US09685350B2
A semiconductor device has a first conductive layer and a semiconductor die disposed adjacent to the first conductive layer. An encapsulant is deposited over the first conductive layer and semiconductor die. An insulating layer is formed over the encapsulant, semiconductor die, and first conductive layer. A second conductive layer is formed over the insulating layer. A first portion of the first conductive layer is electrically connected to VSS and forms a ground plane. A second portion of the first conductive layer is electrically connected to VDD and forms a power plane. The first conductive layer, insulating layer, and second conductive layer constitute a decoupling capacitor. A microstrip line including a trace of the second conductive layer is formed over the insulating layer and first conductive layer. The first conductive layer is provided on an embedded dummy die, interconnect unit, or modular PCB unit.
US09685348B2
An object is to avoid an increase in contact resistance of an ohmic electrode by etching in a semiconductor device. There is provided a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. The method of manufacturing comprises forming a semiconductor layer; forming an ohmic electrode by stacking a plurality of metal layers, on the semiconductor layer; forming another metal layer that is mainly made of another metal different from a material of an outermost layer among the plurality of metal layers, on the ohmic electrode; removing the another metal layer from top of the ohmic electrode by etching; and processing the ohmic electrode by heat treatment, subsequent to the etching.
US09685333B2
A method of manufacturing a silicon carbide semiconductor device includes grinding a back surface of a semiconductor substrate formed of silicon carbide to reduce thickness thereof and provide an altered layer that is ground; removing by polishing or etching, the altered layer from the back surface; forming a nickel film on the back surface of the semiconductor substrate after removing the altered layer; heat treating the nickel film to forming a nickel silicide layer by silicidation; and forming a metal electrode on a surface of the nickel silicide layer.
US09685331B1
A semiconductor device manufacturing method includes forming a first film on a substrate having a first region and a second region. A second film is formed on the first film. Guide grooves are formed by removing portions of the second film and exposing the first film. A self-assembly material is coated on the exposed first film and heated to cause a phase separation into a first and a second phase section. The self-assembly material is irradiated. A mask pattern including at least a portion of the first phase section is formed by removing the second phase section. The mask pattern has a first dimension in the first region and a second dimension in the second region that is different from the first dimension. The first film is etched after the mask pattern is formed.
US09685324B2
Exemplary embodiments provide materials and methods of forming high-quality semiconductor devices using lattice-mismatched materials. In one embodiment, a composite film including one or more substantially-single-particle-thick nanoparticle layers can be deposited over a substrate as a nanoscale selective growth mask for epitaxially growing lattice-mismatched materials over the substrate.
US09685318B2
Provided is a method of forming a semiconductor device. The method can include loading a semiconductor substrate into semiconductor equipment. A base layer can be formed on the loaded semiconductor substrate by performing a base deposition process using a base source material. A first silicon layer can be formed on the base layer to a greater thickness than the base layer by performing a first silicon deposition process using a silicon source material different from the base source material. A first nitrided silicon layer can be formed by nitriding the first silicon layer using a first nitridation process. The semiconductor substrate having the first nitrided silicon layer can be unloaded from the semiconductor equipment.
US09685316B2
A semiconductor process includes the following steps. A wafer on a pedestal is provided. The pedestal is lifted to approach a heating source and an etching process is performed on the wafer. An annealing process is performed on the wafer by the heating source. In another way, a wafer on a pedestal, and a heating source on a same side of the wafer as the pedestal are provided. An etching process is performed on the wafer by setting the temperature difference between the heating source and the pedestal larger than 180° C.
US09685312B2
Systems and methods are used to band-pass filter ions from a mass range. A full spectrum is received for a full scan of a mass range using a tandem mass spectrometer. A mass selection window of the full spectrum is selected and a set of tuning parameter values is selected. The tandem mass spectrometer is instructed to perform a scan of the mass selection window using the set of tuning parameter values. A spectrum is received for the scan from the tandem mass spectrometer. A band-pass filtered spectrum is created for the mass range that includes values from the spectrum for the mass selection window of the mass range. Systems and methods are also used to band-pass filter ions from two or more mass selection windows across the mass range and to filter out ions from a mass selection window between two band-pass mass selection windows.
US09685309B2
A method and apparatus for tandem mass spectrometry is disclosed. Precursor ions are fragmented and the fragments are accumulated in parallel, by converting an incoming stream of ions from an ion source (10) into a time separated sequence of multiple precursor ions which are then assigned to their own particular channel of a multi compartment collision cell (40). In this manner, precursor ion species, being allocated to their own dedicated fragmentation cell chambers (41, 42 . . . 43) within the fragmentation cell (40), can then be captured and fragmented by that dedicated fragmentation chamber at optimum energy and/or fragmentation conditions.
US09685299B2
In order to easily exchange a depleted dielectric member in a substrate processing apparatus, a faraday shield provided opposite to an antenna across a component member made of a dielectric, a first dielectric member provided opposite to the antenna across the component member and the faraday shield, and a second dielectric member provided opposite to the antenna across the component member, the faraday shield, and the first dielectric member are provided, and the second dielectric member is placed on a protrusion part formed on a vacuum container in the substrate processing apparatus.
US09685297B2
Systems, methods and apparatus for regulating ion energies in a plasma chamber and chucking a substrate to a substrate support are disclosed. An exemplary method includes placing a substrate in a plasma chamber, forming a plasma in the plasma chamber, controllably switching power to the substrate so as to apply a periodic voltage function (or a modified periodic voltage function) to the substrate, and modulating, over multiple cycles of the periodic voltage function, the periodic voltage function responsive to a defined distribution of energies of ions at the surface of the substrate so as to effectuate the defined distribution of ion energies on a time-averaged basis.
US09685295B2
Provided herein are electron emission devices and device components for optical, electronic and optoelectronic devices, including cantilever-based MEMS and NEMS instrumentation. Devices of certain aspects of the invention integrate a dielectric, pyroelectric, piezoelectric or ferroelectric film on the receiving surface of a substrate having an integrated actuator, such as a temperature controller or mechanical actuator, optionally in the form of a cantilever device having an integrated heater-thermometer. Also provided are methods of making and using electron emission devices for a range of applications including sensing and imaging technology.
US09685287B2
Circuit breakers with moving contacts having heel-toe action are configured to direct arcing across a small portion of a stationary contact surface to an adjacent arc chute to thereby alleviate deterioration due to arcing and improve conductivity of a major portion of the stationary contact and moving contact surface over time.
US09685282B2
The present invention relates to a door interlock device for a vacuum circuit breaker, and more particularly, a door interlock device for a vacuum circuit breaker, which is operable in cooperation with an operation of a cradle shutter. A door interlock device for a vacuum circuit breaker according to one embodiment disclosed herein includes a pressing unit that is provided on one end portion of a shutter lever driving a terminal shutter of a cradle, a driving force transfer unit that is rotatably or slidably installed on a cradle side frame, the driving force transfer unit performing a rotary motion or a sliding motion by a force applied from the pressing unit, and a sliding member that is configured to lock or unlock a door lock plate in response to a driving force transferred from the driving force transfer unit.
US09685271B2
A multilayer ceramic electronic component includes: a ceramic body including dielectric layers; an active part including first and second internal electrodes which are exposed to both end surfaces of the ceramic body in a length direction thereof, and floating electrodes which are partially overlapped with the first and second internal electrodes; upper and lower cover parts including the dielectric layers and disposed above and below the active part; dummy electrodes disposed in the upper and lower cover parts to be overlapped with the floating electrodes; and first and second external electrodes.
US09685268B1
A wire wound-type inductor is a chip type and includes a core including a winding core part having a substantially taper-shaped portion and flange portions, a winding wire that is coated with an electrically insulating coating film, terminal electrodes to which respective end portions of the winding wire are connected, and a resistive conductor containing conductive powder. The core is made of ceramics and the resistive conductor is arranged so as to cover at least a part of the surrounding of an outer side portion of the winding wire.
US09685266B2
An immersion cooled inductor includes an inductor at least partially submerged in cooling liquid and a localized boiling feature operable to instigate boiling of the cooling liquid prior to oversaturation.
US09685262B2
A surge arrester module including: first and second end electrodes; and a stack of cylindrical elements including at least one varistor block. The first end electrode includes a first part and a second part. A connecting element is provided between the first end electrode parts in order to keep them electrically connected to each other if a gap is formed between them. At least one clamping member is connected to the second end electrode and to the first part of the first end electrode in order to press them towards each other in the axial direction. The clamping member or at least one other clamping member is connected to the second end electrode and to the second part of the first end electrode in order to press them towards each other in the axial direction.
US09685259B2
A shielded electrical cable includes a conductor set and a shielding film. The conductor set includes one or more substantially parallel longitudinal insulated conductors. The shielding film includes a cover portion partially covering the conductor set, and parallel portions extending from both sides of the conductor set.
US09685257B2
The present invention discloses electrical cables containing a cable core and a plurality of conductive elements surrounding the cable core. The cable core contains at least one composite core, and each composite core contains a rod which contains a plurality of unidirectionally aligned fiber rovings embedded within a thermoplastic polymer matrix, and surrounded by a capping layer.
US09685254B2
A dielectric film includes an elastomer and nanoparticles dispersed in the elastomer while chemically bound to the elastomer. The nanoparticles have cyano groups and are manufactured by a sol-gel process using an organometallic compound. A method for manufacturing a dielectric film includes: producing a chelate compound of an organometallic compound; producing a sol of metallic oxide particles having cyano groups by adding a silane coupling agent having a cyano group, an organic solvent, and water to the chelate compound; preparing a mixed solution by mixing the sol of the metallic oxide particles having cyano groups and a polymer solution containing a rubber polymer having a functional group capable of reacting with a hydroxy group; and forming a dielectric film by applying the mixed solution to a substrate and by curing a coating film.
US09685253B2
A conductive film composition for forming a conductive film in a single coating layer on one or both sides of a base film, the composition including a metal nanowire, and polyfunctional monomers.
US09685251B2
The present invention relates to a method for producing an image of a target using radiation and a diffraction grating and apparatus for x-ray imaging. The method comprises directing a beam of radiation to the target to produce a modified beam through interaction with the target, directing the modified beam to an diffraction grating to produce an interference pattern, detecting the interference pattern using a detector, and forming an image of the target using the interference pattern measured. According to the invention, the diffraction grating is modified n the plane of the grating during the imaging so that at least two interference patterns are detected using the detector different configurations of the diffraction grating. Further, the image of the target using the at least two interference patterns measured. The invention provides a simple configuration, less radiation exposure and/or better image quality then conventional imaging methods.
US09685248B2
A neutron absorbing apparatus, for insertion into a fuel cell storage system, includes a corner spine, a first all and a second wall, each wall being affixed to the corner spine to form a chevron shape. Each wall includes an absorption sheet affixed to the corner spine, each absorption sheet being formed of a metal matrix composite having neutron absorbing particulate reinforcement, and a guide sheet affixed to and covering a fractional upper portion of the absorption sheet and extending over a top of the absorption sheet. The absorption sheet extends along the corner spine a greater length than the guide sheet.
US09685245B2
A system, method and apparatus for remotely installing a flange cover assembly on a fuel transfer tube fixed flange in a containment pit in a nuclear power plant is presented. In one example, the flange cover assembly includes J-bolt spring assemblies in which the feet of the J-bolt are rotated between a clamping and non-clamping orientation to engage with the rear face of the fixed flange. A tool frame is lowered into the containment pit to engage with the flange cover assembly to compress the J-bolt springs and extend the J-bolt foot toward and away from the flange cover. Dual acting cylinders move a spring compression frame on the frame tool to compress and relax the J-bolt spring assemblies.
US09685244B2
An active zone includes a homogeneous uranium-plutonium nitride fuel, the mass fraction of which is a minimum 0.305, and consists of central, intermediate and peripheral parts which form fuel assemblies comprising fuel elements with geometrically identical shells but differing heights. The radial distribution of the fuel across the volume of the active zone has a stepped shape. The radius of the central part is from 0.4 to 0.5 of the effective active zone radius, while the height of the fuel column in the fuel elements in the central part is from 0.5 to 0.8 of the height of the fuel column in the peripheral part. The heights of the fuel columns forming a stepped intermediate part for diameters ranging from 0.5 to 0.85 of the effective active zone diameter are within the range from 0.55 to 0.9 of the height of the fuel column in the peripheral part.
US09685242B2
According to one embodiment, a memory system includes a memory, an encoding unit, an interface unit, a decoding unit and a changing unit. The encoding unit is configured to encode first data to generate second data. A size of the second data is equal to a first size. A size of the first data is equal to a second size which is smaller than the first size. The interface unit is configured to store the second data in the memory and to read the second data from the memory. The decoding unit is configured to decode the second data read from the memory to perform detection of an error. The changing unit is configured to change the second size according to an occurrence situation of the error.
US09685232B2
A semiconductor memory device includes a memory string having first and second selective transistors, each of which includes a charge storage layer and a control gate, a back gate transistor which includes a charge storage layer and a control gate, and memory cell transistors connected to each other and to the back gate transistor in series between the first and second selective transistors. In case any of the memory cell transistors is defective, the defect is indicated by storing a charge in the charge storage layer of at least one of the first and second selective transistors and the back gate transistor.
US09685230B2
A resistive memory device resistive memory device includes a bit line configured to be driven by a bit line driver, a source line configured to be driven by a source line driver adjacent to the bit line driver, and a plurality of memory cells connected between the bit line and the source line. An electrical path of the bit line from each of the plurality of memory cells to the bit line driver increases as an electrical path of the source line from each of the plurality of memory cells to the source line driver decreases.
US09685229B2
A method is disclosed for operating a Conductive Bridge Random Access Memory (CBRAM) device that includes an electrolyte element sandwiched between a cation supply top electrode and a bottom electrode. The method comprises conditioning the CBRAM device by applying a forming current pulse having a pulse width (tf) of 100 ns or less and a pulse amplitude (If) of 10 uA or less, and when programming, setting the conditioned CBRAM device to a Low Resistance State (LRS) by applying a set current pulse having a pulse width (ts) of 100 ns or less and a pulse amplitude (Is) equal to or larger than the forming current pulse amplitude (If).
US09685217B2
In a method, error detection and correction is performed on output data from a memory cell of a memory device to generate a result of error detection and correction. The memory cell is determined as a weak cell by determining a number of times of data retention failures of the memory cell based on the result of the error detection and correction. In a refreshing cycle, normal cells and the weak cell are refreshed and the weak cell is additionally refreshed at least once.
US09685212B2
A strobe signal from a memory is delayed through delay circuits of a strobe delay selection section, thus obtaining a plurality of delayed strobe signals. A strobe latch section produces check data in synchronism with each of the delayed strobe signals, and a system latch section latches, with a system clock, check data latched by the strobe latch section. Based on a comparison by an expected value comparison section and a determination by a delay determination section, the optimal strobe signal with the optimal delay is selected from among the delayed strobe signals produced in the strobe delay selection section. Then, data from the memory is delayed through delay circuits in a data delay selection section, thus obtaining a plurality of delayed data, and the optimal data with the optimal delay is selected from among the plurality of delayed data based on the comparison by the expected value comparison section and the determination by the delay determination section.
US09685208B2
Embodiments include apparatuses, methods, and systems related to an assist circuit that may be coupled to one or more components of a memory system to selectively lower a supply voltage that is delivered to the component. For example, the assist circuit may be coupled to a plurality of bitcells (e.g., register file bitcells). The assist circuit may selectively lower the supply voltage delivered to the bitcells during at least a portion of a write operation and/or during an inactive state of the bitcells. Additionally, or alternatively, the assist circuit may be coupled to a read circuit to selectively lower the supply voltage delivered to the read circuit during an inactive state of the read circuit. The assist circuit may include a control transistor coupled in parallel with one or more diodes between a main supply rail and a supply node of the bitcells and/or read circuit.
US09685207B2
A synchronous sequential latch array generated by an automated system for generating master-slave latch structures is disclosed. A master-slave latch structure includes N/2 rows of master-slave latch pairs, an N/2-to-1 multiplexer and control logic. N is equal to the number of latches that are included in the latch array.
US09685201B2
A system according to one embodiment includes a magnetic structure having a tunnel junction, and a controller and logic integrated with and/or executable by the controller. The logic is configured to reduce a local relative humidity in a vicinity of the tunnel junction by passing a current through the tunnel junction for at least a period of time that the tunnel junction would otherwise not have a current passing therethrough. A method according to one embodiment includes determining a relative humidity in an environment of a tunnel junction that is part of a magnetic structure and selecting an operating current from a range of allowable operating currents based on the determined relative humidity. The selected level of the current is high enough to heat the tunnel junction to a temperature which reduces a local relative humidity in a vicinity of the tunnel junction.
US09685200B2
An apparatus, system and method of consolidation of HD video and a surgical data overlay, such as for recordation in a single consolidated video capture recording of the HD video and surgical data overlay for subsequent playback and/or storage; and an apparatus, system and method for recording HD surgical video consolidated with a surgical data overlay in which an automated switch occurs between at least two surgical HD video sources based, at least in part, on then-active surgical aspects.
US09685197B2
A method and apparatus for generating a thumbnail of a video content in an electronic device is provided. The method for generating the thumbnail of the video content in the electronic device includes dividing a video content into a plurality of pieces, extracting a characteristic point of each of the plurality of pieces, comparing the characteristic point of each of the plurality of pieces and a characteristic point of each of a plurality of pieces of at least one other video content, and determining a thumbnail of the video content from a piece of the video content that is not the same as a piece of the at least one other video content, based on a result of the comparing.
US09685195B2
Playback of multimedia data associated with a recorded conference session is simplified, particularly for a person who participated in the conference session from a mobile device. At a recording server that is in communication with a plurality of endpoints in a conference session, multimedia received from the plurality of endpoints participating in the conference session is recorded. The recording server obtains geographical location information for at least one mobile endpoint participating in the conference session as the at least one mobile endpoint moves. The recording server temporally correlates the geographical location information for the at least one endpoint with recorded multimedia data for the conference session. The recording server stores data tags for the geographical location information for the at least one mobile endpoint in association with the recorded multimedia data for subsequent use in indexing to map data to retrieve a portion of the recorded multimedia data for playback.
US09685194B2
Video and corresponding metadata is accessed. Events of interest within the video are identified based on the corresponding metadata, and best scenes are identified based on the identified events of interest. A video summary can be generated including one or more of the identified best scenes. The video summary can be generated using a video summary template with slots corresponding to video clips selected from among sets of candidate video clips. Best scenes can also be identified by receiving an indication of an event of interest within video from a user during the capture of the video. Metadata patterns representing activities identified within video clips can be identified within other videos, which can subsequently be associated with the identified activities.
US09685190B1
A first device captures content and streams the captured content to a second device as the first device continues to capture the content.
US09685176B2
Methods for forming a slider for a disc drive. One method includes forming a plurality of sliders on a wafer, applying a self-assembled monolayer coating on the plurality of sliders, and cutting the plurality of sliders into a plurality of individual sliders. Another method includes forming a plurality of sliders on a wafer, applying a low surface energy coating on the plurality of sliders, and cutting the plurality of sliders into a plurality of individual sliders.
US09685174B2
A system that monitors and assesses the moods of subjects with neurological disorders, like bipolar disorder, by analyzing normal conversational speech to identify speech data that is then analyzed through an automated speech data classifier. The classifier may be based on a vector, separator, hyperplane, decision boundary, or other set of rules to classify one or more mood states of a subject. The system classifier is used to assess current mood state, predicted instability, and/or a change in future mood state, in particular for subjects with bipolar disorder.
US09685172B2
The present invention discloses a method and a device for suppressing residual echoes. The method comprises: performing adaptive filtering on M transmitter signals respectively to obtain M adaptive filtered signals; performing array-filtering 5 on the M−1 adaptive filtered signals other than the first adaptive filtered signal to obtain M−1 array-filter output signals by considering relative positions of the receiver and each of the transmitters and the time delay attributed to distances between the transmitters and the receiver; subtracting each of the M−1 array-filter output signals from the first adaptive filtered signal respectively to obtain M−1 difference signals, performing time-domain/frequency-domain conversion on the M−1 difference signals respectively and selecting one of the frequency-domain signals that has the least energy; performing time-domain/frequency-domain conversion on the first adaptive filtered signal and the Mth adaptive filtered signal and then performing speech probability filtering on the converted first adaptive filtered signal and the converted Mth adaptive filtered signal to obtain one frequency-domain speech probability signal; and multiplying the frequency-domain speech probability signal with the selected signal that has the least energy, and performing frequency-domain/time-domain conversion on the multiplication result to obtain a signal as a transmitter output signal. The technical solutions of the present invention can suppress the residual echoes effectively without impairing near end speech.
US09685171B1
The systems, devices, and processes described herein may include a first microphone that detects a target voice of a user within an environment and a second microphone that detects other noise within the environment. A target voice estimate and/or a noise estimate may be generated based at least in part on one or more adaptive filters. Based at least in part on the voice estimate and/or the noise estimate, an enhanced target voice and an enhanced interference, respectively, may be determined. One or more words that correspond to the target voice may be determined based at least in part on the enhanced target voice and/or the enhanced interference. In some instances, the one or more words may be determined by suppressing or canceling the detected noise.
US09685169B2
A method comprising: receiving an utterance, an original pitch contour of the utterance, and a target pitch contour for the utterance, wherein the utterance comprises a plurality of consecutive frames, and wherein at least one of said frames is a voiced frame; calculating an original intensity contour of said utterance; generating a pitch modified utterance based on the target pitch contour; calculating an intensity modification factor for each of said frames, based on said original pitch contour and on said target pitch contour, to produce a sequence of intensity modification factors corresponding to said plurality of consecutive frames; calculating a final intensity contour for said utterance by applying said intensity modification factors to said original intensity contour; and generating a coherently modified speech signal by time dependent scaling of the intensity of said pitch modified utterance according to said final intensity contour.
US09685168B2
Provided is an encoding/decoding apparatus and method of multi-channel signals. The encoding apparatus and method of multi-channel signals may encode phase information of the multi-channel signals using a quantization scheme and a lossless encoding scheme, and the decoding apparatus and method of multi-channel signals may decode the phase information using an inverse-quantization scheme and a lossless decoding scheme.
US09685167B2
A multi-object audio encoding and decoding apparatus supporting a post downmix signal may be provided. The multi-object audio encoding apparatus may include: an object information extraction and downmix generation unit to generate object information and a downmix signal from input object signals; a parameter determination unit to determine a downmix information parameter using the extracted downmix signal and the post downmix signal; and a bitstream generation unit to combine the object information and the downmix information parameter, and to generate an object bitstream.
US09685161B2
A method for updating a voiceprint feature model and a terminal are provided that are applicable to the field of voice recognition technologies. The method includes: obtaining an original audio stream including at least one speaker; obtaining a respective audio stream of each speaker of the at least one speaker in the original audio stream according to a preset speaker segmentation and clustering algorithm; separately matching the respective audio stream of each speaker of the at least one speaker with an original voiceprint feature model, to obtain a successfully matched audio stream; and using the successfully matched audio stream as an additional audio stream training sample for generating the original voiceprint feature model, and updating the original voiceprint feature model.
US09685159B2
A method for speaker recognition comprising: obtaining speaker information for a target speaker; obtaining speech samples from telephone calls from an unknown speaker; classifying the speech samples according the unknown speaker thereby providing speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; extracting speaker information of each of the speaker-dependent classes of speech samples; combining the extracted speaker information; comparing the combined extracted speaker information with the stored speaker information for the target speaker to obtain a comparison result; and determining whether the unknown speaker is identical with the target speaker based on the comparison result.
US09685158B2
Systems and methods to process and/or present information relating to voice messages for a user that are received from other persons. In one embodiment, a method implemented in a data processing system includes: receiving first data associated with prior communications or activities for the user on a mobile device; receiving a voice message for the user; transcribing the voice message using the first data to provide a transcribed message; and sending the transcribed message to the mobile device for display to the user. In one embodiment, options are displayed for selection by the user to correct a misspelled word in the transcribed message.
US09685157B2
A vehicle of recognizing received voice based on a language set in an external apparatus includes: a communication unit configured to receive text data stored in an external apparatus; a data converter configured to convert the received text data into voice data; a speech input unit configured to receive a speech from a user; a speech recognizer configured to recognize the received speech based on a language set in the external apparatus; and a controller configured to search for voice data corresponding to the recognized speech in the converted voice data, to generate a control command including the voice data found by the controller based on the recognized speech, and to transmit the control command to the external apparatus through the communication unit.
US09685155B2
A method distinguishes components of a signal by processing the signal to estimate a set of analysis features, wherein each analysis feature defines an element of the signal and has feature values that represent parts of the signal, processing the signal to estimate input features of the signal, and processing the input features using a deep neural network to assign an associative descriptor to each element of the signal, wherein a degree of similarity between the associative descriptors of different elements is related to a degree to which the parts of the signal represented by the elements belong to a single component of the signal. The similarities between associative descriptors are processed to estimate correspondences between the elements of the signal and the components in the signal. Then, the signal is processed using the correspondences to distinguish component parts of the signal.
US09685146B2
Disclosed are a drum beater and a drum foot pedal apparatus which are simple in construction with reduced numbers of component parts and yet allow weight adjustment of the beater to be performed promptly and reliably through a mere manual operation without using any tool, and which include: a beater head for striking a drum; a beater rod having the beater head mounted thereon; a retention member mounted on the beater rod, through a mere manual operation without using any tool, in such a manner that it is axially displaceable relative to the beater rod; a spring normally biasing the retention member toward the beater rod; and a weight member held sandwiched between the retention member and the beater head by the biasing force of the spring.
US09685139B2
A handheld imaging device has a data receiver that is configured to receive reference encoded image data. The data includes reference code values, which are encoded by an external coding system. The reference code values represent reference gray levels, which are being selected using a reference grayscale display function that is based on perceptual non-linearity of human vision adapted at different light levels to spatial frequencies. The imaging device also has a data converter that is configured to access a code mapping between the reference code values and device-specific code values of the imaging device. The device-specific code values are configured to produce gray levels that are specific to the imaging device. Based on the code mapping, the data converter is configured to transcode the reference encoded image data into device-specific image data, which is encoded with the device-specific code values.
US09685130B2
A display device includes a substrate, a gate line connected to a gate driver, a reference voltage line, a data line crossing the gate line and the reference voltage line, a first thin film transistor including a first drain electrode and connected to the gate line and the data line, a second thin film transistor including a second drain electrode, a third thin film transistor connected to the gate line, the reference voltage line, and the second thin film transistor, and a pixel electrode including a first sub-pixel electrode connected to the first thin film transistor and a second sub-pixel electrode connected to the second thin film transistor. The first drain electrode overlaps the reference voltage line, and an area of a region in which the first drain electrode and the reference voltage line overlap each other increases in a direction toward the gate driver.
US09685129B2
A scanning line drive unit sequentially selects a plurality of scanning lines, and utilizes a drive voltage generated by the booster circuit to control the operation of a thin-film transistor. A timing control unit controls the scanning line drive unit on the basis of a display signal, which includes a horizontal synchronization signal, a vertical synchronization signal and an image signal. A reference synchronization signal is input to the booster circuit during a period in which the scanning line drive unit selects none of the plurality of scanning lines. A booster circuit generates a non-selection voltage in synchronization with the reference synchronization signal in the abovementioned period. The scanning line drive unit outputs the non-selection voltage generated by the booster circuit to the plurality of scanning lines in the abovementioned period.
US09685125B2
An apparatus and method of driving data of a liquid crystal display device is disclosed, which can minimize an electromagnetic interference EMI noise by decreasing an output peak current of a data driver, the apparatus comprising a timing controller for supplying a reference source output enable signal; a delay circuit for delaying the reference source output enable signal and supplying a plurality of source output enable signals provided with the different delay times; and a data driver, including a plurality of data ICs to divide and drive data lines of a liquid crystal panel into a plurality of data blocks, for dispersing data output timing of the plurality of data ICs in response to the plurality of source output enable signals.
US09685124B2
An electro-optical device includes, on a substrate, three sub-pixels, three sampling switches, three data lines, three image signal lines, and three lead wiring lines. The three sub-pixels correspond to red, green and blue, respectively. The three sub-pixels are included in a unit pixel. The three sampling switches correspond to the three sub-pixels, respectively. The three data lines electrically connect the three sub-pixels and the three sampling switches with each other, respectively. The three image signal lines, which are provided on a side opposite to the three sub-pixels with respect to the three sampling switches, correspond to the three sampling switches, respectively. The three lead wiring lines electrically connect the three sampling switches and the three image signal lines with each other, respectively. Among the three sampling switches, a sampling switch corresponding to green is disposed close to the three image signal lines compared to other two sampling switches.
US09685122B2
A pixel circuit and a display device having the pixel circuit are disclosed. One inventive aspect includes a switching thin-film TFT and a light sensing TFT. The switching thin-film TFT includes a first source electrode electrically connected to a data line. A first gate electrode of the switching thin-film TFT and a second source electrode of the light sensing TFT are electrically connected to a first gate line. A first drain electrode of the switching thin-film TFT and a second drain electrode of the light sensing TFT are electrically connected to a pixel electrode.
US09685121B2
An electrowetting display device includes an electrowetting pixel cell and a driving circuit. The electrowetting pixel cell including a polar liquid and a non-polar liquid disposed between a common electrode and a pixel electrode, the pixel electrode configured to receive a fixed voltage and the common electrode configured to receive a variable voltage that varies according to an image signal. The driving circuit configured to control an operation of the electrowetting pixel cell by, providing an image signal to the electrowetting pixel cell at a display interval where the electrowetting pixel cell displays an image, and providing a reset voltage to the electrowetting pixel cell at a reset interval. An absolute value of a difference between the voltage applied to the pixel electrode and the reset voltage is greater than that of a difference between the voltage applied to the pixel electrode and the voltage applied to the common electrode.
US09685119B2
An organic light emitting display is provided which offers shorter sensing time and higher sensing accuracy when sensing variations in electrical characteristics of a driving element. The organic light emitting display can include: a display panel with a plurality of pixels; a gate driving circuit that generates a sensing gate pulse corresponding to one line sensing ON time in a sensing operation and sequentially supplies the same to gate lines in a line sequential manner; a data driving circuit comprising a plurality of current integrators that perform an integration of the source-drain current of the driving TFT of each pixel input through the sensing lines and an ADC that sequentially digitizes the output of the current integrators to output digital sensed values; and a timing controller that controls the operations of the gate driving circuit and data driving circuit.
US09685118B2
An organic light-emitting display device includes a data line, a scan line, and a display panel including a pixel where the data line crosses the scan line. The pixel includes: a switching transistor including a gate electrode connected to the scan line and a first electrode connected to the data line; a first capacitor between a second electrode of the switching transistor and a reference voltage source; a second capacitor including a first terminal connected to the first electrode of the switching transistor via a first node and a second terminal connected to a second node; a driving transistor including a first electrode connected to a first power source via the second node, a second electrode connected to an organic light-emitting diode, and a gate electrode connected to the reference voltage source via a third node; and a third capacitor between the second and third nodes.
