US09812551B2

This description relates to a method of forming the gate electrode of a semiconductor device, the method including providing a substrate comprising a dummy gate electrode (DGE), a source/drain (S/D) region, a spacer on a dummy gate sidewall, and an isolation feature, depositing a contact etch stop layer (CESL) over the DGE, the S/D region and the spacer, depositing an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer over the CESL, performing a first chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) to expose the CESL over the DGE, performing a second CMP to expose the DGE, removing an upper portion of the CESL and the spacer, and performing a third CMP to expose the CESL over the S/D region to produce a structure in which an entire top surface of the CESL over the S/D region and isolation feature is substantially co-planar with a top surface of the DGE.
US09812549B2

One or more formation methods of a semiconductor device structure are provided. The method includes forming a dummy gate stack over a semiconductor substrate and forming spacer elements over sidewalls of the dummy gate stack. The method also includes removing the dummy gate stack to form a recess between the spacer elements. The method further includes partially removing the spacer elements such that an upper portion of the recess becomes wider. In addition, the method includes forming a metal gate stack in the recess and forming a protection element over the metal gate stack to fill the recess.
US09812548B2

In one embodiment, a power MOSFET vertically conducts current. A bottom electrode may be connected to a positive voltage, and a top electrode may be connected to a low voltage, such as a load connected to ground. A gate and/or a field plate, such as polysilicon, is within a trench. The trench has a tapered oxide layer insulating the polysilicon from the silicon walls. The oxide is much thicker near the bottom of the trench than near the top to increase the breakdown voltage. The tapered oxide is formed by implanting nitrogen into the trench walls to form a tapered nitrogen dopant concentration. This forms a tapered silicon nitride layer after an anneal. The tapered silicon nitride variably inhibits oxide growth in a subsequent oxidation step.
US09812547B2

An SGT production method includes a first step of forming a fin-shaped semiconductor layer on a semiconductor substrate and forming a first insulating film; a second step of forming a pillar-shaped semiconductor layer, a first dummy gate, and a first hard mask formed from a third insulating film; a third step of forming a second hard mask on a side wall of the first hard mask, and forming a second dummy gate; a fourth step of forming a sidewall and forming a second diffusion layer; a fifth step of depositing an interlayer insulating film, exposing upper portions of the second dummy gate and the first dummy gate, removing the second dummy gate and the first dummy gate, forming a first gate insulating film, and forming a gate electrode and a gate line; and a sixth step of forming a first contact and a second contact.
US09812542B2

An electrical device in which an interface layer is disposed in between and in contact with a conductor and a semiconductor.
US09812541B2

A method for fabricating an array substrate is disclosed, the array substrate includes a first TFT and a pixel electrode. The method includes: forming a buffer layer (322) on the substrate (321); depositing an active layer film (323, 324) and a transparent electrode layer (326) on the substrate (321) having the buffer layer (322) formed thereon, and forming patterns of an active layer (171), a source/drain electrode (151, 152) and a pixel electrode of the first TFT through a single patterning process. An array substrate and a display device fabricated by the above method are also disclosed. By means of the fabrication method, it significantly reduces the fabrication cycle of the TFT, improves the stability of the TFT, such that threshold voltage of the TFT will not drift severely. Meanwhile, the product yield is improved and the lifetime of the device is extended.
US09812533B2

One object of one embodiment of the present invention is to provide a highly reliable semiconductor device including an oxide semiconductor, which has stable electrical characteristics. In a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, a first insulating film is formed; source and drain electrodes and an oxide semiconductor film electrically connected to the source and drain electrodes are formed over the first insulating film; heat treatment is performed on the oxide semiconductor film so that a hydrogen atom in the oxide semiconductor film is removed; oxygen doping treatment is performed on the oxide semiconductor film, so that an oxygen atom is supplied into the oxide semiconductor film; a second insulating film is formed over the oxide semiconductor film; and a gate electrode is formed over the second insulating film so as to overlap with the oxide semiconductor film.
US09812524B2

Techniques are disclosed for customization of nanowire transistor devices to provide a diverse range of channel configurations and/or material systems within the same integrated circuit die. In accordance with one example embodiment, sacrificial fins are removed and replaced with custom material stacks of arbitrary composition and strain suitable for a given application. In one such case, each of a first set of the sacrificial fins is recessed or otherwise removed and replaced with a p-type layer stack, and each of a second set of the sacrificial fins is recessed or otherwise removed and replaced with an n-type layer stack. The p-type layer stack can be completely independent of the process for the n-type layer stack, and vice-versa. Numerous other circuit configurations and device variations are enabled using the techniques provided herein.
US09812517B2

A method for manufacturing a display device, which does not easily damage an electrode, is provided. In the first step, a terminal electrode, a wiring, and a functional layer are provided over a first substrate; the terminal electrode, the wiring, and the functional layer are electrically connected to one another; an insulating layer is provided over the terminal electrode; a first layer is provided over the terminal electrode and the insulating layer; an adhesive layer is sandwiched between the first substrate and a second substrate; the second substrate and the adhesive layer include a first opening overlapping with part of the first layer; and the insulating layer includes a second opening inside the first opening in a top view. In the second step, part of the first layer is removed by emitting particles having a high sublimation property to the first layer, so that the terminal electrode is exposed.
US09812512B2

The pixel structure includes a plurality of pixel units each including a first sub-pixel with a first color, having a first adjoining edge of a first length and a second adjoining edge of a second length; a second sub-pixel with a second color, having a first adjoining edge of the first length and a second adjoining edge of a third length; and a third sub-pixel with a third color, having a first adjoining edge of the second length and a second adjoining edge of the third length. In each pixel unit, the first adjoining edge of the first sub-pixel is adjoined to the first adjoining edge of the second sub-pixel, the second adjoining edge of the first sub-pixel is adjoined to the first adjoining edge of the third sub-pixel, and the second adjoining edge of the second sub-pixel is adjoined to the second adjoining edge of the third sub-pixel.
US09812509B2

According to one embodiment, a sensor includes a light emitter and a light sensor. The light emitter includes a first electrode, a second electrode, and a first light emitting layer. The second electrode is light-transmissive. The first light emitting layer is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode. The light sensor includes a third electrode, a fourth electrode, a fifth electrode, a first photoelectric conversion layer, and a second photoelectric conversion layer. the fourth electrode is light-transmissive. The fifth electrode is provided between the third electrode and the fourth electrode. The fifth electrode is light-transmissive. The first photoelectric conversion layer is provided between the third electrode and the fifth electrode. The second photoelectric conversion layer is provided between the fourth electrode and the fifth electrode.
US09812508B2

Bipolar junction transistors including inorganic channels and organic emitter junctions are used in some applications for forming high resolution active matrix displays. Arrays of such bipolar junction transistors are electrically connected to thin film switching transistors and provide high drive currents for passive devices such as organic light emitting diodes.
US09812504B2

This technology provides an electronic device. An electronic device in accordance with an implementation of this document includes a semiconductor memory, and the semiconductor memory includes a variable resistance structure including a material having a resistance that is changed by formation or dissipation of conductive filaments; and a Magnetic Tunnel Junction (MTJ) structure inserted in the variable resistance structure and comprising a first magnetic layer having a pinned magnetization direction, a second magnetic layer having a variable magnetization direction, and a tunnel dielectric layer interposed between the first magnetic layer and the second magnetic layer.
US09812494B2

A μLED device comprising: a substrate and an epitaxial layer grown on the substrate and comprising a semiconductor material, wherein at least a portion of the substrate and the epitaxial layer define a mesa; an active layer within the mesa and configured, on application of an electrical current, to generate light for emission through a light emitting surface of the substrate opposite the mesa, wherein the crystal lattice structure of the substrate and the epitaxial layer is arranged such that a c-plane of the crystal lattice structure is misaligned with respect to the light emitting surface.
US09812490B2

A semiconductor device, which is configured as a backside illuminated solid-state imaging device, includes a stacked semiconductor chip which is formed by bonding two or more semiconductor chip units to each other and in which, at least, a pixel array and a multi-layer wiring layer are formed in a first semiconductor chip unit and a logic circuit and a multi-layer wiring layer are formed in a second semiconductor chip unit; a semiconductor-removed region in which a semiconductor section of a part of the first semiconductor chip unit is completely removed; and a plurality of connection wirings which is formed in the semiconductor-removed region and connects the first and second semiconductor chip units to each other.
US09812488B2

A backside illuminated (BSI) image sensor comprises a semiconductor substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite to the first surface; a photosensitive element in the semiconductor substrate; a gate structure partially over the first surface of the semiconductor substrate; and a temporary carrier depository in proximity to the first surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the gate structure has a plug portion extending from the first surface toward the second surface. The plug portion of the gate structure helps to increase the charge transfer efficiency so as to improve quantum efficiency of the BSI image sensor.
US09812480B2

A solid-state imaging device includes pixels each having a photoelectric conversion element for converting incident light to an electric signal, color filters associated with the pixels and having a plurality of color filter components, microlenses converging the incident light through the color filters to the photoelectric conversion elements, a light shielding film disposed between the color filter components of the color filters, and a nonplanarized adhesive film provided between the color filters and the light shielding film.
US09812478B2

An aerogel-encapsulated image sensor includes a device die with an image sensor fabricated thereon and an aerogel layer that encapsulates the image sensor. A method for encapsulating image sensor pixel arrays of respective bare image sensors formed on a sensor array sheet may include injecting an uncured aerogel portion on each image sensor pixel array, and curing each uncured aerogel portion. The step of curing may include at least one of (a) super-critical drying, (b) surface-modification drying, and (c) pinhole drying an uncured aerogel portion. The method may further include singulating the sensor array sheet into a plurality of aerogel-encapsulated image sensors. A method for encapsulating image sensor pixel arrays of respective bare image sensors on a device wafer may include forming an aerogel layer on each bare image sensor. The step of forming may include at least one of spin-coating, dip-coating, and spray-coating the aerogel layer.
US09812469B2

An array substrate and a display device are disclosed. The array substrate includes a peripheral area in which a plurality of gate electrode material lines, a plurality of source-drain electrode material lines and a plurality of first metal lines are disposed. Overlapping areas are provided between or among the gate electrode material lines, the source-drain material lines and the first metal lines; a number of the overlapping areas of the source-drain material lines and the first metal lines is less than a number of the overlapping areas of the source-drain material lines and the gate electrode material lines; the gate electrode material lines, the source-drain material lines and the first metal lines are configured as connecting lines of circuits in the peripheral area.
US09812463B2

A memory opening can be formed through an alternating stack of insulating layers and sacrificial material layers provided over a substrate. Annular etch stop material portions are provided at each level of the sacrificial material layers around the memory opening. The annular etch stop material portions can be formed by conversion of surface portions of the sacrificial material layers into dielectric material portion, or by recessing the sacrificial material layers around the memory opening and filling indentations around the memory opening. After formation of a memory stack structure, the sacrificial material layers are removed from the backside. The annular etch stop material portions are at least partially converted to form charge trapping material portions. Vertical isolation of the charge trapping material portions among one another around the memory stack structure minimizes leakage between the charge trapping material portions located at different word line levels.
US09812460B1

The present disclosure relates to an integrated circuit (IC) that includes a HKMG hybrid non-volatile memory (NVM) device and that provides small scale and high performance, and a method of formation. In some embodiments, the integrated circuit includes a memory region having a NVM device with a pair of control gate electrodes separated from a substrate by corresponding floating gates. A pair of select gate electrodes are disposed at opposite sides of the pair of control gate electrodes comprise polysilicon. A logic region is disposed adjacent to the memory region and has a logic device with a metal gate electrode disposed over a logic gate dielectric and having bottom and sidewall surfaces covered by a high-k gate dielectric layer.
US09812456B2

Multi-port semiconductor memory cells including a common floating body region configured to be charged to a level indicative of a memory state of the memory cell. The multi-port semiconductor memory cells include a plurality of gates and conductive regions interfacing with said floating body region. Arrays of memory cells and method of operating said memory arrays are disclosed for making a memory device.
US09812455B2

A method of forming conductive vias comprises forming at least three parallel line constructions elevationally over a substrate. The line constructions individually comprise a dielectric top and dielectric sidewalls. A conductive line is formed elevationally over and angles relative to the line constructions. The conductive line comprises a longitudinally continuous portion and a plurality of conductive material extensions that individually extend elevationally inward between immediately adjacent of the line constructions. Etching is conducted elevationally through the longitudinally continuous portion and partially elevationally into the extensions at spaced locations along the conductive line to break-up the longitudinally continuous portion to form individual conductive vias extending elevationally between immediately adjacent of the line constructions. Methods of forming a memory array are also disclosed. Arrays of conductive vias independent of method of manufacture are also disclosed.
US09812452B2

An integrated circuit with an MOS transistor abutting field oxide and a gate structure on the field oxide adjacent to the MOS transistor and a gap between an epitaxial source/drain and the field oxide is formed with a silicon dioxide-based gap filler in the gap. Metal silicide is formed on the exposed epitaxial source/drain region. A CESL is formed over the integrated circuit and a PMD layer is formed over the CESL. A contact is formed through the PMD layer and CESL to make an electrical connection to the metal silicide on the epitaxial source/drain region.
US09812449B2

A nanosheet field effect transistor design in which the threshold voltage is adjustable by adjusting the composition of the gate. The channel of the nanosheet field effect transistor may be composed of a III-V semiconductor material, and the gate, which may be separated from the channel by a high dielectric constant dielectric layer, may also be composed of a III-V semiconductor material. Adjusting the composition of the gate may result in a change in the affinity of the gate, in turn resulting in a change in the threshold voltage. In some embodiments the channel is composed, for example, of InxGa1-xAs, with x between 0.23 and 0.53, and the gate is composed of InAs1-yNy with y between 0.0 and 0.4, and the values of x and y may be adjusted to adjust the threshold voltage.
US09812448B2

Provided are a semiconductor device configured to block a physical diffusion path by forming an oxide layer between barrier layers to prevent impurities from being diffused through the physical diffusion path between the barrier layers, and a method for fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device includes a gate insulation layer formed on a substrate, a first barrier layer formed on the gate insulation layer, an oxide layer formed on the first barrier layer, the oxide layer including an oxide formed by oxidizing a material included in the first barrier layer, a second barrier layer formed on the oxide layer, a gate electrode formed on the second barrier layer, and source/drains disposed at opposite sides of the gate electrode in the substrate.
US09812436B2

An Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) protection circuit includes a plurality of groups of p-type heavily doped semiconductor strips (p+ strips) and a plurality of groups of n-type heavily doped semiconductor strips (n+ strips) forming an array having a plurality of rows and columns. In each of the rows and the columns, the plurality of groups of p+ strips and the plurality of groups of n+ strips are allocated in an alternating layout. The ESD protection circuit further includes a plurality of gate stacks, each including a first edge aligned to an edge of a group in the plurality of groups of p+ strips, and a second edge aligned to an edge of a group in the plurality of groups of n+ strips.
US09812432B2

An LED chip package includes a substrate having a metal terminal (gold finger structure). A LED chip set is composed of a plurality of LED chips formed in one piece, and has a plurality of light-emitting areas which are separated from each other. The LED chip set is disposed on the substrate and electrically connected to the metal terminal.
US09812431B2

A power semiconductor module is equipped with: a metal base; semiconductor chips electrically connected with and fixed to the metal base; and an insulating substrate fixed to the metal base and having a circuit plate on one surface. Additionally, the power semiconductor module is further equipped with a circuit board that is provided so as to face the semiconductor chips and the insulating substrate and that electrically connects electrodes of the semiconductor chips and the circuit plate of the insulating substrate. Further, the power semiconductor module is equipped with a conductive post that is electrically connected to at least one of either the electrodes of the semiconductor chips or the circuit plate of the insulating substrate while being electrically connected to the metal film of the circuit board.
US09812426B1

A semiconductor device including an integrated circuit, a protection layer, and a conductive via is provided. The integrated circuit includes at least one conductive pad. The protection layer covers the integrated circuit. The protection layer includes a contact opening, and the conductive pad is exposed by the contact opening of the protection layer. The conductive via is embedded in the contact opening of the protection layer, and the conductive via is electrically connected to the conductive pad through the contact opening. A method of fabricating the above-mentioned semiconductor device and an integrated fan-out package including the above-mentioned semiconductor device are also provided.
US09812411B2

A semiconductor device of an embodiment includes a first electrode, a second electrode facing the first electrode, an alternating-current electrode, a first switching element provided between the first electrode and the alternating-current electrode, and a second switching element provided between the second electrode and the alternating-current electrode. The first switching element and the second switching element are electrically connected in series between the first electrode and the second electrode, and the alternating-current electrode is electrically connected between the first switching element and the second switching element.
US09812402B2

Apparatuses relating generally to a microelectronic package having protection from interference are disclosed. In an apparatus thereof, a substrate has an upper surface and a lower surface opposite the upper surface and has a ground plane. A first microelectronic device is coupled to the upper surface of the substrate. Wire bond wires are coupled to the ground plane for conducting the interference thereto and extending away from the upper surface of the substrate. A first portion of the wire bond wires is positioned to provide a shielding region for the first microelectronic device with respect to the interference. A second portion of the wire bond wires is not positioned to provide the shielding region. A second microelectronic device is coupled to the substrate and located outside of the shielding region. A conductive surface is over the first portion of the wire bond wires for covering the shielding region.
US09812399B2

A non-porous dielectric barrier is provided between a porous portion of a dielectric region and an electrically conductive element of an interconnect portion of an integrated circuit. This non-porous dielectric barrier protects the integrated circuit from breakdown of the least one dielectric region caused by electrical conduction assisted by the presence of defects located in the at least one dielectric region.
US09812393B2

Programmable via devices and fabrication methods thereof are presented. The programmable via devices include, for instance, a first metal layer and a second metal layer electrically connected by a via link. The via link includes a semiconductor portion and a metal portion, where the via link facilitates programming of the programmable via device by applying a programming current through the via link to migrate materials between the semiconductor portion and the metal portion to facilitate a change of an electrical resistance of the via link. In one embodiment, the programming current facilitates formation of at least one gap region within the via link, the at least one gap region facilitating the change of the electrical resistance of the via link.
US09812391B2

An electrical contact structure for an integrated circuit device is described. A first patterned dielectric layer comprising at least one contact hole, the contact hole including a bottom surface, and sidewalls extending from the bottom surface to a top surface is provided. The bottom surface of the dielectric layer is in contact with a lower layer of the integrated circuit device. A tungsten via is disposed within the at least one contact hole, the tungsten via having a bottom surface in contact with the lower layer and a top surface. A tungsten nitride layer is disposed on the top surface of the tungsten via to repair etch damage done to the tungsten via.
US09812385B2

An electronic component package according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a metal pattern layer having a first principal surface and a second principal surface, an electronic component disposed on the first principal surface and electrically connected to the metal pattern layer, at least one metal member disposed on the first principal surface and electrically connected to the metal pattern layer, a sealing resin layer disposed on the first principal surface, the electronic component and the at least one metal member, and an insulating layer disposed on the second principal surface. The at least one metal member is thicker than the electronic component. In plan view, the at least one metal member is disposed on an area of the first principal surface, the area including an end of the first principal surface. The at least a part of the metal pattern layer is exposed from the insulating layer.
US09812383B2

A dual power converter package is disclosed. The package includes a leadframe having a first control FET paddle configured to support a drain of a first control FET, and a second control FET paddle configured to support a drain of a second control FET. The leadframe further includes a sync FET paddle configured to support a source of a first sync FET and a source of a second sync FET, and a first plurality of contacts configured to receive control signals for each of the control FETs and each of the sync FETs from a driver integrated circuit (IC) external to the leadframe. The leadframe may additionally include first and second switched nodes, configured for electrical connection to the first control FET and the first sync FET via a first clip, and to the second control FET and the second sync FET via a second clip, respectively.
US09812382B2

A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip and a plurality of leads. The leads include a first lead including a supporting portion for mounting the semiconductor chip, and a projecting portion which projects in a first direction from the supporting portion. A second lead extends in a second direction non-parallel with the first direction, and one or more third leads extends in the second direction, such that a line extending in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction passes through the second lead and the one or more third leads. The second lead includes a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having a width larger than the second portion, the first portion having one side parallel to the first direction, and the first portion located between the second portion and the first lead.
US09812358B1

FinFET structures and methods of forming the same are disclosed. In a method, a recess is formed exposing a plurality of semiconductor fins on a wafer. A dummy contact material is formed in the recess. The dummy contact material contains carbon. The dummy contact material is cured with one or more baking steps. The one or more baking steps harden the dummy contact material. A first portion of the dummy contact material is replaced with an inter-layer dielectric. A second portion of the dummy contact material is replaced with a plurality of contacts. The plurality of contacts are electrically coupled to source/drain regions of the plurality of semiconductor fins.
US09812354B2

An electronic device can include one or more trenches that include a material that defines one or more voids. In an embodiment, the substrate defines a first trench having a first portion and a second portion laterally adjacent to the first portion, wherein the first portion has with a first width, the second portion has a second width, and the first width is wider than the second width. The material defines a first void at a predetermined location within the first portion of the first trench and has a seam within the second portion of the first trench. In another embodiment, the substrate defining a trench, and the material that defines spaced-apart voids at predetermined locations within the trench. A process of forming the electronic device can include patterning a substrate to define a trench, and depositing a material within the trench, wherein the deposited material defines a void.
US09812338B2

Embodiments of a multi-layer environmental barrier for a semiconductor device and methods of manufacturing the same are disclosed. In one embodiment, a semiconductor device is formed on a semiconductor die. The semiconductor die includes a semiconductor body and a passivation structure on the semiconductor body. A multi-level environmental barrier is provided on the passivation structure. The multi-layer environmental barrier is a low-defect multi-layer dielectric film that hermetically seals the semiconductor device from the environment. In one embodiment, the multi-layer environmental barrier has a defect density of less than 10 defects per square centimeter (cm2). By having a low defect density, the multi-layer environmental barrier serves as a robust barrier to the environment.
US09812336B2

The invention provides a method of forming a semiconductor structure, which include: providing an intermediate semiconductor structure having semiconductor substrate, a fin having an EG oxide layer in contact with at least a portion of the fin, and a gate stack disposed over a portion of the fin; forming a silicon nitride layer over portions of the fin that are not located under the gate stack; and after forming the silicon nitride layer, performing one or more ion implantation steps on the intermediate semiconductor structure. The invention also provides a method of forming a semiconductor structure including: providing an intermediate semiconductor structure having a semiconductor substrate, a fin having an EG oxide layer in contact with at least a portion of the fin, and a gate material disposed over the fin; forming, over the fin and gate material of the intermediate semiconductor structure, a gate stack hardmask including an oxide layer; forming a silicon nitride barrier layer on the oxide layer of the gate stack hardmask; performing one or more gate stack hardmask patterning steps; removing the EG oxide layer from portions of the fin that are not located under the gate; and subsequent to removing the EG oxide layer from portions of the fin that are not located under the gate, performing one or more ion implantation steps.
US09812332B2

An etching method is disclosed. The etching method comprises providing on a substrate a structure comprising a recess region formed therein. The recess region includes an inner part and a mouth part whose width is less than that of the inner part. The etching method further comprises performing a clean-then-etch process to remove at least a portion of etching object formed outside the recess region. The performing a clean-then-etch process comprises performing a cleaning process to fill at least a portion of the recess region with a cleaning solution, and performing a wet etch process to the substrate in a state that the cleaning solution remains in the recess region.
US09812328B2

Embodiments described herein generally relate to methods for forming silicide materials. Silicide materials formed according to the embodiments described herein may be utilized as contact and/or interconnect structures and may provide advantages over conventional silicide formation methods. In one embodiment, a one or more transition metal and aluminum layers may be deposited on a silicon containing substrate and a transition metal layer may be deposited on the one or more transition metal and aluminum layers. An annealing process may be performed to form a metal silicide material.
US09812325B2

Techniques herein provide a process to reform or flatten asymmetric spacers to form a square profile which creates symmetric spacers for accurate pattern transfer. Initial spacer formation typically results in spacer profiles with a curved or sloped top surfaces. This asymmetric top surface is isolated while protecting a remaining lower portion of the spacer. The top surface is removed using a plasma processing step resulting in spacers having a squared profile that enables further patterning and/or accurate pattern transfer.
US09812317B2

In an LCD driver, in a high voltage resistant MISFET, end portions of a gate electrode run onto electric field relaxing insulation regions. Wires to become source wires or drain wires are formed on an interlayer insulation film of the first layer over the high voltage resistant MISFET. At this moment, when a distance from an interface between a semiconductor substrate and a gate insulation film to an upper portion of the gate electrode is defined as “a”, and a distance from the upper portion of the gate electrode to an upper portion of the interlayer insulation film on which the wires are formed is defined as “b”, a relation of a>b is established. In such a high voltage resistant MISFET structured in this manner, the wires are arranged so as not to be overlapped planarly with the gate electrode of the high voltage resistant MISFET.
US09812314B2

The invention relates to a lamp (1) comprising a light source (2) that can be excited by microwaves to provide illumination and a housing (4) surrounding the light source, said housing having at least one light exit opening (5). The light exit opening (5) has associated therewith a grille structure (6) or a labyrinth structure (7) acting as a microwave shield.
US09812307B2

A mass spectrometer comprises: an ion source that generates ions having an initial range of mass-to-charge ratios; an auxiliary ion detector, downstream from the ion source that receives a plurality of first ion samples derived from the ions generated by the ion source and determines a respective ion current measurement for each of the plurality of first ion samples; a mass analyzer, downstream from the ion source that receives a second ion sample derived from the ions generated by the ion source and to generate mass spectral data by mass analysis of the second ion sample; and an output stage that establishes an abundance measurement associated with at least some of the ions generated by the ion source based on the ion current measurements determined by the auxiliary ion detector.
US09812305B2

A pulsed direct current sputtering system and method are disclosed. The system has a plasma chamber with two targets, two magnetrons and one anode, a first power source, and a second power source. The first power source is coupled to the first magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic first-power-source voltage with a positive potential and a negative potential during each cycle between the anode and the first magnetron. The second power source is coupled to the second magnetron and the anode, and provides a cyclic second-power-source voltage. The controller phase-synchronizes and controls the first-power-source voltage and second-power-source voltage to apply a combined anode voltage, and phase-synchronizes a first magnetron voltage with a second magnetron voltage, wherein the combined anode voltage applied to the anode has a magnitude of at least 80 percent of a magnitude of a sum of the first magnetron voltage and the second magnetron voltage.
US09812302B2

In a magnetron sputtering apparatus configured such that a magnetic field pattern on a target surface moves with time by means of a rotary magnet group, it is to solve a problem that the failure rate of substrates to be processed becomes high upon plasma ignition or extinction, thereby providing a magnetron sputtering apparatus in which the failure rate of the substrates is smaller than conventional. In a magnetron sputtering apparatus, a plasma shielding member having a slit is disposed on an opposite side of a target with respect to a rotary magnet group. The distance between the plasma shielding member and the substrate is set shorter than the electron mean free path or the sheath width. Further, the width and the length of the slit are controlled to prevent impingement of plasma on the processing substrate. This makes it possible to reduce the failure rate of the substrates.
US09812298B2

The invention concerns a device and a process, the device being a cleaning device utilizing a dry chemical means assisted by plasma from a reactor (10) containing an unwanted deposit on its walls and at least one other polarizable surface (12), characterized in that it comprises means (13, 14) for positively polarizing one or each of the polarizable surfaces relative to the reactor walls maintained at a reference potential.
US09812295B1

Methods and systems include supplying pulsed microwave radiation through a waveguide, where the microwave radiation propagates in a direction along the waveguide. A pressure within the waveguide is at least 0.1 atmosphere. A supply gas is provided at a first location along a length of the waveguide, a majority of the supply gas flowing in the direction of the microwave radiation propagation. A plasma is generated in the supply gas, and a process gas is added into the waveguide at a second location downstream from the first location. A majority of the process gas flows in the direction of the microwave propagation at a rate greater than 5 slm. An average energy of the plasma is controlled to convert the process gas into separated components, by controlling at least one of a pulsing frequency of the pulsed microwave radiation, and a duty cycle of the pulsed microwave radiation.
US09812293B2

A plasma process apparatus including a process chamber defined by an outer wall and a dielectric window, the dielectric window including a first dielectric material and covering an upper portion of the outer wall, the dielectric window including a top surface facing outside of the process chamber and a bottom surface facing insider of the process chamber, the dielectric window further including at least one magnetic-field control groove at the top surface of the dielectric window, and a coil antenna over the dielectric window and configured to receive RF power, the coil antenna including an inner coil and an outer coil, the inner coil over a center of the dielectric window, the outer coil over an edge of the dielectric window and surrounding the inner coil may be provided.
US09812289B2

In one embodiment, a charged particle beam drawing apparatus performs drawing by deflecting a charged particle beam with a deflector. A method for evaluating the apparatus includes making a shot of a first pattern, controlling a deflection amount by the deflector to move an applied position of the beam from the first pattern along a first direction to make a shot of a second pattern, controlling the deflection amount to move the applied position from the second pattern along the first direction to make a shot of a third pattern, controlling the deflection amount to move the applied position from the third pattern along a second direction opposite to the first direction to make a shot of a fourth pattern between the second pattern and the third pattern, calculating an interval between the second pattern and the fourth pattern, and comparing the calculated interval to a reference interval.
US09812288B2

The objective of the present invention is to simply perform image observation through transmitted charged particles. A sample irradiated by a charged particle beam is disposed directly or via a predetermined member on a light-emitting element (23) whereinto charged particles that have traversed or scattered inside the sample enter, causing a light to be emitted therefrom, which is collected and detected efficiently using a light transmission means (203) to generate a transmission charged particle image of the sample.
US09812287B2

An improved spectroscopic analysis apparatus and method are disclosed, comprising directing a beam of radiation onto a measurement location on a specimen, thereby causing a flux of X-rays to emanate from this location; examining the X-ray flux using a detector arrangement, thus acquiring a spectrum; choosing a set of different measurement directions originating from the location; recording outputs from the detector arrangement for different measurement directions; adopting a spectral model that is a convoluted mix of terms B and Lp, where B is the Bremsstrahlung background spectrum and Lp comprises spectral lines corresponding to the specimen composition at the measurement location; and then automatically deconvolving the set of measurements on the basis of the spectral model to calculate Lp to determine the chemical composition of the specimen at the measurement location. The method includes corrections for differential X-ray absorption within the specimen along the different measurement directions.
US09812285B2

Presented is a holder assembly for cooperating with a nanoreactor and an electron microscope. The holder assembly has a distal end for holding the nanoreactor. The volume has a fluid inlet and outlet. The holder assembly has fluid supply and outlet tubes which in working are connected to the fluid inlet and outlet of the nanoreactor. In working, the connection between the fluid inlet and outlet and the respective supply and outlet tubes are sealed by sealing elements. The holder assembly has a recess which, when the nanoreactor is attached and the holder is inserted into the evacuated portion of an electron microscope, forms a sealed pre-vacuum volume between the holder and the nanoreactor, with the pre-vacuum volume being evacuated via a pre-vacuum channel such that any fluid leakage is pumped away and does not enter the evacuated part of the electron microscope.
US09812276B2

A molded-case circuit breaker includes a handle, a contact system and an actuating device. In an embodiment, the handle is movable between an “ON” position and an “OFF” position, the contact system includes at least one stationary contact and a movable contact and the actuating device is operatively connected to the handle and the contact system such that, when the handle is actuated, it is possible to open and close the contact system. Furthermore, in the event of a fault state, the handle can be brought into a “TRIP” position arranged between the “ON” position and the “OFF” position by the actuating device.
US09812273B2

A command selector includes a scroll wheel mounted in a support and free to rotate about a main axis, a fixed printed circuit board, a detection wheel rotating about a secondary axis, a means of transmission rotationally connecting the scroll wheel to the detection wheel of which the rotations are detected by a rotation sensor arranged on the printed circuit board. The main axis and the secondary axis are non-parallel, the means of transmission defines an angle, and the detection wheel rotating in a plane parallel to the printed circuit board, the secondary axis being perpendicular to the printed circuit board, so as to minimize the circumscribed volume of the selector.
US09812270B2

