovery mechanism.
US09460021B2
Volatile memory devices corresponding to a first memory hierarchy may be on a first memory module that is coupled to a memory controller by a first signal path. A nonvolatile memory device corresponding to a second memory hierarchy may be on a second memory module that is coupled to the first memory module by a second signal path. Memory transactions for the nonvolatile memory device may be transferred from the memory controller to the first memory hierarchy using the first signal path, and data associated with an accumulation of the memory transactions may be written from the first memory hierarchy to the second memory hierarchy using the second signal path and a first and second control signal. The first control signal may be generated in view of a detection of wear and the second control signal may be generated in view of a detection of a defect.
US09460017B1
Systems, methods, and storage mediums storing executable instructions are disclosed for providing efficient cache mirroring, particularly in a distributed storage environment. In particular, in an aspect, a machine-implemented method, comprises: receiving an I/O request from an application; splitting the I/O request into cache LBAs and non-cache LBAs; storing the cache LBAs in a cache LUN; preparing one or more mirror write descriptors based on the cache LBAs, wherein each mirror write descriptor includes a data location and a data length; and sending the mirroring data structure and the cache LBAs to a mirroring device to store a back-up of the cache LUN. In an aspect, sending the mirroring data structure and the cache LBAs is accomplished in a single I/O request to the mirroring device.
US09460016B2
In an example, a system and method are provided for predicting in which way a requested memory address is most likely to be held in a multi-way cache, based on the last way accessed by the specified address register if available. If not available, then the system may determine that no best prediction is available. In that case, each way is read, and the superfluous values are disregarded, or a cache fill is performed as necessary. In certain embodiments, only a portion of the least significant bits of an add operation are used for way prediction in base-plus-offset addressing modes. This enables the decision to be made before the full-width add is complete, so that the clock cycle length is not unnecessarily lengthened by the prediction operation.
US09460013B2
A method for removal of an offlining cache agent, including: initiating an offlining of the offlining cache agent from communicating with a plurality of participating cache agents while a first transaction is in progress; setting, based on initiating the offlining, an ignore response indicator corresponding to the offlining cache agent on each of the plurality of participating cache agents; offlining, based on setting the ignore response indicator, the offlining cache agent; and ignoring, based on setting the ignore response indicator, a first response to the transaction from the offlining cache agent.
US09460005B2
Storage devices including a memory device and methods of operating the storage devices are provided. The storage devices may include a controller which is configured to program first bit data and second bit data paired with the first bit data into a memory device. The first bit data may be less significant bit data than the second bit data. The controller may be configured to selectively perform or skip backup of the first bit data when programming the second bit data.
US09460002B1
There is disclosed a technique for use in memory allocation. In one embodiment, the technique comprises a method. The method comprises the step of determining the size of an item. The method also comprises the step of determining whether to allocate the item to stack or heap memory based on the size of the item.
US09459996B2
Provided is a cache device which can minimize probability of data loss in a storage device in which write data and read data are separately cached.The cache device includes a write cache including a first storing unit that temporarily stores write data to be written in external storage devices and is predicted that a failure occurs at the first time and a second storing unit that temporarily stores the write data and is predicted that a failure occurs at the second time being later than the first time by a predetermined failure handling time or more, and a read cache including a third storing unit that temporarily stores read data to be read from the external storage devices.
US09459994B2
Approaches for application testing are provided. An approach includes recording a test case of an application running on a mobile device. The approach also includes generating an expected layout based on object data received from the mobile device during the recording. The approach additionally includes receiving playback object data based on the test case being played back on the mobile device or a different mobile device. The approach further includes comparing the playback object data to the expected layout data.
US09459980B1
Automated methods of creating a predictive test load, using clustering to create the predictive test load from production data, for testing in a production environment. Client requests to a production system are captured and processed into production request data. The production request data undergoes a clustering analysis to determine cluster definitions. In some embodiments, the production request data is turned into vectors and the vectors undergo the clustering analysis instead of the production data. A specification may be received that specifies modifications to be made to the production data. The production request data may be processed using the cluster definitions and the specified modifications to create a predictive test load. In some embodiments, the predictive test load is played to a production system to simulate a predictive load according to a test plan. The test plan may specify the rate at which the test load is replayed.
US09459979B2
A method for detecting errors in hardware including running a transaction on a plurality of cores, wherein each of the cores runs a respective copy of the transaction, synchronizing the transaction on the cores, comparing results of the transaction on the cores, and determining an error in one or more of the cores.
US09459972B2
Various embodiments for troubleshooting a network device in a computing storage environment by a processor. In response to an error in a specific port, an alternative error recovery operation is initiated on the port by performing at least one of initiating a silent recovery operation by reloading a failed instruction, taking the port offline, cleaning up any active transactions associated with the port, performing a hardware reset operation port, and bringing the port online.
US09459968B2
The disclosed techniques include generation of a single index table when backing up data in a first backup format to a backup storage system that uses a second backup format. Using the single index table, a query for a data item can be answered by searching the single index table. The single index table avoids having to search through multiple index tables, each corresponding to a different backup format that may be used for backing up the searched data item.
US09459963B2
A technique for safely rolling back transactional memory transactions without impacting concurrent readers of the uncommitted transaction data. An updater uses a transactional memory technique to perform an data update on data that is shared with a reader. The update is implemented as a transaction in which the updated data is initially uncommitted due to the transaction being subject to roll back. The reader is allowed to perform a data read on the uncommitted data during the transaction. Upon a rollback of the transaction, reclamation of memory locations used by the uncommitted data is deferred until a grace period has elapsed after which the reader can no longer be referencing the uncommitted data.
US09459960B2
A memory system includes a link having at least one signal line and a controller. The controller includes at least one transmitter coupled to the link to transmit first data, and a first error protection generator coupled to the transmitter. The first error protection generator dynamically adds an error detection code to at least a portion of the first data. At least one receiver is coupled to the link to receive second data. A first error detection logic determines if the second data received by the controller contains at least one error and, if an error is detected, asserts a first error condition. The system includes a memory device having at least one memory device transmitter coupled to the link to transmit the second data. A second error protection generator coupled to the memory device transmitter dynamically adds an error detection code to at least a portion of the second data.
US09459958B2
A method for calculating a plurality (M) of redundancy blocks for multiple (N) data blocks of a plurality (D) of words each, the method comprises: receiving the number (M) of redundancy blocks by a calculator that comprises multiple (R) calculation units; configuring the calculator according to M and R; concurrently calculating, if M equals R, by the multiple (R) calculation units of the calculator, R sets of parity vectors, each set includes a plurality (D) of parity vectors; and calculating the plurality (M) of the redundancy blocks based on the R sets of parity vectors.
US09459943B2
An information processing device includes a plurality of components and a processor. The processor is configured to measure, upon detection of abnormalities in first components among the plurality of components, a number of abnormalities that occur in each of the first components. The processor is configured to measure an access processing value in each of the first components. The access processing value represents an amount of a predetermined feature relating to each of the first components. The processor is configured to calculate a ratio of the number of abnormalities to the access processing value in each of the first components. The processor is configured to identify a component as a fault location based on the calculated ratios.
US09459936B2
A system enabling service communications in distributed Web applications between servers otherwise inaccessible due to cross-origin security restrictions in pre-HTML5 compliant Web-browser clients. A Web-browser client executes a client-side Web application received from a source origin server having a defined source origin and requests connections to request identified Web-application services. Execution of an emulation client library establishes a bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection between the Web-browser client and a gateway server, having a target origin outside the scope of the source origin, providing access to the request identified Web-application service. The bidirectional capable HTTP-based communications connection includes a cross-origin communications bridge providing a secure communications path between the source and target origins. The gateway server can establish an HTML5 compliant connection to a target defined service, provided by a target server, having a predefined relation to the request identified Web-application service.
US09459929B2
A computer implemented method of load shedding used in stream computing system that considers the relative importance of each of the applications processing the incoming input data or events. The method of load shedding method also accounts for system physical constraints, such as memories and CPU utilization. The load shedding method first observes the workload of each application and arriving rate of the incoming input data or events. If the system is under an overloading condition, calculate a input data or event drop ratio for each application such that the projected sum of all applications' workload will be at or below the system capacity when the unprocessed input data or events are dropped according to the drop ratio for each application.
US09459914B2
A control apparatus controls execution of a job subsequent to a preceding job based on the results of executing the preceding job when executing a plurality of jobs cooperated as job cooperation. The control apparatus holds an execution result obtained by executing the preceding job; acquires the held execution result; and controls the job subsequent to the preceding job based on the acquired execution result.
US09459904B2
Systems and methods for preferentially assigning virtual machines (VMs) on a particular NUMA node with network queues on the same NUMA node are described. A load balancer process on a host assigns multiple VMs to network queues. The assignment of the VMs to a network queues is performed with a bias toward assigning VMs using a particular NUMA node to network queues on the same NUMA node. A scheduler on the host assigns VMs to NUMA nodes. The scheduler is biased toward assigning VMs to the same NUMA node as the PNIC and/or the same NUMA node as a network queue assigned to the VM.
US09459899B2
Provided are an apparatus and method for providing services using a virtual operating system (OS). The apparatus classifies virtual resources into a plurality of mutually exclusive regions and manages the virtual resources based on the provides services regions. The plurality of provides services regions include a virtual region whose resources are stored in and used on an external storage, and an overlay region whose resources refer to host resources. The apparatus uses the region information for virtual resources and a list of resources accessed for each application process to manage the virtual resources.
US09459898B2
Each of hypervisors operates on one of physical servers, and a virtual server operates in accordance with a file image on one of data stores. A management server, when being instructed to execute a task that is configured by a series of steps for a hypervisor on the physical server, gives an instruction for changing the execution place of a step to a temporary execution place and executing the task in a case where there is no restriction on the execution place of the step and instructs a default hypervisor to execute the task in a case where there is a restriction on the execution place of the step.
US09459895B2
In a computer system running at least a first virtual machine (VM) and a second VM on virtualization software, a computer implemented method for the second VM to provide quasi-lockstep fault tolerance for the first VM. The method includes enabling operations of the second VM to diverge from being in lockstep with operations with the first VM without resynchronizing the second VM with the first VM, if output of the second VM is not diverging from output of the first VM. The output of the second VM is compared with the output of the first VM to determine whether the output of the second VM has diverged from the output of the first VM. In response to a determination that the output of the second VM has diverged from the output of the first VM, a resynchronization of the second VM is executed.
US09459894B2
A method and structure for dynamic memory re-allocation for an application runtime environment (ARE) includes receiving, through an interface of an application runtime environment (ARE), a first set of internal operational metrics of the ARE executing at a current setting S1 on a processor of a computer. A first performance P1 of the ARE is determined at the current setting S1 using the received first set of internal operation metrics. The current setting S1 of the ARE is varied to a new setting S2. A second set of internal operational metrics of the ARE executing at the new setting S2 is received through the interface of the ARE. A second performance P2 of the ARE is determined at the new setting S2, using the received second set of internal operation metrics. A memory allocation for the ARE is re-allocated, based on the determined performances P1 and P2.
US09459892B2
A resource reservoir is provided. The resource reservoir is a pool of resources that are allocated to and shared between a plurality of reserve virtual machines. A reserve virtual machine of the plurality of reserve virtual machines corresponds to a primary virtual machine from a plurality of primary virtual machines. Each reserve virtual machine of the plurality of reserve virtual machines fulfills a resource requirement from the resource reservoir. The sum of the resources requirements of the plurality of reserve virtual machines is greater than a sum of total resources within the resource reservoir. In response to determining a decrease in performance of the primary virtual machine, at least a portion of workload of the primary virtual machine is applied to the corresponding reserve virtual machine. The resources used by the reserve virtual are indicated as unavailable to the remaining reserve virtual machines from the resource reservoir.
US09459887B2
Techniques for automated graphical user interface (GUI) creation and/or rendering are provided. Establishments are defined via items for sale and rules defining workflow processing for purchasing the items. Each establishment representing a sub hierarchy. A GUI is rendered to represent a custom hierarchy of the sub hierarchies and presented to a user. The user interacts with the GUI to select a specific establishment and perform a specific transaction with that establishment in accordance with that establishment's items for sale and rules.
US09459882B2
The monitoring circuit of a semiconductor device includes: a boot-up controller configured to generate a boot-up enable signal in response to a power-up signal and a boot-up command signal; a read-period generator configured to output a read-period signal in response to a boot-up read signal; and a monitoring unit configured to output the read-period signal to an external output terminal during activation of the boot-up enable signal to allow the read-period signal to be monitored.
US09459874B2
In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for directly communicating between an accelerator and an instruction sequencer coupled thereto, where the accelerator is a heterogeneous resource with respect to the instruction sequencer. An interface may be used to provide the communication between these resources. Via such a communication mechanism a user-level application may directly communicate with the accelerator without operating system support. Further, the instruction sequencer and the accelerator may perform operations in parallel. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09459870B2
A data processor includes: a plurality of controllers that process data; a program memory that stores a standby instruction and a data processing instruction at a plurality of addresses respectively; and a queue that stores different execution start addresses for the plurality of controllers, wherein after the plurality of controllers sequentially access the queue, the plurality of controllers acquire the different execution start addresses from the queue in an order of the sequential access, start execution of instructions from the acquired different execution start addresses in the program memory, and execute the data processing instruction and execute the standby instruction the number of times different for each of the controllers.
US09459869B2
Instructions may require one or more operands to be executed, which may be provided from a register file. In the context of a GPU, however, a register file may be a relatively large structure, and reading from the register file may be energy and/or time intensive An operand cache may store a subset of operands, and may use less power and have quicker access times than the register file. In some embodiments, intelligent operand prefetching may speed execution by reducing memory bank conflicts (e.g., conflicts within a register file containing multiple memory banks). An unused operand slot for another instruction (e.g., an instruction that does not require a maximum number of source operands allowed by an instruction set architecture) may be used to prefetch an operand for another instruction in one embodiment. Prefetched operands may be stored in an operand cache, and prefetching may occur based on software-provided information.
US09459856B2
A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for performing a system upgrade. Responsive to receiving selection of one or more virtual machines to upgrade with an upgrade package, the mechanism identifies a plurality of upgrade phases. The mechanism configures the plurality of upgrade phases and generates a pre-upgrade snapshot of each of the one or more virtual machines. The mechanism performs each upgrade phase in the plurality of upgrade phases to form an upgraded virtual machine and performs one or more upgrade validation tests on the upgraded virtual machine. Responsive to the one or more upgrade validation tests succeeding, the mechanism reverts back to the pre-upgrade snapshot.
US09459850B2
Clients accessing cloud computing services are allocated respective virtual machines, each client specifying defining parameters for its virtual machine(s). A just-in-time compiler executing within a client's virtual machine optimizes the executable code it generates based at least in part, on the defining parameters of the virtual machine. During execution of an application using the just-in-time compiler, the compiler is notified of changes made to the defining parameters of the virtual machine. Responsive to such notification, the just-in-time compiler thereafter optimizes compiled code it generates for execution in the virtual machine as modified.
US09459848B1
Methods and a system are provided. A method includes implementing a function, which a compiler for a first language does not have, using a compiler for a second language. The implementing step includes generating, by the compiler for the first language, a first abstract syntax tree. The implementing step further includes converting, by a converter, the first abstract syntax tree to a second abstract syntax tree of the compiler for the second language using a conversion table from data representation types in the first language to data representation types in the second language. When a compilation error occurs, the implementing step also includes generating a special node for error processing in the second abstract syntax tree and storing an error token in the special node. When unparsing, the implementing step additionally includes outputting the error token, in the form of source code written in the first language.
US09459845B2
Methods and systems for a disabled user compliant video player for an end-to-end streaming web video solution affording accessibility for disabled users, including blind users and those with partial or poor vision, colorblind users, deaf users and those limited to only keyboard/voice input. Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to systems and methods for real-time creation and modification of specialized media players, to be used as stand-alone applications or as embedded data display applications.
US09459834B2
A true random number generator (TRNG) uses sources of uncertainty found within graphics processing units (GPUs) together with signal processing techniques, for example histogram equalization, to obtain maximum entropy.
US09459830B2
The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for recovering a memory of a user plane buffer and relates to the communication field. The method and apparatus are used to recover the memory of the user plane buffer immediately and quickly. The method for recovering a memory of a user plane buffer includes: monitoring memory usage of a buffer in real time; when the memory usage of the buffer is greater than or equal to a preset threshold, releasing the memory of the buffer, where the preset threshold is smaller than a memory capacity of the buffer. The solution of the present invention is applicable to any scenario where the memory of the buffer needs to be recovered.
