US09499531B2
The compounds of the present invention are represented by the chemical structure found in Formula (I): wherein: the carbon atom designated * is in the R or S configuration; and X is a fused bicyclic carbocycle or heterocycle selected from the group consisting of benzofuranyl, benzo[b]thiophenyl, benzoisothiazolyl, benzoisoxazolyl, indazolyl, indolyl, isoindolyl, indolizinyl, benzoimidazolyl, benzooxazolyl, benzothiazolyl, benzotriazolyl, imidazo[1,2-a]pyridinyl, pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyridinyl, [1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridinyl, thieno[2,3-b]pyridinyl, thieno[3,2-b]pyridinyl, 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]pyridinyl, indenyl, indanyl, dihydrobenzocycloheptenyl, tetrahydrobenzocycloheptenyl, dihydrobenzothiophenyl, dihydrobenzofuranyl, indolinyl, naphthyl, tetrahydronaphthyl, quinolinyl, isoquinolinyl, 4H-quinolizinyl, 9aH-quinolizinyl, quinazolinyl, cinnolinyl, phthalazinyl, quinoxalinyl, benzo[1,2,3]triazinyl, benzo[1,2,4]triazinyl, 2H-chromenyl, 4H-chromenyl, and a fused bicyclic carbocycle or fused bicyclic heterocycle optionally substituted with substituents (1 to 4 in number) as defined in R14; with R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, and R14 defined herein.
US09499526B2
The invention relates to the compounds of formula I or its pharmaceutical acceptable salts, as well as polymorphs, solvates, enantiomers, stereoisomers and hydrates thereof. The pharmaceutical compositions comprising an effective amount of compounds of formula I, and methods for the treatment of neurologic diseases may be formulated for oral, buccal, rectal, topical, transdermal, transmucosal, intravenous, parenteral administration, syrup, or injection. Such compositions may be used to treatment of depression, Alzheimer's disease, multiple sclerosis, Batten disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease (PD) and restless legs syndrome (RLS).
US09499525B2
An object of the present invention is to provide a compound that can be used as a more superior therapeutic agent for central nervous system diseases. The present invention provides a dihydrate of 7-[4-(4-benzo[b]thiophen-4-yl-piperazin-1-yl)butoxy]-1H-quinolin-2-one or of a salt thereof, and a process for producing the same.
US09499513B2
Acid generator compounds are provided that are particularly useful as photoresist composition components. Preferred acid generators include cyclic sulfonium compounds that comprise a covalently linked acid-labile group.
US09499509B2
A compound of formula (I) as well as pharmaceutical compositions comprising same is provided. An extract of a plant belonging to a species of Populus, the extract comprising this compound is also provided. These can be used as antibacterial for treating bacterial infection.
US09499507B2
The invention relates to a method for preparing 5-amino-benzoyl-benzofuran derivatives having the general formula in which R1 is hydrogen or an alkyl or aryl group and R2 is hydrogen, an alkyl, alkoxy or dialkylaminoalkoxy group. According to the invention, the compounds having formula I are prepared by hydrogenating a 5-nitro-benzofuran derivative having the general formula in which R1 and R2 have the same meaning as above in the presence of palladized charcoal as a catalyst and in an ether or a mixture of ether as a solvent, thus forming the desired compounds.
US09499487B2
In one aspect, the invention relates to compounds having the formula: where R1, R2, R3, X, R4, R5, and R6 are as defined in the specification, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. These compounds have neprilysin inhibition activity. In another aspect, the invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds; methods of using such compounds; and process and intermediates for preparing such compounds.
US09499483B2
The present invention provides a production intermediate of an atropisomer of a pyrrole derivative having excellent mineralocorticoid receptor antagonistic activity, a method for producing the same, and a crystal thereof. A method for producing an atropisomer of a pyrrole derivative including a step of resolving a compound represented by the following general formula (I) [wherein R1 represents a methyl group or a trifluoromethyl group, R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a C1-C3 alkoxy group, and n represents an integer selected from 1 to 3] into its atropisomers, characterized by using an optically active amine having a cinchonine skeletal formula, and a crystal of (S)-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-4-methyl-N-[4-(methylsulfonyl)phenyl]-5-[2-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]-1H-pyrrole-3-carboxamide.
US09499478B2
Provided herein, inter alia, are, methods of using esters of bimatoprost with the Formula (I):
US09499474B2
The invention relates to a process for producing compounds containing at least one arylamino group by means of a coupling reaction of an amino compound with an aryl compound, using a strong base.
US09499467B2
There is provided novel fluoro-substituted compounds capable of modulating the G-protein-coupled receptor GPR40, compositions comprising the compounds, and methods for their use for controlling insulin levels in vivo and for the treatment of conditions such as type II diabetes, hypertension, ketoacidosis, obesity, glucose intolerance, and hypercholesterolemia and related disorders associated with abnormally high or low plasma lipoprotein, triglyceride or glucose levels.
US09499464B2
Compounds are disclosed that are useful for treating ophthalmic conditions caused by or related to production of toxic is visual cycle products that accumulate in the eye, such as dry adult macular degeneration, as well as conditions caused by or related to the misfolding of mutant opsin proteins and/or the mis-localization of opsin proteins. Compositions of these compounds alone or in combination with other therapeutic agents are also described, along with therapeutic methods of using such compounds and/or compositions. Methods of synthesizing such agents are also disclosed.
US09499457B2
The invention relates to a hydrocarbon conversion process and a reactor configured to carry out the hydrocarbon conversion process. The hydrocarbon conversion process is directed to increasing the overall equilibrium production of ethylene from typical pyrolysis reactions. The hydrocarbon conversion process can be carried out by exposing a hydrocarbon feed to a peak pyrolysis gas temperature in a reaction zone in the range of from 850° C. to 1200° C.
US09499453B2
A catalyst filling apparatus is for a bubble column slurry bed reactor for the FT synthesis reaction. The apparatus includes: a slurry preparation tank installed adjacent to the reactor and configured to prepare a slurry S from a FT synthesis reaction catalyst and a slurry preparation oil; an upper part communication line configured to direct the slurry from the reactor to the slurry preparation tank; a lower part communication line configured to direct the slurry in the slurry preparation tank to the reactor; and a pressure equalizing line configured to communicate the reactor with the slurry preparation tank. The upper part communication line is downwardly inclined from the reactor toward the slurry preparation tank, and the lower part communication line is upwardly inclined from the reactor toward the slurry preparation tank. An inert gas introduction device is provided on the slurry preparation tank.
US09499452B2
A primary fuel catalyst used to combust a secondary fuel, the primary fuel comprising the gases produced by water electrolysis. When secondary fuels are combusted by the primary fuel, the by-products include heat, water and other more stable by-product materials. When the secondary fuel is a hazardous waste or a radioactive material and either is bound to thermite before combustion, the by-products are no longer hazardous or have significantly reduced radiation levels after one or more passes. Embodiments of the present invention relate to the method for accelerating the decay of hazardous and/or radioactive waste products, and more particularly they relate to the nuclear transmutation of heavy radioactive elements into lighter ones with shorter half-lives and then finally to stable daughter products. Therefore, the invented process relates to reducing the long-term toxicity of hazardous and/or radioactive waste and to, an economic and effective process facility for doing so.
US09499449B2
An aerated compost tea brewer (ACTB) is an apparatus for brewing compost tea from an aqueous compost mixture using either or both air and water pumps to circulate and aerate compost tea.
US09499445B2
The present invention relates to a chelated fertilizer composition for enriching Iron and Phosphorus content in agriculture/horticulture crops and plants through foliar application. The fertilizer composition is prepared using compounds comprising chelating agents and Ferric Oxide (Fe2O3). The chelation of Fe by disodium salt of Hydroxy Ethylidene Di Phosphonic Acid (Na2 HEDP) developed 17% to 18% Fe-HEDP and 31% Phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5). The final chelated fertilizer composition obtained is in powder form and is 100% water-soluble concentrate. The chelated fertilizer composition can be used to cure Iron and Phosphorus deficiency in crops and plants, increase yield with more Iron and Phosphorus content, thus reducing the risk of Iron and Phosphorus deficiency in humans.
US09499438B2
Windows for attenuating radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) electromagnetic signals, so as to prevent or reduce such signals from emanating from secure facilities (e.g., government and/or military facilities). Example embodiments relate to a window including at least first and second glass substrates, at least first and second low-emissivity (low-E) coatings for blocking at least some IR and RF signals, and at least one transparent conductive oxide (TCO) inclusive coating for blocking at least some RF signals. The TCO inclusive coating may include a layer of or including indium-tin-oxide (ITO) located between at least first and second dielectric layers.
US09499431B2
A strengthened glass article having a central tension that is below a threshold value above which the glass exhibits frangible behavior. The central tension varies non-linearly with the thickness of the glass. The glass article may be used as cover plates or windows for portable or mobile electronic devices such as cellular phones, music players, information terminal (IT) devices, including laptop computers, and the like.
US09499427B2
A process for gravity bending of a glass sheet on a support including a chassis, a first frame and a second frame, the second frame being articulated and including a mobile lateral part that passes from an open position to a closed position by an articulation during the bending procedure, the bending of the sheet beginning on the first frame while the second frame is in the open position, and finishing on the second frame in the closed position, the sheet passing from the first frame to the second frame during the bending procedure as a result of the relative vertical movement of the first and second frame and of the raising of the mobile part of the second frame, the contact area of the first frame with the glass sheet located in a vertical line with the articulation being above the articulation at the instant the latter is closed.
US09499424B2
A method for wastewater treatment, in a continuous flow system, and a plant for wastewater treatment, to achieve high level reduction of biogenic nitrate compounds are provided. Subjecting a mixture of active sludge and wastewater to vacuum degassing on the mixture that has been subject to earlier nitrification, but not introduced in a recirculation-return connection, and constituting the outflow from a nitrification volume, before degassing, is subject to additional denitrification. The mixture of active sludge and wastewater, due to the additional denitrification step, may be free of carbon carried along with wastewater. An external source of readily available carbon is introduced, and further deepened nitrates removal is performed. After wastewater is degassed, treatment continues within a gaseous nitrogen undersaturated aqueous zone of a secondary sedimentation tank.
US09499416B2
The present invention relates to a separator including one or more separation members upon which residue can accumulate. An agitator is provided for agitating the separation members to remove the residue. The agitator may clean residue from the members without removing the separation members from the separator. Advantageously, the frequency that the members need to be removed from the separator and thoroughly cleaned is reduced when compared with the known separator.
US09499414B1
A method of dye removal from wastewater includes producing activated carbon from heavy oil fly ash and using the activated carbon to adsorb dye in the wastewater. The heavy oil fly ash based activated carbon is produced using phosphoric acid based chemical activation. The dye can be removed from wastewater by contacting the wastewater with the activated carbon. The activated carbon can then be separated from the wastewater to remove the dye, and thereby, purify the wastewater.
US09499412B1
A sparse data system determines regulatory compliance of a plurality of small environmental systems that utilize a respective plurality of pumps. Each environmental system utilizes a universally programmed dialer configured to receive, store, and transmit pump operation data. A server is configured to utilize the time of operation of the pumps and separately provided installer information such as installer determined pump flow rates and permitted thresholds of operation of the environmental systems to provide a regulatory body with processed data indicative of whether the environmental systems are in compliance with their permitted thresholds. The dialers limit the number of connections with the server to periodically connecting to the server only after a predetermined time period or predetermined events.
US09499405B2
This disclosure relates to a process for producing sulfuric acid with reduced levels of niter. The process involves (a) providing an absorption tower wherein sulfur trioxide is absorbed in a sulfuric acid feed having a first sulfuric acid solution to produce a sulfuric acid effluent having (i) a second sulfuric acid solution which has a higher concentration than the first sulfuric acid solution, (ii) a niter concentration greater than about 5 ppm (as NO3), and (iii) a temperature greater than 100° C.; and (b) contacting a first purifying agent comprising sulfamic acid and a second purifying agent comprising hydrogen peroxide with the sulfuric acid effluent to form a treated sulfuric acid effluent, the treated sulfuric acid effluent being maintained at a temperature of greater than 100° C. for a maintenance period of at least about 1 minute.
US09499403B2
The invention relates to a four-component catalyst and a seven-component catalyst and refractory supports for use in the thermoneutral reforming of petroleum-based liquid hydrocarbon fuels.
US09499402B2
In a method of preparing a ruthenium-containing catalyst on a non-conductive metal oxide support comprises dissolving one or more ruthenium precursor compounds in an liquid organic polyol, combining the thus obtained solution with (a) nano-powder(s) of one or more metal oxides in a ratio of moles metal oxide(s) to moles ruthenium atoms in the one or more ruthenium precursor compounds of about 0:1 to about 6:1, the metal oxide nano-powder(s) having a surface area of from about 5 to about 300 m2/g and a point of zero charge (PZC) of pH 5.5 or higher, agitating the thus obtained mixture, adding pre-shaped alumina support pellets to the agitated mixture, which is than heated at a temperature of about 50° C. to the boiling point of the organic polyol, until the reaction is finished, cooling the mixture and combining it with an aqueous solution of NaNO3 and/or KNO3, agitating the resultant mixture, separating the solvent and the solids, and drying the thus obtained solid pellets of alumina, or alumina and the metal oxide(s) of the nano-powder(s) coated with ruthenium and an additional amount Na and/or K ions. Also disclosed is the supported ruthenium-containing catalyst obtainable by the method and the use thereof in decomposing ammonia into nitrogen and oxygen.
US09499399B2
A method of forming a MEMS structure, in which an etch stop layer is formed to be buried within the inter-dielectric layer and, during an etch of the substrate and the inter-dielectric layer from backside to form a chamber, the etch stop layer protect the remaining inter-dielectric layer. The chamber thus formed has an opening at a backside of the substrate, a ceiling opposite to the opening, and a sidewall joining the ceiling. The sidewall may further include a portion of the etch stop layer.
US09499397B2
Microelectronic packages and methods for producing microelectronic packages are provided. In one embodiment, the method includes bonding a first Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) die having a first MEMS transducer structure thereon to a cap piece. The first MEMS die and cap piece are bonded such that a first hermetically-sealed cavity is formed enclosing the first MEMS transducer. A second MEMS die having a second MEMS transducer structure thereon is further bonded to one of the cap piece and the second MEMS die. The second MEMS die and the cap piece are bonded such that a second hermetically-sealed cavity is formed enclosing the second MEMS transducer. The second hermetically-sealed cavity contains a different internal pressure than does the first hermetically-sealed cavity.
US09499395B2
Complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) ultrasonic transducers (CUTs) and methods for forming CUTs are described. The CUTs may include monolithically integrated ultrasonic transducers and integrated circuits for operating in connection with the transducers. The CUTs may be used in ultrasound devices such as ultrasound imaging devices and/or high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) devices.
US09499394B2
A present MEMS device includes: a functional element with a connection electrode; a structural member that forms a cavity surrounding the functional element; a second insulating film provided so as to surround a predetermined region on a first surface of the connection electrode; a first lid portion that has a third insulating film, is provided with an opening, and covers a part of the cavity; a second lid portion that has a first conductive member and a sealing portion, the first conductive member being electrically connected to the predetermined region of the connection electrode, and the sealing portion sealing the opening of the first lid portion; a fourth insulating film that insulates the first conductive member from the sealing portion; and a second conductive member that penetrates the fourth insulating film and is electrically connected to the first conductive member.
US09499390B1
A system for the on demand delivery of a liquid mixture to an on/off dispenser comprises a mixing chamber having first and second inlets and an outlet connected to the dispenser. A first constant flow valve has a first outlet connected to the first inlet via a first supply line. The first constant flow valve is adapted to deliver a first liquid to the mixing chamber at a first substantially constant pressure. A second constant flow valve has a second outlet connected to the second inlet via a second supply line. The size of the second inlet is at least as large as the size of the second outlet. The second constant flow valve is adapted to deliver a second liquid to the mixing chamber at a second pressure greater than the first pressure, with the second pressure being determined primarily by the flow resistance of the second supply line. At least one of the first and second liquids, or a third liquid delivered to the mixing chamber via a third supply line, may be atomized. Compressed air may be introduced into the mixing chamber to enhance liquid mixing.
US09499388B2
A fillable bottle for dispensing a fluid product provided with a relief valve for filling the reservoir and putting a source of product into communication with the reservoir for filling, the relief valve including a passage for communication between the source and the reservoir, the passage having a seat provided with a valve which is mobile relative to the seat between a sealed closed position and an open position of the passage, the valve being mobile between its closed and open positions under the effect of the gravity induced by the positioning of the bottle respectively in an upright position and in a turned-over position, the bottle including at least one bell in the reservoir, the bell being in communication with the reservoir in the upright position and isolated from the reservoir in the turned-over position in order to not be filled by the product coming from the source.
US09499385B1
A system and method for brewing and dispensing beverages may use customer profiling to select beverages to be produced and presented to a given customer and/or messages to be displayed to the customer, based on customer-specific information stored on a loyalty card, in a local system, or remotely. A user interface mechanism may receive input identifying the given customer. A controller may select a base drink recipe dependent on the customer's identity, and may initiate production of a beverage using the selected drink recipe. Each drink recipe may specify an amount of water, coffee, flavorings, dairy, and/or other ingredients, and may be further customizable to add or remove ingredients and/or to change an amount thereof, based on received user input. The stored customer-specific information may include a customer identifier, account information, a purchase history, a message history, drink recipes, and/or an email address for each of a plurality of customers.
US09499384B2
A dispensing system includes one or more digital image capture devices for capturing images in a dispenser well and a digital image analyzer operatively coupled to the digital image capture device(s) for analyzing the images for use in regulating a dispensing operation. The digital image analyzer evaluates digital images captured by the digital image capture device(s) to determine various characteristics of a container placed in the dispensing well, such as the height and position of the container.
US09499376B2
A turnaround mechanism for a passenger conveyor may include a turnaround track for facilitating a smooth transition of a plurality of pallets between a passenger side and a return side. Each of die plurality of pallets may have a front end portion engaged to the turnaround track. The turnaround mechanism may further include a track exchange mechanism having a track exchanger for transitioning the at least one roller of each of the plurality of pallets between the passenger and the return sides, each of the plurality of pallets generally maintaining its orientation during the transitioning.
US09499375B2
An elevator including one or more hoisting members that are continuous in the vertical direction, a load-receiving part suspended on the hoisting member, and also a driving member engaging with the hoisting member for moving the load-receiving part. The driving member engaging with the hoisting member is configured to be driven with a detachable drive unit.
US09499373B1
Provided is a cable retraction unit assembly connected to a table for displaying a mobile device. The cable retraction unit assembly includes: a cable connected to a mobile device; a guide housing and a withdrawal unit respectively mounted to an upper portion and a lower portion of a table, with the cable penetrating through the guide housing and the withdrawal unit; and a guide unit rotatably provided within the guide housing, wherein the guide unit is configured to rotate in response to a rotating direction of the cable when the cable rotates, thereby being capable of preventing twisting or breaking of the cable.
US09499370B2
A stacking machine for stacking flat items including a first stacking table which descends from a position higher than the infeed end to a stacking position, the separation of a constant flow of flat items in consecutive bundles occurring with this movement, and on which table flat items received from an infeed end are subsequently stacked to form bundles, connected to first displacement means which displace it between a stacking position in which the first stacking table receives flat items and an unloading position in which the bundles are transferred to the unloading means; a second stacking table which descends from a position higher than the infeed end to a stacking position, the separation of a constant flow of flat items in consecutive bundles occurring with this movement, and on which table flat items received from the infeed end are subsequently stacked to form bundles, connected to second displacement means which displace it between a stacking position in which the second stacking table receives flat items and an unloading position in which the bundles are transferred to the unloading means, unloading means for transferring the bundles from the first or second stacking table to a fixed unloading table; coupling means for coupling the unloading means alternatively to the first stacking table or to the second stacking table.
US09499364B2
A method of handling a web-like labelling material in an automated labelling process is disclosed. The method comprises feeding a succession of labels at an input station; and conveying the labels along a circular label path from the input station to an application station located at a first angular distance from the input station as measured about an axis, at the application station means being provided for applying the labels onto respective articles fed, in succession, to the application station. The method further comprises selectively conveying the labels along the circular label path past the application station and to a discarding station located at a second angular distance from the input station as measured about an axis, the second angular distance being greater than the first angular distance.
US09499359B2
According to an embodiment, a teller cash recycler may comprise: a handling unit including a deposit section in which banknotes are deposited and a withdrawal section in which banknotes are withdrawn; a safe having at least one storage unit in the inside thereof where banknotes are stored; a door for selectively opening and closing the safe; a first transfer unit for transferring banknotes between the handling unit and the storage unit; a cassette mounting unit provided in the outer of the door; and a second transfer unit for transferring banknotes between a cassette mounted on the cassette mounting unit and the handling unit, or the cassette mounted on the cassette mounting unit and the first transfer unit.
US09499357B2
The conveying device for conveying products comprises a plurality of slides individually movable with respect to each other for holding products and a guide rail, on which the slides are guided. A linear motor drive unit serves to drive the slides. The slides comprise a first subelement and a second subelement, each of the subelements comprising at least one permanent magnet, which interacts at least in certain sections of the guide rail with coils of the linear motor drive unit. The first and second subelements are connected to each other and are movable relative to each other in linear fashion.
US09499355B2
A pedestal for use with an adhesive melter adapted for melting adhesive particulates includes a support structure, a hopper, and a flow tube. The support structure has an upper portion adapted to support the adhesive melter. The hopper is connected to the support structure and positioned generally below the upper portion of the support structure. In addition, the hopper has an opening adapted for receiving adhesive particulates for storage therein. The flow tube has a first end portion and a second end portion. The first end portion is fluidly connected to the hopper, and the second end portion is fluidly connected to the adhesive melter. Furthermore, the flow tube is configured for moving adhesive particulates from the hopper to the adhesive melter via an air pressure differential created between the first and second end portions of the flow tube.
US09499350B2
A method operates a conveyor installation having a belt and at least one drive drum for driving the belt. The torque acting on the drive drum is controlled, in order to alter the speed of the belt, within a time window that is defined by a first rotational speed of the drive drum and a second rotational speed of the drive drum.
US09499330B2
A pressure relief device for venting an internally pressurized container and an aerosol can having a can bottom containing this pressure relief device. The pressure release device includes a coined pressure vent within a domed can bottom. The pressure vent is characterized by a venting pressure greater than about 500 psig. In addition, the can bottom resists eversion and/or failure along the mechanical attachment to the container body at all pressures between the venting pressure and the longitudinal rupture pressure in the container body.
US09499306B2
A gift bag is provided having a generally traditional gift bag configuration with four side panels, a closed end and an open end opposite the closed end for inserting therein and removing therefrom a gift or other such item. At least one of the side panels of the gift bag is double-walled, thereby forming a cavity within the gift bag. A plurality of candy pieces is contained within the cavity. A candy dispenser is integral with the gift bag having a container into which one or more of the plurality of candy pieces may enter after exiting the cavity through a small opening therein. Once the candy dispenser is moved to an open position, a user can remove the candy therefrom and then move the candy dispenser back to a closed position in order to contain the remainder of the plurality of candy pieces within the gift bag.
US09499304B2
The invention relates to an underlay device (1) for a transportation and presentation container (12) for food, such as fruits and/or vegetables, wherein the transportation and presentation container (12) comprises a bottom part (13) and four side wall parts (14, 14′, 14″, 14″′), and the underlay device (1) has four sides walls (3, 3′, 3″, 3″′) arranged in a frame shape as an underlay frame (2) of the transportation and presentation container (12) and/or at least three side walls (17, 17′, 17″) having dimensions as an underlay apparatus (16) so that the bottom part (13) of the transportation container (12) can be placed on the underlay frame (2) or the underlay apparatus (16).
US09499300B2
The present invention relates to a closure (1) for an easy opening container comprising a support and a foil (3) adhered to the support, which foil is provided with a tab (4) folded on to the foil, wherein the foil comprises a central concave section (5) and at least a flat section (6) beneath the tab, where optionally the tab is adhered to the flat section, and to a container comprising such closure.
US09499299B2
A container includes a metal end applied and sealed to a container body by a crimp-seaming or double-seaming operation. The metal end has an outer curl joined to a chuck wall that extends down from the curl. One or both of the inner surface of the container side wall and the outer surface of the chuck wall has/have a heat-sealable material thereon. The metal end is crimp-seamed or double-seamed to the container body and the heat-sealable material(s) are heated to soften or melt such that the interface between the chuck wall and the side wall is fused. The interface is oriented along a direction relative to internal pressure exerted on the metal end such that stress on the interface caused by the internal pressure is predominantly shear stress.
US09499291B2
A device for selectively retaining a package opening in a gaping configuration and a package including the device applied to a package body. The device includes a circumferential strip with side seams formed as hinges. One or more tabs extend in a first axial direction from an upper edge of the circumferential strip at the side seams. Each tab is coupled to the circumferential strip with a hinge. The tabs are pivotable about the hinges in opposite directions away from the opening axis to respective folded-out positions, which inhibits the device from folding at the side seams and retains a gaping open configuration of the device and package.
US09499289B1
A film edge sealing device is disclosed herein which has a groove defining a base. The base of the groove of the edge sealing device is oriented at a skewed angle with respect to a longitudinal direction of the conveyor of the heat sealing machine. Edges of a thermoplastic sheet or two stacked layers of thermoplastic sheets are introduced into the groove of the edge sealing device and placed in contact therewith to both heat and melt the edges of the thermoplastic sheet(s) to form a bead and join the edges thereof to form an edge bead seal.
US09499288B2
The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for closing a resealable vacuum bag while the vacuum bag is still inside the vacuum chamber of a heat-sealing vacuum packing machine. The resealable bag may be automatically closed, at least temporally, by either (1) the compressive forces that vacuum packing machines exert against the sides of vacuum bags, or (2) an autonomous, vacuum-activated device that closes the open section of the vacuum bag's sealing strip. Finally, the cost of the resealable vacuum bag may be minimized by eliminating the air valve that is imbedded in the sides of conventional resealable vacuum bags, but which is superfluous for the present invention.
US09499283B1
A freeplay measurement device for measuring freeplay in a ruddervator includes a forward horseshoe assembly, an aft horseshoe assembly, a L-shaped locator, a connecting assembly, a load applicator, and a measuring device. The forward horseshoe assembly forms a half of an ellipse that can slip on the forward half of the tail. The aft horseshoe assembly forms a half of an ellipse that can slip on the aft half of the tail and ruddervator. The L-shaped locator is for aligning the forward horseshoe assembly on the tail and perpendicularly extends from the forward horseshoe assembly. The connecting assembly connects the forward horseshoe assembly and the aft horseshoe assembly when each is placed over the tail and the ruddervator. The load applicator is for applying loads on the ruddervator. The measuring device is for measuring the deflections of the ruddervator being tested, and is attached to the forward horseshoe assembly.
US09499281B2
A landing arresting system for vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicles. A landing and take-off platform and at least one vertical take-off and landing locking member have a projecting portion arranged at a lower portion of the vehicle. The landing and take-off platform includes a plurality of individually displaceable rolls, arranged substantially in a horizontal direction, and moveable back and forth, such that the projecting portion of the locking member can be entered, retained and released between two adjacent rolls. A landing and take-off platform for vertical take-off and landing aerial vehicles and a vertical take-off and landing locking member for aerial vehicles.
US09499277B2
An aircraft comprising rotors and/or propellers rotated by a shaft and including a power unit. The distributed electric power unit is formed by stacked electric power elements, each conferring, on the shaft, a fraction of the total power necessary; the distributed electric power unit is in direct engagement with the shaft, with no movement transmission mechanism inserted between the unit and the shaft; each electric power element is directly connected to the rotation shaft and comprises a fixed stator, a moving rotor and a mechanical or electromagnetic free wheel in direct engagement with the shaft, said moving rotor co-operating with the free wheel to be coupled to the rotation shaft during normal operation of the electric power unit and to be disconnected from the shaft in the event of the failure of the electric element.
US09499273B2
A propeller assembly comprises two or more blade elements each comprising two or more blade element portions arranged sequentially radially along the blade element. Each of the two or more blade element portions that are radially equi-positioned along corresponding ones of the two or more blade elements together form a blade element portion array.Each of the two or more blade element portions comprise at least one heating element with each one of the at least one heating elements that is located in a correspondingly radially positioned blade element portion being connected to one another to form a heating element array.The two or more heating element arrays are adapted to sequentially heat respective ones of the two or more blade element portion arrays so as to de-ice the blade elements.
US09499267B2
Ground-accessing elevator systems and methods are provided for transporting personnel between the ground level and one or more decks of multi-level vehicle such as a fixed-wing aircraft. The vehicle elevator systems and methods may be implemented using a multi-track guide rail system configured to guide an elevator car between the ground and two or more levels within a vehicle. The multi-track guide rail system may include an intra-vehicle track fixed to the vehicle structure and configured to guide the elevator car between decks of the vehicle, and a separate deployment track may be configured to telescope downward from the intra-vehicle guide rail track to guide the elevator car during deployment to the ground from the vehicle.
US09499262B2
A composite flexure that secures a rotor blade to a gimbaled yoke in a tiltrotor rotor system. The composite flexure includes a composite flexure member, a first end, and a second end. The first end of the composite flexure couples the composite flexure to the gimbaled yoke, and the second end of the composite flexure couples the composite flexure to the rotor blade. The composite flexure is twisted when the composite flexure is not subject to torsional loads in order to accommodate various forces imparted on the rotor system.
US09499253B1
Apparatus and methods are disclosed for designing and manufacturing a composite structure, such as a composite rotor blade spar or composite rotor blade. A first mold may define a first mold surface and a second mold may include a rigid layer and a heated layer secured to the rigid layer and defining a second mold surface. A plurality of heating elements embedded in the second mold may be activated according to different temperature progressions to cure portions of the uncured composite rotor blade positioned coextensive therewith. In some embodiments, the second mold defines a root portion and first and second branch portions. A shear web may be placed between the branch portions during curing. The blade spar may define a complete airfoil contour or have fairings secured thereto having lines extending therethrough to a tip jet. A tip jet mounting structure and blade root attachment apparatus are also disclosed.
US09499242B2
Wakeboat hull control systems and methods are provided to monitor the orientation of the wakeboat hull in the surrounding water, and to automatically control wakeboat ballast components to achieve or maintain desired hull orientations. Systems and methods are provided to measure, store, and recall hull orientation. Systems and methods are also provided to enable automated action to improve the safety, automation, performance, convenience, and marketing advantage of wakeboat ballast systems.
US09499235B1
A kayak paddle holder includes a handle retention clip and at least one suction cup. The handle retention clip includes a lengthwise body and a pair of opposing lips. The lengthwise body includes an inner perimeter, which is sized to receive a handle of a kayak paddle. The pair of opposing lips extend inward from opposing edges of the lengthwise body. Each suction cup includes a suction cup portion and a mounting portion. The suction cup portion is retained by the mounting portion. The mounting portion is preferably attached to the handle retention clip with at least one fastener. The suction cup may be replaced with a twist lock suction cup. It is preferable to attach one suction cup to each end of the handle retention clip. In use, the at least one suction cup is secured to a flat surface on a kayak.
US09499222B2
A precision device for establishing a contour line of body filler on an automobile panel that allows a body repairman to create two (or more) control surfaces in which to work between. The body repairman no longer has to eyeball his/her contour work; for example, by walking to the front of the automobile to see how the contour of the panel being restored “matches” the non-damaged panels when viewed from the front of the automobile. The body repairman can now create a region to work between two body filler lines (a manageable region of repair) established with a flexible rod, a set of pressure adjustable supports and some body filler. Working between these two body filler lines using a flexible contouring tool he may sweep body filler between the upper and lower lines to identically approximate the long sweeping contour lines of the original vehicle.
US09499219B1
Example methods and devices for touch-down detection for a robotic device are described herein. In an example embodiment, a computing system may receive a force signal due to a force experienced at a limb of a robotic device. The system may receive an output signal from a sensor of the end component of the limb. Responsive to the received signals, the system may determine whether the force signal satisfies a first threshold and determine whether the output signal satisfies a second threshold. Based on at least one of the force signal satisfying the first threshold or the output signal satisfying the second threshold, the system of the robotic device may provide a touch-down output indicating touch-down of the end component of the limb with a portion of an environment.
US09499216B2
A vehicle floor structure includes a cross member having a substantially constant cross section shape. A spacing member is disposed beneath the cross member for securing to a chassis frame. The spacing member is positioned relative to the cross member to define an enclosed cavity between the spacing member and the cross member. The floor structure also includes a first collar affixed within the enclosed cavity. A fastener extends through the spacing member and the cross member, and compresses the first collar when the floor structure is secured to the chassis frame.