An interlock switch is turned on to close a power supply line when a cover is closed, and turned off to open the power supply line when the cover is opened. A time constant circuit is connected to a node side of the interlock switch in the power supply line. A switch control unit determines that a user is intentionally turning on and off the interlock switch and turns off a switch Q1 when a smoothed voltage obtained by smoothing a voltage difference between voltage dividing nodes becomes larger than a threshold value.
US09812250B2

While the whole weight of magnetic shields provided in a tank of a transformer is reduced, eddy current loss by magnetic flux leaked from a winding is reduced. A transformer is configured using an iron core having an iron core leg and an iron core yoke, windings wound around the iron core leg, a tank having the iron core and the windings therein, and a first magnetic shield and second magnetic shields formed by laminating silicon steel sheets inside the tank. The first magnetic shield is arranged opposite to the windings, the second magnetic shields are arranged between the first magnetic shield and the tank, and the first magnetic shield and the second magnetic shields are fixed to the tank by different support members.
US09812245B2

In a laminated coil component, first coil conductor patterns define a coil opening that generates a magnetic flux in a first direction, second coil conductor patterns define a first coil opening that generates a magnetic flux in the first direction, and a second coil opening that generates a magnetic flux in a second direction. A difference in area between the first coil opening and the second coil opening determines a degree of coupling of the coil defined by the first coil conductor pattern and the coil defined by the second coil conductor pattern. This provides a close proximal arrangement of a plurality of coils proximally while significantly reducing or preventing unnecessary coupling between the coils.
US09812234B2

A penetrator device has an outer housing of non-conductive, insulating material having a through bore, at least one conductive pin formed in one or two parts extending through the housing and having a first end portion and a second end portion extending out of the respective first and second ends of the housing, a first cladding layer bonded over the first end portion of the pin to form a first bonded assembly, a second cladding layer bonded over the second end portion of the pin to form a second bonded assembly, and the material of the first and second cladding layer comprising a corrosion resistant conductive material different from the pin material.
US09812232B2

An electric wire includes a conductor having a cross-sectional area of not less than 180 mm2 and not more than 220 mm2, an insulation provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the conductor, and a wire sheath provided so as to cover the outer periphery of the insulation. The amount of deflection is not less than 180 mm when, at 23° C., one end of the electric wire is fixed to a fixture table so that another end horizontally protrudes 400 mm from the fixture table and a weight of 2 kg is attached to the other end, and cracks and breaks do not occur when wound with a bending diameter of three times the diameter at −40° C.
US09812229B2

A vacuum assembled along a centerline axis used to collect fissile material. The vacuum includes a housing having internal chamber, a top end having a top opening, a bottom end having a bottom opening, and a radial intake port opening. The vacuum includes a suction apparatus having an intake disposed at the intake opening and having a hose connection means for mating with a vacuum hose assembly. The suction apparatus also includes a flow-through fan disposed in the top opening. The fan intakes and exhausts the airflow in a direction parallel with the centerline axis. The suction apparatus also includes a container connection means disposed at the bottom opening for connecting an external container to bottom end of the housing. There is also provided a first cylindrical free space having a center point disposed along the centerline axis and a diameter passing through the center point. The diameter of the first cylindrical free space is less than or equal to the safe diameter for the fissile material of interest. The vacuum cleaner apparatus is sized to fit entirely within the diameter of the first free space. Therefore, the vacuum apparatus constitutes a single fissile unit that is safe by passive geometry control to prevent the potential for a nuclear criticality in the vacuum.
US09812218B2

A pulse is inputted to TFTs 101 and 104 so that the TFTs would turn ON and then potential of a node α rises. When the potential of the node α reaches (VDD−VthN), the node α became in a floating state. Accordingly, a TFT 105 then turns ON, and potential of an output node rises as a clock signal reaches the level H. On the other hand, potential of a gate electrode of the TFT 105 further rises due to an operation of capacitance 107 as the potential of the output node rises, so that the potential of the output node would be higher than (VDD+VthN). Thus, the potential of the output node rises to VDD without voltage drop caused by a threshold of the TFT 105.
US09812212B2

A memory cell includes a program select transistor, a program element, a read select transistor, a read element, and an erase element. The program select transistor is coupled to a program source line, a program select line, and a program control line. The program element is coupled to the second terminal of the program select transistor, a program bit line, and the program control line. The read select transistor is coupled to a read source line, a read select line, and a bias control line. The read element is coupled to the second terminal of the read select transistor, a read bit line, and the bias control line. The erase element is coupled to an erase control line. A floating gate is coupled to the erase element, the program element and the read element.
US09812211B2

A semiconductor device includes a plurality of nonvolatile memory cells (1). Each of the nonvolatile memory cells comprises a MOS type first transistor section (3) used for information storage, and a MOS type second transistor section (4) which selects the first transistor section. The second transistor section has a bit line electrode (16) connected to a bit line, and a control gate electrode (18) connected to a control gate control line. The first transistor section has a source line electrode (10) connected to a source line, a memory gate electrode (14) connected to a memory gate control line, and a charge storage region (11) disposed directly below the memory gate electrode. A gate withstand voltage of the second transistor section is lower than that of the first transistor section. Assuming that the thickness of a gate insulating film of the second transistor section is defined as tc and the thickness of a gate insulating film of the first transistor section is defined as tm, they have a relationship of tc
US09812208B2

A write-protection system and method for use with a gaming machine. The system having a non-volatile data storage device, an interface device and an electrically conductive connector. The storage device having electronic data storage and a write-protection controller providing a write-protected state and a write-permitting state, the electronic data storage being blocked from receiving electronic write commands in the write-protected state and being able to receive write commands in the write-permitting state. The interface device electrically connecting the data storage device to a power supply and control circuitry of the gaming machine. The interface device connected to the electronic data storage through the controller and the connector.
US09812204B1

A ferroelectric static random access memory (FeSRAM) cell includes (a) first and second cross-coupled inverters connected between a power supply voltage signal and a ground reference voltage signal and holding a data signal represented in a complementary manner in first and second common data terminals; (b) first and second select transistors coupled respectively to the first and second common data terminals of the cross-coupled inverters; and (c) first, second, third and fourth ferroelectric capacitors, wherein the first and second ferroelectric capacitors couple the first common data terminal to the power supply voltage signal and the ground reference voltage signal, respectively, and wherein the third and the fourth ferroelectric capacitors couple the second common data terminal to the power supply voltage signal and the ground reference voltage signal, respectively.
US09812200B2

A method of controlling an NVM device can include: (i) receiving, by an interface, a write command from a host; (ii) beginning execution of a write operation on a first array plane of a memory array in response to the write command, where the memory array includes a plurality of NVM cells arranged in a plurality of array planes; (iii) receiving, by the interface, a read command from the host; (iv) suspending the write operation in response to detection of the read command during execution of the write operation; (v) beginning execution of a read operation on a second array plane in response to the read command; and (vi) resuming the write operation after the read operation has at least partially been executed.
US09812196B2

In one example, a system includes a multi-plane memory array with shared crossbars and memory elements accessed through the shared crossbars and support circuitry. The support circuitry includes a bias multiplexer to determine an orientation of a target memory element in the multi-plane memory array and output voltage biases with a polarity based on the orientation of the target memory element. Methods for generating and applying geometry dependent voltage biases are also provided.
US09812176B2

A memory structure includes N array regions and N page buffers coupled to the N array regions, respectively. N is an integer≧2. Each of the N array regions includes a 3D array of a plurality of memory cells. The memory cells have a lateral distance d between two adjacent memory cells on a horizontal cell plane of the 3D array. Each of the N array regions further includes a plurality of conductive lines. The conductive lines are disposed over and coupled to the 3D array. The conductive lines have a pitch p, and p/d=⅕ to ½. The N array regions and the N page buffers are arranged on one line along an extension direction of the conductive lines. M array regions of the N array regions are configured to operate simultaneously. M is an integer. M/N=½ or 1.
US09812163B2

A motor includes a bearing mechanism including a shaft disposed along a center axis extending in a lengthwise direction, a sealing member disposed on a lower side of the bearing mechanism, a stationary portion including a base constituting a part of the housing, and a rotary portion rotating relative to the stationary portion about the center axis via the bearing mechanism. The base has a through hole defined therein so as to have a center aligned with the center axis and pass through the base in an axial direction. The bearing mechanism is fixed to the base in a first fixing region defined between an inner circumferential portion of the base and an outer circumferential portion of the bearing mechanism. The sealing member is fixed to the base in a second fixing region defined between the inner circumferential portion of the base and an outer circumferential portion of the sealing member. At least one of the first fixing region and the second fixing region includes a sealing region.
US09812161B2

A sensor supported by a head transducer has a temperature coefficient of resistance (TCR) and a sensor resistance. The sensor operates at a temperature above ambient and is responsive to changes in sensor-medium spacing. Conductive contacts connected to the sensor have a contact resistance and a cross-sectional area adjacent to the sensor larger than that of the sensor, such that the contact resistance is small relative to the sensor resistance and negligibly contributes to a signal generated by the sensor. A multiplicity of head transducers each support a TCR sensor and a power source can supply bias power to each sensor of each head to maintain each sensor at a fixed temperature above an ambient temperature in the presence of heat transfer changes impacting the sensors. A TCR sensor of a head transducer can include a track-oriented TCR sensor wire for sensing one or both of asperities of the medium.
US09812154B2

A method and a system for detecting sentiment of a human based on an analysis of human speech are disclosed. In an embodiment, one or more time instances of glottal closure are determined from a speech signal of the human. A voice source signal based on the determined one or more time instances of glottal closure is generated. A set of relative harmonic strengths is determined based on one or more harmonic contours of the voice source signal. The RHS is indicative of a deviation of the one or more harmonics of the voice source signal from a fundamental frequency of the voice source signal. A set of feature vectors is determined based on the RHS. The set of feature vectors are utilizable to detect the sentiment of the human.
US09812149B2

Methods and systems for providing consistency in noise reduction during speech and non-speech periods are provided. First and second signals are received. The first signal includes at least a voice component. The second signal includes at least the voice component modified by human tissue of a user. First and second weights may be assigned per subband to the first and second signals, respectively. The first and second signals are processed to obtain respective first and second full-band power estimates. During periods when the user's speech is not present, the first weight and the second weight are adjusted based at least partially on the first full-band power estimate and the second full-band power estimate. The first and second signals are blended based on the adjusted weights to generate an enhanced voice signal. The second signal may be aligned with the first signal prior to the blending.
US09812146B1

An echo cancellation system that synchronizes output audio data with input audio data in a heterogeneous system. The system may increment a counter as outgoing audio frames are sent to a digital-to-analog converter in a speaker. As incoming audio frames are received by an analog-to-digital converter in a microphone, the system may copy contents of the counter into the incoming audio frames. Based on the contents of the counter, the incoming audio frames may be associated with corresponding outgoing audio frames. After synchronizing the incoming audio frames and the outgoing audio frames, the system may perform Acoustic Echo Cancellation by removing the outgoing audio frames from the incoming audio frames.
US09812145B1

A Mobile Voice Self Service (MVSS) mobile device and method thereof. A VoiceXML browser that is implemented directly on the MVSS mobile device may request a VoiceXML application and process it. A call data manager may also be implemented on the MVSS mobile device and may provide call data that may authorize access to advanced Media Resource Control Protocol (MRCP) services, such as Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) or Text-To-Speech (TTS). A media resource gateway may then provide the advanced MRCP services to the VoiceXML application processed by the VoiceXML application browser. Hotkey navigations and bookmarked application points to VoiceXML applications may be created and applied through application analysis and state tracking. Therein, VoiceXML document transitions and user input are stored to maintain application state changes until the user requests creation of an application bookmark.
US09812144B2

Speech transcoding in packet networks may be useful when both incoming and outgoing speech streams of the transcoding entity are packet based. This can be any transcoding entity having packet interfaces. A method can include omitting jitter buffering before decoding in a transcoder and omitting bad frame handling in a decoding stage of a transcoder. The method can also include freezing a decoder and the encoder when a packet is not received. The method can also include sending packet loss information from the decoder to the encoder as side information when the packet is not received. The method can further include setting an outgoing packet stream to permit detection of missing packets by a downstream decoder upon receiving a valid packet after the packet is not received.
US09812142B2

A method performed in an audio decoder for reconstructing an original audio signal having a lowband portion and a highband portion is disclosed. The method includes receiving an encoded audio signal and extracting reconstruction parameters from the encoded audio signal. The method further includes decoding the encoded audio signal with a core audio decoder to obtain a decoded lowband portion and regenerating the highband portion based at least in part on a cross over frequency and the decoded lowband portion to obtain a regenerated highband portion. The method also includes creating a synthetic sinusoid with a level based at least in part on a spectral envelope value for the particular subband and a noise floor value for the particular subband and adding the synthetic sinusoid to the regenerated highband portion in the particular frequency band specified by the location information. Finally, the method includes combining the lowband portion and the regenerated highband portion to obtain a full bandwidth audio signal.
US09812140B2

A method of performing quadrature mirror filter (QMF) synthesis filtering includes recording new samples corresponding to a current time slot at positions of samples to be discarded in a first array that includes modulated QMF sub-band samples. The method further includes extracting samples from the first array to remove aliasing between adjacent sub-bands, determining filter coefficients corresponding to the extracted samples by using modulo operation, and synthesizing a time domain sample where aliasing is removed by using the extracted samples and the filter coefficients.
US09812133B2

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and tangible computer readable-media for detecting synthetic speaker verification. The method comprises receiving a plurality of speech samples of the same word or phrase for verification, comparing each of the plurality of speech samples to each other, denying verification if the plurality of speech samples demonstrate little variance over time or are the same, and verifying the plurality of speech samples if the plurality of speech samples demonstrates sufficient variance over time. One embodiment further adds that each of the plurality of speech samples is collected at different times or in different contexts. In other embodiments, variance is based on a pre-determined threshold or the threshold for variance is adjusted based on a need for authentication certainty. In another embodiment, if the initial comparison is inconclusive, additional speech samples are received.
US09812126B2

An electronic device in a topology of interconnected electronic devices can listen for a wake phrase and voice commands. The device can control when and how it responds so that a single device responds to voice commands. Per-task device preferences can be stored for a user. If a preferred device is not available, the task can still be performed on a device that has appropriate capabilities. Machine learning can determine a user's preferences. Power conservation and effective user interaction can result.
US09812125B2

A speech recognition device is configured to increase usability by retrying speech recognition without returning to a previous operation or a re-input of speech when a user's speech is misrecognized. The speech recognition device is further configured increase accuracy of recognition by changing a search environment when the user's speech is misrecognized or when re-recognition is performed since the recognized speech is rejected due to a low confidence. A vehicle includes a speech input device configured to receive speech; and a speech recognition device configured to recognize the received speech and output a recognition result of the received speech. The speech recognition device resets a recognition environment applied to speech recognition and re-recognizes the received speech when a re-recognition instruction is input by a user, and resets the reset recognition environment to an initial value when the re-recognition is completed.
US09812121B2

A method and system for outputting a text content of text data to a voice, including using a transmitting terminal of a sender to transmit text data to a receiving terminal via a communications network, converting text content of the text data to speech and outputting the speech in the sender's voice characteristics using a voice database.
US09812120B2

A speech synthesis apparatus includes a content selection unit that selects a text content item to be converted into speech; a related information selection unit that selects related information which can be at least converted into text and which is related to the text content item selected by the content selection unit; a data addition unit that converts the related information selected by the related information selection unit into text and adds text data of the text to text data of the text content item selected by the content selection unit; a text-to-speech conversion unit that converts the text data supplied from the data addition unit into a speech signal; and a speech output unit that outputs the speech signal supplied from the text-to-speech conversion unit.
US09812114B2

A method may include adaptively generating an anti-noise signal for countering the effects of ambient audio sounds at an acoustic output of the transducer by adapting a response of an adaptive filter that filters a reference microphone signal in conformity with an error microphone signal and the reference microphone signal to minimize the ambient audio sounds in the error microphone, generating a scaled anti-noise signal by applying a scaling factor to the anti-noise signal, further adjusting the response of the adaptive filter independent of a source audio signal by altering an input to the coefficient control block of the adaptive filter to compensate for the scaling factor, and combining the scaled anti-noise signal with the source audio signal to generate an audio signal provided to the transducer.
US09812111B1

A multiple layer panel having improved sound insulation is disclosed. The multiple layer panel comprises a first rigid substrate having a first thickness H3, a second rigid substrate having a second thickness H1, wherein H3≦H1, and a multiple layer acoustic interlayer having a thickness H2 between the first and second rigid substrates.
US09812110B2

A new and improved Digital Musical Instrument includes a hardware segment that electronically detects the physical inputs of a musicians musical playing style or articulated intent; a Software segment that interprets and formulates the data output from the hardware segment, to be applied to any digitally modulated synthesizer or recording sampler; and an optional expanded method of sampling or digitally recording articulated sounds of acoustic instruments.
US09812109B2

System, apparatus and method for determining semantic information from audio, where incoming audio is sampled and processed to extract audio features, including temporal, spectral, harmonic and rhythmic features. The extracted audio features are compared to stored audio templates that include ranges and/or values for certain features and are tagged for specific ranges and/or values. Extracted audio features that are most similar to one or more templates from the comparison are identified according to the tagged information. The tags are used to determine the semantic audio data that includes genre, instrumentation, style, acoustical dynamics, and emotive descriptor for the audio signal.
US09812102B2

A specialized harness supports the weight of a violin or a viola, eliminating the need for the player to engage the neck or chin to support the instrument while playing. The harness transfers the weight of the instrument to larger muscles in the player's back or shoulder, thus providing ergonomic assistance to the player, and encouraging beneficial posture while playing. Such an ergonomic apparatus may be further equipped with a counterweight. Use of the violin harness permits playing freely, without a need for customary accessories. The violin harness may allow those with upper torso or neck injuries, who might otherwise be prevented from playing the violin, to do so comfortably and painlessly.
US09812097B1

A foot pedal actuator is secured to legs of a portable musical instrument using a first elongate member having an aperture for a leg to pass through on one end, and an aperture for securing to a foot pedal actuator fastener aperture on the opposite end. A second elongate member has an aperture which is secured to the foot pedal actuator aperture on one end, and a rotatable attachment to the first elongate member along the span of the first elongate member. A third member similar to the first member and fourth member similar to the second member secure the four corners of the foot pedal actuator to two feet of the portable musical instrument, which pass through the leg apertures of the elongate members.
US09812095B2

An image processing method of a video device includes storing a plurality of pictures into a buffer, parsing header information of a current image of the plurality of pictures and managing a reference picture list of the current image while the current image is processed by a video engine based on the parsed header information.
US09812091B2

According to an aspect, an information display device includes a display unit, a visual line detector, and a control unit. The display unit displays information in a scroll region, which is provided in at least a part of a screen of the display unit, while scrolling the information. The visual line detector detects a visual line position of an operator with respect to the scroll region. The control unit controls a scroll speed, at which the information is scrolled in the scroll region, based on the visual line position detected by the visual line detector.
US09812086B2

A method for displaying a result of area extraction processing of dividing a target image into a foreground area and a background area includes a result acquisition step of acquiring a result of the area extraction processing on the target image, an extraction result image generation step of acquiring an extraction result image representing an estimated foreground area or an estimated background area estimated by the area extraction processing or a boundary between the estimated foreground area and the estimated background area, based on the acquired result, and a display step of generating a composite image by combining the extraction result image with the target image, and displaying the composite image on a display device. The extraction result image generation step includes a color extraction step and a color determination step.
US09812083B2

A display device includes a substrate, display units, and a plurality of integrated circuits (ICs). The substrate includes an active area and a non-active area. The non-active area is located around the active area. The display units are disposed in the active area of the substrate, and arranged in a matrix. The ICs are disposed in the active area of the substrate, arranged in a matrix, and are electrically coupled to the display units. Each of the ICs includes a shift register unit. Each of the shift register units of the ICs is configured to receive a previous-stage scan signal, and generate a current-stage scan signal according to the previous-stage scan signal. The ICs drive the display units according to the current-stage scan signals.
US09812082B2

The application provides a pixel circuit, a driving method, a display panel and a display device. The pixel circuit includes a first transistor, a second transistor, a third transistor, a fourth transistor, a fifth transistor, a sixth transistor, a driving transistor, a storage capacitor and a light emitting element, and by cooperative driving of the respective transistors and the storage capacitor, the driving current of the driving transistor can be independent of the gate-source voltage and the threshold voltage of the driving transistor.
US09812081B2

Based on a REF/NREF signal coming from a REF/NREF determination circuit, a polarity bias calculation circuit updates a polarity bias count value Nb indicating a degree of a polarity bias of an applied voltage to a liquid crystal layer, and based on this polarity bias count value Nb, a bias movement determination circuit determines a moving direction of the polarity bias. Upon receiving an OFF signal Soff instructing OFF of the power supply, a balance control circuit controls a drive unit based on a result of the determination of the polarity bias moving direction and on the polarity bias count value Nb at a point of time when the OFF signal Soff is inputted so that the polarity bias can be resolved before a power supply is turned off.
US09812066B2

An organic light emitting display includes a plurality of pixel row groups, a scan driver, a data driver, and a data distributor. Each pixel group includes the same number of pixel rows, and the pixel row groups are sequentially driven. The data distributor demultiplexes data signals for input into the pixels. The data signals are input to the pixels after threshold voltage compensation is performed at substantially a same time for pixels in each of the pixel row groups. Data signals are to be input to pixels in one pixel row group while threshold voltage compensation is performed for pixels in another pixel row group adjacent to the one pixel row group.
US09812056B2

In a projected architecture system, a mobile device may be responsible for providing the video that is displayed on a vehicle's infotainment system's display. The resolution and/or aspect ratio of the remote display may not be supported by the mobile device. An encoder, based on the display resolution, may render one or more video frames that a decoder coupled to the infotainment system can scale to a resolution compatible with the remote display.
US09812050B2

A display driving device includes a data driver having a plurality of output drivers configured to output display driving signals. The display driving device also includes an offset adjusting circuit configured to subtract offset voltages generated in the output drivers from an input image signal to generate a corrected image signal. The offset adjusting circuit transmits the corrected image signal to the data driver, so that the data driver outputs the driving signals based on the corrected image signal.
US09812035B2

Surgical systems and methods of demonstrating planned autonomous manipulation of an anatomy by a tool of a robotic surgical system include generating manipulation parameters representing planned constraints on autonomous manipulation of a volume of the anatomy by the tool in a first mode and generating demonstrative parameters relating to the manipulation parameters and defined in relation to a surface of the anatomy. The demonstrative parameters are less invasive to the anatomy than the manipulation parameters. The tool is moved in accordance with the demonstrative parameters in a second mode thereby demonstrating planned constraints on autonomous manipulation of the anatomy in relation to the surface of the anatomy.
US09812031B1

A system for tracking position of one or more moving transmission sources is disclosed. The transmission source can transmit a signal while moving from a first position to a first expected position and a receiver can receive the signal. The transmission source can include an antenna. An audio source can transmit an audio signal at a predetermined frequency and a controller can determine a second position of the transmission source, calculate an offset between the second position with the first expected position, and compare the offset with a predetermined threshold. A first rate of movement can be calculated based on a distance traveled between the first position and the second position with respect to the predetermined frequency. A first indication can be transmitted to at least one user device including the first location offset with the predetermined threshold and the first rate of movement.
US09812025B2

A system for interactive online instruction includes an instructional subscription website and video management system configured to process video recordings. The video recordings may include (i) student videos uploaded by a student and (ii) instructor videos providing feedback to said student videos. A method of interactive online instruction is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing prerecorded course materials on an instructional subscription website including video lessons accessible by subscribing students, and providing a video management system configured to process video recordings including (i) student videos submitted by a student and (ii) instructor videos providing feedback to said student videos.
US09812023B2

This disclosure describes systems and methods for audibly presenting metadata. Audibly presentable metadata is referred to as audible metadata. Audible metadata may be associated with one or more media objects. In one embodiment, audible metadata is pre-recorded requiring little or no processing before it can be rendered. In another embodiment, audible metadata is text, and a text-to-speech conversion device may be used to convert the text into renderable audible metadata. Audible metadata may be rendered at any point before or after rendering of a media object, or may be rendered during rendering of a media object via a dynamic user request.
US09812021B2

This disclosure describes an automated aerial vehicle that includes one or more object detection elements configured to detect the presence of objects and an avoidance determining element configured to cause the automated aerial vehicle to automatically determine and execute an avoidance maneuver to avoid the objects. For example, an object may be detected and an avoidance maneuver determined based on a position of the object and an object vector representative of a direction and a magnitude of velocity of the object.
US09812020B2

An electronic device including a processing unit and a storage device receives digital images of a flight area of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) captured by an image capturing device. Then, the processing unit determines a flight position of the UAV in the flight area based on the digital images, and controls the UAV to move from the flight position to a predetermined position. The processing unit receives a vehicle direction of the UAV from an electronic compass unit of the UAV, and adjusts the vehicle direction of the UAV based on a predetermined direction. The processing unit controls the UAV to perform a predetermined operation when the UAV reaches the predetermined position and the vehicle direction is the same as the predetermined direction.
US09812014B2

A system for assisting vehicle driving includes a processor executing a process of assisting vehicle driving; and a memory. The process includes communicating with vehicles to obtain the travel information, storing the travel information in the memory; estimating a target stop position where the vehicle should stop based on the travel information; transmitting the target stop position to the vehicles-obtaining an index indicating at least one of repeatability of driving behavior of a driver, proximity of the behavior to an average value of others, and fuel consumption, determining a first driver corresponding to the index indicating a value less than a value determined based on the travel information of others; and eliminating a stop position information form the travel information stored in the memory, the stop position information indicating a stop position based on the travel information of the vehicle driven by the first driver.
US09812012B2

The present disclosure provides a message processing method, an in-vehicle terminal, and a base station. The method executed by a first in-vehicle terminal includes: first, generating a safety message, where the safety message includes message content and a message type; then, determining, according to the message content and the message type, a priority value corresponding to the safety message; finally, sending, according to the priority value corresponding to the safety message, the safety message by using a vehicle direct communication physical VDC PHY layer or separately by using a cellular physical cellular PHY layer and a VDC PHY layer, so that a base station and/or a second in-vehicle terminal receive/receives the safety message, and the first in-vehicle terminal can send, under a preset delay requirement, the safety message to another in-vehicle terminal in a distance range that needs to be covered by the safety message.
US09812010B1

From a first patrol unit, the first data are received for identifying a location of the first patrol unit. From the first patrol unit, second data are received for identifying a subject. The subject includes at least one of: a subject vehicle; and a subject person. A database is queried about the subject and, in response to the querying, a determination is made bout whether the subject is a likely threat. In response to determining that the subject is a likely threat, and in response to the first data, a predetermined number of second patrol units are identified that are most geographically proximate to the location of the first patrol unit, and a message is output to the predetermined number of second patrol units about: the subject; the likely threat; and the first patrol unit.
US09812008B2

A system and method are provided for detecting remote vehicles relative to a host vehicle using wheel detection. The system and method include tracking wheel candidates based on wheel detection data received from a plurality of object detection devices, comparing select parameters relating to the wheel detection data for each of the tracked wheel candidates, and identifying a remote vehicle by determining if a threshold correlation exists between any of the tracked wheel candidates based on the comparison of select parameters.
US09811998B2

A portable device including a gesture recognizer module for automatically detecting a specific sequence of gestures is described. The portable device may be used to detect a health, safety, or security related event. The portable device may further include an emergency event module for automatically determining whether the sequence of gestures corresponds to an emergency event. The portable device may further include a proximity detection module for automatically determining whether a mobile device corresponding to a user listed as an emergency contact is in a state of proximity to the portable device. The portable device may further include a notification module for automatically transmitting a message, indicating the emergency event, to the user of the mobile device determined to be in the state of proximity.
US09811990B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on storage devices, for monitoring, security, and surveillance of a property. In one aspect, a system includes a virtual reality headset, a plurality of cameras, a plurality of sensors that includes a first sensor, a control unit, wherein the control unit includes a network interface, a processor, a storage device that includes instructions to perform operations that comprise receiving data from the first sensor that is indicative of an alarm event, determining a location of the first sensor, identifying a set of one or more cameras from the plurality of cameras that are associated with the first sensor, selecting a particular camera from the identified set of one or more cameras; and transmitting one or more instructions to the particular camera that command the particular camera to stream a live video feed to a user interface of the virtual reality headset.
US09811989B2

A method and apparatus for detecting an occurrence of an event of interest. The apparatus comprises a surveillance system, a detector, and an analyzer. The surveillance system monitors subjects within an environment to generate monitoring data. The detector detects a number of indicator instances exhibited by at least a portion of the subjects using the monitoring data. Each of the number of indicator instances is an instance of a corresponding event indicator in a set of pre-selected event indicators. The analyzer evaluates the number of indicator instances and additional information to determine whether at least a portion of the number of indicator instances meets an event detection threshold, thereby indicating a detection of an occurrence of an event of interest.
US09811986B2

A method for determining the unauthorized intrusion through a door, including: a) determining a movement path of the door as a function of time in all three spatial axes using a movement sensor in an active mode; b) determining parameters in all three spatial axes based on the movement path of the door, an unauthorized intrusion at the door exists when the actual value of the particular parameter is within an assigned parameter range for the unauthorized intrusion; c) determining an opening angle of the door using an angle measuring sensor when an unauthorized intrusion has been determined; and d) comparing the opening angle of the door with a threshold value for a closed door; e) determining that the door has been opened when the opening angle exceeds the threshold value, and outputting an alarm signal if the door has been opened. A device is also described.
US09811983B2

A gaming machine, system and method includes a housing having a user interface, display, preferably a lower display and an upper display, and a controller preferably mounted in the housing and in communication with the display. The controller enables standard game play mode until the occurrence of a predetermined event, such as the appearance of preferably three scatter symbols. Upon occurrence of the predetermined event, the controller enables feature game play mode where display presents a plurality of feature game symbols, and a symbol selection pointer, and optionally presents a landscape including at least some of the feature game symbols. At least one of the feature game symbols is a switchable symbol symbol having a first state and a second state, and at least one is a switching symbol that changes the state of the switchable symbol. The controller causes the symbol selection pointer to randomly select one of the feature game symbols. There are two ways to change the state of the switchable symbol. Selecting the switchable symbol changes its state. Selecting the switching symbol causes the switchable symbol to also change its state.
US09811978B2

Some embodiments may include a poker indexing service. For example, a multi dimensional vector of player performance and/or other data may be determined based on gaming related activity that is input or otherwise captured. Such a vector may be used in various forms to generate a metric or to facilitate wagering and/or other gaming activity. Other methods and apparatus are described.
US09811976B2

Methods and systems for conducting a competition within a gaming environment. Two or more players can be enabled to electronically access a gaming environment over a communication network. The players can be registered to allow access to a competition within the gaming environment. Each player can be enabled to compete against one or more other players by selecting from macro events displayed in the gaming environment one or more micro event outcomes to future micro events, the micro event outcomes randomized to prevent cheating. A selection of the micro outcomes utilizes a number of points or credits, wherein each selection of a micro outcome increases a selecting player's points or credit balance if the micro outcome occurs or decreases the points or credit balance if the micro outcome selected does not occur.
US09811967B2

A product dispensing system includes: a first product discharging device that is applied to a first product storage passage storing an input product in a vertical direction, regulates downward movement of the product stored in the first product storage passage in a standby state, and discharges a lowest product stored in the first product storage passage downward in an activated state; and a second product discharging device that is applied to a second product storage passage being adjacent to the first product storage passage and storing an input product in the vertical direction thereof, regulates downward movement of the product stored in the second product storage passage in a standby state, and discharges a lowest product stored in the second product storage passage downward in an activated state. The first product discharging device and the second product discharging device are coupled to each other back to back.
US09811964B2

Currency handling apparatus comprising: accommodating unit for accommodating various kinds of currencies; a currency discharge opening; a transfer unit for transferring the currencies from the accommodating units to the currency discharge opening; a control unit for controlling the transfer unit to transfer the currencies from the accommodating units to the currency discharge opening thereby to discharge the currencies; and a storage unit for storing various kinds of discharge patterns indicating the numbers of currencies of individual kinds. The control unit is constituted to specify at least one of the discharge patterns in response to the instruction of a user and to discharge the currencies in accordance with the specified discharge pattern. As a result, the user can discharge the desired numbers of currencies of individual kinds merely by performing the simple designating operations.
US09811963B2