US09459817B2
Using the ability to print according to a template, a recording device adds value to the printed output. A printer in a recording control system stores area definition data defining areas in each of a plurality of templates composed of one or more printing areas. When a control command is received from a host computer, the printer records images in areas of a template based on the area definition data of the areas in the specified template. To record images related to a particular product with the printer, the host computer gets product information related to the product, and generates and sends a control command to convert and record information related to a specific area in the template based on the product information.
US09459812B2
Device and method for writing Discrete Fourier transform (DFT) samples in a memory in a reorder stage, the memory includes memory banks, each having a dedicated address generator. The method includes: dividing the DFT samples into R(reorder) equally sized segments, where R(reorder) is the radix value of the reorder stage of the DFT; checking whether a number of butterfly computations per cycle of a reorder stage of the DFT operation times R(reorder), denoted as P, is not larger than the number of segments; if P is larger than the number of segments: further dividing the segments or sub-segments into X equally sized sub-segments, where X is a radix value of a next stage of the DFT operation until P is not larger than the number of sub-segments; and mapping the sub-segments to the memory, each in a separate row, with an offset that includes segment offset and sub-segment offset.
US09459807B2
Methods and apparatus for providing resources for cloud storage may include accessing physical storage capacity on a device, connected to a network cloud, including a virtual primary storage disk and at least one virtual secondary storage disk having access to the physical storage capacity. In addition, the methods and apparatus may include dynamically updating the available storage capacity of the virtual secondary storage disk for network cloud storage based upon usage of the physical storage capacity by the virtual primary storage disk and the virtual secondary storage disk.
US09459804B1
A method, system, and computer program product for replication comprising allowing a subset of sites, wherein the sites comprise a first site, a second site and a third site and further wherein each site has a volume, to have active/active VSL replication, which presents two volumes at two different sites as a single volume, and another set of the sites to have a volume which is a replications of the volume presented by the VSL, and enabling the system to transparently shift which subset of the sites are replicated by the VSL and which sites are replications of the volume presented by the VSL; where the replication of the VSL is performed by a second replication technique.
US09459803B1
A virtual machine system clones a parent virtual machine on a host by creating an open virtualization format (OVF) package of the parent virtual machine, creating a metainfo file of the OVF package, sending the metainfo file to a tracker, and cloning the parent virtual machine to other hosts by accessing the tracker to determine pieces of the OVF packages are located on the host and any of the other hosts, downloading the pieces of the OVF packages to the other hosts, assembling the OVF package on the other hosts, and deploying full clones of the parent virtual machine on the other hosts from the assembled OVF package.
US09459793B2
A mobile terminal including a touchscreen configured to display a keypad including a plurality of key buttons having assigned first alphabet characters, respectively; and a controller configured to receive a first key input of a first key button of the plurality of key buttons, to display a first alphabet character corresponding to the first key input on a display portion of the mobile terminal, to predict a word that starts with the first alphabet character, to receive a second key input of the first key button after the first key input, and to display a second alphabet character included in the predicted word on the display portion based on the second key input.
US09459791B2
A method comprising of displaying a GUI object is disclosed. The method displays a first graphical user interface (GUI) object with multiple selectable GUI items. The method detects a movement of a cursor in a direction of a particular selectable GUI item. The method determines an expected location for the stopping of the cursor. The method displays, at the expected location, a second GUI object corresponding to the particular GUI item.
US09459786B2
Certain embodiments herein relate to systems and methods for sharing a user interface element based on user gestures. In one embodiment, a method can include selecting, based on a user gesture, a user interface element being displayed on an output device of the source computer. The method can further include identifying a location on the output device of the source computer to move the user interface element. The method can further include updating the output device of the source computer to display the user interface element at the identified location on the output device. The method can also include generating, in response to updating the output device, a notification indicating that the source computer is sharing the user interface element. The method can also include transmitting the notification to one or more target computers in communication with the source computer.
US09459783B2
In one aspect, a widget mechanism for zooming and panning a content item is provided. The widget mechanism includes a first region including a miniaturized and complete version the content item. The widget mechanism further includes a second region including a displayed version of the content item. The displayed version represents a portion of the content item currently displayed on a display. The widget mechanism further includes a third region including a to be displayed version of the content item. The to be displayed version represents a portion of the content item to be displayed on the display upon actuation. The second region is smaller than and within the first region when the content item is zoomed and the second region is coextensive or substantially coextensive with the first region when the content item is fully not zoomed. The third region is adjustable within the first region.
US09459781B2
Context-specific user interfaces for use with a portable multifunction device are disclosed. The methods described herein for context-specific user interfaces provide indications of time and, optionally, a variety of additional information. Further disclosed are non-transitory computer-readable storage media, systems, and devices configured to perform the methods described herein.
US09459777B2
A method and apparatus for setting a font size in a mobile terminal having a touch screen. During a font size setting mode, an area of a region where a user's finger touches the screen is detected. A font size corresponding to the detected area is determined from among preset font sizes, and the determined font size is displayed in a specific region on the touch screen. If a font size setting request to the displayed font size is received from the user, the displayed font size is stored for a subsequent display on the touch screen.
US09459770B2
A system and method for planning a pathway through an anatomical luminal network of a patient including memory storing a computer program that is configured to analyze and manipulate CT images, a processor configured to execute the computer program and a display device configured to display a user interface of the computer program. The user interface includes an airway finder window displaying a CT image including a target. The CT image is rotatable about a pre-defined axis of rotation to assist a user in identifying an airway of the anatomical luminal network.
US09459767B2
In various embodiments, systems and methods for providing tablet web visual browsing is provided. In example embodiments, a landing webpage having a plurality of categories from which a user at a mobile device may begin a non-textual navigation sequence to navigate to an item of interest is provided. A first non-textual input of the non-textual navigation sequence that indicates a selection of a category is received from the mobile device. A plurality of subcategories of the selected category and a search result having a plurality of item selections identified based on the selected category are determined. At least one further non-textual input of the non-textual navigation sequence is received that causes adjustment to a visualization of the plurality of item selections to facilitate non-textual navigation to the item of interest. The adjusted visualization of the plurality of item selections is provided for display on the mobile device.
US09459760B2
This disclosure discloses a method and device for managing a user interface. The user interface can display one of a multiple of layers, which may share one or more same icons of available application programs. Users can change the layer being displayed on the user interface through performing a simple touch gesture on the touch screen, thereby quickly finding out a set of application programs needed to use currently. Thus, users' operations are simplified.
US09459759B2
A method for displaying a contents use history and an electronic device thereof are provided. The method for displaying the use history of contents in the electronic device includes sensing a contents display event and, upon sensing the event, displaying contents and concurrently displaying in any region of the contents an icon of at least one application that has used the contents.
US09459751B2
An electrode for a touch sensitive device includes micro-wire conductors arranged to define an electrically continuous electrode trunk area, and including branching elements which extend outward from the electrode trunk area. The electrically continuous trunk area is patterned coincident an underlying reference mesh pattern, as are the branching elements.
US09459750B2
Discussed is a touch screen panel including: a substrate; a first line electrode in a mesh pattern on the substrate; a plurality of first segment electrodes disposed on the first line electrode; a second line electrode in a mesh pattern on the substrate, and disconnected in an intersection area where the second line electrode is to intersect the first line electrode; a plurality of second segment electrodes disposed on the second line electrode; and a plurality of connection electrodes that connect the disconnected second line electrode in the intersection area, wherein the first and second line electrodes reduce resistance, and the first and second segment electrodes increase effective capacitance for sensing a touch to thereby reduce an RC-delay in the touch screen panel.
US09459742B2
A method for designing a pattern of sensing channels is provided. The method is applied to a touch panel including a plurality of electrodes and a plurality of sections of sensing channels. The electrodes are connected to a plurality of sensors for the touch panel via the sections of sensing channels. According to a minimum sensing channel width, a minimum sensing channel gap, a maximum distribution width and lengths of the sections of sensing channels, a set of rules are established. According to the set of rules, a programming process is utilized to determine respective widths of the sections of sensing channels.
US09459739B2
An induction unit, a touch detecting assembly, and a touch sensitive device are provided. The touch sensitive device comprises: a substrate (100); a plurality of induction units (200) not intersecting with each other, and a detecting module (300) connected with the first electrodes (210) and the second electrodes (220) respectively. The induction unit (200) comprises a first electrode (210), a second electrode (220), a plurality of first structures (230) and a plurality of second structures (240). The plurality of first structures (230) are connected end to end via the plurality of second structures (240). The detecting module (300) is configured to apply a level signal to the first electrodes (210) and/or the second electrodes (220) to charge a self capacitor, to calculate a ratio between a first resistor and a second resistor, and to determine a touch position in a first direction and a touch position in a second direction.
US09459738B2
A touch sensor panel which has been calibrated to be insensitive to effects from an external force applied to the panel is provided. Touch sense circuitry settings are adjusted during a calibration procedure so that when a force is exerted on the device, no change in the touch signal DC level is seen. In this way, the ability of the touch sensor panel to detect touch or proximity events is not affected by a force being applied to the panel.
US09459725B2
A system for detecting and localizing at least one touch on a touch-sensitive surface of an object includes: at least two separate sources transmitting bulk acoustic waves in the touch-sensitive surface, configured to generate acoustic interference between the transmitted waves; at least one bulk acoustic wave receiver after propagation and interference thereof in the touch-sensitive surface, configured to supply a reception signal based on the acoustic waves received; a mechanism localizing at least one touch on the touch-sensitive surface of the object by comparing certain spectral characteristics of the reception signal to a set of reference spectral characteristics; a mechanism measuring a temperature of the touch-sensitive surface, and a mechanism adapting the spectral characteristics of the reception signal or the reference spectral characteristics by a frequency shift of at least some of the spectral characteristics as a function of the temperature measured.
US09459717B2
An in-cell touch display device. A panel has a plurality of data lines, a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of touch electrodes disposed thereon. A touch driving signal is applied to the plurality of touch electrodes when a driving mode is a touch mode. A data driver drives the plurality of data lines. A gate driver drives the plurality of gate lines. The gate driver sequentially outputs a scanning signal for driving the plurality of gate lines to the plurality of gate lines when the driving mode is a display mode, and outputs a load-free driving signal corresponding to the touch driving signal to at least one gate line when the driving mode is the touch mode. A level shifter generates the load-free driving signal. A multiplexer inputs a scanning voltage or the load-free driving signal to the gate driver depending on the driving mode.
US09459713B2
An electronic device includes: a touch screen panel; a support structure having a first support member and a second support member, the first support member and the second support member being in contact with touch screen panel to support the touch screen panel at a periphery of the touch screen panel; a base being in contact with the support structure to support the touch screen panel via the support structure; and a vibration mechanism for vibrating the touch screen panel, the vibration mechanism being provided near the periphery of the touch screen panel so as to be closer to the first support member than to the second support member. The first support member has a rigidity which is greater than a rigidity of the second support member.
US09459712B2
A detection device includes a first substrate that has a plurality of pressure sensors disposed around a reference point, and a second substrate on which disposed an elastic projection whose center is positioned in a position overlapping with the reference point and that elastically deforms due to the external force in a state in which the tip portion of the elastic projection makes contact with the first substrate. When an external force has been applied, the direction and intensity of the applied external force is found by carrying out a predetermined calculation using pressure values detected by the pressure sensors.
US09459706B2
In an AR device, when display control of additional information is performed for an object, a display device acquires a picture including an object in real space. An pointing device outputs, when pointing the object in real space by an operation of a user, information showing a feature for identifying the pointed object. A control device analyzes the picture by the display device and identifies objects in the picture. The control device outputs position information in the picture for the identified object. The control device outputs position information in the picture for the pointed object based on the outputted information from the pointing device. The control device extracts additional information of a target object from an additional information group of objects in real space. The control device performs display control of the additional information based on the calculated position information. The display device displays the additional information.
US09459704B2
A method provides a user interface in a mobile device having a touch screen. The method includes detecting a touch region from the touch screen, and determining whether the detected touch region satisfies at least one of a first condition of exceeding a predetermined area, a second condition of exceeding a predetermined time, and a third condition of exceeding a predetermined pressure. The method further includes displaying a pointer at a specific location of the touch screen when the detected touch region satisfies at least one of the first, second and third conditions, detecting a movement of the touch region, and moving the pointer in response to the movement of the touch region.
US09459703B2
A character input device includes: a terminal control unit that accepts information on a character candidate being a candidate of an input confirmed character, and performs a displaying process of the character candidate, and generates a guide image whose image varies in accordance with a remaining time until an input confirmation of the character candidate; and a display unit that displays the character candidate and the guide image. By displaying the guide image that varies in accordance with the remaining time before the input character is confirmed, how long it takes until the character is confirmed, or whether the character has already been confirmed is reported to the user, so as to avoid an unintended manipulation of the user.
US09459693B2
Embodiments include an article of manufacture, apparatus, device, system, computer-program product, and method. In an embodiment, system is provided that includes at least two machine-differentiatable identifiers, each identifier of the at least two machine-differentiatable identifiers being respectively keyed to a data recipient and associatable with a hand-formed mark on a surface. The system also includes a commonly accepted meaning respectively associated by a group of users with each machine-differentiatable identifier of the at least two machine-differentiatable identifiers. The system may include a surface displaying the at least two machine-differentiatable identifiers. The system may include a surface displaying the at least two machine-differentiatable identifiers and the commonly accepted meaning respectively associated by a group of users with each machine-differentiatable identifier of the at least two machine-differentiatable identifiers.
US09459687B2
A storage system includes a host and a storage device. The storage device includes a device controller and a device interface. The device controller is configured to generate interface idle time information in response to a command received from a host, the interface idle time information being determined based on an estimated time to execute at least one operation at the memory storage device. The device interface is configured to output the interface idle time information to the host.
US09459685B1
A system for optimizing energy efficiency of an embedded system. A hardware abstraction layer (HAL) is coupled to hardware of an embedded system. An energy hardware abstraction layer (eHAL) couples to the hardware and to the HAL. A hypervisor couples to the HAL and to the eHAL. One or more applications couple to the hypervisor, the HAL and the eHAL. The eHAL measures energy use of the embedded system, constructs a model of energy use of the embedded system and, using the model, determines how to one of reduce and minimize energy use of the embedded system. The hypervisor is configured to alter one or more hardware parameters to one of reduce and minimize energy use of the embedded system as the embedded system performs one or more tasks. In implementations a real time operating system (RTOS) is coupled to the one or more applications and to the hypervisor.
US09459684B2
For one disclosed embodiment, data corresponding to an idle duration for one or more downstream devices may be received. Power may be managed based at least in part on the received data. Other embodiments are also disclosed.
US09459671B2
A control system for use in adapting the operation of a gas turbine is provided. The control system is configured to be coupled to at least one component of the gas turbine. The gas turbine is coupled to a power grid having a standardized frequency. The control system includes a processor and a memory coupled to the processor. The memory includes processor-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the control system to store a status of the at least one component of the gas turbine and generate and store a first operating setting for the at least one component. The first operating setting corresponds to a first frequency of the power grid that is less than the standardized frequency.
US09459662B2
An apparatus and method move a bumper from a recessed position to a projecting position in response to pivoting of a display panel.
US09459659B2
A multi-port mini computer includes a main housing and an adapting stage. The main housing comprises a first male connector, a microprocessor, a wireless network unit, an antenna, a second first male connector and a first casing enclosing above elements. The adapting stage comprises a second female, a third male connector, and a second casing enclosing above elements. The first casing has a sliding rail on outer face thereof and the second casing has a connection member on outer face thereof. The adapting stage is assembled to the main housing by connecting the connection member into the sliding rail. The first male connector, the second male connector and the third male connector are different kinds of male connectors, the second female connector is corresponding to the second male connector.
US09459657B2
A portable computing device docking apparatus includes an input unit to input a user command, a mounting unit disposed on one side of the input unit, into which one end portion of a portable computing device is separately inserted, and a hinge unit to interconnect the input unit and the mounting unit, and selectively lock and release the portable computing device according to an angle formed by the portable computing device mounted on the mounting unit and the input unit.
US09459656B2
Disclosed are devices which include flexible display sheets or other flexible elements, whereas by physically manipulating said flexible display sheets or elements, interaction with said device may be facilitated. Flexibility features may be employed to provide methods of interaction which include manipulating flexible section. Some of said methods of interaction are disclosed. Further disclosed are units which can connect to flexible display sheets, for interacting with said flexible display sheets.
