US09619641B2

A function performing apparatus includes a function performing unit performing a specific function, a processor, and memory storing computer-readable instructions therein, the computer-readable instructions, when executed by the processor, causing the function performing apparatus to perform, in response to receiving a user authentication information when the user authentication information has been registered in an authentication memory, transitioning a state of the apparatus from a non-permission state to a permission state, registering, in the authentication memory, a device authentication information in association with the user authentication information upon establishing a first connection with a portable device, and transitioning the state of the apparatus from the non-permission state to the permission state when a second connection with the portable device is established and the device authentication information is obtained from the portable device.
US09619634B2

The invention concerns a method of identification of a person to be identified, comprising: receiving, from an input device (106A to 106C), user input data of the person to be identified and location data indicating the location of the person to be identified; and identifying by a processing device, in a user database (108) storing a plurality of user records of registered users, each record comprising user reference data and historical location information of a registered user, a record of the person to be identified based on the user input data and the location data, wherein the historical location information of at least one of the registered users includes an association of time and location data provided by a user location device associated with the registered user.
US09619633B1

Methods and systems for authenticating a user are described. In some embodiments, an authentication request including biometric information collected from a user is received. The user may be authenticated using a first authentication system by comparing characteristics generated from the biometric information with characteristics of previously collected biometric information. The biometric information collected from the user during the authentication request may be used to automatically enroll the user into a second authentication system.
US09619630B2

A token contains licensing information for software stored on another computer. The token connects to the computer wirelessly, and transmits the licensing information, preferably automatically. While the token is connected to the computer, at least one factor in a multi-factor authentication scheme is satisfied for licensed use of the software. When the token disconnects from the computer either at will, or by exceeding the range of the wireless connection, the software on the computer becomes unlicensed and then can no longer execute.
US09619625B2

A system for optimizing a patient's basal insulin dosage regimen over time, adapted to (a) determine from blood glucose values whether and by how much to vary a patient's present recommended amount of the insulin-containing drug in order to maintain the patient's future blood glucose level measurements within a predefined range, and (b) at the same time display blood glucose value data and the recommended amount data as a function of time.
US09619622B2

Systems and methods are provided though which a transaction, e.g., in a multi-tier, distributed application may be initiated from a portable or hand-held device, such as a smartphone. A computer system or systems, possibly remote from the device, may approve the transaction, complete it, or both, and the remote computer system or systems may cause a document to be printed, e.g., by a printer physically proximate to the device.Aspects of the invention are illustrated by embodiments in which a drug prescription may be created electronically using a hand-held device. In such an embodiment, the prescription may be transmitted to one or more remote computer systems, such as an application server, for processing. If specified, the remote computer systems may cause a prescription to be printed, e.g., at a printer near the prescriber's location. The prescriber may sign the printed prescription and give it to a patient or pharmacy.
US09619619B2

A method for error recognition in a control system of a medical treatment and/or diagnosis device includes processing, by the control system, data in a regular operating mode and supplying, by the control system, test data of a test data record to a safety-critical component of the control system in a test mode of the control system. The safety-critical component of the control system is also checked in the test mode of the control system.
US09619618B2

Systems and methods for credit-based usage of surgical instruments include one or more surgical instruments having associated therewith a usage amount, a pre-determined maximum usage amount, and an available usage credit amount that is less than the pre-determined maximum usage amount. The systems implement and the methods include comparing the usage amount to the pre-determined maximum usage amount and inhibiting further use of the at least one reusable component when the usage amount is equal to the pre-determined maximum usage amount, and identifying the available usage credit amount and inhibiting further use of the at least one reusable component when there is no available usage credit remaining.
US09619612B2

A tester for equipment, apparatuses, or components with distributed measurement and analytical functions comprises a simplified test circuit for obtaining key data representative of the operational characteristics of said equipment, apparatus, or component and transmitting these to a sophisticated device capable of other uses, such as a smart phone or tablet computer. The latter analyzes the raw data with reference to values for nominal characteristics or operation of the equipment, apparatus, or component and provides a result indicative of the condition thereof.
US09619606B2

A method of placing a dummy fill layer on a substrate is disclosed (FIG. 2). The method includes identifying a sub-region of the substrate (210). A density of a layer in the sub-region is determined (212). A pattern of the dummy fill layer is selected to produce a predetermined density (216). The selected pattern is placed in the sub-region (208).
US09619604B1

The present disclosure relates to a system and method for determining an effective electrical resistance in an electronic circuit design. Embodiments may include receiving, at one or more computing devices, an electronic circuit design and identifying one or more features associated with the electronic circuit design. Embodiments may also include performing a resistance only extraction of a circuit net associated with the electronic circuit design and identifying at least two node locations from the electronic circuit as one or more port nodes. Embodiments may further include reducing the resistance only extraction to an equivalent circuit including only the port nodes and attaching a high-resistance ground voltage source to at least one of the port nodes of the reduced equivalent circuit. Embodiments may also include generating a conductance matrix, based upon, at least in part, the reduced equivalent circuit.
US09619601B1

An example method of generating a control and data flow graph for hardware description language (HDL) code specifying a circuit design is described. The method includes traversing an abstract syntax tree (AST) representation of the HDL code having a plurality of modules on a module-by-module basis. The method further includes adding an execution unit to the control and data flow graph for each module having concurrent paths. Each execution unit includes nodes in the control and data flow graph. The nodes include a loopback sink that merges the concurrent paths and a loopback source that receives feedback from the loopback sink and propagates the feedback to the concurrent paths.
US09619600B2

The application is directed towards facilitating the debugging of suspected errors in a proprietary component when the proprietary component is incorporated into a larger electronic design. Various implementations provide for the generation of a reference model for an integrated circuit design, where the reference model includes the proprietary component and sufficient information about the rest of the design to allow for the debugging of the proprietary component over a period of verification where the error in the proprietary component is suspected.
US09619596B2

The floating memristor emulator is based on a circuit implementation that uses grounded capacitors and CFOAs in addition to combinations of diodes and resistors to provide the required nonlinearity and time constants. This circuit results in low power consumption, cost reduction and ease of implementation because it avoids the use of multipliers, ADCs and RDACs. The present circuit is used in an FM demodulator, which exploits the frequency-dependence of the memristance. Successful use in the FM demodulator confirmed the functionality of the present floating memristor emulator circuit.
US09619595B2

Methods and apparatuses related to the generation of test stimuli are described. In some embodiments, a finite state machine is generated based on a mission profile, and test stimuli are generated based on the mission profile.
US09619593B1

An embodiment includes a computer-readable media storing instructions that when executed on processing logic execute a process for reducing complexity. The media stores instructions for identifying data dependencies in a model having executable semantics, the data dependencies affecting verification of the model and for selecting a location in the model, the location having data dependencies with other locations in the model, the location to be verified when the model is verified. The media also stores instructions for detecting complexities in the model, the complexities related to the selected location and presenting information about a source for at least one of the complexities. The media further stores instructions for eliminating the source for the at least one of the complexities and for transforming the model into an updated model based on the eliminating, the updated model not including the source for the at least one of the complexities.
US09619591B2

A response surface can be built with reduced analysis time and shortened time for objective value calculation using the response surface. To achieve this, a connection information generating unit divides data of a machine structure constituting an analysis target into a plurality of parts via an input unit, and parameterizes a distribution of a physical quantity at a connection boundary thereof so as to be given and received as a parameter of a physical quantity of adjacent divided shape data. A response surface generating unit parameterizes a response surface based on the parameterized distribution of the attribute value.
US09619585B2

A computer-implemented method of constructing and maintaining a record keeping dictionary data structure can include: generating a PATRICIA trie from a set of strings; generating multiple kth-level elevator-stairs data structures at exponentially reducing k-levels, wherein each of the kth-level elevator-stairs data structure includes a kth-level trie corresponding to the PATRICIA trie and wherein nodes of the kth-level trie at string depths of integer multiples of k are accessible through hash table links; and linking nodes in neighboring kth-level tries of the multiple kth-level elevator-stairs data structures where the nodes represent a same node in the PATRICIA trie.
US09619580B2

A processor-implemented method, system, and/or computer program product generates and utilizes synthetic context-based objects. A non-contextual data object is associated with a context object to define a synthetic context-based object, where the non-contextual data object ambiguously relates to multiple subject-matters, and where the context object provides a context that identifies a specific subject-matter, from the multiple subject-matters, of the non-contextual data object. The synthetic context-based object is then associated with at least one specific data store, which includes data that is associated with data contained in the non-contextual data object and the context object. A request for a data store that is associated with the synthetic context-based object results in the return of at least one data store that is associated with the synthetic context-based object.
US09619578B2

A method comprises providing an interface permitting a first user to control activation of a mobile information channel through which the first user can share access to content with a plurality of additional users, activating the mobile information channel responsive to input received from the first user via the interface, inserting content provided by the first user into the mobile information channel, receiving additional content relating to the mobile information channel from one or more of said additional users via one or more respective mobile devices associated with at least one wireless network, inserting at least a portion of the additional content into the mobile information channel, and integrating into the mobile information channel information associated with at least one wireless networking functionality of said at least one wireless network.
US09619576B2

Embodiments discussed herein relate to a mobile terminal providing a user interface capable of more conveniently searching a user's visited web pages. To this end, a mobile terminal according to an embodiment discussed herein may include a storage unit configured to store link information between a first web page and a second web page when the second web page is approached from the first web page; a display unit configured to display a first indicator indicating the first web page and a second indicator indicating the second web page together with the link information; and a controller configured to control the display unit to display a web page corresponding to the selected indicator when either one of the first indicator and second indicator is selected.
US09619573B2

Method for calculating tolerance zones for utility assets includes: receiving data about a point, a line, or an area related to a location of an utility asset in a region; receiving information about said utility asset in the region from one or more databases, wherein the received information includes two or more of a type of the utility asset, a location of the utility asset, an accuracy of the location of the utility asset, accuracy requirements for the utility asset, accuracy requirements for the region, and a map tile accuracy; calculating a tolerance zone for said utility asset in the region based on the accuracy requirements for the utility asset and one or more of said accuracy of the location of the utility asset, accuracy requirements for the region, and the map tile accuracy; and transmitting the tolerance zone to a remote device.
US09619566B2

Provided is an information processing apparatus including a selected information acquisition unit for acquiring, from a history management server managing, for each search string, one or more pieces of selected information selected from one or more pieces of page identification information obtained by using the search string, selected information matching a selected string, and a display control unit for performing control such that information regarding a page identified by the selected information acquired by the selected information acquisition unit is displayed.
US09619564B2

Embodiments of the present application relate to a method, a system, and a computer program product for providing recommended terms. A method for providing recommended terms is provided. The method includes determining a search query input by a user and an input time point when the search query was input, determining whether the input time point falls within a time range preset within a current time period, if the input time point falls within the time range preset within the current time period, determining whether the search query is present in a word bank preset for the time range, and if the search query is present in the word bank, providing the user with a special event recommended term preset for the time range.
US09619560B1

In one implementation, a method is described of retrying matching of an audio query against audio references. The method includes receiving a follow-up query that requests a retry at matching a previously submitted audio query. In some implementations, this follow-up query is received without any recognition hint that suggests how to retry matching. The follow-up query includes the audio query or a reference to the audio query to be used in the retry. The method further includes retrying matching the audio query using retry matching resources that include an expanded group of audio references, identifying at least one match and transmitting a report of the match. Optionally, the method includes storing data that correlates the follow-up query, the audio query or the reference to the audio query, and the match after retrying.
US09619559B2

Techniques for re-associating dynamic metadata with media data are provided. A media processing system creates, with a first media processing stage, binding information comprising dynamic metadata and a time relationship between the dynamic metadata and media data. The binding information may be derived from the media data. While the first media processing stage delivers the media data to a second media processing stage in a first data path, the first media processing stage passes the binding information to the second media processing stage in a second data path. The media processing system re-associates, with the second media processing stage, the dynamic metadata and the media data using the binding information.
US09619558B2

Methods, systems and programming for entity recognition in a query. In one example, an index that associates an alias with one or more entities is obtained. Each of the one or more entities is associated with one or more features. A query associated with one or more features is received from a user. The alias is then identified in the query. At least one of the one or more entities is determined based, at least in part, on the features associated with each of the one or more entities and the features associated with the query.
US09619554B2

Systems, methods, and computer-readable storage media for providing query-completion suggestions configured to be searched against vertical information domains in response to receiving a general web search query are provided. At least a portion of a general web search query is received. As the portion of the general web search query is received, query-completion suggestions are determined as is a likely primary intent associated with at least a portion of the determined query-completion suggestions. If the likely primary intent associated with a particular query-completion suggestion is for information associated with a particular vertical information domain other than the general web domain, the query-completion suggestion is provided such that selection thereof causes searching of the query-completion suggestion against the particular information domain for search results.
US09619546B2

A synchronization adapter is coupled to the application that does not support synchronization and generates the necessary synchronization metadata for all data in the application that is to be synchronized. The synchronization adapter then combines the metadata to the actual data to be synchronized to form a synchronization feed. The synchronization feed is stored in an internal cache (or data store) which is internal to the application, or an external cache (or data store), which is external to the application, or it can be stored in both caches. The synchronization adapter also intermittently determines whether the application data has changed, thus warranting a change in its metadata, or whether a synchronization operation is warranted to synchronization operation is warranted to synchronize the data with data in another application. In either case, the synchronization adapter makes the changes to the data, or performs a synchronization operation.
US09619532B2

Multiple mobile devices can be enabled to collaboratively search online information databases for results that may be interesting to all of them. Such search results can involve places of interest at which all of the search participants can conveniently meet due to the locations of those results being near to all of the search participants, for example.
US09619528B2

Automatically creating and modifying a search engine for a website. User input may be received specifying an address of a website. A search engine may be automatically created for the website based on the user input. Webpages of the website may specify a plurality of tags specifying custom attributes of the webpages. During creation of the search engine, these custom attributes may be incorporated into the search engine index. Additional user input may be received customizing the search engine for various search engine contexts, e.g., based on the custom attributes of the webpages. Search engine results for the website may be based on various ranking functions, potentially including social impact of webpages of the website.
US09619525B2

An organic search ranking of a web page for a particular search query can be optimized by publishing a large number of short, subsidiary web documents associated with the web page. The web page and the associated web documents can be individually optimized in terms of one or more parameters based upon web analytical data compiled for the search query. The web page and associated web documents can also be jointly optimized by coordinating the content of the associated web documents to align with the primary web page, and further by providing a network of links between the associated web documents and the primary web page. To provide greater insight and to assess the overall efficacy of the web presence optimization effort, historical search rank data can be correlated with specific events and reported to a user.
US09619517B2

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates reconfirmation of resource records in a cache. The system starts by retrieving the resource record at a client and attempting to establish communication using the data in that resource record. In the event that communication is not successful, the system responds by issuing one or more queries for the resource record in question. The system then waits for a response to the query. If the response to the query is not received in a pre-determined amount of time, the system invalidates the resource record. The response from the device is a multicast response, thereby allowing other clients to update corresponding resource records in their local caches without querying the device, and thus saving network bandwidth.
US09619508B2

Speculative processing of begin transaction database messages may include receiving a begin transaction message from a database client, transmitting an acknowledgement of the begin transaction message to the database client prior to forwarding the begin transaction message to the database server, forwarding the begin transaction message to the database server, and receiving an acknowledgement of the begin transaction message from the database server. In some implementations, the acknowledgement of the begin transaction message to the database client is transmitted substantially without delay after receiving the begin transaction message from the database client.
US09619505B2

A data health management apparatus may include a non-transitory memory and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory. In some cases, the processor may be configured to process instructions read from the memory. For example, the instructions may cause the processor to identify data associated with an application, where the data stored in at least one data repository. The processor may then analyze, the data stored in the at least one data repository, such as via a network, to determine a data health metric. The instructions may then cause the processor to determine an action to be performed on the data repository based on the determined data health metric.
US09619501B2

The index scan device acquires information on a search space in a multi-dimensional space corresponding to a search range of a query; sets, as a search point, a data point corresponding to at least one of a minimum and a maximum of values obtained by changing each data point in the multi-dimensional space to be one-dimensional, from among data points contained in the search space or the partial search space; identifies index data associated with a partial space containing the search point; estimates a boundary line passing through the search space on the basis of identification information on the partial space obtained from the identified index data; and determines, from among divided search spaces obtained by dividing the search space by the estimated boundary line.
US09619500B2

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for performing a tournament tree sort on a hardware accelerator. The method includes receiving a plurality of key values by the hardware accelerator, storing each the plurality of keys into a location on a memory of the hardware accelerator, and creating a pointer to each of the locations of the plurality of keys. The method also includes storing the pointer to each of the plurality of keys into a first array stored by the hardware accelerator, sorting the plurality of keys by ordering the pointers in the first array and by using a second array for storing the pointers, wherein the sorting identifies a winning key from the plurality of keys in the memory, and outputting the winning key.
US09619499B2

Embodiments include methods, systems and computer program products for performing a tournament tree sort on a hardware accelerator. The method includes receiving a plurality of key values by the hardware accelerator, storing each the plurality of keys into a location on a memory of the hardware accelerator, and creating a pointer to each of the locations of the plurality of keys. The method also includes storing the pointer to each of the plurality of keys into a first array stored by the hardware accelerator, sorting the plurality of keys by ordering the pointers in the first array and by using a second array for storing the pointers, wherein the sorting identifies a winning key from the plurality of keys in the memory, and outputting the winning key.
US09619495B2

A method for surrogate key generation performed by a physical computing system includes creating a lookup record for a production key of an input record, a key of the lookup record including the production key and a value of the lookup record including both a record identifier for the input record and a unique identifier of the production key within the input record. The method further includes sending the lookup record to a first node of a distributed computing system, the first node determined by hashing the production key with a first hash function, and with the first node, determining a surrogate key for the production key.
US09619490B2

A method for performing lockless lookups during a rolling upgrade of a column family from an old column family version to a new column family version in a NoSQL database.
US09619489B2

The disclosure relates to systems and methods for augmenting a view of a physical space of one or more geographically definable locations (“geo-locations”) with social media and/or other content originating from the one or more geo-locations. Generally speaking, the system may include a computing device having one or more processors programmed to augment (e.g., add to, overlay, embed, etc.) the view of the physical space of a geo-location with social media content, thereby allowing a user to view a physical space at a geo-location along with social media content that was created from the geo-location.
US09619485B2

A document retrieving apparatus includes a document retrieving unit adapted to retrieve document data which include images that match an input retrieval condition, a retrieval result list display unit adapted to display, on a display unit, a list display of document data that match the retrieval condition based on the retrieval results of the document retrieving unit, and a thumbnail display unit adapted to display, in the list display by the retrieval result list display unit, a first thumbnail image associated with a page or an image element which matches the retrieval condition, and a second thumbnail image associated with another page or another image element which forms the document data that includes the page or the image element which match the retrieval condition.
US09619482B1

A method and system for anonymizing data to be stored in a destination computing device is disclosed. A first data store is provided in a first user computing device, the first data store including a file folder designated as a first sync folder. A destination data store is provided in a destination computing device, the destination data store including a file folder designated as a destination sync folder. A file stored in the first sync folder is also stored in the destination sync folder and the file stored in the destination sync folder is anonymized before transmission of the file to the destination computing device over a network for storage in the destination sync folder.
US09619473B1

This disclosure relates to a method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for generating a snapshot map used to facilitate storage system management. In some embodiments, this includes displaying a snapshot map comprising a set of components, each of the component representing a snapshot configuration characteristic, selecting a component from the set of components, obtaining the snapshot configuration characteristic represented by the selected component, dragging the selected component from the snapshot map, dropping the selected component to a configuration display, generating configurations based on the snapshot configuration characteristic, summarizing in the configuration display the configurations, and confirming the configurations.
US09619472B2

Provided are a computer program product, system and method for updating class assignments for data sets during a recall operation in a storage environment having a plurality of storage devices. Information on a data set is processed to determine at least one current attribute of the data set. A determination is made as to whether the determined at least one current attribute satisfies a criteria. Indication is made in a catalog to change a class associated with the data set in response to determining that the at least one current attribute satisfies the criteria, wherein the class is used to determine how to manage the data set. The data set is migrated from a first storage to a second storage. A recall operation is initiated to recall the data set from the second storage. In response to the recall operation and determining that the catalog indicates to change the class associated with the data set, the catalog is processed to determine whether to change the class for the data set from a first class to a second class and a management operation is performed on the data set to conform the data set to the second class when recalling the data set.
US09619471B2

A presentation application for masking portions of an object, such as the background of an image, is provided. The presentation application may provide a background removal tool that allows a user to define an initial point in the background of the object. The presentation application may establish an initial background color based on the initial point, and may compute and automatically adjust a color tolerance of the background color based on the distance that a user-controlled cursor is from the initial point. Using a seed-fill algorithm, the presentation application can select a contiguous portion of the object for masking that includes the initial point and surrounding pixels that are within the background color tolerance. To smoothen the edges of the contiguous portion, the presentation application can convert the portion to a vector graphic before making the object.
US09619458B2

A system and method for matching phrases having arbitrary text. A first data structure stores a list of common phrases having multiple words. Each unique word is indexed in a hash table and mapped to one or more values that describe attributes of using the word in one or more of the common phrases. Using the hash table and the list of common phrases, a temporary array is defined to keep track of possible matches between words in an input string and the list of common phrases.
US09619445B1

Embodiments are provided for conversion of content to formats suitable for digital distributions. In some embodiments, a transformation of selected markup elements within a content item into semantic markup elements is performed, where the transformation provides receipt of a selection indicative of a mapping between a chosen markup element and a pattern element of a defined pattern, the defined pattern defining at least one of a semantic markup tag and a semantic attribute for each pattern element, and processing of the transformation by assigning to the chosen markup element at least one of a semantic markup tag and a semantic attribute defined for the pattern element mapped to the chosen markup element.
US09619436B2

Implementing an electronic calendar can include accessing a first electronic calendar owned by a first party, accessing a second electronic calendar owned by a second party, and presenting a view that combines at least one existing entry from within each of the first and second electronic calendars. Source information for each of the first and second electronic calendars may be electronically maintained. The combined view may be updated electronically to reflect a change to at least one of the existing entries from within at least one of the first and second electronic calendars. Electronic calendars may be accessed and overlaid without importing events, thus enabling simple updating. Event information may be imported and source or other attributes may be associated with imported information to enable updating and other sorting functions.
US09619416B2

Component apparatuses with inter-component communication capabilities, and system having such component apparatuses are disclosed herein. In embodiments, such a component may include a number of control pins including a clock pin, a number of data pins, and a logic unit. The logic unit may be configured to receive a clock signal from another component through the clock pin, to provide an alert signal to the other component through a selected one of the control and data pins to initiate a transaction with the other component, to receive in response to the alert signal from the other component through the data pins a status request to determine nature of the transaction, and to provide in response to the status request to the other component through the data pins a status to indicate the nature of the transaction. The provision of the alert signal, the receipt of the status request and the provision of the status may be in reference to the clock signal. Other embodiments may be disclosed or claimed.
US09619414B2

An improved system and method for deinterleaving a data unit containing chunks of two or more different data types. In an embodiment of the invention, both a device MPU and DMA hardware are used to deinterleave a data unit containing chunks of both compressed data and uncompressed data. The device MPU is used to transfer compressed data from an interleaved data buffer to a compressed data buffer, while the DMA hardware is used to transfer uncompressed data from the interleaved data buffer to a compressed data buffer. By using both the MPU and the DMA hardware, the overall efficiency of the data transfer process is improved.
US09619412B2

In one embodiment, a processor includes an access logic to determine whether an access request from a virtual machine is to a device access page associated with a device of the processor and if so, to re-map the access request to a virtual device page in a system memory associated with the VM, based at least in part on information stored in a control register of the processor. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09619411B2

Techniques for polling an input/output (I/O) device are described herein. The techniques include polling a device for data from the I/O device, and receiving the data from the I/O device at the host device as a result of the polling. The techniques include determining whether the data received is the same as data received at a previous polling of the I/O device. Upon determining the data received is the same, the techniques include decreasing the polling rate if the data is the same, and if it is not the same. Upon determining the data is not the same, the techniques include increasing the polling rate if the data is not the same.
US09619410B1

A low latency packet switching system comprising a switching device and a processing device. The switching device may include a first plurality of input/output (I/O) ports and a second plurality of I/O ports, wherein each port of the first plurality of ports may be electrically coupled to a pluggable transceiver socket configured to receive a cable connector. The processing device may include a plurality of transceivers electrically coupled to the second plurality of ports. The switching device may be configured to receive a first electric signal encoding one or more incoming data packets. The switching device may be programmed to output the first electric signal to one or more ports, in accordance with a programmable port mapping scheme. The processing device may be configured to receive the first electric signal and to output a second electric signal encoding one or more modified data packets derived from the incoming data packets.
US09619403B2

A method including creating a transaction object for a transaction identified by a TOI and associated with an object identified by an OID, storing a TE and a MD frag for the transaction object, receiving a write request to write data to the transaction object, storing second TE including a TOI and offset and a data frag including the data, storing an entry including a hash value and a physical address of the data frag, and receiving a commit request to commit the transaction. In response to the commit request storing a third TE and a second MD frag for the transaction object, where the second MD frag identifies the object and specifies that the transaction is committed and updating a second entry including a second hash value and a second physical address for a second data frag to replace the second physical address with the physical address.
US09619400B2

A computer-implemented method for managing memory operations includes reading a first memory page from a storage device responsive to a request for the first memory page. The first memory page is stored to a system memory. Based on a pre-established set of association rules, one or more associated memory pages are identified that are related to the first memory page. The associated memory pages are read from the storage device and compressed to generate corresponding compressed associated memory pages. The compressed associated memory pages are also stored to the system memory to enable memory access to the associated memory pages during processing of the first memory page. The compressed associated memory pages are individually decompressed in response to the particular page being required for use during processing.
US09619397B2

For browser cache cleanup, to consider for eviction a data item stored in a cache of a browser application in a device, a probability that the data item will be needed again during a period after the eviction is computed. A type is determined of a network that will be available at the device during the period. A cost is computed of obtaining the data item over a network of the type, from a location of the device during the period. Using the probability and the cost, a weight of the data item is computed. The weight is associated with the data item as a part of associating a set of weights with a set of data items in the cache. The data item is selected for eviction from the cache because the weight is a lowest weight in the set of weights.
US09619393B1

A system and/or computer program product selectively adjusts a resources addresses cache of addresses of resources used by virtual processors. A first dispatch from a hypervisor dispatches a first virtual processor, and then tracks processes executed by the first virtual processor. The hypervisor caches cache addresses of resources used by the processes after the first dispatch in a resources addresses cache. The hypervisor undispatches the first virtual processor, and then redispatches the first virtual processor as a second virtual processor by issuing a second dispatch. Processes executed by the second virtual processor are compared to processes executed during by the first virtual processor, thus leading to an identification of a level of process utilization consistency. The hypervisor then adjusts the resources addresses cache by selectively clearing resource addresses based on the level of process utilization consistency.
US09619392B2

An electronic device includes a semiconductor memory that includes: a variable resistance element formed over a substrate; and a carbon-containing aluminum nitride layer formed on sidewalls and in an upper portion of the variable resistance element.
US09619388B2

A method for managing cache data of a mobile terminal includes determining whether first cache data corresponds to an application exists. If it is determined that the first cache data does not exist, a data request is sent to request server data corresponding to the first cache data, the server data is downloaded, forming the first cache data by using the downloaded server data.
US09619385B2

Cache miss rates for threads operating in a simultaneous multi-threading computer processing environment can be estimated. The single thread rates can be estimated by monitoring a shared directory for cache misses for a first thread. Memory access requests can be routed to metering cache directories associated with the particular thread. Single thread misses to the shared directory and single thread misses to the associated metering cache directory are monitored and a performance indication is determined by comparing the cache misses with the thread misses. The directory in the associated metering cache is rotated, and a second sharing performance indication is determined.
US09619383B2

A transactional memory system predicts the outcome of coalescing outermost memory transactions, the coalescing causing committing of memory store data to memory for a first transaction to be done at transaction execution (TX) end of a second transaction, the method comprising. A processor of the transactional memory system determines whether a first plurality of outermost transactions from an associated program that were coalesced experienced an abort, the first plurality of outermost transactions including a first instance of a first transaction. The processor updates a history of the associated program to reflect the results of the determination. The processor coalesces a second plurality of outermost transactions from the associated program, based, at least in part, on the updated history.
US09619382B2

Methods for read request bypassing a last level cache which interfaces with an external fabric are disclosed. A method includes identifying a read request for a read transaction, generating a phantom read transaction identifier for the read transaction and forwarding the read transaction with the phantom read transaction identifier beyond a last level cache before detection of a hit or miss with respect to the read transaction. The phantom read transaction identifier acts as a pointer to a real read transaction identifier.
US09619372B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to methods and systems for hybrid testing, combining the optimization features of functional testing brought forth to security testing. One disclosed method may include receiving a list of input points associated with a software unit under test and assigning, by a processor, risk values to the input points based on one or more risk rating factors. The risk values may reflect security risk associated with the input points. The method may further include providing, to the software unit under test, input values indicative of a functional test for input points assigned values reflecting a low security risk and input values indicative of a security test for input points assigned values reflecting a high security risk. The method may further include executing a security test for the software unit under test using the input values.
US09619367B1

According to example embodiments of the present invention, an object to be monitored is determined, the object being associated with a variable in a code snippet including a plurality of statements. The object is monitored in execution of the plurality of statements. If a plurality of updates of the object are detected in the execution of the plurality of statements, a snapshot associated with each of the updates of the object is created. The snapshot includes a current value of the object and a memory address for the current value of the object.
US09619364B2

A method for analyzing race conditions between multiple threads of an application is disclosed. The method comprises accessing hazard records for an application under test. It further comprises creating a graph comprising a plurality of vertices and a plurality of edges using the hazard records, wherein each vertex of the graph comprises information about a code location of a hazard and wherein each edge of the graph comprises hazard information between one or more vertices. Additionally, it comprises assigning each edge with a weight, wherein the weight depends on a number and relative priority of hazards associated with a respective edge. Finally, it comprises traversing the graph to report an analysis record for each hazard represented in the graph.
US09619363B1

Predicting software product quality. Real-time and historic software code metrics, software code defect data for the software product, and test case-related data for the software product are received. A feature predicted fallibility that estimates the number of code defects for a new feature of the software product, a product version projected fallibility that estimates the number of code defects for a new version of a software product, a test case related quality coefficient that estimates the likelihood of discovery of code defects in a new feature, a feature quality and a product quality indexes that are qualitative indications of quality of the new code of a feature and the new product version, are calculated. A report is then output that includes at least the calculated values, whereby developer resources are directed to features of the software product for which the calculated values indicate likelihoods of a high defect densities.
US09619362B2

According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method may include determining event sequences of an event-driven software application. The method may further include determining, for each event sequence, a distance with respect to each of one or more target conditions of the event-driven software application. The event sequence distance may indicate a degree to which execution of its corresponding event sequence satisfies a corresponding target condition. The method may also include prioritizing execution of the plurality of event sequences based on the event sequence distances. Further, the method may include exploring, according to the prioritization of execution, an event space that includes one or more of the event sequences and a dependent event that corresponds to the one or more target conditions.
US09619354B2