US09499211B2
An aeraulic crossmember for a motor vehicle includes a beam (12) in the form of a section forming a channel (13) along the length of the beam. The aforementioned channel is equipped with an opening (14) on one of the side faces thereof and contains a duct (15) which is made from rigid insulating material. The duct is also equipped with an opening which is defined by a mouth that is located opposite the opening in the channel and which is slightly smaller than the latter. The opening in the insulating duct is located inside the channel. The crossmember includes an interface device (16) in the form of a sleeve which extends through the opening (14) in the channel in order to connect the mouth of the opening in the duct in a leaktight manner to an air vent that is located on the exterior of the crossmember.
US09499205B1
A vehicle includes a fuel tank, a battery, a first exoskeleton, and a second exoskeleton. The fuel tank and the battery straddle a driveline and are each disposed below a seating area. The first exoskeleton has a first pair of rails secured to each other by a first cross member. The second exoskeleton has a second pair of rails secured to each other by a second cross member. The first and second exoskeletons surround the fuel tank and battery, respectively, and are configured to absorb energy during an impact to protect the fuel tank and battery.
US09499204B1
A suspension system for use with a grounds maintenance vehicle such as a ride-on lawn mower. In one embodiment, the suspension system provide at least a first suspension apparatus positioned between a chassis of the mower and an operator support platform. The first suspension apparatus may include one or more suspension units that may be quickly reconfigured to provide variable suspension characteristics. The system may also include a second suspension apparatus longitudinally spaced-apart from the first suspension apparatus. A pivot member may be provided to assist in reducing or eliminating all but certain degrees of freedom of the platform relative to the chassis.
US09499200B2
A system for backing a vehicle and a trailer is provided herein. A sensing system is configured to detect objects located in an operating environment of the vehicle and trailer. A backup assist system is configured to communicate with the sensing system and automatically control a braking system of the vehicle to slow or stop the vehicle during a backing maneuver.
US09499175B2
The approach involves determining vision capability information for one or more occupants of at least one vehicle. The approach also involves processing and/or facilitating a processing of the vision capability information to determine an estimated comfortable operational configuration for the at least one vehicle. The approach involves determining a maximum operational configuration for the at least one vehicle. The approach also involves determining a recommended operational configuration for the at least one vehicle based, at least in part, on the estimated comfortable operational configuration and the maximum operational configuration.
US09499166B2
An Electronic Stability Control (ESC) system for a vehicle is disclosed. An electronic control unit (ECU) is programmed to reduce vehicle lateral skidding by reducing differences between an intended vehicle direction and/or yaw rate and an actual vehicle direction and/or yaw rate by applying modifications to operation of the vehicle brakes and/or throttle. The ESC system receives inputs from wheel speed sensors, a steering wheel position sensor, a yaw rate sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor. The ESC system also receives input that indicates at least a property of the road upon which the vehicle is located, wherein the road upon which the vehicle is located is determined from a positioning system that uses a map database and the property is determined from the map database. The ESC system incorporates the road property information in determining when and/or how to modify operation of the vehicle to reduce vehicle skidding.
US09499164B2
A hybrid electric vehicle includes an engine, an electric motor, a transmission gearbox, and a clutch selectively coupling the engine to the electric motor. Engine speed can drop dramatically when operating at high speeds during a scheduled shift event in the gearbox. To reduce the effects felt by the engine speed change, at least one controller is provided and programmed to slip the clutch when locked in response to a drive torque, estimated to be present upon completion of an anticipated shift event, exceeding available negative torque, such as regenerative torque and engine braking torque.
US09499155B2
In the state where a sensor used for controlling a first inverter has an abnormality, when rotation speed Ne of an engine is lower than a predetermined reference value Nref (S120), three phase-on control of a first inverter is performed (S190). This causes the rotation speed of the engine to be increased with an increase in rotation speed of a driveshaft. Operation control of the engine is started when the rotation speed Ne of the engine reaches or exceeds a threshold value Nst (S210 to S230).
US09499153B2
The invention relates to a method and device for changing from a coasting or free-rolling mode of a motor vehicle with an internal combustion engine and an automatic clutch, which is disengaged during the coasting or free-rolling mode, to a fuel cut-off mode, in which the clutch is engaged, wherein before engagement of the clutch the internal combustion engine is brought to a revolution rate at which the engagement of the clutch induces no or only small changes in revolution rate in the drive train, and whereby the fuel supply to the internal combustion engine is reduced following engagement of the clutch. Under one or more predetermined conditions the increase of the drag torque of the internal combustion engine acting on the motor vehicle during the changeover from coasting or free-rolling mode to fuel cut-off mode takes place so slowly that the change is not usually noticed by the driver.
US09499147B2
The vehicle brake system includes a cylinder, an output piston disposed in the cylinder, an input piston disposed in the cylinder but separating from the output piston and defining a separation chamber therebetween, a brake pedal connected to the input piston, a reaction force generating device for generating an elastic reaction force, a separation lock valve for controlling the communication between the separation chamber and the reaction force generating device, a fade state judging portion to judge whether the friction brake device is in a fade state or not and a friction braking force control portion for changing the mode to the fade state when the fade state judging portion judged that the friction brake device is in the fade state, wherein a desired friction braking force can be assured even under the brake fade state.
US09499143B2
A vehicle brake system and method for operating same, having a master brake cylinder, a brake medium reservoir, and a first brake circuit, connected via a reservoir line to the brake reservoir, having at least one first wheel brake cylinder, a first wheel inlet valve associated with the first brake cylinder, a first pump, by which a first brake medium volume is pumpable from the reservoir line through the open first wheel inlet valve into the first brake cylinder, a continuously adjustable first wheel outlet valve, by which a first brake medium displacement from the first cylinder into the brake reservoir is controllable, and a connecting line having a spring-loaded non-return valve, via which a delivery side of the first pump is connected to the brake reservoir, a brake medium displacement from the brake reservoir to the delivery side of the first pump being prevented by the spring-loaded non-return valve.
US09499135B2
A vehicle wash component includes a rotatable hub portion having an outer surface and an axis of rotation. The rotatable hub portion is in driving communication with at least one core portion to effectuate rotation thereof. At least one media element is fixedly secured to the at least one core portion for rotation therewith. The media element includes a plurality of upstanding finger portions, which are configured to contact an exterior surface of a vehicle. The core portion includes at least one light retaining aperture formed therein. At least one illumination element is disposed between the plurality of upstanding finger portions and in the at least one light retaining aperture so that it rotates as the at least one core portion rotates and can be seen by a vehicle occupant.
US09499129B1
Methods and systems are provided. One method is for providing access to a vehicle. The method includes sending, by a server, an access code for the vehicle to a portable device. The access code is configured to be transferred by the portable device to the vehicle. Then, receiving, by the server, data from the portable device that is indicative that the portable device is located outside of the vehicle or proximate thereto. Sending, by the server, validation to the vehicle that the access code received by the vehicle was sent to the portable device, and then the vehicle is configured to send an electronic key to the portable device upon receiving the validation. The electronic key is associated with at least one privilege associated with use of the vehicle, and the at least one privilege is defined based on the access code.
US09499122B2
The fastened seatbelts cutting device for transport vehicle, especially automotive vehicles, featuring bushing-shaped housing with an explosive charge or a gas generator inside, the charge and generator connected with a system activating the belt cutting drive, also featuring a cutting knife and a slot for this knife or blade and a slot to house the belt being cut, has a pusher (6) located between the gas generator (4), chamber (3), and the cutting segment (7), sealed with respect to the working chamber (8) in the guide chamber (5), and the blade (9) cutting edge (21) is one of the sides of triangle connected with the blade (9) body seated in the cutting segment (7).
US09499121B2
A web position and attenuation apparatus includes an elongated body extending in a longitudinal direction between opposite ends thereof, a bracket mounted to one of the opposite ends of the elongated body and configured to be affixed to a frame of a movable vehicle, a web coupling member slidably received on the elongated body and positionable along the elongated body. The web coupling member defines a first web slot, and a flexible web extends through the first web slot. The elongated body attenuates forces applied by the flexible web to the web coupling member in non-parallel directions relative to the longitudinal direction by elastically deforming in the non-parallel directions.
US09499120B1
An active bolster for an automotive vehicle includes a bladder that inflates an interior trim area of the vehicle to provide a cushion to an occupant during an impact. The bladder has a first wall and a second wall cooperatively defining an interior cavity. The bladder has a two stage vent for venting inflation gas supplied into the cavity during an impact event. The vent has a first aperture defining a first predetermined flow area when a pressure difference across the vent is substantially zero. A bendable member defines at least in part the first aperture. A weakened seam joins the bendable member to an adjacent feature of the bladder. When there is a predetermined pressure difference across the vent, the weakened seam is ruptured and the bendable member deflects to a second position defining a second flow area greater than the first flow area.
US09499116B2
An occupant protection device for protecting an occupant in frontal and oblique crashes. The occupant protection device operates an airbag and switches a load limiting restraint load of the seat belt between a first load limit value and a second lower load limit value. A switching unit switches the restraint load based upon the physique of the occupant, and lateral acceleration or movement of the occupant during an impact. The second load value is set for a small physique occupant. The load value is switched from the first to the second load value after a predetermined time if the lateral acceleration or occupant movement falls below predetermined levels. For a large physique occupant with lateral acceleration or movement exceeding predetermined levels, the load limiter does not switch to the second load value after the predetermined time.
US09499115B2
The present invention discloses embodiments of an apparatus, system and related method for diagnosing initiators in air bag systems. An embodiment of the system comprises a diagnostic circuit electrically connected between acceleration switches and one or more squib, that is user-activated via a momentary switch, and with user-feedback, wherein a user can diagnose the health of the one or more squib with no power drain while inactive. An embodiment of a method related to the system comprises activating a momentary switch, completing a circuit whereby a diagnostic circuit may function, indicating to the user that the diagnostic circuit is functioning, regulating the current into the diagnostic circuit so that the squib does not fire, boosting the signal to a window comparator, detecting the desired voltage by the window comparator, giving feedback to the user that the voltage is good, too high, or too low. An apparatus embodiment of the present invention may comprise an electronics control module for sensing a crash event and initiating an inflation sequence for one or more airbags with an integrated system for diagnosing one or more initiators. The apparatus may include a housing enclosing one or more circuit boards, to which may be electrically connected one or more wire harnesses which themselves are electrically connected to one or more squibs.
US09499112B1
A method of manufacturing one or more protective panel for a vehicle that comprises affixing plastic sheeting to a vehicle surface; magnetically coupling at least one magnet strip over the plastic to the surface; spraying a heated mixture of thermoplastic polyurethane and polyurea on the sheeting over the at least one magnet; drying the mixture into a body; cutting at least one panel from the body. The panels are cut according the shape of the surface area to protect, after which the plastic is removed from the cut panel shapes.
US09499108B2
A magnetic fastener clip includes a cup having at least one injection hole, an overmold attached to the cup and a magnet is attached to the overmold. The overmold has: a cup cover attached to an outside portion of the cup, and an inner ring attached to an inside portion of the cup. The inner ring is attached to the cup cover via the at least one injection hole. The magnet operably attaches into the inner ring. According to one embodiment, the cup cover and the inner ring are injection molded over at least one part of the cup. An optional coupler for attachment to a body panel is attached to the cup cover and is operative to flex. The magnetic fastener clip adapts to different surface curvatures and thicknesses. The magnetic fastener clip is operative for blind attachment into a structure, such as a vehicle chassis.
US09499101B2
A mirror mount that mounts a mirror to a vehicle fender. The mount can include a base that faces a vehicle fender exterior without extending upwardly and under a hood of the vehicle. A support arm extends from the base and includes a distal end that joins with a mirror. One or more pillars extend away from the base. The pillars can be sized and shaped to extend through holes in the fender to a frame member of the vehicle disposed inwardly relative to the fender. The pillars are associated with a fastener to join with the frame member so that weight of the mirror, the base, the support arm and/or the pillars are substantially born by the frame member. This can reduce transmission of vibration inherent in the fender to the mirror, and/or can rigidly and structurally connect the mirror to the frame member, rather than the fender.
US09499091B2
An assembly for forming an air-guiding element for a motor vehicle has a shell-shaped air-guiding body and a brake lamp. The air-guiding body has an elongated opening which extends through the air-guiding body. The air-guiding body portion is arranged below the brake lamp. The retention side of the air-guiding body portion faces toward the retention side of the brake lamp. Both the brake light and the spoiler include mating retention elements which are both hook shaped to hold the lamp in position.
US09499089B2
A vehicle includes a battery charger and an exterior lamp assembly. The assembly includes a housing defining a cavity, and an electrical port including at least one electrical terminal disposed within the cavity, electrically connected with the battery charger, and configured to be electrically connected with an electrical power grid remote from the vehicle.
US09499086B2
A motor vehicle includes a seat arrangement, a cargo space situated behind the seat arrangement, an adjustable loading panel arranged inside the cargo space, guide rails located in the cargo space for the adjustable, laterally guided accommodation of the adjustable loading panel, and slide or roller bearings for mounting the adjustable loading panel in the guide rails. An actuating handle is mounted in the adjustable loading panel and movable through exposure to a spring action for swiveling an eccentric mounted in the adjustable loading panel out of a position that fixes the adjustable loading panel in place and into a position that releases the adjustable loading panel for adjustment purposes, and for adjusting the adjustable loading panel.
US09499078B2
Provided is a headrest moving device. When first and second gears, each of which has numerous teeth formed in widthwise and lengthwise directions, are engaged, the numerous widthwise teeth are engaged, and the numerous lengthwise teeth are engaged. Due to the teeth, it is possible to minutely adjust a position of a headrest and to withstand a high load. Even when some of the teeth are disengaged, the headrest moving device can be operated and provides excellent durability.
US09499076B2
A vehicle seat includes: a slide mechanism including an inner-side slide rail and an outer-side slide rail; a seat cushion; and a biasing unit for applying a biasing force for flipping up the seat cushion toward a wall portion of a vehicle. The outer-side slide rail includes: a first slide rail fixed to the wall portion at a same position as the seat cushion in a vertical direction; and a second slide rail fixed to a portion of the wall portion located deeper in an interior than the first slide rail, at a position below the seat cushion.
US09499074B2
A child seat including a tensioning mechanism for applying tension to a seat belt to more fully secure the child seat to a vehicle seat is provided herein. The child seat, which may be front- and/or rear-facing, includes a seat base defining a seat portion and a backrest portion. The seat base can receive an untensioned belt to secure the child seat to a vehicle seat in an untensioned configuration. A tensioning mechanism attached to the backrest portion and is rotatable between a first position substantially adjacent to the backrest portion and a second position disposed therefrom. In the second position, the tensioning mechanism can receive a portion of the belt. In the first position, the tensioning mechanism applies tension to the portion of the received belt to secure the child seat to the vehicle seat in a tensioned configuration. Methods of manufacturing child seats are also provided herein.
US09499073B2
A slide rail of a vehicle seat includes a first rail to which a screw having a screw thread formed on an outer periphery is fixed; a second rail that retains a nut into which the screw screws, and moves relative to the first rail by the nut rotating; a protruding portion that is provided on the first rail, and protrudes toward the screw; and an elastic member that connects the protruding portion and the screw. The elastic member has a retaining body that retains the screw, and an engaging body that engages with the protruding portion.
US09499072B2
Seats and methods for controlling a seat are described. A position of the user's leg is sensed relative to the position of the front of the seat. A determination is made as to if the position of the user's leg from a front of the seat is greater than a gap minimum. If the gap is greater than the gap minimum, a cushion length extender portion of the seat is moved until the sensed position is less than or equal to the gap minimum. In an example, the remainder of seat base is held in a fixed position within the vehicle environment. In an example, sensing can include capacitively sensing a position of the user's leg. In an example, sensing can use at least one of a thermal sensor, a light sensor, a radio frequency sensor, a microwave sensor or combinations thereof to sense the position of the user's leg. The gap minimum can be with the cushion length extender portion in slight contact with the user's leg. The sensor can be at a front face of seat. The sensor can be on the cushion length extender portion of the seat.
US09499070B2
A striker for use with a vehicle having a lock element, which comprises an engagement portion engageable with the lock element and a reinforcing bracket disposed relative to the engagement portion of the striker, such that a predetermined space is provided between the reinforcing bracket and engagement portion. When a relatively small load is applied via the lock element to the engagement portion, an impact energy of the load to body side of the vehicle is absorbed by the striker in a period of time during which the engagement portion is deformed within the predetermined space. If the load is great, the engagement portion is deformed over that space and contacts the reinforcing bracket, thereby being prevented against further deformation, such that an impact energy of the great load to the body side of vehicle is absorbed and reduced in the striker and reinforcing bracket in a stepwise way.
US09499044B2
An ROV includes a body frame, a plurality of seats, a cargo bed, and an air cleaner. The plurality of seats are supported by the body frame, and aligned in a width direction of the ROV. The cargo bed is disposed rearward relative to the seats, and supported by the body frame. The cargo bed includes a placement surface on which cargo is to be placed. The air cleaner is disposed rearward relative to the seats, and at least partially exposed above the placement surface.
US09499043B2
An air intake assembly for a vehicle includes an air intake configured to intake ambient air and a heater box configured to be positioned adjacent a component of an exhaust assembly of the vehicle. The heater box is configured to intake ambient air and heat the air by heat absorption from the component of the exhaust assembly. The air intake assembly is configured to selectively permit passage of ambient air from the air intake and heated air from the heater box toward the engine assembly. The air intake assembly may selectively permit passage of ambient air and heated air by use of a valve in communication with the air intake and the heater box and further in connection with an engine assembly of the vehicle, the valve configured to selectively permit passage of ambient air from the air intake and heated air from the heater box toward the engine assembly.
US09499040B2
A plug-in hybrid vehicle includes a hybrid powertrain system and an energy storage device. A method for operating the hybrid powertrain system includes initially operating the hybrid powertrain system in a charge-depletion mode to reduce a state-of-charge (SOC) of an energy storage device. In response to an operator request, the hybrid powertrain system operates in an opportunity charging mode to opportunistically charge the energy storage device to increase the SOC of the energy storage device during a trip prior to achieving a minimum SOC that is associated with triggering operation in a charge sustaining mode.
US09499039B2
A power transmission system of a hybrid electric vehicle may includes an input shaft, a first planetary gear set disposed on the input shaft while including three rotation elements having a first sun gear, a first planetary carrier, and a first ring gear; a second planetary gear set having a second sun gear, a second planetary carrier, and a second ring gear; a third planetary gear set having a third sun gear, a third planetary carrier, and a third ring gear; first to seventh rotation shafts, and three friction elements configured to selectively connect the respective rotation shafts to each other or selectively connect the respective rotation shafts to the transmission housing.
US09499037B2
A mounting structure for a power unit of a utility vehicle. The power unit includes: a body part; an output shaft extending in frontward and rearward directions through the body part; a first attaching member provided with a first damper and attaching a lower end part of the body part to a vehicle body frame of the utility vehicle; and a torque rod located in an upper part of the body part and constructed between the body part and the vehicle body frame so as to restrict rolling of the body part in vehicle width directions. A body side attaching part of the torque rod, attached to the body part, is located on an extension line of a compression axis direction of the first damper in side view of the power unit.
US09499032B2
A vehicle back door structure including: a back door panel made of resin having, in at least a part of a peripheral edge thereof, a recessed portion equipped with a pair of side walls and a bottom wall that interconnects vehicle front sides of the pair of side walls, with a step portion, that has one side-wall side positioned at a vehicle rear side of another side-wall side, being formed in the bottom wall; and a reinforcement rib that is formed integrally with a vehicle rear side surface of the bottom wall, that straddles the step portion, and that bridges the pair of side walls.
US09499031B2
A rear door device for a vehicle may include a rear door, an upper rail mounted to the rear door in a width direction, an upper slider inserted in the upper rail to support the upper rail, a lower rail mounted to a vehicle body and formed with a curved portion, a lower slider inserted in the lower rail and movable along the lower rail, an upper support structure having one end connected to the upper slider and the other end mounted to the vehicle body for supporting the upper slider, and a connection structure for connecting the lower slider to the upper rail. The rear door device permits the rear door to be opened or closed by sliding it forward or backward in the length direction of the vehicle.
US09499029B2
A windshield assembly generally configured to be used on off-road vehicles such as utility-terrain vehicles (UTVs) and side-by-side vehicles (SSVs) comprises a flexible and slidable windshield panel. The windshield assembly generally comprises at least two guide rails configured to be mounted to the vehicle and more particularly to the front and top portions of the cabin structure, and a flexible windshield panel which side edges are slidably mounted to the guide rails. By virtue of its sliding engagement with the guide rails, the windshield panel can be slid between an operative position, i.e. in front of the driver, and an inoperative position, i.e. into the top of the vehicle.
US09499028B2
The present invention provides a plate-like body with a frame attached thereto for a vehicle window and a process for assembling the plate-like body with a frame attached thereto for a vehicle window, which are capable of providing excellent assembling performance, achieving high durability and providing a decorative member with high fitting accuracy to a resin frame in spite of being in a mode where the decorative member is post-fitted to the resin frame.In the process for assembling the plate-like body with a frame attached thereto for a vehicle window according to the present invention, in a retaining step, a boss is mounted to a decorative member with a base portion of the boss being retained by a retaining portion of the decorative member. Next, in an inserting step, a shaft portion of the boss is inserted into an aperture of a resin frame. Subsequently, in an insetting step, an outer peripheral surface of a bush is insetted into the aperture of the resin frame while the shaft portion of the boss is inserted into a through bore of the bush. After that, in a fixing step, the shaft portion of the boss and the bush are fixed together by a caulking part.
US09499022B2
An auxiliary rubber spring for an automobile suspension, comprising: N layers of metal partitions, N being an integer greater than or equal to 1, and a transverse section of each metal partition being arc-shaped; N+1 rubber layers, the rubber layers being alternately lapped with the metal partitions, and a transversal section of each rubber layer being arc-shaped; a supporting plate provided with a first convex arc surface on one side thereof, the first convex arc surface being bonded to a first concave arc surface of an outermost rubber layer; and a connecting plate provided with a second concave arc surface on one thereof, the second concave arc surface being bonded to a second convex arc surface of another outermost rubber layer. The auxiliary rubber spring for an automobile suspension according to the present invention may increase fatigue resistance of the rubber spring and effectively extend service life thereof.
US09499020B2
A vehicle tow recovery eye includes a shaft between a towing end connectable to a towable item and an insertion end that is insertable in a vehicle opening, a resistance assembly mounted on the shaft; and a locking pin having an axis that is substantially perpendicular to an axis of the shaft. The tow recovery eye can be used with a portion of a vehicle frame that includes a frame opening dimensioned to accommodate insertion of the shaft and the locking pin.
US09499017B2
A hitch mount configured to be selectively attached to a vehicle, the vehicle having an under bed hitch mounting system is shown and described. The hitch mount may include at least one transverse member, at least one longitudinal member attached with the at least one transverse member, the at least one longitudinal member including first and second apertures, the first and second apertures of different size, and first and second fastening devices configured to selectively engage the under bed hitch mounting system and the first and second apertures, respectively. The hitch mount may also include first and second biasing members operatively engaged with the first and second fastening, the biasing members applying a load against the under bed hitch mounting system, and first and second handles pivotally and rotatably attached with the first and second fastening devices, the handles having a camming surface configured to engage the first and second biasing members.
US09499013B2
The present invention provides a pneumatic tire 1, comprising: a carcass ply including a main body portion 11a extending across respective bead cores 9 and turn-up portions 11b each turned up around the bead cores 9 from the main body portion 11a; a bead filler 13; and a side rubber 5a, wherein: a tip portion on the outer side in the tire radial direction of the outer end 13a of the bead filler 13, of each of the turned-up portions 11b, extends to a position of at least 5 mm distance from the outer end 13a of the bead filler with maintaining distance of 1 mm or less between the main body portion 11a and itself; a turn-up end 11c is disposed on the inner side in the tire widthwise direction than a neutral axis of bending of a bead portion 7 and a corresponding sidewall portion 5 and at 10%-40% height of a tire cross sectional height SH of the tire; and the side rubber 5a, disposed on the outer side in the tire widthwise direction of the main body portion 11a and each turn-up portion 11b, covers the turn-up end 11c and constitutes a part of an outer surface of the tire.
US09499012B2
In a pneumatic tire, the groove width of the connecting subsidiary grooves changes midway. The relationship between the groove width (W1) connecting to the circumferential main groove on the outer side in the tire width direction and the groove width (W2) connecting to the circumferential main groove on the inner side in the tire width direction satisfies the range of 0.30≦W1/W2≦0.70. The relationship between the groove length (L1) on the tread surface having a region of groove width (W1) and the groove length (L2) on the tread surface having a region of groove width (W2) satisfies the range of 0.25≦L2/L1≦0.65. Sipes are provided on the tread surface of the block-like land portions. The respective end portions of the sipes connect to a position where the groove width (W1) of the connecting subsidiary grooves changes to the groove width (W2).
US09499006B2
An anti-counterfeiting feature generation method for a valuable document and an authentication method and device therefor. The anti-counterfeiting feature generation method for a valuable document uses the anti-counterfeiting feature information redundancy to hide accurate information about an anti-counterfeiting feature. In the generation method, the anti-counterfeiting feature of a valuable document has little change on the human perception, but a valuable document authentication device in a financial self-service equipment can effectively extract the hidden accurate information about an anti-counterfeiting feature from signals obtained by a sensor and conduct quantitative detection and authentication, thereby effectively authenticating whether the valuable document is counterfeit or not. A new anti-counterfeiting feature which facilitates machine recognition is loaded to the valuable document, and a corresponding valuable document authentication device is configured to a financial self-service equipment, so that the financial self-service equipment can read the anti-counterfeiting feature of the valuable document by facilitating machine recognition, thereby improving the authentication accuracy of the financial self-service equipment to the valuable document.
US09498992B2
A sheet material cooling device includes a cylindrical body having an outer circumferential surface to be in contact with a sheet material, a cooling unit having a cooling surface in contact with an inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical body, and a first fastening member inserted from an outside of the cylindrical body toward an inside to attach the cooling unit to the cylindrical body in a state that the cooling surface is in contact with the inner circumferential surface.
US09498988B2
A tape cassette includes a box-like housing, a tape mounted within the housing, a hole and a first indicator portion. The housing includes a top wall having a top surface, a bottom wall having a bottom surface and opposing the top wall, and a front wall having a specified height and being formed along peripheries of the top wall and the bottom wall. The hole is provided in the front wall. The first indicator portion includes at least one first aperture and indicates a first element among a plurality of elements of a type of the tape. The first indicator portion is provided in a portion, spaced from the front wall, of the bottom wall. The hole and the one first aperture is located to intersect a virtual line orthogonal to the front wall when viewing along a vertical direction orthogonal to the top wall and the bottom wall.
US09498986B2
The present invention relates to a device for supplying and recovering printed material used in digital printing with which a long printed material can be simply mounted onto a digital printing apparatus so that the work efficiency of an operator can be improved. The present invention includes: a supply roll around which the printed material is wound; a first transport roll which transports the printed material supplied from the supply roll to the lower part of a head part; a second transport roll which discharges the printed material on which printing is completed by the head part; and a recovery roll which has an axis of rotation parallel to the axis of rotation of the supply roll and which is rotated by a recovery driving means so that the printed material discharged from the second transport roll is wound. The printed material is supplied when one end thereof is unwound from the supply roll and is fixed to the recovery roll through the upper sides of the first transport roll and the second transport roll.
US09498978B2
A conveyor device includes a conveyor belt and a suction section. The conveyor belt conveys a recording medium. The suction section sucks on the recording medium via the conveyor belt. The suction section includes a guide member that supports the recording medium via the conveyor belt. The guide member has a plurality of grooves including at least one pair of grooves that are adjacent in a conveyance direction of the recording medium. Each of the grooves in the pair has an end adjacent to an end of the other groove in the pair. The adjacent ends of the respective grooves in the pair each have a portion overlapping with a portion of the adjacent end of the other groove in the pair (groove overlapping region) in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.
US09498973B2
An ink jet recording system includes an ink jet recording device; and a control portion that controls the ink jet recording device, in which when a first mode is selected from a plurality of recording modes, the control portion performs control of recording a security image corresponding to an input image on a recording medium by performing control of forming a glitter image by a glitter ink composition in a first image area on the recording medium, forming a color image by a color ink composition in the glitter image, and forming the color image by the color ink composition on a second image area that is in contact with the first image area.
US09498972B2
In a system of a data processing apparatus coupled to a printer, the apparatus sends a status information transmission request to the printer and, in response, receives status information from the printer. The status information includes ink storage identification information written in a memory contained in an ink storage, device identification information identifying the printer in which the ink storage is installed, and ink usage amount information for use by the printer in calculating a remaining ink amount.
US09498962B2
A printing device includes: a head that ejects an ink on a medium to perform printing; and a mist collection mechanism having: a suction port facing the medium and sucking air near the head; an exhaust port discharging the sucked air; and an airflow path between the suction port and the exhaust port, wherein the airflow path includes a first spatial region located on a side of the suction port, and a second spatial region located on a side of the exhaust port and adjacent to the first spatial region through a communicating port having an opening area smaller than that of the suction port.
US09498960B2
A maintenance system for a three-dimensional object printer includes a platform having a plurality of wheels that enable the platform to move along a first track, and having a maintenance mechanism connected to the platform so as to be movable normal to the first track. The maintenance mechanism includes a lifting member that extends laterally from the platform, and a maintenance tool configured to move with the lifting member. A lifting platform is positioned laterally offset from a location of the first track where an ejector head is positioned opposite the first track, and is configured to engage with the lifting member to lift the maintenance tool and enable the maintenance tool to perform a maintenance operation on the ejector head.
US09498959B2
A maintenance unit mounted in a removable manner in a liquid ejector that ejects liquid. The maintenance unit includes an elongated maintenance member, which is used to perform maintenance on the liquid ejector, and a memory, which is configured to store information related to the maintenance member.
US09498955B2
A printing device includes a printing head and a control unit. The printing head has a nozzle row with a one end side nozzle group of nozzles of one end side of the nozzle row, an other end side nozzle group of nozzles of an other end side of the nozzle row, and a center nozzle group of nozzles of the nozzle row, which does not correspond to the one and other end side nozzle groups. The control unit is configured to discharge the ink on a designated area on a print medium from the nozzles included in the center nozzle group and the other end side nozzle group with a first movement of the printing head and discharge the ink on the designated area from the nozzles included in the center nozzle group and the one end side nozzle group with a second movement next to the first movement.
US09498954B2
An ink jet recording apparatus includes a printer head that ejects ink and a platen. The ink includes an organic solvent, a surfactant, and 60% by mass or less of water. The platen is composed of a material containing a conductive resin. A solubility parameter A [(J/cm3)1/2] calculated from the organic solvent and the surfactant and a solubility parameter B [(J/cm3)1/2] of the conductive resin satisfy |A−B|≧2.
US09498951B2
An inkjet nozzle device includes: a nozzle chamber having a floor, a roof and perimeter sidewalls extending between the floor and the roof, wherein a nozzle aperture is defined in the roof; a heating element for generating gas bubbles in the nozzle chamber so as to eject ink through the nozzle aperture, wherein a centroid of the heating element is aligned with a centroid of the nozzle aperture; and a pair of chamber inlets defined in the floor of the nozzle chamber, the chamber inlets being symmetrically disposed about the centroid of the heating element. The inkjet nozzle device has a pair of orthogonal symmetry planes passing through the centroid of the nozzle aperture.
US09498949B2
Ink-jet print head for an ink-jet printer including at least a substrate and a photopolymer barrier applied onto the substrate. The photopolymer barrier includes an adhesive first layer and a second layer made of a photopolymerizable material and applied above said first layer. The adhesive first layer is made of a canonically polymerizable material partially polymerized that, when contacted by a water-based ink containing acidic species, is able to further polymerize, thus improving the photopolymer barrier adhesion on the surface of the substrate with time.
US09498943B2
A system for laminating an optical film according to an exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure includes a panel transfer unit to transfer a panel, a first laminating unit installed on a transfer line of the panel to laminate an optical film on a first surface of the panel along a first direction parallel to a transfer direction of the panel, and a second laminating unit installed on the transfer line of the panel to laminate an optical film on a second surface of the panel, wherein the second laminating unit includes a laminating drum to laminate an optical film after adsorbing and rotating the optical film in a horizontal direction.
US09498936B2
Multilayer structures, methods of making the same and packages made therefrom are provided. The multilayer structures are useful for packaging bone-in meat or other like products. More specifically, the multilayer structures have sufficient rigidity and strength to contain bone-in meat or other like products, while also maintaining good oxygen barrier properties. In addition, multilayer structures can easily seal to themselves or to other structures. Moreover, the multilayer structures are biaxially oriented and heat-shrinkable.