US09459652B1
A virtual clock switch permits accurate transfer of reference time from a variety of different time sources, transforms the reference time representation into one of a collection of different formats, and makes the reference time available to guest operating system instances running as virtual machines. As a result, reference time accuracy is increased, security improved, and the opportunity for providing redundancy in the event of hardware or software failures. Also, the ability to morph time formats allows the concept to be applied to guest virtual machines without the need to modify the guest operating system.
US09459638B2
An internal voltage generation circuit includes a bulk voltage generator and an internal voltage driver. The A bulk voltage generator is configured to output any one of a power supply voltage signal and a core voltage signal as a first bulk voltage signal and any one of a ground voltage signal and a low voltage signal as a second bulk voltage signal. An internal voltage driver receives the first and second bulk voltage signals to pull down an internal voltage signal when a level of the internal voltage signal is higher than a level of an upper limit reference voltage signal and to pull up the internal voltage signal when a level of the internal voltage signal is lower than a level of a lower limit reference voltage signal.
US09459633B2
A thermal workload distribution controller receives, for each of multiple thermal controlled areas, at least one current thermal measurement from at least one separate thermostat node. The thermal workload distribution controller selects a particular thermal controlled area from among the multiple thermal controlled areas that is most optimal to receive additional heat based on the at least one current thermal measurement received for each of the thermal controlled areas. The thermal workload distribution controller distributes at least one workload to a server node associated with the particular thermal controlled area, wherein the heat dissipated by the server from executing the workload affects a thermal environment of the particular thermal controlled area.
US09459631B2
A pressure regulator seat assembly is disclosed. In a particular embodiment, the assembly includes a chamber, a tapered flange projecting from an upstream edge of the chamber into a flow path of the assembly, where a proximate end of the flange attached to the chamber is tapered continuously to its distal end into the flow path. In addition, the assembly includes a throttling stem seat disposed on a lower surface of the flange and a plurality of support ribs adapted to support the flange, where the plurality of ribs is spaced about one half side of the chamber. The assembly may also include a complementary base adapted to mount to the chamber about a downstream edge of the chamber to form the assembly.
US09459630B2
A system and method for controlling a remote valve includes temporarily driving or activating a battery-powered pilot valve assembly to place an operatively coupled output valve assembly in a switch position. A processor energizes a bistable valve of the pilot valve assembly to enable a fluid supply to drive the output valve assembly to a desired switch position, whereupon the pilot valve assembly may be de-energized and the switch position of the output valve assembly maintained.
US09459626B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses are disclosed for identifying road signs along a roadway segment from vehicle probe data. Probe data is received from vehicle sensors at a road segment, wherein the probe data includes observed static objects along the road segment. Road signs are identified within the observed static objects of the probe data using a logistic regression algorithm. The geographic location of the identified road signs are determined using a linear regression algorithm.
US09459622B2
A method, device, and system of a driverless automobile commerce network and community is disclosed. Disclosed are methods and a system of associating a unique identifier associated with a driverless vehicle (DV) with an automobile sharing server, periodically analyzing a location of the DV based on a geospatial data associated with the location of the DV, and declaring a non-transitory location of the DV based on a predictable behavior algorithm. An owner of the DV is permitted to list the DV on an automobile sharing network. The methods and system comprise processing a payment of a renter of the DV in a threshold radial distance from the DV when the DV is at the non-transitory location for a predictably available period of time and crediting a financial account of the owner of the DV with the payment of the renter in the threshold radial distance from the DV when the DV is at the non-transitory location for the predictably available period of time.
US09459618B2
An instrument controlling device includes an instrument information storing portion that stores instrument information, a receiving portion that receives an alert event, a first evaluating portion that evaluates whether an address of an instrument that produced the alert event matches any of the addresses in the instrument information that is stored if the alert event is an installation event, a second evaluating portion that evaluate whether instrument identifying information of device information matches identifying information of the alert event if the address matched, a selection requesting portion that requests, from an administrator, a selection as to whether or not to update the instrument information using the instrument identifying information of the alert event if the instrument identifying information does not match, and an updating portion that updates the instrument information using the instrument identifying information of the alert event if a selected instruction is an updating instruction.
US09459611B2
A wire electric discharge machine is configured to machine a workpiece by computing an electric current at the machining time before starting a main machining and compensating a power source voltage for machining. The wire electric discharge machine measures an average electric current and an electric discharge frequency at the machining time, in a measuring section in an approach before the main machining, and computes a peak current at the machining time. Further, an electric voltage of a machining power source is compensated by comparing the computed peak current at the machining, with a reference peak current.
US09459609B2
An actuator monitoring circuit 1 which is mounted in an airplane and monitors an actuator 30 having a piston (output portion) calculates the moving distance of the piston, and outputs, when the moving distance exceeds a predetermined threshold, an approaching notification signal 78s and a progression notification signal 79s to notify the excess over the threshold.
US09459608B2
A system includes a first control system configured to operate at a first clock speed, a second control system configured to provide an output to the first control system and configured to operate at a second clock speed different from the first clock speed, and a synchronization module operatively connecting the first control module to the second control module and configured to synchronize the first control system and the second control system such that the output of the second control system is timed to synchronize with the first clock speed.
US09459606B2
A management unit including: a demand plan generating unit that obtains control information items related to energy consuming appliances; an obtaining unit that obtains picture data items showing the appliances; a memory which stores the picture data items obtained by the obtaining unit; a selecting unit which selects a picture data item from selection candidates including the picture data items stored in the memory, based on a specified control mode; a processor that executes processing for superimposing the control information items corresponding to the appliances in the picture data item selected by the selecting unit; and an output unit which displays the picture data item with the superimposed control information item.
US09459604B2
One embodiment is directed to a method for joining a smart energy device to a ZigBee network. The method includes sending, from a ZigBee gateway to a database server, a first extended unique identifier (EUI) for the ZigBee gateway. The also method includes receiving a request from a first smart energy device to join the ZigBee gateway, the request including a second EUI corresponding to the first smart energy device. The second EUI from the first smart energy device is compared with the first one or more EUIs received from the database server. If the second EUI from the first smart energy device matches any of the first one or more EUIs, an install code or link key corresponding to the matched one of the first one or more EUIs is sent to the first smart energy device. Otherwise, an install code is requested from the user.
US09459602B2
An electronic operator interface based controller and device automatic downloads are provided. An electronic operator interface can determine if control logic or content used by an industrial controller has been updated, changed, or otherwise modified. If the content has been modified, then the electronic operator interface can automatically obtain the content and store a back-up copy in memory. Additionally or alternatively, the electronic operator interface can periodically update a backup copy of the content. Furthermore, the electronic operator interface can determine if the controller has lost its content, and restore the content from the most recent version saved in memory.
US09459601B2
An improved occupancy detection and load management system wherein a plurality of scout sensors and their surrogates may be networked to a master controller to control the load of a designated control zone. When occupancy is detected by an actual sensor or a sensor surrogate, scout sensors report only that event and each event, regardless of source, has the potential to initiate or sustain the occupied state of the master controller. As a zone becomes unoccupied, event reports stop being sent allowing the master controller to time out and exit its occupied state. Loss or addition of scout sensors does not affect operation as the master does not track individual sensors which additionally allows event reports to be created and sent by plurality of sources including momentary contact buttons, user controls, personal computers, and other building automation systems like fire alarms, security, and access control.
US09459580B2
An imaging apparatus including an imaging system and an optical sensor for detecting a print medium within a paper path. The optical sensor may include at least one light emitter and at least one light detector. The light detector is configured to output two or more light intensities sequentially onto the paper path, which reflects from the paper path or transmits directly onto the optical sensor. Data indicating an amount of light received by the at least one light detector is received by the controller, which performs data analysis to determine the presence or absence of a print medium in the paper path.
US09459579B2
An image forming apparatus includes: a measuring unit configured to measure a plurality of measurement images, the plurality of measurement images including a first measurement image and second measurement images; a generation unit configured to generate a conversion condition based on second measurement data corresponding to the second measurement images; a first determination unit configured to determine an execution condition based on first measurement data corresponding to the first measurement image; and a second determination unit configured to determine a light intensity based on the first measurement data. A subsequent timing when the plurality of measurement images are to be formed is determined based on the execution condition, and an exposure unit updates the set light intensity to the light intensity determined by the second determination unit when the plurality of measurement images are formed at the subsequent timing.
US09459575B2
An image forming apparatus including a control device configured to predict, before printing a print job, whether or not a temperature of developer carried on a developing roller during the printing of the print job, in which the developing roller is rotated at a predetermined rotational speed, becomes equal to or higher than a first predetermined value by using a temperature detected by a temperature detector, rotate the developing roller at the predetermined rotational speed in a case where the predicted temperature does not become equal to or higher than the first predetermined value, and rotate the developing roller at a low speed lower than the predetermined rotational speed from a start to an end of the printing of the print job in a case where the predicted temperature becomes equal to or higher than the first predetermined value.
US09459567B2
A fixing device that fixes a toner image carried on a transfer sheet onto the transfer sheet includes a fixing belt that relatively moves, with its surface being in contact with the toner image during the fixing operation, with respect to the transfer sheet, surface information detecting devices that determine surface information of the fixing belt, a surface condition changing roller that is arranged so as to be capable of coming into contact with and separating from the fixing belt and abrades the surface of the fixing belt in contact with the fixing belt, and a surface condition changing controller that controls the contact and separation of the surface condition changing roller with and from the fixing belt based on detection results obtained by the surface information detecting devices.
US09459565B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image bearer; a transfer rotator to contact the image bearer to form a transfer nip therebetween; a bias application device to apply, to the transfer rotator, a transfer bias, a cleaning bias to remove toner adhering to the transfer rotator, and a non-image area bias smaller in absolute value than the cleaning bias; and a controller to control the bias application device and set a sheet feeding interval according to a predetermined condition. When the sheet feeding interval exceeds a predetermined threshold, the controller causes the bias application device to apply, to the transfer rotator, the non-image area bias for an application time Z and the cleaning bias for a time X−Z within the sheet feeding interval when X represents the sheet feeding interval, and the application time Z is increased as the sheet feeding interval is increased.
US09459558B1
Provided is a developing device including a container that accommodates a developer, a developer holding member that develops the electrostatic latent image on the image holding member by delivering the developer to a position facing the image holding member, while rotating, a first transport member that extends in a direction of a rotary shaft of the developer holding member, and that transports the developer inside the container in a first direction, and a pushing-back member that pushes back the developer transported in the first direction by the first transport member in a direction opposite to the first direction, and that allows an amount of the developer beyond pushing-back capacity within the developer transported in the first direction, to exit from the container, wherein the container includes a control wall that controls passage of the developer.
US09459548B2
A resin in a liquid developer contains a first resin which is a urethane-modified polyester resin resulting from increase in chain length of a component derived from a polyester resin by a compound containing an isocyanate group and a second resin. The first resin is contained by not lower than 70 mass % with respect to a total of the first resin and the second resin. The component derived from the polyester resin includes a constitutional unit derived from an acid component and a constitutional unit derived from an alcohol component. A ratio of a constitutional unit derived from an aliphatic monomer occupied in the constitutional unit derived from the acid component and the constitutional unit derived from the alcohol component is not lower than 80 mass %. Relation of 2.3≦Mw/Mn≦4 (10000≦Mn≦50000) is satisfied.
US09459536B1
A method for lithography patterning includes providing a substrate; forming a material layer over the substrate; exposing a portion of the material layer to a radiation; and removing an unexposed portion of the material layer in a developer, resulting in a patterned material layer. The developer has a Log P value greater than 1.82 and contains an organic solvent. In an embodiment, the organic solvent is an n-butyl acetate derivative that is represented by the formula CH3R5CHR4CHR3CHR2COOCH2R1, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, and R5 are each selected from a group consisting of hydrogen, a methyl group, an ethyl group, and a fluoroalkyl group.
US09459534B2
Provided are photoresist overcoat compositions, substrates coated with the overcoat compositions and methods of forming electronic devices by a negative tone development process. The compositions, coated substrates and methods find particular applicability in the manufacture of semiconductor devices.
US09459528B2
A negative tone resist composition for solvent developing including: a base component (A) which exhibits decreased solubility in an organic solvent under the action of acid; a photodecomposable quencher (D0) which generates acid having a pKa of 2.0 or more; and a fluorine additive (F) containing a fluorine-containing polymeric compound (f) which has a structural unit (f0-1) represented by general formula (f0-1) shown below or a structural unit (f0-2) represented by general formula (f0-2) shown below. In the formulae, R represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms or a halogenated alkyl group of 1 to 5 carbon atoms; and Rf1 represents an aliphatic hydrocarbon group containing a fluorine atom.
US09459502B2
According to one embodiment, liquid crystal display device includes an array substrate, a counter substrate, and a liquid crystal layer. The array substrate includes a plurality of pixel electrodes, a plurality of gate lines, a plurality of source lines, a plurality of switching elements, and a plurality of light shielding layers. Each of the light shielding layers extends to cross, among the source lines, even-numbered source lines arranged in the direction of the extension of the gate lines.
US09459491B2
A display device includes a display panel and a polarization conversion panel facing the display panel. The polarization conversion panel includes: an insulation substrate; an absorptive polarizer positioned on the insulation substrate; a first electrode positioned on the absorptive polarizer; a passivation layer formed on the first electrode while being spaced apart therefrom a microcavity interposed between the passivation layer and the first electrode, the passivation layer an injection hole; an overcoat formed on the passivation layer to cover the injection hole and seal the microcavity; a second electrode positioned on the overcoat; a reflective polarizer positioned on the second electrode; and a liquid crystal layer positioned in the microcavity.
US09459480B2
Provided is a display device that includes: a substrate on which a gate line, a data line, and a thin film transistor are positioned; an insulating layer positioned on the thin film transistor; a pixel electrode positioned on the insulating layer and connected to the thin film transistor; a roof layer that overlaps the substrate; a common electrode that includes a first portion and a second portion; a liquid crystal layer positioned in a microcavity that overlaps with the pixel electrode; and a separating member that is positioned on the insulating layer and overlaps the data line lengthwise. The first portion of the common electrode is positioned between the microcavity and the roof layer, and the second portion of the common electrode is positioned between the separating member and the roof layer.
US09459466B2
The eyewear temple has a temple body and a resilient assembly. The resilient assembly is mounted in the chamber of the temple body and has a guide member and a connecting rod. The guide member has a recess, a shaft hole, an opening and a through hole. The recess is axially formed in the guide member. The shaft hole is radially formed through the guide member. The opening is formed on a front surface of the guide member. The through hole is formed in a rear surface of the guide member. The connecting rod is easy to be directly inserted through the opening and the recess of the guide member, and is connected to the temple body. Therefore, the resilient assembly is easy to be assembled on the temple body, and the combination strength between the temple body and the connecting rod is easy to be adjusted.
US09459463B2
Disclosed embodiments include stereoscopic systems having at least one compensator operable to reduce the sensitivity of polarization control over incidence angle of image source optics and analyzer optics. In an exemplary embodiment, the disclosed compensator is operable to compensate polarization changes induced by optics at either or both the image source subsystem and the analyzer subsystem, in which the polarization changes would be operable to cause leakage at the analyzer subsystem if uncompensated. As such, the disclosed compensators and compensation techniques are operable to reduce leakage at the analyzer subsystem even if the disclosed compensator may be located at the analyzer subsystem.
US09459461B2
A directional backlight is disclosed. The directional backlight has a plurality of light sources to generate a plurality of input planar lightbeams. The plurality of input planar lightbeams illuminates a directional backplane that has a plurality of directional pixels to scatter the plurality of input planar lightbeams into a plurality of directional lightbeams. Each directional lightbeam has a direction and angular spread controlled by characteristics of a directional pixel in the plurality of directional pixels. The directional backlight can be used to generate a 3D image by specifying the characteristics of the directional pixels in the directional backplane.
US09459458B2
The invention generally provides a transparent projection screen material with sound dampening properties and methods for using a screen to manipulate light and sound. Methods and materials of the invention can improve live sound and sound recordings by inhibiting ambient sound from reaching listeners or microphones and reducing feedback.
