US09728208B2
A method including depositing a plasmonic material at a temperature of at least 150° C.; and forming at least a peg of a near field transducer (NFT) from the deposited plasmonic material.
US09728201B2
A playback apparatus includes: an acquiring unit that acquires auditory language data including data to be played back as a spoken voice; an analyzing unit that analyzes the auditory language data to output an analysis result; a setting unit that sets at least a portion of the auditory language data to a control portion to be played back at a set playback speed, based on the analysis result; and a voice playback unit that plays back the control portion as a spoken voice at the set playback speed.
US09728187B2
An on-vehicle device can simultaneously connect smart phones provided with a sound recognition function through short-distance wireless communications. The on-vehicle device determines whether a specific keyword for starting the sound recognition function of the smart phones is included in an utterance sound of a user. When the keyword is included, the on-vehicle device selects the smart phone identified with the keyword, and transmits a sound signal of the utterance sound to the selected smart phone.
US09728179B2
A method of calibrating an earphone may include: securing an ANC earphone to a calibration fixture, the calibration fixture including an ear model configured to support the ANC earphone, the ear model having an ear canal configured to anatomically resemble a human ear canal and a concha configured to anatomically resemble a human ear concha, the ear canal extending from the concha to an inner end of the ear canal; generating, with the ANC earphone, an audio signal based on a reference tone; determining a characteristic of the audio signal; comparing the characteristic of the audio signal to a previously determined reference characteristic; and adjusting a gain value of the ANC earphone based on the comparing. Additional methods and apparatus are also disclosed.
US09728178B2
By using the adaptive filter, the reference input signal is processed so as to identify a pseudo-signal of a particular signal to be deleted. The pseudo-signal is subtracted from the mixture containing a target signal inputted from a microphone, the particular signal to be deleted, and a noise so as to obtain an error signal. A stationary noise is estimated to obtain a stationary noise estimated value. A non-stationary noise is estimated to obtain a non-stationary noise estimated value. The stationary noise estimated value is mixed with the non-stationary estimated value to obtain a mixed noise estimated value. An update amount is calculated according to a correlation value between the error signal and the reference input signal, and the mixed noise estimated value. According to the update amount, a coefficient of the adaptive filter is updated.
US09728170B2
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a mounting system for pivotal coupling to an instrument, the mounting system including a tuner, a ball element outwardly extending from the tuner, and a socket element having a wall defining a socket in communication with a wall opening; whereby the socket is configured to pivotally receive at least a portion of the ball element via the wall opening to pivotally couple the ball element to the socket element.
US09728161B2
A display device includes a signal processing unit that receives input signals, and calculates output signals to a first sub-pixel, a second sub-pixel, a third sub-pixel, and a fourth sub-pixel. The signal processing unit calculates a frequency of pixels belonging to each of a plurality of partitions using a light quantity of a surface light source. The signal processing unit calculates an index value for each of the partitions by at least multiplying the cumulative frequency being obtained by sequentially adding the frequency of pixels from a partition having the maximum light quantity among the partitions, and the number of partitions representing a position of a partition to which the cumulative frequency belongs counted from the partition having the maximum light quantity. The signal processing unit controls luminance of the surface light source based on a partition in which the index value exceeds a threshold.
US09728154B2
Disclosed is a display apparatus including: a display panel including a plurality of pixels each for displaying an image corresponding to a data signal; and a timing controller configured to receive an image signals and to convert the image signal into the data signal to be supplied to the display panel, wherein the timing controller is further configured to convert the image signal into an intermediate data signal and to generate the data signal, which corresponds to a k-th pixel, on a basis of intermediate data signals corresponding to a (k−1)-th pixel, the k-th pixel and a (k+1)-th pixel of the plurality of pixels, wherein the data signal corresponding to a first pixel of the plurality of pixels includes first and second color signals and the data signal corresponding to a second pixel of the plurality of pixels includes third and fourth color signals.
US09728151B2
A display panel driving and scanning system includes a timing controller to divide one frame period into first to third time periods. In the first time period, an image processing device calculates an overdriving signal for a current frame based on the current frame and a previous frame. In the second time period, the image processing device outputs the current frame, and a source driver charges the capacitors of the pixels in the liquid crystal display panel based on the current frame. In the third time period, the timing controller drives a backlight driving circuit to turn on a backlight source of the liquid crystal display panel for displaying the current frame.
US09728139B2
An organic light emitting display device includes: a plurality of pixels coupled to scan lines and data lines; a plurality of scan driving circuits configured to receive a circuit selection signal and a line control signal, and to output a scan signal to the scan lines, corresponding to the circuit selection signal and the line control signal; a plurality of data driving circuits respectively coupled to the data lines, the plurality of data driving circuits being configured to select at least one of a first pre-emphasis voltage, a second pre-emphasis voltage, a first data voltage or a second data voltage, and to output the selected voltage to a corresponding one of the data lines; and a first decoder configured to supply the first pre-emphasis voltage, corresponding to the circuit selection signal and the line control signal.
US09728132B2
The present invention provides an AMOLED pixel driving circuit and a pixel driving method. The AMOLED pixel driving circuit utilizes the 4T2C structure, comprising a first, a second, a third, a fourth thin film transistors (T1, T2, T3, T4), a first, a second capacitor (C1, C2) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED) with introducing a first, a second global signals (Vselx, Vsely) and a reference voltage (Vref); by providing the reference voltage (Vref) to the first node (a) via the third thin film transistor (T3), the data signal voltage (Vdata) can be simplified to diminish the complexity of the data signal voltage (Vdata). The process of writing the data signal voltage (Vdata) into the first thin film transistor T1, i.e. the driving the thin film transistor is separated from the reset stage (Reset) and the threshold voltage detection stage (Vth sensing) with the fourth thin film transistor (T4). Thus, the reset time and the compensation time can be increased to effectively compensate the threshold voltage changes of the drive thin film transistor and the display brightness of the AMOLED becomes more even to raise the display quality.
US09728131B2
The present invention provides an AMOLED pixel driving circuit and a pixel driving method. The AMOLED pixel driving circuit utilizes a 5T1C structure, comprising a first, a second, a third, a fourth and a fifth thin film transistors (T1, T2, T3, T4, T5), a capacitor (C) and an organic light emitting diode (OLED). The first thin film transistor (T1) is a drive thin film transistor; the first global signal (G1), the second global signal (G2) and the scan signal (Scan) are introduced to be combined with one another, and correspond to an initialization stage (1), a data writing stage (2), a threshold voltage compensation stage (3) and a drive stage (4) one after another, wherein the data writing stage (2) and the threshold voltage compensation stage (3) are simultaneously proceeded for effectively compensating the threshold voltage variations of the drive thin film transistor and the organic light emitting diode to make the display brightness of the AMOLED more even and to promote the display quality.
US09728128B2
A circuit is disclosed. The circuit includes a first transistor, to respond to a first scanning signal and to transmit a first voltage, a first capacitor, to store the first voltage, and an organic light emitting diode. The circuit also includes a second transistor, to provide a current to the organic light emitting diode, a third transistor, to respond to a second scanning signal and to transmit a first potential signal to the second transistor, and a fourth transistor, to respond to the first scanning signal and to form a diode connection of the second transistor. The circuit also includes a fifth transistor, to respond to a third scanning signal and to transmit a second signal voltage to the second transistor, and a sixth transistor, to respond to a light emitting scanning signal, and to output the current to the organic light emitting diode.
US09728123B2
An organic light emitting display device includes a plurality of pixels, each including a red sub-pixel, a green sub-pixel, a first blue sub-pixel and a second blue sub-pixel; and an initialization power source configured to supply a plurality of initialization voltages to the pixels, wherein the first and second blue sub-pixels are adjacent to each other and are coupled to a same data line.
US09728118B2
A DC-DC converter for supplying a display panel with first and second power voltages, the DC-DC converter includes: a first converting module to convert an input power voltage into the first power voltage in response to a control signal; a sensor to detect a drive current of the display panel when the first power voltage is output; and a second converting module to convert the input power voltage into the second power voltage lower than the first power voltage in response to the control signal, the second converting module including: a first inverting converter to generate the second power voltage corresponding to the input power voltage regardless of an amount of the detected drive current; and a second inverting converter to selectively generate the second power voltage corresponding to the input power voltage and according to the amount of the detected drive current.
US09728117B2
Tone and/or gamut mapping apparatus and methods may be applied to map color values in image data for display on a particular display or other downstream device. A mapping algorithm may be selected based on location and/or color coordinates for pixel data being mapped. The apparatus and methods may be configured to map color coordinates differently depending on whether or not a pixel corresponds to a light source in an image and/or has special or reserved color values.
US09728108B2
A sign and display system including a faceplate, lens, backing plate, and at least one magnet is described. The faceplate includes a viewing aperture and the back of the faceplate includes a recess in which the at least one magnet is mounted. The recess in the faceplate is configured to receive the lens and backing plate. The lens may include one or more edge protrusions configured to enter one or more small recesses in the side of the faceplate recess to secure the lens to the faceplate. When the lens and backing plate are positioned in the recess of the faceplate, the one or more magnets exert a force on the backing plate to secure the faceplate and lens to the backing plate. An insert capable of displaying text and/or graphics can also be positioned between the lens and backing plate in the recess of the faceplate.
US09728107B1
Systems and methods which prevent or limit access to protected content (e.g., value bearing indicia (VBI)) by a general purpose user interface application (e.g., web browser) are shown. Embodiments implement techniques to avoid displaying protected content by a general purpose user interface application, or displaying protected content during a time in which a user does not have access to particular functions of the general purpose user interface application, to protect the content from various operations, such as repeated printing, electronic copying, etc. Data presentation formatting control in the form of style sheets may be utilized to control access to content. Additionally or alternatively, executable code or an executable object may be implemented within a page or other content to control access to content. Similarly, separate areas, such as windows or pages, may be utilized to control access to content.
US09728104B2
A method for manual welder training that includes providing a welding training apparatus that includes both hardware and software components and that is operative to gather and process data in real time, wherein the data is derived from an actual training exercise conducted by a welding trainee; selecting training objectives from a predetermined number of predefined objectives; initializing a curriculum, wherein the curriculum is based on the selected training objectives; performing at least one training exercise, wherein the training exercise is a component of the curriculum; providing real-time feedback to the trainee, wherein the real-time feedback is based on the performance of the trainee during the training exercise; evaluating the performance of the trainee based on data gathered and processed during the training exercise; optionally, adapting the curriculum based on the trainee's performance evaluation; and awarding credentials or certifications to the trainee following successful completion of the curriculum.
US09728102B2
An illustrative mobile computing device executing weight, nutrition, health, behavior and exercise application software serves as a simulated combination personal trainer and dietician/nutritionist for the user using comprehensive databases storing personalized health, nutrition and exercise information. A mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, executing such software monitors, tracks and/or adjusts caloric intake, energy expenditure taking into account nutritional information and behavioral factors. The mobile computing device receives food consumption, exercise-related, behavior and other input using speech input and the device's GPS subsystem to ease data entry burden on users and to promote continued long-term usage. The system rewards user goal achievement in an automatic, seamless manner, through, for example, downloading music, books, or other media. In illustrative implementations, the system assists users to make healthy food and exercise choices by using a comprehensive color code system to identify good choices, bad choices and those in between.
US09728082B2
This invention relates generally to computer systems, and more specifically, to a premise monitoring system. In one embodiment, the invention includes operations of receiving one or more signals containing a device identifier and a device condition from one or more remote alarm monitoring systems; retrieving enhanced information based on the device identifier and/or the device condition; determining one or more communication methods and/or communication destinations based on the device identifier and/or the device condition; and dispatching the enhanced information to the one or more communication destinations using the one or more communication methods.
US09728076B2
A method of controlling a security system of a premises includes detecting one or more exceptions when the system is set to an alarm mode, determining whether any of the one or more exceptions is a terminal exception, automatically executing an arming procedure according to the alarm mode when all of the exceptions are determined to be non-terminal exceptions, preventing execution of the arming procedure when any of the exceptions are determined to be a terminal exception, and, while in the alarm mode, preventing a sensor associated with a security exception from triggering an alarm when the security exception is fully corrected, and triggering an alarm when a condition that is causing the security exception is adjusted without resulting in full correction of the security exception.
US09728069B2
Among other things, an entry monitor has circuitry to detect when a person enters a monitored space and an indicator perceptible to other people in the space to indicate a cleanliness state of the hands of the person who has entered the space.
US09728064B2
Techniques for identifying interdependent cartridges are described herein. In one example, a method can detect a signal from an indication switch on a first cartridge, wherein the signal results from a user manually actuating the indication switch. The method can also detect a second interdependent cartridge based on interdependence information. Furthermore, the method can activate an interdependence indicator on the first cartridge and an interdependence indicator on the second cartridge.
US09728060B2
The present invention is a system for monitoring a health state of a subject. The system is provided with: a measuring unit that chronologically measures the position of the subject in a facility in which the subject resides or stays; and an information processing unit that determines a health state of the subject by determining whether a chronological change in the position of the subject satisfies a predetermined determination condition.
US09728056B2
Systems and methods for detecting a breach of a proximity threshold associated with a first electronic device comprising a first electronic device configured to transmit a first wireless signal; and a second electronic device configured to: 1) measure a strength of the first wireless signal, 2) determine, based on the measured strength of the first wireless signal, a proximity of the second electronic device to the first electronic device, 3) instruct the first electronic device, via a second wireless signal, to subsequently transmit the first wireless signal at a predetermined interval corresponding with a proximity of the second electronic device to a proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device, and 4) measure a strength of the first wireless signal being transmitted at the predetermined interval to detect when the second electronic device breaches the proximity threshold associated with the first electronic device.
US09728048B2
Methods and systems providing game play of a slot game allowing for identifying matching symbols in the same relative positions in two or more grids. A first grid and a second grid may be displayed. Symbols for each grid spot in the first and second grids are determined, and the display of the game is updated with the determined symbols. A first symbol in a first location in the first grid is determined to match a second symbol in a second location in a second grid, where the first location and the second location are the same relative positions in the first grid and the second grid. An award to a player is determined based on the determined match.
US09728047B2
Implementing games of chance across multiple computing devices is described. An electronic hand is associated with each computing device. The electronic hand includes a set of characters having a value. An electronic bid, which is a total quantity of a character of the set characters at a particular value, is initiated. An electronic challenge to the electronic bid is initiated. An actual quantity of the character at the particular value in the bidding electronic hand is determined. A point value is allocated to the bidder if the actual quantity of the character at the particular value is greater than or equal to the total quantity of the character at the particular value in the electronic bid. The point value is adjusted based on a bid value, and/or bid level, and/or the number of participants.
US09728046B2
Systems and methods are provided for providing playing cards. An exemplary method may include retrieving data related to a selection of a set of numbers for bingo and determining matching bingo patterns on a predetermined number of cards from a library of bingo cards against the set of selected numbers. The method may further include selecting corresponding playing cards based on the matching bingo patterns on the predetermined number of cards and providing the corresponding playing cards for display. The exemplary method may be used to deal playing cards for poker using a set of selected numbers.
US09728033B2
Devices and methods are set forth to perform operations that perform head tracking of a player of a wagering game machine. The operations can further include presenting different auto-stereo content in response to determining the movement of the head of the player.
US09728032B2
Gaming devices and methods are set forth which provide for face or body tracking to generate content concurrently displayed with several degrees of the motion parallax effect.
US09728029B2
The present invention relates to an apparatus for storing and fully automatic output of a multiplicity of different products having substantially cuboid geometry, such as packaged CDs, DVDs, printer cartridges, books, etc., comprising at least one permanently installed storage rack for stocking the multiplicity of products, at least one selection station for selecting, from the multiplicity of stocked products, one product to be output by the apparatus at a product output point, at least one handling device that is movable relative to the at least one storage rack for retrieval of a selected product from the at least one storage rack and for transport of the product in question to a product output point of the apparatus, and at least one computer-assisted control unit for controlling the apparatus and its components.
US09728027B2
A banknote processing apparatus including: one or more banknote storage boxes that store banknotes; an information management section that manages banknote management information including identification information for banknotes respectively stored in the one or more banknote storage boxes; a search information receiving section that receives input of search information including part of, or all of, identification information of a banknote to be searched for; a banknote search section that searches for a banknote matching the search information based on information being managed by the information management section; and a payout controller that effects control of feeding out and dispensing a detected banknote that has been detected by the banknote search section from the banknote storage boxes.
US09728025B2
A communication system includes: a vehicle-mounted communication device and a portable device. The communication device includes: a vehicle transmission unit which transmits a plurality of first signals to the portable device, and a vehicle reception unit which receives a second signal transmitted from the portable device. The portable device includes: a portable device reception unit which receives the first signals, a portable device controller which detects signal intensities of the received first signals, and which compares the signal intensities of the first signals, and a portable device transmission unit which transmits the second signal according to control of the portable device controller. The portable device controller sets an output value of the second signal to a predetermined value when a difference between the compared signal intensities of the first signals is equal to or less than a threshold.
US09728022B2
Disclosed are electronic padlocks and related methods. An electronic padlock includes a lock body, a shank, and a locking mechanism operably coupled to electronic circuitry configured to detect physical interactions of a user with the shank and control the locking mechanism. A method of operating the electronic padlock includes detecting physical interactions of a user with a shank of an electronic padlock, comparing the detected physical interactions with a stored predetermined series of physical interactions, and transitioning from a locked state to an unlocked state responsive to determining that the detected physical interactions match the predetermined series of physical interactions. A method of transforming a mobile device into a device configured to interface with an electronic padlock includes distributing computer-readable instructions configured to instruct one or more processors of the mobile device to display a graphical user interface configured to enable a user to alter settings of the electronic padlock.
US09728015B2
A novel fuel savings scoring system is capable of analyzing real-time on-board diagnostics (OBD) information of a vehicle from a remote monitoring station unit. The fuel savings scoring system can derive a novel fuel efficiency comparison metric called “driving score.” Preferably, the driving score represents a commercial vehicle driver's fuel efficiency driving performance relative to those of peer commercial drivers in a commercial vehicle fleet organization. The driving score takes account of a current real-time mileage achieved by a particular vehicle as well as the best empirical mileage achieved by the same make and model to the particular vehicle in the commercial vehicle fleet organization. Furthermore, in some embodiments of the invention, the driving score for the particular vehicle can even be route and traffic condition-sensitive, which further improves the realistic usefulness of the driving score as a comparative fuel efficiency driving performance measure among commercial vehicle drivers.
US09728007B2
A mobile device (104, 204) comprising communications interface (324) for transferring data, a digital camera (328) for obtaining a camera view (102) of the surroundings of the mobile device at a location, a display (330) for visualizing data such as the camera view (102), and an augmented reality (AR) entity (332) configured to transmit, via the communications interface, an indication of the location of the mobile device to an external entity, obtain, by applying data transfer from said external entity via the communications interface, a representation determined on the basis of a number of 3D models (202) of one or more virtual elements (102e, 206a) deemed as visually observable from the location of the mobile device, said representation forming at least a part of at least an approximation of spherical projection (108, 208, 210) of said 3D models, wherein the associated spherical surface is configured to surround the location of the mobile device, and produce an AR view (102d) for visualization on the display on the basis of the camera view and orientation-wise matching portion, such as 2D images and/or parts thereof, of the representation. Related server arrangement and methods are presented.
US09728003B1
A system and method may model physical geological structures. Seismic and geologic data may be accepted. A three-dimensional (3D) transformation may be generated between a 3D present day model having points representing present locations of the physical geological structures and a 3D past depositional model having points representing locations where the physical geological structures were originally deposited. An indication may be accepted to locally change the 3D transformation for a subset of sampling points in a first model of the models. The 3D transformation may be locally changed to fit the updated subset of sampling points. A locally altered or updated version of the first model and, e.g., second model, may be displayed where local changes to the first model are defined by the locally changed 3D transformation. The transformation may also be used to extract geobodies in the past depositional model.
US09727994B2
An image jointing method includes steps of obtaining a first image, a second image including a line image, and a displacement data, dividing a specific region of the line image as image blocks and calculating to obtain feature values corresponded to the image blocks, comparing the feature values and utilizing an initial coordinate of the image block corresponding to the maximum of the feature values as a feature point representing the line image, corresponding the feature point to a base point of the first image according to the displacement data and obtaining a first jointing point corresponding to the first image and a second jointing point corresponding to the second image according to the base point and the feature point, and jointing the first image and the second image through the first jointing point and the second jointing point, thereby significantly reducing the operation time and enhancing the user experiences.
US09727991B2
A method and system for foveated image rendering are provided herein. The method includes tracking a gaze point of a user on a display device and generating a specified number of eccentricity layers based on the gaze point of the user. The method also includes antialiasing the eccentricity layers to remove artifacts, rendering a foveated image based on the eccentricity layers, and displaying the foveated image to the user via the display device.
US09727987B2
Blending techniques for curve fitting are described. In one or more implementations, an indication is received of three or more data points. A blending factor is computed based on a spatial relationship of the three or more data points to each other. A curve is fit to the three or more data points by blending a plurality or curve fitting techniques using the computed blending factor.
US09727969B2
Provided is an image processing device including a dividing unit which divides a captured image of skin into regions in a multidimensional manner, a feature value calculating unit which calculates a feature value of a color property in each region divided by the dividing unit, and an evaluating unit which calculates an evaluation value of the skin using the feature values calculated by the feature value calculating unit.
US09727961B2
A method of operating a radiographic inspection system is designed for a radiographic inspection system in which a conveyor chain with identical modular chain segments transports the articles being inspected. The method encompasses a calibration mode and an inspection mode of the radiographic inspection system. In the calibration mode, calibration data characterizing the radiographic inspection system with the empty conveyor chain are generated and stored as a template image. In the inspection mode, raw images (50) of the articles (3) under inspection with the background (41) of the conveyor chain are acquired and arithmetically merged with the template image. The method results in a clear output image (51) of the articles under inspection being obtained without the interfering background of the conveyor chain.
US09727957B2
According to example embodiments, an Image View Aggregator identifies a frontal view of an item within an image. The Image View Aggregator identifies at least one reflection view of the item within the image. Each reflection view of the item having been captured off a corresponding reflective physical surface. The Image View Aggregator extracts the frontal view of the item and each reflection view of the item from the image. The Image View Aggregator generates a representation of the item based at least on the extracted frontal view of the item and each extracted reflection view of the item.
US09727950B2
A noise-reduction processing device including: a part that calculates an edge strength indicating the edge amount at the pixel of interest based on the pixel of interest and surrounding pixels that surround the pixel of interest; a part that discriminates the edge direction at the pixel of interest; a first filter-processing part that subjects the pixel of interest to smoothing processing along a direction that is based on a direction-discrimination result and outputs a first filter-processing result; a second filter-processing part that subjects the pixel of interest to smoothing processing producing a lower low-pass effect than that of the first filter-processing part and outputs a second filter-processing result and a part that synthesizes the first and second filter-processing results, with the ratio of the first filter-processing result increased as the edge strength becomes higher and the ratio of the second filter-processing result increased as the edge strength becomes lower.
US09727949B1
Implementations generally relate to providing secure digital images. In some implementations, a method includes receiving an input image. The method further includes generating a plurality of partial images derived from the input image. The method further includes displaying the plurality of partial images to a user, where a sum of the partial images provides the input image.
US09727948B2
The generation of a false color is prevented. In a pixel mixture block, pixels of the same color are mixed. For example, red pixels are mixed to obtain a red mixed pixel and blue pixels are mixed to obtain a blue mixed pixel. Green pixels in an odd-numbered row and pixels in an even-numbered row are separately mixed to obtain a green mixed pixel and a green mixed pixel. A correlation direction in a partial color image 1 is detected from these mixed pixels. Interpolation pixels are generated from the mixed pixels according to the correlation direction such that a false color is not generated.
US09727943B1
This disclosure is directed to the control of graphical output of a second computing device by a first computing device. According to these techniques, a first computing device may be configured to generate at least one control object that includes at least one control script. The at least one control script is configured to be executed according to an execution environment (e.g., a graphics processing environment) of the second computing device. Once executed, the at least one control script may be configured to access a native application programming interface (API) of the second computing device to cause graphical data to be presented via an output interface (e.g., a display) communicatively coupled to the second computing device based on a context defined by the at least one control object.
US09727935B2
Disclosed are various embodiments for equitably assigning medical images for examination. Data describing a medical image study that is pending examination is obtained from a medical data server. The medical image study is assigned for examination by at least one of a plurality of users based on preferences associated with each of the users and a relative complexity value determined for the medical image study. Data describing the assignments is sent to a client. The client is configured to display at least one worklist. Each worklist is associated with a user and describes the one or more medical image studies that have been assigned to the user for examination.
US09727926B2
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for an online community management system. One method includes an operation for detecting a post on a social network, where the post is associated with an article. The social network has a plurality of entity pages associated with respective entities. Further, the method includes operations for determining a topic of the article based on a content of the article, and for determining whether the topic is associated with a related entity page on the social network. The related entity page is recommended to a user accessing the post when the topic is associated with the related entity page.
US09727924B2
Disclosed are examples of apparatus, methods, and computer readable storage media for informing one or more users of social network data such as group data when the data is relevant to the user(s). For example, when one or more keywords are identified as being associated with both a group of an online social network and the user, a communication with information identifying the group data can be generated and provided to a display device accessible by the user. In another example, social network data is associated with an entity of the online social network, and the entity is not being followed by the user. Social network data identified as related to one or more keywords can be provided to a display device in a suitable presentation accessible by the user.
US09727909B2
An anonymous block trade matching system which allows users that who wish to cross large blocks of stock to submit orders, or indications of interest, with the option of utilizing market peg benchmarks or future price cross benchmarks. Orders submitted may be subject to minimum thresholds, including a threshold requiring that the order represent ‘X’ % of average daily volume. After submission of a firm order in the system, an alert is generated to provide the order data to other users with potential to cross the order. Visibility of order data by other users may be restricted based upon a data interaction group to which the ordering user or the other user belongs. The system provides users viewing order data with a capability of communicating with the submitting user via a restricted two-way messaging interface.
US09727907B2
A current geographic location of a mobile device, such as a smart phone, tablet computer, or the like, is used to retrieve one or more lists of product related items, such as information related to product that has been delivered/shipped to one or more locations in the vicinity of the current geographic location of the mobile device. The lists of product related items provide details about the product related items and a user interface element for allowing, among other things, items to be ordered, e.g., for delivery/shipment to a corresponding geographic location.
US09727900B2
A user interface (UI) with multiple UI paradigms. Each of the multiple UI paradigms is substantially different from the other UI paradigm(s). The substantially different UI paradigms are within a single application. A switching mechanism, which is also a part of the single application, enables a user to relatively rapidly switch between the different UI paradigms.
US09727894B2
Methods and systems are presented for attracting and engaging a user for a merchant system. A selectable option associated with the merchant system is displayed on a client device associated with a user. An indication of a user selection of the selectable option is received, and a content page is provided to the client device in response to the indication. Customer relationship management (CRM) information associated with the user of the client device is received from a carrier system associated with the client device. A transaction is processed for the user on behalf of the merchant system, based on the CRM information, and data associated with the user and the transaction are output to the merchant system.
US09727883B2
Machine-implemented methods and computer systems are disclosed for determining a collective outcome for a survey from a plurality of potential outcomes. Each outcome is a particular combination of options. Each survey participant ranks the options to develop an influent function. For each participant, the influent function is applied to each potential outcome to determine a satisfaction score for the outcome. A collective dissonance score is calculated based on the participants' satisfaction scores for the potential outcome. The potential outcomes are ordered based on a weighted combination of the satisfaction scores and the collective dissonance score for each of the potential outcomes. In particular embodiments, the methods and systems aim to determine a collective outcome that achieves greatest satisfaction and minimizes dissonance among the participants.
US09727876B2
Apparatus, method, and media for permitting use of content. An exemplary method comprises associating a transfer right with content, the transfer right specifying that the content is permitted to be transferred from a first computing device to a second computing device, transferring the content from the first computing device to the second computing device in accordance with the transfer right, updating information associated with the transfer right based on the transfer of the content from the first computing device to the second computing device, and associating a usage right with the content, the usage right corresponding to a utilization of the content, wherein the first computing device includes at least a server mode of operation, and wherein the second computing device includes both a requester mode of operation and a server mode of operation.
US09727870B2
The present invention relates to a link system and link method of an upper shopping mall and an independent shopping mall of API (application programming interface) link method, in particular, to a technology that builds and manages an independent shopping mall having an independent domain address and an user interface besides the upper shopping mall which is registered together with the other sellers. According to the present invention, provided is a link system of an upper shopping mall having a plurality of sellers and an independent shopping mall operated independently by one person among the sellers, of API link method, which comprises a shopping mall database that stores a goods information, a member information, and a payment and delivery information; an independent shopping mall web server receives a goods inquiry or a purchase request from a user to output a factor for extracting data of the shopping mall database, and receives a necessary data from the shopping mall database; and an API server receives a factor from the independent shopping mall web server to analyze, and accesses to the shopping mall database so as to request that the necessary data should be sent to the independent shopping mall web server.
US09727856B2
A method and a system convert the value of a gift card for use with a mobile device. The value of the gift card is determined from an issuer of the gift card. The value of the gift card is stored in a digital payment account in a storage device. The digital payment account stores values of gift cards from issuers. A financial transaction corresponding to the issuer of the gift card is performed on the digital payment account. The value of a first gift card from a first issuer of a first digital payment account is exchanged with the value of a second gift card from a second issuer of a second digital payment account.
US09727855B2
A device and method for waveform transmission of transaction card data to a merchant point-of-sale device are provided. The device includes a memory device for storing data, a processor, and a transmitter. The device is programmed to receive transaction card data that mimics data stored within a magnetic stripe associated with a transaction card, convert the transaction card data to a first data file for storage within the memory device, transmit the first data file to the transmitter, and transmit a first waveform from the transmitter to the POS device, wherein the first waveform includes changes in a magnetic field that represent the transaction card data.
US09727844B2
An apparatus, method, and computer program product for online documentation review. The apparatus includes a documentation presentation module configured to visually present a list of documents within a documentation frame. The content of one or more documents selected from the list of documents may also be visually presented. The online documentation framework may facilitate navigation of the documentation package. The apparatus also includes a documentation review module configured to receive and store comments associated with at least one document in the documentation package. The comments may be stored on a computer readable storage medium. The apparatus includes an integration module configured to integrate the documentation review application into the online documentation framework such that comments associated with the at least one document of the documentation package may be one or more of submitted and viewed from within the online documentation framework.
US09727837B1
A Barcode to Zipcode Application, the purpose of which is to remove as many steps from the supply chain as possible, reducing the time required to complete the process of purchasing goods in one location for delivery in another location to hours or even minutes. This application contains interfaces to location based retail product information services as well as customer payment processing systems. The application functions as an internet web application with the primary users being the customer service representatives and delivery personnel.