Diagnosing faults in a hardware appliance. Information is read by a hand-held reader from one or more contactless tags associated with one or more components in a hardware appliance. One or more component faults and/or issues are identified based on the read information. A query is formed based on the identified one or more component faults and/or issues. A diagnostic database in the hand-held reader is queried, based on the formed query, and one or more query results are displayed in a ranked order on a display of the hand-held reader. In one aspect of the embodiments, the information read from the one or more contactless tags includes a pointer to a datastore in one of the one or more components. An ad hoc wireless network connection is established with the hardware appliance, and information in the datastore is downloaded over the connection.
US09619350B1

An information handling system may include a processor and a first storage management console comprising a program of executable instructions embodied in non-transitory computer-readable media accessible to the processor, and configured to, when read and executed by the processor: (i) manage input/output between an application and a primary physical storage controller to perform input/output between the application and a storage resource communicatively coupled to primary physical storage container; (ii) asynchronously mirror application-consistent snapshots of data associated with the application from the primary physical storage controller to a storage virtual controller configured to emulate a physical storage controller such that the storage virtual controller stores the snapshots to remote storage geographically remote from the information handling system; (iii) store metadata associated with the application and data stored to the storage resource and the remote storage; and (iv) copy the metadata to a second storage management console executing on a second information handling system geographically remote from the information handling system.
US09619333B2

As disclosed herein, a method for optimizing data synchronization when performing a block-level backup includes receiving a customized merging plan, and creating a padding map that includes missing data information, and sending the padding map to a local backup server to request missing data. The method further includes receiving from the local backup server the missing data, and performing a snapshot consolidation according to the customized merging plan to provide a consolidated snapshot.
US09619329B2

Embodiments of the present invention provide an apparatus and methods for converting a volatile memory module device to a non-volatile memory module device. In one embodiment, a male contact edge of a memory module device is inserted to a first memory module device socket of a memory module device adaptor, the memory module device adaptor having a first male contact edge. Power is provided to the memory module device in the event of a system failure. Diodes operatively connected to one or more power pins of the first memory module device socket prevent current from flowing to the battery to one or more power pins of the male contact edge of the memory module device adaptor. Applications needing dedicated memory are registered and, in the event of a system failure memory module device data associated with the registered applications can be recovered without the use of flash memory.
US09619321B1

Systems and methods for internal copy-back with read-verify are described. In one embodiment, a storage device includes a controller to select a first single level cell (SLC) page of a plurality of SLC pages on the storage device to transfer to a triple level cell (TLC) page. The controller, in conjunction with an error correcting code (ECC) decoder, read-verifies the first SLC page. Read-verifying the first SLC page includes reading the first SLC page to an internal page buffer, decoding the first SLC page read into the internal page buffer, determining a number of errors contained in the first SLC page based at least in part on the decoding, and verifying whether the number of errors contained in the first SLC page satisfies an error threshold. The controller transfers the first SLC page to the TLC page according to a result of read-verifying the first SLC page.
US09619311B2

Storage area network (SAN) components contain a processor configured to provide a first event handling module that can receive an error event at a first hardware component of the storage area network. A database is accessed that contains associations between error event data and potential sources of errors. A plurality of hardware components are identified using the database and error event data. The hardware components are ranked and one is selected based on the ranking. An error notification is sent to a second event handling module of the hardware component. Based upon the response of the second event handling module, an error handling procedure is carried out.
US09619305B2

Handling locale information on a computing platform, a computer obtains, in response to an event that an application is pushed to a computing platform, locale information corresponding to the application. The computer determines the type of the application, configures a runtime executable file required by the application according to the locale information corresponding to the application and the type of the application, creates a script for configuring a locale of an operating system on the computing platform consistent with the locale information corresponding to the application, and creates a droplet for the application that includes the configured runtime executable file required by the application and is associated with the created script.
US09619303B2

A controller has a cache to store data associated with an address that is subject to conflict resolution. A conflict resolution queue stores information relating to plural transactions, and logic reprioritizes the plural transactions in the conflict resolution queue to change a priority of a first type of transaction with respect to a priority of second type of transaction.
US09619302B2

A system and method for distributed locking for networked device management is provided. In one aspect, a lock is granted for a resource attached to a switched fabric, in response to receiving a request to access the resource. If the resource is already locked by another process or device, or otherwise unavailable, the request may be queued or failed.
US09619299B2

A system and method for synchronizing information from an information handling system is disclosed. The method includes identifying a device within a pre-determined range of a docking station, the device operable to communicate with the docking station. The method also includes pairing with the device, determining a user of the device, and predicting, based upon past activity by the user at another docking station, content to be launched on the device. The method further include presenting the content for launching on the device, receiving a selection of the content; and launching the content on the device.
US09619296B2

Disclosed are systems, hybrid compute environments, methods and computer-readable media for dynamically provisioning nodes for a workload. In the hybrid compute environment, each node communicates with a first resource manager associated with the first operating system and a second resource manager associated with a second operating system. The method includes receiving an instruction to provision at least one node in the hybrid compute environment from the first operating system to the second operating system, after provisioning the second operating system, pooling at least one signal from the resource manager associated with the at least one node, processing at least one signal from the second resource manager associated with the at least one node and consuming resources associated with the at least one node having the second operating system provisioned thereon.
US09619290B2

A method of balancing execution rates for a plurality of parallel program loops being executed concurrently by a processor may include estimating a completion time for each program loop of the plurality of program loops, determining a difference between the estimated completion time of a first program loop of the plurality of program loops and the estimated completion time of a second program loop of the plurality of program loops, and decreasing the difference by adjusting an execution rate of the first program loop.
US09619289B2

Systems and methods for a workload optimized server for intelligent algorithm trading platforms. In an illustrative, non-limiting embodiment, an Information Handling System (IHS) may include a plurality of Central Processing Units (CPUs) and a control circuit coupled to the plurality of CPUs, the control circuit having a memory configured to store program instructions that, upon execution by the control logic, cause the IHS to: set a first number of enabled cores in a first CPU to operate with a first all-core turbo frequency, and set a second number of enabled cores in a second CPU to operate with a second all-core turbo frequency, where the first number of enabled cores is different from the second number of enabled cores, and where at least one of the first or second all core turbo frequencies is selected to cause the IHS to operate with reduced execution jitter.
US09619285B2

Provided is a method for managing operation requests using different resources. In one embodiment, a first queue is provided for operations which utilize a first resource of a first and second resource. A second queue is provided for operations which utilize the second resource. An operation is queued on the first queue until the first resource is acquired. The first resource is released if the second resource is not also acquired. The operation is queued on the second queue when the first resource is acquired but the second resource is not. In addition, the first resource is released until the operation acquires both the first resource and the second resource.
US09619281B2

Particular techniques for improving the scalability of concurrent programs (e.g., lock-based applications) may be effective in some environments and for some workloads, but not others. The systems described herein may automatically choose appropriate ones of these techniques to apply when executing lock-based applications at runtime, based on observations of the application in the current environment and with the current workload. In one example, two techniques for improving lock scalability (e.g., transactional lock elision using hardware transactional memory, and optimistic software techniques) may be integrated together. A lightweight runtime library built for this purpose may adapt its approach to managing concurrency by dynamically selecting one or more of these techniques (at different times) during execution of a given application. In this Adaptive Lock Elision approach, the techniques may be selected (based on pluggable policies) at runtime to achieve good performance on different platforms and for different workloads.
US09619279B2

A method of enabling multiple different operating systems to run concurrently on the same RISC (e.g. ARM) computer, comprising selecting a first operating system to have a relatively high priority (the realtime operating system, such as C5); selecting at least one secondary operating system to have a relatively lower priority (the general purpose operating system, such as Linux); providing a common program (a hardware resource dispatcher similar to a nanokernel) arranged to switch between said operating systems under predetermined conditions; and providing modifications to said first and second operating systems to allow them to be controlled by said common program.
US09619276B2

A technique for operating a computer system to support an application, a first application server environment, and a second application server environment includes intercepting a work request relating to the application issued to the first application server environment prior to execution of the work request. A thread adapted for execution in the first application server environment is created. A context is attached to the thread that non-disruptively modifies the thread into a hybrid thread that is additionally suitable for execution in the second application server environment. The hybrid thread is returned to the first application server environment.
US09619275B2

The present disclosure discloses a data processing method, apparatus and mobile terminal. In the data processing method, the mobile terminal performs data computation in a sub-thread of the current program when a data request is received. The mobile terminal loads the requested data in the main thread of the current program based on the data computation results and displays the loaded requested data. The present disclosure ensures the smoothness of user interface threads, the stability of systems, and the display performance of user interfaces.
US09619263B2

In one embodiment, a virtual machine manager may use dynamic memory balancing and greedy ballooning to improve guest memory performance. A memory 130 may have a system memory page set with a system memory page set size associated with the virtual machine to support a guest memory page set of the virtual machine with a guest memory page set size. A processor 120 may instruct the virtual machine to execute a reduction of the guest memory page set size. The processor 120 may maintain the system memory page set size during the reduction.
US09619260B2

Policy enforcement in an environment that includes virtualized systems is disclosed. Virtual machine information associated with a first virtual machine instance executing on a host machine is received. The information can be received from a variety of sources, including an agent, a log server, and a management infrastructure associated with the host machine. A policy is applied based at least in part on the received virtual machine information.
US09619256B1

A computer implemented method, system, and computer program product for replicating multiple tenants comprising creating a first sub cluster at a production site; wherein the production site has a cluster of replication appliances and wherein the sub-cluster comprises a subset of the replication appliances in the cluster of replication appliance at the production site, creating a second sub cluster at a replication site comprising of a subset of replication appliances in the cluster of replication appliance at the production cluster, and creating a replication subsystem comprising of the first and second sub-clusters and replicating from the production sub-cluster to the replica sub cluster.
US09619247B2

In one embodiment, a memory resource manager may pass data memory structures between application components on a computing device. A memory resource 306 may store a data memory structure for a holding application component 302. A processor 120 may pass a handle representing the data memory structure to a calling application component 308 upon access by the calling application component 308.
US09619245B1

A converged network adapter card utilizes a single option ROM to support configuring and booting the protocols of the multifunction converged network adapter. In one embodiment the single option ROM stores a sequence of images to: 1) support configuring and booting the network interface card (NIC) and storage protocols supported by the converged network adapter card and 2) support all of the boot solutions for the converged network adapter card.
US09619236B2

An apparatus is described having instruction execution logic circuitry to execute first, second, third and fourth instruction. Both the first instruction and the second instruction insert a first group of input vector elements to one of multiple first non overlapping sections of respective first and second resultant vectors. The first group has a first bit width. Each of the multiple first non overlapping sections have a same bit width as the first group. Both the third instruction and the fourth instruction insert a second group of input vector elements to one of multiple second non overlapping sections of respective third and fourth resultant vectors. The second group has a second bit width that is larger than said first bit width. Each of the multiple second non overlapping sections have a same bit width as the second group. The apparatus also includes masking layer circuitry to mask the first and third instructions at a first resultant vector granularity, and, mask the second and fourth instructions at a second resultant vector granularity.
US09619235B2

A processor accesses memory storing a compressed instruction sequence that includes compression information indicating that an instruction that with respect to the preceding instruction, has identical operation code and operand continuity is compressed. The processor includes a fetcher that fetches a bit string from the memory and determines whether the bit string is a non-compressed instruction, where if so, transfers the given bit string and if not, transfers the compression information; and a decoder that upon receiving the non-compressed instruction, holds in a buffer, instruction code and an operand pattern of the non-compressed instruction and executes processing to set to an initial value, the value of an instruction counter that indicates a count of consecutive instructions having identical operation code and operand continuity, and upon receiving the compression information, restores the instruction code based on the instruction code held in the buffer, the instruction counter value, and the operand pattern.
US09619228B2

The data processor includes CPU operable to execute an instruction included in an instruction set. The instruction set includes a load instruction for reading data on a memory space. The data read according to the load instruction includes data of a format type having a data-read-branching-occurrence bit region. The CPU includes a data-read-branching control register; a data-read-branching address register; and a read-data-analyzing unit. On condition that a bit value showing the occurrence of data read branching has been set on the data-read-branching-occurrence bit region, and a value showing the data-read-branching-occurrence bit remaining valid has been set on the data-read-branching control register, the switching between processes is performed by branching to an address stored in the data-read-branching address register.
US09619220B2

In one implementation, a computer-implemented method includes accessing, by a computer system, information that describes use of one or more computer-based services by a particular user from one or more computing devices that are associated with the particular user; identifying one or more native applications that are associated with the one or more services, wherein the one or more native applications are configured to be installed and executed by one or more types of mobile computing devices; determining whether to recommend the one or more native applications based on the information and one or more threshold levels of use of the one or more computer-based services; and providing, based on the determining, a recommendation that is associated with the particular user and that identifies at least one of the one or more native applications.
US09619218B2

Implementations for setup of management system in a virtualization system are disclosed. A method of the disclosure includes installing, by a setup program of a host machine, a virtual machine (VM) on the host machine in view of configuration information obtained by the setup program, verifying that an operating system (OS) is installed on the VM, verifying that a management system is installed on the VM, confirming that the management system is responsive, when responsiveness of the management system is confirmed, sending a command to the management system to add the host machine to a list of host machines associated with the management system, and restarting the VM when a confirmation that the host machine is added to the list of the management system is received from the management system, wherein the management system is to manage the VM and one or more other VMs of the host machine.
US09619195B2

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media for transmitting data using invisible light via a display assembly of an electronic device are provided. This may enable more data to be transmitted simultaneously via a single display assembly of a limited size. For example, a single display assembly may simultaneously transmit a first type of data using visible light that may be comprehensible to a user (e.g., textual information that may be legible to a human) as well as a second type of data using invisible light that may be machine-readable (e.g., a barcode that may be detected by a scanner device but that may not be seen by a human).
US09619180B2

The present system enables more efficient I/O processing by providing a mechanism for maintaining data within the locality of reference. One or more accelerator modules may be implemented within a solid state storage device (SSD). The accelerator modules form a caching storage tier that can receive, store and reproduce data. The one or more accelerator modules may place data into the SSD or hard disk drives based on parameters associated with the data.
US09619179B2

Data Storage Apparatus An apparatus (1) for storing data comprises a plurality of physical data storage disks (2). Each of the physical data storage disks (2) is divided into a plurality of sub-regions (3). The apparatus also comprises data processing means (4) configured such that: the data to be stored is divided into a plurality of data blocks, a plurality of copies of the plurality of data blocks is made and each copy is labelled with a distinct identifier, and assigned to the plurality of sub-regions (3) such that: (a) each copy of any given data block is assigned to a different physical data storage disk (2), and (b) none of the plurality of data blocks with a first identifier is assigned to the same sub-region (3) as any of the plurality of data blocks with a second identifier, for any pair of distinct identifiers.
US09619177B2

According to one embodiment, a system includes first to third managers and a storage unit. The first manager generates read requests corresponding to read-unit data items read by a read command received from an device, and manages first information indicating the state of transmission of the read-unit data items to the device. The storage unit temporarily stores the read-unit data items read from nonvolatile memories in a random order, based on the read requests. The second manager manages second information indicating whether each read-unit data item has been read from the nonvolatile memories. The third manager transmits, based on the first and second information, the read-unit data items to the device in an order designated by the read command, the read-unit data items being stored in the storage unit in a random order.
US09619170B2

According to an embodiment, when a storage status of a first storage unit is recognized as a protected state, a control unit writes data to a second storage unit. When a read target address is recorded in a data migration log area, the control unit reads data from the second storage unit. When the read target address is not recorded in the data migration log area, the control unit reads data from the first storage unit.
US09619169B1

A method is used in managing data activity information for data migration in data storage systems. Slice activity data for slices stored in a data storage system is identified. The slice activity data is divided into multiple subsets of slice activity data. A subset of slice activity data may be obtained and stored in working memory. The slice activity data may be updated to correspond to changes slice activity. After a determined time, the updated slice activity data is copied to a disk drive and the method is repeated with the next subset of slice activity data.
US09619158B2

A mechanism is provided for coordinated garbage collection in an array controller of a two-level hierarchical log structured array architecture for a non-volatile memory array. The two-level hierarchical log structured array (LSA) architecture comprises an array-level LSA in the array controller and a node-level LSA in each node of the non-volatile memory array. The array controller writes logical pages of data to containers in memory of the array-level storage controller at node logical block addresses in an array-level LSA. The array-level LSA maps the host logical block addresses to node logical block addresses in a node-level LSA in a plurality of nodes. Responsive to initiating array-level garbage collection in the array controller, the mechanism identifies a first container to reclaim according to a predetermined garbage collection policy. Responsive to determining the first container has at least a first valid logical page of data, the mechanism moves the first valid logical page of data to a location assigned to the same node in a target container in the memory of the array-level storage controller, remaps the first valid logical page of data in a corresponding node, and reclaims the first container.
US09619152B2

Techniques for transforming character delimited values are presented herein. An input module may be configured to read a set of character delimited values. A generation module may be configured to generate, in real-time, a synchronization block for the set of values that includes a nibble for each value in the set of values. The nibbles may represent either a byte size of the associated value or may be a flag representing a predetermined value. An output module may be configured to sequentially output the synchronization block and the set of values to a binary data output stream for output in a device dependent byte order according to the respective byte sizes of the values in the set of values.
US09619150B2

An operation unit updates grouping information about grouping of data sets stored in a storage device, based on access information about access to data stored in the storage device and memory loading information about data loaded and held in a memory according to access to data stored in the storage device. The operation unit updates data arrangement in the storage device according to the updating of the grouping information. In the updating of the grouping information, the operation unit updates the grouping information based on relationship information between data sets according to the access information.
US09619149B1

Described are techniques that select a physical storage device for storing data. Device weights for physical storage devices are determined in accordance with factor(s) including a storage capacity each physical storage device and an amount of remaining write capacity of each physical storage device representing an amount of remaining writes for an expected lifetime of each physical storage device. A replica set is determined for each physical storage device in accordance with a device weight. Hash value sets are determined for the physical storage devices using a hash function. A first hash value for a first data item is determined using the hash function. The first hash value is mapped to a second hash value included in one of hash value sets associated with a corresponding one of the physical storage devices. The corresponding one of the physical storage devices is selected to store the first data item.
US09619146B2

A work machine includes a controller having a first storage unit that can store work machine information and rewrite the stored work machine information, and a processing unit that collects the work machine information, and stores at least one kind of the work machine information in the first storage unit when trigger information for causing the first storage unit to start storing the work machine information occurs. The controller can change from an outside at least one of the number of data prior to a trigger of the work machine information collected by the processing unit before the trigger information, the number of data subsequent to the trigger of the work machine information collected by the processing unit after the trigger information, and a time interval during which the work machine information is collected.
US09619145B2

An array can include a controller and multiple storage devices of a first type. When a storage device of the first type is replaced by a replacement storage device of a second type, and other storage devices of the first type remain in the array, the controller instructs the replacement storage device to configure itself as a storage device of the first type. When the last storage device of the first type in the array is replaced by a replacement storage device of the second type, the controller instructs all the storage devices of the array to configure themselves as storage devices of the second type.
US09619143B2

A computing device with a touch screen display displays a first set of a first plurality of icons in a first area of the touch screen display, the first plurality of icons including a plurality of sets of icons that are separately displayed in the first area of the touch screen display, the first plurality of icons including application launch icons; displays a second plurality of icons in a second area on the touch screen display, the second plurality of icons including application launch icons, wherein the second area is different from the first area; detects a finger swipe gesture in the first area; and, in response replaces display of the first set with display of a second set of the first plurality of icons in the first area while maintaining the display of the second plurality of icons in the second area.
US09619137B2

A display protection system for use in a portable electronic device includes first and second lenses overlaying the device display. The first lens includes an aperture over a lens sensor mounted in the device, whereas the second lens includes an opaque region in that same area. In this way, the lens sensor may detect the presence or absence of the secondary lens and adjust touch sensor behavior accordingly.
US09619135B2

A method is provided for modifying an image. The method comprises displaying an image, the image comprising a portion of an object; and determining if an edge of the object is in a location within the portion. The method further comprises detecting movement, in a member direction, of an operating member with respect to the edge. The method still further comprises moving, if the edge is not in the location, the object in an object direction corresponding to the detected movement; and modifying, if the edge is in the location, the image in response to the detected movement, the modified image comprising the edge in the location.
US09619132B2

In accordance with some embodiments, a computer-implemented method for use in conjunction with a device with a touch screen display is disclosed. In the method, at least a first portion of an electronic document is displayed at a first magnification. A gesture is detected on or near the touch screen display corresponding to a command to zoom in by a user-specified amount. In response to detecting the gesture, decreasing portions of the electronic document are displayed at increasing magnifications. If, upon detecting termination of the gesture, the magnification exceeds a predefined magnification, a respective portion of the electronic document is displayed at the predefined magnification.
US09619124B2

Described herein are frameworks, devices and methods configured for enabling display for facility information and content, in some cases via touch/gesture controlled interfaces. Embodiments of the invention have been particularly developed for allowing an operator to conveniently access a wide range of information relating to a facility via, for example, one or more wall mounted displays. While some embodiments will be described herein with particular reference to that application, it will be appreciated that the invention is not limited to such a field of use, and is applicable in broader contexts.
US09619123B1

Systems, methods and devices described herein enable acquiring, selecting and sharing content elements, extracted from media content playing on a first device, using one or more second devices. For example, while a video stream is playing on a first client device, a second client device acquires and sends content information derived from the video stream to a server system. The server system identifies the video stream, generates a set of instructions and extracts content elements associated with the media content. The content elements may include, without limitation, individually selectable portions of text, images, suggested ratings, video clips, audio clips, etc. In some implementations, the set of instructions includes instructions to display the one or more content items using non-intersecting overlay regions that enable each respective content element to be individually selectable.
US09619121B2

Techniques and systems for receiving and using a customization file are provided, including a computing device, a method, or a computer-program product. For example, a method may include receiving a customization file that includes customized content for customizing a communication interface overlay. The method may further include accessing native application code and executing the native application code to run a native application. The method may further include accessing a compiled set of code that is separate from the native application code. The compiled set of code is accessible by the native application code. The method may further include executing the compiled set of code, wherein a default file of the compiled set of code provides a native communication interface overlay, wherein the native communication interface overlay is overlaid over a graphical interface of the native application, and wherein the native communication interface overlay allows communication with a resource of a third-party. The method may further include executing the received customization file, wherein executing the received customization file customizes the compiled set of code, and wherein the customized compiled set of code customizes the native communication interface overlay to provide a customized communication interface overlay.
US09619117B2

Methods, systems, and apparatuses, including computer programs encoded on computer-readable media, for receiving information regarding a plurality of conversion paths. Each conversion path includes one or more user interactions, corresponds to a user, and ends with a conversion interaction. A list of channel groups is received. Each channel group includes a name and one or more group rules that refer to the characteristics of one or more user interactions of the plurality of conversion paths. Each user interaction in the plurality of conversion paths is grouped based upon the list of channel groups. A selection of channels to visualize is received and for each of the selected channels to visualize the user interactions are aggregated based upon the channel group of the user interaction and a position of the user interaction within the conversion path. Information regarding the aggregated user interactions for each of the selected channels is provided.
US09619110B2

In general, techniques are described for providing a user interface to create report specifications and included source definitions for business reporting and analysis. For example, a computing device includes a user interface (UI) module for displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) and receiving a selection of a data element at a start location of the GUI. The UI module may display an overlay element having a boundary forming a plurality of paths from the start location to a plurality of end locations, the paths corresponding to a plurality of report options associated with the data element. The UI module may receive a second input indicative of a traversal of the overlay element along a chosen path. The computing device may include a definition module operable to create a definition for a report specification based at least in part on the report option corresponding to the chosen path.
US09619100B2

An apparatus may include a data manager configured to manage user contacts or other data segments. The apparatus may further include an importance level determiner configured to determine an importance level for each of the user contacts or other data segments. The importance level may be based on a contextual characteristic, and therefore the apparatus may include a contextual characteristic determiner. Further, the apparatus may include a content segment adaptor configured to adapt a content segment relating to one of the user contacts or other data segments based on the importance level. For example, the content segment adaptor may select the size, color, and/or position of the content segments. Content segments may include avatars, messages, and contact information in some variations.
US09619097B2

The touch panel is provided with: a touch panel substrate; and a flexible printed circuit board, wherein the touch panel substrate has an electrode for detection and a rear surface electrode, the flexible printed circuit board has a terminal portion, the terminals in the terminal portion are electrically and mechanically connected to connection terminals formed along a side of the touch panel substrate, the terminal portion has a first terminal portion and a second terminal portion, a terminal in the second terminal portion is shorter than a terminal in the first terminal portion, the flexible printed circuit board has a rear surface electrode connection portion and has a terminal for shielding, and the rear surface electrode connection portion is folded on a rear surface side of the touch panel substrate so that the terminal for shielding is mechanically and electrically connected to the rear surface electrode.
US09619095B2

A self capacitance type touch panel includes a touch driver including a plurality of touch ICs; and a touch unit including a plurality of touch groups that are controlled by the plurality of touch ICs, respectively, wherein each of the plurality of touch groups includes a plurality of pattern electrodes, and some touch ICs selected from the plurality of touch ICs apply sensing voltages to respective corresponding touch groups at a same timing.
US09619077B2

A touch display apparatus and an operation method of a touch apparatus thereof are provided. The operation method of the touch apparatus includes the following steps, namely, providing a touch capability regulating signal according to a plurality of image data in a column of an image frame; providing a touch driving signal to a first touch electrode in sequence according to a first clock signal and a second clock signal; changing at least one of an amplitude and a frequency of the first clock signal and the second clock signal according to the touch capability regulating signal.
US09619068B2

A smartphone includes a cover layer; an LCD panel which is located under the cover layer and includes a liquid crystal layer, and a first glass layer and a second glass layer between which the liquid crystal layer is placed, wherein at least a portion of a touch sensor which senses touch in a capacitive manner is located between the first glass layer and the second glass layer; a backlight unit which is located under the LCD panel; a pressure electrode which is located under the backlight unit; and a shielding member which is located under the pressure electrode.
US09619052B2

An electronic device: displays an electronic document; while displaying the electronic document, detects a first input from a stylus, including detecting an initial contact by the stylus on a touch-sensitive surface; determines a plurality of characteristics of the first input, including a tilt of the stylus; in accordance with a determination that the tilt meets one or more selection criteria for a first virtual drawing implement, selects the first virtual drawing implement for the stylus to emulate; in accordance with a determination that the tilt meets one or more selection criteria for a second virtual drawing implement, selects the second virtual drawing implement for the stylus to emulate; and, after selecting one of the first virtual drawing implement and the second virtual drawing implement for the stylus to emulate, generates a mark in the electronic document with the selected virtual drawing implement in response to detecting the first input.
US09619042B2

A method for operating a real-time gesture based interactive system includes: obtaining a sequence of frames of data from an acquisition system; comparing successive frames of the data for portions that change between frames; determining whether any of the portions that changed are part of an interaction medium detected in the sequence of frames of data; defining a 3D interaction zone relative to an initial position of the part of the interaction medium detected in the sequence of frames of data; tracking a movement of the interaction medium to generate a plurality of 3D positions of the interaction medium; detecting movement of the interaction medium from inside to outside the 3D interaction zone at a boundary 3D position; shifting the 3D interaction zone relative to the boundary 3D position; computing a plurality of computed positions based on the 3D positions; and supplying the computed positions to control an application.
US09619039B2

A method for identifying a motion of interest of an individual. The method includes collecting, at a computer, motion sensor input data of motions of the individual from a motion sensor for an interval of time. The method further includes analyzing, using the computer, the motion sensor input data using an analysis application having a set of classified predetermined motions of interest. The analysis application classifies a movement captured during the interval of time as a motion corresponding to one of a plurality of pre-determined motions of interest based on shared relative attributes. The method further includes generating an output providing notice of an identified predetermined motion of interest to a monitoring system.
US09619031B1

A haptic actuator may include a housing having a top and a bottom, and first and second coils carried by the top and bottom, respectively, of the housing. The haptic actuator may also include a field member carried by the housing. The field member may include a permanent magnet between the first and second coils, first and second ends, and a first mass between the first end and the permanent magnet, and a second mass between the second end and the permanent magnet. A first shaft may slidably couple the first mass to the housing, and a second shaft may slidably couple the second mass to the housing. The haptic actuator may also include a first set of biasing members between the first end of the field member and the housing and a second set of biasing members between the second end of the field member and the housing.
US09619028B2

Frequency characteristics of an air conduction sound and a human body vibration sound are adjusted. An electronic apparatus 1 according to the present invention includes a panel 10, a piezoelectric element 30, a housing 60 for mounting the panel 10, and a member 80 attached to the piezoelectric element 30, wherein the member 80 and the panel 10 deform due to deformation of the piezoelectric element 30 and thus deliver the air conduction sound and the human body vibration sound to an object in contact with the panel 10 that is deforming, and the member 80 adjusts the frequency characteristics of the air conduction sound and the human body vibration sound.
US09619026B2

An input apparatus has a touch sensor for receiving an input, a load detection unit for detecting a pressure load on a touch face of the touch sensor, a tactile sensation providing unit for vibrating the touch face, and a control unit, when the pressure load detected by the load detection unit satisfies a first standard for providing a tactile sensation, for controlling drive of the tactile sensation providing unit such that a click sensation is provided to a pressing object (pressing means) pressing the touch face. The control unit, when the pressure load detected by the load detection unit satisfies a second standard lower than the first standard after the click sensation is provided in pressing, controls drive of the tactile sensation providing unit such that a release sensation corresponding to the click sensation is provided. Thereby, a realistic click sensation similar to that obtained when a push-button switch is operated is provided to an operator when the operator operates the touch sensor, allowing the operator to perform a continuous input operation without having a feeling of strangeness.
US09619007B2

An integrated circuit device includes first and second integrated circuits and a power supply line. The first integrated circuit includes a first power supply circuit, a timing generation circuit generating a synchronization signal, and a first power supply control section. The second integrated circuit includes a second power supply circuit and a second power supply control section. The power supply line electrically connects the outputs of the first and second power supply circuit. The first and second power supply control sections are each configured to start the operations of the first and second power supply circuits, respectively, in response to a start of a supply of the synchronization signal after a sleep-out command is supplied thereto. The timing generation circuit starts supplying the synchronization signal after a predetermined waiting time elapses after the sleep-out command is supplied to the first integrated circuit.
US09619004B1

Circuits, methods, and apparatus that reduce the power consumed by data transfers initiated by a USB host controller. Peripheral devices on a USB network are accessed with a reduced frequency in order to save power dissipated by a CPU and other circuits when reading data needed by the host controller. Instead of possibly accessing devices each frame, peripheral devices are accessed during some frames, and not accessed during others. A USB host controller may have two or more modes, such as a low power mode and a regular mode. In the low power mode, USB devices are accessed during fewer than all frames, in the regular mode, USB devices are possibly accessed each frame. Mode selection may depend on whether battery power is used.
US09618995B2