US09459448B2
A beam scanning type display apparatus includes a reflection angle variable mirror that scans a beam light, at least two light detectors disposed at a predetermined distance in a beam scanning direction of the mirror that detects a light amount of screen reflection light, a distortion correction calculation unit that obtains a drive correction value of the mirror by calculating an irradiation distance and a screen inclination, from a light amount of a reflection light detected by the light detectors at two different scanning timings and an inclination angle of the mirror at this time, and a mirror driving unit that controls an inclination angle of the mirror by the drive correction value. A drive correction value of the mirror driving unit is obtained at a plurality of timings of a scanning period of beam light, and beam light is scanned at the corrected inclination angle of the mirror.
US09459441B2
A long-range optical apparatus, particularly a binocular having two tubes for accommodating long-range optical devices, includes a first folding bridge, a second folding bridge, and preferably a third folding bridge. The folding bridges are pivotably arranged between the tubes of the long-range optical device and each include a first and a second bridge element associated with each other and pivotable relative to each other. At least one folding bridge has a fit that prevents mechanical contact of the bridge elements to each other at least in regions of the pivoting range of the bridge elements.
US09459434B2
A zoom lens includes a first lens group with a diffraction optical element and having positive refractive power, a second lens group having negative refractive power, a third lens group having negative refractive power, and a fourth lens group having positive refractive power, which are sequentially arranged from an object side to an image side. The second lens group and the third lens group are moved in accordance with zooming between a wide angle end and a telephoto end such that the second lens group is positioned to the object-most side at the wide angle end, and the third lens group is positioned to the image-most side at the telephoto end. At least one of the second lens group and the third lens group includes a negative lens satisfying the conditional expressions: 1.50
US09459423B2
A fire resistant optical communication cable is provided. The fire-resistant optical communication cable includes an extruded cable body including an inner surface defining a passage in the cable body and an outer surface. The fire-resistant optical communication cable includes a plurality of elongate optical transmission elements located within the passage of the cable body. The fire-resistant optical communication cable includes a layer of intumescent particles embedded in the material of the cable body forming an intumescent layer within the cable body. The cable may include one or more elements having flame resistant coatings that, upon exposure to heat, form a ceramic layer increasing the combustion time of the coated element.
US09459422B2
A fiber optic cable includes a jacket forming a cavity therein, a stack of fiber optic ribbons located in the cavity, and a strength member embedded in the jacket. The jacket forms a ridge extending into the cavity lengthwise along the fiber optic cable. The ribbon stack is spiraled through the cavity such that corners of the ribbon stack pass by the ridge at intermittent locations along the length of the cable, where interactions between the ridge and the corners of the ribbon stack facilitate coupling of the ribbon stack to the jacket.
US09459421B2
Described are cable designs adapted for aerial installations wherein the cable comprises a bundle of multifiber tight buffer encasement units, with a conformal thin skin containment layer surrounding the bundle. The multifiber tight buffer encasement units have an acrylate compliant inner layer that protects the fiber and minimizes stress transfer to the fiber; and a hard, tough acrylate outer layer that provides crush resistance. The thin skin containment layer provides cable integrity with a minimum of added size and weight. The thin skin containment layer encasement is encased in an outer protective jacket.
US09459418B2
An optical communication apparatus includes a PCB, a photoelectric unit for emitting or receiving light carrying optical signals, a calculation and control unit, and a light waveguide for transmitting optical signals. The calculation and control unit controls the photoelectric unit, processes electrical signals, calculates based on the electrical signals, and controls the photoelectric unit to emit or receive light. The light waveguide is positioned on a surface of the PCB. The calculation and control unit includes a lapping plate lapping on the surface of the PCB. The lapping plate defines an opening exposing a portion of the light waveguide. The photoelectrical unit is positioned on the lapping plate covering the opening and is optically aligned with the light waveguide through the opening.
US09459415B2
An external endoscope light source system includes light emitting diodes for providing a light output to an endoscope. The light is provided to a fiber optic cable for transmission to the endoscope. A fiber optic receives a portion of the light output and provides the output to a color sensor for sensing color values. The color values are provided to a controller that adjusts power to the various LEDs to provide a white light output. Instead of a color sensor in the light source, the light source can receive a white balance signal from a video camera provided for an endoscope. The white balance signal varies intensity of light output from each of the LEDs to obtain a white light output. The camera also provides shutter speed of a camera image sensor to the light source. The shutter speed is used to pulse or modulate the light output only when the shutter of the camera is open. By modulating the light output by the light source, the amount of heat generated by the light source is minimized.
US09459408B2
An alignment fixture is configured to receive a group of optical fibers with each of the optical fibers having a coating and a bare fiber end. The fixture includes a first end configured to permit insertion of the optical fibers into a body of the fixture and a second end configured to align the bare fiber ends of the optical fibers in a particular arrangement. The fixture includes channels extending from the first end to the second end. An insertion point of each channel is at least twice the diameter of a coating of the one of the optical fibers. An exit point of each channel is narrower than the insertion point and is configured to position the bare fiber end of the optical fiber in the particular arrangement within a desired tolerance relative to other optical fibers. The alignment fixture enables easy splice alignment and protection in the field.
US09459399B2
The present invention relates to alight-emitting panel (1) comprising: a first panel sheet (11), the first panel sheet being optically transparent; a second panel sheet (12); and a cellular support panel (10) sandwiched between the first panel sheet and the second panel sheet. The cellular support panel comprises optically transparent cell walls (13) defining a plurality of tubular channels (14) extending from the first panel sheet towards the second panel sheet. The light-emitting panel (1) further comprises a two-dimensional light-source array (15;16;24;27) comprising a plurality of light-sources (18a-b;19a-b) each being arranged to emit light into at least one of the tubular channels of the cellular support panel. Various embodiments of the present invention provide a cost-efficient light-emitting panel with advantageous light-emission and mechanical properties.
US09459397B2
An edge lit lighting device including a housing, a power circuit, a light source, and an optic. The power circuit may be carried by the housing, and adapted to form an electrical connection with an external power source. The light source may be carried by the housing and electrically connected to the power circuit. The optic may be carried by the housing and positioned in optical communication with the light source. The optic may further include a receiving surface positioned adjacent to the light source, and first and second emitting surfaces. The first emitting surface may include a plurality of features configured to redirect light defined as redirected light in a direction of the second emitting surface, the redirected light being emitted from the second emitting surface. The lighting device may further include pluralities of optics of light sources.
US09459393B2
The present invention provides a backlight module structure, which includes a backplane (1), a light guide plate (3) arranged inside the backplane (1), and at least two backlight sources (5) arranged inside the backplane (1). The backplane (1) includes a bottom board (11) and a plurality of side boards (13) perpendicularly connected to the bottom board (11). The light guide plate (3) includes at least two sub light guide plates (4) that are sequentially connected in such a way that a recess (33) is formed in a connection between two adjacent ones of the sub light guide plates (4). The recess (33) has an opening facing the bottom board (11). The bottom board (11) includes a protrusion (111) formed thereon to correspond to the recess (33). The at least two backlight sources (5) are mounted on the protrusion (111) and located between the recess (33) and the protrusion (111) so that the two backlight sources (5) emit lights respectively toward the two adjacent sub light guide plates (4). The backlight module structure suits the need for size enlarging of light guide plates and also better achieves dynamic light adjustment, reduce energy consumption, and improve optical quality.
US09459391B2
Provided is an optical Printed Circuit Board (PCB). The PCB includes: an insulation layer; an optical waveguide filled in the insulation layer; and an optical device buried in the insulation layer and disposed on the same plane as the optical waveguide.
US09459387B2
An optical filter includes first and second substrates, first and second mirrors, and first and second electrodes. The first substrate has a flat surface. The second substrate includes a first surface, a second surface and a third surface, the second surface surrounding the first surface in a plan view, the third surface surrounding the second surface in a plan view, a height of the first surface above the second surface being lower than a height of the third surface above the second surface, the first surface and the second surface facing the flat surface of the first substrate. The first mirror is disposed on the flat surface of the first substrate. The second mirror is disposed on the first surface of the second substrate, the second mirror facing the first mirror. The first electrode is disposed on the flat surface of the first substrate. The second electrode is disposed on the second surface of the second substrate, the second electrode facing the first electrode.
US09459379B2
Provided is an optical member, including: a substrate having an at least partially curved surface; a concave-convex structure at an outermost surface, the concave-convex structure being prepared by hydrothermal treatment of a layer formed by gas-phase deposition of at least one of simple aluminum and a compound containing aluminum on the substrate; and a dielectric layer formed by gas-phase deposition between the substrate and the concave-convex structure.
US09459371B1
This invention provides an improved system and method for receiving electromagnetic (EM) signals from a wellbore in spite of EM unfriendly formations by placing a cable antenna in a wellbore, drilling another wellbore nearby, and using the cable antenna downhole in the wellbore to assist in receiving signal from the transmitter in the wellbore being drilled. The EM telemetry system can include a bottom hole assembly with an EM tool for transmitting a signal positioned in a first wellbore; EM equipment provided at or near the surface; and a cable antenna coupled to the EM analyzer positioned in a second wellbore. The cable antenna does not require other downhole antenna devices for receiving EM signals and therefore is independent of other antenna devices. The cable antenna can be retrieved after drilling is completed and moved to another drilling site.
US09459366B2
Embodiments of systems and methods for storing and handling a plurality of autonomous seismic nodes are presented. The node handling and storage system may be coupled to a node deployment system that deploys and/or retrieves nodes from water from the back deck of a marine vessel. One embodiment of the node handling and storage system includes a plurality of portable containers that may be assembled in a variety of configurations based on the vessel and survey requirements. The containers are coupled to an autonomous or semi-autonomous node conveyor and/or transport system that moves the nodes between and within the containers for node cleaning, downloading, charging, servicing, and storage. The conveyor system may include a plurality of different transport devices and/or systems, such as rotatable conveyors, lateral conveyors, lift mechanisms, and elevators.
US09459351B2
An image system comprises a light source, an image sensing device, and a computing apparatus. The light source is configured to illuminate an object comprising at least one portion. The image sensing device is configured to generate a picture comprising an image. The image is produced by the object and comprises at least one part corresponding to the at least one portion of the object. The computing apparatus is configured to determine an intensity value representing the at least one part and to determine at least one distance between the at least one portion and the image sensing device using the intensity value and a dimension of the at least one part of the image.
US09459348B2
A system and method relates to a weather detection system using millimeter wave radar data. Processing electronics receives millimeter wave radar (MMWR) data and senses a presence of weather spatial extent using return strength data associated with the MMWR data. The processing electronics uses spectral width data associated with the MMWR data to assign a level to the weather in the spatial extent.
US09459347B2
An environment monitoring system for a vehicle includes at least two distance sensors for detecting distance by measuring the propagation time of detection signals. The distance sensors are each designed as a transmitting unit and receiving unit for the detection signals and, in a direct operating mode, emit detection signals, receive reflected components of the detection signals emitted by the distance sensors; and emit active measurement signals according thereto. The system also includes a control device that receives the measurement signals of the distance sensors and determines the object distance of a detected object. At least one distance sensor additionally can be operated in an indirect operating mode to detect a detection signal emitted by another distance sensor and reflected by the object and to generate an indirect measurement signal.
US09459345B2
Systems and methods for screening, where a subject walks through or in front of a passive detector (or scanning unit) to be screened for possession of unauthorized electronics devices, provide for detecting and monitoring electronics systems not authorized to be used in secure areas. By focusing a very narrow beam width antenna array, individuals can be screened who may have concealed electronics devices that can pose danger to the surroundings. There is no need for removing clothing or accessories such as a jacket or backpack, for example. The detection system may include a frequency scanned passive receiver that captures a signal from a detected electronics device, measures its strength, and identifies the device or classifies it according to a pre-determined set of categories (e.g., cellular phone, camera, or global positioning system (GPS)).
US09459337B2
Disclosed are systems, methods and devices for obtaining round trip time measurements for use in location based services. In particular implementations, a fine timing measurement request message wirelessly transmitted by a first transceiver device to a second transceiver device may permit additional processing features in computing or applying a signal round trip time measurement. Such a signal round trip time measurement may be used in positioning operations.
US09459335B2
A method for three-dimensional parallel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using an MRI system is provided. The method includes determining in-plane acceleration factors that optimize a selected criterion, such as an image quality criterion defined by maximal noise amplification in a reconstructed image. The estimated in-plane acceleration factors are used to establish a k-space sampling pattern, which is used to acquire k-space data. An image is reconstructed from the acquired k-space data using a parallel image reconstruction technique.
US09459330B2
A nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurement system for high pressure and temperature measurements on fluids is disclosed. The system has a sensor assembly that includes a sample holder having a body formed from a non-magnetic metal and defining an interior cavity for receiving a fluid sample, a frame member disposed in the interior cavity of the sample holder, an antenna coil disposed in the interior cavity about the frame member, an inlet that allows the fluid sample to enter the interior cavity, an outlet that allows for the fluid sample to be flushed from the interior cavity, and a magnet assembly having a central bore in which the sample holder is disposed. Adjacent to the sample holder are pulsed field gradient coils for performing diffusion measurements. The system further includes pulse sequencer circuitry that supplies signals to the antenna coil. When the interior cavity of the sample holder is filled with the fluid sample, the antenna coil and the frame member are at least partially submerged in the fluid sample, and the antenna coil obtains NMR measurements of the fluid sample in response to the signals. Related methods and apparatuses are also disclosed herein.
US09459325B2
Systems and methods for scanning a battery cell to identify internal faults are disclosed. In certain embodiments, a method for scanning a battery cell for faults may comprise generating an input signal across first and second charge plates disposed on each side of the battery cell. An open circuit voltage of the battery cell generated in response to the input signal may be measured. The measured open circuit voltage may be compared with a reference signal associated with a reference battery cell having no faults. Based on the comparison, a fault and/or a possible fault within the battery cell being scanned may be identified.
US09459323B2
A battery-state monitoring system capable of efficiently estimating the state and service life of each storage battery at high precision by automatically measuring or acquiring various parameters of a plurality of storage batteries constantly connected to an equipment is provided. The system monitors a state of each of a plurality of batteries connected in series and constituting an assembled battery incorporated in an equipment includes a power supply control device that detects a current flowing through each battery; and an end device that measures a temperature, a voltage, and internal resistance of each battery, the internal resistance being measured by using at least two or more kinds of frequencies, and degradation of each battery is estimated based on one or more temperature, voltage, and internal resistance.
US09459321B2
A method for measuring the voltage of a battery of an electronic device by means of a measurement device integrated to the electronic device, wherein, after the connection of the battery to the electronic device, the measurement device prevents battery charge and discharge operations during the measurement.
US09459320B2
A method for detecting a fault in an exciter circuit, suitable for use in a brushless generator, the exciter circuit including (a) an exciter armature winding, having a plurality of armatures, arranged to generate a multiphase AC signal, each armature of the plurality of armatures providing a respective sub-signal component of the multiphase AC signal, and (b) a rectifier circuit for receiving the sub-signals via the respective armatures, the rectifier circuit comprising a plurality of components arranged to rectify the sub-signals to provide a rectified output signal, wherein the method includes the steps of: acquiring a respective operational sub-value for a first characteristic of each of at least two of the respective sub-signals; deriving an operational value indicative of a relationship between the acquired respective operational sub-values; determining whether a fault has occurred in the exciter circuit on the basis of the derived operational value.
US09459317B2
A mixed mode integrated circuit, a method of providing a controllable test clock signal to a sub-circuitry of the mixed-mode integrated circuit and a method of detecting current paths causing violations of electromagnetic compatibility standards in the mixed mode integrated circuit are provided. The mixed mode integrated circuit 100 comprises in addition to a clock network 110 an integrated test clock signal generator 140 to generate test clock signals that are provided via controllable multiplexers 150, 160 to an analog and digital sub-circuitry, respectively, of the mixed-mode integrated circuit. The test clock signals are generated on basis of an input test clock signal having a controllable frequency. The clock network generates clock signals for the sub-circuitries that are used by the sub-circuitries under normal operational conditions. The controllable multiplexers provide either the test clock signal to a specific sub-circuitry or a clock signal received from the clock network.
US09459315B2
A tray for aligning semiconductor packages, a test handler using the same, a method of aligning the semiconductor packages, and a test method using the same include a tray main body comprising a plurality of package pocket portions at which a plurality of semiconductor packages are individually received and an air position-aligning unit coupled to the tray main body. The air position-aligning unit applies air having a preset pressure to the semiconductor package received at the package pocket portion. The semiconductor package is aligned at the package pocket portion.