A money item conveyor comprising a plurality of money item conveying members configured to convey money items around a looped path, wherein the plurality of conveying members each comprise first and second money item support surfaces configured to simultaneously support a main face of a money item on the conveying member, the support faces being separated by an articulation region to allow relative movement of the support surfaces.
US09811960B2

The present invention relates to a method and a system for the configuration of small locking systems with electronic locks, preferably electronic locking cylinders, which can preferably communicate with passive RFID cards. The present invention particularly relates to a method and a system which not only allows the easy configuration of locks/locking cylinders, but also of corresponding RFID cards, preferably by using a smartphone.
US09811957B2

Provided is a gate apparatus including a sensor that detects a pedestrian; multiple human body communication electrodes for performing human body communication; and a control unit that determines a position of the pedestrian according to information on the pedestrian detected by the sensor, performs outputting of a connection confirmation request packet through a human body communication electrode corresponding to the determined position, receives a connection confirmation response packet transmitted from a human body communication terminal and performs analysis processing on the received connection confirmation response packet, and performs opening and closing control of a gate opening and closing unit, in which the control unit stores in the connection confirmation request packet an output electrode identifier of a communication electrode that performs packet outputting, and determines whether or not the output electrode identifier and an electrode identifier of the electrode that receives the connection confirmation response packet agree with each other.
US09811956B2

A method includes transmitting polling signals from antennas at respective positions about a vehicle. Each polling signal includes identifying information. The method further includes receiving an acknowledgement signal from a remote unit. The acknowledgement signal includes information indicative of each polling signal received by the remote unit. The method further includes determining a position of the remote unit relative to the vehicle based upon the information of the acknowledgement signal.
US09811950B2

An aircraft electric taxi system diagnostics and prognostics evaluation method, including receiving, with a computer, an electronically recorded first performance parameter of a first electric taxi system of a first aircraft during a taxi operational event at an airport; and comparing the first performance parameter with a first performance factor statistical model generated in response to the first performance parameter and first comparative performance parameters; and calculating a first performance parameter difference based on the comparison.
US09811948B2

An electronic apparatus (1) includes a display generation unit (110) configured to generate a display area (210) in a user interface (200-4,200-5), the display area being configured to display a 3-D model of a patient's face and a 3-D model of a patient interface device fitted to the 3-D model of the patient's face; and a transparency adjustment unit (150) configured to generate a transparency adjustment tool (250) in the user interface, the transparency adjustment tool being operable to adjust the transparency of a subset of components of the 3-D model of the patient interface device displayed in the 3-D display area of the user interface.
US09811943B2

A label-information processing device for a multi-viewpoint image, which contains images by image signals of a subject photographed from multi-viewpoints, assigns label-information to a remarkable-portion common to the images. The device includes: a display unit for displaying a specific image by a specific image signal which depicts the remarkable-portion; and a controller for assigning the label-information to the remarkable-portion depicted in the specific image. The controller has the functions of: acquiring coordinates of the label-information in a three-dimensional space; displaying, on the display unit, the images by the image signals which depict the same remarkable-portions as that in the specific image; transforming the thus-acquired coordinates of the label-information into coordinates at which the label-information on a plane is assigned to the thus-displayed image signals having different viewpoints; and assigning the label information to the image signals having different viewpoints at the positions that are determined from the thus-transformed coordinates.
US09811938B2

Methods, systems, and computer program products for visually representing and displaying data are described. The visual representation may be a data animation. A data query may be submitted, a time measurement for processing the query may be obtained, and a sample size of the query may be adjusted based on the time measurement and a frame refresh rate of a data animation. A data animation may be generated based on one or more results of the query.
US09811927B2

Precorrelation of data applied to use cases by a module intermediate to the data and use cases provides normalized data across multiple sources for more effective analysis. For example, network sensors provide network telemetry to a precorrelation core, which extracts and normalizes the data to correlate actors to events. Universal actor correlation improves visualizations by creating a mesh of events tied to each other through a common actor.
US09811926B2

A method for drawing shapes includes receiving first input from a touch screen display indicating a first user touch continuing for a first touch time delay, then subsequent to said first touch time delay, receiving second input from the display indicating a second user touch in a pattern on the display. The method includes correlating the first input and the second input with a drawing shape. The drawing shape includes a standard geometric shape. The method includes forming an image on the display that corresponds to the drawing shape.
US09811925B2

Disclosed examples include drawing apparatus and methods of rendering lines on a display screen, in which a first angle is determined that corresponds to a hand drawn line created by a user on the display screen, and a new line is rendered on the display screen to represent the hand drawn line created by the user. The new line is selectively rendered parallel or perpendicular to an existing line on the display screen at least partially according to the first angle using the processor.
US09811917B2

A confidence map for optical flow gradients is constructed calculating a set of census texture gradients for each pixel of an image, filtering said gradients and extracting confidence values from said gradients using a plurality of decision tree classifiers. A confidence map is then generated from said confidence values.
US09811916B1

The location of a user's head, for purposes such as head tracking or motion input, can be determined using a two-step process. In a first step, at least one image is captured including a representation of at least a portion of the user, with distance information also being obtained. The distance information can be used to segment the at least one image into a foreground portion, which then can be analyzed to recognize a head and shoulder signature of a user. In a second step, a contour of the foreground portion can be determined, and a center point of that contour determined. The distances from the center point to locations along the contour can be used to locate transition points associated with the head and shoulders. A center point of the portion of the contour between the transition points gives an approximation of the relative head position.
US09811907B2

There is provided a medical image processing apparatus which includes a first extraction unit configured to extract coronary arteries depicted in images of a plurality of time phases relating to the heart, and to extract at least one stenosed part depicted in each coronary artery; a calculation unit configured to calculate a pressure gradient of each of the extracted coronary arteries, based on tissue blood flow volumes of the coronary arteries; a second extraction unit configured to extract an ischemic region depicted in the images; and a specifying unit configured to specify a responsible blood vessel of the ischemic region by referring to a dominance map, in which each of the extracted coronary arteries and a dominance territory are associated, for the extracted ischemic region, and to specify a responsible stenosis, based on the pressure gradient corresponding to a stenosed part in the specified responsible blood vessel.
US09811906B1

A method is for segmenting an object in a medical image with a plurality of iteration steps. In an embodiment of the method, each iteration step includes generating a plurality of patches, a portion of the input image and a patch location being assigned to each patch, the patch location being indicative of the location of the portion of the input image relative to the input image. For each patch of the plurality of patches, the method includes determining a vote location based on the portion of the input image assigned to that patch and determining a target location based on the vote location and the patch location assigned to that patch. Finally, in an embodiment the method includes generating a vote map, each patch of the plurality of patches contributing to a pixel value at the target location of the patch in the vote map.
US09811898B2

An image analyzing apparatus, a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a program, and a method are provided for extracting voids from a three-dimensional image of a fiber-reinforced composite material. The image analyzing apparatus includes a processor which executes image processing to the three-dimensional image. The processor binarizes the three-dimensional image and creates a binary image, transforms the binary image into a distance and creates a distance image, executes closing processing to the binary image by using the distance image, extracts voids from differences between images before and after the closing processing, among the extracted voids, classifies voids that are adjacent to a background voxel as open voids, and classifies voids that are not adjacent to a background voxel as closed voids, and executes opening processing to the open voids in order to eliminate fake voids.
US09811892B1

Embodiments of the present disclosure generally relate to image signal processing logic, and in particular, to separating an undecimated image signal data to create two components with lower resolution and full-resolution, generating an interpolation guidance information based on the two components created by separation, forming a difference image data representing the difference between the chroma and luma values of each pixel and its neighboring pixels, and merging the processed image data from the processing pipelines with the unprocessed image data using the interpolation guidance information generated. The generation of the interpolation guidance information is based on determining distances between pixel values from a group comprising pixels from interpolation nodes, pixels diagonally located adjacent to the interpolation nodes, pixels horizontally adjacent to the interpolation nodes, and pixels vertically adjacent to the interpolation nodes.
US09811886B2

Disclosed herein are an image processing apparatus, a medical imaging apparatus, and an image processing method, which may intuitively and easily set an image processing parameter used to process a medical image to a user-preferred optimal value. The image processing apparatus includes a display unit configured to display a plurality of sample images to which at least one image processing parameter has been variably applied; an input unit configured to receive a selection of one from among the displayed plurality of sample images from a user; and an image processing unit configured to generate a plurality of new sample images to which the at least one image processing parameter has been variably applied based on an image processing parameter to be applied to the selected sample image when the user is not satisfied with the selected sample image.
US09811883B2

An image processing method includes acquiring a feature defining a distribution of similar forms in a first image; and restoring a hole included in a second image based on the feature. The feature may include structure information on a background included in the first image. The restoring may include determining, based on the feature, candidate blocks corresponding to a restoration block and restoring the restoration block based on the candidate blocks. The restoration block may include at least a portion of the hole.
US09811870B2

A portable electronic device for presenting a recommendation message is described. The device includes display; one or more processors; and memory storing one or more programs for execution by the one or more processors. The device detects a trigger event based on a user input, the trigger event initiating a receipt of non-tactile user input; and, in response to detecting the trigger event, receives non-tactile user input. The device generates one or more character strings based on the non-tactile user input and one or more predefined string generation rules. Each character string of the one or more character strings includes multiple characters. The device generates a recommendation message that includes the one or more character strings; and displays the recommendation message on the display. A corresponding method and a computer readable storage medium storing one or more programs for execution by the portable electronic device are also described.
US09811852B2

Systems and methods for implementing point of advertising purchasing include using mass media publications configured for or containing service, product or vendor transmittable signals, such as from radio frequency identification tags. In a preferred arrangement, a consumer perceiving an advertisement of the mass media publication may activate a reader in a portable communications device, such as a smart mobile or cellular phone, to receive information from the radio frequency signal associated with the advertisement to identify a vendor, product or service associated with the radio frequency identification. The smart mobile phone or communications device of the consumer may communicate with a system of a vendor across a network to order a product or product information from a system of the vendor over the network by using the information from the radio frequency identification.
US09811844B2

This disclosure relates generally to enterprise software management, and more particularly to systems and methods for determining digital degrees of separation for digital program implementation. In one embodiment, a digital degrees of separation determination system is disclosed, comprising a hardware processor, and a memory storing instructions executable by the processor for obtaining user credentials, and determining a user classification based on the user credentials. The processor may execute the instructions for identifying a user digital need based on the user classification, and querying a database for market-available software applications related to the user digital need. Further, the processor may execute the instructions for obtaining a list of user-accessible software applications related to the user digital need, and comparing characteristics of the market-available software applications to the user-accessible software applications. Also, the processor may execute the instructions for calculating a digital degrees of separation based on the comparison.
US09811841B2

A correction device includes a first acquisition unit configured to acquire an arrangement position of advertisement information within a predetermined page layout when the advertisement information arranged in the predetermined page layout is displayed on a display screen of a terminal and a click rate at the arrangement position. The correction device includes a second acquisition unit configured to acquire a specific position in the predetermined page layout displayed on the display screen and an attention degree index indicating a degree of attention of the specific position as compared to another position. The correction device includes a correction unit configured to correct a click rate of the advertisement information based on the attention degree index of the specific position corresponding to the arrangement position of the advertisement information.
US09811837B2

A system and a method for determining at least one of availability and price of a product includes an electronic storage device having a database of merchant transactions stored therein; an access path for allowing access to information concerning the transactions, including when a given product has been sold and the price at which the product was sold, and a processor for assembling the information concerning at least one of sales of the given product and the price at which it was sold, to provide at least one of locations where the product is available, and the price at which the product was sold at the location or locations. A computer readable non-transitory storage medium stores instructions of a computer program which, when executed by a computer system, results in performance of steps of the method for determining at least one of availability and price of a product.
US09811829B2

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating guided entry of a passcode. The exemplary guided passcode entry system provides additional security to traditional secret PIN or passcode entry systems by generating a randomized input sequence (order of entry) and prompting a user to input a passcode according to the randomized input sequence. The system also causes a test of the user's input data against a database of passcodes associated with the particular user for an exact match. The testing step can include comparing characters of the input data to a particular passcode associated with the user which is stored in a database in accordance with the randomized input sequence in regard to the order that the input data was received. Based on the comparison of the received passcode to the stored passcode, the system can advance a transaction with the user.
US09811828B2

The present invention relates to a method which aims to improve data security in mobile payment transactions. To achieve this goal, we propose a highly secure method for transactions validation through video encryption and a new view of secrecy based on the combination of encrypted video (102, 203, 305) and a transparent safe card (110, 202, 307) with unique secret pattern (111, 308). This safe card (110, 202, 307) is shown as a translucent or transparent device capable of acting as “layer” or decoding mask using visual cryptography techniques. Additionally, it is proposed in one embodiment of the present invention a method for encryption of unencrypted video (602) through a frame analysis module (601) and a frame recomposition module (612).
US09811827B2

A transaction verification process performed by a transaction network operator in communication with a client computing device and a third party provider. A computing device may be equipped with an integrity verification module for verifying the system integrity of the computing device, and a cryptographic module for digitally signing transaction requests. The transaction network operator may verify that transaction requests processed by the third party provider are properly associated with a valid computing device by verifying signatures from the cryptographic module and the integrity verification module. In response to a request from the third party provider, the transaction network operator may verify that the computing device is authorized to complete the transaction by challenging the computing device for proper credentials. The transaction network operator may verify the credentials provided by the client device and indicate to the third party provider that the transaction is valid.
US09811825B2

Systems, methods, and computer program products are provided for managing contactless transactions. A tap notification including at least a first identifier is received. A first counter in a first data set associated with the first identifier is incremented. It is determined if the first counter matches one of a plurality of thresholds. If it is determined that the first counter matches one of a plurality of thresholds, a first status level in the first data set is updated. A first set of benefits from a plurality of benefits stored in a memory based on the first status level is identified. The first set of benefits is associated with the first identifier.
US09811822B2

The invention in particular relates to the execution control of protected internal functions and applications embedded in a mobile terminal microcircuit card. The control of a protected internal function is directly carried out in the microcircuit card. After having detected (400) a command for placing the card on standby, on the basis of an item of information received from a mobile terminal into which is connected the card, at least one indication relative to the execution of the protected internal function is analyzed (415). If the protected internal function is liable to be affected by the execution of the command for placing on standby, the execution of the command for placing on standby is deferred (410).
US09811821B2

Systems and methods are provided for displaying account information. The systems and methods may include a portable smart display device in short-range communication with a mobile device. The smart display device may be configured to provide a user with quick and easy yet secure access to account information, without the need for multi-step login and verification processes. The smart display device may be sized to fit within a wallet and within quick, easy reach of a user. The smart display device may receive up-to-date account information from the mobile device, and display the account information on-demand upon detecting an activation event, thereby providing an enjoyable user experience and a useful tool for quickly informing the user of their financial situation.
US09811819B2

A provisioning system for enabling a mobile communication device to operate as a financial presentation device (FPD) presentable to providers of goods or service is provided. The provisioning system relies on a transaction processing system that normally routes authorization requests from merchants to issuers of FPDs for purposes of authorizing FPD transactions. The transaction processing system already stores security keys of all issuers to validate transaction data being sent from the merchants. The provisioning system monitors authorization requests being routed through the transaction processing system and retrieves an authorization request of a financial transaction that was initiated with a particular FPD. The provisioning system then transmits the FPD data contained in the retrieved authorization request and the security key stored in the transaction processing system to a secure memory element of the mobile communication device so as to enable the mobile communication device to operate as a FPD.
US09811816B2

To enable registration of a commodity without interrupting the flow of sales registration by an operator, a commodity identification device 2 specifically includes: a camera 27 that takes an image of an object that an operator holds over the camera; and a CPU 211 that is configured to, when the object is recognized from an image taken by the camera 27 and the object recognized is compared with reference images of each commodity in plurality of directions, and when the object is similar to a plurality of commodities, specify reference images having a noticeable difference, and guide the operator to rotate the object so that the object in the direction corresponding to the specified reference images is directed toward the camera 27.
US09811815B2

A state-driven Self-Service Terminal (SST) has its existing state table dynamically and transparently replaced. The states flow, the screens rendered during the flows, and the state transitions are handled by an enhanced module processing on the SST. The enhanced module references existing state code on the SST so that the SST continues to operate in a manner expected, but enhanced functionality and features are provided to the SST through the enhanced module and the replaced state table.
US09811801B2

A method of fuel management, including the specifics of a cost threshold. A method of fuel management, comprising setting a cost threshold for vehicle fueling, and determining if a vehicle has exceeded the cost threshold. In general a fuel management system for use by operators of temporary and/or permanent inventories of vehicles such as vehicle dealerships. Fuel vouchers are issued by authorized issuing personnel to authorized recipients if a validation procedure is passed using a database incorporating employee and vehicle inventory information. At the time of delivery, the fueling station will verify the vehicle and individual presenting the voucher. If verification occurs, the authorized quantity of fuel is dispensed. The voucher and sales receipt are returned to the dealership for future auditing and report generation.
US09811797B2

A transportation management system may include a connection cache configured to store connection-relevant transportation information for transportation objects. The connection-relevant transportation information may have been replicated from at least one of a plurality of transportation object sources including at least a first database storing schedules, a second database storing freight bookings, and a third database storing freight orders. The transportation management system may also include a connection cache access engine configured to receive transportation parameters including at least a first location and a second location, and query the connection cache to dynamically select one or more transportation objects from the connection cache related to at least one of the schedules, the freight bookings, and the freight orders, that are relevant for the first location and the second location.
US09811795B1

Embodiments are directed to managing operations. If Operations events are provided, event clusters may be associated with one or more Operations events, such that the Operations events may be associated with the event clusters based on characteristics of the Operations events. Metrics including resolution metrics, root cause analysis, notes, and other remediation information may be associated with the event clusters. Then a modeling engine may be employed to train models based on the Operations events, the event clusters, and the resolution metrics, such that the trained model may be trained to correlate and predict the resolution metrics from real-time Operations events. If real-time Operations events may be provided, the trained models may be employed to predict the resolution metrics that are associated with the real-time Operations events. If model performance degrades beyond accuracy requirements, new observations may be added to the training set and the model re-trained.
US09811790B2

A method and system is provided to manage and track changes in enterprise architectures. The invention provides a hierarchical visual management tool to manage and update relational information within an enterprise in a controlled fashion. The relationship may be maintained in a database and displayed via graphical user interface. Enterprise assets are categorized into such categories as goals, customer values or requirements, capabilities, resources, and the like. A hierarchy is constructed so that relationships between these various categories are identified and captured using the invention. Weights may be assigned to each element of the categories so that any proposed change to an enterprise architecture may be viewed so that a value can be ascertained and compared between other values of other proposed changes. In this manner, tracking and management of evolutionary changes to an architecture may be accomplished using relational information.
US09811786B2

Concepts and technologies disclosed herein are directed to reservations-based intelligent roadway traffic management. According to one aspect disclosed herein, a roadway usage management (“RUM”) system can receive, from a user device, a reservation request. The RUM system can extract, from the reservation request, a route to a destination location. The route can include a roadway segment to be used by a user vehicle for travel to the destination location. The RUM system can determine a time block during which entry to the roadway segment is available. The RUM system can generate a reservation response that includes the time block available to satisfy the reservation request and can send the reservation response to the user device. The user vehicle can be a partially autonomous vehicle or a fully autonomous vehicle.
US09811776B2

Systems and methods that determine a meaning of a knowledge item using related information are described. In one aspect, a knowledge item is received, related information associated with the knowledge item is received, at least one related meaning based on the related information is determined, and a knowledge item meaning for the knowledge item based at least in part on the related meaning is determined. Several algorithms and types of related information useful in carrying out such systems and methods are described.
US09811773B2

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer readable media configured to select a code. An image on which the code is superimposed is selected. A block of the code is associated with a corresponding part of the image. A desired value of opacity of the block of the code is determined based on the corresponding part of the image. A personalized code is generated based on the desired value of opacity of the block of the code.
US09811769B2

A printing apparatus 100 performs print processing for a PDF file received via a communication unit 105. The printing apparatus 100 includes a CPU 101 and a HDD 104 storing the PDF file. The CPU 101 controls the HDD 104, secures a storage area corresponding to a maximum size of the PDF file that can be processed by the printing apparatus 100 each time reception of the PDF file is started, and sequentially stores PDF files received for each secured storage area. The CPU 101 updates a size of the secured storage area from the maximum size of the PDF file that can be processed by the printing apparatus 100 to an actual size of the PDF file having been received completely. The CPU 101 performs control so that the PDF files stored in the HDD 104 are processed in an order of reception start.
US09811763B2

A method of building a media clip based on at least Internet content includes extracting relevant text content from the Internet content, and relevant media content from the Internet content and/or from other sources of content, wherein the extraction of the relevant media content is based on at least the extracted text content, and/or the extraction of the relevant text content is based on at least the extracted media content, and building a media clip representing the Internet content based on at least part of the relevant text content and the relevant media content. A method of training a system for building a media clip based on at least Internet content takes into account the user input.
US09811760B2

An image processing system includes a processing device having a memory device for storing computer-executable instructions. The processing device is programmed to define a first descriptor in a first image, generate a mask from the first descriptor, and define a second descriptor in a second image. The processing device is further programmed to compare the first descriptor to the second descriptor to define a first error vector, determine a second error vector by applying a mask, and compute the total error of the second error vector to determine an error between the first descriptor and the second descriptor.
US09811751B2

An image pickup apparatus includes: an interest area setter configured to input a signal for setting multiple interest areas inside an image pickup area of an image sensor; a readout area setter configured to set a readout area from which an image signal is read out from the image sensor; a sensor readout controller configured to control readout of a pixel signal of the readout area from the image sensor; an output signal generator configured to generate an image signal to be output based on the pixel signal read out by the sensor readout controller; and a boundary identifier configured to make identifiable a boundary of each of the multiple interest areas in an image formed by the image signal to be output.
US09811748B2

The quality at which camera data (e.g., images, video, and/or audio captured by a camera device) is transmitted and/or stored may be adjusted based on the application of analytic techniques. For example, a camera processing device may receive camera data and receive information relating to conditions external to the capturing of the camera data. The camera processing device may control the resolution associated with the camera data based on the information relating to the conditions.
US09811740B2

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing an image processing device that causes a computer to execute a process includes: individually detecting, as a detection target candidate, a first portion of each of detection targets that appear in an image imaged by an imaging device, by using a first detection area corresponding to the first portion; detecting a detection target for a detection target candidate corresponding to a detection target that is not covered by another detection target and that is included in the detected detection target candidates, by using a second detection area corresponding to a second portion including the first portion; and detecting a detection target for a detection target candidate corresponding to a detection target, covered by another detection target and included in the detected detection target candidates, by using a third detection area that corresponds to a third portion including the first portion.
US09811739B2

A surveillance system including at least one image capture device and a processor, and a surveillance method are provided. The image capture device is coupled to the processor and captures surveillance images. The processor analyzes the correlation between multiple on site data corresponding to the surveillance images and event information. Each on site data includes time information and detail information. Therefore, the processor determines that the event information is more relevant to the surveillance image corresponding to the detail information having a higher occurrence frequency in the duration of the event information.
US09811727B2

Methods and apparatus provide for an Extractor that receives a collection of strings and a bounding box(es) for each string. Each bounding box describes a position of at least a portion of a corresponding string in a source document. The source document includes multiple sections for presenting portions of the collection of strings in the source document. The Extractor arranges the collection of strings according to a reading order that corresponds to a language associated with the collection of strings. Upon arranging the collection of strings according to the reading order, the Extractor collects semantic entities from a target document that has the collection of strings ordered according to the reading order. For each collected semantic entity, the Extractor tags the collected semantic entity with a tag that describes a category of content that corresponds to a logical section of the target document from which the semantic entity was extracted.
US09811725B2

An itinerary estimation device includes a classification unit and an estimation unit. The classification unit classifies multiple pieces of expense data including information related to expenses into one or more expense data groups, according to a chronological order of date information extracted from each of the multiple pieces of expense data. The estimation unit estimates an itinerary that includes at least dates on the basis of information including date information extracted from each piece of classified expense data included in the expense data group.
US09811724B2

An information processing apparatus includes a recognition unit. The recognition unit has image recognition methods of plural types. The recognition unit recognizes, in a case where image data of a first document and image data of a second document are generated by a generation unit that reads a document and generates image data of the document, the type of the first document from the image data of the first document and recognizing the type of the second document from the image data of the second document using an image recognition method corresponding to the type of the first document among the image recognition methods of the plural types, the first document and the second document being included in plural documents.
US09811723B2

A method of authenticating and/or identifying a security article including a first image includes superimposing at least partially the first image of the article with a second image. The second image may be produced by an electronic imager. The method further includes performing a relative movement between the first and second images so as to make it possible to observe an item of information relating to authentication and/or identification of the security article during the relative movement between the first and second images.
US09811721B2

In the field of Human-computer interaction (HCI), i.e., the study of the interfaces between people (i.e., users) and computers, understanding the intentions and desires of how the user wishes to interact with the computer is a very important problem. The ability to understand human gestures, and, in particular, hand gestures, as they relate to HCI, is a very important aspect in understanding the intentions and desires of the user in a wide variety of applications. In this disclosure, a novel system and method for three-dimensional hand tracking using depth sequences is described. Some of the major contributions of the hand tracking system described herein include: 1.) a robust hand detector that is invariant to scene background changes; 2.) a bi-directional tracking algorithm that prevents detected hands from always drifting closer to the front of the scene (i.e., forward along the z-axis of the scene); and 3.) various hand verification heuristics.
US09811719B2

An information processing apparatus includes a receiving unit, a detecting unit, and an associating unit. The receiving unit receives a captured moving image of a target person. The detecting unit detects a cue given by the target person. The associating unit associates the cue, given by the target person and detected by the detecting unit, with the moving image so that the cue will be used to designate the moving image used for evaluating the target person.
US09811716B2

A method for face recognition through facial expression normalization includes: fitting an input two-dimensional face image into a three-dimensional face model by using a three-dimensional face database; normalizing the three-dimensional face model into a neutral-expression three-dimensional face model by using a neutral-expression parameter learned from the three-dimensional face database; converting the neutral-expression three-dimensional face model into a neutral-expression two-dimensional face image; and recognizing the neutral-expression two-dimensional face image from a two-dimensional face database. Accordingly, face recognition may be performed with high reliability without a loss of information.
US09811712B2

Provided is a intensified sensor array for static electricity having a structure in which a static electricity preventing wiring covers an upper surface of a pixel circuit to cut off static electricity, so when static electricity of a high voltage is momentarily generated, the static electricity induced through the static electricity preventing wiring is discharged, thereby being capable of effectively protecting the pixel circuit of a lower part from the static electricity.
US09811691B2

A program execution device capable of protecting a program against unauthorized analysis and alteration is provided. The program execution device includes an execution unit, a first protection unit, and a second protection unit. The execution unit executes a first program and a second program, and is connected with an external device that is capable of controlling the execution. The first protection unit disconnects the execution unit from the external device while the execution unit is executing the first program. The second protection unit protects the first program while the execution unit is executing the second program.
US09811670B2

An information processing device including: a data processing unit that generates an encryption key of content; and a communication unit that transmits an encryption key generated by the data processing unit, wherein the data processing unit generates, as the encryption key, individual keys that are different for each new content recording processing on a recording medium in a content recording device, and transmits the individual keys through the communication unit.
US09811667B2

A system and method in one embodiment includes modules for creating a vulnerability set including one or more vulnerabilities, adding the vulnerability set to a program, and updating the program by adding a new vulnerability to the vulnerability set. More specific embodiments include a program that includes a scan, creating the vulnerability set by generating a query including one or more conditions associated with the vulnerabilities, and creating the vulnerability set by selecting one or more vulnerabilities from a plurality of vulnerabilities. Other embodiments include a program that includes a report template, adding a vulnerability set to the report template by generating a query to include a condition associated with the vulnerability set, running a scan, and generating a report including one or more results from the scan meeting the condition associated with the vulnerability set.
US09811666B2

A method and system is provided to automatically propagate dependencies from one part of a software application to another previously unrelated part. Propagation of essential code functionality and data to other parts of the program serves to augment common arithmetic functions with Mixed Boolean Arithmetic (MBA) formulae that are bound to pre-existing parts of the program. A software application is first analyzed on a compiler level to determine the program properties which hold in the program. Thereafter, conditions are constructed based on these properties and encoded in formulae that encode the condition in data and operations. Real dependencies throughout the application are therefore created such that if a dependency is broken the program will no longer function correctly.
US09811664B1

Unwanted web contents are detected in an endpoint computer. The endpoint computer receives a web page from a website. The reputation of the website is determined and the web page is scanned for malicious codes to protect the endpoint computer from web threats. To further protect the endpoint computer from web threats including mutating unwanted web contents, page structure traits of the web page are generated and compared to page structure traits of other web pages detected to contain unwanted web contents.
US09811657B2

A system and method of identifying a security policy for a software part. Security information for the software part is signed with a security information digital signature to form signed security information. The security information identifies a security policy for the software part. The signed security information is associated with the software part.
US09811652B2

According to an embodiment, an image erasing apparatus includes an accessory information acquiring unit and an execution availability determining unit. The accessory information acquiring unit acquires accessory information related to security of the sheet based on attribute data of a sheet on which an erasable image is formed. The execution availability determining unit each determines execution availability of erase processing for the image on the sheet and execution availability of preservation processing for the image data generated by the readout unit, based on the accessory information.
US09811642B2

The invention relates to a calculating method for molecular volume and shape comparison of two molecules. The method includes steps of loading in three-dimensional structure information of a first molecule, the three-dimensional structure information comprising type and coordinate values of each atom contained in the first molecule; obtaining respective van der Waals radius based on the type of respective atom contained in the first molecule, converting the three-dimensional structure information into a group of Gaussian spheres representing atoms in the first molecule; calculating overlap volume for each pair of Gaussian spheres; calculating the weight of each Gaussian sphere; calculating self-overlap volume of the first molecule, the self-overlap volume being used as a volume of the first molecule. The present invention is useful mathematical expression of molecular shape, shape comparison of drug molecules, and pharmacophore comparison of drug molecules, which comparisons, in turn, useful for virtual screening of drug molecules.
US09811631B2

Example systems, methods and computer program products for cloud-based, anatomy-specific identification, processing and routing of image data in a cloud infrastructure are disclosed. An example method includes evaluating, automatically by a particularly programmed processor in a cloud infrastructure, image data to identify an anatomy in the image data. The example method includes processing, automatically by the processor, the image data based on a processing algorithm determined by the processor based on the anatomy identified in the image data. The example method also includes routing, automatically by the processor, the image data to a data consumer based on a routing strategy determined by the processor based on the anatomy identified in the image data. The example method includes generating, automatically by the processor based on the processing and routing, at least one of a push of the image data and a notification of availability of the image data.
US09811620B2

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including medium-encoded computer program products, for designing three dimensional lattice structures include, in one aspect, a method including: obtaining a lattice within a 3D lattice design space for a 3D model being created with a 3D modeling program; identifying junctions in the lattice that are potential sources of particle traps at an interface between the 3D lattice design space and a surface present in the 3D model; and removing the potential sources of particle traps by modifying cell space defined between the identified junctions and the surface. In addition, the surface can be a surface of a solid region defined in the 3D model, and the method can include: identifying beams in the lattice having junctions lying on the surface; and extending each of the identified beams by a length amount to cause overlap between the identified beams and the solid region.
US09811619B2

A specialized low drop-out voltage regulator (LDO) computer system stores a generalized base model of an LDO. The base model includes values representing a circuit topology and a set of analog behavior blocks associated with the generalized LDO. Values of a set of operational parameters associated with a specific model of LDO are input to the specialized LDO computer system from a data sheet associated with the specific model of LDO. The specialized LDO computer system transforms the set of operational parameters into a computer model of the specific LDO. The LDO-specific computer model is output as a netlist or as a set of instantiation control values to control external hardware such as an integrated circuit die tooling system or a computer graphical display system.
US09811612B2

A method and system for simultaneously performing takeoff of multiple building conditions in a construction project software program is disclosed. The method comprises selecting two or more building conditions and moving a pointer to a construction drawing to select an area to perform takeoff of the multiple building conditions on. Once the area has been selected, the method and system automatically creates one or more live objects on the selected area for each of the selected building conditions and simultaneously quantifies each of the selected building conditions based on the size of the selected area.
US09811609B2