Usage of a computing device is monitored when the computing device is in an active state. A content screen is stored corresponding to a digital content item that is in use when the computing device is in the active state. In response to the computing device being placed in an inactive state, the content screen is displayed on a display of the computing device.
US09618991B1

A method for providing electrical power to a computer data center includes generating alternating-current power by a plurality of generators and converting the alternating current power from each of the generators to direct current power; combining the direct current power from each of the generators into a common electrical domain; and supplying the computer data center using the combined direct current power.
US09618987B2

A keyboard module includes plural keys, a switch circuit board and a metallic bottom plate. The plural keys and the switch circuit board are disposed on the metallic bottom plate. The metallic bottom plate includes a first metal plate and a second metal plate. The first metal plate and the second metal plate are made of different metallic materials. Consequently, the metallic bottom plate has the two kinds of metallic characteristics. According to the consumer's requirements, the manufacturer of the keyboard module may select suitable metallic materials to produce the desired metallic bottom plate. Consequently, the metallic bottom plate will possess different functions.
US09618985B2

A data storage device securing mechanism is used to secure a data storage device on a board. The data storage device securing mechanism includes a bracket secured on the board, a pivot shaft secured on the bracket, and a latch piece rotatably installed on the pivot shaft. The bracket includes a plurality of sliding grooves. The latch piece includes a latch portion. The data storage device is configured to be slidably installed on the sliding groove. The latch piece is configured to be rotated and be received in the sliding groove. The latch portion is configured to be resisted against the data storage device to secure the data storage device on the bracket.
US09618984B2

An electromagnetic (EMC) shielding system includes a bezel and a sleeve. The bezel includes an exterior opening aligned with an accessible computer enclosure component. The sleeve includes a shoulder portion in contact with the exterior of the bezel, a flange portion protruding into the interior of the bezel through the exterior opening, and a tunnel portion extending through the shoulder portion and flange portion. The accessible computer enclosure component generally is positioned within the tunnel portion. An EMC shielding method includes inserting the sleeve into an exterior opening of the computer enclosure bezel and installing the bezel to a computer enclosure such that the accessible component is positioned within the tunnel portion.
US09618982B2

Disclosed is a touch window. The touch window includes a substrate; a sensing electrode disposed on the substrate to sense a position; wire parts to electrically connect the sensing electrode; and a dummy pattern between the wire parts, wherein the wire parts include first extending parts and second extending parts having mutually different directionalities.
US09618979B1

Portable computing apparatus includes a first component and a second component. The first component includes first connecting module having a first curved surface, which is convex. The second component includes second connecting module including a retaining portion and a groove portion having a second curved surface, which is concave. The retaining portion disposed adjacent to the groove portion can abut against the first curved surface. When the first connecting module is magnetically connected to the second connecting module, the first curved surface is slidably engaged to the second curved surface. When the first curved surface slides against the second curved surface, an angle between the first component and the second component continuously increase, the first component can rotate against the second component by pivoting around the retaining portion, so as to further separate the first curved surface from the second curved surface.
US09618974B2

A foldable display is disclosed. In one aspect, the foldable display includes a display panel including: a plurality of flat regions and a folding region interposed between the flat regions. Each of the flat regions includes a fixed region and a semi-fixed region interposed between the fixed region and the folding region. The foldable display also includes a plurality of substrates respectively attached to the flat regions and a plurality of fixed adhesive members respectively interposed between the fixed regions and the substrates. The fixed adhesive members respectively attach the substrates to the fixed regions. The foldable display further includes a plurality of semi-fixed adhesive members respectively interposed between the semi-fixed regions and the substrates. The semi-fixed adhesive members are configured to respectively attach/detach the semi-fixed adhesive regions to/from the substrates based on the degree to which the display panel is folded.
US09618972B2

A three-dimensional display presents a plurality of icons that are associated with a user interface of an electronic device. The plurality of icons include at least a first icon presented at a first depth of presentation and a second icon presented at a second, different depth of presentation. The first icon is associated with a first input component of the user interface, such that the first input component provides for interaction with the first icon. The second icon is associated with a second input component of the user interface, such that the second input component provides for interaction with the second icon. The aforementioned depths of presentation may substantially coincide with various surfaces of the electronic device (such as a first touch-sensitive surface and a second touch-sensitive surface). This approach can serve to facilitate three-dimensional presentation of icons for interaction by touch-sensitive surfaces on the front and back of the electronic device.
US09618971B1

An apparatus for providing utility receptacles and HDMI cables at a location on a work surface has a bottom panel member and a wall structure attached to the bottom panel member. The wall structure defines an interior region. An interior panel is positioned within the interior region and attached to the wall structure to form upper and lower compartments. An electrical power device is positioned within the interior region and attached to the wall structure. The electrical power device has an electrical power receptacle and device charging ports. A HDMI signal switcher is in the lower compartment and has HDMI input and output connectors. The apparatus includes a plurality of HDMI cables. Each HDMI cable extends from a corresponding opening in the interior panel and has a first HDMI connector connected to a corresponding HDMI input connector and a second HDMI connector for connection to an HDMI signal source device.
US09618965B2

A system for dynamically calibrating operational parameters of a Device Under Test (DUT) includes a signal generator for generating a data pattern, a DUT structured to generate a clock signal, an oscilloscope structured to measure margins of the generated clock signal compared to an eye-diagram produced on the oscilloscope from the data pattern, and a calibration unit. The calibration unit can produce a candidate a jitter value for the signal generator, receive a determination from the oscilloscope whether the data pattern generated with the candidate jitter value causes the DUT to produce the generated clock signal within a pre-determined tolerance level, and modify the jitter value accordingly. The calibration unit may also be further structured to generate voltage swing values.
US09618957B2

In one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a capacitor and a die. The die comprises a resistor switch coupled between a power line and the capacitor, wherein the resistor switch has an adjustable resistance, and the power line and the capacitor are both external to the die. The die also comprises a circuit configured to receive power from the power line, and a controller configured to open the resistor switch if the power line is powered down.
US09618956B2

A power supply for an electronic circuit enables a low effort retention mode. During a normal mode a circuit module is supplied a first voltage sufficient for a controlled circuit to operate. During the low effort retention mode the circuit module is supplied with a second voltage lower than the first voltage. The second voltage is sufficient for flop-flops to retain their state but not sufficient to guarantee proper circuit operation. The second voltage is produced by a voltage drop (droop) from the first voltage. The preferred embodiment includes a System On Chip and one external voltage regulator and an on-chip droop circuit for each circuit module.
US09618955B2

A power factor correction (PFC) controller includes a driver circuit coupled to vary the switching frequency of the power switch of the PFC converter in response to an input current of a PFC converter and an input voltage of the PFC converter, and to output a third signal to switch the power switch of the PFC converter to control the input current to substantially follow the input voltage. A frequency adjust circuit is coupled to receive an error voltage signal representative of an output of the PFC converter. The frequency adjust circuit is further coupled to output an adjusted error signal to adjust the end of the off time of the power switch of the PFC converter in response to the error voltage signal.
US09618952B2

A current generator circuit includes at least one current generation component arranged to generate an output current of the current generator circuit, at least one absolute current calibration component arranged to enable calibration of an absolute current value of the output current, and at least one temperature coefficient calibration component arranged to enable calibration of a temperature coefficient characteristic of the output current. The at least one temperature coefficient calibration component is further arranged to be in a passive state at a reference temperature.
US09618936B2

A system for automated operation of a host-vehicle includes a sensor, a data-source, and a controller. The sensor is installed in a host-vehicle. The sensor is operable to determine a state-of-awareness of an operator of the host-vehicle. The data-source provides route-data used for automated operation of the host-vehicle. The route-data includes a map and a control-rule for navigating the map. The controller is in communication with the sensor and the data-source. The controller is configured to operate the host-vehicle during automated operation of the host-vehicle in accordance with the route-data. The controller is also configured to modify the control-rule based on the state-of-awareness of the operator.
US09618934B2

An automatic unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flight control system for 3D aerial mapping includes a UAV with an onboard camera, and a controller capable of communication with a flight control module of the UAV. The controller is configured to determine an area mapping flight path based on terrain characteristics of an area to be mapped. The controller also can determine a structure mapping flight path based on the existence and location of vertical structures within the area to be mapped. The area mapping flight path can be appended with the structure mapping flight path, thus providing an integrated and optimized UAV flight path for 3D mapping and modeling.
US09618929B2

An inventory tracking system and method for use in semiconductor manufacturing provide for generating a priority score that determines the order in which lots of substrates should be run. The priority score is generated using an algorithm that takes into account external lot priority considerations, inventory factors in the manufacturing facility, and processing tool capability factors. The processing tool capability factors include factors related to tool status and tool restrictions and the inventory factors include factors related to line balance, WIP (work-in-progress) forecasts and various downstream considerations. The priority score is generated dynamically and displayed at each processing operation for each lot that is queued for processing at the indicated operation. Various algorithms are used and different weights are assigned to many factors in calculating numerical values for several factors that combine to produce the priority score. The generated priority score can be tool-specific or module-specific.
US09618919B2

A method of generating linear models for a physical system of interest is implemented in steps including, first, determining offline, a set of linear models for the physical system of interest by linearization of a nonlinear computational model of the physical system of interest at selected operating points or from desired data; second, analyzing offline, accuracy of each linear model and eliminating inaccurate linear models therefrom to provide a residual set of linear models; third, generating offline, linear models corresponding to grid points of one or more lookup tables based on the residual set of linear models; fourth, associating offline, lookup table grid points with selected scheduling variables, and fifth, generating algorithmic software for the physical system therefrom such that linear models for the physical system generated offline form the basis for online scheduling of linear models.
US09618916B2

A demand control device performs demand control in which energy consumption of heat source units is suppressed with regard to a heat source system having a plurality of the heat source units with capacities and/or output characteristics that are different. The demand control device includes a receiving section, a collecting section, an energy suppression amount value calculating section, a heat source output determining section, and a driving section. The receiving section receives a demand signal which requests starting of the demand control. The energy suppression amount value calculating section calculates an energy suppression amount value relating to an energy amount suppressed during the demand control. The heat source output determining section determines an output individually with regard to each of the plurality of heat source units based on the energy suppression amount value. The driving section drives each of the plurality of heat source units using the output.
US09618914B2

The present invention relates to an energy resource-grid-load automatic control system of smart microgrid and control methods thereof, which belong to the field of microgrid control and electrical technology. The energy resource-grid-load automatic control system includes a distributed renewable energy power generation module, a distributed renewable energy inverter module, a conventional power generation module, a user load module, a bidirectional grid-connected control module, a distributed renewable energy intelligent optimizing power generation control module, an energy storage module, an intelligent energy storage unit adjuster and a storage battery pack. Compared with the conventional microgrid including a distributed renewable energy power generation system, the present invention guarantees the stability and the high energy utilization of the power generation system and effectively solves the problem of non-uniform frequency of use of storage batteries to unify the service life of the storage battery pack.
US09618908B2

A display assembly includes a display selectively displaying human-readable indicia on a face thereof and a cover disposed over the display. The cover has a homogeneous surface over the entire face of the display. The display assembly is controllable between an inactive state and an active state. In the inactive state, the face of the display is not viewable through the cover, and in the active state, the indicia are viewable through the cover.
US09618907B2

The present application discloses an electronic apparatus, comprising: a frame body, a fixing device, and a functional main body section. The fixing device is connected to the frame body, and used for fixing the electronic apparatus onto a support body. The frame body and the fixing device form a ring-like space when the electronic apparatus is fixed onto the support body by the fixing device. The functional main body section at least includes a first display module and a second display module, which are disposed in the frame body and stacked sequentially in a first direction. The electronic apparatus has a first cross section. The first cross section is a ring formed by sectioning the electronic apparatus in a direction perpendicular to the support body with the support body as a reference object, when the electronic apparatus is fixed onto the support body by the fixing device.
US09618900B2

An image forming apparatus include a door through which a tray carrying a cartridge passes, wherein in interrelation with the door closing operation, (i) movement of the tray from a movable position to an image forming position, (ii) movement of a drive transmission member, for transmitting a driving force to the cartridge from a main assembly, from a first spacing position to a drive-connecting position, (iii) movement of an urging member for urging the cartridge to the main assembly from a second spacing position to a contact position, and (iv) movement of an electric energy supply member, for supplying electric power to the cartridge from the main assembly, from a third spacing position to an electric energy supplying position, are carried out in the order named.
US09618885B2

A fixing device includes a housing, a cylindrical rotary member, a shaft, a heat source, a bearing and a ring member. The bearing includes an inner race supporting the shaft, and an outer race supporting an inner circumferential portion of the rotary member and being rotatable relatively to the inner race. The ring member is fit on the shaft adjacent to the bearing. The ring member includes an outer circumferential surface that contacts with the inner circumferential portion of the rotary member from radially inside, and a side surface that contacts the inner race and the outer race of the bearing in an axial direction.
US09618884B2

An image heating apparatus configured to heat an image formed on a recording material includes a cylindrical rotatable member including a conductive layer, a magnetic core inserted through the rotatable member, a coil helically wound around an outer side of the magnetic core within the rotatable member, and an inverter configured to supply an alternating current to the coil. A frequency of the alternating current supplied from the inverter is within a range of 20.5 to 100 kHz. The conductive layer generates heat by electromagnetic induction due to an alternating magnetic field produced from the alternating current supplied to the coil. The coil is wound at an interval of 1 mm or longer.
US09618883B2

An image forming apparatus includes a transfer unit, a fixing unit, and a control unit. The transfer unit transfers a toner image onto a sheet. The fixing unit fixes the toner image onto the sheet and includes a roller. The control unit controls a roller rotational speed. Where both a first loop amount of the sheet at one side in a width direction orthogonal to a sheet conveyance direction and a second loop amount of the sheet at the other side in a width direction are within a predetermined range, the control unit switches a roller rotational speed for controlling a loop amount of the sheet between the transfer unit and the fixing unit. Where either the first or second loop amount is not within the predetermined range, the control unit sets the roller rotational speed into a predetermined speed without switching the roller rotational speed.
US09618876B2

A structure in which a shutter is moved in a first direction by a motor, an opening is provided in the shutter, and the shutter is moved in a second direction using an elastic force of a spring connected to an upper cover of a light scanning device and an inside wall at the opening of the shutter increases the size of the structure of the shutter and the structure of the light scanning device due to the position of the spring. Therefore, a recess is provided in an opposing surface of a cover opposing a shutter, and a spring for sliding the shutter is connected to a connection portion provided at the recess. The recess is provided at a side opposite to the light source units with a polygon mirror being interposed therebetween.
US09618872B2

During an operation of assembling a cover on an optical box, a cover-side engaging portion comes into contact with a side wall of the optical box and hence is deformed. An optical scanning apparatus is configured so that a distal end portion of a protrusion and an apex portion of a side wall of an optical box pass each other prior to a distal end portion of a cover-side engaging portion.
US09618870B1

A charging member includes a conductive support and an outermost layer disposed on the conductive support. The outermost layer includes porous silica and an N-alkoxymethylated polyamide and has a gel fraction of 50% or more and a surface roughness Rz of 2 μm or more and 20 μm or less.
US09618864B2

A toner comprised of mother toner particles each including a colorant, a resin A capable of forming a crystalline structure, and a resin B incapable of forming a crystalline structure is provided. The resin A is dispersed in the resin B in the state of phase separation. The long axis of each dispersed particle of the resin A has a length of from 30 to 200 nm and the length ratio of the long axis to the short axis is from 2 to 15. The DSC endothermic quantity attributable to the resin A is from 8 to 20 J/g.
US09618862B2

A toner is provided. The toner includes a binder resin and a release agent. The release agent has an average aspect ratio of 31 or more, when the average aspect ratio is determined from cross-sectional images of the toner observed with a transmission electron microscope (TEM).
US09618843B2

A resist composition including: a base component (A) that exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution by action of acid; and an acid generator component (B) that generates acid upon exposure, wherein the base component (A) includes a resin component (A1) containing a structural unit (a0) represented by general formula (a0-1) shown below or general formula (a0-2) shown below; and the acid generator component (B) includes an acid generator (B1) including a compound represented by general formula (b0-1) or (b0-2) shown below.
US09618838B2

A photomask blank includes a chromium-based material film as a light-shielding film, wherein the chromium-based material film has an optical density per unit thickness at a wavelength of 193 nm of at least 0.050/nm, and the chromium-based material film has a tensile stress or compressive stress corresponding to an amount of warp of up to 50 nm.The present invention provides a photomask blank having a thin film of chromium-based material which is lowered in film stress while retaining a high optical density per unit film thickness. This enables high-accuracy patterning of a chromium-based material film.
US09618830B1

A photography workstation comprises a base and a working platform defining an inner region and an outer region having a plurality of accessory mounting stations constructed to removably secure a variety of image capturing accessories, the workstation further including an object positioner to removably secure an object to be photographically captured wherein at least one image capturing accessory may be removably secured to a mounting station and used to cooperate with an image capturing device to capture one or more images or videos of the object when the object is removably secured to the object positioner.
US09618815B2

A display substrate includes a gate metal pattern comprising a gate line extending in a first direction and a gate electrode electrically connected to the gate line, a data metal pattern comprising a data line extending in a second direction crossing the first direction, a source electrode electrically connected to the data line and a drain electrode spaced apart from the source electrode, an organic layer disposed on the data metal pattern, a repair hole penetrating the organic layer and exposing a crossing area in which the gate line crosses with the data line and a pixel electrode disposed on the organic layer and electrically connected to the drain electrode.
US09618810B2

An array substrate is disclosed, and has a substrate. A first metal layer, a first insulation layer, a second metal layer, a second insulation layer, and a pixel electrode layer are disposed on the substrate successively. A plurality of first through holes and a plurality of second through holes are disposed on the position of a link line, so as to expose the first metal line and the second metal line. The first metal line is electrically connected to the second metal line through a conductive line of the pixel electrode layer. Thus, the problem of vertical and parallel light lines of a drain discharge module can be efficiently improved.
US09618805B2

A disclosed liquid crystal display includes an upper plate and a lower plate with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The display also includes a spacer positioned between the upper plate and the lower plate. The lower plate includes a lower electrode, an insulating layer over the lower electrode, an upper electrode over the insulating layer, and an alignment layer connected to the lower electrode and the upper electrode. The alignment layer is connected to the lower electrode through a hole passing through the insulating layer.
US09618800B2

The present disclosure provides a method for producing spacers in a liquid crystal panel, comprising: (a) exposing a material layer adjacent to a side of a thin film transistor substrate of said liquid crystal panel by a mask with a pre-set pattern, in order to form a groove in said material layer, wherein the exposure energy of said exposure ranges from 10 to 100 mJ/cm2; (b) forming a main spacer and a side spacer in an opposite substrate, wherein the height of the side spacer is higher than that of the main spacer; and (c) assembling a TFT substrate and the opposite substrate together, such that the main spacer of the opposite substrate abuts against the TFT substrate, and the side spacer extends into said groove. The present disclosure also provides a liquid crystal panel obtained by said method.
US09618795B2

The liquid crystal panel includes a liquid crystal cell, a first polarizer on one side of the liquid crystal cell, a second polarizer on the other side of the liquid crystal cell, a first optically anisotropic element disposed between the liquid crystal cell and the first polarizer, and a second optically anisotropic element disposed between the first optically anisotropic element and the liquid crystal cell. Absorption axes of the first and the second polarizers are perpendicular to each other. The first optically anisotropic element has a slow axis direction parallel to the absorption axis direction of the first polarizer. The second optically anisotropic element has a slow axis direction perpendicular to the absorption axis direction of the first polarizer. The first and the second optically anisotropic elements each have in-plane and thickness-direction retardation values within specific ranges, respectively.
US09618790B2

An illumination unit includes: a light modulation layer disposed in a gap between a first transparent substrate and a second transparent substrate, and exhibiting a scattering property or transparency with respect to light from a light source, depending on magnitude of an electric field; and an electrode generating an electric field in the light modulation layer, when a voltage is applied thereto, in which the light modulation layer generates a plurality of strip-like illumination light beams extending in a direction intersecting with a first end surface of the first or second transparent substrate with use of light from the light source, when an electric field for a three-dimensional display mode is applied from the electrode to the light modulation layer, and a light emission area per unit area of each of the strip-like illumination light beams varies with a distance from the light source.
US09618789B2

Provided are a planar lighting apparatus, a liquid crystal display apparatus, and a planar light source. The planar lighting apparatus includes a planar light source including light emitting elements, a first housing, a light emitting surface divided into light emitting regions, and a first temperature sensor disposed inside of the first housing. The planar lighting apparatus further includes a second housing covering the planar light source; a second temperature sensor disposed outside of the first housing and inside of the second housing; a light-source drive circuit including light-source drive section each driving and controlling the light emitting elements belonging to the corresponding light emitting region; a memory section; and a computing section calculating a driving condition of each light-source drive section and correcting the driving condition on the basis of measurement values of the first temperature sensor and the second temperature sensor, and setup information in the memory section.
US09618780B2

A stereoscopic display device, an LCD panel, and an array substrate are provided. The array substrate includes gate lines, share lines, and a switching circuit including a vertical switching circuit, a first switch, a second switch, and an inverter. The first switch includes a gate, a first terminal, and a second terminal; respectively connected with the vertical switching circuit, the Nth share line, and the (N+X)th gate line. The second switch includes a gate, a first terminal, and a second terminal; respectively connected with the vertical switching circuit, the Nth share line, and a control signal. The inverter disposes between the gate of the first or second switch and the vertical switching circuit. The share lines can be independent controlled and low color shift effect is achieved. No additional IC chips and COFs are required, and solving the image blurs and the brightness difference of the two eyes.
US09618774B2

Various embodiments disclose a quasi progressive lens including a first optical zone capable of providing distance vision, a second optical zone capable of providing near vision and a transition zone connecting the first and second optical zones. Physical dimensions (e.g., length and width) of the transition zone are adjusted to increase the size of the second optical zone in comparison to progressive lenses and to reduce residual cylinder power and aberrations along the convergence path in comparison to bifocal lenses.
US09618773B2

Described herein is a contact lens which can actively generate oxygen that is directly supplied to the cornea when it is worn by a patient. The contact lens comprises: a lens body composed of a hydrogel material or preferably a silicone hydrogel material; at least one anode for electrolytically generating oxygen from water in contact with the anode; and at least one cathode operatively coupled with the anode to form an electrolytic cell. The anode and the cathode are embedded within the lens body and operatively connected to a power source and to a control element which automatically applies a potential voltage between the anode and the cathode, drives an electrical current through the anode and the cathode to generate oxygen from electrolysis of water, and controls the timing and duration of electrolysis of water in the eye.
US09618772B2

A spectacle lens design system, including: an eyeball rotation center determination means that identifies an corneal apex position of an eye of a subject based on an image photographed by a predetermined photographing apparatus and determines an eyeball rotation center position of the subject based on the identified corneal apex position; a visual line information calculation means that calculates visual line information of the subjected defined when the subject watches a visual target disposed at a predetermined position, based on the eyeball rotation center position determined by the eyeball rotation center determination means and the position of the visual target; and a shape design means that designs a shape of a spectacle lens based on predetermined prescription information and the visual line information calculated by the visual line information calculation means.
US09618768B2

A lens driving device is proposed, including a cover can whose upper side surface includes an opening formed to expose a lens and whose side surface extends from the upper side surface to a base, a base that is secured to the cover can; a housing that is arranged on top of the base and moves in first and second directions that are perpendicular to an optical axis, a bobbin that is housed in the housing and moves in an optical axis direction, an actuator that includes a magnet unit arranged in the housing, a first coil unit arranged in an outer side surface of the bobbin, and a second coil unit that is arranged on top of the base, and a substrate that is disposed between the second coil unit and the base so as to control the first coil unit and the second coil unit.
US09618767B2

A projector includes an illumination device adapted to emit a plurality of light beams, which includes a first light beam and a second light beam, as illumination light, a liquid crystal light valve, and a projection optical system adapted to project image light, which is emitted from the liquid crystal light valve, on a screen. The image light is formed of a plurality of diffracted light beams and a plurality of zero-order light beams, which are generated by the illumination light and the liquid crystal light valve. In the exit pupil, an illuminance peak due to the zero-order light beam corresponding to the first light beam is disposed at a position different from a position of an illuminance peak due to the diffracted light beam corresponding to the second light beam.
US09618766B2

An optical device which is disposed between a light source section of a display apparatus and a projection target member, includes a first luminous flux diameter enlargement element in which a first light-transmissive layer and a first partially reflective layer are alternately laminated in a first direction, and a second luminous flux diameter enlargement element in which a second light-transmissive layer and a second partially reflective layer are alternately laminated in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The first partially reflective layer and the second partially reflective layer are formed from dielectric multilayered films that have the same film configuration. In addition, the optical device includes a retardation element that is formed from a ½λ retardation plate between a first emission surface of the first luminous flux diameter enlargement element and a second incidence surface of the second luminous flux diameter enlargement element.
US09618758B2

A stereoscopic image display device comprises a frame rate conversion unit that divides 3D input data into left eye image data and right eye image data, inserts reset frame data containing black grayscale data between the left eye image data and the right eye image data, and generates the (n+1)-th frame data to the (n+4)-th frame data containing the left eye image data, the black grayscale data, the right eye image data, respectively, and the black grayscale data, a look-up table that stores local dimming values used to control brightness for the overall local dimming zones to the minimum during the (n+2)-th and (n+4)-th frame periods, and local dimming values used to control brightness for each local dimming zone to target brightness during the (n+1)-th and (n+3)-th frame periods, and a backlight controller that controls light source brightness of the backlight unit for each local dimming zone.
US09618754B2

An optical system for forming a final image of a non-circular light source on a workpiece with a desired non-circular cross-section and desired size B includes a plurality of spaced lenses. The plurality of lenses are arranged with spaced upstream and downstream lenses which are configured to transmit the beam emitted by the light source. The optical system is configured with an F-theta lens spaced downstream from the downstream lens and converging the beam incident thereon so that the beam has a final waist. The F-theta and downstream lenses are spaced apart so that F ⁢ ⁢ 4 Fth = A B , wherein F4 a positive focal length of the downstream lens, Fth is the negative focus of the F-theta lens, B is the desired size of the final image, and A is a size of a preliminary noncircular image of the source different from the desired size B.
US09618752B2

Video sources and inertial sensors are attached to a weapon and to goggles. A computer receives video images from the weapon- and goggles-mounted sources and inertial data from the sensors. The computer calculates a location for an image from the weapon-mounted source within an image from the goggles-mounted source using the inertial sensor data. The sensor-based location is checked (and possibly adjusted) based on a comparison of the images. A database contains information about real-world objects in a field of view of the goggles-mounted source, and is used to generate icons or other graphics concerning such objects.
US09618751B2

A head-mounted or helmet-mounted display apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes an optical element which in use is disposed in front of the eyes of a user. The optical element has a waveguide portion. The apparatus further includes a light source of image-bearing light and two diffraction elements. Each diffraction element is configured for propagation of image-bearing light of the light source through the optical element. Each diffraction element is arranged to release the image bearing light from the optical element. The apparatus further includes a switching element for switching the image-bearing light repeatedly between the first diffraction element and the second diffraction element to provide a first visible image or a second visible image to the respective eye of a user.
US09618745B2

The invention relates to a display arrangement (1) for a motor vehicle, for displaying information for an occupant (12) of the motor vehicle. To be able to display the information as cost-effectively as possible in two display areas (4, 5) of the motor vehicle, the invention provides that the display arrangement (1) has an image splitter (9) for separating at least two juxtaposed image sections (B1, B2) of the image.
US09618741B2

An optical scanning apparatus for efficiently performing scanning with light by efficiently increasing amplitude of an emission end of an optical fiber is provided. The optical scanning apparatus includes an optical fiber that guides illumination light emitted from a light source so that the illumination light is emitted from the emission end, a magnetic body fixed to the optical fiber, and a magnetic field generating unit changing a magnetic field to act on the magnetic body to displace a position of the emission end in a radial direction by magnetic force, and the magnetic field generating unit includes a plurality of coils for individually generating magnetic fields acting on the magnetic body at positions separate from each other in a longitudinal direction of the optical fiber, and the magnetic fields acting on the magnetic body can be individually adjusted at the positions.
US09618736B2

A method for correcting the thermoelastic effects on performance parameters of a telescope on board a space satellite, comprises a first step prior to the flight of the satellite consisting in determining, a priori, a correction of the thermoelastic effects by using a prior model of variations of the thermoelastic effects on the orbital scale and an algorithm for determining correction fed by programming data of the space satellite, and a second step carried out in flight, based on the correction determined a priori, consisting in establishing control messages of correction means for correcting the performance parameters of said telescope.
US09618726B2

An endoscope apparatus includes an image pickup unit comprising a plurality of image pickup devices and an optical path dividing member for dividing an entering light beam into a plurality of optical paths, wherein respective optical path lengths are different from one another; a contrast comparing member for comparing contrasts of a plurality of images; an image selecting member for selecting and outputting only one image signal from one image pickup device among the plurality of image pickup devices, on a basis of comparison result by the contrast comparing member; and a driving member for moving a movable lens so that a difference among the contrasts of the plurality of images is largest, wherein a part of an objective lens is configured to be movable in an optical axis direction.
US09618724B2

A camera lens includes, lined up from the object side to the image side, a first lens with positive refractive power, a second lens with negative refractive power, a third lens with positive refractive power, and a fourth lens with negative refractive power. The camera lens satisfies specific conditions.
US09618718B2

A fiber optic cable has a cable core that includes at least one optical fiber coupled to a fiber optic connector. A cable adapter sleeve is axially mounted on the cable core to surround the cable core, the cable adapter sleeve including a body portion that has a first outer diameter and a collar that has a second outer diameter that is greater than the first outer diameter. A crush sleeve is seated within a crush groove of the collar.
US09618710B2

An opto-electric hybrid board according to the present invention includes a substrate including an insulation layer and a metal reinforcement layer. An electric circuit part is provided on the front surface of the substrate, and an optical waveguide part is provided on the back surface thereof. The metal reinforcement layer includes an optical coupling through hole and an alignment through hole. The electric circuit part includes an electrical interconnect line, an optical element, a first alignment mark for positioning of a mirror part, and a second alignment mark for positioning of the optical element. The mirror part of the optical waveguide part is positioned with respect to the first alignment mark visually recognized through the alignment through hole, and the optical element of the electric circuit part is positioned with respect to the second alignment mark.
US09618706B2

An optical connector which includes a body including a contact part having a contact groove, a cover having an outer surface on which a protruding lock region is formed, a first insertion part formed on one side end portion of the contact part, and a second insertion part formed on the other side end portion of the contact part. A holder is inserted to be slidable onto the contact part and the cover. A guide protrusion is formed to protrude from each side surface of the cover. A guide slot concavely formed on each inner side surface of the holder in a longitudinal direction of the holder. The guide protrusion is inserted into and guided by the guide slot. The guide slot includes an unlock region in which a vertical distance from an inner upper surface of the holder to a contact point of the guide slot.
US09618700B1

Herein is disclosed an optical device for orthogonal redirection of electromagnetic radiation. The optical device includes, in one instance, an optical redirection element that includes a lens and an total-internal-reflectance (TIR) bevel, the lens having a principal axis and a lens radius; an optical fiber having a longitudinal axis and having an output surface positioned proximal to the lens, the output surface having an output surface diameter that is less than or equal to the lens radius; where the output surface is eccentric to the principal axis.
US09618698B2