US09498925B2
Various embodiments herein include utilities for generating embosser drums that are used to pre-format optical media such as optical tape with a pattern of nanostructures such as wobbled grooves. One utility includes generating a plurality of replicas from an embossing master, bonding the replicas together to form a bonded replica structure having a surface with the nanostructure pattern imprinted therein, creating a replica of the bonded replica structure and electroforming a metallic layer onto the bonded replica structure replica to create a single, one piece, metallic shim which can be used to create a weld-less embosser drum.
US09498923B2
The invention relates to a method for treating a fiber-plastic composite of a rotor blade, comprising the steps of: providing the fiber-plastic composite to be treated at the rotor blade; preparing a local working area of the fiber-plastic composite; providing a fiber-matrix composite comprising a UV-curable matrix material and a fiber material; applying the fiber-matrix composite onto the local working area of the fiber-plastic composite; and curing the matrix material. The invention provides for the curing of the matrix material to take place with the help of UV radiation.
US09498919B2
This document describes techniques and apparatuses for 3D printing with small geometric offsets to affect surface characteristics. These techniques are capable of enabling fused-deposition printers to create 3D objects having desired surface characteristics, such as particular colors, images and image resolutions, textures, and luminosities. In some cases, the techniques do so using a single filament head with a single filament material. In some other cases, the techniques do so using multiple heads each with different filaments, though the techniques can forgo many switches between these heads. Each printing layer may use even a single filament from one head, thereby enabling surface characteristics while reducing starts and stops for filaments heads, which enables fewer artifacts or increases printing speed.
US09498918B2
A process for embossing a structure in an embossing material that is applied on a substrate comprising the steps of embossing the embossing material by an embossing die and hardening the embossing material, wherein at least the substrate and/or the embossing die and/or at least one heating layer arranged between the substrate and the embossing material and/or between the embossing die and the embossing material are irradiated by means of microwaves for hardening the embossing material.
US09498911B2
A coinjection molding apparatus is disclosed that provides a skin material melt stream and a core material melt stream to a nozzle. The skin material melt stream forms an inner and outer layer of a molded article with the core material melt stream forming a core layer between the inner and outer skin material layers. A volume of the core material for forming the core layer may be manually adjusted between injection cycles to change a thickness of the core layer between a first molded article and a second molded article. Alternatively, a volume of the core material for forming the core layer may be automatically adjusted during an injection cycle to change a thickness of the core layer during formation of the molded article, such that the molded article will have a core layer with at least a first thickness and a second thickness.
US09498909B2
A method and apparatus for performing an injection molding cycle comprising drivably interconnecting a valve pin to an electric motor actuator and controllably operating the electric motor to drive the valve pin at one or more reduced rates of upstream or downstream travel based on either detection of the position of the pin or actuator or on a preselected length of time at which to drive the valve pin.
US09498906B1
A mold head assembly and associated method maintains a lid in a closed position relative to a cap body while a molded cap assembly is removed from a threaded core in a mold cavity. The mold head assembly includes a first member, a second member configured for receipt opposite the associated mold cap assembly and mounted to the first member for limited relative movement therebetween, and a biasing member interposed between the first and second members for urging the second member toward the mold cavity. Particularly, a compliant head assembly engages the molded cap or lid and biasing springs urge a plate, the lid, and the cap base toward the mold cavity in a direction generally opposite that of the motion of a stripping sleeve relative to a thread core.
US09498904B2
The present invention relates to a method for molding a substantially improved heat-resistant sound absorbing and insulating material, which uses a sound absorbing material containing, based on 100 parts by weight of the sound absorbing material, an amount of about 20-80 parts by weight of a fiber material having a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of about 25% or greater and a heat resistance temperature of about 200° C. or greater and an amount of about 20-80 parts by weight of a thermosetting binder resin having a heat resistance temperature of about 200° C. or greater and is installed on an engine cylinder block and an automotive body panel above a muffler of a vehicle. The method includes: a releasing agent coating step of coating a releasing agent inside a heated die; a heated compression molding step of fixing a shape; and a cold compression step of stabilizing the shape.The substantially improved heat-resistant sound absorbing and insulating material molded according to the method can reduce the noise inside a vehicle by blocking radiated noise, which is generated from an engine and an exhaust system, from being transferred to the inside of the vehicle through an automotive body panel, can maintain its shape even under a high-temperature environment of about 200° C. or greater generated by the engine and the exhaust system, and can satisfy UL 94V-0 flame retardancy.
US09498900B2
An apparatus for spin casting lenses includes a rotatable tube, the rotatable tube defining a longitudinal cavity, wherein the longitudinal cavity is configured to receive molds. According to one exemplary embodiment, the rotatable tube is made of metal and includes a plurality of apertures configured to permit the transmission of actinic radiation.
US09498898B2
A cleaning subsystem removes unwanted material, such as glaze, from saw blades used in a semiconductor singulation process. A cleaning module moves radially towards the saw blade and vertically with respect to the plane of the saw blade in order to enable abrasive cleaning blocks of the cleaning module to selectively remove material from either the upper and lower surfaces of the saw blade or the outer edge of the saw blade. The cleaning assembly can remove material from the saw blade at a predetermined time or position during the singulation process or upon detection of load imbalance during the rotation of the saw blade.
US09498896B2
A sheet manufacturing apparatus includes a supply unit configured to supply material including fibers, a defibrating unit configured to defibrate the material in the air, a classifying unit configured to classify defibrated material, which has been defibrated at the defibrating unit, by airflow into fiber material and waste material, a forming unit configured to form a sheet by using the fiber material, and a discharge blower configured to discharge the waste material by airflow from the classifying unit such that the waste material does not move toward a side of the forming unit. When manufacturing by the sheet manufacturing apparatus stops, the supply unit, the defibrating unit, and the discharge blower are configured to stop in a sequence of the supply unit, the defibrating unit, and the discharge blower.
US09498887B1
An example two-faced linearly actuated suction gripper includes a first gripping surface having one or more first suction cups arranged to provide suction in a first direction. The suction gripper also includes a second gripping surface comprising one or more second suction cups arranged to provide suction in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction. The suction gripper further includes a linear actuator configured to provide movement of the second gripping surface parallel to the second direction towards a face of an object. The suction gripper includes a sensor configured to generate data indicating that the face of the object is adjacent to the second gripping surface; and an engageable brake that, when engaged, stops the movement of the linear actuator in response to the data from the sensor indicating that the second gripping surface is adjacent to the face of the object.
US09498878B2
Improvements in an insulated high voltage extension for a socket wrench is disclosed. The extension provides electrical isolation between an operator located at one end of the insulated extension and a nut or bolt located at the other end of the insulated extension. Due to the potential for high voltage electricity to jump between conductive elements the insulated high voltage extension provides electrical isolation to reduce or prevent electrocution of an installer when the installer is working with high voltage power transmission lines. The extension can have a universal joint option that allows an operator to be slightly out-of-alignment with the nut or bolt. The extension can have a sacrificial torque limiter to prevent an installer from continuing to tighten or loosen a nut or bolt beyond a limit that can cause damage to the extension.
US09498876B2
A holding device for a hand held power tool, in particular, an electric power tool, said holding device comprising an attachment component with at least one attachment element, which can be connected to the power tool; at least one spacer element; as well as a handle with a first handle end and a second handle end. Moreover, the holding device comprises a connecting device, by means of which the attachment component, the spacer element and the handle can be connected to each other.
US09498869B2
A socket wrench includes a wrench body, a ratchet wheel and a positioning ring. The ratchet wheel has a driving hole and a cylindrical flange extending on one side of the wrench body. The cylindrical flange defines in an outer periphery at least one aperture communicating with the driving hole. The positioning ring is mounted around the cylindrical flange, and has a central bore and at least one protrusion radially protruded from an wall of the central bore of the positioning ring. The protrusion is projected from a wall of the driving hole through the aperture to position a socket.
US09498860B2
An abutment member having an abutment section abutting a work stand on which a workpiece to which an arm performs work is placed is provided on a front surface of a robot body.
US09498853B2
The present invention provides an amorphous caesium aluminum fluoride complex, a process for its production and the use of the complex as a flux, in particular for the soft soldering of aluminum.
US09498852B2
Laser hybrid welding systems adapted to identify and/or fix a weld defect occurring during a laser hybrid welding process are provided. Embodiments of the laser hybrid welding system may include one or more devices that provide feedback to a controller regarding one or more weld parameters. One embodiment of the laser hybrid welding system includes sensors that are adapted to measure the weld voltage and/or amperage during the welding process and transmit the acquired data to the controller for processing. Another embodiment of the laser hybrid welding system includes a lead camera and a lag camera that film an area directly in front of the weld location and directly behind the weld location.
US09498851B2
An apparatus used for forming stud bumps may be formed by providing a first clamp plate comprising a clamping surface, forming a notcher on the clamping surface, and forming a contact stopper on the clamping surface. The apparatus may include a clamp that includes at least two opposing plates, and at least one of the opposing plates includes a protruding feature that intersects the wire when the wire is clamped forming a first notch in the wire. The method for forming stud bumps includes bonding wire to a bonding surface, releasing the wire from the clamp, passing the wire a notch pitch distance through the clamp, clamping the wire with the clamp forming a second notch in the wire, and breaking the wire leaving a bonded portion of the wire on the bonding surface.
US09498848B2
A method of manufacturing an annular wall (46) of a combustion chamber (15) comprises depositing layers of a metal sequentially one upon the other to form layers of a spiral wall (45) of the combustion chamber (15). Each layer of metal is deposited in a spiral pathway (122). The ends (E1, E2) of the spiral wall (45) of the combustion chamber (15) are joined together to form the annular wall (46) of the combustion chamber (15). The ends (E1, E2) of the spiral wall (45) of the combustion chamber (15) are at the opposite ends of the spiral pathway (122).
US09498825B2
A pipe de-burring assembly includes a mount that may be coupled to a power tool such that the power tool rotates the mount when the power tool is turned on. A de-burring member is movably coupled to the mount. The de-burring member may remove burrs from either of an inside surface or an outside surface of a pipe.
US09498798B2
An apparatus and method for separating piece goods to be stored in an automated storage facility are provided. At least two bearing surfaces for receiving piece goods are engaged with a conveying system for filling the bearing surfaces with piece goods, the conveying system having transfer surfaces dedicated to the bearing surfaces. The bearing surfaces may be filled with piece goods separately from one another. A control unit is coupled to the conveying system and a detection device is coupled to the control unit for detecting the position, orientation, and package data of the piece goods. A handling mechanism is also coupled to the control unit for gripping piece goods from the bearing surfaces and depositing the piece goods on a transfer device.
US09498791B2
A specimen processing system is capable of processing specimens carried on slides. The specimen processing system can sequentially deliver slides and opposables to specimen processing stations. The specimen processing stations can use the opposables to apply a series of liquids to the specimens. The applied liquid can be moved along the slide using capillary action while the specimen processing stations control the processing temperatures. The applied liquid can be in a fluid-carrying gap. The opposable can contact the slide to vary a cross section of the fluid-carrying gap.
US09498786B2
An atomizer system 160 for use in a spray dry absorber 130, the atomizer system 160 includes a support member 161, an atomizing disc 162 rotatably coupled to the support member 161, a first feed line 163 for delivery of a reagent slurry 163a to a delivery area 165 and a second feed line 164 for delivery of a dilution liquid 164a to the delivery area 165. The delivery area 165 is positioned within the atomizer system 160 to reduce scale buildup generated by interaction of the reagent slurry 163a and the dilution liquid 164a.
US09498779B2
A method for regulating the roll gap pressure of a roller press and a corresponding roller press. The roll gap pressure is regulated dependent on at least one oscillating movement that is measured on the roller press. This has the advantage that the roller press can always be operated at the maximum roller press efficiency without the roller press reaching the overload range.
US09498775B2
The present invention is directed to a lean NOx trap diesel oxidation catalyst for the treatment of exhaust gas emissions, such as the oxidation of unburned hydrocarbons (HC), and carbon monoxide (CO) and the trapping and reduction of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Catalytic composites can comprise a catalytic material on a carrier, the catalytic material comprising a first NOx trap layer that comprises a NOx sorbent and one or more precious metal components located on the carrier and a second NOx trap layer containing hydrocarbon trapping functionality located over the first NOx trap layer that comprises a NOx sorbent, one or more precious metal components, and a zeolite, for example a beta zeolite, wherein the zeolite is substantially free of framework aluminum. Such zeolites are characterized by high crystallinity and/or by being substantially free of framework aluminum to minimize surface acidity.
US09498774B2
The present invention relates to a composite body in which first metal-containing particles and second metal-containing particles are supported on a carbon material or connected by a carbon material, and a method for producing the same. The above composite body can, if the first metal-containing particles exhibit a catalytic activity, be applied as a reaction catalyst and can also be used in various fields such as the manufacture of the adsorbent or the separation membrane.
US09498771B2
To provide an exhaust gas catalyst using a fired aluminum phosphate body with more excellent performance, and a method for producing it. (1) An exhaust gas purification catalyst including at least one platinum-group metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Rh and Pd having a mean particle diameter of between 0.50 nm and 2.0 nm, supported on a tridymite-type fired aluminum phosphate body. (2) A method for producing an exhaust gas purification catalyst, including the steps of: firing aluminum phosphate obtained from an aqueous solution prepared to a pH of 3.5 to 4.5, at a temperature of between 1000° C. and 1200° C. for 2 hours or longer, to obtain a fired aluminum phosphate body, and supporting at least one type of platinum-group metal selected from the group consisting of Pt, Rh and Pd on the fired aluminum phosphate body.
US09498760B2
The invention relates to a stable, highly concentrated, aqueous suspension of nanoparticles, particularly of titanium dioxide particles, a method for production, and use of the suspension, e.g. for coating or impregnation, or as an additive in organic or inorganic matrices. The suspension contains a first dispersant based on a polymeric alkoxylate and a second dispersant selected from the group of amino alcohols. The suspension is preferably characterized by the fact that its stability is preserved even during and after vigorous dispersion in an attrition mill and no increase in viscosity occurs. In a preferred embodiment, the viscosity declines by up to 10 to 50% as a function of the milling time. In a further embodiment, the suspension can be dried and subsequently redispersed, without the state of dispersion deteriorating.
US09498759B2
The invention describes a method for the identification of compounds which bind to a target component of a biochemical system or modulate the activity of the target, comprising the steps of: a) compartmentalizing the compounds into microcapsules together with the target, such that only a subset of the repertoire is represented in multiple copies in any one microcapsule; and b) identifying the compound which binds to or modulates the activity of the target; wherein at least one step is performed under microfluidic control. The invention enables the screening of large repertoires of molecules which can serve as leads for drug development.
US09498754B2
A method capable of effectively improving a rejection of a reverse osmosis membrane without remarkably reducing a permeation flux, even if the membrane is seriously degraded. An aqueous solution containing a first organic compound having a molecular weight of less than 200, a second organic compound having a molecular weight of 200 to less than 500, and a third organic compound having a molecular weight of 500 or more is passed through the reverse osmosis membrane. The first organic compound is preferably an amino acid or an amino acid derivative. The total concentration of the first organic compound and the second organic compound and the concentration of the third organic compound are each preferably 1 to 500 mg/L.
US09498746B2
Using a method and installation for separating acid components, dust and tar from hot gases of gasification installations, an economical method using a corresponding installation is to be created, which enables acid compounds HF, HCl, H2S, dust and tar to be reliably separated in the highest possible temperature range. The aim is achieved in that the media flow leaving the gasification at above 700° C. is fed with additives to a desulfurization process and subsequently to a combined cyclone 9 having associated filter cartridges 17 in a common vessel 8, and the gas is withdrawn for further use downstream of the filter cartridges.
US09498728B2
A game operating device (controller) includes a longitudinal housing, and a holding portion held by hand to be wrapped by its palm it is formed in the housing. A direction switch is provided on an upper surface at a position where it can be operated by thumb of the hand holding the holding portion, and a start switch and a select switch are provided backward thereof. An X button 46 and a Y button are further arranged in line on the upper surface of the housing. An imaging information arithmetic unit is provided at a front end of the housing in a longitudinal direction in such a manner that an imaging device thereof is exposed from a front-end surface. A concave portion is formed on a lower surface at a position corresponding to the direction switch. The concave portion includes a valley and two inclined surfaces. An A button capable of being operated by index finger of the hand holding the holding portion is provided on the backward inclined surface. By processing an image signal obtained by imaging an infrared ray from LED modules by the imaging device, it is possible to obtain an operation signal varying according to a position and/or attitude of the controller.
US09498722B2
A participation inviting block invites users wanting to participation in same content to be executed in a shared manner upon a notification from a promoter client apparatus connected to a content providing apparatus that makes two or more client apparatuses execute the same content in a shared manner through a network. An information notifying block references a user information storage block storing content provided by the content providing apparatus, information for identifying a user to whom the content was provided, and skill level information suggestive of a skill level of that user with respect to the content by linking the content, the information, and the skill level information in order to get the skill level information with respect to the content for which the participation was invited for each user wanting the participation accepted by the participation inviting block.
US09498712B2
A video server is configured to provide streaming video to players of computer games over a computing network. The video server can provided video of different games to different players simultaneously. This is accomplished by rendering several video streams in parallel using a single GPU. The output of the GPU is provided to graphics processing pipelines that are each associated with a specific client/player and are dynamically allocated as needed. A client qualifier may be used to assure that only clients capable of presenting the streaming video to a player at a minimum level of quality receive the video stream.
US09498704B1
A system and method implemented as computer-based, computer-executable instructions employing a computation engine with digital storage provide a virtual environment with personalized user profiles specifically adapted to cognitive abilities of the user to train the user for specified tasks, herein called microtasks. The set of microtasks include achievement criteria. The virtual environment is controlled through an engine that automatically adapts the set of user-profile-specific microtasks to achieve a set of learning goals. The engine may calculate and/or measure a set of qualities associated with one or more sub-profiles associated with a given user based on game-type performance by that user either in isolation or among a group of users. Sub-profiles may include, but are not limited to, one or more of the following: a personality profile, a neural link profile, and/or a motivation profile.
US09498703B2
Kits designed to stimulate creativity, to provide exercise for fine motor skills, and to improve spatial perception. The kits may be useful as a stimulating “toy” for children to develop creativity, spatial perception and motor skills, as a therapeutic kit for the elderly or those requiring rehabilitation of fine motor skills; as a diversion to relieve stress, to create unique works for the home or office, to display photos and memorabilia, and for a host of other purposes, limited by the imagination. The kits include at least shaped components, fasteners, and a platform onto which a three-dimensional work is mounted.
US09498696B1
A treadmill body support apparatus is provided to assist users in standing, walking and running on a treadmill surface and exercising safely on the treadmill surface with freedom of vertical and lateral gait movement. The treadmill body support apparatus can be used by disabled and impaired users that require movement of the user to and from the treadmill surface from a mobility aid such as a wheelchair and adjustable weight-bearing support and balance support while exercising safely on the treadmill surface with freedom of vertical and lateral gait movement.
US09498692B2
An athletic training system used when practicing athletic training activities. The athletic training system includes a belt and means for maintaining the belt in place and prevent the belt from rotating or slipping during application which can occur due to the forces placed on the belt during application. The belt is secured beneath the user's waist and partially surrounds each of the user's thighs. To further maintain the belt in place, a pair of thigh straps depend about the inside of the users thighs to partially surround the thighs. First and second hip members outwardly extend from the side-ends of the belt. Each of the hip members form a triangle configuration with a part of the triangle extending from above the user's hip joint and a part of the triangle extending from below the user's hip joint during application. An elastic resistance band includes one end that is secured to a support, and an opposite end releasably attached to one or both of the hip members.
US09498672B1
An elliptical exercise device has a frame and guide link pivotally attached thereto. A foot support link is pivotally connected to a lower attachment point of each guide link so that when the guide links pivot relative to the frame, foot receiving areas of the foot support links move in a path of travel having a horizontal component of motion. Vertical control tracks are pivotally connected to the frame and support the foot support links. A vertical drive is coupled to the forward portion of the frame and vertical control elements connect the vertical drive to the vertical control tracks. A horizontal drive and horizontal control links control pivoting of the guide links.
US09498671B1
An apparatus for allowing a person to operate a computer while walking on a treadmill with handrails is disclosed. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a rigid first member, a rigid second member and a joint connecting a first end of the first member to a first end of the second member. The connection has at least two positions including a first position and a second position. The first position aligns the first and second members into a first configuration for providing a work surface wherein a first surface of the first member is coplanar to a first surface of the second member to create the work surface for supporting a computing device and a user's wrists, the work surface rigid enough to support the computer device and the user's wrists. The second position aligns the first member and the second member into a second configuration for transportation.
US09498663B2
The present disclosure provides a sprinkler head which has a structure capable of preventing water leakage and malfunction and can be adapted to automated production. The sprinkler head includes a frame which has a water outlet and is coupled to a water supply pipe so that supply water is discharged through the water outlet, a deflector which has a height adjustment unit in a central portion thereof and is coupled to a lower portion of the frame, a fuse which is supported by the height adjustment unit and has a first lever and a second lever that are coupled with each other by a fusible metal, and a valve cap which is supported by the fuse and closes the water outlet. The first lever and the second lever are welded by the fusible metal at one or more points.
US09498655B2
It is described a belay, of static or dynamic type, and descender, of self-blocking type and not, device for securing one or more ropes comprising a main body composed of at least two or more flat plates constrained one to another according to planes preferably parallel, or slightly tilted, by a plurality of spacer pins. The rope/s is/are inserted inside the body of the device which further comprises a first karabiner hooked to the main body by passing through an opening in the device body. The karabiner is movable in the opening between an unlocking position of the rope, that is the usual use condition, and an emergency position wherein the rope is blocked, and vice versa. The device further comprises a hole passing through the device body allowing the hooking of the first karabiner removed from the opening or of a second karabiner around which the rope/s is/are passed, and further means for constraining the device body to a fixed hooking point, which comprise at least one through hole inside which a further respective karabiner is hooked.
US09498653B2
A sunscreen cosmetic composition contains an ultraviolet absorber composed of a triazine compound (a) represented by the general formula (1) below and a triazine compound (b) represented by chemical formula (2) below. In the general formula (I) below, R1 represents a linear or branched C1-12 alkyl group, a C3-8 cycloalkyl group, a C3-8 alkenyl group, a C6-18 aryl group, a C7-18 alkylaryl group, or a C7-18 arylalkyl group (with the proviso that these groups may be substituted by a hydroxy group, a halogen atom or a C1-12 alkyl or alkoxy group, and may be interrupted by an oxygen atom, a sulfur atom, a carbonyl group, an ester group, an amide group or an imino group, and further that the substitution and the interruption may be combined); and R2 represents a C1-8 alkyl group, or a C3-8 alkenyl group.
US09498652B2
Depilatory compositions comprising a depilatory agent, fatty alcohol and VP/hexadecene copolymer provide improved resistance to rinsing of the compositions from the skin. The compositions provide for a method-of depilation in wet conditions using a tool to apply and remove the compositions.
US09498650B2
A soundhead of a treatment device is provided that enables a volume of tissue located beneath the soundhead to simultaneously receive ultrasound and light stimulation. According to one embodiment, the soundhead includes an ultrasound transducer, a light source, and a faceplate extending across a face of the transducer for providing a tissue contacting and ultrasound energy coupling surface of the soundhead. The faceplate is transparent or translucent to the light generated by the light source. Alternate embodiments including externally mounted light sources are also disclosed.
US09498646B2
A collimator assembly for use with radiation therapy systems, in particular stereotactic radiosurgery (“SRS”) systems, is provided. In general, the collimator assembly includes a collimator in which a plurality of concentric, conical slits is formed. Each conical slit is oriented along a different slit angle, such that radiation impinging on the top surface of the collimator is redirected along each conical slit towards a common target isocenter located at a distance away from the bottom surface of the collimator. The conical slits can be referred to as “Compton slits” because they are designed to increase the radiation output at the isocenter of the collimator by redirecting Compton scattered radiation towards the isocenter in the target region. The collimator assembly thus improves the efficiency of a radiation treatment system by utilizing Compton scattered radiation that would otherwise be lost.
US09498638B2
Disclosed is an assembly or system and apparatus for applying pulsing electromagnetic field (PEMF) coils to the underside of an equine hoof. The PEMF coil is encased in an elastomer structure to form a “puck” that will protect the coils from moisture, dirt and damage from rough use. The coil, and preferably a puck containing the coil may suitably be placed on, in or under an elastomeric orthotic pad that is disposed in a suitable equine boot.
US09498636B2
A method is provided for controlling power delivery from an external power transfer system (EPTS) to at least one implantable neurostimulator system (INS). The method comprises driving a first transmit coil within the EPTS using a transmit coil driver circuit, receiving, using a receive coil, power transferred from the first transmit coil, coupling the received power to a regulator circuit, monitoring the regulator circuit, communicating a message to the EPTS using a back telemetry circuit, receiving the message, and adjusting the transmit coil driver circuit.
US09498635B2
An implantable head-mounted, radiofrequency (RF) coupled, unibody peripheral neurostimulation system is provided for implantation in the head for the purpose of treating chronic head pain, including migraine. The system may include an implantable pulse generator (IPG) from which multiple stimulating leads may extend sufficient to allow for adequate stimulation over multiple regions of the head, preferably including the frontal, parietal and occipital regions. A lead may include an extended body, along which may be disposed a plurality of surface metal electrodes (SME), which may be subdivided into a plurality of electrode arrays. A plurality of internal metal wires may run a portion of its length and connect the IPG's internal circuit to the SME. The IPG may include an RF receiver coil and an application specific integrated circuit. The IPG may be capable of functional connection to an external RF unit for purposes that may include power, diagnostics, and programming.
US09498634B2
The method and system described herein relate to stimulating nerve tissue using a pulse generator. A stimulus is created that comprises a signal that is produced from a frequency spectrum having a power spectral density per unit of bandwidth proportional to 1/fβ, wherein β is excludes 0. The stimulus is provided from the pulse generator to at least one stimulation lead; and applied to nerve tissue via one or several electrodes.
US09498626B2
A system and method of generating electrode stimulation signals for electrode contacts in an electrode array associated with a hearing implant is presented. An input audio signal is processed to generate a plurality of band pass channel signals each representing an associated band of audio frequencies. A stationary noise reduction is applied so as to provide a stationary noise reduced channel envelope from each channel signal. A transient in one or more of the channel envelopes is detected. The channel envelopes are modified as a function of whether the transient is transient noise or transient speech, so as to form transient modified envelope. The transient modified envelopes are used to generate electrode stimulation signals to the electrode contacts.
US09498619B2
An implantable electrical stimulation lead for the treatment of biological conditions includes a lead body with an electrical connector at one end and a pair of monopolar branches at the other end. The lead body has a length ranging from 390 mm to 490 mm to allow for implantation from an incision site further removed from the final positioning site of the electrodes. The branches have lengths ranging from 50 mm to 120 mm for the both branches. These lengths facilitate successful laparoscopic implantation at sites with confined anatomy, such as, near the gastroesophageal junction. The branches include needles and sutures at their ends for suturing anchors positioned on the branches to surrounding tissue. The needles have curves designed to facilitate maneuvering in confined anatomy. A separate lead includes a suture loop connecting the ends of the first and second branches rather than needles. The loop is used to pull the lead through the working channel of an endoscope. The anchors on the lead are porous and allow for the ingrowth of surrounding tissue for fixing the branches in place.
US09498617B2
Thin-film multi-electrode arrays (MEA) having one or more electrically conductive beams conformally encapsulated in a seamless block of electrically insulating material, and methods of fabricating such MEAs using reproducible, microfabrication processes. One or more electrically conductive traces are formed on scaffold material that is subsequently removed to suspend the traces over a substrate by support portions of the trace beam in contact with the substrate. By encapsulating the suspended traces, either individually or together, with a single continuous layer of an electrically insulating material, a seamless block of electrically insulating material is formed that conforms to the shape of the trace beam structure, including any trace backings which provide suspension support. Electrical contacts, electrodes, or leads of the traces are exposed from the encapsulated trace beam structure by removing the substrate.
US09498609B2
Disclosed are a patch, system, and method for delivery of a permeant composition into a subject via at least one formed pathway through a biological membrane of the subject. The patch comprises a matrix, at least one hydrophilic permeant disposed within the matrix, wherein at least a portion of the permeant can dissolve in biological moisture received from the subject, and at least one permeability enhancer disposed within the matrix. Also disclosed are systems and methods for delivery of a permeant composition into a subject via at least one formed pathway through a skin layer of the subject.
US09498608B2
A fluid delivery system includes an implantable fluid source, a first catheter in fluid communication with the implantable fluid source, and an implantable micro-valve in fluid communication with the first catheter, the micro-valve configured to be located within a round window or to be secured to a promontory bone of a cochlea.
US09498602B2
A steerable intravascular catheter is disclosed which includes an elongated sheath having a tubular body wall defining a central lumen and a deflectable distal end portion, a pair of laterally opposed elongated pull wires extending through the tubular body wall of the sheath and terminating within the distal end portion thereof, and a handle assembly having a longitudinal axis and operatively associated with a proximal end portion of the sheath, the handle assembly including an rotatable control knob for controlling bi-directional deflection of the distal end portion of the sheath, wherein bi-directional angular rotation of the control knob about the longitudinal axis of the handle assembly effectuates corresponding reciprocal axial movement of the laterally opposed pull wires in opposed axial directions and corresponding bi-directional deflection of the distal end portion of the sheath.
US09498598B2
A introducer sheath has a high centering performance that is relatively easily capable of introducing an elongated body such as a catheter into an appropriate position, and is capable of appropriately maintaining hemostasis and insertibility of a valve body. The introducer sheath includes a tubular member provided with a hollow section through which an elongated body is freely insertable, a hub that includes an inner space which communicates with the hollow section of the tubular member and is provided on a proximal side of the tubular member, a valve body that is placed in the inner space of the hub, and an annular member that contacts with the valve body to fix the valve body to the inner space and includes a through-hole into which the elongated body can be inserted.
US09498589B2
This disclosure describes systems and methods for providing adaptive base flow scheduling during ventilation of a patient to optimize patient-machine synchrony and accuracy of estimated exhaled as well as inhaled tidal volumes. Further, this disclosure describes systems and methods for providing adaptive inspiratory trigger threshold scheduling during the adaptive base flow scheduling. Further still, this disclosure describes systems and methods for determining an estimated leak flow and adjusting the adaptive base flow scheduling and the adaptive inspiratory trigger threshold scheduling based on the estimated leak flow. Moreover, this disclosure describes systems and methods for determining a change in the estimated leak flow and adjusting the adaptive base flow scheduling and the adaptive inspiratory trigger threshold scheduling based on the change in the estimated leak flow.
US09498588B2
A portable pen sized electric herb vaporizer with ceramic heating chamber is an elongated and cylindrical device used to vaporize the active ingredient of or burn herbs, having a battery, a heating compartment, a chamber connector, and a mouthpiece. Two threaded screw interfaces attach the battery to the heating compartment and the heating compartment to the chamber connector. The mouthpiece holds a ceramic filter and is inserted into the chamber connector. The heating compartment has a ceramic heating chamber within which herbs are placed, and a heating coil connected to the battery within the ceramic heating chamber heats the herbs. The user presses an activator button and inhales through the mouthpiece, drawing heated air over the herbs, through the chamber connector and into the user's lungs. The chamber connector has a disk filter to catch ash and a spring that presses on the herbs for efficient vaporization.
US09498586B2
An infusion pump system including an infusion tubing for delivering a fluid, a heat exchanger cartridge in fluid communication with the infusion tubing and removably coupled to at least one thermal element for heating or cooling the fluid, a motor driven pump in mechanical communication with the infusion tubing and configured to pump the fluid through the infusion tubing and the heat exchanger cartridge, and a central controller in electrical communication with the motor driven pump and the at least one thermal element. The central controller is configured to selectively deliver the fluid to a patient without heating or cooling the fluid by causing the motor driven pump to pump the fluid through the infusion tubing and the heat exchanger cartridge while the thermal element is off.
US09498582B2
A liquid administration device includes: a cylindrical body filled with liquid; a needle tube configured to communicate or be communicable with the cylindrical body at its tip side, and to have a sharp needle tip; a gasket configured to slide within the cylindrical body; an operation member configured to to discharge the liquid by pressing the gasket toward the tip direction; a cover member configured to be capable of moving to a first position, in which at least the needle tip is covered, to a second position, in which the needle tip is exposed, and to a third position, in which at least the needle tip is re-covered; and a cover member that can move from the first position to the second position to a third position to re-cover the needle tip.