US09685107B2
A display apparatus includes a first substrate and a second substrate opposite to the first substrate. The first substrate includes a plurality of color pixels and a white pixel that outputs a second white light having a same gray scale as a first white light formed by mixing light outputted from the plurality of color pixel. The white pixel is activated by a second current that is lower than a first current that activates the color pixels.
US09685095B2
The present disclosure provides systems and methods relating to administration, evaluation, and review of assessments, such as quizzes and tests. According to various embodiments, a first challenge problem of an assessment may be displayed to an assessor, such as an instructor of students. The first challenge problem may include one or more answers provided by an assessee, such as a student. For example, an assessee may have answered the challenge problem by providing one or more digital ink stroke answers, a draggable object answer, and/or an annotation answer. The systems and methods described herein facilitate the automatic and/or semi-automatic evaluation of the assessee answer items.
US09685092B2
A stationary object identification system includes memory and a transmitter. The memory has obstacle data stored therein that includes a plurality of parameters associated with each of a plurality of stationary obstacles located at a location, such as an aerodrome. The transmitter is in operable communication with the memory and is configured to generate a plurality of signals. Each of the signals is associated with a different one of the stationary obstacles and has a power level representative of the plurality of parameters associated with the stationary obstacle.
US09685088B2
A communication travel plan generation system for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes a communication hub, a system input and at least one controller. The communication hub is housed in the vehicle and is configured to communicate with a plurality of spaced subscriber communication nodes. The system input is configured to receive mission-specific information. The at least one controller is in communication with the system input. Moreover, the at least one controller is configured to apply the mission-specific information to a mission planning system to generate a mission plan of the vehicle. The at least one controller is further configured to implement the communication travel plan generation system to automatically generate travel waypoints for the mission planning system based at least in part on the mission-specific information applied to the mission planning system.
US09685087B2
In one example, a method for combining radio surveillance data includes receiving air traffic surveillance data from one or more aircraft via one or more remotely operable data link systems. The method further includes combining the air traffic surveillance data from the one or more aircraft into a composite air traffic surveillance data set. The air traffic surveillance data is based at least in part on radio surveillance messages received by the one or more aircraft from additional aircraft.
US09685080B2
A method and system for managing a set of traffic lights at an intersection, measuring the Doppler Effect of a signal emitted by a vehicle, where such Doppler Effect being a function of the vehicle movement with respect to said intersection, and deciding as a function of such measure a new state for each traffic light at the intersection so as to facilitate passage of the approaching vehicle.
US09685076B2
A method of processing data relating to an electronic map, the map comprising a plurality of segments representing navigable segments in the area covered by the map, the method comprising using a processing apparatus to generate segment data and comprising the steps of: collecting historic travel data for the segment; defining a jam condition for the segment, such that where the jam condition is satisfied the segment is classified as jammed and otherwise as not jammed; generating a jam probability for the segment according to the historic travel data and the jam condition definition; generating a jam speed for the segment using the historic travel data, the jam speed being indicative of the speed on the segment when the segment is considered jammed; and associating the jam probability and the jam speed with the segment in the electronic map.
US09685059B2
A computing system receives blackbody radiation data from a thermal radiation sensor that is located in a room with a heat source and is directed at the heat source. An operating state of the heat source is determined using the blackbody radiation data. Occupancy data is received for a dwelling that includes the room with the heat source; using this data, an occupancy of the dwelling is determined, including an occupancy for the room. It is determined, using the operating state of the heat source and the occupancy of the dwelling, including the occupancy of the room, whether a heat-source alert condition that includes a first threshold time is met. If so, a heat-source alert is provided. A request of a first type is then received to cancel the heat-source alert. In response, the heat-source alert is canceled and the heat-source alert condition is modified.
US09685054B2
The present invention provides a mounting bracket for supporting a detachable device and includes emergency lighting. In one embodiment, the mounting bracket includes an attachment means for mounting the detachable device, and at least one light source, wherein the mounting bracket is configured to receive power from a first power source, to receive power from a second power source, and to illuminate the at least one light source if the first power source is not available.
US09685047B2
The present invention provides a self-service lottery machine, comprising a casing forming an accommodation space; a display device for providing a lottery self-service sales operation interface, which including a touch display screen; a coin-feed and card reading integrated module for completing payment, which including a coin-feed and card reading operation interface; a data input module for implementing keyboard input, the data input module including an input keyboard; and a main board for completing lottery self-service sales according to user's operation received by the data input module, the coin-feed and card reading integrated module and the display device, wherein the display device, the coin-feed and card reading integrated module, the data input module and the main board are arranged inside the accommodation space, and the touch display screen, the coin-feed and card reading operation interface and the input keyboard are all exposed from a first face casing of the casing.
US09685043B2
In one example, disclosed is a method for use with at least one die, wherein each of the at least one die is configured to have multiple resting positions and includes multiple symbols disposed thereon, and wherein for each of the at least one die, each of the multiple resting positions of that die corresponds with a respective one of the multiple symbols of that die. The method involves: the electronic gaming machine causing each of the at least one die to randomly land in one of the multiple resting positions of that die; for each of the at least one die, the electronic gaming machine determining the symbol that corresponds with the landed resting position of that die; and the electronic gaming machine performing an action based, at least in part, on the at least one determined symbol.
US09685039B2
A gaming system is provided that includes a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The gaming system includes a progressive award adapted to be provided to a designated winning player of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system designates the winning player when the progressive award reaches a player threshold value. In such an embodiment, the gaming system provides the progressive award to the designated winning player when the progressive award reaches an award threshold value. In one embodiment, each player who contributes to the progressive award is eligible to win that progressive award, even if that player is not playing one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. The gaming system provides the progressive award to the designated winning player or causes a notification of being provided the progressive award to the winning player. Accordingly, the gaming system stores the progressive award until one of the players of one of the gaming machines is designated.
US09685038B2
Provided is a game system that is capable of limiting the usage of predetermined information individually. The game system acquires a two dimensional code for recreating a combined image from a character card, and utilizes, for the progression of a game, the combined image recreated during the game on the basis of the two dimensional code that has been acquired. And, the game system provides a two dimensional code so that information of a player name ID that is employed in order to limit the usage of the two dimensional code is included.
US09685034B2
A system for interfacing with a third-party application is described. The system includes a third-party device, a server-based system configured to communicate with the third-party device, and a gaming device configured to communicate with the server-based system to display content of the product or service. The gaming device is configured to generate an outcome of a wager-based game independent of the content that is displayed.
US09685023B2
Provided is a cash processing device including a pay-in section, a pay-out section, a medium identification section, one or plural medium storage sections that each includes a stacking function and a separating function, a temporary holding section that includes a stacking function and a separating function, and a pay-in processing section that, based on a classification result by the medium identification section for a medium taken in through the pay-in section, conveys a medium to be stored in the one or plural medium storage sections to the corresponding one or plural medium storage sections, and that conveys a medium not to be stored in the one or plural medium storage sections to the temporary holding section.
US09685021B2
Verifying the authenticity of a bill of currency includes configuring an ultraviolet filter mounted within a point-of-sale scanner to allow the passage of ultraviolet light within, illuminating the bill of currency with ultraviolet light, capturing, with the point-of-sale scanner, an image of the bill of currency, and determining if the bill of currency is authentic by analyzing the image.
US09685003B2
Embodiments that relate to sharing mixed reality experiences among multiple display devices are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes receiving current versions of a plurality of data subtypes geo-located at a keyframe location. A world map data structure is updated to include the current versions, and a neighborhood request including the keyframe location is received from a display device. Based on the keyframe location, an identifier and current version indicator for each data subtype is provided to the device. A data request from the device for two or more of the data subtypes is received, and the two or more data subtypes are prioritized based on a priority hierarchy. Based on the prioritization, current versions of the data subtypes are sequentially provided to the device for augmenting an appearance of a mixed reality environment.
US09685002B2
Provided is an information processing apparatus, including: an image-taking unit configured to take an image of real scenery to thereby obtain real image; a marker-detecting unit configured to extract a marker image from the real image, the marker image being an image of marker projection light, the marker projection light being projected by a projection device to the real scenery in order to provide spatial first information, the first information being necessary to display virtual information such that the virtual information is superimposed on the real scenery, second information being added to the marker projection light; and an extracting unit configured to extract the second information added to the extracted marker image.
US09684991B2
Provided is an image processing apparatus for performing photon mapping, and the image processing apparatus may perform ray tracing for photon mapping, sample a ray space based on a result of the ray tracing, and perform pseudo photon mapping using the sampled ray space.
US09684982B2
A computer-implemented method for performing isotropic reconstruction of Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) data includes receiving a stack of slices acquired by an MRI device in two or more directions and reslicing the stack of slices into (i) an acquired view stack comprising high-resolution slices acquired in-plane, and (ii) a reslice stack comprising degraded slices acquired out of plane. An estimated slice profile is generated based on the stack of slices and the acquired view stack is convolved with the estimated slice profile to yield a simulated distorted slice stack. The simulated distorted slice stack is subtracted from the acquired view stack to yield a high-frequency band estimate and the high-frequency band estimate is combined with the reslice stack to yield isotropic reconstruction results.
US09684981B2
A method includes: collecting projection data and recording electrocardiogram data when computed tomographic scanning is performed on a patient, selecting, from the projection data and based on the electrocardiogram data, first projection data related to each cardiac pixel in a same phase, and reconstructing, based on the first projection data, an image of the related cardiac pixel, to obtain a cardiac image; determining, based on the electrocardiogram data, a reconstruction phase of each reconstruction pixel in a first reconstruction region, where the first reconstruction region is an image region selected along the patient's head-to-foot direction from the cardiac image; and selecting, based on the reconstruction phase of each reconstruction pixel and from the projection data, second projection data related to the reconstruction pixel in the reconstruction phase, and reconstructing, based on the second projection data, an image of the reconstruction pixel.
US09684980B2
Described herein are technologies for facilitating three-dimensional imaging based on prior image data. In accordance with one aspect, deformable registration is performed to align three-dimensional (3D) image data to a sparse set of two-dimensional (2D) projection image data of at least one structure of interest. An iterative reconstruction scheme may then be performed to minimize a difference between the aligned 3D image data and the 2D image data.
US09684978B2
A camera, computer program, and method for determining and displaying temperature rates of change for regions within the camera's field of view. More specifically, the embodiments provide for the continuous, real-time temperature measurement and display of a plurality of objects within the camera's field of view, and further for the real-time processing and display of the temperature rates of change for the region.
US09684977B2
A road map rendering method and associated computing apparatus are provided. The method includes: receiving data representing a road broken line, the data including multiple line segments and a road traffic condition; expanding the road broken line into a polygon based on the multiple line segments and creating a geometric-topological structure for the polygon using the received data, the geometric-topological structure including a vertex list and an index list; selecting texture coordinates that correspond to the road traffic condition; and filling the polygon using the selected texture coordinates that correspond to the road traffic condition. In the road map rendering method and associated computing apparatus provided in the embodiments of the present application, a road traffic condition is rendered by invoking a texture, so that performance of a graphics processing unit of a mobile terminal can be exploited and a good rendering effect can be achieved, thereby clearly indicating the road traffic condition.
US09684968B2
A method for motion detection/characterization is provided including the steps of (a) capturing a series of time lapsed images of the ROI, wherein the ROI moves between at least two of such images; (b) generating a motion distribution in relation to the ROI across the series of images; and (c) identifying motion of the ROI based on analysis of the motion distribution. In a further aspect of motion detection/characterization in accordance with the invention, motion is detected/characterized based on calculation of a color distribution for a series of images. A system and computer program for presenting an augmented environment based on the motion detection/characterization is also provided. An interface means based on the motion detection/characterization is also provided.
US09684964B2
There is provided an image processing apparatus including a stereo matching unit configured to obtain right and left disparity images by using stereo matching, based on a pair of images captured by right and left cameras, respectively, a filter processing unit configured to perform filter processing on the disparity images, and a first merging unit configured to make a comparison, in the disparity images that have undergone the filter processing, between disparity values at mutually corresponding positions in the right and left disparity images and to merge the disparity values of the right and left disparity images based on a comparison result.
US09684960B2
The invention relates to an automated decision support system, method, and apparatus for analysis and detection of bacteria in histological sections from tissue biopsies in general, and more specifically, of Helicobacter pylori (HP) in histological sections from gastric biopsies. The method includes image acquisition apparatus, data processing and support system conclusions, methods of transferring and storing the slide data, and pathologist diagnosis by reviewing and approving the images classified as containing bacteria, and more specifically HP findings.
US09684957B2
Systems, methods, and media for detecting an anatomical object in a medical device image are provided. In some embodiments, system for detecting an anatomical object in a medical device image are provided, the systems comprising: at least one hardware processor that: applies the medical device image to a classifier having a plurality of stages, wherein a first stage of the plurality of stages and a second stage of the plurality of stages each includes a strong learner formed from a plurality of weak learners, and the weak learners in the second stage include a plurality of the weak learners included in the first stage; and identifies the medical device image as being positive or negative of showing the anatomical object based on the application the medical device image to be classifier.
US09684954B2
The image processing method includes acquiring multiple parallax images produced by image capturing of an object, the parallax images having a parallax to one another. The method further includes acquiring, by using the respective parallax images as base images, relative difference information on a relative difference between each of the base images and at least one other parallax image in the multiple parallax images, and detecting an unwanted component contained in each of the parallax images by using the relative difference information.
US09684953B2
A method for image processing in video conferencing, for correcting the gaze of an interlocutor in an image or a sequence of images captured by at least one real camera, comprises the steps of the at least one real camera acquiring an original image of the interlocutor; synthesizing a corrected view of the interlocutor's face as seen by a virtual camera, the virtual camera being located on the interlocutor's line of sight and oriented towards the interlocutor; transferring the corrected view of the interlocutor's face from the synthesized view into the original image, thereby generating a final image; at least one of displaying the final image and transmitting the final image.
US09684950B2
An apparatus configured for graphics processing includes a memory configured to store graphics data, and one or more processors in communication with the memory, the one or more processors configured to output, for display, a plurality of test graphics images, receive input indicative of a perception of a user of the computing device of at least one test graphics image from the plurality of test graphics images, determine at least one parameter modification value and generate a corrected graphics image based at least in part on the at least one parameter modification value.
US09684947B2
An interactive digital map of a geographic area is provided via a viewport that defines a visible portion of the digital map. The digital map includes a representation of a structure. The viewport is panned relative to the digital map in response to receiving a user request. An indication that indoor map data is available for the structure is displayed in response to determining that the viewport is panning, and the indication is removed in response to determining that the viewport has stopped panning.
US09684945B2
The order of the respective elements constituting image data is changed according to an order specified by a designated operation mode. The resultant data are transferred to a memory in a predetermined transfer unit. The respective elements constituting the data transferred to the memory are then processed after changing to the order before changing the order according to the above order.
US09684944B2
A flexible representation of destination-source data block dependency is included in an image graph implementation optimization API to provide a mechanism for a graph node developer to communicate limits of scheduling constraints imposed by a graph's node connections. An image graph compiler and/or image graph executor may employ the destination-source data block dependency defined through the image graph implementation API to schedule work tasks to hardware resources in a more efficient manner.
US09684936B2
Systems, methods, and apparatuses for providing local favorites are described. In some embodiments, the method entails receiving an indication from a first user of the social network of a local favorite to add or change on the local favorites page for a particular geographic location, updating the first user's local favorites page based on the received indication and storing the updated page in a database of the social network, and creating and publishing a posting regarding the first user's updated local favorites page on the social network on behalf of the first user of the social network.
US09684935B2
In one embodiment, a method includes presenting a comment icon in connection with a third-party application, the comment icon being associated with a first party and enabling a user to compose comment concerning the third-party application; and while the user is interacting with the third-party application, in response to the user activating the comment icon, creating a comment post concerning the third-party application; enabling the user to input comment inside the comment post; and enabling the user to submit the comment post to the first party for publication.
US09684933B2
A computer system for interaction with user devices presenting a keyboardless data entry interface and third party data systems is configured to provide data for display on a user device of a selectable input graphical user interface, the graphical user interface including a series of user selectable inputs not requiring user keyboard-type information entry. The system is configured to obtain data from a user device and from third party computer systems. The system is further configured to determine an insurance quotation based on inputs via the graphical user interface not requiring user keyboard-type information entry and the data from one or more of the user device and third party computer systems.
US09684931B2
A method for offering at least one credit product by at least one credit issuer to a consumer at a point-of-sale between a merchant and the consumer. The method includes the steps of: providing a credit issuer data set including a plurality of data fields to a central database; initiating a transaction between the consumer and the merchant at the point-of-sale; offering, to the consumer at the point-of-sale, the at least one credit product; and presenting, to the consumer at the point-of-sale, at least one data field in the credit issuer data set. The at least one data field presented to the consumer is populated with data directed to the credit product, the credit issuer, or any combination thereof. An apparatus and system are also disclosed.
US09684924B2
A mobile computerized apparatus or method configured to coordinate towing facilities and roadside assistance providers and their available capacity to tow and provide roadside assistance and match users with those towing facilities and roadside assistance providers is disclosed. The apparatus or method may be configured to consider the following factors in matching the towing facilities/roadside assistance providers and users: (a) availability of nearby towing facilities; (b) telematics information from the vehicle to assist with the diagnosis/repairs; (c) preset preferences of the user; (d) insurance information (such as the type of the vehicle the user has and the user's home address); and (e) the capabilities of the towing facility.
US09684916B2
According to one described embodiment, a method is provided in which transaction information is determined. The transaction information is associated with (i) a buyer who has arranged to purchase a product from a central controller at a first price established between the buyer and the central controller and (ii) a merchant that offers the product for sale at a second price, different from the first price, without offering the product for sale to buyers at the first price. Information is transmitted that facilitates the acquisition of the product by the buyer, in exchange for payment provided by the buyer to the central controller. An amount based on the second price is provided to the merchant.
US09684912B2
Methods and systems are provided for facilitating purchases by one person for another person. A user can take advantage of one or more social networks to facilitate purchases by proxy shoppers for the user. For example, the user can designate what products can be purchased by a proxy shopper and what stores can be used by the proxy shopper to make the purchases. The products can be listed in a registry on the user's social network. When the proxy shopper is in a designated store, the proxy shopper can purchase a designated products for the user.
US09684908B2
A content item presented to a user may involve two or more topics, such as news articles mentioning athletes or actors. Users may enjoy expressing opinions about a comparison of the topics, such as personal preferences or an evaluation of talent. Presented herein are techniques for automatically generating, for the content item, a poll among the topics of the content item. The respective comparisons of a comparison set are evaluated for the topics of the content item, and a comparison relevance score is computed identifying the relevance of the comparison of the topics. The comparison having the highest relevance for the topics is selected, and a comparison question is formulated and presented to the user with the content item. Results may be tabulated and presented for the topics of the content item. These techniques facilitate user expression about the content item without depending upon user-authored polls for each content item.
US09684903B2
A system and method for remotely providing expert assistance receive identification information from a mobile device that is representative of a component and communicate the identification information to remotely located expert personnel. The system and method also receive an expert-identified work scope that includes guidance information for display on the mobile device to guide the operator through diagnosing, repairing, testing, and/or replacing the component. The system and method also store the expert-identified work scope and the identification information such that the expert-identified work scope is associated with the identification information. The system and method compare subsequently received identification information with the stored identification information and automatically select and communicate the expert-identified work scope based on comparing the subsequently received identification information with the stored identification information.
US09684893B2
A wireless point of sale (POS) transaction terminal, for acceptance of bankcard payment pursuant to a sales transaction has a mobile and portable wireless device that communicates wirelessly via a wireless communication network to a payment system. The wireless device wirelessly sends a payment authorization request record incident to a payment for a sales transaction to the payment system for forwarding via a gateway to a card authorization network. The wireless device then wirelessly receives from the payment system a payment approval record for the sales transaction.
US09684892B2
The invention describes how a consumer can hold their NFC enabled device in proximity to an NFC enabled point-of-sale terminal and with a single “wave” or “tap” to automatically redeem coupons, pay for a purchase using a default payment card or a selected card, view receipts view reward point balances, and receive relevant coupons and other digital artifacts both before and after the purchase. The NFC enabled device includes a secure element with a payment application, payment credentials, and other digital artifacts such as coupons. The secure element can be internal to the mobile device, externally affixed to the mobile device, or inserted into a slot within the body of the mobile device.
US09684874B2
Embodiments relate to growing a plurality of trees in parallel. An aspect includes creating, for each of a plurality of trees, a data bag based on a training data set comprising a plurality of data records. Another aspect includes splitting the training data set into disjoint data sub-sets; and storing each of the sub-sets in a respective data slice. Another aspect includes performing a single pass through the data records stored in a data slice, thereby identifying one or more of the current nodes that are assigned data records; calculating an intermediate result for each identified current node based on all data records of said data slice; and merging intermediate results into a combined intermediate result. Another aspect includes, for each of the current nodes: calculating a split criterion from the combined intermediate result; and creating two or more child nodes of the current node based on the split criterion.
US09684872B2
A method and an apparatus for generating data in a missing segment of a target time data sequence are disclosed. The method includes: determining whether there is a breakpoint in the missing segment; determining candidate values of the data in the missing segment; and generating values of the data in the missing segment by selectively using the candidate values of the data in the missing segment, according to whether there is the breakpoint in the missing segment. With the method and the apparatus, the data in the missing segment of the target time data sequence can be generated more accurately.
US09684868B2
A method, system and computer program product are disclosed for predicting influence in a social network. In one embodiment, the method comprises identifying a set of users of the social network, and identifying a subset of the users as influential users based on defined criteria. A multitude of measures are identified as predictors of which ones of the set of users are the influential users. These measures are aggregated, and a composite predictor model is formed based on this aggregation. This composite predictor model is used to predict which ones of the set of users will have a specified influence in the social network in the future. In one embodiment, the specified influence is based on messages sent from the users, and for example, may be based on the number of the messages sent from each user that are re-sent by other users.
US09684843B2
A data capture component of a mobile device receives information for an identification of a data field in a physical document. The data capture component receives a video stream comprising a plurality of frames, wherein each frame comprises a portion of the physical document. A frame is selected from the plurality of frames in the video stream. One or more text regions in the frame are identified. Each of the identified text region(s) in the frame is processed to identify data of each of the identified text region(s) and to select data of one of the identified text region(s) that corresponds to a set of attributes associated with the data field. The selected data is then compared with data of text regions of a subsequent frame. If the data of the text regions of the subsequent frame is a closer match to the set of attributes, the selected data is updated. A display field is then provided with the selected data for presentation in a user interface.
US09684841B2
A method of transmitting a moving image and surveillance system using the method are provided. The method includes: receiving a frame image having a first resolution from a camera; generating a first frame image having the first resolution and a second frame image having a second resolution with respect to the frame image of a moving image; extracting an image of a setting region from the first frame image having the first resolution that is higher than the second resolution; generating a combined frame image by combining the extracted image of the setting region and the second frame image having the second resolution; and transmitting the combined frame image to a client apparatus.
US09684837B2
A self-location calculating device projects a patterned light onto a road surface around a vehicle, as well as thereby captures and obtains an image of the road surface around the vehicle. Furthermore, the self-location calculating device detects a running condition of the vehicle. When it is determined that the vehicle is a running stable state, the self-location calculating device calculates a current position and a current attitude angle of the vehicle by adding an amount of change in an attitude to a predetermined initial attitude angle of the vehicle.
US09684832B2
Plants may be remotely identified using unique biological characteristics (UBCs). One method involves determining a target plant within an area to be surveyed and associated target plant characteristics. The method may further include a determination of one or more unique UBCs associated with the target plant, and the location of a training plant within the physical area that exhibits the target plant characteristics. Thereafter, comparisons may be made between subsections of an acquired, date-specific, geo referenced image and data representing the training plant to identify those subsections that represent plants within the area that are associated with the one or more UBCs.
US09684827B2
The subject disclosure is directed towards eye gaze detection based upon multiple cameras and/or light sources along with an adaptive homography mapping model. Learning of the model includes compensating for spatially-varying gaze errors and head pose dependent errors simultaneously in a unified framework. Aspects including training the model of adaptive homography offline using simulated data at various head positions.
US09684819B2
A method for recognizing an image in an electronic device is provided so as to determine whether or not a specific object is actually within the presence of (immediate photographable vicinity) of the electronic device based on certain characteristics of one or more images of the specific object. Images of the specific object which is focused and shot at different magnifications are obtained. Characteristics of an object region and a background region between the obtained images are compared. Whether the object is real is determined depending on the comparison result. An apparatus hardware configured for operation of the method in electronic devices including but limited to mobile terminals.
US09684818B2
Disclosed herein is a method for providing image contents. The method for providing image contents includes: dividing the image contents into a plurality of scenes, each scene including a plurality of shots; classifying image frames for each scene depending on each of a plurality of characters appearing in the image contents; receiving a user input for selecting any one of the plurality of characters; and displaying a scene corresponding to the character selected depending on the user input.
US09684812B2
The present invention relates to a fingerprint sensing device for sensing a fingerprint pattern of a finger, the fingerprint sensing device comprising at least a first sensing structure and a second sensing structure; and at least a first charge amplifier and a second charge amplifier. Each charge amplifier comprises: a first input; a second input; an output; and at least one amplifier stage between the first and second inputs, and the output. The output is capacitively coupled to the first input. The first input of the first charge amplifier is connected to the first sensing structure; the first input of the second charge amplifier is connected to the second sensing structure; and the output of the first charge amplifier is capacitively coupled to the first input of the second charge amplifier to suppress the common mode component.
US09684808B2
A wireless communication apparatus includes an amplifier circuit configured to amplify a signal output by a wireless communication unit that executes wireless communication, to output the signal having amplified to a transceiver unit; and a decision unit configured to decide, based on an operational mode of the wireless communication unit, whether to transmit the signal from the transceiver unit via the amplifier circuit, or transmit the signal from the transceiver unit without going via the amplifier circuit.
US09684807B2
A regenerative selective logarithmic detector amplifier (LDA) can have integrated FM demodulation capabilities. It can receive a wired or wireless FM modulated signal and amplify or demodulate it with high sensitivity, high skirt ratio and minimized noise when compared to the prior art. When used in conjunction with other circuits such as a PLL or mixer, it can improve interference rejection and frequency selectivity and be locked on a precise channel in frequency and phase. The LDA produces intermittent oscillations that are self-quenched when reaching a given threshold. It also embeds the circuitry to perform direct FM discrimination. FM demodulation process is completed by a simple analog or digital frequency to voltage converter. This plus the fact that the instantaneous regeneration gain is low-medium permit to detect signals of small amplitudes buried in the noise.
US09684799B2
A method for providing audience-based redaction of sensitive information in an electronic document may include receiving a request from a computing device to access an electronic document, retrieving the electronic document, identifying the user(s) associated with the computing device, determining an access level for each user associated with the computing device, determining the lowest access level for the user(s) associated with the computing device, generating a rendering of the electronic document for display on the computing device based on the lowest access level for the user(s) associated with the computing device, and providing the rendering of the electronic document to the computing device for display. When generating the rendering of the electronic document for display, sensitive information in the electronic document is typically redacted based on the lowest access level for the user(s) associated with the computing device.
US09684796B2
The present invention is related to an information processing system, a service providing apparatus and method, an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, and a program that are intended to simultaneously share content data in private virtual spaces. A home server 11 is arranged at user A's home. A portable user terminal 1 and so on can access the home server 11. A virtual home DB server 21 supplies the layout information about virtual home and so on to the portable user terminal 1. An authentication server 22 executes authentication processing on the portable user terminal 1. An inter-user-terminal communication relay server 23 executes the processing associated with the communication between a plurality of users. A user information holding server 24 stores the personal data of each user and the content data, which are shared with other users. The present invention is applicable to programs realizing realtime communication by use of the Internet.
US09684782B2
The present invention relates to a system and method for processing a lost password by selectively providing a reset process under the password in the long-term memory of the user. According to the present invention, the system includes a user terminal including: a long-term memory condition registration unit receiving the registration of long-term memory conditions; a long-term condition determination unit determining the long-term memory conditions are satisfied; a user identification unit, after the occurrence of a lost password, authenticating the user through a user identification verification scheme or through a enhanced user identification verification scheme whether or not the password resides in the long-term memory of the user, and a lost state resetting unit cancelling the lost password occurrence state. According to the present invention, provided are an identification verification service or an enhanced identification authentication service whether or not the password resides in the long term memory of user.
US09684779B2
An authentication method can include, a random expression prompt, recording of the user's expression actions, and an authentication result. This is completed using a terminal device configured to display authentication information, record the user's inputted information, and send an authentication result. The terminal device may be further configured to package an authentication result, and send it to an authentication server. Subsequent actions of the user are allowed or denied based on the authentication result.
US09684771B2
The present invention provides methods for identifying bio-molecules with desired properties, or which are most suitable for acquiring such properties, from complex bio-molecule libraries or sets of such libraries. More specifically, some embodiments of the present invention provide methods for building sequence-activity models comprising multiplicative terms and using the models to guide directed evolution. In some embodiments, the sequence-activity models include one or more interaction terms, each of which including an interaction coefficient representing the contribution to activity of two or more defined residues. In some embodiments, the models describe relation between protein or nucleic acid sequences and protein activities. In some embodiments, the present invention also provides methods for preparing sequence-activity models, including but not limited to stepwise addition or subtraction techniques, Bayesian regression, ensemble regression and other methods. The present invention further provides digital systems and software for performing the methods provided herein.
US09684770B2
A method of performing measurement of a subject comprises measuring a physiological parameter of a subject, deriving data from the measured parameter, optionally, obtaining metadata relating to the measurement of the physiological parameter, determining the quality of the derived data from the derived data and/or the obtained metadata, and if the determined quality matches a predefined criteria, performing a predefined corrective action. In one embodiment, the method further comprises calculating one or more qualifiers from the derived data and/or from the obtained metadata, and wherein the step of determining the quality of the derived data comprises determining the quality of the derived data from the calculated qualifiers.
US09684754B2
Various implementations described herein are directed to providing standard cell architecture layout design. A request to activate a grid is received. A request to place at least one edge of a shape at a particular location on the grid is received from an input device. The at least one edge of the shape is automatically placed in an allowed location based on pre-defined rules.
US09684750B1
The present disclosure relates to a method for multi-user, at least partially concurrent, electronic circuit design. Embodiments may include receiving, at a client computing device, a user input corresponding to a change to an electronic circuit design, wherein the electronic circuit design is accessible by multiple users in an at least partially concurrent manner. Embodiments may also include implementing the change to the electronic circuit design at the client computing device without receiving authorization from a server computing device and transmitting the implemented change to the electronic circuit design to the server computing device.
US09684745B2
A computer provides a graphical user interface for displaying a virtual representation of a voltage regulator and for accepting a user requirement for the voltage regulator. The computer automatically determines an internal calibration setting of the voltage regulator that meets the user requirement. The computer simulates operation of the voltage regulator as calibrated with the internal calibration setting. The internal calibration setting is downloaded to the voltage regulator. A calibration controller of the voltage regulator receives the internal calibration setting and outputs digital calibration bits in accordance with the internal calibration setting. The digital calibration bits works in conjunction with interface circuits to adjust circuits of a voltage regulator core to digitally calibrate the voltage regulator.