US09727836B2
An aspect of the technology described relates to a dashboard creation system for generating dashboards displaying key performance indicator (KPI) information. The dashboard creation system includes: a business database comprising a plurality of business values; an intermediate table comprising intermediate data; and at least one KPI record. In some implementations, the intermediate data includes: an intermediate value corresponding to a selected plurality of the business values; and an intermediate link identifying the corresponding selected plurality of business values. Also, the KPI record may include: a KPI value corresponding to the intermediate value; a KPI link corresponding to the intermediate link and identifying the corresponding selected plurality of the business values; and a KPI format corresponding to a desired graphical format for depicting the KPI value. A processor may be provided to render the KPI value in the KPI format.
US09727825B2
A method includes receiving meteorological forecast data at an electronic device. The method includes predicting multiple risk levels associated with an aircraft using one or more runways of an airport during a forecast time interval based on the meteorological forecast data. The method further includes generating a graphical user interface (GUI) that includes multiple risk indicators based on the multiple risk levels. The multiple risk indicators may correspond to multiple time sub-intervals during the forecast time interval.
US09727823B2
Achieving orthogonal control of non-orthogonal qubit parameters of a logical qubit allows for increasing the length of a qubit chain thereby increasing the effective connectivity of the qubit chain. A hybrid qubit is formed by communicatively coupling a dedicated second qubit to a first qubit. By tuning a programmable parameter of the second qubit of a hybrid qubit, an effective programmable parameter of the hybrid qubit is adjusted without affecting another effective programmable parameter of the hybrid qubit thereby achieving orthogonal control of otherwise non-orthogonal qubit parameters. The length of the logical qubit may thus be increased by communicatively coupling a plurality of such hybrid qubits together.
US09727814B2
A radio frequency identification (RFID) transponder tag is contained in and electrically connected to a mechanically rugged metallic tag housing slotted to define a radio frequency antenna, such as a half turn antenna, and sealed with an epoxy filling.
US09727811B2
The present invention is directed towards methods and apparatus for barcode reading and encoding. In accordance with an embodiment, a method of reading and encoding barcode information is provided. A one-dimensional barcode image is decoded using an electronic device to obtain data encoded by the one-dimensional barcode image. The data is encoded into a two-dimensional barcode image. The two-dimensional barcode image is displayed in a manner suitable for reading by a scanner configured for reading two-dimensional barcodes.
US09727808B1
A method and system for rendering rectangle drawing objects using a clip region are provided. For at least a first rectangle drawing object and a second rectangle drawing object, a determination is made if the first rectangle drawing object and the second rectangle drawing object satisfy a predetermined condition. If the predetermined condition is satisfied, one-line raster image data associated with the first and second rectangle drawing objects is generated, and a clip region corresponding to the first and second rectangle drawing objects is generated. Subsequently, the one-line raster image data may be used together with the clip region to fill a clipped drawing region corresponding to the first and second rectangle drawing objects.
US09727797B2
Techniques presented herein describe rotating text content rendered on a mobile device to a preferred orientation based on the mobile device orientation and language of the text content. A display tool executing on the mobile device detects an orientation of the mobile device changing from a first orientation to a second orientation. The mobile device currently displays the characters in the text content according to the first orientation. The display tool determines that the text content is written in a specified language. The display tool re-renders the display of the characters in the text content and any accompanying images according to the second orientation.
US09727790B1
An embodiment of a Wearable Computer with Natural User Interface apparatus includes a first portable unit for data gathering and communicating feedback and a second portable unit for processing the at least gathered data from the first unit. The first portable unit includes an eyeglass frame, at least one first optical unit disposed on the eyeglass frame for capturing at least one scene image corresponding to a field of view of a user, at least one second optical unit disposed on the eyeglass frame for capturing at least one eye image corresponding to at least a portion of at least one eye of the user, at least one microphone to allow the user to communicate via voice, at least one speaker to allow the user to receive feedback via voice, at least one visible light source to allow the user to receive feedback via light signals, at least one motion sensor to monitor the head movements of the user, and at least one first processor to at least receive data from the data gathering units in the first portable unit and at least manage the communication with the second portable unit. The second portable unit is in communication with the first portable unit and includes at least one second processor configured for receiving the at least data from the first processor and decoding a pre-defined command from the user and executing at least one command in response to the received command. At least one of the processors will determine a direction within the field of view to which the at least one eye is directed based upon the at least a history of one eye image, and generates a command or a subset of the at least one scene image based on the determined direction. At least one of the processors will provide a feedback to the user to acknowledge the user command received. In one embodiment, the Wearable Computer will function as a driver assistant and in another embodiment as a cameraman.
US09727785B2
A method and apparatus for processing images. A set of candidate targets is identified in a first image and in a second image that corresponds with the first image. A set of first scores is generated for the set of candidate targets using the first image. A set of second scores is generated for the set of candidate targets using the second image. A set of final scores is computed for the set of candidate targets using the set of first scores and the set of second scores. A determination is made as to which of the set of candidate targets is a target of interest based on the set of final scores.
US09727776B2
The description relates to estimating object orientation. One example includes determining a first estimate of object orientation using a first technique and image data. In this example, a second estimate of the object orientation can be determined using a second technique and the image data. The first estimate can be corrected with the second estimate to generate a corrected object orientation estimate which can be output.
US09727770B2
A processing channel is operatively connected to a biometric device. The processing channel includes an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) connected to at least one of an amplifier and an offset circuit. Biometric signals representing captured biometric data, such as a fingerprint image, are controllably fitted into an input range of the ADC. The ADC input range can include one or more removed ranges and one or more adjustable allowed input ranges. One or more channel parameters are adjusted until a desired number of biometric signals are included in the one or more removed ranges.
US09727769B2
A hand mount for a mobile scanner includes an elongated body having an upper surface, a lower surface opposite the upper surface, a scanner receiving cradle disposed on the upper surface that removably receives a mobile scanner, a scanning end, and an opposite securing end; a hook extends outward from the lower surface of the body, adjacent the scanning end, and bends towards the securing end; and a conformable wrist wrap is positioned adjacent the securing end of the body, with the body being positionable on a back area of a wearer's hand whereby the hook is received between a thumb and index finger of the hand and the conformable wrist wrap is wrapped around a wrist area.
US09727759B1
This invention is a comprehensive “Dynamic Security Code” (“DSC”) System (“DSC System”) that can change the security code of a prepaid, debit, or credit card (“Payment Card”). In an effort to thwart Card-Not-Present (“CNP”) fraud, the DSC System provides dynamic security code values (“DSC Values”) that have a limited use. The DSC Values provided by this DSC System can be calculated by various methodologies and can be used within existing standard payment card infrastructures. The DSC System can also be used with other form factors and in other environments not related to payments such as balance inquiries. The DSC Values can be calculated by a DSC Generator Server or on the card itself.
US09727745B2
A method of transmitting data from an image forming apparatus, the method including: receiving identification information of a destination of the data; determining whether to transmit the data to the destination corresponding to the received identification information based on a security policy of the image forming apparatus; and transmitting the data to the destination in response to the destination being determined to be a destination to where the data is allowed to be transmitted, based on the security policy.
US09727741B2
Confidential content within a file is masked for display on a flexible display device. A legend relating the masking to the confidential content is displayed in a hidden area created by bending the flexible display device. The flexible display device monitors secondary users and their gaze towards the flexible display device and the hidden area to determine if unauthorized secondary users can see the display and hidden area of the flexible display device.
US09727729B2
In an example embodiment, a system determines a set of instructions from the available instructions for a computer application. The determined set of instructions provides specific functionality of the computer application. The system may determine the set of instructions by performing functional testing and negative testing on the specific functionality. The system may reorganize and randomize the set of instructions in memory and write the reorganized set of instructions to a smaller memory space. For each available instruction not in the set of instructions, the system changes the respective instruction to inoperative to prevent execution of the respective instruction. The system may change the respective instruction to inoperative by overwriting the instruction with a NOP instruction. The system then captures a memory address of the computer application being accessed at runtime. The system may declare a security attack if the captured memory address matches a memory address for an inoperative instruction.
US09727710B2
A system and method of detecting and limiting unsolicited data uploads. Downloaded content such as web pages and emails are scanned for web forms and/or links. A watermark is added where appropriate and the modified downloaded content is forwarded to the person who requested the content. A check is made to determine whether information received from a user includes appropriate watermarks. If so, the watermark is removed and the information is forwarded to its destination.
US09727705B2
Systems and methods, including computer software adapted to perform certain operations, can be implemented for remotely defining security data for authorizing access to data on a client device. Permission indicators are associated with a sequence of instructions, and a protected activity is associated with one or more of the permission indicators and with an instruction within the sequence of instructions. The one or more permission indicators and the sequence of instructions are provided to a remote device. The remote device determines whether execution of the instruction is permitted based, at least in part, on the one or more permission indicators, and the remote device performs the protected activity if execution of the instruction is permitted.
US09727704B2
A digital rights management (DRM) including a transfer of a rights object (RO) to a second user in consideration of requirements of a movement of a rights object of a first user (a terminal, an equipment), charge, etc., by providing a post browsing session when the rights object occupied by the first user is transferred to a second user via a server.
US09727700B2
A computer network system and method for printing accompanying information and prescription labels in pharmacies, comprises: a central CS; a PMS; a data transmission network through which said PMS and said central CS can communicate; wherein said PMS includes an I/O terminal, a scanner, and a first printer; wherein said PMS includes a PMS SO and a Catalina SO; said PMS SO is configured to receive and store prescription information for a prescription, and to associate a prescription identification with said prescription; said Catalina SO is configure to select accompanying information for said prescription, to format and save said accompanying information in an accompanying information print file; and said PMS is configured to print a prescription label for said prescription and said accompanying information print file.
US09727685B2
At least one method, apparatus and system disclosed involves circuit layout for an integrated circuit device. A design for an integrated circuit device is received. The design comprises a functional cell. A first substitute functional cell for a first value of shift of a set of routing tracks respective to the boundary of the functional cell is provided. The first substitute functional cell comprises at least one pin moved by an amount of the first value. A determination is made as to whether an amount of shift of the set of routing tracks corresponds to the first value. The functional cell is replaced with the first substitute functional cell in response to a determination that the amount of shift of the set of routing tracks corresponds to the first value.
US09727683B2
An integrated circuit includes a cell and a first plurality of conductive segments. Each of the first plurality of conductive segments has a first predetermined width, and the first plurality of conductive segments includes a first conductive segment, and a second conductive segment. The first conductive segment and the second conductive segment are coupled to the cell to transmit a signal, and a distance between the first conductive segment and the second conductive segment is greater than the first predetermined width.
US09727678B2
The present invention provides a graphical view of this connected network that allows the user to navigate throughout a network. The graph view consists of a series of nodes that correspond to a set of test, testbench, design or coverage items in the simulation. Various nodes in the network are colored or shaped differently to represent either test, class, stimulus, testbench, design or coverage points. The graph may be drawn so that all items that occur at the same time are lined up in the same horizontal or vertical region, to give the user an intuitive view of time going left to right or top to bottom.
US09727677B2
A method, system and apparatus for modelling a power amplifier and pre-distorter fed by one of a wideband signal and an intra-band carrier aggregated signal are disclosed. According to one aspect, a method includes receiving the one of the wideband signal and the intra-band carrier aggregated signal and generating a discrete base band equivalent, BBE, Volterra series based on the received signal, where the series has distortion products grouped according to determined shared kernels. The shared kernels are determined based on a transformation of a real-valued continuous-time pass band Volterra series without pruning of kernels.
US09727676B1
For a circuit path to be represented in a timing model, a set of propagating waveforms substantially converges through waveform stabilization to a uniform waveform at a waveform invariant node and all pins following. The circuit path is decomposed at the waveform invariant node into first and second portions, which are characterized as first and second timing arcs. In computing output slew and delay values, the first timing arc generation factors only a single output load of the waveform invariant node, and the second timing arc generation factors only the uniform waveform. Similarly, a setup arc employs the uniform waveform rather than multiple clock input waveforms in computing setup/hold values. Simulation of waveform propagation is also simplified by simulating only the uniform waveform for the second portion. Additionally, the first arc may be shared between a plurality of circuit paths which share an input pin and the waveform invariant node.
US09727673B1
An integrated circuit includes a first circuit, a second circuit, and a bus that couples the circuits together. The first circuit is simulated on a first simulator at the same time that the second circuit is simulated on a second simulator. A simulator plug-in is incorporated into the simulation model of the first circuit. A simulator plug-in is incorporated into the simulation model of the second circuit. If valid data is to pass from the first to second circuit across the bus during simulation, then the plug-in of the first model causes a network stack to generate a packet. The packet carries the data. After communication to the second simulator, the data is recovered from the packet, and is injected by the plug-in of the second model into the simulation of the second circuit. By exchanging data back and forth this way, multiple circuits are simulated simultaneously on different simulators.
US09727669B1
In a computer system, a pedestrian dataset that indicates position fixes for several portable devices is received, such that each portable device corresponds to a respective pedestrian. Raw heat scores for several geographic units of equal size are generated based on the pedestrian dataset, each raw heat score being indicative of a number of position fixes in the corresponding geographic unit. A selection of a geographic area that contains some of the geographic units is received, and normalized heat scores for these geographic units are generated based on at least some of the generated raw heat scores.
US09727662B2
A data output method includes: generating, by a computer, (n−1) first conditions (n is an integer number of three or more) on a relationship between two data by dividing, in a sequential order, a common element condition in which an attribute of each of n data includes a common element, the attribute of each of the two data including the common element; extracting first data corresponding to each of n data to set the first data as a node under a condition; creating a first graph in which nodes are coupled with links based on the first condition; creating a second graph by repeatedly performing a first process, a second process and a third process; determining candidates of a combination of data from the second graph; and outputting a combination of data satisfying the common element condition from the candidates of a combination of data.
US09727660B2
Disclosed is a system and method for modifying the presentation of content and/or graphical elements and behavior of a digital presentation (e.g., a webpage) by identifying an information event and dynamically overlaying a fully functional complementary presentation of the digital presentation, without accessing the underlying source code of the digital presentation, employing a special software or equipment (e.g., a special web browser), or requiring that original or user submitted content associated with the digital presentation be transmitted to a remote or otherwise uncontrolled server.
US09727657B2
Methods and systems for generating and resolving multi-mode barcodes include a device scanning and translating graphical data representing a barcode pattern into barcode information. The device detects distinct data items in the barcode information that each specifies an action to be taken by the device, and then transmits a request for a preference order to a remote server. Next, the device receives the preference order indicating a ranking of the distinct data items and determines, based on the ranking, an order in which actions specified by the data items are to be taken by the device. The device identifies a data item that the device is capable of taking the action specified by the data item and has a higher ranking in the preference order than the actions specified by all other data items that the device is capable of taking, and performs the action specified by the data item.
US09727655B2
A searching system, searching method and P2P devices for a P2P device community are provided. An online server connects to a content management server and a P2P device community, respectively. The content management server includes a search engine and an index database, and each of the P2P devices of the P2P device community is provided with an indexed data and a weighted data. The index database is recorded with the indexed data associated with each of the P2P devices of the P2P device community, and the search engine searches the index database to generate a search result and then generates a weighted and sorted search result based on the weighted data, thereby achieving the object of searching important file data in the P2P device community.
US09727654B2
A method and system to suggest keywords to a social network member is described. A suggested keywords system, in one example embodiment, examines phrases that appear in profiles maintained by the on-line social networking system that are similar to the target profile and identifies those words and phrases that are most prominent in these profiles, utilizing discriminative strength values. These most prominent words and phrases may be presented to the target member as suggested keywords to be included in the member's professional summary.
US09727651B1
A dynamic research system and associated methods are disclosed for assisting an at least one user with dynamically and automatically researching an at least one subject across a plurality of data sources. In at least one embodiment, upon a new instance of a browser application being opened on the user device, a navigation display is overlaid onto a user interface of the browser application. Additionally, for each of the at least one data source, upon determining that an at least one page of said data source contains data related to the at least one subject, a graphical element associated with said at least one page of said data source is generated and displayed in the navigation display. Upon the user selecting a one of the at least one graphical element in the navigation display, the browser application navigates to the at least one page of the data source associated with the selected graphical element, and the navigation display is overlaid onto the user interface of the browser application once again, thereby simulating a persistent navigation display across multiple pages, though all within a single instance of the browser application.
US09727649B2
A method and apparatus are provided for a dynamic information connection search engine. User actions may be detected on at least one client system. In response, a determination may be made whether the user is searching for supported information. When the user is searching for supported information, information may be extracted electronically from, for example, third party websites, direct supplier connections, and/or intermediate databases. Potential suppliers may be automatically selected in response to the detected user search. Queries may be formulated from the user search and transferred to one or more selected suppliers over a network coupling (e.g., the Internet and/or an intranet). The queries may include one or more requests for information. One or more responses may be received from the suppliers, and the responses may be used to generate a result list for the user. The result list may include information and/or query status information. Further, an electronic link may be provided to a website of one or more of the supplies from which the information was derived.
US09727647B1
A server may receive an article that is retrieved from a server; determine whether the article satisfies first criteria based on content of the first article; annotate the article with a first article type when the article satisfies the first criteria; determine whether the article satisfies second criteria based on information associated with the article; annotate the article with a second article type when the article satisfies the second criteria; and store the article in association with a topic and at least one of the first article type or the second article type. The different server may be associated with a news website.
US09727644B1
Systems and methods for determining a quality score or a user engagement level for a content item are provided. The quality score is based on a recentness score of the content item, an affinity score between two users and a popularity score of the content item. The user engagement level for the content item is based on user interactions with the content item, associated times of the user interactions, and interaction types of the user interactions. The user engagement level for the content item is stored in association with the content item.
US09727640B2
A system and methodology which can effectively provide decision makers with a better means of making decisions in a way that greatly improves the availability, reliability, and relevance of the information which they provide and use to make decisions. The system and methodology facilitates maximizing mutual utility in the context of a mutual decision between multiple users and groups of users identified generally as Parties and Counterparties and performs user specified actions based on meeting mutual threshold parameters. The system provides significant technical advantages over the prior art in that it uses helps Parties and Counterparties identify optimal arrangements and configurations with less errors, fewer computational cycles, less storage medium, and a smaller amount of time than would be possible using prior art systems.
US09727639B2
An approach is described for performing a name search using a name search operation and a ranking operation. The name search operation may take text as input and apply a fuzzy matching operation and a lookup operation to generate a collection of candidate names with respective probability scores. In other cases, speech or handwriting recognition may generate the collection of candidate names and probability scores. The ranking operation may then rank these candidate names using a ranking function. The ranking function may rank the candidate names based on the probability scores associated with the names and at least one other factor. One such factor may reflect whether information provided by a user matches profile information associated with a candidate name under consideration. Another factor may reflect an extent of a nexus between the user and a person associated with the candidate name. Other types of factors can be used.
US09727637B2
A mechanism is provided for retrieving candidate answers from a corpus of documents. The mechanism receives an input question for which an answer is sought. The mechanism extracts features of the input question based on a natural language processing. The mechanism executes a first search of the corpus of documents based on a first subset of the extracted features of the input question and an initial evaluation of a utility of the first subset of extracted features to generate a subset of documents. The mechanism executes a second search of a set of passages extracted from the subset of documents based on a second subset of the extracted features of the input question and a reevaluation of the utility of the second subset of extracted features thereby forming a subset of passages. The mechanism generates query results from the subset of passages matching from which candidate answers are identified.
US09727636B2
A hierarchy of controls and parts, that are each in accordance with constraints of a computing executing context. A control is executable code that performs a function and which may impart a visualization. A part is a unit of visualization container that has its own visualization and/or shows visualizations from one or more compliant controls associated with the part.
US09727632B2
A web-based contact builder, management system and a computer-implemented method to assist a user in efficiently managing and communicating with their designated contacts. The system enables a user to manage existing contacts; to identify via automated means new contacts and determine if they are registered users, or to invite them to join the system; to invite and respond to requests from new contacts in an efficient “one step” method; and to set the level of access that each contact will have to the user's personal identifying information.
US09727631B2
Entries within a participant list of an electronic communications system may be categorized automatically into one or more groups based on attributes of users represented in the participant list. Categorizing users includes maintaining a list of identifiers that are selected by a first user and for which online presence information is made perceivable through the list. The list includes one or more categories into which the identifiers are categorized. At least one attribute associated with an identifier for which online presence information is to be made perceivable through the list and attributes stored relative to at least one of the categories are accessed. The attributes associated with the identifier are compared to the stored attributes. Based on results of the comparison, at least one category within the list that corresponds to the identifier is identified, and the identifier is categorized into the identified category.
US09727611B2
Exemplary embodiments provide a hybrid buffer pool for a database that includes a plurality of data pages contained in storage. The hybrid buffer pool comprises: a shared buffer pool of page frames containing dirty data pages that are modified after reading that will be written back to storage; an immutable buffer pool that temporarily contains read-only data pages from the storage; and a page multiplexer that identifies which ones of the data pages from storage to store in the immutable buffer pool based at least in part on information from a query processor.
US09727610B1
One embodiment of the present invention is a wizard (e.g., software) for configuring database access middleware for optimal performance. The wizard asks a set of questions. The questions are presented to the user with a navigable UI, and are designed such that the user does not need database expertise to answer them. Based on the user's answers, the wizard generates a set of connect options and values to be used to optimize performance of the user's middleware. Users can use the wizard to determine whether currently selected options or values of a deployed application are optimal, and to determine if other options/values should be used that may improve the performance of the existing application. Also, a prospective customer that is evaluating middleware can use this wizard to tune the middleware for the intended application, thereby allowing that user to better assess how the middleware will perform.
US09727598B2
In accordance with disclosed embodiments, there are provided methods, systems, and apparatuses for fixing logical or physical corruption in databases using LSM trees including, for example, means for storing records in a LSM database at the host organization; processing transactions to the LSM database by writing the transactions into immutable extents for subsequent merge into the LSM database; recording a history of the transactions in a log; identifying corruption in at least one of the records of the LSM database represented within the immutable extents prior to use of the immutable extents in the LSM database; and correcting the identified corruption to the at least one of the records of the LSM database based at least in part on the recorded history of the transactions in the log during live operation of the LSM database. Other related embodiments are disclosed.
US09727589B2
Systems and methods for providing an enterprise level view of an organization's data including an SOA business process server, an enterprise meta model and an enterprise database. The SOA business process server and enterprise meta model are synchronized by automated tools so that a change to one of these components will be reflected in the other. The enterprise database is populated by data automatically extracted from a process engine of the business process server. The enterprise database is populated in real time so that enterprise level views based on the enterprise database will be accurate in real time.
US09727583B2
According to an example aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus comprising at least one receiver configured to receive sensor information, at least one processing core configured to determine, based at least in part on the sensor information, a position of a device on a physical surface and to obtain or cause obtaining of an image relating to the determined position wherein obtaining the image comprises obtaining static content based on the position of the device on the physical surface and obtaining dynamic content based a virtual space associated with the physical surface.
US09727574B2
Disclosed is a system and methods for data compression and decompression. The systems and methods discussed herein include an encoder, dictionary, decoder, literal string and control output. The discussed systems and methods encode data transmitted over a communications channel through the use of a dynamically compiled dictionary. Upon reviewing the characters within the transmitted data in view of the dictionary, an encoded/compressed output string is created. Such output string may also be decoded in a similar fashion via a dynamically compiled dictionary.
US09727567B2
A method of transferring data between a first computer language layer and a second computer language layer is described. According to the method, a first data bridge structure in a first data format is received from a first set of computer code using a first computer language layer. The first data format is used by the first set of computer code using the first computer language layer. In the method, the first data bridge structure is transformed from the first data format to a second data format, the second data format being a format used by a second set of computer code using a second computer language layer. The first data bridge structure in the second data format is transmitted to the second set of computer code using the second computer language layer.
US09727560B2
Computer-implemented systems and methods are disclosed to interface with one or more storage devices storing a plurality of documents, wherein each of the plurality of documents is associated with one or more tags of one or more predefined hierarchies of tags, wherein the one or more hierarchies of tags include multiple dimensions. In accordance with some embodiments, a method is provided to identify one or more documents from the data storage devices. The method comprises acquiring, via an interface, a selection of one or more tags of the one or more predefined hierarchies of tags. The method further comprises identifying one or more documents from the data storage devices in response to the selection, the identified one or more documents having tags that have a relationship with the selected tags, and providing data corresponding to the identified documents for displaying in the interface.
US09727558B2
Techniques include outputting to a developer an offer to opt-in to a translation feature that enables human translators to translate their web page to a target language. In response to receiving a first request to opt-in to the translation feature, the server: generates and stores a web page copy, obtains from the human translators translations of at least a portion of the web page from its source language to the target language, modifies the web page copy based on the obtained translations to obtain a translated web page that is a translated version of the web page, detects a second request for the web page from a computing device associated with the target language, and in response to detecting the second request outputs, to the computing device, the translated web page with additional content relevant to the computing device or a user associated with the computing device.
US09727554B2
A computer-implemented method for knowledge based ontology editing, is provided. The method receives a language instance to update a knowledge base, using a computer. The method semantically parses the language instance to detect an ontology for editing. The method maps one or more nodes for the ontology for editing based on an ontology database and the knowledge base. The method determines whether the mapped nodes are defined or undefined within the knowledge base. The method calculates a first confidence score based on a number of the defined and undefined mapped nodes. Furthermore, the method updates the knowledge base when the first confidence score meets a pre-defined threshold.
US09727527B2
Analog processors for solving various computational problems are provided. Such analog processors comprise a plurality of quantum devices, arranged in a lattice, together with a plurality of coupling devices. The analog processors further comprise bias control systems each configured to apply a local effective bias on a corresponding quantum device. A set of coupling devices in the plurality of coupling devices is configured to couple nearest-neighbor quantum devices in the lattice. Another set of coupling devices is configured to couple next-nearest neighbor quantum devices. The analog processors further comprise a plurality of coupling control systems each configured to tune the coupling value of a corresponding coupling device in the plurality of coupling devices to a coupling. Such quantum processors further comprise a set of readout devices each configured to measure the information from a corresponding quantum device in the plurality of quantum devices.
US09727522B1
Methods and apparatus for a pipelined architecture for storage lifecycles are disclosed. A method includes identifying, during a transition candidate discovery iteration, storage objects of a multi-tenant service for which respective lifecycle transitions are to be scheduled, including a particular storage object identified as being a candidate for a particular lifecycle transition. The method includes generating transition job objects, each job comprising respective indications of one or more of the storage objects identified during the discovery iteration. The method includes assigning, during a transition execution iteration, resources to initiate storage operations for the particular lifecycle transition, and initiating, using the assigned resources, storage operations for the particular lifecycle transition.
US09727513B1
A method of performing an unicast packet ready command (unicast mode operation) is described herein. A packet ready command is received from a memory system via a bus and onto a network interface circuit. The packet ready command includes a multicast value. A communication mode is determined as a function of the multicast value. The multicast value indicates a single packet is to be communicated to a single destination by the network interface circuit. A free packet command is outputted from the network interface circuit onto the bus. The free packet command includes a Free On Last Transfer (FOLT) value that indicates that the packet is to be freed from the memory system by the network interface circuit after the packet is communicated to the network interface circuit. The network interface circuit and the memory system are included on an Island-Based Network Flow Processor.
US09727506B2
Communication systems and communication control methods are disclosed. In one example, a slave device belonging to a group of devices to which arbitration is applicable sequentially transmits a start bit and a first address including a first bit having a value different from a corresponding first bit of predetermined pattern data. A master device sequentially transmits the start bit and the predetermined pattern data. The master device arbitrates the master device and the first slave device based on the value of the first bit.
US09727503B2
A data storage system includes a storage server, including non-volatile memory (NVM) and a server network interface controller (NIC), which couples the storage server to a network. A host computer includes a host central processing unit (CPU), a host memory and a host NIC, which couples the host computer to the network. The host computer runs a driver program that is configured to receive, from processes running on the host computer, commands in accordance with a protocol defined for accessing local storage devices connected to a peripheral component interface bus of the host computer, and upon receiving a storage access command in accordance with the protocol, to initiate a remote direct memory access (RDMA) operation to be performed by the host and server NICs so as to execute on the storage server, via the network, a storage transaction specified by the command.
US09727502B2
A system and method for transferring data between a memory and peripheral units via a plurality of direct memory access (DMA) transactions, wherein a respective timestamp is assigned and/or appended to at least two of the plurality of the DMA transactions.
US09727501B2
A diagnostic testing utility is used to perform online path diagnostic tests to troubleshoot components in a path that contribute to performance degradations and check application level data integrity, while traffic is allowed to flow as normal. To perform the diagnostic tests, two HBA or CNA ports at each end of a path are identified and used to send test frames to perform the diagnostic tests. The entire diagnostic procedure is performed without taking any ports or servers offline.
US09727500B2
Each processor of a plurality of processors is configured to execute an interrupt message instruction. A message filtering unit includes storage circuitry configured to store captured identifier information from each processor. In response to a processor of the plurality of processors executing an interrupt message instruction, the processor is configured to provide a message type and a message payload to the message filtering unit. The message filtering unit is configured to use the captured identifier information to determine a recipient processor indicated by the message payload and, in response thereto, provides an interrupt request indicated by the message type to the recipient processor.
US09727499B2
A First Come First Server (FCFS) arbiter that receives a request to utilize a shared resource from a plurality of devices and in response generates a grant value indicating if the request is granted. The FCFS arbiter includes a circuit and a storage device. The circuit receives a first request and a grant enable during a first clock cycle and outputs a grant value. The grant enable is received from a shared resource. The grant value communicated to the source of the first request. The storage device includes a plurality of request buckets. The first request is stored in a first request bucket when the first request is not granted during the first clock cycle and is moved from the first request bucket to a second request bucket when the first request is not granted during a second clock cycle. A granted request is cleared from all request buckets.
US09727487B2
Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and apparatus of cache management for a non-volatile storage device. The method embodiment includes: determining a size relationship between a capacity sum of a clean page subpool and a dirty page subpool and a cache capacity; determining, when the capacity sum is equal to the cache capacity, whether identification information of a to-be-accessed page is in a history list of clean pages or a history list of dirty pages; and when it is determined that the identification information of the to-be-accessed page is in the history list of clean pages, adding a first adjustment value to a clean page subpool capacity threshold; and when the identification information of the to-be-accessed page is in the history list of dirty pages, subtracting a second adjustment value from the clean page subpool capacity threshold.
US09727486B1
A method for writing data objects, the method may include accumulating, in a first memory module, multiple new data entities in one or more dirty pages of a data layer; wherein each new data entity and a corresponding older data entity are associated with a same application object; wherein the accumulating comprises storing each new data entity in a page that differs from a page that stores the corresponding older data entity; calculating multiple new sets of descriptors by generating to each new data entity, a new set of descriptors; wherein each set of descriptors comprises descriptors that belong to multiple descriptors layers; wherein the multiple descriptors layers and the data layer belong to an hierarchical data structure; accumulating the multiple new sets of descriptors in one or more dirty pages of one or more descriptors layers; wherein each corresponding older data entity is associated with a corresponding set of descriptors; wherein the accumulating comprises storing each new set of descriptor in a page that differs from a page that stores a corresponding set of descriptors; and writing the multiple new data entities and the multiple new sets of descriptors to a second memory module.