A device for the patient-specific, individual anatomic placement of bore channels when attaching artificial ligaments to bones, namely for use in placing boreholes on the thigh and lower leg during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction, is provided with a probe (1) to be introduced into a joint via an arthroscopy portal and with a targeting head (2) disposed on the distal end of the probe. The targeting head (2) comprises a targeting template (3) which is produced individually using a 3-D imaging method, in particular 3-D magnetic resonance tomography (3-D-MRT) or 3-D computer tomography (3-D-CT), and which is a negative imprint of the osseous surface relief in the region where the torn ligament attaches to the bone in question, in particular where the cruciate ligament attaches to the thigh or lower leg. The targeting template (3) comprises at least one passage (4) for marking the bore channel that is to be produced on the bone, and a hand grip (7) is provided on the proximal end of the probe (1) for holding and positioning. The invention also relates to a method for producing a corresponding device.
US09811604B2

Embodiments of the invention generally provide a computer system, method implemented on a computer, and computer readable medium storing instructions for defining an extension taxonomy. The computer system comprises a processor and a memory storing instructions, the instructions being executable to configure the processor to provide a selection module operable to designate a selected portion of a source document, wherein the source document comprises a set of locations and a location map for identifying each location in the set of locations; wherein each location is configured to receive text-based content and wherein the selected portion comprises at least one location in the set of locations. The processor is also configured to provide: an extension module operable to associate a taxonomy element with a location in the selected portion; a connection module operable to define a location link between the identified taxonomy element and the location in the selected portion; and, a storage module operable to store the taxonomy element and the location link in a repository.
US09811602B2

A computing system for facilitating screen readers of online electronic documents includes a processor running computer readable program code configured to generate a structured electronic document including markup language code and scripting language code whose execution is triggered by an occurrence of an event associated with execution of the markup language code. Memory stores a configuration file that maps of functions of a screen reader program to functions performed by the scripting language code when the scripting language code is executed in response to the occurrence of the event. The processor executes computer readable program code configured to incorporate the configuration file within structured electronic document. On a client system, a given function of the scripting language code executes in response to the occurrence of the event, and, in response to the execution of the given function, the screen reader program performs each accessibility function mapped to the given function.
US09811597B2

Disclosed are methods, apparatus, systems, and computer-readable storage media for identifying topical influence in an online social network. In some implementations, an entity associated with a feed item is identified. A topic associated with the entity or with the feed item is also identified. The entity can be determined to be a topical influencer regarding the topic in the online social network based on one or more factors, such as a factor indicating dissemination of information associated with the identified topic to other entities. A display device can be configured to display information indicating the determination that the entity is a topical influencer of the identified topic.
US09811591B2

A system and method for generating search engine analytics data to be displayed on a display. A processor may send search queries to a first country search engine and to a second country search engine and receive first and second ranked result sets in response. The processor may generate search engine data for a domain based on the search queries, the first ranked result set, and the second ranked result set. The processor may further generate report data to be displayed on the display based on the search engine data. The report data may include data effective to display first analytics for the domain for the first country search engine and second analytics for the domain for the second country search engine. Analytics may represent trends of ranks over a time interval.
US09811588B1

Methods and apparatus for generating a causality matrix using vertex-centric processing framework to be used by a codebook correlation engine to determine a set of problems to explain active symptoms in a system. Methods and apparatus for calculating impacts of problems using vertex-centric processing framework.
US09811587B1

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on a computer storage medium, for distributing content based on context are disclosed. In one aspect, a method includes identifying, in a single resource, multiple different content item slots that are available for presentation of multiple different content items. A determination is made that a first content item slot is located in a first portion of the single resource, and that a second content item slot is located in a second different portion of the resource. A first content item is selected for presentation in the first content item slot based on terms that correspond to a first topic of the first portion of the resource. A second content item is selected for presentation in the second content item slot based on terms that correspond to a second topic of the second portion of the resource.
US09811579B1

Described is technology to translate between tree-structured documents and electronic storage such as a relational data store. A document may be composed from the data store or decomposed to a data store using a document mapping command. The document mapping command includes follow commands that associate the columns in one table with columns in another table and resolve these associations during composition or decomposition. These follow commands allow for the retrieval of data from the data store and for inserting and/or modifying the data store by way of applying deltas to the data store.
US09811571B2

Data that includes a query of a temporal database is received from a remote application server. The query specifies at least one fact and a system time and an application time for the at least one fact. Thereafter, a bitemporal timeline index is accessed to identify data responsive to the query. The bitemporal timeline index includes a system time dimension and an application time dimension. Next, the identified data can be retrieved and provided to the remote application server. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
US09811564B2

Provided is a technology that allows use of a trend rating acquired more objectively. A POI information providing device includes: a storage unit which stores POI data including a POI name; a posted data acquisition unit which acquires posted data through a network; a trend rating acquisition unit which obtains a matching degree between a word included in the posted data and the POI name for each piece of the posted data, and uses a predetermined calculation expression for the matching degree to calculate and acquire a trend rating indicating an attention degree of a POI; a trend rating identification unit which identifies, when a request for the trend rating is received from another device connected through the network, the trend rating corresponding to the request; and a transmission unit which transmits the trend rating identified by the trend rating identification unit to the another device.
US09811560B2

Techniques related to version control based on a dual-range validity model are disclosed. In an embodiment, an online analytical processing (OLAP) server stores a plurality of version records describing versions of a data item. A version record may describe any open transactions for a version of the data item. The version record may specify a commit timestamp for the data item at a database and a valid timestamp at least as great as the commit timestamp. The commit timestamp and the valid timestamp may specify a validity range. The version record may also specify an expiration timestamp, which along with the valid timestamp may specify an unresolved range. The OLAP server may also identify a valid version of the data item for a query timestamp that corresponds to a query for particular data in the data item and that falls within either the validity range or the unresolved range.
US09811552B1

Techniques, systems, and products for analyzing sparse indicators and generating communications based on bucketing of sparse indicators are disclosed.
US09811543B2

Systems and methods generating schemas that represent multiple data sources are provided herein. According to some embodiments, methods may include determining a schema for each of the multiple data sources via a computing device communicatively couplable with each of the multiple data sources, each of the multiple data sources including one or more data structures that define how data is stored in the data source, generating a negotiated schema by comparing the schemas of the multiple data sources to one another and interrelating data points of the multiple data sources based upon the schemas, interrelating the negotiated schema with the schema for each of the multiple data sources based upon the interrelation of the data points, and storing the negotiated schema in a storage media by way of the computing device.
US09811542B1

Methods, computer program products, computer systems, and the like, which provide for the performance of a targeted backup operation, are disclosed. Such a targeted backup operation is performed on a backup that comprises a plurality of data blocks. The data blocks, in turn, comprise an in-use data block and an unused data block. The targeted backup operation comprises performing a backup operation on the in-use data block.
US09811540B2

Systems and methods for recognizing a face are disclosed and includes receiving images of faces; generating feature vectors of the images; generating clusters of feature vectors each with a centroids or a cluster representative; for a query to search for a face, generating corresponding feature vectors for the face and comparing the feature vector with the centroids of all clusters; for clusters above a similarity threshold, comparing cluster members with the corresponding feature vector; and indicating as matching candidates for cluster members with similarity above a threshold.
US09811539B2

A computer-implemented method of organizes photographs for display on an on-line map by selecting from a plurality of photographs a candidate set of photographs based on scores of the photographs, determining clusters from the selected photographs for display on the on-line map.
US09811531B2

Techniques are disclosed for providing a file system interface for an object store intended to support simultaneous access to objects stored in the object store by multiple clients. In accordance with one method, an abstraction of a root directory to a hierarchical namespace for the object store is exposed to clients. The object store is backed by a plurality of physical storage devices housed in or directly attached to the plurality of host computers and internally tracks its stored objects using a flat namespace that maps unique identifiers to the stored objects. The creation of top-level objects appearing as subdirectories of the root directory is enabled, wherein each top-level object represents a separate abstraction of a storage device having a separate namespace that can be organized in accordance with any designated file system.
US09811530B1

Data from a group of distributed processes to a shared file is written using a parallel log-structured file system. A metadata server of a cluster file system is configured to communicate with a plurality of object storage servers of the cluster file system over a network. The metadata server further configured to implement a Parallel Log Structured File System (PLFS) library to coordinate storage on one or more of the plurality of object storage servers of a plurality of portions of a shared file generated by a plurality of applications executing on compute nodes of the cluster file system and to store metadata for the plurality of portions of the shared file. Concurrent writes to the shared file are decoupled by writing the plurality of portions of the shared file generated by each of the plurality of applications to independent write streams for each application. The metadata server communicates with a plurality of applications executing on the compute nodes over the network to process metadata requests from the applications.
US09811508B2

Method and device of presenting data stored at remote source are disclosed. The method includes: receiving first webpage data that is configured to be rendered as a first webpage, the first webpage, when rendered, provides one or more access links each directed to respective second webpage data that is stored at a respective remote source; from the first webpage data, recognizing respective reference data for each of the respective second webpage data; in accordance with the respective reference data, requesting the respective second webpage data from its respective remote source; receiving and storing at least one of the respective second webpage data before detecting the user's selection of the access link; and upon detecting the user's selection of the access link, rendering the stored at least one of the respective second webpage data as a second webpage.
US09811504B1

Methods, systems, and computer program products are hereby claimed for including and distinguishing independent variables that denote lifespan in multivariable binary regression analyses of mortality and survivorship. These methods, systems, and computer program products are demonstrated here by including and distinguishing lifespan in multivariable binary regression analyses of humans' and medflies' mortality and survivorship, revealing advantages for the description, specification, measurement, analysis, explanation, and prediction of mortality and survivorship.
US09811500B2

A writing application on a computing device can reference a tail pointer to write messages to message buffers that a peer-to-peer data link replicates in memory of another computing device. The message buffers are divided into at least two queue segments, where each segment has several buffers. Messages are read from the buffers by a reading application on one of the computing devices using an advancing head pointer by reading a message from a next message buffer when determining that the next message buffer has been newly written. The tail pointer is advanced from one message buffer to another within a same queue segment after writing messages. The tail pointer is advanced from a message buffer of a current queue segment to a message buffer of a next queue segment when determining that the head pointer does not indicate any of the buffers of the next queue segment.
US09811496B2

A method for detecting an interface connection between devices is disclosed, including setting a recommended working parameter of a first interface as a first working parameter; obtaining, by using an auto negotiation operation, a second working parameter of a second interface; determining whether the second working parameter is equal to the first working parameter, and if the second working parameter is not equal to the first working parameter, sending an alarm to indicate that a connection is unmatched; if the second working parameter is equal to the first working parameter, setting the recommended working parameter of the first interface as a third working parameter, sending, by using the auto negotiation operation, the third working parameter to the second interface, and receiving the third working parameter sent by a second device through the second interface, so that the first interface communicates with the second interface by using the third working parameter.
US09811487B2

Example embodiments may include a method for configuring an interface that includes determining information for a configuration of an interface of a first device including a plurality of SERDES slices having a plurality of connections to a second device over the interface; and configuring a back channel layer associated with the first device to form a back channel path to carry a message between a transmitter and a receiver of the first device based on the configuration of the plurality of connections to the second device. The transmitter can be in a first SERDES slice of the plurality of SERDES slices and the receiver is in a second SERDES slice of the plurality of SERDES slices.
US09811475B2

Methods and apparatus for a secure sleep state are disclosed. An example method includes, in response to an initiation of a sleep state of a computing platform, encrypting a memory of the computing platform; and decrypting the memory when resuming the computing platform from the sleep state, wherein placing the computing platform in the sleep state includes powering down a portion of the computing platform and preserving a state of the computing platform.
US09811472B2

Embodiments relate to managing memory page tables in a processing system. A request to access a desired block of memory is received. The request includes an effective address that includes an effective segment identifier (ESID) and a linear address, the linear address including a most significant portion and a byte index. An entry in a buffer that includes the ESID of the effective address is located. Based on the entry including a radix page table pointer (RPTP), performing: using the RPTP to locate a translation table of a hierarchy of translation tables, using the located translation table to translate the most significant portion of the linear address to obtain an address of a block of memory, and based on the obtained address, performing the requested access to the desired block of memory.
US09811469B2

Technologies are generally described for methods and systems effective to access data in a cache. In an example, a method to access data in a cache may include processing a first request for data at a first memory address related to first data in a memory. The method may further include retrieving the first data from the memory. The method may further include storing the first data in a first cache line in the cache. The method may further include processing a second request for data at a second memory address related to second data in the memory. The method may further include retrieving the second data from the memory. The method may further include selecting a second cache line in the cache to store the second data based on the storage of the first data. The method may further include storing the second data in the second cache line.
US09811467B2

A method and a system embodying the method for pre-fetching and processing work for processor cores in a network processor, comprising requesting pre-fetch work by a requestor; determining that the work may be pre-fetched for the requestor; searching for the work to pre-fetch; and pre-fetching the found work into one of one or more pre-fetch work-slots associated with the requestor is disclosed.
US09811466B2

In at least some embodiments, a processor core generates a store operation by executing a store instruction in an instruction sequence. The store operation is marked as a high priority store operation in response to detecting, in the instruction sequence, a barrier instruction that precedes the store instruction in program order and that includes a field set to indicate the store operation should be accorded high priority and is not so marked otherwise. The store operation is buffered in a store queue associated with a cache memory of the processor core. Handling of the store operation in the store queue is expedited in response to the store operation being marked as a high priority store operation and not expedited otherwise.
US09811463B2

An apparatus includes interface configured to receive input/output (I/O) traffic from a host computer via a dedicated I/O channel. The I/O traffic includes one or more I/O requests. The apparatus includes a network interface configured to receive network traffic from a second device via a network. The apparatus includes a cache memory configured to store data and a storage device configured to store second data. The apparatus further includes a processor coupled via a communication path to the storage device. The processor is configured to access the cache memory during processing of the I/O traffic or the network traffic. The processor is further configured to perform one or more access operations at the storage device based on the I/O traffic or the network traffic. The communication path is distinct from the I/O channel.
US09811461B1

In an embodiment of the invention, a method comprises: requesting an update or modification on a control data in at least one flash block in a storage memory; requesting a cache memory; replicating, from the storage memory to the cache memory, the control data to be updated or to be modified; moving a clean cache link list to a dirty cache link list so that the dirty cache link list is changed to reflect the update or modification on the control data; and moving the dirty cache link list to a for flush link list and writing an updated control data from the for flush link list to a free flash page in the storage memory.
US09811457B2

A method for managing flash memory is provided. The method includes determining at least one property of a data and determining to which type of a plurality of types of flash memory to write the data, based on the at least one property of the data. The plurality of types of flash memory includes at least two types of flash memory having differing numbers of bits per cell. The method includes writing the data to a flash memory of the determined type. A nonvolatile memory manager and a system are provided.
US09811455B2

A system is provided that includes a remote device and bus controller coupled to the remote device via a digital network bus. The remote device includes one or more data channels for respective one or more peripherals, and includes volatile channel-based memory for each data channel and non-volatile device-based memory for the remote device. The bus controller is and configured to send a command across the network bus to the remote device, and in response thereto, the remote device is configured to acquire data from a designated data channel or command the designated data channel to perform a conversion. The command is from a communication protocol with which the remote device is compatible, and includes a set of channel commands for accessing the channel-based memory, and a different, distinct set of device-memory commands for accessing the device-based memory. The channel commands and device-memory commands have different timing requirements.
US09811442B2

A method for adjusting a filtering mechanism within a trace logging system. The method may include receiving a plurality of messages from a software program, whereby each of the plurality of messages includes a message logging level. The method may also include storing the plurality of received messages in a buffer. The method may further include determining an error has occurred within the software program. The method may also include identifying each of the plurality of stored messages that aid in debugging the determined error. The method may further include updating an alert status configuration based on the message logging level associated with each of the plurality of identified messages.
US09811435B2

A virtual machine may allow execution of applications decoupled from physical hardware. The virtual machine may be executed by the physical hardware in a data center. A system can monitor and assess performance and reliability of the virtual machine based on device records of network components of the data center that are supporting operation of the virtual machine.
US09811426B2

Backup operations for data resources can be managed as follows. At least one data resource residing on at least one data storage device is identified. An information processing system automatically determines that the at least one data resource fails to be associated with a backup policy. In response to the at least one data resource failing to be associated with a backup policy, at least one backup policy is associated with the at least one data resource.
US09811424B2

A computer identifies a plurality of data retrieval requests that may be serviced using a plurality of unique data chunks. The computer services the data retrieval requests by utilizing at least one of the unique data chunks. At least one of the unique data chunks can be utilized for servicing two or more of the data retrieval requests. The computer determines a servicing sequence for the plurality of data retrieval requests such that the two or more of the data retrieval requests that can be serviced utilizing the at least one of the unique data chunks are serviced consecutively. The computer services the plurality of data retrieval requests according to the servicing sequence.
US09811417B2

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor memory device includes an encoder configured to generate an error correction code with respect to data, a processor configured to perform interleaving with respect to the data output from the encoder after the generation of the error correction code by the encoder, and a memory configured to store a process result from the processor.
US09811414B2

A method for managing data stored in a flash memory is provided, where the flash memory includes a plurality of blocks. The method includes: providing a program list, where the program list records information about programmed blocks of the plurality of blocks and sequence of write times of the programmed blocks; detecting quality of a first block of the plurality of blocks to generate a detecting result, where the first block is the programmed block that has an earliest write time; and determining whether to move contents of the first block to a blank block, and to delete the contents of the first block according to the detecting result.
US09811402B2

In one embodiment, a method includes extracting, by one or more processors, a class name from a uniform resource identifier (URI) of an application header of a standardized interface request that includes a command formatted in an application protocol. The application header includes meta-data that allows class declarations to function, at least in part, as a portion of interface description language. In another embodiment, a computer system for generating a RESTful interface includes a computer-readable memory and one or more processors in electrical communication with the memory. The one or more processors are configured to perform the method recited above. In yet another embodiment, a computer program product includes a computer-readable storage medium and program instructions stored on the computer-readable storage medium readable/executable by one or more processors to perform the method recited above.
US09811399B1

Filtering audible notifications to the user from a device based on an enhanced white list with a static white list set by the user and a temporary white list. The temporary white list includes expiring entries. The entries of the temporary white are based on keywords and context extracted from the applications and activities on the device that are associated with a dependency list between applications of the device and context. If a notification is present on the temporary white list or the static list, the notification from the application audibly sound to the user through the device.
US09811398B2

A system and method for providing delegated metric tools within a partially closed communication platform that includes receiving a tag identifier linked to at least a first identified platform interaction in the communication platform; associating the tag identifier with at least one logged event of an account associated with the first identified platform interaction; defining a tracking resource with at least one tag identifier; measuring platform interactions tracked by a tracking resource; and providing access to measured platform interactions through an application.
US09811394B1

The present disclosure relates to a technology for generating, executing, cloning, and managing application programming interface recipes. A software recipe comprises code including a trigger and one or more executable actions. The system implements a method for cloning software recipes by receiving a software recipe clone request from a user device and responsive to receiving the software clone request, computing requirements of the software recipe. The method involves retrieving input schema and output schema for the trigger and each of the one or more actions. The method involves saving a new instance of the software recipe with updated schema. The method further involves verifying whether the computed requirements are satisfied by the new instance of the software recipe.
US09811391B1

Embodiments in the disclosure are directed to the use of distributed computing to align reads against multiple portions of a reference dataset. Aligned portions of the reference dataset that correspond with an above-threshold alignment score can be assessed for the presence of sparse indicators that can be categorized and used to influence a determination of a state transition likelihood. Various tasks associated with the processing of reads (e.g., alignment, sparse indicator detection, and/or determination of a state transition likelihood) may be able to take advantage of parallel processing and can be distributed among the machines while considering the resource utilization of those machines. Different load-balancing mechanisms can be employed in order to achieve even resource utilization across the machines, and in some cases may involve assessing various processing characteristics that reflect a predicted resource expenditure and/or time profile for each task to be processed by a machine.
US09811389B2

A method and apparatus for assigning tasks to processor cores, based on usage history, to have tasks executed at the highest frequency with the lowest power consumption are described. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises processor cores, an interconnect coupled to the processor cores, at least one memory module coupled to the interconnect, and a task assigning module to assign a first task, based the usage history, to one processor core for execution at maximum frequency with minimum power usage in comparison to other processor cores of the plurality, the usage history being based on monitored core temperature, frequency and power usage for a first set of tasks previously executed by the plurality of processor cores.
US09811387B2

For distributed processing using sampled clusters of location-based Internet of Things (IoT) devices, at a central device, a data source to be used for processing a workload is determined. A set is selected of devices operating within a threshold distance from the data source at a first time. A first subset including a first sample number of devices is selected from the set. A ratio is determined of a first amount of a computing resource needed to process the workload and a second amount of the computing resource available in the first subset to process the workload. From the set, to form a cluster, a second subset is selected of a size at least equal to a multiple of the ratio and the first sample number. Each device in the second subset satisfies a clustering condition. A lightweight application is configured at the first device to process the workload.
US09811385B2

An electronic device includes a processing component and a task manager. The processing component is configurable for one of a single-core processing mode and a multi-core processing mode. The task manager determines a number of tasks running on the electronic device. The processor is configured to switch between either the single-core processing mode or the multi-core processing mode as a function of the number of tasks.
US09811375B2

An enterprise management system is described for efficient operating system migration, preserving applications, data, and settings. A staging area, such as an empty folder, is created on a client device. A base layer for the new operating system and application layers for applications that will be installed on the computing device are downloaded to the staging area. After the base layer and application layers are downloaded, the layers are merged onto the computing device to instantly install the operating system and the applications. User settings, data, and other applications can be migrated to corresponding locations in the new operating system from the old operating system.
US09811374B1

A computing device may receive a data packet. The computing device may be operating a plurality of kernel-space software modules that are in a suspended state, and the computing device may also be operating a plurality of user-space software modules that are in the suspended state. It may be determined that the data packet is of a particular packet type. Data packets of the particular packet type may be consumed by any of a particular subset of the kernel-space software modules. While the user-space software modules remain in the suspended state, the computing device may further (i) transition at least some kernel-space software modules to a non-suspended state, (ii) consume, by a particular one of the non-suspended kernel-space software modules, the data packet, and (iii) transition the non-suspended kernel-space software modules to the suspended state.
US09811369B2

The present disclosure provides a physical computer virtualization method. The method includes receiving a virtualization instruction inputted by a user on a physical computer; restarting the physical computer; and loading the physical computer with a virtual machine management system mirror image file after restarting the physical computer to boot the physical computer into a virtual machine management system. The method also include obtaining physical disks of the physical computer; and creating a virtual machine through the virtual machine management system and using the physical disks of the physical computer.
US09811366B2

Techniques for dynamically using system (i.e., VM guest) memory as video memory for virtual graphics processing units (VGPUs) are provided. In one embodiment, a guest graphics driver running within a virtual machine (VM) of a host system can receive, from a guest application of the VM, a request to create a graphics resource. The guest graphics driver can then dynamically allocate, in response to the request, a memory object for the graphics resource in a guest memory space of the VM.
US09811363B1

Systems and methods are described for predictively managing calls to tasks on an on-demand code execution environment. Specifically, a task profile can be utilized to predict that a call to a first task will be followed by a call to a second task. Thereafter, a virtual machine can be loaded with executable code corresponding the second task, even before the call to the second task is received. If the call to the second task is received, the task can then be executed by utilizing the previously loaded executable code, thus increasing the speed at which the second task can be executed on the on-demand code execution environment.
US09811362B2

A system and method for tracing individual transactions on method call granularity is disclosed. The system uses instrumentation based transaction tracing mechanisms to enhance thread call stack sampling mechanisms by a) only sampling threads executing monitored transactions while execution is ongoing b) tagging sampled call stacks with a transaction identifier for correlation of sampled call stacks with instrumentation bases tracing data. The combination of instrumentation based tracing with thread call stack sampling reduces sampling generated overhead by only sampling relevant thread, and reduces instrumentation generated overhead because it allows reducing instrumentation.
US09811359B2

In various embodiments, a software load balancer is deployed to distribute incoming managed file traffic among multiple nodes running in a cluster. In one aspect, a separate instance of the software load balancer may be instantiated for each protocol that will be used (e.g., FTP, FTP-SSL & SSH-FTP). In one embodiment, the software load balancer includes a standalone java application that is configured to run outside the purview of an application server. In a further embodiment, the software load balancer is able to manage transfers to multiple nodes in (e.g., multiple managed file transfer servers) in a cluster. Therefore, in one embodiment, only one instance of the software load balance needs to be deployed.
US09811351B2

Rendering of a portal page that is displayable on a client system includes receiving a request for a portal page by a web portal engine, monitoring server-side aggregation and rendering performance by the web portal engine, and comparing a measured performance parameter value of the server-side aggregation and rendering against a pre-defined threshold value. The server-side aggregation and rendering is interrupted, based upon the comparison, once the threshold value is exceeded. Further, an intermediate result of the portal page is prepared based on the server-side aggregation and rendering for sending, such that a client-side processing completes the interrupted aggregation and rendering of the portal page.
US09811344B2

A microprocessor includes an indicator and a plurality of processing cores. Each of the plurality of processing cores is configured to generate a default core ID and to sample the indicator. When the indicator indicates a first predetermined value, the default core ID generated by a default one of the plurality of processing cores designates the default processing core to be a bootstrap processor. When the indicator indicates a second predetermined value distinct from the first predetermined value, the plurality of processing cores are configured to generate alternate core IDs that are different from the default core IDs. One of the alternate core IDs designates an alternate processing core, other than the default processing core, to be the bootstrap processor.
US09811342B2

A method for executing dual dispatch of blocks and half blocks. The method includes receiving an incoming instruction sequence using a global front end; grouping the instructions to form instruction blocks, wherein each of the instruction blocks comprise two half blocks; scheduling the instructions of the instruction block to execute in accordance with a scheduler; and performing a dual dispatch of the two half blocks for execution on an execution unit.
US09811340B2

A computer system, a processor in a computer and a computer-implemented method executable on a computer processor involve dividing a set of computer instructions arranged in a sequential program order into a plurality of instruction sequences. Instructions within each sequence are arranged according to the program order. An increment value is assigned to a preceding instruction in each sequence. The increment value is equal to a difference between a program order value of a subsequent instruction in the sequence and a program order value of the preceding instruction. The processor calculates the program order value of each subsequent instruction based on the program order value and the increment value of a corresponding preceding instruction in the same sequence.
US09811323B2

In one embodiment, a method includes: receiving an application that includes a rendering portion; receiving code implementing a plurality of functions used by the application; defining a plurality of subsets of the plurality of functions, each of the plurality of subsets including at least one of the plurality of functions; monitoring which ones of the plurality of subsets has one or more of the at least one functions included therein invoked during execution of a portion of the application that includes the rendering portion; generating information indicating which ones of the plurality of subsets had one or more of the at least one functions included therein invoked during the execution of the portion of the application; and generating a first set of one or more files that includes: (i) code implementing ones of the plurality of functions that are included in or more of the plurality of subsets that had one or more of the at least one functions included therein invoked during execution of the portion of the application.
US09811321B1

Systems and methods are described for utilizing script chunks in client-side browsing applications. A script chunking service divides scripts into smaller portions, and generates precompiled chunks of code that correspond to the portions. The service may then request compilation of only those portions of a script that do not have a corresponding precompiled chunk. Portions may be determined based on length, script keywords, or other criteria, and chunks may be identified by applying a hashing function to the portions. Scripts may be filtered to identify differing portions of source code that compile to functionally identical instructions, and the chunking service may use supplemental hashes, hashes of hashes, and complier state information to facilitate identification and compilation of precompiled chunks.
US09811317B2

Provided are a method of controlling a range of representable numbers includes receiving a floating point value represented by an exponent and a mantissa, each represented by a predetermined numbers of bits, determining a bit configuration of the exponent and the mantissa of the floating point value based on a value of a most significant bit of the exponent of the floating point value, and determining a constant required for calculation of the floating point value according to the determined bit configuration of the exponent, and an apparatus for providing such a method.
US09811309B2

An electronic device may comprise audio processing circuitry, pace tracking circuitry, and positioning circuitry. The pace tracking circuitry may be operable to selects songs to be processed for playback, and/or control time stretching applied to such songs, by the audio processing circuitry based on position data generated by the positioning circuitry, a desired tempo, and whether the songs are stored locally or network-accessible. The position data may indicate the pace of a runner during a preceding, determined time interval. The pace tracking circuitry may control the song selection and/or time stretching based on a runner profile data stored in memory of the music device. The profile data may include runner's distance-per-stride data. The electronic device may include sensors operable to function as a pedometer. The pace tracking circuitry may update the distance-per-stride data based on the position data and based on data output by the one or more sensors.
US09811293B2

The invention relates to producing personalized printed end products which have in each case a printed product collection and at least one personalized printed product by creating (S1) end product specifications which define in each case at least one personalized printed end product, creating (S2) sales orders on the basis of end product specifications, wherein a sales order defines at least one sequence of printed product collections, initiating (S3) the process of creating and creating (S4) digital print orders on the basis of end product specifications and sales orders, wherein a digital print order defines at least one personalized printed product, producing (S5) printed product collections in accordance with the sales orders, producing (S6) personalized printed products in accordance with the digital print orders, and producing (S7) personalized printed end products from the produced printed product collections and personalized printed products.
US09811283B2

A system includes: input-output devices including a first input-output device having a first input-output characteristic and a second input-output device having a second input-output characteristic, and a control device. The control device is configured to when jobs include a first job in which a ratio between reading and writing included in the first job is more suitable for the first input-output characteristic than the second input-output characteristic, a second job having a dependency relationship with the first job and in which a ratio between reading and writing included in the second job is more suitable for the second input-output characteristic than the first input-output characteristic, and a third job having a dependency relationship with neither the first job nor the second job, control submitting order of the jobs into nodes, coupling the input-output devices and the nodes, and copying of execution result data by the jobs between the input-output devices.
US09811280B2

Presented herein are methods, non-transitory computer readable media, and devices for maximizing parallelization in a parity de-clustered and sliced disk RAID architecture implemented on at least one hard disk drive by creating at least one allocation group, each created allocation group comprising at least one parity group within a sliced disk group, selecting one of said at least one allocation group, and performing at least one of write or read concurrently on all parity groups within the selected allocation group.
US09811276B1

At least one memory region from a memory device of a host computing system is identified as containing data considered to be inactive. The host computing system is operatively coupled to a storage system external to the host computing system and configured to execute an application program. At least one memory region is stored as an archived memory region on a non-volatile storage device of the storage system in a memory format utilized on the host computing system.
US09811270B2

A semiconductor storage device includes memory cells, select transistors, memory strings, first and second blocks, word lines, and select gate lines. In the memory string, the current paths of plural memory cells are connected in series. When data are written in a first block, after a select gate line connected to the gate of a select transistor of one of the memory strings in the first block is selected, the data are sequentially written in the memory cells in the memory string connected to the selected select gate line. When data are written in the second block, after a word line connected to the control gates of memory cells of different memory strings in the second block is selected, the data are sequentially written in the memory cells of the different memory strings in the second block which have their control gates connected to the selected word line.
US09811262B1

Accesses to a number of data blocks stored in a distributed storage are observed. Following observation of the accesses, the stored data blocks are redistributed. In one aspect, redistribution of the data blocks includes determining the access patterns for one or more of the data blocks based on the observed accesses, and determining the storage sizes for the one or more data blocks. Thereafter, based on the determined access patterns and determined storage sizes, the one or more data blocks are sorted. Subsequently, the one or more data blocks are redistributed or rebalanced across a number of storage devices of the distributed storage based on the sorting. In one aspect, the one or more data blocks are redistributed according to either a uniform distribution scheme or a proportional distribution scheme.
US09811258B2

The present disclosure includes methods for controlling host memory access with a memory device, systems, host controllers and memory devices. One embodiment for controlling host memory access with a memory device includes receiving at least one command from a host and controlling execution of the at least one command with the memory device.
US09811254B2

A transaction terminal device includes an orientation detecting unit that detects the orientation of an information processing device with respect to the orientation of gravity, and an information processing unit that displays a work screen of work categories on a display unit based on display attributes for changing of the orientation of the information processing device configured for each of the work categories. When the display attributes are permitted for rotating the work screen based on the changing of the orientation of the information processing device, the information processing unit displays the respective elements constituting the work screen in the position/orientation based on the detected result by the orientation detecting unit. When the display attributes are prohibited from rotating the work screen, the information processing unit displays the respective elements constituting the work screen in the fixed position/orientation independent from the detected result by the orientation detecting unit.
US09811249B2