US09684737B2
Computer-implemented methods for accessing a particular element of a plurality of elements stored in an N-way linked list in a computer memory provide for adding or removing elements at locations within the list. The methods may be employed with LIFO or FIFO N-way linked lists. The methods may include traversing the N sub-lists in parallel as well as the use of single instruction multiple data operations.
US09684729B2
A method for displaying search results on a user device using a layout file includes receiving search results containing one or more result objects. Each result object includes a layout identifier, an access mechanism used to access a state of an application, and result data. For each result object the method includes retrieving a layout file of a plurality of layout files from a storage device based on the layout identifier, obtaining content based on the result data, and generating the user selectable link based on the access mechanism, the layout file, and the content. The layout file defines a template that is used to generate a user selectable link and corresponds to the application referenced by the one or more access mechanisms. The method further includes generating displayable search results using the generated user selectable links and providing, by the processing device, the displayable search results for display.
US09684723B2
Aspects of the subject disclosure are directed towards increasing a community of interest group users of an interest group, e.g., a network site having a feed of posts generally related to a particular topic. Many newly created interest groups do not have enough content to keep users interested and attract new users. The technology described herein automatically obtains content that backfills such an interest group with additional related content. The backfilled content may be found by keywords search and/or by crawling general public data, data from specific sites, historical conversation data, and/or more widely scoped data. Also described is creating a new interest group and seeding the group with content based upon backfilling technology.
US09684721B2
In a method for determining an answer to a query expressed in an imprecise syntax, a formula for computing an answer to the query is determined. An answer is calculated using the formula, and the answer is then presented to the user.
US09684720B2
A search query is received. Personal information for a user is then determined. A search is performed in a general subdomain of general content using the search query. For example, the general subdomain of general content may be a WWW search. Then, a vertical subdomain is determined based on the personal information. A search is then performed in the vertical subdomain of specialized content using the search query. The search performed in the general subdomain and the search performed in the vertical subdomain generate general search results and vertical search results. The results may be combined and outputted to a client.
US09684717B2
Systems and methods for using a semantic search to address business entities that fulfill certain criteria are provided. A free search term may be determined by a user for the semantic search. The free search term may include any object type, element or parameter the user would like to search for. An ontology which relates to a specific business or industry may be used for the semantic search. The ontology may include various business classes, roles, and individuals. In some implementations, the ontology may be generated from metadata of business objects. The semantic search may be conducted across the entire ontology to obtain search results that match the free search term. As a result, business entities that fulfill the free search term may be retrieved and provided to the user.
US09684716B2
A method for video playback uses only resources universally supported by a browser (“inline playback”) operating in virtually all handheld media devices. In one case, the method first prepares a video sequence for display by a browser by (a) dividing the video sequence into a silent video stream and an audio stream; (b) extracting from the silent video stream a number of still images, the number of still images corresponding to at least one of a desired output frame rate and a desired output resolution; and (c) combining the still images into a composite image. In one embodiment, the composite image having a number of rows, with each row being formed by the still images created from a fixed duration of the silent video stream. Another method plays the still images of the composite image as a video sequence by (a) loading the composite image to be displayed through a viewport defined the size of one of the still images; (b) selecting one of the still images of the composite image; (c) setting the viewport to display the selected still image; and (d) setting a timer for a specified time period based on a frame rate, such that, upon expiration of the specified time period: (i) selecting a next one of the still images to be displayed in the viewport, unless all still images of the composite image have been selected; and (ii) return to step (c) if not all still images have been selected.
US09684715B1
This disclosure relates to audio identification using ordinal transformations. A media matching component receives a sample audio file. The sample audio file can include, for example, a cover song. The media matching component includes a vector component that computes a set of vectors using auditory feature values included in the sample audio file. A hashing component employs a hash function to generate a fingerprint, including a set of sub-fingerprints, for the sample audio file using the set of vectors. The fingerprint is invariant to variations including but not limited to variations in key, instrumentation, encoding formats, performers, performance conditions, arrangement, and/or recording and processing variations. An identification component determines if any reference audio files are similar to the sample audio file using the fingerprint and/or sub-fingerprints, and identifies any similar reference audio files.
US09684710B2
A method and system for cryptographically indexing, searching for, and retrieving documents is provided. In some embodiments, an encryption system is provided that generates a document index that allows users to retrieve documents by performing encrypted queries for keywords associated with the documents. In some embodiments, each keyword maps to the same number of encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an extractor graph is employed to map an indication of each keyword to a number of buckets storing encrypted document identifiers. In some embodiments, an order-preserving encryption system is provided. The encryption system uses an ordered index that maps encrypted instances of ordered attribute values to documents that are associated with those values. The ordered index enables queries containing query operators that rely on order, such as less than (“<”) or greater than (“>”), to be successfully performed on encrypted attribute values.
US09684707B1
A computer-implemented method includes receiving one or more log files. Each of the one or more log files includes one or more logs. The computer-implemented method further includes extracting one or more event records from said one or more logs. The computer-implemented method further includes, for each event record of the one or more event records, determining one or more attributes and one or more dimensions based on the event record, respectively. The computer-implemented method further includes grouping the one or more event records into one or more attribute groups. The computer-implemented method further includes ordering the one or more event records of each of the one or more attribute groups by the one or more dimensions. The computer-implemented method further includes generating one or more graphical representations of the one or more attribute groups. A corresponding computer system and computer program product are also disclosed.
US09684706B2
The present document relates to cloud computing. In particular, the present document relates to methods and systems for cloud computing which enable the efficient and flexible placement of application components within a cloud. A computing device (101) is described. The computing device (101) is adapted to receive a plurality of component placement requests for one or more components (703) of a corresponding plurality of applications (700); determine a plurality of feature vectors (203) from the plurality of component placement requests, respectively; wherein each feature vector (203) comprises vector dimensions which describe different attributes of the respective component placement request: determine a plurality of placement decisions (205) regarding the plurality of component placement requests, respectively: wherein each placement decision (205) comprises an indication of one or more executing computing devices (101) onto which the one or more components (703) of the respective application (700) have been placed; cluster the plurality of feature vectors (203), thereby yielding one or more clusters (202); wherein each cluster (202) comprises a default feature vector (203) describing the different attributes of a default component placement request; determine a default placement decision (205) for each of the one or more clusters; and store the one or more default feature vectors and the respective one or more default placement decisions (205) in a database (204) of the computing device (101).
US09684701B2
Replicating data in a distributed database having a plurality of nodes is disclosed. Replicating includes receiving a semantic command at a local version of the database at a node, interpreting the semantic command, and applying the semantic command to the local version of the database.
US09684695B2
In one embodiment, a method includes accessing a first set of scored results from a first user, the scored results comprising one or more results generated by a first search algorithm in response to a query from the first user, wherein the one or more results correspond to one or more content objects, respectively, the one or more results being personalized for the first user; and one or more scores inputted by the first user corresponding to the one or more results, respectively, calculating a discounted cumulative gain for each result in the first set of scored results based on the score inputted by the first user corresponding to the result, and modifying the first search algorithm based on the calculated gain for each result, wherein the first search algorithm is modified to improve the ranking of results personalized for the first user.
US09684693B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, relating to on-device query annotating. In some implementations, a search query is received, and a mobile device identifies a reference to a particular entity and a reference to a category based on the query. A model that is stored on the mobile device and stores one or more facts that are associated with one or more entities is accessed. A subset of facts from among the facts that are stored in the model for the particular entity is selected. The search query is annotated based at least on one or more facts of the subset of facts that are stored in the model for the particular entity. The annotated search query is transmitted, from the mobile device to a search engine, for processing. A result of processing the annotated search query is received by the mobile device.
US09684692B2
A data distributing method and a management node are provided, which include: according to a received request for cross join, acquiring the number of sub-tables, serial numbers of sub-tables, the number of nodes and serial numbers of nodes, wherein the sub-tables and the nodes are separately included in table A and table B which need to perform cross join; setting the serial numbers of the sub-tables included in the table A or the table B in abscissa or ordinate in sequence, to form length or width of a big rectangle separately to generate the big rectangle; dividing the big rectangle into two sub-rectangles according to a construction method, wherein the two sub-rectangles are respectively the first sub-rectangle and the second sub-rectangle; evenly dividing the first sub-rectangle and the second sub-rectangle separately to form several small rectangles, wherein each small rectangle corresponds to a serial number of a computing node and corresponds to a serial number of a sub-table; distributing the sub-table corresponding to each small rectangle to the computing node corresponding to each small rectangle. Thus, the amount of data transmitted can be decreased, and the network transmission load is lightened.
US09684691B1
This disclosure relates to facilitating the association of structured content in a structured document with unstructured content in an unstructured document. The system described herein may be configured to facilitate the association by linking numeric instances in the structured document to corresponding numeric instances in the unstructured document. In some implementations, the system may be configured to link the numeric instances in the structured document to the corresponding numeric instances the unstructured document based on a uniqueness of the numeric instances in the structured document, structural information assigned to non-unique numeric instances, structural information assigned to unique numeric instances related to the non-unique numeric instances, unstructured contextual information related to non-unique numeric instances, and/or other information. In some implementations, the system may include one or more of one or more processors, a user interface, a display, electronic storage, and/or other components.
US09684687B1
Each row of data in a first database table is associated with a plurality of time thresholds that indicate, respectively, when a given row of data in the first table is current, stale, or expired. When a given row of data expires, that row is moved from the first table to a second database table that stores expired data. One of the time thresholds indicates a predetermined amount of time that the expired data will be maintained in the second table. Once that threshold expires, that row of data is deleted from the second table. Until then, however, a user may issue queries to access the expired data along with the current data and the stale data.
US09684679B2
Aspects for conservative garbage collecting are disclosed. In one aspect, root objects included in a call stack are identified, which comprise integers and pointers. Integer representations are tagged and distinguishable from untagged pointer representations. Root objects are traced to corresponding memory locations such that a subsequent tracing is performed on the pointer representations and skipped on the integer representations. Memory allocated to objects unreachable by the call stack is then freed. In another aspect, an object graph associated with a call stack is tagged, and a heap is generated comprising objects included in an executed portion of the call stack. Objects included in an unexecuted portion of the call stack are traced to corresponding memory locations on the heap such that a subsequent tracing is only performed on the untagged pointer representations. Memory locations corresponding to heap objects unreachable by the unexecuted portion of the call stack are then cleared.
US09684678B2
Methods and systems are given for investigation of compositions of ontological subjects in accordance with various aspects of significance. Accordingly, the present invention provide a unified method and process of investigating the compositions of ontological subjects, modeling an unknown system, and obtaining as much worthwhile information and knowledge as possible about the system or the composition or the body of knowledge along with exemplary services utilizing such investigations.
US09684676B1
The present invention is directed to a computer-implemented method and apparatus for searching in response to Internet-based search queries using a search engine and an electronic database. According to one example embodiment of the present invention, data sets representing printed items from publications respectively printed by a plurality of respective publishers are input, e.g., scanned-in, and stored in a searchable database. Each data set includes text from at least one printed item. Responsive to the search query, a search engine searches for and identifies relevant web pages and data sets representing printed items from publications and, in a more specific embodiment, ranked characterizations are returned for the relevant web pages and publication items. Another aspect of the present invention is directed to an electronic path for accessing further information about a relevant publication item. In one embodiment, the electronic path is a hyperlink from a characterization of a relevant publication item to a more complete electronic representation of the relevant publication item. Publishers provide authorization to display copyrighted materials through a permission protocol.
US09684674B2
A data structure stored on a non-transitory medium includes: a first image object and a second image object, each comprising image data and series data corresponding to a series to which the image data belongs; and at least one linking object which is an instance of a linking class which is configured to provide for instantiation of linking objects which each define a link from at least one source to a target, the source corresponding to at least one of a series and a set of image data and the target corresponding solely to a series. The linking object includes target data corresponding to a target series which is other than the series to which the first and second sets of image data belong and source data corresponding to the first image data.
US09684666B1
Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for streaming external data in parallel from a second distributed system to a first distributed system. One of the methods includes receiving a query that requests a join of first rows of a first table in a first distributed system with second rows of an external table, the external table representing data in a second distributed system. Each of the segment nodes communicates with a respective extension service that obtains fragments from one or more data nodes of the second distributed system according to location information for the respective fragments, and provides to the segment node a stream of data corresponding to second rows of the external table. Each of the segment nodes computes joined rows between the first rows of the first table and the stream of data corresponding to second rows of the external table.
US09684654B2
Embodiments relate to a system, method and program product for performing code conversions. In one embodiment the method includes determining size of encoding space for a source file and a target file upon receipt of a code conversion request and generating a main conversion file upon determination that a target encoding space associated with said target file is smaller than a source encoding space associated with the source file. Subsequently an extension converted file is generated from the source file according to a pre-established mapping table of code conversion stored in a memory. The code conversion request is completed by using the main conversion file and said extension file together so that the source file does not need to be truncated in order to fit into the target conversion space.
US09684653B1
Product information may be utilized to create a translation dictionary. The translation dictionary may then be utilized to translate search queries from a foreign language to the primary language that is utilized to provide an online e-commerce marketplace. The translated search queries may then be utilized to perform a search of a product catalog maintained by the online e-commerce marketplace. The translation dictionary created with the product information might also be utilized to translate resources, such as Web site resources, to verify the translation of the resources, and to perform other functionality.
US09684647B2
According to an aspect, a candidate token sequence including one or more word tokens is extracted from an unstructured domain glossary that includes entries associated with a domain. A look-up operation is performed to retrieve language data for each word token in the candidate token sequence and annotates each word token in the candidate token sequence found by the look-up operation with corresponding retrieved language data to form an annotated sequence. A pattern match of the annotated sequence is performed relative to a repository of patterns and identifies a best matching pattern from the repository of patterns to the annotated sequence based on matching criteria. The annotated sequence is refined with lexical information associated with the best matching pattern as a refined annotated sequence. The candidate token sequence and the refined annotated sequence are output to a domain-specific computational lexicon file.
US09684646B2
The present disclosure relates to implementing changes to a data structure, such as a formula, in a collaborative context. In certain embodiments, collaborative changes made to a formula containing references to other portions of a table are retained or account for when an undo operation is performed. In one aspect, unique identifiers are used to identify and track table features, such as columns, rows, or cells, which may be moved, deleted, or created during a collaborative session. In some instances, collaborative changes may be logged for later application or applied to commands in an undo stack to prevent loss of changes.
US09684639B2
Data used and generated by the process of validating XML documents is divided into two categories: compile-time static data and runtime data. Runtime data may be specific to a particular XML document and changes when validating the XML document, while compile-time data does not change in this way. For example, compile-time data may be data that defines, according to a schema, the descendant elements and ordering between them. Runtime data is information generated to track which descendants occurred in a particular XML document being validated. Compile-time static data, once generated to validate a particular XML document, is cached within a shared volatile memory. Once the compile-time data is cached, the compile-time static data may be used to validate other XML documents without the need to regenerate the compile-time static data.
US09684635B2
One exemplary embodiment involves receiving, at a computer device, packaged content, wherein the packaged content comprises a manifest and assets. The exemplary method further comprises presenting, via a processor of the computer device, the packaged content in a content consumption environment based at least in part upon the manifest, wherein the manifest identifies stacks, each stack comprising one or more of the assets that are logically related to one another, wherein navigation amongst and within the stacks is specified by the manifest.
US09684633B2
A system on chip (SOC) includes a slave device, a plurality of master devices, an interconnect device and a plurality of service controllers. The master devices generate requests to demand services from the slave device. The interconnect device is coupled to the slave device and the master devices through respective channels, and the interconnect device performs an arbitrating operation on the requests. The service controllers control request flows from the master devices adaptively depending on an operational environment change of the SOC.
US09684631B2
A method for securing a data processing system having a processing unit is disclosed. At least a group of N1 digital words of m1 bits is selected from among the set of M1 digital words. N1 is less than M1. These words are selected in such a way that each selected digital word differs from all the other selected digital words by a number of bits at least equal to an integer p which is at least equal to 2. The group of N1 digital words of m1 bits form at least one group of N1 executable digital instructions. The processing unit is configured to make it capable of executing each instruction of the at least one group of N1 executable digital instructions.
US09684621B2
A termination connector for use in a heavy machine environment operable to terminate an electronic signal of a communication network. The termination connector has a connector housing which can be mated with a separate receptacle to connect to the communication network. The termination connector has a plurality of pin receptacles within the connector housing which connect to a termination circuit. The termination circuit has at least two resistors in electric series with one another connected to a first pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles and connected to a second pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles. A capacitor is connected between the at least two resistors in electric series at a front capacitor end and the back capacitor end is connected to a third pin receptacle of the plurality of pin receptacles within the connector housing.
US09684620B2
A signal relaying circuit includes an input interface arranged for receiving an input signal; a DisplayPort (DP) output interface arranged for outputting a DP-like signal, where the input interface and the DP output interface correspond to different interface standards; and a relaying circuit coupled between the input interface and the DP output interface, arranged for relaying the input signal to the DP output interface according to the characteristics of channels, so as to generate the DP-like signal. A signal receiving circuit, signal relaying method and signal receiving method are also disclosed.
US09684618B2
A sideband PCI Express (PCIe) packet initiator in a distributed PCIe switch fabric verifies a PCIe connection between a host device and a PCIe endpoint device without having to power on the host device. The packet initiator assembles a PCIe test packet that acts as a ping for testing reachability of the endpoint device, from the perspective of the host device. The test packet may also verify configurations and settings of the path to the endpoint device. The distributed switch fabric is configured to compare completion data with expected results to verify the PCIe connection, without having to boot the host device.
US09684617B2
A relaying device, when having received an interrupt notification 151 from an I/O device, transmits an interrupt factor read request 159(1) for an interrupt factor to the I/O device, based on an address information memory table 1041, without waiting for a response from a CPU, and transmits the interrupt notification 151 received, to the CPU. When having received an interrupt factor 160(1), the relaying device transmits an intra-I/O-device data read request 159(2) to the I/O device, based on an intra-I/O-device data read address storing table 1081, without waiting for a response from the CPU.
US09684608B2
Embodiments of an invention for maintaining a secure processing environment across power cycles are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor includes an instruction unit and an execution unit. The instruction unit is to receive an instruction to evict a root version array page entry from a secure cache. The execution unit is to execute the instruction. Execution of the instruction includes generating a blob to contain information to maintain a secure processing environment across a power cycle and storing the blob in a non-volatile memory.
US09684606B2
Managing a plurality of translation lookaside buffers (TLBs) includes: issuing, at a first processing element, a first instruction for invalidating one or more TLB entries associated with a first context in a first TLB associated with the first processing element. The issuing includes: determining whether or not a state of an indicator indicates that all TLB entries associated with the first context in a second TLB associated with a second processing element are invalidated; if not: sending a corresponding instruction to the second processing element, causing invalidation of all TLB entries associated with the first context in the second TLB, and changing a state of the indicator; and if so: suppressing sending of any corresponding instructions for causing invalidation of any TLB entries associated with the first context in the second TLB to the second processing element.
US09684605B2
Embodiments of an invention for a guest-physical address translation lookaside buffer are disclosed. In an embodiment, a processor includes an instruction decoder, a control register, and memory address translation hardware. The instruction decoder is to receive an instruction to transfer control of the processor to guest software to execute on a virtual machine. The virtual machine is to have a plurality of resources to be controlled by a virtual machine monitor. The virtual machine monitor is to execute on a host machine having a host-physical memory to be accessed using a plurality of host-physical addresses. The plurality of resources is to include a guest-physical memory. The guest software is to access the guest-physical memory using a plurality of guest-virtual addresses. The control register is to store a pointer to a plurality of virtual address page tables. The memory address translation hardware is to translate, without causing a virtual machine exit, guest-virtual addresses to host-physical addresses using the plurality of virtual address page tables and a plurality of extended page tables. The memory address translation hardware includes a virtual address translation lookaside buffer in which to store a plurality of virtual address entries corresponding to guest-virtual address to host-physical address translations. The memory address translation hardware also includes a guest-physical address translation lookaside buffer in which to store a plurality of guest-physical address entries corresponding to guest-physical address to host-physical address translations.
US09684604B2
An electronic device with a cache memory and a method of operating the electronic device are provided. The electronic device includes a cache memory including a plurality of cache lines each of which includes a first area with at least one storage space and a second area with at least one storage space, where the at least one storage space of the first area has a first size and the at least one storage space of the second area has a second size different from the first size, and a cache controller for storing the data requested for storage in one of the storage spaces of the first or second area, according to a compression factor associated with the data requested for storage when a request is made to store data in the cache memory.
US09684597B1
Network interface circuitry forms a local node. At least one processor offloads from a host computer at least one stateful communication connection between the host computer and a peer, and also operates a cache coherence protocol to scale coherent memory to multiple nodes. The processor operates the communication protocol processing offload at least in part according to communication connection states maintained in the memory, including accessing each communication connection state in the memory using the access procedure, to access that communication connection state in the memory according to an identifier corresponding to that communication connection state. The processor further operates the cache coherence protocol at least in part according to coherence states maintained in the memory, including accessing each coherence state in the memory using the access procedure, to access that coherence state in the memory according to an identifier corresponding to that coherence state.
US09684587B2
In a method of executing a test while creating the test, a portion of a line of a test case for a software item is received. The syntax of the received portion of the line is validated upon entry of the portion of the line. The line is executed after the syntax validation. Any error based on execution is indicated.
US09684582B2
An automatic analysis method for operation sequence and a system thereof are disclosed. The method comprising: receiving at least one operation sequence containing at least one operation record, the operation record including an operation of switching from a previous user interface to a post user interface, an interval time of switching from the previous user interface to the post user interface; forming time-dependent operation record groups of respective operation sequences based on the interval time and a first time threshold, wherein the time-dependent operation record group includes operation records whose interval time is less than the first time threshold; comparing time-dependent operation record groups of respective operation sequences to obtain identical time-dependent operation record groups; and calculating a frequency that identical time-dependent operation record groups occur in the operation sequence to obtain the identical time-dependent operation record groups having high frequency.
US09684581B2
One embodiment of the present invention includes a dependency extractor and a dependency investigator that, together, facilitate performance analysis of computer systems. In operation, the dependency extractor instruments a software application to generate run-time execution data for each work task. This execution data includes per-task performance data and dependency data reflecting linkages between tasks. After the instrumented software application finishes executing, the dependency investigator evaluates the captured execution data and identifies the critical path of tasks that establishes the overall run-time of the software application. Advantageously, since the execution data includes both task-level performance data and dependencies between tasks, the dependency investigator enables the developer to effectively optimize software and hardware in computer systems that are capable of concurrently executing tasks. By contrast, conventional performance analysis may not correctly identify critical paths in software applications that execute tasks in parallel across multiple processing units and, consequently, may misdirect optimization efforts.
US09684574B2
A system and method for implementing geographic disaster tolerance switching on a service delivery platform are disclosed. The system includes: a bidirectional monitoring module, an intelligent recognition module, and an automatic switching module, wherein: the bidirectional monitoring module is configured to: monitor an active site and a standby site of the service delivery platform, and when detecting that an abnormity occurs on the active site or the standby site and an alarm reporting condition is satisfied, report alarm information to the intelligent recognition module; the intelligent recognition module is configured to: receive the alarm information, and judge whether a preset switching rule is satisfied, if yes, then send a disaster tolerance switching instruction to the automatic switching module; and the automatic switching module is configured to: start an active-standby switching between the active site and the standby site after receiving the disaster tolerance switching instruction.
US09684573B2
In response to an instruction to dismount a storage volume, for example, an object in the storage volume is identified and a handle that references the object is closed. Once an exclusive lock on the storage volume is acquired, the storage volume can be dismounted. The storage volume can then remounted.
US09684566B2
A container database stores redo records and logical timestamps for multiple pluggable databases. When it is detected that a first read-write instance of the pluggable database is opened and no other read-write instances of the pluggable database are open, offline range data associated with the pluggable database is updated. When it is detected that a second read-write instance of the pluggable database is closed, and the second read-write instance is the last open read-write instance, the offline range data associated with the pluggable database is updated. The pluggable database is restored to a logical timestamp associated with a restore request based on the offline range data.
US09684563B1
Techniques for backup management are disclosed. In one particular exemplary embodiment, the techniques may be realized as a method for backup management comprising the steps of receiving power level information from a backup client, determining a factor, based at least in part on the power level information, affecting a backup time window for the backup client, identifying a portion of data of the backup client for backup based on the determination, and providing an instruction to the backup client communicating the identified portion of data.
US09684562B2
A method for automatically prioritizing startup of resource groups during a migration event. The method may include monitoring resource usage of a first and a second set of applications associated, respectively, with a first and a second resource group executing on a first computing node. The method may additionally include generating respective first and second resource usage models for the first and second resource groups based on resource usage. The method may then include extrapolating, based on the first and second resource usage models, respective first and second resource group usage scores for the first and second resource groups at a second time in response to a migration event, the second time occurring subsequent to the first time. The method may further include determining, based on the extrapolating, a priority order for serially starting the first and second set of applications on a second computing node at the second time.
US09684561B1
A smart assistant scans or directs the scanning of a network and clients connected to the network to ensure that the clients will be properly backed up. When the smart assistant detects a change in the network, a client, or both, the smart assistant seeks the approval of a backup administrator to automatically update backup configuration information based on the detected change. If the backup administrator approves the approval request, the smart assistant automatically updates the backup configuration information. If the backup administrator denies the approval request, the smart assistant does not update the backup configuration information.
US09684558B2
A method begins by a processing module forward error correction (FEC) encoding data to produce FEC encoded data and dividing the FEC encoded data into a set of FEC encoded words. The method continues with the processing module generating integrity information based on the data and generating a word name for an FEC encoded word of the set of FEC encoded words. The method continues with the processing module affiliating an address of allocated address space of a dispersed storage memory with the word name and storing the integrity information, the word name, and the address. The method continues with the processing module creating a write command to store the FEC encoded word at the address in the dispersed storage memory.
US09684548B2
A method and apparatus for integration of operating systems solve the problem in the conventional techniques with low efficiency in switching among the operating systems. The techniques of the present disclosure firstly starts a first operating system and its agent process, and then starts a second operating system, wherein the second operating system may call the agent process to request the first operating system for resources required by the second operating system. The second operating system may directly request the first operating system for the needed resources, which realizes the coexistence of the first operating system and the second operating system without mutual switching between the operating systems.
US09684545B2
Systems and methods for continuous computing are disclosed. One such system includes a plurality of communicatively interconnected computing systems, and a workload including a plurality of tasks executing on a first computing system of the plurality of communicatively interconnected computing systems. The system includes a task management system executing on at least one of the plurality of communicatively interconnected computing systems, the task management component configured to encapsulate a task of the plurality of tasks with a current system state of the first computing system, wherein encapsulating the task includes associating metadata defining an association between the task and resources of the first computing system. The task management system is configured to transfer the encapsulated task to a second computing system among the plurality of communicatively interconnected computing systems for execution, the metadata used to associate the task with resources of a second computing system.
US09684544B1
An apparatus includes a processor and a storage storing instructions causing the processor to: maintain a federated area; receive a request to perform a job flow with a data set from a remote device; retrieve a job flow definition specifying the tasks of the job flow from the federated area; determine whether there is an instance log in the federated area generated by a previous performance of the job flow with the data set; in response to there being such an instance log, retrieve the version specified in the instance log of each task routine for each task from the federated area; in response to there being no such instance log, retrieve the most recent version of each task routine; perform the job flow with the retrieved versions of the task routines and the data set to generate a result report; and provide the result report to the remote device.
US09684538B1
A power method can be enhanced. For example, an electronic communication indicating a job to be performed can be received. A best rank-1 approximation of a matrix associated with the job can be determined using the power method. Each iteration of the power method can include determining a point that lies on a line passing through (i) a first value for a first singular vector from an immediately prior iteration of the power method; and (ii) a second value for the first singular vector from another prior iteration of the power method. Each iteration of the power method can also include determining, by performing the power method using the point, a current value for the first singular vector and a current value for a second singular vector for a current iteration of the power method. The job can then be performed using the best rank-1 approximation of the matrix.
US09684523B2
In an in-vehicle information system including a portable information terminal and an in-vehicle device, the information terminal includes: a storage unit that stores applications; a control unit that executes a start-up application; a running application determination unit that determines an application that is executed by the control unit by a predetermined time interval; a comparison unit that compares the start-up application and the running application; and a restriction information transmission unit that transmits to the in-vehicle device restriction information corresponding to contents of action regulation imposed on the running application while a vehicle is in a traveling state based upon a result of the comparison by the comparison unit.
US09684517B2
A multi-core processor system includes a first resource, a first core, a second resource, and a second core. The first core runs a first operating system (OS), and the first resource is allocated to the first OS. The second core runs a second OS, and the second resource is exclusively allocated to the second OS. The first OS and the second OS are designed for running at the same time, and the second OS is configured for monitoring or debugging the first resource, the first core, or the first OS.
US09684512B2
In an approach to adaptively pipeline a MapReduce job, a processor receives one or more data records from a storage and inserts the one or more data records into a map queue, wherein a size of the map queue is adaptive to one or more utilizations of one or more resources in the processor. One or more processors apply a map function to the one or more data records in the first buffer and sort the records that are output from the map function and store the sorted records. One or more processors receive and insert the sorted records into a reduce queue, wherein a size of the reduce queue is adaptive to one or more utilizations of resources in the one or more processors. One or more processors apply a reduce function to the sorted records in the reduce queue and store a result in a storage.
US09684510B2
Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods for performing in a computer processor a data element shuffle and an operation on the shuffled data elements in response to a single data element shuffle and an operation instruction that includes a destination vector register operand, a first and second source vector register operands, an immediate value, and an opcode are described.
US09684506B2
A first changeset that identifies a change to a first software product development file is generated. An expiry condition to assign to the first changeset is received. Responsive to determining that the expiry condition assigned to the first changeset is met, whether any subsequent changesets identify another change that depends on the change to the first software product development file identified in the first changeset is determined. Responsive to determining that no subsequent changesets identify another change that depends on the change to the first software product development file identified in the first changeset, the change identified in the first changeset, such that the first software product development file does not include the change identified in the first changeset is automatically reversed.
US09684501B2
Methods and systems for associating, in a secure manner, a link between web sites (or other network resources) and installed applications. In one embodiment, a signed list of one or more URLs is downloaded and validated to establish an association, which is stored in a data structure, between a first application and a second application. In response to receiving a selection of a URL in the second application, comparing the selected URL to URLs in the data structure and displaying, in the first application, content of the selected URL in response to determining that at least a prefix portion of the selected URL matches one of the URL associated with the first application in the data structure.
US09684496B1
A computer implemented method for parsing computer languages and structured data which converts the source language text of a computer program, e.g. C or FORTRAN, or structured data, e.g. HTML or XML, into a syntax tree. The method has two steps. The first step looks for sequences of tokens in the main token list in which no tokens referring to recursive delimiters exist. The second step parses those tokens into a partial syntax tree which is inserted back into the main token list replacing the tokens which have just been parsed. The two steps are repeated until only one token remains in the main token list. Because no recursion exists in the tokens being parsed by the second step, a find and replacement mechanism using regular expressions can be used to do the parsing. Guidelines are shown for creating a language definition using regular expressions.