US09727484B1
A computer-implemented method for protecting a translation lookaside buffer (TLB) from TLB pollution includes receiving, via a processor, a virtual address for a data portion, determining, via the processor, whether the virtual address has a classification of memory cache transiency, creating, via the processor, a TLB entry in a first TLB, wherein the TLB entry omits a most recently used (MRU) classification, and installing the TLB entry in a next available LRU position.
US09727482B2
Method and apparatus to efficiently manage data in caches. Data in caches may be managed based on priorities assigned to the data. Data may be requested by a process using a virtual address of the data. The requested data may be assigned a priority by a component in a computer system called an address range priority assigner (ARP). The ARP may assign a particular priority to the requested data if the virtual address of the requested data is within a particular range of virtual addresses. The particular priority assigned may be high priority and the particular range of virtual addresses may be smaller than a cache's capacity.
US09727479B1
Techniques are described for compressing cache pages from an LRU (Least-Recently-Used) queue so that data takes longer to age off and be removed from the cache. This increases the likelihood that data will be available within the cache upon subsequent re-access, reducing the need for costly disk accesses due to cache misses.
US09727470B1
Systems and methods are provided herein for efficient local caching of data tiered to cloud storage to help reduce the bandwidth cost of repeated reads and writes to the same region of a stubbed file, increase the performance of write operations, and increase performance of read operations to portions of a stubbed file accessed repeatedly. When operations are directed toward data tiered to the cloud, the data can be read from cloud storage and stored within a local cache. A cache tracking tree can be generated and used to track file regions of a stub file, cached states associated with regions of the stub file, a set of cache flags, and other file and mapping data. For example, the cache state of regions of a stub file can be tracked including a cached data state, a non-cached state, a modified state, or a truncated state. Operations directed toward stubbed files can then look to the cache tracking tree to determine the most efficient way to access, retrieve, or operate on the data that maximizes local file system performance while reducing network activity.
US09727465B2
A method to monitor the behavior of a working set cache of a full data set at run time and determine whether it provides a performance benefit is disclosed. An effectiveness metric of the working set cache is tracked over a period of time by efficiently computing the amount of physical memory consumption the cache saves and comparing this to a straightforward measure of its overhead. If the effectiveness metric is determined to be on an ineffective side of a selected threshold amount, the working set cache is disabled. The working set cache can be re-enabled in response to a predetermined event.
US09727460B2
A method and apparatus for optimizing a configuration memory of a reconfigurable processor is provided. The method of optimizing the configuration memory of the reconfigurable processor includes analyzing parallelism of a loop of a program code based on an architecture of the reconfigurable processor and information regarding the configuration memory, scheduling groups of function units (FUs) to be activated in each cycle of the loop based on the analyzed parallelism, generating configuration data of each cycle, and determining a memory mapping to store the generated configuration data in the configuration memory.
US09727456B2
A processing device identifies a plurality of solid state storage devices arranged in an array and determines, for at least one solid state storage device of the plurality of solid state storage devices, a first time window during which the at least one solid state storage device is permitted to perform one or more garbage collection operations. The processing device then sends, to the at least one solid state storage device, a message comprising the first time window allocated to the at least one storage device, wherein the at least one solid state storage device is to perform the garbage collection operations during the first time window allocated to the at least one solid state storage device.
US09727446B2
A device receives code generated via a technical computing environment (TCE), the code including a value to be tested, and receives a value modifier, a test case, and a constraint. The value modifier customizes a manner in which the value of the code is presented to the constraint for verification. The device also generates a test based on the value modifier, the test case, and the constraint, performs the test on the value of the code to generate a result, and outputs or stores the result.
US09727430B2
Services are promptly resumed at the time of a failure recovery in an information processing system. Before a first server system 3a resumes service during the failure recovery, a second server system 3b sends the first server system 3a directory images of directories of a highest-level tier to a predetermined lower-level tier out of data of files stored in a second storage apparatus 10b, and the first server system 3a restores the directory images in a first storage apparatus 10a. When the request is transmitted from the first server system 3a, the second server system 3b reads an additional directory image from the second storage apparatus 10b and transmits the additional directory image to the first server system 3a. If a re-stubbing occurrence frequency is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold, the second server system 3b suppresses transmission of directory images to the first server system 3a.
US09727421B2
Technologies for environment checkpointing include an orchestration node communicatively coupled to one or more working computing nodes. The orchestration node is configured to administer an environment checkpointing event by transmitting a checkpoint initialization signal to each of the one or more working computing nodes that have been registered with the orchestration node. Each working computing node is configured to pause and buffer any presently executing applications, save checkpointing data (an execution state of each of the one or more applications) and transmit the checkpointing data to the orchestration node. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
US09727420B2
To generate a checkpoint for a virtual machine (VM), first, while the VM is still running, a copy-on-write (COW) disk file is created pointing to a parent disk file that the VM is using. Next, the VM is stopped, the VM's memory is marked COW, the device state of the VM is saved to memory, the VM is switched to use the COW disk file, and the VM begins running again for substantially the remainder of the checkpoint generation. Next, the device state that was stored in memory and the unmodified VM memory pages are saved to a checkpoint file. Also, a copy may be made of the parent disk file for retention as part of the checkpoint, or the original parent disk file may be retained as part of the checkpoint. If a copy of the parent disk file was made, then the COW disk file may be committed to the original parent disk file.
US09727417B2
An integrated circuit (IC) includes addressable blocks of memory, and at least one redundant block of memory. A block of memory includes two or more chunks of memory. The IC also includes redundancy control cells. Control circuitry is included to access a first chunk of a redundant block of memory in place of a first remapped chunk one of the addressable blocks of memory, and a second chunk of a redundant block of memory in place of a second remapped chunk one of the addressable blocks of memory, based on the redundancy control cells.
US09727415B2
A configuration structure and method of a block memory. The configuration structure includes a first port, a second port, an ECC module, and an FIFO module; the ECC module includes an ECC encoder and an ECC decoder; the FIFO module is used for setting the first clock enable terminal and the second clock enable terminal, so as to make the read clock synchronous or asynchronous with and the write clock of the block memory. The read width and the write width of the block memory can be independently configured, and the block memory has built-in an ECC function and a FIFO function, and can be cascaded to a block memory with larger storage space without consuming additional logic resource.
US09727413B2
A method, computer-readable storage media, and a system are provided for managing a scrub. The method may include detecting a trigger for the scrub. The trigger may be based upon a metric of a memory unit. The method may further include scrubbing the memory unit based upon the detection of the trigger.
US09727412B2
A memory device having an error notification function includes an error correction code (ECC) engine detecting and correcting an error bit by performing an ECC operation on data of the plurality of memory cells, and an error notifying circuit configured to output an error signal according to the ECC operation. The ECC engine outputs error information corresponding to the error bit corresponding to a particular address corrected by the ECC operation. The error notifying circuit may output the error signal when the particular address is not the same as any one of existing one or more failed addresses.
US09727411B2
A method for error tracking a log subsystem of a file system is provided. The method includes: when a data block of the log subsystem is recovered to an original position in the file system, calculating a verification code of the data block to obtain a second verification code; determining whether a verification result between the second verification code and a first verification code of the data block stored in a spare space in a submit block of the log subsystem in a disk is consistent; and when the verification result is inconsistent, processing the data block corresponding to the inconsistent verification result. With the above method, given that system performance is least affected, an error and a position of the error of the log subsystem of the file system can be more accurately detected to enhance the reliability of the log subsystem.
US09727410B2
A computer-implemented method for handling errors is described. According to the method, a data bridge structure is received. The data bridge structure includes data being communicated between a driving caller using a first computer language layer and a set of computer code using a second computer language layer. In the method, the call between the computer language is re-driven in response to an error occurring. The re-driven call obtains an updated data bridge structure. In the method, the updated data bridge structure is returned to the caller in the first computer language layer driving the call.
US09727400B2
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for timeout monitoring of concurrent commands or parallel communication channels comprising assigning or de-assigning each one of the commands or communication channels to a corresponding one of a plurality of timeout timers when corresponding commands are to be transmitted or command acknowledges are received respectively.
US09727394B2
Techniques are described herein that are capable of establishing causality order of computer trace records. A computer trace record is information that indicates an event that occurs with regard to execution of a computer program. For instance, machines in a distributed computer system may generate such computer trace records as the machines execute the computer program. The computer trace records may be ordered in an aggregated trace to accurately reflect the causality order of the computer trace records. A causality order of computer trace records is a temporal sequence of the computer trace records in which each cause event is indicated to occur before each effect event that is caused by the cause event. A cause event is an event that causes an effect event. An effect event is an event that is caused by a cause event.
US09727383B2
Methods of predicting datacenter performance to improve provisioning are described. In an embodiment, a resource manager element receives a request from a tenant which describes an application that the tenant wants executed by a multi-resource, multi-tenant datacenter. The request that has been received is mapped to a set of different candidate resource combinations within the datacenter, where each candidate resource combination can be used to execute the application in a manner which satisfies a high level constraint specified within the request. This mapping may, for example, be performed using a combination of benchmarking and an analytical model. In some examples, each resource combination may comprise a number of virtual machines and a bandwidth between those machines. Data relating to at least a subset (and in some examples, two or more) of the candidate resource combinations is then presented to the tenant.
US09727379B1
A method of specifying behavior among a group of computing tasks included in a request to be performed in a domain of computing resources is disclosed. Method steps include receiving, at a scheduler operably coupled to the domain, a p/f request, the received p/f request including a first group and a first relationship, the first group comprising at least a first p/f group element and a second p/f group element, the first relationship defining a desired behavior of the first and second p/f group elements with respect to each other during performance of the p/f request; determining whether the domain includes available computing resources capable of satisfying the first relationship; and in response to a determination that the domain includes available computing resources capable of satisfying the first relationship, allocating, with the scheduler, at least one available computing resource to fulfill the p/f request.
US09727375B1
A method, system, and non-transitory computer readable medium for safely and efficiently migrating applications from one application server to another is provided. A termination request is received. When an API call has been sent by a first application since a last recurring checkpoint, the sent API call is processed one of several ways. Sometimes the API call is immediately terminated. Alternatively, the first application server waits a waiting period for an answer to the API call, and during the waiting period any new API calls are captured and not sent. Upon completion of the waiting period, if no answer has been returned, the API call is terminated. Then a new checkpoint of the application is taken in order to obtain a new checkpoint data set. The application is then migrated to another application server using the new checkpoint data set.
US09727372B2
A method, system, and apparatus to divide a computing job into micro-jobs and allocate the execution of the micro-jobs to times when needed resources comply with one or more idleness criteria is provided. The micro-jobs are executed on an ongoing basis, but only when the resources needed by the micro-jobs are not needed by other jobs. A software program utilizing this methodology may be run at all times while the computer is powered up without impacting the performance of other software programs running on the same computer system.
US09727367B2
A method for network communications from a first device to a second device includes communicating data from the first device to the second device by spawning a first virtual machine for a first network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the electronic device, and using the virtualized network capabilities of the first virtual machine, transmitting a plurality of packets for communication to a first network address and port combination associated with the second device. The method further includes repeatedly changing to a respective another network address and port combination by repeatedly spawning a respective another virtual machine for a respective another network connection that virtualizes network capabilities of the electronic device, and using the virtualized network capabilities of the spawned respective another virtual machine, transmitting a plurality of packets for communication to the respective another network address and port combination associated with the second device.
US09727366B2
Embodiments relate to generating a virtual machine (VM) migration plan. A method includes determining an initial mapping of VMs to hosts as an origin state and a final mapping of VMs to hosts as a goal state. Candidate paths are generated from the initial mapping to the final mapping. The candidate paths are evaluated based on a heuristic state transition cost from the origin state through intermediate states to the goal state by recursively obtaining a list of transitions that a parent state underwent. A heuristic goal cost is identified to reach the goal state from the intermediate states based on a fewest number of VM movements. The VM migration plan is generated based on the heuristic state transition cost of the candidate paths in combination with the heuristic goal cost of a sequence of transitions from the origin state to the goal state having a lowest total cost.
US09727358B2
A method for treatment of a hypervisor call sequence, in a system having a plurality of hosts, includes assigning a host ID to a plurality of hosts in the system; identifying a first host ID for a host from which a first hypervisor call of a hypervisor call sequence originates; identifying a second host ID for a host from which a second hypervisor call of the hypervisor call sequence originates, wherein the second hypervisor call is a call subsequent to the first hypervisor call; and determining whether the second host ID is equal to the first host ID.
US09727347B2
During setup of a display content on a display panel of a display apparatus a method for providing a selection option is performed which involves the display of a temporary display content at a temporary position on the display panel, the display content having at least one selection option. In addition, the method involves identification of a selection from at least one of the selection options at the temporary position on the display panel and display of a final display content at a final position on the display panel. Furthermore, there is provision for the selection from at least one of the selection options at the temporary position to be identified as a selection while the final display content is already displayed at the final position on the display panel.
US09727345B2
A heterogeneous processor architecture and a method of booting a heterogeneous processor is described. A processor according to one embodiment comprises: a set of large physical processor cores; a set of small physical processor cores having relatively lower performance processing capabilities and relatively lower power usage relative to the large physical processor cores; and a package unit, to enable a bootstrap processor. The bootstrap processor initializes the homogeneous physical processor cores, while the heterogeneous processor presents the appearance of a homogeneous processor to a system firmware interface.
US09727329B2
A management apparatus and a method for managing a software development and maintenance system are provided. In order to improve the quality and to minimize errors in a code base, an analysis of individual parts of the code base and related functional and/or architectural concerns is performed.
US09727324B2
A cloud-based system is described for producing application deltas based on application recipes that identify components of the application deltas using unique identifiers, without the recipe containing all or any content of the actual application. The application recipe can be conveyed to an organization operating on an enterprise network, where the application recipe can be matched with application files in the organization's backup storage containing copies of content of endpoint devices on the network to retrieve components identified by the recipe and produce the application delta for the application. Subsequently, the application delta can be used as an installation package to perform IT operations such as installing the application on endpoint devices.
US09727321B2
One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a technique for managing playback of digital content on two or more different playback devices. A playback device designated as a controller is associated with a playback device designated as a playback target. Association is implemented via a local network discovery protocol. The controller issues commands to the target, which then streams digital content directly from a content server. The controller is able to separately stream related digital content for independent, but synchronized playback. Server mediated operations, such as device activation and application installation, are advantageously enabled by explicit association between the controller and the target.
US09727317B2
A source code is pre-processed to form a pre-processed source code. The source code refers to an external code in a separate file, and the pre-processed source code creates a single file that includes the source code and the external code. The source code is profiled to create profile information identifying a hot portion having a first degree of hotness. A set of environment parameter values is determined to be applicable to a data processing system where the application will execute. At a remote optimizing compiler, a selection of a set of compiler options from a knowledgebase corresponding to the profile information and the set of environment parameter values is caused and an object code resulting from compiling the pre-processed source code using the set of compiler options is obtained. The object code is optimized according to the profile information and the set of environment parameter values.
US09727310B2
An entropy source extracts noise associated with the sampling of an RC circuit. The decay time of the RC circuit and other parameters are selected so that a buffer used to sample the voltage remains in an indeterminate voltage region over multiple clock cycles to generate random transitions. The entropy source may be implemented to be compliant with government standards for entropy sources utilized to generate random numbers.
US09727304B2
A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.
US09727303B2
A system is described for maintaining synchrony of operations among a plurality of devices that have independent clocking arrangements. The system includes a task distribution device that distributes tasks to a synchrony group comprising a plurality of devices that are to perform the tasks distributed by the task distribution device in synchrony. The task distribution device distributes each task to the members of the synchrony group over a network. Each task is associated with a time stamp that indicates a time, relative to a clock maintained by the task distribution device, at which the members of the synchrony group are to execute the task. Each member of the synchrony group periodically obtains from the task distribution device an indication of the current time indicated by its clock, determines a time differential between the task distribution device's clock and its respective clock and determines therefrom a time at which, according to its respective clock, the time stamp indicates that it is to execute the task.
US09727298B2
A host device may include an imaging unit configured to capture an image of a guest device, and a communication unit configured to communicate with the guest device. The host device may include circuitry configured to identify, in the image of the guest device, identification information corresponding to the guest device, the identification information being displayed on a screen included on the guest device. The circuitry may calculate, based on the identification of the identification information in the image, an arrangement position of the guest device. The circuitry may assign, based on the calculated arrangement position, assigned data to the guest device. The circuitry may transmit one or more of the calculated arrangement position and information associated with the assigned data to the guest device.
US09727295B2
A system can include a processor; memory operatively coupled to the processor; a first display unit that includes a first planar display operatively coupled to the processor; a second display unit that includes a second planar display; and a mechanism that selectively transitions the first planar display and the second planar display between a stacked orientation and a side-by-side orientation that forms a planar extended display operatively coupled to the processor. Various other apparatuses, systems, methods, etc., are also disclosed.
US09727270B2
A device for processing placement data according to the present invention is provided with an article data memory unit that stores article data including a configuration and a storage period of an article, a storage-region data memory unit that stores storage region data including a shape of a storage region where the article is placed, a temporal-spatial map data memory unit that stores temporal-spatial map data showing positions of the article and the storage region in space-time specified by a user, and a computation device that creates the temporal-spatial map data and acquires a placement position of the article in time series in the storage region using the article data, the storage region data and the temporal-spatial map data.
US09727269B2
A system and method for retaining dynamic random access memory (DRAM) data when reprogramming reconfigurable devices with DRAM memory controllers such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). The DRAM memory controller is utilized in concert with a data maintenance block collocated with the DRAM memory and coupled to an I2C interface of the reconfigurable device, wherein the FPGA drives the majority of the DRAM input/output (I/O) and the data maintenance block drives the self-refresh command inputs. Even though the FPGA reconfigures and the majority of the DRAM inputs are tri-stated, the data maintenance block provides stable input levels on the self-refresh command inputs.
US09727264B1
Tracking content blocks in a source storage for inclusion in an image backup of the source storage. In one example embodiment, a method for tracking content blocks in a source storage for inclusion in an image backup of the source storage may include identifying files in a source storage for inclusion in image backups of the source storage, tracking, in an inclusion map and prior to a first snapshot time, locations in the source storage of content blocks of the identified files, tracking, in the inclusion map and prior to the first snapshot time, modifications to the locations in the source storage of the content blocks, taking a snapshot of the source storage at the first snapshot time, and backing up, subsequent to the first snapshot time, the content blocks tracked in the inclusion map from the snapshot into a full image backup.
US09727262B2
One or more techniques and/or computing devices are provided for resynchronization. For example, a request may be received to create pseudo snapshots of a first consistency group, hosted by a first storage controller, and a second consistency group, hosted by a second storage controller, having a synchronous replication relationship with the first consistency group. Incoming client write requests are logged within an intercept tracking log at the first storage controller. After a first drain without hold of incoming write requests is performed, a first pseudo common snapshot of the second consistency group is created. After a second drain without hold of incoming write operations is performed, a second pseudo common snapshot of the first consistency group and the intercept tracking log is created. The pseudo snapshots and the intercept tracking log (e.g., indicating a delta between the pseudo snapshots) are used to resynchronize the first and second consistency groups.
US09727261B2
Systems and methods are disclosed for programming data in non-volatile memory arrays. A data storage device includes a solid-state non-volatile memory including a plurality of memory cells and a controller configured to improve data retention or reduce read disturb of at least a portion of the solid-state non-volatile memory at least in part by receiving data to be written to the solid-state non-volatile memory. The controller is further configured to, when a data retention programming mode is set, encode the data using a programming pattern that favors a first programming state over a second programming state, the first programming state being associated with a lower voltage level than the second programming state, and write the encoded data to the solid-state non-volatile memory. When a read disturb programming mode is set, the first programming state is associated with a higher voltage level than the second programming state.
US09727249B1
An instruction to write data to a write logical address is received where the write logical address is a member of a group of one or more logical addresses. It is determined if data associated with any of the logical addresses in the group of logical addresses has been written to any of a plurality of open groups of locations. If so, the data is written to the open group of locations to which data from the group of logical addresses has already been written to. If not, an open group of locations to write to is selected from the plurality of open groups of locations.
US09727244B2
In response to receipt of a write input-output operation (IOP) including a logical address and a logical page of write data, control logic of a data storage system detects a presence of a data pattern in the logical page. In response to detecting the presence of the data pattern in the logical page of write data, the control logic records, in a logical-to-physical translation data structure, an association between the logical address and a data pattern identifier identifying the detected data pattern in the bulk storage media, refrains from writing the logical page of write data to the bulk storage media, and writes logical page metadata describing the logical page of write data to the bulk storage media. The logical page metadata includes at least the logical address and the data pattern identifier, such that contents of the logical-to-physical translation data structure can be recovered from the bulk storage media.
US09727242B2
Embodiments of the present invention provide efficient systems and methods for selectively dumping memory by using usertokens to specify a address range from 64-bit storage to be included or excluded from a memory dump. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to reduce the requirement for programs to manage lists of address ranges which represent pertinent data for applications.
US09727237B2
A method of managing a keypad of a handheld electronic device comprises promoting a user whether a size of the keypad needs adjustment when the handheld electronic device is in a single hand operating mode. If the answer is yes, the handheld electronic device then detects a movement of a finger of the user on a touch screen thereof. When a movement of the finger along a diagonal direction of the keypad away from the keypad is detected, the size of the keypad is increased. When a movement of the finger alone the diagonal direction of the keypad toward the keypad is detected, the size of the keypad is decreased. When the movement of the finger is stopped and a “Done” button is pressed, the adjustment of the size of the keypad is completed, and the size of the keypad after adjustment is stored in a storage module.
US09727227B2
An invention is disclosed for using multi-touch input in a remote presentation session. In embodiments of the invention, a client computer is configured to locally receive both mouse and keyboard input, and multi-touch input. Where the client computer receives mouse or keyboard input, it sends this input to a remote presentation session server via a TCP connection. Where the client computer receives multi-touch input, it sends this input to the remote presentation session server via a UDP connection. The server computer processes input received from the client computer, via either the TCP or UDP connection, and sends the client a graphical result of performing processing corresponding to that received input.
US09727224B2
A display section includes a finished-state display area. A finished image is displayed in the finished-state display area. Target images selected based on one of preliminarily-determined plural patterns are arranged in the finished image. Upon switching operation with use of switching buttons, a first finished image in which the target images selected based on a first pattern are arranged, a second finished image in which the target images selected based on a second pattern are arranged, and a third finished image in which the target images selected based on a third pattern are arranged are displayed in a scrollable manner in the finished-state display area.
US09727222B2
A device includes a CPU and a touch-panel display. In a first display mode, when control functions that belong to a first level are assigned to menu switches of a plurality of menus, one of the menus is displayed. In a second display mode, all the menus are displayed. A change switch is provided in a menu display selection area, and includes a plural-row mark to indicate that a plurality of menus exist at the first level. The CPU switches between the modes to display one or all menus in the menu display selection area. When a plurality of menus exist at the first level, the plural-row mark is displayed; otherwise, the plural-row mark is erased. When the menus are displayed in the second display mode, the plural-row mark is lit. When the menu is displayed in the first display mode, the plural-row mark is unlit.
US09727209B2
Described herein is a framework to facilitate visualization. In accordance with one aspect, a visual representation of a hierarchical data structure is presented. The hierarchical data structure includes a plurality of nodes that organize data items. A user selection of a data item associated with a terminal node of the hierarchical data structure may be received. A shortcut of the data item may be inserted into a shortcut list associated with an ancestor node of the terminal node.
US09727207B2
A distributed digital content collaboration method and system, the method comprising the steps of storing collaboration session data for at least one collaboration session, the collaboration data including data objects displayable on display surfaces, identifying unused display surfaces associated a collaboration system, sending display identifiers to at least a subset of the unused display surfaces, wherein the display identifiers are presented on the display surfaces as display identification codes for associated surfaces, receiving user input via a user interface identifying at least one of the display identifiers associated with a first display surface, determining that the identified display identifier matches the display identifier sent to the first display surface and, in response to the determination, configuring the first display surface with the processor to facilitate content collaboration.
US09727205B2
Methods and apparatus for indicating a status of an application that is displayable on one or more displays of a handheld computing device. An icon may be provided that indicates the status and/or potential statuses of the application (e.g., whether the application is expandable and/or expanded). The icon may be changeable between a first state and a second state depending on the status of the application. The change in the icon from the first state to the second state may be animated along with an animated change of the application between display states. As such, a user may observe the icon to determine the status of the application with respect to the one or more displays (e.g., whether the application is expandable, expanded, or expanding).
US09727196B2
A wiring board includes a plurality of first terminal parts for electrically connecting with a control circuit and disposed corresponding to a plurality of first electrode parts, and first terminal wiring parts for electrically connecting the plurality of first electrode parts and the corresponding first terminal parts. Each of the first terminal wiring parts has, in at least a portion thereof falling in a circle with a radius of 10 mm centering around a boundary part between the first terminal wiring parts and the corresponding first terminal parts, a portion having a line width of 5 μm to 100 μm inclusive, the wiring resistance value of the first terminal wiring parts connected to the first terminal parts being 100 ohms to 10 kohms inclusive.
US09727193B2
Integrated touch screens are provided including drive lines formed of grouped-together circuit elements of a thin film transistor layer and sense lines formed between a color filter layer and a material layer that modifies or generates light. The common electrodes (Vcom) in the TFT layer can be grouped together during a touch sensing operation to form drive lines. Sense lines can be formed on an underside of a color filter glass, and a liquid crystal region can be disposed between the color filter glass and the TFT layer. Placing the sense lines on the underside of the color filter glass, i.e., within the display pixel cell, can provide a benefit of allowing the color filter glass to be thinned after the pixel cells have been assembled, for example.
US09727188B2
A touch display panel, including a touch display unit and drive circuit units disposed at the periphery of the touch display unit. The touch display unit includes touch drive electrodes, the drive circuit unit includes a first drive circuit unit and a second drive circuit unit which are electrically connected with two ends of each of the touch drive electrodes, respectively, and the first drive circuit unit is electrically connected with the second drive circuit unit through a first connecting line.
US09727186B2
The present disclosure provides a pixel circuit, its driving methods, an OLED display panel and a display device. The pixel circuit includes a driving controlling unit configured to, under the control of a first scanning signal and a second scanning signal, charge or discharge a first storage capacitor through a first level, a second level and a data voltage, so as to compensate for a threshold voltage of a driving transistor with a gate-to-source voltage of the driving transistor when an OLED is driven by the driving transistor to emit light; and a touch controlling unit including a touch sensor and configured to, under the control of the first scanning signal and the second scanning signal, sense by the touch sensor whether or not a touch is made and transmit a corresponding touch sensing signal to a touch signal reading line.
US09727179B2
A touch sensing method of a touch panel may include: defining at least one of at least one sensing loop as at least one reference sensing loop, wherein the sensing loop is disposed in the touch panel for sensing a touch event; providing a driving signal to the reference sensing loop in order to read at least one reference signal from the reference loop during an electrical detection period; providing the driving signal to the sensing loop in order to read at least one sensing signal from the sensing loop during a touch sensing period; and detecting a touch position of the touch event according to the reference signal and the sensing signal. Several touch apparatuses are also provided.
US09727177B2
The electronic device 1 includes a touch sensor 11, a press detection unit 12 configured to detect a press on the touch sensor 11, a control unit 15 configured to, upon detecting data based on a press that satisfies a predetermined standard, any of the applications running in the background to be switched with an application running in the foreground.
US09727175B2
A projected capacitive touch sensor includes a substrate and sets of electrodes coupled to corresponding areas of the substrate. The areas are non-overlapping with respect to each other. The sets of electrodes include a horizontal sensing electrode that extends along a height of a first column within the area and vertical sensing electrodes that extend partially along the height of at least one column within the area. The at least one column includes at least two vertical sensing electrodes that are physically separate with respect to each other and electrically connected to each other.
US09727171B2
An input apparatus includes a processor which is configured to: detect a finger region containing a finger and a fingertip position in a first image captured by a first camera; set a template containing the finger region and generate a plurality of sub-templates by dividing the template along a longitudinal direction of the finger region; obtain a region that best matches the template on a second image generated by a second camera placed a prescribed distance away from the first camera and divide the region into search regions equal in number to the sub-templates along the longitudinal direction of the finger region; perform template matching between a sub-template containing the fingertip position and a corresponding search region to find a matching point corresponding to the fingertip position; and compute the fingertip position in real space based on the fingertip position and the matching point.
US09727170B2
Provided are a method of removing common noise and a method of detecting touch information. The method of removing common noise includes acquiring base lines, acquiring raw data, calculating touch strengths (TSs) using the base lines and the raw data, calculating a difference representative value between the TSs and a reference level, and removing influence of common noise from the TSs using the difference representative value.
US09727165B2
A display may have an array of pixels controlled by display driver circuitry. Gate driver circuitry supplies gate line signals to rows of the pixels. The gate driver circuitry may include blocks of gate driver circuits each having an output coupled to a respective one of the gate lines. The gate driver circuits of each block are coupled in a chain to form a shift register. Each block has a local block-level gate start pulse generator. The display driver circuitry has a display driver circuit that supplies a gate start pulse clock to each of the local block-level gate start pulse generators. The local block-level gate start pulse generators create gate start pulses that are applied to the first gate driver circuit in each shift register. The display driver circuit may delay the gate start pulse clock when it is desired to implement an intraframe pause.
US09727164B2
A touch detecting circuit is allowed to adaptively operate in accordance with an interconnection length to a sensor capacitor of an object to be detected. For example, the touch detecting circuit has a configuration capable of adjusting a threshold value for determination touch and non-touch or a configuration capable of adjusting detection sensitivity of a detection circuit that is connected to the sensor capacitor. For example, the touch detecting circuit has a configuration which includes an adjustment resistor that is connected in series to a signal line for input from the sensor capacitor at an input portion of the detection circuit, and which is capable of performing adjustment to cancel a difference in an interconnection resistance from a sensor capacitor on a far end side to a sensor capacitor on a near end side.
US09727162B2
The invention provides a GOA driving circuit applied for a flat panel display device and a flat panel display device. The GOA driving circuit includes a front-stage circuit, a middle-stage circuit and a rear-stage circuit. GOA driving subunits in the front-stage circuit, the middle-stage circuit and the rear-stage circuit receive a first clock signal and a second clock signal to sequentially generate corresponding gate driving signals. The first clock signal and the second clock signal are set with an interruption period to generate an interruption between the sequentially generated gate driving signals. The flat panel display device performs a touch detection operation in the interruption period. By the above solution, the invention can achieve the interruption of GOA driving circuit scan and thereby increase touch scan frequency.
US09727160B2
There is provided a displacement detection device including a light source, an image sensor and a processing unit. The light source provides light to a finger with a light source parameter. The image sensor receives reflected light from the finger, outputs valid images when the light source is being turned on and outputs dark images when the light source is being turned off. The processing unit determines a contact status according to one of the dark images and one of the valid images, and calculates a displacement according to two of the valid images to accordingly adjust the light source parameter.
US09727159B2
A controller for a capacitive touch screen includes a touch resolve subsystem and a processor. The touch resolve subsystem, in response to a trigger input, measures a plurality of capacitance values using a plurality of input pins. The processor controls the touch resolve subsystem to acquire a baseline capacitance in a calibration mode, to acquire a frame comprising the plurality of capacitance values in a normal operation mode, and to update the baseline capacitance to a new baseline capacitance in the normal operation mode in response to the frame without entering the calibration mode.