Devices, methods, and systems for generating an operational user interface for a building management system are described herein. One method includes generating a widget using geometrical information associated with a building information modeling object and relationship information associated with the building information modeling object, assigning a state variable to the widget by analyzing properties of the building information modeling object or an ontology definition of the building information modeling object, associating the state variable with a point from the building operation system by mapping the point to the state variable, and changing the state variable based on input received from a user.
US09811248B1

Methods, computer-readable media, software, and apparatuses provide a system for implementing a tool that allows users to test a webpage. The system may include a computing device configured to use the tool to parse a request that is transmitted in response to, for example, a selection to load the webpage. The tool may also generate a user interface comprising variables of the request. The variables may be displayed so that they may be selected by a user. For each selected variable, the computing device may generate a column within a table. The table may include the values for each selected variable. The computing device may also generate a second table with corresponding values for corresponding variables. Further, the computing device may compare corresponding values to execute regression testing. Also, the computing device may allow a user to select criteria for certain variables to generate rules and apply rules against requests. The computing device may also allow users to export data to be analyzed and reported in another tool.
US09811226B2

There is provided a sensor device that includes a flexible first conductor layer and an electrode substrate. The electrode substrate includes a plurality of first electrode wires, a plurality of second electrode wires, capacity sensors being formed at capacitively coupled portions of the first and second electrode wires, and a flexible substrate that supports the first and second electrode wires. The sensor device also includes a first supporting body including a plurality of first structures that connect the first conductor layer and the electrode substrate.
US09811223B2

Driving a touch-sensing-enabled active matrix LCD display panel for enhancing touch sensing by reducing parasitic capacitances is considered. In one embodiment, a plurality of driving voltages is generated. The driving voltages include a common voltage, and a first and a second gate-drive reference voltages for configuring a thin film transistor (TFT) in the panel to switch on and off, respectively. When the panel is operated in a sensing mode, the common voltage that is generated includes a pulse-train waveform. Furthermore, each of the first and the second gate-drive reference voltages is substantially time-synchronized to and includes the pulse-train waveform of the common voltage during the sensing mode. In one option, the driving voltages further include a sensing-mode source-drive voltage acting as a source-drive signal for the TFT during the sensing mode. The sensing-mode source-drive voltage is substantially time-synchronized to and includes the pulse-train waveform of the common voltage.
US09811219B2

A touch panel control circuit includes a plurality of drive circuits which are connected to Y sensor electrodes, respectively, and which apply a plurality of pulses to a corresponding Y sensor electrode for every predetermined period, and a plurality of detection circuits which are connected to X sensor electrodes, respectively. Each of the detection circuits includes a switched capacitor circuit that continues sampling of a signal from each of the X sensor electrodes, to which the detection circuits are connected, not only at a timing that is in synchronization with the plurality of pulses that are applied to the Y sensor electrodes, but also at a timing at which the pulses are not applied to the Y sensor electrodes. For example, the switched capacitor circuit is an integration circuit, or an integration circuit with a finite impulse response (FIR) filter or an infinite impulse response (IIR) filter.
US09811205B2

A processing system for a capacitive sensing input device comprises a charge integrator, a circuit element having a first resistance, and a first switch coupled with the circuit element. The first circuit element is disposed in series with an input of the charge integrator. The first switch is configured to alter the first resistance to a second resistance when selectively closed during at least a portion of an integration phase of the charge integrator. The second resistance is lower than the first resistance.
US09811192B2

A composition for a window film includes a siloxane resin represented by Formula 1, 4 or 7, or a mixture thereof, and an initiator. A flexible window film is manufactured using the same, and has a pencil hardness of about 7H or higher, a radius of curvature of about 5.0 mm or less, and a difference in yellow index before and after irradiation (ΔY.I.) of about 5.0 or less. A flexible display includes the flexible window film. (R1SiO3/2)x(R2R3SiO2/2)y  Formula 1 (R1SiO3/2)x(R9SiO3/2)z  Formula 4 (R1SiO3/2)x(R2R3SiO2/2)y(R9SiO3/2)z  Formula 7
US09811185B2

An information processing method and an electronic device comprising a touch sensitive unit and a display unit separated from each other are described. The electronic device includes at least a first display mode, and a second display mode suitable for the touch sensitive unit. The method includes acquiring a third display mode of the display unit at a first timing when the electronic device is turned on; detecting whether the third display mode is the second display mode or not; acquiring coordinates of each point of N points of the display unit and generating a first control instruction, when the third display mode is the second display mode, wherein N is an integer above 2; and performing the first control instruction, to correspond the coordinates of the each point of the N points to coordinates of each touch sensitive point of the touch sensitive unit.
US09811174B2

Interfacing application programs and motion sensors of a device. In one aspect, a high-level command is received from an application program running on a motion sensing device, where the application program implements one of multiple different types of applications available for use on the device. The high-level command requests high-level information derived from the output of motion sensors of the device that include rotational motion sensors and linear motion sensors. The command is translated to cause low-level processing of motion sensor data output by the motion sensors, the low-level processing following requirements of the type of application and determining the high-level information in response to the command. The application program is ignorant of the low-level processing, and the high-level information is provided to the application program.
US09811162B2

An operating device includes a push operation mechanism to be push-operated by an operator, and a drive transmission mechanism to transmit a drive force for presenting the operator with a tactile stimuli-operational feeling via the push operation mechanism. The push operation mechanism is configured to be engageable with the drive transmission mechanism. The drive transmission mechanism is configured to switch between a non-engagement position to allow the push operation of the user without being engaged with the push operation mechanism and an engagement position to allow the transmission of the drive force by being engaged with the push operation mechanism.
US09811160B2

A mobile terminal according to an exemplary embodiment includes: at least one sensor; a display unit; and a host processor receiving data detected by the sensor and processing image data of which a display is changed according to the data. The display unit includes: a display panel displaying the image according to the image data; and a local processor receiving the data detected by the sensor and controlling the display panel by using the data without intervention of the host processor.
US09811157B2

A method for gaze tracking achieves high performances at the same time requiring both limited processor engagement and reduced power, so as to be particularly but not exclusively fit for mobile uses is described. The method includes the steps of: obtaining a digital video stream of a face through a camera, wherein eyes or pupils are identified in corresponding boxes in the spatial domain, the size thereof being function of the face position and orientation relative to said camera, the content of the boxes being the input for the further calculations; transferring the content of the boxes to the frequency domain; applying to the boxes transferred to the frequency domain one or more sparse zones, covering together a fraction of the boxed area transferred to the frequency domain, and a filtering kernel, at least partially overlapping the sparse zones; performing a multiplication between the frequency data within each sparse zone and the kernel, combining the results in a single value for each sparse zone; and repeating the above steps obtaining for each frame said single value, fluctuation of the single value being representative of gaze direction changes along time.
US09811150B2

A method for managing a processor, the processor comprising a common supply rail and processor cores being connected to the common supply rail, wherein each processor core comprises a core unit, wherein the method comprises detecting idle state exits indicated by the core units; and delaying a command execution of at least one of the core units indicating an idle state exit when the number of idle state exits exceeds a predetermined threshold idle state exit number may reduce voltage droops due to several processor cores leaving the idle state at the same time.
US09811145B2

Techniques for reducing idle power consumption of a port are described herein. An example method includes determining device presence using a pull-down resistor disposed in a downstream port. The method also includes initiating a low power state of a link between the downstream port and an upstream device. The method also includes disabling the pull-down resistor in response to initiating the low power state.
US09811139B2

An apparatus and a method for power supply are provided. The apparatus for power supply includes a main power circuit, an auxiliary power circuit and a power switching control circuit. The main power circuit is configured to generate a main power suitable to be provided to a first load and a second load for use. The auxiliary power circuit is configured to generate an auxiliary power suitable to be provided to the second load for use. The power switching control circuit is configured to detect a voltage difference between the main power and the auxiliary power and determine whether the apparatus meets a normal power supply condition, so as to select one of the main power and auxiliary power as a power source of the second load.
US09811137B2

A land transport vehicle includes a traction motor; a capture device for contact with a power supply segment of an external power supply device and for connection to the traction motor; a communication unit to communicate with ground equipment associated with the power supply segment in a vicinity of which the land transport vehicle is currently traveling; an onboard controller connected to the communication unit; and an onboard power supply device for connection to the traction motor, the onboard controller being adapted to a) regulate the power supplied to the traction motor, b) receive a signal indicating an end of a zone with an external power supply, and c) command, after receiving the signal indicating the end of a zone, a transition from a power demand from the external power supply device toward a power demand from the onboard power supply device to power the traction motor.
US09811136B2

A VBUS conductor is checked to determine whether a voltage on the VBUS conductor is greater than a vSafe0V voltage within a detect time interval. A device policy manager applies a vSafeDB voltage to the VBUS conductor when the voltage on the VBUS conductor is greater than the vSafe0V voltage. The policy engine waits for a bit stream to be detected within a timer interval. When the bit stream is not detected within the timer interval, the device policy manager is instructed to apply the vSafe0V voltage to the VBUS conductor. The device policy manager applies a vSafe5V voltage to the VBUS conductor when the bit stream is detected, and the policy engine waits for the bit stream to stop within a device ready timer interval. When the bit stream has stopped within the device ready timer interval, the policy engine sends capabilities as a source port.
US09811130B2

A system to control a power distribution system includes a system controller configured to determine an allocation of power during a first time period for each of a plurality of subsystems. The system also includes a subsystem controller communicatively coupled to the system controller. The subsystem controller is associated with a device and configured to receive power allocation data indicating the allocation of power for the device from the system controller. The subsystem controller is further configured to receive operation request data indicating a request to operate the device and produce a model operation of the device for a second time period based on the power allocation data, the operation request data, and a cost-utility function associated with the device. The subsystem controller is also configured to communicate, to the system controller, projected power demand data associated with the modeled operation of the device during the second time period.
US09811128B2

A structural subassembly for use in an information handling system chassis may include a first portion, a second portion, a common wall, and one or more mechanical features. The first portion may be configured to receive one or more of a first type of information handling resource. The second portion may be configured to receive one or more of a second type of information handling resource. The common wall may divide the first portion from the second portion. The one or more mechanical features may be configured to engage with one or more respective mechanical features of the information handling system chassis in order to perform at least one of guiding of the subassembly relative to the information handling system chassis during insertion or removal of the subassembly into or from the information handling system chassis and retention of the subassembly relative to the information handling system chassis.
US09811116B2

In one example, a method includes determining, by a wireless dockee (WD), one or more wireless docking environments (WDNs) associated with a wireless docking center (WDC), wherein each WDN of the one or more WDNs corresponds to at least one peripheral function (PF) of one or more PFs that are each associated with the WDC. In this example, the method also includes wirelessly accessing, by the WD, a respective at least one PF corresponding to a particular WDN of the one or more WDNs associated with the WDC.
US09811115B2

A cover for a portable terminal having a fixing part for fixing the portable terminal and a folder rotating at the fixing part to open and close the portable terminal. The cover includes an input unit and/or a display unit, and a charging unit. The input unit inputs data to the portable terminal. The display unit displays data from the portable terminal. The input unit and display unit are constructed in the folder. The charging unit is constructed in at least one of the fixing part and folder, and supplies power to the portable terminal generated using a solar cell.
US09811110B2

A system and a method of sampling an event signal using multiple clocking signals each provided in a separate candidate clock domain each of which also receives points in time from a master clock. From each candidate clock domain, clocked by the individual clocking signals, pairs of a received point in time and event signal value are fed to a master clock domain. In the master clock domain, the values of the event signal may be determined over time as a function of master clock time. This may be used for synchronizing operation in the master clock domain of e.g. packet time stamping with an overall time defined by the event signal. Using multiple clocking signals for the sampling, a much more precise sampling of the event signal is facilitated.
US09811108B2

An accelerator pedal device includes a housing which pivotably supports a pedal arm, a return spring, a magnetic position sensor which detects an angular position of the pedal arm, and a drive source, a return lever, and a control circuit board serving as an active control mechanism which controls to push back the pedal arm toward a rest position under predetermined conditions, a circuit for a Hall element of the position sensor is arranged on the control circuit board. According to the above, a conventionally-required circuit board dedicated to a position sensor is not required to be arranged and the position sensor is connected via bus bars and the like while eliminating lead wire and the like.
US09811107B2

A bias current generators that may be implemented in low power environments is described. The current generator can be implemented without using resistors and may be used to generate reference currents and voltages. It may also be used to generate voltage references where the output of the circuit is to at least a first order temperature independent.
US09811103B2

An apparatus, including a plurality of devices, a network operations center (NOC), a facility consumption monitoring device, and a plurality of control nodes. Each device consumes a portion of the resource when turned on, and performs a corresponding function within an acceptable operational margin by cycling on and off. The NOC generates a plurality of run time schedules that is based upon modeled unmonitored consumption within the facility, and that coordinates run times for the each of the plurality of devices to control the peak demand of the resource. Each of the control nodes is coupled to a corresponding one of the devices. The plurality of control nodes transmits sensor data and device status to the NOC for generation of the plurality of run time schedules, and executes selected ones of the run time schedules to cycle the plurality of devices on and off.
US09811101B2

A power converter includes an input and an output with an energy storage circuit and a power switching circuit coupled between the input and the output. A feedback circuit generates a feedback voltage which is differentially compared to a reference in an error amplifier circuit to generate an error amplification signal. A comparator circuit generates a control signal for controlling on/off of the power switching circuit based on a first comparison signal related to the error amplification signal and a second comparison signal related to a charging current of the energy storage circuit. A regulating circuit is coupled between an output of the error amplifier circuit and an input of the comparator circuit for receiving the first comparison signal, the regulating circuit is configured to couple a voltage compensation signal related to an input voltage received by the input to an output of the error amplifier, so as to reduce a variation amount of the error amplification signal when the input voltage varies.
US09811094B2

An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) includes a fuselage, a plurality of rotors, and a sensor, wherein the fuselage includes a control module and a signal processing module, and the control module is connected the arms, which is used to control the rotation of arms. The sensor is configured to the fuselage of the UAV, which is used to detect the rotation change value of the UAV. The signal processing module is connected with the sensor and the control module, which is used to receive and analyze the signal of the sensor, and the control module controls the following flying of the UAV.
US09811089B2

The invention relates to a robotic cleaning device having a main body, a cleaning portion configured to clean a floor of an area of interest, and a propulsion system configured to move the robotic cleaning device across a surface of the area. The robotic cleaning device may further include an obstacle detecting device and a processing unit, the processing unit being configured to control the propulsion system, wherein the obstacle detecting device is configured to monitor a perimeter of at least part of the area and to follow and continuously record a position of an object, while the object is moving along the perimeter. The processing unit is configured to create positional data of the perimeter out of the continuously recorded positions.
US09811088B2

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an industrial vehicle is provided comprising industrial vehicle hardware, a user interface, tag reader, reader module, and vehicle controller. The tag reader and the reader module cooperate to identify individual tags of a tag layout comprising a plurality of zone identification tags and a plurality of zone tags. Each zone identification tag occupies a position in the tag layout that corresponds to a unique set of zone tags. Each unique set of zone tags comprises a plurality of zone tags. The reader module discriminates between the plurality of zone identification tags and the plurality of zone tags identified in the tag layout, correlates an identified zone identification tag with a unique set of zone tags, and correlates vehicle functionality with an identified zone tag within the unique set of zone tags, tag-dependent positional data derived from the identified zone tag, or both.
US09811082B2

In one embodiment, an aerial collection system includes an image collection field vehicle that travels at street level and an image collection aerial vehicle that travels in the air above the street. The aerial vehicle collects image data including at least a portion of the field vehicle. The field vehicle includes a marker, which is identified from the collected image data. The marker is analyzed to determine an operating characteristic of the aerial vehicle. In one example, the operating characteristic in the marker includes information for a flight instruction for the aerial vehicle. In another example, the operating characteristic in the marker includes information for the three dimensional relationship between the vehicles. The three dimensional relationship is used to combine images collected from the air and images collected from the street level.
US09811074B1

A disclosed system includes a physically plausible virtual runtime environment to simulate a real-life environment for a simulated robot and a test planning and testing component to define a robotic task and generate virtual test cases for the robotic task. The test planning and testing component is further operable to generate virtual test cases for the robotic task, determine a control strategy for executing the virtual test cases, and create the physics-based simulated environment. The system further includes a robot controller operable to execute the virtual test cases in parallel in the physics-based simulated environment, measure a success of the execution, and store training and validation data to a historical database to train a machine learning algorithm. The robot controller may continuously execute the virtual test cases and use the machine learning algorithm to adjust parameters of the control strategy until optimal test cases are determined.
US09811069B2

A servomotor control apparatus according to the present invention is a control apparatus for controlling a machine having one or a plurality of movable portions each driven by a servomotor. In the servomotor control apparatus, while an electromagnetic brake is operated, an actual position obtained by a position detector is periodically monitored. The actual position is compared with the actual position at the time of actuating the electromagnetic brake. When the actual positions are different by a predetermined value or more, any of the issue of a motor torque to maintain the position, the actuation of a regenerative brake, or a control means for continuing a control to maintain the position without operating the electromagnetic brake, even if the servomotor stops for a certain period of time during playback operation, is performed.
US09811066B1

Example implementations may relate to a haptic hand-holdable controller configured with throttle functionality. An example device may take the form of a haptic controller, which senses tactile information and provides force feedback. The haptic hand-holdable controller may implement a throttle where a motor varies feedback to the hand-holdable controller to simulate a throttle.
US09811051B2

The present disclosure relates to apparatuses and methods for performing in-line lens-free digital holography of objects. At least one embodiment relates to an apparatus for performing in-line lens-free digital holography of an object. The apparatus includes a point light source adapted for emitting coherent light. The apparatus also includes an image sensing device adapted and arranged for recording interference patterns resulting from interference from light waves directly originating from the point light source and object light waves. The object light waves originate from light waves from the point light source that are scattered or reflected by the object. The image sensing device comprises a plurality of pixels. The point light source comprises a broad wavelength spectrum light source and a pinhole structure. The image sensing device comprises a respective narrow band wavelength filter positioned above each pixel that filters within a broad wavelength spectrum of the point light source.
US09811048B2

An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus main body, an image carrier, a developing device, a developer housing container, and a connector. The connector includes a connector housing and elastically deformable second ground terminal and second input/output terminal. The connector housing includes an opening and an end edge. The end edge defines one side portion of the opening. The second ground terminal and the second input/output terminal are projected from the opening. The second ground terminal and the second input/output terminal contact the first ground terminal and the first input/output terminal, respectively by mounting the developer housing container to the internal space. The second ground terminal and the second input/output terminal each abut the end edges on the connector housing with elastic force. The abutment regulates a maximum amount of projection of the second ground terminal and the second input/output terminal with respect to the opening.
US09811045B2

An image forming apparatus includes: a communication unit that receives first mode electric power to perform communication; an image forming unit that receives first mode electric power to form an image on a medium; a fixing unit that generates heat by receiving first mode electric power, and performs a fixing process of fixing the image to the medium; a predicting unit that predicts a processing time required for a process of forming the image; and a supply controller that controls supply of electric power according to a first mode or a second mode in which power consumption is smaller than that of the first mode. The supply controller starts the supply of first mode electric power to the fixing unit at a timing based on the predicted processing time when the image forming apparatus transitions from the second mode to the first mode.
US09811044B2

An image forming apparatus, including: a conveyance unit configured to convey a sheet on a conveyance path on which the sheet is conveyed; a first conveyance path opening member configured to open a first portion of the conveyance path; a second conveyance path opening member configured to open a second portion, which is located downstream the first portion, of the conveyance path; a sheet leading edge position detecting unit configured to detect a position of a leading edge of a stopped sheet on the conveyance path; and a determination unit configured to determine, based on a detection result of the sheet leading edge position detecting unit, one of not conveying the stopped sheet, causing the conveyance unit to convey the stopped sheet toward the first portion, and causing the conveyance unit to convey the stopped sheet toward the second portion.
US09811043B2

An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to transfer an image to a recording sheet; a fixing device to feed the recording sheet and fix the image onto the recording sheet; a branching device to switch between an ejection path to eject the recording sheet fed downstream of the fixing device, to outside the apparatus, and a reversing path for duplex printing; and a back curl correction structure disposed in a sheet feeding path between the fixing device and the branching device. The back curl correction structure includes a drive roller; a driven roller; an auxiliary nip portion; a guide member; and a guide moving device to move the guide member to a first position and a second position depending on the condition of the recording sheet.
US09811042B2

An image forming device includes an image forming unit, a conveying unit, a first image detecting unit, a second image detecting unit, and a controller, wherein the controller includes a detecting unit correcting mode in which the first image detecting unit is corrected by using an image detection result by the second image detecting unit, and in the detecting unit correcting mode, a transfer paper conveying speed at the time of image reading by the second image detecting unit is changed to the transfer paper conveying speed different from a normal transfer paper conveying speed at the time of image formation and the first image detecting unit is corrected based on read results of the same image by the first and second image detecting units.
US09811033B2

A fixing device includes a pressure mechanism and a pressure adjustment mechanism. The pressure mechanism includes a pressing member holding one of the pressure member and the heating member and a biasing member biasing the pressing member in a direction toward or away from the other of the pressure member and the heating member. The pressure adjustment mechanism includes an eccentric cam. The pressure adjustment mechanism uses one of small-diameter and large-diameter parts formed in the outer peripheral surface of the eccentric cam to allow the pressure mechanism to give the nip pressure, and uses the other of them to allow the pressure mechanism to release the nip pressure. When the large-diameter part is used to allow the pressure mechanism to give or release the nip pressure, the eccentric cam constantly receives reaction force urging it to rotate in a direction toward the small-diameter part.
US09811028B2

An image forming apparatus in which tension is applied to a recording medium during secondary transferring includes an image carrier, a first rotating member, a second rotating member, a tension releasing device, a voltage applier, a voltage measuring device, a nip width adjuster and a controller. The second rotating member sandwiches the image carrier with the first rotating member to from a nip. The tension releasing device releases the tension. The voltage measuring device measures the voltage between the first rotating member and the second rotating member applied by the voltage applier. The nip width adjuster adjusts a width of the nip. The controller controls the nip width adjuster so that a difference between a first voltage which is measured in a state where the tension is released and a second voltage which is measured in a state where the tension is applied within a predetermined range.
US09811026B2

A developing device includes a developing container, a rotatable member including a first screw portion and a second screw portion, a first feeding path configured to accommodate the first screw portion, a second feeding path provided in communication with the first feeding path at a position downstream of the second screw portion with respect to a develop feeding direction, and a developer discharging opening provided in the second feeding path. In a state in which the developing device is mounted to the image forming apparatus, in a cross section of the second feeding path perpendicular to a rotational axis of the rotatable member, the second feeding path includes a region where a distance between side surfaces of the second feeding path in a side above a center of a rotation shaft of the rotatable member with respect to a vertical direction increases upwardly.
US09811020B2

A delivery member for use in an image forming apparatus. The delivery member has a support member and a first layer disposed on the support member. The first layer includes a cross-linked elastomeric matrix, a stabilizing polymer comprising a polysiloxane backbone, and a functional material. Coating mixtures for preparing such delivery members having a first layer. Image forming apparatuses containing such delivery members.
US09811017B2

A low melt toner includes a core having a core polystyrene-butyl acrylate resin, a crystalline polyester resin, a pigment present in an amount from about 7% to about 20% by weight of the low melt toner, and a paraffin wax; a ratio of the polystyrene-butyl acrylate resin to crystalline polyester resin is in a range from about 5:1 to about 7:1; and a shell disposed over the core including a shell polystyrene-butyl acrylate resin.
US09811016B2

A toner comprising a toner particle comprising a binder resin that comprises a crystalline resin, wherein the toner satisfies the following formulas (1) and (2) in DSC measurement of the toner, 50.0≦Tt≦80.0  formula (1) 0.00≦ΔHT′t-3/ΔH≦0.20  formula (2) where Tt [° C.] is the peak temperature of the endothermic peak P1, ΔH [J/g] is the endothermic quantity from a temperature lower than T′t by 20.0° C. to a temperature higher than T′t by 10.0° C. when T′t [° C.] is the peak temperature of the endothermic peak P 2, and ΔH T′t-3 [J/g] is the endothermic quantity from a temperature lower than T′t by 20.0° C. to a temperature lower than T′t by 3.0° C.
US09811013B2

Provided is a toner binder having excellent charging characteristics and blocking resistance, and an increased range of fixing temperatures when used as a toner. The present invention is a toner binder containing a polyester resin (P) comprising one or more types of polyester resins obtained by polycondensation of a carboxylic acid component (x) and an alcohol component (y), wherein at least one type (P1) of (P) contains 50 to 95 mol % of a aliphatic diol (y1) having a carbon number of 2 to 4 in the alcohol component (y), and (P) satisfies expressions (1) and (2). 11.5≦SP value [(cal/cm3)1/2] of (P)≦13.0  (1) 5.2≦HLB value (by Oda method) of (P)≦7.1  (2).
US09811007B2

A lithographic apparatus includes a component and a local cooler to apply a local cooling load to the component. The local cooler has a gas passageway including a flow restriction upstream of the component and configured to direct a flow of gas exiting the flow restriction to cool a surface of the component.
US09810999B2

A liquid immersion member forms a liquid immersion space on an object movable below an optical member so that a light path of exposure light emitted from an emission surface of the optical member is filled with liquid. The liquid immersion member includes a first member which is disposed in at least a portion of a periphery of the optical member, a second member which is movable relative to the first member and which includes a recovery port that recovers at least a portion of the liquid in the liquid immersion space, and a gas supply opening facing a gap between the first member and the second member, from which gas is supplied to the gap.
US09810994B2

The present disclosure provides a lithography system comprising a radiation source and an exposure tool including a plurality of exposure columns densely packed in a first direction. Each exposure column includes an exposure area configured to pass the radiation source. The system also includes a wafer carrier configured to secure and move one or more wafers along a second direction that is perpendicular to the first direction, so that the one or more wafers are exposed by the exposure tool to form patterns along the second direction. The one or more wafers are covered with resist layer and aligned in the second direction on the wafer carrier.
US09810990B2

A material layer is formed over a substrate. A negative tone photoresist layer is formed over the material layer. An exposure process is performed to the negative tone photoresist layer. A post-exposure bake (PEB) process is performed to the negative tone photoresist layer. After the exposure process and the PEB process, the negative tone photoresist layer is treated with a solvent. The solvent contains a chemical having a greater dipole moment than n-butyl acetate (n-BA).
US09810988B2

The objective of this invention is to provide a composition for forming a topcoat layer enabling to produce a pattern excellent in roughness and in pattern shape; and also to provide a pattern formation method employing that composition is described. The means for solving this objective is a composition for forming a topcoat layer, comprising a solvent and a fullerene derivative having a hydrophilic group; and also a method of forming a pattern by casting the above composition on a resist surface and then by subjecting it to exposure and development.
US09810978B2

A EUV mask comprises a low thermal expansion material (LTEM) substrate, a reflective multi-layer (ML) over the LTEM substrate, and a patterned absorber layer over the reflective ML. The reflective ML includes a defect. The EUV mask further comprises a mark associated with the defect. The mark is one of: a deposit over the patterned absorber layer at a distance offset from the defect, and a cavity into the patterned absorber layer in an area over the defect.
US09810975B2

Some embodiments of the invention are directed toward a robotic head that includes a head enclosure; a translucent face mask coupled with the head enclosure, having a front side and a rear side; a neck system coupled with the head enclosure and configured to move the head enclosure; and a projector coupled with the head enclosure and disposed to project images of a face onto the rear side of the face mask.
US09810970B2

A light control device comprising a grid formed from a plurality of non-overlapping fabric ribbons positioned perpendicular to the plane defined by the grid; wherein the fabric ribbons define a plurality of one or more geometric cells within the grid for passage therethrough of light from a light source, the geometric cells preferably offset rows of rectangles when the device is unstressed, and hexagons when the device is undertension stretched evenly in line with the fabric ribbons of the grid.
US09810968B2

A wavelength conversion device including a main body and a transparent element is provided. The main body has at least one wavelength conversion region, a containing recess portion, and a stop portion. The containing recess portion and the stop portion encircle a closed slot. The transparent element is disposed in the closed slot to construct a light penetration region. The stop portion stops the transparent element along a radial direction of the main body. Moreover, a projector using the wavelength conversion device is also mentioned.
US09810964B2

An electro-optic modulator includes a waveguide of a nonlinear optical material and an electrode line for generating an electrical field in a modulating region of the waveguide when a voltage is applied to the electrode line, thereby modulating light passing through the waveguide. Therein, the forward electro-optic response of the modulating region is the same as the backward electro-optic response; and the electro-optic response has a band-pass or a low-pass characteristic. A distance measuring device includes a light source emitting light, and such an electro-optic modulator arranged such that the emitted light passes through the electro-optic modulator in a first direction before being emitted from the distance measuring device, and after being reflected from a target passes through the electro-optic modulator in a second direction which is opposite to the first direction.
US09810963B2

The disclosure provides, in part a seal system for sealing a film. The disclosure further provides, in part, a sealed film comprising a first and a second substrate; a first and a second electrode disposed on the surface of at least one of the substrates; a switching material disposed between the first and second substrates; a first seal and a second seal; the first seal disposed along an edge of the switching material, separating the switching material from the second seal.
US09810960B2

An array substrate includes a first glass substrate, a first metallic layer for forming a scan line and a gate of a TFT, a first insulating layer on the first metallic layer, a semiconductor layer on the first insulating layer, a second metallic layer disposed on the semiconductor layer for forming a source and a drain of the TFT and a data line, a color resist layer on the second metallic layer and the first insulting layer for forming a color filter, a pixel electrode on the color resist layer and connected to the drain of the TFT through a via hole on the color resist layer, a passivation layer on the electrode layer, and a black matrix layer on the passivation layer. The black matrix is disposed correspondingly to the color filter and the pixel electrode. Using such array substrate can reduce manufacturing processes and cost.
US09810957B2

An array substrate includes a gate line extending in a first direction, a source line extending in a second direction orthogonally crossing the first direction and an auxiliary capacitance line having a trunk portion extending in the first direction so as to cross the source line and a branch portion branched from the trunk portion and extending along the source line. A switching element includes a drain line arranged under the auxiliary capacitance line so as to face the trunk portion and the branch portion thereof. A pixel electrode includes a main pixel electrode extending substantially in parallel to the source line and a contact portion electrically connected with the drain line. A counter substrate includes a couple of main common electrodes extending substantially in parallel to the main pixel electrode on the both sides sandwiching the main pixel electrode.
US09810951B2

A first substrate includes a first insulating substrate. A first organic insulating film is arranged on the first substrate in a circumference area outside an active area. The first organic insulating film includes a first surface and a first concave portion in the circumference area. A second substrate includes a second insulating substrate. A circumference color filter is laminated on a circumference shield layer and includes a second concave portion arranged facing the first concave portion. The second concave portion spreads toward the first substrate. A second organic insulating film covers the circumference color filter and includes a second surface and a third concave portion covering the second concave portion. A seal material is arranged between the first surface and the second surface, and between the first concave portion and the third concave portion to attach the first substrate and the second substrate.
US09810945B2

A light guide plate has a light input end surface from which light is introduced, a light output surface that outputs light spread in a planar manner externally, a flat main light guiding body including the light output surface, a light conducting portion that has a maximum thickness greater than the thickness of the main light guiding body and includes the light input end surface, a first slanted surface provided on the light conducting portion on at least one of a surface near the light output surface and a surface opposite thereto, the first slanted surface inclined from a first location that is thicker than the main light guiding body toward the outer surface of the main light guiding body, and a plurality of first pattern elements provided on the light conducting portion on at least one of a surface near the light output surface and a surface opposite thereto.
US09810943B2

Parallax in an optical device is reduced by apply one or a combination of several disclosed techniques, including reduced solid angle or increased collimation of light sources, increased diffusion/scattering at an output of the device, and/or reflective structures for collimation and containment of reflected light. The techniques are advantageously applied to a backlight LCD display, and particularly to high dynamic range dual modulation displays.
US09810938B2