US09498580B2
The present invention provides a novel construction for a hypodermic syringe apparatus by the inclusion of a needle guard assembly with shielding for protection of the needle after use and preventing of the spreading of disease and/or infection to users or localized personnel prior to disposal of the disposable syringe. The assembly includes a needle cover which is preferably tubular and is movable between a retracted positioned within the syringe and a deployed position extending around the needle for preventing contact therewith. A unique locking mechanism is included with two pins and two unlocking buttons for selectively initiating unlocking of the needle cover to facilitate movement of it to the deployed position responsive to activation of a needle cover button.
US09498579B2
A safety needle assembly is provided herein having a hub; a needle fixed to the hub; a shield; a tab; a spring disposed between the shield and the hub configured to bias the shield distally; and, a clip disposed between the hub and the shield, the clip having a notch formed thereon shaped to permit passage therethrough of the tab. The clip and the tab releasably retain the shield in a first locked state against the biasing force of the spring thereby limiting distal movement of the shield relative to the hub; yet, in the first locked state, the shield is movable proximally relative to the hub. In the first locked state, the notch is spaced from the tab. The clip and the tab are relatively displaceable so as to align the notch with the tab and release the shield from the first locked state thereby allowing the shield to move distally, relative to the hub, to a second shielded state. In the second shielded state, the distal end of the needle is covered by the shield. Advantageously, with the subject invention, a passive safety needle assembly may be provided which requires few parts and is reliable.
US09498577B2
The invention concerns a dosing system for adjusting a dose volume of a fluid medium. The dosing system has a longitudinal center axis, a dosing sleeve with at least one communication opening, a dosing plunger, which can move axially in the dosing sleeve between a retracted and a depressed position to take up and dispense the medium through the communication opening, and a retraction limiting element to delimit a maximum axial retraction path of the dosing plunger. The retraction limiting element in at least one position can be axially fixed to the dosing plunger and can move radially to the longitudinal center axis between an inner position, axially fixed on the dosing plunger, and an outer position relative to the dosing plunger. In the inner position, it is completely inside the dosing sleeve. Furthermore, the dosing system has an end stop arranged on the dosing sleeve for interaction with the retraction limiting element in the retracted position of the dosing plunger.
US09498565B2
Disclosed herein are biologically inspired, either manual or electronic, portable fluid expression system to be used for, but not limited to, breast milk expression from nursing women and other milk expression from any species of mammal. The fluid expression systems can be configured to mimic the anatomy of a suckling infant and the biomechanics and fluid dynamics associated with this behavior. The fluid expression system can be used by nursing mothers to express breast milk efficiently, painlessly, and discreetly. The systems can include a single, contiguous flexible structure designed to resemble the lips and oropharyngeal cavity of a newborn infant of the mammalian species of interest. Rigid external housings or stiffening structures can be used to mimic the bony anatomy of the infant or mammalian species of interest.
US09498561B2
A method for producing a flocculent three dimensional fibrous bioactive material using an electrospinning process includes electrospinning a biodegradable fiber by applying an electrical charge to a nozzle of an electrospinning apparatus such that a spinning solution contained therein is made into an electrospun fiber, which is attracted toward a collector container that is electrically grounded and is filled with an ethanol liquid; receiving the electrospun fiber emitted from the nozzle on a surface of the ethanol liquid in the collector container; recovering and drying the electrospun fiber to obtain the flocculent three dimensional fibrous bioactive material having a bulk density of from about 0.01 g/cm3 to about 0.1 g/cm3 as measured in accordance with JIS L 1097.
US09498560B2
An improved spinous process fixation implant assembly 50 includes a spinous process fixation implant 100 and an interspinous spacer implant 200. The spinous process fixation implant 100 includes elongated first and second components 110, 120, that are arranged opposite and parallel to each other. First and second spinous processes 90a, 90b of first and second adjacent vertebrae 80a, 80b are clamped between the first and second components 110, 120, respectively, and are separated by the interspinous spacer implant 200. The interspinous spacer implant 200 may be inserted between the spinous processes of adjacent vertebrae from two different directions.
US09498555B2
An air filtration media for use with a heating ventilation and air condition (HVAC) system is provided. The filtration media comprises an air filter media layer having a first and second side, a PCO media layer having a first and second side, and a barrier layer positioned between the second side of the air filter media layer and the first side of the PCO media layer. The air filter media layer, barrier layer, and PCO layer are pleated together and enclosed within a frame for placement adjacent a light source within a plenum of the HVAC system.
US09498552B2
A mist-generating device that can be connected to a vehicle's Low Direct Current Voltage (LDCV) power supply is disclosed. The device can be used to treat mold, bacteria and clean or remove odors on exposed and hard-to-reach surfaces of the interior of a car. The device can include a unique filling system that can be used to prevent foreign materials from entering into the unit, including fluids or substances that would deteriorate the performance of the unit or the components of the device itself. The inside of the device can include an internal anti-foam and anti-splash structure designed to keep electronic components dry and reduce the foaming and turbulence of the fluid being misted. Further, the inside of the device in one embodiment is split into three adjacent areas, which govern efficient flow of air and atomized chemicals through the device.
US09498551B2
The invention relates to a system, methods and apparatus for efficiently and cost-effectively preventing the transfer of microbes, such as, for example, bacteria and viruses seamlessly during commercial transactions typically occurring at a full service check-out station in a large retail store. The invention further considers the application of the methods and apparatus in other industrial disciplines where, for example, medical equipment and surgical tools may be susceptible to cross-contamination of microbes. One preferred embodiment incorporates a slidable drawer within a cash box where currency is stored, taken, or added randomly over a period of time. Especially designed lamps allow for a rapid switching means to control the time period for activating or deactivating lamps, thus regulating UV exposure. Exposure time with UVC and the orientation of the UV lamps provides complete germicidal decontamination within seconds.
US09498546B2
The present invention provides analog compounds of DPA-713 which specifically bind the translocator protein (TSPO), which is upregulated in activated leukocytes, some malignant tumors and tissues involved in steroid biogenesis. These compounds are linked via a linking moiety to a variety of imaging agents, including, for example, near infra-red dyes. The compounds of the present invention are useful for both pre-clinical near-IR fluorescence imaging (NIRF) and use in optically-guided interventions including NIRF endoscopy. Methods of use in diagnosis and treatment of TSPO related disease are also provided.
US09498543B2
The present invention relates to anti-cKIT antibodies, antibody fragments, antibody drug conjugates, and their uses for the treatment of cancer.
US09498542B2
The present invention concerns methods and compositions for forming cytokine-antibody complexes using dock-and-lock technology. In preferred embodiments, the cytokine-MAb DNL complex comprises an IgG antibody attached to two AD (anchor domain) moieties and four cytokines, each attached to a DDD (docking and dimerization domain) moiety. The DDD moieties form dimers that bind to the AD moieties, resulting in a 2:1 ratio of DDD to AD. The cytokine-MAb complex exhibits improved pharmacokinetics, with a significantly longer serum half-life than either naked cytokine or PEGylated cytokine. The cytokine-MAb complex also exhibits significantly improved in vitro and in vivo efficacy compared to cytokine alone, antibody alone, unconjugated cytokine plus antibody or cytokine-MAb DNL complexes incorporating an irrelevant antibody. In more preferred embodiment the cytokine is G-CSF, erythropoietin or INF-α2b.
US09498541B2
Charged or pro-charged cross-linking moieties and conjugates of cell binding agents and drugs comprising the charged or pro-charged cross-linking moieties and method of making the same.
US09498540B2
Disclosed herein are immunoconjugates comprising an inhibitor of Eg5 linked to an antigen binding moiety such as an antibody, that are useful for treating cell proliferative disorders. Also disclosed are novel inhibitors of Eg5 that can be used either alone or as part of an immunoconjugate to treat cell proliferation disorders. The Eg5 inhibitors include compounds of this formula as described herein: The invention further provides pharmaceutical compositions comprising these compounds and immunoconjugates, and compositions comprising the immunoconjugates or compounds with a therapeutic co-agent, and methods to use these compounds, conjugates and compositions for treating cell proliferation disorders.
US09498534B2
The invention relates to derivatives of GLP-1 like peptides which are C-terminally extended analogs of native GLP-1. The derivatives comprise two side chains, one at a position corresponding to position 42, and one at a position corresponding to position 18, 23, 27, 31, 36, or 38, wherein both positions are when compared to GLP-1(7-37). The side chains comprise a C19, C20, or C22 diacid protracting moiety and optionally a linker. The invention also relates to intermediate products in the form of novel GLP-1 analogs incorporated in the derivatives of the invention, as well as pharmaceutical compositions and medical uses of the derivatives. The derivatives have very long half-lives while maintaining a satisfactory potency, which makes them potentially suitable for once-monthly administration.
US09498529B2
The present invention provides methods for treating or preventing influenza virus infection. The methods of the present invention comprise administering to a subject in need thereof a pharmaceutical composition comprising a type II transmembrane serine protease (TTSP) inhibitor. The TTSP inhibitor preferably functions by inhibiting the proteolytic cleavage of influenza hemagglutinin (HA0) into the functional subunits HA1 and HA2. In certain embodiments, the TTSP inhibitor is an inhibitor of transmembrane protease serine S1 member 2 (TMPRSS2), such as an anti-TMPRSS2 antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof.
US09498528B2
A method for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) with Campath-1H with significant efficacy and a favorable safety profile is described, which offers an acceptable benefit/risk ratio. Especially described is the use of Campath-1H (alemtuzumab) for the production of a medicament for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS), comprising a first treatment cycle followed by at least one further treatment cycle of Campath-1H (alemtuzumab), in which each treatment cycle comprises 1-5 daily doses which are applied on consecutive days, wherein the daily dose is >0 and ≦12 mg, and wherein each treatment cycle is separated from the next cycle by at least 1-24 months. Also described are treatment regimens comprising the administration of less than 12 mg/day of Campath-1H for a period of 1-5 consecutive days.
US09498504B2
A process for the preparation of a pharmaceutically effective extract from the cyanobacterium Arthrospira sp. having the following steps: extrusion of a powder containing Arthrospira sp. with the addition of water; extraction of the extrudate with an organic solvent; and provision of the extract as a pharmaceutically effective composition.
US09498487B2
The present invention provides a topical composition comprising (a) at least one delivery agent compound and (b) a cromoglycic acid compound. Methods of treatment, and methods of preparing the topical composition are also provided.
US09498480B2
The present application relates to novel substituted azabicycles, to processes for their preparation, to their use alone or in combinations for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, and to their use for producing medicaments for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, in particular for the treatment and/or prophylaxis of cardiovascular disorders.
US09498472B2
Methods of treating, preventing or managing leukemias are disclosed. The methods encompass the administration of an immunomodulatory compound of the invention known as Revlimid® or lenalidomide. The invention further relates to methods of treatment using this compound with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, hormonal therapy, biological therapy or immunotherapy. Pharmaceutical compositions and single unit dosage forms suitable for use in the methods of the invention are also disclosed.
US09498468B2
A method of treating rhinitis and rhinorrhea includes taking a daytime oral dosage unit containing a non-sedating antihistamine for treating rhinitis and an anticholinergic agent having limited capacity to cross blood-brain barrier for treating rhinorrhea, and taking a nighttime oral dosage unit containing a non-sedating anticholinergic agent that has limited capacity to cross blood-brain barrier and that is in a lower amount than the amount in the daytime oral dosage unit for treating rhinorrhea or no anticholinergic agent. A treatment regimen for rhinitis with rhinorrhea includes a daytime oral dosage unit containing a non-sedating antihistamine for treating rhinitis and an anticholinergic agent having limited capacity to cross blood-brain barrier for treating rhinorrhea, and a nighttime dosage unit containing a non-sedating anticholinergic agent that has limited capacity to cross blood-brain barrier and that is in a lower amount than the amount in the daytime oral dosage unit for treating rhinorrhea or no anticholinergic agent.
US09498466B2
The present invention is directed to inhibitors of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR), pharmaceutical compositions comprising such GSNOR inhibitors, and methods of making and using the same.
US09498461B2
The invention relates to the compounds of formula I and formula II or its pharmaceutical acceptable salts, as well as polymorphs, solvates, enantiomers, stereoisomers and hydrates thereof. The pharmaceutical compositions comprising an effective amount of compounds of formula I or formula II; and methods for treating or preventing inflammatory bowel disease may be formulated for oral, buccal, rectal, topical, transdermal, transmucosal, intravenous, parenteral administration, syrup, or injection. Such compositions may be used to treatment of gastrointestinal diseases and inflammation such as inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis, mild-to-moderate Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, liver cirrhosis and idiopathic urticaria.
US09498456B2
Disclosed in certain embodiments is a controlled release oral dosage form comprising a therapeutically effective amount of a drug susceptible to abuse together with one or more pharmaceutically acceptable excipients; the dosage form further including a gelling agent in an effective amount to impart a viscosity unsuitable for administration selected from the group consisting of parenteral and nasal administration to a solubilized mixture formed when the dosage form is crushed and mixed with from about 0.5 to about 10 ml of an aqueous liquid; the dosage form providing a therapeutic effect for at least about 12 hours when orally administered to a human patient.
US09498454B2
Disclosed are preparations and formulations of high thermodynamic activity lipophilic associations (LA), in which there is pairing between an ionizable pharmaceutical agent and a lipophilic species having ionic characteristics opposite to that of the pharmaceutical agent. Such lipophilic associations manifest high thermodynamic activity, as evidenced by their being predominantly in a liquid phase at room temperature or solvated in a lower-than-water dielectric solvent. Further the pharmaceutical agent being solubilized means that dissolution is not rate limiting to transmucosal absorption. This LA or LA-solvate is formulated into a low dielectric dosage form, from whence, upon the dosage form's hydration, the pharmaceutical agent is driven through the mucosal tissue and into systemic circulation. The invention therefore provides an enhanced transmucosal drug delivery system for ionizable pharmaceutical agents at or near physiological pH.
US09498450B2
The present invention relates to the treatment of an individual afflicted with cochlear tinnitus comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of a 1-amino-alkylcyclohexane derivative.
US09498435B2
Described herein are compositions, methods, and devices for relief of a cough, cold, sore throat, or allergy, or a related symptom. Also described herein are compositions, methods, and devices for the prevention, treatment and/or amelioration of a digestive illness or digestive discomfort, or a related symptom of either.
US09498434B2
A strip, which is both edible and dissolvable, is provided comprising a film and a dosage of at least 2% of the reference daily intake (RDI) of at least one dietary supplement for malnutrition or to prevent/treat alcohol induced hangovers. A method for treating malnutrition and/or preventing and treating alcohol-induced hangovers using a dissolvable orally administered strip.
US09498429B2
The present invention relates, in one aspect, to the use of a composition based on a vegetal extract of Galeopsis segetum Necker and of a physiologically acceptable carrier in the treatment or prevention of hair loss. The composition finds application in the field of trichology and may be applied topically on the scalp or administered orally.
US09498428B2
Disclosed is a method of treating a skin condition, the method comprising topically applying to skin in need thereof a composition comprising an effective amount of an aqueous or alcoholic extract from the leaf of Quassia undulata, wherein the composition treats the skin condition by reducing COX-1, lipoxygenase, tyrosinase, TNF-α, melanogenesis, or MMP-1 activity in the skin.
US09498420B2
A cosmetic composition suitable for topical application, for example, is provided. In some examples, the cosmetic composition may include batyl alcohol, undecylenoyl phenylalanine, hexyldecanol, and bisabolol. A method of reducing the synthesis of melanin by using the cosmetic compositions is also disclosed herein.
US09498419B2
Formulations, kits, and methods for rebuilding the disulfide bonds in keratin found in hair, skin, or nails. Hair that is damaged due to a hair coloring treatment and/or other reducing treatment, such as during a permanent wave, can be treated with the formulations containing one or more active agents. The formulations may be applied subsequent to a hair coloring treatment or simultaneously with a hair coloring treatment. Use of the active agent formulations during a permanent wave treatment prevents the reversion of the hair to its previous state, for at least one week, preferably at least three months, more preferably at least one year, most preferably greater than one year, after one or more than one application of the formulation. Application of the active agent formulation to skin or nails can help repair damaged disulfide bonds due to natural wear and tear or natural aging.
US09498418B2
The present invention relates to abradable films useful, e.g., in dentifrice formulations, wherein the film is stable in formulation, but abrades to release pigment or oral care active components upon brushing. The invention provides, e.g., an orally acceptable, water insoluble film which does not dissolve under formulation conditions but disintegrates upon brushing, comprising a polymer matrix, plasticizer (e.g., propylene glycol), releasable material (e.g., color or pigment) incorporated therein; and (optionally) nonionic surfactant (e.g. polysorbate), wherein the polymer matrix comprises at least 50%, e.g., at least 75%, of poly(vinyl alcohol), and 50% or less, e.g. 25% or less, of a water-soluble cellulose ether, for example hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose; together with dentifrice comprising such films, and methods of making and using the same.
US09498410B2
A dentifrice composition comprising an orally acceptable vehicle having distributed therein a water hydratable film flakes having a matrix comprised of a water soluble hydroxy alkyl cellulose polymer and a starch, and having entrained therein a constituent selected from therapeutic cosmetic and decorative materials.
US09498405B2
The present invention is directed to methods and apparatus for tempering the temperature of a liquid in a fluid conducting system. More particularly, some embodiments of the invention relates to tempering the temperature of water supplied to a fixture from a water heater in a fluid conducting system. The system can include a heater for heating the fluid and a diffuser for slowing the rate at which water provided to a decontamination fixture is heated.
US09498396B2
The present invention describes a medical, supply or transfer lock (120) for a pressure vessel (100) for human occupancy. The medical lock (120) includes a body tube (122), an outer door flange (124) and an outer door (140) in sealing face relation with an inside face (125) of the outer door flange (124). In an embodiment, the outer door (124) has upper rollers (146a) and lower rollers (146b). The upper rollers run on a horizontal rail (160) while the lower rollers run on a slant rail (170), which is mounted below the horizontal rail (160). The ends of the horizontal and slant rails (160,170) are curved (163, 172) so that weight component of the outer door is generated to assist the outer door to close. When pressure in the medical lock (120) is increased, the outer door (140) of this medical lock (120) becomes self-locking and self-sealing.
US09498395B2
A joint movement detection device and system is presented which is responsive to elbow or wrist movements during use of a manually-propelled wheelchair to enable coordination of assistive motor energization with a user's efforts at self-motivating the manually-propelled wheelchair during driving, steering, and braking of the wheelchair. Several embodiments are provided which help to ensure user-intended assistive motor output that is responsive to movement of the joint over which the device is worn.
US09498387B2
An absorbent article has a lengthwise direction and a widthwise direction. The absorbent article includes a body section provided with a liquid-permeable top sheet on a skin-side, a liquid-impermeable backsheet on a garment-side, and a liquid-holding absorbent body positioned between the top sheet and the backsheet; and wing sections extending outwardly from both side-edges of the body section in the widthwise direction. A surface of the wing sections on the skin-side is formed by the top sheet or from side sheets positioned on both sides in the widthwise direction of the top sheet. Furthermore, the surface of the wing sections on the skin-side includes a plurality of bending parts extending non-continuously in the lengthwise direction, arranged in the widthwise direction, and having a substantially U-shaped cross-sectional shape in the widthwise direction.
US09498386B2
Aspects of the methods according to the present disclosure relate to the fabrication of diaper pants wherein discrete chassis are advanced in a machine direction such that the longitudinal axis is parallel with the machine direction. Discrete lengths of elastic belt materials are then connected with the first waist region of a first advancing chassis and the second waist region of a second advancing chassis. The lengths of elastic belt materials are cut along the cross-direction between the discrete chassis forming a first elastic belt and a second elastic belt; the chassis are subsequently folded; and the first and second elastic belts disposed on the chassis are bonded together to create a discrete diaper pant. This apparatus and process configuration forms a continuous web of articles formed by intermittently spaced chassis and intermittently spaced elastic belts bridging the gap between the intermittently spaced chassis.
US09498376B2
A vitrectomy apparatus is provided, including a pressure source, a cut valve connected to the pressure source, the cut valve configured to be turned on and off to provide pressure to selectively extend and retract a vitrectomy cutting device, a sensor configured to sense pressure provided from the cut valve, and a controller configured to control operation of the cut valve based on pressure sensed by the sensor. The controller is configured to monitor pressures encountered and alter cut valve timing based on pressure conditions previously encountered.
US09498375B2
A contact lens tool kit for placement of a contact lens on an eye is provided. The tool kit may include a tool housing for engaging a contact lens tool. The contact lens tool may include an annular groove for selectively engaging a contact lens. The tool kit may also include a lens housing for receiving a contact lens, the lens housing selectively engageable with the tool housing. Engagement of the tool housing and the lens housing permits reception of the contact lens by the contact lens tool. The lens housing may include a plug for draining solution through an aperture of the contact lens tool.
US09498357B2
The disclosed stent comprises at least two support portions and at least one connecting portion which follow one another in the longitudinal direction of the stent. Each support portion has multiple openings in the wall of the tubular body and border elements which are formed by the tubular body and which surround the openings and together with said openings form support portion cells in the expanded state. Two support portions which are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction are connected via a connecting portion lying between said support portions, and each of the mutually facing end faces of the adjacent support portions are formed by a row of end-face cells of the respective support portion. The connecting portion comprises connecting elements which are formed by the tubular body and which connect the mutually facing end faces of the two adjacent support portions.
US09498355B2
A residual limb suspension liner for a prosthesis has a first layer defined by a first elastomeric material and forms a continuous circumferential internal surface of the liner. The liner also includes a second layer defined by a second elastomeric material different from the first elastomeric material. The second layer has a first surface adjacent to and integrally joined to the first layer. The second layer has a variable radial thickness over an anterior aspect of the liner.
US09498352B2
The invention relates to a method for producing an artificial foot, comprising a medial plane (M) in a longitudinal axis, in which a nominal foot length (l) is defined as a distance from a heel to a foot tip of a natural foot replaced by the artificial foot, and designed having a top side connecting piece (4) for torsionally rigidly connecting a foot insert (2) extending substantially over the length of the foot (l), and contacting two contact surfaces (6, 7) over the length (l), of which a first heel side contact surface (7) is located in the heel area and a second ball side contact surface (6) is located in the ball area, and designed so that the connecting part (4) is connected to the contact surfaces (6, 7) of the foot part by means of spring connections.
US09498341B2
A prosthetic device for an anatomical feature includes a prosthetic member able to be fixed to the anatomical feature. The device also includes a bearing including a bearing surface able to support an articulating surface for articulation thereon. Additionally, the device includes a bearing restraining member that limits movement of the bearing relative to the prosthetic member at a first time. The bearing restraining member also allows for increased movement of the bearing relative to the prosthetic member at a second time without surgical intervention.
US09498335B2
This application describes an implantable device for tissue repair comprising at least two fabrics with interconnecting spacer elements transversing, connecting, and separating the fabrics, forming the device. Some embodiments have fixation points which can be an extension of at least one of the fabrics. The implantable device allows modification of the two fabrics having varying constructions, chemistries, and physical properties. The spacer elements create a space between the two fabrics, which can be used for the loading of biological materials (peptides, proteins, cells, tissues), offer compression resistance (i.e. stiffness), and compression recovery (i.e., return to original dimensions) following deformation and removal of deforming load. The inclusive fixation points of the fabrics are designed to allow for fine adjustment of the sizing and tension of the device to promote integration with the surrounding tissues as well as maximize the compressive resistance. The fixation points can include either the first fabric, the second fabric, or the combination of both fabrics. This device is suitable for soft and hard tissue regeneration or replacement with a preference for musculoskeletal tissues including but not limited to cartilage (including hyaline (referred to as articular, e.g. cartilage on the ends of long bones), fibrous (e.g. meniscus or intervertebral discs), elastic (e.g. ear, epiglottis)), bone, muscle, tendon, ligament, and fat.
US09498331B2
Implants or systems of implants and methods apply a selected force vector or a selected combination of force vectors within or across the left atrium, which allow mitral valve leaflets to better coapt. The implants or systems of implants and methods make possible rapid deployment, facile endovascular delivery, and full intra-atrial retrievability. The implants or systems of implants and methods also make use of strong fluoroscopic landmarks. The implants or systems of implants and methods make use of an adjustable implant and a fixed length implant. The implants or systems of implants and methods may also utilize a bridge stop to secure the implant, and the methods of implantation employ various tools.
US09498328B2
An artificial heart valve consists of two or more valve members (10, 20) stacked one upon the other in a housing (40) and having blood flow passages (13, 23) that can be aligned with each other in order to open the valve and allow blood flow through the valve and that can be disaligned to close the valve. The valve members are maintained in continuous rotation and the alignment and disalignment of the valve members is achieved by slowing down and reaccelerating one or more of the valve members using a drive (18, 28) appropriately controlled by a control unit (C).
US09498325B2
Systems and methods for designing and implanting a customized intra-ocular lens (IOL) is disclosed. In one embodiment, a system includes an eye analysis module that analyzes a patient's eye and generates biometric information relating to the eye. The system also includes eye modeling and optimization modules to generate an optimized IOL model based upon the biometric information and other inputted parameters representative of patient preferences. The system further includes a manufacturing module configured manufacture the customized IOL based on the optimized IOL model. In addition, the system can include an intra-operative real time analyzer configured to measure and display topography and aberrometry information related to a patient's eye for assisting in proper implantation of the IOL.
US09498318B2
A removable blood clot filter includes a number of locator members and anchor members disposed radially and extending angularly downward from a hub. The locator members include a number of linear portions having distinct axes configured to place a tip portion approximately parallel to the walls of a blood vessel when implanted and to apply sufficient force to the vessel walls to position the filter near the vessel centerline. The anchor members each include a hook configured to penetrate the vessel wall to prevent longitudinal movement due to blood flow. The hooks may have a cross section sized to allow for a larger radius of curvature under strain so that the filter can be removed without damaging the vessel wall.
US09498279B2
A bipolar electrosurgical instrument includes first and second shafts each having a jaw member extending from its distal end. Each jaw member is adapted to connect to a source of electrosurgical energy such that the jaw members are capable of selectively conducting energy through tissue held therebetween. A knife channel is configured to reciprocate a cutting mechanism therealong. An actuator selectively advances the cutting mechanism. A switch is disposed on the first shaft and is configured to be depressed between a first position and at least one subsequent position upon biasing engagement with a mechanical interface disposed on the second shaft. The first position of the switch relays information to the user corresponding to a desired pressure on tissue and the at least one subsequent position is configured to activate the source of electrosurgical energy to supply electrosurgical energy to the jaw members.
US09498270B2
An inserter can be used to implant a distractible intervertebral body fusion device into a disc space and expand the device. The inserter includes a shaft frame and a drive shaft assembly for expanding the device and a support shaft assembly for stabilizing the device extending distally from the shaft frame. A drive housing can be operably connected to the shaft frame and extend outwardly from shaft frame distal of a proximal end of the shaft frame. Drive housing can have an internal passage that provides access into the shaft frame to a proximal end of the drive shaft assembly. An actuation tool can be disposed with the drive housing with a distal end extending through the access into the shaft frame to interface with the proximal end of the drive shaft assembly such that activation of the actuation tool rotates the drive shaft assembly to expand the device.
US09498267B2
The invention relates to a bone plate (1), comprising a bottom side (4) intended for lying against the bone, a top side (3) facing away from the bone, a plurality of holes that penetrate the plate, of which holes at least one hole is used to accommodate a bone screw that has or does not have a threaded screw head, wherein furthermore at least one of the holes has a spherical oblong-hole shape having a threaded section. According to the invention, the at least one oblong hole has a thread having at least one thread turn on the overall inner peripheral side, wherein the at least one thread turn is not interrupted in a first pitch circle region (A) and is interrupted by thread-free recesses (6) in a second pitch circle region (B) and furthermore the thread has a conical shape in the first pitch circle region and the thread extends from the plate bottom side to the spherical formation in the second pitch circle region, wherein the section of the spherical recess extending to the plate top side is likewise thread-free.
US09498258B2
A spinal fixation device is provided having first and second elongate members that are angularly adjustable relative to one another. Each elongate member can include a connecting feature formed on a terminal end thereof, and each connecting feature can be coupled to one another to allow angular movement of the first and second elongate members. The device can also include a locking mechanism that is adapted to couple to the connecting feature on each of the first and second elongate members to lock the elongate members in a fixed position relative to one another.
US09498253B2
A polyaxial bone anchoring device is provided comprising a bone anchoring element having a shank to be anchored in a bone and a head; a receiving part coupled to the shank and configured to pivotably receive the head, and having a channel for receiving a rod and a longitudinal axis; a pressure member configured to be positioned in the receiving part; a locking member insertable into the channel; wherein the pressure member has a deformable portion; and wherein, when the locking member is advanced into the channel in the direction of the longitudinal axis, the locking member in moveable from a position where it contacts the pressure member resulting in a load applied to the pressure member that clamps the head, to a position where the locking member contacts the pressure member such that the deformable portion is deformed and the locking member contacts the rod and clamps the rod.
US09498250B2
An apparatus and procedure for defining the area for a thermo-electric knife to perform a bloodless intrastromal abdominal hysterectomy procedure while minimizing damage to the pericervical ring. The apparatus is configured to be inserted into the center cavity of the cervix and uterus to engage the uterine wall. The apparatus comprises an elongate member having a first end configured to extend into the center cavity of the uterus and cervix, and a thermo-electric knife guide plate secured concentrically to the elongate member proximal to the second end of the member to define the area for dissection of connective tissue between the cervix and the pericervical ring by a thermo-electric knife. A barb is secured to the elongate member between the first end and the guide plate, and configured to engage the uterine wall so that upon removal of the apparatus when in use the barb becomes attached to the uterus sufficient to remove the uterus and cervix through the abdomen. At least one aperture in the guide plate is configured to permit the passage therethrough of a centering tube when in use, whereby the apparatus is configured to stabilize the thermo-electric knife during intrastromal abdominal hysterectomy procedure.
US09498248B2
Devices, systems, and methods for immobilizing an implanted catheter tip while a catheter stylet is withdrawn from the catheter. In one embodiment, a cannula system is included that incorporates a catheter retainer securable to an immobilized guide cannula. The retainer may include one or more surfaces that operatively engage the catheter and effectively restrain the catheter relative to a head of the guide cannula. Other embodiments may also include a stylet holder operable to engage the stylet with a consistent and repeatable clamping force that is independent of clinician-applied force.
US09498238B2
A tissue resection device for resecting tissue from a target site within a patient's body. The device includes an elongate shaft having a proximal end and a distal end. An actuation member extends partially through the shaft, and reciprocates within the shaft between a retracted position and an extended position. Multiple snare wires extend through the actuation member, and emerge outwards from a distal portion of the actuation member. The snare wires cooperate and join to form a snare loop, which engages the tissue intended to be resected. The snare loop is configured to enhance friction while engaging the tissue, to resect the tissue.
US09498237B2
A method and a system for destruction of an undesirable formation in a mammalian body are described. The invention is based on inserting a probe into mammalian body; said probe is electrically connectable to a control unit and upon bringing the probe in physical contact with the formation supplying pulses of energy from the control unit to the probe in order to destroy the formation. The invention further comprises counting amount of pulses being supplied to the probe and establishing a remaining service life of the probe by subtracting the amount of pulses being supplied to the probe from an amount of pulses corresponding to initial service life of the probe. The treatment session is automatically terminates as soon as amount of pulses being supplied to the probe approaches at least a fraction of the established remaining service life of the probe. The established remaining service life of the probe is stored for new treatment session. Delivery of pulses automatically terminates when the remaining service life is exhausted and use of such probe becomes impossible.
US09498231B2
A number of improvements are provided relating to computer aided surgery utilizing an on tool tracking system. The various improvements relate generally to both the methods used during computer aided surgery and the devices used during such procedures. Other improvements relate to the structure of the tools used during a procedure and how the tools can be controlled using the OTT device. Still other improvements relate to methods of providing feedback during a procedure to improve either the efficiency or quality, or both, for a procedure including the rate of and type of data processed depending upon a CAS mode.
US09498230B2
A modular reaming system for reaming a plurality of pockets in an anatomical feature extends along a longitudinal axis. The system includes a first reamer in a first position on the longitudinal axis, and the first reamer reams a first pocket in the anatomical feature. The system further includes a second reamer that is removably coupled to the first reamer in a second position on the longitudinal axis. The second reamer reams a second pocket in the anatomical feature. The second reamer is keyed against rotation relative to the first reamer to ream the first and second pockets substantially simultaneously.
US09498229B2
An adjustable screwdriver for selectively driving an adjustable compression screw into a substrate. A distal tip of a adjustable head driver is configured to engage an adjustable head of an adjustable compression screw. A shaft driver is concentrically disposed in the adjustable head driver. A distal tip of the shaft driver is configured to engage the head of the screw shaft of the adjustable compression screw for use in rotating the screw shaft. The shaft driver is configured to selectively lock in an even driving position, in which the adjustable head driver and the shaft driver cooperatively drive the adjustable head and the screw shaft. The shaft driver is configured to selectively lock in a retracted driving position wherein the distal tip of the shaft driver is recessed in the adjustable head driver to thereby drive the adjustable head without the shaft driver driving the screw shaft.