US09727154B2
An electronic device has a combination touch sensor (such as a fingerprint reader) and mechanical switch (actuated, for example, by a button press). The electronic device carries out various functions according to whether the touch sensor is being touched, the mechanical switch is being actuated, the electronic device is face up or face down, the state of the electronic device (awake or in sleep mode), and the function that the electronic device is currently carrying out.
US09727149B2
Stylus settings techniques are described. In implementations, an input is recognized as selecting at least one object displayed in a user interface by a display device of a computing device. Responsive to the recognition, an indication is displayed on the display device that is selectable.
US09727147B2
An unlocking method and an electronic device are provided. The method is suitable for the electronic device having a touch screen and being in a screen lock mode. The method includes: displaying a first region and a second region on the touch screen; adjusting the first region and the second region according to a tilting state of the electronic device; receiving a touch operation performed on the touch screen; and switching the electronic device to an unlock mode when the touch operation starts in the first region and ends in the second region.
US09727145B2
A detecting device includes a processor and a memory which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to execute: specifying a region of a hand from a captured image; deciding, based on a movement amount of a region specified by the specifying, a first region with a first movement amount and a second region with a second movement amount that is larger than the first movement amount; if a first region and a second region decided by the deciding are captured in a joined state, deriving a region that remains after removing the first region from the captured image; and detecting a predetermined site in an image of a region derived by the deriving.
US09727131B2
A portable device and user input method of the portable device using a virtual input area is provided. The portable device may include a sensor configured to sense a user input to an input area, the input area being at least a portion of an area adjacent to the portable device, a determiner configured to determine a target object corresponding to the user input among at least one input object displayed on the portable device, based on an arrangement of the at least one input object, and a controller configured to generate a control command to control the target object.
US09727129B2
A system, controller, and computer readable medium for providing an audio augmented reality to a user. The system can detect an object, event, or the like in the environment of a user and play a digitized sound and/or a synthesized sound in response to the detected object, event, or the like. The user can specify preferences for sounds played in response to the detected object or event.
US09727122B2
Various embodiments are directed to restrictions in portable computing device electric power to accommodate reductions in the voltage level of a power source. An apparatus comprises a controller caused to receive configuration data from a main processor circuit specifying a voltage level threshold and selected action to take to reduce electric power to a first component in response to the voltage level falling below the first voltage level threshold, recurringly monitor the voltage level; based on the voltage level falling below the first voltage level threshold, take the first selected action and transmit a signal to the main processor circuit indicating that the voltage level has fallen below the first voltage level threshold and that the first selected action has been taken; transmit the voltage level to the main processor circuit; receive a signal from the main processor circuit to undo the first selected action; and so undo.
US09727118B2
A measuring circuit connectable to a capacitive touch-sensitive panel, the panel including a plurality of sense electrodes and optionally a common guard electrode, adapted to measure variations in the instantaneous electric capacity of the sense electrodes in response to proximity to conductive bodies, wherein the sense electrodes are biased at a fixed voltage relative to the common guard electrode, the measuring circuit comprising: a power management integrated circuit comprising a voltage source generating a modulation voltage that is available at a guard terminal of the power management integrated circuit that is in electric connection with the guard electrode; one or more slave integrated circuits, each connected to a plurality of sense electrodes and comprising a Capacity-to-Digital converter or a plurality of Capacity-to-Digital converters that are operatively arranged for generating digital measure codes representing the instantaneous electric capacity of sense electrodes; a means for varying the frequency of the modulation voltage.
US09727111B2
A control device for current switching includes: a universal serial bus on-the-go (USB OTG) interface for connecting to a first device; a universal serial bus (USB) interface for connecting to a second device; a booster current-limiting circuit connected between the USB OTG interface and the USB interface, where the booster current-limiting circuit, the USB OTG interface, and the USB interface form a line for the device to supply power to a device; and a measuring and controlling unit connected to the booster current-limiting circuit, where the measuring and controlling unit is configured to change, after a current switching request is received, a resistance value of a current-limiting circuit in the booster current-limiting circuit, so that the first device supplies a corresponding current to the second device. The control device for current switching and the electronic device can improve universality of the control device for current switching.
US09727107B2
A controlled apparatus periodically transmits state information indicating the state of the apparatus, and when the state has been changed, transmits state information indicating the state after the change. Upon receiving state information from the controlled apparatus, a control apparatus, when not requesting a change of state in the controlled apparatus, returns the state information to the controlled apparatus, and when requesting a change of the state in the controlled apparatus, changes state parameters in the state information that correspond to the state to be changed to required values and transmits the state information after the change to the controlled apparatus as a control command. The controlled apparatus, upon receiving the control command from the control apparatus, changes to a state in accordance with the state parameters that follow the change and transmits the state information indicating the state after the change to the control apparatus.
US09727096B1
One embodiment provides an apparatus, including: a housing including: a compartment; the compartment having a panel and two side walls accommodating removable computer modules; the apparatus including a movable component that slides away from the compartment to reveal an inside of the compartment; the compartment including power and data connectors for coupling to the removable computer modules; where power is removed from the removable computer modules responsive to sliding away the movable component. Other aspects are described and claimed.
US09727094B1
A window button assembly is connected to an enclosure of an electronic device. The window button assembly can include a button plank and a switch component positioned underneath the button plank such that sufficient deflection of the button plank activates the switch component. A component may be included in the window button assembly. The component can be in communication with the switch component, and activation of the switch component can initiate an action by the component.
US09727093B2
A biaxial synchronization dual-shaft hinge includes a transmission device set consisting of a first transmission member, a second transmission member, a first interlocking member and a second interlocking member, and pivot shaft set consisting of a first pivot shaft and a second pivot shaft. The arrangement of the transmission device set enables the first pivot shaft and second pivot shaft of the pivot shaft set to be biased synchronously in reversed directions so that the top cover member and bottom base member of the dual-leaf mobile electronic device that are respectively affixed to the first pivot shaft and second pivot shaft of the pivot shaft set can be opened and closed smoothly and stably.
US09727079B2
A chassis input/output (I/O) module adapted for use in a front region of a mass storage chassis assembly is provided. The chassis I/O module in one example includes an I/O module shell, a main I/O connector externally available on the I/O module shell, a plurality of sub-assembly connectors externally available on the I/O module shell, one or more power supply modules, and an interface module electrically coupled to the main I/O connector, the plurality of sub-assembly connectors, and the one or more power supply modules, with the interface module configured to regulate operations of one or more mass storage sub-assemblies installed in the mass storage chassis assembly, regulate provision of electrical power from the one or more power supply modules to the one or more mass storage sub-assemblies, and facilitate exchange of electrical signals between the one or more mass storage sub-assemblies and the main I/O connector.
US09727078B2
A computing device is disclosed. The computing device includes a housing having electrical plug blades for insertion into an electrical outlet, an AC/DC electrical converter contained within the housing, a system on a chip (SoC) powered by the converter and contained within the housing, at least one data storage device in data communication with the SoC and contained within the housing, a networking device in data communication with the SoC and contained within the housing, an input receiving device in data communication with the SoC and contained within the housing, and at least one output port in data communication with the SoC and contained within the housing.
US09727077B2
A system for reducing peak electromagnetic interference in a network device. The network device includes multiple clock sources and multiple clocked components. Each clocked component receives a clock signal with an actual clock frequency from a separate clock source. The clock signals have an identical nominal frequency. The actual frequency of each clock signal deviates from the nominal frequency within a predetermined range.
US09727068B2
Systems and methods dynamically assess energy efficiency by obtaining a minimum energy consumption of a system, receiving in a substantially continuous way a measurement of actual energy consumption of the system, and comparing the minimum energy consumption to the measurement of actual energy consumption to calculate a substantially continuous energy performance assessment. The system further provides at least one of a theoretical minimum energy consumption based at least in part on theoretical performance limits of system components, an achievable minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for high energy efficient equivalents of the system components, and the designed minimum energy consumption based at least in part on specifications for the system components.
US09727067B2
A regulator circuit includes: a regulator part configured to generate a constant internal power supply voltage based on an external power supply voltage; a connection port configured to receive power from the regulator part and to be connected to a connection cable having a predetermined cable resistance, the connection cable is configured to electrically connect the connection port to an external device; a current detecting part configured to detect a power supply current when the connection cable is connected to the connection port; and a voltage compensation part configured to compensate a voltage corresponding to a voltage drop due to the cable resistance according to a current value detected by the current detecting part.
US09727066B2
In a fuel cell system which includes a high-electricity multiple-phase converter, noise generated due to an increase in reactor vibrations and due to a sound pressure increase caused by a plurality of reactors is effectively inhibited, and silence is improved. A fuel cell system includes a multiple-phase converter provided between a fuel cell and a load device. The fuel cell system includes: selecting means (e.g., a controller) for selecting a driving phase of the multiple-phase converter in accordance with the load of the load device; and driving means (e.g., a controller) for driving a plurality of driving phases, when selected by the selecting means, at carrier frequencies so that these driving phases are nearly opposite to each other.
US09727062B2
A system, in certain embodiments, includes an SMA thermostat. The SMA thermostat includes a body, a sleeve, a biasing spring and an SMA spring. Upon actuation of the SMA spring at a phase transition temperature, the sleeve is configured to shift and expose flow ports formed in the body.
US09727054B2
To enable any measurement through the galvanic isolation of a subsea transformer, a topside system is used apply an AC voltage thereby generating a flux is the transformer core. The test is preferably done prior to any rotation in a subsea motor installed “behind” the transformer. Therefore, the voltage and frequency combination is be selected such that the torque produced is insufficient to rotate the motor. Impedance amplitude and phase are measured and then comparing the results of modeled fault scenarios. Faults such as, open circuits, short circuits, and loss of phase(s) can be detected prior to startup.
US09727050B2
A vibration data acquisition and analysis module is operable to be inserted directly into a distributed control system (DCS) I/O backplane, so that processed vibration parameters may be scanned directly by the DCS I/O controller. Because the process data and the vibration data are both being scanned by the same DCS I/O controller, there is no need to integrate numerical data, binary relay outputs, and analog overall vibration level outputs from a separate vibration monitoring system into the DCS. The system provides for: (1) directly acquiring vibration data by the DCS for machinery protection and predictive machinery health analysis; (2) direct integration of vibration information on DCS alarm screens; (3) acquisition and display of real time vibration data on operator screens; (4) using vibration data to detect abnormal situations associated with equipment failures; and (5) using vibration data directly in closed-loop control applications.
US09727049B2
The present disclosure provides various methods for tool condition monitoring, including systems for implementing such monitoring. An exemplary method includes receiving data associated with a process performed on wafers by an integrated circuit manufacturing process tool; and monitoring a condition of the integrated circuit manufacturing process tool using the data. The monitoring includes evaluating the data based on an abnormality identification criterion, an abnormality filtering criterion, and an abnormality threshold to determine whether the data meets an alarm threshold. The method may further include issuing an alarm when the data meets the alarm threshold.
US09727043B2
A method for starting up an automation machine in a machine series is described. With the method, a software package is automatically generated in a planning system with a step tree. The step tree included in the software package is structured in the form of a graph with edges and nodes, wherein at least some of the nodes comprise start-up data or start-up information relating to the start-up data, and wherein the edges describe permitted transitions between two respective nodes. The software package is executed on a machine or on a unit which is connected with the machine for communication. A planning system for carrying out the method is also disclosed.
US09727041B2
An air-conditioning system includes an air-conditioning apparatus, a user information input terminal, and a central management apparatus. The user information input terminal detects entrance of a user into a room and transmits an entrance-interlocking signal including user identification information for identifying the user to the central management apparatus. Upon receipt of the entrance-interlocking signal, the central management apparatus determines a control objective of the air-conditioning apparatus according to priority of user attribute of one or more users in the room and an energy saving level currently set, and cause the air-conditioning apparatus to perform an interlocking control in accordance with the determined control objective.
US09727040B2
A method for manufacturing a custom cranial remodeling device of a type comprising plastic material is provided. The method includes the steps of: providing a first database of three-dimensional digital surface images of trim lines for cranial remodeling devices of a first type; providing a second database of three-dimensional digital surface images of trim lines for cranial remodeling devices of a second type; providing a first program for creating trim lines for a cranial remodeling device of the first type, the first program utilizing the first database; providing a second program for creating trim lines for a cranial remodeling device of the second type, the second program utilizing the second database; generating a three-dimensional model of a desired head shape; forming the plastic material onto the model; and selecting one of the first or the second programs to generate trim lines for the cranial remodeling device.
US09727030B2
An electronic timepiece comprises a receiver configured to receive satellite signals containing time information from positioning information satellites; an interface member; a timekeeping reception controller configured to execute a timekeeping reception process in response to a timekeeping reception operation of the interface member; and a positioning reception controller configured to execute a positioning reception process in response to a positioning reception operation of the interface member. The timekeeping reception controller starts the timekeeping reception process if the interface member is operated continuously for a first set time, and continues the timekeeping reception process if operation of the interface member is released before a second set time passes, the second set time being longer than the first set time, and operation switches from the timekeeping reception process to the positioning reception process if the interface member is operated for the second set time.
US09727029B2
An electronic timepiece includes a case formed of a metal case barrel and a metal bezel, and the case accommodates an antenna body made of a resin mixed with a dielectric material and having an annular shape. A dielectric auxiliary member made of a dielectric having a dielectric constant greater than that of the antenna body and having an annular shape is disposed between the antenna body and the bezel.
US09727027B2
A watch including an electronic movement driving display for an analog display on a dial of at least one additional function in addition to a normal current time display, the at least one function being controlled by a controller and including at least one phase using an operating mode in which a duration of the phase is measured.
US09727014B1
A fuser includes a fuser roll and a pressure roll that forms a nip between the rolls through which a sheet is conveyed to permanently fuse an image onto the sheet. The fuser roll includes a heater element having a single resistive trace, a common trace tapped to a first side of the resistive trace continuous across the resistive trace, and first and second conductive traces tapped to ends of the resistive trace at a second side of the resistive trace opposite the first side. The first and second conductive traces are physically separated and conductively segmented by a conductive gap between the conductive traces. The resistive trace includes a separation gap extending through the resistive trace continuously from the second side of the resistive trace at the conductive gap towards the first side of the resistive trace to prevent current flow between the segmented conductive traces.
US09727010B2
An image forming apparatus configured to convey a recording material having an unfixed image on a surface includes a fixing device configured to fix the unfixed image on the recording material and a control device configured to perform image forming process control of the image forming apparatus, the fixing device including: a heating member heated by a heating device and a pressure member that binds the recording material on the surface of which the unfixed image is formed, and while letting the recording material pass between the pressure member oneself and the heating member, fixes the unfixed image onto the recording material, the control device calculating integrated energy consumption per unit time based on power consumption of the heating device and time needed for a print mode, and performing control of changing the image forming process.
US09727009B2
According to one embodiment, a fixing device includes a heat roller, a first heat generating body, a second heat generating body, and a power adjuster. The heat roller heats a conveyed sheet. The first heat generating body is provided in the heat roller and generates heat in the vicinity of the center in the length direction of the heat roller. The second heat generating body is provided in the heat roller and generates heat in the vicinities of both the ends in the length direction of the heat roller. The power adjuster applies thinning control to electric energy supplied to one or both of the first heat generating body and the second heat generating body.
US09727006B2
An image formation unit that forms an image on a transfer medium, a conveyance unit that conveys the transfer medium, a control unit that controls formation of the image and conveyance of the transfer medium are provided. The control unit has a sheet gap image forming function of forming a predetermined toner image in a sheet gap between the transfer media conveyed by the conveyance unit. When the transfer medium is conveyed, the control unit acquires information of a tilt angle on a conveyance surface of the transfer medium conveyed to the image formation unit, calculates a sheet gap between the transfer media based on the tilt angle, determines whether or not a toner image of a required amount is able to be formed in the sheet gap when performing the sheet gap image forming function, and controls formation of the sheet gap image based on the determination result.
US09727004B2
A toner supply roller (1) is produced by preparing a rubber composition which contains a rubber component including an epichlorohydrin rubber and a butadiene rubber, a crosslinking component and a foaming component and, while extruding the rubber composition into a tubular body, continuously foaming and crosslinking the rubber composition of the tubular body by a continuous crosslinking apparatus including a microwave crosslinking device and a hot air crosslinking device. An image forming apparatus incorporates the toner supply roller (1).
US09726999B2
An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable photosensitive member (drum), a first corona charger, a second corona charger, an image forming portion, a voltage applying portion, a surface potential detecting portion, a controller. The controller determines a condition of voltages applied to the first and second corona chargers during image formation, by setting a first voltage condition for the first corona charger so that the surface potential of the drum is a second potential lower in absolute value than the first potential in a state in which the first corona charger operates, and the second corona charger does not operates, and then by setting a second voltage condition for the second corona charger so that the surface potential of the drum is the first potential in a state in which the first corona charger operates under the first voltage condition, and the second corona charger operates.
US09726988B2
A multi-stage system includes a stator including a plurality of electric coils; a first stage including a first magnet assembly, the first stage moveable relative to the stator; a second stage including a second magnet assembly, the second stage moveable relative to the stator; a controller configured to position the first and the second stage relative to the stator by activating, respectively, a first subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the first magnet assembly and a second subset of the plurality of electric coils to interact with the second magnet assembly, the controller adapted to prevent at least one electric coil, to be simultaneously shared by the first and the second subset to position the first and the second stage on the stator, from activating.
US09726986B2
A tray for a panel exposure machine, and also such a machine, enabling a panel to be retained and pressed down so as to be presented facing an exposure device. The tray comprises a work surface (13) adapted to receive panels of different sizes, said work surface (13) being substantially plane and possessing first and second adjacent edges (13a, 13b) extending along substantially orthogonal first and second directions (X, Y) defining a reference corner (C); and first and second holder devices (30a, 30b) of a first type and at least a first holder device (40a) of a second type, each holder device being actuatable between a holding, first state in which it exerts pressure directed towards the work surface (13), thereby defining a holding position, and a rest, second state in which said pressure is released; a positioning device (14) arranged along at least a portion of the first edge (13a) and along at least a portion of the second edge (13b); the holder devices (30a, 30b) of the first type extend along at least a portion of the first and second edges (13a, 13b) respectively, their holding positions being fixed in a plane parallel to the work surface; the holder device (40a) of the second type is movable in a plane parallel to the work surface (13) in order to adapt its holding position as a function of the size of the panel in use.
US09726981B2
An exposure apparatus includes: a projection optical system; an adjusting unit configured to adjust imaging characteristics of the projection optical system; and a controller configured to divide the plurality of shot regions into groups based on data of a shift in the pattern of each shot region and an order of the exposure, determine setting amounts of the imaging characteristics for each group, and control the adjusting unit to set the imaging characteristics to the setting amounts for each group. The setting amount is common to a plurality of shot regions in the group and varies among the groups. The controller performs the division such that the shot regions belonging to the same group have a sequential exposure order and all values of the shift in the shot regions belonging to the same group fall within a predetermined range.
US09726979B2
A catadioptric projection objective has a first objective part, defining a first part of the optical axis and imaging an object field to form a first real intermediate image. It also has a second, catadioptric objective part forming a second real intermediate image using the radiation from the first objective part. The second objective part has a concave mirror and defines a second part of the optical axis. A third objective part images the second real intermediate image into the image plane and defines a third part of the optical axis. Folding mirrors deflect the radiation from the object plane towards the concave mirror; and deflect the radiation from the concave mirror towards the image plane. The first part of the optical axis defined by the first objective part is laterally offset from and aligned parallel with the third part of the optical axis.
US09726978B2
A cleaning composition for removing plasma etching residue and/or ashing residue formed above a semiconductor substrate is provided that includes (component a) water, (component b) a hydroxylamine and/or a salt thereof, (component c) a basic organic compound, and (component d) an organic acid and has a pH of 7 to 9. There are also provided a cleaning process and a process for producing semiconductor device employing the cleaning composition.
US09726975B2
A photoresist composition, comprising: from 0.1 to 1.0 parts of a polyether-modified organosilicon levelling agent 58; from 7 to 23 parts of a polyfunctional monomer; from 13 to 29 parts of a alkaline soluble resin; from 23 to 62.8 parts of a pigment dispersion; from 1.5 to 11.9 parts of a photo-initiator; and from 10 to 45 parts of a solvent, on the basis of parts by weight. The photoresist composition can solve the problem of poor levelling property of the coating film and shrinkage of the film surface after high temperature baking occurring in the existing photoresist composition.
US09726971B2
Negatives and laminates containing negatives for exposing liquid photopolymers in UV flexographic plate making are created by printing opaque images directly onto the protective or release cover films used in plate making processes. Combining negatives and cover films in this way eliminates two layers and two interfaces in the exposure process, reducing cost and improving quality.
US09726970B2
A method of fabricating a reflective photomask is provided. The method includes sequentially forming a multi-layered reflective layer, an absorption layer and an anti-reflective coating (ARC) layer on a substrate. ARC patterns are formed to expose a portion of the absorption layer by directly irradiating an ion beam onto a portion of the ARC layer to etch the portion of the ARC layer. The exposed portion of the absorption layer is etched using the ARC patterns as etch masks to form absorption patterns exposing a portion of the multi-layered reflective layer.
US09726967B1
Display media configured to receive projected content are described herein. In some instances, a display medium may be a non-powered object that a user may hold and move in different ways through a room or other environment. The display medium may be formed to fit into the user's hand and include elements that provide information to accurately project an image onto the display medium or to perform other actions.
US09726958B2
The present invention provides a display panel and a display device which can increase light use efficiency with a simple configuration. An optical modulation layer 30 provided between substrates 10 and 20 contains a polar solvent 31a, a nonpolar solvent 31b, and hydrophilic shape-anisotropic members 32, the hydrophilic substrate 20 makes contact with the polar solvent 31a, the hydrophobic substrate 10 makes contact with the nonpolar solvent 31b, a projected area of the shape-anisotropic members 32 onto the substrates 10 and 20 is changed by adjusting a magnitude of a voltage to be applied to the optical modulation layer 30.
US09726946B2
A liquid crystal display device includes an electrode configuration layer provided on a support substrate, the electrode configuration layer includes a stripe region having a plurality of electrode regions and a plurality of insulator regions arranged in an alternating manner, and the electrode regions and the insulator regions are formed by partially performing a reduction treatment or an oxidation treatment on a layer made of one material, thereby controlling conductivity. Further, the electrode regions are included in at least one of the pixel electrode and the counter electrode of the liquid crystal display device.
US09726935B2
A liquid crystal display (LCD) includes a first base substrate, a pixel electrode disposed on the first base substrate, a second base substrate facing the first base substrate, and an overcoat layer disposed on the second base substrate. The overcoat layer may include at least one of polysilsesquioxane, polysilazane, or derivatives thereof. The LCD further includes a common electrode disposed on the overcoat layer to form an electric field with the pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal layer disposed between the first base substrate and the second base substrate.
US09726933B2
The present invention relates to liquid-crystalline media (LC media) having negative or positive dielectric anisotropy comprising self-alignment additives (SAMs) with an at least one bifunctional or polyfunctional anchor group, which effects the homeotropic (vertical) alignment of the LC media at a surface or the cell walls of a liquid-crystal display (LC display). The invention therefore also encompasses LC displays having homeotropic alignment of the liquid-crystalline medium (LC medium) without conventional imide alignment layers. The LC media may be supplemented by a polymerizable or polymerized component, which serves for stabilization of the alignment, for adjustment of the tilt angle and/or as passivation layer.
US09726932B2
An optical film is provided and has retardations satisfying relations (1) to (3): (1) 0≦Re(550)≦10; (2) −25≦Rth(550)≦25; and (3) |I|+|II|+|III|+|IV|>0.5 (nm), with definitions: I=Re(450)−Re(550); II=Re(650)−Re(550); III=Rth(450)−Rth(550); and IV=Rth(650)−Rth(550), wherein Re(450), Re(550) and Re(650) are in-plane retardations measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively; and Rth(450), Rth(550) and Rth(650) are retardations in a thickness direction of the optical film, which are measured with lights of wavelength of 450, 550 and 650 nm, respectively.
US09726931B2
The present disclosure relates to the field of display technology, and provides a liquid crystal display panel, a method for manufacturing the same and a liquid crystal display device. The liquid crystal display panel includes a screen body including a plurality of pixel units arranged in an array form, and a plurality of light sources arranged at a peripheral region of the screen body so as to provide back light to the pixel units. An aperture ratio of the pixel unit increases along with an increase in a distance between the pixel unit and the light source arranged at the peripheral region.
US09726923B2
The present invention provides a touch LCM comprising an array substrate and a color film substrate provided opposite to each other, wherein an optical film set is provided at a side of the color film substrate away from the array substrate, comprising a touch signal feedback layer, a touch signal receiving layer and an upper polarizer film provided there between. With the design of integrating the upper polarizer film, the touch signal feedback layer and the touch signal receiving layer into the optical film set, the optical film set has both the polarizing function in the conventional sense and the function of touch electrode.
US09726921B2
A liquid crystal display module and a mobile device are provided. The liquid crystal display module includes: a display function component and a cover glass structure. The display function component is disposed in a receiving space of a middle-frame structure of a mobile device. The cover glass structure includes a front glass structure directly disposed on the display function component. A dimension of the front glass structure matches with the middle-frame structure and the cover glass structure covers a majority of an upper surface of the mobile device.
US09726917B2
An image display device includes an image display panel, data drive circuits, a timing control circuit, flexible printed circuits arranged between at least two of the liquid crystal panel, the data drive circuits, and the timing control circuit, to electrically connect the at least two of the liquid crystal panel, the data drive circuits, and the timing control circuit, printed circuit boards arranged between at least two of the data drive circuits, the flexible printed circuit, and the timing control circuit, to electrically connect the at least two of the data drive circuits, the flexible printed circuit, and the timing control circuit, and an element formation portion provided at at least one of the flexible printed circuit and the printed circuit board while including electrical elements regularly arranged on the element formation portion in accordance with at least one predetermined rule.
US09726907B2
A rewritable and freezable lens and method for manufacturing thereof are disclosed. This lens includes at least one active element that has optical properties that can be written, frozen and rewritten into new values at least twice. Rewritable and freezable lenses comprising active index polymer dispersed liquid crystal materials are disclosed. In-situ re-adaptation of spectacle and contact lenses is possible at the point of sale. In-vivo re-adaptation of intraocular lenses in the doctor's room is feasible, avoiding further surgery.
US09726905B2
An example embodiment includes eyewear. The eyewear includes a lens, a brow piece, and two temple assemblies. The brow piece is configured to position the lens in front of the eyes of a user during use. The two temple assemblies are coupled to the brow piece by two hinges. Each of the temple assemblies are configured to extend along a side of a head of the user during use. Each of the temple assemblies includes a temple substrate and a wave-shaped insert. The wave-shape insert includes at least one horizontal span and at least one vertical portion. The horizontal span is configured to dictate the deflection of a first portion of the temple substrate and enable rotation of the first portion of the temple substrate about the horizontal span. The vertical portion is configured to dictate a torsional stiffness of a second portion of the temple assembly.
US09726898B2
A switchable autostereoscopic display device includes a display panel having an array of display pixels for producing a display, and a lens arrangement for directing the output from different pixels to different spatial positions to enable a stereoscopic image to be viewed. The lens arrangement is in a plane parallel to the display panel and includes an electrically switchable LC layer which defines a lens pattern or a lens replica pattern. The LC alignment of the LC layer is electrically switchable such that the lens arrangement is switchable between 2D and 3D modes. In the 2D mode, the LC alignment is in a first direction substantially within the plane of the lens arrangement; and in the 3D mode, the LC alignment is in a second, perpendicular direction also substantially within the plane of the lens arrangement. The light output of the display panel is polarized in the second direction.
US09726896B2
Methods, apparatus, and computer-readable media are described herein related to a virtual monitor display technique for augmented reality environments targeted at allowing a user of a display-enabled computing device to substitute their conventional hardware-realized display screen with a virtualized display screen of equal or better usability characteristics than the hardware-realized device. A virtual screen is rendered via a micro display in an augmented reality environment to a human user wearing a see through head mountable device. The system architecture makes use of liquid lens technology in order to adjust the relative position of the display as well as the focal distance by optical means only thereby ensuring that the virtual screen is rendered at the maximum resolution of the micro display at all times. The system architecture also comprises an occlusion matrix thereby ensuring that the virtual screen is free of ghosting. The system is configured in such a way that a display auto-hide function is triggered whenever certain threshold parameters are exceeded. The virtual monitor display technique described herein has been designed with the aim of reducing the effects simulator sickness during prolonged use of the virtual display.
US09726895B2
A wearable display device that employs a sliding structure is disclosed. The device includes: a frame; a main unit coupled to the frame; a non-bending part, which includes a camera configured to capture an image of a forward direction, and which is coupled to the main unit and is configured to slide to a first position; a hinge coupled with the non-bending part; and a bending part, which is configured to provide image information to a user, and which is coupled with the hinge to rotate within a predefined angle. When the bending part is rotated, the camera is exposed to the exterior and moves from the first position to a second position. The device prevents malfunctioning and damage even when the device is worn for extended periods, and it is possible to resolve the problem of the wearable display device obstructing the field of vision when not in use.
US09726889B2
An apparatus having a mounting system and a helmet mounted display. The mounting system including a mounting plate and a mounting rocker. The helmet mounted display including a housing; latching tabs; an optical element having a combiner surface; at least one processor; and at least one memory including software, the at least one memory and software configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to display heads up information on the combiner surface. The optical element is housed within a second portion of the housing being hingedly attached to the first portion of the housing. The apparatus is configured such that the combiner surface is positionable within the field of view of a wearer of the helmet. Related assemblies and methods are described.
US09726885B2
A preferred system and method for projecting a business information model at a construction site includes a network, a system administrator connected to the network, a database connected to the system administrator, a set of registration markers positioned in the construction site, and a set of user devices connected to the network. The system includes a hard hat, a set of headsets mounted to the hard hat, a set of display units movably connected to the set of headsets, a set of cameras connected to the set of headsets, and a wearable computer connected to the set of headsets and to the network. The cameras capture an image of the set of registration markers. A position of the user device is determined from the image and an orientation is determined from motion sensors. A BIM is downloaded and projected to a removable visor based on the position and orientation.
US09726882B2
Optical system comprising a motor, an optical element, an optical detector, and a linkage that connects operation of the motor to movement of the optical element and the optical detector relative to one another. The linkage may include a shaft and a drive element that operatively connects the shaft to another part of the linkage. In some embodiments, the drive element may include a clamp having a base and a retainer that compressively secure the drive element to the shaft by engagement of a cylindrical surface region of the shaft with the base and engagement of a flat surface region of the shaft with the retainer. In some embodiments, the drive element may include a collar secured to the shaft with a fastener disposed in threaded engagement with a transverse hole defined by the shaft.
US09726879B2
The variable liquid device includes: a chamber including a channel, in which a fluid flows, having an inconsistent height in at least a part of the channel; a first fluid filled in the chamber and formed of a non-transmissive material; and a second fluid filled in the chamber and formed of a light transmittable material that does not mix with the first fluid, wherein an aperture, through which light is transmitted, is adjusted according to a variation of an interface between the first fluid and the second fluid.