US09684483B2
A device and method of providing a versatile illuminated panel for walls, product displays, and other surfaces is described. Panels are constructed from a variable number of rectangular illuminated tiles, where the tiles mate edge-to-edge so as to create a nearly seamless visual panel effect. Illumination within each tile is uniform to also create a nearly seamless visual panel effect. End-users may create panels of varying sizes and shapes by using different quantities of a standard tile. The software within the invention automatically determines the number and arrangement of tiles within each assembled panel. Each tile comprises a plurality of illuminators, an optical means to distribute light from the illuminators uniformly across the tile, and at least one communication interface. In one embodiment the tiles are linked into a communications tree-structure; and the location of each tile within the tree constitutes its logical address.
US09684473B2
A method, article of manufacture, and apparatus for protecting data. In some embodiments, this includes creating a copy of a backup virtual machine on a deduplicated data storage device, registering the copy with a virtual environment manager, operating a virtual machine based on the copy and storing changes made during operation of the virtual machine to the copy.
US09684462B2
Method and apparatus for storing records in non-uniform access memory. In various embodiments, the placement of records is localized in one or more regions of the memory. This can be accomplished utilizing different ordered lists of hash functions to preferentially map records to different regions of the memory to achieve one or more performance characteristics or to account for differences in the underlying memory technologies. For example, one ordered list of hash functions may localize the data for more rapid access. Another list of hash functions may localize the data that is expected to have a relatively short lifetime. Localizing such data may significantly improve the erasure performance and/or memory lifetime, e.g., by concentrating the obsolete data elements in one location. Thus, the two or more lists of ordered hash functions may improve one or more of access latency, memory lifetime, and/or operation rate.
US09684461B1
A memory system comprises memory devices coupled to a memory controller via a memory interface bus, the memory controller for receiving one or more memory requests via an interconnect. The memory controller tracks utilization of the memory interface bus for reads from the memory devices for a selection of the one or more memory requests during a time window. The memory controller, responsive to detecting utilization of the memory interface bus for reads during the time window reaches a memory utilization threshold, dynamically selects a reduced read data size for a size of data to be accessed from the memory devices by at least one read operation, the reduced data size selected from among at least two read data size options for the at least one read operation of a maximum read data size and the reduced read data size that is less than the maximum read data size.
US09684454B2
Mechanisms for splitting and spanning a single file across a plurality of tape media in a tape drive file system are provided. The mechanisms format the tape media so as to store an index of the file and data on the file in the tape media in a predetermined format; splitting the single file into separate portions and managing at least one of IDs identifying the plurality of tape media that sequentially store the portions of the file in association with the file; and storing a generation number indicating the number of storing and updating each of the file portions as the index in each of the tape media. Upon receiving a request to read the stored split file, the system obtains an index on a tape medium storing a file portion whose generation number is the highest and reads a time stamp related to the size and update of the single file.
US09684451B2
A method for data storage includes defining a host cluster within a group of host computers, which access a storage system that includes multiple logical volumes. The host cluster includes two or more of the host computers. A single mapping instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a set of one or more of the logical volumes, is accepted. Responsively to the single mapping instruction, each of the host computers in the host cluster is mapped to access the logical volumes in the set. In another disclosed method, a single control instruction, which specifies the host cluster and a configuration operation to be applied to the host computers in the host cluster, is accepted. Responsively to the single control instruction, the configuration operation is applied to each of the host computers in the host cluster.
US09684446B2
In one example, a device includes at least one processor and at least one module operable by the at least one processor to output, for display, a graphical user interface including a graphical keyboard and one or more text suggestion regions, and select, based at least in part on an indication of gesture input, at least one key of the graphical keyboard. The at least one module is further operable by the at least one processor to determine a plurality of candidate character strings, determine past interaction data that comprises a representation of a past user input corresponding to at least one candidate character string while the at least one candidate character string was previously displayed in at least one of the one or more text suggestion regions, and output the at least one candidate character string for display in one of the one or more text suggestion regions.
US09684443B2
In response to receiving a first user action in relation to an object displayed on the rendered display, a collar is displayed on the rendered display around the object. The collar and the object can be made translucent. The collar can have the same shape as the object, but can be larger in size than the object. In response to receiving a second user action in relation to the collar, the object and the collar are moved on the rendered display in correspondence with the second user action, without finalizing a current location of the object on the rendered display after the second user action has been completed. In response to receiving a third user action, the current location of the object is finalized on the rendered display and the collar is removed from around the object on the rendered display.
US09684425B2
A digital map of a geographic area is provided via a user interface within a viewport, which defines a viewable portion of the digital map. The viewport is repositioned relative to the digital map in accordance with user commands provided via the user interface. A substantially continuous movement of the viewport in response to a plurality of similar user commands is detected. In response, a geographic place located in a general direction of the continuous movement of the viewport is determined, and a control for directly positioning the viewport over a portion of the digital map representing the geographic place is provided.
US09684422B2
A smart device having ability for rejecting mistaken touching is illustrated, which comprises a capacitive button module which comprises a contacting layer, a first electrode layer, a second electrode layer and an elastic layer. A first electrode of the first electrode layer and a second electrode of the second electrode layer form a first inductive capacitor, and the second electrode and a third electrode of the second electrode layer form a second inductive capacitor. When the elastic layer receives a pressure and generates a deformation, a pressing signal is generated according to a capacitance variation of the first inductive capacitor. When a conductor is close to or in contact with the contacting layer, a moving signal is generated according to a capacitance variation of the second inductive capacitor.
US09684420B2
A self-capacitive touch panel includes a plurality of touch electrodes and a plurality of driving signal transmission lines corresponding to the touch electrodes. A plurality of via-holes is arranged at an identical amount and in an identical manner at a region where each touch electrode is located, and each driving signal transmission line is connected to the corresponding touch electrode through the via-hole. Projections of the via-holes at the regions where the touch electrodes other than the corresponding touch electrode are located in a direction perpendicular to the substrate are not located on the driving signal transmission line.
US09684418B1
A water-resistant capacitance sensing apparatus comprising a plurality of capacitive sense elements and a capacitance sensing circuit configured to measure both the mutual capacitance and self-capacitance on the plurality of capacitive sense elements.A method for water-resistant capacitance sensing, the method comprising performing a self-capacitance scan and a mutual capacitance scan, and detecting, by a processing device, a presence of an object with the plurality of sense elements. The method further determines whether the detected presence of the object is legitimate.
US09684414B2
Touch sensitivity is enabled using a touch system that comprises a panel configured to conduct signals, e.g. by TIR, along detection lines across a rectangular touch surface with first and second spatial dimensions. A signal processor operates to transform energy values for the detection lines into Fourier coefficients arranged as data points on a regular grid defined by first and second frequency dimensions. To generate an interaction pattern for the touch surface, the signal processor operates a first 1D inverse FFT on the data points with respect to the second frequency dimension, so as to generate first values transformed into the second spatial dimension, and operates a second 1D inverse FFT on a selected subset of the first values with respect to the first frequency dimension to generate second values that represent the interaction pattern. The selected subset is defined by the data points that fall within an extent of the touch surface in the second spatial dimension, thereby reducing the total number of inverse FFT operations.
US09684410B2
An electronic device (300) includes a housing (301). A touch sensitive surface (100) can be disposed along the housing. The touch sensitive surface can include a recessed surface feature (106) on a portion of the touch sensitive surface. A control circuit (315), operable with the touch sensitive surface, can detect a predetermined gesture sequence (501, 502, 503) when a touch actuation along the touch sensitive surface interacts with the recessed surface feature.
US09684406B2
A method for operating a user interface, adapted to an electronic device. The steps include: receiving a wake-up signal; enabling a proximity sensing unit; determining whether the sensing value is greater than a predetermined value or not; displaying an application program in a first display area of a display unit by a processing unit and detecting a touch event corresponding to one of a plurality of sensing objects only by a second touching sensing area of a touch-sensing unit when the sensing value is greater than the predetermined value; obtaining a touch position corresponding to the touch event; and enabling an operation of the application program by the processing unit according to the touch position. A first touch-sensing area of the touch-sensing unit corresponds to the first display area, and the second touch-sensing area corresponds to a second display area.
US09684401B2
The present invention disclose a touch electrode structure and a fabricating method thereof, a capacitive touch device and a touch display device to improve the touch linearity and the report rate of the capacitive touch device. The touch electrode structure provided by the embodiments of the present invention comprises a plurality of electrode assemblies and a plurality of electrode pins for connecting a touch circuit. Wherein, each electrode assembly comprises two electrodes which are disposed at the same layer, insulated from each other and cross with each other complementarily, and each electrode comprises at least two sub-electrodes which are in mutual electrical connection with each other. The sub-electrodes of different electrodes of each electrode assembly are spaced apart from each other one by one, and each electrode is connected with an electrode pin.
US09684390B2
As a start operation for an auxiliary line mode is accepted, the projector displays an auxiliary line. When an auxiliary line mode end operation is accepted or a non-drawing state exceeds a certain time, the projector erases the auxiliary line and ends the auxiliary line mode.
US09684381B1
Touch sensor methods, devices and systems are disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention pertains to a method comprising monitoring a finger movement along a touch sensing surface based on position data of a finger touching the touch sensing surface, where the position data is obtained by locating a position of a force applied by the finger in a coordinate of the touch sensing surface. In addition, the method comprises generating direction data associated with the finger movement if the finger movement travels for more than a threshold distance. Furthermore, the method comprises determining a finger gesture which corresponds to the finger movement using a lookup table having multiple preconfigured finger gestures based on the direction data.
US09684378B2
A method includes displaying information associated with a first application on a touch-sensitive display of an electronic device. A gesture is detected on the touch-sensitive display, which gesture indicates a request to display information associated with a second application. At least part of the information associated with the second application is displayed without opening the second application.
US09684373B2
There is provided an information processing apparatus including an operation detecting unit configured to detect an operation of an operator to an object that is displayed in a display screen image for performing a predetermined input, a sight line detecting unit configured to detect a movement of a sight line of the operator on the display screen image, and a correction coefficient acquiring unit configured to acquire a correction coefficient for correcting an error of a case where the operator performs sight line input, on the basis of the movement of the sight line detected during the operation of the operator to the object.
US09684370B2
Various embodiments relating to reducing camera interference are disclosed. In one embodiment, an infrared image of a scene may be received from a camera that emits infrared light. An interference condition likely to degrade infrared performance of one or more proximate infrared devices may be recognized. Responsive to recognizing the interference condition, an instruction to mitigate the interference condition may be output.
US09684368B2
The present invention discloses an event detection method for waking up a portable electronic device and an action sensor using same. The event detection method includes the steps of: under a normal operation mode, sensing action events by the action sensor with a first data sensing frequency, wherein the action sensor operates by a normal current to detect the action events; entering into a sleep mode; under the sleep mode, detecting a wake-up event by the action sensor with a second data sensing frequency, wherein the action sensor operates by a weak current to detect the wake-up event, wherein the weak current is smaller than the normal current, and the second data sensing frequency is not higher than the first data sensing frequency; and returning to the normal operation mode when the wake-up event is detected.
US09684364B2
Technologies for data center power management include a number of computing nodes in communication over a network. Each computing node establishes a firmware environment that monitors power consumption of the computing node and if the power consumption exceeds an optimal level broadcasts a request to offload tasks to the other nodes. The firmware environment of a receiving computing node traps the request and determines power requirements and/or compute requirements for the tasks based on the request. The firmware environment determines whether to accept the offloaded task based on the requirements and available resources of the computing node. If accepted, the requesting computing node offloads one or more tasks to the receiving nodes. The firmware environment may be established by a manageability engine of the computing node. Power consumption may be monitored on a per-component basis. Compute requirements may include processor requirements or other requirements. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09684356B2
A method for determining remaining battery service time of a mobile terminal includes determining a plurality of battery usage times, wherein each battery usage time corresponds to a respective predefined battery power level interval. Upon receipt of a request to determine the remaining battery service time, the mobile terminal determines a current battery power level of the mobile terminal and compares the current battery power level with at least one of the plurality of battery usage times and their associated predefined battery power level intervals to determine the remaining battery service time. The remaining battery service time is then displayed on the mobile terminal.
US09684355B2
Techniques for detecting mobile computing power states are described herein. An active state may be detected in a mobile computing device. A timestamp may be requested at predetermined intervals while in the active state. A first timestamp and a second timestamp may be received in response to the timestamp requests. If a difference between a first time stamp and a second time stamp exceeds the predetermined interface, the mobile computing device is identified to have entered a sleep state during a time period indicated by the determined timestamp difference.
US09684353B2
A mode switching method of wearable equipment and the wearable equipment are disclosed. The method comprising: confirming a current mode being a sleep mode, detecting an accumulated time of a motion state, judging whether the accumulated time is greater than a first predetermined time period and switching to a fake sleep mode if it is; and detecting an accumulated footsteps and a sleep state, which by judging whether the accumulated footsteps in a second predetermined time period is greater than a threshold footsteps and switching to the motion state if it is; and judging whether the second predetermined time period is experienced in the sleep state and switching to the sleep mode if it is. The present invention can improve the accuracy, while reducing power consumption.
US09684348B2
Various embodiments of the present technology provide methods for boosting a voltage differential of an energy storage by using a boost component, determining a server system being switched to a boost mode, and discharging the energy storage to provide additional power supplies to the server system during the boost mode. In some embodiments, processing demands of a server system can be monitored. In response to determining that a boost mode is needed to support processing demands of the server system or detecting a component being a bottleneck in processing pipelines of the server system, a boost activation signal can be generated. The boost activation signal can cause a CPU, the bottleneck component, or another component of the server system to operate under a higher clock speed such that a higher processing capacity can be achieved.
US09684345B2
A secondary memory device includes: a substrate and a housing configured to accommodate at least a part of the substrate. The substrate has upper and lower opposed surfaces and includes a first region in which a first semiconductor device is mounted on the upper surface and a second region in which a second semiconductor device is mounted on the upper surface. The housing includes a first sub-housing covering the upper surface of the substrate at the first region and the first semiconductor device. The first sub-housing does not extend to cover the upper surface of the substrate at the second region.
US09684344B2
An exterior case includes a first member to which a hinge bracket is attached, a fastener portion being a portion of the first member surrounding a hole in the first member, and being thickened in a thickness direction of the first member, a second member that is fixed to the first member and surrounds the fastener portion of the first member, and at least one fastener screw screwed into the hole to fasten the first member and the second member together and to fasten the hinge bracket to the first member.
US09684342B2
A mobile terminal having a foldable display and an operation method for the same are disclosed. The foldable display unit includes a plurality of display zones, wherein the application of program depends on the degree of folding angle of the display unit, and the display unit displays on its screen according to the folding angle. Further, variations of closing and opening motion of the foldable display unit triggers different modes of operation and displays.
US09684340B2
Disclosed is a rollable flexible display device. The rollable flexible display device includes, for example, a display panel, a source board, and a panel roller unit. The panel roller unit provides a mechanical structure for rolling the display panel and the source board along an outer circumferential surface thereof. The panel roller unit may have a region forming a curved surface and a region forming a planar surface.
US09684325B1
In certain aspects, a method for voltage regulation includes adjusting, using a feedback circuit, a resistance of a first pass element in a direction that reduces a difference between a reference voltage and a feedback voltage, wherein the first pass element is coupled between an input and an output of a voltage regulator, and the feedback voltage is equal to or proportional to a voltage at the output of the voltage regulator. The method also includes adjusting a bias voltage of the feedback circuit in a direction that reduces the difference between the reference voltage and the feedback voltage.
US09684323B2
A regulator circuit includes a first MOS transistor having a current channel connected between an input terminal and an output terminal, a regulator control circuit configured to control an amount of a current flowing through the current channel of the first MOS transistor towards the output terminal, a second MOS transistor having a current channel connected between the input terminal and the current channel of the first MOS transistor, and a body diode, a forward direction of which is along a direction from the input terminal to the output terminal, and a switch control circuit configured to switch off the second MOS transistor when a voltage at the input terminal decreases to a predetermined value that is equal to or greater than a voltage at the output terminal.
US09684314B1
A system includes a vessel configured to couple with a gas source for drawing gas into the vessel. The vessel is also configured to receive liquid. The system includes an overflow port in fluid communication with the environment external to the vessel. The overflow port is configured to separate gas within the vessel from the external environment. The system also includes an overflow conduit having an end within the overflow port so that when gas pressure within the vessel increases, liquid is received by the overflow conduit. Another system includes a tank defining an air space for receiving gas generated during the biodegradation of biomass feedstock. The second system also includes an exhaust port, a first evaporator, a first condenser, an expansion valve, and a compressor. The second system also includes a heat exchanger, a second evaporator, and a second condenser.
US09684312B1
An HVAC controller, in one embodiment, may include a gas valve interface and an AC unit switch interface, and a controller that may communicate with at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch. An identification module may identify one or more time periods when energy consumption is not likely to occur or is likely minimal, and a calibration module may open and close the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch according to calibration schedule data. A computational module may calculate a computed flow rate for the at least one of the gas valve and the AC unit switch based on a calibration open time, a calibration close time, and the actual energy usage data for usage that occurred between the calibration open time and the calibration close time. The computed flow rate may be utilized to identify anomalies and provide notifications thereof.
US09684308B2
A self-propelled paving machine includes a plurality of swing legs, each swing leg being supported from a ground surface by an associated crawler track steerably connected to an outer end of its associated swing leg. The machine may be re-oriented from a paving mode to a transport mode by driving the ground engaging units to rotate the frame substantially in place on the ground through a re-orientation angle of the frame relative to the ground, and as the frame is rotating, pivoting one or more of the swing legs from a paving position relative to the frame, to a transport position relative to the frame.
US09684306B2
A method for transitioning vehicle control includes obtaining a one or more operator vehicle control inputs, analyzing the one or more operator vehicle control inputs to determine operator compliance with one or more autonomous vehicle control inputs that are actively controlling motion of a vehicle, and based on the analysis of the one or more operator vehicle control inputs, allowing an operator to assume manual control of the vehicle when the operator vehicle control inputs match the one or more autonomous vehicle control inputs to within a threshold value.
US09684302B2
A nuclear power plant control system including: a detection unit for detecting a specific event occurring in the nuclear power plant; an on-site equipment handling the event; and a majority decision judging device and an on-site equipment control device which constitute a plurality of control devices respectively operating independently. Each of the control devices includes a plurality of arithmetic units which perform arithmetic processes independently and in parallel based on a detection result of the detection unit, and output a signal for controlling the on-site equipment according to the results of operations of the arithmetic processes. The plurality of arithmetic units perform a matching process for harmonizing process statuses of the arithmetic processes of respective arithmetic units with each other when starting up the control devices, and after completing the matching process, respectively perform the arithmetic processes independently and in parallel.
US09684300B2
In a motor control device, a matrix circuit and logic circuits are arranged between PWM signal generation circuits and output terminals. It is possible to output PWM signals to the output terminals as they are and to synchronize the PWM signals and output a synchronized signal to a desired output terminal/terminals in the output terminals by changing a coupled state of the matrix circuit. Therefore, it is possible to change the kind of the motor to be controlled, the number of motors to be controlled and so forth without changing the motor control device.
US09684297B2
A system and a method for optimizing a rotational orientation of a cylindrical workpiece for a shaping process. The system having a first scanner configured to perform a first scan of the workpiece. A processor configured to perform a first optimization using data from the first scan to determine a first amount of rotation. A turning mechanism configured to perform a first rotation of the workpiece. A second scanner configured to perform a second scan of the workpiece after the first rotation. The processor further configured to determine a second actual rotational orientation of the workpiece using the data from first scan and data from the second scan, to perform a second optimization using the data from first scan to determine a second amount of rotation. The turning mechanism further configured to perform a second rotation of the workpiece by the second amount of rotation.
US09684296B2
A handheld field maintenance tool with improved functionality is provided. The handheld field maintenance tool includes a keypad, a display, a short-range wireless transceiver and a processor. The processor is coupled to the keypad, the display and the short-range wireless transceiver. The processor is also coupled to memory having a plurality of instructions stored therein, which instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform at least one of remote wireless display; remote wireless keypress injection; and wireless printing.
US09684295B2
A method for operating a molding machine includes specifying a simulating domain corresponding to a genuine domain in a mold disposed on the molding machine. The method proceeds to perform a virtual molding by using a setting packing pressure profile to generate a simulated state waveform, generating a designed state waveform including an isobaric phase and an isochoric phase while taking into consideration the simulated state waveform, and obtaining an updated packing pressure profile for applying a molding pressure to a portion of the genuine domain while taking into consideration a difference between the simulated state waveform and the designed state waveform. Subsequently, the method proceeds to set the molding machine while taking into consideration the updated packing pressure profile to perform an actual molding by applying an actual molding pressure to the at least a portion of the genuine domain to prepare the molding product.
US09684294B2
Techniques for using a multi-core processor for optimizing power consumption in a security and home automation system are described. The security and home automation system may include a multi-core processor having a first core and a second core. The first core may be partitioned from the second core to form an asymmetric multi-core processor. The first core is a master core assigned to execute a real time operating system (RTOS) and configured to periodically transition between a partial sleep state and an awake state during a power shortage condition. The second core is a slave core assigned to execute a standard operating system (OS) and configured to enter a deep sleep state during the power shortage condition.
US09684288B2
Aspects of the present invention provide a motion control system implementing an electronic motion profile for a load that is highly optimized for power efficiency by implementing several performance parameters that are non-overlapping with respect to time. Each performance parameter may characterize an acceptable level of performance or error with respect to the electronic motion profile. Performance parameters may include, for example, maximum position error, maximum velocity error, maximum error for regions or sections of the electronic motion profile, position settling time, position repeatability, position accuracy, position bandwidth, velocity bandwidth, acceleration time, motor thermal capacity, motor temperature and drive temperature.
US09684286B2
Security systems and methods of operating the same. One security system includes a plurality of point devices positioned in a premises, a plurality of interim devices, and a control panel. The system also includes a first communication bus connecting the control panel and each of the plurality of interim devices and a plurality of second communication buses. Each of the plurality of second communication buses connects one of the plurality of interim devices with at least one of the plurality of point devices. The control panel is also configured to address a message for one of the plurality of point device based on an identifier of the one of the plurality of point devices and an identifier of at least one of the plurality of interim devices connected to the point device over one of the plurality of second communication buses.
US09684265B2
Provided is a developing device configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on an image bearing member by feeding a toner to the electrostatic latent image. The developing device includes a developing frame configured to form an inner space in which the toner and a carrier are to be mixed, a developing roller including an outer periphery to which the developer attaches where the developing roller feeds the toner included in the developer to the image bearing member. The developing device includes an agitator installed in the inner space and configured to mix and deliver the toner and the carrier in a direction parallel to an axial direction of the developing roller, and a plurality of concave portions arranged on a bottom surface of the developing frame.
US09684263B2
A developer supplier includes a developer container and a main unit. The developer container includes a container body, a container seal, a developer discharge port and a container shutter. The container shutter covers or exposes the developer discharge port. The container shutter includes a container shutter body and a container sheet member. The main unit includes a housing and a main unit seal. The housing has a developer supply port. The developer container is mounted into a mounting section in a first orientation, and subsequently the container body is rotated in a first rotational direction so that the developer container changes to a second orientation and the developer discharge port communicates with the developer supply port. The container sheet member has a downstream end and configured to come into contact with the main unit seal when the developer container is mounted into the mounting section in the first orientation.
US09684262B2
A developer supplier includes a developer container and a main unit. The main unit includes a mounting section for allowing the developer container to be mounted therein. The developer container includes a container body, a container shutter and a developer discharge port. The container shutter is supported on the container body and covers or exposes the developer discharge port. The main unit includes a housing and a guide mechanism. The housing is formed with a developer supply port. The developer container is mounted into a first position of the mounting section while being guided in a first direction by the guide mechanism, and subsequently the container body is rotated from the first position to a second position in a first rotational direction to thereby move and expose the developer discharge port away from the container shutter so that the developer discharge port communicates with the developer supply port.
US09684228B2
The handheld telescopic dynamic rotation monopod is an essential tool for photography and videography enthusiasts, comprised of an easy to use control member positioned in the handle, whose rotation will engender a corresponding horizontal rotation from a camera mount positioned at the opposite end of the handle. A lockable vertical rotation of said camera mount is achieved by means of an input and output section, one able to pivot relative to the other due to guide pins restrictedly able to move within guide tracks and studs to restrictedly move within elongated channels.
US09684224B2
A light adjusting apparatus includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a spacer configured to form a space for disposing a light adjusting section between the first substrate and the second substrate, a notch provided so that measuring light to measure a space dimension reaches the spacer and an extending peripheral portion provided so that the measuring light reaches the second substrate.
US09684216B2
A pixel structure includes a first patterned transparent conductive layer, an active layer, an insulating layer and a second patterned transparent conductive layer. The first patterned transparent conductive layer is disposed on a substrate and includes a source, a drain and a pixel electrode connected to the drain. The active layer connects the source and the drain. The insulating layer covers the source, the drain and the active layer. The second patterned transparent conductive layer is disposed on the insulating layer and includes a gate disposed above the active layer and a common electrode disposed above the pixel electrode. A fabrication method of a pixel structure is also provided.
US09684213B2
The present invention provides a BOA liquid crystal panel and a manufacturing method thereof. The BOA liquid crystal panel includes a first substrate, a second substrate opposite to the first substrate, a black matrix arranged in the first substrate, a thin-film transistor arranged on the black matrix, a color resist layer arranged on the second substrate, a common electrode layer arranged on the second substrate and the color resist layer, a photoresist spacer arranged on the common electrode layer and located between the first substrate and the second substrate, and a liquid crystal layer arranged between the first substrate and the second substrate. The present invention arranges the black matrix of the liquid crystal panel in a channel that is pre-formed in a substrate to make the film thickness of the liquid crystal panel uniform and improve the display performance of the liquid crystal panel.
US09684208B2
To improve the display quality of a vertical alignment liquid crystal display apparatus. The apparatus comprises two substrates, a first electrode extending in a first direction, a second electrode extending in a second direction intersecting the first direction, a crystal layer provided between the substrates, a pixel is configured where the two electrodes intersect, an electrode edge of the second electrode is of a shape that includes line segments obliquely crossed relative to the second direction and bend back, the pixel edges of the pixel are demarcated, including the line segments that are obliquely crossed, and the liquid crystal layer is disposed so that the angle of the alignment direction of the crystal molecules at the center and the direction perpendicular to the second direction is greater than 0°, and the alignment direction of the crystal molecules and the direction of obliquely crossed line segments don't become perpendicular.
US09684201B2
A first polarizing plate is disposed on a first main surface of a liquid crystal display panel. A second polarizing plate is disposed on a second main surface of the liquid crystal panel. The first polarizing plate includes a first polarizer and a first phase difference film laminated on a main surface on the liquid crystal display panel side in the first polarizer. The second polarizing plate includes a second polarizer and a transparent film laminated on a main surface on the side opposite to the liquid crystal display panel in the second polarizer.
US09684198B2
According to one embodiment, a liquid crystal display device includes an array substrate, an opposed substrate and a liquid crystal layer. The array substrate includes a first line, a second line, a light shielding pattern, a first pixel electrode, and a second pixel electrode. The opposed substrate includes a light shielding layer, a first colored layer, and a second colored layer.
US09684194B2
An electro-optic device, comprising a layer of light-carrying material; and a rib, projecting from the layer of light-carrying material, for guiding optical signals propagating through the device. The layer of light-carrying material comprises a first doped region of a first type extending into the rib, and a second doped region of a second, different type extending into the rib such that a pn junction is formed within the rib. The pn junction extends substantially parallel to at least two contiguous faces of the rib, resulting in a more efficient device. In addition, a self-aligned fabrication process can be used in order to simplify the fabrication process and increase reliability and yield.
US09684191B2
Techniques for increasing efficiency of thermo-optic phase shifters using multi-pass heaters and thermal bridges are provided. In one aspect, a thermo-optic phase shifter device includes: a plurality of optical waveguides formed in an SOI layer over a buried insulator; at least one heating element adjacent to the optical waveguides; and thermal bridges connecting at least one of the optical waveguides directly to the heating element. A method for forming a thermo-optic phase shifter device is also provided.
US09684180B2
A color separating and/or combining system configured to guide blue (or first) light in a light beam from a light source to a blue-light (or first-light) liquid crystal panel and to guide red (or second) light to a red-light (or second-light) liquid crystal panel includes a PBS configured to guide one of the blue (or first) light and the red (or second) light in a direction different from a direction of the other color light, a quarter-wave plate, and a color separation element configured to guide the blue (or first) light to the blue-light (or first-light) liquid crystal panel and to suppress the red (or second) light from being guided to the blue-light (first-light) liquid crystal panel. The quarter-wave plate and the color separation element are provided between the blue-light (first-light) liquid crystal panel and the PBS. The color separation element is provided between the PBS and the quarter-wave plate.
US09684177B2
A polarization glasses type stereoscopic image display includes: a thin film transistor array substrate; a color filter array substrate having a plurality of black matrix patterns formed on a first plane facing the thin film transistor array substrate; a plurality of black stripe patterns that are aligned in a first direction correspondingly to the black matrix patterns on a second plane of the color filter array substrate opposite to the first plane; and a patterned retarder disposed over the second plane of the color filter array substrate. The width of the black stripe pattern is different depending on a display position with respect to the first direction. The first direction is directed from an upper side of the display to a lower side of the display.
US09684176B2
An illumination optical apparatus illuminates a pattern on a mask with illumination light. The illumination optical apparatus includes an optical integrator arranged in an optical path of the illumination light, and a polarization member made of optical material with optical rotatory power, which is arranged in the optical path on an incidence side of the optical integrator, and which changes a polarization state of the illumination light. The illumination light from the polarization member is irradiated onto the pattern through a pupil plane of the illumination optical apparatus.
US09684172B2
Aspects of the present disclosure relate to mounting electronics and optical systems in head-worn see-through computer displays. In embodiments, a head worn computer includes an optical chassis with a rigid open box structure configured to provide a stable optical mounting reference plane and a plurality of image source reference planes. The head worn computer further includes a first image source mounted on one of the image source reference planes to project first image light through a first hole in the optical mounting reference plane and a second image source mounted on a second of the image source reference planes and configured to project second image light through a second hole in the optical mounting reference plane. An outer frame holds the optical chassis such that, when worn by a user, the first and second image light is aligned with the eyes of the user.
US09684169B2
While a first mode is set as the operation mode of an image processing apparatus, an image of a virtual space containing a virtual object seen from a first viewpoint having a position and orientation set by a user is generated and output. While a second mode is set as the operation mode of the image processing apparatus, an image of a virtual space seen from a second viewpoint determined based on information of the first viewpoint and the position of a head mounted display device is generated and output.