US09459311B2
A valley inductance current polarity change in a pulse width modulated circuit charged with an inductive charge is detected by comparing respective times that a first output of the circuit charged with an inductive charge and a second output of a pulse width modulated reference circuit with no inductive charge reach an output level. Responsive thereto, control over operation of the pulse width modulated circuit charged with an inductive charge is made with respect to switching to a pulse skipping mode of operation or keeping the pulse width modulation mode of operation.
US09459306B2
Equipment including at least one plug-in unit and a body device for receiving the plug-in unit is presented. The plug-in unit includes a mechanical structure (108) enabling the plug-in unit to be locked in its operating position with respect to the body device with a fastening element (141) that can be, for example, a fastening screw. The plug-in unit further includes a sensor circuit (111) having first electrical properties when the fastening element is in the position locking the plug-in unit in the operating position and otherwise different electrical properties. The equipment includes a monitoring circuit (112) for generating a signal indicative of a difference between the prevailing electrical properties of the sensor circuit and the first electrical properties, the signal being indicative also of correctness of the installation of the plug-in unit. Thus, the correct installation of the plug-in unit can be electrically indicated and monitored.
US09459299B2
An electromagnetic chamber absorber provided improved absorption across a wideband and both lower diffuse and specular scatter and a method for constructing the same. An exemplary device can compromise a periodic arrangement of disconnected electromagnetically lossy elements where the periodicity of the lattice is adjusted to suppress all or most grating lobe scattering. Because the electromagnetically lossy elements are disconnected, scalable manufacturing approaches are enabled. The lossy elements can be easily fabricated via shaping, which includes rolling, folding and cutting resistive and/or magnetic sheet materials. The lossy elements can be repeatably placed in a periodic lattice using low density scaffolding approaches and/or other alignment mechanisms. The absorption at the lower frequency part of the electromagnetic bands (below 1-2 GHz) can be improved via the addition of parallel lossy sheets into the low-density scaffolding.
US09459297B2
An on-die capacitance measurement module (ODCMM) arranged to measure a capacitance element. The ODCMM comprises an oscillating voltage supply that outputs first and second oscillating voltage signals, the first and second oscillating voltage signals comprising differing phases, and the oscillating voltage supply component coupled to a first node of the capacitance element and arranged to provide thereto the first oscillating voltage signal, and a reference voltage component coupled to a second node of the capacitance element to provide a reference voltage signal. The ODCMM operates in a first mode, wherein the reference voltage component is arranged to provide a constant reference voltage to the second node of the capacitance element. The ODCMM is arranged to operate in a second mode, wherein the reference voltage component is arranged to provide a reference voltage signal representative of the second oscillating voltage signal output by the oscillating voltage supply component to the second node of the capacitance element.
US09459293B2
A current sensor includes: four magnetic sensor elements arranged within a plane orthogonal to a measured current, having a symmetrical magnetic characteristics curve, and adapted to convert a magnitude of a magnetic field into an electrical signal and output the electrical signal; a bridge circuit including the four magnetic sensor elements; and a bias magnetic field application member adapted to applying a bias magnetic field to the magnetic sensor elements.
US09459292B2
Aspects of the present disclosure are generally directed to techniques and apparatus for estimating a gain of a VCO in a PLL. In certain aspects, the technique includes calculating a C-V characteristic of a varactor matched to another varactor in the VCO. The technique also includes estimating the gain of the VCO based on the C-V characteristic of the varactor, a tank inductance of the VCO, and an output frequency of the VCO. Aspects of the present disclosure allow for estimating the gain of the VCO while the PLL remains in operation.
US09459290B2
An oscilloscope system includes a current probe, a processing unit and a display unit. The current probe includes a high and low gain signal paths for receiving simultaneously a signal of interest from a device under test (DUT), and to output amplified small and large current portions of the signal of interest, respectively. The processing unit receives first and second digitized data corresponding to the amplified small and large current portions output by the high and low gain signal paths, respectively, and processes the first and second digitized data for display as zoomed-in and zoomed-out waveform data, respectively. The display unit displays simultaneously a zoomed-in waveform in a first display window, based on the zoomed-in waveform data, and a zoomed-out waveform in a second display window, based on the zoomed-out waveform data, using the same time scale. The small current portion is less than a predetermined threshold.
US09459289B2
A probe card includes a frame-shaped wiring substrate having interlayer insulation layers and a wiring layer that are alternately stacked. A cavity is defined in a central portion of the wiring substrate. A first insulation layer is arranged in the cavity so that a frame-shaped clearance exists between an outer side surface of the first insulation layer and an inner side surface of the wiring substrate as viewed from above. The cavity is filled with a second insulation layer. A contact terminal projecting from a lower surface of the first insulation layer is electrically connected to the wiring layer by a conductive wire. Elasticity of the second insulation layer is smaller than elasticity of each interlayer insulation layer.
US09459287B2
The invention provides a guide plate for a probe card including a silicon substrate including a surface and a through-hole, an edge part of the through-hole, and a curved-face part. The through-hole is configured to guide a probe and includes an inner wall face. The edge part of the through-hole is constituted by the surface of the silicon substrate and the inner wall face of the through-hole. The curved-face part is formed on the edge part and formed of a silicon dioxide film.
US09459275B2
A method of sampling acceleration measurements of a wheel (10, 20, 30, 40) of a motor vehicle (1), the vehicle (1) having a tire pressure monitoring system, and being fitted with an electronic central unit (2), each of the wheels (10, 20, 30, 40) including: a wheel unit (A, B, C, D) fixed to a rim (J10, J20, J30, J40) of radius R and having at least one accelerometer, measuring the radial acceleration F1 of the wheel, and a microprocessor; the method including the measurement, for each wheel revolution, at given time intervals (Tmeasurement), of a number (N) of radial acceleration values by the radial accelerometer. The method proposes: that a minimum number (N) of acceleration measurements be fixed per wheel revolution, and that the time intervals (Tmeasurement) between two radial acceleration measurements be determined by element of the following relation: T measurement = 2 π · R F 1 N
US09459269B2
The clinical analyzer includes a cuvette carrier that is moved in a manner to provide flexible assay timing and variable incubation periods. Multiple assays having such varied incubation times can be run concurrently in random-access, avoiding timing conflicts. Fluid delivery stations are placed around the cuvette carrier in positions that are independent of assay timing. The cuvettes move in unison, in multiples of incremental steps, along a closed geometrical path. The cuvette carrier is movable variable distances in opposite directions in a single time cycle to position specific cuvettes at specific locations for delivery of sample or reagent. The direction of movement of the cuvette carrier is preferably based on a determination of the shortest distance between the cuvette and respective fluid delivery stations. However, in each time cycle there is a net progressive incremental stepwise movement of the cuvettes in a selected direction.
US09459265B2
The present invention inter alia provides a method, and use thereof, of predicting severe CVD complications such as AMI or CVD death by detecting the lipid concentrations or lipid ratios of a biological sample and comparing it to a control and has identified specific lipid markers that are more specific and sensitive in predicting these CVD complications than currently utilized clinical markers. Also provided are antibodies towards said lipids, and the use thereof for predicting, diagnosing, preventing and/or treating CVD complications. The invention additionally relates to kits comprising lipids and/or an antibody thereto, for use in the prediction and/or diagnosis of CVD complications.
US09459258B2
Illustrative embodiments of methods and apparatus for identifying one or more intact glycopeptides in a sample are disclosed. According to one illustrative embodiment, a method may comprise receiving data representing a plurality of mass spectra obtained from mass spectrometry of the sample, scoring data representing each of the plurality of mass spectra against data associated with target glycopeptides, and identifying one or more intact glycopeptides in the sample based at least in part on the scoring of the data representing each of the plurality of mass spectra.
US09459256B2
Cancers of different cellular or tissue origins express different ENOX2 cancer isoforms or combinations of isoforms and shed these proteins into the circulation. Herein are disclosed methods both for cancer detection and diagnosis of particular origin, based on the patterns and molecular weights of the isoforms which allow the identification of the cell type and or tissue of origin of the neoplasm. Relative ENOX2 amounts are proportional to tumor burden and provide a reliable measure of response to therapy and disease progression. Also provided is the amino acid sequence to which the scFv antibodies bind as the molecular basis for the specificity of the test.
US09459252B2
Methods for using focused light scattering techniques for the optical sensing of biological particles suspended in a liquid medium are disclosed. The optical sensing enables one to characterize particles size and/or distribution in a given sample. This, in turn, allows one to identify the biological particles, determine their relative particle density, detect particle shedding, and identify particle aggregation. The methods are also useful in screening and optimizing drug candidates, evaluating the efficacy and dosage levels of such drugs, and in personalized medicine applications.
US09459244B2
Various implementations of optical computing devices are described herein which include a “tuning fork” probe, “spark plug” probe, “grooved tubular” and “modular” type implementation.
US09459235B2
An integrated sensor of volatile organic gas can include a photoionization detector (PID) and one or more additional detectors such as an infrared detector, a catalytic combustion detector, or an electrochemical detector. One embodiment includes a methane detector that allows correction of the PID measurements for the interference of methane with the PID and/or allows a combination of measurements of the sensors to measure a total hydrocarbon concentration. A further sensor of non-hydrocarbon quenching gases such as carbon dioxide may also be used in correction of the PID measurements.
US09459233B2
The disclosed invention relates to an amperometric gas sensor for measuring the concentration of an analyte, comprising: a solid support; and a working electrode in contact with the solid support; wherein the analyte comprises a dopant which when in contact with the solid support increases the electrical conductivity of the solid support. A sterilization process employing the amperometric gas sensor is disclosed.
US09459229B2
The present invention relates to electrochemical sensor strips and methods of determining the concentration of an analyte in a sample or improving the performance of a concentration determination. The electrochemical sensor strips may include at most 8 μg/mm2 of a mediator. The strips, the strip reagent layer, or the methods may provide for the determination of a concentration value having at least one of a stability bias of less than ±10% after storage at 50° C. for 4 weeks when compared to a comparison strip stored at −20° C. for 4 weeks, a hematocrit bias of less than ±10% for whole blood samples including from 20 to 60% hematocrit, and an intercept to slope ratio of at most 20 mg/dL. A method of increasing the performance of a quantitative analyte determination also is provided.
US09459226B2
A contamination detection apparatus may include an optical element having an outer surface and an other surface opposing the outer surface, a first capacitor plate located on the outer surface at an outer periphery of the optical element, and a second capacitor plate located on the outer surface at the outer periphery of the optical element. The second capacitor plate is located adjacent the first capacitor plate and separated from the first capacitor by a gap to form a capacitor, whereby a contaminant is electrically detected based on the contaminant entering the gap and varying a capacitance value corresponding to the capacitor.
US09459224B1
A gas sensor includes a substrate, a heater, a dielectric layer, a sensing electrode, and a gas sensitive film. The substrate has a sensing region and a peripheral region surrounding the sensing region, and the substrate further has an opening disposed in the sensing region. The heater is disposed at least above the opening, and the heater has an electrical resistivity larger than about 6×10−8 ohm-m. The dielectric layer is disposed on the heater. The sensing electrode is disposed on the dielectric layer. The gas sensitive film is disposed on the sensing electrode.
US09459222B2
Methods described herein may be useful in the fabrication and/or screening of devices (e.g., sensors, circuits, etc.) including conductive materials. In some embodiments, a conductive material is formed on a substrate using mechanical abrasion. The methods described herein may be useful in fabricating sensors, circuits, tags for remotely-monitored sensors or human/object labeling and tracking, among other devices. In some cases, devices for determining analytes are also provided.
US09459219B2
A sample temperature control chamber is described for a benchtop X-ray machine and/or full-protection X-ray machine, which comprises (a) a first chamber part (11) and a second chamber part (12) which can be connected together and are configured so as to form a closed chamber, (b) a sample holder, (c) an integrated temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a sample (P) which is provided on the sample holder, and (d) an active cooling system for dissipating heat from the sample temperature control chamber, the active cooling system comprising a heat sink and/or a fan. A system for X-ray-based analysis of a sample, in particular for X-ray diffraction measurements, is also described.
US09459218B2
A method of identifying the material content of an object comprises: providing a radiation source and a radiation detector; irradiating a test object with radiation from the source; collecting at the detector system intensity data for radiation emergent from the test object; resolving the intensity data spectroscopically between a plural set of energy bands; numerically processing the spectroscopically resolved intensity data via the following steps: considering a material attenuation coefficient as a plural set of energy dependent polynomial equations in atomic number with a set of energy dependent coefficients across the said plural set of energy bands; determining a measured attenuation coefficient at each said energy band; calculating therefrom one or more orders of Compound Proton Number and/or effective mass thickness and/or density and for example a Compound Proton Number Set comprising plural order powers and preferably plural higher order powers of weighted compound atomic number.
US09459216B2
Method for detecting variations in gas density within a volume surrounded by a closed metal wall opaque to optical light includes a source of x-rays positioned at a selected location outside the closed metal wall. Positioning a detector outside the closed metal wall at a location suitable to detect x-rays from the source passing entirely through a portion of the volume surrounded by the closed metal wall. Providing the detector with a plurality of sensors arranged in at least one row to capture a dimensionally distributed view of detected x-rays. Coupling a processor to an output of the detector to analyze the data which can be displayed in a suitable graphical or pictorial presentation, including processing the data to correct for any beam hardening of the x-rays as they pass through the closed metal wall, to apply the Maximum Likelihood Estimation method to generate on the display a reconstructed image of the gas density, and to use Inverse Radon Transforms for deconvolution. A dopant can be added to enhance the interaction with the x-rays.
US09459211B2
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for a fast thermo-optical characterization of particles. In particular, the present invention relates to a method and a device to measure the stability of (bio)molecules, the interaction of molecules, in particular biomolecules, with, e.g. further (bio)molecules, particularly modified (bio)molecules, particles, beads, and/or the determination of the length/size (e.g. hydrodynamic radius) of individual (bio)molecules, particles, beads and/or the determination of length/size (e.g. hydrodynamic radius).
US09459209B2
If the specific gas concentration is relatively high, controller sets 0 as the modulation amplitude in a modulation amplitude controlling voltage generator for frequency modulation of laser light, controls a switching unit to select the output of a second ADC, and causes a computation unit to compute according to the direct absorption detection method to calculate the water molecule volume concentration. If the specific gas concentration is relatively low, the modulation amplitude is set to A, not 0, controls switching unit to select the output of a first ADC, which digitizes a synchronized detection signal, and causes the computation unit to compute according to the harmonic synchronous detection method to calculate the water molecule volume concentration. The concentration calculated using either of the methods is compared against a threshold value, and if decided that an accurate result cannot be obtained, the method is switched as the measurements are continuously executed.
US09459207B2
This invention enables high throughput detection of small molecule effectors of particle association, as well as quantification of association constants, stoichiometry, and conformation. “Particle” refers to any discrete particle, such as a protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, liposome, virus, synthesized polymer, nanoparticle, colloid, latex sphere, etc. Given a set of particle solutions having different concentrations, dynamic light scattering measurements are used to determine the average hydrodynamic radius, ravg, as a function of concentration. The series of ravg as a function of concentration are fitted with stoichiometric association models containing the parameters of molar mass, modeled concentrations, and modeled hydrodynamic radii of the associated complexes. In addition to the ravg value analysis, the experimental data may be fit/analyzed in alternate ways. This method may be applied to a single species that is self-associating or to multiple species that are hetero-associating. This method may also be used to characterize and quantify the association between a modulator and the associating species.
US09459202B2
A collision-computing system detects and amplifies the energy associated with a feature signal to determine occurrences or absence of events, such as ultrasonic and/or geophysical events, or to determine presence and/or concentrations of substances such as blood glucose, toxic chemicals, etc., in a noisy, high-clutter environment or sample. To this end, a conditioned feature, obtained by modulating a carrier kernel with a feature signal, is collided with a Zyoton—a waveform that without a collision can travel substantially unperturbed in a propagation medium over a specified distance. The conditioned feature and the Zyoton are particularly constructed to be co-dependent in terms of their respective dispersion velocities and the divergence of a waveform resulting from the collision. The collision operation can transfer at least a portion of the feature energy to the resulting waveform, and the transferred energy can be amplified in successive collisions for detecting/measuring events/substances.