US09726873B2
In a microscope which can incline an imaging section, a height position of an observation target is automatically matched to a eucentric position. The microscope includes: a placement stage on which an observation target is placed; a lower stage lifting section that vertically movably supports the placement stage; a first driving mechanism that drives the lower stage lifting section; an imaging section that captures an image of the observation target; and an upper stage lifting section that vertically movably supports a fitting member along an optical axis and is swingable about a swinging axis orthogonal to the optical axis, wherein the first driving mechanism can drive the lower stage lifting section such that the surface of the observation target placed on the placement stage is matched to a focal position of imaging unit, or a height position of the swinging axis.
US09726869B2
Comprising, in order from an object side: a first lens group G1 having positive refractive power; a second lens group G2 having negative refractive power; a third lens group G3 having positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group G4 having positive refractive power; upon zooming from a wide-angle end state to a telephoto end state, the first lens group G1 being fixed in the position in the direction of the optical axis, at least the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3 being moved in the direction of the optical axis such that a distance between the first lens group G1 and the second lens group G2 is increased and a distance between the second lens group G2 and the third lens group G3 is decreased; and a predetermined conditional expression being satisfied, thereby providing a variable magnification optical system which can suppress variations in aberrations upon zooming and having excellent optical performance from a wide angle end state to a telephoto end state, an optical apparatus, and a method for manufacturing a variable magnification optical system.
US09726864B2
A teleconverter lens consists essentially of, in order from the object side: a front group having a positive refractive power; and a rear group having a negative refractive power, wherein the front group and the rear group are separated from each other by the widest air space, the front group consists essentially of one positive lens having a convex surface toward the object side, and the rear group includes, in order from the object side, at least one negative lens having a concave surface toward the image side, and at least one positive lens having a convex surface toward the object side.
US09726863B2
A wide angle zoom lens includes sequentially from the object side, a first lens group having a negative refractive power overall and three lenses, including first to third lenses, having a negative refractive power and disposed farthest on the object side; a second lens group having a positive refractive power overall and one or more sets of cemented lenses; and a third lens group having a negative refractive power. This ultra wide angle zoom lens varies intervals between the first lens group, the second lens group, and the third lens group on the optical axis to zoom from the wide angle end to the telephoto end and satisfies given conditions to thereby enable a high zoom ratio, large diameter, and high resolution.
US09726858B2
A photographing optical lens assembly includes, in order from an object side to an image side, a first lens element, a second lens element, a third lens element, a fourth lens element, a fifth lens element and a sixth lens element. The first lens element with positive refractive power has an object-side surface being convex in a paraxial region thereof. The second lens element has refractive power. Each of the third through sixth lens elements has refractive power and an object-side surface and an image-side surface being both aspheric. The photographing optical lens assembly has a total of six lens elements with refractive power.
US09726850B2
A lens actuating motor is provided. The motor includes a lens unit and an actuator unit including a bobbin configured to fix the lens unit, a coil unit configured to wind an outer side surface of the bobbin, a magnet unit disposed to face the coil unit, a yoke unit configured to fix the magnet unit, and a printed circuit board configured to apply an electrical power source, wherein the bobbin includes a body configured to hold the lens unit, at least two straight line parts formed on an outer side surface of the body, a curved part formed between the straight line parts, and a damping member coated on a side of the magnet unit facing the bobbin.
US09726847B2
Disclosed is a camera module. The camera module includes a lens assembly comprising a plurality of lens units having a polygonal outer peripheral portion, a lens barrel receiving the lens assembly, a fixing unit fixing the lens assembly to the lens barrel, a housing coupled with the lens barrel, and a sensor unit in the housing. The lens barrel is provided in a lower portion thereof with a receiving groove, and the receiving groove has a shape corresponding to a shape of the lens assembly.
US09726846B2
An optical lens assembly includes a hollow retainer having an inner surface, an object-side opening, and an image-side opening, and an optical lens integrally formed with formation of the retainer and filled a portion of the retainer. The optical lens includes an object-side surface facing toward the object-side opening, and image-side surface facing toward the image-side opening, and a lateral surface extending from the object-side surface to the image-side surface. The retainer and the optical lens are aligned along an optical axis.
US09726840B2
Methods, structures, apparatus, devices, and materials to facilitate the integration of electronic integrated circuits (chips) including drivers, amplifiers, microcontrollers, etc., onto/into photonic integrated circuits (chips) using recessed windows exhibiting controlled depths onto/into the photonic chip. The electronic chips are positioned into the recessed windows and electrical connections between the electronic chips and the photonic chip are achieved by flip-chip techniques with predefined traces at a bottom of the recessed windows or direct wire bonding. Advantageously, this integration may be performed on a wafer level for large-volume productions.
US09726837B2
Light can be transmitted between a light source and a light detector or target by using at least two mating connector sections of a light pipe connector. A protrusion of one of the connector sections is designed to be received within a receptacle of another of the connector sections, which can make the light pipe connector mechanically compliant. The two connector sections are fabricated from an optically transmissive material, and have optically reflective surfaces in orthogonal orientations to optically transmissive surfaces adjacent to the light source and the light detector. When the protrusion of one of the connector sections is engaged within the receptacle of another connector section, light can be transmitted through optically transmissive surfaces adjacent to a light source and a light detector, while the orthogonally oriented optically reflective surfaces direct light towards the light detector.
US09726835B2
This optical receptacle has the following: a first surface that includes a first optical surface and a third optical surface; a reflective surface whereby the light inputted via the first optical surface is reflected in a direction parallel to a substrate; an optical separation unit whereby the light reflected off the reflective surface is separated into monitoring light and signal light; a transmitting surface through which the signal light separated out by the optical separation unit is transmitted; a third surface that includes a second optical surface via which the signal light that has been transmitted through the transmitting surface is outputted towards the end face of the aforementioned light-transporting body; and a reflected-monitoring-light avoidance means whereby monitoring light that has reached the detection element is guide so as not to return to the abovementioned light-emitting element.
US09726831B2
Optical fiber connectors for MT/MPO type ferrule assemblies are disclosed, having an overall connector length less than about 32 mm, for example, an overall length of about 18.5 mm for non-reinforced optical fiber cables, and an overall length of about 23.5 mm for reinforced optical fiber cables. In one embodiment, a connector comprises a ferrule assembly, and a housing coupled to the ferrule assembly and configured to couple to an adapter corresponding to the ferrule assembly. The connector further includes a lock coupled to the housing and configured to rotate so as to lock and unlock the housing from said adapter. An interface member coupled to the housing may include a stop configured to limit rotation of the lock. The interface member may include a reinforcement portion for reinforcing optical fiber cables.
US09726830B1
Devices and methods for connecting optical fibers are provided. In some embodiments, connectors and adaptors for two-fiber mechanical transfer type ferrules are disclosed. In some embodiments, MT connectors, such as simplex, duplex, and quad micro-MT adaptors are disclosed. In some embodiments, MT adaptors, such as simplex, duplex, and quad adaptors are disclosed. In some embodiments, optical fiber cables that modularly coupled with at least one optical fiber connector, adaptor, and other optical fiber cable using a remote release are disclosed.
US09726828B2
The utility model relates to the technical field of optical fiber cutting device, and particularly relates to a kind of multi-function cutting fixture which is used to fix the optical fiber in cutting process. The utility model of multi-function cutting fixture for the optical fiber cutting device includes the clamp body and the clamp cover. One side of the said clamp body is pivoted to the said clamp cover, and the other side of the said clamp body is clamping connected to the said clamp cover. The said clamp body is equipped at least with No.1 fiber placing groove, No.2 fiber placing groove and No.3 fiber placing groove. The said clamp cover is equipped with the elastomer that contacts with the said No.1 fiber placing groove, and No.1 contact structure that contacts with the said No.2 fiber placing groove. The said No.1 contact structure is equipped with a convex body that contacts with the said No.3 fiber placing groove. Compared with the prior art, the utility model of multi-function cutting fixture can hold a variety of types of optical fiber. When holding different types of optical fiber, we do not need to change the fixture. The work efficiency is improved greatly.
US09726820B2
A planar wave guide (PWG) having a first end for coupling to a light pump and a second end opposite to the first end and including a first cladding layer; a second cladding layer; and a uniformly doped core layer between the first cladding layer and the second cladding layer, wherein the core layer is tapered having a smaller thickness at the first end and a larger thickness at the second end, and wherein a ratio of the core thickness to thickness of the cladding layers is smaller at the first end and larger at the second end.
US09726818B1
A photonic waveguide for conducting light having first and second wavelengths, the waveguide comprising superposed first and second strips of light conducting semiconductor materials having first and second refractive indexes, wherein the second wavelength is shorter than the first wavelength and the second refractive index is higher than the first refractive index, wherein the width and height of the first strip of light conducting semiconductor material are such that the first strip of light conducting semiconductor material is adapted to confine an optical mode of the first wavelength and the width and height of the second strip of light conducting semiconductor material are such that the second strip of light conducting semiconductor material is adapted to confine an optical mode of the second wavelength but is too narrow to confine an optical mode of the first wavelength.
US09726815B2
This ultra-low-loss optical fiber comprises a core having a higher relative refractive index difference than silica and a cladding having a lower relative refractive index difference than silica. The relative refractive index difference of the core with respect to the refractive index of silica is 0.0030 to 0.0055, for example, and the relative refractive index difference of the cladding with respect to the refractive index of silica is −0.0020 to −0.0003. The ultra-low-loss optical fiber has the loss characteristic of simultaneously having optical losses of at most 0.324 dB/km at a wavelength of 1310 nm, at most 0.320 dB/km at a wavelength of 1383 nm, at most 0.184 dB/km at a wavelength of 1550 nm, and at most 0.20 dB/km at a wavelength of 1625 nm. The ultra-low-loss optical fiber is supercooled when the surface temperature of the optical fiber has a temperature range in a glass transition section during drawing.
US09726803B2
This disclosure relates to an interactive display, having a front surface including a viewing area, and providing an input/output interface for a user of an electronic device. A planar light guide (PLG) disposed substantially parallel to the front surface, has a periphery at least coextensive with the viewing area. A light-emitting source (LES), disposed outside the periphery of the PLG, is optically coupled with a PLG input. The PLG outputs reflected light, in a direction substantially orthogonal to the front surface, by reflecting light received from the LES. A light collecting device (LCD) collects scattered light that results from interaction of the reflected light with a user-controlled object. The LCD redirects the collected scattered light toward one or more light sensors. A processor recognizes, from outputs of the light sensors, an instance of a user gesture, and controls the interactive display and/or electronic device, responsive to the user gesture.
US09726796B2
To provide a heat-ray shielding film and a method for manufacturing the same, capable of exhibiting excellent optical characteristics and high weather resistance, mainly composed of polyvinyl acetal resin and using composite tungsten oxide fine particles with high heat-ray shielding effect, the method comprising: a first step of obtaining a dispersion liquid by dispersing composite tungsten oxide fine particles expressed by a general formula MyWOz and having a hexagonal crystal structure, and dispersing a dispersant into an organic solvent with a boiling point of 120 deg C. or less; a second step of obtaining a mixture by mixing metal carboxylate into the dispersion liquid obtained by the first step; and a third step of drying the mixture obtained by the second step to thereby obtain a heat-ray shielding fine particle-containing composition, and setting a content of the organic solvent remained in the heat-ray shielding fine particle-containing composition to 5 mass % or less.
US09726795B2
A multilayer structure comprising a base layer comprising at least one transparent thermoplastic and a specific inorganic infra-red absorber as well as an IR-reflecting multi-ply layer, the production of such a multilayer structure and the use thereof for the production of glazing made of plastic in buildings, automobiles, rail vehicles and aircraft.
US09726782B2
The present disclosure relates generally to methods, systems and computer program storage devices for generating a response to flooding. In one specific example, the present disclosure relates to methods, systems and computer program storage devices for generating one or more operational responses to flooding.
US09726771B1
In some embodiments, a time migration diffraction imaging method includes computing a pseudo-depth characterizing a subsurface seismic event by scaling a vertical traveltime using a scaling velocity. A specularity value for a subsurface seismic event is determined according to the pseudo-depth, and a contribution weight for a corresponding seismic trace amplitude is determined according to the specularity value. The specularity value may be determined according to an angle between a traveltime gradient and a normal to a local reflector surface. A diffraction image is generated according to a weighted sum of seismic trace amplitudes. The weighted sum attenuates the contribution of specular events relative to diffraction events.
US09726754B2
A method for calibrating a three dimensional time-of-flight camera system mounted on a device, includes determining at a first instant a direction vector relating to an object; determining an expected direction vector and expected angle for the object to be measured at a second instant with reference to the device's assumed trajectory and optical axis of the camera; determining a current direction vector and current angle at the second instant; determining an error represented by a difference between the current direction vector and the expected direction vector; and using the error to correct the assumed direction of the main optical axis of the camera system such that said error is substantially eliminated.
US09726748B2
Systems, apparatus and methods for determining a cyclic shift diversity (CSD) mode are presented. Examples communicate the CSD mode in a signaling message. Specifically, a CSD mode is set in an access point the sent to a mobile device. The signaling messages may be either a point-to-point message or a broadcast message. The access point or location server may set the current CSD mode from a plurality of mobile devices by crowd sourcing. For example, the plurality of mobile devices may report what CSD mode was detected. Alternative, the plurality of mobile devices may send a channel impulse response (CIR), or the like, to a location server and the location server may determine what CSD mode is currently used by the access point.
US09726744B2
Systems and methods for magnetic resonance imaging, including adjusting spatial distribution of a rotating magnetic field. By minimizing imaging time, the B1 nonuniformity reducing effect of RF shimming is maximized for an imaging section of an arbitrary axis direction and an arbitrary position. B1 distributions are measured for only several sections of one predetermined direction, and a radio frequency magnetic field condition that maximizes the B1 non-uniformity reducing effect for an imaging section of an arbitrary direction and an arbitrary position is calculated from the B1 distribution data.
US09726742B2
A method for iteratively calibrating a reconstruction kernel for use in accelerated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is provided. An MRI system is used to acquire k-space data from multiple slice locations following the application of a multiband radio frequency (RF) excitation pulse. An initial reconstruction kernel is generated from the acquired k-space data, and this initial reconstruction kernel is used to produce an initial image for each of the multiple slice locations by applying the initial reconstruction kernel to the acquired k-space data. The average phase of each slice location is then calculated from these images, and used to shift the phase values of the subsequently acquired k-space data. From the phase-shifted k-space data, an updated reconstruction kernel is then generated. This process is repeated iteratively until a stopping criterion is satisfied.
US09726723B2
A method for scanning a partially functional chip. The method may include applying a failed core map to the partially functional chip, bypassing at least one failed core scan chain, based on contents of the failed core map. The method may also include performing comparisons of scan status information to the failed core map and inhibiting movement of scan data of at least one failed core, based on results of the comparisons.
US09726722B1
Systems and methods are provided for an integrated circuit system. A plurality of separate integrated circuit dies are coupled together to form an integrated circuit package, a first integrated circuit die including an input and a last integrated circuit die including an output, ones of the plurality of integrated circuit dies including a testing circuit associated with a corresponding integrated circuit die. The testing circuit includes a testing path for testing functionality of the corresponding integrated circuit die, a bypass path bypassing the testing path, and control circuitry for selecting between an output of the testing path and an output of the bypass path, the control circuitry being configured to select the output of the testing path or the output of the bypass path and to pass the selected output to a subsequent integrated circuit die among the plurality of coupled circuit dies.
US09726721B2
Systems and methods are provided for testing remote frequency identification (RFID) straps. A testing system includes an amplifier electrically coupled to an inductor or inductive component. The system further includes a pair of contact points to be placed in contact with a pair of contact pads of an RFID strap. Connecting the contact points and the contact pads places the RFID strap in parallel with the inductor to define a resonant circuit. The characteristics of the resonant circuit as an oscillator depend at least in part on the capacitance and the resistance of the RFID strap. As such, the characteristics of the resonant circuit as an oscillator may be monitored to determine the capacitance and/or the resistance of the RFID strap. One or more characteristics of the RFID strap may be compared to one or more threshold values to determine whether the RFID strap is acceptable or defective.
US09726711B2
A power semiconductor module includes a power electronics circuit and a measuring circuit for measuring a physical parameter occurring in the power electronics circuit and for providing a corresponding measurement signal. A transmission circuit is coupled to a secondary side of a transfer unit, and an evaluation circuit is coupled to the primary side and galvanically isolated from the transmission circuit by the transfer unit. The evaluation circuit supplies an AC voltage to the primary side, causing primary current to flow on the primary side, which in turn results in secondary current on the secondary side, the secondary current being supplied to the transmission circuit. The transmission circuit receives the measurement signal and modulates the secondary current in accordance with the measurement signal, which results in a modulation of the primary current. The evaluation circuit evaluates the modulation of the primary current and generates an output signal dependent thereon.
US09726708B2
The present invention relates to a device for detecting a partial discharge for a power transformer which detects an electromagnetic signal occurring due to faulty insulation. The device includes an antenna unit receiving electromagnetic waves, an insulator including the antenna unit, a metallic air-tight unit that seals a connector connected to the insulator and connecting a coaxial cable, and the coaxial cable exposed to the outside of the metallic air-tight unit. Thus, it is possible to enhance broadband properties through an internal conductor of a drain valve.
US09726707B1
An ESD tester transforms high speed pulses from s 50-ohm impedance to the optimum lower impedance necessary to simulate the Charged Device Model (“CDM”) test impedance. Direct connections to the device under test eliminates the variations in spark or contact resistance of the present test while transforming the test pulse impedances to the appropriate level. Direct device connections with controlled impedance current paths provide either internal device discharge or external test pulse testing to simulate the original test. The sparkless direct connection controlled impedance transformation is identified by its ability to simulate similar device failures at similar test voltage failure levels.
US09726705B2
An interface circuit for a bridge sensor has a switch that connects to a resistive bridge circuit. The resistive bridge circuit includes a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and a pair of resistive branches that connect between the first and second input terminals. Both of the resistive branches include an output terminal. The switch is connected to the first input terminal and is in series with both resistive branches for connecting and disconnecting a voltage source from the resistive branch output terminals.
US09726704B2
An Antenna measurement system incorporating high speed tracking laser-based global positioning capture synchronized with radio frequency (RF) measurements. A high speed tracking laser is used for collecting RF probe position data synchronously with corresponding near-field RF measurements. The probe may be moved across an arbitrary surface surrounding or adjacent to a device under test (DUT); however, it is not necessary for the probe position to be perfectly coincident with the surface, or any of the discrete points which make up the surface. Here, the probe position is determined relative to a global positioning coordinate system which is defined by a set of monuments which are in known positions relative to the global positioning coordinate system, and not the DUT. Any difference between the actual position of the probe, in the global position coordinate system, and a given one of the discrete measuring points, in the global position coordinate system, on the surface surrounding or adjacent to the DUT can be accounted for during post processing, thus eliminating the need for advanced or intermittent calibration to achieve precise near-field measurements.
US09726702B2
A digital sine wave may be converted to an analog signal at a digital to analog converter (DAC). The converted analog signal may be supplied to a device and an analog return signal from the device may be passed through a relaxed anti-aliasing filter and converted to digital code words at an analog to digital converter (ADC). An impedance may be calculated from the results of a Fourier analysis of the digital code words. The ADC and DAC clock frequencies may be asynchronous, independently variable, and have a greatest common factor of 1. The clock frequencies of the ADC and/or DAC may be adjusted to change a location of images in the ADC spectrum. By using these different, adjustable clock frequencies for the ADC and the DAC, an analog signal may have increased aliasing without introducing signal errors at a frequency of interest.
US09726698B2
A bidirectional voltage differentiator circuit comprises start-up circuitry, sensing circuitry, and output circuitry coupled to logic circuitry. The start-up circuitry acts to start-up the sensing circuitry when the circuit is powered on, and accelerates the response of the sensing circuitry thereafter. The sensing circuitry senses variation in an input voltage applied to an input node. Responsive to the voltage variation sensed by the sensing circuitry, the output circuitry produces a state change at a first or second output node. The logic circuitry receives the states of the output nodes and produces a logic output signal to indicate the occurrence of the variation sensed in the input voltage. The voltage sensing circuit is operable to sense variation of the input voltage regardless of whether the voltage is rising or falling and without regard to the DC value of the input voltage.
US09726697B2
A voltage proportional to a sum of currents flowing though first and second coupled inductors is developed across a first capacitor common to first and second series RC networks if the RC networks are time constant-matched to the inductors. The first and second inductors are coupled between a first and second switched drive phase input terminal, respectively, and an apparatus output terminal. The first and second RC networks are coupled in parallel with the first and second inductor, respectively. Inverting and non-inverting inputs of an amplifier are coupled to junctions of third and fourth time constant-matched series RC networks coupled in parallel with the first and second inductors, respectively. The amplifier subtracts voltages sensed at the junctions to generate a difference signal proportional to a magnitude difference of the currents flowing through the inductors.
US09726695B2
An electrical current transducer is disclosed including a primary conductor bar for carrying the current to be measured, a magnetic core comprising a magnetic circuit gap, a magnetic field sensor having a circuit board and a magnetic field detector positioned in the magnetic circuit gap, and an insulating housing surrounding the magnetic core and magnetic field sensor. The primary conductor bar has connection terminal ends extending outside of the housing configured for connection to an external primary conductor. The primary conductor bar further includes a core passage section having a reduced width in comparison to the connection terminal ends extending outside of the housing thereby providing an indent within which the magnetic field detector is positioned such that a central passage of the magnetic core has a width less than the width of the primary conductor connection ends. The insulating housing comprises a main housing portion overmolded around the core passage section of the primary conductor bar, the main housing portion comprising a magnetic field sensor receiving slot configured to allow slideable insertion of the magnetic field sensor into the primary conductor bar indent for positioning in the magnetic circuit gap.
US09726690B2
An angular acceleration sensor includes a planar surface extending along an X-Y plane, a fixed portion, a weight, a beam, and piezoresistors. The weight is supported by the fixed portion. The beam extends along an Y-axis and is connected to the fixed portion and the weight. The beam includes through-holes extending therethrough in a Z-axis direction and protrusions protruding in an X-axis direction. The positions of the piezoresistors in the Y-axis direction overlap those of the through-holes and are displaced from those of the width-direction protrusions.
US09726681B2
Methods of detecting Cortisol in samples suspected of containing Cortisol are disclosed that utilize conjugates of 11-a-cortisol linked at the 3-position to an assay molecule. In addition, compounds are disclosed that have the formula: (structure) wherein L is a linking group and X is as further defined herein.
US09726679B2
The spectral method for quantifying hemoglobin fragility caused by smoking is based on decreased concentration of tryptophan and elevated concentrations of the biomolecules nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH), flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and porphyrin in the presence of hemoglobin fragility. The method involves the steps of obtaining a blood sample from a patient who is a smoker; separating blood plasma from the samples; obtaining synchronous excitation spectra (SXS) of the blood plasma with a spectrofluorometer at a scan offset of 70 nm and at a scan offset of 10 nm; comparing the patient's SXS with the SXS of normal control samples; and diagnosing hemoglobin fragility when the excitation maxima of NADH, FAD, and porphyrin are between 30% and 70% higher than the maxima for these metabolites in the normal control samples, or when the excitation maximum for tryptophan is 60% of the control sample.
US09726678B2
The invention relates to methods of diagnosing Alzheimer's disease (AD) in a subject and methods of determining the prognosis in patients with AD. The adhesion molecules P-selectin and L-selectin are described for the first time for use as biomarkers to aid in the diagnosis of AD. The invention further describes the use of one or more of L-selectin, MCP-1, IL-1α, IL-8 and IFN-γ to aid in the prognosis of either accelerated cognitive decline (ACD) or slow cognitive decline (SCD) in patients with AD.
US09726676B2
The present invention relates to the field of treatment efficacy prediction in patients with malignant diseases. More precisely, this invention relates to the prediction of the efficacy of a treatment in cancer patients, based on the precise quantification of several biological markers that are related to the innate and adaptive immune response of said patient against said cancer.
US09726675B2
The invention relates to a novel diagnostic marker CT-proADM (C-terminal fragment of preproADM, SEQ ID No. 1) for diagnosing and/or stratifying the risk of diseases. Also disclosed is a method for diagnosing and/or stratifying the risk of diseases, particularly cardiovascular diseases, cardiac insufficiency, and infections and/or inflammations of the lungs and respiratory tract. In said method, the CT-proADM (SEQ ID No. 1) marker, or a partial peptide of fragment thereof, or said marker contained in a marker combination (panel, cluster) is determined in a patient who is to be examined. The invention further relates to a diagnostic apparatus as well as a kit for carrying out said method.
US09726672B2
Methods and apparatus for assaying the level of analytes in a sample, related to VLA-4, are disclosed. A method of decreasing the level of an anti-integrin antibody in a subject is described including a) contacting a biological sample from a subject with a detectable capture agent associated with a substrate, wherein the capture agent can bind an anti-integrin antibody in the sample; b) detecting binding of the capture agent with the level of the anti-integrin antibody; and c) treating the subject with plasma exchange until the level of the anti-integrin antibody in the sample reaches a predetermined level.
US09726666B2
A method of diagnosing, monitoring progression of, or monitoring treatment of inflammatory bowel disease comprises determining the levels of CD14+HLA-DRhi monocytes or monocytes expressing CCR7 or CCR9 or both CCR7 and CCR9 in a sample obtained from a subject, wherein high levels of CD14+HLA-DRhi monocytes or monocytes expressing CCR7 or CCR9 or both CCR7 and CCR9, or increased levels of CD14+HLA-DRhi monocytes or monocytes expressing CCR7 or CCR9 or both CCR7 and CCR9 compared to control, indicate the presence or progression of inflammatory bowel disease. Similar methods for diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome are also described. Various companion therapeutic methods and useful binding reagents are also described.
US09726662B2
Provided are assay systems for determining the therapeutic or toxic effect of a putative drug based on assaying its activity in cells which have been differentiated in vitro from stem cells, and induced to display a phenotype that resembles a disease to be treated.
US09726661B2
The present inventors show that cannibal cells can undergo senescence after entosis in vivo and that the tumor suppressive protein p53 act as a repressor of this phenomenon. They therefore propose new tools to study the molecular pathways involved in the cannibalism process, for example by measuring the expression levels of p53 or splice variants thereof (such as Δ133TP53, TP53β, TP53γ or Δ40TP53), the release of extracellular ATP or purinergic P2Y2 receptor activity. The present inventors also demonstrated that the detection of senescent cannibal cells in breast adenocarcinoma obtained from patients treated with neo-adjuvant therapy positively correlates with good patient's response to treatment. Altogether, these results provide the first evidence that detection of cellular cannibalism and senescence simultaneously in tumors helps for the diagnosis of disease outcomes and for the prediction of treatment efficiency against cancer diseases.
US09726657B2
A pullout test system, having a pullout apparatus including a plurality of bracing rods connected to a first support plate at proximal end of the plurality of bracing rods and a second base plate connected at a distal end of the plurality of bracing rods. The apparatus also includes a reaction rod attached to the first base plate extending away from the plurality of bracing rods. The apparatus further includes a sample specimen mounting location disposed centrally on the second base plate and disposed between the first base plate and the second base plate and an anchor disposed through the second base plate and fixed within the sample specimen disposed centrally on the second base plate. The system includes a universal testing machine (UTM). The pullout apparatus is configured to be mounted within the UTM via the anchor and the reaction rod to apply tensile forces thereto.
US09726656B2
Disclosed herein is an experiment apparatus for estimating ground surface deformation during gas hydrate recovery. The experiment apparatus may include: a high-pressure cell having a space in which a sample containing gas hydrate is stored; a pressurizing member mounted to move in one direction in the high-pressure cell, and moved to pressurize the sample stored in the space, wherein the surface of the sample is observed along the longitudinal direction of the pressurizing member through the pressurizing member from outside; and a recovery member inserted into the sample so as to recover the gas hydrate contained in the sample to the outside.
US09726647B2
A device for estimating a mechanical property of a sample is disclosed herein. The device may include a chamber configured to hold the sample; a transmitter configured to transmit a plurality of waveforms, including at least one forcing waveform; and a transducer assembly operatively connected to the transmitter and configured to transform the transmit waveforms into ultrasound waveforms. The transducer assembly can also transmit and receive ultrasound waveforms into and out of the chamber, as well as transform at least two received ultrasound waveforms into received electrical waveforms. The device also includes a data processor that can receive the received electrical waveforms; estimate a difference in the received electrical waveforms that results at least partially from movement of the sample; and estimate a mechanical property of the sample by comparing at least one feature of the estimated difference to at least one predicted feature, wherein the at least one predicted feature is based on a model of an effect of the chamber wall. Finally, the device can also include a controller configured to control the timing of the ultrasound transmitter and data processor.
US09726632B2
A sensor system including devices and methods for determining the concentration of an analyte in a sample is described. Input signals including amperometric and voltammetric duty cycles of excitations and relaxations may provide a shorter analysis time and/or improve the accuracy and/or precision of the analysis. The disclosed system may reduce analysis errors, thus improving measurement performance, by adjusting the potential and/or scan rate in response to output currents obtained from voltammetric scans. The disclosed system also may determine the concentration of more than one ionizable species in the sample by adjusting the potential and/or scan rate in response to output currents obtained from voltammetric scans. The multiple, determined concentrations may be used to determine the concentration of multiple analytes or to correct the concentration determined for an analyte, thus improving the measurement performance of the system.
US09726626B2
A quantum mechanical measurement device is provided. A spin ensemble is provided. A first light source provides a first light at a first wavelength, wherein the first light source is positioned to provide light into the spin ensemble. A detector is positioned to detect light from the spin ensemble. A modulator modulates absorption of the first light from the first light source by the spin ensemble at a frequency greater than a Larmor frequency of the spin ensemble.
US09726624B2
An apparatus for X-ray topography includes a source assembly, a detector assembly, a scanning assembly and a processor. The source assembly is configured to direct multiple X-ray beams so as to irradiate multiple respective regions on a sample, wherein the regions partially overlap one another along a first axis of the sample and are offset relative to one another along a second axis of the sample that is orthogonal to the first axis. The detector assembly is configured to detect the X-ray beams diffracted from the sample and to produce respective electrical signals in response to the detected X-ray beams. The scanning assembly is configured to move the sample relative to the source assembly and the detector assembly along the second axis. The processor is configured to identify defects in the sample by processing the electrical signals, which are produced by the detector assembly while the sample is moved.
US09726621B1
In a helical resonator ion accelerator ions are injected into a hollow dielectric pipe forming a vacuum chamber along which the ions are accelerated. The dielectric pipe is wrapped with a coil and positioned inside a metal pipe. The dielectric pipe, the coil and the metal pipe are arranged coaxially on an axis along which ions are accelerated. A static or magnetic beam optic is used to radially focus the deuterium ions as they transit the accelerator. A pulse generator coupled to the coil is used to generate a voltage wave pulse. The pulse travels down the axis of the accelerator on the helix formed by the coil. An ion source injects deuterium ions along the dielectric pipe axis. A traveling voltage wave is accelerated by tapering the impedance of the accelerator along the accelerator to reduce the impedance per unit length of the accelerator.