System, apparatus, and method embodiments are provided for optical waveguide crossings. In an embodiment, a system for transmitting an optical signal across an optical obstruction includes a first optical waveguide optically coupled to a first surface grating coupler (SGC); a second optical waveguide optically coupled to a second SGC; and a reflector configured to reflect an optical signal from the first SGC to the second SGC.
US09618684B2

The present disclosure provides a backlight module and a display device. The backlight module includes a light source and a light guide plate. The backlight module further includes: a light collimation element configured to convert divergent rays emitted from the light source into parallel rays; a polarizing beam-splitting element configured to convert the parallel rays into a first polarized ray and a second polarized ray with their vibration directions perpendicular to each other; and a phase delaying element configured to convert the vibration direction of the second polarized ray to be identical to that of the first polarized ray, so as to form a third polarized ray. The first and third polarized rays form incident polarized rays entering into the light guide plate. The light guide plate is configured to receive the incident polarized rays.
US09618679B2

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a reflective film, a backlight module comprising the reflective film and a display apparatus comprising the backlight module. A row of low-reflection dots are disposed on a side of a surface of the reflective film, and regions of the surface of the reflective film corresponding to the low-reflection dots have smaller reflectivity with respect to the incident light from an LED light strip disposed at a side of the row of the low-reflection dots than other regions of the surface of the reflective film with respect to the incident light from the LED light strip. The regions of the reflective film directly facing the LED are changed into low-reflection regions, in which the reflectivity is reduced. Therefore the alternate bright and dark phenomenon at light incident side is reduced or eliminated and display quality of the display apparatus is further improved.
US09618676B2

A light-conducting apparatus includes a light source, a light-conducting member and a light-reflecting structure. The light-conducting member includes a ring-shaped portion, a light-receiving surface and a radially outwardly bulged portion. The ring-shaped portion extends continuously over an entire circumference of the ring-shaped portion in a circumferential direction of the ring-shaped portion. The light-receiving surface causes light from the light source to enter the light-conducting member through the light-receiving surface. The radially outwardly bulged portion is bulged radially outwardly from the ring-shaped portion and causes the light having entered the light-conducting member through the light-receiving surface to enter the ring-shaped portion in one direction in the circumferential direction of the ring-shaped portion. The light-reflecting structure reflects a portion of the light having entered the light-conducting member through the light-receiving surface and causes the reflected light to enter the ring-shaped portion in a direction opposite to the one direction in the circumferential direction of the ring-shaped portion.
US09618667B2

A method of forming quantum rod (QR) films includes: forming a transmissive film on a substrate; forming a plurality of stripe-shaped slots on the transmissive film; forming a QR layer on an alignment film, the QR layer comprising curing adhesives, and QRs and electric field-sensing monomers doped in the curing adhesives; applying an electrical field on the QR layer, so that under the effect of the electric field, the electric field-sensing monomers drive the QRs aligning with the plurality of stripe-shaped slots; and curing the curing adhesive so to bind the QRs. The present invention also proposes a QR light-emitting display device having a QR film made by the above mention method. The alignment of the long axes of QRs would be improved. It would enhance the luminance of the light emitted from the light-emitting side of the QR film.
US09618664B2

An optical element (transmissive or reflective) includes a transmissive layer comprising two different optical media arranged among discrete volumes arranged along the layer. The discrete volumes are arranged to approximate a desired phase function (typically modulo 2π) and are smaller than an operational wavelength in order to provide a range of phase delays needed to adequately approximate the desired phase function.
US09618662B1

A forward viewing device allows a cyclist having a head down position to view a scene forward of a bicycle. The device includes a prism fixed to a support which is connected to the bicycle forward of the cyclist. An image of the scene is transmitted through a forward facing surface of the prism, reflected internally by at least two surfaces of the prism, and transmitted to the cyclist through a prism surface as an image which is not mirrored left to right or turned upside down. In an embodiment, multiple prisms are positioned with adjacent ends, to increase the horizontal field of view. In another embodiment, multiple prisms are offset vertically, to increase the vertical field of view. In another embodiment, the device has a single optical element and does not require alignment.
US09618657B2

An optical element has a base material having a surface and a plurality of structures which are arranged on the surface of the base material at a fine pitch equal to or shorter than the wavelength of visible light and which each includes a convex or concave portion. The elastic modulus of the material forming the structures is 1 MPa or more and 1200 MPa or less, and the surface on which the structures are formed are hydrophilic.
US09618655B2

A method for manufacturing an optical display device comprising: after completing lamination of a preceding optical film sheet to one of opposite surfaces of a preceding panel component at the predetermined laminating position, unwinding the carrier film in a state where another surface thereof folded to inside at a tip-end configuring a head portion of a peeling member and the carrier film is passed around the peeling member, and backwardly feeding a leading end of the optical film sheet supported on the carrier film to a predetermined feeding position provided at upstream of the tip-end of the peeling member.
US09618653B2

Sensors for air flow, temperature, pressure, and humidity are integrated onto a single semiconductor die within a miniaturized Venturi chamber to provide a microelectronic semiconductor-based environmental multi-sensor module that includes an air flow meter. One or more such multi-sensor modules can be used as building blocks in dedicated application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) for use in environmental control appliances that rely on measurements of air flow. Furthermore, the sensor module can be built on top of existing circuitry that can be used to process signals from the sensors. By integrating the Venturi chamber with accompanying environmental sensors, correction factors can be obtained and applied to compensate for temporal humidity fluctuations and spatial temperature variation using the Venturi apparatus.
US09618651B2

Systems and methods for analyzing an unknown geological sample are disclosed. The system may include at least two analytical subsystems, and each of the at least two analytical subsystems provides different information about the geological sample. The data sets from various analytic subsystems are combined for further analysis, and the system includes a chemometric calibration model that relates geological attributes from analytical data previously obtained from at least two analytical techniques. A prediction engine applies the chemometric calibration model to the combined analytical information from the geological sample to predict specific geological attributes in the unknown geological sample.
US09618645B2

A metal detection device includes a metal detection coil arranged in a metal detection area, wherein the metal detection coil is excited, and an electromagnetic wave radiated from the metal detection coil detects whether metal exists in the metal detection area. An oscillation circuit generates a sinusoidal oscillating current having a single fundamental frequency and supplies the oscillating current to the metal detection coil to excite the coil. A harmonic level detection circuit detects a harmonic component of the fundamental frequency component of the oscillating current and generates a detection signal. A comparison circuit compares a signal level of the detection signal and a pre-set reference value. A processing circuit determines whether metal exists in the metal detection area based on a comparison result. When determining that metal exists in the metal detection area, the processing circuit drives a notification unit to issue a notification indicating detection of metal.
US09618638B2

A technique includes designing a streamer, which includes a cable and seismic sensors based at least in part on a relationship between vibration noise and a bending stiffness of the cable.
US09618636B2

A technique includes towing at least one seismic source in connection with a survey of a structure; and operating the seismic source(s) to fire shots, where each shot is associated with a frequency sweep. The technique includes varying phases of the frequency sweeps from shot to shot according to a predetermined phase sequence to allow noise in an energy sensed by seismic sensors to be attenuated.
US09618627B2

A method for determining a side slip angle in a vehicle, includes determining with a first sensor an orientation of an effective vehicle speed vector of the Vehicle in relation to a geographic coordinate system of the earth; determining with a second sensor an orientation of the vehicle in relation to a magnetic coordinate system of the earth magnetic field; determining a differential angle of the magnetic north direction of the earth relative to the geographic north direction of the earth by using a vehicle speed; and determining the side slip angle as a function of the orientation of the effective vehicle speed vector and the differential angle according to the relationship β=ψcourse+ψmag,Δ−ψmag, wherein β designates the side slip angle, ψmag,Δ the differential angle, ψmag the orientation of the vehicle in relation to the magnetic north direction and ψcourse the orientation of the vehicle speed vector.
US09618619B2

Laser radar systems include a pentaprism configured to scan a measurement beam with respect to a target surface. A focusing optical assembly includes a corner cube that is used to adjust measurement beam focus. Target distance is estimated based on heterodyne frequencies between a return beam and a local oscillator beam. The local oscillator beam is configured to propagate to and from the focusing optical assembly before mixing with the return beam. In some examples, heterodyne frequencies are calibrated with respect to target distance using a Fabry-Perot interferometer having mirrors fixed to a lithium aluminosilicate glass-ceramic tube.
US09618616B2

Each of antenna system processors of a radar receiver generates, through correlation calculation of a reflection signal and a radar transmission signal, an array correlation signal for each delay in arrival of the reflection signal at each Doppler frequency. A static target candidate extractor extracts, on the basis of outputs of the antenna system processors and a Doppler frequency of a reflection signal from a static target located at a side of a moving body, array correlation signals corresponding to a candidate for the static target. A reference signal detector outputs a reference signal regarding the side of the moving body using, among the outputs of the static target candidate extractor, array correlation signals whose consistency is high. A correction value calculator calculates, using outputs of the reference signal detector, a correction value for correcting deviations between reception antennas included in an array antenna.
US09618606B2

An antenna system (100) comprising a single antenna element having first (111) and second (112) antenna ports arranged to pass a respective first and second antenna signal. The first and second antenna signals being derived from a first common antenna signal (J1) and arranged to be essentially equal in envelope. An antenna pattern of the system being arranged to be selectable between a first antenna pattern having a first polarization and a second antenna pattern having a second polarization substantially orthogonal to the first polarization. The first antenna pattern being selected by setting the first and second antenna signal to have the same polarity on first (111) and second (112) antenna ports, the second antenna pattern being selected by setting the first and second antenna signal to have substantially opposite polarities on first (111) and second (112) antenna ports.
US09618604B1

Systems and methods for providing audio localization are provided. In some aspects, a method includes receiving phase offsets of a plurality of fixed transmitters from a source other than the plurality of fixed transmitters, detecting an audio localization signal from each of the plurality of fixed transmitters, determining a received phase of the audio localization signal from each of the plurality of fixed transmitters, determining time differences of flight from the mobile receiver to the plurality of fixed transmitters using the received phases, determining distance differences from the mobile receiver to the plurality of fixed transmitters using the time differences of flight, and determining the location of the mobile receiver by performing multilateration using the distance differences.
US09618602B2

A method and system are provided for controlling a laser tracker remotely from the laser tracker through gestures performed by a user. The method includes providing a rule of correspondence between each of a plurality of commands and each of a plurality of user gestures. A gesture is performed by the user with the user's body that corresponds to one of the plurality of user gestures. The gesture performed by the user is detected. The gesture recognition engine determines a first command from one of the plurality of commands that correspond with the detected gesture. Then the first command is executed with the laser tracker.
US09618601B2

A method and system for estimating a direction of arrival of a target signal relative to a measuring antenna array of an earth-orbiting satellite. The direction of arrival of the target signal being estimated on the basis of measurement signals corresponding to the target signal received respectively by at least a first measuring antenna and a second measuring antenna of the measuring antenna array. Each of the measurement signals are combined with a reference signal corresponding to the target signal received by a receiving antenna of the satellite. The receiving antenna has a maximum gain greater than the respective maximum gains of the first measuring antenna and of the second measuring antenna. The direction of arrival of the target signal is estimated from the signals obtained by combining the measurement signals with the reference signal.
US09618600B2

Angle of arrival and/or range estimation within a wireless communication device. Appropriate processing of communications received by a wireless communication device is performed to determine the angle of arrival of the communication (e.g., with respect to some coordinate basis of the wireless communication device). Also, appropriate processing of the communications may be performed in accordance with range estimation as performed by the wireless communication device to determine the distance between the transmitting and receiving wireless communication devices. There are two separate modes of packet processing operations that may be performed: (1) when contents of the received packet are known, and (2) when contents of the received packet are unknown. The wireless communication device includes a number of antenna, and a switching mechanism switches from among the various antennae capitalizing on the spatial diversity of the antennae to generate a multi-antenna signal.
US09618597B2

In a method and magnetic resonance apparatus for automating the analysis of MR raw data representing a spectrum, at least one post-processing procedure is applied to the raw data, so as to obtain a processed spectrum. The number of numerical values depicted by the processed spectrum is lowered to a feature vector. The feature vector is allocated to one of numerous groups of known feature vectors.
US09618591B1

A magnetic resonance system, comprising at least one SQUID, configured to receive a radio frequency electromagnetic signal, in a circuit configured to produce a pulsatile output having a minimum pulse frequency of at least 1 GHz which is analyzed in a processor with respect to a timebase, to generate a digital signal representing magnetic resonance information. The processor may comprise at least one rapid single flux quantum circuit. The magnetic resonance information may be image information. A plurality of SQUIDs may be provided, fed by a plurality of antennas in a spatial array, to provide parallel data acquisition. A broadband excitation may be provided to address a range of voxels per excitation cycle. The processor may digitally compensate for magnetic field inhomogeneities.
US09618589B2

Embodiments relate to a sensor device including a layer stack 600, the layer stack 600 including at least ferromagnetic and non-magnetic layers formed on a common substrate 620. The sensor device 600 further includes at least a first magneto-resistive sensor element 711 provided by a first section 611 of the layer stack 600. The first magneto-resistive sensor element 711 herein is configured to generate a first signal. The sensor device 600 also includes a second magneto-resistive sensor element 712 provided by a second section 612 of the layer stack 610. The second magneto-resistive sensor element 712 herein is configured to generate a second signal for verifying the first signal.
US09618586B2

A method to facilitate fault detection in the protected unit after connection to the at least a portion of the power system. A current is sensed in the protected unit during a plurality of different time periods. Compliance of at least one of the sensed currents with a respective first current criteria is determined based on a first current threshold value. On a condition that there is determined that at least one of the sensed currents comply with the respective first current criteria, a fault in the protected unit is detected.
US09618585B2

An adjusting device of an output voltage of a switch power supply and an adjusting method are provided. The adjusting device includes a potential setting module generating a high level signal and an adjustor being connected to the potential setting module to receive the high level signal. The adjustor includes a signal emitting module and a comparison module. The signal emitting module emits a pulse drive signal to the switch power supply when receiving the high level signal. The switch power supply automatically adjusts the output voltage when receiving the pulse drive signal. The comparison module reads the output voltage, compares with a preset voltage, and adjusts the output voltage according to a comparison result. The switch power supply can stop the automatic adjustment when an output level of a switch port of the switch power supply is inverted. An integrated chip is also provided.
US09618581B2

A test architecture accesses IP core test wrappers within an IC using a Link Instruction Register (LIR). An IEEE P1500 standard is in development for providing test access to these individual cores via a test structure called a wrapper. The wrapper resides at the boundary of the core and provides a way to test the core and the interconnections between cores. —The test architecture enables each of the plural wrappers in the IC, including wrappers in cores embedded within other cores, with separate enable signals.
US09618580B2

A latch circuit having a master latch and a slave latch includes a device used to short either the master latch or the slave latch. The device includes a transistor and a global control used to assert a signal, and is positioned to short an inverter of the master latch or the slave latch. When the signal is asserted by the global control, the inverter is shorted such that the output value of the inverter is the same as the input value. The assertion of the signal is facilitated by another device connected to the master latch and the slave latch that includes the global control and a transistor.
US09618572B2

A package includes a semiconductor chip. The semiconductor chip includes a test pad, and a plurality of microbump pads, wherein each microbump pad of the plurality of microbump pads is electrically connected to the test pad. The package further includes a substrate; and a plurality of microbumps configured to electrically connect the semiconductor chip to the substrate, wherein each microbump of the plurality of microbumps is electrically connected to a corresponding microbump pad of the plurality of microbump pads. The package further includes a package substrate, wherein the package substrate comprises a bump pad, wherein an area of the bump pad is greater than a combined area of the test pad and the plurality of microbump pads. The package further includes a bump configured to electrically connect the substrate to the package substrate.
US09618568B2

A method of testing a semiconductor device using the test equipment includes loading an undivided printed circuit board (PCB) including unit PCBs in a test equipment. A semiconductor device is mounted in each of the unit PCBs. Product information of the undivided PCB loaded in the test equipment is confirmed. The undivided PCB whose product information has been confirmed is electrically connected to one of a plurality of main testers of the test equipment. Each of the main testers includes a main test interface directly connected to a cloud server in which firmwares for various kinds of tests are stored. The product information of the undivided PCB is transmitted to the main tester electrically connected to the undivided PCB. The main tester to which the product information has been transmitted performs a main test of the undivided PCB using the product information. The undivided PCB on which the main test has been performed by the main tester is unloaded from the test equipment.
US09618558B2

A motor driving apparatus includes: a voltage detecting unit for detecting a voltage of each direct-current capacitor; a current detecting unit for detecting each current inputted to or outputted from each inverter; an commanding unit for outputting a power-converting command to each inverter after each direct-current capacitor is charged and supply of direct-current power to a converter is shut off; a current integrating unit for integrating each current detected while the power-converting command is outputted; a capacity estimating unit for calculating the estimated capacity of each direct-current capacitor based on the current integration value and the voltage of the direct-current capacitor after supply of direct-current power to the converter is shut off and before the power-converting command is outputted; and a life determining unit for determining a life of each direct-current capacitor based on the initial capacity value and the estimated capacity of the direct-current capacitor.
US09618532B2

An inertial sensor having a body with an excitation coil and a first sensing coil extending along a first axis. A suspended mass includes a magnetic-field concentrator, in a position corresponding to the excitation coil, and configured for displacing by inertia in a plane along the first axis. A supply and sensing circuit is electrically coupled to the excitation coil and to the first sensing coil, and is configured for generating a time-variable flow of electric current that flows in the excitation coil so as to generate a magnetic field that interacts with the magnetic-field concentrator to induce a voltage/current in the sensing coil. The integrated circuit is configured for measuring a value of the voltage/current induced in the first sensing coil so as to detect a quantity associated to the displacement of the suspended mass along the first axis.
US09618531B2

Technologies are generally described for operating and manufacturing optomechanical accelerometers. In some examples, an optomechanical accelerometer device is described that uses a cavity resonant displacement sensor based on a zipper photonic crystal nano-cavity to measure the displacement of an integrated test mass generated by acceleration applied to the chip. The cavity-resonant sensor may be fully integrated on-chip and exhibit an enhanced displacement resolution due to its strong optomechanical coupling. The accelerometer structure may be fabricated in a silicon nitride thin film and constitute a rectangular test mass flexibly suspended on high aspect ratio inorganic nitride nano-tethers under high tensile stress. By increasing the mechanical Q-factors through adjustment of tether width and tether length, the noise-equivalent acceleration (NEA) may be reduced, while maintaining a large operation bandwidth. The mechanical Q-factor may be improved with thinner (e.g., <1 micron) and longer tethers (e.g., 10-560 microns).
US09618529B2

A sensor device is described for the contactless acquisition of a rotatable object, in particular for acquiring a rotational speed of a compressor wheel of a turbocharger. The sensor device includes a sensor housing. The sensor device also includes at least one magnetic-field generator for generating a magnetic field at the location of the rotatable object, and at least one magnetic-field sensor for detecting a magnetic field generated by eddy currents of the rotatable object. The sensor device furthermore includes at least one connection element, the connection element being set up to connect the sensor device to a device that includes the rotatable object, especially a turbocharger, so that the magnetic-field generator and the magnetic-field sensor are at least partially disposed together in a sensor section of the sensor housing, and the sensor housing is at least regionally set apart from the device that includes the rotatable object.
US09618528B2

A speed sensor (1) including a first magnetic sensor (3) with a first magnetic detector (30), which is connected to an electronic circuit for conversion of its output analog signal to a first digital signal and a second magnetic sensor (4) with a second magnetic detector (40), which is also connected to an electronic circuit for conversion of its output analog signal to a second digital signal.
US09618526B2

An automated analyzer that can effectively reduce contamination of a diluted low-concentration specimen resulting from a high-concentration specimen not being diluted. The automated analyzer includes a specimen nozzle that performs both the function of pipetting a specimen from a specimen container accommodating the specimen and the function of pipetting a specimen diluted by the analyzer, and means for washing the specimen nozzle with a predetermined detergent. When a pipetting process of a high-concentration specimen not being diluted and a pipetting process of a low-concentration specimen diluted by the analyzer are consecutively performed for the same specimen by the specimen nozzle, between the pipetting process of a high-concentration specimen and the pipetting process of a low-concentration specimen, the analyzer performs a washing processing in which the specimen nozzle is washed with the predetermined detergent.
US09618516B2

Disclosed are methods for detecting and quantitatively measuring a binding property of a compound to a target macromolecule, wherein the target macromolecule is subject to denaturation and is linked to a labeling peptide, such as a short enzyme fragment. The method uses a fluid mixture comprising (i) a chimeric molecule comprising a target macromolecule linked to the labeling peptide and (ii) a compound being measured for binding to the target macromolecule, wherein said target macromolecule is subject to denaturation. After allowing for binding of the compound (e.g. a small molecule inhibitor of the target macromolecule), one detects a signal from the labeling peptide, such as by enzyme fragment complementation. This signal indicates a differential between denatured and non-denatured target macromolecules and thereby indicates a differential between target macromolecules not bound to the compound and target macromolecules bound to the compound, respectively.
US09618509B2

There is provided a diagnostic reagent for use in the detection of M. bovis or M. tuberculosis infection in an animal, comprising a peptide which has an epitope from Mycobacterium bovis hypothetic protein Mb3645c (SEQ ID NO: 1) or an epitope from a polypeptide having at least 76% identity with SEQ ID NO: 1.
US09618502B2

The object of the present invention is to provide a method for screening a substance involved in a metabolic shift of skeletal muscle, and a kit for screening a substance involved in a metabolic shift of skeletal muscle.The object can be solved by a muscle stem cell or myoblast comprising at least one myosin-heavy chain fusion gene selected from the group consisting of a myosin-heavy chain I fusion gene wherein a myosin-heavy chain I gene and a fluorescent protein or photoprotein gene are fused, a myosin-heavy chain IIa fusion gene wherein a myosin-heavy chain IIa gene and a fluorescent protein or photoprotein gene are fused, a myosin-heavy chain IId/x fusion gene wherein a myosin-heavy chain IId/x gene and a fluorescent protein or photoprotein gene are fused, and a myosin-heavy chain IIb fusion gene wherein a myosin-heavy chain IIb gene and a fluorescent protein or photoprotein gene are fused.
US09618498B2

A hematology analyzer is provided. In certain embodiments, the hematology analyzer comprises: a) a flow cell; b) a light source for directing light to the flow cell; c) a plurality of detectors for detecting a plurality of optical characteristics of a blood cell passing through the flow cell; and d) a data analysis workstation programmed to: i. enumerate test blood cells passing through the flow cell; and ii. flag a blood sample as containing lysis-resistant red blood cells or fragile white blood cells.
US09618496B2

A system configured to determine a property of a paving-related material is provided. The system includes a measuring device configured for measuring a property of a paving-related material and a cellular computer device configured for being in communication with and receiving data from the measuring device.
US09618494B2

A network of nanowires may be used for a sensor. The nanowires are metallic, each nanowire has a thickness of at most 20 nm, and each nanowire has a width of at most 20 nm. The sensor may include nanowires comprising Pd, and the sensor may sense a change in hydrogen concentration from 0 to 100%. A device may include the hydrogen sensor, such as a vehicle, a fuel cell, a hydrogen storage tank, a facility for manufacturing steel, or a facility for refining petroleum products.
US09618493B2

A substrate processing apparatus is provided that includes an ozonizer for generating ozone gas and an ozone sensor for detecting an ozone gas concentration. The substrate processing apparatus processes a substrate by using the ozone gas supplied from the ozonizer. The substrate processing apparatus includes a monitor unit for monitoring the ozone gas concentration detected by the ozone sensor and a control unit for detecting an abnormality of the ozone gas concentration based on the monitored ozone gas concentration and the monitored discharge power.
US09618492B2

A sensor for determining at least one property of a measuring gas in a measuring gas space is provided. The sensor has a housing which includes a housing opening. At least one connection cable is led from the housing through the housing opening. The sensor further includes at least one sealing body, in particular a grommet, the sealing body at least partially enclosing the connection cable. The sealing body has at least one first section and at least one second section, the first section having a higher deformability than the second section.
US09618491B1

Sensing particular gases in a mixture uses precise modulated heating. Sensor relative responses are compared at different temperatures and compared with known relative responses to identify gases and concentrations. Heater current sensors provide feedback control and microprocessor inputs. A processor controls complex impedances and varied frequencies in the sensors. Sensor responses at varied complex impedances and at varied frequencies are compared with known responses at those impedances and frequencies to determine existence and concentration of particular gases. Heater and sensor buses are separate or combined.
US09618489B2

A generator condition monitoring device using gaseous decomposition products sensor according to the present invention comprises moisture trap and a filter for removing moisture and oil in generator cooling hydrogen gas, three way solenoid valve for changing flow of hydrogen gas, hydrocarbon trap for absorbing and removing gaseous decomposition products in a hydrogen gas, a dew point meter for measuring amount of moisture in hydrogen gas, and detection sensor for detecting gaseous decomposition products in hydrogen gas.
US09618486B2

Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to limiting a rate or pressurization in a reconfigurable pressurized flow system for which different system configurations can have different system volumes. In exemplary embodiments, the system can determine a limit for the rate of pressurization by configuring the system for a closed system rate of pressurization, measuring the closed system rate of pressurization at a set flow rate, and determining a relationship between the closed system rate of pressurization and the flow rate. The system can use the relationship to dynamically set the limit for different flow rates in the system.
US09618484B2

The present invention discloses a general sample injector, comprising a sample injection port mechanism, a sample injector shell, a vaporizing chamber, a heater, a temperature control unit, a carrier gas channel, a septum purge channel, a flow splitting channel, a coolant channel, a multichannel flow control valve and a temperature control unit. The general sample injector, equivalent to a “programmed temperature vaporizer” injector combining splitting/no splitting with cold column head sample injection, gives full play to the advantages of various sample injection modes, overcomes a plurality of disadvantages, and has higher practicability and better flexibility.
US09618483B2

A fitting assembly includes a first fitting that is configured to receive a first fluid tube and a second fitting that is configured to receive a second fluid tube. The first fitting defines a first groove. The second fitting includes a spring that is configured to engage the first groove to connect the first and second fittings such that the first and second fluid tubes are placed in fluid communication and a fluid tight seal is established between the first and second sealing fittings.
US09618482B2

The invention relates to a device and a method for remotely determining the impulse response of an object irradiated by a pulse train with low-intensity pulses of electromagnetic radiation. A complete representation of the pulse train transmitted towards the object is known in advance, and a convolution between the signal representation of the pulse train and the signal of the detected response from the object is performed, which provides a signal representation of the impulse response. Said signal representation can then be used, e.g., to analyze possible defects in the structure of the object.
US09618480B2

An apparatus and method for inspecting the quality of a weld under test in a structure having a plurality of spaced apart welds. Two probes are placed on opposite sides of the structure so that a current path is formed through the weld under test. The probes are energized with alternating current at a known frequency. The magnetic flux generated from the current flow through the probes and at least one of the spaced apart welds is then measured and subsequently compared with magnetic flux data previously determined and representing weld quality.
US09618479B2

Devices and methods generate an ordered restriction map of genomic DNA extracted from whole cells. The devices have a fluidic microchannel that merges into a reaction nanochannel that merges into a detection nanochannel at an interface where the nanochannel diameter decreases in size by between 50% to 99%. Intact molecules of DNA are transported to the reaction nanochannel and then fragmented in the reaction nanochannel using restriction endonuclease enzymes. The reaction nanochannel is sized and configured so that the fragments stay in an original order until they are injected into the detection nanochannel. Signal at one or more locations along the detection nanochannel is detected to map fragments in the order they occur along a long DNA molecule.
US09618478B2

Provided are a sample analysis method using capillary electrophoresis capable of enhancing analysis accuracy, a solution for capillary electrophoresis, and a sample analysis kit. The sample analysis method includes separating and/or detecting a substance to be analyzed in a sample through capillary electrophoresis, in which the substance to be analyzed is separated and/or detected in the presence of a pH buffer substance and a non-surfactant-type zwitterionic substance. Further, the solution for capillary electrophoresis contains a pH buffer substance, a non-surfactant-type zwitterionic substance, and water.
US09618476B2

A biological sample analysis device includes a casing that encloses a biological sample delivery system hydraulically coupled to a sensor, wherein the sensor includes a plurality of Graphene transistors and each transistor covalently bonds with a biomarker causing the electrical properties of the transistor to measurably change when the biomarker is exposed to corresponding antibodies within an infected biological sample.
US09618475B2

Methods and apparatus relating to FET arrays including large FET arrays for monitoring chemical and/or biological reactions such as nucleic acid sequencing-by-synthesis reactions. Some methods provided herein relate to improving signal (and also signal to noise ratio) from released hydrogen ions during nucleic acid sequencing reactions.
US09618472B2

In a method for operating a heatable exhaust-gas sensor, which supplies at least one measuring signal and in which a sensor heater is operated using a pulse-width modulated operating voltage, the detection of the at least one measuring signal has priority over the supply of the pulse-width modulated operating voltage for sensor heater, and at least during a predefined time window in which the measuring signal is detected, the supply of the pulse-width modulated operating voltage for the sensor heater is suppressed using a blocking signal.
US09618468B2

The present disclosure relates to a method for measuring electrical conductivity and a system for measuring electrical conductivity using the same. The method includes obtaining a cell constant of a conductance cell using a conductivity standard solution, pouring a solution desired to be measured in the conductance cell, and applying predetermined direct current (DC) voltages to electrodes, disposed in the conductance cell, in a manner of changing the predetermined DC voltages in stages at each preset time (t), obtaining resistance of the solution, as a slope, from a linear relationship between the voltage and a peak current, measured for each voltage, and calculating electrical conductivity of the solution using the cell constant and the resistance of the solution.
US09618467B2

In the method of electrically characterizing a composite material for manufacturing an aircraft, the following steps are performed: compressing two spacers against at least one test piece made of a composite material; determining an electrical resistance value for the assembly formed by the spacers and the test piece; and deducing from said value a value for the electrical resistance of the composite material.
US09618466B2

The invention relates to a method for indirectly determining the purity of silanes and germanes using a device for measuring specific resistance. The invention further relates to a system for industrially producing and/or filling containers with silanes or germanes, including a quality control in which a device is used for measuring specific resistance.
US09618447B2

A spectroscopic measuring device for minimizing spurious absorption due to undesired gases. The device includes a probe body, or a transmission cell formed from a central measurement cell and first and second probe bodies. Each probe body is subject to leakage of undesired gas, especially over time in the presence of high pressure gas. Each probe body includes a bore located between a primary window disposed at or near a distal end and a secondary window located at or near the proximal end. It being observed that the absorbance is proportional to the pathlength and inversely proportional to the volume as long as the pressure in the probe body remains low compared to that in the measurement cell, a glass filler rod is located in the bore and a is void located adjacent to the filler glass rod, thereby minimizing spurious absorption even in the presence of leakage.
US09618444B2