US09459199B2
A humidity sensor and filter assembly are housed within a cylindrical barrel that is positioned in a process gas stream such as combustion flue gas. A portion of sample flue gas is conducted through the barrel and the filter assembly past the sensor located inside the filter so that accurate humidity measurements can be taken. Unwanted flue gas particulate matter accumulated on the outside surface of the filter is ejected by pulsed purge gas admitted into the filter to reverse the flow through the filter. In one embodiment a heat exchange chamber preheats the purge gas. In another embodiment the pulsed purge is supplied by a reciprocal piston contiguous with the internal volume of the filter that reverses the flow through the filter using the process gas.
US09459190B2
A method for predicting a quantity of a contaminant in a fuel tank at the end of a time period, the method comprising the steps of: determining a quantity of the contaminant in the fuel tank at the start of the time period; determining at least one operating condition of the fuel tank during the time period; using information relating to the at least one operating condition of the fuel tank to generate a predicted quantity of the contaminant accumulated in the fuel tank during the time period; and calculating, based upon the quantity of the contaminant at the start of the time period and the predicted quantity of the contaminant accumulated during the time period, a predicted quantity of the contaminant at the end of a time period.
US09459187B2
Disclosed are collection devices for collecting and stabilizing whole blood or a component thereof, which include a first end and a second end and at least one interior wall defining a reservoir, wherein the reservoir contains a stabilization agent that includes a lysophospholipase (LysoPLA) inhibitor. Also disclosed are methods for making and using the devices.
US09459176B2
Embodiments of the present general inventive concept provide a voice controlled vibration data analyzer system, including a vibration sensor to detect vibration data from a machine-under-test, a data acquisition unit to receive the vibration data from the vibration sensor, and a control unit having a user interface to receive manual and audio input from a user, and to communicate information relating to the machine-under-test, the control unit executing commands in response to the manual or audio input to control the data acquisition unit and/or user interface to output an audio or visual message relating to a navigation path of multiple machines to be tested, to collect and process the vibration data, and to receive manual or audio physical observations from the user to characterize collected vibration data.
US09459172B2
A diaphragm piezoresistive pressure sensor includes: a base member; a diaphragm including a middle portion and a surrounding portion surrounding the middle portion; a spacer disposed between and cooperating with the base member and the diaphragm to define a cavity thereamong; an inner abutment member disposed in the cavity and spaced apart from the base member by a clearance; and a piezoresistive sensor unit embedded in the diaphragm. The spacer surrounds and is spaced apart from the inner abutment member. At least one of the inner abutment member and the middle portion of the diaphragm defines a chamber therebetween.
US09459163B2
Methods, structures, devices and systems are disclosed for implementing a fiber optic force sensing transducer. In one aspect, an exemplary fiber optic force sensing transducer device includes an optical fiber coated by at least one layer of a polyelectrolyte material that utilizes the movement of optical structures coupled to the external polyelectrolyte layer in an evanescent field produced by the optical fiber to detect forces imposing on the fiber. In one aspect, an optical sensing device includes an optical waveguide that internally guides light, one or more layers formed outside the optical waveguide within an evanescent field of the guided light in the optical waveguide, and one or more optical structures coupled to the one or more layers in the evanescent field to emit light based on interaction with the evanescent field to indicate a position of an optical structure relative to an external surface of the optical waveguide.
US09459154B2
An apparatus, method and thin-film structure for producing a blackbody spectrum is disclosed. A first layer of the apparatus is configured to generate heat in response to an applied voltage. A second layer is configured to emit the blackbody radiation spectrum in response to the heat from the first layer. A thermal spreading layer is disposed between the first layer and the second layer. The thermal spreading layer includes a graphene sheet for reducing a spatial variation of the heat in a plane of the thermal spreading layer.
US09459152B1
Measuring the polarimetric response of an optical instrument includes the steps of: emitting light along an optical axis; receiving the light through first and second polarizers; and detecting the light received through the first and second polarizers, using a filter and a detector. A first set of measurements is obtained by measuring the intensity of light received through the first and second polarizers. A second set of measurements is obtained by placing an optical instrument along the optical axis in lieu of the filter and detector; and measuring the intensity of light received through the first polarizer, after the second polarizer has been removed. A third set of measurements is obtained using the optical instrument but having the second polarizer replace the first polarizer. The optical instrument may be characterized using the first, second and third sets of measurements. The characterization is completed without having to know the extinction ratios and the transmittance parameters of the polarizers.
US09459150B2
A Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer that is free from an effect of interference condition change resulting from an accessory being mounted and has a high measurement accuracy is provided. A Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer according to the present invention is a Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer including a common base on which a sample chamber 2 and an interference optical system are mounted, where an accessory 20 can be detachably in the sample chamber, the Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer including: accessory information reading means 22 for reading accessory information provided to the accessory 20 when the accessory 20 is mounted in the sample chamber 2; and setting condition changing means (controller 30) for changing a setting condition for the interference optical system based on the accessory information read by the accessory information reading means 22, the setting condition varying depending on, e.g., a difference in weight between respective accessories 20.
US09459149B2
An evanescent wave microspectrometer includes a planar diopter separating two transparent media, an optical sensor with a pixel array, and disposed in the second transparent medium, and an interference device disposed such that at least a part of the interference device is in contact with evanescent waves generated at the surface of the diopter. The micro-spectrometer also includes a memory storing a map having a set of set of data grids including the optical response of said sensor for a set of quasi-monochromatic wavelengths of a calibration light source, and a calculator configured to determine the spectrum (ψ) of a test light source configured to generate evanescent waves at the surface of the diopter, on the basis of the map and the optical response of the sensor.
US09459143B2
A spectroscopic device includes a lamp house accommodating a light source inside, a spectrometer configured to disperse light from the lamp house, a temperature measurement means for measuring a temperature of the spectrometer, a heating means for heating the spectrometer, a storage means and a control unit. The storage means stores the detection temperature of the temperature measurement means at a time when an optical axis is stable in the spectrometer in a state where the light source is illuminated. The control unit is configured to control operation of the heating means, and to cause the heating means to operate, when the light source is illuminated from a light-off state, until a detection temperature of the temperature measurement means reaches the detection temperature stored in the storage means.
US09459135B2
A cover for a load detection sensor removably attached to the load detection sensor includes a sheet-shaped strain member, a load input member, a strain detection element, at least one fixing member fixing the strain member to a housing, a cover portion, a side portion being integrally formed with the cover portion, and a clamping portion extending from the side portion and covering a clearance provided between the load input member and the fixing member, the clamping portion cooperating with the cover portion so that the clamping portion and the cover portion sandwich the load detection sensor therebetween. The cover portion includes an opening portion being formed to correspond to the load input member, a cutout portion being formed to correspond to the fixing member, a projection portion protruding from a rim portion of the opening portion and being in contact with a portion of the load detection sensor.
US09459132B2
To detect a limit level, a multi-limit level measuring device is employed, which uses two different measured data evaluation methods. The measured data to be evaluated is acquired by a multi-limit level sensor arrangement which can use different physical measurement principles. In this manner, the likelihood of the limit level being erroneously detected may be reduced.
US09459115B1
The subject technology provides a mapping view that enables a user to view, from their current location, a portion of a route to a destination including a graphical element corresponding to the current location and a second graphical element in the form of an arrow-shaped object to indicate a direction of a turn to be made on the route. As progress on route is made, when the current location of the user is within a distance threshold of the location of the turn to be made, the subject technology may animate the second graphical element to move in the direction of the turn along the route to another location where a subsequent turn is to be made. The second graphical element may remain stationary at this other location to indicate a direction of the subsequent turn until the user's current location reaches the distance threshold for this subsequent turn.
US09459112B2
The present disclosure relates to approaches for providing real time traffic information to a user using a control panel of a building automation system. The control panel includes a processor, a memory in electronic communication with the processor, and instructions stored in the memory that are executable by the processor to couple the control panel to at least one of a sensor and a controller of the building automation system, receive traffic data for a geographic area associated with the control panel, and generate at least one audible notification to communicate the traffic data to a user through the control panel.
US09459108B2
Embodiments of the disclosure include a computer system for journey planning, the computer system includes a journey planning server configured to perform a method. The method includes receiving a journey planning request, the journey planning request having an origin and a destination in a transportation network. The method also includes calculating an optimized journey plan by identifying a plurality of routes through the transportation network from the origin to the destination and determining an uncertainty associated with each of the plurality of routes. Calculating an optimized journey plan also includes evaluating a robustness of each of the plurality of routes to the uncertainty associated with each of the plurality of routes and selecting the optimized journey plan based on the journey planning request and the robustness of each of the plurality of routes.
US09459105B2
A method for employing community based user involvement in map updating may include receiving an update request indicating a feature requested to be changed at a corresponding location on a map, determining a community associated with the update request, providing an indication of the update request to a plurality of members of the community, and providing for updating of the map according to the update request based on responses received from the members of the community. A corresponding computer program product and apparatus are also provided.
US09459097B2
A tilt sensing apparatus, a system and a method detect the tilt of a vehicle using tilt sensing devices mounted to the vehicle. An accelerometer and a gyroscope provide orientation data to a processor. The processor calculates the tilt of the vehicle and provides an audible indication and/or a visual indication to an operator of the vehicle via a communications module. The communications module has a display panel accessible to the operator for receiving the tilt information. The system provides tilt information for different amounts of tilt of the vehicle. The method of detecting the tilt of the vehicle accumulates position data from the accelerometer and the gyroscope to provide tilt indications to the operator. The apparatus, system and method compare a tilt angle to preset values and generate corresponding output signals to the operator if the preset values are exceeded. The system disables a power take-off connected to the vehicle in the event of a tilt condition in which the vehicle may roll over.
US09459095B2
There is disclosed a computer-implemented method for determining whether a point lies along a first curve in a multidimensional space and program instructions executable for carrying out the method. The method comprises appreciating first curve coordinates defining each of a position and a form of the first curve in the multidimensional space; identifying regions of the multidimensional space each encompassing a respective portion of the first curve while generating a second curve approximating the first curve; and storing, in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, region coordinates of at least one of the regions; whereby an analysis of the region coordinates and point coordinates defining a position of the point in the multidimensional space is executable to provide to a user either an indication that the point lies along the first curve or an indication that the point does not lie along the first curve. Some implementations comprise executing said analysis and providing said indication.
US09459094B2
This invention discloses using one or more color-encoded fringe patterns for optically, three-dimensionally measuring an object's shape. In one embodiment, a color-encoded fringe pattern comprising a plurality of fringes that are modulated in intensity is configured as follows. An individual fringe selected from the fringes comprises a colored line at a location on the fringe width. The colored line has a line width that is substantially narrower than the fringe width in order that the colored line has a substantially similar intensity over the line width. The individual fringe excluding the colored line has a fringe color that is substantially uniform over the individual fringe. The fringe color is substantially different from the line color. Fringe colors of all the fringes are substantially similar, thereby enabling a major portion of the color-encoded fringe pattern to provide a substantially-uniform illumination color for projection onto the object.
US09459088B2
A method, apparatus and computer program for monitoring the condition of electromechanical systems in which electrical rotating machinery is used. The method includes measuring current and/or voltage signals, measuring an angular position of a rotating shaft of interest of the electromechanical systems or estimating the value of discrete angular position of a rotating shaft, synchronizing the current and/or voltage signals to the scaled angular displacement of the rotating shaft, dividing the synchronous electrical signals into intervals corresponding to each completed rotation of the rotating shaft, averaging a number of intervals of synchronous electrical signals to obtain an average synchronous electrical signal, extracting characteristic data of the magnitude from the values of the average synchronous electrical signal, and comparing the extracted characteristic data with a threshold limit to alarm the user when the limit is exceeded.
US09459087B2
In a magnetic position detection system designed to detect a target object in a detection space using an array of magnetic sensors, the position of the target object can be determined by fitting a model of the target object's magnetic field to the sensor measurements. A robust determination of whether a target object is present can be obtained by fitting the model to the sensor measurements and determining the remaining differences between the fitted model and the sensor measurements. If the differences are high then the model is not fitting well, suggesting that the target object is not present. If the differences are low, the model is fitting well and the target object can be determined as being present. Measurements made when the target object is determined as not being present can be regarded as background field measurements including any stray fields. These stray fields can then be deducted from subsequent sensor measurements to eliminate the effect of stray fields and allow more accurate determination of the position of the target object. A user indicator may be included to indicate whether stray fields are not present, or present and accurately detected, or whether stray fields are varying.
US09459074B2
A safe includes a safe body that has an opening. A door is movably interfaced to the safe body such that the door selectively occludes the opening, thereby, selectively permitting access to the opening in one position and precluding access to the opening in a second position. A locking mechanism engages between the door and the safe body when the door occludes the opening. When provided with a key, the locking mechanism disengages between the door and the safe body, permitting access to the opening. An insert is positioned within the safe body. The insert has an opening formation configured to support at least one specific weapon, which is arranged to be accessed from the opening.
US09459073B1
A stock for a tactical weapon comprises a handgun and a receiver. The receiver may have a connection end configured to be connected to a tactical weapon, and a second end configured to receive a handgun. The receiver may be configured to releasably connect to a buffer bar of the tactical weapon. The receiver may be configured to be connected at different positions on the buffer bar thereby providing a variable overall length for the buffer bar and receiver when the receiver is installed on the buffer bar. The receiver and buffer bar may also be monolithically formed. The receiver may have a lever mechanism that actuates the safety of a handgun inserted therein or the receiver will serve as a trigger guard that prevents the handgun from being discharged once inserted into the receiver. The receiver may have a release configured to releasably secure the handgun in the receiver.
US09459057B2
A heat exchanger for use with a two-phase refrigerant includes an inlet header, an outlet header, and a plurality of refrigerant tubes hydraulically connecting the headers. A distributor tube has a plurality of orifices disposed in the inlet header, the end of the refrigerant tubes opposite the outlet header extends inside the inlet header and abuts a surface of the distributor tube, a portion of an inner surface of the inlet header facing the surface of the distributor tube and the surface of the distributor tube defining a first chamber. A gap separates at least a portion of the distributor tube and the inlet header, the gap extending from at least the orifices to the first chamber, wherein at least one partition having at least one opening formed therethrough spanning the gap, the partition separating the orifices from the first chamber.
US09459050B2
A heat pipe apparatus having a sintered lattice wick structure includes a plurality of wicking walls having respective length, width and heights and spaced in parallel to wick liquid in a first direction along the respective lengths, the respective lengths being longer than the respective widths and the respective heights, the plurality of wicking walls being adjacent to one another and spaced apart to form vapor vents between them, a plurality of interconnect wicking walls to wick liquid between adjacent wicking walls in a second direction substantially perpendicular to the first direction, and a vapor chamber encompassing the sintered lattice wick structure, the vapor chamber having an interior condensation surface and interior evaporator surface, wherein the plurality of wicking walls and the plurality of interconnect wicking walls are configured to wick liquid in first and second directions and the vapor vents communicate vapor in a direction orthogonal to the first and second directions.
US09459046B1
A foodware storage system includes a storage rack, a hook assembly, and a foodware item. The storage rack includes a rod having an adjustable length coupled between a first support and a second support to maintain the rod in an elevated position above a surface upon which the storage rack is placed. The rod is disconnectably connected to at least one of the supports. The hook assembly includes a hanger and a hook. The hook is suspended from the hanger and the hanger is configured to slidably move along the adjustable length of the rod. The foodware item has an aperture dimensioned to receive the hook such that the foodware item can be hung from the hook to dry when wet.
US09459043B2
A method and apparatus for producing carbon monoxide by cryogenic distillation is presented.
US09459040B2
Disclosed herein is a refrigerator includes a center frame provided to be spaced apart from the both walls of the body. The center frame includes a rear coupling unit coupling to the rear wall of the body, an arm unit extended forward from the rear coupling unit. The center frame may support at least two shelves disposed in a left side and a right side in the body so that the center frame supports moving of one or a combination of the shelves forward and backward with respect to the body.
US09459039B2
An outdoor unit of an air conditioning device in which a compressor, a heat exchanger, and a fan are accommodated in a casing including a top plate, side plates, and a bottom plate is provided. The top plate is formed in a rectangular shape, and a flat mount surface is formed in each of corner portions of the top plate. Regarding each of sides of the top plate, an intermediate part excluding the corner portions serves as a retreat portion set back to the side of the device, and an end of the retreat portion and the mount surface are connected by a standing surface.
US09459037B2
A portable refrigeration unit for cooling palletized products disposed within a racking system. The portable refrigeration unit includes a case and a refrigeration system disposed in the case. The case includes a bottom wall, a top wall, and side walls. The case is configured to be supported by the racking system above a pallet of products positioned below the case. The refrigeration system includes a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device, and an evaporator connected in series. The refrigeration system includes an evaporator fan configured to draw in air from below the case, move the air through the evaporator, and then discharge the air through the bottom wall such that the cooled air passes over the products below the case to cool the products below the case.