A liquid crystal display device that prevents a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) and an increase in the ion density (ID) in a liquid crystal layer and that resolves the problems of display defects, such as white streaks, variations in alignment, and image sticking. The liquid crystal display has features of preventing a decrease in the voltage holding ratio (VHR) and an increase in the ion density (ID) in a liquid crystal layer and suppressing display defects such as image sticking. Therefore, the liquid crystal display device is particularly useful for active matrix driving liquid crystal display devices with an IPS mode or an FFS mode and can be applied to liquid crystal display devices of, for example, liquid crystal televisions, monitors, cellular phones, and smart phones.
US09810935B2

A display device includes: a display panel curved in one direction; and a middle frame supporting a lower edge portion of the display panel. The middle frame includes: a first support having a predetermined curvature; and a second support extending at a predetermined angle from the first support, the first support having a height difference at an end portion.
US09810918B2

An optical unit with a shake correction function may include a movable module holding an optical element, a support body including a body part surrounding the movable module, a gimbal mechanism including a movable frame having elasticity and configured to swingably support the movable module between the movable module and the support body, a spring member connected to the movable module and the support body for holding posture of the movable module, and a shake correction drive mechanism configured to swing the movable module. When a natural vibration frequency of the movable frame is “fa”, a natural vibration frequency of the spring member is “fb”, and a vibration frequency band of a movable body on which the support body is mounted is “fw”, the natural vibration frequency “fa” and the natural vibration frequency “fb” are shifted from the vibration frequency band “fw”. Further, it may be preferable that a difference between the natural vibration frequency “fa” and the natural vibration frequency “fb” is set to be 135 Hz or more.
US09810913B2

Embodiments are directed towards a system for enabling a user to view an image on a surface. The system may include projector(s), sensor, projection surface or screen, and processor. The projectors may project light for an image onto the surface. The sensor may detect light reflected off the surface. The surface may include multiple types of surface elements, such as multiple first elements positioned as border of a display area on the surface to provide feedback regarding the surface and multiple second elements positioned within the border of the display area to reflect the image to the user. The processor may determine characteristics of the border of the display area based on light reflected to the sensor from first elements. And it may modify parameters of the image based on the characteristics of the border of the display area.
US09810909B2

A head-mounted display apparatus includes a display unit including a substrate and display elements, and an optical element. The substrate includes a plurality of display portions and a plurality of light-transmitting portions, and the display elements are on the plurality of display portions of the substrate. The optical element is in an optical path of light that is emitted from the display unit and has through-holes that respectively correspond to the plurality of light-transmitting portions.
US09810891B2

A dual light source enhanced integration system is provided. The system comprises: a first light source and a second light source with overlapping spectra; a light integrator configured to integrate light and having a first light entrance face and a second light entrance face; and, a beamsplitter system configured to about equally distribute light from each of the first light source and the second light source to each of the first light entrance face and the second light entrance face, such that the light from each of the first light source and the second light source is about equally combined at each of the first light entrance face and the second light entrance face.
US09810890B2

A collector transfers EUV illumination light from a radiation source region to illumination optics. Imaging optics of the collector image the radiation source region in a downstream focal region. The imaging optics are embodied so that the radiation source is imaged with at least one first imaging scale by the EUV illumination light, which is emitted with beam angles <20° between the radiation source region and the downstream focal region. The imaging optics are also embodied so that the radiation source is imaged with at least one second imaging scale by the illumination light emitted with beam angles >70°. The two imaging scales for the beam angles <20° on the one hand and >70° on the other hand differ by no more than a factor of 2.5. In addition to a corresponding collector, an illumination system contains field facets transfer optics.
US09810868B2

A fiber optic telecommunications frame is provided including panels having front and rear termination locations, the panels positioned on left and right sides of the frame. The frame includes vertical access for the rear cables. The frame further includes left and right vertical cable guides for the front patch cables. The frame further includes cable storage spools for the patch cables. The frame includes a horizontal passage linking the left and right panels and the cable guides. A portion of the frame defines splice tray holders and a central passage from the splice tray holders to the rear sides of the left and right panels. From a front of each panel, access to a rear of the panel is provided by the hinged panels. Alternatively, the panels can form connector modules with front termination locations and rear connection locations for connecting to the rear cables. The modules can house couplers, such as splitters, combiners, and wave division multiplexers. The termination locations can be located on the same side of the frame as the splice tray holders, or on an opposite side. An enclosure of the frame included hinged or otherwise moveable panels to allow access to the terminations or the splice trays.
US09810867B2

In accordance with one embodiment, a connector assembly, for instance a connector assembly for an optical waveguide, includes a dielectric connector housing including a housing body that defines a mating end configured to mate with a complementary connector along a mating direction. The connector assembly further includes at least one latch arm supported by the housing body. The at least one latch arm can define outer surface and an opposed inner surface that faces an outer surface of the housing body. The connector assembly further includes an unlocking element supported by the housing body. The unlocking element can define an inner surface that faces the outer surface of the at least one latch arm. Movement of the unlocking element from a first position to a second position can cause the at least latch arm to deflect from a locked position to an unlocked position.
US09810865B2

There are provided a lens member, a method of manufacturing the lens member, a communication module, a lens array, and a light-source module, the lens member including a ready-made glass lens added with a mounting portion having a reference face as a plane for reference when the glass lens is mounted on a substrate. A lens member includes a glass ball lens to which sphericity processing has been previously performed, and a resin mounting portion 13 disposed on the glass ball lens. The mounting portion is molded by flowing the resin in a flowable state into a die including the glass ball lens disposed therein. The mounting portion includes a reference face that abuts on a mounting face in a case where the glass ball lens is surface-mounted, provided thereto.
US09810862B2

A detector configuration for use in a free space optical (FSO) node for transmitting and/or receiving optical signals has a plurality of sensors for detecting received optical signals. The system may be configured to modify or alter the light at the plurality of sensor to optimize different system functions.
US09810859B2

Disclosed are traceable remote-release networking cables with telltales at their ends to facilitate tracing of the cables and their ends, such as, for example, in data rooms that can include hundreds of individual networking cables. Some cables include conductive wire transmission line(s). Other cables include one or more fiber-optic transmission lines.
US09810850B1

A fiber gripper component includes a fiber receiving recess which extends from a first surface of the fiber gripper component toward a second surface of the fiber gripper component. The fiber receiving recess extends from a front face to a rear face. The fiber receiving recess has a fiber receiving surface which is positioned between the first surface and the second surface. A plurality of resilient fiber receiving grooves extend from the fiber receiving surface toward the second surface. The resilient fiber receiving grooves have a width which is less than an outer-diameter dimension of mating optical fibers to provide a press fit of the optical fibers into the resilient fiber receiving grooves. The fiber gripper component is molded with tolerances in the submicron range to maintain part functionality to allow automatable fiber assembly.
US09810849B2

A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (2); comprising: routing optical signals through an optical rotating joint (2) by using a first optical circulator (64) on a first side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive an optical signal and direct the optical signal onward to a first side of the optical rotating joint (2), and using a second optical circulator (93) on a second side of the optical rotating joint (2) to receive the optical signal from the second side of the optical rotating joint (2) and direct it onwards. The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (26, 28, 30), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers (68, 94) and/or wavelength division demultiplexers (66, 95).
US09810848B2

A method and apparatus for operating an optical rotating joint (2); comprising: providing redundancy for camera sensor signals to be passed through an optical rotating joint (2) by: (i) passing signals from a plurality of camera sensors (28, 30) via an optical changeover switching arrangement (70) to the optical rotating joint (2); and/or (ii) passing signals for a plurality of camera sensors (28, 30) toward the camera sensors (28, 30) from the optical rotating joint (2) via an optical changeover switching arrangement (70). The signals may be sensor control signals or sensor output signals to/from a plurality of sensors (26, 28, 30), for example camera sensors. The apparatus may further comprise one or more wavelength division multiplexers (68, 94) and/or wavelength division demultiplexers (66, 95).
US09810845B2

Advantageously, at least one embodiment comprises a flexible pitch reducing optical fiber array (PROFA) coupler capable of maintaining all channels discretely with sufficiently low crosstalk, while providing enough flexibility to accommodate low profile packaging, and having increased stability with respect to environmental fluctuations, including temperature variations and mechanical shock and vibration, and that is combinable in multiple quantities thereof to form an optical multi-port input/output (IO) interface.
US09810844B2

An aspect of the present disclosure may include an apparatus having an optical waveguide. The optical waveguide may have a distal end surface non-normal to a longitudinal centerline of a distal end portion of the optical waveguide, wherein the distal end surface may define a portion of an interface configured to redirect electromagnetic radiation propagated from within the optical waveguide and incident on the portion of the interface to a direction offset from the longitudinal centerline. The apparatus may further include a capillary component which may have a first portion of an inner surface heat-fused to a portion of an outer surface of the optical waveguide. The apparatus may also include a reinforcement component which may have a proximal end surface disposed distal to the distal end surface of the optical waveguide such that the distal end surface of the optical waveguide and the proximal end surface of the reinforcement component may be separated by a non-zero distance, and wherein a portion of an outer surface of the reinforcement component may be heat-fused to a second portion of the inner surface of the capillary component.
US09810839B2

The invention describes an integrated photonics platform comprising a plurality of at least three vertically-stacked waveguides which enables light transfer from one waveguide of the photonic structure into another waveguide by means of controlled tunneling method. The light transfer involves at least three waveguides wherein light power flows from initial waveguide into the final waveguide while tunneling through the intermediate ones. As an exemplary realization of the controlled tunneling waveguide integration, the invention describes a photonic integrated structure consisting of laser guide as upper waveguide, passive guide as middle waveguide, and modulator guide as lower waveguides. Controlled tunneling is enabled by the overlapped lateral tapers formed on the same or different vertical waveguide levels. In the further embodiments, the controlled tunneling platform is modified to implement wavelength-(de)multiplexing, polarization-splitting and beam-splitting functions.
US09810836B2

An object is to provide a laser treatment tool capable of guiding a plurality of fluids, a laser transmission path insertable into such a laser treatment tool, and an external tube for forming the laser transmission path. In an external tube 80 which forms a laser transmission path 70 together with a lengthy hollow waveguide path 90 for guiding treatment laser light 57a and has an inner insertion space 81 for allowing insertion of the hollow waveguide path 90, a plurality of sub passages 84 and cooling water passages 85 are provided outside the hollow waveguide path 90, inserted into the insertion space 81, along a longitudinal direction of the insertion space 81.
US09810832B2

An illumination device includes: a light source; an optical sheet having a rectangular shape and imparting an optical effect on light from the light source; a display component having a rectangular shape and being provided on the optical sheet; and a frame member having a frame shape surrounding the optical sheet and, on at least one edge of the optical sheet, selectively and directly or indirectly pressing an area that is located relatively more towards a center of the edge of the optical sheet than both sides of the edge so as to secure said area to the display component.
US09810829B2

The present disclosure provides a backlight module, a display module and a display device. The backlight module includes a plurality of backlight components in connection. Each backlight component includes: a light guide plate; a plurality of light emitting diodes (LEDs) provided on a light entering side of the light guide plate; a deformable layer provided on a light exiting side of the light guide plate. A thickness of the deformable layer is changeable under a pressure so as to deflect original light rays from at least a portion of LEDs of the plurality of LEDs.
US09810827B2

A backlight unit includes a light source having an emission region, a wiring board having the light source mounted thereon, a light guide plate having a side surface into which light from the light source enters, and a front surface from which the light exits, a light shielding adhesive tape adhering to the wiring board, and an optical sheet which overlaps with the front surface of the light guide plate. The front surface of the light guide plate includes an effective region serving as a planar light source and a light entering region ranging from the side surface to the effective region. The wiring board and the light-shielding adhesive tape each have a part positioned in the light entering region, and the optical sheet is arranged from the effective region to the light entering region. An end portion of the optical sheet overlaps with the light-shielding tape.
US09810826B2

A light emitting device (1) comprising at least one light source (2) adapted for, in operation, emitting first light (13) with a first spectral distribution, a light guide (4) made of a luminescent material and comprising a light input surface (41) and a light exit surface (42) extending in an angle different from zero to one another, the light guide further comprising a first further surface (46) extending parallel to and arranged opposite to the light exit surface, wherein the light guide is adapted for receiving the first light (13) with the first spectral distribution at the light input surface, converting at least a part of the first light with the first spectral distribution to second light (14) with a second spectral distribution, guiding the second light with the second spectral distribution to the light exit surface and coupling the second light with the second spectral distribution out of the light exit surface. The light emitting device further comprises a phosphor element (77) arranged adjacent to the first further surface and a reflective element (76) arranged adjacent the phosphor element opposite to the first further surface (46). The phosphor element is adapted for converting light incident from the light guide to third light (17) with a third spectral distribution and the light guide (40) is furthermore adapted for receiving the third light (17) with the third spectral distribution at the first further surface (46), guiding the third light (46) with the third spectral distribution to the light exit surface (42) and coupling the third light with the third spectral distribution out of the light exit surface.
US09810823B2

An infrared high-pass plasmonic filter includes a copper layer interposed between two layers of a dielectric material. An array of patterned openings extend through the copper layer and are filled with the dielectric material. Each patterned opening is in the shape of a greek cross, with the arms of adjacent patterns being collinear. A ratio of the width to the length of each arm is in the range from 0.3 to 0.6, and the distance separating the opposite ends of arms of adjacent patterns is shorter than 10 nm.
US09810805B2

Various embodiments include apparatus and methods to detect and locate conductive bodies and/or provide steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) steering operation. Tools can be configured with receiving sensors (310) arranged to cancel substantially a primary signal associated with a probe signal without rotating the receiving sensors to cancel the primary signal and to capture a secondary signal generated from a conductive body (301) below the earth's surface. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
US09810796B2

A method is disclosed for producing a hybrid, incorporable into a sensor board, for a detector module including a plurality of reader units. An embodiment of the method includes positioning the reader units in a stacked construction, each on a common sensor layer. The method further includes, after all of the reader units are positioned, fixing the reader units together on the sensor layer, thereby forming the hybrid. An embodiment of the invention further relates to a detector module for an X-ray detector including a number of sensor boards arranged adjacent to one another on a module carrier. The sensor boards are produced by an embodiment of the method.
US09810789B2

Disclosed herein are example embodiments for unoccupied flying vehicle (UFV) location assurance. For certain example embodiments, at least one machine, such as a UFV, may: (i) obtain one or more satellite positioning system (SPS) coordinates corresponding to at least an apparent location of at least one UFV; or (ii) perform at least one analysis that uses at least one or more SPS coordinates and at least one assurance token. However, claimed subject matter is not limited to any particular described embodiments, implementations, examples, or so forth.
US09810787B2

An apparatus and method for recognizing an obstacle using a laser scanner are provided. The apparatus includes a laser scanner that is installed at the front of a traveling vehicle and is configured to acquire laser scanner data configured of multiple layers in real time and an imaging device installed at the front of the moving object and is configured to acquire video data. A controller is configured to divide first laser scanner data item and second laser scanner data item acquired by the laser scanner into multiple layers to extract measurement data items each existing in the respective layers and is configured to compare the measurement data items in the same layer of the multiple layers to determine whether an obstacle is present ahead of the traveling vehicle. Additionally, the controller is configured to combine the laser scanner data reflecting whether an obstacle is present with the video data.
US09810786B1

In one embodiment, a lidar system includes a pump laser configured to produce pulses of light at a pump wavelength. The lidar system further includes an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) with an OPO medium configured to: receive the pump pulses from the pump laser; convert at least part of the received pump pulses into pulses of light at a signal wavelength and pulses of light at an idler wavelength; and emit at least a portion of the signal pulses. The lidar system also includes a scanner configured to scan the emitted pulses of light across a field of regard and a receiver configured to detect at least a portion of the scanned pulses of light scattered by a target located a distance from the lidar system. The lidar system also includes a processor configured to determine the distance from the lidar system to the target.
US09810780B2

Embodiments of a communication station and method for time-of-flight (ToF) location determination in a wireless network are generally described herein. In some embodiments, a responding communication station receives a ToF measurement request. The responding communication station transmits an acknowledgment of the ToF measurement request. The responding communication station also transmits a response to the ToF measurement request that includes an indication of a time period for an initiating communication station to poll the responding communication station for a ToF result.
US09810778B2

An illustrative sensor controller embodiment includes: a transmitter that drives an ultrasonic transducer to produce a transmit pulse; a receiver that derives a sensor signal from the transducer; and a core logic that detects a trigger signal on an event signaling line and responsively provides one or more error reporting bits on the event signaling line before driving the event signaling line based on the sensor signal. An illustrative embodiment of a sensor control method includes: detecting a trigger signal on an event signaling line; providing at least one status bit on the event signaling line in response to the trigger signal; and after providing the at least one status bit, driving the event signaling line based upon on a sensor signal from a transducer. The transducer may be a piezoelectric element for producing and sensing ultrasonic pulses, particularly for use in parking-assist sensors and systems.
US09810777B2

An imaging device comprises of a pixelated array of semiconductor detector elements, in which each detecting element is electrically connected to an integrated circuit, the integrated circuit of each of the pixels comprising a passive signal path and a transient signal path. The passive path provides consecutive frame or scene imaging and the transient path detects the transient electromagnetic events such as laser pulses. The transient path is electrically connected to a timing circuit, the timing circuit for determining the time-of-flight of return pulses emitted from the electromagnetic source detected by the transient signal paths. Wherein the passive path and transient path operate simultaneously enabling simultaneous passive and LADAR imaging.
US09810776B2

A mechanical scanning system for the illuminating laser beam and return light in LIDAR imaging systems. The scanning system includes a flat mirror having reciprocating rotary motion around a horizontal axis for vertical scan of the illuminating laser beam and return light. The reciprocating rotary motion of the mirror is driven by a continuously rotating motor, a cam mounted on the motor and a follower connected to the mirror and driven by the cam. An encoder is connected to the mirror's shaft and provides position indication to the imaging control electronics.
US09810774B2

A multi-beam frequency-modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar system designed for short range (<20 km) operation in a high-density threat environment against highly maneuverable threats. The multi-beam FMCW system is capable of providing continuous updates, both search and track, for an entire hemisphere against short-range targets. The multi-beam aspect is used to cover the entire field of regard, whereas the FMCW aspect is used to achieve resolution at a significantly reduced computational effort.
US09810772B2

Various implementations described herein are directed to an apparatus having a transmit signal generator for a pulse compression radar. The transmit signal generator may include a frequency modulation stage with phase-lock-loop (PLL) circuitry configured to generate a transmit signal at antenna frequency. The transmit signal generator may include an amplitude modulation stage configured to shape an amplitude of the generated transmit signal.
US09810767B1

A location estimation system includes a plurality of Kalman filters, a UWB position system, a pressure sensor, a temperature sensor and a MEMs chip that provides gyroscope, accelerometer and magnetometer information. The data is Kalman filtered to determine precise location information that is more precise any sensor that is processed to determine the probably location of a device.
US09810764B2

A radio frequency signal mediator configured indoors passively receives signals from a user wireless device and determines layer two radio access network measurement data from the signals. At least one other radio frequency signal mediator in the same space also passively receives signals from the user wireless device and determines layer two radio access network measurement data from the signals. The radio frequency signal mediators send the data to a location determining device that determines a location for the user device based on the at least two sets of data and send the location data to a location server.
US09810760B1

Various technologies pertaining to computing angle of arrival of radio signals are described. A system that is configured for computing the angle of arrival of a radio signal includes a cylindrical sheath wrapped around a cylindrical object, where the cylindrical sheath acts as a ground plane. The system further includes a plurality of antennas that are positioned about an exterior surface of the cylindrical sheath, and receivers respectively coupled to the antennas. The receivers output measurements pertaining to the radio signal. A processing circuit receives the measurements and computes the angle of arrival of the radio signal based upon the measurements.
US09810751B2

One example includes a method for fabricating a compound material. The method includes providing a first discrete material layer having a first thickness dimension. The first discrete material layer includes a first material having a first magnetic susceptibility. The method also includes depositing a second discrete material layer having a second thickness dimension over the first discrete material layer. The second discrete material layer can include a second material having a second magnetic susceptibility. The relative first and second thickness dimensions can be selected to provide a desired magnetic susceptibility of the compound material.
US09810750B2

An NMR probe including an RF coil, a sample region defined within the coil, and a thermal control apparatus comprising a thermal control fluid circuit having a thermal control fluid inlet and a thermal control fluid outlet to control the temperature of the sample region.
US09810748B2

A tunneling magneto-resistor (TMR) device for sensing a magnetic field includes a first TMR sensor having a first MTJ (magnetic tunneling junction) device and a second MTJ device connected in parallel. Each of the first and second MTJ devices has a pinned layer and a free layer. The pinned layer of each of the first and second MTJ devices has a pinned magnetization at a first pinned direction. The free layers of the first and second MTJ devices have a first free magnetization parallel to and a second free magnetization anti-parallel to a first easy-axis respectively.
US09810746B2

To provide a magnetic sensor which is reduced in power consumption without reducing magnetism detection sensitivity of a magnetoelectric transducing element. One end of a magnetoelectric transducing element is connected to an output electrode of a constant current circuit, and the other end thereof is connected to a power supply electrode on the positive side of one or plural signal processing circuits, and the like built in a magnetic sensor, whereby a connection relation of the magnetoelectric transducing element and the signal processing circuit is configured such that they are connected in series with a voltage source.
US09810744B2

A resonant inductive sensing system includes in the drive current signal path of the resonator a pulse shaper for noise reduction, including reducing noise resulting from down modulation of signal energy around harmonics of the oscillator (multiples of the resonance frequency), and from uncertainty in the duration of the oscillation period. The pulse shaper is configured so that, for each modulation period of the drive current, consecutive drive current pulses are substantially identical. In example embodiments, an inductance-to-digital conversion (IDC) unit includes drive circuitry configured to drive excitation current pulses to the resonator with a modulation period synchronized with a resonator oscillation frequency, and pulse shaping circuitry configured to pulse shape the drive current pulses so that each pair of drive current pulses within a modulation period are substantially identical.
US09810741B2

Sampling for arc-fault detection, ground-fault detection, and grounded-neutral fault detection uses a single analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The arc-fault and ground-fault sampling occurs at regular sampling periods that are relatively short com pared to the time between them, thus allowing grounded-neutral fault sampling to occur before and/or after one of these sampling periods. A predefined event may be used to ensure the grounded-neutral fault sampling occurs immediately before and/or after one of the periodic sampling periods. The predefined event may be the expiration of a timer or the time for a sinusoidal signal in a ground fault sense circuit to make a predefined number of zero-crossings. This avoids interference between the arc-fault sampling, the ground-fault sampling and grounded-neutral fault sampling, allowing a single ADC to perform all samplings concurrently. The timing of the predefined event may be periodically reset to compensate for any changes due to temperature and/or over time.
US09810737B2

In a first embodiment a TAP 318 of IEEE standard 1149.1 is allowed to commandeer control from a WSP 202 of IEEE standard P1500 such that the P1500 architecture, normally controlled by the WSP, is rendered controllable by the TAP. In a second embodiment (1) the TAP and WSP based architectures are merged together such that the sharing of the previously described architectural elements are possible, and (2) the TAP and WSP test interfaces are merged into a single optimized test interface that is operable to perform all operations of each separate test interface.
US09810734B2

A compound sensor capable of suppressing a fault which has occurred in a detection element from affecting other detection units in which no fault has occurred is provided. The compound sensor includes: a plurality of detection units including C/V conversion circuits 321a and 321b, amplifier circuits 322a and 322b, ADCs 323a and 323b, diagnosis voltage outputting DACs 327a and 327b, carrier signal generating DACs 328a and 328b and substrate voltage generating DACs 329a and 329b which are signal detection circuits provided for each of a plurality of detection elements; a power source voltage input unit 331 and a GND voltage input unit 332 shared among each of the plurality of detection units; and overcurrent switch circuits 101a and 101b which are fault detection circuits for detecting a fault of each detection element and stopping power supply to the detection unit in which the fault has occurred.
US09810732B2

The present document describes an assembly for connecting a test unit to a wiring harness or equipment to be tested, and a method for testing using the assembly. The assembly may comprise a test box unit, a generic mate-in interface, an intermediate mate-in interface and at least one specific mate-in interface. The intermediate mate-in interface comprises an input/output connector connected between the generic-to-intermediate connector and the intermediate-to-specific connector, for enabling at least one of inputting a signal into the intermediate mate-in interface and outputting a signal from the intermediate mate-in interface. The assembly is used for performing tests on the equipment using at least one of a device adapted for generating a signal and a device adapted for measuring at least one attribute of a signal or circuit which is/are connected to the input/output connector of the intermediate mate-in interface.
US09810730B2

Methods and systems detect short circuits in an electrical system, such as a dynamic braking grid of a vehicle. The methods and system measure a characteristic of a current that is conducted through one or more resistive elements of an electrical system. The current is supplied to the electrical system from a power source as an applied voltage. A resistance change signal representative of a change in one or more electrical resistances of the one or more resistive elements is determined The resistance change signal can be based at least in part on a difference between the characteristic of the current that is measured and a low pass filtered value of one or more of the characteristic of the current that is measured or the applied voltage supplied by the power source. A short circuit event is identified based at least in part on the resistance change signal.
US09810705B2

A method and system for automatic in-vitro diagnostic analysis are described. The method includes adding a first reagent type and a second reagent type to a first test liquid during a first and second cycle times respectively. The addition of the first reagent type to the first test liquid includes parallel addition of a second reagent type to a second test liquid during the first cycle time. The addition of the second reagent type to the first test liquid includes parallel addition of a first reagent type to a third test liquid during the second cycle time, respectively.
US09810695B2

This document provides methods and materials related to determining whether or not a pregnant mammal (e.g., a pregnant human) has preeclampsia. For example, methods and materials related to the use of urinary podocytes to determine whether or not a pregnant human has preeclampsia are provided.
US09810681B2

The invention includes compositions, devices, and methods for analyzing a polymer and/or polymer unit. The polymer may be a homo or hetero-polymer such as DNA, RNA, a polysaccharide, or a peptide. The device includes electrodes that form a tunnel gap through which the polymer can pass. The electrodes are functionalized with a reagent attached thereto, and the reagent is capable of forming a transient bond to a polymer unit. When the transient bond forms between the reagent and the unit, a detectable signal is generated and used to analyze the polymer.
US09810668B2

A gas chromatography system includes at least one gas chromatography subsystem including at least one injector port, and an autosampler. The autosampler includes a carousel tray mounted for rotation about a rotation axis and including arcuately extending first and second rows of sample reservoirs, a first sample transfer tower to extract samples from the first row, a second sample transfer tower to extract samples from the second row, and a control system operative to: selectively position the carousel tray relative to the first and second sample transfer towers to align the first and second sample transfer towers with a selected pair of the sample reservoirs of the first and second rows, respectively; draw samples from the selected pair using the first and second sample transfer towers; inject the sample drawn from the first row into the at least one injector port using the first sample transfer tower; and inject the sample drawn from the second row into the at least one injector port using the second sample transfer tower.
US09810660B2

The claimed invention is directed to a finFET biosensor with improved sensitivity and selectivity. Embodiments of the invention are also directed to finFET biosensor arrays, methods for operating finFET biosensors with improved sensitivity and selectivity, and methods of operating finFET biosensor arrays.
US09810655B2

Provided are a hydrogen ion electrode composed of a composite material of polymer resin and nano iridium oxide, the composite material containing 1-10 nm sized nano iridium oxide particles and/or aggregates thereof which are dispersed to be electrically connected to each other in a moldable, thermoplastic, and hydrophobic polymer resin matrix; a pH sensor using the same; and a method for manufacturing the same. The surface of the hydrogen ion electrode shows very fast pH sensitivity when exposed to a sample solution, and the pH sensitivity is approximate to biphasic characteristics. Furthermore, regardless of high reproducibility of pH sensitivity, abrupt pH change, and repetitive use, very low hysteresis, durability due to high physical strength, and high surface regeneration due to polishing are exhibited, and thus, the lifetime of the electrode can be extended and various sizes and shapes of electrodes can be easily manufactured.
US09810654B2

A measuring device for measuring a property of fuel supplied from a fuel tank to a combustion apparatus, may comprise a fuel pump that sucks the fuel in a fuel tank and pumps the fuel toward a combustion apparatus, a fuel discharging portion that discharges the fuel from the fuel pump into the fuel tank, a fuel-measuring storage chamber that receives the fuel discharged from the fuel discharging portion and a pair of electrodes disposed within the fuel-measuring storage chamber so as to measure capacitance.
US09810641B2

A method of determining a physical characteristic of an adhesive material on a semiconductor device element using structured light is provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) applying a structured light pattern to an adhesive material on a semiconductor device element; (2) creating an image of the structured light pattern using a camera; and (3) analyzing the image of the structured light pattern to determine a physical characteristic of the adhesive material. Additional methods and systems for determining physical characteristics of semiconductor devices and elements using structured light are also provided.
US09810638B2

A system and method for the detection of one or more analytes in a collected sample employs capillary action in a sample card containing a sample substrate, at least one test capsule and an absorbent pad. The absorbent pad absorbs the contents of the test capsule and delivers the same to the sample substrate, with the contents of the test capsule chemically reacting with at least one detection reagent to establish an optical indicator for the analyte(s). The sample card can be automatically tested within a reader device, which records and processes an optical signal produced by the chemical reaction and outputs a test result. The collected sample can then be further analyzed using a second device. Additionally, an adhesive component can be provided so that a sample can be collected thereon. Furthermore, the at least one detection reagent can include a surfactant.
US09810634B2

Provided is a method for inhibiting self-absorption effect of a LIBS, comprising ablating a to-be-measured sample via a pulse laser thereby generating plasma, and selectively stimulating the plasma using a wavelength-tunable laser beam enabling transition of particles in a ground-state in the plasma to high energy state as stimulated absorption, thereby improving a stimulated absorption transition efficiency of the particles in a ground-state, and preventing plasma spectrum from being influenced by self-absorption effect. The invention is capable of eliminating the self-absorption effect without introducing external interference, obtaining original characteristics of emission spectrum from the center of the plasma, and essentially inhibiting and finally eliminating the self-absorption effect of laser plasma by making use of intrinsic physical property of plasma.
US09810627B2

Systems and methods for generating a three-dimensional gas map includes a remote vehicle including reflective material. A positioning stage including multidimensional movement to track the remote vehicle. A light head to reflect light off of the remote vehicle. A controller to analyze received light to determine gas content and generate a three-dimensional gas map.
US09810626B2

An optoelectronic sensor (10) for detecting objects in a monitored zone (20) is provided which has the following: a front screen (38); a light transmitter (12) for transmitting a light beam (16); a movable deflection unit (18) for the periodic sampling of the monitored zone (20) by the light beam (16); a light receiver (26) for generating a received signal from the light beam (22) remitted by the objects; at least one test light transmitter (42); at least one test light transmitter (42), at least one test light receiver (44) and at least one test light reflector (48) which span a test light path (46a-b) through the front screen (38); and an evaluation unit (32) which is configured to acquire pieces of information on the objects in the monitored zone (20) from the received signal and to recognize an impaired light permeability of the front screen (38) from a test light signal which the test light receiver (44) generates from test light which is transmitted from the test light transmitter (42) and which is reflected at the test light reflector (48). In this respect, the test light reflector (48) is arranged such that it moves along with the deflection unit (18).
US09810623B2

The present invention relates to portable devices for point-of-care diagnostics that can perform measurements on a sample (e.g., blood, serum, saliva, or urine) and relay data to an external device for, e.g., data analysis. The device can comprise a paper-based diagnostic substrate and a base substrate that include electronic circuitry and electronic elements necessary for performing the measurements. The device can also comprise an antenna for near field communication with an external device. Another aspect of the invention relates to methods of using these devices.
US09810621B2

Disclosed is a sample analyzer including: a transport apparatus configured to transport a sample rack holding a sample container; and a measurement apparatus body configured to measure a sample in the sample container held in the sample rack transported by the transport apparatus, wherein the transport apparatus includes a light source holding unit configured to detachably hold a light source unit, and the measurement apparatus body includes a detection unit configured to detect, via an analysis specimen containing the sample, light emitted from the light source unit held in the light source holding unit.
US09810618B2