A vehicle measurement system includes a laser projector which is designed to generate suitable laser radiation during the vehicle measurement operation, and a laser protection device which is suitable for protecting people and objects from the laser radiation. The laser projector and the laser protection device are designed as separate components and are combinable to form a laser projector having a laser protection device and are separable from one another again.
US09618437B2

A system for monitoring a wear of a screed plate of a paving machine is disclosed. The system includes a sensor located on the screed plate. The sensor generates signals indicative of the wear of the screed plate. The system further includes a controller coupled to the sensor. The controller receives signals from the sensor and determines the wear of the screed plate based on the received signals.
US09618430B2

An apparatus can be used to apply and remove fluid substances for processing biological samples. The fluid substances can be delivered between a first substrate and a second substrate. One substrate carries a specimen. A layer of the fluid substance is retained in a gap defined by the first and second substrates. One substrate is moved with respect to the second substrate to disperse the fluid substance in the gap.
US09618429B2

Disclosed embodiments concern a composition comprising DAB chromogen, and/or derivative thereof, a stabilizer, and polymer capable of preventing or reducing DAB precipitation relative to a composition that does not comprise the polymer. Also disclosed herein is a method for using the disclosed composition and embodiments of a kit.
US09618427B2

The disclosure describes a system to segregate, enrich and capture oil, water and gas samples from a multiphase flow. The system can be used in a subsea location, on the surface or in any other condition where it is connected to a flow of different phases of gas and/or liquid. The samples obtained are representative in composition of the phases flowing at well head conditions in terms of both pressure and temperature. Additionally, a relatively small volume of each phase is used in obtaining the samples. The system connects and disconnects to ports installed at the sampling location nearby the wellhead or the production line. The sampling flow is controlled by means of a pump. The collected samples are separated in mono (or nearly mono)—phase samples (oil, water and gas) and stored in individual bottles.
US09618425B2

A system for determining road force uniformity of a tire is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of imaging devices and a computer communicatively-coupled to the plurality of imaging devices. The plurality of imaging devices images a plurality of surfaces of the tire as the tire-wheel assembly is rotated about an axis of rotation. The computer receives images captured by the plurality of imaging devices in order for the computer to extract data from the images such that the computer may execute a road force uniformity simulation algorithm for the purpose of algorithmically simulating road force uniformity of the tire.
US09618423B2

A system for the misfire diagnosis includes an angular velocity sensor acquiring an angular velocity of an engine and an acceleration sensor acquiring an acceleration according to vertical vibration of a vehicle. A diagnosis unit is configured to compare the acceleration with an acceleration threshold to determine whether the vehicle is driven on a rough road and to diagnose whether misfire occurs. A threshold setting unit is configured to acquire misfire diagnosis results in a first test environment in which the vehicle is driven on the rough road without forcible misfire and in a second test environment in which the vehicle is driven on the rough road while the forcible misfire occurs. The threshold setting unit is further configured to calculate a misfire misdiagnosis rate and to update the acceleration threshold.
US09618421B2

A system and method for detecting tampering are disclosed. In one aspect, the system includes an optical fiber with a first end and a second end, the optical fiber conformed to an object. The object includes a container having multiple parts that physically alter the optical fiber when the container or at least one of the multiple parts is tampered with. The system also includes a detachable light source configured to emit a light pulse, the optical fiber configured to receive the light pulse at the first end and emit an optical signature at the second end. The system further includes a detachable optical spectral analyzer configured to capture a current optical signature from the second end, the optical spectral analyzer in communication with a data store.
US09618411B2

A pressure sensor device comprises a support substrate including a thin film area which is bendable by a pressure, a sensor film comprising a first electrode provided on the thin film area, a second electrode provided on the first electrode, a reference layer provided between the first electrode and the second electrode, a free layer provided between the reference layer and the first electrode or between the reference layer and the second electrode, a spacer layer provided between the reference layer and the free layer, a shield provided on a side of the support substrate.
US09618405B2

A piezoelectric acoustic resonator based sensor is presented herein. A device can include an array of piezoelectric transducers and an array of cavities that has been attached to the array of piezoelectric transducers to form an array of resonators. A resonator of the array of resonators can be associated with a first frequency response corresponding to a first determination that the resonator has been touched, and a second frequency response corresponding to a second determination that the resonator has not been touched. The array of piezoelectric transducers can include a piezoelectric material; a first set of electrodes that has been formed a first side of the piezoelectric material; and a second set of electrodes that has been formed on second side of the piezoelectric material.
US09618402B2

A thermal insulation performance measurement apparatus which measures thermal insulation performance of a thermal insulator by heat flux to the thermal insulator, measured by a heat flux sensor, and a measurement method using the same includes a heat flux sensor provided with one surface adapted to contact an object to be measured, a first heat source arranged on the upper surface of the heat flux sensor to supply heat to the heat flux sensor, a thermal insulator arranged on the upper surface of the first heat source, a third heat source arranged on the upper surface of the thermal insulator, and a second heat source arranged around the heat flux sensor.
US09618399B1

Apparatus and methods are described for monitoring temperature of a mechanical resonator. Two or more temperature sensors may be positioned at respective locations to detect a temperature difference between the locations. The temperatures measured by the two or more temperature sensors may be used to determine a temperature of the mechanical resonator.
US09618393B2

The present invention comprises an optical train (50) and optional wavelength-selective photodetectors. The optical train (50) uses reflecting elements (600) including mirrors and/or prisms to fold the light path of the transmitted UV light beam to direct it through the body (100) of the instrument, through a sample vessel (200) using at least one pass but preferably two or more passes and into illumination contact with a photodetector (400). With each additional pass, the Beer-Lambert path length is effectively increased. Separate second optical train (53) and third optical train (54) exist for the detection and measurement of scattered light by illumination contact with one or more photodetectors.
US09618380B2

Provided is a sensor for measuring water levels of groundwater and surface water using magnetostriction displacement and multi measurement system for groundwater and surface water by using the same. The sensor includes an outer case having a hollow space therein and extending in a longitudinal direction, a magnetostriction line spaced apart from an inner wall in the hollow space of the outer case to extend in the longitudinal direction, a floating permanent magnet guided along the magnetostriction line to be movable in the longitudinal direction, the floating permanent magnet being changed in position to correspond to a water level; and a transceiver applying a current pulse into the magnetostriction line to receive an elastic wave that is generated while first magnetic fields formed in a circumferential direction of the magnetostriction line by the current pulse crosses a second magnetic fields formed in an axial direction of the magnetostriction line by the permanent magnet.
US09618378B2

A fluid level sensor for determining an amount of first fluid in a system is provided including a first substantially transparent sight glass mounted outside and fluidly coupled to a portion of the system. A level of first fluid in the first sight glass is indicative of the amount of first fluid in the system. A second substantially transparent sight glass has an independent closed loop containing a second fluid. The second sight glass is positioned adjacent outside the system. A plane of the second sight glass is arranged adjacent to a pivot point of the first fluid within the system. A level of second fluid in the second sight glass is indicative of the amount of first fluid corresponding to normal operation of the system. A comparison of the level of first fluid in the first sight glass and the level of second fluid in the second sight glass indicates if the amount of first fluid in the system requires adjustment.
US09618370B2

The optical encoder includes a scale provided with a scale pattern reflecting or transmitting light from a light source, and a sensor receiving the light from the scale pattern. The sensor is provided with a light-receiving element array. The light-receiving element array includes multiple light-receiving element groups with a pitch P. Each group is constituted by two or more light-receiving elements whose outputs are added together. An intermediate pattern is provided between the scale and the sensor. The intermediate pattern includes a first pattern to form a first light intensity distribution with a first spatial period shorter than the pitch P on the light-receiving element array and a second pattern to form a second light intensity distribution with a second spatial period longer than the pitch P on the light-receiving element array.
US09618365B2

An angle sensor device includes first and second magnet tracks, a sensor component, and a control unit. The first and second magnet tracks are fixed to a rotatable object and are configured to generate a non-homogenous field. The rotatable object is configured to rotate about a rotation axis and the non-homogenous field has a smaller gradient of magnitude along a rotational direction than a perpendicular direction, which is perpendicular to the rotational direction. The sensor component is positioned off-axis and is configured to measure a magnetic field including the non-homogenous field and provide magnetic field measurements. The control unit is configured to determine angular information from the magnetic field measurements.
US09618361B2

This document discusses, among other things, apparatus and methods for digital automatic gain control for driving a MEMS device, such as a proof mass. In an example, an apparatus can include a driver configured to oscillate a proof mass of a MEMS device, a charge-to-voltage (C2V) converter configured to provide oscillation information of the proof mass, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to provide a digital representation of the oscillation information, and a digital, automatic gain control circuit to provide oscillation amplitude error information using a comparison of the oscillation information to target amplitude information, and to provide a digital drive command signal using an amplified representation of the oscillation amplitude error information.
US09618355B2

An onboard unit for a vehicle for providing information to the driver when travelling on a road portion with at least two adjacent lanes forming a common traffic area, the onboard unit having a position detection device for determining the position thereof and having a measured value of the speed thereof, comprising a lane detector, connected to the position detection device, with a map memory for a digital road map for locating in the road map a lane corresponding to the determined position, a traffic jam detector for detecting a traffic jam when at least the speed measured value falls below a predefined threshold value, and an evaluation and output unit, which is connected to the lane detector and the traffic jam detector and which is configured, upon detection of a traffic jam, to output direction of travel information specific for the located lane.
US09618347B2

A method and apparatus for generating projected vehicle transportation network information representing an intersection for use in traversing a vehicle transportation network may include receiving a remote vehicle message including remote vehicle information indicating remote vehicle geospatial state information and remote vehicle kinematic state information, identifying host vehicle information including host vehicle geospatial state information and host vehicle kinematic state information, generating projected vehicle transportation network information representing a portion of the vehicle transportation network including an intersection based on the remote vehicle information and the host vehicle information, and traversing the intersection represented by the projected vehicle transportation network information using the projected vehicle transportation network information.
US09618345B2

The present disclosure relates to a method performed by a road segment determining system for identifying beforehand a situation with a potentially in-alert driver of a vehicle. The road segment determining system determines a position of the vehicle, and further determines pre-stored road characteristics of a road segment assumed or known to be ahead of the vehicle. Moreover, the road segment determining system determines the road segment to be monotonous based on comparing at least a first road parameter of the pre-stored road characteristics with predetermined monotonous road criteria. The disclosure also relates to a road segment determining system in accordance with the foregoing, a vehicle comprising at least a portion of the road segment determining system, and a user device comprising at least a portion of the road segment determining system.
US09618343B2

One or more techniques and/or systems are provided for providing a recommendation and/or a travel interface based upon a predicted travel intent. For example, a set of user signals (e.g., search queries, calendar information, social network data, etc.) may be evaluated to determine the predicted travel intent for a user to travel to a destination. A recommendation may be provided based upon the predicted travel intent. For example, images, news stories, advertisements, events, attractions, travel accommodation (e.g., hotel, car, and/or flight reservation functionality) and/or other information and functionality associated with the destination may be provided through the recommendation. The recommendation may be provided through an alert, a mobile app, a website, a travel interface, and/or a variety of other interfaces. The predicted travel intent may be used to modify information provided by a website, an operating system, and/or apps (e.g., a news app may display information about the destination).
US09618340B2

The invention provides a surveying instrument, comprising a frame unit rotatable in a horizontal direction, a telescope unit as mounted rotatably in a vertical direction on the frame unit and further for sighting an object to be measured, a horizontal driving unit for rotating and driving the frame unit in a horizontal direction, a vertical driving unit for rotating the telescope unit in a vertical direction, a horizontal angle measuring unit for detecting a horizontal angle of the frame unit, a vertical angle measuring unit for detecting a vertical angle of the telescope unit and a control device, wherein the control device is adapted to calculate a solar altitude at a time moment by setting up coordinates of where the surveying instrument is installed and the time moment, and to make the telescope unit to set to the solar altitude as calculated by controlling the vertical driving unit, to control the horizontal driving unit, to execute searching of the sun by horizontally rotating the frame unit at the solar altitude as set up, to capture the sun, to sight the sun, to detect a horizontal angle under the sighted condition based on the horizontal angle measuring unit, and to survey a true north based on the horizontal angle as detected.
US09618339B2

Wider overall angular viewing range for a spirit level achieved by provisioning spirit levels with a bubble vial module including a reflective surface wherein the reflective surface is manually pivotal about a pivot axis relative to a non-pivoted direct opposite viewing position such that a user can pivot the reflective surface towards himself. The system may include predetermined viewing positions.
US09618331B2

A method and equipment based on detecting the polarization property of a polarization maintaining fiber (PMF) probe for measuring structures of a micro part are provided. The provided method relates to how to accomplish measuring structures of a micro part by transforming two or three-dimensional contact displacements into polarization property changes of the PMF probe, and how to reconstruct the structure geometry of a micro part. The provided equipment can be used to bring the spherical tip of the PMF probe into contact with a micro part, to determine coordinates of contact points, and to reconstruct the structure geometry of a micro part. The provided method and equipment feature high sensitivity, low probing force, high inspecting aspect ratio and immunity to environment interference.
US09618328B2

An optical measuring system determines coordinates of points for distance measurement. The measuring system includes a radiation source for emitting electromagnetic radiation and a receiving unit having a filter unit for extracting electromagnetic radiation in a defined wavelength range and having, a detector, such that the radiation extracted by the filter unit is detectable by the detector. The filter unit includes at least two mirror elements which are at least partly reflective and constructed in a multilayered fashion. The mirror elements are substantially parallel to one another. Two adjacent mirror elements in each case enclose a cavity and are arranged at a specific distance from one another. An optical thickness is defined by a refractive index of the cavity and by the distance between the mirror elements. Optical thickness varying means operate to varying the optical thickness, such that an extractable wavelength range of the filter unit is varied.
US09618326B2

Imaging systems are provided allowing examination of different object regions spaced apart in a depth direction by visual microscopy and by optical coherence tomography. An axial field of view and a lateral resolution is varied depending on which object region is examined by the imaging system. The proposed imaging systems are in particular applicable for thorough examination of the human eye.
US09618322B2

In a process for optical coherence tomography a plurality of first OCT slice images, in each first slice image representing a different slice of an object, are recorded. Subsequently a reference figure that is representative of the three-dimensional contour of at least one structural feature of the object in a given three-dimensional coordinate system is ascertained by feature recognition of the at least one structural feature in the first slice images. Then a plurality of second OCT slice images, each second slice image representing a different slice of the object, are recorded. At least a fraction of the second slice images are displaced in the coordinate system until each second slice image is in feature overlap with the reference figure. Lastly, a set of three-dimensional OCT image data is generated at least from the feature-overlapped second slice images.
US09618316B2

A system for determining information regarding at least one object, comprising: a sensor sensitive to capacitive coupling; at least one object adapted to create a capacitive coupling with the sensor when at least one signal is input to the sensor; a detector adapted to measure at least one output signal of said sensor associated with the at least one object, wherein the output signal associated with the at least one object is an object information code.
US09618315B2

Provided is a sensor capable of holding a sensing element at a position of good sensitivity without requiring filling of the case with resin. The sensor includes a sensing element, a case accommodating the sensing element and having a detecting face for the sensing element in an outer face thereof, a holder accommodated inside the case together with the sensing element and pressing the sensing element toward the detecting face and a cable electrically connected to the sensing element. At least one of the holder and the case includes a contact portion deformable by a pressing force generated when the sensing element is pressed toward the detecting face.
US09618304B2

A vibration damping nock for crossbow arrows includes an insert to absorb bow string slap, thereby to prevent damage to the nock during crossbow firing.
US09618303B2

An electronic conditioning device delivers electric shocks correlated with sounds or driven by a signal associated with a sound sequence. The sound sequence can be a few seconds of a recorded human voice, a siren, a single tone, and so forth. A sound generator emits the sound sequence audibly. A power supply is electrically connected to the various components and provides energy to a shock inducer or electrodes embedded in the skin of a target. The device administers voltage spikes and sounds in a coordinated fashion. The conditioning encourages the target to associate certain sounds with the electric shock. Power may be supplied by a battery, a piezoelectric flexible film or movable magnet that converts kinetic motion into electric energy. Preferably, the device is applied to a target by loading the device into a shotgun shell and firing the loaded shell at the target from a rifle, pistol or shotgun.
US09618289B1

In general terms, this disclosure is directed to a trigger mechanism with a mode selector element that is placeable in a safety mode, a semi-automatic fire mode, and a momentary automatic fire mode. In one possible configuration and by non-limiting example, the mode selector element includes a selector block and a handle portion extending from the selector block to allow the selector block to be rotated between the different modes. The mode selector element is configured such that the selector block can be indexed into the safety mode and the fire mode. The mode selector element is additionally configured such that the selector mode is spring biased to automatically rotate from the momentary automatic fire mode to the fire mode when the handle portion is not constrained by a force, such as when an operator releases the handle portion.
US09618284B1

An externally-operated weapon has a direct current servo motor that provides motive force to drive the weapon operating group at an average rate of fire. Within a single cycle, the weapon operating group is driven at rates greater than and less than the average rate of fire, while the overall rate for a single cycle is maintained at the average rate of fire. Some benefits of servo motor control include reduced power consumption, increased bolt dwell time, expansion of the weapon's battlefield role from one to many roles, and increased accuracy and shot-to-shot precision while firing from an open bolt position.
US09618282B2

A vehicle radiator may include a first header tank partitioned through a first barrier rib that is integrally formed at the inside to store a coolant to form a first chamber and a second chamber inside the first header tank, a second header tank disposed apart by a predetermined gap from the first header tank and partitioned through a second barrier rib that is integrally formed therein to correspond to the first barrier rib to form a third chamber and a fourth chamber, a plurality of first and second tubes that are mounted in a vertical direction at each separated position of each inside surface of the first header tank and the second header tank, heat diffusion fins, each of which are formed between the first tubes and the second tubes; and a condenser that is provided at the inside of the fourth chamber in the second header tank.
US09618279B2

A metal heat exchanger tube for the evaporation of liquids on the outside of the tube, having a tube axis, a tube wall, and integrally formed ribs that run circumferentially on the outside of the tube. The ribs have a rib foot, rib flanks, and a rib tip, wherein the rib foot projects substantially radially from the tube wall. A respective groove is located between every two ribs that are adjacent to one another in the axial direction. At least first, second, and third lateral material projections, which are formed from the material of the ribs, are arranged on a first, second, and third level on the rib flanks in such a way that the grooves are largely covered by all of the material projections. The first, second, and third lateral material projections are formed on levels that are in each case differently spaced apart from the tube wall in the radial direction.
US09618278B2

A microchannel heat exchanger (800) is manufactured by bonding a first sheet (802a) of material and a second sheet (802b) of material in a first connection pattern for integral formation of a core portion (801) and a manifold portion (808) for the first and second sheets (802a, 802b) of material. A third sheet (802c) of material is then superposed on to the second sheet (802b) of material and bonded in a second connection pattern to the second sheet of material for integral formation of the core portion (801) and the manifold portion (808) for the second and third sheets (802b, 802c) of material. The second and third sheets (802b, 802c) of material are bonded without bonding the second sheet (802b) of the material to the first sheet (802a) of material. The core portion (801) and the manifold portion (808) of the heat exchanger (800) are thus integrally created. The interstices between the first, second, and third sheets (802a, 802b, 802c) of material are then expanded to create fluid flow channels (806). This method can also be used to create a heat sink. The bonding method may be a form of laser welding where an opaque sheet absorbs the laser energy and the heat conducts through the top sheet to the sheet immediately below, but does not cause bonding with subsequent sheets below.
US09618276B2

The invention concerns a method for storing or releasing thermal energy by chemical reaction according to which a flow of heat-transfer gas is circulated through a layer (10) of a first hygroscopic salt A, then through a layer (20) of a second hygroscopic gas B, the gas being reactive with salts A and B, the thermodynamic equilibrium curve of salt A being located further to the left than that of second salt B in a pressure-temperature phase diagram, the circulation of the flow of gas causing a dehydration or hydration reaction of both first salt A and second salt B.
US09618268B2

An evaporative condenser radiating module for steam exhaust of a steam turbine comprises tube bundles and steam-water separating chambers. A steam-water separating chamber (4) between a section A and a section B, a section A downflow cooling section tube bundle (3), a section B downflow cooling section tube bundle (5), and a counter flow cooling section tube bundle (8) are disposes at the left side of a central steam-water separating chamber (7). An upper sealed space (10) of the steam-water separating chamber (4) between the section A and the section B is in communication with the central steam-water separating chamber (7) through the counter flow cooling section tube bundle (8). A lower sealed space of the steam-water separating chamber (4) between the section A and the section B is in communication with the central steam-water separating chamber (7) through the section B downflow cooling section tube bundle (5). A sealed section A steam entering chamber (2) is arranged on the left side of the steam-water separating chamber (4) between the section A and the section B. The section A downflow cooling section tube bundle (3) is arranged between the section A steam entering chamber (2) and the lower sealed space of the steam-water separating chamber (4) between the section A and the section B. The right side of the central steam-water separating chamber (7) is provided with tube bundles and steam-water separating chambers totally structurally identical with those arranged on the left side of the central steam-water separating chamber (7).
US09618266B2

The present invention relates generally to a ladle metallurgy furnace having an improved roof structure. The improved roof may comprise an internal surface structure having a substantially smooth exterior surface, an external surface structure spaced apart from the internal surface structure, a plurality of channels that are defined intermediate the internal and external surface structures, a supply port in fluid communication with at least one channel through the second surface structure and in further fluid communication with a supply line, and a return port in fluid communication with at least one channel through the external surface structure and in further fluid communication with a return line.
US09618260B2

An air conditioner is provided. The air conditioner may include an input device that receives an input for setting an operation requirement, a fan that blows air according to the set operation requirement, an illumination system that illuminates a closed curve region, a case having the fan provided therein and at least one air outlet formed therein for discharging air outward from the closed curve, and a lighting controller that controls the illumination system to generate an indicator of a flow direction of air being discharged through the at least one air outlet.
US09618257B2

A gas-flow cryostat adapted for dynamic temperature regulation using a fluid level sensor; the cryostat further including one or more heaters coupled to various components of the cryostat. As fluid evaporates from a liquid cryogen evaporation reservoir within the cryostat, the fluid level sensor and a feedback control unit are adapted to monitor and dynamically control the level of evaporating cryogen by regulating the heaters. Accordingly, the cryostat is adapted to dynamically control temperature about a specimen region within the cryostat. The cryostat can be used in various applications, including analytical laboratory equipment for measuring various physical properties of samples. Temperature sensors are further incorporated for added control and optimization of the cryostat.
US09618250B2

A refrigerator includes a water storage vessel configured to be mounted to the door of the refrigerator, a supply passage configured to connect the storage space of the water storage vessel to an ice making apparatus and dispenser to supply the water in the water storage vessel to the ice making apparatus and the dispenser, a valve installed at an intersection of the supply passage and configured to perform a passage conversion, and a pump configured to pump the water in the water storage vessel so that the water flows to the supply passage, wherein the water storage vessel is provided with a water storage vessel lever capable of changing the position of at least one portion of the supply passage so that the at least one portion of the supply passage is connected to/disconnected from a remaining portion of the supply passage.
US09618247B2

A system supplies a fluid to an evaporator of a refrigeration unit and has first and second lines connected to a fluid inlet of the evaporator. The system has an expansion valve with a continuously modifiable first flow cross section, disposed in the first line, the continuously modifiable first flow cross section setting a first mass flow through the first line. A shut-off device is disposed in the second line and switchable discretely between an open position and a closed position. A throttle with a constant second flow cross section is disposed in the second line. A control unit continuously modifies the first flow cross section of the expansion valve and controls the shut-off device as a function of the first flow cross section.
US09618239B2

The magnetic refrigerating device according to one embodiment includes a fixed container filled with a refrigerant, the fixed container including a magnetic material container that is filled with a magnetic material and that can move in the fixed container and an elastic member provided at the end of the magnetic material container. The magnetic refrigerating device also includes a magnetic-field applying/removing mechanism that is provided at the outside of the fixed container, and that can apply and remove a magnetic field to and from the magnetic material and can generate a magnetic torque to the magnetic material container in moving direction of the magnetic material container.
US09618238B2

Provided is an adsorption refrigerator that achieves high cooling capacity while reducing the volume the device as a whole occupies. The adsorption refrigerator according to the present embodiment has a configuration in which only one adsorption reactor is positioned directly above a first lower-layer adsorption reactor and a second lower-layer adsorption reactor. In addition, the adsorption refrigerator according to the present embodiment performs sequence control in which one of the first lower-layer adsorption reactor and the second lower-layer adsorption reactor keeps performing an adsorption process, whereas the other one changes processes of preheating, desorption, precooling, and adsorption.
US09618230B2

A PTC heater having a heat conductor, a first end cover, a second end cover, and a PTC heating element. The heat conductor includes a duct for accommodating a PTC heating element, a first liquid passage channel, and a second liquid passage channel. The first end cover is coupled to one end of the heat conductor and includes a first and a second compartment, a water inlet, and a water outlet. The water inlet is in fluid communication with the first compartment and the first liquid passage channel, and the water outlet is in fluid communication with the second compartment and the second liquid passage channel. The second end cover is coupled to the other end of the heat conductor. The first and second liquid passage channels are in fluid communication with each other via an internal space of the second end cover to form a closed liquid circulation channel.
US09618213B2

A cooking oven with an air diffuser disposed in the oven cavity to diffuse circulating air prior to entering an air inlet to a fan. The oven cavity comprises a wall with the air inlet aligned with the fan that draws the circulating air from the oven cavity. The air diffuser is installed in front of the wall and diffuses the circulating air evenly across food in the oven cavity and into the fan return without reducing an overall mass flow rate of the air.
US09618199B2

A method for improving the performance of a radiating burner designed to be supplied during operation by means of a flow (F) comprising a mixture of air and combustible gas. The burner includes a body defining a combustion chamber and provided with an inlet for the mixture; a porous wicking agent closes off the chamber in a non-sealing manner and is arranged downstream of the inlet in the direction of flow (F) of the mixture; and a distribution grid is arranged between the mixture inlet and the wicking agent. The method includes creating an electric field in the combustion chamber by applying an electric potential difference of at least 5 kV between the wicking agent and the distribution grid.
US09618194B2

A lighting system including an extrusion, a lighted strip, a control board, and a connector. The extrusion comprises a pair of side walls coupled by a connecting member, where the connecting member forms a first shelf for a lighted strip and a pair of flanges projecting from the side walls form a second shelf for a control board. The connector comprises a shell with an outer surface which is adapted to be coupled with the extrusion, and a pin which can be adapted to receive a wire adjacent a first end of the connector. The pin also including a curved contact plate which can be adapted to receive the lighted strip adjacent a second end of the connector.
US09618190B2

An LED module according to the present invention is an LED module including a plurality of light-emitting diodes, wherein the plural light-emitting diodes are disposed only on a lateral surface of a right cone, a right pyramid, a truncated right cone, or a truncated right pyramid; the lateral surface has an inclination angle of 55° or more and 82° or less with respect to a bottom surface; the plural light-emitting diodes have light-emitting surfaces substantially parallel to the lateral surface; and angles formed between projection lines of lines normal to light-emitting surfaces of adjacent light-emitting diodes or adjacent ones of grouped light-emitting diodes, the projection lines being drawn on the bottom surface, are all equal to each other and are 72° or less.
US09618184B2

An indicator assembly for a visual life safety alarm is provided including a hollow, generally frustoconical reflector ring having an angled wall. The reflector ring is mounted to a housing of the visual life safety alarm at a first end. A first plurality of light devices is mounted to the housing within a first opening of the first end of the reflector ring. Light from the first plurality of light devices is configured to emit in a generally forwards direction. A second plurality of light devices is mounted to the housing near the angled wall of the reflector ring, opposite the first plurality of light devices. Light from the second plurality of light devices is configured to reflect from the angled wall in a direction generally angled from the visual safety alarm.
US09618182B2

A light-influencing element for influencing the light emission of essentially point light sources having at least two lenses which are juxtaposed and integrally connected to each other, each having a cavity defining a light entrance section of the lens, and a light exit surface opposite the light entrance section, at least two of the lenses being designed differently with regard to their light entrance sections.
US09618179B2

The invention provides a lighting unit (10) comprising (i) an arrangement (111) of a plurality of light source units (100) configured to provide corresponding light source unit light (101), (ii) a first foil (210) comprising a plurality of transmissive first foil regions (211), wherein each first foil region (211) comprises a plurality of optical elements (212), and (iii) a second foil (220) comprising a plurality of transmissive second foil regions (220), wherein each second foil region (221) comprises a plurality of optical elements (222), wherein each light source unit (100) has a corresponding first foil region (211) configured downstream of said light source unit (100) and a corresponding second foil region (221) configured downstream of said first foil region (211).
US09618165B2

A light emitting apparatus comprises: an LED-based light source; a spherical, spheroidal, or toroidal diffuser generating a Lambertian light intensity distribution output at any point on the diffuser surface responsive to illumination inside the diffuser; and a base including a base connector. The LED based light source, the diffuser, and the base are secured together as a unitary LED lamp installable in a lighting socket by connecting the base connector with the lighting socket. The diffuser is shaped and arranged respective to the LED based light source in the unitary LED lamp to conform with an isolux surface of the LED based light source. The base is operatively connected with the LED based light source in the unitary LED lamp to electrically power the LED based light source using electrical power received at the base connector.
US09618164B1

An adapter is provided for retrofitting a lighting fixture with a light emitting diode (LED) lamp. The adapter includes a pin plate and a retaining ring. The pin plate includes at least one pin extending outward from a distal side of the pin plate. The retaining ring includes a base, at least one arm, and at least one projecting member, each having inward and outward surfaces. The at least one pin restricts movement of the adapter when the adapter is rotated to a restraining position. The at least one projecting member causes the inward surface of the at least one projecting member to face the inward surface of the base. The at least one projecting member restricts movement of the adapter in a direction corresponding to an axis of rotation of the adapter using the at least one projecting member.
US09618159B2

The present invention relates to a system and equipment for dispensing a high pressure compressed gas using a special hydraulic fluid, comprising a hydraulic pressurization unit also known as “HPU”, which can be connected to a semi-trailer comprising compressed gas cylinders, upper and lower open ends, comprising a single valve arranged at the upper end of the cylinders, which supplies the compressed gas to a customer, one valve disposed at the lower end of the cylinders for both supplying of the hydraulic oil from an oil reservoir to the cylinders, and the return of the hydraulic oil to the hydraulic fluid reservoir from the cylinders.
US09618150B2

A method for generating fluid pulses is provided. The device comprises a first channel with a first fluid inlet and a second channel with a second fluid inlet, in which the first fluid inlet and second fluid inlet are substantially situated opposite each other. The first channel comprises a first control outlet at the height of the first fluid inlet, and the second channel comprises a second control outlet at the height of the second fluid inlet, in which the respective control outlet is located in front of the respective fluid inlet in relation to the inflowing direction of the fluid inlet.
US09618133B2