US09684159B2
A scanning microscope includes a stage for holding a sample, a scan mechanism, a probing system for probing a region of the sample, a position sensor, and a controller. The scan mechanism is configured to translate the stage between at least two axial positions. The probing system includes an optical element and a photosensor having a readout region, where the readout region extends in a direction which is transverse to an ideal orientation of the stage. The position sensor is configured to measure a transverse position of the stage and/or of an orientation of the stage. The controller is configured to adapt the probing system as a function of the measured transverse position and/or the measured orientation.
US09684149B2
A coordinate measuring machine has a workpiece support for holding a measurement object and a measuring head which can be displaced relative to the workpiece support. The measuring head carries an optical sensor. An evaluation and control unit is configured to determine spatial coordinates on the measurement object depending on a position of the measuring head relative to the workpiece support and depending on sensor data from the optical sensor. The optical sensor includes a lens assembly and a camera. The lens assembly comprises at least four separate lens-element groups. Three of these separate lens-element groups can be displaced along the optical axis of the lens assembly. A first lens-element group is arranged fixed in the region of the light-entry opening of the lens assembly. The coordinate measuring machine with the above-described lens assembly allows individual variation of magnification, focusing and resolution.
US09684148B2
A primary mirror mount assembly includes a body including a mirror surface and a mount surface, with the mount surface having at least one feature formed therein. The mount assembly further includes a hub configured to be secured to the body. The hub includes at least one corresponding mating feature configured to receive the at least one feature of the mount surface of the body therein. The at least one feature and the at least one corresponding mating feature are configured to be welded together. A method of assembling a primary mirror mount assembly is further disclosed.
US09684143B2
A fiber management tray is described including a releasable connection interface. The tray can include a base defining at least one component mounting location having a structure for mounting optical components. The structure may define a first side and an opposite second side. The structure may also define a first retention opening and a second retention opening that extend through the structure from the first side to the second side. The first retention opening can include a T-shaped slot having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion of the T-shaped slot may have a larger cross-dimension than a cross-dimension of the second portion of the T-shaped slot. The second retention opening may have a first portion in which a flexible cantilever is positioned and a second portion. The second portion of the second retention opening may have a smaller cross-dimension than a cross-dimension of the first portion of the second retention opening. The flexible cantilever can include a release member that projects outwardly in a first direction from the first side of the structure.
US09684142B2
A fiber distribution terminal (30, 130, 230) including a housing (131, 231); and a spool arrangement (136, 236) that can rotate relative to the housing about an axis of rotation. The spool arrangement includes a drum portion (142, 242) centered on the axis of rotation and a flange (144, 146, 244, 246) that rotates with the drum portion about the axis of rotation. A fiber optic cable (40) is coiled on the drum portion. A fiber optic adapter (164, 264) and a connectorized pigtail (160, 260) are carried with the flange and positioned within the housing. The spool arrangement (136, 236) rotates relative to the housing when the fiber optic cable (40) is paid out. The drum portion (142, 242) can be removed from the flange after the fiber optic cable has been paid out to provide the distribution terminal with a compact configuration.
US09684139B2
A multi-fiber, fiber optic connector is interchangeable between a male connector and a female connector by including a pin retainer having a releasable retention device configured to lock the pins in place within the retainer. The retention device may be opened, for example, with a release tool, to free the retention pins for removal of the pins. A method for switching a connector between a male connector configuration and a female connector configuration may be possible as a result of the releasable retention configuration.
US09684137B2
Adhesive reservoirs having shapes of stepped grooves are provided at corners in outer edges of an opening of an insertion opening portion having a shape of a rectangular opening of a main body of the ferrule which is formed by consecutively installing the insertion opening portion provided on a rear end side such that a boot having substantially a shape of a square tube and having an optical fiber core wire at a distal end is inserted and supported, and optical fiber core wire insertion holes provided on a front end side such that a side of a distal end portion of the optical fiber core wire is inserted into a deep portion of the insertion opening portion and the distal end portion is exposed outwardly. In this way, an adhesive is prevented from leaking out from a gap between the boot and the insertion opening portion.
US09684134B2
A communications connection system includes a fiber optic connector including a storage device having memory configured to store physical layer information. The storage device also includes at least one contact member that is electrically connected to the memory. Certain types of fiber optic connectors have the storage device mounted to a key of the fiber optic connector. Certain types of fiber optic connectors have the storage device mounted in a cavity defined in the fiber optic connector.
US09684119B2
Flexible unitary lightguide and a method of making the same are disclosed. The lightguide includes a structured input side that includes a first pattern having smaller features superimposed on a second pattern having larger features. The lightguide further includes a structured top surface that includes a first region and a different second region. The first region includes a plurality of discrete light extractors for extracting light that propagates within the flexible unitary lightguide by total internal reflection. The second region includes a taper portion for directing light from the structured input side to the first region. The light extractors form a periodic array that has a first period along the length of the flexible unitary lightguide. The first period is such that substantially no visible moire fringes occur when the flexible unitary lightguide is used as a backlight in a pixelated display.
US09684118B2
The present invention relates to a method for improving luminance uniformity of a side-edge curved module. The method includes: (1) dividing a display zone of a curved panel display zone into a plurality of panel grid cells and sequentially marking the plurality of grid cells as panel grid cells 1-n, where n is a natural number; (2) dividing a light guide plate located exactly under the curved panel display zone into a plurality of corresponding light guide plate grid cells, each of the light guide plate grid cells having a dot density being indicated by Pn; (3) measuring transmittance of each of the panel grid cells, the transmittance of each of the panel grid cells being indicated by tn; and (4) taking the transmittance tc of the panel grid cell c that is located close to a center of the curved panel display zone as a reference, where c is a natural number less than n and the dot density of the light guide plate grid cell c corresponding to the panel grid cell c is indicated by Pc, wherein the dot density Pn of a light guide plate grid cell n is set between Pc×0.25×tc/tn to Pc×4×tc/tn. The present invention helps eliminate dark zones of a curved module and improves the luminance uniformity without increasing the product design expenditure.
US09684114B2
The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and provides a backlight source and a display device, which address the problem that the misalignment readily occurring between the LED strip and the light guide plate results in a light leakage in the light-emitting diodes and hence a reduced performance of the display device. A backlight source comprises a scattering substrate and a light-emitting diode strip, wherein the light-emitting diode strip comprises a circuit board and light-emitting diodes arranged at intervals on the circuit board, and the scattering substrate comprises recesses at a surface corresponding to the light-emitting diode strip, the recesses corresponding one-to-one with the light-emitting diodes, the light-emitting diodes embedded into the recesses. A display device comprises the backlight.
US09684109B2
A light guide plate having a rectangular plate-like shape includes a light entrance surface, a light exit surface, an opposite plate surface, and a light reflection pattern. The light entrance surface is a peripheral surface. The light exit surface is a plate surface. The opposite plate surface is opposite from the light exit surface. The light reflection pattern includes light reflection portions having distribution densities different from section to section of the opposite plate surface. The distribution densities are defined such that a difference between the distribution density in a section in the middle row and each end column and the distribution density in a section in the middle row and the middle column is larger than a difference between the distribution density in a section in the end row and each end column and the distribution density in the section in the end row and the middle column.
US09684108B2
An arrangement (20) for coupling light into a plate-like guide (25) having two surfaces (23, 24) on opposite sides of the light guide comprises an in-coupling diffraction grating (21) for diffracting an external light beam (26) incident on said in-coupling diffraction grating into the light guide in a direction enabling the in-coupled light beam to propagate within the light guide via total internal reflections at the light guide surfaces (23, 24). According to the present invention, the arrangement further comprises a deflection member (22) arranged to deflect the beam (27) initially diffracted by the in-coupling diffraction grating (21), before it hits the in-coupling diffraction grating again, out of the path determined by the in-coupling diffraction grating in order to reduce out-coupling of the already in-coupled light through the in-coupling diffraction grating.
US09684104B2
There are provided a thin film polarizer having superior optical properties and a method of manufacturing the same. The thin film polarizer includes: forming a film laminate by attaching a non-stretched polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-based film to at least one surface of a thermoplastic polyurethane film, using attractive force therebetween or using an adhesive; stretching the film laminate at a temperature of 45° C. to 55° C.; and separating the PVA-based film from the thermoplastic polyurethane film.
US09684096B2
This invention provides a unit for an image display device in which an optical film laminate and a panel for an image display device are laminated with an adhesive layer therebetween. The optical film laminate contains a polarizer and a polarizer protection functional layer laminated to only one surface of the polarizer. The adhesive layer is laminated to the surface of the polarizer that is opposite to the surface that contacts the polarizer protection functional layer. The panel for an image display device is laminated to the surface of the adhesive layer that is opposite to the surface that contacts the polarizer. A glass transition temperature of the adhesive layer is in a range of from 50° C. to 90° C.
US09684092B2
A method of evaluating a shale source rock formation comprising: determining in situ partial pressures of a light hydrocarbon utilizing a downhole Raman tool and producing a map of spatial and vertical variations of the in situ partial pressures of the light hydrocarbon in the shale source rock formation.
US09684091B2
An apparatus and method for simultaneously obtaining quantitative measurements of vertical and horizontal resistivity and permittivity formation parameters by firing, using at least one transmitter in each of a horizontally and vertically polarized array on opposite sides of a drill collar, signals in the direction of a downhole formation, the fired signals from the transmitters in the arrays being fired simultaneously and engaging the downhole formation. The apparatus and method continues by receiving, using at least one receiver in each of the arrays, signals associated with the fired signals after the fired signals have engaged the downhole formation, where the received signals represent apparent formation data. The apparatus and method further involves determining, using the measured apparent formation data, the true formation data including one or more vertical and horizontal formation parameters.
US09684089B2
A method comprises obtaining vertical seismic profile (VSP) data using seismic sources positioned at corresponding shot locations at desired offsets from seismic receivers positioned in a borehole drilled through a formation. The method further comprises receiving seismic waves emanating from the seismic sources, processing the VSP data to determine vertical slowness of the formation, and analyzing an azimuthal anisotropy of the formation. This is performed by calculating modified total slowness of the formation using the vertical slowness and vertical polarization angle, calculating and applying a polar anisotropy correction to the modified total slowness to obtain a corrected value of the modified total slowness, and normalizing the corrected modified total slowness to a desired polarization angle. The method further comprises estimating azimuthal anisotropy based on the corrected value of the modified total slowness, outputting an anisotropy depth profile of the formation, and performing borehole operations based on the anisotropy depth profile.
US09684087B2
Methods of providing for filtering noise and/or restoring attenuated spectral components in acoustic signals, are provided. An exemplary embodiment of a method includes dynamically filtering each of a plurality of raw FFT data samples of a record to remove or attenuate background noise contained therein to thereby produce a corresponding plurality of cleaned FFT data samples. The sample-specific background noise is removed or attenuated by a record-specific dynamic filter to produce the corresponding cleaned FFT data samples. The method can also include restoring the attenuated high-frequency components of the cleaned data samples through application of a record-specific Restoring Processor at least partially defined by a portion of the cleaned data samples and a Gain Function to thereby produce cleaned and restored data samples, and applying an inverse transformation to convert the cleaned and restored data samples into cleaned and restored data samples in time domain data.
US09684080B2
This document describes various techniques for implementing low-energy GPS on a mobile device. A GPS module is activated, a sub-millisecond pseudo-range estimate is received from the GPS module, the GPS module is deactivated, the sub-millisecond pseudo-range estimate and a time stamp are transmitted to a remote entity, and location information based on the sub-millisecond pseudo-range estimate and time stamp is received from the remote entity.
US09684071B2
An apparatus is disclosed for a spaceborne or aerial platform having a frequency demultiplexer for frequency demultiplexing a signal corresponding to a range line or an azimuth line of SAR data, and including information about a plurality of target points, into a plurality of frequency channels, and a compression device for performing compression on each frequency channel, each frequency channel signal having information about the same target points. The frequency demultiplexer and the compression device can be implemented in hardware. The apparatus may be used for either or both of the range compression and the azimuth compression of a SAR arrangement on board a spaceborne or aerial platform and the SAR arrangement may generate a plurality of sub-images corresponding to the frequency channels from the SAR raw data. The sub-images may be combined by averaging in order to reduce the volume of memory required to store the SAR data.
US09684054B2
Provided are architectures, systems, methods, and computer program products for real-time object locating and position determination using frequency channel diversity for transmitting and receiving position determination signals including bursts of location signals. Channelized frequency diversity of a short burst of small location signals that “hop” across multiple frequency channels is used to collectively produce a quasi-wideband position determination signal. Object tags operating with frequency channel diversity for transmitting location signals of position determination signals require low power consumption, but can still efficiently provide adequate position determination signals for reliable position determination.
US09684052B2
A method of assessing functionality of a probe card includes providing a probe card analyzer without a probe card interface, removably coupling a probe card having probes to a support plate of the probe card analyzer, aligning a sensor head of the probe card analyzer with the probe card, and measuring a component of the probes with the sensor head.
US09684048B2
In a method and a pulse sequence optimization device to determine a pulse sequence for a magnetic resonance system, a pulse sequence is selected for optimization that includes a number of radio-frequency pulses and a number of gradient pulses chronologically coordinated therewith. An automatic analysis of the pulse sequence takes place to identify fixed point/time periods in the pulse sequence that are to be left unmodified, and modifiable time intervals in the pulse sequence that may be optimized. An automatic optimization of gradient pulses in the modifiable time intervals takes place according to a predetermined optimization criterion, while keeping the length of modifiable time intervals constant.
US09684037B2
Testing of electric vehicle charging stations (EVCS) is performed. In an active mode, the device provides or is connected with a programmable load capable of emulating the load of an electrical vehicle (EV). In passive mode, the load is an EV with the device being arranged in series between the EVCS and EV. In either case, energy delivery from the EVCS to the load is monitored by the device to determine energy measurement and billing accuracy of the EVCS. This enables a comparison to be made between a measured value of energy delivered and a metered value of energy delivered as given by the EVCS. Other measurements and safety tests may also be performed by the device. A programmable load controller is also provided for providing a variable effective load as seen by the EVCS based on one or more fixed loads.
US09684036B2
A device is provided for characterising at least one element for storing energy via a capacitive effect. The device includes a measuring component for measuring the voltage across the terminals of the storing element and another measuring component for measuring the current flowing through the storing element, having response times of the same order of magnitude. The device includes a controller for controlling the measuring component and a calculator for calculating a statistical quantity from the measurements taken. The controller is configured to control the measuring component so that the voltage-measurement period and the current-measurement period overlap temporally by at least 70%, especially 90%, of a total period including the voltage and current-measurement periods. A method is also provided for characterising an element for storing energy via a capacitive effect and to an assembly including at least one element for storing energy via a capacitive effect and a characterising device.
US09684034B2
Efficient production testing of integrated circuits (ICs). A first production test is implemented on a group of ICs and failures among the test group are assessed. Specifically, the results of the first test are analyzed such that ICs having a recoverable fail and ICs having a non-recoverable fail are differentiated. The ICs are integrated based on the analyzed results and a second production test is implemented. The second production test tests the ICs responsive to the segregation, such that the second production test is limited only to ICs with a recoverable fail. The next succeeding production test will then use the new test program in the second production test with the handler bin designated as having ICs not to be re-tested.
US09684027B2
A measuring apparatus includes a measuring unit for measuring an electrical characteristic of a measurement object by applying an electrical signal, and a discharge detection unit connected to the measuring unit, the discharge detection unit obtaining an electrical signal value that is the value of the electrical signal applied to the measurement object, wherein if the electrical signal value is smaller than a predetermined reference value, the discharge detection unit issues a discharge alarm to the outside when a difference value between the electrical signal value and the reference value becomes larger than a predetermined first comparison value after the difference value becomes smaller than the first comparison value, and wherein the reference value is set equal to or larger than the maximum of the electrical signal value when no electric discharge occurs.
US09684023B2
A EUT (equipment under test) positioning device is disclosed. The device comprises a holder element configured to hold EUT, a sliding element configured to move the holder element horizontally, a rotating element attached to the sliding element and configured to rotate the holder element, at least three telescopic elements attached to the rotating element and configured to independently move the holder element vertically, at least five actuators individually attached to the sliding element, the rotating element and the telescopic elements, wherein the actuators are configured to activate movement of the sliding element, the rotating element and the telescopic elements, and a position monitoring element configured to monitor the position of EUT. The holder element, the sliding element, the rotating element, and the telescopic elements comprise radio frequency transparent material.
US09684018B2
The magnitude of an output current that flows into a load is determined by placing a sense bipolar transistor and a sense resistor in series with the load, utilizing the non-linear current characteristics of the base-emitter junction of the sense bipolar transistor to compress and sense an emitter current logarithmically, and then performing an inverse log function to determine the emitter current, which is substantially identical to the output current that flows into the load.
US09684014B2
A prober can suppress a decrease of a throughput in inspection of semiconductor devices on a substrate. The prober 10 includes a stage 11 having a horizontal mounting surface 11a that mounts thereon a wafer W on which semiconductor devices are formed; a probe card 16 provided to face the stage 11; three roller devices 26, each having a vertical rotational shaft, equally-spaced along a circumference of the mounted wafer W. Each roller device 26 is configured to rotate the wafer W on a horizontal plane while being in contact with a peripheral edge of the wafer W.
US09684008B2
Disclosed are apparatus and methods that provide the ability to electrical stimulate a physical system, and actively eliminate interference with signal acquisition (artifacts) that arises from the stimulation. The technique implemented in the circuits and methods for eliminating interference connects a discharge path to a physical interface to the system to remove charge that is built-up during stimulation. By placing the discharge path in a feedback loop that includes a recording preamplifier and AC-coupling circuitry, the physical interface is brought back to its pre-stimulation offset voltage. The disclosed apparatus and methods may be used with piezoelectric transducers, ultrasound devices, optical diodes, and polarizable and non-polarizable electrodes. The disclosed apparatus can be employed in implantable devices, in vitro or in vivo setups with vertebrate and invertebrate neural tissue, muscle fibers, pancreatic islet cells, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, bacteria, algae, fungi, protists, and plants.
US09684002B2
Provided are methods and compositions for predicting the development of kidney disease, including acute kidney injury. In certain aspects and embodiments the provided methods and compositions are particularly useful for predicting kidney injury following an event likely to cause kidney injury and/or kidney failure in a patient, such as a cardiac surgery, e.g., a surgery involving a cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), such as a coronary artery bypass graft surgery. In some embodiments, the higher the urinary hepcidin-to-urinary creatinine ratio (uHep/uCr) at 6-24 hours following initiation of CPB, the lower is the risk for development of AKI determined by RIFLE criteria in the ensuing four to five days. Conversely, the higher the urinary NGAL to urinary creatinine ratio (uNGAL/uCr) at 6-24 hours following initiation of CPB, the higher is the risk of developing CPB-mediated AKI over the same time period.
US09683987B2
Provided is a gastric cancer cell line derived from a mouse deficient in E-cadherin and p53, and a use thereof. The E-cadherin- and p53-deficient, murine-derived gastric cancer cell line of the present invention was confirmed to have histopathological characteristics similar to those of human gastric cancer, have an epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype and an activated β-catenin pathway, and promote cancer growth in vivo due to potential of carcinogenesis, and thus the gastric cancer cell line of the present invention can be effectively used for the evaluation of the activity of new anticancer drugs and the development of metastasis inhibitors.
US09683981B1
The present disclosure is directed to methods and systems for detecting a chemical substance. The methods and systems include chemically modifying a sample of a substance of interest through combination with a reagent to increase the volatility of the substance of interest. The systems and methods further include performing an analysis of the substance of interest.
US09683980B1
A method of detecting Hg2+ in an aqueous solution. The method includes contacting the aqueous solution with a composition containing a plant extract and biosynthesized silver nanoparticles. The composition has an average particle size of 30-50 nm. A color change following the contacting indicates the presence of Hg2+ in the aqueous solution. The composition is preferably synthesized by reduction of a silver salt with an extract of Ocimum basilicum.
US09683974B2
The disclosure describes a cascaded gas chromatograph including a first gas chromatograph having a first temperature control and a second gas chromatograph coupled to the first gas chromatograph. The first and second chromatographs have individual temperature controls that can be controlled independently of each other. Other embodiments are disclosed and claimed.
US09683973B2
A non-destructive testing and inspection (NDT/NDI) system and method operable to conduct an ultrasonic scanning test on a test object that synchronizes and merges the apertures of two or more NDT sub-instruments in frequency and phase. Disclosed are a method of using a Phased Lock Loop (PLL) as a synchronizing clock/trigger generator, and also a method of using a General Positioning Clock (GPS) and a pulse per second (PPS) output. Both methods combine ultrasonic scanning data acquisition from two or more NDT sub-instruments, and transform the sub-instruments into one bigger NDT instrument.
US09683971B2
Adopted is an object information acquiring apparatus that includes: a probe including multiple conversion elements that transmit acoustic waves to an object, and convert the reflected waves into time-series received signals; and a processor that performs frequency domain interferometry, through application of adaptive signal processing, by using the multiple received signals output from the multiple conversion elements and a reference signal, and obtains acoustic properties of multiple positions. The probe is configured such that, when a direction in which the multiple conversion elements are arranged is a first direction and a second direction, end portions in the second direction have a lower transmission sound pressure of the acoustic waves than a midportion in the second direction.
US09683970B2
An object information acquiring apparatus that transmits an acoustic wave to an object, and receives and analyzes the reflected acoustic wave to acquire internal information of the object, comprises a probe that transmits and receives the acoustic wave; a holding member disposed between the object and the probe to hold the object; and an air bubble detection unit that detects an air bubble present between the object and the holding member on the basis of an intensity of the acoustic wave received after a first time from the transmission by the probe, the first time being calculated on the basis of a time when the acoustic wave reaches a predetermined distance.
US09683963B2
A method and apparatus are disclosed for improving ion mobility spectrometry by using a fast and spatially wide ion gate based on local RF field barrier opposed to a switching DC field. Alternatively, the speed and charge throughput of ion mobility separator are improved by arranging coaxial mobility cell followed by conical coaxial ion channel. The improvement accelerates the ion mobility analysis and improves charge throughput and dynamic range of the IMS. The invention is particularly suited for rapid dual gas chromatography, fast CE. Preferably, the accelerated and wide bore IMS is coupled to a multi-reflecting time-of-flight mass spectrometer with a fast encoded orthogonal acceleration. Speed and sensitivity of IMS with fast pulsing MR-TOF make it practical to arrange analytical methods of comprehensive and orthogonal separation in multiple analytical dimensions.
US09683962B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus (1) for monitoring particles in a channel (11) or a space comprising aerosol and to an ion trap arrangement in the apparatus. The apparatus (1) comprises an ejector (24), gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) arranged to feed an essentially particle free ionized gas flow (C) to the ejector (24), a sample-inlet arrangement (2) arranged to provide a sample aerosol flow (A) from the channel (11) into the ejector (24) by means of suction provided by the gas supply (6, 16, 18, 19) and the ejector (24) for charging at least a fraction of the particles of the sample aerosol flow (A), and an ion trap (12) extending at least partly into ejector (24) for removing ions not attached to the particles. According to the invention the ion trap (12) is a provided as a metal trap wire.
US09683960B2
The present invention provides a system including: a peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecule; a DNA molecule, an RNA molecule, or a combination thereof; and an Isotachophoresis (ITP) system. Furthermore, the invention provides a method for sequence-specifically separating and/or identifying a nucleic acid molecule of interest by utilizing the system of the invention to separate and possibly label and/or detect a nucleic acid molecule of interest.
US09683958B2
This disclosure provides, among other things, a nanofluidic device sensing device is provided. In certain embodiments, the device contains: a) a channel comprising a floor and a ceiling, b) an array of charge sensors in the floor and/or ceiling of the channel, arranged along the longitudinal axis of the channel; c) a capture area in the floor and/or ceiling of the channel at the entrance end of the channel; and d) a first electrode and a second electrode, wherein the first and second electrodes are positioned to provide an electrophoretic force along the longitudinal axis of the channel. Other embodiments, e.g., methods, are also described.
US09683955B2
Each grain bin includes a data collector coupled to multiple capacitive moisture cables, each with multiple sensor nodes spaced along it. Each sensor node includes a pair of longitudinally extending capacitive plates of the capacitive moisture sensor positioned in side-by-side, spaced-apart relationship to form a longitudinally extending gap between the capacitive plates. Positioned within the longitudinal gap between the capacitive plates is a circuit board including a microprocessor, memory, and temperature sensor. An outer housing provides a sealed enclosure that surrounds the circuit board, the capacitive plates, and a longitudinal length of the moisture cable that extends through and seals openings in each longitudinal end of the housing.
US09683951B2
A sample holder for X-ray analysis is provided with: a first annular member; a second annular member configured to be inserted and fitted into the first annular member in a state where a first film is sandwiched between the first annular member and the second annular member while the first film is being stretched to cover a lower opening portion of the second annular member; and a third annular member configured to be inserted and fitted into the second annular member in a state where a second film is sandwiched between the second annular member and the third annular member while the second film is being stretched to cover a lower opening portion of the third annular member. The first film and the second film are configured to hold a sample for X-ray analysis by sandwiching the sample between the first film and the second film.
US09683938B2
A scanning system for fluorescent imaging includes a sample holder configured to hold a sample therein, the sample holder defining a sample holding region. A scanner head spans the sample holding region and is movable relative to the sample holder. An array of light sources is disposed on an opposing side of the sample holder and is angled relative thereto. Respective controller are operably coupled to the scanner head and the array of light sources, wherein one controller selectively actuates a one or more rows of the array of light sources and another controller controls movement of the scanner head to capture fluorescent light emitted from within the sample holder in response to illumination from the actuated light sources. A filter designed to filter out scattered light from the sample may be interposed between the sample holder and the scanner head.
US09683925B1
In a computer-implemented method and system for capturing the condition of a structure, the structure is scanned with a three-dimensional (3D) scanner. The 3D contact scanner includes a tactile sensor system having at least one tactile sensor for generating 3D data points based on tactile feedback resulting from physical contact with at least part of the structure. A 3D model is constructed from the 3D data and is then analyzed to determine the condition of the structure.
US09683920B2
Methods for using focused light scattering techniques for the optical sensing of biological particles suspended in a liquid medium are disclosed. The optical sensing enables one to characterize particles size and/or distribution in a given sample. This, in turn, allows one to identify the biological particles, determine their relative particle density, detect particle shedding, and identify particle aggregation. The methods are also useful in screening and optimizing drug candidates, evaluating the efficacy and dosage levels of such drugs, and in personalized medicine applications.
US09683912B2
A direct field acoustic testing system provides an acoustic field having a higher degree of spatial uniformity. The system includes a control microphone, a controller, a combiner, and at least four acoustic transducers. The controller is operatively coupled to the control microphone such that the controller receives at least one input signal from the control microphone and provides at least four separately controllable controller output signals. The combiner combines the at least four separately controllable output signals to form at least four secondary output signals, each composed of combinations of one or more of the at least four separately controllable controller output signals. Each of the at least four transducers is operatively coupled to at least one of the at least four secondary output signals such that the output of the transducer varies in response to changes in at least two of the at least four separately controllable controller output signals.
US09683906B2
A device for determining an external magnetic influence has a component comprising ferromagnetic material and a magnetizable region comprising at least three opposing magnetic tracks. The at least three magnetic opposing magnetic tracks are magnetizable in opposite directions, form at least two groups, and are arranged axially relative to the component. A first magnetic field sensor for emitting a signal is arranged radially to the component and assigned to the first group. A second magnetic field sensor for emitting a signal is arranged radially to the component and assigned to the second group. Redundant magnetic field sensors, each configured for emitting a signal, may be arranged radially in relation to the component for each of the first and second groups. The signals of the first and the second sensors can be set in relation to each other and in relation to the signals of the redundant first and second sensors.
US09683902B2
A temperature sensing arrangement includes a member having a first coefficient of thermal expansion, and an optical fiber having a second coefficient of thermal expansion. The optical fiber is strain transmissively mounted to the member. And the first coefficient of thermal expansion is greater than the second coefficient of thermal expansion such that strain measurable in the optical fiber is correlatable to temperature changes in the member.
US09683892B2
A fiber grating demodulation system for enhancing spectral resolution by finely adjusting an imaging focus mirror, includes a laser pump source, a wavelength division multiplexer, a fiber Bragg grating, a diaphragm, a slit, a collimating mirror, a light splitting grating, an imaging focus mirror, a linear array detector. The laser pump source, the wavelength division multiplexer, the fiber Bragg grating are connected in sequence, the wavelength division multiplexer is connected to the diaphragm. Light emitted from the laser pump source is multiplexed by the wavelength division multiplexer and then enters the fiber Bragg grating, a reflection spectrum of the fiber Bragg grating enters the slit of the fiber grating demodulation system as injected light. After passing through the slit, the injected light is reflected by the collimating mirror, the light splitting grating, and the imaging focus mirror in sequence, and is finally converged to the linear array detector.
US09683880B2
A setting method of a flow meter device comprises (A) measuring a compensation coefficient in a case where a fluid is flowed with a flow within a predetermined range, and deriving a first function representing as a linear function a relationship between a measurement compensation coefficient which is the measured compensation coefficient and a conversion value which is obtained by converting a set flow which is the flow of the flowed fluid, using a predetermined function; (B) setting a reference flow which is an arbitrary flow within the predetermined range and calculating a reference compensation coefficient which is a compensation coefficient corresponding to the reference flow based on the reference flow and the first function; and (C) storing the reference flow and the reference compensation coefficient corresponding to the reference flow.
US09683867B2
A device to be connected to first electrical power wiring and for displaying electrical power usage information of at least one first electrical load connected to the first electrical power wiring, the device including terminals to electrically connect to the first electrical power wiring of a building, a controller to receive information representing at least a current to the at least one first electrical load, determine first electrical power usage information of the at least one first electrical load using the received information, a user interface to display the determined first electrical power usage information of the at least one first electrical load, and a communications interface to transmit the determined first electrical power usage information to at least one second electrical device for display, and receive determined second electrical power usage information of at least one second electrical load from the at least one second electrical device for display.
US09683863B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining a travel context based on a route condition for providing a navigation guidance; generating a state node having a state content with a control unit based on the travel context; and generating a guidance process based on the state node for presenting a prompt on a device.
US09683860B1
A method of using location-dependent sensor information comprising receiving information from one or more sensor/monitor/device (SMD) and determining a location associated with the SMD. The method further comprising integrating the SMD data into a comprehensive location-based database, and enabling a user to search for local conditions in the location-based database.
US09683856B2
An evacuation navigation device disclosed. In one embodiment, the evacuation navigation device comprises a position determining component configured to determine a position of a handheld device within a selected environment having access to at least one positioning system. The device further comprises a display device configured to display the position of the handheld device on a digital map of the selected environment and at least one evacuation route from the position to an evacuation position. The device further comprises a wireless communication component configured to receive a real-time update of safety conditions along the at least one evacuation route. The device further comprises logic implemented by a processor for dynamically revising the digital map based upon the real-time update.