US09498222B2
A circular stapler apparatus for stapling tissue has a circular stapling head operable to drive staples toward an anvil to form the staples in a circular array. The anvil includes an anvil head, a proximal shaft extending proximally from the anvil head and having a proximal end disposed in a first plane, and a first pivot connecting the anvil head to the proximal shaft. The first pivot is operable to be disposed in a second plane that is laterally offset from the first plane. The anvil is configured to rotate via movement through multiple pivot points. The anvil may be configured to rotate to a position in which a portion of the anvil head is disposed below the first pivot and between the first pivot and the proximal shaft such that the anvil head is acutely angled with respect to a longitudinal axis of the proximal shaft.
US09498216B2
A handle assembly for use with a surgical instrument having an operative distal end portion is disclosed. The handle assembly includes a housing, a drive element, an actuator, a spring arm, and a biasing element. The drive element is disposed at least partially within the housing and is longitudinally translatable with respect to the housing. The actuator is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the housing. The spring arm is disposed at least partially within the housing. The biasing element is for biasing the actuator. A first portion of the biasing element is disposed in mechanical cooperation with the actuator and a second portion of the biasing element is disposed in mechanical corporation with the spring arm. At least a partial actuation of the actuator distally translates the drive element from a proximal position where a portion of the drive element is in contact with the spring arm to a distal position where the drive element is not in contact with the spring arm.
US09498213B2
A staple cartridge includes outer and inner rows of retention slots that are adapted and configured to retain staples. The staple cartridge further includes a staple pusher including a plurality of pusher plates. A staple pusher includes pusher plates that are laterally spaced apart to engage staples within the outer rows of at least three rows of retention slots.
US09498205B2
A fixation device, comprises an elongated element extending along a central axis, having a total length L and including a proximal section formed of a material that is substantially non-absorbent for electromagnetic radiation within a preselected wavelength range and a distal section formed of a material that is substantially non-absorbent for electromagnetic radiation within the preselected wavelength range in combination with a middle section axially arranged between the proximal and distal sections, the middle section formed of a material that is substantially absorbent for electromagnetic radiation in the preselected wavelength range.
US09498204B2
A method of coupling a first portion of an anatomy to a second portion of the anatomy includes coupling first and second bones of the anatomy with a bone-tendon-bone implant. The bone-tendon-bone implant has a first bone end, a second bone end and a replacement tendon between the first and second bone ends. The first and second bone ends are positioned in corresponding first and second bores of the first and second bones. The first bone end is secured to the first bone with a first bone anchor. A second anchor coupled to the bone-tendon-bone implant is passed through and outside the second bore. The second anchor is coupled to an adjustable suture construct having two adjustable suture loops. Tensioning at least one of first and second ends of the adjustable suture construct tensions the replacement tendon and positions the first bone relative to the second bone.
US09498198B2
Surgical devices for stabilizing the heart are disclosed which facilitate anastomosis under beating heart conditions. Various instruments or devices may be maneuvered and secured on a retractor device to provide stabilization of the heart. An instrument mount is provided which is preferably configured to accept a surgical instrument, such as a tissue stabilizer, and to allow the instrument to be easily maneuvered to a desired position and subsequently locked into position with a simple operation of a single locking actuator. Further disclosed are stabilizer devices each having at least one surface for contacting the heart and each being adapted to be mounted to the retractor while having the ability to be positioned in the desired location against the heart.
US09498192B2
A surgical tool for use in a tissue removal procedure from a subject is described. The surgical tool has proximal and distal regions and at least one sensor for sensing one or more predetermined conditions located at a distal region of the surgical tool. And a substantially flat signal transmission structure electrically connected with the at least one sensor and extending between the location at the distal region and the proximal region. The signal transmission structure is configured for providing impedance controlled signal transmission between the at least one sensor and the proximal region.
US09498191B2
An embodiment in accordance with the present invention provides a device for collecting a specimen of oral fluids. The device includes an elongate tubular member with a first end being configured to come into contact with a mouth of a subject. The device also includes a coupler, wherein the first end of the coupler is configured to couple to a second end of the elongate tubular member and wherein the second end of the coupler is configured to couple the device to a collection vial. A chamber is defined by the outer wall of the elongate tubular member and positioned proximate to the second end of the elongate tubular member, and a filter is disposed within the chamber. An exhaust port is defined by the coupler to allow pressure to escape from the device to ease the collection of the specimen.
US09498182B2
The present disclosure is directed to a planning and navigation method. The planning and method includes obtaining and rendering a plurality of images. The plurality of images are segmented to demarcate a target area. A treatment plan is determined based on the target area. The navigation method includes obtaining an ultrasound image of a scan plane including the target and obtaining a fiducial image of a fiducial pattern disposed on an ultrasound device. The obtained fiducial image is corrected and a correspondence between the fiducial image and a model image is found. A position of the surgical device is transformed to model coordinates. Then the ultrasound image and a virtual image of the surgical device is displayed to allow a surgeon to navigate the surgical device to the target using the displayed ultrasound image and the virtual image. The target is treated based on the treatment plan.
US09498181B2
It is presented a sensor comprising a sensor plate (14), a base piece (15) and a first sensor membrane (7a) and a second sensor membrane (7b), each having a side of positive electrical polarity and a side of negative electrical polarity. Each one of the first sensor membrane and the second sensor membrane is mounted between the sensor plate and the base piece while allowing movement of the sensor plate in relation to the mounting piece. The first sensor membrane and the second sensor membrane are mounted such that their respective sides of positive electrical polarity face each other or face away from each other. A corresponding electronic stethoscope is also presented.
US09498180B2
The effects of patient motion in tomosynthesis scan images are automatically detected and quantified. In at least one embodiment an indication of detection of the effects of patient motion in tomosynthesis scan images is provided shortly after the scan, e.g., before the patient is discharged or before the breast is decompressed. A patient motion score may be calculated as part of motion quantification. The score may be stored for subsequent retrieval. Images may be presented with reference features to help a technician confirm of the effects of motion in images.
US09498179B1
Various methods and systems for spectral computed tomography imaging are provided. In one embodiment, a method comprises acquiring a first projection dataset and a second projection dataset, detecting a location of metal in the first projection dataset, applying corrections to the first and second projection datasets based on the location of the metal, and displaying an image reconstructed from the corrected first and second projection datasets. In this way, metal artifacts may be substantially reduced in dual or multi-energy CT imaging.
US09498174B2
A PET-MR apparatus includes an MR imaging system having an RF coil former having inner and outer surfaces, an RF shield formed about the outer surface of the RF coil former, and an RF coil positioned on the inner surface of the RF coil former. The PET-MR apparatus also includes a PET system having a detector array positioned to encircle the bore to acquire PET emissions of the subject of interest and a plurality of RF power cables to provide power to the RF coil. The RF coil of the PET-MR apparatus comprises an RF body coil including a pair of end rings and a plurality of rungs extending between the end rings, wherein the plurality of RF power cables are coupled to one of the pair of end rings, along an outer edge of the one end ring distal from the plurality of rungs.
US09498172B2
A user control device may include a manipulation panel which receives an external force or input from a manipulating input or device, a frame that is spaced apart from the manipulation panel and having an accommodating unit accommodating the manipulation panel, and a sensing unit disposed in the accommodating unit to sense a movement of the manipulation panel. The manipulation panel may be three-dimensionally movable according to a movement of the manipulating input or device. Related medical apparatuses may also be controlled using the user control device.
US09498171B2
A method, for examining an object using an X-ray recording system, includes aligning the object in the X-ray beam and the X-ray recording system with one another such that regions in the X-ray beam are uncovered for measurement of a free field. During an X-ray image recording, the components are moved relative to one another with a lateral displacement. In a position of the relative lateral displacement of the components, a reference image containing free fields is recorded. The X-ray image recording is generated from partial images during the displacement and the position of the second component relative to the first component is determined for each partial recording such that the displacement distances of the displacements and the reference phases are calculated from a selected set of pixels and the measured intensity values thereof. Finally, the image information is determined from the partial images, the displacements and the reference phases.
US09498170B2
A positioner arm for positioning an imaging material, an imaging material holder, an aiming device or a combination thereof is disclosed that includes at least one positioning arm having a first end and a second end, wherein each arm comprises at least two fixed arm angles and wherein at least one angle is not a 90 degree angle. Methods of obtaining non-right angle views of a patient during x-ray imaging of the patient's mouth are also disclosed that include: providing a positioner arm for positioning an imaging material, an imaging material holder, an aiming device or a combination thereof, wherein the positioner arm comprises at least one positioning arm having a first end and a second end, wherein each arm comprises at least two fixed arm angles, and wherein at least one angle is not a 90 degree angle; coupling the positioner arm with an imaging material, an imaging material holder, an aiming device or a combination thereof; and imaging the patient's mouth, wherein the imaging is taken at a non-right angle.
US09498168B2
A method is disclosed for x-ray CT scanning with a dual-source system, in which two radiation bundles are each delimited by diaphragms such that these radiation bundles are free of mutual points of intersection at least in the examination object. An embodiment of the invention also relates to a dual source CT system, including a controller configured to control radiation-delimiting diaphragms, which delimit and align the radiation bundles such that these run free of mutual points of intersection at least in the examination object.
US09498159B2
An analyte monitor includes a sensor, a sensor control unit, and a display unit. The sensor has, for example, a substrate, a recessed channel formed in the substrate, and conductive material disposed in the recessed channel to form a working electrode. The sensor control unit typically has a housing adapted for placement on skin and is adapted to receive a portion of an electrochemical sensor. The sensor control unit also includes two or more conductive contacts disposed on the housing and configured for coupling to two or more contact pads on the sensor. A transmitter is disposed in the housing and coupled to the plurality of conductive contacts for transmitting data obtained using the sensor. The display unit has a receiver for receiving data transmitted by the transmitter of the sensor control unit and a display coupled to the receiver for displaying an indication of a level of an analyte. The analyte monitor may also be part of a drug delivery system to alter the level of the analyte based on the data obtained using the sensor.
US09498152B2
A method and system for expediting the rescue of victims experiencing sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) when used in conjunction with an automated external defibrillator (AED). The system involves an apparatus that calls for help (i.e. 911), detects SCA and cardiac arrhythmias, locates an AED, guides the rescuer through CPR and connection of the AED. A second apparatus is in the enclosure that contains the AED, sends location information to the other apparatus, triggers audible and visual indicators, and provides information on the victim's location.
US09498151B2
A balloon catheter is used for dilating tubular members of the body such as dilating stenotic aortic valve leaflets found in the aortic root, and measuring the shape and dimensions of the annulus. The balloon has two larger diameter bulbous regions; one is positioned in the left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) and the other in the aortic sinus; a smaller diameter waist region is positioned across the aortic annulus. During inflation of the balloon, the balloon waist expands in diameter until it comes into contact with the aortic annulus. The balloon pressure and inflation volume is monitored during inflation so that an inflection point in the dP/dV curve is seen at the point of contact of the waist with the annulus. Radiopaque rings and/or marker bands in the device allow the size and orientation of the elliptical annulus to be calculated.
US09498138B2
The present invention is for a method and system for pain classification and monitoring optionally in a subject that is an awake, semi-awake or sedated.
US09498137B2
Certain aspects of the instance disclosure are assessing a fitness of a user using a weighing scale apparatus. Specific embodiments concern an arrangement of devices configured and arranged to monitor physiological parameters while the user is standing on a platform region of the device, and communicate an assessed fitness to the user as feedback. Further specific embodiments concern methods of monitoring physiological parameters of a user using the apparatus, assessing the fitness of the user based on one or more of the physiological parameters, and communicating the assessed fitness to the user as feedback.
US09498128B2
The present application relates generally to computer software, mobile electronics, wireless communication links, and wearable monitoring systems. More specifically, techniques, fabrics, materials, systems, sensors, EMG sensors, circuitry, algorithms and methods for wearable monitoring devices and associated exercise apparatus are described. A garment borne sensor system may generate data on a user's performance during exercise, for example, and the data may be analyzed in real time and feedback may be provided to the user based on the analysis. A piece of exercise equipment may be instrumented and in communication with the sensor system or other system and may be controlled in real time to adjust its settings to affect the user during the exercise routine. Communication between the sensor system and other systems may be wireless. Conductive structures formed directly in a fabric of the garment may integrally include sensors, circuitry, controllers, conductive traces, and sensor electronics.
US09498127B2
A device for receiving a transmitting unit that is detachably attachable to a sensor unit configured to be placed on a subject to acquire a biosignal of the subject and that acquires bio-information from the biosignal acquired in the sensor unit to transmit the biosignal to an external device. This device has first and second ports on which transmitting units can be placed, and communication sections each provided in a respective one of the ports to carry out communication with the transmitting units mounted on the respective ports. When the transmitting unit is newly mounted on one port, the device acquires transmission data including communication identification information for the transmission from the newly mounted transmitting unit by the communication section of this port and transmits the acquired transmission data to another transmitting unit already mounted on the other port by using the communication section provided in the other port.
US09498125B2
The invention relates to an eye tracking device and a method for operating an eye tracking device (30) comprising an imaging device (32), a plurality of light sources (34), a processing unit and a control unit. The imaging device (32) captures a first image (36a) while at least one of the light sources (34) emits light. If at least one first reflection (14; 16; 16a-16f) is detected, a position in the first image (36a) of the at least one first reflection (14; 16; 16a-16f) is determined, the first reflection (14; 16; 16a-16f) is categorized on the basis of the position in the first image (36a) and if the first image (36a) does not fulfill a predefined quality criterion, the plurality of light sources (34) is controlled in dependence of the categorization by changing the light intensity of at least one light source (34).
US09498123B2
There is provided an image recording apparatus including an image-capturing section that captures an image of the observed person, an observer's point of sight measuring section that measures a point of sight of the observer when the image-capturing section captures the image of the observed person, an observer's point of sight judging section that judges whether the point of sight of the observer which is measured by the observer's point of sight measuring section is present within a predetermined area, and an image storing control section that stores the image of the observed person which is captured by the image-capturing section, when the observer's point of sight judging section judges that the point of sight of the observer is present within the predetermined area.
US09498106B2
A full HD transmission oral cavity photographic apparatus comprises a photographic portion and a grip portion. The photographic portion includes an image sensor to capture a full HD image and a light source. The grip portion includes a control circuit electrically connected to the image sensor and a transmission interface electrically connected to the control circuit. The transmission interface includes a Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer transmission module which can transmit the full HD image via Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer transmission to a display device for displaying.
US09498102B2
A dishwasher in which a user conveniently adjusts tension of a spring according to various materials or weights of a cover coupled to a door. The dishwasher includes a housing, a door rotatably mounted to a front surface of the housing, door hinges mounted to both sides of a lower portion of the door and rotatably coupled to the housing, springs connected to the door hinges and arranged at both side portions inside the housing, a wire to connect the springs, a shaft configured to rotate and having one end portion exposed outside the housing, a first rotation member connected to the other end portion of the shaft and formed with a worm, and a second rotation member engaged with the worm and connected to the wire. Tension of the springs is simultaneously adjusted by changing a length of the wire by rotation of the shaft.
US09498100B2
An apparatus to retain an article includes a housing, a first jaw, a second opposed jaw, a pivoting ratchet arm, and a lever. The housing is adapted to receive a handle. The first jaw is adapted to pivot with respect to the housing. The pivoting ratchet arm is dimensioned to engage ratchet teeth of the first jaw when in an actuated position. The lever is connected to the ratchet arm and actuating the lever causes the ratchet arm to move into the actuated position to incrementally pivot the first jaw toward the second jaw.
US09498098B2
A toy item cleaning device includes a toy item container, an inlet pipe, a filtering member and a vacuum hose connector. The toy item container has a first side and a second side such that the first and second sides face each other. The inlet pipe is attached to the first side and the filtering member is directly or indirectly attached to the second side. The filtering member has a plurality of vent holes and the vacuum hose connector is attached to the second side. In addition, the vacuum hose connector is adapted to be detachably connected to a vacuum cleaner hose. The toy item cleaning device further includes a vacuum hose adapter which has concentric tubular sections each section of which is adapted to be connected to a specific size of the vacuum cleaner hose. The tubular sections may be telescopic and designed to slide into one another.
US09498096B1
A water-preserving urinal may include a cylinder body, a cylinder wall, an inner metal ring, an outer metal ring, a central plugin, and a separation cover. The cylinder body is a cylindrical structure, central of which has a drain hole which connects to a drain duct. A periphery of the cylinder body has four inward grooves evenly distributed thereon, and inside of cylinder body has four small notches which are evenly distributed. A support notch is disposed inside the cylinder body to support the cylinder body. The cylinder body is used to receive urine, and the urine can be drained out of cylinder body from the drain hole through the drain tube when the cylinder body is overflowed. The cylinder body is capacious and the notches of the cylinder body are made by biodegradable ABS materials, which can be cleaned easily by dry clothes or paper tissues.
US09498089B2
Disclosed is a sustainable shower apparatus (1) comprising: (i) a pressurizable container (2) to hold water (3) and a gas; (ii) a pressurizer (4) for pressurizing said container; (iii) a shower head (7); (iv) a first tubing for carrying pressurized water from the container to the shower head; (v) a second tubing (8) for carrying pressurized gas from the container to the shower head; where flow of said gas or water is individually controllable by use of respective valves (6, 9) and where each tubing terminates into a respective nozzle (10, 11) in said shower head which comprises a nozzle for spraying said gas and adjacent thereto, at least one nozzle for spraying the water, wherein tip of each nozzle for spraying water is oriented at an acute angle with the tip of nozzle for spraying gas.
US09498088B2
A shelf support structure for holding shower or bath accessories adapted to be suspended from the top edge of a shower or bathroom wall having a frame that comprises a pair of spaced-apart vertical legs which ascends up and hooks over and then back down forming an inverted U-shape. The frame is attached to a mounting bar designed to support the weight of the shelf support structure and contents. The mounting bar comprises a pair of slots on opposite ends designed to slip over and lock onto a plurality of securing means that are fastened to the drywall just above the top of the shower or bath wall, thereby preventing the shelf support structure from slipping off the top edge of the wall.
US09498081B2
Apparatuses, systems and methods for providing a pressed beverage using a press and lid system. In one aspect, a beverage material is pressed to the bottom of a beverage container by means of a press ring including a filter. The walls of the beverage container exert a force on the press ring, folding flaps (perimeter portions) that are attached to the press ring by means of a flexible attachment member. Any beverage material or other debris that is net collected by the filter in the press ring is collected by a filter in the lid. Other variations and features consistent with the present invention exist.
US09498080B2
A single cup brewer includes a steeping cup and a drain plug. The steeping cup includes a sidewall extending from a base to form a contained space. The steeping cup also includes a tapered drain extending from the base and away from the contained space. The tapered drain has a tapered drain hole tapering from a top diameter to a bottom diameter through the base of the steeping cup. The drain plug includes a stem and a tip extending from the stem. The tip has a truncated spherical shape, which is a sphere truncated substantially perpendicular to an axis of the stem on the top surface and the bottom surface of the tip. The truncated spherical shape has a tip diameter greater than a width of the stem, greater than the bottom diameter of the drain hole, and less than the top diameter of the drain hole.
US09498077B2
The invention is defined by an elongate member having a handle end and an opposite sock-engaging end. The member is longitudinally flexible and may be shaped into a generally frusto-conically shaped tube onto which a sock is applied. The sock-engaging lower portion includes longitudinally outwardly projecting shoulders, and preferably sock engaging structures, that engage the sock to retain the sock in place during use. Immediately adjacent to and contiguous with the sock-engaging lower portion is a heel portion that is flexible transversely to the longitudinal axis along the device and which defines a heel-receiving area where the user's heel is placed when being used. Immediately adjacent to and contiguous with the heel portion is an elongate portion and an extended handle portion that the user grasps to pull the entire device upwardly to cause the sock to be properly placed on the user's foot. With the user's toe's inserted into the top of the sock, held open by the lower sock-engaging portion and the user's heel resting in the heel-receiving portion, the device is pulled upwardly by the user and the sock is pulled onto the user's foot in a normal manner. The shoulders on the device cause resistance to the force that tends to pull the sock off the device and the sock is thus pulled onto the user's foot in substantially the same way as the sock would be donned without the device—the sock is released from the shoulders as the resistive force is overcome by the upward pulling action.
US09498066B2
Seating assemblies and methods are disclosed. A seating assembly (100) can comprise a seat, a back support (114), and a frame component (110). The frame component can extend from a bottom portion (118), positioned near an underside of the seat, to a top portion (120), configured to maintain the back support at a position above the seat. The back support can laterally extend from a left edge portion (1670) to a right edge portion (1672) and can include a spring member (122) at or near each of the left and right edge portions. The spring member can include at least one undulation or arc (1674) providing integrated rated compression adaptation to a user. The seating assembly can further comprise a tilt mechanism (408), engaged with the frame component, including one or more leaf springs (424) and a spring contact assembly. The spring contact assembly (426) can be positioned on a top side of the one or more leaf springs.
US09498060B1
A slide track assembly includes an outer track having a first unlocking face, a first stop face, and a second stop face. A middle track is slideably received in the outer track and includes a sliding groove. An inner track is slideably received in the middle track and includes a first unlocking portion, a first stop portion, and a second stop portion. A positioning block is received in the sliding groove and is slideable relative to the middle track in a vertical direction. The positioning block includes first and second stop ends. The positioning block further includes a stop face extending between the first and second stop ends and facing the first lateral wall of the sliding groove. The positioning block can be moved to lock or unlock the inner track, the middle track, and the outer track during extending and retraction of the inner track and the middle track.
US09498058B2
Exemplary embodiments are disclosed of closet storage assemblies, connectors, brackets, and/or systems. In an exemplary embodiment, a closet storage assembly generally includes multiple horizontal shelves, vertical rods, and a horizontal rod. A T-connector is configured to be coupled between an end portion of a horizontal rod and a portion of one of the vertical rods. The T-connector includes a flexible tab to secure the horizontal rod. An elbow connector is configured to be coupled between another end portion of the horizontal rod and a portion of another vertical rod. The elbow connector includes a flexible tab to secure the horizontal rod. A bracket is configured to be coupled to a vertical rod at a top end. The bracket includes an opening configured to engage a wire hang rod and/or a pole hang rod, a living hinge, and a locking pin to secure the vertical rod.
US09498053B2
An interactive toothbrush is provided. The toothbrush may include memory including a set of instructions and at least one processor. The set of instructions, with the at least one processor, may be configured to cause the toothbrush to display a list of option to a user via a display panel when a switch to power on the apparatus is pressed. The set of instructions, with the at least one processor, may further be configured to cause the toothbrush to perform an action when a selection from the list of options is received from a user via the display panel. In some embodiments, the set of instructions, with the at least one processor, may further be configured to cause the toothbrush to detect the brushing habits of the user and transmit the brushing habits to another device.
US09498051B1
A gingival stimulator having optionally-angled bundled bristles anchored in at least one row in a brush head, and a narrow working footprint of collective bristle free tip ends having a maximum width dimension of approximately four millimeters. If splayed and/or flared, bristles have a preferred maximum free tip end density of approximately twelve bristles-per-square-millimeter. When moved into contact with teeth, the free tip ends easily navigate around them, promptly advancing to interproximal areas. The brush head is agitated with one or two hands and a quick vibratory motion when the free tip ends are in perpendicular contact with interdental papilla. Thus, gingival tissue becomes stimulated by the bristle free tip ends, dislodging food particles and bringing increased blood flow to it, keeping the gingival tissue in good health while avoiding the placement of adverse damaging forces against adjacent tooth structure during gingival stimulation, and preserving teeth from abrasion and notching.
US09498041B2
Combinations of one or more selector mechanisms and a cosmetic palette for advising a user on how to achieve specific cosmetic effects.
US09498040B2
A hair dye applicator includes an applicator base having a comb and a dam configured to capture hair dye for dispensing during application, and including a handle having a first section extending from the applicator base and a second section extending from the first section at an angle relative to the first section. The dam may further include a carrier material configured to capture the hair dye, and the second section of the handle may be tapered. A method of applying hair dye using the hair dye applicator includes loading hair dye onto the applicator dam at the carrier material, and applying hair dye to the hairline by inserting the comb of the applicator at a start of the hairline and running the applicator starting at the comb in a direction away from the start of the hairline toward the remainder of the hair to receive the hair dye.
US09498038B2
In one embodiment, a handbag protection device includes a base region to facilitate the retention of shape of the protected handbag and one or more flap extension(s) to facilitate the separation of one or more cover(s), flap(s), or other enclosure(s) of the handbag from the body or one or more other part(s) or component(s) of the handbag. The handbag protection device may include one or more attached, unattached, detachable, or other operatively coupled support extension(s) that enclose(s), partially enclose(s), or wrap(s) around or cover(s) any chain(s), strap(s), handle(s), decoration(s) or other part(s) or component(s) of the handbag that can be used for carrying, hanging, ornamentation or other purposes.
US09498037B2
A customizable key holder for retention of at least one key; the key holder comprising two separate outer sheathing plates which store the at least one key between them; one or more removable locking pins utilizing a locking mechanism to secure the at least one key between the outer sheathing plates; the key holder further including one or two interchangeable sheathing plate covers adapted for personalization of the key holder; at least one of the interchangeable sheathing plate covers providing storage space for an accessory element.
US09498034B2
A protective case and mounting system for a handheld electronic device is provided. The protective case can include a removable mounting system comprised of an interlocking member and a plurality of mounting bases. The protective case may further include a non-slip member to prevent the device from slipping on a surface and a magnet for attaching the device to a magnetic surface.
US09498032B2
A case for enclosing a personal electronic device is disclosed that has at least one button molded into the case, wherein the button is manufactured from rigid material that may or may not deform when depressed. The case, whether hard or soft, may incorporate the buttons manufactured from a hard material and afford the user the same tactile response as if the user were depressing the underlying buttons on the device. The case may be co-molded with two similar or dissimilar materials. One of the co-molded materials may provide a membrane that allows the button to flex and also secures the buttons to prevent them from being dislodged from or out of the case.
US09498025B2
A strap attachment system includes a frame member having an opening, a strap, and a tab having a body and an attachment element defined by the body. The tab connects to the strap. A fastener element connects to the tab and is detachably and slidably mountable to the frame member by the opening.
US09498023B2
An article of footwear may include a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a sock portion and a tongue portion. The sock portion has a hollow structure (a) forming an ankle opening in a heel region of the footwear and (b) extending between the heel region and a forefoot region of the footwear to define a void within the footwear for receiving a foot. The tongue portion has an elongate configuration (a) extending through at least a portion of a length of a throat area of the upper and (b) including two knit layers that lay adjacent to each other.
US09498019B2
Improved impact absorbing shoe constructions are provided which include a composite sole and an attached upper. The sole includes a section of artificial turf having a backing sheet, a plurality of artificial turf grass fibers secured to the backing sheet, and resilient elastomeric infill between the fibers. The resultant shoes provide a comfortable wearing experience while also giving adequate foot and ankle support.
US09498012B1
A deployable umbrella hood garment that includes a waterproof umbrella hood moveable between a folded position, furled within a pack member dorsally dispositional upon said garment, and a deployed position, extended to encapsulate the head of a user and securable in said deployed position by means of a support member disposed interior to the hood, whereby automated and expedient deployment of said umbrella hood is effective between said stowed and deployed positions to prevent contact of rainfall with a user's head.
US09498006B2
Motion limiting pants prevent a person from turning over onto his or her back or stomach while sleeping on his or her sides, or prevents a person from turning over onto his or her side while sleeping on his or her back or stomach. The motion limiting pants can include one or more pockets formed therein. The pockets can be filled with a filling material, such as a lightweight foam. The pockets can be formed either on the sides of the pants to prevent side sleeping, or on the front and back of the pants to prevent back and/or stomach sleeping.
US09498002B1
A multi-chamber vaporizer is disclosed. The vaporizer includes a heating assembly with a heating element, the heating element having a portion thermally coupled to an airflow passage. A plurality of herbal placement chambers is rotatable relative to the airflow passage. Further, a track assembly having an herbal support surface extends about a central axis at a track radius and with a motor operably configured to rotate the herbal support surface about the central axis at a rotation rate. The herbal support surface is operably configured to support the herbal placement chambers thereon for rotation about the central axis to the airflow passage.
US09498000B2
There is provided a method of controlling aerosol production in an aerosol-generating device, the device including: a heater including at least one heating element configured to heat an aerosol-forming substrate; and a power source for providing power to the heating element, including the steps of: controlling the power provided to the heating element such that in a first phase power is provided such that the temperature of the heating element increases from an initial temperature to a first temperature, in a second phase power is provided such that the temperature of the heating element drops below the first temperature, and in a third phase power is provided such that the temperature of the heating element increases again. Increasing the temperature of the heating element during a final phase of the heating process reduces or prevents the reduction in aerosol delivery over time.
US09497996B2
An electronic cigarette of the invention includes an atomizing device for vaporizing cigarette liquid, a battery which is electrically connected with and supply power to the atomizing device, and a first electrode assembly set between the battery and the atomizing device. Herein, the first electrode assembly includes an electrode seat, an electrode and a resilient mechanism. The electrode seat is electrically connected with the battery, the electrode resiliently connects electrode of the atomizing device, and the resilient mechanism is resiliently connected between the electrode seat and the electrode. The electronic cigarette of the embodiments has resilient electrode assembly, simple structure, and high liability of electric circuit connection.
US09497993B2
Process for refilling an electronic cigarette with refillable reservoir, implemented by means of a container (10) of a single dose of a concentrated aroma, in liquid state, for producing a liquid refill of said electronic cigarette, wherein said container (10) comprises at least a liquid reservoir (14) and a closed mouth (15), in liquid-tight communication with said reservoir (14), comprising the following steps: extracting said single dose of a concentrated aroma from said container (10), after opening said mouth (15); mixing said single dose of a concentrated aroma with a solvent medium, or diluent, obtaining a solution, or a heterogeneous compound, for producing at least one refill for said electronic cigarette; inserting, into the reservoir of said electronic cigarette, an amount of solution, or heterogeneous compound, corresponding to the amount required to produce this refill.
US09497983B2
Heat-treated liquid enteral nutritional composition with a low monovalent metal ion content are provided that contain micellar casein and optionally caseinate, and in which the total amount of monovalent metal ions is less than 25 mg/g of protein. Also, heat-treated liquid enteral nutritional compositions are disclosed comprising 10 to 20 g of protein per 100 ml of the composition, in which all or a major part of said protein comprises micellar casein. Also, a method is disclosed for producing the composition according to the invention, comprising a step wherein an aqueous protein solution in which all or a major part of said protein comprises micellar casein, is subjected to an evaporation step.
US09497980B2
The invention relates to a method for fermenting soy flour in the solid state in order to reduce non-starch polysaccharides and alpha-galactosides, said method comprising the following steps: a) preparation of the fermentation substrate; b) inoculation of the substrate with selected celluloytic bacterial strains; c) incubation; and, optionally, d) drying of the product, which generates a product with: an increase in protein of between 12 and 15% compared to non-fermented soy flour, degradation of the alpha-galactosides of more than 90% compared to non-fermented soy flour, a reduction in non-starch polysaccharides (NSPs) of between 15 and 25%, an amino acid profile similar to that of non-fermented soy flour, and immune-stimulating effects.
US09497968B2
Antimicrobial compositions based on the synergistic combination of 2-methyl-3-isothiazolone and selected commercial microbicides where the compositions are substantially free of halogenated 3-isothiazolone, are disclosed. Particularly preferred are combinations of 2-methyl-3-isothiazolone together with benzoic acid, citric acid, sorbic acid, 1,2-dibromo-2,4-dicyanobutane, 1,3-dimethylol-5,5-dimethylhydantoin, phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol, zinc pyrithione or climbazole, that provide enhanced microbicidal efficacy at a combined active ingredient level lower than that of the combined individual 3-isothiazolone and commercial microbicide effective use levels.
US09497954B1
An apparatus for holding a fumigant container has a sleeve with an interior volume, a first fastener affixed to the sleeve adjacent an end of the sleeve and extending outwardly therefrom, and a second fastener affixed to the sleeve adjacent the opposite end thereof. The first and second fasteners are suitable for removably affixing to at least an exterior surface, such as a pair of rails of a hopper car. Each of the fasteners includes a clip and a strap affixed to the clip. The clip includes a body formed of a polymeric material and having an aperture formed therethrough and an arm having one end integrally formed at the body and extending into the aperture such that the arm is flexible in relation of the body. The sleeve has at least one surface formed of a gas-permeable material. One end of the sleeve is open so as to allow for the introduction of a fumigant container into the interior of the sleeve.