A handheld device according to an exemplary embodiment of this disclosure, among other possible things, includes an emergency stop valve including an inlet, at least one outlet, an exhaust, a main passage, and a stem passage. Air flows from the inlet to the outlet and from the outlet to the exhaust during normal operation of the handheld device, and the inlet is blocked and the air is exhausted through the exhaust during emergency operation of the handheld device. The handheld device includes a valve stem assembly received in the main passage, and the valve stem assembly includes a button and a cavity having a pocket. The handheld device also includes a locking stem including an end portion, and the locking stem is received in the stem passage and the end portion of the locking stem is received in the cavity of the valve stem assembly. The end portion of the locking stem is located in the cavity during normal operation of the handheld device when the valve stem assembly is in a first position to direct air to the inlet of the pendant valve, and the end portion of the locking stem is located in the pocket of the cavity of the valve stem assembly during emergency operation of the handheld device to retain the valve stem assembly in a second position when the emergency button is activated to direct air to the exhaust.
US09618131B2

A one way valve is revealed. The one way valve includes a valve seat and a valve member supported by the valve seat. A hole is mounted at a center of the valve base while an outer circular base is disposed around the hole and an inner circular base is arranged at a center of the hole. The inner circular base has a circular sidewall around an opening. At least one gap is radially formed on the circular sidewall and the gap is vertically penetrating the circular sidewall. The valve member consists of a membrane portion and a rod portion extended from one side of the membrane portion. Thereby the rod portion is passed through the gap of the inner circular base to be set into the opening of the inner circular base.
US09618129B2

A normally closed valve includes a plurality of fluid channels in fluid communication with each other, defined in a flexible base such that when a fluid channel is compressed, a fluid flow through the fluid channel is occluded, otherwise, the fluid flow through the fluid channel is unoccluded; and means for selectively compressing or uncompressing a desired fluid channel.
US09618127B1

A memory stop includes: a cover plate; a memory bracket secured to the cover plate, the memory bracket defining a plurality of stopper positions; and a stopper attached to the memory bracket at a one of the plurality of stopper positions. A method of using a memory stop includes: moving a stopper of the memory stop to a memory position, the memory stop including a cover plate, a memory bracket secured to the cover plate and defining a plurality of stopper positions, and the stopper attached to the memory bracket; and securing the stopper to the memory bracket at the memory position, wherein the memory position is at one of the plurality of stopper positions.
US09618122B2

A molded discrete low stress gasket is constructed of restructured filled PTFE for use in corrosive or severe chemical environments under relatively low bolt loads. The gasket has a gasket surface and includes a raised outer sealing ring and a raised inner sealing ring. The gasket may constructed from a restructured filled PTFE material, with the sealing rings deforming at lower pressures than the remaining portions of the gasket.
US09618121B2

A metal gasket includes embossments that exhibit essentially full functional recovery and full retained internal stress at temperatures up to about 1000° F. which is made from sheet material that is cold rolled and whose embossments are work hardened without any post embossment heat treating that would act to harden the material. This material may also receive a precipitation hardening heat treatment prior to being embossed. The gasket materials include alloys having greater than about 18% Ni, greater than about 14% Cr, from about 0.1 to 10% of at least one of Mo, Ti, V, Al, Co, Nb, Ta or Cu and the balance Fe with incidental impurities, which are cold rolled without any post embossment heat treating that would act to harden the material.
US09618113B2

A SBW-ECU switches over a shift range to a selected range by rotationally driving a motor to a target position corresponding to the selected range. When a direction of rotation of the motor is the same as a direction toward the target position and a difference between the target position and a present position is larger than a threshold value in a case that the selected range is changed during rotational driving of the motor, the target position is updated to a post-change target position. When the direction of rotation of the motor is opposite to the direction toward the target position or the difference between the target position and the present position is smaller than the threshold value in the case that the selected range is changed during rotational driving of the motor, the target position is updated to the post-change target position after completing the switchover to the pre-change selected range.
US09618110B2

A shift/tilt locking apparatus for shift lever of automatic transmission may include a shift knob, a main shaft slidably and rotatably disposed in a housing such that shift knob is slidable; a crossbar having shift knob at the upper end to tilt; a shift restriction device that allows shift knob to slide by selectively restricting sliding of main shaft; and a tilting restriction device controlling shift knob to tilt by selectively restricting the tilting of shift knob by using a third solenoid, which is controlled by a shift mode determining step that determines a shift mode by checking the position of shift knob and a lever locking step that restricts/releases shift knob by selectively operating first solenoid to third solenoid.
US09618109B2

A turbo transmission mechanism for brush cutter is disclosed to include a casing defining therein a lubricant storage chamber, a transmission shaft rotatably mounted in the casing and partially inserted into the lubricant storage chamber, a transmission gear set mounted in the lubricant storage chamber of the casing and including a first bevel gear and a second bevel gear coaxially mounted at the transmission shaft and meshed with the first bevel gear for enabling the transmission shaft to be rotated by the second bevel gear during rotation of the first bevel gear by a power source, and a turbo mounted in the lubricant storage chamber and rotatable with the transmission shaft to stir up the lubricant in the lubricant storage chamber, enhancing heat dissipation.
US09618103B2

A screw actuated press unit for mounting parts with press fit includes a casing, an actuating screw rotationally journalled in the casing and coupled to a rotation motor, a nut assembly cooperating with the actuating screw, a thrust rod rigidly connected to the nut assembly and extending out of the casing for connection to a work piece, and a locking device effective to rotationally lock the nut assembly to the casing at rotation of the actuation screw, wherein the lock device includes at least three roller studs mounted on and radially extending from the nut assembly and arranged to guidingly cooperate with two parallel guide rails at the edges of an axially extending slot in the casing. The roller studs are spring biased in opposite directions in contact with the guide rails so as to eliminate rotational play between the nut assembly and the casing.
US09618095B2

A multi-speed transmission has four planetary gear sets, eight rotatable shafts and six shifting elements. The sun gear of the first planetary gear set is connected to the third shaft. The input shaft is detachably connectable to the fourth shaft. The input shaft is connected to the sun gear of the fourth planetary gear set. The eighth shaft is connected to the ring gear of the first planetary gear set, the sun gear of the second planetary gear set, and the sun gear of the third planetary gear set. The fifth shaft is connected to the bar of the second planetary gear set and the ring gear of the third planetary gear set and is detachably connectable to the seventh shaft. The sixth shaft is connected to the ring gear of the second planetary gear set and is detachably connectable to the output shaft of the transmission.
US09618091B2

A multi-stage transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft, an output shaft, a first to fourth planetary gear devices disposed between the input shaft and the output shaft to transmit rotary force, each of the first to fourth planetary gear devices having three rotary elements, and at least six shifting elements connected to the rotary elements of the planetary gear devices, wherein a first rotary element of the first planetary gear device is continuously connected to the input shaft, a second rotary element of the first planetary gear device is installed to be fixable by one shifting element of the at least six shifting elements, and a third rotary element of the first planetary gear device is continuously connected to a second rotary element of the second planetary gear device.
US09618075B2

A shock strut includes a first cylinder defining a first volume. The shock strut includes a first piston head moveably positioned within the first volume and defining a first fluid chamber and a third fluid chamber within the first volume. The shock strut includes a second cylinder defining a second volume. The shock strut includes a second piston head moveably positioned within the second volume and defining a second fluid chamber and a fourth fluid chamber within the second volume. The fourth fluid chamber is in fluid communication with the third fluid chamber. The shock strut also includes a bleed port. The shock strut also includes a tube extending from the fourth fluid chamber through the second piston head and the second fluid chamber to the bleed port.
US09618071B2

An engine mount structure for an apparatus equipped with an engine mounts an engine on a resin casing with an elastic body therebetween. The structure includes: a base plate arranged so that one side thereof faces the engine and the other side thereof faces the casing; a cylindrical elastic body that protrudes toward the engine from the base plate and is provided at an end portion thereof on an engine side with a securing member on which the engine is fixed; and a bolt that protrudes toward the casing from the base plate and couples the casing and the base plate to each other. An area where the bolt is disposed on the base plate protrudes in a stepped shape toward the engine from an area where the elastic body is disposed on the base plate.
US09618067B2

A brake assembly that may include a housing assembly, a piston assembly, an operating shaft, and a sensor assembly. The operating shaft may be configured to rotate about an axis to actuate the piston assembly and translate a brake pad assembly from a retracted position to an extended position. The sensor assembly may be configured to detect rotation of the operating shaft.
US09618066B2

A method is used to treat a surface of a brake disc to increase the adhesive power of a coating to the surface. The method includes roughening the surface by introducing at least one depression in the surface. The width of the depression is widened with increasing depth of the depression. A positive connection is formed between the brake disc and the coating via an undercut.
US09618065B2

A back-plate composition of the present invention is a composition for forming a back plate of a brake pad, the brake pad having a friction material and the back plate bonded to the friction material. The back-plate composition includes a resin, a plurality of first fibers and a plurality of second fibers having an average length shorter than an average length of the first fibers. In the case where the average length of the first fibers is “L1” [μm] and the average length of the second fibers is “L2” [μm], “L2”/“L1” is in the range of 0.001 to 0.5. This makes it possible to provide a back-plate composition having excellent moldability, as well as a back plate formed of the back-plate composition, a brake pad including the back-plate and a caliper device provided with the brake pad.
US09618063B2

A method for controlling creep driving of a vehicle may include determining, by a controller for controlling a dry clutch, whether transfer torque of the dry clutch is 0 or less and a control error resulting from subtraction of a current car speed from a target creep speed is 0 or less, which is referred to as a step of determining condition, and stopping, by the controller, accumulation of an integral control component for creep controlling if the condition in the step of determining condition is met, which is referred to as a step of stopping accumulation.
US09618061B2

There is provided a clutch mechanism that allows easy downsizing and produces favorable productivity. Output rotator has on the outer circumferential surface thereof cam surfaces and configured to gradually reduce the space from a housing chamber inner circumferential surface toward one side and recesses adjacent to the one side of the cam surfaces. Input rotator has pressure transmission portions that are fitted with circumferential play to the recesses and are protruded from the insides of the recesses in a centrifugal direction. Engagement pieces are disposed in contact with the cam surfaces and the housing chamber inner circumferential surface. When the input rotator rotates toward the other side relative to the one side, the pressure transmission portions abut against the engagement pieces and then abut against circumferential end surfaces in the recesses to press and move the output rotator.
US09618060B2

A rotation transmission device is configured such that when an electromagnet of an electromagnetic clutch is energized, a control retainer of a two-way clutch is moved in the axial direction, so that the control retainer and a rotary retainer rotate relative to each other in the direction in which the circumferential widths of pockets decrease, thereby disengaging pairs of rollers from an outer ring and an inner ring. A spring holder is provided which is fixed to an input shaft and kept in abutment with an axial end surface of the inner ring to prevent relative rotation between the control retainer and the rotary retainer in the direction in which the circumferential widths of the pockets decrease, from the neutral position of the rollers. The spring holder is prevented from axial movement to prevent untimely engagement of the two-way clutch. The inner ring is integral with the input shaft.
US09618053B2

A universal joint assembly includes a hollow upper shaft having an inner surface, a lower shaft extending at least partially within the upper shaft, and a cage receiving at least a portion of the lower shaft, the cage positioned within the hollow upper shaft. The assembly further includes at least one upper tilt pin extending through the upper shaft and the cage, at least one groove formed in the inner surface of the upper shaft, and a lower tilt pin extending through the cage and the lower shaft. The lower tilt pin extends into the at least one groove.
US09618048B2

A bypass cooling system and method for tilting pad journal and titling pad thrust bearings wherein the cooling may be achieved by spraying the cool inlet oil downhill with gravity instead of always in the direction of the shaft rotation. A bypass cooling system always sprays the cool inlet oil downhill, with gravity instead of always in the direction of shaft rotation.
US09618041B2

A needle roller and cage assembly include a cage having a width larger than a diameter thereof. Pillar sections of the cage each include roller retaining portions on radially inner and outer sides with respect to a roller pitch circle diameter and an oblique portion through which the roller retaining portions are continuous with each other. The oblique portion includes a first relief portion formed therein, for avoiding interference with a needle roller. The adjacent pillar sections form a pocket having a rectangular shape therebetween. The pocket includes a second relief portion in each of four corners thereof. The second relief portion extends in the axial direction of the cage from a position at which a short side of the pocket is elongated in a circumferential direction of the cage to an outer end of the roller retaining portion on the radially outer side.
US09618038B2

A method adjusts axial play of a journal mounted in a bearing. A bearing axis defines a z-direction. A positive z-direction points from first to second bearing ends. The journal inserted into the bearing in the positive z-direction is moved to a first form-locking engagement in the positive z-direction between journal and bearing. A spacer at the second end defines axial play. A bushing is placed onto a journal segment protruding from the bearing at the second end in the positive z-direction. A form-locking and/or force-locking connection is established between bushing and journal by deforming the bushing and locating the spacer along the z-direction between bushing and second end. The spacer contacts the bushing and second end. The spacer is removed. A device having a bearing and a journal mounted and relatively movable therein within axial play is also provided.
US09618029B2

A cap for use in covering a portion of a fastener protruding from a surface is provided. The portion includes threads. The cap includes an interior, a base that at least partially delimits the interior, a threaded receptacle on the interior configured to threadably engage the portion of the fastener, and a seal coupled to the base to engage the surface.
US09618027B1

A fastener for insertion into aligned openings in articles and method of use, the fastener having a head having a width greater than a width of the opening, a neck having a width less than the width of the opening, a resilient shank having a width greater than the width of the opening. The shank having a tapered end and a U-shaped channel, to define a line of weakness to permit the shank to articulate between a normal position where the shank has a width greater than the width of the opening and an insertion position where the shank is bent to have a width less than the width of the opening. The shank resiliently returns to its normal position once pushed in and through the opening with the neck received within the opening, locking the fastener within the opening.
US09618021B2

An arrangement for attaching a system to a structure having a base element to retain the system, a positioning element to position the base element at a location on the structure and a fixation device to fix the base element at the location on the structure. The base element has a section for holding the system and a section for being clamped to the structure. The clamping section has an element for alignment on the positioning element. The positioning element has a surface for being bonded to the structure and a positioning section for acting together with the alignment element. The fixation device has a counter element with a clamping area for being positioned on an opposite side of the structure from the clamping section and a fastener for clamping the base element and the counter element to the structure. An installation method for such an attachment arrangement is provided.
US09618016B2

In a solar generator, comprising a reflector and an electrohydraulic sun-position tracking device with at least one hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic control seat valve, the reflector can be guided via the control seat valve to follow in synchronism with the course of the sun continuously and uninterruptedly. The control seat valve for regulating a pressure medium flow permanently supplied to the hydraulic cylinder comprises a seat surface and a sealing surface permanently pressed against each other with variable contact pressure, with which the pressure medium flow can be generated as controlled leakage. The sealing surface is made of a material that can be deformed by contact pressure. In the control seat valve, the controlled leakage is set in a control position at least substantially without lifting movement exclusively by the relative material deformation of the sealing surface on the seat surface, which deformation is set via the contact pressure.
US09618014B2

An implement system is disclosed for use with a machine having an engine. The implement system may have a pump driven by the engine, a first actuator configured to receive pressurized fluid from the pump during operation of the engine, and at least a second actuator configure to receive pressurized fluid from the pump during operation of the engine. The implement system may also have an accumulator configured to receive pressurized fluid from the first actuator during operation of the engine, and to discharge fluid to the first actuator and to the at least a second actuator when the engine is shut down.
US09618011B2

An electric water pump includes an electric motor having a stator which generates an electromagnetic field by control signals supplied from a driver and a rotor which rotates by the electromagnetic field generated by the stator. An impeller is connected to and rotates with the rotor to circulate a coolant. An inside space of the electric water pump may include a motor room in which the electric motor is disposed, a volute room in which the impeller is positioned, and a pump driver room in which the pump driver is positioned.
US09618006B2

A lubricant retainer for use in a pump bearing assembly, the bearing assembly which in a first operating configuration is lubricated by a relatively highly viscous lubricant, and which in a second operating configuration is lubricated by a less-viscous lubricant, the bearing assembly comprising a bearing housing having a bore extending therethrough for receiving a pump drive shaft, spaced-apart bearing mounting zones within the bore with a chamber therebetween, each bearing mounting zone arranged for the in use receipt of a bearing therein, and wherein each zone has associated therewith one lubricant retainer, the lubricant retainer being adapted to be mounted within the bore adjacent the bearing mounting zone with which it is associated so as to form a barrier between the bearing mounting zone and the chamber when the pump bearing assembly is in the first operating configuration, the retainer being removed when the pump bearing assembly is in the second operating configuration.
US09618005B2

An annular seal flange is formed at an inner peripheral edge portion of an upstream-side seal ring. The seal flange projects in a downstream direction. When seal rings are viewed from radially inside, the seal flange of the upstream-side seal ring is designed to at least partially occlude an end gap of the downstream-side (the most downstream-side) seal ring.
US09618000B2

A canned motor pump is provided that includes a rotor of a motor and a shaft shaped as a bar. The shaft penetrates through and is coupled with the rotor. A bearing is shaped as a circular cylinder, and is coupled to an upper side of the rotor. Further, the shaft penetrates through the bearing. A housing surrounds the rotor and the bearing to expose an upper end of the bearing and to house the rotor and the bearing within the housing.
US09617994B2

A sliding vane, positive displacement pump is provided which includes a dual mechanical seal that protects against leakage from a pump chamber while also reducing slip across rotor end faces. The dual mechanical seal may be formed as a cartridge seal that is readily demountable from the pump for replacement and service, and is retrofittable to existing pumps to improve the performance thereof. The pump may integrally include a dual mechanical seal, or the mechanical seal assembly may be provided for use by itself or in combination with a replaceable head ring that can be installed on existing pumps for repair thereof or for a retrofit upgrade of such existing pump.
US09617992B2

A rotary piston pump for the delivery of liquids and for the delivery of liquids containing solids. The rotary piston pump includes a pump housing which is provided with an inlet and an outlet. The pump housing includes a lining. Disposed in the pump housing, or inside the lining, are at least two counter-rotating rotary pistons, which form pump spaces during their rotation. During the rotational movement, the rotary pistons are sealed against one another, against the pump housing and against the lining. Disposed in the pump housing and/or in the lining, in the spatial vicinity of the inlet and/or the outlet, are means with which the pulsation can be reduced or even completely prevented.
US09617984B2

A bent-axis hydrostatic axial piston machine (1) has a drive shaft (4) rotatable around an axis of rotation (Rt) and having a drive flange (3). A cylinder drum (7) is rotatable around an axis of rotation (Rz). The cylinder drum (7) includes a plurality of piston bores (8) concentric to the axis of rotation (Rz) of the cylinder drum (7) and in each of which piston bores (8) there is a longitudinally displaceable piston (10). The pistons (10) are fastened in an articulated manner to the drive flange (3). Between the drive shaft (4) and the cylinder drum (7) there is a constant velocity driving joint (30) in the form of a cone-beam semi-roller joint (31).
US09617982B2

The solar chimney of the present invention comprises an elongated chamber having an inlet end and an outlet end, the chamber defining a path for fluid, such as air, from the inlet to the outlet. Air updrafts in the chamber drive an internal turbine which is connected to an electric generator, or to some other machine. The chamber has the general configuration of an hourglass; the diameter of the chamber becomes progressively smaller with distance from the inlet end, until the diameter reaches a minimum value, then becomes progressively larger, as one proceeds towards the outlet end. Disposed within the chamber are one or more heat exchangers for heating air in the chamber by solar and/or wind energy.
US09617981B2

The invention relates to a wind turbine blade bearing removal apparatus and method for facilitating the change-over of the blade root bearing assembly (58) of a wind turbine blade (54). A plurality of support shoulders or yokes (60) are located on the hub (50) of the wind turbine rotor and provide attachment points for respective actuators (62). Corresponding attachment points (66) are provided in the wind turbine blade (54) via a blade support (section 64), which is constructed in the blade between the blade root bearing assembly (58) and the tip. The actuators (62) are mounted between the hub (50) and the blade root bearing assembly (58) and therefore support the blade (54) in a suspended position when the bearing is to be retained. The actuators (62) allow the blade to be easily reattached to the hub (50) when the blade root bearing replacement is completed.
US09617979B2

The inventive technology described herein generally relates to the field of power generation. More specifically, methods and apparatus for a motor assisted power generation system utilizing a motor, coupled to a rotatable drive shaft which may further be connected to a generator such that the motor driven rotation of the drive shaft may generate electrical output. Certain embodiments may allow for a dual, wind or motor assisted power generation. For example, a drive shaft may be coupled with, for example, a wind responsive turbine and may generate an electrical output according to the amount of wind captured and transmitted to a corresponding generator or set of generators. Under low or no wind conditions, a motor may be coupled to the drive shaft and cause it to rotate allowing power generation to continue despite the lack of wind capture. Under high or adequate wind conditions, the motor may be decoupled allowing generation of an electrical output without motor assistance. In still additional embodiments, the inventive technology may include a motor that has been converted to operate on natural gas, or other combustible fuel or waste products. The invention may be placed adjacent to a source of, for example waste natural gas and may use such waste streams to generate an electrical output, in some instances in conjunction with a variable coupler drive.
US09617977B2

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a wind turbine comprising a pitch of one or more blades and collecting first data indicative of a dynamic condition of the first wind turbine blade and a rotor, the first data comprising rotor data and first deflection data, the rotor data indicative of the azimuth position and rotational velocity of the rotor in a rotor plane perpendicular to the rotor axis, and the first deflection data indicative of the position, speed and acceleration of one or more parts of the first wind turbine blade. The method comprises calculating an expected tower clearance distance at a later time of tower passage for the first blade based on the first data including acceleration of one or more parts of the first blade, and performing measures to prevent tower collision, if the expected tower clearance distance fulfills a collision risk criterion.
US09617973B2

A wind turbine rotor blade is provided. The wind turbine rotor blade includes at least two blade sections and a connector for connecting adjacent blade sections, which connector has an inner connecting part of a first blade section and an outer connecting part of a second blade section, wherein the outer connecting part is adapted to enclose the inner connecting part; and a first seal arranged about a connecting part such that an outer surface of the inner connecting part, an inner surface of the outer connecting part, and the first seal form a mold; and an adhesive layer introduced to fill the mold. A wind turbine having a number of such rotor blades as well as a method of constructing such a wind turbine rotor blade are also provided.
US09617970B2

A pumped storage power plant for a temporary reversible storage of energy, such as the energy available from wind power stations and/or photovoltaic systems that is fluctuating over time. The pumped storage power plant is designed as an underwater pumped storage power plant, wherein the ocean assumes the function of an upper storage basin and a pressure tank placed on the ocean floor serves as a lower storage basin. The storage of the electric energy takes place through pumping water out of the inside of the pressure tank against the hydrostatic water pressure on the ocean floor.
US09617965B2

A system and method for providing multiple fast rising pulses to improve performance efficiency. In one approach, multiple fast rising pulse power is employed to improve fuel efficiency and power of an engine. The system and method can involve a transient plasma plug assembly intended to replace a traditional spark plug. Alternatively, an approach involving a pulse generator and a high voltage pulse carrying ignition cable is contemplated.
US09617960B2

A fuel supply apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes: a feed pump capable of feeding a fuel of the internal combustion engine; a high pressure fuel pump that pressurizes the fuel fed from the feed pump; and a second injector that supplies the pressurized high-pressure fuel to the internal combustion engine selectively. An ECU of the fuel supply apparatus includes: a pulsation width detection unit that detects a pulsation width in a pressure of the fuel fed from the feed pump to the high pressure fuel pump; and a feeding condition determination unit that determines that a condition variation causing fuel vapor to form in the fuel fed to the high pressure fuel pump has occurred when the pulsation width detected by the pulsation width detection unit falls rapidly to a preset threshold variation width.
US09617955B2

The present disclosure relates to a cascade thrust reverser providing that when a sliding cowl and a flap are in a direct jet position, a hook is held in engagement with another hook and the flap is immobilized inside of a housing of the sliding cowl by a stem of a telescopic connecting rod subjected to pre-stress generated by a compressed spring located in the body of the connecting rod. When the sliding cowl starts to slide from the direct jet position toward the reverse jet position, the hooks disengage each other and the stem engages with an extension in the body of the connecting rod, so that the flap is rotated from the direct jet position toward the reverse jet position due to the tensile force exerted by the stem.
US09617952B2

To provide a price-competitive compression ring having excellent thermal conductivity and thermal sag resistance, which can be used in a high-thermal-load environment of high-compression-ratio engines, steel identified by the material number of SUP10 in JIS G 4801, which contains small amounts of alloying elements, is used, and a piston ring wire is annealed before an oil-tempering treatment such that spheroidal cementite having an average particle size of 0.1-1.5 μm is dispersed in a tempered martensite matrix, thereby suppressing the movement of dislocation and creep even at 300° C., and improving thermal sag resistance.
US09617947B2

A waveform detector detects a variation in fuel pressure based on a detection value of a fuel pressure sensor as a fuel pressure waveform. A determining portion determines whether an interval between injections is zero or smaller than a predetermined value based on the detected fuel pressure waveform when multi-step-injection is performed. A correcting portion corrects an injection command signal indicative of an injection start timing and an injection end timing corresponding to a target injection state in a manner that the interval is increased when the interval is determined to be zero or smaller than the predetermined value.
US09617942B2

A control device 100 for an internal combustion engine includes an in-cylinder oxygen concentration acquisition unit configured to acquire an in-cylinder oxygen concentration, an in-cylinder temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire an in-cylinder temperature, a target in-cylinder temperature acquisition unit configured to acquire a target in-cylinder temperature during main injection based on the in-cylinder oxygen concentration acquired by the in-cylinder oxygen concentration acquisition unit, and an in-cylinder oxygen concentration control unit configured to execute in-cylinder oxygen concentration control for controlling an in-cylinder oxygen concentration during pilot injection performed prior to the main injection based on the difference between the target in-cylinder temperature during the main injection acquired by the target in-cylinder temperature acquisition unit and the in-cylinder temperature acquired by the in-cylinder temperature acquisition unit.
US09617936B2

In an internal combustion engine, a hydrocarbon feed valve and an exhaust purification catalyst are arranged in an engine exhaust passage. A first NOX removal method which injects hydrocarbons from the hydrocarbon feed valve within a predetermined range of period so that the reducing intermediate generated thereby reduces the NOX contained in the exhaust gas and a second NOX removal method which makes the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst a first target rich air-fuel ratio by a period which is longer than this predetermined range are used. When the NOX removal method is switched from the second NOX removal method to the first NOX removal method, the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas flowing into the exhaust purification catalyst is made a second target air-fuel ratio which is smaller than the first target rich air-fuel ratio.
US09617930B2

The method can control a powertrain in order to maintain the charge temperature at a desired value regardless of exhaust manifold pressure or altitude. The method includes the following steps: (a) receiving a torque request; (b) determining a desired air charge based, a least in part, on the torque request; (c) determining an actual air charge based, at least in part, on input signals from a manifold absolute pressure (MAP) sensor and a mass airflow (MAF) sensor; (d) adjusting an intake valve timing of the intake valve such that the actual air charge is equal to a desired air charge, and (e) adjusting throttle position and actuator positions of boosting devices such that the actual intake manifold pressure is equal to the desired intake manifold pressure.
US09617926B2

In a vehicle with an automatic transmission, an internal combustion engine is provided with a variable compression ratio mechanism. A target compression ratio of the variable compression ratio mechanism is determined based on a demand load and an engine rotation speed with reference to a compression ratio map. A reverse-drive compression ratio map is selected when the automatic transmission is in a reverse drive position; a first compression ratio map is selected when an actual speed reduction ratio of the transmission is low; and a second compression ratio map is selected when the actual speed reduction ratio of the transmission is high. A variable control range of the compression ratio is narrower in the second compression ratio map than in the first compression ratio map and is narrower in the reverse-drive compression ratio map than in the first and second compression ratio maps.
US09617924B2

The present invention relates to a valve assembly and, more particularly, to a valve assembly which has a simple configuration to return a valve from an open or closed position to an initially-set position when the supply of electric power to a drive motor which controls the open ratio of the valve is shut off.
US09617923B2

An engine fuel control system includes a fuel metering valve that controls the flow of fuel between supply and delivery lines which delivers fuel to engine burners. The fuel control system includes a fixed displacement main pump which receives fuel from a low pressure source and delivers the fuel at a first high pressure to the supply line, an augmenter pump which receives fuel from the low pressure source and delivers the fuel at a second high pressure to one or more fuel-pressure operated auxiliary engine devices, and a start valve which is actuated at low engine speeds to open a flow path which diverts fuel delivered by the augmenter pump away from the auxiliary engine devices to the supply line to augment the fuel delivered thereto by the main pump, the start valve being actuated at higher engine speeds to shut the flow path.
US09617922B2

A jet engine actuation system includes a first ring gearbox, a second ring gearbox and an actuator. The first ring gearbox includes a first ring driveshaft coupled to a first portion of a synchronization ring included in a jet engine. The second ring gear box includes a second ring drive shaft coupled to a second portion of the synchronization ring. The actuator has a first actuator gearbox configured to generate a first rotational output and a second actuator gearbox configured to generate a second rotational output. A first drive shaft transfers the first rotational output to the first ring gearbox and a second drive shaft transfers the second rotational output to the second ring gearbox. The actuator simultaneously controls the first and second actuator gearboxes such that the first and second rotational outputs are simultaneously transferred to the first and second ring gearboxes to rotate the synchronization ring.
US09617920B2

A nozzle guide vane support arrangement including a platform portion of a nozzle guide vane at a trailing edge is provided, the platform portion having a platform wall including a first platform wall portion and a second platform wall portion. A working fluid interaction surface and a cooling surface at least partly limit an inner cavity of the platform portion in which a cooling fluid is leadable. The second platform wall is connected to the first platform wall at an axial downsealing arrangement and gas turbinesealing arrangement for a nozzle guide vane and gas turbinestream end of the platform portion. A first surface of the second platform wall limits the inner cavity, and a support structure including a seal arranged in a recess between the support structure and a second surface of the second wall to reduce cooling liquid leakage from the inner cavity to a space downstream.
US09617917B2

A flow control assembly for controlling cooling flow of a turbine engine is provided. The flow control assembly includes a first flow control device having a first sidewall and a second sidewall. The first sidewall is coupled to a compressor vane and is configured to define a first flow path from a compressor to a turbine vane. The second sidewall is coupled to a compressor vane and is configured to define a second flow path from the compressor to a turbine blade. A second flow control device is coupled to the compressor and includes an orifice device coupled to the compressor vane and a meter device coupled to the orifice, wherein the orifice is configured to direct a cooling flow to the meter device. A controller is configured to control the meter device to facilitate regulating the cooling flow into at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path.
US09617914B2

A system includes a plurality of extraction passages configured to passively extract a portion of a gas flow from a downstream region of a gas flow path. The system includes a plurality of sensors respectively coupled to the plurality of extraction passages, wherein the plurality of sensors is configured to measure one or more parameters of the portion of the gas flow traversing the plurality of extraction passages. The system also includes a manifold coupled to the plurality of extraction passages, wherein the manifold is configured to receive the portion of the gas flow from the plurality of extraction passages. The system further includes a return passage coupled to the manifold, wherein the return passage is configured to passively provide the portion of the gas flow to an upstream region of the gas flow path.
US09617912B2