Provided herein are systems and methods for analyzing blood samples, and more specifically for performing a basophil analysis. In one embodiment, the systems and methods include: (a) staining a blood sample with an exclusive cell membrane permeable fluorescent dye; and then (b) using measurements of light scatter and fluorescence emission to distinguish basophils from other WBC sub-populations. In one embodiment, the systems and methods include performing a basophil cluster analysis of the blood sample, based on the combination of light scatter and fluorescence measurements.
US09810617B2

The present invention relates to a station for measuring particle contamination of a transport carrier for conveying and storing semiconductor substrates at atmospheric pressure, said transport carrier comprising a rigid casing (2) containing an aperture and a removable door (3) allowing the aperture to be closed, the measuring station comprising: a controlled environment chamber (4) comprising at least one load port (8) capable of coupling, on the one hand, to the rigid casing (2), and on the other hand, to the door (3) of the transport carrier, in order to move the door (3) into the controlled environment chamber (4) and bring the interior of the rigid casing (2) into communication with the interior of the controlled environment chamber (4); and a measuring module (5) comprising a particle measuring unit (14) and a casing-measuring interface (16) configured to couple to the rigid transport carrier casing (2) coupled to the controlled environment chamber (4) in the place of the door (3), characterized in that said casing-measuring interface (16) comprises a measuring head protruding from a base of the casing-measuring interface, bearing a first sampling orifice (12) connected to the particle measuring unit (14), and at least two injecting nozzles (20) configured to direct a gas jet onto at least two separate locations on the rigid casing (2) coupled to the controlled environment chamber (4), the respective orientations of the injecting nozzles (20) being fixed relative to the coupled rigid casing (2). The invention also relates to a method for measuring particle contamination of a transport carrier for conveying and storing semiconductor substrates at atmospheric pressure.
US09810613B2

Systems and methods are described for monitoring displacement on structural elements of subsea systems such as on components of a subsea pipeline network used to transport production fluid from a subsurface wellhead to surface facilities. The described techniques sense changes in displacement using a sensing blade, for example made of crystalline material such as sapphire, that is anchored to the structural element such that it is approximately perpendicular to the direction of sensed displacement. Displacement is sensed as bending of the sensing blade using one or more instruments fabricated on the blade. Robustness of design is in part provided by additional flexible non-sensing blades mounted in parallel to the sensing blade.
US09810611B2

A method of avoiding deformation and providing for a more consistent thickness of a biological tissue sample during preparation for analysis comprising providing a histology processing cassette comprising a box defining a compartment for holding a biological tissue sample, the box having a bottom face comprising a sample support surface and being transmissible to radiation or a flow of fluid through to pass through the cassette, an open top face, and two side walls, a back wall and a front wall, the box having a length and width greater than a standard size histology processing cassette and a depth approximately the same as a standard size histology processing cassette placing the sample in the cassette and treating the sample by contacting it with a processing solution; and contacting the sample with molten paraffin wax and cooling the sample in molten paraffin wax so the sample is embedded in solidified paraffin wax for further processing.
US09810586B2

A temperature sensor comprising a housing having a housing body and a housing chamber, in which housing chamber are arranged terminally two temperature sensor elements, which are especially embodied as thin-film resistance thermometers, one of the temperature sensor elements is heatable, and from each temperature sensor element at least one connection wire leads away, which is connected with a circuit board. The circuit board is arranged in the housing chamber. The circuit board is positioned in the housing chamber by a snap-in connection. A connection wire of a first temperature sensor element is led with strain relief in a first direction through the circuit board and connected with such. The housing chamber contains at least a first elastic body. The circuit board has a first number of cavities, for connection of connection wires and/or cables and a second number of cavities, for reducing thermal expansion of the circuit board. Also presented is a thermal, flow measuring device.
US09810584B2

A temperature sensor includes two branches, each branch having at least a first transistor and a second transistor connected as diodes and cascaded, so that an emitter of the first transistor is connected to a collector of the second transistor of the same branch. The temperature source also includes a current source configured to provide a current to the two branches, and an analog-to-digital convertor. The analog-to-digital convertor is connected to capture a voltage between emitters of the first transistors or of the second transistors, and is configured to convert said voltage to a digital temperature signal.
US09810582B2

A temperature measuring board for use in measuring an oven temperature of a reflow oven includes a modular substrate and a thermal compensation unit. The modular substrate includes a plurality of substrates assembled to each other. Each substrate has at least one first fixing portion, and at least one second fixing portion removably fixed to the first fixing portion of another substrate. A selected number of the substrates can be assembled to each other to form a desired shape of the modular substrate through engagement of the first and second fixing portions. The thermal compensation unit includes at least one surface-measured compensation member fixed to the modular substrate at a selected location.
US09810574B2

A protective device for an imager which is contained within a housing and in which the imager is aligned with an opening in the housing. The protective device includes a cover which overlies the housing opening and is manually detachably secured to the housing by three or more resilient clips. A plurality of openings are formed through the cover to enable operation of the imager.
US09810560B2

In order to provide a thermal flow meter for improving workability of a flow rate measurement device having a temperature measurement function for the measurement target gas and measurement accuracy for measuring a temperature, the thermal flow meter is structured such that a flow rate measurement circuit package having a protrusion for measuring a gas temperature is formed through resin molding. An inlet port opened to the upstream side of the measurement target gas is formed, a protrusion is arranged inside the inlet port, an inlet port and an outlet port are formed in the front and rear covers along the protrusion, and the measurement target gas received from the inlet port flows along the protrusion. Since the measurement target gas subjected to the measurement flows along the protrusion, it is possible to reduce influence of the heat from other heat resources and improve measurement accuracy.
US09810553B2

A measurement system having a first magnetic field sensor and having a magnet for generating a magnetic field, in which the magnet has a first pole face and a second pole face, wherein an axis of rotation is defined perpendicular to the first pole face and perpendicular to the second pole face, wherein the magnet is supported for rotation about the axis of rotation, in which the first magnetic field sensor is positioned facing the first pole face and at a distance from the axis of rotation, in which the magnet has a rotational asymmetry of the flux density in the region of the first pole face, wherein the flux density of the magnet in the first magnetic field sensor can be adjusted between a maximum and a minimum by rotation of the magnet about the axis of rotation.
US09810541B2

A method for obtaining updated travel condition data at a vehicle is provided. The method identifies a subset of a predetermined travel route that is ahead of the vehicle, based on a selected distance quantity and a current position of the vehicle during traveling; and requests a set of data for the subset, the updated travel condition data comprising the set of data.
US09810536B2

The subject matter disclosed herein relates to a system and method for receiving a plurality of signals generated by a plurality of sensors adapted to detect physical movement of a mobile device with respect to a plurality of coordinate axes. A time at which at least one of the received signals is digitized is delayed to provide an output of digitized versions of the received plurality of signals synchronized with respect to a common point in time.
US09810530B2

Autofocus system (AF) employing, in addition to specified optical units, fringe projection and fringe detection systems (FPS, FDS) and specifically-configured data processing system. AFS is configured to project with FPS a sinusoidal fringe pattern, formed by a pattern source, on a substrate and to image the so projected pattern from substrate onto optical detector with FDS to form optical image from which topology of the substrate is defined as substrate moves relative to the projected pattern. Pattern source may include diffraction grating oriented that the projected pattern is inclined relative to direction of substrate scanning Topology profile is corrected for tilt of substrate, Goos-Hanchen errors, and for fringe-pattern-induced errors outside a chosen spatial-frequency range. To reduce errors of topology profile, at least five values of phase difference are used. AFS is configured to define temporal phase shifting in optical image without using any moving parts in the AFS.
US09810513B2

An existing munition may be modified, using a modification kit, to provide enhanced fragmentation effects. The munition may be enclosed in an airframe, which also contains preformed fragments, and one or more adapters may be used to provide connections through the airframe. The adapters may be used to substitute for types of connectors already on the existing munition. The adapters may include one or more of an adapter for coupling a tail kit to a tail of the munition, an adapter for coupling a nose kit to a nose of the munition, and an adapter for coupling lugs to the munition. The adapters may engage couplers on the munition, and/or may engage the airframe. The modification of the existing munition may transform the existing munition into a fragmentation weapon, for example usable for height-of-burst detonation to spread fragments over a large area.
US09810512B2

The invention relates to a weapon intended for fighting games, mainly for paintball, namely to special cartridges containing painting liquid. The special cartridge contains a cartridge case 1 that includes a propellant charge 2, a projectile 3 and a primer cap 4. The cartridge case 1 has inside a rigidly fixed nozzle 5 (variants 1, 3) for supplying a portion of the gas stream at the projectile 3 or a solid partition 7 (variant 2). The cylindrical cartridge case body 1 is provided with holes 6 on the side of the primer cap 4 that are intended to direct the gas flow (variants 1-3); in addition, the mouth of the cartridge case is also provided with holes 8 for directing the gas flow (variants 2, 3). The areas of the holes of the nozzle 5 and the total surfaces of the holes 6 and 8 are of different size. To carry out firing process, the primer cap 4 is impacted, which ignites the propellant charge 2; the larger portion of the gas stream formed during combustion of the propellant is directed through the holes 6 in the weapon bore, thus creating a main effect of shot (sound, flame). The lesser gas stream formed by combustion of the propellant charge 2 is directed to the projectile 3 and imparts to it the required acceleration, while maintaining the integrity of its shape and volume. The projectile 3 is made as a tagging one; a bead that is identical to that used in a paintball game can be used as such a projectile. Furthermore, the projectile 3 is designed as a container, inside which any filler, for example, an antiseptic agent, can be located.
US09810507B2

An open ignition breech plug for a muzzle-loading firearm. The open ignition breech plug includes an internal body portion for removable installation into the breech end of a barrel of the muzzle-loader, and an external body portion comprising a gripping surface, a nipple for receiving an ignition source such as a percussion cap, and at least one open portion of the external body portion for external visibility of the nipple and a percussion cap mounted thereon. The nipple can be integrally formed with the external body portion or removably mounted thereto.
US09810497B2

A firearm safety system and method is described herein. The system may include a tracking system, a smart firearm and/or a smart magazine, and a smart tracking unit. The tracking system is in communication with satellites that monitor specific locations, a smart firearm and a portable electronic device. The tracking system includes an internal geographical database of specific monitored locations. The smart firearm includes a microprocessor and a receiver. The motor operates in response to a signal received, which may indicate that the firearm is approaching a no gun safety zone, whereby the signal causes the microprocessor to operate the automatic safety lock to prevent the apparatus from operating. The receiver monitors signals and receives location data from the satellites. The method of operating a smart firearm includes receiving a signal at the at least one receiver and responding to the signal by locking the automatic safety lock.
US09810496B2

A semiautomatic firearm with redundant systems for reducing misfirings. A safety trigger is provided that is passively actuated in advance of a firing trigger. The safety trigger maintains redundant safety mechanisms that prevent inadvertent or accidental actuation of the firing trigger. The firing trigger can be configured for actuation with a very low magnitude or “soft” pull without compromising safety. For the disclosed embodiments, the safety trigger assures that the firearm is discharged only upon deliberate actuation of the firing trigger. In one embodiment, a trigger pull adjustment mechanism provides adjustment of the pull of the firing trigger to a desired force required by the operator. The disclosed trigger pull adjustment mechanism reduces the number of components and complexity of the machined parts over conventional trigger pull adjustment mechanisms.
US09810478B2

A floating liquefied natural gas (“FLNG”) commissioning system and method are described. A system for commissioning a FLNG vessel comprises a floating liquefaction vessel positioned offshore proximate a shipyard, the floating liquefaction vessel comprising a natural gas liquefaction module and a first LNG storage tank cryogenically coupled to the natural gas liquefaction module, a regasification vessel positioned alongside the floating liquefaction vessel, the regasification vessel comprising a second LNG storage tank fluidly coupled to a regasification facility onboard the regasification vessel, a high pressure natural gas conduit extending between an output of the regasification facility and an input of the liquefaction module, a cryogenic transfer member extending between the second LNG storage tank and the first LNG storage tank, and a gaseous natural gas coupling extending between the natural gas liquefaction module and one of the first LNG storage tank, the second LNG storage tank or a combination thereof.
US09810477B2

A refrigerator, according to one embodiment, includes an inner case with an improved structure. The inner case includes a plurality of plates forming faces of the inner case, and one or more frames disposed between the plurality of plates to support the plurality of plates. The plates and the frames may be molded separately, without being molded as one body, so that the plates and the frames can be formed with various materials.
US09810475B2

A refrigerator includes a storage compartment, an inner door including an opening having a size corresponding to the size of the storage compartment, a plurality of door guards disposed in the opening, and an outer door that opens or closes the opening, wherein the inner door includes inner sidewalls that are disposed at both sides of the opening and are flat from an inlet of the opening to an outlet of the opening without any curve.
US09810473B2

The disclosure features various embodiments and aspects of a chest for quenching beverages. The chest can include a tank for holding a chilled mixture of ice and water, an ice maker adapted for making ice having an output for ejecting ice into a conduit in fluid communication with the tank, and a plurality of quench trays disposed above the tank for holding containers of beverages located in first and second positions. The trays can be filled with cold water by way of a conduit in fluid communication with the tank. The quench trays can include a compartment defined by a bottom and a plurality of walls, and defining therein a plurality of rows for aligning and containing a plurality of beverage containers. The drawers can further include at least one drain orifice configured to guide water out of the quench tray.
US09810470B2

A manual ice maker and a refrigerator comprising the same are provided. The manual ice maker comprises: an ice making body being a frame formed with an opening, and provided with a first positioning hole in a front wall thereof, a second positioning hole in a rear wall thereof and a first limiting protrusion on an inner surface of the rear wall thereof; an ice making tray provided with a first shaft at a front end thereof and a second shaft at a rear end thereof, the first shaft rotatably supported in and extended out of the first positioning hole, the second shaft rotatably supported in the second positioning hole; and an ice removing assembly. The ice removing assembly comprises: a twisting member provided with a gear; and a press member movable between a first position and a second position in a vertical direction to drive the gear to rotate.
US09810451B2

Solar energy is collected and used for various industrial processes, such as oilfield applications, e.g. generating steam that is injected downhole, enabling enhanced oil recovery. Solar energy is indirectly collected using a heat transfer fluid in a solar collector, delivering heat to a heat exchanger that in turn delivers heat into oilfield feedwater, producing hotter water or steam. Solar energy is directly collected by directly generating steam with solar collectors, and then injecting the steam downhole. Solar energy is collected to preheat water that is then fed into fuel-fired steam generators that in turn produce steam for downhole injection. Solar energy is collected to produce electricity via a Rankine cycle turbine generator, and rejected heat warms feedwater for fuel-fired steam generators. Solar energy is collected (directly or indirectly) to deliver heat to a heater-treater, with optional fuel-fired additional heat generation.
US09810447B2

A flanged duct blank has a male part defined by lead notches formed at each side of a leading end and has a female part defined by trail notches formed at each side of a trailing end. The male part includes a lock tab. The female part includes a leg part and a Z-bend. The Z-bend includes a leg part and a gap. The duct blank is repeatedly clamped and bent by a pivoting wiper to form a duct portion. The pivoting wiper includes a clench tool that has a retractable rib and a retractable roller. With the lock tab inserted into the Z-bend and the retractable rib engaged with the Z-bend, the retractable roller clenches the leg part over the lock tab to lock the male and female parts together in a duct seam.
US09810446B2

Time information indicating a necessary amount of time for a room temperature to reach a set temperature, and charges information indicating electricity charges corresponding to an amount of electric power consumed that is necessary for the room temperature to reach the set temperature, are displayed correlated with each of a plurality of running buttons corresponding to each of a plurality of operating modes.
US09810441B2

An HVAC controller, such as a thermostat, may be configured to allow a user to set and/or select schedule time period in which one or more indoor quality units (e.g. humidification, dehumidification, ventilation, etc.) will or will not operate, and/or will operated but using different settings. In some cases, the schedule time periods available for selection may correspond to the time periods of a programmable temperature schedule of the HVAC controller, but this is not required. In some instances, the HVAC controller may allow a user to select which indoor air quality units will or will not operate, and/or what settings the indoor air quality units will operate, during a user's vacation.
US09810435B2

A gas fired infrared burner includes a burner body with a primary inlet for gaseous fuel and air, the burner body defining a primary premixing chamber for receiving gaseous fuel and air from the primary inlet. An emitter arrangement is configured and positioned such that gaseous fuel and air flows through the emitter arrangement to be combusted at an external surface of the emitter arrangement. The burner body includes an auxiliary inlet for gaseous fuel and air, and the burner body defines an auxiliary premixing chamber for receiving gaseous fuel and air from the auxiliary inlet. The emitter arrangement includes an auxiliary emitter segment that receives gaseous fuel and air from the auxiliary premixing chamber such that combustible gases emitted from the auxiliary emitter segment can be ignited even when no combustible gases are being emitted from portions of the emitter arrangement that are fed from the primary premixing chamber.
US09810430B2

A conjoined grommet assembly for a combustor wall assembly of a gas turbine engine has a first grommet defining at least in-part a first dilution hole, and a second grommet defining at least in-part a second dilution hole. The first and second dilution holes are spaced closely together such that the first grommet is in contact with the second grommet.
US09810427B2

The present invention discloses a novel apparatus and way for directing a supply of compressed air into a fuel nozzle assembly for mixing with a fuel source. The apparatus comprises a fuel nozzle assembly having a plurality of coaxial tubes and radially-extending swirler vanes for directing a supply of fuel to a mixing tube. Compressed air is directed to flow in a primarily axial direction by passing through a hemispherically-shaped dome portion at an air inlet region of the fuel nozzle assembly. The hemispherically-shaped dome includes a plurality of openings for directing air into the fuel nozzle assembly in a direction having a radial and axial component.
US09810414B2

Disclosed are a lighting apparatus and a lighting control system. The lighting apparatus includes a heat radiation frame, at least one light emitting device on the heat radiation frame, a diffusion frame provided on the heat radiation frame to protect the at least one light emitting device and diffuse a light emitted from the at least one light emitting device, and a support frame provided under the heat radiation frame and having a receiving space to receive at least one module. The module includes a wireless communication module to transmit or receive a control single of the at least one light emitting device. The power supply module is physically separated from the wireless communication module.
US09810408B2

A lighting apparatus has an upper hub, a base, a lower hub, and a pair of illumination devices that are pivotably supported at the upper hub, with each illumination device being pivotable up and down towards each other, as well as being rotatable. A telescoping shaft assembly has an inner shaft and an outer shaft, with the inner shaft telescopically received inside the outer shaft, the inner shaft having an upper end that is secured to the upper hub, and the outer shaft having a lower end that is secured to the base. A plurality of legs are connected to the lower hub and the base for pivoting motion therebetween.
US09810407B2

A light emitting diode (LED) module is in thermal communication with front and back heat sinks for dissipation of heat therefrom. The LED module is physically held in place with at least the back heat sink. A mounting ring and locking ring can also be used to hold the LED module in place and in thermal communication with the back heat sink. Key pins and key holes are used to prevent using a high power LED module with a back heat sink having insufficient heat dissipation capabilities required for the high power LED module. The key pins and key holes allow lower heat generating (power) LED modules to be used with higher heat dissipating heat sinks, but higher heat generating (power) LED modules cannot be used with lower heat dissipating heat sinks.
US09810399B2

An LED lighting apparatus is provided. The LED lighting apparatus includes a case part which covers a residual part, excluding a light-emitting surface, to provide a reflective space and has a predetermined depth and in which an upper edge of the inside thereof has a slope. Further, a receiving surface has a lateral surface portion of the case part that is bent toward the inside of the case. A substrate is fixed on the receiving surface and a plurality of LEDs are provided. A reflective part located in an upper center portion of the inside of the case part reflects the light of the LEDs and enables reflection and diffusion of light within the reflective space provided from the case part.
US09810395B2

A ventilation apparatus of a lamp module for vehicles may include: a lamp housing; a lamp emitting light through a light transmitting part; a light transmitting lens covering an opening of the lamp housing; an intake hole part formed through the lamp housing, and arranged at one side of the lamp; an exhaust hole part formed through the lamp housing, and arranged at the other side of the lamp; and an exhaust pipe having one side coupled to the lamp housing and connected to the exhaust hole part and the other side connected to an intake part of an engine.
US09810388B1

Imitation candle devices and systems with enhanced features enable simulation of a realistic candle flame using multiple angled light sources that illuminate a surface area of a movable imitation flame element in a controlled manner. In some implementations, the imitation candle devices further include a color detection module that adjust the color of the imitation candle device based on a sensed color of the surface a surface that the candle rests upon.
US09810387B2

A solar and fuel powered portable light tower includes a portable base, a light panel arm, a primary power source, a secondary power source, and a control box. The light panel arm, that includes a plurality of light panels, is connected to the portable base while the primary and secondary power sources are positioned within the portable base. The control box, which is positioned within the portable base, controls the solar and fuel powered portable light tower. An insulated wall within the portable base separates the primary power source and the secondary power source for safety purposes. The plurality of light panels is preferably powered the primary power source that includes a plurality of photovoltaic panels and batteries. The plurality of light panels is also powered by the secondary power source that also acts as an onsite generator.
US09810385B1

A pocket carried work light has an elongate body with a first end, a second end, and defines a medial channel extending between the ends, the medial channel carrying a battery. A first electrode in the medial channel that electrically communicates with the battery and an electric circuit, a second electrode in the medial channel that communicates the battery and with the electric circuit and a switch communicating with the electric circuit. A pocket clip carried by the body and extending spacedly adjacent and parallel thereto, the pocket clip carrying a low intensity LED on a second surface opposite the body, the LED electrically communicating with the circuit to emit light waves when the electrical circuit is completed by operation of the switch.
US09810374B2

A gas-filling apparatus includes a gas flow passage including an inflow end to which a gas supply source is connectable and an outflow end to which a pressure accumulator is connectable, a compressor, a storage portion, and an operation control portion conducting a first compression filling operation in which a gas supplied from the gas supply source connected to the inflow end is compressed by the compressor to be discharged from the outflow end and a second compression filling operation in which the gas stored in the storage portion is compressed by the compressor to be discharged from the outflow end, the operation control portion conducting the first compression filling operation until a pressure of the gas at the outflow end reaches a predetermined pressure and executing a control for shifting the first compression filling operation to the second compression filling operation when the pressure has reached the predetermined pressure.
US09810373B2

A filter device may include a filter housing and a filter element defining a longitudinal axis disposed in the filter housing. The filter element may be configured to be penetrated by a fluid flow in a radial direction from a raw end to a pure end of the filter element. A water separator may be disposed at the pure end of the filter element and arranged axially spaced from the same. The water separator may have a hydrophobic and annular diaphragm extending in an axial direction of the filter element configured to be penetrated by the fluid flow from a raw end of the water separator in a radially outward to a radially inward direction with respect to the longitudinal axis to separate water from the fluid flow.
US09810368B2

A particular device includes a frame. The frame includes a first set of members defining a first side configured to be coupled to an instrumentation rack, a second set of members defining a second side, a third set of members defining a third side extending between the first side and the second side, a fourth set of members defining a fourth side, and a fifth set of members defining a fifth side. The fourth side and the fifth side are joined at an obtuse angle to extend between the first side and the second side. The device further includes a plurality of wheels coupled to the frame and extending external to the frame.
US09810358B2

A pipe for connecting to a similar adjacent pipe. The pipe has a male end with a plurality of rigid fingers extending from within and out of at least one exterior circumferential groove disposed on its exterior surface. On the female end is at least one interior circumferential groove sized and positioned to receive the plurality of rigid fingers from a corresponding exterior circumferential groove on the male end of an adjacent pipe. The number of exterior circumferential grooves on the male end typically corresponds to the number of interior circumferential grooves on the female end. When the male end of the pipe inserts into the female end of a similar adjacent pipe, the plurality of rigid fingers is received within a corresponding interior circumferential groove on the female end, thereby preventing the male end of the pipe from being withdrawn from the female end of the similar adjacent pipe.
US09810354B2

Various novel connectors are provided. In one embodiment, the connector includes a collar configured to receive first and second components. In this embodiment, the connector may also include a load ring configured to be received in a groove of the second component and to move into and out of engagement with the collar when the second component is received by the collar. The connector of this illustrative embodiment may also include a cotter configured for installation to the second component and to inhibit disengagement of the load ring from the collar. In some embodiments, engagement of the load ring and the collar effects securing of the first and second components to one another. Other devices, systems, and methods related to connectors are also disclosed.
US09810339B2

A thermal relief valve, comprising a housing having a channel, a first aperture, and a second aperture, wherein the first aperture and the second aperture are arranged symmetrically about a central axis, an actuator within the housing arranged about the axis, a first seal secured to the actuator, the first seal comprising a plurality of apertures, and having a first upwardly facing surface, and a second downwardly facing surface, a first spring arranged between the second surface of the first seal and the housing component, a second seal comprising a first upwardly facing surface and a second downwardly facing surface, the first surface of the second seal positioned on the second surface of the first seal and, a second spring arranged between the second surface of the second seal and the housing, wherein the first seal and the second seal are axially movable by the actuator along the central axis.
US09810334B2

A hydraulic valve assembly includes an inlet; an outlet; a pressure compensator upstream of the inlet; and a pressure limited flow priority boost valve spool movable between a first position and a second position and comprising an outer spool body and an inner spool body. The outer spool body includes deadhead meter notches disposed such that, in the first position, the spool closes fluid communication between the inlet and the pressure compensator, and such that, in the second position, the spool opens fluid communication between the inlet and the pressure compensator. The inner spool body is movable relative to the outer spool body and is configured to open fluid communication between the inlet and the outlet so as to bypass the compensator. The flow between the inlet and the compensator is a reduced pilot flow.
US09810327B2

A valve element of a pressure reducing valve includes a taper portion seated on an inner periphery of a valve hole that includes a first area, a second area and a third area in order from an upstream side. The first area is provided such that, when the valve element is open, the height of a passage defined between the first area and the taper portion gradually reduces toward a downstream side. The second area is provided such that the height of a passage defined between the second area and the taper portion is constant when the valve element is open and the entire second area contacts the taper portion when the valve element is closed. The third area is provided such that, when the valve element is open, the height of a passage defined between the third area and the taper portion gradually increases toward the downstream side.
US09810320B2

A vehicle control system is provided to improve a response and an acceleration feel of a vehicle having a continuously variable transmission. The vehicle control system is configured to control an output power of a prime mover and a speed ratio of a transmission in such a manner that an actual driving force is increased stepwise to the required driving force to be achieved by a kick-downshifting so as to temporarily hold an increase in an acceleration during execution of the kick-downshifting.
US09810318B2

A method for controlling an electric oil pump (EOP) of a torque assist automated manual transmission (AMT) using a multi-plate wet clutch and a dry clutch, may include correcting an EOP operating line on a shifting pattern graph such that the EOP operates prior to up-shifting from a first gear to a second gear while driving in the first gear.
US09810316B2

When throttle valve opening degree is larger than predetermined throttle valve opening degree Y in the case where a decision on shift to gear stage at which maximum load is applied to predetermined rotary member of automatic transmission is made, the gear stage is not formed. Therefore, large load is restrained from being applied to the predetermined rotary member of the automatic transmission. Besides, gear stage that is lower in vehicle speed than the gear stage by one stage or gear stage that is higher in vehicle speed than the gear stage by one stage is formed depending on whether acceleration requirement is large or small. Therefore, driving torque corresponding to the acceleration requirement is likely to be obtained. In consequence, the load applied to the predetermined rotary member of the automatic transmission can be reduced, and feeling of strangeness can be restrained from being caused by the driving torque.
US09810314B2

A shifter assembly for changing gears in a vehicle transmission, including a housing and a shift rod rotatably supported in the housing. The shift rod is selectively movable between a plurality of radial positions. A disc is in rotational communication with the shift rod for concurrent movement between the radial positions. The disc defines a plurality of gates each having respective first and second ends. A plurality of solenoids are disposed in the housing adjacent the disc. Each of the solenoids has a plunger selectively movable between a first position spaced from the disc and a second position disposed within one of the gates. The gates are spaced equally from each other and are radially aligned about a common reference circle. Rotation of the shift rod is selectively limited by at least one of the plungers in the second position engaging at least one of the ends of the gates.
US09810306B2

In a differential device, paired side gears include shaft portions and intermediate wall portions formed in a flat plate shape intersecting an axis of the output shafts, the intermediate wall portions integrally connecting the shaft portions to toothing portions of the side gears separated outward from the shaft portions in a radial direction of an input member, respectively. Each of the intermediate wall portions is formed with a width in the radial direction which is longer than a maximum diameter of a pinion. A cover portion includes a boss portion and a side wall portion connected to the boss portion and having an outer side surface as a surface orthogonal to the axis of the output shafts. A back surface of at least one of the intermediate wall portion and the toothing portion is supported on an inner side surface of the side wall portion.
US09810305B2

A transmission device (1) with secondarily coupled power splitting in which part of an applied torque can be conducted, in a first power branch (3) at least by way of a hydrostatic system (4), and the other part of the torque can be conducted in a second power branch (5) via mechanical system (6), located between a transmission input (7) and a transmission output (8). The hydrostatic system (4) of the first power branch (3) includes at least one pump (12) and at least one motor (13) that is functionally connected to the pump by way of a hydraulic circuit, and both of the pump and motor are adjustable. The two power paths (3, 5) can be summed by a summing gear system (9). The pump (12) is made smaller than the motor (13).
US09810301B2

Disclosed is a torque converter in a vehicle, in which a torsional damper reduces a natural frequency and absorbs vibration energy in an anti-resonance state for enhancing a vibration isolation function. The torque converter in a vehicle includes a torsional damper including a retaining plate coupled to the piston, a plurality of springs arranged at the retaining plate for imparting elastic force in a circumferential direction, a driven plate coupled to a spline hub which acts as a reaction force on the springs and forwards driving power to a transmission, and an inertial lever arranged between the piston and the driven plate, the inertial lever including a fixed pivot coupling portion coupled to the piston with a fixed pivot and a movable pivot coupling portion coupled to the driven plate with a movable pivot.
US09810300B2

A power-split, continuously variable transmission includes a summing planetary transmission, at least one additional planetary gear set and a variator, which are in operative connection with each other a plurality of shafts, the shafts of the plurality of shafts are couplable to each other with a plurality of shift elements in order to provide at least three transmission ratio ranges. The variator is a mechanical friction wheel variator with at least three shafts. The summing planetary transmission, the at least one additional planetary gear and the variator are arranged coaxial to one another. In one of the transmission ratio ranges of the at least three transmission ratio ranges, a total power is guidable between a transmission input shaft and a transmission output shaft by the variator. A friction wheel of the variator is approximately cone-shaped, at least in sections.
US09810298B2

A rotary seal comprising: a shaft with a chromium oxide coating provided at a seal contact area; wherein said coating has a hardness of at least 55 Rockwell-C. The coating may have a surface roughness parameter (Ra) of between 0.2 and 0.4 circular. The coating may have a thickness of at least 0.1 mm. The coating layer forms part of a rotary seal with a flexible seal element that is biased into contact with the surface of the coating. The flexible seal element may be biased against the shaft by a spring to increase the pressure of the flexible seal element against the coating. The coating is preferably deposited by a plasma spray process.
US09810280B2

A damping valve includes a valve seat member that includes a port and a first valve seat, a shaft member disposed on the valve seat member, an annular main valve element that is mounted on the shaft member, seats on and separates from the first valve seat, and includes a second valve seat on an opposite side of the valve seat member, a sub valve element that is mounted on the shaft member, and seats on and separates from the second valve seat, a valve-element-between chamber that is disposed between the main valve element and the sub valve element, and on an inner peripheral side of the second valve seat, a restrictive passage that causes the port to be communicated with the valve-element-between chamber to provide a resistance to a flow of a passing fluid, a main valve element biasing part biasing the main valve element to the valve seat member side, and a sub valve element biasing part biasing the sub valve element to the main valve element side. The restrictive passage is formed of a ring-shaped gap between the main valve element and the shaft member.
US09810279B2

A vibratory isolator in one example comprises at least one uniform mass inertia component and at least one uniform compliant component which are configured to exhibit a vibratory bandgap and which are configured to exhibit shear/bending coupling. A further implementation of the invention comprises a vibratory isolator comprised of an isolator and a plurality of disk inertias affixed to the isolator such that the vibratory isolator exhibits a vibrational bandgap in a predetermined frequency range.
US09810276B2