US09497945B2
Non-human animals comprising a human or humanized DPP4 nucleic acid sequence are provided. Non-human animals that comprise a replacement of the endogenous Dpp4 gene with a human or humanized DPP4 gene, or non-human animals comprising a human or humanized DPP4 gene in addition to the endogenous Dpp4 gene are described. Non-human animals comprising a human or humanized DPP4 gene under control of human or non-human DPP4 regulatory elements is also provided, including non-human animals that have a replacement of non-human Dpp4-encoding sequence with human DPP4-encoding sequence at an endogenous non-human Dpp4 locus. Non-human animals comprising human or humanized DPP4 gene sequences, wherein the non-human animals are rodents, e.g., mice or rats, are provided. Methods for making and using the non-human animals are described.
US09497940B2
An apparatus for testing and researching aquatic species is provided. The apparatus includes a housing rack for housing a tank. The apparatus further includes one or more dividers for dividing the at least one tank into one or more compartments. The apparatus further includes a collection channel and a downspout in each compartment for draining of water from each compartment. The apparatus further includes one or more lids for covering the one or more compartments.
US09497936B2
A colony basket and method of using the same for handling poultry from DOC through the growing process and on to a production facility comprising a harvesting system, a loading system, a transport system, an unloading and storing system, hanging system and cleaning system. The system and method performs the steps of harvesting and colonizing live poultry into a singly stackable and transportable colony basket, stacking and loading the trays on a transport, unloading and temporarily storing the poultry for subsequent processing. The system and method further includes the use of a modular colony basket for interchangeable use with the described system.
US09497932B1
A canine wound boot is fabricated using a breathable substrate having two layers of generally open weave and a fibrous material spacing and bonding the two layers together. Onto the substrate, various friction pads, wear pads, one or more straps, and strategically located cushions are attached. Specially configured slits ensure that a wide range of leg sizes relative to paw sizes may be accommodated, while easing application of the boot and eliminating any risk of bunching. Elastic material serves as a gusset in the boot which expands to cover a bandage or cast.
US09497931B1
A pet groom and vacuum cleaner including the pet groomer are provided. The pet groomer includes a main body having two sidewalls, an actuator container, and a hollow handle for connecting with the suction hose. A comb assembly is fixed between said two sidewalls, and includes a rotatable body, and a comb teeth arranged in an axial direction of the rotatable body. A driving assembly drives the comb teeth to rotate with the rotatable body. The comb teeth rotates between a first position and a second position. The driving assembly is isolated from the suction airflow and includes an actuator element exposed out of the actuator container and extending toward the hollow handle. Motion transmission elements of the driving assembly extends from the actuator element to the comb assembly, and includes three sections.
US09497929B2
A feeder for animals has an enclosure that receives feed material. The enclosure has at least one vertical feed surface that retains the feed material and provides access to animals to the feed material. The vertical feed surface is movable in a horizontal direction. A biasing device is attached to the vertical feed surface. The biasing device moves the vertical feed surface horizontally as the feed material is depleted within the enclosure.
US09497925B1
A soybean cultivar designated 43341876 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar 43341876, to the plants of soybean cultivar 43341876, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar 43341876, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar 43341876. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 43341876. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar 43341876, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar 43341876 with another soybean cultivar.
US09497921B1
The invention relates to the soybean variety designated 01051779. Provided by the invention are the seeds, plants and derivatives of the soybean variety 01051779. Also provided by the invention are tissue cultures of the soybean variety 01051779 and the plants regenerated therefrom. Still further provided by the invention are methods for producing soybean plants by crossing the soybean variety 01051779 with itself or another soybean variety and plants produced by such methods.
US09497917B2
A soybean cultivar designated S130075 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of soybean cultivar S130075, to the plants of soybean cultivar S130075, to the plant parts of soybean cultivar S130075, and to methods for producing progeny of soybean cultivar S130075. The invention also relates to methods for producing a soybean plant containing in its genetic material one or more transgenes and to the transgenic soybean plants and plant parts produced by those methods. The invention also relates to soybean cultivars or breeding cultivars, and plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S130075. The invention also relates to methods for producing other soybean cultivars, lines, or plant parts derived from soybean cultivar S130075, and to the soybean plants, varieties, and their parts derived from use of those methods. The invention further relates to hybrid soybean seeds, plants, and plant parts produced by crossing cultivar S130075 with another soybean cultivar.
US09497911B2
A wild rice cultivar designated KC-755 is disclosed. The invention relates to the seeds of wild rice cultivar KC-755, to the plants of wild rice KC-755 and to methods for producing a wild rice plant produced by crossing the cultivar KC-755 with itself or another wild rice variety. The invention further relates to hybrid wild rice seeds and plants produced by crossing the cultivar KC-755 with another wild rice cultivar.
US09497909B2
An isolated polynucleotide is provided. The isolated polynucleotides comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide having an amino acid sequence at least 88% homologous to SEQ ID NO: 22, the polypeptide being capable of increasing a cuticular water permeability of a plant expressing same. Also provided are methods of generating plants expressing such polypeptides which can be used for producing dehydrated plants or cuticular covered portions thereof.
US09497904B2
An agricultural baler includes a main bale chamber having a pair of opposed side walls, with each said side wall including a plunger slot arrangement defining a plunger slot. A pair of plunger slot rails are positioned in each plunger slot, including a top rail positioned at a top of a respective plunger slot and a bottom rail positioned at a bottom of a respective plunger slot. A plunger is reciprocally disposed within the main bale chamber. The plunger includes a pair of opposed sides and at least one roller extending laterally outward from each side, with each roller being positioned within a respective plunger slot. The baler is characterized by a pair of plunger slot cover assemblies, with each cover assembly being associated with a respective plunger slot and having an upper cover and a lower cover.
US09504195B2
A cover assembly for covering and electrically insulating an electrical connection includes a joint body including a tubular inner sleeve and an integral semiconductor layer. The inner sleeve is formed of an elastically expandable, electrically insulating material and having an outer surface and opposed first and second terminal ends. The inner sleeve defines a through passage extending axially from a first end opening at the first terminal end of the inner sleeve to a second terminal end opening at the second end of the inner sleeve. The semiconductor layer is disposed on the outer surface of the inner sleeve and is formed of an electrically semiconductive material. The semiconductor layer extends axially from a first terminal end of the semiconductor layer to an opposing second terminal end of the semiconductor layer. The first terminal end of the semiconductor layer is spaced apart from the first terminal end of the inner sleeve a prescribed semiconductor truncation distance to define a tubular band of the outer surface that is not covered by the semiconductor layer.
US09504193B2
A shielded conductive path that can facilitate manufacturing operations is provided. A shielded conductive path includes a shielding pipe that is configured to have a tubular shape into which an electric wire can be inserted, by combining together a pair of divided bodies into which the shielding pipe is divided along its axis, and an overlapping fitting portion that is provided at a joint portion of the pair of divided bodies and allows the pair of divided bodies to be fitted to each other while overlapping each other in an inside-outside direction when the pair of divided bodies are combined together. Thus, the operations for manufacturing the shielded conductive path can be performed easily.
US09504192B2
Electrical machine (12) having a shielding plate (10), wherein the electrical machine (12) comprises a housing part (32) in which is arranged an electronic unit (14), and said electrical machine also comprises a metal heat sink (34) that is arranged on the housing part (32), wherein the electronic unit (14) is arranged between the shielding plate (10) and the heat sink (34).
US09504185B2
A loop heat pipe structure includes a transport pipe, an evaporator, a first wick layer, a second wick layer, and a plurality of grooves. The transport pipe communicates with the evaporator. The evaporator has a bottom and internally defines a first chamber and a second chamber, and has a working fluid filled therein. The first wick layer is located on the bottom, and the second wick layer is located on and covers the first wick layer. The grooves can be selectively provided on the first wick layer or the bottom. The first and second wick layers are so designed that the situation of very high vapor pressure would not occur in the second chamber, enabling the loop heat pipe structure to have upgraded heat dissipation efficiency.
US09504182B2
An apparatus for enclosing a medium and/or high voltage unit connectable to an electric power system. The unit includes one or a plurality of electrical components and generates heat as a by-product during operation. The apparatus includes a housing including a main chamber housing a seat for holding the unit. The main chamber is arranged to house the unit. The housing includes at least one gas exit opening at an upper part of the housing and at least one gas entry opening. The housing includes a sound-absorptive gas exit chamber provided with the at least one gas exit opening. The housing includes a sound-absorptive gas entry chamber provided with the at least one gas entry opening. A first heat convection path is provided inside the housing between the at least one gas entry opening and the at least one gas exit opening, via the gas entry chamber, via the main chamber and via the gas exit chamber, in order to provide cooling. Each of the gas exit chamber and the gas entry chamber houses at least one sound-absorbing member for absorbing sound produced by the unit during operation. At least one of the gas exit chamber and the gas entry chamber has at least one heat conducting wall and at least one free space provided between the at least one sound-absorbing member and said wall such that the first heat convection path is provided inside the housing between the at least one gas entry opening and the at least one gas exit opening via the at least one free space.
US09504175B2
This invention relates to a solid-state drive housing, a solid-state disk using the same and an assembling process thereof. More particularly, the present invention is capable of preventing the unauthorized disassembly of the consumer. The solid-state drive housing comprising a upper cover and a basement, where the lower casing has a plurality of first hollows, the upper cover has a second base and a plurality of fastening structures one pieced formed therewith, part of the end of the fastening structures are bent and disposed in the corresponding first hollows so as to secure the second member with the first member. By the novelty assembling process provided by the present invention, the user may secures the upper cover and the lower casing without the screw liked fasteners and completes the assembly in only a few quick steps, meanwhile, the present invention is also capable of preventing the unauthorized disassembly of the consumer.
US09504172B2
An electronic assembly including a printed circuit board (PCB), a housing, and a shock absorbing device that is intermediate the printed circuit board and the housing. The shock absorbing device is formed of an insulative and compliant material, such as a thermoplastic elastomer material. The side walls of the shock absorbing device defines a groove surrounds and at least partially encloses the edges of the printed circuit board. The shock absorbing device defines an aperture through which a fastener is configured to pass to secure the shock absorbing device to the housing and thus securing the printed circuit board within the housing. The shock absorbing device is intermediate the fastener and the printed circuit board so that there is no direct contact between the fastener and the printed circuit board which could transmit impact shock directly from the housing to the printed circuit board.
US09504171B2
A power supply has a generally rectangular housing that has a length of about 11 inches and a width of about 8.5 inches, with a thickness of less than 5.2 cm. A rechargeable battery is housed inside the housing, and a power bay is provided on the housing and coupled to the battery inside the housing.
US09504170B2
Electronic devices may be provided that contain multiple housing portions. The housing portions may be coupled together using hinges. The hinges may include hinges based on a three-bar linkage, hinges based on a four-bar linkage, hinges with slotted members, hinges formed from flexible support structures, and hinges based on flexible housing structures. Flexible displays may be mounted to the housing portions overlapping the hinges. When the housing portions in a device are rotated relative to each other, the flexible display may bend. The hinge may be configured to allow the flexible display to be placed in a front-to-front configuration in which an active side of the display faces itself or a back-to-back configuration. Engagement structures may be used to help the housing grip external objects and to hold the housing portions together. The hinges may be provided with rotational detents to help hold the flexible display in desired positions.
US09504169B2
Disclosed herein are a printed circuit board having an embedded electronic device and a method of manufacturing the same. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the printed circuit board having an embedded electronic device includes: a core substrate having circuit layers formed on both surfaces thereof; a taper-shaped cavity formed on the core substrate; and an electronic device embedded in the cavity.
US09504149B2
A surface treated copper foil which is well bonded to a resin and achieves excellent visibility when observed through the resin, and a laminate using the same are provided. A surface treated copper foil comprising at least one surface treated surface with a color difference ΔE*ab of 40 or more based on JIS Z 8730, and a difference between the top average Bt and the bottom average Bb in a brightness curve extending from an end of the copper foil to a portion without the copper foil ΔB (ΔB=Bt−Bb) of 40 or more, after lamination of the surface treated surface to a polyimide having a ΔB (PI) defined as above of 50 or more and 65 or less before being laminated to the copper foil, wherein the brightness curve is obtained from an observation spot versus brightness graph of measurement results of the brightness of the photographed image of the copper foil through the polyimide with a CCD camera for the respective observation spots along the direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the observed copper foil.
US09504147B2
According to one embodiment of the present invention, an epoxy resin composition comprises: a resin including an epoxy compound, triethylenediamine, diphenylphosphine and/or tetraphenylborate; a curing agent including diaminodiphenylsulfone, ethylenediamine, diaminopropane, methanediamine, phenylenediamine and/or triethanolamine; and an inorganic filler, wherein the inorganic filler includes at least two alumina (Al2O3) groups classified by particle size.
US09504143B2
An electrical circuit includes a first circuit part and a second circuit part. A first electrical potential is applicable to the first circuit part, wherein a second electrical potential is applicable to the second circuit part. The two circuit parts are galvanically isolated from each other by an insulator, wherein the insulator includes a conducting portion. This conducting portion can be safely sensed by an additional circuitry, to detect if a full or partial contact to the first electrical potential or the second electrical potential has occurred due to a voltage shift or a current flow on the conducting portion, which is itself insulated. This sensing circuitry can incorporate protection elements to clamp voltages and limit currents to prevent destruction of connected circuitries in case of a fail of the insulation.
US09504136B2
An inverter device includes: multiple inverters that switch input voltages by turning on and off respective switching elements to thereby apply excitation currents to primary excitation windings of respective boosting transformers and output alternating-current voltages from secondary output windings of the respective boosting transformers, the multiple inverters having the same output characteristics, and a common control circuit, on/off control of the switching elements of the inverters being performed by the same switching signal output from the common control circuit.
US09504134B2
Disclosed are methods and apparatus for lighting control. One or more properties of light output are controlled based on a light origination input and a light destination input received via one or more user interfaces. For example, in some embodiments a light origination input and a light destination input may be utilized to determine one or more control parameters of one or more LEDs to achieve illumination of a light destination area indicated by the light destination input, wherein the illumination is from a light origination area indicated by the light origination input.
US09504131B1
A lighting fixture includes a light source, a housing coupled to the light source, communications circuitry, sensor circuitry, and control circuitry. The housing includes an opening through which light from the light source is provided. The control circuitry includes a memory storing instructions, which, when executed by the control circuitry cause the lighting fixture to transmit sensor data obtained from the sensor circuitry via the communications circuitry for persistent storage of the sensor data. By transmitting sensor data from the lighting fixture for persistent storage thereof, the sensor data may be used to characterize a space in which the lighting fixture is located.
US09504115B2
Light source circuitry comprises a first group of one or more light emitting diodes operable to emit light of a first color, a second group of one or more light emitting diodes operable to emit light of a second color, and a third group of one or more light emitting diodes operable to emit light of a third color, wherein the first, second and third groups of light emitting diodes are arranged such that, when a fixed current arrives at the light source circuitry, the fixed current is shared between the first, second and third groups, and wherein the circuitry is configured such that a proportion of the fixed current that flows through each of the first and second groups is controllable in dependence on a received control signal and such that the remainder of the fixed current flows through the third group.
US09504100B2
A selective radiation utilization apparatus includes an optical filtering device and a modulation device. The optical filtering device transmits one or more selected spectral bands of incoming solar radiation and reflects one or more remaining bands of the incoming solar radiation. The modulation device spatially modulates one of the one or more selected spectral bands or the one or more remaining bands and directs the spatially modulated one of the one or more selected spectral bands or the one or more remaining bands towards a target of illumination.
US09504083B2
A method of improving discontinuous reception (DRX) functionality for a user equipment (UE) of a wireless communication system is disclosed, so as to allow continuous reception of following transmissions during a retransmission period. The method includes steps of monitoring a Physical Downlink Control Channel (PDCCH) when an On Duration Timer, a DRX Inactivity Timer or a DRX Retransmission Timer is running; and starting or restating the DRX Inactivity Timer when the PDCCH indicates the UE a new transmission.
US09504080B2
A method for performing Bluetooth pairing with a mobile device by a head unit of a vehicle includes: initiating a Bluetooth pairing procedure between the mobile device and the head unit; storing an address of the mobile device upon the initiation of the pairing procedure; detecting an error generated in the pairing procedure; and automatically retrying the pairing procedure using the stored address of the mobile device or terminating the pairing procedure, based on a type of the detected error.
US09504077B2
The various aspects provide for wirelessly connecting mobile devices and wearable devices, which may enhance battery life and user experience. The embodiments may include a wearable device that may receive from a mobile device a request to wirelessly connect to the wearable device. The wearable device may establish with the mobile device a first wireless connection. The wearable device may recognize termination of the first wireless connection by the mobile device and send to the mobile device a second request to establish a second wireless connection. The wearable device may establish the second wireless connection between the mobile device and the wearable device.
US09504065B2
A method for guaranteeing a data frame transmit opportunity in a wireless LAN system having three different transmission modes includes: setting a first transmission protection interval based on a lowest transmission mode, when a node of a mode having a lowest transmission rate among the three transmission modes exists in the wireless LAN system, aggregating a data frame to be transmitted within time of the set transmission protection interval, and transmitting the data frame; and setting a second transmission protection interval based on a mode having a highest transmission rate, when only nodes of a mode having a highest transmission rate among the three transmission modes exist, aggregating a data frame to be transmitted within time of the set transmission protection interval, and transmitting the data frame.
US09504062B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for scheduling downlink data transmission, includes: sending scheduling basic information to a user equipment; receiving a scheduling request reported by the UE, where the scheduling request carries at least one scheduling parameter that is determined by the UE according to the scheduling basic information; determining whether the scheduling parameter determined by the UE in the scheduling request needs to be modified; sending a scheduling request response to the UE according to a result of the determining, where the scheduling request response indicates whether the scheduling parameter determined by the UE in the scheduling request needs to be modified; and if it is determined that there is a scheduling parameter that needs to be modified, sending, to the UE, a modified parameter value of the scheduling parameter that needs to be modified.
US09504061B2
In response to requests for their use of the resources by the applications, resources are first allocated to “inelastic” requests specified for performance at a specific time slot. A baseline allocation of resources is then determined which is the minimum amount of capacity that has to be used for efficient operation of the resources required to meet the requests. This baseline will include some additional capacity as the minimum efficient capacity is less than the maximum capacity. “Elastic” requests, specified for performance within a predetermined time range comprising two or more of the set of time slots, are then allocated so as to prioritize the use of this spare capacity, bringing actual usage up to at least the baseline allocation of resources. If further capacity is required to meet all the inelastic requests, further capacity is allocated and the baseline redefined to include it.
US09504060B2
In a wireless network, a method for operating a wireless device including at least a cellular modem, a wireless local area network (WLAN) controller, and a Bluetooth (BT) controller, the method comprising facilitating a voice call with another device; generating a signal, from the cellular modem, indicating whether the cellular modem is active during the voice call; and selectively suppressing background scanning operations based, at least in part, on the signal.
US09504058B2
Disclosed herein are methods and systems for scheduling transmission of uplink communication. One embodiment takes the form of a process carried out by a first-radio-access-network-(RAN) entity in a first RAN, where the first RAN has a first-RAN uplink that is time-synchronized with a second-RAN uplink of a second RAN. The first-RAN entity detects an uplink-scheduling event associated with a mobile radio, and the first-RAN entity also identifies a second-RAN-uplink-transmission time slot for the mobile radio. The first-RAN entity schedules the mobile radio to transmit first-RAN-uplink communication, which is associated with the detected uplink-scheduling event, during a first-RAN-uplink time slot that does not overlap the identified second-RAN-uplink-transmission time slot.
US09504057B2
Methods and apparatus for detecting and mitigating interface conditions at a multi-radio device. In one embodiment, a multi-radio device monitors and detects an in-device coexistence (IDC) interference condition which is, for example, caused by concurrent operation of radios. In response, the device notifies a network entity (e.g., a Long Term Evolution (LTE) eNodeB) of the detected IDC condition. Upon receiving the notification of the IDC condition, the network entity may implement or invoke a mitigation scheme in order to reduce the amount of IDC experienced at the client device.
US09504055B1
Various embodiments include methods for scheduling reception activities on a wireless communication device having a first receive chain and a second receive chain. Various embodiments may include identifying a first reception activity and a second reception activity of a first subscription scheduled on the first receive chain, in which a duration of the second reception activity is longer than a duration of the first reception activity. The wireless communication device may determine whether the first reception activity and the second reception activity can be performed concurrently on the first receive chain, and schedule the second reception activity on the second receive chain in response to determining that the first reception activity and the second reception activity cannot be performed concurrently on the first receive chain.
US09504054B2
The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for sending uplink/downlink scheduling information, and a method and an apparatus for receiving uplink/downlink scheduling information. The method for sending downlink scheduling information includes: determining, in downlink subframes on a second carrier, a first downlink subframe, in which at time corresponding to the first downlink subframe, a subframe on a first carrier is an uplink subframe; and sending, on a fifth downlink subframe on the first carrier, downlink scheduling information corresponding to the first downlink subframe on the second carrier to a terminal, in which time corresponding to the fifth downlink subframe is before the time corresponding to the first downlink subframe. The present invention achieves the purpose of performing uplink and downlink scheduling on a second carrier through a first carrier bearing a PDCCH.
US09504053B2
The disclosure relates to a method 10 performed in a scheduling device 3 for scheduling communication resources to a wireless device 4 configured for wireless communication within a communication system 1. The method 10 comprises detecting 11, within a group of wireless devices of a first priority class, a first wireless device 4 to be scheduled; determining 12 a cluster time for the first wireless device 4; and scheduling 13, for the duration of the determined cluster time, consecutive communication resource units to the first wireless device 4.
US09504048B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for acquiring channel responses of a self-interference channel and a full-duplex communication device. The method comprises: obtaining an estimate value of a channel response of the self-interfering channel by employing multiple reference signals to perform a channel estimation on the self-interfering channel; determining a stable range of each channel frequency-domain response on the basis of the channel response estimated value; randomly selecting a frequency point within the stable range of each channel frequency-domain response or selecting a frequency point of a greater channel response to serve as an emission frequency point of the reference signals, and, when an interrelation of the channel responses on the emission frequency point and on a non-emission frequency point is acquired, acquiring all the channel responses on time-domain and frequency-domain on the basis of a reception signal corresponding to the reference signals on the emission frequency point.
US09504046B2
A cellular communications system in which transmission of control signals for plural different remote stations is so displaced in time that the transmission of control signals for one remote station does not interfere with the transmission of control signals for another remote station, the displacement being sufficient to prevent contemporaneous reception of control signals by the remote station intended for the other remote station.
US09504044B2
An access gateway node couples a control node to an external data network, where the control node and access gateway node are for use in a wireless communications network. The access gateway node comprises a data function to route packets containing traffic data between the control node and the external data network. An interface to the control node enables exchange of control messages between the data function and a control function in the control node.
US09504037B2
The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for transmitting and receiving data. The method can include the steps of: a terminal transmitting, to a primary cell (P-cell), a first ACK/NACK for downlink transmission of the P-cell through a first uplink ACK/NACK channel; and transmitting, to a secondary cell (S-cell), a second ACK/NACK for downlink transmission of a first S-cell through a second uplink ACK/NACK channel.
US09504030B2
A method of processing control information in a mobile communication system is disclosed, by which an RRC connection setup can be quickly completed and by which control information can be processed without an unnecessary standby of a mobile terminal. The present invention includes the steps of receiving a plurality of protocol data units transmitted plural time from a transmitting side via one common logical channel by an RLC (radio link control) entity operating in a UM (unacknowledged mode) and having a receiving window and a timer, reordering a plurality of the received protocol data units using sequence numbers of a plurality of the received protocol data units, the receiving window and the timer, reassembling at least one service data unit by processing a plurality of the re-ordered protocol data units, and delivering the at least one service data unit.
US09504018B2
A system and method are disclosed for coordinating the scheduling of beamformed data to reduce interference in a wireless system. A first optimum phase adjustment is determined to increase the gain of an intended signal at a mobile device. A second optimum phase adjustment is determined to decrease the gain of interfering signals received at the mobile device. Using a phase adjustment map, a transmission is scheduled at a base station within wireless resources using the first optimum phase adjustment, at the same time an interfering base station is transmitting at the second optimum phase adjustment angle. Thus, signal strength is greatly improved while interference is greatly reduced, improving the efficiency of the wireless system.
US09504010B2
A wireless communication apparatus, which is configured to receive and transmit data via cells of at least two network cell belonging different networks, selects one of the networks to listen to in case of conflict. The apparatus has a radio transceiver module and a processor. The processor includes a driver of the radio transceiver module to choose one network that the radio transceiver module should listen to, a pattern detector configured to obtain a paging block repetition pattern for each of the networks, and a conflict manager configured to select the network to listen to when paging blocks from different networks collide. The conflict manager selects the network based on the paging block repetition patterns to minimize the probability of loss of a paging message associated to the paging blocks by predicting the next paging block transmissions.
US09504001B2
A device may control a network based on the position of a client, and may be configured to determine a position of a client within the network. The device may determine whether the client is located inside a zone from a plurality of established zones based on the determined position of the client, and then identify a zone in which the client is located upon determining that the client is located inside one of the established zones. The device may apply a profile associated with the identified zone to the client, and then determine a logical network identifier for the client based on the identified zone. The network may appear to the client as an isolated network for the identified zone.
US09504000B2
Embodiments of the invention address how trilateration processes, used to obtain a location of a mobile computing device, are affected by physical placement and sub-optimal selection of peer devices (PDs). Embodiments of the invention describe processes for selecting nearest PDs over further PDs, as received signal strength indicator (RSSI) measurements are more reliable—i.e., said “nearest PDs” provide more accurate distance measurements while improving the probability of finding more intersection points. Embodiments of the invention selectively utilize abnormal location poll data when executing location determination processes. Embodiments of the invention further enhance trilateration processes by utilizing dampening values for calculated location poll data.
US09503994B2
A method in a user equipment for adjusting a transmit timing of uplink transmissions to a network node in a telecommunications system is provided. The user equipment is configurable with more than one aggregated serving cells. The reception timing of a downlink transmission from a timing reference serving cell is used as a timing reference for the transmit timing of uplink transmissions. The user equipment determines a change to a second serving cell as the new timing reference serving cell which is different from a first serving cell currently being used as the timing reference serving cell. The user equipment applies an incremental adjustment of the transmit timing of uplink transmissions for the serving cells in a group of serving cells with respect to a timing reference based on the reception timing of a downlink transmission from the second serving cell in the user equipment.
US09503990B2
A method of an apparatus controls transmit power of uplink channels in a wireless communication system. The method includes configuring, for a UE, a primary serving cell on which a first uplink control channel is transmitted from the UE, configuring, for the UE, a secondary serving cell on which a second uplink control channel is transmitted from the UE, configuring a first TPC command and a second TPC command in a single TPC command group, the first TPC command being associated with transmit power of the uplink control information of the primary serving cell, the second TPC command being associated with transmit power of the uplink control information of the secondary serving cell, scrambling downlink control information based on an identifier associated with a TPC, the downlink control information comprising the single TPC command group; transmitting, to the UE, a downlink control channel comprising the scrambled downlink control information.
US09503985B2
A transmission scheme for at least one transceiver pair, each transceiver pair including a first transceiver and a second transceiver, each transceiver including a transmitter and a receiver, the at least one transceiver pair defining a downlink between the transmitter of a first transceiver and the receiver of a second transceiver and further defining an uplink between the transmitter of the second transceiver and the receiver of the first transceiver, each transceiver pair transmitting data over a data transmission frame, the transmission scheme including determining a respective active-set for each one of the at least one transceiver pairs, the active-set including a combination of selected logical allocation units, each the logical allocation unit being defined as a unique combination of a time-slot and a frequency band, each selected logical allocation unit relates to at least one of the downlink only and the uplink.
US09503977B2
Provided is a method and apparatus for reducing wireless traffic by controlling a management frame of an access point (AP) in a wireless local area network (WLAN), the AP including a beacon frame generator to generate a beacon frame, a probe response generator to generate a probe response frame, and a management frame control unit to control at least one of a period of the beacon frame and a number of retransmissions of the probe response frame, based on at least one of a power consumption of the AP, a system load imposed on a system including the AP, and an emergency level related to whether an emergency occurs.
US09503973B2
Methods and apparatuses for energy saving have been disclosed. A method for a base station serving a cell is provided. The method comprises: monitoring communication conditions of the cell; and altering a bandwidth for communication in response that the monitored communication conditions meet a predefined criterion. Energy saving may be achieved by dynamically altering the bandwidth for communication based on the communication conditions. Further, the proposed energy saving technique may be applied to various communication networks, including but not limited to, FDD system and TDD system.
US09503970B2
Providing for select Internet Protocol traffic offload (SIPTO) in a mobile communication environment is described herein. By way of example, SIPTO traffic can be facilitated via local packet gateways (P-GWs) that provide an interface to the Internet or a like data network, in addition to a centralized gateway GPRS support node (GGSN). Eligibility for SIPTO can be on a user equipment (UE) by UE basis; for instance, relying on stored subscription or account information to determine SIPTO eligibility. In particular aspects, eligibility for SIPTO can also be based on a packet network by packet network basis, or a combination of the foregoing. This enables flexibility in determining whether SIPTO can be established for a given UE in a given location, and can be based for instance on UE capability, subscription status information, data network capability, tariff rates, and so on, as well as different legal requirements of government jurisdictions.
US09503966B2
One embodiment is directed to a method of cell selection/reselection. The method includes gathering discovery information of a secondary radio access technology (RAT) by listening to a single primary radio access technology (RAT). The method may further include performing cell selection/reselection using the discovery information.
US09503963B1
A wireless communication network to route data communications. The wireless communication network has wireless access systems and network gateway systems. The wireless access systems and network gateway systems store a plurality of routing instructions to direct the routing of the data communications within the wireless communication network. The wireless access systems and network gateway systems receive user instructions to add data tags to individual ones of the stored routing instructions. The wireless access systems and network gateway systems process the routing instructions to route the data communications. The wireless access systems and network gateway systems count the processing of the routing instructions having the stored data tags. The wireless access systems and network gateway systems transfer data records indicating the counts for the individual routing instructions having the stored data tags for delivery to a routing control system.
US09503960B2
An interfering wave is detected using, in a received signal including a preamble and a control signal field, a plurality of symbols including a symbol configuring the preamble and a symbol configuring the control signal field. The received signal has one of a plurality of transmission formats that use at least either a first frequency band or a second frequency band. In a signal quality detector, a symbol differential calculator calculates, in each of the first frequency band and the second frequency band, differences between a certain number of symbols adjacent to one another at predetermined positions in a time domain among the plurality of symbols. A square operator performs square operations on results of the calculation of differences. An interference determiner determines, using results of the square operations, whether each of the first frequency band and the second frequency band includes an interfering wave.
US09503937B2
A mobile communication system includes a first Home Node B (HNB); a second HNB; and a HNB gateway (HNB-GW) that is connected to a core network, wherein the first HNB is configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE) before a relocation of intra HNB-GW in which the UE is relocated from the first HNB to the second HNB, wherein the second HNB is configured to communicate with a user equipment (UE) after the relocation and send Iu-UP Initialization comprising an RFCI information to the HNB-GW during the relocation, and wherein the HNB-GW is configured to receive the Iu-UP Initialization.
US09503934B2
A method embodiment includes defining, by a network controller, one or more operation modes for a radio node in a network. The one or more operation modes includes a hyper transceiver mode, where the hyper transceiver mode configures a virtual transmission point to cooperatively communicate with a virtual reception point in accordance with neighborhood relations of a target radio node. The method further includes selecting one of the one or more operation modes for the radio node and signaling a selected operation mode to the radio node.
US09503930B2
A method and an apparatus for transmitting control information are disclosed. The method includes: grouping UEs in a cell, and obtaining second control information of each UE group after grouping; performing joint channel coding on the second control information of each UE group; obtaining first control information, and transmitting the first control information to the UEs in the cell, where the first control information includes indication information of the second control information, on which joint channel coding has been performed, of each UE group, so as to obtain the second control information according to the indication information; and transmitting the second control information, on which joint channel coding has been performed, of each UE group to the UEs in the cell.
US09503928B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for wireless communication are provided. In one aspect, the method comprises receiving at least one downlink packet. The method further comprises generating an acknowledge message in response to receiving the at least one downlink packet. The method further comprises prioritizing the acknowledge message in a buffer according to a probability, the probability based at least in part on a current utilization level of the buffer. The method may further comprise one or more of the following: setting the probability to a first value when the utilization level is below a first level, setting the probability to a second value when the utilization level is above the first level and below a second level, and setting the probability to a third value when the utilization level is above the second level. The second value may be adjusted based on feedback corresponding to a downlink throughput.