US09683855B2
A method and system for generating a location identification grid and for using a location identification grid. The location identification grid can include a first geographic area that correspond to a pre-existing area. This pre-existing area can correspond to a postal code such as a zip code, a telephone code such as, an area code, or any other desired pre-existing area. The location identification grid can be subdivided into smaller geographic areas to allow more accurate identification of a location. The location identification grid can include a second geographic area. The second geographic area can be a subdivision of the first geographic area. The location identification grid can be used with signals that identify a location within a location identification grid. These signals can include a first component corresponding to the first geographic area and the second component corresponding to one or more second geographic areas.
US09683853B2
Method, apparatus and system for improving navigation using mobile devices by adding previously captured media to navigation maps provided by mobile device. Added media include still images and video clips. Media captured at the same location using various camera orientations are available in an image database. Images in database include metadata indicating location, orientation and other parameters associated with each image. User location and pose are matched against metadata indicating location and camera orientation of captured images. User motion may also be matched to metadata indicating camera motion of stored video clips. Other parameters like lighting, seasonal factors, and tasks of walking, biking or driving may also be matched. User pose may be derived from an accelerometer embedded in the mobile device. Some or all of user parameters desired by user may be directly input to mobile device by user instead of being automatically detected by mobile device.
US09683846B2
A RFOG, comprising: a master laser emitting a reference optical signal; first and second slave lasers emitting first and second optical signals; an optical resonator ring cavity coupled to the lasers, the first and second optical signals propagating in first and second directions through the optical resonator ring cavity; one or more signal generators to inject first and second modulation signals at first and second frequencies on both optical signals; first and second photodetectors that generate first and second signals; first and second demodulators to demodulate the first and second signals using first and second reference signals and the first and second frequencies; a differencing function to output the difference between resonance frequencies of the first and second signals; at least a third demodulator to detect reference phase errors; and at least one phase servo to adjust the phase of at least one of the first and second reference signals.
US09683844B2
An angular velocity sensor including a drive extension mode. In one aspect, an angular rate sensor includes a base and at least three masses disposed substantially in a plane parallel to the base, the masses having a center of mass. At least one actuator drives the masses in an extension mode, such that in the extension mode the masses move in the plane simultaneously away or simultaneously towards the center of mass. At least one transducer senses at least one Coriolis force resulting from motion of the masses and angular velocity about at least one input axis of the sensor. Additional embodiments can include a linkage that constrains the masses to move in the extension mode.
US09683843B2
A vibrator element has a first vibration mode in which first and second detection portions perform flexural vibration in opposite directions in the opposite phase to first and second driving portions which vibrate in opposite directions according to a Coriolis force, and a second vibration mode in which the first and second detection portions perform flexural vibration in opposite directions in the same phase as the first and second driving portions which vibrate in opposite directions according to a Coriolis force. A ratio r=R2/R1 of equivalent series resistance R2 at the time of the second vibration mode to equivalent series resistance R1 at the time of the first vibration mode is set between 0.15 and 6.0.
US09683834B2
The present disclosure is directed to an adaptable depth sensing (DS) system. A DS device may comprise a DS equipment module and a control module. The control module may configure the operational mode of the DS equipment module for close-range sensing, mid-range sensing or long-range sensing. The control module may receive at least depth data from the DS equipment module for determining the mode of operation. The control module may also receive condition data regarding the DS device and/or a host device to which the DS device is coupled, determine a configuration based on the condition data, and may utilize the condition data along with the depth data to configure the DS equipment module. Configuring the DS equipment module may comprise, for example, enabling components within the DS equipment module, configuring focus for the components, configuring image orientation for the components and/or selecting a DS methodology for the components.
US09683831B2
A measurement apparatus including a housing having a first arm and a second arm spaced apart from the first arm to define a measurement zone therebetween, and a laser radar unit, wherein the laser radar unit emits a laser beam that is split into a first beam and a second beam, the first beam travels through the first arm, across the measurement zone and into the second arm, while the second beam travels through the second arm, across the measurement zone and into the first arm, thereby forming a closed optical path, and wherein the closed optical path includes a midpoint that is offset from the measurement zone such that the first beam travels a first optical path and the second beam travels a second, longer optical path when the closed optical path is broken by a part positioned in the measurement zone.
US09683824B2
An arming and safety device for a pyrotechnic chain, the device including a housing presenting an inlet zone for a pyrotechnic stream and an outlet zone for the pyrotechnic stream, an arming element housed in the housing between the inlet and outlet zones and adapted to move between a disarmed position in which it blocks the passage of the pyrotechnic stream and an armed position in which it allows the pyrotechnic stream to pass, and an electric motor for driving the arming element. The stator of the electric motor is situated outside the housing, and the rotor is contained entirely inside the housing.
US09683818B2
Polymer-based composite casings and ammunition containing the same are disclosed. Methods of making and using polymer-based composite casings and ammunition containing the same are also disclosed.
US09683814B2
A multi-function radio frequency (MFRF) module integrates command guidance, active and semi-active terminal guidance (and possibly passive) and fuzing sensors for gun-launched munitions into a single assembly. The MFRF module can be incorporated into a variety of different gun-launched munitions to execute missions currently performed by guided missiles. The MFRF module is programmable during munition activation to select the guidance mode, active or semi-active, and a primary fuze mode, proximity or height of burst.
US09683813B2
New targeting systems, hardware and techniques are provided. In a preferred embodiment, a system enables a sniper to, in effect, take a projected, trial shot at a subject within an environment, evaluate its effectiveness, and execute it if satisfied. A user may create, set, adjust and execute Impact Point indicators, corresponding with projected points of impact of a projectile on a target subject within a target environment. The system may counteract and otherwise adjust for certain ballistic and environmental factors in a firing mechanism to maintain such an Impact Point fire ready, in real time. Yet the system allows the user to continue to move the sight to engage in further targeting activity.In other aspects, the system may execute multiple impact points, together or in rapid succession, which impact points may surround, lead, cover or otherwise diversify their distribution about a targeting subject and/or its projected path.
US09683811B1
Disclosed is a low-profile folding sight assembly having a base configured to be secured to a gun and an arm mounted on the base for pivotal movement between at least a folded position and a deployed position. A first sighting aperture having a first size is provided adjacent a distal end of the arm. A selector member on the arm has a second sighting aperture of a second size and is slidably movable between at least a first position in which the first sighting aperture is unobstructed and a second position in which the second sighting aperture is aligned with the first sighting aperture to present a reduced-size sighting aperture.
US09683803B2
A tripod is provided for mounting a machine gun between a front pintle and a traverse-and-elevation (T&E) device, being mechanically alterable between stowage and deployment configurations by means of a curved traverse bar. The tripod includes a head member for receiving the front pintle, a fore leg, first and second rear legs, and the traverse bar. The fore leg connects to the head member at a fore pitch hinge, and extends in the deployment configuration and folds aft beneath the head member in the stowage configuration. The first and second rear legs connect to the head member by corresponding rear lateral hinges. Each rear leg has a rail member that slides longitudinally therealong. The rear legs splay outward from the head member in the deployment configuration and contract substantially parallel in the stowage configuration. The traverse bar includes an elongated member for mounting the T&E device, first and second terminals at opposite ends of the elongated member, and a sprocket. The elongated member has an arc curvature that enables the T&E device to travel along the elongated member with constant elevation of the machine gun. The terminals respectively attach to the first and second legs by respective orifices. The first terminal includes a circular serrated cavity to receive the sprocket that has the first pivot orifice being offset from its axial center. The sprocket is removable to rotate the first pivot orifice for subsequent reinsertion into the serrated cavity.
US09683800B2
A semi-automatic rifle is configured to fire single rounds of ammunition via a magazine or a belt of ammunition. A receiver cover pivots open to receive the first round of a belt of ammunition or a magazine can be inserted in a magazine well. The rifle operates using a closed bolt firing cycle, with a sliding hammer that, on its return from recoil after firing a first round, is caught by a sear regardless of whether the trigger is still in the pulled position. The trigger must be fully released before a second round can be fired.
US09683798B2
A one hand firearm magazine loader for loading a firearm with a firearm magazine including a lower member includes a one-piece magazine support housing including a wall that terminates in a lower end in a receiving section; support arms extending laterally from the vertical wall for retaining a firearm magazine in a substantially vertical position, vertical position; a rotating support rotatably received in the receiving section for rotation about a first axis-between the substantially vertical position and an angled position; and a magazine receiving member carried by the rotating support, the magazine receiving member slidably receiving the lower member of the firearm magazine, the magazine receiving member rotatably mounted to a top of the rotating support for rotation about a second axis, different from the first axis, of the firearm magazine with mounted firearm.
US09683793B2
A liquid distribution device for fluid cooling devices particularly for cooling towers comprises at least one primary distribution pipe or at least one primary distribution trough, wherein a plurality of secondary distribution pipes are connected to the at least one primary distribution pipe or the at least one primary distribution trough, wherein the secondary distribution pipes are provided with nozzles, wherein the secondary distribution pipes at least section-wise have an angular cross-section and are formed from a fiber reinforced plastic.
US09683789B2
The present invention relates to a method of producing multiple channels for use in a device for exchange of solutes between at least two fluid flows. The invention further relates to such a device. At least a first and a second sheet are comprised. The method comprises the steps of providing at least one of the first and second sheets with at least one profiled surface and joining the first and second sheets together with the profiled surfaces facing against each other. Channels are formed by the shape of the profiled surfaces.
US09683778B2
An improved desolventizer-toaster (DT) unit is used for removing traces of a hydrocarbon solvent from a mass of vegetable particles of oil. A conventional DT unit has within a housing, a set of solvent removal trays and a main ejector transporting solvent vapor and steam from below the tray set to between a pair of the trays in the set. The improved DT unit has a further scavenger tray between an inlet of the main ejector and the housing floor. A scavenger ejector transports solvent vapor from between the scavenger tray and the housing floor before it exits from the unit, to the space between the tray set and the scavenger tray.
US09683770B2
An insulated icemaking compartment is provided in the fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator. The icemaking compartment may be integrally formed with the liner of the fresh food compartment, or alternatively, may be modular for installation anywhere in the fresh food compartment. A removable bin assembly with a front cover normally seals the icemaking compartment to maintain the temperature in the compartment. A cold air duct formed in the rear wall of the refrigerator supplies cold air from the freezer compartment to the icemaking compartment. A return air duct directs a portion of the air from the icemaking compartment back to the freezer compartment. An air vent in the icemaking compartment directs another portion of air into the fresh food compartment. A control system provides for controlling refrigerator functions in a manner that promotes energy efficiency.
US09683763B2
A compressor includes: a heat exchanger configured to discharge heat generated during compression outside the compressor; a cooling liquid inlet port through which cooling liquid flowing from outside the compressor into the compressor passes; and a cooling liquid outlet port through which the cooling liquid flowing out of the compressor from inside the compressor passes. The compressor is configured such that an operation mode is switchable between a first mode in which the cooling liquid passing through the cooling liquid inlet port flows in the heat exchanger in a predetermined first direction and passes through the cooling liquid outlet port, and a second mode in which the cooling liquid passing through the cooling liquid inlet port flows in the heat exchanger in a second direction opposite to the first direction and passes through the cooling liquid outlet port.
US09683758B2
A coaxial economizer for use in a chiller system comprising an inner housing and an outer housing having a common longitudinal axis. The outer housing has an inlet for receiving a fluid from a upstream compressor stage of a multistage compressor and an outlet for conveying a fluid to a downstream compressor stage of a multistage compressor. A flow chamber forms a fluid flow path about the inner housing. A flash chamber is coterminous with the flow chamber and flashes fluid in a liquid state to a gas state. A flow passage between said flash chamber and the flow chamber for conveying a flashed gas from the flash chamber to the flow chamber; wherein the flashed gas conveyed from the flash chamber and the fluid received from the inlet of the outer housing mix along the fluid flow path toward the outlet of the outer housing.
US09683751B2
An outdoor unit for a multi-type air conditioner includes a compressor, a four-way valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an outdoor expansion valve, a liquid tank, an accumulator, a shutoff valve provided for the refrigerant pipe between a liquid refrigerant inlet/outlet port and the liquid tank in the outdoor unit, and a first bypass circuit provided in the refrigerant pipe for bypassing the shutoff valve through a capillary tube to connect a liquid refrigerant inlet/outlet port side to an upper side of the refrigerant pipe in a gravity direction. The outdoor unit further includes a second bypass circuit for connecting a bottom portion of the liquid tank to an inlet side of the accumulator via an electromagnetic valve.
US09683750B2
Disclosed herein is a mounting plate for an air conditioning unit. The mounting plate comprises a first side for attachment to a wall, a second side on which the air conditioning unit is mountable, and a housing on the first side that is positionable within a cavity in the wall, the housing being adapted to house piping for attachment to the air conditioning unit.
US09683746B2
A combustion apparatus is provided. The combustion apparatus includes a fuel reservoir storing fuel therein, and a main body connected to the fuel reservoir by a flexible tube. The main body receives fuel from the fuel reservoir and combusts the fuel therein. The main body is partitioned into an upper space and a lower space by a partition plate. The main body includes a combustor that is provided in the upper space and combusts fuel supplied from the fuel reservoir, a blower that is provided in the lower space to supply air to the combustor, and a heating unit that is removably coupled to the combustor and completely combusts air incompletely combusted in the combustor. The combustion apparatus completely combusts liquefied animal and vegetable oil, thus reducing a tar generation rate.
US09683745B2
A wood stove that includes a hollow cylindrical outer skin with an coaxially aligned, insulated inner fire box. Located below the fire box is a fresh air inlet and an air control valve that controls the flow of fresh air into the stove's primary and secondary chambers. Surrounding the fire box are three longitudinally aligned air conduits that extend from the air inlet to an upper ledge located below a secondary combustion chamber. During use, the fresh air inside the air conduits is heated. Disposed transversely inside the outer jacket and above the primary chamber is a combustor assembly that includes a lower fin plate, a perforated intermediate plate and a perforated upper plate. During use, fuel is added to the fire box which undergoes initial combustion and produces hot gases and fumes that travel upward towards the chamber assembly. The air control valve controls flow of fresh air into the primary chamber only, both chambers, or into only the secondary chamber.
US09683740B2
The present technology describes various embodiments of systems and methods for handling emissions. More specifically, some embodiments are directed to systems and methods for collecting heated particulate from a coal processing system. In one embodiment, a method of handling emissions from a coal processing system includes inletting the emissions into a duct. The emissions include heated particulate. The method further includes slowing a speed of the emissions traveling through the duct and disengaging the heated particulate from the emissions without the use of a physical barrier. In some embodiments, the heated particulate is slowed, cooled, and diverted from an emissions pathway into a collection bin.
US09683728B2
A flashlight system comprising a housing assembly including a lower member having a longitudinal axis and an upper assembly coupled to the lower member. A light source having an optical axis substantially perpendicular to lower member longitudinal axis is mounted in the upper assembly. Control buttons are coupled to the upper assembly and positioned and spaced in proximity to one another. The lower member includes at least one side plate that is removable. The flashlight system includes a plurality of interchangeable removable side plates providing various features to enhance the overall functionality of the flashlight.
US09683727B2
A landscape light incorporating two or more lasers or LEDs of different colors (e.g., red, green, white, blue) in the same housing, each laser or LED preferably having a separate lens. The apparatus projects any of a variety of colors including red, green, white, blue, or other colors, or combinations of any colors, as well as providing an optional flash/pulse setting for the lights. The apparatus preferably includes an RF remote which enables the user to control the apparatus from anywhere in and around the house, and may also include a built-in timer which runs the lights for selected periods such as 2, 4, 6, or 8 hours.
US09683724B2
A lighting device includes a housing including a front opening portion and a rear opening portion; a light source unit including LED light sources and a heat sink configured to absorb and radiate heat produced by the LED light source; a socket formed by an elastic member and configured to allow the heat sink to be fitted and supported in the rear opening portion such that part of the heat sink is exposed rearward through the rear opening portion and that aiming adjustment is enabled by changing a position of the light source unit relative to the housing. A knob used for manually turning an adjustment screw is attached to a rear end portion of the adjustment screw, and the socket is provided with a rib extending along a circumferential direction of the socket and protruding rearward of the heat sink.
US09683722B2
A stage light fixture is provided with a light source adapted to emit a light beam; with a main body where the light source is arranged; and with a head articulated with respect to the main body and configured to selectively deflect the light beam coming out from the main body.
US09683716B2
LED-integrated lens comprising a light-entering section (1) in the shape of a hole, a light-emitting section (2) in the shape of a cup, incorporating an optical lens (3) positioned between said light-entering and light-emitting sections (1, 2) wherein the external surfaces of the light-entering (1) and of the light-emitting (2) sections include portions having densely-distributed convex facets. This lens enhances light utilization efficiency, avoids creating spots with color aberration hence greatly improves color rendering.
US09683710B2
A variety of illumination devices for general illumination utilizing solid state light sources (e.g., light-emitting diodes) are disclosed. In general, an illumination device can include multiple light sources that are disposed on a substrate, where at least some of the light sources include a light-emitting diode (LED) and a corresponding inelastic scattering element surrounding, at least in part, the LED. The inelastic scattering elements can have different light emission spectra. The illumination device can further include a light-mixing element adapted to receive light that is output by the light sources, where, during operation of the illumination device, each inelastic scattering element inelastically scatters light emitted from its corresponding LED, and the light-mixing element mixes the light received from the inelastic scattering elements to provide the output light.
US09683700B2
The present invention provides a Type 3 pressure vessel comprising a polar boss that is attached to a metallic liner and provides reinforced static strength, fatigue strength, endurance, chemical resistance and/or corrosion resistance of the liner orifice or neck region. In particular, the material of the polar boss has higher static strength, fatigue strength, endurance, chemical resistance and/or corrosion resistance relative to that of the liner material.
US09683695B2
An electric fence monitoring system includes an electric fence monitor and an electric fence monitor mounting bracket. The electric fence monitor is operable to provide an audible and/or visual indicator of an operating condition (i.e., fault or no-fault) of an electric fence and electric fence box. The electric fence monitor is operable to remain continuously connected between the electric fence and earth ground during normal operation of the fence. The mounting bracket affixes to a standard safety post or T-post and supports the electric fence monitor. The mounting bracket connects the electric fence monitor to earth ground via the T-post. The mounting bracket slips over a top of the T-post at a first angle relative to the T-post and locks onto the T-post at a second angle relative to the T-post.
US09683692B2
An apparatus for repairing a junction between a main sewer pipe and a lateral sewer pipe comprises a tubular portion having opposite first and second ends. A collar extends outwardly from one of the first and second ends of the tubular portion. The tubular portion and the collar are formed of a curable, waterproof putty, such as an epoxy or silicate putty. The putty may also be a resin, such as a thermoset or other curable resin. The apparatus is positioned at the pipe juncture to prevent the migration of water through a damaged section of the pipe.
US09683688B2
A threadless pipe coupling (x00) comprises a socket (x01), a plug (x02) configured for being inserted into the socket (x01) in an insertion direction (10), a sealing member (x03) arranged between a circumferential outer surface (x04) of the plug (x02) and a cooperating inner surface (x05) of a circumferential side wall (x06) of the socket (x01), so as to provide a fluid tight seal when the plug (x02) is placed in the socket (x01), wherein the plug (x02) is retained in the socket (x01) by means of a locking member (x07) inserted in a transverse direction through a slot (x08) in the circumferential side wall (x06) of the socket (x01) to engage around the plug (x02) at a location behind the sealing member (x03) as seen in the insertion direction (10). The ends (x28, x29) of the locking member (x07) in the mounted position are located between the outer surface (x04) of the plug (x02) and the circumferential side wall (x06) of the socket (x01) as seen in a radial direction.
US09683684B1
A tubular connection, method for connecting tubulars, and a coupler for connecting together tubulars, of which the tubular connection includes an inner body including a bore, external threads, a tapered torque nose, and a radially-facing sealing surface. The connection also includes an outer body including a bore in communication with the bore of the inner body, internal threads configured to engage the external threads of the inner body, a tapered torque-stop surface that engages the tapered torque nose, and a radially-facing sealing surface that forms a seal with the radially-facing sealing surface of the inner body. The external threads, the internal threads, or both include at least one kick-out feature including at least one rounded or chamfered corner thereof.
US09683683B2
The invention relates to a connection system having a first connection part which defines a first passage and to a second connection part to be connected to the first connection part which defines a second passage which is orientated with the first passage in the connected state of the connection parts, wherein the first connection part has a blunt cone section through which the first passage extends and the second connection part has a reception section having a frustoconical reception space for receiving the blunt cone section into which the second passage opens.
US09683682B2
A system and method is provided for joining pipes where a keyhole is formed in each of the pipe ends and then a filler metal is placed in the keyholes to join the pipes to each other. The filler metal can be deposited using a laser hot wire process.
US09683669B2
An unclamp delay valve for delaying release of hydraulic pressure in a hydraulic holding device. The unclamp delay valve may have a check valve allowing fluid to flow between an inlet port and an outlet port when held open by a piston translatable within a piston chamber. The check valve blocks fluid from flowing between the outlet port and the inlet port when released due to hydraulic fluid filling the piston chamber and translating the piston away from the check valve. To reopen the check valve, hydraulic pressure is released via the inlet port and slowly drains from a small orifice fluidly coupling the piston chamber and the inlet port, causing the piston to return to again open the check valve. A delay is thus created by the time it takes for the piston chamber to drain, thus opening the check valve to release hydraulic pressure therethrough.
US09683665B2
A first valve chamber, which receives a valve assembly of a tank closing solenoid valve, and a second valve chamber, which receives a valve assembly of a pressure responsive valve, are formed between a first flow passage and a second flow passage of a first housing by fitting a second peripheral wall of a second housing into a radially inner side of a first peripheral wall of the first housing. Thereby, it is not required to heat-weld and bond between a connecting end surface of the first housing and a connecting end surface of the second housing.
US09683659B2
When an alternator load torque Talt is larger than a threshold α, a lockup clutch is released. Thus, a deceleration G can be restrained from becoming too large due to the alternator load torque Talt. Besides, the threshold α is changed in accordance with a speed ratio γ of a continuously variable transmission. Thus, the deceleration G can be favorably controlled within a predetermined range. For example, in a vehicle state where a deceleration is unlikely to be achieved due to the smallness of the speed ratio γ, the threshold α is large. Therefore, the lockup clutch is unlikely to be released, and the deceleration G is likely to be secured.
US09683656B2
A transmission for a vehicle includes a plurality of clutches that are individually selectively engaged to establish particular power flow paths. The amount of torque flowing through any clutch can be estimated while the clutch is being engaged, being disengaged, or being held locked. The estimated magnitude of clutch torque aids in proper control of the transmission, including how and when to shift between gears. A method and system for determining the uncertainty of estimated clutch torque is provided. Based on the magnitude of uncertainty of estimated clutch torque, the shift schedule can alter to specifically avoid actions that would increase the uncertainty, or the time between shifting gears can increase to reduce the effects of the uncertainty.
US09683652B2
A rotorcraft includes a body, a rotor blade, and a power train coupled to the body and operable to rotate the rotor blade. The power train includes an engine, a gearbox in mechanical communication with the engine, and a driveshaft in mechanical communication with the gearbox. The rotorcraft also includes a sensor operable to detect a rotorcraft parameter, and a lubrication flow calculation unit operable to receive the rotorcraft parameter, generate the flow rate based on the rotorcraft parameter, and transmit the flow rate to a lubrication system configured to deliver lubricant to the gearbox at the transmitted flow rate.
US09683651B2
A lubrication system for a transmission includes a first tubular portion, a second tubular portion, and a hollow cylindrical member. The first tubular portion has a cavity and includes a flange at one end adjacent to a gear shaft of the transmission. The first tubular portion has a first enlarged-diameter part extending in an axial direction from a joint at which the first tubular portion is joined to the second tubular portion. The second tubular portion has a second enlarged-diameter part that extends in the axial direction from the joint and has a diameter substantially equal to a diameter of the first enlarged-diameter part. The hollow cylindrical member is disposed in the first and second tubular portions and tightly fitted in the first and second enlarged-diameter parts of the first and second tubular portions joined to each other.
US09683641B2
An apparatus for driving links is provided and includes a base onto which an actuator is installed and a plurality of connection links connected to the base via a plurality of hinge pins, and the respective end of which is connected via the hinge pin to form a series of a driving lines. A plurality of capstans are disposed on the plurality of hinge pins, respectively and a wire allows the respective capstan to be rotated when the actuator drives by sequentially connecting the actuator and the respective capstans. A plurality of clutches are disposed on the plurality of hinge pins, respectively, and allow the connection links and the capstans to be rotated together, or allow the capstans to be rotated by connecting or disconnecting the ends of the connection links and the capstans, respectively.
US09683636B2
A Ravigneaux planetary gear device includes a long pinion gear and a short pinion gear. A tooth of each of the long pinion gear and the short pinion gear has an end surface with curvature from an inner circumference side toward an outer circumference side of each of the long pinion gear and the short pinion gear and toward a center in a tooth width direction.
US09683633B2
A multi-stage transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft, an output shaft, first, second, third and fourth planetary gear devices disposed between the input shaft and the output shaft to transmit rotary force, each of the first, second, third and fourth planetary gear devices having three rotary elements, and at least six shifting elements connected to the rotary elements of the first, second, third and fourth planetary gear devices.
US09683621B2
An active vibration absorber is provided for damping vibrations of a cantilevered portion of a support structure. The vibration absorber comprises a mass, a drive and a control device. The mass is coupled without using a spring and through the drive to a fastening means for fastening the drive to the support structure, so that upon a movement of the mass relative to the fastening means an inertial force caused by this movement is directly transmitted through the drive to the fastening means. The control device comprising a motion sensor is adapted to control the drive in function of a signal from the motion sensor. The active vibration absorber is designed to damp especially low-frequency vibrating structures including more than one mass-spring element so that the vibration amplitude thereof is significantly reduced.
US09683615B2
The present invention in one or more embodiments provides an input clutch assembly which includes a cylinder housing, a cross-section thereof including along an axial direction first and second spaced apart cylinder-portions, and an input sleeve, a cross-section thereof including along the axial direction first and second sleeve-portions defining there-between a first sleeve-channel with a pair of edges spaced apart along the axial direction, the first sleeve-portion defining thereupon a recess, where at a first engagement position the recess is at least partially exposed while the pair of edges both contact the first cylinder-portion.
US09683603B2
In a method, in which a plain bearing alloy layer is bonded to a surface of a backing steel sheet, and, a Bi-based overlay layer is then deposited on the plain bearing alloy layer by electroplating, replacement of Bi with the backing steel sheet and deposition of Bi on the backing steel sheet are prevented. Prior to the step of electroplating of the Bi-based overlay layer, the following metals and the like are formed on at least the back surface of the backing steel sheet. An electrochemically more noble metal than Bi, an electrochemically more base metal than Bi and capable of forming a passivation state, or resin.
US09683599B2
A tapered roller bearing includes an inner ring, an outer ring, a plurality of tapered rollers provided between the inner ring and the outer ring, and an annular cage. The cage has a small-diameter annular portion on a first side in an axial direction, a large-diameter annular portion on a second side in an axial direction, and a plurality of cage bar portions. The cage has pockets that are spaces each formed between the large-diameter annular portion and the small-diameter annular portion and between the adjacent cage bar portions in a circumferential direction and in which the tapered rollers are held. The cage further has a roller retaining portion that inhibits the tapered rollers housed in the pockets from falling outward in a radial direction. A recessed portion is formed in the small-diameter annular portion to reduce rigidity of the small-diameter annular portion.
US09683597B2
A compression resistant component adapted to be mounted to a surface using a mechanical fastener having a component body with a first surface and a second surface and a fastener passage defined by the component body extending from the first surface to the second surface. At least one elongated compression limiter is embedded in the component body displaced from and substantially parallel to a main longitudinal axis of the fastener passage. The elongated compression limiter if formed of a material having a greater compressive modulus that the material of which the component body is formed. When a fastener exerts a compressive force on the mounting component, the elongated compression limiter bears a portion of the compressive force exerted by the fastener on the component body, thereby allowing the component body to resist the effects of the compressive force.
US09683593B1
A step bolt connector and bolt assembly creates steps on a structure for accommodating a worker's boot. A first threaded bore is formed in a cylindrical end of a step bolt connector and this first threaded bore is threaded onto an exposed bolt on a structure. A sight hole extends from the exterior of the connector to the inward end of the first threaded bore for visually checking to see if the bolt is adequately attached in the first bore. A recess is formed in the cylindrical end and the recess is dimensioned to fit over fastening nut on the exposed bolt on the structure. When the first threaded bore is screwed onto the exposed bolts on the structure, the recess at least partially surrounds shields and protects the fastening nut on the exposed end of the bolt. A second threaded bore is formed in a second end (a truncated conical end) of the connector, and a step bolt is secured in the second threaded bore. The step bolt is dimensioned so that the step bolt when fastened to the connector forms a step on the structure having a length greater than the width of the workers boot. In this manner, a convenient step is formed on the structure for use in climbing the structure to perform repairs, maintenance or modifications.
US09683591B2
A fastener is formed monolithically, or as a one-piece structure, for example 100% plastic. The fastener includes a body having first and second portions on respective sides of a positioning wall or stop means. A first portion includes a plurality of compressible retention surfaces separated from adjacent retention surfaces by a corresponding conical structure and a cylindrical surface on the body. A second portion includes a plurality of resiliently flexible tongues spaced apart from each other. The tongues may be positioned on opposite sides of the body from each other, and/or at different axial positions along the body.
US09683590B2
A strut fitting for a strut includes a fitting body having opposite ends and a length extending between the opposite ends. First and second opposite faces extend along the length of the body. Opposite sides are disposed between the first and second faces and extend along the length of the body. The first face and at least portions of the opposite sides adjacent the first face define a first cross-sectional shape of the fitting body that is generally dovetail-shaped. A catch is secured to and extends outward from the first face of the fitting body. The catch is resiliently deflectable relative to the fitting body.
US09683583B2
A metal bellows (110) for an accumulator (100) into which a hydraulic fluid is drawn in, has a bellows-shape in which ridge fold portions (110a) and valley fold portions (110b) are formed repeatedly with slope portions (110c) in between, wherein two of the slope portions (110c) that are adjacent to each other via a common ridge fold portion (110a) have: first slope portions (110c1) which extend from the common ridge fold portion (110a) and second slope portions (110c2) each of which extends from each of the first slope portions (110c1) such that a distance therebetween becomes much greater than the first slope portions (110c1) as the second slope portions (110c2) extend toward the adjacent valley fold portions (110b), wherein the first slope portion (110c1) and the second slope portion (110c2) are connected at an inflection point (P).
US09683582B2
An impeller for a ventilation unit, especially for use in plants for the aerobic treatment of organic waste, is provided. The impeller comprises a housing, a pair of mutually facing plates received within the housing and provided centrall with a through-hole for a cylindrical hub, and a plurality of first radial blades arranged between the plates. The impeller further comprises second radial blades arranged on at least one plate, on its side facing the inner wall of the housing and extending from the cylindrical hub toward the periphery for creating an under-pressure zone in the central region of the impeller itself, at its hub. Thanks to this measure, condensate water deriving from the humidity of the air sucked/blown by the ventilation unit is prevented from leaking along the rotation shaft of the impeller, towards its motor and towards the outside environment.