A multi-link engine is provided with an upper link, a lower link and a control link. The upper link is pivotally connected to a piston by a piston pin. The lower link is rotatably mounted on a crankpin of a crankshaft and connected to the upper link by an upper pin. The control link is rotatably connected to the lower link by a control pin and pivotally mounted on a pivot portion of a control shaft. The links are configured and arranged with respect to each other such that inertia forces of a prescribed second or higher order in terms of an engine rotational speed act on at least the upper link and the control link in a transverse direction of the engine with a sum of leftward and rightward inertia forces of the prescribed second or higher order being substantially zero.
US09617905B2

An exhaust heat recovery apparatus may include a bypass valve that is rotatably provided on a bypass path through which a high-temperature exhaust gas passes to open or close the bypass path, a heat exchanger that is communicatively connected to the bypass path to allow heat exchange to be performed between the high-temperature exhaust gas supplied from the bypass path and a low-temperature coolant introduced through a coolant inlet when the bypass path is closed, a valve actuator including a rod moved up and down by expansion or contraction of a wax sealed therein, and a connection part that converts an up and down motion of the rod into a rotary motion to allow the bypass valve to open or close the bypass path along with movement of the rod.
US09617903B2

A multi-layer joint insert is provided at one or more joints between an engine exhaust manifold and a component mounted by fasteners on the exhaust manifold, as well as between the component and the fastener heads/nuts, to reduce wear and failure at the one or more joints. The joint insert includes a first sheet metal layer having at least one fastener-receiving opening and a second sheet metal layer having at least one fastener-receiving opening, wherein the first and second sheet meal layers are joined by at least one connecting arrangement that permits relative sliding movement between the first and second sheet metal layers in response to thermally-induced movement at the one or more joints, thereby reducing wear and failure at the one or more joints.
US09617894B2

An exhaust gas purification system includes an exhaust purifying element for purifying exhaust gas, and a selective reduction catalyst for promoting reduction of NOx contained in the exhaust gas with a reducing agent. A housing for accommodating the exhaust purifying element includes an outer wall having an accommodating portion. A supply hole is formed on a bottom of the accommodating portion. A pipe that is located inside the housing has a passage through which an interior of the pipe communicates with an exterior of the pipe. The pipe is configured to guide exhaust gas toward the selective reduction catalyst through the passage and the interior of the pipe. The pipe has an end communicating with the supply hole. The injection device of the exhaust gas purification system injects the reducing agent to an interior of the pipe through the supply hole.
US09617889B2

A system is provided for delivery of diesel exhaust fluid or other reductant to an injector for release into an engine exhaust aftertreatment system. The injector includes a nozzle assembly that thermally shields the diesel exhaust fluid from the exhaust gas temperatures. A diesel exhaust fluid delivery procedure is also disclosed for nozzle cooling prior to operation of the injector for emissions reduction.
US09617888B2

A catalytic converter assembly has a ceramic substrate body with a plurality of cells for passage therethrough of exhaust gases. An emitter electrode for emitting free electrodes is mounted adjacent the substrate body for intercepting exhaust gas flowing at an upstream location of the catalytic converter. A collector electrode for collecting electrons is mounted adjacent the substrate body to intercept exhaust gas flowing at a downstream location of the catalytic converter. An energizing circuit is used to apply a high voltage between the emitter and collector to stimulate the generation of free electrons.
US09617886B2

An exhaust gas controlling catalyst includes zirconia particles; ceria particles which contact the zirconia particles, of which a mean particle size is smaller than a mean particle size of the zirconia particles; and an active metal that is supported on at least the ceria particles in a dispersed manner.
US09617881B2

An arrangement (1) of an electroacoustic actuator (2) on a vehicle structure (3) of a motor vehicle, has a housing (4), in which at least one loudspeaker (7) is arranged, which separates a front volume (8) from a rear volume (9) in the housing (4). The actuator (2) has a sound emission pipe (5), which projects outwards from the housing (4) and which is fluidically coupled with the front volume (8). A reduced introduction of noise into the vehicle arises when the actuator (2) is held on the vehicle structure (3) with a plurality of holding devices (19), which are arranged on the housing (4) in a circumferential direction (20) of the housing (4) spaced apart from one another. Each holding device (19) is designed as springy in a holding direction (21) and as rigid transversely thereto.
US09617880B2

A method for diagnosing a lack of engine oil includes determining, by a controller, whether an oil level of an engine is normalized from an insufficient state to a normal state using an oil level switch. When it is determined that the oil level is normalized to the normal state, a driving mode of a vehicle is confirmed. When it is confirmed that the driving mode of the vehicle is an engine off driving mode, a diagnosis of the oil level is stopped.
US09617870B2

A turbine engine assembly, with an axis, includes a vane arrangement segment, a mounting bracket and a strut. The vane arrangement segment includes a first platform segment, a second platform segment and a guide vane that extends radially between and is connected to the first and the second platform segments. The mounting bracket is connected to the vane arrangement segment. The strut extends radially through the first platform segment, the second platform segment and the guide vane, and is engaged with the mounting bracket. The mounting bracket attaches the vane arrangement segment to the strut.
US09617869B2

A synchronizing assembly for a gas turbine engine has a synchronizing ring. A bumper assembly has a cradle and a bumper held within the cradle. The cradle is secured to the synchronizing ring by at least one fastener without the fastener extending through the bumper. An engine is also disclosed.
US09617866B2

A blade outer air seal (BOAS) for a gas turbine engine according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a seal body having a radially inner face and a radially outer face that axially extend between a leading edge portion and a trailing edge portion. The BOAS includes a trough disposed on the radially inner face and an abradable seal received within the trough. The trough is open to expose a leading edge of the abradable seal to a core flow path of the gas turbine engine.
US09617865B2

A guide vane for a turbomachine axially pivotably coupled to a radially outwardly disposed flow-limiting wall and to a radially inwardly disposed inner ring of the turbomachine; and a trailing edge gap being formed between an upper trailing edge of the guide vane and the flow-limiting wall and/or between a lower trailing edge of the guide vane and the inner ring; the upper trailing edge and/or the lower trailing edge of the guide vane having at least one air outlet opening for an air outflow for forming an air curtain for at least partially sealing the trailing edge gap in the area of the upper trailing edge and/or the lower trailing edge in the area of the lower trailing edge. Also, a guide vane cascade, as well as a method for manufacturing a guide vane or a guide vane cascade.
US09617858B2

A fiber structure reinforcing a composite material part woven as a single piece by multilayer weaving between plural first and second layers of yarns. The fiber structure includes a portion of decreasing thickness that presents: plural yarn withdrawal parts in surface continuity, with yarns interrupted from the first plural layers of yarns underlying the layer of yarns of the first plural layers of yarns situated in the surface of the structure; and plural yarn withdrawal parts in surface discontinuity, with yarns interrupted from the first plural layers of yarns situated at the surface of the structure, each interrupted yarn replaced in the surface of the structure by a yarn of a layer of yarns underlying the first plural layers of yarns. The yarns of the second plural layers of yarns situated in the surface of the fiber structure are continuous over at least the entire portion of decreasing thickness.
US09617853B2

An auxiliary tunneling apparatus includes a reaction force receiver and first and second split components. In the excavation of a second tunnel by a boring machine, the reaction force receiver forms a replacement face of a side wall of the second tunnel on a first tunnel side where the first and second tunnels intersect each other, and a gripper of the boring machine pushes against the replacement face. The first and second split components are installed to push against the side wall of the first tunnel, support the reaction force receiver within the first tunnel, and move back and forth with respect to the side wall of the first tunnel.
US09617844B2

A tool string includes at least one downhole tool having an electronics package associated therewith, and an air shock tool having a housing operatively coupled to the downhole tool. The air shock tool has a piston movably arranged within a piston chamber defined in the housing, and the electronics package is operatively engaged with the piston such that axial movement of the electronics package correspondingly moves the piston. If a shock impact load propagates through the tool string in an uphole direction, the piston operates to reduce the shock impact assumed by the electronics package.
US09617838B2

A system, apparatus and method for artificial lift includes a hydraulic downhole rodless pump actuator.
US09617836B2

An apparatus for controlling a flow of a fluid between a wellbore tubular and a wellbore annulus may include an inflow control device configured to generate a predetermined pressure drop in the flowing fluid; a plurality of particulate control devices conveying the fluid to the inflow control device; and at least one fluid coupling conveying the fluid from at least one of the particulate control devices to the inflow control device.
US09617834B1

A method of projection a production characteristic includes receiving down well video image data depicting multiphase flow within the well, determining a flow rate data of at least one phase of the multiphase flow based on the down well video image data, and projecting the production characteristic based at least in part on the determined flow rate using a well performance model.
US09617827B2

A downhole tool includes a temperature sensitive component. The temperature of the temperature sensitive component is at least partially controlled by a temperature management system thermally coupled to the temperature sensitive component. A metal hydride may be selectively thermally coupled to a cold plate that is thermally coupled to the temperature sensitive component.
US09617824B2

A packer assembly is located in a compacted wellbore and a method of relieving compression on the packer assembly are disclosed. An initial load path that exists when the packer assembly is in a set position is altered. The alteration of the load path relieves substantially all of the compression on the packer assembly. This causes a lower packer mandrel to move towards an upper packer mandrel. This upward movement shortens the distance between the upper packer mandrel and the lower packer mandrel, which removes the compressive forces on the packer assembly.
US09617822B2

A setting assembly for a packer seal features peripherally mounted rod pistons that abut the seal to be set by advancing the seal relative to a tapered surface. When parts of the seal engage an inner tubular wall before other parts of the seal the continuation of application of hydraulic pressure to the pistons moves parts of the seal that have yet to make contact with the tubular wall further relative to the ramp so that plastic deformation of the seal assembly can occur to allow portions thereof to move radially further outwardly to seal in the region where the radius of the tubular is enlarged. When hydraulic pressure is applied to the pistons in an opposite direction a lock mechanism is defeated and the c-ring or scroll reverts to a smaller shape optionally aided by a garter spring so that the packer can be selectively retrieved.
US09617809B2

The present invention relates to a vessel comprising a flexible hydrocarbon pipeline storage installation. The flexible hydrocarbon pipeline storage installation comprises an annular storage device, the storage device comprising an opening, and a tensioner, adapted to exert a pulling force on a pipeline, comprising two or moretensioner tracks defining therebetween a pipeline passage, extending between a loading end and an opposed storage end of the tensioner. The flexible hydrocarbon pipeline storage installation further comprises a pipeline loading guide, provided near the tensioner, for guiding the pipeline during loading the pipeline into the annular storage device. According to the invention, the tensioner is arranged to have an essentially vertical pipeline passage, wherein the storage end of the tensioner is situated above the opening of the annular storage device, and wherein the pipeline loading guide is provided near the loading end of the tensioner.
US09617805B1

Swivel assembly and disassembly apparatuses for assembly and disassembly of a swivel include an apparatus base, a bearing collection basin carried by the apparatus base, a swivel head mount carried by the bearing collection basin, a swivel assembly/disassembly head carried by the swivel head mount and a swivel mounting mechanism carried by the swivel assembly/disassembly head.
US09617798B2

A tubular component for a drill stem, for drilling a hole, the component including a first end section including a first threading, a second end section including a second threading, and a substantially tubular central section, a hole being provided in at least one of the first and second end sections, and a tensioner for a communications tube disposed in the hole, the tensioner operating by deformation of a regular section of the communications tube, the tensioner being disposed in a housing provided in at least the section, at a distance from the ends of the communications tube, the housing intersecting with the hole.
US09617795B2

A subterranean support-bolt drill bit includes a bit body rotatable about a central axis and at least one cutting element mounted to the bit body. The at least one cutting element has a cutting face, a cutting edge adjacent the cutting face, and a back surface opposite the cutting face. A first recess is defined in the bit body and positioned adjacent the at least one cutting element. A first opening extends through a portion of the bit body, the first opening extending from the first recess. A coupling projection extends from the back surface of the at least one cutting element, the coupling projection being positioned within the first recess. A coupling attachment extends through the first opening and is attached to the coupling projection.
US09617793B2

Polycrystalline compacts include a hard polycrystalline material comprising first and second regions. The first region comprises a first plurality of grains of hard material having a first average grain size, and a second plurality of grains of hard material having a second average grain size smaller than the first average grain size. The first region comprises catalyst material disposed in interstitial spaces between inter-bonded grains of hard material. Such interstitial spaces between grains of the hard material in the second region are at least substantially free of catalyst material. In some embodiments, the first region comprises a plurality of nanograins of the hard material. Cutting elements and earth-boring tools include such polycrystalline compacts. Methods of forming such polycrystalline compacts include removing catalyst material from interstitial spaces within a second region of a polycrystalline compact without entirely removing catalyst material from interstitial spaces within a first region of the compact.
US09617792B2

In some embodiments, a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may include a superabrasive table having a recessed surface in a cutting face thereof and a shaped feature in a substrate at the interface between the superabrasive table and the substrate, the shaped feature corresponding to the recessed surface in the cutting face of the superabrasive table. In further embodiments, a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may comprise a superabrasive table positioned on a substrate, and at least one substantially planar recessed surface in a cutting face of the superabrasive table. In yet additional embodiments, a cutting element for an earth-boring tool may comprise a superabrasive table positioned on a substrate, and at least one non-planar recessed surface in a cutting face of the superabrasive table. Such cutting elements may be located on an earth-boring tool. Methods of forming an earth-boring tool include attaching such cutting elements thereto.
US09617789B2

A motor assembly includes a power section extending between a first end and a second end. A bearing assembly section is disposed downhole from the second end of the power section. The outer diameter of the power section is smaller than an outer diameter of the bearing assembly section.
US09617785B2

An extensible curtain rail includes a rail main body, more than one connection seat and a decorative panel. The decorative panel and the rail main body are assembled and connected with each other by means of the connection seat. The connection seat can be inward contracted or outward extended to adjust the gap between the decorative panel and the rail main body in accordance with different sizes of curtain assemblies to facilitate installation thereof. The decorative panel is detachable from the rail main body to provide larger installation space and more quickly install the curtain assembly.
US09617783B2

To reliably prevent entrance of electro-magnetic waves in a door that closes an opening portion formed in an airframe of an aircraft. A gasket seal 20 which is arranged between an opening portion 12 formed in an airframe of an aircraft and a door 13 for closing the opening portion 12, includes: a gasket seal body that is made of a rubber material; and conductive fiber 24 that covers a surface of the gasket seal body. When the door 13 is in a closed state, the gasket seal 20 whose surface is made conductive is abutted against a striker 30 provided on a skin 11 side of the airframe and made of a conductive material. The door 13 and the skin 11 of the airframe are electrically connected together via the conductive fiber 24 and the striker 30, and electro-magnetic waves can be reliably shielded.
US09617780B2

A spacer, window assembly, method of manufacturing a window assembly, and method of manufacturing a spacer is described herein involving window assemblies having three sheets of material, which will be referred to as a triple pane assembly. Two interior spaces are defined within the window assembly: a first air space between the first sheet and intermediary sheet and a second air space between the second sheet and the intermediary sheet.
US09617779B2

Modular components of modular door lite frame systems are disclosed. In some cases, a modular door lite frame system includes matching first and second modular frames, one or more modular male alignment members, and one or more modular female alignment members. In some cases, the modular alignment members can be coupled to modular frames of various sizes. In some cases, the modular components can be formed by casting ABS between no more than two opposed mold portions.
US09617778B2

An opening and closing body control apparatus includes: a first signal receiving unit receiving a first detection signal indicating the presence or absence of contact of a user with an operating portion of an opening and closing body; a second signal receiving unit receiving a second detection signal indicating a movement speed of the body; and a signal output unit outputting a control signal regulating a holding force of the body to a holding force regulating device, wherein the control signal regulating the holding force to a first holding force less than a second holding force is output to the device according to the first detection signal indicating that the contact has been detected, and when the second detection signal indicating that the movement speed body is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed is received when the holding force is the first holding force, the control signal regulating the holding force to the first holding force is output to the device regardless of the first detection signal.
US09617773B2

Disclosed is a low profile, adjustable, soft close hinge comprised of a hinge cup pivotally connected to a hinge body via a hinge arm and a hinge link in a four-bar linkage arrangement. A spring biases the hinge to a closed position. The hinge body is adjustably connected to an inner frame with an overlay adjustment screw and depth adjustment cam. The inner frame releasably connects the hinge body to a mounting plate. A stop bracket is adjustably and slidably connected to the hinge body by a helical cam. The adjustable position of the stop bracket relative to the hinge body determines the point at which the damping functionality of a damper begins during a hinge closing movement. A linkage sub-assembly pivotally connects the damper to the hinge link.
US09617764B2

An outside handle of a vehicle that releases a door latch, including a slot that includes a rotatable flap that sits flush against an outer panel of the vehicle in a closed position. The rotation of the flap provides an opening to an inside of the handle in an open position. The handle includes a rotating lever behind the outer panel, and a lock rod attached to the rotating lever. Downward rotation of the lever moves the rod downward, and the downward motion of the rod then triggers the latch.
US09617759B2

A door holding device for a vehicle, may include a door handle having a first side disposed on a door base turnably and a second side in which a holder extending inwardly of the door base may be formed, a door lever hinged to the door base and having a guide that may be locked to the holder of the door handle so as to turn with the door handle, and a blocking lever disposed on the door base turnably by a hinge shaft and having a stopper formed to correspond to turning tracks of the holder of the door handle and the guide of the door lever.
US09617757B2

Locks, systems and methods of monitoring a lock, the lock having a hub with a slot rotatable by a handle to open and close a latchbolt. A locking member is moveable into and out of engagement with the hub slot to prevent and permit movement of the hub and latchbolt. A sensor on the lock, adjacent the hub and locking member, monitors a moving lock component. The sensor may sense the position of the locking member in or out of engagement with the hub slot. The sensor may be a reed switch actuated by a magnet on the moving lock component. The lock may further include a magnet mounted on the hub and the sensor may comprise a reed switch capable of being actuated by the magnet on the hub. The lock and system may include an external control unit having an alarm for controlling operation of the lock.
US09617741B2

A set of panels, especially floor panels, comprising panels with a first edge, a second edge opposite the first edge, and a third edge and a fourth edge opposite the third edge, wherein each edge has a supporting profile, suitable to forming with a supporting element of the opposite edge of a similar panel a connection between the panels, the supporting profile of the first edge or the supporting profile of the second edge having a locking element, which in a locking position serves for locking and in an installation position allows joining or separating of the supporting profiles along this direction, and in the laid state a first panel and a second panel form a row within a laying plane, while coupling is provided by which the locking element performs a blockable forced movement, and when forced movement is blocked the locking element is held in the locking position, and when not blocked the locking element can be moved from locking position if the supporting profiles are moved.
US09617735B2

A secondary handrail for mounting below a conventional handrail to enable smaller individuals, such as children, to use it while ascending or descending stairs. The secondary handrail includes a mounting bracket defined by a rigid bracket body, a rail attachment member, a plurality of fastener docks, and a spindle depression as well as a rail member, and extension sleeves. In operation, a plurality of mounting brackets are mounted sequentially under a conventional handrail through an attachment to the wall or a spindle, with a plurality rail members extending between each mounting bracket. In this regard, the mounting bracket provides for the mounting of the secondary handrail below the conventional staircase and fastening the secondary handrail to a wall or spindle and the rail member provides a mounted rail for assisting an individual in ascending or descending the stairs.
US09617731B2

A modular wall system including a plurality of panels, each having a plurality of interconnecting sides including a top, a bottom, a first joiner edge and a second joiner edge. The first and second joiner edges of the panels each further include a pair of first and second side edge projecting profiles, the profiles each exhibiting mating and friction fitting locations such that the panels are inter-engaged in either of linear or angled extending fashion. A floor supported track is provided for seating the bottoms of the interconnecting panels.
US09617723B2

A trench drain with a trench body and a grate for use with a flush-threshold or low-threshold shower. The trench body is rectangular, with a drain hole positioned in the bottom. Front and back flanges extend from the bottom of the front and back sides for an absolute flush installation of the trench drain to the shower body and the bathroom flooring. The trench body may extend under the shower walls on each side. A grate fits into the top of the trench body onto a lip or edge on the interior of the front and back sides. Protrusions may extend inward to help provide support and stability for the grate.
US09617721B2

A system for receiving and transporting bio-waste without the use of water as a carrier of the bio-waste is disclosed. The system comprises a bio-waste receptacle configured to receive bio-waste and is associated with an exterior wall of a structure. The system further comprises a bio-waste cart receivable at least partially within the bio-waste receptacle and comprising a base and a collection bucket for receiving the bio-waste, the base having a plurality of wheels for transporting the collection bucket. The system further comprises a transport system for moving the bio-waste cart along a pre-defined pathway, the transport system comprising a tunnel-like structure and a mechanical, manually operated locomotive device and wherein the tunnel-like structure conceals the pre-defined pathway and at least a portion of the mechanical, manually operated locomotive device. The system further comprises a bio-waste depository positioned on the pre-defined pathway for receiving the transported bio-waste.
US09617720B2

A backflow resistant stop valve for an aircraft galley plumbing system comprises a valve body defining an inlet, and inlet chamber, a transfer chamber, an outlet chamber, and an exit. The valve incorporates an anti-backflow device at the exit to prevent backflow, and flow through the body is controlled by a pivoting paddle disposed within the valve body having an upper flap, a spindle, and a lower flap, where the upper flap seals against the inlet chamber and the lower flap seals against the outlet chamber when the paddle is rotated to a first position. The valve utilizes a negative pressure at the outlet chamber that biases the valve closed until a sufficient column of water overcomes the bias.
US09617717B2

A construction machine control system controls a construction machine including a traveling device, a work machine having a working tool, and a swing structure to which the work machine is attached and which is attached to the traveling device to swing with respect to the traveling device. The construction machine control system includes a position detection device that detects a first position which is a position of a partial portion of the construction machine and outputs the first position as first position information; a state detection device that detects and outputs operation information indicating an operation of the construction machine; and a processing device that calculates a second position corresponding to the position of the partial portion using the first position information and the operation information and calculates a position of at least a partial portion of the work machine using second position information.
US09617714B2

The hybrid constructions machine has an engine rotation speed sensor 11A to detect a rotation speed NE of an engine 11, an engine state determination unit 20B to determine the state of output torque TE of the engine 11, a load torque estimation unit 20C to calculate load torque TP of a hydraulic pump 13, and an engine assistance limiting unit 20E to, when the rotation speed NE detected with the engine rotation speed sensor 11A is equal to or greater than a rotation speed N0, and the engine state determination unit 20B determines that the output torque TE of the engine 11 has not become minimum torque Tmin, or the load torque TP calculated with the load torque estimation unit 20C is lower than torque T1, limit motive-power assistance with the motor generator 12 to the engine 11.
US09617703B2

A ground anchor system configured for introducing into a borehole, and comprising a plurality of straps each having a length dimension extending along a central longitudinal axis of the ground anchor system. Each of said straps has a width dimension taken along a major axis and a thickness dimension taken along a minor axis. The major axis and the minor axis are disposed at a transverse plane of the ground anchor system and intersect at a middle point. The middle point of each of said straps is intersected by an imaginary line extending through the longitudinal axis at the transverse plane. The imaginary line forms an angle smaller than 90° with the major axis of the respective strap.
US09617691B2

A method of milling a profile of a railway rail comprises: rotating a milling cutter including a plurality of face mounted cutting inserts mounted about a periphery thereof; milling a railway rail with cutting edges of the cutting inserts rotating in a predetermined plane corresponding to at least a portion of a desired rail profile while controlling the depth of cut of the cutting inserts; traversing the railway rail with the milling cutter while milling the railway rail; and controlling the speed of traverse of the milling cutter along the railway rail.
US09617676B2

A laundry treatment apparatus including a cabinet forming an appearance of the apparatus, a drum rotatably disposed in the cabinet, a housing fixed to the drum, an accommodation space defined within the housing forming a closed loop, a balancing unit movably disposed in the accommodation space, and a housing power line provided at an inner circumferential surface of the housing to supply power to the balancing unit, wherein the balancing unit includes a unit body, a motor for moving the unit body, a brush contacting the housing power line, and a power terminal housing fixed to the unit body and having a space in which the brush is removably installed.
US09617668B2

The present invention pertains to nonwoven webs, and multi-component fibers comprising polydiorganosiloxane polyamide as well as method of making microfibers and multi-component fibers comprising a polydiorganosiloxane polyamide copolymer.
US09617659B2

Sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber comprises, based on the total weight of the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber: from 0.1 to 15 percent by weight of a size resin comprising a polyamide; and from 85 to 99.9 percent by weight of short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber. Methods of making the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber and compositions comprising the sized short alumina-based inorganic oxide fiber in a polymeric matrix are also disclosed.
US09617658B2

The apparatus (1) is used for producing melt-blown fibres (MF). It comprises a die head (104) with several spinning orifices, means (100, 101,102, 103) for extruding at least one melted polymeric material through the spinning orifices of the die head (104) in the form of meltblown filaments (f), and means (104a,104b) for blowing a hot primary gas flow (F1) towards the outlet of the die head (104) in order to draw and attenuate the polymeric filaments (f) at the outlet of the die head, and a drawing unit (105) that is positioned below the die head (104), and that is adapted to create an additional gas flow (F3) that is oriented downstream to further draw and attenuate the meltblown filaments (f).
US09617657B2

Preparation of semiconductor nanocrystals and their dispersions in solvents and other media is described. The nanocrystals described herein have small (1-10 nm) particle size with minimal aggregation and can be synthesized with high yield. The capping agents on the as-synthesized nanocrystals as well as nanocrystals which have undergone cap exchange reactions result in the formation of stable suspensions in polar and nonpolar solvents which may then result in the formation of high quality nanocomposite films.
US09617653B2

The presently claimed invention provides an electrochemical analytical apparatus and a method for evaluating performance of electroplating formulations of electrolyte solutions used for via filling. The electrochemical analytical apparatus comprises an electric power generating device, an electrical output signal measurement device, an electrochemical measurement device, and a motion generator. The electrochemical measurement device of the present invention comprises a supporting structure, a cavity, a cavity electrode, and a surface electrode. The electrical output signals of the cavity electrode and the surface electrode are measured during electroplating for calculating a filling performance value. The presently claimed invention provides an accurate, fast and cost effective method for evaluating performance of electroplating formulations, following with choosing the electroplating formulation of the highest FP value for actual microvia filling process.
US09617651B2

An anodizing apparatus configured to perform an anodization on a metallic material to be processed provided with a projecting portion on a surface thereof, includes: an electrolysis tank configured to store electrolytic solution for anodization; a first electrode portion formed of a metal and electrically connected to the material in an immersed state immersed in the electrolytic solution in the electrolysis tank; a second electrode portion formed of a metal and opposing the material in the immersed state; an electrode apparatus configured to apply a predetermined voltage between the first and second electrode portions; a retaining device configured to retain and rotate the material in the immersed state; and a first injection device configured to inject the electrolytic solution toward a predetermined area deviated from the material in a storage space in the electrolysis tank so that the material is deviated from a line in the direction of injection.
US09617650B2

The present invention provides a cationic electrodeposition coating composition comprising: a specific amino group-containing modified epoxy resin (A); a blocked polyisocyanate curing agent (B); a water-soluble zirconium compound (C); and sulfamic acid, wherein the water-soluble zirconium compound (C) is present in an amount of 10 to 10,000 ppm, calculated as the mass of the elemental zirconium, relative to the mass of the cationic electrodeposition coating composition.
US09617646B2

An electrochemical reactor for removing mining constituents from a fluid is disclosed. The electrochemical reactor includes a housing defining a flow path and a pump configured to continuously move fluid through the flow path at a flow rate. The electrochemical reactor also includes a power supply coupled to the housing, an anode and a cathode coupled to the power supply, and a controller configured to selectively engage the power supply power supply. The power supply applies an electrical potential between the anode and the cathode when engaged.
US09617645B1

An anti-corrosion and water-repellent substance configured for application to surfaces of materials to prevent corrosion and otherwise protect those materials. The substance consists of 1-bromopropane, nitromethane, ethyloxirane, and highly refined paraffin wax. In a preferred embodiment of a method of treating materials, the anti-corrosion and water-repellent substance is sprayed on a surface. In other embodiments, the substance may be applied with a brush or roller. In yet another embodiment, the substance may be applied by immersing the items being treated for optimal coverage of their exposed surfaces. The substance adheres to various materials and protects them by repelling water, acids, salt brines, and other substances and elements, including corrosives.
US09617644B2

The present invention relates to a method for direct metallization of non-conductive substrates as well as a conductor solution used in such a method. According to the invention, it is proposed to contact a non-conductive substrate surface after activation by a noble metal colloid-containing activator solution with a conductor solution, which comprises a metal that is reducible by a metal of the activator solution, a complexing agent and a reducing agent.
US09617640B2

Described are apparatus and methods for processing a semiconductor wafer in which the gap between the wafer surface and the gas distribution assembly remains uniform and of known thickness. The wafer is positioned within a susceptor assembly and the assembly is lifted toward the gas distribution assembly using actuators. The wafer can be lifted toward the gas distribution assembly by creating a fluid bearing below and/or above the wafer.
US09617622B2

A hydrogen gas generating member includes a metal alloy having dispersed aluminum. The metal alloy includes an Al—X alloy, where X is Sn: 10.1 to 99.5% by mass, Bi: 30.1 to 99.5% by mass, In: 10.1 to 99.5% by mass, Sn +Bi: 20.1 to 99.5% by mass, Sn +In: to 10 to 99.5% by mass, Bi+In: 20.1 to 99.5% by mass, or Sn+Bi+In: 20 to 99.5% by mass. Hydrogen gas is generated by bringing the hydrogen gas generating member into contact with water.
US09617621B2

The invention relates to a method for treating a solution containing zinc sulphate, so that at least one of the rare metals such as indium, gallium and germanium can be separated from it. A portion of the metals to be separated can be precipitated from zinc sulphate solution by neutralizing the acidic solution and at least a portion is cemented by means of metal powder. The solid precipitates that are formed can be combined and treated subsequently in some suitable way to leach out the desired metals.
US09617616B2

In a method for producing a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet by comprising a series of steps of hot rolling a raw steel material containing C: 0.002-0.10 mass %, Si: 2.0-8.0 mass % and Mn: 0.005-1.0 mass % to obtain a hot rolled sheet, subjecting the hot rolled steel sheet after or without hot band annealing to one stage cold rolling or two or more stage cold rollings including an intermediate annealing therebetween to obtain a cold rolled sheet having a final sheet thickness, subjecting the cold rolled sheet to decarburization annealing combined with primary recrystallization annealing, applying an annealing separator to the steel sheet surface and then subjecting to a final annealing, when rapid heating is performed at a rate of not less than 50° C./s in a range of 200-700° C. of the decarburization annealing, the cold rolled sheet is subjected to holding at any temperature of 250-600° C. for 1-10 seconds thereof to thereby produce a grain-oriented electrical steel sheet being low in the iron loss and small in the deviation of the iron loss value.
US09617610B2