A disc brake assembly arranged to be mounted over a rotor. The disc brake assembly includes first and second brake pads, a caliper having an opening for receiving the first and second brake pads, and a spring member for retaining the pads within the caliper. The spring member has a pad alignment feature arranged to prevent the spring member from being properly assembled on the caliper when one or more of the brake pads is inserted with its friction material facing away from a rotor receiving region of the caliper.
US09810267B2

A rolling element bearing retention arrangement provides axial and rotational retention of a rolling element bearing within a housing. A retaining ring is received partially within circumferential grooves located on an outer ring of the rolling element bearing, and within a bore of the housing, providing axial retention. Inward and outward directed protrusions on each end of the retaining ring engage cavities within the respective circumferential grooves, providing rotational retention.
US09810244B2

Disclosed is a flow control valve for construction machinery, the flow control valve being adapted to reduce pressure loss due to flow on return to a hydraulic tank during the boom-down operation of a large-scale excavator. The flow control valve for construction machinery according to the present invention comprises: first and second boom spools which are respectively coupled to first and second boom valve blocks, and which regulate working fluid that is respectively supplied from first and second hydraulic pumps to a boom cylinder during direction reversal; a boom-up flow-adjusting means which, in direction reversal of the first and second boom spools for boom-up drive, supplies working fluid from the first and second hydraulic pumps into a large chamber of the boom cylinder via the first and second boom spools respectively, and causes part of the flow of working fluid from the second hydraulic pump to pass via the second boom spool so as to be combined with working fluid being supplied from the first hydraulic pump to the large chamber of the boom cylinder due to direction reversal of the first boom spool; and a boom-down flow-adjusting means which, in direction reversal of the first and second boom spools for boom-down drive, causes part of the flow of working fluid coming back from the large chamber of the boom cylinder to return to the hydraulic tank via the first and second boom spools respectively, and causes part of the flow of working fluid coming back from the large chamber of the boom cylinder to combine as respective regenerative flows for working fluid on the small chamber side of the boom cylinder.
US09810238B2

A turbine assembly includes a turbine housing and a turbine wheel disposed within the turbine housing. The turbine wheel includes a rotational axis and a plurality of blades. The turbine assembly includes a turbine shroud disposed between the turbine housing and the turbine wheel along a radial direction. The turbine shroud is separate from the turbine housing. The turbine shroud includes an annular portion extending generally in an axial direction with respect to the rotational axis and a plate portion intersecting the annular portion to form a convex curved surface. At least a portion of the blades is disposed in at least a portion of the annular portion. Each blade includes a leading edge and a tip portion. Each leading edge is angled with respect to the rotational axis, and each tip portion forms a concave portion that curves around the curved surface of the turbine shroud.
US09810224B2

Rotary-wing aircraft or fixed-wing aircraft consisting of one or a plurality of rotors and/or one or a plurality of airscrews being caused to rotate by means of at least one shaft, the said aircraft comprising a distributed electric motor unit configured to ensure the propulsion and/or the lifting of the said aircraft by causing the said shaft to rotate, the motor unit being a distributed electric motor unit connected directly to the rotating shaft, no mechanism for the transmission of movement being interposed between the said unit and the said shaft, the distributed electric motor unit being composed of a plurality of stacked electric motor elements, each said electric motor element being connected directly to the rotating shaft and consisting of at least one fixed stator and at least one moving rotor capable of connection to the said rotating shaft in order to transmit to it a mechanical power of the following kind where: ·Pr=the nominal mechanical power necessary for the propulsion and/or for the lifting of the said aircraft, ·Pim=the maximum mechanical power capable of being delivered by the electric motor element on level i, to the rotating shaft, for instance Pim
US09810216B2

A vane pump unit assembled into a housing includes a rotor; a plurality of vanes; a cam ring; a first plate; a second plate; a connecting bar that has a first end portion fixed to the first plate, and a second end portion which protrudes from the second plate; and a clip that prevents the second plate and the cam ring from slipping out of the connecting bar. Before the clip is assembled into the housing, the retaining of the clip is positioned at least either between the first plate and the cam ring or between the second plate and the cam ring, in a place where a gap is formed. After the clip is assembled into the housing, the housing interposes the first plate, the cam ring, and the second plate in the axial direction, and the first and second plates are in close contact with the cam ring.
US09810215B2

Provided is an internal gear pump requiring fewer machining steps, allowing inexpensive manufacture, and offering high safety from the standpoint of function. The internal gear pump 1 comprises: a trochoid 4 in which an inner rotor 3 having a plurality of outer teeth is eccentrically and rotatably accommodated in an outer rotor 2 having a plurality of inner teeth, the outer teeth meshing with the inner teeth, and in which a suction-side chamber for suctioning liquid and a discharge-side chamber for discharging liquid that has been suctioned into the suction-side chamber are formed in between the inner teeth and outer teeth; a casing 5 in which is formed a recess 5a for accommodating the trochoid 4; and a cover 6 for closing off the recess 5a of the casing 5. At least some of the casing 5 is a body injection-molded from a resin composition. The invention also comprises a groove 5d in a portion of the recess 5a of the casing 5 in which the outer periphery is sealed, with a sealing ring 13 installed therein, and bushings 7 made from sintered metal that are provided integrally during injection molding in bolt fixing hole portions.
US09810208B2

A method of regenerating a cryopump includes a first discharging process that includes alternately evacuating a cryopump housing and supplying a purge gas in a first pressure range, and a second discharging process that includes evacuating the cryopump housing to a low pressure region below the first pressure range. The second discharging process includes making a determination at least once in the low pressure range as to whether the second discharging process should be terminated, and supplying the purge gas to the cryopump housing prior to a first-time determination as to whether the second discharging process should be terminated.
US09810201B2

A wind compressor system having one or more wind turbines and a plurality of wind compressors located proximate the one or more wind turbines. The wind compressors optimize the energy created by the wind turbines by redirecting and converging the wind from the wind compressor to the wind turbines. Each of the wind compressors comprises an obstruction having a size and shape adapted to converge the wind currents by means of a Venturi effect toward the one or more turbines thereby increasing the velocity and force of the wind hitting the wind turbine. A plurality of transporters coupled to the wind compressors. The transporters configured to move at least one wind compressors to a location that maximizes the force of the wind encountered by the turbine.
US09810200B2

The invention regards an apparatus or method for controlling the profile of a blade on a wind turbine having at least a first blade and a second blade, the first blade comprise at least one first sensor system adapted to determine a first blade state and the second blade comprise at least one second sensor system adapted to determine a second blade state, wherein the profile of the second blade is controlled based on the determined first blade state and the determined second blade state.
US09810197B2

An apparatus for moving blades of a wind turbine is provided. The apparatus for moving blades for a wind turbine includes: wire connectors formed at a plurality of blades; and a pair of wires that are attachable and detachable to and from first to third wire connectors so as to connect the first and second wire connectors formed at first and second blades and a third wire connector formed at the third blade.
US09810193B2

A convertible pump formed of wound flexible tubing having an inlet communicating water to an outlet at an opposite end of the tubing. A paddle wheel with collapsible fins provides power to rotate the pump when in a vertical position. A planar surface of the wound tubing forms a table when pivoted on a stand to a horizontal disposition with the support surface for the stand.
US09810186B2

Provided is an injector (30) having a plurality of injector modules (44) that include a spray cup having a chamber and a plurality of radial air passages for directing air radially into the chamber, and a pressure swirl atomizer attached to the spray cup and having a fluid passage for directing fluid axially into chamber and an air passage for directing air axially into the chamber. By providing radial and axial air flow and axial fuel flow into the chamber, the fuel may be mixed to prevent local hot spots that lead to high NOx emissions, and a stable flame may be maintained without autoignition and flashback. The axial air flow also prevents recirculation zones from forming at a base of the spray cup, provides improved atomization and enhanced combustion.
US09810185B2

An improved vehicle fuel system enables mixing of natural gas and a liquid fuel upstream of a combustion cylinder. According to some embodiments the system includes: a gas pressure vessel and associated gas pressurization system to deliver natural gas at a desired pressure; a liquid fuel storage vessel and associated reservoir pump to deliver liquid fuel at a desired pressure; a mixing system configured to receive and mix the liquid fuel from the liquid fuel storage vessel and natural gas from the gas pressure vessel to produce a homogeneous fluid fuel mixture; and a common rail system connecting the mixing system to an engine that consumes the homogeneous fluid fuel.
US09810183B2

The internal combustion engines (M) of the invention are provided with a cooling water circuit, associated with a water radiator and with a lubricant oil circuit. The heat exchanger (HE) comprises an inlet and an outlet of water connected, in series, to an outlet of the water radiator, by means of a cooled water conduit and of the cooling water circuit, and to an inlet of the water radiator, by means of a return conduit and a hot water conduit; a fuel inlet nozzle and a fuel outlet nozzle, selectively connected to the fuel supply to the engine (M); and an inlet and an outlet of lubricant oil, connected to the lubricant oil circuit by means of respective oil conduits.
US09810173B2

An engine assembly includes a cylinder head having an intake side and an exhaust side opposite the intake side. The cylinder head has an intake port, an exhaust port, and a combustion chamber in fluid communication with the intake port and the exhaust port. The engine assembly further includes a port fuel injector coupled to the cylinder head. The port fuel injector is disposed closer to the exhaust side than to the intake side of the cylinder head. Further, the port fuel injector is fluid communication with the intake port to allow fuel to be injected directly into the intake port. The engine assembly further includes a direct fuel injector coupled to the cylinder head. The direct injector is in fluid communication with the combustion chamber to allow fuel to be injected directly into the combustion chamber.
US09810160B2

The disclosure relates to a method for determining a temperature in a pressurized flow path of a gas turbine comprising the steps of sending an acoustic signal from an acoustic signal emitting transducer across a section of the pressurized flow path, detecting the acoustic signal with a receiving transducer, measuring the time needed by the acoustic signal to travel from the acoustic signal emitting transducer to the receiving transducer, calculating the speed of sound, and calculating the temperature as a function of the speed of sound, the heat capacity ratio (□) and a specific gas constant (Rspec) of the gas flowing in the pressurized flow path.Besides the method, a gas turbine with a processor and transducers arranged to carry out such a method is disclosed.
US09810156B2

Systems and methods for controlling mode transfers of a turbine combustor are provided. According to one embodiment, a system may include a controller to control a combustor, and a processor communicatively coupled to the controller. The processor may be configured to receive current operating conditions, target operating limits, and combustor transfer functions. The combustor transfer functions may be evaluated to estimate operating limits associated with one or more combustion modes under the current operating conditions. The estimated operating limits associated with the one or more combustor modes may be compared to the target operating limits, and, based on the comparison, at least one of the combustion modes may be selected. The combustor may then be selectively transferred to the selected combustion mode.
US09810149B2

The invention is directed to a process to obtain a compressed gas starting from a starting gas having a lower pressure by performing the following steps: (i) increasing the pressure and temperature of a gas having an intermediate pressure by means of indirect heat exchange against a fluid having a higher temperature to obtain a gas high in pressure and temperature, (ii) obtaining part of the gas high in temperature and pressure as the compressed gas, (iii) using another part of the gas high in temperature and pressure as a driving gas to increase the pressure of the starting gas in one or more stages to obtain the gas having an intermediate pressure for use in step (i). The invention is also directed to a configuration wherein the process can be performed and directed to a process to generate energy using the process.
US09810147B2

An apparatus comprises a leading edge of an inlet. The leading edge of the inlet is positioned relative to a direction of air flow such that a total pressure of air along the leading edge of the inlet is equalized within selected tolerances.
US09810145B1

An engine assembly is configured to exceed Mach. The engine assembly has a casing mechanically coupled to a jet engine such that ducting exists between the casing and the jet engine. The jet engine further includes a low pressure compression stage configured to compress a gasses. A high pressure compression stage is connected to the low pressure compression stage and configured to further compress the gasses. A combustion stage is connected to the high pressure compression stage and configured to heat the gasses to three thousand degrees Fahrenheit by back pressure. A low pressure turbine is connected to the combustion stage and configured to utilize energy in the gasses so that there is very little emission from the low pressure turbine. A shaft is connected to the low pressure turbine and configured to turn as a result of the low pressure turbine. A ducted impeller has blades wherein the blades are widest at a blade tip, narrowing down to a hub, while not over lapping and beginning with a rotation of at least 45 degrees to the shaft and of a steeper angle going toward the hub to create an even air pressure along an entire length of each blade.
US09810143B2

Methods and systems for adjusting a branch communication and wastegate valve in a dual scroll turbocharger system are provided. In one example, a method may include adjusting the branch communication and wastegate valve in a passage connecting a first scroll, a second scroll, and a wastegate passage may control an amount of exhaust flow to a turbine during certain engine operating conditions.
US09810140B2

The present disclosure relates to a combustion chamber of a diesel engine, which has a recessed combustion bowl to mix fuel injected from an injector with air, the combustion chamber including: a cylinder head which has the injector mounted thereto and is positioned at an upper side of the combustion bowl; a cylinder block which is positioned at a lower side of the cylinder head; and a piston which moves upward and downward in the cylinder block and faces the cylinder head, in which a plurality of radial inducers is provided on a bottom surface of the cylinder head around the injector.
US09810134B2

An engine has a cylinder block defining a cooling circuit with an inlet passage adjacent to a first end of the block and fluidly connected to a continuous open channel positioned between a side wall of the block and a plurality of in-line cylinders. The channel intersects a block deck face and extends alongside each cylinder of the plurality of cylinders. The channel is configured to direct coolant to a cylinder head.
US09810129B2

A system for recovering waste heat energy for a motor assisted turbocharger, including a turbine, a first power transmission device connected on a first side to the turbine, a drive gear disposed about and connected on a first side to a second side of the first power transmission device, a second power transmission device connected on a first side to a second side of the drive gear, and a compressor connected to a second side of the second power transmission device. The system further includes a motor gear drivingly connected to the drive gear, a motor generator connected to the motor gear, a waste heat recovery circuit including an expander, an output gear connected to the expander and drivingly connected to the motor gear.
US09810126B2

An exhaust treatment system includes an exhaust conduit for conveying exhaust gases from an engine of a vehicle. An aftertreatment device is disposed in the exhaust conduit. A flow device is disposed upstream of the aftertreatment device. The flow device includes a base having a first surface and an oppositely disposed second surface. The base defines a plurality of openings. A plurality of flow deflectors is engaged to the base at the plurality of openings. Each flow deflector includes a first deflector that extends outwardly from the first surface of the base and a second deflector that extends outwardly from the second surface of the base. The first and second deflectors define a passage. Flow of exhaust gases through the passage cause exhaust gases to swirl about a longitudinal axis of the exhaust conduit.
US09810122B2

Methods and systems for improving operation of an engine at higher speeds and loads are disclosed. In one example, fuel may be injected to an exhaust system of the engine so that temperatures of exhaust system components may be reduced when the engine is operated at higher speeds and loads.
US09810121B2

A system for storing an internal combustion engine exhaust gas liquid additive, and including a tank for storing the additive, the tank including two halve shells manufactured as two separate parts that are assembled, at least one of the shells including an active component fixed inside of it.
US09810117B2

A muffler cutter is fitted to a tailpipe of a vehicular exhaust system, the muffler cutter includes an exhaust pipe, a plurality of through-holes formed in a side wall of the exhaust pipe, a tubular heat shield plate provided around the exhaust pipe coaxially with the exhaust pipe, and a sound-absorbing heat insulator provided between the exhaust pipe and the tubular heat shield plate. The sound-absorbing heat insulator is partially provided between the exhaust pipe and the tubular heat shield plate so as to have a curved shape. A closed space having a curved shape is formed between the exhaust pipe and the tubular heat shield plate in an area in which the sound-absorbing heat insulator is not provided. The distance between the exhaust pipe and the tubular heat shield plate in an area in which the closed space is formed is 1 to 50 mm.
US09810116B2

An oil separator includes a housing into which mixed gas in which unburned gas and engine oil are mixed with each other is introduced from a crank case; a centrifuge mounted in the housing and generating centrifugal force to the mixed gas to thereby separate the engine oil from the mixed gas; and a filter separator mounted in the housing and filtering the engine oil in the mixed gas. Since the engine oil is primarily separated through the centrifuge and secondarily separated through the filter separator, engine oil separation efficiency is improved as compared to the related art, and the same amount of gas may be treated even with a small size as compared to the related art.
US09810096B2

A turbomachine casing assembly including an inner casing element for arrangement radially outward of a turbomachine fan; an outer casing element for arrangement radially further outward of the turbomachine fan; a retaining lip arranged radially inward of a portion of the inner casing element; and a separator extending between the inner and outer casing elements and arranged to urge a portion of the inner casing element against the lip. The separator is arranged in compression between the inner and outer casing elements to urge the portion of the inner casing element against the lip. The separator is arranged to engage a frangible region of the inner casing element such that the frangible region is configured to break in response to an impact satisfying predetermined conditions, allowing the inner casing element to displace radially outwards exposing features to improve retention of a released fan blade.
US09810095B2

A sealing device for a turbine engine bearing oil enclosure including a rotor shaft; an annular cover secured to an engine casing and arranged around the rotor shaft to co-operate therewith to define an oil enclosure that is to receive a bearing rotatably supporting the rotor shaft relative to the engine casing; a labyrinth seal mounted on the rotor shaft facing one end of the cover; an annular rim mounted inside the cover; a dynamic annular gasket interposed radially between the rim and the rotor shaft; and a clip for axially blocking the rim inside the cover and including at least one latch passing radially through the rim and being received radially inside a groove formed in the cover, is provided.
US09810094B2

The invention offers a steam turbine forced air cooling system, its method, and a steam turbine provided with the system, the system being of an inexpensive and simple device configuration and improving a cooling effect by the use of an easy-to-get device.Suction is applied to the steam introduction side of an HP turbine 4 or an IP turbine 9 by the use of cooling air suction ejectors 27, 28 which use a compressed medium other than steam as a drive source. The cooling air is then introduced from the steam exhaust portion of the steam turbine into the inside of the steam turbine and is discharged from the ejectors 27, 28 to the atmosphere.
US09810086B2

A shroud apparatus for a gas turbine engine includes: an annular shroud segment having an arcuate bottom wall defining an arcuate inner flowpath surface, spaced-apart forward and aft walls extending radially outward from the bottom wall, and spaced-apart side walls extending radially outward from the bottom wall and between the forward and aft walls, each side wall defining an end face which includes: an axial slot extending in a generally axial direction along the end face; a first radial slot extending in a generally radial direction along the end face, and intersecting the axial slot; an axial spline seal received in the axial slot; and a first radial spline seal having an L-shape with radial and axial legs, the radial leg being substantially longer than the axial leg, wherein the radial leg is received in the first radial slot, and the axial leg is received in the axial slot.
US09810079B2

A dirt separator assembly for a gas turbine engine comprises a cyclonic accelerator in flow communication with compressor discharge air, the accelerator having a plurality of passages, each passage having an inlet, an outlet and at least one vent located in the passage, a plurality of turning vanes disposed along each of the passages, the passage turning tangentially between the inlet and the outlet, the accelerator passages decreasing from a first cross-sectional area to a second cross-sectional area and said turning vanes inducing helical swirl of compressed cooling air, and, at least one vent located in the accelerator passages for expelling dust separated from the swirling compressed cooling air.
US09810078B2

Rotary machines including a hybrid rotor with an integrally bladed rotor portion are provided. The integrally bladed rotor portion for the hybrid rotor comprises a rotor disk portion and a blade portion. The rotor disk portion has a peripheral rim configured to mechanically retain an individual rotor blade. The blade portion comprises an integral rotor blade extending outwardly and integrally from the rotor disk portion. The individual rotor blade is configured to extend outwardly from the rotor disk portion in a blade array with the integral rotor blade. The hybrid rotor is also provided and comprises the integrally bladed rotor portion and a plurality of individual rotor blades extending outwardly from the rotor disk portion in a blade array with a plurality of integral rotor blades.
US09810076B2

A fan rotor for a gas turbine engine has a fan hub mounted for rotation about a central axis of the engine. A plurality of fan blades are circumferentially distributed about a radially outer surface of an outer rim section of the fan hub. The outer rim section is connected to an inner rim section through an axially facing web section. The web section extends from the outer rim section at a location axially aft of the center of gravity of the fan blades. A ridge formation extends radially inwardly from the outer rim axially forward of the web section.
US09810073B2

A turbine blade includes a cooling channel through which cooling air is passed, and a swirl portion provided at an entrance of the cooling channel so as to form a swirl flow in the cooling air. The turbine blade may increase cooling performance of a root unit, improve the stiffness of the root unit, and increase the internal heat transfer efficiency of a blade unit.
US09810072B2

A rotor blade includes a mounting portion comprising a mounting body that is formed to receive a coolant therein. An airfoil portion extends substantially radially outwardly from the mounting body and includes an airfoil body. The mounting body and the airfoil body define a plurality of primary cooling passages that extend substantially radially therein for routing the coolant through the airfoil body. Each of the primary cooling passages includes a cooling flow outlet that is formed along a tip portion of the airfoil body. The airfoil body further defines a plurality of trailing edge cooling passages, each having a coolant outlet that is formed along a trailing edge portion of the airfoil body. At least a portion of the trailing edge cooling passages are formed along a radially outer portion of the trailing edge proximate to the tip portion of the airfoil body.
US09810070B2

A turbine rotor blade includes a mounting portion that partially defines a cooling circuit within the turbine rotor blade and an airfoil portion that extends radially outward from the mounting portion. The airfoil portion further defines the cooling circuit. The turbine rotor blade further includes a platform portion that is disposed radially between the mounting portion and the airfoil. The platform portion includes a bottom wall, a top wall, a forward wall, an aft wall and a pair of opposing side walls. A cooling plenum that at least partially defines the cooling circuit is defined within the platform portion. The cooling plenum is at least partially defined between the forward wall, the aft wall and between the pair of opposing side walls.
US09810066B2

A method of controlling a shearer is disclosed. The shearer may be configured to travel along a longwall face to extract material with a first cutting drum and a second cutting drum. The method may include setting a first cutting profile including a plurality of desired positions (Di) to be approached by the first cutting drum in a first travel direction (E). Further, the method may include determining a plurality of actual advancing vectors (vi) indicating a change of a position of the shearer resulting from advancing the shearer towards the longwall face. The method may also include determining a plurality of shearer orientations (Oi) along the longwall face. In addition, the method may include generating a second cutting profile to be approached by at least one of the first cutting drum and the second cutting drum in a second travel direction (F) of the shearer.
US09810064B2

The present invention is a method of monitoring recovery site hydrocarbons (HC) using an unconventional method which permits quantifying the HC present in zones above the exploration and development zone. The method according to the invention is based on the adjustment of a model describing the gas concentration as a function of time, using in-situ geochemical analyzes of rare gases and, when appropriate, of injected gas used for fracturing, contained in fluid phases of subsoil samples. By use of rare gas analysis, the method according to the invention allows anticipation of hydrocarbon leakage above the exploration/development site.
US09810062B2

Embodiments herein relate to a method for recovering hydrocarbons from a formation including collecting and analyzing a formation sample, drilling operation data, and wellbore pressure measurement, estimating a reservoir and completion quality, and performing an oil field service in a region of the formation comprising the quality. In some embodiments, the formation sample is a solid collected from the drilling operation or includes cuttings or a core sample.
US09810060B2

A formation tester for use in a subterranean well can include a probe which extends outward into contact with an earth formation, and an adjustable flow control device which limits an extension pressure applied to extend the probe. A method of testing a subterranean formation can include positioning a formation tester in a wellbore, extending a probe of the formation tester outward into contact with the formation, and limiting a force applied by the probe to the formation, the limiting being performed by variable actuation of a flow control device downhole. Another formation tester can include a probe which extends outward into contact with an earth formation, with a force applied by the probe to the formation being remotely adjustable downhole.
US09810053B2

A drilling system performs underground boring using a drill rig and a boring tool which is configured for moving through the ground under control of the drill rig to form an underground bore. A monitoring arrangement, forming part of the system, includes a detection arrangement at the drill rig for monitoring at least one operational parameter to produce a data signal relating to at least one of a utility to be installed in the underground bore, the drill rig and the boring tool. A portable device forms another part of the system for receiving the data signal relating to the operational parameter for use by the portable device. A communication arrangement, for example using telemetry, transfers the data signal from the drill rig to the portable device. The operational parameter may be monitored for the purpose of preventing equipment failure.
US09810050B2

Methods and systems for enhanced recovery of coal bed methane. A method includes generating a diluent gas mixture comprising N2 and CO2 in a semi-closed Brayton cycle power plant, injecting at least a portion of the diluent gas mixture into a coal bed, and recovering a mixed production gas comprising methane from the coal bed.
US09810048B2

The invention relates to a perforating gun used for hydraulic fracturing applications in a wellboreand has an outer tube having several recesses of a second kind. The recesses of a second kind are configured to absorb shock waves from a shape charge in the perforating gun to reduce the numbers of cracks that form on the perforating pun. In some embodiments, the recesses of a second kind have a variety of shapes and sizes to aid in the absorption of shock waves.
US09810040B2

Methods for inhibiting scale formation in a hydrocarbon well that includes a wellbore that extends within a subterranean formation and a selective-release scale inhibitor located within a portion of the subterranean formation. The methods include locating a selective-release scale inhibitor within a portion of the subterranean formation and producing a reservoir fluid from the subterranean formation via the hydrocarbon well, including facilitating a change in environmental conditions present within the portion of the subterranean formation from initial environmental conditions to subsequent environmental conditions. Under the initial environmental conditions, the selective-release scale inhibitor is insoluble both in hydrocarbons and in water. Under the subsequent environmental conditions, the selective-release scale inhibitor is soluble in water.
US09810038B2

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed towards a back pressure valve configured to mount in a mineral extraction system. The back pressure valve includes a body comprising a venting port coaxial with a longitudinal axis of the body, a plunger configured to be in sealing engagement with the body to seal the venting port, and a lock ring disposed about the body, wherein the lock ring is configured to automatically expand radially upon removal of a tool.
US09810032B2

A spooling system for deploying cable, hose, and/or umbilical connections may include a drum, an air motor, a sheave having one or more sensor, and an electronic control unit coupled to an electro-pneumatic drive for controlling the system. The sensors may provide information to the electronic control unit, such as a measured line tension and/or a length of cable, hose or umbilical connection that has been deployed, and the information may be displayed on the electronic control unit. The electronic control unit also may allow an operator to rotate the reel, stop rotation of the reel, increase or decrease the speed of rotation of the reel, increase or decrease pressure and/or line tension, and/or select between a normal mode of operation and a tensioning mode of operation.
US09810019B2

A roller tube comprising a tube body which defines on its outwardly facing surface one or more blind substrate or shutter substrate receiving portions, wherein the tube body includes a plurality of sound damping elements located circumferentially around its inwardly facing surface, the sound damping elements extending longitudinally along at least part of the length of the tube body and defining a plurality of sound channels inside the tube.
US09810015B2

A window assembly may include a vacuum insulated glass unit and a frame assembly. The vacuum insulated glass unit may include first and second glass substrates defining a space therebetween that is at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. One of the first and second glass substrates may include a vacuum port extending outward therefrom. The vacuum port may define a passage in communication with the space. The frame assembly supports the glass unit and may include a base member and a glazing member. The base member and the glazing member cooperate to define a slot in which an edge portion of the glass unit is received. The glazing member may include a cavity receiving the vacuum port.
US09810009B2

A mechanism for mounting of a hinged car door, comprising a stabilizing frame (1) attached to a vehicle frame (15). The stabilizing frame (1) is equipped, in its lower part, with a lock (6) for stabilizing a bracket (3) of a door (14) and, in its upper part, the stabilizing frame (1) is equipped with a toothed pinion (5) and at least one guiding roller (4), whereas a toothed arm (2) is arranged between the toothed pinion (5) and the guiding roller (4), and the bracket (3) of the door (14) is swing attached to the toothed arm (2), whereas the door (14) is attached to the bracket (3) of the door (14) by means of pins (13) of the door (14).
US09810000B2

A locking apparatus for a rollup door, comprising latch assembly including a latch, a release lever, a trigger, a cam and a solenoid. A housing that houses the latch assembly includes at least one opening that can removably receive a door striker member. The latch assembly includes a locked/unlocked status limit switch for detecting when the latch assembly is in an unlocked or locked position and an open/closed status limit switch for detecting when the striker member is disengaged from the latch assembly and door is (or can be) open or closed. The locking apparatus can be electronically unlocked or it can be unlocked manually by a user by actuating the solenoid which causes the latch to release the locked striker member.
US09809998B2

A lock comprises an upper casing and a base plate connected to each other; between the upper casing and the base plate there is an accommodation space in which the locking device is. The locking device consists of a locking hook coordinated with the receiving hole at the top surface of the upper casing and a control unit to control the movement of the locking hook. The locking hook has a hook portion which can access the bottom end of the receiving hole and a connecting portion controlled by the control unit. At the left side of the receiving hole which the hook portion faces to, there is a side plate comprising an inclined upper part and a vertical part at the lower end, and the inclined part tilt outward towards the top surface of the receiving hole for locking two zipper pull tabs together conveniently.
US09809993B2

The rail skirt system includes a top rail, a skirt that hangs from the top rail, formed from rail bar members connected together at their inner ends by a middle connector tube connectable to a locking support leg, to provide support for the top rail on a side of a shelter. The outer ends of the rail bar members are connected to legs of the shelter by fixed corner connecting brackets.
US09809990B1

An automated swimming pool cleaner has a housing having an inlet formed on a bottom surface thereof. At least one slot is formed in a bottom side surface of the housing. A flap is provided and is in fluid communication with the slot. A wheel is coupled to the flap. The wheel keeps a bottom surface of the flap a minimum distance above a floor/wall of a swimming pool.
US09809982B2

A plurality of at least two modular flooring tiles coupled together to form an upper surface defined by an outer perimeter is disclosed. A plurality of side walls extends downward from the outer perimeter and a plurality of coupling members are disposed about the side walls adapted to mate with coupling members of an adjacent flooring panel. A flexible continuous synthetic overlay is disposed about and secured to the upper surface of the at least two modular flooring tiles, wherein the synthetic overlay comprises an outer perimeter substantially similar to the outer perimeter of the at least two modular flooring tiles.
US09809981B2

The invention comprises a relatively lightweight cementitious-based material panel. The cementitious-based material panel comprises a foam insulating panel having a first surface and a second surface; a first structural layer of cementitious-based material formed on the first surface of the foam insulating panel and affixed thereto; and a second non-structural layer of cementitious-based material formed on the second surface of the foam insulating panel and affixed thereto. The second non-structural layer of cementitious-based material is substantially thinner than the first structural layer of concrete. The second non-structural layer of cementitious-based material is preferably formed from polymer modified concrete, plaster or mortar. A method of making the cementitious-based material panel is also disclosed.
US09809979B2

A method of manufacturing a pre-stressed beam or panel and the resulting beam or panel are described. The method includes providing a timber-based component (1); providing a pre-stressing member (9) arranged along the timber-based component; applying a tensile force to the pre-stressing member (9); providing concrete anchors (11a, 11b) at locations that are spaced apart along the timber-based component (1); coupling the pre-stressing member (9) to the concrete anchors (11a, 11b); and releasing the tensile force on the pre-stressing member (9) to transfer a compressive force to the timber-based component (1) through the concrete anchors (11a, 11b) to form a pre-stressed beam or panel.
US09809977B2

A set of machines and related systems build structures by the additive assembly of discrete parts. These digital material assemblies constrain the constituent parts to a discrete set of possible positions and orientations. In doing so, the structures exhibit many of the properties inherent in digital communication such as error correction, fault tolerance and allow the assembly of precise structures with comparatively imprecise tools. Assembly of discrete cellular lattices by a Modular Isotropic Lattice Extruder System (MILES) is implemented by pulling strings of lattice elements through a forming die that enforces geometry constraints that lock the elements into a rigid structure that can then be pushed against and extruded out of the die as an assembled, loadbearing structure.
US09809968B1

A corrugated thermoplastic leaching chamber has sidewall louvers that define sidewall slot openings. Each louver comprises an outward extending canopy, a cap integral with the outer end of the canopy, having a down slope greater than the slope of the canopy, and a preferably concave fence at the inner end of the canopy, for inhibiting ingress of soil. The chamber may be made by first thermoforming sheet material, preferably two-layer PET plastic sheet to the shape of the chamber, followed by mechanically cutting and deforming the sidewall, to create the opening and the fence.