US09459035B2
A refrigeration device is provided that includes a housing enclosing an interior and an assembly in the interior having a storage compartment for chunks of ice and a stirrer. The stirrer is rotatable about an axis that extends through the storage compartment to move chunks of ice contained in the storage compartment in relation to each other and to move ice towards a dispensing passage that extends through the housing. A closable flap is interposed between the storage compartment and the dispensing passage.
US09459033B2
A correspondence determination operation is performed. The correspondence determination operation differs a direction of distribution or a flow rate of a refrigerant flowing in one or some of use units among a plurality of use units to that of the other use units and determines, on the basis of a refrigerant temperature of the use unit, a location of a non-correspondence between a branch port that is connected to the use unit with refrigerant pipes and a set branch port that is obtained in accordance with the wire connection.
US09459030B2
A device for expanding a refrigerant fluid has a first inlet and a first outlet which are connected by a first refrigerant circulation duct. The first refrigerant circulation duct has an upstream part and a downstream part which parts are placed in communication by a first communication passage. The device also has a second inlet and a second outlet which are connected by a second refrigerant circulation duct. The device regulates an expansion of the refrigerant fluid and has a first needle valve housed inside the upstream part of the first refrigerant flow duct connected by a first connecting rod to a thermostatic sensor in communication with the second refrigerant flow duct that allows or prevents refrigerant fluid from circulating through the first communicating passage. The device also measures the pressure of the refrigerant fluid entering the evaporator (Pse) which pressure measurement is taken at the first outlet.
US09459024B2
A localized heating structure, and method of forming same, for use in solar systems includes a thermally insulating layer having interconnected pores, a density of less than about 3000 kg/m3, and a hydrophilic surface, and an expanded carbon structure adjacent to the thermally insulating layer. The expanded carbon structure has a porosity of greater than about 80% and a hydrophilic surface.
US09459022B2
Described herein is a heating system where air is drawn into a system where hot gas is injected into it. The air is then discharged at a regulated temperature into an environment through ductwork to heat environments to elevated temperatures and employing functional modules to further condition the air to humidify, dehumidify, decontaminate with airborne free-radicals, and filtrate in both stationary and portable applications. The system is useful to eradicate pests, disease germs, bacteria, viruses, and mold. The system is also useful in water remediation and comfort heating. The system can be configured to create a parallel path to both heat and dehumidify the airflow blended and discharged at the operator-chosen set-point temperatures.
US09459020B2
An air moving system includes an air moving device including a housing member, a rotary fan assembly, and a nozzle, the housing including a plurality of air intake vents. The nozzle is configured to move relative to a longitudinal axis of the air moving device. The air moving system includes a ceiling grid structure. The air moving device is configured to rest within a grid within the ceiling grid structure or within an opening in the ceiling.
US09459010B2
A function indicator system and methods for indicating the control settings related to functions and features of an electric fireplace are described. The function indicator system can feature a function indicator module, a controller communicatively connected to the function indicator module, and a connected power source. The function indicator module can contain a plurality of light sources that emit paths of light, which can pass through control status indicia to create a visual display on an exterior surface of a projection screen of the electric fireplace. The visual display is visible to a viewer so as to alert the viewer as to the particular status of a control setting of the electric fireplace such as, for example, the temperature of heat produced, the brightness of simulated flames, or the power setting of a heater of the electric fireplace.
US09459001B2
The present invention relates to an illumination device where a number of light sources are arranged on a heat sink and adapted to emit light in substantially the same direction. The heat sink comprises a first cooling plate and a second cooling plate. A first part of the light sources are arranged on the first cooling plate and a second part of the light sources are arranged on the second cooling plate. The first and second cooling plates are separated by a distance and a flow channel is defined there between. The flow channel allows cooling fluid to flow between the first cooling plate and the second cooling plate whereby the light sources can be cooled by the cooling fluid. The heat sink comprises further a number of light passages allowing light to propagate from the second cooling plate, towards the first cooling plate and through the first cooling plate.
US09459000B2
A thermal conductivity and phase transition heat transfer mechanism incorporates an active optical element. Examples of active optical elements include various phosphor materials for emitting light, various electrically driven light emitters and various devices that generate electrical current or an electrical signal in response to light. The thermal conductivity and phase transition between evaporation and condensation, of the thermal conductivity and phase transition heat transfer mechanism, cools the active optical element during operation. At least a portion of the active optical element is exposed to a working fluid within a vapor tight chamber of the heat transfer mechanism. The heat transfer mechanism includes a member that is at least partially optically transmissive to allow passage of light to or from the active optical element and to seal the chamber of the heat transfer mechanism with respect to vapor contained within the chamber.
US09458995B1
A light fixture apparatus having an LED circuit board mounting platform and an LED driver housing configured to attach to the circuit board mounting platform to form a module which is attachable anywhere along a wiring rail platform.
US09458992B2
Disclosed are a backlight unit and a display apparatus using the same. The backlight unit includes first and second reflectors, a light source module, an optical member spaced apart from the second reflector, a first cover to come into contact with the second reflector and optical member, a second cover coupled to the first cover to support the light source module, and a third cover coupled to the first and second covers. The first cover includes a bottom plate, first lateral plates facing each other with respect to a first direction, second lateral plates facing each other in a second direction, a first coupling portion disposed at each first lateral plate and coupled to the second cover, a second coupling portion disposed at each second lateral plate and coupled to the optical member, and a third coupling portion disposed at each second lateral plate and coupled to the third cover.
US09458981B2
A lighting apparatus for a gaming machine cabinet comprising: a spot light source which emits light relative to a central emission axis; and a translucent diffuser spaced from the spot light source, the diffuser comprising an inner portion located so as to intercept light emitted along the emission axis and an outer portion spaced from the emission axis, the inner and outer portions arranged such that the diffuser prevents transmission of more light in the region of the inner portion than in the region of the outer portion.
US09458980B2
This invention is to provide an in-vehicle interior light unit that protects a base from a thermal damage attributable to a thermal factor and reduces cost. This is achieved by adopting a general-purpose compact bulb cassette which does not have a heat shielding function although the bulb cassette still uses a heat-resistant resin as the material thereof, and the thermal deformation due to the radiant heat from a bulb is prevented by a heat shield plate integrally formed when punch-molding a bus bar, which is formed of a conductive metal member. Thus, the radiant heat from the bulb is blocked by the heat shield plate.An in-vehicle interior light unit in accordance with the present invention includes: a housing-shaped base formed of a non-heat-resistant thermoplastic resin; a bus bar integrally formed with a heat shielding plate which is mounted in the base and which rises in the vicinity of a general-purpose bulb; a bulb holder electrically connected to the bus bar; a general-purpose vertical type bulb cassette which is provided with the bulb holder and which has a socket function; a general-purpose bulb which is vertically mounted in the bulb cassette and which is electrically connected to the bulb holder; and a lens mounted on a front surface of the base.
US09458970B2
A lamp includes a light fixture mounted on a pole. The light fixture includes a transparent or translucent housing, and a solar energy collecting portion mounted on the light fixture. The solar energy collecting portion includes a top solar photovoltaic panel and side solar photovoltaic panels for collecting and converting incident solar energy to electricity. An electrical power source is mounted on the solar energy collecting portion. At least one LED light bulb is mounted on the base. The LED light bulb includes one or more LED lights mounted on a substrate provided with electrical wiring and housed in a transparent or translucent bulb enclosure. The substrate is mounted at one end of a slender stem.
US09458968B2
The present invention provides a process for dispensing gaseous hydrogen, comprising the steps of: a) providing a first vessel comprising a first quantity of gaseous hydrogen at a pressure in the range of from 350 to 1000 bar absolute and a temperature in the range of from −20° C. to 50° C.; b) passing in the range of from 40 to 100 wt %, based on the weight of the first quantity, of the first quantity gaseous hydrogen from the first vessel through an isenthalpic valve to obtain a cold second quantity of gaseous hydrogen having a temperature in the range of from −100 to −20° C.; and c) dispensing the cold second quantity of gaseous hydrogen to a second vessel. In a further aspect the invention provides a system for dispensing gaseous hydrogen.
US09458955B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide composite waste and water transport elements that can be designed having various unique shapes and methods for their manufacture.
US09458949B2
A loading device for lifting an elongated object having an elongate axis includes a frame having a first fulcrum surface and a second fulcrum surface, a first effector arm that pivots about the first fulcrum surface, a second effector arm that pivots about the second fulcrum surface, and an actuator moving the first effector arm and the second effector arm between a retracted position and a deployed position.
US09458948B2
The invention relates to a hand valve with a valve main body and a spindle movably arranged therein in at least in one actuating direction which can be adjusted for actuating the hand valve by means of a hand wheel arranged on the spindle in its position relative to the valve main body together with the hand wheel. The hand valve has a stroke limitation for the spindle with a stopper element which is adjustable in its position with respect to the valve main body. The invention is characterized in that the stroke limitation has a holding device for the stopper element which is held rotatable with the hand wheel, but fixed in its position to the valve main body in the actuating direction of the spindle at the valve main body.
US09458939B2
A butterfly valve has a circular plate-shaped valve element, a pair of support shafts, a pair of support shaft moving units, and a drive shaft. The valve element is seated on and removed from the valve seat from below. The drive shaft drives and rotates the support shafts. As the support shafts are rotated by the drive shaft, the valve element is rotated and inverted. The support shaft moving units include decentered shafts that are rotatably supported by casings and in which the support shafts are respectively inserted in a decentered state, and air cylinders configured to apply a force to the support shafts in the upward and downward direction. When the valve element is seated on or removed from the valve seat, the valve element is moved in the upward and downward direction in a horizontal posture as the air cylinders operate.
US09458936B2
Certain exemplary aspects of the present disclosure are directed towards an apparatus in which a base deck and a base deck cover interface with one another to provide a permeability path. The base deck includes an outer region, and the base deck cover includes a lip that interfaces with the outer region of the base deck to provide the permeability path. The permeability is further defined by at least three interleaved sidewalls of the base deck and base deck cover that define two segments of the permeability path. The permeability path is filled with a polymer material that creates a seal between the base deck and base deck cover.
US09458935B2
A lockable joint such as a lockable ball-and-socket joint comprising a first arm having a swivel head and a socket, the swivel head being pivotably mounted to the socket, and a locking device arranged for locking the swivel head with respect to the socket, the locking device having a piston, a pressure gas source, and an actuating device arranged for reversibly disconnecting the piston from the pressure gas source where in the pressure gas source is a gas cartridge. A seal suitable at a wide range of temperatures and pressures can be used with at least the pressure gas source.
US09458933B2
A combination oil ring prevented from freeze up of the side rails and spacer expander, that is, a combination oil ring of the present invention provided with a top and bottom pair of side rails 11 and 12 and a spacer expander 13 having large numbers of top pieces 14 and bottom pieces arranged separated in the axial direction and circumferential direction and alternating in the circumferential direction, connecting pieces 16 connecting adjoining top pieces 14 and bottom pieces 15, and ear parts 17 and 18 formed rising up at the inner circumference side ends of the top pieces 14 and bottom pieces 15 for pushing against the side rails 11 and 12, in which combination oil ring 10, grooves 19 and 20 are formed in at least one surfaces of top surfaces of the top pieces 14 and bottom surfaces of the bottom pieces 15, and through holes 17a and 18a by which the grooves 19 and 20 are communicated are formed in the ear parts 17 and 18.
US09458908B2
A vibration isolation system which comprises a support divided into a plurality of rigid sections on which a displaceable stage is arranged. The sections are arranged on pneumatic bearings, and the pneumatic bearings of the individual sections are controlled independently from each other and based on the position of the displaceable stage.
US09458904B2
A brake pad configured for use in a vehicle brake assembly comprises: a friction material having an outermost edge, an innermost edge, and first and second side edges extending therebetween; and a stepped portion extending along the innermost edge of friction material from the first side edge of the friction material to the second side edge of the friction material.
US09458901B2
A device comprising: a caliper comprising: one or more piston bores housing a piston; an outboard pad retainer; a bridge; and a shoulder; wherein the caliper is attached directly to a knuckle of an automobile via the shoulder.
US09458897B2
An ON-OFF vehicle accessory for driving vehicle cooling pump or cooling fan. The accessory having a friction clutch assembly with a friction plate member connected to a central rotatable shaft member. A biased armature member is adapted to force a friction plate member with friction linings thereon against a housing or cover which is rotating at input speed. A solenoid assembly is used to overcome the spring bias and pull the armature and friction plate member away from the housing.
US09458896B2
A method of determining a return spring load in a power transmission device including two or more pistons is disclosed. The power transmission device may include: a housing configured to form a mounting space; a clutch pack configured to include a plurality of separate plates splined to the housing, and a plurality of friction disks alternately disposed with the separate plates, the separate plates and the friction disks being selectively coupled to each other by friction; a power transmission plate configured to be splined to the friction disks; two or more pistons operatively connecting the housing to the power transmission plate by selectively applying an axial force to the clutch pack by an operating hydraulic pressure supplied to the piston chamber; and at least one return spring configured to provide a return spring load against an axial force caused by the operating hydraulic pressure.
US09458890B1
In one embodiment, a quick connect interface for a surgical instrument includes a body having an outer surface and an inner surface that defines an inner cavity. One or more ball bearings are disposed in respective holes in the body. A locking pin is disposed on a ramp formed in the body. A sleeve surrounds a portion of the body and is slideable along the body, from an unlocked position to a locked position. The sleeve includes a camming ramp that urges the one or more ball bearings to partially extend through the holes into the inner cavity. One or more springs are arranged to urge the locking pin down the ramp, so that the locking pin partially extends through an opening into the inner cavity. The one or more ball bearings and the locking pin are positioned to urge the shaft to one side of the inner cavity.
US09458884B2
A coating mixture is presented for use on a bearing surface. The coating mixture includes a Guaiacum resin and a solvent in which the Guaiacum resin is dissolved. The Guaiacum resin may be about 50% or more of the coating mixture. The solvent may be an alcohol, for instance ethanol.
US09458883B2
A motion guide device for preventing interference of belt members with guide grooves. The motion guide device includes an endless circulation path for rolling elements, and a coupling member received in the endless circulation path. The endless circulation path includes a load rolling element path, a rolling element return path, and a direction-changing path. The direction-changing path includes a guide groove for the coupling member, which has an outer circumferential guide surface and an inner circumferential guide surface. The guide groove has a maximum width at a midpoint of a path within a range of from a coupling end between the direction-changing path and the load rolling element path or the rolling element return path to a center portion of the direction-changing path, and the groove width at the coupling end and the groove width at the center portion are smaller than the maximum value of the groove width.
US09458880B2
The invention relates to a bearing element (7) for supporting the rotor hub (4) of a wind turbine (1), comprising at least one inner ring element (10, 40) and at least one outer ring element (11, 41), wherein a plain bearing is formed between the inner ring element (10, 40) and the outer ring element (11, 41), and wherein the plain bearing is formed by at least two plain bearings (8, 9, 38, 39) arranged at an axial distance (44) from one other.
US09458879B2
A transporting member includes multiple helical blades that helically extend around a rotation shaft and that have an upstream-side blade and a downstream-side blade, an end portion of the upstream-side blade and an end portion of the downstream-side blade overlapping in a direction perpendicular to an axial direction of the rotation shaft, the multiple helical blades transporting an object in the axial direction via rotation of the rotation shaft; a gap portion that divides the upstream-side blade and the downstream-side blade, the upstream-side blade and the downstream-side blade being arranged at a certain angular interval in a circumferential direction of the rotation shaft; and a regulating portion that regulates an amount of the object that passes through a space between the upstream-side blade and the downstream-side blade in a direction in which the object is transported.
US09458878B2
A brace for articulation has a first rod, a second rod, and a joint connecting the two rods. The joint has a pair of circular toothed rings provided with a central hole and arranged overlapping. Each circular ring is fixed to one end of the first rod, which is interposed between them, the second rod being interposed between the circular rings. The joint also has a fixing central pivot, inserted in the central holes of the circular rings and into the through hole of said second rod. The joint further has a first and a second blocking member, each provided with a respective pin, adapted to be inserted in two overlapping throats of the indentation of the circular rings, to limit the movement of the second rod.