US09503927B2
In embodiments of the present disclosure improved capabilities are described for a dual-use wireless network where the network may be used concurrently by the general public and by a managing agency (e.g., government or other agencies), but limited as deemed necessary in times of access restriction as determined by the managing agency, where network access may be denied to users/entities whose priority value is lower than the minimum allowed priority value set by the managing agency, or is not one of a set of allowed high priority access values or classes set by the managing agency.
US09503917B2
A communications apparatus includes at least two cellular system radio transceivers capable of simultaneously performing transmitting/receiving radio activities in two cellular networks and a control entity. The control entity is coupled to the cellular system radio transceivers, collects radio activity information of the cellular system radio transceivers, determines whether interference will occur or is occurring and which cellular system radio transceiver is an aggressor transceiver and which cellular system radio transceiver is a victim transceiver when the interference occurs according to the radio activity information, and further determines control information according to the radio activity information for controlling the aggressor transceiver or the victim transceiver to mitigate the interference. The aggressor transceiver is the cellular system radio transceiver having the transmitting radio activity that will interfere or interferes with the receiving radio activity of the victim transceiver.
US09503905B2
The invention provides methods, a network device and radio station for spectrum resource allocation in a network employing spectrum sharing among at least a primary and secondary system, including scanning, by a network device of the secondary system, a specific frequency range of a candidate band of the primary system, estimating, by the network device, interference level on the scanned candidate band of the primary system, determining position of the network device, and transmitting the estimation result to a radio station of the secondary system.
US09503892B2
Methods, apparatuses, and systems are described related to mapping special subframes in a wireless communication network. In embodiments, an eNB may assign demodulation reference signals (DM-RSs) and/or cell-specific reference signals (CRSs) to a downlink pilot time slot (DwPTS) of a special subframe responsive to a determined configuration of the special subframe. In embodiments, an eNB may bundle the DwPTS or an uplink pilot time slot (UpPTS) of the special subframe with another subframe for scheduling. In embodiments, a UE may estimate a channel associated with the special subframe based on DM-RSs and/or CRSs transmitted in another subframe. In embodiments, an eNB may exclude the DwPTS from scheduling for certain special subframe configurations if a new carrier type (NCT) is used. In embodiments, an eNB may exclude certain special subframe configurations from use for NCT communications. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.
US09503884B2
A wireless device and a process of authorizing a wireless device are disclosed. The process includes storing a list of authorized terminals within a memory accessible by a wireless device. The process further includes comparing the list of authorized terminals in the memory to at least one of terminal profile data and an IMEI of the wireless device and allowing network access if at least one of the terminal profile data and the IMEI are found on the list of authorized terminals and limiting network access if at least one of the terminal profile data and the IMEI are not found on the list of authorized terminals.
US09503883B2
A method for automatically switching subscriber mode through identifying IMSI includes, when a cell phone is turned on, determining if a first IMSI is consistent with a pre-stored second IMSI. If the first IMSI is determined to be consistent with the second IMSI, the cell phone enters a subscriber mode corresponding to the second IMSI. If the first IMSI is determined to not be consistent with the second IMSI, the first IMSI is matched with a third IMSI of an IMSI list pre-stored in the cell phone; when the first IMSI is determined to be consistent with the third IMSI, the cell phone enters a subscriber mode corresponding to the third IMSI. Thereby, the cell phone quickly and efficiently completes identifying an IMSI and automatically switches subscriber mode.
US09503879B2
A method for serving visitor subscribers in a mobile communication system has been disclosed. The method, which is performed by a virtual visitor subsystem, VSS, included in the mobile communication system, comprises the following steps: detecting a roaming event on an MSISDN of a mobile station, MS, operating in the mobile communication system; determining a mobile network operator in the mobile communication system, having an HPLMN which covers a geographic area of the MS, to be a visitor mobile network operator of the MS; receiving a visitor IMSI from the visitor mobile network operator; assigning the visitor IMSI to the MSISDN of the MS; transmitting the visitor IMSI to the MS; intercepting an authentication initiation towards the visitor mobile network operator; authenticating the MS towards a home mobile network operator of the MS; and activating a visitor subscription identified by the visitor IMSI based on an authentication response received from the home mobile network operator.
US09503876B2
A method for providing assistance to each of a plurality of users, each having been enrolled as a member of a community includes receiving, at a server, communications from corresponding mobile devices, each of which is associated with a user who has enrolled as a member in a first community. These emergency communications were initiated by activation of respective personal security buttons on the mobile devices, and provide information about respective security conditions. In response to the communications, the server alerts corresponding first and second security services that are appropriate responding to the respective security conditions.
US09503875B2
An information processing system is described, which has circuitry configured to receive, via a mobile application, a data entry form request for a type of incident. The circuitry is also configured to select, via a server of the information processing system, at least one data entry form based on the request. The at least one data entry form is customized according to an established protocol for the type of incident. The circuitry is also configured to receive data entered into a selected data entry form, and analyze and process the received entered data based on the established protocol for the type of incident. The circuitry is also configured to forward the received entered data to one or more designated entities.
US09503874B2
Methods and apparatuses for supporting communication of critical data in a cellular system are disclosed. Upon determination of communication of critical data in a first cell a node of the first cell generates a signal including information of reservation of radio resources for said communication of critical data. The signal is communicated from the first cell to at least one second cell to reduce interference on said radio resources. A node of a second cell receives the signal and manages interference on said radio resources based on the signal. This includes prevention or limitation of use of said radio resources in the second cell when the second cell is not involved in communication of critical data.
US09503873B1
The disclosure describes a crowd-sourced, social network and geo-location based system for enhancing personal safety via users' mobile devices. The system shares information (including images, video, and/or audio) about crimes, fires, accidents and public safety-related events and their geo-locations. Users selectively receive notifications for such events in a map view based on the events' proximity to users or on whether the notification was initiated by a person in the users' social network. The system also shares users' status and geo-location information with previously identified persons or with all persons in their social network to let them know their geo-location and/or when they have reached a destination. Through the system's operation, a user can cause sending of a distress signal to pre-identified persons, groups within their social network, or others who are within a pre-established distance. Additionally, the system can send a distress signal if the user fails to check in.
US09503871B2
The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing notifications in a communication system. In connection therewith, a first communication is transmitted, by a processor, in accordance with a first communication scheme that defines a first communication service by which the first communication is to be transmitted and a first user device to which the first communication is to be transmitted. The processor estimates whether the first communication was received by the first user device. Responsive to estimating that the first communication was not received by the first user device, the processor operates to determine a further communication scheme, different to the first communication scheme, that defines a further communication service by which a further communication is to be transmitted and a further user device to which the further communication is to be transmitted, and operates to transmit the further communication in accordance with the further communication scheme.
US09503842B2
An integrated Radio Access Technology (RAT) architecture may include 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) and Bluetooth links. Configuration information for the Bluetooth link may be provided over the 3GPP link to assist in the setting up and/or usage of a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) link. Bearer traffic that may normally be transmitted over the 3GPP link may be offloaded to the BLE link in a manner that is seamless and transparent to the 3GPP core network elements (e.g., the serving gateway (SGW) and packet data network gateway (PGW)).
US09503841B2
The application relates to a method, an apparatus and a computer program product. The method comprises adjusting dynamically a sensitivity of a receiver from a default sensitivity to a low sensitivity; wherein the adjusting is based on the signal strength of at least one existing connection or at least one previous connection; receiving only such packets by the receiver which are available with the low sensitivity.
US09503840B2
A wireless handset is provided with enhanced features and capabilities. The wireless handset may be embodied as a full-featured handset that is capable of operating either within a wireless network (such as a cellular or PCS network) or in a direct handset-to-handset communication mode that is independent of the wireless network. Alternatively, the wireless handset may be embodied as a special purpose handset, that is capable of simply operating in a direct handset-to-handset communication mode. The wireless handset may additionally include features for supporting and enhancing direct communication between handsets. Such features may include a find feature that permits a user to determine which objects, including other wireless handset users, are located within a predetermined operating range of the wireless handset. A memorize feature may also be provided to permit handsets and other objects exchange information by wireless transmission.
US09503830B2
An ultrasonic transducer includes: a diaphragm pot that has a surrounding wall; a transducer element mounted in a diaphragm pot on a transducer section on an inner side of the diaphragm for generating the ultrasonic vibrations; a first damping element situated in the diaphragm pot on transducer element for damping the diaphragm; and a second damping element situated within the diaphragm pot in an edge section of the diaphragm around the transducer element for damping vibrations of the wall; the second damping element being connected with force locking, at least section by section, both to the edge section and to the inner side of the wall.
US09503823B2
A capacitive microphone may include a housing, a membrane, and a first backplate, wherein a first insulating layer may be disposed on a first side of the first backplate facing the membrane and a second insulating layer may be disposed on a second side of the first backplate opposite to the first side of the first backplate. A further insulating layer may be disposed on a side wall of at least one of a plurality of perforation holes in the first backplate. Each conductive surface of the first backplate may be covered with insulating material.
US09503819B2
A system or method for controlling speaker acoustic output in a multi-speaker audio system having multiple listening zones include substantially simultaneously adjusting gain and at least one additional parameter, such as filtering and/or other signal processing parameters of at least a first speaker relative to at least a second speaker in response to a change in balance and/or fade settings of the audio system across a range of balance and fade settings except for a maximum or minimum setting, and muting at least one speaker in response to the maximum or minimum balance or fade setting.
US09503816B2
A surround signal generating device includes: a surround signal generating unit which subtracts a sound signal obtained by multiplying a first gain by an inputted sound signal of a right channel from an inputted sound signal of a left channel so as to generate a surround signal of the left channel, and which subtracts a sound signal obtained by multiplying a second gain by the inputted sound signal of the left channel from the inputted sound signal of the right channel so as to generate a surround signal of the right channel; and a gain setting unit which sets the first gain and the second gain so that a correlation between the surround signal of the left channel and the surround signal of the right channel which are generated by the surround signal generating unit realizes a correlation between surround signals of an actual content having a surround sound.
US09503815B2
To address issues with present echo gate control, a method and apparatus for more intelligently operating an echo gate is described herein. In particular, the decision of whether to mute an uplink signal, or not, is formulated herein as primarily a perceptual decision based on an appropriate analysis of the perceptual interaction of the current residual echo and the current near-end signal(s). By doing so, the application of muting through an echo gate may be minimized and/or more appropriately engaged. This will lead to fewer dropouts and muting of speech onsets and offsets 1) during periods such as double-talk or 2) during periods of downlink playback in the presence of low near-end signal levels, two cases of particular importance.
US09503814B2
An the acoustic apparatus comprising a first MEMS motor that includes a first diaphragm and a first back plate, and a second MEMS motor that includes a second diaphragm and a second back plate. The first motor is biased with a first electrical polarity and a second motor is biased with a second electrical polarity such that the first electrical polarity and the second electrical polarity are opposite. At the first motor, a first signal is created that is representative of received sound energy. At the second motor, a second signal is created that is representative of the received sound energy. A differential output signal that is the representative of the difference between the first signal and the second signal is obtained. In obtaining the differential output signal, common mode noise between the first motor and the second motor is rejected.
US09503810B2
In order to realize a correction for changes in the reproduction loudness at low frequencies in a downmix-arrangement, a mixing arrangement is proposed for mixing at least two audio signals, which mixing arrangement is provided with a first unit (104) for deriving a first power signal, which is a measure for the power of the first audio signal, a second unit (105) for deriving a second power signal, which is a measure for the power of the second audio signal, a cross-correlation unit (103) for deriving a cross-correlation signal, which is a measure for a cross-correlation between the first and the second audio signal, a unit (106) for deriving multiplication parameters from the first and second power signals and the cross-correlation signal, and a multiplication and combination unit (107) for carrying out a signal processing on the first and second audio signals and combining them. The unit (106) for deriving the multiplication parameters is provided with a combination unit (110) for deriving a combination signal which is a measure for a combination of the first and second power signals and the cross-correlation signal, and is provided with a scaling unit (109) for scaling one of the signals in the unit for deriving the multiplication parameters with a scaling signal. The scaling signal (D[k]) has a frequency characteristic which is a substantially constant below a first frequency value (kL), is increasing between the first frequency value (kL) and a second higher frequency value (kU) and is again substantially constant above the second frequency value. The unit (106) for deriving the multiplication parameters is further adapted to derive a single multiplication parameter m[k]) from the combination signal, and the multiplications and combination unit (107) is adapted to carry out a signal processing on the first and second audio signals which is equivalent to multiplying the first and second audio signals with this single multiplication parameter, and combining the so multiplied first and second audio signals.
US09503809B2
A beam-forming device includes a first target sound blocker 103 and a second target sound blocker 104 that remove a target signal having a correlation mutually from a first sound signal x1 and a second sound signal x2 which are converted by first and second microphones 101 and 102, a phase synchronizer 105 that synchronizes the phases of the first sound signal x1 and the second sound signal x2 and synthesizes these sound signals by using information acquired when the first target sound blocker 103 removes the target signal, and a noise learner 106 that learns a noise component included in an output signal of the phase synchronizer 105 from signals from which the target signal is removed by the first target sound blocker 103 and the second target sound blocker 104.
US09503796B2
In one aspect, a speaker kit includes a first portion of a speaker housing, and an electroacoustic driver that can be secured to the housing first portion. The kit has one or more additional portions of the speaker housing. One of the one or more additional housing portions has at least one electrical component secured thereto. The kit also has one or more mechanisms that can be used to hold the housing portions together such that the housing portions form an acoustic seal that encompasses an acoustic volume. The one or more mechanisms are removable from the housing portions such that the housing portions can be moved away from each other without damage to the housing portions or the one or more mechanisms.
US09503791B2
The disclosure relates systems and methods for analyzing viewing habits on an audiovisual content receiving device such as a set-top box, including both program recording and viewing habits for live programs, and to determine viewer preferences for audiovisual events such as television programs for any given timeslot.
US09503784B2
Methods and apparatus to measure exposure to streaming media are disclosed. An example method includes detecting an ID3 tag associated with streaming media presented at a client device. Data is extracted from a first field of the ID3 tag. The data from the first field of the ID3 tag is processed to generate a first request directed to a first internet domain, the first internet domain based on the data, the first request including a media identifier from a second field of the ID3 tag, the second field of the ID3 tag separate from the first field of the ID3 tag, the media identifier identifying the streaming media. In response to the detection of the ID3 tag, the first request is sent from the client device to the first internet domain.
US09503778B2
A reception device including a reception unit configured to receive AV content, a feature value extraction unit configured to extract a feature value from data of the received AV content, an identification result acquisition unit configured to acquire an identification result of the AV content identified using the extracted feature value, a command acquisition unit configured to acquire a command for controlling an operation of an application program that is executed in linkage with the AV content according to the acquired identification result, a control unit configured to control the operation of the application program according to the acquired command, and a detection unit configured to detect switching of the AV content being viewed. When the switching of the AV content is detected, the control unit closes the application program that has been executed in linkage with the AV content.
US09503777B2
Aspects of a method and system for unified start code emulation prevention bits processing for AVS are provided. A Start code emulation prevention bit string with an arbitrary bit string length, for example 2 bits, may be inserted into AVS encoded data. When decoding, the received AVS encoded data may be parsed to identify the start code emulation prevention bit string and start codes. A bit processor may be signaled with the detection of the start code emulation prevention bit string and/or the start codes. The bit processor may remove the start code emulation prevention bit string in a decoding process and store the detected start codes for applications such as PVR. Constraints may be added to streams such as unbounded PES and/or TS with PUSI bit unset for further bit processing.
US09503771B2
As part of a communication session, a wireless source device can transmit video component data and metadata to a wireless sink device. The wireless source device can intercept the video component data prior to the video component data being rendered by the wireless source device, and the wireless sink device can generate a frame of video data based on the video component data and the metadata.
US09503768B2
A content transmission selection system is disclosed. The content transmission selection system receives requests from viewers for specific video content items. Using characteristics of the designated content item, the content transmission selection system determines whether to transmit the content item over a broadcast network or a broadband network.
US09503756B2
Encoding a video signal including pictures includes generating perceptual representations based on the pictures. Reference pictures are selected and motion vectors are generated based on the perceptual representations and the reference pictures. The motion vectors and pointers for the reference pictures are provided in an encoded video signal. Decoding may include receiving pointers for reference pictures and motion vectors based on perceptual representations of the reference pictures. The decoding of the pictures in the encoded video signal may include selecting reference pictures using the pointers and determining predicted pictures, based on the motion vectors and the selected reference pictures. The decoding may include generating reconstructed pictures from the predicted pictures and the residual pictures.
US09503754B2
Provided are a highly efficient image encoding device which is achieved by quantization of each sub-block in accordance with visual characteristics, and a quantization method that uses the image encoding device. An input image is divided into macro-blocks having a prescribed first size, each of the divided macro-blocks is divided into sub-blocks having a prescribed second size, and each of the sub-blocks is encoded using a same or different quantization parameter for each of the sub-blocks. As a result, by executing quantization for each of the sub-blocks in accordance with the visual characteristics, highly efficient image encoding and image decoding devices can be provided.
US09503750B2
A video codec comprising a processor configured to compute a difference between an original pixel and a prediction pixel to generate a prediction residual, and binarize an absolute value of the prediction residual. A method for video coding comprising computing a difference between an original pixel and a prediction pixel to generate a prediction residual, and binarizing an absolute value of the prediction residual. A video encoder comprising a processor configured to set a number of syntax elements to indicate lossless encoding of some or all coding units (CU) in a video frame, a transmitter configured to transmit a bit stream comprising the syntax elements. A method for video encoding comprising setting a number of syntax elements to indicate lossless encoding of some or all coding units (CU) in a video frame, and transmitting a bit stream comprising the syntax elements.
US09503749B2
The present disclosure relates to deblocking filtering which is applicable to smoothing the block boundaries in an image or video coding and decoding. In particular, the deblocking filtering is either strong or weak, wherein the clipping is performed differently in the strong filtering and the weak filtering.
US09503748B2
The present invention relates to an image processing device and method, which realize improvement in encoding efficiency for color difference signals and reduction in address calculations for memory access. In a case where a block size of orthogonal transform is 4×4, and a macroblock of luminance signals is configured of four 4×4 pixel blocks appended with 0 through 1, the four luminance signal blocks are corresponded with one color difference signal 4×4 block appended with C. At this time, there exist four motion vector information of mv0, mv1, mv2, and mv3, as to the four luminance signal blocks. The motion vector information mvc of the one color difference signal 4×4 block is calculated by averaging processing using these four motion vector information. The present invention can be applied to an image encoding device which performed encoding based on the H.264/AVC format, for example.
US09503747B2
In an embodiment, a processor includes a compression domain threshold filter coupled to a plurality of cores. The compression domain threshold filter is to: receive a sample vector of compressed data to be filtered; calculate, based at least on a first subset of the elements of the sample vector, an estimated upper bound value of a dot product of the sample vector and a steering vector; determine whether the estimated upper bound value of the dot product satisfies a filter threshold value; and in response to a determination that the estimated upper bound value of the dot product does not satisfy the filter threshold value, discard the sample vector without completion of a calculation of the dot product of the sample vector and the steering vector. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09503740B2
Presented herein are systems, methods, and apparatus for encoding video data. In one implementation the method and system classify at least one macroblock of at least one original reference picture and select an encoding technique at least in part based on the classification of the at least one macroblock.
US09503736B2
Provided are a method and apparatus for encoding a video by using block merging and a method and apparatus for decoding a video by using block merging. The method of encoding includes: determining an encoding mode indicating a current data unit for encoding of a picture and an encoding method including prediction encoding performed for the current data unit; determining an occurrence of merging with at least one neighboring data unit based on at least one of the encoding mode and a prediction mode; and determining prediction mode information, merging related information, and prediction related information, and determining encoding information of the data unit including the prediction mode information, the merging related information, and the prediction related information.
US09503728B2
Adopted is a decoder, in which on condition that a prediction block shown by vector information extracted from a data stream, and a decode-target block have an overlap where respective pixels overlay each other, pixel information of an already-decoded portion at a distance of an integer multiple of a vector provided by the vector information from the overlap is made a prediction signal instead of the overlap, and the prediction signal is added to difference image data taken from the data stream to generate reproduction image data. The decoder is adopted for an intra-frame decoder, a local decoder of an encoder, and the like. According to a fundamental rule concerning a repetitive pattern of an image, a pixel at a distance of an integer multiple is a like pixel, and therefore the process of decoding can be performed efficiently.
US09503725B2
A video encoding apparatus, a video decoding apparatus and video decoding method are provided. The video decoding apparatus includes: a decoding unit receiving encoded data and reconstruct an intra prediction mode by decoding a bitstream of the encoded data; a dequantization unit dequantizing the quantized transformed residual block to reconstruct a transformed residual block; an inverse transform unit inversely transforming the transformed residual block to reconstruct a residual block; a prediction unit generating a predicted block by selectively using one of pixels of a neighboring block adjacent to a current block and a reference pixel generated by filtering the pixels of the neighboring block according to the intra prediction mode; and an addition unit adding the reconstructed residual block and the predicted block to reconstruct the current block.
US09503719B2
Systems, apparatus, articles, and methods are described including operations for inter-layer coding unit quadtree pattern prediction.
US09503718B2
Disclosed is an image decoding method including a step of variable-length-decoding coded data multiplexed into a bitstream to acquire compressed data associated with a coding block, a reference image restriction flag indicating whether or not to restrict a significant reference image area which is an area on a reference image which can be used for the motion-compensated prediction, and motion information and a motion-compensated prediction step of carrying out a motion-compensated prediction process on the coding block on the basis of the motion information to generate a prediction image, in which the motion-compensated prediction step includes a step of when the prediction image includes a pixel located outside the significant reference image area, carrying out a predetermined extending process to generate the prediction image on the basis of the reference image restriction flag by using the motion information.
US09503715B2
A method of encoding video data includes determining that a current block of video data is to be encoded using an intra block copy (BC) mode and constrained intra prediction, determining one or more reference blocks that may be used for encoding the current block using the intra BC mode, wherein each of the one or more reference blocks is encoded with an intra prediction mode, and encoding the current block of video data using the intra BC mode and at least one of the determined one or more reference blocks.
US09503714B2
Various arrangements for monitoring the signal strength of a programming stream are presented. A tuner in a receiver may be allocated to monitor disruptions and changes to the signal strength of programming streams. Based on the characteristics of the signal strength and changes to additional data such as weather information, a cause of the disruption may be determined. The cause of the disruption may be communicated to a user. Characteristics of the disruption may be unique or localized to specific geographic locations. Based at least in part on the geographic location of a receiver characteristics of disruptions may be used to identify television receivers associated with account packing.
US09503713B2
Stereo gaze tracking estimates a 3-D gaze point by projecting determined right and left eye gaze points on left and right stereo images. The determined right and left eye gaze points are based on one or more tracked eye gaze points, estimates for non-tracked eye gaze points based upon the tracked gaze points and image matching in the left and right stereo images, and confidence scores indicative of the reliability of the tracked gaze points and/or the image matching.
US09503700B2
A phosphor wheel includes a rotating disk and a wavelength converting layer. The rotating disk has a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface, in which the first surface forms a coating region and a non-coating region. The wavelength converting layer is formed on the coating region of the first surface for converting a light wavelength of a light beam. In addition, an embodiment of the invention discloses a projection device having the phosphor wheel. When the rotating disk of the phosphor wheel rotates, the recess portion may disturb the air around the phosphor wheel such that the temperature of the wavelength converting layer may be effectively decreased. Simultaneously, the rotating disk has a stable dynamic balance and the rotating disk has a larger heat dissipating region because the recess portion is disposed on the rotating disk.
US09503691B2
Methods and apparatus for enhanced advertising selection and delivery in a communications network. In one embodiment, the network comprises a cable television network, and the methods and apparatus enable a viewer to individually select and view advertisements during real-time broadcast program settings, as well as during “trick mode” operation in recorded program settings. Guess-work associated with skipping commercials via manual fast-forwarding through recorded content is eliminated, and a viewer is presented with several options regarding which advertisements to view and when to view them. In one variant, decoupling of advertising or promotions from a previously recorded program is provided, thus affording the network operator flexibility to insert various advertising content options, or selectively replace dated or expired advertisements, or those having less correlation to a current program content stream. In another variant, advertising or commercial skipping is substantially frustrated by presenting a viewer with several viewing options.
US09503688B1
A computer-implemented technique can include receiving, at a server from an inviter computing device associated with an inviter user, a request to have a communication session with a plurality of invitee users at a scheduled time. The technique can include determining a time zone of each invitee user, and determining that a specific time zone of a specific invitee user differs by more than a predetermined amount from the time zone of the inviter user. The technique can include providing a time-shifted invitation to a specific invitee computing device associated with the specific invitee user, the time-shifted invitation being for a delayed time that is appropriate for the specific invitee user. The technique can also include receiving an audio/video communication stream corresponding to the communication session beginning at the scheduled time, and providing the audio/video communication stream to the specific invitee computing device at the delayed time.
US09503687B2
A system to determine viewer attention to presented content. Markers are applied to a presentation. Head orientation information is received from a body mounted camera worn by a viewer and is used to determine a sequence of head orientations of the viewer. The sequence of head orientations is associated with an identifier of the viewer and a corresponding sequence of first time stamps. A sequence of images is captured by the body mounted camera worn by the viewer. The sequence of images is associated with an identifier of the viewer and the body mounted camera and a corresponding sequence of second time stamps. Respective members of the sequences of images and head orientations are associated, and the presentation content is identified by evaluating information from visible markers in the captured sequence of images. Viewer attention to different elements can then be determined.
US09503681B1
A method and system for remote collaboration and remote instruction utilizing computing devices at trainee site and mentor sites are disclosed. Annotations are superimposed onto a trainee's view of a view field displayed using a simulated transparent display with augmented reality (“AR”). By tracking the position of the trainee's view point, the position of the trainee's computing device, and the geometry of the view field, the annotations remain anchored to the image of the view field when the trainee device moves and/or when the view field deforms or becomes occluded.
US09503673B2
A micromechanical component includes: at least one micromirror; and an integrated photodiode. The micromechanical component is part of a microprojector which further includes a light source. The integrated photodiode of the micromechanical component receives light from the light source.
US09503668B2
A display device includes a display cover screen, a two-dimensional matrix of photo-detecting elements constructed on a first substrate that is visually transparent, and a matrix of pixel elements constructed on a second substrate. The first substrate is sandwiched between the display cover screen and the second substrate.
US09503666B2
An image sensor includes readout circuits coupled to read out integrated light signals from pixels via bitlines respectively. Each readout circuit includes a correlated double sampling (CDS) circuit, followed by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC). At least two pixels of a row share a bitline and an associated readout circuit. The ADC operates concurrently with the CDS circuit, such that their operating periods are substantially overlapped with each other.
US09503661B2
An imaging apparatus includes a high-frequency pattern detector calculating a difference or a ratio between a value obtained by integrating averages of pixel outputs of a first pixel group arranged in identical positions in a vertical direction with respect to a focus detection pixel or in identical positions in a vertical direction with respect to another focus detection pixel located around the focus detection pixel and a value obtained by integrating averages of pixel outputs of a second pixel group arranged in positions shifted from the first pixel group in the horizontal or vertical direction, and sets a high-frequency degree in accordance with a magnitude of the difference or the ratio. An application determination unit increases the mixing rate of the focus detection pixel when the high-frequency pattern degree is high.
US09503657B2
There is provided a camera apparatus, including a first output section which outputs first image signals for displaying a first image corresponding to an image by captured image signals, and a second output section which outputs second image signals for displaying a second image having information which becomes effective when imaging.
US09503656B2
A solid state imaging device includes: solid state imaging elements having a first electrode, a ferroelectric layer, and a transparent second electrode laminated together, and a PN junction between the ferroelectric layer and the first or second electrode; a controller acquiring brightness information of an imaging target, and determining whether each solid state imaging element is set to operate in a high or low sensitivity mode based on the brightness information; and a circuit applying a voltage to the solid state imaging element based on the determination, and setting the solid state imaging element to operate in the high or low sensitivity mode, in which a photovoltaic current from the solid state imaging element which is set to operate in the high or low sensitivity mode is detected, and an image is acquired based on the detection result.
US09503655B2
A photoelectric conversion apparatus includes a first unit pixel including a first transfer transistor configured to transfer electric charges from a photoelectric conversion unit to an impurity diffusion region and a second unit pixel including a second transfer transistor configured to transfer electric charges from a photoelectric conversion unit to an impurity diffusion region, and a potential at a channel of the first transfer transistor when the first transfer transistor is on-state is higher than a potential at a channel of the second transfer transistor when the second transfer transistor is on-state.
US09503652B2
An image generation method includes: determining at least one first image capture setting and at least one second image capture setting; controlling an image capture device to generate a plurality of first successive captured images for a capture trigger event according to the at least one first image capture setting and generate a plurality of second successive captured images for the same capture trigger event according to the at least one second image capture setting. Variation of the at least one first image capture setting is constrained within a first predetermined range during generation of the first successive captured images. Difference between the at least one first image capture setting and the at least one second image capture setting is beyond the first predetermined range. Variation of the at least one second image capture setting is constrained within a second predetermined range during generation of the second successive captured images.
US09503647B2
An image stabilizer includes a first optical corrector moving along a direction different from an optical axis to correct an image shake, a second optical corrector moving along a direction different from the optical axis to correct an image shake, a controller moving at least one of the first and second optical correctors to correct an image shake, and a first position detector detecting information about a movement position of the first optical corrector. The controller performs image shake correction of the first optical corrector without image shake correction of the second optical corrector when the information about the movement position of the first optical corrector is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and performs image shake correction of the second optical corrector when the information about the movement position of the first optical corrector is more than the predetermined value.
US09503645B2
A preview system of an image capture apparatus has a processing circuit and a display apparatus. The processing circuit reads an input image, scales at least a portion of the input image to generate a first preview image, and derives a second preview image from a selected portion of the input image. The display apparatus displays the first preview image and the second preview image, concurrently. Besides, a preview method for an image capture apparatus includes at least the following steps: reading an input image; scaling at least a portion of the input image to generate a first preview image; deriving a second preview image from a selected portion of the input image; and displaying the first preview image and the second preview image on a display apparatus, concurrently.
US09503634B2
Augmented reality can be used to display previously captured images on a viewfinder of a camera as the camera's active position nears a position from which the picture was originally taken. A histogram file may associate the original image with positional information of the camera when the image was captured. When the cameras active position nears those coordinates, a transparent version of the digital image is displayed on the viewfinder of the camera. The positional information may include a spatial location of the camera (e.g., GPS coordinates, etc.) as well as an orientation of the camera (e.g., yaw, pitch, roll, etc.). Augmented reality can be used to guide the user to configure/re-configure the camera in order to correct (or avoid) an image quality issue/defect when re-taking a picture.
US09503622B2
A CMOS imager assembly may include an integrated circuit (IC) having an active-pixel image sensor that is mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) substrate using flip chip packaging technology. The IC and the PCB may be physically and electrically connected to each other through multiple electrically conductive connectors. An underfill material (which may include an anti-reflective material) may, during assembly, be introduced around the connectors in the space between the IC and the PCB. A chemical or physical discontinuity on the integrated circuit may, during assembly, prevent the underfill material from entering an area framed by the discontinuity, which may include the pixel array of the image sensor. The discontinuity may include a dam-like structure built up on the IC, a trench-like structure created on the IC, or a low surface tension material that has been applied to the surface of the IC.
US09503617B2
The disclosure is directed to an electronic device having an internal light source that emits light along a path through the housing. The housing has at least one flexible portion which, when subjected to external pressure flexes, thereby altering the path of the light. A processor receives a signal (from a light sensor receiver) indicating a change in the light and reacts by initiating a function of the device. The particular function that the processor initiates may depend on the mode that the device is currently in. For example, if the device is not currently in a camera mode, then the processor may launch a camera function. If the device is in a camera mode, then the processor may control the zoom of an imager. If the device is in a camera mode and is also motionless, then the processor may cause the imager to capture an image.
US09503612B1
Mitigating glare in connection with photographing a document using a camera includes assessing a first amount of glare that would result if a user were to take a snapshot at a first camera position and lighting conditions, if the first amount of glare is below a predetermined threshold, taking a snapshot with the camera, and, if the first amount of glare is above the predetermined threshold, continuously prompting the user to adjust a position of the camera and taking the snapshot when the camera is in a second position and a second amount of glare, different from the first amount of glare, is below the predetermined threshold. The lighting conditions may include effects of external lighting sources. The user may adjust the external lighting sources before taking the snapshot. The lighting conditions may include effects of an internal light source of the camera.