US09726618B2
A sensing system which comprises a material (30) formed of a matrix and a plurality of non-insulating particles (40) substantially equally spaced within the matrix such that the material has coherent electrical periodicity in at least one dimension; and a receiver (10), the receiver arranged to receive a source RF signal and a returned RF signal, the source RF signal being reflected by the non-insulating particles to produce the returned RF signal. A change in the position of one or more of the non-insulating particles causes the returned RF signal to change, such that a change in a property of the material can be determined from the returned RF signal.
US09726610B2
A cable identification system is provided. The cable identification system includes a cable sleeve with some predetermined unique properties. The cable sleeve is adapted to receive a cable therein. The cable includes one or more electrical conductors therein. The cable identification system further includes a portable measuring device configured to detect the predetermined unique properties of the cable sleeve when positioned adjacent the cable at any point along the cable.
US09726606B2
A detection device comprises a chip holder, a light source, a light-guide rod, a wavelength separation filter, and an optical sensor. Given the relationship between the angle of incidence and light intensity of fluorescence on a light reception surface of the optical sensor, the optical transmittance of the wavelength separation filter at the dominant wavelength of the rays of fluorescence incident on the light reception surface at a peak angle of incidence at which the light intensity is the highest is greater than the optical transmittance of the wavelength separation filter at the dominant wavelength of the rays of excitation light incident on the light reception surface at the peak angle of incidence and is higher than the optical transmittance of the wavelength separation filter at the dominant wavelength of the rays of fluorescence incident on the light reception surface at an angle of incidence of 0 DEG.
US09726602B2
A method for observing biological species on a culture medium contained in a container having at least one translucent face, the method including the steps of: a) directing a light beam onto one portion of the translucent face, so as to define at least one illuminated region and at least one non-illuminated region of the face; and b) acquiring an image of a portion of the surface of the culture medium illuminated by the light beam, the acquisition being carried out through at least one of the non-illuminated regions of the translucent face and along an optical acquisition axis forming a non-zero angle (a) with the direction of propagation of the light beam.
US09726599B2
A freshness estimation method includes obtaining an absorbance spectrum that is obtained by irradiating an eye of a fish with light having all or part of a wavelength band from 315 nm to 450 nm; and estimating freshness of the fish by using a shape of the obtained absorbance spectrum.
US09726592B2
A device for separating a sample of cells suspended in a bio-compatible ferrofluid is described, The device includes a microfluidic channel having a sample inlet, at least one outlet and a length between the same inlet and the at least one outlet, wherein a sample can be added to the sample inlet and flow along the microfluidic channel length to the at least one outlet. The device includes a plurality of electrodes and a power source for applying a current to the plurality of electrodes to create a magnetic field pattern along the microfluidic channel length. The present invention also includes a method of using said device for separating at least one cell type.
US09726586B2
One example of the present disclosure relates to a coupon. The coupon includes a first surface with a first circular channel and a second surface opposite and parallel to the first surface. The second surface is spaced a distance D0 from the first surface and includes a second circular channel concentric with the first circular channel. The coupon also includes a toroidal portion between the first circular channel and the second circular channel. The toroidal portion includes a rectangular sectional portion.
US09726585B2
Container assembly including a container for storing a tissue sample and a cover adapted to engage with the container. The cover includes: a top member having a receptacle, a seal for sealing off the receptacle, a puncturing member for breaking the seal by displacement of the puncturing member. The container assembly has a first and a second position, wherein in the first position the container is isolated from the receptacle, and in the second position fluid communication is provided between the receptacle and the container. The container assembly includes a separator positioned between the seal and the bottom of the container, and the separator is provided with at least one aperture adapted to provide a fluid passage between the receptacle and the container.
US09726577B2
A system method for predicting vehicle mission capability for a vehicle that is propelled by an engine includes collecting engine degradation data for the engine. Location independent engine degradation data are generated from the collected engine degradation data. The location independent engine degradation data are representative of engine degradation that is independent of locations associated with the mission. Predictions of location dependent engine degradation are calculated from the collected engine degradation data and the location independent engine degradation data. The location dependent engine degradation is representative of engine degradation due to movement through locations associated with the mission.
US09726574B2
A zeroing method and zeroing device for an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) are disclosed. The zeroing method includes: before starting the optical time-domain reflectometer, when a laser device is in an off state, sending a zeroing signal; and performing zeroing processing according to the zeroing signal. In the embodiments of the present invention, the feedback zeroing can be performed on a receiving circuit by utilizing the idle time prior to a test or during the test, thus the influence of an offset voltage is reduced, and a problem of operational-amplifier zero drift also can be solved in the meantime, which improves a detectability of the OTDR, and overcomes a disadvantage that a manual zeroing method is not intelligent and a measured waveform introduced in an automatic zeroing method is bad.
US09726572B2
A method and system for identifying a given geometrical feature of an optical component or semi-finished ophthalmic lens blank, where an optical component is made of an organic material that can emit light at an emission wavelength λe when being lighten at an illumination wavelength λi different from the emission wavelength λe, a surface of the optical component is illuminated with an incident light beam including at least light at the illumination wavelength but devoid from light at the emission wavelength, light emitted at the emission wavelength by the illuminated surface is collected to build an image of the surface, and the surface image is processed to apply metrics to compare the image with reference data specific to the given geometrical feature.
US09726570B2
A test jig for an exterior door handle of a vehicle includes a first rotating shaft rotatably mounted on a vertical frame which is perpendicular to a horizontal frame that is supported on the ground. First plates are attached to both ends of the first rotating shaft to concurrently rotate with the first rotating shaft about a strike object by an elastic restoring force. A second rotating shaft is rotatably connected between the first plates. A second plate is attached to the second rotating shaft to concurrently rotate with the second rotating shaft about the strike object by the elastic restoring force when a handle is mounted.
US09726555B2
A body of a thermometer (1001), a first location to be measured (1002), a second location to be measured (1003) and a third installation location (1004) is established by the thermometer management system. Further, communication lines (1005) are connected to network units at each location to be measured. Network units relay the sensor output from a sensor part to the communication lines. A sensor part is fixed to an object to be measured and sends a sensor output in response to the temperature of the object to be measured. A network unit has a radio frequency identifier (RFID) reader and transmits to the thermometer body commands and the like stored in the memory of an RFID card in response to approach of the RFID card arranged corresponding to a location to be measured. The thermometer body receives the commands and the like and performs predetermined operations.
US09726551B2
A container system includes a flexible bag bounding a chamber. A probe port includes an elongated tubular member having an interior surface bounding a first passageway and extending between a first end and an opposing second end, the first passageway being closed at the first end and open at the second end; and a flange encircling and radially outwardly projecting from the tubular member at or toward the second end thereof, the flange being secured to the flexible bag so that the first end of the elongated tubular member projects into the chamber of the flexible bag while the open second end of the elongated tubular member is accessible from outside of the flexible bag. A probe is received within the first passageway of the probe port.
US09726549B2
An electronic thermometer includes an external casing unit, a circuit substrate, an electronic switch, a rotating arm unit, a probe unit and a waterproof unit. The external casing unit includes a top cover casing and a bottom cover casing, a receiving space is formed between the top and the bottom cover casings, and the bottom cover casing has a through hole communicated with the receiving space. The waterproof unit includes a first waterproof element and a second waterproof element. The first waterproof element is disposed between the top cover casing and the bottom cover casing and around the receiving space for preventing water vapor from entering the receiving space through the external casing unit, and the second waterproof element is disposed inside the through hole of the bottom cover casing for preventing water vapor from entering the receiving space through the through hole.
US09726539B2
A white light spectroscopy system includes a super continuum light source having an input light source including semiconductor diodes to generate an input beam having a wavelength shorter than 2.5 microns. The light source includes a cladding-pumped fiber optical amplifier to receive the input beam, and a photonic crystal fiber to receive the amplified optical beam to broaden the spectral width to 100 nm or more forming an output beam in the visible wavelength range. The output beam is pulsed with a repetition rate of 1 Megahertz or higher. The system also includes a lens and/or mirror to receive the output beam, to send the output beam to a scanning stage, and to deliver the received output beam to a sample. A detection system includes dispersive optics and narrow band filters followed by one or more detectors to permit approximately simultaneous measurement of at least two wavelengths from the sample.
US09726532B2
A flow meter device includes plural fluid passages which are provided between an inlet section into which a fluid flows and an outlet section from which the fluid flows out, and through which the fluid flows and flow value measuring units installed in the plural fluid passages, respectively. The flow value measuring units are configured to measure flow values of the fluid flowing through the fluid passages. The flow meter device further includes a control unit configured to determine whether or not to cause one or more of the flow value measuring units to stop a measuring operation of the flow value based on the flow values measured by the flow value measuring units. The control unit is further configured to determine whether or not to cause the one or more of the flow value measuring units to resume the measuring operation of the flow value, based on the flow value measured by the flow value measuring unit as a monitoring measuring unit which is other than the one or more of the flow value measuring units and is activated to perform the measuring operation of the flow value.
US09726531B2
Provided is a cylinder intake air amount estimation apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of highly precisely calculating a cylinder intake air amount based on an AFS intake air amount in a control system for an engine including a supercharger. A cylinder intake air amount calculation part calculates the cylinder intake air amount based on an intake opening intake air amount by using a physical model of an intake system derived based on a volume efficiency acquired by considering an intake manifold as a reference, which is a volume efficiency of air entering a cylinder from the intake manifold, a virtual intake manifold volume, and a stroke volume per cylinder, the physical model being adapted to the control system for an engine including a supercharger.
US09726528B2
An ultrasonic consumption meter includes two ultrasonic transducers for emitting and receiving ultrasonic waves, a flow channel, an electronic circuit for operating the meter, and a housing for the ultrasonic transducers and the electronic circuit. The housing is locked in position relative to the flow channel by a locking mechanism, and the flow channel has two holes for allowing the housing to get into contact with a media flowing in the flow channel.
US09726524B2
Optical position encoding mechanisms and methods for use in reimaged optical imaging systems. In one example, a reimaged optical imaging system includes an imaging detector, an optical component, and at least one light source coupled to the optical component and configured to be reimaged onto the imaging detector, wherein a position of an image of the at least one light source at the imaging detector encodes a position of the optical component relative to the imaging detector.
US09726519B2
The embodiments described herein include systems with a variable reluctance sensor (VRS) interface and methods of their operation. Embodiments of VRS interfaces include a clearing signal generator configured to generate a clearing signal corresponding with the timing of a noise event. The clearing signal may be configured to clear a post-processing circuit.
US09726516B2
An electromechanical differential motion sensor is disposed to detect transverse motion of a first piece relative to a second piece. The sensor includes a base anchored to the first piece, a lever arm that engages the second piece, a hinge, a retention mechanism, and a fuse wire. The hinge connects the lever arm to the base, such that the lever arm rotates relative to the base when the second piece displaces laterally with respect to the first piece. The retention mechanism retains the electromechanical differential motion sensor in a closed position wherein a first jaw of the base is aligned with a second jaw of the lever arm. The fuse wire carries an electrical signal current, and extends through the jaws such that transverse motion of the second piece relative to the first piece deflects the sensor from the closed position to an open position, thereby severing the first fuse wire.
US09726515B2
A utility meter device (1002) including a communications receiver (110) for receiving file fragments for the device, a processing means (150), eg microprocessor, microcontroller, and programmable non-volatile memory means (120), eg flash, EEPROM, for building and storing application and date files from the fragments, and executing a meter application of the device by processing at least one application file and associated data identified by configuration instructions in at least one of the fragments to provide data for reconfiguring a meter through a control interface (1016).
US09726511B2
A method of operation of a navigation system includes: determining candidate locations for the location query; determining a candidate associated location specific to each of the candidate locations; determining a waypoint destination from an instance of the candidate locations based on a selected instance of the candidate associated location specific to the instance of the candidate locations; and calculating a travel route including the waypoint destination and the selected instance of the candidate associated location for displaying on a device.
US09726502B2
A computer-implemented technology for planning routes is described herein. In accordance with one aspect, travel data of commuters of a transportation network are provided. Continuous distributions of travel time and waiting time are generated from the travel data. The continuous distributions of travel time and waiting time are associated to a transportation graph of the transportation network. The transportation graph includes nodes corresponding to stops of the transportation network and edges interconnecting the nodes. Travel time and waiting time are associated as costs of the edges in the transportation graph. In response to receiving input parameters, expected costs of candidate routes in the transportation graph are determined in accordance with a modified multi criteria shortest path technique. The modified multi criteria shortest path technique invokes a subroutine to retrieve accurate costs of routes based at least on the costs of the edges in the transportation graph. Route recommendations are provided based on the expected costs of the candidate routes.
US09726496B2
A navigation method includes receiving additional information satisfying a condition based on a current position of the user terminal, and indicating a position corresponding to the additional information on a navigation map.
US09726482B2
Embodiments of the invention include a method for compensating a force at a probe element of a probing unit. The probing unit being attached to and moved along a defined moving path with a number of moving points by a coordinate measuring machine for approaching a measuring point at an object. The probing unit comprises an actuator which is arranged and designed in such manner that a force is applicable to the probe element with respect to at least one actuating direction in variable and defined manner, the force depending on an applied actuating signal. Movement information about an expected movement of the probing unit is received, the movement information provides information about an expected displacement behaviour of the probe element relative to the probing unit due to induced forces emerging by moving the probing unit.
US09726472B1
Apparatus, systems, and methods of operating a fiber laser having polarization-preserving fibers can be applied as a sensor to detect a physical quantity. In various embodiments, polarization-preserving fibers can provide a laser cavity having an interferometer disposed in the laser cavity. In various embodiments, a fiber optical parametric oscillator can include an interferometer disposed in the cavity of the optical parametric oscillator. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09726471B1
A position sensor includes a variable capacitor assembly and a circuit board. The variable capacitor assembly includes a baseboard and a dielectric coupling element. The baseboard includes a baseboard body, a grounding electrode and two power electrodes. The grounding electrode is disposed nearby one side of the baseboard body. The two power electrodes are disposed separately near the other side of the baseboard body. The dielectric coupling element is spaced with the two power electrodes and the grounding electrode, and operable to be moved along a moving path. A covering condition is varied when the dielectric coupling element is operated to move along the moving path. When a power is alternatively applied to the power electrodes, a pair of capacitance values between the grounding electrode and the power electrodes is varied with the covering condition to accordingly determine a relative position of the coupling element along the moving path.
US09726465B1
An aerodynamic tip for an archery arrow includes a nipple centered on the face of the tip and surrounded by projections at the outer diameter. Air striking the rounded ends of the projections is diverted toward the rounded end of the nipple. As the air is diverted by the nipple it flows into radial grooves along the side of the body of the tip, where it passes into the atmosphere, minimizing air resistance encountered by the tip as it traverses its flight path. On contact, the energy and mass is concentrated to the projections, causing immediate penetration of the target by the front portion of the tip, with the remainder of the tip following. After impact, the radial grooves channel blood away from the tip as it penetrates the flesh of the target, allowing the arrow to completely travel through the target, achieving a “through and through” shot.
US09726463B2
An aspect of the disclosure relates to a multichannel controller for controlling a target in a target system. In one embodiment, a multichannel controller is configured to control a target system and includes a user input interface that receives a user input for the multichannel controller, wherein the user input is a command to control one or more targets in the target system and a processor that generates the command to send to the one or more targets in the target system and a command translation unit that relays the command to the one or more targets, wherein the command comprises a motion sequence.
US09726460B2
A method for accurately determining whether a response tool will be effective for responding to a given enemy threat object. Embodiments described herein provide a method and system for responding to a threat object, for example, negating missile threats. Embodiments may include validating effectiveness of a response to the threat object. Other embodiments may include verifying the continued effectiveness of a response to the threat object. Further embodiments may include providing feedback to re-perform the method for responding to the threat object. The system may include a mathematical method, and associated algorithms, to assess, in an automated fashion, the performance of non-kinetic techniques with respect to negating the threat object.
US09726459B2
Multi-impact multi-layer body armor is presented. A first layer is a single layer of front covering material. A second layer, is a ballistic ceramic plate formed of a plurality of curved smaller ceramic tiles that are bonded together using a structural adhesive. A third layer formed of one or a plurality of aramid layers such as Kevlar® XP. A fourth layer formed of a rigid backing plate, formed of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene such as Spectra Shield®. A fifth layer is a single layer of rear covering material. Thus, an improved body armor is presented which is inexpensive to produce, light, durable and can sustain multiple impacts.
US09726453B1
An arrow rest that is rotated out of the flight path of an arrow when the arrow is shot. Rotating the arrow rest out of the flight path prevents disruption to the accuracy and speed of the arrow.
US09726442B2
A chilled beam system may incorporate a terminal unit to provide additional heating and cooling capacity including latent cooling. In a system, terminal units may be distributed and connected to cooperate with a primary air stream from a central air handling unit. The chilled beam and/or terminal units may employ features for enhancing heating mode operation. Control embodiments take advantage of the additional capabilities described.
US09726441B2
A cogeneration power plant and a method for operating a cogeneration power plant are provided, with a working medium being additionally cooled by a suitable heat pump between an outlet of a thermal heating device and an inlet of a power generator of the cogeneration process. The thermal power obtained in this manner is again available for heating purposes within the heat cycle.
US09726433B2
A heating apparatus comprising a heating chamber in which a heater is configured to heat a heating liquid, a heat exchanger configured to receive the heating liquid from the heating chamber and to transfer heat energy from the heating liquid to a separate heating fluid and a pressure regulator configured to control a pressure inside the heating chamber, wherein the regulator is coupled at a first side to a pressure in the heating chamber and at a second side to atmospheric pressure outside the apparatus. A method of heating is also described.
US09726415B1
A cooler system comprising a cooler assembly and coolant material. The cooler assembly comprises a box, first and second doors, a lid, and a plate. The plate is arranged within the box member. When the cooler assembly is in a closed configuration, the box member, first and second door members, and the lid define a main chamber, at least portion of a front chamber portion of the main chamber is defined by the first and second doors, the partition, and the lid, at least a portion of a rear chamber portion of the main chamber is defined by the box, the partition, and the lid, and a port is formed between the plate and the lid to allow air flow between the front chamber portion and the rear portion. The coolant material is arranged within the rear chamber portion.
US09726414B2
An insert configured to be disposed in a receptacle, the insert comprising a bottom surface, a first top surface, a second top surface, the second top surface being located further from the bottom surface than the first top surface in a first direction, the first direction being orthogonal to the bottom surface, and a chamber, the chamber residing between the first top surface and the bottom surface and the second top surface and the bottom surface, the chamber being configured to hold a liquid, is provided. An associated method is also provided.
US09726412B2
The present invention provides for a system for calibrating operation of a compressor unit in a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system. A measuring device measures an operating parameter of the HVAC system at a position where the measuring device is mounted on a refrigerant line of the HVAC system. The measuring device switches states when the value of the measured operating parameter reaches a switching value. A controller estimates a value of the first operating parameter at the position where the first measuring device is mounted on the refrigerant line, and the controller determines whether the estimated first operating parameter is within a threshold percentage of the switching value.
US09726411B2
The present application provides a refrigeration system using a flow of a carbon dioxide refrigerant. The refrigeration system may include a flash tank, a number of temperature suction compressors for a temperature suction cycle, and a flash gas bypass system positioned between the flash tank and the cycle compressors. The flash gas bypass system may include one or more oversized flash gas compressors so as to alternate between the temperature suction cycle and a flash tank suction cycle.
US09726407B2
A temperature sensitive rod is communicated with a diaphragm that is displaceable in response to a pressure difference between an internal pressure of a sealed space, in which a temperature sensitive medium is sealed, and a pressure of a low pressure refrigerant outputted from an evaporator. A blind hole, which opens to the sealed space, is formed in an inside of the temperature sensitive rod. The temperature sensitive medium is a mixture gas of the refrigerant and an inert gas. A mixing ratio of the inert gas in the temperature sensitive medium corresponds to a ratio of an equivalent diameter of the blind hole relative to a depth of the blind hole in such a manner that a time constant of heat conduction from the temperature sensitive rod to the temperature sensitive medium is kept within a desired time constant range.
US09726403B2
In an air cooling mode of cooling air as a fluid to be heat-exchanged, a refrigeration cycle device is provided to perform switching to a refrigerant circuit in which a high-pressure refrigerant exchanging heat with outside air in an exterior heat exchanger and dissipating heat therefrom flows into an accumulator serving as a gas-liquid separator. In an air heating mode of heating the air, the refrigeration cycle device also performs switching to another refrigerant circuit that allows a low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by a first expansion valve to flow into the accumulator. Thus, even in any operation mode, a difference between a refrigerant temperature in the accumulator and the outside air temperature is reduced to thereby suppress the degradation of performance of the refrigeration cycle device due to the unnecessary transfer of heat between the refrigerant in the accumulator and the outside air.
US09726394B2
This invention provides a under cabinet ducting kit comprising an under cabinet supply cover; at least two oval collars, wherein a first oval collar is connected to the under cabinet supply cover at a first end; a flexible duct hose, wherein a first end of the flexible duct hose is connected to the first oval collar at a second end, and wherein a second end of the flexible duct hose is connected to a first end of a second oval collar; a toe kick backer plate, wherein a second end of the second oval collar is connected the toe kick backer plate; and at least two metal band straps, wherein the metal band straps attach the flexible duct hose to each of the first and the second oval collars.
US09726390B2
The electrical connections of a chamber or enclosure for a water tub can be protected through the use of spill element sensors. The spill element sensors can help to disable the delivery of power to the heater of a water tub in the event that the electrical connections become wet.
US09726389B2
A portable evaporative cooling apparatus includes a primary passage for delivering a primary air stream to an induction nozzle. A secondary passage that is substantially unobstructed extends from an ambient air inlet to the induction nozzle. A secondary air stream is induced through the secondary passage by the primary air stream and the primary and secondary air streams are ejected from the induction nozzle into the ambient air. An atomizer in the secondary passage, proximate the ambient air inlet, emits a fine spray of water into the secondary air stream. The mixing of the water spray and induced air flow is performed inside the induction nozzle, which also provides a physical and thermal barrier, and makes a completely cooled air stream available immediately outside the user, so the apparatuses may be placed close to the user's face, for example.
US09726381B1
A filter unit heat exchanger is provided that may include a housing substantially surrounding a heat exchange assembly. Provided through the housing are one or more tortuous fluid flow paths used to direct airflow therethrough around portions of the heat exchange assembly for efficient operation. The tortuous path(s) may be provided by one or more nozzle openings on an input side of the housing and one or more diffuser openings on an output side of the housing, where the nozzle openings and diffuser openings are offset to cause desired airflow deflection. The filter unit may include desired symmetries to improve manufacturability and/or installation.
US09726379B2
A measurement device for determining heating parameters of an oven may generally include a support plate and at least one sensor cup coupled to the support plate. The sensor cup may define a liquid well for receiving a volume of liquid and may include a bottom wall defining a floor of the liquid well. In addition, the measurement device may include a temperature sensor positioned adjacent to the floor of the liquid well such that the temperature sensor is configured to be in fluid contact with at least a portion of the volume of the liquid received within the liquid well. The temperature sensor may be configured to monitor a temperature of the liquid as the liquid is heated and evaporates from the sensor cup.
US09726377B2
The burner (1) of a gas turbine includes a duct (2) which houses four vortex generators (3) and a lance (7) that carries one or more nozzles (8) for injecting a fuel within the duct (2). The lance (7) extends from one of the vortex generators (3).
US09726376B2
A glow plug wherein a combustion gas prevention wall (67) extends radially outward on the outer circumferential surface of heater (10) such that when the heater (10) is viewed rearward from its forward end (10a) along the axial direction, the combustion gas prevention wall (67) closes an annular gap K1 at a position forward of annular membrane portion (63) of seal member (60). The combustion gas prevention wall (67) has an outer diameter D2 greater than the inner diameter D1 of forward end (136) of the housing.
US09726375B2
The present disclosure relates to a boiler system that includes an oxyfuel boiler in which a stream of oxygen and a fuel are combusted to generate a stream of flue gas. A flue gas condenser condenses the cleaned flue gas. A flue gas compression unit produces a stream of pressurized carbon dioxide rich flue gas. A pressure control system measures and controls the pressure after the flue gas conditioning system to a predetermined set value. A flow control system measures and controls the flow after the flue gas compression unit to a predetermined set value. The present disclosure further relates to a method of operating such a boiler system for an oxy-fuel process as well as to a power plant comprising such a system.
US09726361B1
An improved LED lighting system is provided for overhead ceiling lighting, as well as for other uses. The LED lighting system comprises elongated linear lamps having an LED luminary as a source of illumination and configured to operate as a node of an automated networked lighting system. The linear LED lamps have internal modular network connectors and control components so that they can receive control data and power signals over a single network cable according to a standardized power and data network communications architecture such as Ethernet. The system includes connector assemblies designed to securely mount the networkable linear LED lamps to conventional tube lamp lighting fixtures or to another support housing and to provide integrated power and data connectivity to internal components of the lamps. In one form, the disclosed system includes a network enabled snap-fit connector assembly mounted to a lighting fixture and configured to provide Ethernet power and data connectivity to the lamp. The LED lamps have first and second mechanical connectors at opposite ends of the lamp body, and the snap-fit connectors are configured to secure the lamps to an overhead lighting fixture or other support structure as an incident of the lamp ends moving relative to the mounting connectors in a substantially straight path that is transverse to the length of the body into an engaged position. The snap-fit connectors are also configured to form a network connection with an internal modular network connector associated with the lamp with the lamp mounted in its operative state on a support. In another form, a clipping mechanism is provided for mounting linear networkable LED lamps to an overhead grid ceiling system.
US09726360B1
A luminaire includes a housing defining an interior volume. The luminaire also includes a lamp within the interior volume and configured to emit light. Additionally, the luminaire includes a wireless antenna positioned within the interior volume, configured to transmit or receive a wireless signal along a first direction, and configured to be operatively coupled to an access point. The wireless antenna can be entirely within the interior volume. The luminaire can include a first reflective surface within the interior volume and configured to redirect the wireless signal. The lamp can be configured to be electrically coupled to a power inserter that powers the access point.
US09726359B1
Systems, devices, and methods for a decorative outdoor light fixture that can include an adjustable motion sensor with a rectangular coverage pattern. An adjustable motion sensor for a light fixture can include an outer housing connected to a light fixture frame, a movable sensor assembly including a motion detector contained within the outer housing, a lens covering a portion of the outer housing in the path of the motion detector sensing beams to direct the sensing beams in a rectangular coverage pattern, and a sensor adjustment mechanism accessible from an exterior of the outer housing to allow a user to rotate the sensor adjustment mechanism to cause the motion detector to move upward and downward. The adjustable motion sensor covered with a fixed window that hides the motion sensor assembly from view.
US09726349B2
The present disclosure provides decorative lights using prismatic film such as Optical Lighting Film (OLF) available from 3M Company, and a diffuse partial reflector. The decorative lights generate design styles and comfort for a light fixture, and can use solid state lighting such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to generate the light. The decorative lights can have an appearance that changes with the viewing angle of the light.
US09726345B2
Disclosed is a lighting module including a bottom part including a bottom cover having a transmission hole, a top cover provided on the bottom cover and having a protrusion hole, a reflective cover disposed between the bottom cover and the top cover, and having a parabolic surface to reflect incident light to the transmission hole, a heat radiation plate having a heat radiation protrusion protruding through the protrusion hole of the top cover and provided on the top cover and a light source part provided on one surface of the heat radiation protrusion to emit light into the reflective cover.
US09726344B2
A lens includes a substrate, a light concentrating portion mounted on the substrate. The substrate includes a first substrate and a second substrate, the light concentrating portion includes a first light concentrating portion and a second light concentrating portion. The first light concentrating portion extends outward from the first substrate, the second light concentrating portion extends outward from the second substrate. The first light concentrating portion has a first axis, the second light concentrating portion has a second axis. The first axis and the second axis are configured in an angle and intersect in an extending direction thereof.
US09726341B2
A lighting apparatus includes: a first light source that emits a first light; a first lens that allows the first light to pass through and exit from a first exit face of the first lens; a second light source that emits a second light; and a second lens that is smaller than the first lens and allows the second light to pass through and exit from a second exit face of the second lens. When viewed from the first exit face side: (i) the first exit face has a recess that is recessed inward from a periphery of the first exit face; and (ii) the second exit face is at least partially disposed in the recess.
US09726335B2
A phosphor device of an illumination system, which emits a first waveband light, includes a substrate and a first phosphor layer. The first phosphor layer includes a first phosphor agent and a second phosphor agent. The first phosphor agent is formed on the substrate for converting the first waveband light into a second waveband light. The second waveband light comprises a first color light and a second color light. The second phosphor agent is distributed over the first phosphor agent for converting the first waveband light into the second color light so as to increase the luminous intensity of the second color light. Therefore, the luminous intensity of the second color light can be effectively increased.
US09726331B1
An improved LED lighting system is provided for overhead ceiling lighting, as well as for other uses. The LED lighting system comprises elongated linear lamps having an LED luminary as a source of illumination and configured to operate as a node of an automated networked lighting system. The linear LED lamps have internal modular network connectors and control components so that they can receive control data and power signals over a single network cable according to a standardized power and data network communications architecture such as Ethernet. The system includes connector assemblies designed to securely mount the networkable linear LED lamps to conventional tube lamp lighting fixtures or to another support housing and to provide integrated power and data connectivity to internal components of the lamps. In one form, the disclosed system includes a network enabled snap-fit connector assembly mounted to a lighting fixture and configured to provide Ethernet power and data connectivity to the lamp. The LED lamps have first and second mechanical connectors at opposite ends of the lamp body, and the snap-fit connectors are configured to secure the lamps to an overhead lighting fixture or other support structure as an incident of the lamp ends moving relative to the mounting connectors in a substantially straight path that is transverse to the length of the body into an engaged position. The snap-fit connectors are also configured to form a network connection with an internal modular network connector associated with the lamp with the lamp mounted in its operative state on a support. In another form, a clipping mechanism is provided for mounting linear networkable LED lamps to an overhead grid ceiling system.
US09726327B2
The present invention relates to liquefied gas treatment system and method, and the liquefied gas treatment system includes: a liquefied gas supply line connected from a liquefied gas storing tank to a source of demand; a heat exchanger provided on the liquefied gas supply line between the source of demand and the liquefied gas storing tank, and configured to heat exchange liquefied gas supplied from the liquefied gas storing tank with heat transfer media; a media heater configured to heat the heat transfer media; a media circulation line connected from the media heater to the heat exchanger; a media state detecting sensor provided on the media circulation line, and configured to measure a state of the heat transfer media; and a controller configured to set a coagulation prevention reference value for preventing the heat transfer media from being coagulated, and change a flow rate of the heat transfer media flowing into the media heater or calories supplied to the heat transfer media by the media heater on the basis of a state value of the heat transfer media by the media state detecting sensor and the coagulation prevention reference value.