The invention relates to a process of melting ferrous metal using a gaseous fuel, a liquid fuel or a pulverized solid fuel in a cokeless horizontal reverberatory furnace (FIG. 1) consisting of a hearth (1), an sloped melting chamber (2) a vertical refractory grid (4), a burner (3), a recuperator or regenerator (5) to transfer heat from waste gas and products of combustion to fresh oxygen bearing gases, whereas a burner system is installed on the hearth for combustion of the fuel and oxygen bearing gas, the hearth under the burner acts as a superheater to achieve the temperature necessary for alloying and to receive the molten metal cascading from the sloped melting chamber, the sloped melting chamber being fed from one end by the rising gas products of combustion and in which the waste gases are subject to post-combustion of carbon monoxide and volatiles before passing through a recuperator or a regenerator to pre-heat the oxygen bearing gases necessary for combustion.
US09617609B2

On the basis of data obtained by means of analyzing coal, a first and second coal type satisfying conditions are selected, the ash melting point of the mixed coal resulting from mixing the first and second coal types is derived on the basis of a four-dimensional state diagram for SiO2—CaO—MgO-20% Al2O3, on the basis of the ash melting point of the mixed coal and the four-dimensional state diagram, an additive causing the ash melting point of the mixed coal to be at least 1400° C. at the lowest quantity when added to the mixed coal is selected from SiO2, MgO, and CaO, the addition quantity of the additive is derived, the first coal type and second coal type are mixed to result in the mixed coal, and the addition quantity of the additive is added to the mixed coal.
US09617597B2

The invention relates to methods of diagnosing susceptibility to cardiovascular disease, including coronary artery disease. MI, abdominal aorta aneurysm, intracranial aneurysm restenosis and peripheral arterial disease, by assessing the presence or absence of alleles of certain polymorphic markers found to be associated with cardiovascular disease. The invention further relates to kits encompassing reagents for assessing such markers, and methods for assessing the probability of response to therapeutic agents and methods using such markers.
US09617591B2

The invention relates to a new method of characterizing a target polynucleotide. The method uses a pore and an XPD helicase. The helicase controls the movement of the target polynucleotide through the pore.
US09617587B1

The technology relates in part to methods and compositions for isothermal amplification of nucleic acids.
US09617583B2

The invention provides methods for determining the susceptibility of cancer patients to developing adverse reactions if treated with a telomerase inhibitor drug by measurement of telomere length in appropriate cells of the patient prior to initiation of the telomerase inhibitor treatment.
US09617576B2

The present invention provides an enzyme electrode composed of a carbon particle on which glucose dehydrogenase (GDH) with flavine adenine dinucleotide (FAD) as a coenzyme is supported and an electrode layer contacting the carbon particle, wherein the carbon particle and/or the electrode layer are/is composed of the carbon particles with a particle diameter of not more than 100 nm and a specific surface area of at least 200 m2/g.
US09617575B2

The present invention discloses a high concentration methanol tolerant methanotroph and its application, a accession number of the methanotroph in China General Microbiological Culture Collection Center being CGMCC No. 9873, deposit date being Oct. 29, 2014, category names being Methylomonas sp. ZR1. The methanotroph Methylomonas sp. ZR1 disclosed by the present invention can grow rapidly by using methane, and can tolerate with high concentration of methanol. The methanotroph Methylomonas sp. ZR1 can use C1 compounds such as methane and methanol to produce high value-added products such as carotenoids and polysaccharides, which has high application prospect in biological transformation of one-carbon chemistry.
US09617568B2

The disclosure relates to engineered enone reductase polypeptides having improved properties, polynucleotides encoding the engineered polypeptides, related vectors, host cells, and methods for making the engineered enone reductase polypeptides. The disclosure also provides methods of using the engineered enone reductase polypeptides for chemical transformations.
US09617557B2

The present invention relates generally to the field of molecular biology and concerns a method for increasing various plant yield-related traits by increasing expression in a plant of a nucleic acid encoding a GRF polypeptide. The present invention also concerns plants having increased expression of a nucleic acid encoding a GRF polypeptide, which plants have increased yield-related traits relative to control plants. The invention also provides constructs useful in the methods of the invention.
US09617554B2

The invention provides compositions and methods relating to the elevation of glucoraphanin compared to standard Brassica oleracea varieties. The invention also relates to the production of hybrid varieties having desired glucosinolate contents. The invention further provides plants, plant parts, and seeds comprising such traits and comprising a Myb28 allele from Brassica villosa that is not genetically linked to an ELONG allele from Brassica villosa.
US09617552B2

The invention provides methods for identifying regenerated transformed plants and differentiated transformed plant parts, obtained without subjecting plant cells to selective conditions prior to regenerating the cells to obtain differentiated tissues. In particular embodiments, the plant cells are corn plant cells. Methods for growing and handling plants, including identifying plants that demonstrate specific traits of interest are also provided.
US09617551B2

Agrobacterium strains that harbor transformation-enhancing genes on a plasmid capable of replication independently of the Agrobacterium chromosome, the Ti plasmid, and plant transformation binary vectors, and uses for these Agrobacterium strains are provided. Additionally, Agrobacterium strains that are deficient in DNA recombination functions that result in instability or rearrangement of plant transformation binary vectors, and that harbor transformation-enhancing genes on a plasmid capable of replication independently of the Agrobacterium chromosome, the Ti plasmid, and plant transformation binary vectors, and uses for these strains, are also provided. Further included are Agrobacterium strains that harbor transformation-enhancing genes integrated into the Agrobacterium chromosome at a locus that does not interfere with or otherwise compromise the normal growth and plant transformation ability of the Agrobacterium cells, and uses for these Agrobacterium strains. Plants made using these Agrobacterium strains are also described.
US09617550B2

Disclosed herein are novel Pichia pastoris strains for expression of exogenous proteins with substantially homogeneous N-glycans. The strains are genetically engineered to include a mutant OCH1 allele which is transcribed into an mRNA coding for a mutant OCH1 gene product (i.e., α-1,6-mannosyltransferase, or “OCH1 protein”). The mutant OCH1 protein contains a catalytic domain substantially identical to that of the wild type OCH1 protein, but lacks an N-terminal sequence necessary to target the OCH1 protein to the Golgi apparatus. The strains disclosed herein are robust, stable, and transformable, and the mutant OCH1 allele and the ability to produce substantially homogeneous N-glycans are maintained for generations after rounds of freezing and thawing and after subsequent transformations.
US09617541B2

Disclosed herein are metal-ligand complexes containing polynucleotides, compounds for making the same, and methods of using the same.
US09617539B2

Certain embodiments are directed to methods and compounds for inhibiting UBE3A-ATS, the endogenous antisense transcript of ubiquitin protein ligase E3A (UBE3A). Such methods and compounds are useful for inducing expression of paternal UBE3A in cells and animals.
US09617537B2

Disclosed herein is an efficient method of generating a library of variants of a sequence of interest, such as may be used in directed evolution. In one embodiment, the method includes an amplification reaction, e.g., error-prone PCR, to generate double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) variants of a sequence of interest, after which one strand of the dsDNA variants may be selectively degraded to produce single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) variants. The ssDNA variants may be hybridized to ssDNA intermediaries, e.g., uracilated circular ssDNA intermediaries, to form heteroduplex DNA, which may be transformed into cells, such as E. coli cells, yielding a library of variants. This method eliminates the inefficient sub-cloning steps and the need for costly primer sets required by many prior methods.
US09617536B2

Focused libraries of vectors or genetic packages that display, display and express, or comprise a member of a diverse family of antibody peptides, polypeptides or proteins and collectively display, display and express, or comprise at least a portion of the focused diversity of the family. The libraries have length and sequence diversities that mimic that found in native human antibodies.
US09617534B2

A method for producing silicate-containing magnetic particles having a closed and tight silicate layer and high purity. In addition, the novel method prevents an uncontrolled formation of aggregates and clusters of silicates on the magnetite surface, thereby having a positive influence on the properties and biological applications. The method enables depletion of nanoparticulate solid substance particles on the basis of a fractionated centrifugation. The silicate-coated magnetic particles exhibit optimized magnetization and suspension behavior as well as advantageous run-off behavior from plastic surfaces. These highly pure magnetic particles coated with silicon dioxide are preferably used for isolating nucleic acids from cell and tissue samples, whereby the separating out from a sample matrix ensues by means of magnetic fields. The particles are particularly well suited for the automatic purification of nucleic acids, mostly from biological body samples for the purpose of analyzing them with different amplification methods.
US09617530B2

The present invention provides for compositions and methods for producing crop plants that are resistant to herbicides. In particular, the present invention provides for sorghum plants, plant tissues and plant seeds that contain altered acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) genes and proteins that are resistant to inhibition by herbicides that normally inhibit the activity of the ACC protein.
US09617523B2

The present invention relates to a host organism containing recombinant nucleic acids coding for the vitamin K reductase complex subunit 1 (VKORC1) and recombinant nucleic acids coding for a vitamin K dependent (VKD) protein, wherein both the recombinant VKORC1 and the recombinant VKD protein are expressed in said host organism. Further, the present invention relates to a cell culture system comprising cells which contain said recombinant nucleic acids and to methods for improving the productivity of recombinant VKD protein expression in a host organism being cultured in suitable systems.
US09617519B2

A method for manufacturing a multilayered cell sheet characterized in fabricating a vascular bed that constructs a vascular network extending to the surface from a channel for perfusing a medium, the channel being embedded in a gel; and layering a cell sheet onto the vascular bed to construct a vascular network in the cell sheet. This manufacturing method makes it possible to construct a vascular network in the cell sheet and to fabricate a thick multilayered cell sheet in a simple manner by layering cell sheets. Such a thick multilayered cell sheet is useful as an in-vivo tissue substitute in regenerative medicine involving a variety of tissues.
US09617513B2

The present invention relates to pluripotent stem cells, particularly to pluripotent embryonic-like stem cells. The invention further relates to methods of purifying pluripotent embryonic-like stem cells and to compositions, cultures and clones thereof. The present invention also relates to a method of transplanting the pluripotent stem cells of the present invention in a mammalian host, such as human, comprising introducing the stem cells, into the host. The invention further relates to methods of in vivo administration of a protein or gene of interest comprising transfecting a pluripotent stem cell with a construct comprising DNA which encodes a protein of interest and then introducing the stem cell into the host where the protein or gene of interest is expressed. The present also relates to methods of producing mesodermal, endodermal or ectodermal lineage-committed cells by culturing or transplantation of the pluripotent stem cells of the present invention.
US09617512B2

This present invention provides novel methods for deriving embryonic stem cells and embryo-derived cells from an embryo without requiring destruction of the embryo. The invention further provides cells and cell lines derived without embryo destruction, and the use of the cells for therapeutic and research purposes. It also relates to novel methods of establishing and storing an autologous stem cell line prior to implantation of an embryo, e.g., in conjunction with reproductive therapies such as IVF.
US09617509B2

A reactor system is provided for improved fermentation of a gaseous substrate through the introduction of a secondary loop to a forced-circulation loop reactor. The reactor comprises a primary loop through which fermentation broth comprising a gaseous substrate is circulated through a riser segment and a downcomer section by a loop pump. Downstream of the loop pump a portion of fermentation broth is withdrawn from the downcomer section and is directed to the top of the reactor via a secondary loop. Further provided is a method for improving the mass transfer of a gaseous substrate to a fermentation broth in a fermentation vessel comprising a secondary loop. Further provided is a method for reducing foam in the headspace of a fermentation vessel comprising a secondary loop.
US09617503B2

A method for modifying the properties of a suspension of solid or liquid particles in an aqueous medium, includes the step of adding to the suspension or to the aqueous medium a polymer prepared by inverse emulsion polymerization of monomers Ab, comprising a betaine group, and of nonionic monomers Ba included in an aqueous phase dispersed in the form of droplets in a hydrophobic external phase, wherein the molar ratio of the monomers Ab to the monomers Ba is from about 4/96 to about 40/60, the polymer exhibits an intrinsic viscosity of greater than 600 mL/g, the reduced specific viscosity being measured by dissolving the polymer in a 20% by weight aqueous NaCl solution.
US09617502B2

The present invention relates generally to detergent compositions and, more specifically, to detergent compositions containing salts of polyetheramines and polymeric acid, particularly salts of polyetheramines and polycarboxylic acid, which are suitable for removal of stains from soiled materials.
US09617500B2

A detergent composition with a superior drying performance is provided comprising a surfactant according to the formula: wherein n=0-5 and m=10-50; or formula 2: R1O(AlkO)xM(OAlk)yOR2 wherein R1 and R2 are independently saturated or unsaturated, and possibly hydroxylated, alkyl radicals with 4 to 22 carbon atoms. wherein Alk is an alkyl radical with 2-4 carbon atoms; wherein x and y are independently an integer between 1 and 70; wherein M is an alkyl radical selected from the group CH2, CHR3, CR3R4, CH2CHR3, CHR3CHR4; and wherein R3 and R4 are independently saturated or unsaturated alkyl radicals with 1 to 18 carbon atoms.
US09617495B2

The present invention relates to a transmission lubricant comprising at least 30% by weight of polyalkyl (meth)acrylate. The present invention further describes polyalkyl (meth)acrylates for use in lubricants and also processes for preparing them and their use. The present lubricants can be used particularly in wind turbine transmissions.
US09617487B2

A process for converting organic MSW into liquid fuels or chemical products in almost quantitative yield via catalytic one-pot hydrolytic depolymerization of organic MSW. The organic MSW comprises all organic materials that exists in municipal solid waste, such as paper and paperboard, food scraps, yard trimmings, rubber, leather, textiles, wood, plastics, etc. The process is the first one over the world for resourcing municipal solid waste.
US09617465B2

A method of treating a subterranean formation includes combining self-degrading particles with a carrier fluid, placing the self-degrading particles and the carrier fluid into a zone in a formation, said zone comprising fractures, allowing the self-degrading materials to penetrate and plug off the connection to existing fractures and to bridge off fracture propagation near the wellbore, and initiating a re-fracture treatment comprising re-fracture fluids and proppant materials prior to the degradation of the self-degrading particles.
US09617462B2

In general, the current application relates to degradable composite and blend materials that have accelerated degradation in water in low temperature conditions, and their various industrial, medical and consumer product uses. In some embodiments, the degradable composite composition comprises a degradable polymer mixed with discrete particles of a filler that acts to accelerate the degradation of the degradable polymer. Such materials degrade in 60 C water in less than 30 days, <14 days, and even <7 days. Various materials are provided that can degrade equally fast at lower temperatures, such as 50 C, or even 40 C.
US09617460B2

A non-hydraulic cement composition including: (i) a non-aqueous liquid phase comprising one or more organic compounds characterized by: (a) having at least one hydroxyl group on a carbon atom, (b) being a liquid when pure under Standard Laboratory Conditions, and (c) being at least soluble in water; (ii) one or more magnesium chloride compounds selected from the group consisting of: magnesium chloride, a magnesium chloride hydrate, and any combination thereof; and (iii) magnesium oxide; wherein the one or more organic compounds comprise at least 40% by weight of the non-aqueous liquid phase excluding the weight of any dissolved solids. A method of treating a well including the steps of: (A) forming the non-hydraulic cement composition; and (B) introducing the non-hydraulic cement composition into the well.
US09617450B2

The inventive method comprises chemically-mechanically polishing a substrate with an inventive polishing composition comprising a liquid carrier and abrasive particles that have been treated with a compound.
US09617448B2

Described is a clearcoat coating composition, its use, and a process for preparing the clearcoat coating composition. The clearcoat coating composition comprises (A) at least one polyester having an OH number of 80-250 mg KOH/g; (B) at least one butanol-etherified melamine-formaldehyde resin having a crosslinking onset temperature between 65° C.-100° C. lower than the crosslinking onset temperature of hexamethoxy-methylmelamine; (C) at least one butanol-etherified melamine-formaldehyde resin having a crosslinking onset temperature between 30° C.-60° C. lower than the crosslinking onset temperature of hexamethoxymethylmelamine; (D) at least one organic urea compound as rheological assistant; and (E) at least one acid catalyst.
US09617444B2

A method of coating a substrate is disclosed in which a non-aqueous composition is applied to the substrate and then exposed to UV-A light until the composition is substantially cured. The non-aqueous composition comprises an unsaturated (meth)acrylate polymer or oligomer, reactive diluents, one or more photoinitators, an optional solvent or mixture of solvents, and up to 15% by weight of a flattener. A coating is formed having an 85° gloss of less than 15.
US09617436B2

A water-based ink composition is described. The water-based ink composition includes a latex containing styrene-butadiene rubber particles, and a coloring agent, the glass transition temperature of the styrene-butadiene rubber particles being 10° C. to 50° C.
US09617420B2

The present technology is an epoxy resin composition containing an epoxy resin (A), a urethane resin (B) in which the terminal isocyanate of the urethane prepolymer is blocked by at least one of an ε-polycaprolactam, an oxime, or a pyrazole, and in which bisphenol A is included in the backbone of the aforementioned urethane prepolymer, and a curing agent (C).
US09617419B2

A resin composition contains: 60 to 95% by mass of polyphenylene ether (A); 35 to 0% by mass of styrene-based resin (B); and 15 to 5% by mass of elastomer component (C). The component (C) is present as dispersion particles in the resin composition. The dispersion particles have a number average particle size of 0.04 to 0.25 μm.
US09617411B2

An organic-inorganic hybrid resin, a molding composition, and a photoelectric device employing the same are disclosed. The organic-inorganic hybrid resin is a reaction product of a composition, wherein the composition includes: 0.1-10 parts by weight of reactant (a), and 100 parts by weight of reactant (b). In particular, the reactant (a) is a silsesquioxane prepolymer with metal oxide clusters, and the metal oxide cluster includes Ti, Zr, Zn, or a combination thereof. The reactant (b) includes an epoxy resin.
US09617404B2

A rubber composition that can improve the productivity of a conveyor belt, belt conveyor device, or the like without impairing its energy saving performance and a conveyor belt and belt conveyor device that have both high productivity and high energy saving performance are provided. The rubber composition includes a diene polymer, a citraconimide compound, a hydrazone compound, and a vulcanization accelerator.
US09617390B2

The present invention is directed to binder based on an alkoxy- and/or silanol-functional polysiloxane A), one or more dicarboxylic or polycarboxylic acids B), one or more di- or polyols C), one or more di- or polyisocyanates and one or more aminosilanes D1) or one or more isocyanatosilanes D2), the constituents A) to D1) or D2) being present condensed with one another in the binder.
US09617389B2

An stable ethylsilicate polymer having a dynamic viscosity of 10 centipoises (cps) to 1,000 cps at 25° C. and 50 wt % to 60 wt % silica (SiO2). The stable ethylsilicate polymer includes not greater than 1 wt % of TEOS monomer. The process of forming the ethylsilicate polymer includes a two step addition of catalysts. A hydrolysis catalyst is added initially, for example hydrochloric acid, and a second catalyst is added subsequently, such as phosphonitrilic chloride trimer. The ethylsilicate polymer is used to form MQ resins.
US09617385B2

Low dielectric constant (low-k) polyhemiaminal (PHA) and polyhexahydrotriazine (PHT) materials with cyclic aliphatic ring structures are described. The materials are formed by a method that includes heating a mixture comprising amines and paraformaldehyde. The reaction mixtures may be used to form low-k PHT prepregs, composites and dielectrics used in integrated circuits.
US09617383B2

Synthesis of monodisperse PEG-based microparticles with stable coupling chemistries. Biomolecules are conjugated to monodisperse PEG microparticles using non-amine chemistries, such as sulfhydryl groups, azide, or alkyne-based chemistries.
US09617380B2

In an embodiment, a process of purifying a polycarbonate comprises: polymerizing a dihydroxy compound and a carbonate source via an interfacial reaction in the presence of a catalyst to form a product mixture comprising an aqueous phase and an organic phase, wherein the organic phase comprises the polycarbonate, the catalyst, ions, and a solvent having a boiling point Tb; heating the product mixture to greater than or equal to Tb; separating the aqueous phase and the organic phase at a temperature greater than or equal to Tb to form a separated organic phase and a separated aqueous phase; extracting the catalyst from the separated organic phase; and extracting the ions from the separated organic phase; wherein if a centrifuge is used in the extracting of the catalyst, the extracting of the ions, or both, the process further comprises cooling a stream entering the centrifuge to less than Tb.
US09617370B2

A polyurethane used for orthopedics external fixing system in complex environment is obtained by reaction of mixture of polyether polyol with modified isocyanate in the weight ratio of 1:0.6-0.75. The modified isocyanate is obtained by reaction of polyphenylene polymethylene isocyanate with polyether glycol. The components and corresponding weight percent amounts of the mixture of polyether polyol are as follows: 60-65% polyether polyol; 0.3-1% catalyst; 0.1-2% foam stabilizer; 0.1-2% or 3-20% foaming agent; 25-40% filler and 0.5-2% functional auxiliary agent. The method of producing the polyurethane is also provided.
US09617369B2

The present invention relates to novel high-latency liquid hardeners for hardening of curable polymer resins, especially epoxy resins, and to epoxy resin compositions comprising liquid hardeners for the production of fiber composite materials.
US09617367B2

The present invention provides an alkali-soluble resin having good developing performance, which belongs to the technical field of polymer material, so as to solve the problem of the poor developing performance of the current alkali-soluble resin and the photosensitive composition made of the same; and a method for preparing the same. In the present invention, tetrahydrofuran groups (flexible functional group) is introduced into the alkali-soluble resin by highly reactive unsaturated monomer, which can improve the developing property of the alkali-soluble resin and can produce a photoresist film with a smooth surface and no corrosion on its side wall.
US09617365B2

The present invention is directed to catalytic compositions and to curable compositions containing them. Catalytic compositions of the present invention typically comprise: (i) a reactive compound comprising at least one group selected from acid-functional groups and/or groups that may be converted to acid-functional groups; (ii) a metal compound; and (iii) a compound different from (i) and (ii) that catalyzes an addition reaction between an ethylenically unsaturated compound and a thiol. Curable compositions according to the present invention comprise: (a) a polyene, (b) a polythiol, and (c) the afore-mentioned catalytic composition.
US09617362B2

Group 4 transition metal complexes of bidentate iminonaphthol pro-ligands can be used as catalysts to polymerize olefins, such as ethylene. Group 4 transition metal complexes of bidentate iminonaphthol pro-ligands can have a single-site nature, allowing the catalysts to be used to prepare ultra high molecular weight polyethylene having a narrow molecular weight distribution.
US09617358B2

Techniques are provided for polymerization. A polymerization method may include polymerizing a monomer in a polymerization reactor to produce a slurry comprising polyolefin particles and a diluent, flowing the slurry out of the polymerization reactor through an outlet of the polymerization reactor, receiving the slurry from the outlet into a slurry handling system, conveying a first mixture from the slurry handling system to a diluent and monomer recovery system, and injecting steam into the first mixture downstream of the slurry handling system using a steam injection system.
US09617355B2

The present invention is directed to a process for the production of high density polyethylene by polymerisation of ethylene in the presence of a supported chromium oxide based catalyst which is modified with an organic compound comprising oxygen and a nitrogen atom which is selected from the group consisting of saturated heterocyclic organic compounds with a five or six membered ring, amino esters and amino alcohols. Such organic compounds allow manufacturing of HDPE with increases molecular weight distribution and increased molecular weight.
US09617350B2

The invention is a method for efficiently preparing alkali cellulose having a uniform alkali distribution therein. More specifically, the invention is a method for preparing alkali cellulose comprising steps of bringing pulp into continuous contact with an alkali metal hydroxide solution in a bucket conveyor type contactor to generate a contact mixture, and draining the contact mixture; a method for preparing a cellulose ether comprising use of the alkali cellulose thus prepared; and an apparatus for preparing alkali cellulose comprising a bucket conveyor contactor comprising at least one inlet port for introducing pulp and an alkali metal hydroxide solution at one end and at least one outlet port for discharging a contact mixture wherein the pulp and the alkali metal hydroxide solution can be moved from one end to the other end while bringing them into contact with each other to generate the contact mixture; and a drainer for separating a cake from the contact mixture discharged from the outlet port.
US09617347B2

The present disclosure provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods useful for modulating angiogenesis and for inhibiting metastasis, tumors, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and fibrosis in a mammalian tissue. Pharmaceutical compositions and methods include inhibitors of LOXL2 expression and activity, such as shRNA targeting LOXL2.
US09617334B2

The present disclosure encompasses novel caninized anti-NGF antibodies, antigen binding proteins and polynucleotides encoding the same. The disclosure further provides use of the novel antibodies, antigen binding proteins and/or nucleotides of the invention for the treatment and/or prevention of NGF related disorders, particularly for the management of canine pain.
US09617328B2

Disclosed is a fusion protein comprising blood coagulation factor IX (FIX) and transferrin. The fusion protein exhibits improved specific FIX activity, as compared to native FIX, and can be useful in the treatment of FIX deficiency-associated diseases.
US09617322B2

The present invention relates to a proNGF mutant and to uses thereof, in particular the use of a proNGF mutant for producing human beta-NGF. The present invention discloses a method of preparing a biologically active human beta-NGF from an inactive insoluble proNGF mutant. A proNGF mutant of the invention is substituted by any amino acid but not Arg or Lys at the native protease cleavage site R1SK3R4 at least at positions R1 and K3 corresponding to positions 101 and 103 of the human wildtype proNGF sequence.
US09617321B2

The present invention relates to tumor immunotherapy, in particular to tumor vaccination, using chimeric proteins comprising all or a portion of a hepatitis B virus core antigen protein and an amino acid sequence comprising an epitope derived from the extracellular portion of a tumor-associated antigen. In particular, the present invention provides virus-like particles comprising said chimeric proteins, which are useful for eliciting a humoral immune response in a subject against the tumor-associated antigen, in particular against cells carrying said tumor-associated antigen on their surface, wherein the tumor-associated antigen is a self-protein in said subject.
US09617317B2

The invention relates to cellular localization signals. In particular, the invention relates to endoplasmic reticulum localization signals in monomeric or multimeric form. The localization signals are utilized as research tools or are linked to therapeutics. Disclosed are methods of making and using polypeptides and modified polypeptides as signals to localize therapeutics, experimental compounds, peptides, proteins and/or other macromolecules to the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. The polypeptides of the invention optionally include linkage to reporters, epitopes and/or other experimental or therapeutic molecules. The invention also encompasses polynucleotides encoding the localization signals and vectors comprising these polynucleotides.
US09617312B2

Described herein are small peptide domains and consensus sequences that bind small target molecules of industrial importance, e.g., metals such as nickel, β carotene, and isoflavones such as genistein. Also described are fusion proteins containing such binding domains fused to proteins or to peptide domains like GST or CBD that bind other ligands and can be used to immobilize the target binding domain on a support. One class of fusion proteins that is useful in industrial settings are fusions that contain concatemers of target binding domains, which increases the binding equivalents per molecule.
US09617306B2

In an embodiment, the present disclosure pertains to a composition for inhibiting calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal growth comprising at least one isolated polypeptide comprising a plurality of amino acids that bind the surface of the calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal; and a plurality of amino acids spacers, wherein the amino acid spacers are arranged in varying sequences between the plurality of amino acids that bind the surface of the calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal. In some embodiments, the present disclosure related to a method of controlling calcium oxalate monohydrate crystal growth in a subject in need thereof comprising administering to the subject therapeutically effective amount of the calcium oxalate monohydrate inhibiting polypeptide. In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method of identifying calcium oxalate monohydrate inhibiting peptides. Such a method may comprise designing a peptide library of potential calcium oxalate inhibiting peptides; screening the peptide library for high efficacy inhibitor peptides for inhibition of calcium oxalate monohydrate crystallization; and conducting molecular characterization of the high efficacy inhibitor to determine specificity.
US09617305B2

The present invention provides pharmaceutical compositions and methods of treating lower gastrointestinal disorders, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), diverticulitis, colon cancer, an inflammatory disorder, obesity, congestive heart failure, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), pain, salt retention or fluid retention.
US09617304B2

The present invention relates to a novel endocytic motif, and in particular, to a fusion polypeptide including the motif represented by an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO. 1 and a protein transduction domain, a pharmaceutical composition for preventing or treating cancer including the same, and a method for treating cancer including the step of administering the composition. The present invention shows the effects of suppressing metastasis, infiltration, angiogenesis, and growth of cancer by specifically inhibiting c-Met endocytosis and effectively inhibiting HGF/c-Met signaling pathway associated with metastasis and growth of various types of cancer cells. Therefore, the present invention can be applied to an anticancer agent for various types of cancer.
US09617303B2

Sustained-release compositions wherein a water-soluble physiologically active peptide is substantially uniformly dispersed in a microcapsule comprised of a lactic acid polymer or a salt thereof, and the physiologically active substance is contained in an amount of 15 to 35 wt/wt % to the total microcapsules and weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of the lactic acid polymer is about 11,000 to about 27,000, which is characterized by having a high content of the physiologically active substance, and suppression of the initial excessive release within one day after the administration and a stable drug sustained-release over a long period of time, and method for producing the same.
US09617299B2

A method of purifying a fusion protein, including: (1) adjusting the pH of an aqueous phase, containing a fusion protein which is a fusion of a protein having a self-assembly capability and a tamet protein, and which aqueous phase has a first pH, to a second pH, to obtain a remaining aqueous phase and a solid fraction containing an amount of the fusion protein; (2) separating the solid fraction from the remaining aqueous phase, to obtain a separated solid fraction; and (3) dissolving the separated solid fraction in a solution having a pH of 12 or lower but higher than the second pH by at least 0.1 pH units, wherein the protein having a self-assembly capability is a cell surface protein.
US09617298B2

Disclosed is a collagen powder and/or a collagen derivative powder, which are obtained by dispersing in a hydrophilic organic solvent a crude collagen precipitate which comprises 12 to 50% by mass of a collagen precipitate and/or a collagen derivative precipitate having an average particle size of 1 to 1,000 μm, recovering solids and then drying the solids. By dispersing the crude collagen precipitate in the hydrophilic organic solvent, the resulting precipitates can be dehydrated, so that drying of the thus obtained solids can be done by air-drying. In addition, the resulting collagen powder and/or collagen derivative powder exhibit excellent solubility due to an increased specific surface area and also have excellent ease of handling with the average particle size being 8 to 1,000 μm.
US09617296B2

The disclosure relates generally to methods, systems, compositions and kits for breaking a water-in-oil emulsion including one or more biomolecules dispersed in an aqueous phase of the water-in-oil emulsion. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates to obtaining a first emulsion including a continuous hydrophobic fraction and a discontinuous aqueous fraction, the aqueous fraction having one or more biomolecules dispersed therein, breaking the first emulsion by contacting the first emulsion with a breaking solution including a second emulsion, where the second emulsion includes a discontinuous phase of organic extraction solvent dispersed in a continuous aqueous phase, and centrifuging to separate the phases of the resulting mixture. In some embodiments, the disclosure relates generally to methods, kits and systems for extracting biomolecules from a water-in-oil emulsion, including breaking a water-in-oil emulsion comprising a plurality of aqueous droplets in a continuous hydrophobic fraction using a breaking solution to produce a resulting reaction mixture containing one or more biomolecules and manipulating the resulting reaction mixture to form at least two phases, where one of the phases includes an aqueous phase containing the one or more biomolecules.
US09617274B1

Synthetic noribogaine preferably free of ibogaine and, optionally, one or more of other naturally occurring Tabernanth iboga alkaloids, is provided.
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