US09503611B2
An aspect of the invention provides an image forming apparatus storing first, second, and third dither pattern groups. The first group contains a plurality of line screens, each associated with one of gray levels in a first range, varying such that as the gray level increases, the line width increases. The second group contains a plurality of void-dot screens, each associated with one of gray levels higher than those in the first range, varying such that as the gray level increases, dots increase to reduce void portions surrounded by the dots. The third group contains, for switching from the line screen to the void-dot screen, a plurality of dither patterns varying such that as the gray level increases from a reference gray level, adjacent lines are connected at joint portions tapered toward tip ends in a manner that a position that gradually advances from the tip ends to basal ends.
US09503599B2
A system and method are provided including one or more processors and one or more computer-readable media coupled to the one or more processors. The one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operation including performing, at an image processing device, a login process wherein access to one or more resources on the image processing device is granted based on a credential associated with a user and receiving a request to perform a scan and send process is received at the image processing device, the request comprising instructions for scanning a physical document and sending an electronic document representing the scanned physical document to a destination system. The scan process is initiated and a data object including data representing job data and the credential associated with the use is generated. The send process using the generated data object is executed as a background process on the image processing device and a subsequent user is able to access the image processing device and use at least one resource of the image processing device simultaneously.
US09503595B2
An image forming apparatus includes an image forming unit configured to form an image on a sheet, a wireless board for a wireless communication, a discharge tray having a placement surface on which the sheet having an image formed thereon is placed, and a wall part provided at one end-side of the discharge tray in a width direction and having a wall surface standing upwardly beyond the placement surface, wherein at least a part of the wireless board is positioned in the wall part.
US09503589B1
A printing system according to an embodiment includes a server connected with at least one user device and a plurality of image forming apparatuses. A storage unit stores use history in which identification information of a user is associated with at least one of the plurality of image forming apparatuses used by the user. A control unit receives the print job from the at least one user device and identification information of a user associated with the print job. The use history corresponding to the user is retrieved based on the identification information. One of the plurality of image forming apparatuses for printing the print job is selected based on the retrieved use history. Print data corresponding to the print job is sent to the selected image forming apparatus before a job start operation input is received in the selected image forming apparatus.
US09503588B2
An image device connected to an external device via a first communication interface and a second communication interface different from the first communication interface, the image device including an image capturing unit that captures an image in response to a shooting instruction, a sharing unit that shares a communication parameter used for connecting the image device to the external device via the first communication interface with the external device via the second communication interface with the external device, a connection unit that connects the image device to the external device via the first communication interface using the communication parameter shared using the sharing unit, and a control unit that controls the sharing unit to start a process for sharing the communication parameter with the external device using the second communication interface according to the shooting instruction.
US09503584B2
Data signals (e.g DTMF tones) transmitted on a telephone call between a customer terminal (1) and a call center platform (4) are diverted at the call center platform 4 to a secure payment system (3) such that the call center operative cannot intercept them. In order to verify that this has been done, the security system provides access to the user over a connection (23,230) independant of the connection (34,41) to the call center that allows the user to independently verify that the secure connection 34 has been made. This may take the form of returning the user's calling line identity (CLI) for the connection (34) over the independant connection (23/230) or, where CLI is not available, transmitting a one-time code over one of the links for the user to return over the other. The customer can continue to talk to the call center operative as only DTMF tones are diverted. The call center operative can confirm that the customer's details have been entered and verified by the security system (but is not told what the verification details are) over a separate link (43) between the call center platform (4) and security system (3).
US09503570B2
The present disclosure includes descriptions of various aspects of unified communication (UC) systems, including UC management and analysis systems and related tools and techniques. Described systems, tools, and techniques are adapted for enhanced UC data capture, analysis, and reporting; enhanced UC monitoring services; and a user survey service that can be used for conducting user surveys related to UC services. Embodiments disclosed herein include computer systems and methods that can be used for analyzing service level objectives for call quality, classifying calls into distinct categories, and real-time user notification of call quality and reliability issues.
US09503566B2
A method for protecting moderator access using a communication device. The method includes: displaying an interface for editing a conference call profile, the conference call profile including conference call scheduling information including one or more addressees for communicating with a conference call server, wherein the conference call scheduling information further includes a moderator access code and a participant access code; generating an indicator for the conference call profile for excluding sending of the moderator access code to invited participants; and storing the conference call profile including the indicator in a memory of the communication device. A communication device can be configured to perform the method.
US09503557B2
A mobile terminal and controlling method thereof are disclosed, by which a meaningful information can be extracted during a call. The present invention includes a display unit, a wireless communication unit configured to perform a call, a microphone configured to receive a user voice during the call, an audio output unit configured to output a counterpart voice received through the wireless communication unit during the call, and a controller configured to convert at least one of the user voice or the counterpart voice to a text, extract specific information from the converted text, and, if the call ends, control the extracted specific information to be displayed through the display unit.
US09503545B2
A computer host is configured to perform a method for defining user attributes with associated verification values for social networking accounts. The attributes concern the user's personal characteristics or attributes. The host publishes the attribute information to other clients together with interactive objects for soliciting corroboration of the attribute information. The host receives feedback information from other account holders, such as survey response data, concerning the veracity of the attribute information. The host processes the evaluation information and the feedback information to provide a veracity score of each attribute reported for each account holder, or for collections of attributes, by weighing the evaluation information and feedback information by a computed reliability factor for each source from which processed information is obtained.
US09503544B2
A system with distributed proxy for reducing traffic to satisfy data requests made in a wireless network is provided. The system includes a mobile device having a local proxy for intercepting a data request made via the mobile device and a proxy server coupled to the mobile device and a content server to which the data request is directed. The proxy server is able to communicate with the local proxy and the local proxy forwards the data request to the proxy server for transmission to the content server for a response to the data request. The proxy server sends the data request to the content server independent of activities on the local proxy and notifies the local proxy when different content on the content server is detected for the data request
US09503538B2
A method and system for providing a virtual platform for sharing information is disclosed. The method for providing virtual platform comprises deploying a hotspot system at a hotspot access point, identifying one or more users at the hotspot access point, determining identification information associated with a user device, establishing a connection between the user device and the hotspot system and providing a virtual platform for sharing information on successful identification of the user device. The hotspot tracks the user activities, identifies user specific attributes based on the user activities, generates one or more communities for the user based on the user specific attributes, sends notifications to the one or more users of similar attributes to join the community and creates a virtual platform for providing interactive information sharing.
US09503534B2
A system includes a server device and a plurality of user terminals. Each of the user terminals transmits a provisional user identifier, a group identifier, and activity information representing an activity of a user to the server device. For each of the received activity information, the server device selects distribution information based on the activity information, and also generates combination information including the distribution information and the provisional user identifier received with the activity information. The server device transmits a distribution information list including the combination information generated based on the activity information received with the group identifier, to each of the user terminals associated with the group identifier. Each of the user terminals acquires the distribution information included in the combination information including the provisional user identifier in the received distribution information list.
US09503529B2
Method to transport HTPP over XMPP, including: forming a first two-level URI template to identify web resources accessible by use of HTTP in an XMPP network, wherein a first level is XMPP-formatted and a second level is HTTP-formatted; binding HTTP to XMPP
US09503528B2
Embodiments of the method and apparatus utilizes a conventional provisioning interface to the IMS HSS and the Sh interface from the HSS to a generic application to provision service data on the application at the other end of the Sh interface. One embodiment may have the steps of: interfacing a provisioning system with an HSS with a Sh interface; and using the Sh interface as a provisioning interface.
US09503521B2
The invention relates to a method for the reliable switching of synchronization messages in a distributed computer system consisting of a number of node computers, wherein the management of a transparent clock conforming to IEEE Standard 1588 is supported, wherein a switching unit consists of four separate FCUs, specifically an input system EIN, two independent switching systems VER1 and VER2, and an output system AUS, and wherein a message arriving at EIN from a transmitting node computer is forwarded immediately in unmodified form from EIN directly to the two independent switching systems VER1 and VER2, and wherein VER1 provides the event of the arrival of the message with a timestamp, analyses the message and switches said message to (an) output port(s) associated with an address field of the message, and wherein VER1 opens the message and modifies a TIC field within the message in order to determine the delay period of the message in VER1, and wherein VER1 closes the message again by re-calculating a CRC field of the modified message and forwarding the closed message to AUS, and wherein VER2 provides the event of the arrival of the message with a timestamp, analyses the message and switches said message to the output port(s) associated with the address field of the message, and wherein VER2 opens the message and modifies the TIC field within the message in order to determine the delay period of the message in VER2, and wherein VER2 closes the message again by re-calculating the CRC field of the modified message and forwarding the closed message to AUS, and wherein AUS checks whether the content of the message delivered from VER1 matches the content of the message delivered from VER2, and wherein AUS checks whether the interval between the moment of receipt of the message delivered from VER1 and the moment of receipt of the message delivered from VER2 is smaller than a first interval determined a priori, referred to hereinafter as the interval_1, and whether the absolute value of the difference of the delay values stored in the two TIC fields is smaller than a second interval known a priori, referred to hereinafter as the interval_2, and wherein, in the case that one of these checks is negative, AUS interrupts the transmission of the message that is outbound via the addressed output ports or changes the outbound message in such a way that each message receiver identifies the incoming message as faulty.
US09503518B2
A method and an apparatus for buffering and obtaining resources as well as a resource buffering system are disclosed. The method includes: obtaining an access popularity value of a resource from a database at intervals of a first preset time, and obtaining load values of cache servers from the database if determining that the access popularity value reaches a preset first threshold; and determining a duplication cache server for duplicating the resource according to the access popularity value and the load values, and notifying the duplication cache server to duplicate the resource from a cache server that stores the resource and buffer the resource. The method overcome the problems in the prior, namely, the same resource is buffered in only one cache server and the relatively idle cache servers are unable to share loads with busy cache servers. The method improves extensibility and working efficiency of the buffering system.
US09503514B2
In a distributed computing environment that includes hosts which each execute a VMM, with each VMM supporting execution of one or more VMs, administering a the VMs may include: assigning, by a VMM manager, the VMMs of the distributed computing environment to a logical tree topology, including assigning one of the VMMs as a root VMM of the tree topology; and executing, amongst the VMMs of the tree topology, an allgather operation, including: sending, by the root VMM, to other VMMs in the tree topology, a request to retrieve VMs supported by the other VMMs; pausing, by each of the other VMMs, a VM supported by the VMM; providing, by each of the other VMMs as a response to the root VMM's request, the paused VM; and broadcasting, by the root VM to the other VMMs as a set of VMs, the received VMs.
US09503509B1
Techniques for substituting references to content shared within the social networking system. In an embodiment, a first reference to a first version of content is received. A second version of the content is selected based on at least one optimization objective. A second reference to the second version of the content is created for provision to a user of a social networking system. The second reference is provided for the user. The at least one optimization objective includes at least one of a business objective, a technical objective, and a legal objective. The content may include at least one of video and audio.
US09503505B2
Embodiments enable the evaluation of injected queries within a monad. One or more operators with closures are received from a first process. The operators with closures represent one or more functions to be applied by a second process. The second process evaluates the received operators with closures to apply the functions within the monad. During evaluation, the second process converts the closures to simply typed closures. Further, the second process binds the converted closures within the monad to restrict execution of the functions. In some embodiments, the queries (e.g., sequences of one or more operators with closures) are composed using a set of query operators from the language integrated query (LINQ) framework encoded in uniform resource locators (URLs) in the representational state transfer (REST) style.
US09503496B2
A system and method for reconciling media content available through a number of service providers. A request is received to identify media content. One or more characteristics of the media content are determined. A determination is made whether the media content is associated with an identifier in response to the one or more characteristics. An identifier is associated with the media content in response to determining there is not an existing identifier associated with the media content. The media content is cross referenced between the number of service providers utilizing the identifier and time zones. A database is updated to include the identifier and the one or more characteristics associated with the media content.
US09503489B2
A method, system and computer program product for servicing media content. In one embodiment, the media content is processed by having each of a group of services process increments of the media content, one increment at a time; and the order in which the services process these increments is orchestrated to process all of the media content in accordance with a defined procedure. In one embodiment, the increments of the media content are passed, one increment after another, to at least a plurality of the services in a defined order. In an embodiment, each time one of the plurality of services passes one of the increments of the media content to a subsequent one of the services in the defined order, the one of the plurality of services requests another increment of the media content from a preceding one of the services in the defined order.
US09503483B2
According to the present invention there is provided a method of facilitating a communication session between a user terminal and an Application Function over an IP Connectivity Access Network in which a mobile IP-based mobility protocol is used. The method comprises, if it is determined that the Quality of Service rules for the communication session cannot be installed or enforced due to a limitation on the resources available in the Access Network, reporting this to the Application Function together with information on the available resources.
US09503481B2
Implementations of the present disclosure involve a system and/or method of performing security asset management. The system and/or method may schedule vulnerability scanners to scan the various portions of one or more networks and obtain the results of the vulnerability scans. IP addresses may be assigned to each of vulnerability scanners to scan. The system obtains the results of the vulnerability scans and may adjust the results of the scans according to configuration of the one or more networks that an IP address is associated with. The system and/or method may also assign and reassign IP addresses amongst the scanners to optimize scanning speed.
US09503478B2
A method includes generating at least one access vector associated with a specified device in an industrial process control and automation system. The specified device has one of multiple device roles. The at least one access vector is generated based on one or more communication policies defining communications between one or more pairs of devices roles in the industrial process control and automation system, where each pair of device roles includes the device role of the specified device. The method also includes providing the at least one access vector to at least one of the specified device and one or more other devices in the industrial process control and automation system in order to control communications to or from the specified device.
US09503475B2
A computer system includes a security coordinator configured to be communicatively coupled to a plurality of managed machines deployed in a same computing environment and managed by an environment manager. The security coordinator is configured to detect a security condition with respect to a first one of the managed machines, and to automatically initiate modification of a second one of the managed machines in the same computing environment responsive to detection of the security condition. The security coordinator is configured to initiate the modification of the second one of the managed machines prior to occurrence of a security condition therein and prior to action by the environment manager with respect to the second one of the managed machines in response to the detected security condition.
US09503472B2
A computer implemented method of profiling cyber threats detected in a target environment, comprising: receiving, from a Security Information and Event Manager (SIEM) monitoring the target environment, alerts triggered by a detected potential cyber threat, and, for each alert: retrieving captured packet data related to the alert; extracting data pertaining to a set of attributes from captured packet data triggering the alert; applying fuzzy logic to data pertaining to one or more of the attributes to determine values for one or more output variables indicative of a level of an aspect of risk attributable to the cyber threat.
US09503470B2
An architecture is provided for a widely distributed security system (SDI-SCAM) that protects computers at individual client locations, but which constantly pools and analyzes information gathered from machines across a network in order to quickly detect patterns consistent with intrusion or attack, singular or coordinated. When a novel method of attack has been detected, the system distributes warnings and potential countermeasures to each individual machine on the network. Such a warning may potentially include a probability distribution of the likelihood of an intrusion or attack as well as the relative probabilistic likelihood that such potential intrusion possesses certain characteristics or typologies or even strategic objectives in order to best recommend and/or distribute to each machine the most befitting countermeasure(s) given all presently known particular data and associated predicted probabilistic information regarding the prospective intrusion or attack. If any systems are adversely affected, methods for repairing the damage are shared and redistributed throughout the network.
US09503469B2
Anomaly detection is disclosed, including: determining a set of anomalous events associated with an enterprise network; and determining a path of interest based at least in part on at least a subset of the set of anomalous events.
US09503468B1
Methods, apparatus and articles of manufacture for detecting suspicious web traffic are provided herein. A method includes generating a database comprising information corresponding to each of multiple connections between one or more destinations external to an enterprise network and one or more hosts within the enterprise network, wherein said multiple connections occur over a given period of time; processing multiple additional connections between one or more destinations external to the enterprise network and one or more hosts within the enterprise network with one or more filtering operations to produce one or more filtered connections, wherein said multiple additional connections occur subsequent to said given period of time; and analyzing said filtered connections against the database to identify a connection to a destination external to the enterprise network that is not included in the information in the database.
US09503466B2
In one embodiment, a first network device receives a notification that the first network device has been selected to validate a machine learning model for a second network device. The first network device receives model parameters for the machine learning model that were generated by the second network device using training data on the second network device. The model parameters are used with local data on the first network device to determine performance metrics for the model parameters. The performance metrics are then provided to the second network device.
US09503463B2
A method for a wireless network. The network includes at least a server and a plurality of computer devices wirelessly connected to the server. At least one of the computer devices is under attack by an ‘attacker’ device. The method provides for detection and reporting of the attack as to the location of the attack. The method includes detecting an attack by one of the computer devices, using a zCore module and transmitting an ‘attack report’ to the server. The report includes at least the attack location. The method also includes notifying at least one of the plurality of computer devices and an external computer device that the network is compromised.
US09503451B1
Techniques for maintaining potentially compromised authentication information for a plurality of accounts may be provided. An individual piece of authentication information may be associated with one or more tags that indicate access rights with respect to requestors that also provide and maintain other potentially compromised authentication information. A subset of the potentially compromised authentication information may be determined based on the one or more tags in response to a request from a requestor for the potentially compromised authentication information. In an embodiment, the subset of the potentially compromised authentication information may be provided to the requestor.
US09503437B2
The disclosure provides a client device for hearing device communication and related method. The client device comprises a processing unit, a memory unit, and an interface. The processing unit is configured to send a session request for a session to the hearing device via the interface. The processing unit is configured to receive a session response from the hearing device via the interface. The processing unit is configured to obtain a session key based on e.g. the session response. The processing unit is configured to determine hearing device data and/or to generate session data e.g. based on the session key and the hearing device data. The processing unit is configured to send the session data to the hearing device via the interface.
US09503436B1
One embodiment is a system, comprising a first NAS device, a second NAS device. The first and second NAS devices may be configured to be paired with one another to enable an ongoing secure exchange of content (e.g., files, pictures, movies, audio recordings) and NAS settings (e.g., RAID settings, backup schedules, etc.) between the first and second NAS devices across a network. According to one embodiment, through this ongoing secure exchange of content and NAS settings, the second NAS device may become and may be thereafter maintained as a mirror of the first NAS device, such that the second NAS device may be maintained as a drop-in physical and functional replacement for the first NAS device in the event of a failure of the first NAS device.
US09503428B2
Secure device and proxy operation include generating, using a processor, a first proxy and a first proxy companion paired with the first proxy and providing the first proxy to a host data processing system for installation therein. The first proxy in the host data processing system and the first proxy companion communicate. A proxy change event for the host data processing system is detected. Responsive to the detecting, a second proxy and a second proxy companion paired with the second proxy are generated. The second proxy is provided to the host data processing system for installation therein.
US09503424B2
Dynamic resolution of Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) address objects in policy definitions is provided. In some embodiments, dynamic resolution of Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) address objects in policy definitions includes receiving a network policy that includes a domain name (e.g., the network policy can include a network security rule that is based on the domain name); and periodically updating Internet Protocol (IP) address information associated with the domain name by performing a Domain Name Server (DNS) query. In some embodiments, dynamic resolution of Fully Qualified Domain Name (FQDN) address objects in policy definitions includes dynamically performing a first local Domain Name Server (DNS) lookup for a first VSYS using a first DNS server on a first domain name for implementing a network policy based on the first domain name; dynamically performing a second local DNS lookup for a second VSYS using a second DNS server on the first domain name for implementing the network policy based on the first domain name; in which the network policy includes a network security rule that is based on the first domain name, and the network policy includes a network security rule that is based on the second domain name.
US09503415B2
Notifications are managed in a unified notification platform that receives messages from disparate services, formats, and protocols, and with disparate attributes and meta-attributes. The unified notification platform provides for user defined meta-attributes to allow rapid classification of incoming messages accordingly to user relationships to message senders, including family, friends and co-workers. Incoming messages are received by a message queue component, serialized and prioritized according to a rules engine. Various user interfaces provide views and reports on the serialized messages. In particular a non-modal notification pop-up is disclosed. The unified notification platform exposes an application programming interface provides automatable and remotable programmatic access for application developers.
US09503413B2
A method of making it easier for users to interact with each other via a social networking system is disclosed. It is detected that a first user of a social networking system performed an action with respect to a second user of the social networking system. It is interpreted that the action of the first user corresponds to a command that the first user intends to issue to a social networking system, the command pertaining to the second user. The command is processed by the social networking system on behalf of the first user.
US09503407B2
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for handling a communication, for example to provide a forwarding service. According to one embodiment, handling a communication can comprise receiving and storing one or more forwarding instructions, intercepting a message from a first user to a second user at a first address, applying one or more stored forwarding instructions to the message to determine at least one second address, and forwarding the message to the second user at the second address. In some cases, the at least one second address can comprise a plurality of addresses. Additionally or alternatively, the first address can be on a first communication channel and the second address can be on a second communication channel. The message can comprise a voice call, an email, a Short Message Service (SMS) message, a Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) message, an Instant Message (IM), or another type of message.
US09503391B2
A method implemented for network function placement is disclosed. The method optimizes network function placement for each traffic flow, to minimize the overall inter-pod traffic volume. For each traffic flow going through a data center, the method initiates a pod list. The network functions of the traffic flow is sorted in a descending order by resource demanded. Then one network function is selected one at a time according to the descending order. For each network function, the pods in the pod list is sorted in an ascending order by resource available in each pod. The method selects a first pod for the network function when possible. When no pod in the pod list has enough resource for the network function, the method adds a pod with the most available resource from a pod pool to the pod list, and selects the added pod for the network function.
US09503389B2
Systems and methods for monitoring the performance associated with fulfilling resource requests and determining optimizations for improving such performance are provided. A processing device obtains and processes performance information associated with processing a request corresponding to two or more embedded resources. The processing device uses the processed performance information to determine a consolidation configuration to be associated with a subsequent request for the content associated with the two or more embedded resources. In some embodiments, in making such a determination, the processing device assesses performance information collected and associated with subsequent requests corresponding to the content associated with the two or more embedded resources and using each of a variety of alternative consolidation configurations. Aspects of systems and methods for generating recommendations to use a particular consolidation configuration to process a subsequent request corresponding to the content associated with the two or more embedded resources are also provided.
US09503388B2
Systems and methods are provided that allow network resources to be shared across geographical distances. This can be achieved by changing the resources available for establishing and handling call or data session processing in an area. A mobility management device can alone or in combination with a DNS server change the size or the resource pool available in some embodiments. The change in resources can be dynamic according to certain predefined conditions or can be setup beforehand to account for daily demand. This sharing of resources can allow more efficient usage of resources available across a geographic region, rather than needed to over-provision each region to account for peak demands.
US09503382B2
A method of performing congestion management in a network is provided. The method includes monitoring a congestion status at a switch in the network. It is determined at the switch that the congestion status indicates that there is congestion at the switch. Based on the congestion being related to data received at the switch from a source at a first rate, a first message is transmitted from the switch to the source requesting the source to send the data at a second rate that is slower than the first rate. Based on the congestion being related to data requests received at the switch from a destination at third rate, a second message is transmitted from the switch to the destination requesting the destination to request the data at a fourth rate slower than the third rate.
US09503370B2
System, method, and computer program product to perform an operation, the operation comprising capturing, at one or more peering routers, parameters for a plurality of data packets sent by a client device and specifying a destination network address, identifying which peering router captured the parameters for each of the plurality of data packets, determining, based on the identified peering routers, a first peering router nearest to the client, relative to the other peering routers, identifying a first content cache, of a plurality of content caches in a content distribution network, nearest to the first peering router, and fulfilling a content request from the client device using content stored on the first content cache.
US09503366B2
Systems and methods for providing service virtualization endpoint (SVE) redundancy in a two-node, active-standby form. An active-standby pair of SVEs register with a cloud-centric-network control point (CCN-CP) as a single service node (SN) using a virtual IP address for both a control-plane and a data-plane. At any given time, only the active SVE is a host for the control-plane and the data-plane. When a failover happens, the hosting operation is taken over by the standby SVE, therefore the failover will be transparent to CCN-CP and the SN.
US09503363B2
A method is provided in one example embodiment and includes receiving a request to create a path through a network, wherein the path originates on a first network device and terminates on the second network device; identifying a first controller associated with the first network device, wherein the first controller proxies control plane functions for the first network device; identifying a second controller associated with the second network device, wherein the second controller proxies control plane functions for the second network device; and computing the path using the first controller as a source and the second controller as a destination. The first controller installs the computed path on the first network device and the second controller installs the computed path on the second network device.
US09503362B2
An example method is provided for a first device to perform reverse path maximum transmission unit (PMTU) discovery in a communications network. The method may comprise receiving multiple fragments of a packet sent by a second device via a path from the second device to the first device in the communications network. Based on the received fragments, a reverse PMTU that represents an estimate of a PMTU of the path from the second device to the first device may be determined. The method may further comprise configuring a message that includes data relating to the reverse PMTU and sending, to the second device, the message to inform the second device to size packets for transmission from the second device to the first device based on the data relating to the reverse PMTU.
US09503354B2
A method of configuring a virtual network comprises: running a user-interactive business requirements wizard from a server, the wizard collecting business requirements from a user; translating the business requirements into technical requirements for a network configuration using the server; selecting a network configuration from a network configuration database using the server, the selecting utilizing the technical requirements; testing the network configuration using a processor; monitoring the testing and generating new facts regarding performance of the network configuration, using the processor; feeding back the new facts to the server for use by the server in the selecting; and repeating the selecting, testing, monitoring and generating, and feeding back, until the server determines a criterion for network stability has been reached. The method may include automatically discovering local network characteristics using a networking device, prior to the selecting, sending the characteristics to the server for use by the server in the selecting.
US09503328B2
A method of discovering a device in a communication network having multiple interconnected nodes includes continuously monitoring, by a device to be discovered, any IP packets sent by a discoverer. The method further includes transmitting, by the discoverer, an IP packet destined for a downstream device and receiving, by the device to be discovered, the IP packet. The method further includes determining, by the device to be discovered, whether the IP packet is intended for the device to be discovered. If the IP packet is not intended for the device to be discovered, retransmitting, by the device to be discovered, the IP packet to the downstream device via an egress port of the device to be discovered.
US09503322B2
Systems and methods for replacing a stack unit in a stack system include determining that a first and a second port that are located on opposite ends of the stack system are inactive when operating in a stack port mode after being connected to respective ports on a new stack unit that are operating in a Ethernet port mode. In response, the first and second port are converted from the stack port mode to the Ethernet port mode. A stack port probe packet is then sent from the first and second port to the new stack unit that cause the new stack unit to convert its connected ports from the Ethernet port mode to the stack port mode. A stack port probe reply is then received through the first and second port from the new stack unit and, in response, the first and second port are converted from the Ethernet port mode to the stack port mode.
US09503316B2
A method of configuring a set of conversation identifiers (IDs) at a network device in a distributed resilient network interconnect (DRNI) of a link aggregation group is disclosed. The method starts with initializing the set of conversation IDs, wherein the initialization includes setting entries of a Boolean vector associated with the set of conversation IDs to be a sequence of zeroes, and wherein the Boolean vector includes values indicating processing the set of conversation IDs through the single gateway or the single aggregator of the network device. The method continues with determining that distribution of the set of conversation IDs needs to be updated, setting values of an operational vector indexed by the conversation IDs, and setting values of the Boolean vector, wherein the Boolean vector lists whether the single gateway or the single aggregator of the network device is associated with each of the conversation IDs.
US09503311B2
A method and apparatus for providing network performance monitoring using a switch running a service monitoring (SERMON) client is disclosed. A request for SERMON metrics is received from a performance database manager (PDM). The request is sent to the SERMON server designated in the request. The SERMON server is running in a service host. A reply is received from the SERMON server. The reply is sent to the PDM.A method and apparatus for providing network performance monitoring using a service host running a service monitoring (SERMON) server is disclosed. In one embodiment, a request is received from a SERMON client. SERMON data is collected using a kernel thread. The collected data is sent in a reply to the SERMON client.
US09503307B2
Authenticity of a proposed future or current participant in a multi-party dialog is checked by splitting an authenticity challenge query into at least two portions wherein none of the portions individually contains sufficient information to fully define the challenge query. These separated portions are then sent to another dialog participant over at least two different communication channels thus enhancing the probability that a successive challenge response is authentic. The authenticity challenge query and splitting thereof into plural portions may include formation of a logical combination (e.g., exclusive-OR) of first and second data strings (one of which may be a challenge question) to produce a resultant third data string where the separated and separately communicated portions include the first and third data strings as separate portions as being sent over respectively different communication channels.
US09503301B2
Apparatus, system and method relates generally to data communication with noise-shaping crest factor reduction using polyphase transformation. In such a method, a composite signal is received by a delay and a waveform generator. The waveform generator is for noise-shaping crest factor reduction using polyphase transformation. The composite signal is delayed by the delay to provide a delayed composite signal. A waveform is generated by the waveform generator from the composite signal. The waveform is output from the waveform generator having clipping noise with respect to bands of corresponding carriers of the composite signal. The waveform is subtracted from the delayed version of the composite signal for peak-to-amplitude power ratio reduction. A reduced peak version of the delayed version of the composite signal delayed is output from the signal combiner.
US09503299B2
A method and apparatus for transmitting an aperiodic sounding reference signal (SRS) in a wireless communication system is provided. The method include receiving a power offset parameter for an aperiodic SRS set by a base station (BS) through an higher layer, setting transmission power of the aperiodic SRS based on the power offset parameter, and transmitting the aperiodic SRS to the BS based on the set transmission power of the aperiodic SRS.
US09503298B2
A method and apparatus for encoding a block-based communication system header. A physical layer header and a medium access control header of the block-based communication system header are encoded to generate parity bits, wherein the PHY layer header includes at least cyclic prefix mode bits. Parity bits are appended to the PHY layer header and the MAC layer header to generate a bit vector. The bit vector is divided into at least two data blocks, wherein a first data block includes at least the CP mode bits. A predefined number of tail bits are appended to each data block. The two data blocks are mapped into at least two symbols, wherein the first data block is mapped to a first symbol, such that the first symbol is a first header symbol being transmitted.
US09503294B1
An amplitude and phase modulation circuit for modulating an M-ary digital signal having pulses onto a carrier wave for transmission by direct digital synthesis. The modulation circuit includes a digital source that generates a digital signal including pulses representing logical 1s and no pulses representing logical zeros, where a group of M pulses represents a constellation point to be transmitted. The modulation circuit further includes a phase control circuit that provides phase control and an amplitude control circuit that provides pulse width control for the constellation point to be transmitted. A saturated amplifier amplifies the phase and amplitude controlled digital signal and a filter integrates and averages the digital signal to remove noise from the signal so as to convert the digital signal to an analog signal, where the digital source operates to reduce the amplifier power consumption requirements.
US09503290B2
A CFR estimation unit estimates channel frequency characteristic on the basis of a complex baseband signal provided by a front end via a data distribution unit, and a transmission symbol estimated value provided by a trellis decoder. On the basis of the channel frequency characteristics estimated in this manner, a carrier frequency control unit performs a carrier recovery control in order to become the carrier frequency error to zero in the front end, by performing an Auto Frequency Control based on changes in the channel phase in the full band of the frequency. As a result, carrier synchronization is performed appropriate for mobile receiving, and receiving performance is improved, even in the case of a digitally modulated signal having a DC pilot component by a single carrier.
US09503288B2
A semiconductor chip is described. The semiconductor chip includes a display controller having a driver. The display controller is configurable to select a first, a second, a third and a fourth different display interface. The driver is designed to drive respective signals for each of the first, second, third and fourth interfaces through a single output.
US09503280B2
Methods and systems consistent with the present invention provide a file delivery system for transmitting files to recipients using email, which may be used with existing email infrastructure. Email clients may “attach” files to an email by an attachment process. The attachment process, however, associates a placeholder with the email instead of the actual file. The placeholder is replaced with a URL link to the file and the email is sent. The system moves the attachments over the network to a remote server that is capable of delivering the attachments to the email recipients. File attachments are routed to recipients independent of the associated email.
US09503276B2
A method of operating a communication system, comprising the steps of: receiving a first OSI layer two packet from a first network interface; determining transmission type of the first OSI layer two packet; determining whether to send a second OSI layer two packet according to the transmission type, origin and destination of the first OSI layer two packet; determining destination address and transmission type of the second OSI layer two packet when determined to send the second OSI layer two packet; and sending the second OSI layer two packet through a second network interface when determined to send the second OSI layer two packet; wherein when the first OSI layer two packet is encapsulated in at least one layer three packet, the second OSI layer two packet is not encapsulated in any OSI layer three packet; and wherein when the first OSI layer two packet is not encapsulated in any Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer three packet, the second OSI layer two packet is encapsulated in at least one OSI layer three packet.