US09683579B2
A circulator includes a main body forming an air passage, an impeller, and a motor. The main body is cylindrical, in which a discharge port is formed at one end thereof, a suction port is formed at the other end thereof, and the air passage extending from the suction port to the discharge port is formed in the inside thereof. An orifice is provided annularly along an inner periphery of the air passage to locally narrow the air passage. An impeller is disposed in a part of the air passage having been narrowed by the orifice. A motor is connected to the impeller to rotate the impeller so that the air having been sucked from the suction port is blown from the discharge port.
US09683567B2
A drive rotation shaft is rotatably supported by a first slide bearing between a rotor part and a pump rotor, and is rotatably supported by a second slide bearing on its distal end side of a pump rotor fixing part of the drive rotation shaft. Working oil is supplied to the first slide bearing and the second slide bearing. According to this configuration, since the distal end side of the drive rotation part is rotatably supported by the second slide bearing, inclination of the drive rotation shaft is restricted by an inner peripheral surface of the second slide bearing, thereby suppressing occurrence of noise.
US09683558B2
A device to harvest energy from lightning is disclosed. The electrical energy of the lightning may be used to heat a fluid, which may then be used to drive a turbine to produce electricity. The electricity provided by the turbine is in a form suitable to either be used or stored. The lightning strikes an antenna and is conducted through an insulated chamber where it heats the fluid.
US09683555B2
A wind power installation includes a helicopter hoisting platform configured to be arranged on top of a nacelle of a wind driven power plant. The nacelle and the helicopter platform are configured such that a bottom surface of the helicopter hoisting platform is below a top surface of the nacelle.
US09683547B2
Provided is a wind turbine for generating electric energy using wind power, and more specifically, a wind turbine having a nacelle fence for improving aerodynamic performance by mounting a fence structure on the nacelle of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The wind turbine having a nacelle fence decreases the vortex that is generated at the downstream ends of rotating blades so as to improve the aerodynamic performance of the blades, and increases the power coefficient of the wind turbine.
US09683543B2
The present invention is directed to a wave activated power generation system that converts the vertical movement of one or more power generation buoys resulting from interaction with waves into energy producing gyrations via a rack and pinion mechanism. The square-shaped power generation buoys are manufactured from fiber-reinforced plastic material.
US09683540B2
A pumped-storage power plant, such as an electric unit can include a frequency converter and a rotating electric synchronous machine, the machine being provided in a cavern. The frequency converter can include at least two elements which can be used as inverters or as rectifiers according to the operating mode of the machine, for example during the operation of the motor or during the operation of the generator. The machine-side element can be provided within the cavern, and the network-side element can be provided outside of the cavern.
US09683531B2
An ROV includes a body frame, a plurality of seats, a cargo bed, and an air cleaner. The plurality of seats are supported by the body frame, and aligned in a width direction of the ROV. The cargo bed is disposed rearward relative to the seats, and supported by the body frame. The cargo bed includes a placement surface on which cargo is to be placed. The air cleaner is disposed rearward relative to the seats, and at least partially disposed above the placement surface. The air cleaner includes an air cleaner case, a filter element detachably disposed inside the air cleaner case, a lid detachably attached to the air cleaner case to cover a first opening. The filter element has a substantially tubular shape. The lid is disposed along an extension line of an axis of the filter element.
US09683529B2
A method for manufacturing an intake manifold is provided that is capable of suppressing deterioration in the dimensional accuracy by correcting warping and deformation caused during molding. When an intake manifold that is made of plastic and has a surge tank and intake pipes extending from the surge tank is manufactured, distal members, which form the distal ends of the intake pipes, are positioned on a jig. In this state, the distal members and the main bodies of the intake pipes are fixed to each other by vibration-welding.
US09683520B2
A turbocharger includes a turbine, a compressor, and a bearing housing forming a bearing bore. A bearing arrangement is disposed between a shaft interconnecting the turbine and compressor wheels, and the bearing housing. The bearing arrangement includes first and second bearings formed between an outer bearing race element disposed within the bearing bore an inner bearing race element disposed within the outer bearing race element and between the outer bearing race element and the shaft. The inner bearing race element rotates with the shaft and forms an extension segment having an open channel that, together with an annular surface on an inner side of a back of the compressor wheel, forms a U-shaped channel into which a ring seal is disposed. The ring seal sealably engages the inner bearing race element and also slidably and sealably engages the inner bore of the bearing retainer.
US09683518B2
A system for supplying fuel to an engine of a ship. The system includes a high pressure pump pressurizing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) and supplying the pressurized LNG to the engine, a hydraulic motor driving the high pressure pump and a chamber carrying the high pressure pump and the hydraulic motor. The chamber is substantially free of electric sparks.
US09683517B2
Disclosed herein are an apparatus and a method for supplying a fuel to an engine of a ship. The apparatus for supplying a fuel to an engine of a ship includes: a high pressure pump pressurizing a liquefied natural gas (LNG) and supplying the pressurized LNG to the engine; a hydraulic motor driving the high pressure pump; and a lubricating pump supplying lubricating oil to the high pressure pump.
US09683511B2
An engine system and method for adjusting pressure of fuel supplied to an engine responsive to compressibility of fuel supplied to the engine is disclosed. In one example, the engine is operated with a fuel pump in an off state to determine compressibility of fuel supplied to the engine. Fuel pressure supplied to the engine is adjusted responsive to the fuel compressibility.
US09683510B2
A fuel control system according to the principles of the present disclosure includes a parameter determination module, a parameter learning module, and an injector driver module. The parameter determination module determines a parameter of a fuel injector in an engine at an operating condition of the engine. The parameter learning module identifies index values in a table based on the engine operating condition and adjusts learned values of the fuel injector parameter corresponding to the index values based on the determined value of the fuel injector parameter. The injector driver module selectively applies power to the fuel injector based on the learned values.
US09683508B2
A system comprising an air actuator configured to control air delivered to an engine; a fuel actuator configured to control fuel delivered to an engine; and a controller configured to: actuate the air actuator in response to a first torque signal; and actuate the fuel actuator in response to a second torque signal.
US09683507B2
A system includes an internal combustion ignition engine with an exhaust gas flow, a particulate filter in the exhaust gas flow, a NOx reduction catalyst in the exhaust gas flow downstream of the particulate filter, a first oxygen sensor coupled to the exhaust gas flow downstream of the NOx reduction catalyst, and a second oxygen sensor coupled to the exhaust gas flow between the particulate filter and the NOx reduction catalyst. A controller includes an exhaust conditions module that interprets a first oxygen signal from the first oxygen sensor and a second oxygen signal from the second oxygen sensor and a combustion control module that commands a high engine-out air-fuel ratio when the first oxygen signal indicates a low oxygen content and commands a low engine-out air-fuel ratio when the first oxygen signal indicates a high oxygen content.
US09683490B2
A fan containment system includes an annular casing element and a hook projecting in a generally radially inward direction from the annular casing element. A fan track liner is connected to the hook via a fastener. The fan track liner has a forward end proximal to the hook and a rearward end distal to the hook. A pivot member protrudes radially inward from the annular casing element and is arranged and positioned between the forward and rearward end of the fan track liner such that a forward portion of the fan track liner is pivotable about the pivot member, so that upon release of a fan blade the forward portion of the fan track liner pivots about the pivot member into a voidal region provided between the annular casing element and the forward portion of the fan track liner to encourage engagement of the hook with a released fan blade.
US09683488B2
A gas turbine engine includes a compressor assembly that is rotationally coupled to a shaft, the compressor assembly having a centrifugal impeller and a shroud covering a bladed portion of the centrifugal impeller. The compressor assembly includes a diffuser that is attached to the shroud via a pair of flanges, the diffuser including a strut that is mounted through an aft-extending leg to a base of an intercase. A sealing assembly is attached to the diffuser and is attachable to a transition duct that is positioned to receive air from the diffuser. The sealing assembly is configured to prevent air from passing through the sealing assembly while allowing relative motion to occur between the transition duct and the diffuser.
US09683482B2
A turbocharger includes a turbine with a turbine wheel, a compressor with a compressor wheel and a shaft mounted in a bearing unit. The turbine wheel and the compressor wheel are disposed on the shaft. The turbine wheel is disposed in a turbine housing. The compressor wheel is disposed in a compressor housing. The turbocharger is integrated into an aperture or recess of the cylinder head of an engine and the turbine housing is formed integrally in the cylinder head.
US09683476B2
An exhaust gas purification device comprises a catalyst disposed to the exhaust-gas flow path, and an inhibiting member that is disposed downstream of the catalyst in the exhaust-gas flow path, and diminishes a bias in flow-rate distribution of exhaust gases that flow into the catalyst by inhibiting a partial flow of the exhaust gases that flowed out of the catalyst, wherein the inhibiting member comprises a concave part comprising a concave shape facing the catalyst, and inhibits, by the concave part, a partial flow of the exhaust gases that flowed out of the catalyst.
US09683475B1
To elongate an exhaust tail pipe wherein a muffler is covered by a rear cowl. An exhaust structure of a vehicle including a rear cowl covering a vehicle rear portion, a rear bank-muffler including a first and second expansion chamber partitioned by a partition, a first and second connecting pipe connecting the expansion chambers, and a tail pipe configured to discharge exhaust air from the rear bank-muffler. The rear bank-muffler is covered by the rear cowl, wherein outlines of the rear bank-muffler and the rear cowl are each formed such that the width decreases toward the vehicle rear. The tail pipe, the first connecting pipe, and the second connecting pipe are provided so as to penetrate the partition. A position where the tail pipe penetrates the partition and positions where the first connecting pipe and second connecting pipe penetrate the partition are offset from each other in the vertical direction.
US09683474B2
Apparatus and methods are disclosed to improved block channel geometries and arrangements of thermal oxidizers. One described example apparatus includes a block of a converter having a plurality of channels defining interior walls, which define a cellular pattern in a cross-sectional view of the block. The pattern comprises regular sub-patterns consisting of at least one central channel, which is proximate an interior of the block, and a plurality of surrounding channels.
US09683472B2
An injector for injecting a reagent includes an axially translatable valve member positioned within a housing. An electromagnet is positioned within the housing and includes a cylindrically-shaped coil of wire. The valve member moves between a seated position and an unseated position in response to energizing the electromagnet. A flux sleeve passes through the coil and includes two magnetic portions interconnected by a flux bridge portion or a flux break portion. Each of the magnetic portions is aligned with transverse planes defined by the ends of the cylindrical coil. The flux bridge portion or flux break portion is axially positioned between the transverse planes.
US09683470B2
An exhaust gas control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, controls an exhaust operation of the internal combustion engine (200) provided with an exhaust gas purification catalyst (216) in an exhaust passage (215). The exhaust gas control apparatus for the internal combustion engine is provided with; a warming-up device configured to warm up the exhaust gas purification catalyst; and an oxygen supplying device (220, 221) configured to supply oxygen to the exhaust gas purification catalyst after the end of the warm-up. This makes it possible to preferably desorb sulfur adsorbed to the exhaust gas purification catalyst during warm-up. It is therefore possible to suppress a reduction in purification ability of the exhaust gas purification catalyst due to sulfur coating.
US09683468B2
Various methods for operating a camshaft are provided. In one example, a method of operating a camshaft comprises: adjusting the camshaft based on a desired camshaft position, the desired camshaft position determined based on a camshaft position indicated by a camshaft sensor and a camshaft position indicated by a camshaft actuator.
US09683466B2
A valve for an internal combustion engine may include a ferrous body having a neck. At least one area of the neck may include a surface layer with a thickness of up to 300 μm. The valve may also be provided with at least 17% solubilized metallic chromium, which may be obtained by an application of a surface melting treatment.
US09683461B2
A device for positioning the rotor of a gas turbine by linearly actuating a piston rod that actuates on its end a ratched wheel that moves the rotor of the gas turbine. The device includes an eccentric wheel and a synchronous motor. The piston rod is moved through the eccentric wheel, which is connected to the synchronous motor. The device also includes an incremental counter controlling the angular position of the synchronous motor. The device can permit accurate positioning of the rotor for boroscopic inspection.
US09683456B2
In a heat shield for an exhaust gas turbocharger, by means of which at least a first area of the exhaust gas turbocharger is to be shielded against a second area in a heat insulating manner wherein the heat shield comprises at least one fastening structure by which the heat shield is attached to one of the housing parts of the exhaust gas turbocharger, the fastening structure is in the form of locking elements for interlocking the heat shield with the respective housing part. The invention also resides in an arrangement of a heat shield between two housing parts of an exhaust gas turbocharger in such a way that it is firmly attached to one housing part without contacting the other housing part.
US09683452B2
A turbine for a gas turbine engine comprising at least one turbine stator and one turbine rotor, said turbine stator comprising at least one inner annular platform, said inner platform comprising a radial wall delimiting at least one cavity between the turbine stator and the turbine rotor, wherein the turbine rotor comprises at least one elongate element positioned substantially axially and defining a sealing baffle in said cavity, and in that the turbine stator comprises at least one element made of abradable material designed to engage with said elongate element of the turbine rotor so as to form a labyrinth seal.
US09683450B2
A steam turbine inlet assembly and method of constructing the same are disclosed. In an embodiment, an annular ring is provided, along with a body affixed to a distal face of the annular ring and extending distally therefrom. The body portion has a curved entrance geometry at the proximal end adjacent the annular ring, and transitions to a substantially polygonal exit geometry at a distal end.
US09683427B2
The disclosure provides an apparatus for use in a wellbore that includes a first device that provides a first pressure differential based on a first constituent of a fluid and a second pressure differential based on a second constituent of the fluid and a second device that utilizes the first and second pressure differentials to operate a third device that performs an operation in the wellbore.
US09683425B2
A downhole injection tool has an injection unit with a first expandable cup adapted to provide a first seal against the inside wall, and a second expandable cup adapted to provide a second seal against the inside wall. The two cups, in an expanded state, together define an isolated zone of the annular space. At least one pipe element extends in a longitudinal direction between the two cups, the pipe element providing a fluid passage between an inlet arranged in one end of the pipe element and an outlet arranged in the pipe element in between the cups, the second expandable cup being slidably connected with the pipe element and displaced in the longitudinal direction away from the first expandable cup under the influence of the injection fluid injected into the isolated zone, whereby a distance d between the two cups is increased. The injection unit also has a retainer sleeve slidably arranged around the expandable cups to prevent unintentional expansion of the expandable cups during insertion of the downhole injection tool. The retainer sleeve is slidable in the longitudinal direction, and the expandable cups are released by movement of the retainer sleeve in the longitudinal direction.
US09683417B2
The invention provides an apparatus (10) for removing magnetic particles (53) from a liquid flowing from an oil or gas operation and method of use. The apparatus (10) comprises a plurality of magnet assemblies (20), each having a first condition in which an operable part is active to attract magnetic particles (53) to the magnet assembly (20), and a second condition in which the operable part is inactive and magnetic particles (53) are not attracted to the magnet assembly (20). A drive mechanism (13) moves the magnet assemblies (20) between exposure to a flow path of from a liquid (40) flowing from an oil or gas operation and a collection location (54). An activation means (36) moves the magnet assemblies (20) between the first condition and the second condition.
US09683413B1
A drilling riser joint includes at least one multiplexer line arranged in a longitudinal direction along a main line of the drilling riser joint, each end of the multiplexer line extending through a respective flange of the drilling riser joint and arranged for coupling to an opposing mux line of a second drilling riser joint. When the riser joints are coupled together, a single multiplexer line is formed along the drilling riser.
US09683411B1
Disclosed are riser assemblies for connecting a topside structure and a subsea production facility. The assembly includes an upper riser having an upper end terminating at the topside structure, a flow diverting structure having an upper interface configured to connect to the upper riser and a lower interface configured to connect to at least two lower risers such that the upper riser is in communication with the at least two lower risers. Methods of deployment of the riser assemblies are also disclosed. The method includes connecting an upper riser to the topside structure, and connecting a first lower riser to a lower bore of the flow diverting structure such that the upper riser, the flow diverting structure and the first lower riser are connected, and the upper riser is in fluid communication with the first lower riser. Additional lower risers can be installed at a later time if desired.
US09683405B2
A door component, a door, and a method for manufacturing the same. The door may be an external domestic door. The door component includes a thermally insulating material sandwiched by a first layer and a second layer. The component has at least one strengthening bar sandwiched by the first and second layers. The first and second layers are cross-laminated plywood. The strengthening bar(s) are advantageously cross-laminated. Related doors and methods of manufacture are disclosed.
US09683402B2
A self-locking glazing system includes a female profile having a first locking extension and a first leg extending therefrom, the first leg having a first tip. The system includes a male profile having a second locking extension and a second leg extending therefrom, the second leg having a second tip that is approximately opposite the first tip, and a thermal break material positioned between the female and male profiles. When a panel is positioned between the first and second tips, the female profile and the male profile are caused to engage against the thermal break material.
US09683397B2
A pivot fitting having a stop lever, a ratchet lever, a blocking device and at least one toothed ring. The stop lever and the ratchet lever can be pivoted in relation to one another in an adjustment direction and in a reset direction. The stop lever and the toothed ring are coupled to one another such that pivoting of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the adjustment direction is accompanied by pivoting and/or rotation of the toothed ring in relation to the blocking device. The blocking device has at least two catches, that, in an adjustment position of the pivot fitting, the pivoting action of the stop lever and ratchet lever in the reset direction is countered by form-fitting engagement of at least one catch in the toothed ring.
US09683393B2
A system includes an electronic device having a housing with an opening formed therein, a processor positioned within the housing, a motor positioned within the housing and coupled to the processor, and a latch positioned within the housing adjacent the opening. The latch is driven by the motor to move relative to the housing. The system also includes a security member securable to an immovable object. The security member includes a lock head that is insertable into the opening in the housing. The lock head has a recess into which the latch extends to secure the security member to the electronic device. The motor is operable to move the latch out of the recess in the lock head to release the security member from the electronic device.
US09683392B1
An intelligent door lock system includes a position sensing device configured to be coupled to a drive shaft of a lock device. The position sensing device senses position of the drive shaft to assist in locking and unlocking a lock of a lock device. A processor is coupled to a wireless communication module that utilizes audio and RF communication to communicate. Audio is used to communicate a security key to the wireless communication device and the RF increases a wireless communication range to and from the wireless communication device. A circuit is coupled to the engine and to an energy source. A device converts energy into mechanical energy and is coupled to the circuit, positioning sensing device and the drive shaft. The device that converts energy is coupled to the energy source to receive energy from the energy source.
US09683387B2
A canopy shelter link point for increased structural integrity particularly when subject to bending forces about the link point. The canopy shelter link point can include an increased overlap distance between two cross members, reduced spacing between adjacent cross members, and/or extension features located about an end of the cross members to reduce the misalignment angle between two cross members. Such features can be provided using spacers, inserts to be inserted into a cross member and/or sleeves to be placed around the cross member. A reduction in the misalignment angle can reduce the amount of bending forces about the link point.
US09683383B2
A pool cleaning robot, that may include a filter; a first impeller; a driving unit arranged to move the pool cleaning robot; an external housing that comprises a first inlet and a first outlet; a first pump motor arranged to rotate the first impeller; wherein when the first pump motor rotates the first impeller rotates along a first rotational direction causes fluid to be drawn through the first inlet and causes a first portion of the fluid to be filtered by the filter to provide filtered fluid that exits through the first outlet of the housing; wherein when the first pump motor rotates the first impeller rotates along a second rotational direction that is opposite to the first rotational direction, thereby performing a backwash operation of the filter.
US09683382B2
A variable depth swimming pool/spa can comprise a movable deck and a bottom. The movable deck can be movable relative to the bottom of a variable depth swimming pool/spa to provide for a variable depth of the portion of pool/spa that is accessible to a pool/spa user. The movable deck can be connected to the bottom of the variable depth swimming pool/spa via one or several legs. The one or several legs can be rotatingly connected to the movable deck and can be slidingly connected to the bottom of the swimming pool/spa. The rotational displacement of the legs can result in the vertical displacement of the movable deck. The legs can be connected to synchronizing arms that can interact with a synchronizing drive to coordinate the movement of a first leg with a second leg.
US09683378B2
A bracket is provided for use in installing door hardware on a support surface. The bracket comprises a rigid member having a longitudinal axis, a front surface, a substantially planar rear surface for engaging the support surface, and a peripheral edge extending between and joining the front and rear surfaces. A spirit bubble level is disposed on the rigid member such that the rigid member can be oriented relative to a horizontal line or a vertical line, the level having the bubble centered only when the level is horizontal or vertical. At least a portion of the peripheral edge of the rigid member provides a mounting surface for the door hardware when the rigid member is secured to the support surface.
US09683372B2
A stair system according to one illustrative embodiment comprises: a support body mountable in a wall and comprising a connecting region; a stair body; and a mounting apparatus. The mounting apparatus comprises: a connector connectable to the connecting region of the support body in any one of a plurality of different positions in the connecting region of the support body; and a holder configured to hold the stair body such that when the connector is connected to the connecting region of the support body, the stair body is spaced apart from the support body to permit a wall panel between the stair body and the support body. Wall assemblies comprising such stair systems are also disclosed.
US09683370B2
A covering employing a fascia gutter is disclosed. The fascia gutter includes a front member, bottom member, a rear member, a ledge, a guiding groove, a protrusion and a receiving space. The bottom member connects the front member to the rear member. The receiving space is defined by the front member, the bottom member, and the rear member. The ledge is connected to the rear member. An opening is defined by the ledge and the protrusion.
US09683366B2
The soundproof room (41a) has an interior space (43a) defined by soundproof walls (44a, 45a, 46a, 47a). The soundproof room (41a) includes a sound absorber (11a) whose sound absorbing face absorbs sound in the room and is exposed in the room. The sound absorber (11a) has a varying depth dimension from a front face (19a), serving as the sound absorbing face, toward the depth direction. The sound absorber (11a) is formed by stacking a plurality of layer members from the front face (19a), serving as the sound absorbing face, in the depth direction.
US09683361B2
The present invention includes prefabricated assemblies which are assembled on a construction site to provide a permanent concrete mold with integrated structural reinforcement and structural splices for cast-in-place concrete structures. The invention enhances the quality of the cast concrete structure while lowering the cost of construction and construction time. Described herein is a column form assembly, a column closure panel assembly, a beam form assembly, and a slab form assembly which are used to construct cast in place structurally reinforced concrete columns, beams, and floor slabs with minimal form work and construction site logistics. Also described herein are a method of assembly of said structures and a method of fabricating said assemblies.
US09683358B1
A toilet ventilation device including a toilet seat and a plurality of slots disposed on an interior surface of the toilet seat. A battery-powered light emitting diode is disposed on the interior surface of a rear portion of the toilet seat. A toilet seat attachment is configured to have a shape substantially equal to a shape of the toilet seat. A plurality of attachment pins is disposed on an internal surface of the toilet seat attachment. One of the plurality of attachment pins is configured to removably engage one of the plurality of slots. A plurality of ventilation holes is disposed along the toilet seat attachment. The plurality of ventilation holes is in fluid communication with an air outlet line in fluid communication with an air pump. An exhaust tube is in fluid communication with the air pump, and a pressure activation control is attached to the air pump.
US09683357B2
An undermount sink mounting system includes a support member adapted to engage a frame onto which a countertop is mounted. The support member upwardly supports a sink engagement lever, which is adapted to engage a sink in such a way that said sink engagement lever presses the sink upwardly toward the countertop when the sink is mounted. A height adjustment member is adapted to move the sink engagement lever upwardly to engage the sink and adjust how forcefully said sink engagement lever presses against the sink.
US09683355B2
An air admittance valve which when subjected to a negative pressure condition vents a pipe system to an ambient environment. Generally, the air admittance valve includes a housing, a cartridge, and a sealing member. The housing includes one or more vents disposed in its wall and may be engaged with the pipe system at one end. The cartridge may have one or more inlets defining one or more inlet openings, where the one or more inlets are connected to a central chamber that has an opening with a sealing structure. The sealing member interacts with the sealing structure of the cartridge to allow one-way airflow from the central chamber to the pipe system. The cartridge and sealing member may be inserted into the housing such that the one or more inlet openings substantially align with the one or more vents in the housing.
US09683352B2
A method of performing a cleaning cycle for a water supply system having a valve. The method includes determining whether the cleaning cycle is necessary in a central controller located remotely from the water supply system; and when cleaning is necessary, sending a signal from the central controller to a local controller located within the water supply system to activate a heating element within the water supply system to heat an internal waterway of the water supply system to a temperature configured to clean the internal waterway.
US09683350B1
Examples of a protection valve and a system of protection valves are provided to meet the water needs of a building, while reducing the risk of pipe bursting caused by water freezing in a domestic water system. In response to freezing temperatures, the protection valve/system actuates from run mode to protection mode. In protection mode, the protection valve/system inhibits water from flowing into the domestic water system and also drains water from it. Advantageously, draining the water reduces the likelihood of ice forming in the domestic water system. Even if ice did form, the protection valve/system opens the domestic water system to a drain, reducing the likelihood that water pressure can build up high enough to cause a rupture. Even if there is a rupture, the protection valve/system in protection mode inhibits water from flowing into the domestic water system and out through the rupture.
US09683336B2
An asphalt plant adapted to use RAP to produce asphalt. The preferred asphalt plant comprises a bin that is adapted to store the RAP, a heat source that is adapted to supply heat, a dryer that is adapted to dry the RAP, a mixer that is adapted the mix the RAP and a means for conveying the RAP from the bin to the dryer. The preferred asphalt plant uses substantially only the RAP to produce asphalt. A method for producing asphalt from RAP comprising providing an asphalt plant adapted to use the RAP to produce asphalt. The preferred method further comprises conveying the RAP from the bin to the dryer, drying the RAP, and mixing the RAP.
US09683334B2
Disclosed are free-flowing particles. These free-flowing particles include: (a) a rubber particle, and (b) a coating deposited over at least a portion of the rubber particle, wherein the coating includes: (1) a polyurethane-urea resin that is a reaction product of a reaction mixture comprising: (i) a polyol having a number average molecular weight of 1800 to 12,000; (ii) an aromatic diamine; (iii) a polyisocyanate; and (iv) a catalyst for the reaction between hydroxyl groups and isocyanate groups; and (2) a solid particle anti-clumping agent. Also disclosed are methods of making and using such free-flowing particles and synthetic turf structures that include an infill of such free-flowing particles.
US09683326B2
A prepreg is formed by impregnating sizing agent-coated carbon fibers coated with a sizing agent with a thermosetting resin composition. The sizing agent contains an aliphatic epoxy compound (A) and an aromatic compound (B) at least containing an aromatic epoxy compound (B1). The sizing agent-coated carbon fibers has an (a)/(b) ratio of 0.50 to 0.90 where (a) is a height (cps) of a component at a binding energy (284.6 eV) assigned to CHx, C—C, and C═C and (b) is a height (cps) of a component at a binding energy (286.1 eV) assigned to C—O in a C1s core spectrum of a surface of the sizing agent applied onto the carbon fibers analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy using AlKα1,2 as an X-ray source at a photoelectron takeoff angle of 15°.
US09683322B2
Printer driver systems and methods for automatic generation of embroidery designs are disclosed. An example method to convert image data to embroidery data, includes converting image data representing an image to first vector data, converting the first vector data into component data structures that specify regions within the image, converting a first one of the component data structures into a fill shape including second vector data, converting a second one of the component data structures into a stroke shape including third vector data, and generating embroidery data structures using the fill shape and the stroke shape.
US09683300B2
A bipolar alkaline water electrolysis unit incorporated in an electrolytic cell for electrolyzing an electrolytic solution of alkaline water to obtain oxygen and hydrogen, the bipolar alkaline water electrolysis unit including an oxygen generating anode, a hydrogen generating cathode, a conductive partition wall that separates the anode and the cathode from each other, and an outer frame that surrounds the conductive partition wall, wherein a gas and electrolytic solution passage is provided at an upper portion of the conductive partition wall and/or the outer frame, and an electrolytic solution passage is provided at a lower part of the conductive partition wall and/or the outer frame.
US09683299B2
Internally reinforced structural composites, suitable uses for such composites, and associated methods of manufacturing are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method of making a reinforced structural component includes forming a precursor having a crystal structure with a plurality of lattice layers and exfoliating the precursor. As a result, a distance between adjacent pairs of the plurality of lattice layers is expanded. The method also includes wrapping the exfoliated precursor with a surface support material around at least a portion of a circumference of the individual lattice layers in the exfoliated precursor.
US09683285B2
This disclosure provides systems, methods, and apparatus related to blocking macroparticles in deposition processes utilizing plasmas. In one aspect, an apparatus includes a cathode, a substrate holder, a first magnet, a second magnet, and a structure. The cathode is configured to generate a plasma. The substrate holder is configured to hold a substrate. The first magnet is disposed proximate a first side of the cathode. The second magnet is disposed proximate a second side of the substrate holder. A magnetic field exists between the first magnet and the second magnet and a flow of the plasma substantially follows the magnetic field. The structure is disposed between the second side of the cathode and the first side of the substrate holder and is positioned proximate a region where the magnetic field between the first magnet and the second magnet is weak.
US09683282B2
Powder injection apparatus, plasma gun, and method of use. Powder injection apparatus includes a shroud attachable to an outlet nozzle of a thermal spray apparatus and a substantially smooth and continuous inner wall defining a bowl through which a plume of the thermal spray apparatus travels. At least one port in the inner wall is structured and arranged to receive a powder injection nozzle that injects powder into the plume.
US09683279B2
An alloy is composed essentially of, in terms of weight percent: 6 to 8.5 Cr, 5.5 to 13.5 Mo, 0.4 to 7.5 W, 1 to 2 Ti, 0.7 to 0.85 Mn, 0.05 to 0.3 Al, 0.08 to 0.5 C, 0 to 1 Nb, with the balance Ni, the alloy being characterized by, at 850° C., a yield strength of at least 25 Ksi, a tensile strength of at least 30 Ksi, a creep rupture life at 12 Ksi of at least 45 hours, and a corrosion rate, expressed in weight loss [g/(cm2 sec)]10−11 during a 1000 hour immersion in liquid FLiNaK at 850° C., in the range of 6 to 39.
US09683275B2
A steel plate with a low yield ratio and high toughness. The steel plate comprises components of, by weight: C (0.05-0.08%), Si (0.15-0.30%), Mn (1.55-1.85%), P (less than or equal to 0.015%), S (less than or equal to 0.005%), Al (0.015-0.04%), Nb (0.015-0.025%), Ti (0.01-0.02%), Cr (0.20-0.40%), Mo (0.18-0.30%), N (less than or equal to 0.006%), O (less than or equal to 0.004%), Ca (0.0015-0.0050%), and Ni (less than or equal to 0.40%), a ratio of Ca to S being greater than or equal to 1.5, and the residual being Fe and inevitable impurities.