US09458851B2
An electric machine (1) for a hybrid or electric vehicle has an external rotor and a stator (2) within the rotor (3). The rotor (3) has a rotor carrier (4), rotor plates (5) and permanent magnets (6). The rotor carrier (4) has a first, radially extending carrier section (7) and a second axially extending carrier section (8). The second carrier section (8) bears the rotor plates (5) and permanent magnets (6). The stator (2) has stator plates (9) and wire windings (10) that form winding heads (11, 12) extending axially on both sides over the stator plates (9). An impeller wheel (14) is connected to the rotor carrier (4) and is between the winding heads (11) on an axial side of the stator (2), and the second carrier section (8). The electric machine provides high power in a small axial extent with optimum air cooling of the rotor and stator.
US09458843B2
A pump arrangement comprising two pump units, each pump unit comprising a pumping cylinder, a reciprocally movable pumping piston, said pumping piston delimiting a pumping chamber in the pumping cylinder in communication with a pump port for fluids, an actuator connected to the pumping piston, and determining a value dependent on the position of the pumping piston in the pumping cylinder, said pump arrangement further comprises a inlet and delivery valves connecting the pump port of each pump unit to a source line and a delivery line for pumped fluids, wherein the pump arrangement comprises at least one regulating unit the flow of the pumped fluids based on the value dependent on the positions of the pumping pistons in the pump units. Also a system comprising such a pump arrangement and a method for pumping fluids in said pump arrangement.
US09458840B2
A relief pressure control system is provided with a controller for outputting, responsive to an adjustment signal output from a dial switch, a control signal to control a relief pressure of a variable solenoid relief valve, a display unit for displaying, responsive to display signals outputted from the controller, a relationship between a circuit pressure output from a pressure sensor and a pressure required by a hydraulic cylinder, and a control device constituting a start instruction unit for instructing a start of control of the variable solenoid relief valve. Stop valves are arranged in sections of main lines, which communicate a directional control valve and the hydraulic cylinder with each other, to open or close the section. The sections are located between positions on the main lines, where the variable solenoid relief valves are connected to the main lines, respectively, and the hydraulic cylinder.
US09458830B2
The present disclosure is directed to a system and method for improving reactive current response time in a renewable energy power system connected to a power grid. The method includes providing, via a controller of the power system, a permissive logic relating to the power grid. Another step includes determining, via a controller of the renewable energy power system, a reactive current reference command for the renewable energy power system in response to the permissive logic being satisfied. The method also includes generating, via the controller, a reactive current pulse command for the renewable energy power system. Thus, the controller is configured to determine a total reactive current command by combining the reactive current reference command and the reactive current pulse command. Further, the method includes operating the renewable energy power system based on the total reactive current command so as to improve the current response time.
US09458827B2
Wind turbine rotor comprising a hub, a plurality of blades, at least one pitch system for rotating a blade substantially along its longitudinal axis and at least one pitch retention system, wherein a pitch retention system comprises a cam profile and a cam follower, and one of the hub and a blade comprises said cam profile and the other of the hub and blade comprises said cam follower, and wherein the cam follower comprises a pushing member and a contact member, wherein the pushing member is arranged to push the contact member towards the cam profile, and the cam profile comprises a local depression, and wherein the cam follower and cam profile are arranged such that when the blade is in a pitch position at or below nominal wind speed, the contact member can be retained in said local depression.
US09458822B2
It includes a rotatable hub carrying blades and a device for attaching a portion of the blades to a portion of the hub. The attaching device includes bushings inside of which corresponding studs can be secured. At least some of the bushings are provided with at least one securing end adapted for providing the stud with a degree of rotation relative to the bushing. Bushings may include an inner receiving member for receiving a corresponding end of the stud. The receiving member can be rotated inside the bushing around an axis.
US09458818B2
A hydraulic system for a machine is disclosed. The hydraulic system includes a hydraulic tank configured to store a liquid therein. The hydraulic system also includes a first conduit, a venturi, a fluid conduit and a second conduit. The first conduit is in fluid communication with the hydraulic tank and configured to receive the liquid from the hydraulic tank. The venturi is in fluid communication with the first conduit and configured to reduce a pressure of the liquid flowing therethrough. The fluid conduit is in fluid communication with the venturi and configured to supply a gaseous fluid into the venturi. The second conduit is in fluid communication with the venturi and configured to supply a mixture of the liquid and the gaseous fluid into the hydraulic tank in order to increase a pressure of the liquid in the hydraulic tank.
US09458817B2
A glow plug control method of a diesel hybrid vehicle includes: determining an operation time of a glow plug based on a coolant temperature while the vehicle runs in an electric vehicle mode with an electric motor; determining whether the inside of an engine cylinder needs to be preheated based on the coolant temperature; comparing a driver-required power with a standard start power for determining whether to start a diesel engine; determining a glow plug operation time and a standard glow operation power, when the driver-required power is under the standard start power; operating the glow plug in advance, when the standard glow operation power is less than the driver-required power; and starting the diesel engine, when the driver-required power is higher than the standard start power.
US09458813B2
A control unit of a vehicle electric power supply apparatus controls an opening and closing unit to set a switch to an OFF state and a voltage detection unit to detect an output voltage of a first power source and an output voltage of a second power source when a second electric load is to be driven, and the control unit inhibits driving of the second electric load when the absolute value of the difference between the output voltage of the first power source and the output voltage of the second power source detected by the voltage detection unit is a predetermined first threshold value or less over a predetermined length of time.
US09458811B2
A vehicle includes an engine having a crankshaft, a transmission having an input, and an electric machine mechanically coupled to the transmission input. The vehicle further includes a clutch configured to mechanically couple the electric machine and engine crankshaft, and at least one controller. The at least one controller, in response to an engine start condition and subsequent partial engagement of the clutch, outputs a torque command for the electric machine to increase the speed of the crankshaft to a speed of the electric machine before commanding fuel injection of the engine. The torque command is based on driver demanded torque and a change in speed of the crankshaft caused by changes in pressure to the clutch.
US09458797B2
A device for dosing inlet fluid in an engine and for regulating the temperature thereof is disclosed. The device has a dosing body on which a first and a second circulation channel are arranged. First and second movable flow dosage flaps are arranged in the circulation channels. The dosing body also includes an actuator motor and a kinematic capable of actuating the first and/or the second flap. The device additionally includes first and second tubes, at least one of the tubes having a means for modifying the temperature of the fluid. The kinematic is shaped so as to position at rest, if flap actuation is lost, the first flap of the cool channel being then in a fully open position and the second flap of the hot channel being then in a fully closed position.
US09458791B2
A device for correcting injector characteristics includes: an injector-characteristic detection unit that outputs a selection signal by detecting drive characteristics of injectors in response to a selection control signal; a selection control unit that outputs the selection control signal for selecting a factor for deviation correction to the injector-characteristic detection unit; a selection confirmation unit that confirms a variation value of the factor corresponding to the selection signal; a deviation correction unit that calculates a deviation compensation value corresponding to the injector characteristics in response to an output signal of the selection confirmation unit, and thus output a correction signal; a control unit that generates a correction clock in response to the correction signal; and an output drive unit that controls driving of the injectors in response to the correction clock.
US09458787B2
A technique for correcting injector characteristics is provided. In particular, a micro control unit is configured to generate a control pulse for controlling the operation of an injector; and a driving semiconductor is configured to detect and calculate a driving characteristic of the injector and compensating for injection timing of the control pulse in accordance with a deviation in injection timing of the injector.
US09458785B2
While an engine is an idling state and an EGR opening degree is increased stepwise from a specified opening degree, a variation in engine speed (a standard deviation in engine speed) is repeatedly computed. After that, a specified step amount is successively reduced from the EGR opening degree and the variation in engine speed is successively computed until the EGR opening degree becomes less than or equal to a specified value. Then, a maximum value of the EGR opening degrees where the variation in engine speed becomes minimum is learned as the full-close position.
US09458782B2
The heat provided to a vehicle based SCR system may be managed by purposely increasing the load placed on the vehicle's engine such that the engine's exhaust gas temperature remains above a predetermined level. The energy generated by the extra load placed on the engine may be dissipated through an energy absorption device. The need for extra engine load may be anticipated to ensure adequate heat is provided to the SCR throughout various operating conditions.
US09458776B2
Abnormality diagnosis device for a variable valve mechanism configured to open an exhaust valve even during an intake stroke and capable of selecting a first mode wherein the exhaust valve only opens during an exhaust stroke, or a second mode wherein the exhaust valve opens during both an exhaust stroke and an intake stroke. The abnormality diagnosis by the device determines the mechanism is abnormal when a difference between an exhaust gas returning amount calculated to recirculate from an exhaust passage into a cylinder in the second mode based on intake air amounts in the first and second modes, and an exhaust gas returning amount estimated to recirculate from an exhaust passage in the second mode based on an exhaust gas pressure, exceeds a diagnosis threshold value. The higher an exhaust gas pressure is, the larger an exhaust gas returning amount is estimated to be.
US09458775B2
The control apparatus includes a transient-state ignition-timing correction unit in which, in order to set a change in ignition timing made coincident with a change in an internal EGR temperature and also made coincident with the strength of the transient when the transient operating state occurs, an ignition-timing correction-coefficient during the transient operating state and after the transient operating state is calculated in accordance with an internal EGR temperature discrepancy-degree derived from the internal EGR temperature and a steady-state exhaust-gas temperature, and with transient strength derived from a magnitude of change in the operating state and an elapse time since the transient operating state has started, and the ignition timing is corrected by a transient-state ignition-timing correction-coefficient.
US09458773B2
Methods and systems are provided for improving spark robustness. Spark ignition dwell commands are adjusted based on the fuel fraction delivered via direct injection relative to port injection. The approach allows ignition output to better match the ignition requirement of the given fuel combination.
US09458764B2
An air-to-air cooler has a heat exchanger integrated to a housing. A first passage extends through the housing for directing a flow of cooling air through the heat exchanger. A second passage extends through the housing for directing a flow of hot air to be cooled through the heat exchanger. The first passage has a cooling air outlet tube disposed downstream of the heat exchanger. The cooling air outlet tube extends across the second passage between the heat exchanger and a hot air inlet of the second passage. The hot air inlet is disposed to cause incoming hot air to flow over the cooling air outlet tube upstream of the heat exchanger. An ejector drives the flow of cooling air through the first passage of the air-to-air cooler. A portion of the hot air flow may be used to drive the ejector.
US09458758B2
A cooling fan control unit, in response to an operation performed at the rotation direction selector switch to select a reverse rotation setting while the cooling fan is rotating forward, lowers a relief pressure setting at the variable relief valve to a predetermined lower limit value over a predetermined length of time, and once the discharge pressure at the hydraulic pump detected by the pressure sensor is lowered to a predetermined switch-over pressure, executes control so as to switch the direction of flow of pressure oil to the hydraulic motor to the reverse direction by switching the direction switching valve and raises the relief pressure setting at the variable relief valve to a reverse rotation pressure setting, at which the hydraulic motor rotates in the reverse direction, over a predetermined length of time.
US09458756B2
A cooling device for electric equipment includes a cooling unit for cooling an inverter element as a heat source. The cooling unit has a surface on which the inverter element is provided and a back surface disposed on a back side of surface, and includes a heat mass for transferring heat generated by the inverter element, an air-cooling fin provided on the back surface and radiating heat transferred through the heat mass, and an air-conditioner coolant pipeline provided on the surface and forming a coolant passage through which the coolant for vehicle cabin air-conditioning flows. With such configuration, a cooling device for electric equipment excellent in the cooling efficiency is achieved.
US09458736B2
According to the present invention, a wind turbine generator system is provided which can not only remove the influence of salt damage in case the system is established off-shore, but even if the facility becomes larger, which can also cool equipment and the generator provided in the tower and can reduce the possibility of decreasing power generation efficiency. The wind turbine generator system of the present invention comprising a rotor having a hub and blades; a generator connected with the rotor by way of a main shaft connected with the hub; a nacelle which contains at least the generator and supports the rotor pivotally by way of the main shaft; a tower on a top of which the nacelle is supported, and opposite to the top the tower is fixed to a base, wherein a heat exchanger is provided at the tower close to the base and cooling medium passes through the heat exchanger by way of a pipe arrangement, and thereby the heat of the cooling medium and the heat of air inside the tower are exchanged and the air inside the tower is cooled.
US09458728B2
A method for forming three-dimensional anchoring structures on a surface is provided. This method may result in a thermal barrier coating system exhibiting enhanced adherence for its constituent coatings. The method involves applying a first laser beam (20) through a first portion (7) of a multi-core fiber (4) to a surface (12) of a solid material (14) to form a liquefied bed (16) on the surface (12) of the solid material (14), then applying a pulse of laser energy (24) through a second portion (6) of the multi-core fiber (4) to a portion of the liquefied bed (16) to cause a disturbance, such as a splash (28) of liquefied material outside the liquefied bed (16). A three-dimensional anchoring structure (30) may thus be formed on the surface (12) upon solidification of the splash (28) of the liquefied material.
US09458722B2
A propeller used in aircraft/sea vessels, pumping systems, wind and hydraulic turbines is provided. Propeller blades are distributed around the propeller hub and positioned so as to set an angle with the axis (x) of the propeller hub, to a concave curvilinear contact surface formed on the suction side of said blades that push water and to a convex outlet surface which follows this concave surface and is shorter than said concave surface.
US09458717B2
A connector is disclosed for providing a positive and/or a non-positive connection between at least two connecting partners. The connector or connecting means has at least one first region which engages with the first connecting partner by way of a positive and/or a non-positive connection, and at least one second region is provided which engages with the at least second connecting partner by way of a positive and/or a non-positive connection. The connecting means provides a positive and/or non-positive connection between at least two connecting partners in a simple and inexpensive manner and which meets high safety requirements. The second region of the connecting means has a region which is formed from an at least partially flat material made of an Fe alloy with shape memory characteristics and which, when activated, ensures the positive and/or non-positive connection with the second connecting partner by way of a change in shape.
US09458716B2
A prop head bearing device used for a shield support and to receive a prop head includes a prop head bearing main body with a prop head receiving portion, a flange adjacent to the prop head receiving portion and a flange bore, and a receiving portion adjacent to the flange and remote from the prop head receiving portion. The prop head bearing device may also include a securing element including a securing element bore adapted in shape to the receiving portion, such that in the mounted state the securing element is locked with respect to the bore direction of the flange bore and that the securing element bore is aligned to the flange bore.
US09458712B2
A stacked-ring, slow-wave acoustic telemetry isolation system and method for use with tubular assemblies such as drillpipe or production tubing comprising an acoustic wave transmitter, the acoustic isolator behaving such that a “down” wave propagated toward the isolator is reflected back substantially in phase with an “up” wave propagated from the acoustic wave source away from the isolator. The acoustic isolator is similarly effective in reflecting “up” propagating waves originating from below the isolator, hence further protecting the acoustic wave source from possible deleterious interference. It causes substantially all of the emitted wave energy to travel in a chosen direction along the drill pipe, thus aiding the efficiency of acoustic telemetry said pipe.
US09458707B2
A method of enhancing oil recovery by providing a mobile surfactant injection system including a storage tank, means for injecting surfactant into a supercritical CO2 stream, and a feedback control for maintaining a constant concentration of surfactant in a gas stream, the method including the steps of creating a fluid comprising the surfactant and the injection gas, and injecting the fluid into the oil field strata.
US09458688B2
A wellhead assembly includes a casing head, tubing head, and a production tree mounted on the tubing head. An isolation sleeve is set in a main bore of the wellhead assembly that extends across an interface between the casing and tubing heads so that a portion resides in each. The isolation sleeve is configured so that a fracturing string, and its associated hanger, can be retrieved through the isolation sleeve; which significantly reduces the time and steps required to conduct a fracturing operation in a well. Moreover, the present isolation sleeve can be used without changes to existing casing or tubing heads.
US09458687B2
A method for improving fuel collection from an underground deposit comprising stimulating fuel-containing sections of an underground formation, the sections being located between a first well and a second well, the first well being either an injection well or a production well, and the second well being a production well. The method includes arranging a mechanical wave generation device downhole in the first well and arranging at least a first mechanical wave sensor in the production well, injecting a pressurized fluid into the formation from at least the first well, activating the mechanical wave generation device downhole to project mechanical waves into and through the fuel-containing sections, receiving and processing the waves sent from the first well, generating a tomography of the underground environment between the first well and the second well, and collecting fuel in the second well via inflow valves arranged in the second well.