US09726318B2
A mounting assembly 10 for mounting a roller brush 12 onto a cleaning apparatus includes a mounting housing 14 configured to be mountable on the cleaning apparatus. The mounting housing has a through hole for receiving an idle shaft 16 that is sized to be engageable within a blind hole 42 formed in the adjacent end hub 32 of the brush 12. The idle shaft 16 is resiliently loaded in the direction toward the brush hub 12 by a loader assembly 18 which includes a compression spring 16 acting against retaining ring 48 engaged with the idle shaft 16.
US09726313B2
A gasket is for an annular compact flange. The compact flange includes two joinable flange halves which are formed with contact surfaces facing each other, and at least one of the flange halves having an axial, centric bore. An annular gasket groove is arranged in each of the flange halves, which is arranged to sealingly receive a common gasket. The gasket groove has a proximal side and a distal side relative to the bore, the distal side, which is conical, forming a groove sealing surface against the gasket. The gasket, which seals at the groove sealing surface, is formed with a plate portion positioned between the contact surfaces.
US09726312B2
Master flange assemblies are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a master flange assembly includes a master flange and a tube. The master flange includes a central aperture, at least one through-hole, and a plurality of cavities. The tube is arranged to pass through the central aperture and form the master flange assembly when secured to the master flange. In one embodiment, the plurality of cavities are recessions formed in a first surface of the master flange, wherein the recessions do not pass through the master flange. In one embodiment, the plurality of cavities are separated by ribs. In one embodiment, the master flange includes a shoulder recessed from a second surface of the master flange and adjacent to the central aperture. The tube includes a rim that engages the shoulder of the master flange when the tube is secured to the master flange to form the assembly.
US09726307B1
An orifice holder assembly provides a boss connected by at least one arm to a base having an outlet therethrough. The boss is provided below the outlet. A tube is inserted through the boss until a bead contacts a first boss surface and the tube end is then deflected to form a lip where the lip and the bead connects the tube to the boss. An orifice body is then inserted in the tube end.
US09726304B2
A double offset hanger and restrainer device for securely supporting a pipe or the like against undesirable sway and seismic disturbances is provided. The hanger and restrainer device includes a proximal portion mountable to a beam or the like and a specially contoured distal portion with an opening that can receive the pipe in a “snap-on” manner. The snap-on or press-fit feature also provides the advantage of retrofit installation, thereby permitting one or more of the devices to be added on without disassembly of an existing installation.
US09726294B2
In accordance with various embodiments, a plug head assembly is provided comprising a ceramic plug head having a frustroconical geometry, wherein the ceramic plug head has a proximal terminus and a distal terminus, wherein the ceramic plug head has a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE), a sleeve having a frustroconical geometry conforming to the ceramic plug head and a second CTE, wherein the second CTE is greater than the first CTE, a distal retainer having a frustroconical geometry conforming to the sleeve, the distal retainer having a first engagement portion for engaging the a proximal retainer, the proximal retainer having a second engagement portion for engaging the distal retainer, and a base that couples with the proximal retainer. In addition, thick banded plug heads are provided.
US09726291B2
A shaft seal includes a radially outward flange area and a radially inward sealing lip connected to the flange area. An annular spring with a U-shaped or V-shaped cross section is arranged on a radial outer face of the sealing lip, wherein an outer limb bears on the flange area and an inner limb bears on the sealing lip, and wherein a surface of the spring exposed to an exterior of the shaft seal is coated with an elastomer. The invention also relates to a method for producing a shaft seal.
US09726290B2
A seal structure has one metal gasket arranged between a pair of casings. The metal gasket is provided with a planate outer peripheral portion and a bead portion which is formed by rising up from an inner peripheral end portion of the outer peripheral portion, and is arranged so that the bead portion comes into contact with the one casing, and the outer peripheral portion comes into contact with the other casing. The bead portion elastically deforms so as to reduce its height and the outer peripheral portion elastically deforms on the basis of the elastic deformation of the bead portion, when the metal gasket is pinched by the pair of casings, and a leading end of the outer peripheral portion comes into contact with one casing at this time, whereby any gap in which salt water stays is not formed between one casing and the metal gasket.
US09726289B2
A sealing assembly includes a first component having a first sealing surface, a second component having a second sealing surface and a flat gasket arranged in the space between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface, wherein the gasket has a through-opening for a third component arranged at least partially in the first component and/or the second component and at least engaging in the through-opening. The flat gasket has retaining means for securing the third component, the retaining means releasing the third component in a release position of said flat gasket and fixing said third component in at least one direction with respect to the first component and/or the second component in a retaining position of the gasket.
US09726283B2
An electric front derailleur includes a base member, a chain guide, a first link member, a second link member and an electric driving unit. The base member includes a mounting portion to be operatively mounted to a bicycle frame. The chain guide is movable with respect to the base member. The first link member movably connects the chain guide to the base member. The first link member is at least partially aligned with the chain guide in a lateral direction with the electric front derailleur in an installed position. The second link member movably connects the chain guide to the base member. The second link member is at least partially aligned with the chain guide in the lateral direction with the electric front derailleur in the installed position. The electric driving unit is operatively coupled to the chain guide to move the chain guide with respect to the base member.
US09726279B2
A system and method of controlling the operation of a transmission using fuel consumption data. The system and method includes controlling the operation of a vehicle transmission which is operatively connected to an engine and to a transmission control module having access to a memory. Fuel consumption data for a plurality of engines is converted to engine efficiency loss data representative of the each of the engines' operation. The plurality of patterns, each representative of the operating characteristics of one of plurality of engines, is stored in the memory. Engine operating characteristics are recorded during operation of the vehicle. One of the pluralities of patterns is selected based on the recorded operating characteristics to operate the vehicle in a fuel efficient manner.
US09726274B2
A gear motor assembly includes a casing having a through hole, a motor fixed to the casing, an output shaft, a gear fixed to the output shaft and driven by the motor, and a substantially tubular bearing fixed in the through hole of the casing. The gear has a central hub which has an axial end surface, and a shaft portion extending from a central portion of the axial end surface of the central hub. The shaft portion is sleeved in the bearing. A slot is formed in the outer surface of the shaft portion and is filled with lubricant. The slot extends from a free end of the shaft portion to a joint between the outer surface of the shaft portion and the axial end surface of the central hub.
US09726272B2
An assembly for adjustably mounting a gear of a pump to a gear of a driver equipment includes a shroud member, and a hollow elongated stub-shaft. The stub-shaft includes a flange, and a hub member axially extending from the flange. The shroud member defines a first aperture whose diameter is greater than a diameter of the hub member. The hub member is received within the shroud member via the first aperture. The flange has a first set of holes to receive a first set of fasteners and releasably couple with the body of the pump. The flange also has a second set of holes that are configured to receive a second set of fasteners and releasably couple with the shroud member. A diameter of the second set of holes is greater than a diameter of the second set of fasteners.
US09726270B2
A cam follower roller device, notably for fuel injection pump of an internal combustion engine, the cam follower roller device comprising a casing, a shaft mounted on the casing and a roller rotatably mounted on the shaft. The casing comprises on its periphery at least four openings made through the thickness of the casing and located in such a way that two openings face one end of the outer cylindrical surface of the roller.
US09726266B2
A lead screw attachment mechanism for a linear actuator system is provided. The attachment mechanism comprises an attachment housing comprising a fixed cover configured to house the attachment mechanism. The attachment mechanism comprises a first coupling mechanism configured to couple the attachment mechanism to an output shaft of a motor and a second coupling mechanism configured to couple the attachment mechanism to a lead nut, wherein the lead nut is configured to move linearly along an axis defined by a length of the attachment mechanism. The attachment mechanism is configured to rotate about the axis, within the fixed cover.
US09726261B1
A planetary gear train of an automatic transmission for a vehicle may include an input shaft receiving torque of an engine, an output shaft outputting torque of the engine, a first planetary gear set, a second planetary gear set, a third planetary gear set, a fourth planetary gear set, a first shaft directly connected to the input shaft, a second shaft directly connected to the output shaft, a third shaft, a fourth shaft selectively connectable to the third shaft, a fifth shaft selectively connectable to the third shaft, a sixth shaft, a seventh shaft, and an eighth shaft selectively connectable to the second shaft and the fourth shaft.
US09726242B2
A caliper unit may include a piston configured to linearly reciprocate in a cylinder, a pushrod configured to move along with the piston, an operating ramp configured to linearly move the pushrod in one direction, a high compression spring supported by the cylinder and configured to restore the pushrod to an original position, and a floating ramp interposed between the high compression spring and the operating ramp to transfer elastic force of the high compression spring to the operating ramp.
US09726238B2
An overload limiting device includes: a rolling element; a rotatable first rotation member having a housing portion that houses the rolling element; a rotatable second rotation member having an engagement recess portion that engages detachably with the rolling element housed in the housing portion, the second rotation member being arranged opposing the first rotation member; a biasing member that biases the rolling element toward the engagement recess portion; and an adjustment nut that adjusts a biasing force of the biasing member by moving in a rotation axis direction of the first rotation member, the adjustment nut being provided to the first rotation member, the first rotation member including a scale showing a position of the adjustment nut in the rotation axis direction.
US09726236B2
A transmission clutch module includes an inner race, an outer race, and a plurality of race engaging pawls adapted to selectively secure the races together in either a locked position or an unlocked position. The clutch module includes 5 an actuator cam configured to be moved between two angularly spaced positions to control the pawls. The inner race is comprised of two axially spaced inner race plates axially secured together by rivets for retaining, and accommodating angular limited movements of the pawls. The pawls are circumferentially disposed about the inner race plates, and are radially outwardly biased by springs 10 to engage the outer race, unless blocked by the actuator cam. The pawls are weighted at one end, so that at a threshold speed of the inner race, they can overcome spring resistance to disengage from both the actuator cam and the outer race.
US09726225B2
A distributed load bearing including an outer flex ring, a load distribution spring, and a retainer. The outer flex ring is configured to be positioned radially outwards of a shaft. The load distribution spring is preloaded and positioned radially outwards of the outer flex ring. A radially inner surface of the load distribution spring contacts the outer flex ring. The radially inner surface is an arc defined by a first radius when the load distribution spring is in a lower load distribution mode, and a second radius when the load distribution spring is in a higher load distribution mode. The retainer is positioned radially outwards of the load distribution spring, and the retainer angularly and radially positions the load distribution spring.
US09726216B2
A cable adjusting unit includes a first member, a second member and an actuator. The second member is movably arranged with respect to the first member. The actuator is operatively coupled to at least one of the first member and the second member. The actuator is arranged to relatively move the first member with respect to the second member.
US09726215B2
A force transmission unit that has a rope, particularly a wire rope, and a device for introducing a force into the rope, that includes a sleeve enclosing the rope and connected to the rope under deformation. The force transmission unit has a connecting member which is arranged between the sleeve and the rope and formed from a material that has a lower strength than the materials from which the sleeve and the outer strands of the rope are formed and which preferably has a hollow cylindrical shape.
US09726207B2
A positioning structure that positions two workpieces includes a one positioning portion that is provided on one of the workpieces and includes one inverted portion and a protruding portion; and a other positioning portion that is provided on the other workpiece and includes another inverted portion and a receiving portion, the two positioning portions positioning the two workpieces, by overlapping an end portion of the one positioning portion face-to-face with an end portion of the other positioning portion. The two inverted portions are each such that alignment of the positioning portion is inverted when the one positioning portion is overlapped with the other positioning portion, the protruding portion is arranged on the end portion side of the one positioning portion and is provided protruding toward an overlapping side, and the receiving portion engages with the protruding portion when the one positioning portion is overlapped with the other positioning portion.
US09726200B2
A modular ejector pump (1) for a fuel delivery device (39). The ejector pump (1) has a feed line (3) and a first nozzle (7). The feed line (3) is embodied to supply fuel (27) to the first nozzle (7). The ejector pump (1) furthermore has a second nozzle (9), which is arranged parallel to the first nozzle (7). The feed line (3) is embodied to supply fuel (27) to the second nozzle (9).
US09726197B2
A turbomachine element including an airfoil set including a plurality of airfoils that are offset from one another in a lateral direction, and upstream from at least one end of each airfoil, a group of a plurality of vortex generator devices that are mutually offset both laterally and axially.
US09726193B2
The pump housing (2) includes a circumferential wall (3), a pump casing (20) and a shaft cover (40). The pump casing (20) is attached to the circumferential wall (3) by a plurality of connection elements. The pump casing (20) includes a central opening (27) to form an axial supply (14) of the pump housing (2) for material to be pumped. The circumferential wall (3) closes the pump housing (2) along its outer circumference. The pump (1) includes a plurality of connection elements (22) connecting the pump casing (20) to the circumferential wall (3). The connection elements (22) are positioned in groups along the circumference of the pump housing (2), wherein the groups are regularly distributed along the circumference of the pump housing (2).
US09726192B2
Fans having fan blades with lightweight blade tips are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, for example, each fan blade includes a blade tip attached to an end portion of a main airfoil. The blade tip includes a shaped body that is molded over a support structure to form the shape and exterior surface of the blade tip.
US09726191B2
A ceiling fan suspended by a down rod includes a motor that rotates relative to the down rod. The motor has a side extending between a top and an opposed bottom, a brace is releasably attached to top of the motor, and a blade iron is releasably attached to the bottom of the motor. A fan blade has a face plate juxtaposed along the side of the motor and is releasably attached to the blade iron. An engagement element formed in the brace mates with a complemental engagement element formed in the face plate so as to connect the brace with respect to the face plate, and the engagement element of the brace and the complemental engagement element of the face plate concurrently contact a vibration dampener applied between the engagement element and the complemental engagement element to dampen vibration between the brace and the fan blade.
US09726182B2
A water pump has a pump section having radial impeller blades, a rotational shaft for rotating the radial impeller blades, and a motor section provided in the rear of the pump section and driving the rotational shaft. The motor section has a motor casing, a motor housed in the motor casing and rotating the rotational shaft, bearings provided on both sides of the motor interposed between them on the rotational shaft, interposed between an inner surface of the motor casing and the rotational shaft, and rotatably supporting the rotational shaft. In the motor casing, a vent hole for venting air between a motor space in which the motor is disposed in the motor casing and an outside of the motor casing is formed.
US09726173B2
A variable displacement lubricant pump for providing a pressurized lubricant for an internal combustion engine includes a control ring configured to be shiftable, a pump rotor comprising a plurality of slidable vanes which are configured to rotate in the control ring, a hydraulic control chamber configured to directly actuate the control ring, a valve bore, and a temperature control valve configured to connect or disconnect the temperature control opening to an atmospheric pressure. The hydraulic control chamber comprises a side wall comprising a temperature control opening arranged therein. The temperature control valve comprises a switching strip which comprises a switching temperature. The switching strip is configured to be in an open position if a temperature is below the switching temperature, and to be in a closed position if the temperature is above the switching temperature so as to close the valve bore.
US09726161B2
A micropump configured to control flow of an insulation fluid includes: a rectangular channel 370 configured to have a rectangular shape in which a movement passage of the insulation fluid; a planar electrode forming section 310 configured to be formed inside the rectangular channel and have a planar shape for applying an electric field; an inflow section 320 configured such that the insulation fluid flows in; and an outflow section 330 configured such that the insulation fluid flows out. Since an insulation fluid with low conductivity in a range of 10−10 to 10−12 S/m is transported with a simple technical structure without using a complicated component, it is possible to obtain the advantage of cost saving and application to various minute dynamics devices.
US09726159B2
An arrangement for throttling a fluid flow includes a throttle element arranged so as to influence a flow cross section in a fluid duct. The throttle element has a resiliently elastic disc-shaped basic body which is arranged with a top side and a bottom side between at least two supports in the fluid duct. The body is arranged in such a way that the flow cross section can be variably adjusted as a function of a pressure difference between the top side and the bottom side of the resiliently elastic disc-shaped basic body. At least one support bears against the top side of the resiliently elastic disc-shaped basic body, and at least one support bears against the bottom side of the resiliently elastic disc-shaped basic body.
US09726153B2
A structural tower for a wind turbine assembly, includes along at least a base section: a plurality of peripheral sections extending peripherally of a central section. Each includes a convex-shaped wall having two longitudinal side edges and an inner framework connected to a respective one of the convex-shaped walls and extending inwardly therein. The inner framework includes spaced-apart transversal structural members connecting the two longitudinal side edges of the convex-shaped walls together and pairs of connecting structural members extending inwardly towards the central section. Each connecting structural member of a pair has a peripheral end connected to a respective one of the longitudinal side edges and an inner end connected to an inner end of a respective one of the connecting structural members of an adjacent one of the peripheral sections to define a structural concavity in the structural tower between adjacent peripheral sections.
US09726149B2
A ram air turbine (RAT) assembly includes a gearbox that supports a gear set with a ring gear that drives a pinion gear. The gear set provides for the transmission of power from the turbine to a generator, pump or other power conversion device. A turbine shaft supports the ring gear and a pinion shaft that rotates about an axis transverse to the turbine shaft supports the pinion gear. A ratio between a face width and a diametrical pitch of the gear set is within a desired ratio that provides sufficient space for supporting bearing assemblies while providing for operation within the physical constraints and desired performance requirements of the RAT.
US09726145B2
A pitch control system for a wind turbine includes a backup battery bank assigned to each pitch drive motor, with each battery bank having a plurality of individual batteries connected in series. A battery charger is connected in parallel across each battery in the battery bank. A protective circuit is configured with each battery charger and includes a voltage comparator circuit that detects a reverse voltage applied to the battery charger above a threshold value to isolate the battery charger from the reverse voltage.
US09726136B2
Device (DMT) arranged to provide an additional voltage, when the heat engine starts up, for the electrical power supply of the rotating electrical machine (AD). This additional voltage is added to a rated voltage of the on-board electrical system (RB) provided by a battery (BAT). The device comprises a second voltage source (Ucap) and electronic switches (K1, K2), each comprising at least one MOSFET transistor. At least one MOSFET transistor (K2) of the switches, mounted in series with the second voltage source, is controlled in linear mode at the end of the startup of the heat engine. Advantageously, the device comprises current control loops for controlling the transistors in linear mode.
US09726123B2
An air filter (10) includes an openable filter housing (12) and a filter element (18). The filter housing (12) includes an inlet (26) and an outlet. A filter element (18) with a filter medium (46) is disposed replaceably in the filter housing separating the inlet (26) from the outlet (22). The filter element (18) features on an exterior side facing away from the element interior space (52) on an axial front face relative to the element axis (32) at least one supporting element (58) having at least one supporting lateral surface (60, 61) with at least one cylindrical portion and/or at least one portion with a variable cross-section in the direction of a main axis. The supporting element (58) is supported at least transversely in relation to the element axis (32) with the at least one supporting lateral surface (60, 61) against at least one corresponding support portion (42) on the side of the filter housing (12).
US09726122B2
A system includes an internal combustion engine having a number of cylinders. At least one of the cylinders is a primary EGR cylinder that solely provides EGR flow during at least some operating conditions. Operation of the primary EGR cylinder is controlled separately from the other cylinders to reduce internal residuals in the primary EGR cylinder.
US09726113B2
A turbine engine assembly is provided. The turbine engine assembly includes a core gas turbine engine including a first rotatable drive shaft, a first low-pressure turbine section in serial flow communication with the gas turbine engine, a gear assembly coupled to the first low-pressure turbine section through a second rotatable drive shaft, and a second low-pressure turbine section in serial flow communication with the core gas turbine engine. The first low-pressure turbine section is configured to rotate in a first rotational direction, and the second low-pressure turbine section is configured to rotate in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. The first and second low-pressure turbine sections are spaced axially apart from each other. The turbine engine assembly also includes a fan assembly coupled to the first low-pressure turbine section through the gear assembly, and coupled to the second low-pressure turbine section through a third rotatable drive shaft.
US09726110B2
An aircraft propulsion system may include a generally annular fan case defined by a fan configured to be disposed at a forward end thereof and a stator blade array configured to be disposed at an aft end thereof, a thrust reversing assembly comprising at least a portion of the fan case, the fan case comprising a generally annular cascade array, and/or a sleeve situated at least partially about the cascade array, the sleeve configured to deploy to expose the cascade array. The aircraft propulsion system may further comprise a blocker door coupled to at least one of the cascade array and an inner surface of the fan case, the blocker door configured to deploy to redirect airflow through the cascade array.
US09726100B2
An electromagnetic actuation system includes an actuator having an electrical coil, a magnetic core, and an armature. The system further includes a controllable bi-directional drive circuit for selectively driving current through the electrical coil in either of two directions. The control module provides an actuator command to the drive circuit effective to drive current through the electrical coil in a first direction to actuate the armature and in a second direction subsequent to armature actuation to oppose residual flux within the actuator. The control module includes a residual flux feedback control module configured to adapt the actuator command to converge residual flux within the actuator to a preferred flux level.
US09726090B2
An engine having a low pressure EGR system includes: an intake line suctioning outdoor air and transferring the outdoor air to a combustion chamber; a turbocharger actuated by exhaust gas which flows in an exhaust line to compress gas which flows in the intake line; a supercharger installed at a downstream side of the turbocharger; a low pressure EGR line branched at one side of the exhaust line and joined to an upstream side of the turbocharger to recirculate the exhaust gas; a recirculation line branched on the intake line at a downstream side of the supercharger and joined to the intake line at an upstream side of a point where the low EGR line and the intake line meet; and a control unit controlling the actuation of the supercharger. The control unit actuates the supercharger in the case of a coasting driving condition.
US09726089B2
A method and system for perform a charge exchange in internal combustion engine comprising an additional intake and exhaust valve lifts performed during positive pressure gradients between the intake and exhaust systems to reducing scavenging losses and increase torque during low engine speeds.
US09726085B2
The invention relates to a method for controlling a gas turbine group including, a first combustion chamber, a first turbine connected, a second combustion chamber, a second turbine, and a load. The method includes: measuring a temperature TAT1 at an outlet of the first turbine; determining a ratio S1R of a fuel mass flow feeding a pilot flame of the first combustion chamber to a total fuel mass flow feeding the first combustion chamber based upon the measured temperature TAT1 in accordance with a predetermined mapping table between ratio S1R and temperature TAT1; adopting the larger one between the determined ratio S1R and a predetermined booster ratio S1R to be used in the controlling fuel flow feeding the first combustion chamber of the gas turbine group. Pulsation behavior of the gas turbine group may be improved. High pulsation during fast de-loading of the gas turbine group is substantially is decreased, avoiding potential damage to the parts of the gas turbine group.
US09726084B2
A compressor for a gas turbine engine having a bleed air recirculation system includes a plurality of bleed holes extending through the shroud at a first axial location thereon substantially adjacent the blade tips. The bleed holes have a closed outer perimeter along their complete length. An annular bleed cavity surrounds the shroud and is in communication with outlet openings of the bleed holes. The bleed holes provide communication between the main gas flow passage and the bleed cavity. The bleed cavity includes exit passages having outlets disposed in the shroud at a second axial location which is upstream of both the first axial location and the leading edge of the blades of the rotor. Bleed air is passively bled from the main gas flow passage via the bleed holes, recirculated through the bleed cavity and re-injected back into the main gas flow passage at the second axial location.
US09726082B2
A turbine bypass system comprises a bypass path which is selectively operable to deliver hot gases to a gas cooler and a pebble bed positioned in the bypass path upstream of the gas cooler. The pebble bed absorbs heat from the bypass gases and thereby reduces the temperature of the bypass gases prior to delivery of the bypass gases to the gas cooler.
US09726077B2
A connecting rod (10) has a pin bearing eye for attaching the connecting rod (10) to a crankshaft, a connecting rod bearing eye (12) for attaching the connecting rod (10) to a piston of a cylinder, and an eccentric adjusting device (13) for adjusting an effective connecting rod length. The eccentric adjusting device (13) has eccentric rods (15, 16) that act on an eccentric lever (14) of the eccentric adjusting device (13). The eccentric adjusting device (13) also has an eccentric (36) with a bore for receiving a gudgeon pin (37). Lubricating oil bores (38, 39, 40, 41) in the connecting rod bearing eye (12) and in the eccentric (36) enable a lubricating oil film to be built up between the connecting rod bearing eye (12) and the eccentric (36) and also between the eccentric (36) and the gudgeon pin (37).
US09726075B2
A self-adjusting rod end (10) comprising a rod end housing (12) including a connector portion (16), a ball housing portion (14) having an opening (18), and a race insert (26) disposed in the opening (18). A rod end ball (20) is disposed in the race insert (26) and a rod end tensioner (30) is positioned to apply a force (F) against an end of the rod end ball (20). The rod end tensioner (30) includes a clip portion (32) with a spring arm (34) extending therefrom, wherein the clip portion (32) includes a pair of tangs (38) positioned to engage the connector portion (16). The spring arm (34) includes a contact tip (36) confronting the end of the rod end ball (20).
US09726071B2
An exhaust casing for use with a turbocharger includes a hollow body that has two mutually opposed large walls, which extend along first and second major dimensions of the hollow body and are spaced apart by a minor dimension of the hollow body, the hollow body defining a plenum and an inlet nozzle opening into the plenum along the minor dimension of the hollow body. The casing further includes an outlet nozzle opening from the plenum along one of the major dimensions of the hollow body.
US09726069B2
Methods and systems are providing for improving engine coolant level estimation to reduce engine overheating. The level of fluid in a coolant overflow reservoir is inferred based on the fluid level in a hollow vertical standpipe fluidically coupled to the reservoir at top and bottom locations. An ultrasonic sensor positioned in a recess at the bottom of the vertical standpipe transmits signals intermittently, receives their echoes upon reflection from the coolant surface, and estimates the fluid level in the standpipe based on echo times.
US09726060B2
A chemical heat storage device includes a reactor disposed around an oxidizing catalyst and containing MgCl2 which chemically reacts with NH3 to generate heat, a storage connected to the reactor through a pipe to store NH3, an on-off valve disposed in the pipe, a temperature sensor detecting the temperature of the exhaust gas passing through the oxidizing catalyst, and a controller controlling the on-off valve based on the detected value of the temperature sensor. The controller controls the on-off valve such that the on-off valve unconditionally opens if the temperature of the exhaust gas is greater than a heat generating start temperature TL and is equal to or less than a heat generating end guide temperature TQ, and the on-off valve unconditionally opens if the temperature of the exhaust gas is greater than a regenerating temperature TH.
US09726056B2
In at least one implementation, an engine oil circuit for a vehicle includes first and second oil circuits, and first and second oil pumps. The first oil circuit is communicated with at least one first engine component and the first oil pump is communicated with the first oil circuit to supply fluid flow in the first oil circuit at a first flow rate and a first pressure. The second oil circuit is communicated with at least one second engine component and may be segregated from the first oil circuit. The second oil pump is communicated with the second oil circuit to supply fluid flow in the second oil circuit at a second flow rate and a second pressure. At least one of the second flow rate or the second pressure is different than the first flow rate or the first pressure.
US09726048B2
A steam turbine plant is provided with: a plurality of steam turbines; a multistage pressure condenser composed of a plurality of condensers which are respectively provided below the respective steam turbines so as to correspond to the plurality of steam turbines, and in which steam which is discharged from the respective steam turbines is condensed and accommodated as condensate; and a steam extraction section which introduces some of the steam in the steam turbine into condensate of the condenser corresponding to the lowest-pressure steam turbine among the plurality of condensers.
US09726043B2
A shroud apparatus for a gas turbine engine includes: an annular metallic hanger; a shroud segment disposed inboard of the hanger, comprising low-ductility material and having a cross-sectional shape defined by opposed forward and aft walls, and opposed inner and outer walls, the walls extending between opposed first and second end faces, wherein the inner wall defines an arcuate inner flowpath surface; and a retainer mechanically coupled to the hanger which engages the shroud segment to retain the shroud segment to the hanger while permitting movement of the shroud segment in a radial direction.
US09726038B2
The invention relates to a process for producing an insulation element (12), which can be arranged radially above at least one guide vane (14) in a housing (10) of a thermal gas turbine. The insulation element (12) is produced from a solid body (24) provided with a metallic shell (26), the solid body (24) consisting at least partially of a ceramic material. The invention also relates to an insulation element (12), which can be arranged radially above at least one guide vane (14) in a housing (10) of a thermal gas turbine, and to an aero engine having a housing (10), in which at least one insulation element (12) is arranged radially above at least one guide vane (14).
US09726035B2
Methods and systems are provided for determining a reference position associated with a variable geometry member. One exemplary method involves actuating the variable geometry member in a first direction with a first reference torque and obtaining a first position associated with the variable geometry member in response to the first reference torque. After actuating the variable geometry member with the first reference torque, the method continues by actuating the variable geometry member in the first direction with a second reference torque that is less than the first reference torque, obtaining a second position associated with the variable geometry member in response to the second reference torque, and identifying the second position as the hard-stop reference position when a difference between the first position and the second position is less than a fault threshold.
US09726029B2
A fluid cooling arrangement in a gas turbine engine for aerospace propulsion includes an inner structure. Also included is an outer structure disposed radially outwardly of the inner structure, the outer structure and the inner structure defining a bypass flow path. Further included is at least one strut operatively coupling the inner structure to the outer structure. Yet further included is at least one cooling tube formed within the at least one strut, the at least one cooling tube configured to cool a fluid passing through the at least one cooling tube upon convective cooling of the at least one strut as air passes through the bypass flow path and over the at least one strut.
US09726027B2
A turbine includes: a blade body having a blade provided at one of a rotor rotatably supported and a stator provided around the rotor and extending in a radial direction and a shroud extending in a circumferential direction at a tip portion in the radial direction of the blade; and an accommodating concave body provided at another one of the rotor and the stator, extending in the circumferential direction, accommodating the shroud with a gap interposed therebetween, and relatively rotating with respect to the blade body, wherein a leakage flow leaked from a main flow flowing along the blade flows into the gap; and wherein the shroud is provided with a guide curved surface formed between a peripheral surface facing the accommodating concave body and a trailing edge end portion formed closer to a main flow side in a downstream side of the leakage flow than the peripheral surface.
US09726026B2
The present application provides a turbine rotor and blade assembly for a steam turbine. The turbine rotor and blade assembly may include a rotor, a number of buckets positioned about the rotor and a locking blade positioned about the rotor. The locking blade may include a base, a first side hook, and a second side hook. The locking blade may include a first side pilot hole defined between the base and the first side hook and a second side pilot hole defined between the base and the second side hook.
US09726022B2
Embodiments of an axially-split radial turbine, as are embodiments of a method for manufacturing an axially-split radial turbine. In one embodiment, the method includes the steps of joining a forward bladed ring to a forward disk to produce a forward turbine rotor, fabricating an aft turbine rotor, and disposing the forward turbine rotor and the aft turbine rotor in an axially-abutting, rotationally-fixed relationship to produce the axially-split radial turbine.
US09726020B2
An exhaust-gas turbocharger (1), having a shaft (2) which has an outer diameter (A2); a turbine wheel (5) which is fastened to the shaft (2); and a connecting device (8) via which the shaft (2) is fastened to the turbine wheel (5). The shaft (2) has, in the region of an end side (3), a shaft shoulder (4) with an outer diameter (A4) larger than the outer diameter (A2) of the shaft (2). The turbine wheel (5) has an external thread portion (7) integrally formed on its wheel rear side (6) The connecting device (8) has a sleeve nut (8A) which is screwed onto the external thread portion (7) and, in a process, engages behind the shaft shoulder (4) in order to brace the shaft (2) against the turbine wheel (5).