US09683274B2
An apparatus includes rails for supporting sides of a circumferential peripheral edge of a carrier. A movable ram engages a rearward portion of the carrier. A movable restrainer restrains movement of the ram. A wheel engages a forward portion of the carrier. A controller is operable to control the movable restrainer to restrain movement of the ram with the carrier and at least one metal object disposed adjacent an induction heating device, the wheel to rotate the carrier and the metal object, the induction heating device to induction heat the rotating metal object, and the movable restrainer to disengage the ram so that the wheel pivots away to allow passage of the carrier and the heated metal object into a quench bath. A plurality of metal objects may be arranged in a circular array in the carrier about a diameter generally equal to the diameter of an induction coil.
US09683264B2
Provided is a novel method for the early detection and/or discrimination of cancer and anti-cancer agents for the prevention or early treatment of cancer. In particular, the method relates to the determination of levels of circulating miRNAs in breast cancer patients, both primary and metastatic. Furthermore, kits, devices, pharmaceutical compositions as well as methods related thereto are described.
US09683259B2
The present invention relates to the detection of a target nucleic acid sequence by a PTO Cleavage and Extension-Dependent Signaling Oligonucleotide Cleavage assay (PCE-SC assay). The present invention is carried out in such a manner that the extended strand is produced on the CTO having arbitrary sequences as templates depending on the presence of target nucleic acid sequences and in turn the SO as probes is hybridized with the extended strand to give signal. The present invention employs a series of reactions including PTO hybridization and cleavage, CTO hybridization and extension, and SO hybridization and cleavage, which is responsible for the highly enhanced specificity of the present invention.
US09683257B2
Methods of cleaving double-stranded DNA that can be recognized and cleaved by a rationally-designed, I-CreI-derived meganuclease are provided. Also provided are recombinant nucleic acids, cells, and organisms containing such recombinant nucleic acids, as well as cells and organisms produced using such meganucleases. Also provided are methods of conducting a custom-designed, I-CreI-derived meganuclease business.
US09683253B2
The present invention provides a method to analyze or identify a cell. The method comprises: providing a cell, stimulating the cell with a stimulant thereby modifying a cell membrane impedance of the cell, monitoring the cell membrane impedance of the cell and identifying the cell based on the monitored cell membrane impedance. A corresponding device is also provided.
US09683250B2
Methods of processing paper feedstocks are provided, as well as intermediates and products made using such methods. Certain types of paper feedstocks, in particular highly pigmented papers, and/or highly loaded papers such as paper that has been color printed, e.g., magazines, and high basis weight coated papers, e.g., magazine stock, are utilized to produce useful intermediates and products, such as energy, fuels, foods or materials.
US09683248B2
Nucleic acid sequences encoding chimeric polypeptides that exhibit enhanced cellulase activities are disclosed herein. These nucleic acids may be expressed in hosts such as fungi, which in turn may be cultured to produce chimeric polypeptides. Also disclosed are chimeric polypeptides and their use in the degradation of cellulosic materials.
US09683231B2
The invention is directed to a method of characterizing a mechanism of action of an agent (e.g., a chemotherapeutic agent, a genotoxic agent). The method comprises contacting a plurality of populations of cells with an agent to be assessed, wherein each population of cells have one gene of interest targeted by a small hairpin RNA (shRNA) and wherein said gene of interest regulates cell death and a plurality of genes that regulate cell death are targeted in the plurality of populations of cells. A responsiveness of each population of cells to the agent is determined, thereby obtaining an shRNA signature of the agent, so as to identify one or more genes that mediate a response to the agent, thereby characterizing the mechanism of action of the agent. The invention is also directed an article of manufacture for characterizing a mechanism of action of a chemotherapeutic or genotoxic agent.
US09683223B2
The present invention provides a β-agarase, a composition containing the same and applications thereof. The present β-agarase provides the field a novel alternative and is favorable for the industrial utilities of the hydrolysis products of agarose. Furthermore, the hydrolysis product of agarose by the present β-agarase has high purity of neoagarotetraose therefore the present β-agarase is especially useful for the neoagarotetraose's utilities in the field.
US09683215B2
The present invention provides methods of reprogramming cells, for example, directly reprogramming a somatic cell of a first cell type into a somatic cell of a second cell type, are described herein. In particular, the present invention generally relates to methods for reprogramming a cell of an endoderm origin to a cell having pancreatic β-cell characteristics. The present invention also relates to an isolated population comprising reprogrammed cells, compositions and their use in the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In particular, the present invention relates to reprogramming a cell of an endoderm origin to a cell having pancreatic β-cell characteristics by increasing the protein expression of at least one transcription factor selected from Pdx1, Ngn3 or MafA in the cell of endoderm origin to reprogram the cell of an endoderm cell to a cell which exhibits at least one or at least two characteristics of an endogenous pancreatic β-cell.
US09683211B2
Provided is a method of culturing green algae which promotes the growth of the green algae which is in a state of being a green swarm cell by irradiating the green algae that accumulate astaxanthin with an artificial light. The green algae are grown in a liquid medium while maintaining a state in which the color of a culture solution of the green algae is green or brown by intermittently radiating a red illumination light while continuously radiating a blue illumination light.
US09683190B2
The present invention is a lubricating oil for compression-type refrigerators using a difluoromethane (R32) refrigerant. The lubricating oil for compression-type refrigerators contains a first polyvinyl ether compound that is a polymer having a structural unit of a specific structure and has a carbon/oxygen molar ratio of from 3.0 to less than 4.0.
US09683187B2
A method for the torrefaction of biomass comprises receiving biomass having a given moisture content. The biomass is heated in a generally inert environment by indirect contact. The biomass is subsequently torrefied by exposing the biomass to a flow of combustion gases in the generally inert environment. The biomass is outlet with a reduced moisture content.
US09683184B2
A gasification system includes a gasifier configured to gasify a feedstock and an oxidant to generate a producer gas, a steam generator configured to supply steam to the gasifier, and a combustion system configured to supply an exhaust gas to the steam generator to produce the steam. The system also includes an exhaust gas injection system located upstream of the gasifier and fluidly coupled to the gasifier. The exhaust gas injection system is configured to supply a portion of the exhaust gas from the combustion system to the gasifier.
US09683176B2
Process and plant for conversion of a feed hydrocarbon stream to liquid hydrocarbon products in a small scale GTL plant, comprising the use of a cryogenic air separation unit (ASU), optionally together with vacuum pressure swing adsorption (VPSA), an autothermal reformer (ATR) or catalytic partial oxidation (CPO), and pressure swing adsorption (PSA) unit to produce a synthesis gas for downstream Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis for production of liquid hydrocarbons.
US09683175B2
Systems and methods for removing fluid from a slurry fluid and a plurality of solid particles including flowing a slurry stream that includes the slurry through a slurry conduit, injecting a displacing fluid through a first perforated region that is in fluid communication with the slurry conduit, displacing at least a portion of the slurry fluid from the slurry, and producing a displaced fluid stream, which may include the displaced portion of the slurry fluid and/or a portion of the injected displacing fluid, from a second perforated region that is in fluid communication with the slurry conduit. The systems and methods also may include producing a product slurry stream from the slurry conduit, separating the components of the displaced fluid stream, separating the components of the product slurry stream, and/or recycling a portion of one or more of the streams.
US09683170B2
There is provided a liquid crystal composition which is suitably used in a liquid crystal display device without impairment of properties inherent in liquid crystal display devices. There is provided a liquid crystal display device in which such a liquid crystal composition is used. There is provided a liquid crystal composition having a negative dielectric anisotropy and containing a compound represented by Formula (I-1) and at least one compound represented by General Formula (II) and also provided a liquid crystal display device in which such a liquid crystal composition is used.
US09683163B2
Removing an asphaltene particle from a substrate includes contacting a silicate nanoparticle with a chemical group to form a functionalized silicate nanoparticle, the chemical group includes a first portion; and a second portion comprising an aromatic moiety or a nonaromatic moiety, the first portion being bonded to the silicate nanoparticle; contacting the asphaltene particle with the functionalized silicate nanoparticle, the asphaltene particle being disposed on the substrate; interposing the functionalized silicate nanoparticle between the asphaltene particle and the substrate; and separating the asphaltene particle from the substrate with the functionalized silicate nanoparticle to remove the asphaltene particle. A composition includes a functionalized silicate nanoparticle comprising a reaction product of a silicate nanoparticle and a functionalization compound; and a fluid. The functionalization compound includes a chemical group that includes a first portion, the first portion being directly bonded to the silicate nanoparticle in the functionalized silicate nanoparticle; and a second portion including an aromatic moiety or a nonaromatic moiety.
US09683160B1
The present invention relates to the petroleum drilling field and discloses a reservoir protecting agent composition comprising a structured nanometer film reservoir protecting agent and a water block preventing agent, a drilling fluid containing the same and use thereof for drilling in low-permeability reservoirs. The reservoir protecting agent composition comprises a structured nanometer film reservoir protecting agent and a water block preventing agent, wherein the structured nanometer film reservoir protecting agent comprises montmorillonite laminas, structural units represented by formula (1) and structural units represented by formula (2), wherein each of R1, R2, R3, R4 and R5 is independently selected from H, C1-C4 alkyl and C1-C4 alkoxy, R6 is C1-C6 alkylene. The present invention further provides a drilling fluid that contains the reservoir protecting agent composition according to the present invention. The drilling fluid that contains the reservoir protecting agent composition according to the present invention exhibits favorable rheology property, temperature-tolerant property, anti-collapse performance and reservoir protection property when used for drilling in low-permeability reservoirs.
US09683157B2
A heat transfer method using ternary compositions containing 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 1,1-difluoroethane and difluoromethane, said compositions being especially interesting as a heat transfer fluid in compression refrigeration systems comprising exchangers operation in counterflow mode or in split flow mode with counterflow tendency. The use of a ternary composition of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene, 1,1-difluoroethane and difluoromethane as heat transfer fluid in compression-type refrigeration systems with exchangers operating in countercurrent mode or in crossed-current mode with countercurrent tendency.
US09683148B2
An adhesive containing a block copolymer having at least one structure represented by formula: -[A1]-[B/A2]-, where [A1] represents a polymer block composed of a structural unit derived from a methacrylic acid ester (A1), [B/A2] represents a copolymer block composed of a structural unit derived from an acrylic acid ester (B) and a structural unit derived from a methacrylic acid ester (A2), and the copolymer block [B/A2] has a gradient copolymer block section in which a copolymerization ratio of the methacrylic acid ester (A2) continuously increases from a section connected to the polymer block [A1]. The block copolymer has a total content of the structural units derived from the methacrylic acid ester (A1) and the methacrylic acid ester (A2) of 5% to 60% by mass, a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 30,000 to 300,000, and a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) of 1.0 to 1.5.
US09683141B2
Provided are an adhesive composition which has high holding strength and leaves no residual glue by using a polyolefinic polymer, and an adhesive tape using the same. A polyolefin which satisfies the following conditions (a-1), (b1), and (b2):(a-1) the relationship between the limiting viscosity and the stereoregularity is represented by the formula (i): −20×η+56≦mmmm≦−20×η+64 (wherein η represents the limiting viscosity measured in tetralin at 135° C., and mmmm represents the meso pentad fraction (mol %)); (b1) the meso pentad fraction (mmmm) is from 20 to 60 mol %; and (b2) the limiting viscosity [η] measured in tetralin at 135° C. is from 0.01 to 2.0 dL/g.
US09683138B2
A pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet includes a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer and a base including a metal layer and a resin layer, and a product of an initial elastic modulus of the base and a total thickness of the base is 3000 N/mm or less, and a separation distance is 2 mm or less, the separation distance is measured with a peel test with a constant load as follows: a test piece of the pressure-sensitive adhesive sheet having a 10 mm width and a 100 mm length is attached to a surface of a stainless steel test plate and then, the test plate is left standing at a temperature of 23° C. for twenty four hours and then, a load of 100 gf is applied to one end of a length dimension of the test piece vertical to the surface of the test plate and a separation distance of the test piece is measured after one hour.
US09683135B2
A building material comprising a substrate layer and a pressure-sensitive adhesive layer, where the pressure-sensitive adhesive layer includes expandable graphite.
US09683130B2
Provided is composition for a liquid coating. The composition may include a silanol terminated copolymer, at least one cross-linker, and a catalyst. The silanol terminated copolymer may include from about 10 to about 25 mol % of a diphenylsiloxane repeat unit and greater than about 50 mol % of a dialkylsiloxane repeat unit. The at least one cross-linker may be one or more selected from: tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), a trialkoxysilane terminated polydialkylsiloxane and/or one or more of a trialkoxysilyl terminated polymer.
US09683127B2
The invention relates to a process for the preparation of water-emulsifiable isocyanates and to their use.
US09683114B2
A monomer for a hardmask composition, a hardmask composition, and a method of forming patterns, the monomer being represented by the following Chemical Formula 1:
US09683112B2
The present invention provides a thick-film paste for printing the front side of a solar cell device having one or more insulating layers and a method for doing so. The thick-film paste comprises a source of an electrically conductive metal and a lead-tungsten-based oxide dispersed in an organic medium. The invention also provides a semiconductor device comprising an electrode formed from the thick-film paste.
US09683100B2
Tie layers comprised of amorphous polyetherketoneketone are used to join substrates to form laminates and other assemblies.
US09683064B2
A method of making a resin, includes forming an aqueous monomer droplet suspension, and colloidally stabilizing the suspension with a solid particulate material as the first stabilizer and poly(2-ethyl-2-oxazoline) as a second stabilizer. The method further includes heating the colloidally stabilized suspension to polymerize the monomer droplets, thereby forming the resin.
US09683062B2
The present disclosure relates to a process for the preparation of a porous propylene carried out in the presence of a catalyst system comprising (a) a Ziegler-Natta catalyst containing at least two electron donor compounds, one of which is present in an amount from 50 to 90% by mol with respect to the total amount of donors and selected from succinates, and the other being selected from 1,3 diethers, (b) an aluminum alkyl and comprising the following steps: i) contacting the catalyst components (a) and (b) for a period of time ranging from 1 to 60 minutes, at a temperature ranging from 35 to 55° C.; optionally, ii) pre-polymerizing with one or more olefins of formula CH2═CHR, where R is H or a C1-C10 hydrocarbon group, up to forming amounts of polymer from about 0.1 up to about 1000 g per gram of solid catalyst component (a); and iii) polymerizing propylene in the optional presence of minor amounts of ethylene and/or C4-C10 alpha olefins for producing the porous propylene (co)polymer.
US09683058B2
The invention provides an ethylene-based polymer comprising the following properties: a) a melt index (I2)≧2.0 dg/min; b) a Mw(abs) versus I2 relationship: Mw(abs)
US09683055B2
A RAFT agent is provided that includes a thiocarbonylthio-containing organic compound having a phosphonic end group. The RAFT agent can have the formula: wherein Z is an organic linkage; R1 is H or an alkyl group; R2 is H or an alkyl group; A is O, S, or NH; and R″ is an organic end group. A method is also provided for forming a polymer chain on a surface of a nanoparticle. The method can include: attaching a RAFT agent to the surface of the nanoparticle such that the phosphonic group of the RAFT agent is covalently bonded to the surface of the nanoparticle; and attaching a polymer to the RAFT agent.
US09683054B2
The disclosure provides a method for generation of humanized full length antibodies in mammalian cells. A library of humanized variants is provided with high, validated human framework diversity without requiring back-mutations to retain original affinity. Synthetic CDR encoding fragment libraries derived from a template antibody are ligated to human framework region encoding fragments from a human framework pool limited only to germline sequences from a functionally expressed anti-bodies. The vector comprises a nucleic acid sequence encoding HC framework region 4. No CDR grafting or phage display is required.
US09683046B2
Human antibodies immunospecific for human CD27 are capable of blocking CD27 binding to its ligand CD70 and neutralizing bioactivity of CD27 including, but not limited to, CD27 intracellular signaling, T-cell proliferation and activation, B-cell proliferation and differentiation, plasmablast formation and alleviation of antibody responses, stimulation of tumor cells by CD70, and the production of soluble mediators from T and B-cells. The antibodies are useful in diagnosing or treating CD27 activity associated diseases and conditions.
US09683034B2
The present invention relates to particularly stable and soluble scFv antibodies and Fab fragments specific for TNFα, which comprise specific light chain and heavy chain sequences that are optimized for stability, solubility, in vitro and in vivo binding of TNFα, and low immunogenicity. Said antibodies are designed for the diagnosis and/or treatment of TNFα-related disorders. The nucleic acids, vectors and host cells for expression of the recombinant antibodies of the invention, methods for isolating them and the use of said antibodies in medicine are also disclosed.
US09683027B2
The present invention provides a method of producing a recombinant antibody efficiently and at low cost. Disclosed is a method of producing an antibody or a fragment thereof, comprising allowing a cell to produce the antibody or the fragment, wherein the cell contains a larger number of copies of an exogenous DNA encoding the light chain or a fragment thereof of the antibody than the number of copies contained in the cell of an exogenous DNA encoding the heavy chain or a fragment thereof of the antibody. The present invention also provides a recombinant vector comprising one copy of a DNA encoding the heavy chain or a fragment thereof of an antibody and two or more copies of a DNA encoding the light chain or a fragment thereof of the antibody; and a transformant.
US09683025B2
The invention provides a peptide construct comprising a cell penetrating peptide and an inhibitory peptide that interferes with the interaction between E1A and CtBP. The invention also provides related pharmaceutical composition comprising such a peptide construct. Also provided is a conjugate comprising such a peptide construct and a carrier molecule. The invention also provides related pharmaceutical compositions. Also provided are related methods of inhibiting cell proliferation in an individual and methods of treating cancer in by such pharmaceutical compositions. The present application also provides methods of treating an inflammatory disease and inhibiting inflammation in an individual comprising administering to the individual an effective amount of a therapeutic agent comprising an inhibitory peptide that interferes with the interaction between E1A and CtBP.
US09683022B2
An isolated human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) membrane protein complex that comprises gH, gL and at least one more HCMV glycoprotein is provided. In some embodiments the complex consists of gH, gL and gO. In other embodiments the complex consists of gH, gL, pUL128, pUL130 and pUL131A. Processes for expressing and purifying such complexes, and subsequent uses of such complexes in immunogenic compositions and vaccines, are also provided.
US09683017B2
Disclosed are methods of treating and/or inhibiting a viral infection in a subject. The methods include administering a therapeutically effective amount of heparin-binding peptide. Also disclosed herein are methods for blocking viral binding to a cell. Further disclosed are anti-viral compositions for administration to a subject infected with a virus. Administration of the anti-viral composition inhibits viral infection of the subject.
US09683016B2
PSF 1-derived peptides and pharmaceutical compositions of the peptides are described for immunotherapy of cancer patients. The peptides and pharmaceutical compositions containing these peptides induce a CTL response for treating or preventing cancer.
US09682993B2
In one aspect, the invention relates to compounds having anticancer activity; synthetic methods for making the compounds; pharmaceutical compositions comprising the compounds; and methods of treating disorders associated with uncontrolled cellular proliferation using the compounds and compositions. This abstract is intended to be used as a scanning tool for purposes of searching in the particular art and is not intended to be limiting of the present invention.
US09682989B2
The disclosure is related to anti-viral compounds, compositions containing such compounds, and therapeutic methods that include the administration of such compounds, as well as to processes and intermediates useful for preparing such compounds.
US09682986B2
The present invention provides a new process for obtaining optically active pirlindole enantiomers, in the form of a free base or in the form of pharmaceutically acceptable salts.The products obtained according to the present invention are enantiomerically pure and are useful in medicine.
US09682975B2
The invention relates to a method of preparing inhibitors of glucosylceramide synthase (GCS) useful for the treatment metabolic diseases, such as lysosomal storage diseases, either alone or in combination with enzyme replacement therapy, and for the treatment of cancer.
US09682966B2
The invention provides novel ligands of Kappa (κ) opioid receptors, such as can be used to modulate a Kappa opioid receptor. Methods of synthesis and methods of use are also provided. Compounds of the invention can be used therapeutically in the treatment of dissociative disorders or pain, or to provide neuroprotection, or to induce diuresis, or to modulate the immune system, or for treatment of one or more of an affective disorders comprising depression or stress/anxiety; an addictive disorder; alcoholism, epilepsy; a cognition deficiency; schizophrenia; Alzheimer's disease; or pain.
US09682960B2
Compounds having the structure or their salts: are used to treat or reduce the likelihood of acquiring androgen-dependent diseases, such as prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, polycystic ovarian syndrome, acne, hirsutism, seborrhea, androgenic alopecia, male baldness, muscle atrophy and weakness, sarcopenia, male hypogonadism, erectile dysfunction, female sexual dysfunction and osteoporosis. They can be formulated together with pharmaceutically acceptable diluent or carrier or otherwise made into any pharmaceutical dosage form. Combinations with other active pharmaceutical agents are also disclosed.
US09682957B2
This invention relates to a compound of formula I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Such compounds possess both muscarinic receptor antagonist and β2 adrenergic receptor agonist activities. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, processes and intermediates for preparing such compounds, and methods of using such compounds as bronchodilating agents to treat pulmonary disorders.
US09682951B2
A resist composition which generates acid upon exposure and exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid, and which includes a base component which exhibits changed solubility in a developing solution under action of acid and an acid-generator component including a compound (B0-1) represented by general formula (b0) shown below in which Ra1 represents an aromatic ring; Ra01 represents an alkyl group of 5 or more carbon atoms optionally having a substituent; Ra02 and Ra03 each independently represents an alkyl group of 1 to 10 carbon atoms optionally having a substituent; n1 represents an integer of 1 to 5; n2 represents an integer of 0 to 2; n3 represents an integer of 0 to 4; and X− represents a counteranion.
US09682948B2
In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to 7,8-dihydoxyflavone and 7,8-substituted flavone derivatives, such as those described by formula provided herein, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods related thereto. In certain embodiments, the disclosure relates to methods of treating or preventing diseases or conditions related to BDNF and TrkB activity, such as psychiatric disorders, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and autism spectrum disorders, stroke, Rett syndrome, Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease by administering effective amounts of pharmaceutical compositions comprising compounds disclosed herein to a subject in need thereof. In certain embodiments, it is contemplated that the 7,8-substituted flavone derivatives disclosed herein are prodrugs of 7,8-dihydoxyflavone and analogs.
US09682938B2
The disclosed subject matter provides pyrazolone derivative compounds, pharmaceutical compositions comprising such compounds, kits comprising such compounds, and methods of using such compounds or pharmaceutical compositions. In particular, the disclosed subject matter provides methods of using such compounds or pharmaceutical compositions for treating heart failure.
US09682933B2
Compounds having a structure of Structure I: or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, tautomer or stereoisomer thereof, wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R6, Y1 and Y2 are as defined herein, and wherein at least one of R3 or R4 is a straight-chain C1-C6 haloalkyl, are provided. Uses of such compounds for treatment of various indications, including prostate cancer, as well as methods of treatment involving such compounds are also provided.
US09682922B2
The present invention relates to a cationic lipid having one or more biodegradable groups located in the mid- or distal section of a lipidic moiety (e.g., a hydrophobic chain) of the cationic lipid. These cationic lipids may be incorporated into a lipid particle for delivering an active agent, such as a nucleic acid. The invention also relates to lipid particles comprising a neutral lipid, a lipid capable of reducing aggregation, a cationic lipid of the present invention, and optionally, a sterol. The lipid particle may further include a therapeutic agent such as a nucleic acid.
US09682919B2
Compounds that stimulate fibroblast growth factor production, and thus cell growth are provided. Also provided are compositions comprising the compounds and methods of using the compounds. The compounds can be used to treat wounds, to expand cell populations, such as hematopoietic cells, or to grow tissue in vitro, among other uses.
US09682918B2
The invention discloses a novel intermediate for preparing tapentadol and analogs thereof, wherein the structural formula is shown as formula I or II, and the groups are defined as the specification. The invention further discloses a method for preparing the novel intermediate and use of the intermediate for preparing tapentadol and analogs thereof. The invention can remarkably improve the product yield and quality of tapentadol, reduce the production cost, and simplify the production procedure. The preparation process is environment friendly, thus more suitable for the requirements of industrial production.
US09682887B2
Methods of treating lime bucking in a plaster slurry are described. The method involves providing a slurry exhibiting lime bucking having a cone penetration of less than 10 mm at a consistency of 60 cc, comprising: water; calcium sulfate hemihydrate; and hydrated lime; and mixing an effective amount of a dispersant comprising a low intensity dispersant into the slurry so that the cone penetration increases and wherein the cone penetration is 10 mm or more at 10 minutes after addition of the dispersant at a consistency of 60 cc; and applying the plaster slurry containing the dispersant to a substrate. Veneer plaster dry component mixtures having reduced lime bucking when made into a slurry containing a low intensity dispersant, or hydrated lime coated with wax or a dibenzoate plasticizer are also described.
US09682877B2
An improved sulfurous acid dechlorination method of chlorinated waters to increase sulfites, prevent SO2 gassing off, and off-setting monovalent chlorides in the treated water for land application.
US09682876B2
A system and method for the treatment of wastewater. In one aspect, the invention can be a method of treating wastewater comprising: a) introducing wastewater having a first turbidity level into a wastewater treatment system; b) injecting an aqueous polymer mixture into the wastewater to flocculate suspended solids within the wastewater; c) removing the flocculated suspended solids from the wastewater to form a treated water having a second turbidity, the second turbidity being lower than the first turbidity; and wherein the aqueous polymer mixture of step b) is formed by introducing a raw polymer into a re-circulated portion of the treated water.
US09682874B2
A ballast water treatment system includes at least one UV-light reactor with at least one UV-lamp, an inlet line for ballast water to be treated connected to the reactor and an outlet line connected to the reactor. The system includes a cleaning system for periodic cleaning of the reactor, including a water inlet line connected to the reactor for supplying water, a container with concentrated CIP-liquid connected to the reactor, a CIP-liquid inlet line connecting the container to the reactor, a dosage pump arranged in the CIP-liquid inlet line for supplying a predetermined amount of concentrated CIP-liquid to the reactor to mix with the water, a circuit comprising the reactor and a pump arranged in the circuit for circulation of water mixed with the concentrated CIP-liquid.
US09682873B2
A UV lamp module having a frame and at least two lamp units, wherein each lamp unit includes a UV lamp extending in an axial direction, a jacket tube enclosing the UV lamp, electrical connections and a head section for fastening the lamp unit to the frame, wherein for each lamp unit, a fastening device is provided by which the lamp unit can be separably connected to the frame in the region of the head section.
US09682869B2
A particulate titanium dioxide has a median volume particle diameter of greater than 70 nm. The titanium dioxide can be produced by calcining precursor particles. The titanium dioxide has enhanced UVA efficacy. The particulate titanium dioxide can be used to form dispersions. The particulate titanium dioxide or dispersions can be used to produce sunscreen products having a UV protection which is at least one third of the label SPF value.
US09682868B2
The present invention includes a partially continuous countercurrent process for converting gypsum, by reaction with ammonium carbonate, to products of ammonium sulfate and calcium carbonate by introducing the reactants into reactors, mixing the reactants for a predetermined amount of time, employing a novel combination of countercurrent flows coupled with the reactors operated in a batch manner with process recycle of liquids, removing materials from the reactor and separating solids from solutions wherein no reactants are added during the removal process and thus the reactants have sufficient time to react and ensure the desired degree of reaction, yield and purity of product calcium carbonate and ammonium sulfate while minimizing the reaction time.
US09682864B2
A single crystal CVD synthetic diamond layer comprising a non-parallel dislocation array, wherein the non-parallel dislocation array comprises a plurality of dislocations forming an array of inter-crossing dislocations, as viewed in an X-ray topographic cross-sectional view or under luminescent conditions.
US09682859B2
A method is provided for extracting hydrogen from lithium hydride. The method includes (a) heating lithium hydride to form liquid-phase lithium hydride; (b) extracting hydrogen from the liquid-phase lithium hydride, leaving residual liquid-phase lithium metal; (c) hydriding the residual liquid-phase lithium metal to form refined lithium hydride; and repeating steps (a) and (b) on the refined lithium hydride.
US09682854B2
Packaged MEMS devices are described. One such device includes a substrate having an active surface with an integrated circuit. Two substrate pads are formed on the substrate; one pad is a closed ring pad. The device also includes a cap wafer with two wafer pads. One of these wafer pads is also a closed ring pad. A hermetic seal ring is formed by a first bonding between the two ring pads. The device has a gap between the substrate and the cap wafer. This gap may be filled with a pressurized gas. An electrical connection is formed by a second bonding between one substrate pad and one wafer pad. An electrical contact is disposed over the cap wafer. The device also includes an insulation layer between the electrical contact and the cap wafer. Methods of producing the packaged MEMS devices are also described.
US09682850B2
A method of filling containers with the help of a filler liquid stored in a pressure regulated vessel and delivered using at least one filler head comprises a filler tube and provided with a main shutter, the filler tube including internally a discharge cannula. After engaging the filler tube inside the container, the main shutter of the tube is opened and a vent is created for the container and for the cannula, communication between the cannula and the vessel being closed. Before the end of filling, the vent is closed and the cannula is put into communication with the vessel. At the end of filling, when the liquid reaches a determined level of the tube, the shutter of the tube is closed, and communication between the discharge cannula and the vessel is closed.
US09682847B2
A fastening device for connecting a step of an escalator or a pallet of a moving walkway with at least one traction means. The fastening device includes a shoulder element, a wedge type connector and a projection. The shoulder and projection are each oppositely located on the step/pallet and traction means to be joined. The shoulder is provided with an opening through which, in the mounted state of the fastening device, the projection extends. The wedge type connector is positioned at least partially between the shoulder and the projection to engage the with the projection to fix the step or pallet against the traction means in a pre-tensioned manner.
US09682844B2
A chain drive unit (4, 5, 6) for reducing chain vibrations comprising a chain wheel unit (43) with at least two sprockets (431, 432) that are arranged parallel on a common rotation axle, at least two parallel chains (51, 52) engaging these sprockets (431, 432). At least one damping element (6) connecting two adjoining chains (51, 52). The circumferential orientation of two adjoining sprockets (431, 432) differs by a partial pitch (pP) and the damping element (6) comprises a first fixation (61) on its one free end for the lateral fixation to the first chain (51), a second fixation (62) on its opposite free end for the lateral fixation to the second chain (52) and a force transmission unit (63, 8, 9) arranged between the first and the second fixation transmitting an applied force from the first fixation (61) to the second fixation (62) and vice versa.
US09682841B2
Disclosed is a sheet folding apparatus which performs a first folding and a second folding on one or a plurality of sheets including a first roller which is one of rollers that form a first nip which performs the first folding, a second roller which forms the first nip with the first roller, a third roller which forms a second nip with the second roller which performs the second folding, a roller drive unit which operates the first, second and third rollers, a first pushing member which pushes a sheet in the first nip, a first push drive unit which operates the first pushing member, a second pushing member which pushes the sheet in the second nip, a second push drive unit which operates the second pushing member, and a control unit which controls the roller driver unit, the first push drive unit and the second push drive unit.
US09682839B2
Even when descending of a sheet stacking unit is interrupted by an obstacle, sheet stacking operation is resumed in a range in which the sheet stacking unit is movable.