US09726004B2
A wellbore system can include a completion assembly having a completion string. The system can also include a service string that can be positioned within an inner diameter of the completion string. A location-sensing component can be positioned on the completion string or the service string. A communication link communicatively coupled with the location-sensing component can transmit signals representing a stimuli detected by the location-sensing component. A stimuli-producing device can output the stimuli that is detected by the location-sensing component. A stimuli-producing device can be positioned on the other of the completion string or the service string.
US09726002B2
A water treatment method includes: withdrawing water from the environment; filtering the withdrawn water in a membrane filtration unit; extracting a production flow from an underground formation containing hydrocarbons; separating and collecting production water from the production flow; filtering the production flow in the membrane filtration unit; collecting a treated water flow from the membrane filtration unit. An installation adapted for applying this method is also provided.
US09725990B2
In a completion for producing methane the bottom hole assembly has a base pipe with porous media surrounding it for equalizing flow along the base pipe. A shape memory polymer foam surrounds the porous media. The borehole can be reamed to reduce produced methane velocities. Surrounding the shape memory polymer is an exterior layer of consolidated proppant or sand that can self-adhere and/or stick to the polymer foam. The proppant or sand can be circulated or squeezed into position although, circulation is preferred. The borehole may enlarge due to shifting sands in an unconsolidated formation as the methane is produced. The bottom hole assembly helps in fluid flow equalization and protects the foam and layers below from high fluid velocities during production.
US09725985B2
A completion joint 100 has a sand control jacket 120 and an inflow control device 130. The jacket 120 communicates screened fluid with a housing of the inflow control device 130. The basepipe's flow openings 118 are isolated in the housing from the screened fluid by flow devices 170. The flow devices 170 are externally accessible on the device's housing to selectively configure the flow devices 170 open or closed.
US09725975B2
A method of wellbore strengthening may include providing a wellbore strengthening fluid comprising a drilling fluid, a particulate, and a fiber; introducing the wellbore strengthening fluid into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; and forming a plug comprising the particulate and the fiber in a void near the wellbore, the plug being capable of maintaining integrity at about 1000 psi or greater overbalance pressure.
US09725965B2
An apparatus for use in resonance enhanced rotary drilling. The apparatus comprising one or both of: (a) a vibration isolation unit; and (b) a vibration transmission unit. The vibration isolation unit and/or the vibration transmission unit typically comprising a spring system comprising two or more frusto-conical springs arranged in series.
US09725963B2
The transmission line for wired pipe applications includes an inner conductor, an insulating material surrounding the inner conductor, the insulating material having an initial outer diameter, and a wire channel surrounding the insulating material and the inner conductor for at least a portion of a length of the transmission line. The wire channel is formed from at least two profiles forced together to compress the insulating material such that it has a final outer diameter that is less than the initial outer diameter.
US09725960B2
Disclosed are improved cutters for fixed-cutter rotating drill bits. One cutter includes a substrate defining a slot therein and being configured to be coupled to a middle portion of a blade of the drill bit, and a cutting element secured within the slot and having at least a portion of the cutting element extending out of the slot, the cutting element further having a first face and a second face, wherein portions of the first and second faces are supported by the substrate within the slot.
US09725958B2
Expandable tools for use in subterranean boreholes may include a body defining a fluid flow path extending through the body. A valve piston may be located within the fluid flow path of the body, the valve piston configured to move longitudinally within the body responsive to drilling fluid flowing through the fluid flow path above a threshold pressure. The valve piston may include a nozzle defining an opening at an end of the valve piston. A status indicator may be located within the flow path of the body, the status indicator being fixed relative to the body. The status indicator may be positioned and shaped to alter a cross-sectional area of the opening of the nozzle by at least partially entering the nozzle responsive to the valve piston moving longitudinally within the body.
US09725948B2
The present invention advantageously provides a motorized roller shade that includes a shade tube, a motor/controller unit and a power supply unit. The motor/controller unit is disposed within the shade tube, and includes a bearing, rotatably coupled to a support shaft, and a DC gear motor. The output shaft of the DC gear motor is coupled to the support shaft such that the output shaft and the support shaft do not rotate when the support shaft is attached to the mounting bracket.
US09725946B1
A low-profile cladding system that can be readily applied to doors, windows, fixed light openings, or curtain walls where thermal performance is important. The cladding system utilizes a cladding member in combination with an L-shaped bracket to attach and secure the cladding member to a frame or sash. The cladding member is held to the frame or sash by tension or pressure between opposite ends of the cladding member. This tension is created by the L-shaped bracket in combination with the cladding ends as the L-shaped bracket engages one cladding member end and is pivoted into an indentation, or recess, in the frame or sash. The other cladding member end engages a groove along the side of the frame or sash opposite to the indentation.
US09725945B2
A doorsill for forming the bottom of an entryway. The doorsill has a substrate to be disposed above a subfloor and a lifter provided on the substrate capable of extending from a bottom of the substrate. The lifter is adjustable to change the orientation or position of the bottom relative to the subfloor.
US09725943B2
A control device includes: an input unit to which a first signal is input from a detection unit detecting an operation for an opening-closing body; and a control unit generates a second signal for operating the opening-closing body, based on the first signal, wherein the control unit can be switched between a first power consumption mode and a second power consumption mode in which less power is consumed, and the control unit can be switched between a first state where the second power consumption mode is switched to the first power consumption mode, based on a first condition, and a second state where the second power consumption mode is switched to the first power consumption mode, based on a second condition on which the second power consumption mode is less likely to be switched to the first power consumption mode.
US09725941B2
A system and portable device are provided for opening and closing sliding doors associated with conventional sliding doors as used in residences and businesses. The portable sliding door device attaches to a sliding door via a bracket, and moves along the same track used by the sliding door. The sliding door device can be initiated to move the sliding door to the open position through remote control, voice-activation, and proximity transmitters. The sliding door device can communicate with wireless routers and be remotely controlled and monitored by computers, netbooks and cell phones. The sliding door device has safety features, including cameras and speakers to ward off attempted break-ins.
US09725940B2
A hinge assembly that includes a closure member such as a door and a torsion bar that extends between hinge assemblies about which the door pivots so that the torsion bar becomes twisted when the door is moved between a closed position and an open position. The twisting of the torsion bar creates potential energy in the torsion which can be used to open or close the door. A force adjustment mechanism is provided which releases built-up potential energy in the torsion bar in a controlled manner so as to close open the door in a controlled manner.
US09725939B2
A hinge is disclosed including a first connecting plate, a second connecting plate, a hinge element rotatably coupling said first and second connecting plates, a first pin coupled to the first connecting plate, wherein said first pin extends through a first end of the hinge element, a locking bracket coupled to the second connecting plate, and a second pin coupled to a second end of the hinge element, wherein said second pin extends through the locking bracket. The hinge optionally includes one or more friction locks, cableways, or cable tabs.
US09725937B2
A hinge mechanism and mattress for use with a child containment device. A first mattress panel is pivotally coupled to a second mattress panel by a hinge mechanism, and is thereby convertible between an expanded configuration and a collapsed configuration. The hinge mechanism defines a limit point beyond which pivotal motion is prevented in at least one direction.
US09725932B2
A transmission mechanism of handle lock set used for driving a latch to perform extension/retraction action includes a driving plate and a transmission plate. The driving plate includes a supporting portion having a transmission surface with an arc surface and a blocking surface with a flat surface. The driving plate is rotated to make the supporting portion swinging between a first position and a second position. The transmission plate further includes a protrusion having a contact surface. The transmission surface contacts the contact surface and pushes the protrusion to prevent the driving plate from being unavailable due to transmission dead spot occurrence when the supporting portion locates at the first position. The blocking surface contacts the contact surface of the protrusion to prevent the driving plate from over rotation for avoiding unavailable return when the supporting portion of the driving plate locates at the second position.
US09725930B2
Disclosed is a system for preventing unauthorized removal of an electronic device from a docking station including a first plug positioned to slidably interface with a first port of the electronic device, a second plug opposite the first plug and positioned to slidably interface with a second port of the electronic device, a mechanical locking mechanism operable to restrict removal of the first and second plugs from the electronic device, and a software application for communicating with the docking station, the software application including a messaging component for sending messages to, and receiving messages from, the docking station, and an authorization component for authorizing unlocking of the locking mechanism.
US09725929B2
Electrified access-control technology devices for a door, particularly electrified locks for a door, having embedded circuitry therein, and methods of making the same. One or more printed circuit boards (PCBs) having various electronic circuitry are secured inside a housing that encases an access-control device, particularly a lock, for a door. The one or more PCB(s) may be embedded on an internal surface of the housing such that the embedded PCB resides inside the housing along with the lock itself. The embedded PCB(s) avoid interference of both any working components of the lock inside the housing and any openings residing in the housing.
US09725925B1
A door lock includes a latch device and inner and outer operating devices operatively connected to the latch device. The inner operating device includes a control module and a first battery module electrically connected to the control module and supplying electricity for operation of the door lock. A detecting module is electrically connected between the first battery module and the control module. The outer operating device includes a first electric connecting device electrically connected to the detecting module and an unlocking information input module electrically connected to the control module. When the remaining electricity of the first battery module detected by the detecting module is lower than a preset alarm value and a second electric connecting device of a mobile device is in electrical connection with the first electric connecting device, the second battery module of the mobile device supplies electricity to the door lock for operation.
US09725922B2
An awning system for a canopy that couples to two legs of the canopy is disclosed. The awing includes a fabric cover and frameworks. The supportive frameworks include a pair of side supports, each attached to a leg of the canopy and a laterally telescoping crossbeam that attaches to the distal ends of the side supports. The frameworks further include a plurality of tent poles connected perpendicularly to the side supports. The poles support the fabric cover in an upwardly arched shape to facilitate the shedding of water. A tension pole is connected to the bottom of a proximal fabric panel and the top of the distal fabric panel using a system of fabric pockets. The fabric cover is removably attached to the frameworks. The awning provides all-weather protection and may display a sign. Removable rain gutters attach to the awning supports and channel water down legs of the canopy.
US09725920B2
A system for limiting the flow from a dispensing valve when a dispensing cartridge is replaced with the system including a dispenser cartridge with a cam and a water socket with a flow limiter therein that is activeable in response to the position of the dispenser cartridge in the dispensing valve and operable in response to an upstream fluid pressure in the dispensing valve.
US09725906B2
A dry papercrete mix containing a pulp of fiber material such as newsprint and sharp sand, Portland cement and adding additional sand and/or pumice. The resulting dry, granular mix can then be handled stored and used in the manner which is conventional for concrete. The dry papercrete mix can be fortified with a fiber form of basalt which can be added to or substituted for all or a portion of the cellulose fiber content of the dry papercrete mix to provide a stronger structure when hydrated and cast into a desired shape with only a small increase in weight. Basalt reinforcing bars and meshes may be included in shapes cast from the hydrated mix in combination with or substitution for steel reinforcing structures. Including basalt in the mix and in reinforcing systems allows the design of joints between structural modules to provide exceptional strength in a unitary structure so formed.
US09725902B1
The insulating barrier of a panel including has a first stratum and a second stratum, each having a plurality of ridges that face each other, and run athwart of each other. Clearance between at least some adjacent pairs of the ridges provide a mechanical chase that reaches across at least most of the panel. A cladding overlaying at least one side of the insulating barrier is denser than the barrier. The mechanical chase is in the form of a groove through which a utility feed can be routed when the panel is to be mounted in a building.
US09725899B2
Methods and apparatuses are disclosed for removably deploying a floor assembly from a compacted state to a deployed state by varying tensioning forces to removably interconnected individual floor segments.
US09725897B2
An open cell spray polyurea foam for use in an insulation layer in a wall structure may include a polyurea. The polyurea may be a reaction product of an isocyanate compound and water. The open spray polyurea foam may also include a filler. The majority of the filler may exist in the spray foam formulation as an unreacted first fire retardant. The spray foam formulation may further comprise a second fire retardant, and the insulation layer may exhibit a fire retardancy sufficient to pass Appendix X and/or ASTM E-84.
US09725893B2
A system for flushing a toilet having a pump in fluid communication with a floatable, adjustably buoyant container by being connected with a tube to such floatable, adjustably buoyant container. The floatable, adjustably buoyant container is located inside the water tank of a toilet having a flapper covering the discharge hole in the tank of the toilet and is attached to such flapper. The pump provides a fluid less dense than water to the floatable, adjustably buoyant container and thereby raise the flapper and allow water to proceed through the discharge hole. When the fluid is allowed to leave the floatable, adjustably buoyant container, the flapper is lowered and again seals the discharge hole. An optional embodiment withdraws fluid from a normally inflated resilient container seated within the discharge hole to diminish the size of such normally inflated resilient container and thereby permit water to flow through the discharge hole.
US09725890B2
A shower jet device, includes a spray needle arranged in a spray nozzle; a cold water inflow space and a cold water jet outlet formed between the spray nozzle and the spray needle; a hot water inflow space formed between the spray nozzle and a valve body; wherein a cold water inlet respectively in communication with a cold water opening and the cold water inflow space; and a hot water inlet is respectively in communication with a hot water opening and the hot water space.
US09725886B2
An abnormality control device for a construction machine includes: an abnormality detection means for detecting abnormality of an apparatus installed on the construction machine; an abnormality information output means for outputting abnormality information about the apparatus detected by the abnormality detection means in an ordinary mode, and negating or avoiding outputting the abnormality information about the apparatus detected by the abnormality detection means in a maintenance mode; and a mode switch means for determining a content of maintenance work and switching a work mode between an ordinary mode and a work mode according to the content of work or a situation.
US09725883B2
A control system for a machine having a power source configured to provide power, a number of implements including a work implement, configured to provide operations, and a number of power transmitting paths configurable to selectively make power available to the implements to perform operations. The control system may include a control arrangement configured to regulate the power source to provide a first level of available power, to configure a first power transmitting path to make a percentage A1 of said first level of power available to provide a first operation, and to configure a second power transmitting path to make a percentage A2 of said first level of power available to provide a second operation, at least the second operation being a work operation. The control arrangement may further be configured to increase said first level of available power of said power source to a second level of available power, to configure the first power transmitting path to make a percentage B1 of said second level op power available to provide said first operation, and to configure the second power transmitting path to make a percentage B2 of said second level of power available to provide said second operation, such that the ratio B2/B1 is greater than the ratio A2/A1.
US09725873B2
A containment system including a wall member with a plurality of corrugations, each corrugation extending horizontally along a length of the wall member. Each of a multiplicity of the corrugations has openings therein, and at least some of the openings in the corrugations at least partially align to form an upright keyway through the wall member. The system further includes a bracket that has a plurality of corrugation-receiving spaces therein. The wall member is positioned with corrugations in respective corrugation-receiving spaces. The system also includes a locking member received in the upright keyway of the wall member and positioned such that interaction between the locking member and portions of the bracket prevent the wall member from being pulled away from the bracket.
US09725872B2
An enclosing structure (1) comprising a backfill (2) and a roof (3), wherein the roof rests on the backfill and is attached to it.
US09725867B2
A reinforcement module can include a first endplate having notches, a second endplate having notches, a spacing member in contact with the first endplate and the second endplate, and wires looped around at least one of the notches of the first endplate and around at least one of the notches of the second endplate.
US09725866B1
In one aspect, a tieback assembly is provided herein for supporting a SOE, the tieback assembly including: at least one anchor; an anchor threaded element extending from an end of the anchor; a tendon for transmitting force between the anchor and the SOE, the tendon including at least one tendon threaded element; and, a coupler having a body with a threaded bore, the tendon threaded element and the anchor threaded element threadedly engaging the threaded bore. Furthermore, the tendon is provided with sufficient length to extend at least from the coupler to externally of the SOE so that a portion of the tendon may be engaged externally of the SOE to allow for disengagement of the tendon threaded element from the coupler. Advantageously, the subject invention allows for at least partial removal of the tendon from a tieback assembly, including removal of the tendon threaded element.
US09725863B2
A vertical pneumatic fender comprises a fender body having bowl-shaped hemispherical portions joined to both ends in the axial direction of a cylindrical body portion, and a weight that is connected to the bottom of the fender body. The vertical pneumatic fender accommodates ballast water in an interior space of the fender body, and is provided with a backup chain. One end of the backup chain is connected to the fender body in a position that is offset with respect to the axial line of the fender body, and the other end is connected to the weight. The fender body and the weight are connected with the backup chain in a sack state. The slope of an axial orthogonal reference line and an axial parallel reference line are detected by way of a reference line detector.
US09725858B2
The present invention is directed to differing embodiments of safety trailers, which have first and second platforms and a safety wall positioned therebetween. The platforms and safety wall define an area protected from vehicular incursions.
US09725856B2
A cover for a concrete parking block has a first lateral end, second lateral end and a longitudinal enclosure. The first lateral end and the second lateral end can be either open or closed. The longitudinal enclosure is the same length as the concrete parking block. The protective cover can be made of high-density polyethylene (HDPE), Thermoplastic polyolefin (TPO), Acrylonitrile Butadiene styrene (ABS) or foam and resin. The protective cover can also be used to as a bicycle stand. In doing so, the bicycle wheels are inserted into V-shaped slots of the longitudinal enclosure. A water bladder is attached to the protective cover when used as a bicycle stand. A reflective coating is applied on the exterior of the protective cover in order to provide more visibility during low light conditions.
US09725855B2
An assembly for vibrating a compacting drum of a compacting machine includes a shaft rotatably mountable to a compacting drum of the compacting machine. The center of mass of the shaft is offset from the geometrical rotation axis of the shaft. An outer eccentric member is arranged outside of the shaft, wherein the center of mass of the outer eccentric member is offset from the geometrical rotation axis of the shaft. The outer eccentric member is displaceably mounted relative to the shaft for adjustment of the eccentricity of the assembly. An extension of the outer eccentric member in a direction parallel with the geometrical rotation axis of the shaft is at least two times an average extension of the outer eccentric member in a radial direction perpendicular to the geometrical rotation axis of shaft such that a mass of the outer eccentric member forms a distributed load along the geometrical rotation axis of the shaft.
US09725854B2
A fastening system or apparatus for securing a rail to the underlying railroad tie includes a pad, two insulators attached to the pads and two shoulders attached to the ties. An interference fit is formed between the insulators and the shoulders to capture the pad between the shoulders. The insulators are pre-attached to the pad. The mating protrusions of the shoulders and pad allows for ease of insertion such that the pad assembly can be shipped together with the underlying tie.
US09725847B2
An object is to provide a cloth containing an organic fiber, which is excellent in the oil repellency, dirt-removal property by washing and water-absorbing property, and a textile product produced using the cloth. A means for solution is attaching a specific fluorine-containing polymer to a cloth containing an organic fiber, with a quaternary ammonium salt if desired, and thus making the water-absorbing property in accordance with JIS L1018A method (the instillation method) 60 seconds or less and the oil repellency in accordance with AATCC118-1992 grade 4 or higher.
US09725839B2
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a laundry treating apparatus including a first course for rotating washing water and laundry which are loaded in a drum, in a state where a drainage pump is off and a first spinning course for eliminating water elements from the laundry loaded in the drum after the first course, accelerating the drum, wherein the first spinning course comprises a preparing course for rotating the drum, in a state where the drainage pump is off and a drainage course for draining the washing water inside the drum, in a state where the drainage pump is off.
US09725838B1
The present invention provides a portable washing and drying device in a form of a suitcase that is transportable and ergonomic to handle. The device includes a housing transformable into an open or closed state, and including a washing and drying assembly which is configured to wash and dry laundry items. The device further includes modular connections for supplying and removing water, and providing electric power to the assembly which may be removed after use, making the device compact. The device may additionally include suction cups to firmly attach itself with any surface and spring loaded rods for absorbing any shocks from washing/drying operations. The device may also include means like handles and wheels for lending the device to be portable and easily transportable.
US09725837B2
An improved compactor shoe of the type having a gull-wing shape formed by a first wing and a second wing that meet at a critical lower edge, and a top surface. The first wing has a first radius of curvature and the second wing has a second radius of curvature, and both depend concavingly from the top surface to the critical lower edge. The first radius of curvature of the first wing is less than the second radius of curvature of the second wing. The improvement includes a through bore extending axially through the shoe, which carries a coolant to avoid heat deformation of the critical lower edge.
US09725833B2
An exemplary weaving method includes placing a first section of a fill fiber between warp fibers, forming a pick, moving a base to reposition the warp fibers, and placing a second section of the fill fiber between the warp fibers.
US09725828B2
A brush with magnetic filaments is described. The brush may be used, for example, as a brush for applying a cosmetic material. The filaments of the brush may, in one example, be made of a synthetic material infused with magnetic material.
US09725809B2
Provided is a ceramic coating intended to be applied on a metal support and having the form of at least a continuous film having a thickness between 2 and 100 μm, this coating comprising a matrix including at least a metal polyalkoxide and wherein are dispersed particles whereof the diameter ranges between 0.01 and 50 μm, said particles being from a material having a thermal conductivity equal to or higher than 10 W·m−1·K−1 and a bulk density of at the most 3.9 g/cm3. Also provided is an article, for example culinary, comprising such a coating and its method of manufacture.
US09725802B2
A process for applying a silicon oxide barrier coating to a PET container, wherein the PET container comprises a wall having an inner surface and an outer surface, the process comprising the steps of: (a) heating a PET container such that at least the outer surface is at a temperature of from about 200° F. to about 383° F.; (b) forming a coated PET container by applying at least one silicon oxide barrier layer on at least the inner surface of the PET container while the temperature of at least the outer surface of the PET container is at a temperature of from about 200° F. to about 383° F.; and (c) cooling the coated PET container after step b.
US09725801B2
An embodiment of the present disclosure provides a method of growing metal oxide nanowires by ion implantation, the method including the steps of: depositing a metal oxide thin film on a substrate; implanting ions into the metal oxide thin film; and heating the ion-implanted metal oxide thin film to grow metal oxide nanowires.
US09725797B2
A process for forming a ceramic coating on a substrate, such as a turbine engine component includes the steps of providing a substrate, creating a plasma which preheats the substrate, and forming a ceramic coating by injecting a powder feedstock into the plasma. The ceramic coating forming step comprises depositing ceramic particles having a mean size in the range of from 100 to 150 microns at constant particle morphology.
US09725794B2
In one aspect sintered cemented carbide articles are described herein which, in some embodiments, exhibit enhanced resistance to wear and thermal fatigue. Further, sintered cemented carbide articles described herein can tolerate variations in carbon content without formation of undesirable phases, including eta phase and/or free graphite (C-type porosity). Such tolerance can facilitate manufacturing and use of carbide grades where carbon content is not strictly controlled. A sintered cemented carbide body described herein comprises a hard particle phase including tungsten carbide and a metallic binder phase comprising at least one of cobalt, nickel and iron and one or more alloying additives, wherein the sintered cemented carbide has a magnetic saturation (MS) ranging from 0% to 73% and no eta phase.
US09725792B2
Disclosed herein is a high-elasticity hypereutectic aluminum alloy, including: titanium (Ti) and boron (B), wherein a composition ratio of Ti: B is 3.5 to 5:1, boron (B) is included in an amount of 0.5 to 2 wt %, and both Al3Ti and TiB2 are included as reinforcing agents.
US09725789B2
Provided are an apparatus for manufacturing a compound powder, a method of manufacturing an iron-boron compound powder by using the apparatus, a boron alloy powder mixture, a method of manufacturing the boron alloy powder mixture, a combined powder structure, a method of manufacturing the combined powder structure, a steel pipe, and a method of manufacturing the steel pipe The method of manufacturing the boron alloy powder mixture includes: preparing a mixed powder including a boron iron alloy powder and a target powder; heat-treating the mixed powder to boronize at least a portion of the target powder and de-boronize at least a portion of the boron iron alloy powder, thereby de-boronizing the boron iron alloy powder to reduce the melting point of the boron iron alloy powder.
US09725786B2
In the present invention, nickel is selectively extracted from an acidic solution that contains a high concentration of manganese. This valuable metal extraction agent is represented by the general formula. In the formula, R1 and R2 are alkyl groups that may be the same or different, R3 is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group, and R4 is a hydrogen atom or any group, other than an amino group, bonded to an α carbon atom of an amino acid. The general formula preferably has a glycine unit, a histidine unit, a lysine unit, an aspartic acid unit or a n-methylglycine unit. When extracting nickel by using this extraction agent, it is preferable to adjust the pH of the acidic solution to 2.3 to 5.5 inclusive.
US09725785B2
A process for cold hydrochemical decomposition of sodium hydrogen aluminosilicate. The process includes decomposing sodium hydrogen aluminosilicate at low temperature with a chelate to form a solution of soluble compounds and insoluble contaminants; separating the insoluble contaminants from the solution with a coagulator and heating to coagulate the silicic acid and form a silicic acid gel; separating the silicic acid gel to form a silicic acid-free solution; decomposing the silicic acid-free solution to form a precipitate of sodium hydrogen carboaluminate and a mother liquor; separating the precipitate from the mother liquor; concentrating, cooling and regenerating the mother liquor and forming sodium hydrogen carbonate; separating the sodium hydrogen carbonate from the regenerated solution; and calcining the sodium hydrogen carboaluminate at a temperature of about 700 to about 900° C. and forming sodium aluminate.
US09725770B2
Herein are described 1058 different bacterial taxa that were unique to either human, grazing mammal, or bird fecal wastes. These identified taxa can serve as specific identifier taxa for these sources in environmental waters. Two field tests in marine waters demonstrate the capacity of phylogenetic microarray analysis to track multiple sources with one test.
US09725761B2
The invention relates to the amplification of specific target nucleic acids. The invention provides methods, reagents, and kits for carrying out such amplification via the autoligation chain reaction (ACR).
US09725755B2
The present disclosure relates to the enrichment of target nucleic acid sequences present in low-abundance relative to corresponding non-target or reference nucleic acid sequence in a sample. In particular, the methods allow for a substantially greater level of detection sensitivity of target sequence by orders of magnitude enrichment of a low-abundance sequence.
US09725753B2
Provided is a device that, on the basis of a measurement result of a current that has a low value and a wide distribution, identifies the composition of biological molecules passing through a nanoparticle path. This biomolecule information analysis device obtains a current value by applying an electrical field to biomolecules passing through a gap between a first electrode and a second electrode, and identifies the structure of the biomolecules by integrating the current value and making a comparison with a reference value (see FIG. 1).
US09725741B2
The present invention relates to recombinant bacteria and the uses thereof, particularly for the production of ethanol. The invention also relates to methods for the production of such bacteria, as well as to nucleic acid constructs suitable for such production. The invention specifically relates to bacteria lacking a functional LDH gene and/or containing a recombinant nucleic acid encoding a PDC and ADH. The bacteria of this invention may be produced from any stress-resistant bacteria.
US09725738B2
The invention provides an adenovirus or adenoviral vector characterized by comprising one or more particular nucleic acid sequences or one or more particular amino acid sequences, or portions thereof, pertaining to, for example, an adenoviral pIX protein, DNA polymerase protein, penton protein, hexon protein, and/or fiber protein.
US09725733B2
By analyzing a Jatropha genome, NF-YB-encoding genes of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 11, fragments of NF-YB-encoding genes of SEQ ID NOs: 12 and 13, and genes relating thereto were found. By transforming Jatropha with these NF-YB-encoding genes and the like, it is possible to overexpress a NF-YB polypeptide and so on, and to significantly improve the productivity of protein synthesis involved by the NF-YB polypeptide, and to significantly improve the dry stress resistance, for example. As a result, it is possible to create dry stress resistant Jatropha capable of ensuring high growth even under water deficient conditions.
US09725727B2
Described are compositions and methods relating to variant filamentous fungi having altered growth characteristics. Such variants are well-suited for growth in submerged cultures, e.g., for the large-scale production of enzymes and other proteins for commercial applications.
US09725719B2
The invention relates to pharmaceutical compositions, kits, methods, and uses for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In particular, the invention relates to compositions, kits, methods, and uses for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by inhibiting NF-κB in microglia or macrophages and by inhibiting motor neuron death. The invention further relates to compositions, kits, methods, and uses for the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis by inhibiting NF-κB in microglia in combination with inhibiting SOD-1 in astrocytes. The invention also relates to a method for inhibiting the expression or the activity of NF-κB in microglia or macrophages to inhibit motor neuron death, alone or in combination with inhibiting SOD-1 expression in astrocytes.
US09725712B2
The invention relates to a tomato plant, wherein the fruits of which have an improved shelf-life as compared to the fruits of a wild type tomato plant, wherein the genetic determinant causative of the improved shelf life trait is a mutation in the hp2 gene. The increased shelf-life may comprise a fruit that shows normal ripening having a fruit firmness at red ripe harvest that is increased by at least 31%, preferably by at least 42%, more preferably by at least 52%, even more preferably by at least 60%, most preferably by at least 70% as compared to a fruit having similar genetic background that lacks the trait of the invention.
US09725711B2
Device and method for selective hyperthermic damage of target cells by means of millimeter wave radiation. Cells in a culture medium are placed in a cell cultureware and millimeter wave radiation is delivered via a waveguide to a predetermined region of exposure of the culture medium. The device and method are safe and efficient for use in clinical and research applications.
US09725708B2
Methods are provided for modulating the activity of multimeric ubiquitin-protein E3 ligases including, but not limited to, E6AP ligase activities. The methods reduce the level of oligomer formation such as homotrimeric E6AP ligase to reduce the enzyme activity. Alternatively, agents are provided that can promote the association of the ligase monomers, thereby increasing the ligase activity. Accordingly, novel therapeutic strategies are provided that are useful for the treatment of pathologies resulting from mutations in the genes encoding the ligases and which adversely increase or decrease a ubiquitination reaction.
US09725706B2
The present invention provides a novel method for the recombinant production of Factor C protein from horseshoe crab using a parasitic protozoan expressing the Factor C protein. In particular, the present invention provides a parasitic protozoan host cell harboring a polynucleotide encoding horseshoe crab Factor C protein, and a method for producing Factor C protein comprising culturing said parasitic protozoan host cell under conditions such that the cells express the horseshoe crab Factor C protein. Furthermore, the present invention provides recombinant Factor C protein produced by the novel method and its use in the detection and/or removal of endotoxin.
US09725696B2
Compositions of purified biologically active Wnt proteins are provided. Wnt proteins are found to be hydrophobic and post-translationally modified by addition of a lipid moiety at a conserved cysteine residue. Methods for isolation of Wnt utilize detergents that maintain the solubility of the modified protein.
US09725692B2
The present invention refers to a culture medium and a process for producing Clostridium collagenolytic and gelatinolytic proteases. The present invention includes an animal product-free culture medium for C. histolyticum comprising non-animal derived peptones, preferably vegetable derived peptones, yeast extract and the amino acids cysteine and arginine. The present invention also includes a process for producing a supernatant of Clostridium histolyticum liquid culture comprising one or more collagenolytic and gelatinolytic proteases, and pharmaceutical composition comprising as active ingredient a supernatant of the Clostridium cultures described herein.
